PRELUDE TO GREATNESS

A guy on an inferior blog recommended I read "The Reagan Diaries." The worst economic years for working families in America since I've been alive were Reagan years. I didn't want to read a book about him and be reminded of layoffs. Good people having their jobs reduced to part time status so a few at the top could keep their big salaries. Having to work two part time jobs because full time jobs disappeared. You might have guessed I'm no fan of Reagan's. I am an admirer of John Kerry. I read his story and here is an excerpt:

{ I was an upper classman at Yale when first introduced to the incoming freshman, we called them "plebes" George W. Bush. We called him "curious George." Not because he looked like a monkey, but because he was always asking "where's the beer"?

So the night finally came when we had to initiate Curious George into Skull and Bones. My assistants in the rite were fellow upperclassmen, "Pookie" and "Stinky." Pookie was the disciplinarian of the initiates and Stinky was the guide.

George entered the Hall of the Skull and asked "Where's the beer fellas"? Pookie whacked George on his derriere with his "rod of discipline" and sternly told him to be silent while he explained the rite.

Pookie told George he would be led down the hall and face two tests. "Behind one door is the biggest, meanest man eating grizzly bear that ever terrorized Yellowstone National Park. He has sore tooth and you must pull it out."

Stinky then told George "Then you face what is behind door number two." George said"Who are you? Monte Hal?" Pookie whacked George again. Then Stinky said, "Behind this door is Bella Abzug Coulter. The nastiest, most secularly liberal man hating feminazi on Earth. And you must satisfy her three times in one hour."

Pookie then pushed George through the first door. The screaming. The banging. The gnashing of teeth was almost too much to bear. But Pookie, Stinky and I remained steadfast that we were doing the right thing. Then George staggered out of the room. He was bloodied and bruised all over. Then he said, "Okay fellas. Now where's that lesbian with the toothache?"}