What Me Do

Commentary Social No Comments

 

Anyone reading any of these entries over the last few months might justifiably wonder what it is I am trying to accomplish.  Fair enough point to bring up.

One thing I am trying to do is to gain discipline in writing something, anything really, on a daily basis.  I am old but still have a dream.  That dream is to become a writer.  And even if I cannot achieve that dream then in writing on a regular basis at least I am writing on a regular basis.  Do you see?

Another objective is that I am looking to express my feelings and beliefs in a few different areas, the least of which are not in the areas of politics, governance, social behaviors, and culture.  As I express these things I also one day have a dream that I can instruct or perhaps inspire others to seek knowledge and expression in their own right.  Too many of us seem satisfied these days to be spoon fed from a comfortable and familiar jar of food.

I am too old to influence the world in a great way I’m afraid.  This is not sad but it is a truth best not run away from if I plan to not tend toward delusion.  Time is precious for sure.  I cannot overnight change our government or inspire Hollywood to make great movies that do not have to include violence, or substance abuse, or sexual contrivances, or even Manhattan maladies of the mind; I cannot convince the media to once again seek to be objective, investigating and reporting on the basis of the facts and not the bias of a belief system; I cannot make unions of teachers focus on providing teachers of quality who provide a quality and world-class education for our children; I cannot convince spenders to be savers, liberals to be more conservative, smokers to chew gum, drinkers to sip tea, or even pot smokers that their lives are passing by unhitched and without firm purpose of any forward progress (if you have ever smoked the weed and gotten even slightly hooked you will understand this even if you won’t admit it- just leave my kids the hell alone ok?)…

A final, and perhaps the most important, objective I have simply starts here with some ancillary commentary from time to time.  I think to save our future for the best that is possible we must reach out and reconnect with our kids.  Kids are a whole bunch smarter and savvier than we give them credit for and I find that when presented with more than just one side of a point or issue they can almost always be trusted to make a good and considered decision all on their own.  When they are indoctrinated as is more and more the case these past few decades, now even reaching well down into the lower grade levels, it is difficult for them to consider any additional points of view beyond what the schools that have them captive for almost eight hours per day, five days per week, have decided to instill in them.  And now the feds want to make sure that they dictate that curriculum.  Lovely.

What are our kids being taught?  And why is it okay for there to be so precious little time- all kinds of outside activities, smartphones and social media, video games, single parents, both parents working, cable TV, digital music and headphones- to spend in meaningful discussion outside of the school?  Do schools allow all these distractions?  No, of course not.  And they shouldn’t.  But if they don’t for the eight hours that they have our kids captive why should we in the few hours left to us?  Be wise parents and be ever vigilant if you would like your children to have a chance to turn out with even a little of what you believe.

This is where I plan to focus whatever it is that I can offer in whatever time may be left to me to do so.  Maybe you feel the same way or believe this is important.  If so, then start even just a little with your own child or maybe another that you know and be amazed at what you find out about a youngster you thought you knew.

If you want to change the world, start with the children.  The folks attempting to take the world in a direction that I certainly don’t like and don’t agree with already know this.  And they are doing it and they are winning.  It is time to fight back my friends.

So wise up and rise up and let’s get started getting our kids back…before it is really too late to do so.

Be Kind Today

Commentary Political Social No Comments

 

I sense an arising in some around me.  I have often said to my wife that times like these can be a good thing to go through.

When I was in college one of my jobs was as a cook’s assistant.  One of the jobs I had in that job was to do what was called “clarifying” butter.  Many sticks of real butter (it was still allowed in those olden days) were put into a small pot and melted.  The more solid stuff that floated to the top was skimmed off leaving more liquid, more pure butter as a result.

So I say to my wife that maybe, hopefully, times like these are akin to clarifying butter.  Get everything out there in the open.  Set it all to a boil and see what rises to the top and then skim it off.  See what and who people are and then move from there based on what it is you think you want from them, from your life, from your country and its leaders.  Are you liking what you’re seeing? 

If you said yes then you need read no further.  You must have the society, the  culture, the economy, the government,  and the leadership that you want; or at least it seems headed in a direction you like.  So read no further.  Simply rejoice in what has been brought so visibly and swiftly to the surface.

But also beware the skimmer.

For those not so happy or satisfied- some even tending to terrified or disgusted at times- read on and do not lose faith.  No, never lose faith.  Even if faith is considered a violation of the separation of church and state.

Speaking of that for a moment I know that there are a lot of folks who are concerned about allowing too much or even any church into the state but there are also those of us who really want to get the state out of our churches.  If you have faith even the removal of that Nativity scene from the public square will not remove the belief in your heart.  You can legislate away the physical representations of it I suppose but you can never legislate away the faith of the heart- been tried before; epic fail as my kids would say.

