USING REVERSE PSYCHOLOGY

  

            Some years back when I was an avid golfer serving on the Board of Directors of our local Country Club, I ran into a problem that  was resolved by using reverse psychology.  The men’s locker room had a urinal that was three feet from the floor.  While this was great for the six-footers, those of us shorter guys had to use the urinal on our tip-toes.

My frequent requests to get the urinal lowered were met by deaf ears.  So, at the next Board meeting I submitted a proposal to RAISE the urinal to a height of four feet.  Everyone thought I was nuts, but they finally understood my desire to “level the playing field.” .  The Board got my message,  and the urinal was reset to a level suitable for even the little kids.  After all, fair is fair.

Will this reverse psychology work again?  Check out your newer books or any of the news magazines.  Note that the type is getting smaller and smaller.   Furthermore, it is being printed on really thin paper which has a nice glare to it.  As a Senior Citizen, I find it really hard to read.

My idea is this.  Let’s all demand that publishers start printing everything in even smaller type..  This would  “level the playing field” by making things hard to read for everyone.  Publishers should be happy because they can get more words on each page.  After all, fair is fair.

           
 

DON'T DO AS I DO, JUST DO AS I SAY

             In reviewing the actions of many political, religious, and civic leaders, it is interesting to note that many of them have fallen from grace because of the very issues they espouse.

            Many years ago I heard an inspiring speech by the then Governor of Maryland, Spiro Agnew, who demanded honesty and integrity in government.  The speech impressed me and I declared that “this guy is my kind of man.”  Agnew was chosen to be Richard Nixon’s running mate, and he served as Vice President from 1969 to 1973.

             Agnew fell in disgrace following charges of income tax evasion and bribery.  He resigned and was sentenced to three years probation after pleading no contest to the tax evasion charges.  A Maryland court also fined him $248,000 to cover the bribes he took while in office.

            Jimmy Swaggart and Jim Baker, two sanctimonious televangelists, both raised huge amounts of money and brought hundreds of thousands into their ministries, always preaching the high moral road.  Both bit the dust in sex scandals although at least one of Swaggart’s prostitutes declared that while he was a regular, “we never had sex.”

            They were guilty of the very immorality they preached against.

            North Carolina Senator John Edwards, ran unsuccessfully as Vice President and later as a presidential candidate on a “family values.” campaign.  He later  fathered a love child in a series of extra curricular activities and then left his wife who was dying of cancer.  As Shakespeare would say, “Edwards fell on his own petard.”

             U.S. Representative Vicky Hartzler (MO) beat Ike Skelton in the last election over  Tea Party issues involving major cuts in the federal budget and big government intrusion in our lives.   CBS News recently ran an interview with Hartzler in which she adamantly defended her family’s acceptance of more than $770,000 in farm subsidies. 

            I personally am supportive of farm subsidies since I  like to eat.   However,  I resent it when the person receiving the subsidy rails against big government spending.

            Hartzler is now advocating the reinstatement of the military’s DADT policy.  Is this simply a guise to pick up some support from those who hate gays, or more significantly, to diffuse her position on big government spending?

            And now there is a disturbing story about Senator Claire McCaskill.  She won my vote with her no nonsense business approach to government financing.  We now learn that she owes thousands of dollars in overdue property taxes.

             Edwards lost my support a long time ago, I never did like Swaggart or Baker, and I don’t think I will vote for either Hartzler or McCaskill in the future. 

            The very issues espoused by these leaders have caused their biggest headaches.

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Hartzler Teleconference

                                        

            About 8 o’clock last night I received a phone invitation to participate in a live teleconference in which I could ask Representative Vicky Hartzler a question about any concerns..  I indicated my interest and was told that I  would be called on soon.  After a half-dozen or more questions from some very supportive participants I was asked for my name and question.  .

            “I have to tell you my question before I can talk to Hartzler?” I asked.  The reply was a firm “Yes.”  So, I gave her my question.

           “Why does Hartzler  rail against government intrusion into our lives and  government spending when her family has received thousands of dollars in federal farm subsidies?  Isn’t that a bit hypocritical?”

            I then heard,  “He wants to talk to you about your farm subsidies.”  Another voice, I assume Hartzler’s, replied,             “I’ll deal with that later. Go to the next caller.”   My question opportunity disappeared. 

            If this happens again, I will have an innocent question ready, and when we go live, I’ll fire my zinger.  Frankly, I don’t blame the Hartzler camp.  I wouldn’t let me on their program either.

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