Friday's Odds and Ends

Here's an interesting comment from Secretary of Defense Robert Gates responding to a question about why the U.S. continues to treat Pakistan like an ally even though its government has proven untrustworthy. "I would say based on 27 years in CIA and 4 and a half years in this job, most governments lie to each other. That's the way business gets done."

It is so sad when diplomacy has turned into hypocrisy. I remember when it was a badge of honor to be able to have it said of you, "This is a woman of her word." I remember when a handshake could close a deal and the handshake would be honored no matter what. That type of honesty and trust built integrity and integrity is the backbone of character.

According to a recent article by Washington Post columnist Ruth Marcus, some people are paying $2 and $3 hundred thousand dollars for playhouses for their kids. I couldn't believe it. That is more than the average American pays for a home. The people with the money and the means to built such extravagant installations for the amusement of children make no apologies for what Ms. Marcus calls, "such grossness." She quotes Dan Burnham, former Raytheon chairman as saying, "It's adorable and worth every penny."

I support Ms. Marcus's suggestion that parents ask a delivery man for a leftover refrigerator box and buy the kids a set of markers and a roll of duct tape. Then "send the kids out to design their own magical cottage. After it rains, throw away and repeat."

When I read that, I thought of how much fun the kids at the Youth Drama Camp had making a barn out of... you guessed it, an old refrigerator box.

Nathan Heller would like us to rethink the slogan "American as Apple Pie." In a recent article he put tongue in cheek and proceeded to list all the reasons "The dessert is gloppy, soggy, undeserving of its vaunted status-- and just plain old un-American."

I know he meant this all in fun, at least I hope he did, but I wish he would have left my favorite dessert alone. I like my apple pie in a bowl with milk, then it doesn't matter how gloppy or soggy it is. Berry pie is good the same way, and I have fond memories of my grandmother letting me have pie or cobbler for breakfast. Hey, I was getting my fruit and milk, wasn't I?

What about you? How do you like your pie?