If by chance all of what is happening is what a majority of the folks in this country want then so be it, but even that does not mean you have to give up the fight for what you believe to be right.  Arguments are not successfully made by avoiding the topic.  You have to speak up for what you believe and you have to start doing so now, today.  I know that it could never happen here- it could never happen anywhere where it actually did wind up happening- but just in case you might want to make sure you did what you could to fight back for what you believe to be right.

Speaking of religion: I know what Christians would do if there were no atheists- they would continue to believe and seek expression through prayer and worship- but what would atheists do if there were no one who believed in anything?  Silence.  And, also, is atheism allowed in the Muslim faith?  Maybe that’s why atheists only seem to attack Christianity.  That or they’re chickenshits.

So what the heck is it that I am trying to get to here, what is it I am trying to say?  Hell, I don’t know but I will try to get to it nevertheless.

If someone throws a stone at you do you get it and throw it back, run away, or stand and ask why he did it?

If someone insults your spouse in public do you defend, defer defense, or just chuckle it away?

Your kid doesn’t get enough playing time on a ball team that you spent a lot of money to get him on; in fact you pay just the same as the kid who plays all the time.  What do you do?

A woman with a baby in the car has skidded off the road on the morning after an overnight snowstorm- probably texting.  You see the car, and her, and the baby, but you are way late for work.  It’s no longer snowing and it is not that cold and it is daytime and it is not an extremely remote road.  Do you pull over?  Do you ask if she wants you to call for help or do you offer to help get the car back on the road?  Do you just drive by?

You know a friend has cheated on a test and wound up getting a better grade than you do- a lot better.  Are you mad?  Are you ambivalent?  Do you tell the teacher or even talk to the friend?  Does the friend remain a friend?  Do you decide to just cheat on the next test yourself?

You’re coaching a youth baseball team and you are in the finals.  You told the team and the parents that every player would get about the same playing time even though it is the championship but you never thought you would have a chance to win this game against a team that everyone knows is far superior to your own- they all think your team got lucky in getting to the finals and deep down you agree.  Lo and behold though it is the latter innings and it is a tie game.  You still have your two worst players on the bench and need to sub them in if you are going to even get close to equal playing time; and you would have to sub them in for your two best players, one of whom is your son.  What would you do?

Decisions and choices.  That is life.  Sitting back and doing nothing is a choice and a decision.  Usually not a very good one of either.

If you don’t like what is happening then help to change it even in some small way. 

Take the time to raise your kids the right way.  Take the time to be with them and teach them all you can.  Encourage them to try many things- safe and healthy of course- and to learn for themselves. 

Challenge the schools and teachers- there are a lot of problems there in case you didn’t know.  Make sure you know who your kids are hanging with and what they are being taught.  Just allow them to trust you enough so that they can open up even a little and talk.  Your job is mainly to be there and to listen.  Be patient and don’t pass immediate judgment.  Love them and let them know that you do.

Vote.  Even if there are no perfect candidates (and there aren’t) you need to vote.  Even if you think the election is a foregone conclusion you still need to vote.   If you have time help out a campaign and get out to talk to folks and win them over, even if slowly, to your own beliefs.

Lend a helping hand to someone in need and be thankful when doing so.  Give a buck or two or a can of food or two to a local food bank.  Attend a PTO or school board meeting and let them know how you feel.  Turn off the tube and computer; shut down the iPods and phones; lay the tablets and eReaders aside;  spend time with your parents, your kids, your family, your friends.  Don’t download that objectionable MP3 or watch that movie which stars someone whose views you adamantly disagree with.  Fly the flag whenever you can but especially on days that you should.  Go to church if you believe.  Help coach a youth sports team or offer your free services as an academic mentor.  Stop swearing, don’t do drugs, and don’t drink so damn much.  Set a good example in at least some of what you do; at least try.  On your way to work perform at least two mannerly acts toward a fellow motorist or pedestrian- three or four would be better and help lead you toward forming a habit.  Say one nice thing to someone you don’t like.  Notice a kid who never seems to get noticed.  Compliment someone on something.  Give up your seat to someone who needs it- or even someone who doesn’t.  Let someone get in line ahead of you.  Act like you’re not in such a hurry even if you are.  Buy a raffle ticket or cookies from that kid at the door who really isn’t having much fun selling no matter what you might think.  Offer to work for a colleague.  Offer to help someone who needs it with their homework.  Smile or laugh, genuinely and at the appropriate time.  Hug someone you know and hold the hug a second or two longer than necessary.  Do someone else’ chores around the house just because.  Help a teammate to get better even if you think it threatens your position on the team.  Dress a little nicer than normal; wash well and comb your hair.  Shovel a neighbor’s walkway, driveway, or both; then offer them a beer in your garage to celebrate the weather.  Spend a few more minutes petting your dog.   Thank the Lord, if you believe, for all that you have in life and ask His help to show you the way where you need it- likely things could always be worse and, maybe, just maybe, they could become a good sight better with a little faith and a lot of effort.  Educate yourself in as many areas as you can but especially in regard to civics and politics.  Read the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution; read them again; explain them to someone else or ask someone else to help explain them to you.  Study history and learn from it.  Get some more sleep and don’t worry so much about absolutely everything.  Exercise, even if it’s just walking or using the stairs more often.  If you beat your spouse or kids stop now; get help and stop now.  The next time you want to yell at someone, don’t; walk away or just bite your lip.  Do a bit more planning in your life as a lack of planning often impacts others negatively, especially your family and coworkers.  Don’t procrastinate so much- getting something done often leads to the confidence to get something else done right afterwards.  Realize that kids are very sensitive, even if they don’t show it;   do something, say something, to boost their confidence every day- it should be genuine and not contrived.  Get rid of a hatred.  Don’t let your pet peeves make you angry.  Do a few pushups or sit-ups when you feel stressed.  Eat a bit more healthy.  Join in on celebrating someone else’s success.  Lend an ear to a friend in need of one.  Listen to things you plan to say in your head before you actually say them; amend as necessary to make them sound as positive and non-cynical as possible.  Watch a happy movie with your family.  Shop for something small and then buy it; while you’re at it buy something small for someone else for no reason.   Sleep in a bit on a rainy morning.  Try to stay off drugs- and here I mean prescription ones- as much as possible; doctors these days just love to process and prescribe and it’s you who possibly winds up paying the price in the long run.  Sing a song; out loud if you can.  Take a nice warm bath or shower and relax.  Go and eat your favorite food if you haven’t had it in a while and do so with a nice glass of wine and someone you enjoy talking to.  Hold a newborn baby.  Hold a new puppy.  Both help to celebrate new life and new hope for those who hold it.

On an on.  Things to do to make you feel better; things to do to make someone else feel better.  Hopefully you will continue and those you influence will shine it on.

These things can make a difference my friends and the more people who do it the more impact it will have.  If you disagree just do me a favor and try it for a day or two and see if you change your mind.  I’ll bet you feel better.

If nothing else if you find yourself in a position to choose then choose this way- be nice, be kind, and you really can’t go wrong.

Global Swallowing

Commentary Observations No Comments

That’s right folks.  Remember that you saw that expression here first ok?

What‘s up with all these sinkholes lately? 

I lived in Florida for a number of years and stories of sinkholes there were never too surprising.  After all, the entire state is a mix of sand and water right?  And what happens when water and sand come together?  Right.  The sand is washed away to be redistributed somewhere else.  Hopefully it is redistributed to somewhere it is needed, like maybe to a child’s sandbox.

Nowadays there seem to be sinkholes opening up everywhere.  No state is safe.  Just look at those classic Corvettes in Kentucky.  Amazing and quite terrifying. 

And no country seems safe either.  Just look at what is happening in England after all that rain.  Again, quite terrifying.  It is global in scale.

They’re here, they’re there, they’re everywhere.  Think you are safe from them?  Think again!

So what is up?

Are they due to an extreme amount of rain as they claim across the old ponderoosa?

Are they due to underground caves that for some reason have decided to make themselves recognized?

Are they from an alien civilization that visited here (Chariots of the Gods?) long ago and left after drilling thousands of holes in search of what the interior of the earth had to offer them and their advanced society?

Maybe they are left over holes dug by some huge subterranean creatures back when the earth was younger and more wild than today.  Kind of like what happens in backyards when invaded by moles, voles, chipmunks, or shrews.  Hidden over thousands of years by loose material that lightly filled them and is now washing out almost all at the same time as if coordinated by some evil force.

Maybe they are small craters left over from when the earth was bombarded by all that space material all those eons ago.  Again, lightly filled in and now being washed out again.  Same evil force at work.

Are any of these possible or could it just be normal earth stuff happening?  Doubtful unless you are a fool and believe such bunk.

No, it’s pretty clear that what is happening is Global Swallowing and it is the result of all the stuff man has pulled out of the earth since he first hefted a pick or shovel back in the cave guy days. 

And just to exacerbate things Global Warming was very likely responsible for kicking off the Global Swallowing phase of the complete and utter destruction of this earth.

You can’t avoid the facts.  The science is clear and unmistakable and the debate is over.

Job Ready Shovels

Conferences & Interviews No Comments

 

President:  I have foreseen this and I have driven this all throughout my first three terms but especially in my last one.  This will lead us to the final stage of the present jobs creation initiative and allow us to focus on what comes next.  This is indeed historic.

Reporter A:  Mr. President, can you cite any statistics in support of this decision?

President:  You can look those up, everyone can look those up at shoveljob.gov.  It’s all there for you to see.  I have seen them.

Reporter A:  But-

President:  Next question?  Yes, you.  My good friend from MyPoster.

Reporter B:  Is it true Mr. President that you are now looking at driving the unemployment rate down to and past the zero mark?

President:  Yes, it is indeed.  You will note, that by using the aforementioned statistics available at shovejob, er, shoveljob.com, the opportunities I have created for a sort of super employment environment have risen astronomically under my administration.  These have driven down unemployment at a previously unimagined rate.  Despite the problems created by the previous administration, and, indeed, all the administrations put into place under prior presidents of that other party, I have indeed now provided for an historical number of employment opportunities that will allow everyone a fair chance at income equality.  If you like your job, you can keep it.  And now, finally, you can even have another.

Reporter A:  Sir, but that is, I mean the accounting used-

President:  If you have a question please wait to be recognized.  I must insist.

Reporter B:  And those still unable to take advantage Mr. President will-

President:  Yes, yes.  They will be able to draw up to double the equalization benefits presently available.  Either way, the working class and the underclass benefit tremendously and finally have a path that I will be providing for entry into the middle class.

Reporter A:  But sir, counting a second or even third job as 2 or 3 for 1 skews the statistics, surely you know-

President:  Again, if you cannot wait to be recognized you may not ask a question.  I ask this in all fairness but I must demand it as a matter of protocol.  We don’t want any anarchy in here.  (Smiles, smirks, chortles slightly).

Reporter B:  Mr. President-

Reporter A:  Sir, a request to be allowed a follow up question?

Reporter B:  Please don’t interrupt me.  Mr. President, the funds to support-

President:  This next initiative?  They will be made available, I will see to that of course.

Reporter A:  But sir-

Reporter B:  Excellent Mr. President.  We are then to assume that this will be supported from the usual sources?

President:  Of course of course.  That is my decision that I have made.  (Big smile.  Winks.)

Reporter A:  Taxes?  MORE taxes?  How is that even possible with current rates?  How can you allow- (Cut off by SS man.)

President:  I am indeed sorry but you will have to be removed from the room.  I would ask my security friends to go gentle with him for now.

Reporter A (escaping for a brief moment):  Sir, you cannot claim those employment numbers when your people are double and triple counting!  A person is either employed or not employed sir!  They cannot be employed two or three times!  The statistics, sir, the statistics…the overwhelming taxes-  (Tackled and shackled quickly now).

President:  I do apologize folks.  This will be taken care of I will ensure it.  All of you need to follow normal process here and with a high level of decorum.  (Attempt to disguise anger with a feigned look of concern).

Reporter B:  We understand completely sir and I for one would like to apologize for the behavior of my former colleague.

Reporter A (from the very back of the room now):  You lie!  You lie!  You all lie and you all let it go on!  It’s all lies and the people should know, they should know, they need to know- THIS IS INSANE, IT IS WRONG, IT IS EVIL!!- (Hit off camera with a blackjack and made suddenly and completely quiet.)

President:  All right then, all is okay folks.  I’m okay.  We need to move on.  We just need to move on, and now we can thanks to this latest plan that I will be putting in place starting tomorrow.

Reporter B:  Mr. President, is it true then that even more shovel ready jobs will be made available in this next phase as well?

President:  Of course of course.  I have seen to that.  And I will say it once again- if you like your job you can keep it…and now even more!  Thank you and God Bless the United States of America!

American Ease

Commentary Political Social No Comments

I long ago learned that there were different reasons people (primarily from Europe as I understand it) came to the Americas.

There were those who came to explore.  Some explored and then explored some more.  Some explored and then stayed while others explored and then went home, perhaps to explore some more in some other place.

There were also those who came to exploit.  They were after gold, silver, land, and any other riches that this “new land” would offer to those with the aplomb to pursue with passion.  I suppose they felt some things were free for the taking while others had to be taken from those already in residence.

There were still others who came to escape- escape religious persecution, personal poverty, prison, and other unsavory alternatives.  I imagine that even with the dangers present it was still probably a nice place to escape to. 

Later still there were those who came to excel in places and ways that were improbable or even impossible in the places that they lived; some in Europe but then later in places all around the globe.  Excel if you had the gumption, wherewithal and tenacity (three words for you younger folks to look up) to do so.

There were those men of the cloth who came to explain and enlighten the natives who had no knowledge of our Christian God.  If their motivations or methods were misplaced it is likely unfair to judge from so many years in the future but proceed if you must.

Some would say that some or more than some came to enslave but if that were true then there would have been a much larger issue with Indian slavery than there was wouldn’t there?  No, that problem came later and it was with the willing and wilful  aid of others outside of the new land.

They came to educate (at least as their intention) and later to receive education; they came to more freely express themselves; they came to earn a better life and better living; they came to edify themselves and also others; they came to experience and engage and embrace and enjoy this new world;  they came to escape that which they could no longer endure; they came for equality and the opportunity to enfranchise themselves in this grand and great new and extraordinary experiment in free and unfettered enterpise;  they embarked on their expedition, their exemplary exodus, as emigrants, soon to be expatriates, to help establish, enhance, and enlarge a new type of freedom not before known in this world or any other; they came and they came; they came to what had been the edge of the world with high expectations and with hopes and dreams to enrich all that they had not before; they came to emancipate themselves from oppressive rule and worse; they came to employ extreme effort and worked to elicit and ensure the best possible outcomes for themselves and their families and peoples; they came to evolve, to emerge as something well beyond what was ever thought possible; they came to exclaim and exhort all they believed to all who would listen; they came and they came and they came.

One and all, rich and small, old and poor, young and destitute, man and child, mother and waif, hopeful and tired, oppressed and injured, nearly free, nearly freed.  They came and they came and they came.

They came to be exceptional.  And, in time, they did just that.  As no other time in the history of this world peoples came to a place to become exceptional and that is what they would be.  They would be exceptional.

Can we be that no more?  Should we be that no less?

Seems there are those who would respond no and then no again. 

Ask why, my fellow Americans, why one who has found the dream should then be allowed to take it away from any who would follow.  Why would one who has tell all others that they can have not? 

That, in itself, is truly exceptional is it not?

Sticky Waters

Observations No Comments

We live in a house on a well and septic.  What we take from the ground we return to the ground when we are done with it.  Total recyclation.

I make the coffee in the house every morning and try to do so without one of the dogs getting too excited and waking everyone.  I try to be quiet and I hope I remembered to grind enough beans the day or two before.  Yes, I have returned to grinding my own.  Brewing my own, rolling my own, grinding my own.  (Just kidding on one of those, kids.)  I buy the beans from Costco for a decent price and then grind them at home to release all that fresh coffee yumminess.

So I rinse the pot and toss out the old grounds.  I start the water running into the empty and sort-of-clean pot, put a new cone filter into the basket, and then put in 6 or 7 scoops of recently-ground goodness.  When I get the water to the right level I then carefully, slowly, pour it into the reservoir.  If all goes well, as it usually does, the water goes in smoothly and I place the top back on the pot, slide it back on top of the warmer, and hit the GO button.  Ten minutes later I have my first cup of tasty jove.  The world, and the morning, are good.

Sometimes there is a slight hitch though.  Sometimes the water seems to actually catch, or stick, on the spout of the pot as I try to pour it.  Instead of going where it should then it tends to go all over the area around the reservoir opening, down the side of the pot, and then all over the counter.  There is no telling when the water gets sticky but it really pisses me off when it does.

Other things?

I often try to make sure I am lifting my foot over something like a boot on the garage or a tall pile of papers in the office.  Try as I might, focus as I will, I still manage to kick the object I am actually trying to avoid.  This was once called “Golden Slippers” by those who knew me best.  My own father used to comment on my very graceful moves.  Yes, kicking stuff over when I am trying my very best to avoid it does piss me off.  Even more when I trip to boot.

I simply love using the snowblower (I think they call it snow thrower nowadays- some PC reason I guess) on a very cold morning when the wind is blowing.  Without fail a majority of what I try to blow away blows back on me making me even more crusty than I typically tend to be.  Oh, and then my good friend the plow truck driver usually decides to fly by at around 50-60mph, burying then end of my driveway in a new and thick coat of thickly packed snow all the while with sparks flying from his mighty blade as it rips at the poor concrete of the already blistering road.  All this makes a nice start to the day.

Or how about that real-quick thing you need to do on the PC before you have to rush off somewhere?  That is often when the darn thing decides to get bogged down in a backup or process a Windows update (God I hate Microsoft- when will I ever use Apple again??) or just simply hang up.  Or maybe the printer decides to go offline and nothing reboots faster than an HP printer eh?  All things to drive anyone to that home-brew or self-rolled stress relief treatment.

Maybe it’s when you’re rushing to get dressed and the final foot hooks on your jeans or underwear and, if you’re lucky, you have something to grab on to before you crash to the floor and have to explain the concussion to your wife, your family, your boss…the paramedics.  Yep, nothing but fun.

Smack your head on the hard corner of an opened cabinet door lately as you straightened up?

Cruising across a carpeted floor in the middle of winter on a very dry day and then discharging all that charge you built up to the light switch or, even better yet (!), to the lips of your spouse as you try to give a quick kiss before leaving the house.  Near-electrocution is a truly memorable experience especially when you do it over and over and over again!

Stepping off the ladder after many tiring hours of painting and almost tasting that first cold brew as you feel your foot go right into the paint pan or can.  Haven’t done that?  Think I have?

Pulling a wad of wet clothes out of the washer, playing the helpful hubbie, and before you get them into the safety of the dryer a near-wad falls on to the laundry room floor that was recently very clean until the dog tracked in a bunch of slush from the great outdoors.  Mmm-mmm good.

On and on.

The end of my fingers splitting in the winter and turning to a bloody mess when I try to play basketball with my kids.  Dropping my kids off at school only to get a call a bit later asking me to return to drop something off that one of them forgot.  Fixing the dishwasher only to have the furnace start to make some new and interesting noises.  (In fact, having to fix anything that I just recently fixed.)  Trying to keep on a regular workout schedule and lose some weight in the process but having the scale constantly mocking me.  Knocking a full (never almost empty) cup of coffee over and on to all those important papers on my desk AND on to my computer keyboard early in the morning when I just got up early to get a head start on the day and get caught up a bit.  Having a mechanic tell you he just can’t hear it now.  Having a branch on a tree swipe the hat off my head as I pass underneath on the mower.  Finding a puddle of colored liquid on the floor of the garage after my wife leaves for work.  And more and more and still more.

Paying taxes and wondering what I get for all that government charity.

Asking who in our pitiful Congress will one day stand up and be able to start the roll back of the bureaucratic monstrosity created right under our very noses. No response expected.

Worrying about the crap that the schools try to pass off as education in this country and trying my best to protect my kids from the harm and ultimate indoctrination now practiced well down into the lower grade levels.

Coming to the sad conclusion that there is so very little objective reporting, and almost no objective investigative reporters, left and nothing near an unencumbered media any longer.  They have all mostly sold out, are completely despicable, and should bear a scarlet letter evermore.

Wondering when, again, we will ever have a President who believes in and follows the Constitution and also a Supreme Court that works to protect that sacred (there I said it) from ultimate de-construction or even eventual destruction.

Guessing when the American people will finally get it and wise up and rise up before it is just too damn late to do anything about any of it anymore.

And more and more and still more.

Some things piss me off for sure.  Other things not only piss me off, they scare me half to death.

Torn Pictures on Valentine’s Day

Reflections & Memories No Comments

Kids today still hold a book.  E-Readers have not yet been able to replicate a pop-up book and somehow books in general continue to evade digitalization.   Music fell a while ago for the most part though there still are those relics who spin the vinyl.  Newspapers fell to the onslaught and books are indeed headed that way, especially as the older generations fade to time.

Pictures have been mostly untouchable for years now.  We used to buy a few rolls of film with 24 or 36 exposures or perhaps a disposable film camera and head off to a big event or maybe off on a memorable vacation.  We would be careful with how much we would shoot as the cost to buy and especially to develop the film could swiftly grow.  But not today.  Today it is shoot and shoot and shoot- how good is your camera at continuous shots?- and then maybe review and delete what we do not like or what does not look good.  More often than not I suspect a lot of bad shots are left in the digital storage graveyard instead of the digital trash.  There are few restrictions on how many photos or even videos we can shoot and store.  But how much does anyone ever really look at later on?  Just buy a bigger hard drive or consign it all to the cloud.

And even camera-only devices are being left mostly just to the specialists.  I have a nice camera for special occasions and also for my weak attempt at becoming something more of a photographer.  That one is a Nikon.   I have a smaller point-and-shoot that can take up to 1000 frames per second  in video mode and I use that camera, a Casio, to shoot high-speed athletic activities like batting and pitching.  I have two older digital cameras and also a few old and very old film cameras.  I no longer have our old Polaroids (wish I did!) but I do have many fond memories of buying film and flash cubes at the local drugstore on a cold and dark and snowy night and then taking pictures on Christmas Eve that slowly developed, in about a minute, using the warmth from my armpit.  Don’t have the camera but do have the photos still.  Anyone recall?

No, today it is phones with good cameras- almost all with two.  The first is an eye to the workd and the second is an eye to me.  It used to be that the eye to the world needed to be the higher quality device but now, with so many selfies, the eye to me seems to take precedence.  So I point, at myself, and shoot; and then I share with all of my virtual vapor friends.  Take it, share it, forget it.  It’s done and it’s gone.  Like sand through the hourglass…

Still, though, in the back of a cedar-lined closet or perhaps on the very top shelf of an large old dusty bookcase or even boxed away in a dark and dank corner of a basement, throughout this country there still exists those wonderful old photo albums, many with the somewhat staccatissimo story of the distinct and memorable events of a life.  Or maybe of a family.  Or maybe a group of friends or an old ball team or cheer squad.  Or maybe the best vacation trip you ever took or maybe one that was taken by your parents or your grandparents or someone you never even knew.  Maybe a group of co-workers from a place worked at long ago.  So many possible stories in so many lives across so many years.

Do you have one of those?  And did you ever look through it?  If you did so once you did so a hundred times.  And if you did so with someone else who explained the pictures to you or to whom you explained the pictures then that simply made the experience all the more a moment in life so worth remembering.  The moment you spent looking at those captured moments on film, memorable even more so if you yourself did the capturing, turns itself into yet another special and memorable moment.  So take a selfie of you looking at those touchable photos and send it out to the world.

And you easily know what is on each next page of that old album.  And you know the little nuances of each picture and which ones are in color and which ones are in black and white before you even see them.  And you learned who all the unknown people are, or were, so now they are no longer unknown.  And you recognize the aging pages and the method of attachment- maybe actual sleeves (more modern) or scotch tape or those old triangular corner holders, whatever they were called.  You even know the smell of the book if it has one.  And the sound of the pages as they turn.  And when you are done there is one more picture still to be seen.

It is the one of someone now long gone and it has a special place somewhere in the book because it cannot be easily attached for long ago it was torn, ripped to where it actually fell out of the book and no one has yet  taken the time to put it back where it once was.  It is stuck perhaps in the back of the book or just simply resides tucked between the pages.  It is ripped and it is torn and it is maybe no longer clear where it belonged in the book, in the life, but it is still there.  It is the orphan but still greatly loved.

And you know it because you have seen it so many times and never chose to move it.  It is as it was when you found it and there it rests still as the book is closed and put away to age along with you; later to give way to an electronic pad that will all too soon take its place on the shelf, in the closet, or locked away in a box in the dank and dark corner of the basement.

Do yourself a favor this Valentine’s Day.  Take that book out and spend some time remembering as it works its magic in telling its story at least one more time.  Just for you.

 

WhasyaWhasyaWhasyaWant?

Commentary Social No Comments

 

I once dated a girl.  I dated more than one and more than once before you think any satirical thoughts and later express them.

Anyhow, get over it and relax.  Shake it off.  Be free and easy.

This girl seemed grounded enough and said she only wanted me for me and only wanted my love for hers.  Seemed a fair deal so I took it.

So I gave and got.  Then I gave more and got a little less.  Before long I seemed to give almost all that I had to give and though it may not have been much it was all that I had to give.  And all I heard was what I was not giving and what else she needed me to give that was, yes, part of what I was not giving.

I loved this girl so I tried all in my power to make her happy, to satisfy her growing list of needs and wants and wishes and dreams and all that nature had given for her to freely desire.  But, yeah, you guessed it.  I kept up for awhile and before long fell out of the race.  To her credit she did nothing to hurt me- she simply worked it so that it would be me who would have little choice but to break things off.  Maybe that was kind, maybe it was her way of avoiding any blame.

Later she found another, and then another.  To be fair yet again, so did I.

In remembering I seem to be forgetting what it was I got while doing all that giving.  Must have been worth it I guess.

How much can any one person be expected to give to another?  Some say it could be endless as in the case of a parent providing for a child.  Or later in life when that parent wants the giving returned.  Perhaps it is a spouse whose needs must be met in order to preserve the union.  Maybe it is a little puppy dog or an old blind cat.

So what do you want?

And what are you willing to give for it?

Do you want it for free?

Would you take it for free if you could?

Seems to me that though maybe none of it is necessarily a zero sum game there does need to be balance.  How can there be takers when there are no givers?  How can you continue to consume what is no longer produced?  When all is free does it really contain any value any longer?

Free love- easy lay.

Free lunch- no one else wanted it.

Free speech- as opposed to enslaved speech?

Free for the taking- only if somehow it is also free for the giving.

Free for the asking- yeah, why not.

Free thinker- are you really?

Free spirit- who defines spirit?

Free time- always.

Free estimate- yeah, I’ve had those too.

Free marketplace- used to work pretty well I heard.

Free world?  Free for all.

Free pass.

Freeloader.

Freedumb.

Moving Day II

Thought Exercises No Comments

 

Another phase.

First, we identify the people in this country that are 1) welfare state proponents and 2) advocates for cutting defense spending to support funding of that welfare state.  If they tend greatly toward socialism all the better.  In fact, those folks should be entitled to a lead place in the US queue.

Next, the EU identifies folks they consider possibly problematic citizens who are 1) against the welfare state and the onerous taxes needed to support it and 2) live in areas considered at high risk for either military or terrorist attack.  If they tend a good bit more toward capitalism than socialism all the better.  In fact, those folks should be rewarded with a lead place in the EU queue.

Third, the amount of money that the US will spend on military presence, defense weaponry, and all associated resources in support of the EU for the next ten years is identified and earmarked.

Fourth, the US and EU finalize an agreement to exchange and transfer individuals from each of the previously identified groups.  Ratios may need to be negotiated.  The EU transplants are placed in economically stressed regions of the US and the US transplants are placed in the areas vacated by their EU equivalents.

It is a key point here that the EU transplants be placed in areas needing economic stimulus from human effort.  Placing them in the areas vacated by the US transplants would more than likely be far too coastly.

Financials are the final step.

The EU transplants into the US are provided with the same welfare benefits received by their transplanted US equivalents but that amount is reduced by 10% per year over a ten year period.  The US transplants into the EU are provided with the same welfare benefits received by their transplanted EU equivalents and that amount is to be maintained as much as possible.  In addition, in order to make the deal more desirable for the EU the US will cut spending on defense of the EU as previously identified by 10% per year over a ten year period.  Half of that 10% will be given to the EU though as a gesture of goodwill.  They are free to spend this on defense, on the transplantees, or on anything they choose.  This stipend does run out after ten years though.

There, done.

EU volunteers?  Great, welcome!

US volunteers?  US?  Buehler?  Buehler?  Buehler?

Little Things Done

Observations No Comments

 

Big things are envisioned; they are the stuff of dreams.  More often than not they are the stuff of the dreams of the young.  When we get older the dreams tend to fade into reality and they are too soon no more.  Not in all of us though.

My kids dream of big and wondrous things.  At the Baseball Hall of Fame one of my sons took a picture of one of the blank plaques and said that one day it would be his plaque hanging on that spot.  Another son plans to be a lawyer and have a cabin in the hills in Tennessee.  At their age and with their capabilities each dream is big but neither dream is completely out of reach.  But how to get there?

How does a coach become great?  How about a teacher?   Does either start out with a desire to be great and with a plan on how to get there?

I believe that the path to greatness has to start with a dream, a desire to get there.   Things start to move when that desire meets with a growing commitment to (also) get there.  I don’t know if an exact plan is necessary as much as the fact that the desire and commitment, once mated, work to drive a person toward excellence.  So we need a word for this pairing of desire and commitment.  Let’s just call it drive.

Some vehicles can rely on dual sources of drive and so it is I think with human drive.  Most times it is the commitment that provides the progress and, at times when the commitment may wane or the person tire of the effort, desire kicks in and provides the necessary propulsion.  Things may stall or even sometimes seem to stop but the journey is never abandoned.

Effort is the fuel here.  A person can want to be great and can feel they are committed to get there but he really needs to provide a constant stream of steady effort.  There needs to be at least some fuel in the tank.  At times great levels of effort are needed to provide the energy needed to overcome the steep grade presented by a setback or unplanned and unwelcomed result.

“When the going gets tough…”

I wish I had had the knowledge in youth that I possess now and I wish I had the ability to dream big today that I possessed in youth.  That should be what parents help to provide.  But only the individual can make the commitment and provide the effort.  Some got it and some don’t but I believe more got it and just don’t get the help to know it and develop it before the time has passed.

Maybe that is what makes a great coach or teacher.  Maybe that is what makes a great parent.  The ability to help others to find and pursue their dreams; the capability and commitment to help them along in the journey; the patience to spend time on some of the little things that help them to get past resistance and disappointment; the infectious spirit to make them believe anything is possible but the life experience to know dream from unobtainable fantasy; the love of what they do; and the deep caring for those under their tutelage and care.

It is about the moment- what can I do here and now to help move myself or someone else along the way to greatness?  Can I teach a child to do a math problem and in the process also teach them a little about how to figure it out in the future for himself; can I teach a player a new dribble move and instill in him the confidence to then use it in a game and not be discouraged if it isn’t perfect the first few times; can I build up my child to be independent on the one hand but also to know on the other that I will always be there to show love and support; can I do little things every day myself to make me a bit better and move me closer to my dream?

And if I don’t have a dream or lost the one I had along the way then maybe, just maybe, I can dream up a new one and get along again.

The big things are envisioned, they are the stuff of dreams.  But getting there is all about getting the little things done.

So go and dream and then get started getting those things done.  Maybe there is still time if you just don’t wait any longer.