Ideal Breakfast

At the risk of being too personal I am going to share with you, faithful readers, my breakfast of choice. No, those words don’t cover it. I will share the breakfast that brings me joy. That may be too large a task, but I will try.

First one must prepare for the breakfast of joy. Denial of favorite foods beforehand helps. Hunger, too, is a mighty weapon to whet the taste buds.

Second, the eggs are pulled from the fridge and allowed to warm to room temperature. Make that three eggs; no need to overdo it.

Third, English muffins are split carefully with fork tines; the surface must be torn, not cut so the edges will toast to perfection, or am I getting too detailed, here?

Fourth, three bacon slices are carefully counted out and arranged on a cookie pan to bake in the oven ala Maggie’s instructions. (That would be Maggie our chef columnist, don’t you know?)

Fifth, as the bacon arrives to a chewy-not-crispy consistency, the eggs are sautéed in a bed of melted butter. Sunnyside up, of course, gently cooked so no burning of the whites or butter!

Sixth, the muffins are toasted well so brown and dark edges are evident; slathered with butter as they come out of the toaster, the butter is allowed to melt into the crags and crannies of the muffin forming pools of melted butter abundantly across the face of each muffin half.

Seventh, the eggs are done; whites firm; yolks runny; buttery pools everywhere. The eggs are slid onto the plate; the excess butter in the frying pan is poured carefully over the top of the eggs. The muffin halves are arranged on the plate next to the eggs so yolk and butter will sidle up and into the absorbent edges of the muffin.

Orange juice is poured; either fresh squeezed or frozen Minute Maid. With the latter choice, allow the juice to warm to room temperature.

Now, cut the eggs so the whites and yolk run together with the butter. Slip the eggs from the fork into the mouth. Savor the butter and egg-iness. A little salt helps but not too much. Once the flavor of eggs has permeated the taste buds, it is time to take a bite of buttery English muffin. Observe the pools of melted butter contained in the toasted crevices! Anticipate the sweet yet salty tang of the butter mixed with the muffin.

Alternate bites of egg and muffin until the plate is clear. Wipe excess yolk from the plate with any remainder of muffin.

Now, one at a time, take a slice of bacon, cut it in fourths, and carefully wipe the plate free of egg yolk and then pop the bacon morsel into the mouth. Experience the saltiness as you chew. Rejoice in the juiciness of the bacon. Wow!

Repeat this two more times.

Now finish your breakfast of joy with small sips of room temperature orange juice. Maybe an ambitious gulp or two, but mostly sips.

As the breakfast ends, think back on the eggs, their runniness, the muffins, the butter and the bacon. Each offers a taste treat that creates sluices of saliva. An overload of wonder that builds anticipation for the next time we create the Breakfast of Joy! Just imagine it.

It would save calories and statin pills if we fed off the imagination alone. But the taste would fade eventually. Nope! Better to make this breakfast a twice-weekly menu staple.

PS: Rocky calls this recipe The Breakfast of Heart Attacks. Pish tosh, I say!

November 28, 2012

Lost Opportunities?

Funny. The election is over but rhetoric continues at 90 miles per hour as though it weren't over.  Caught a line in the sand dare from Lindsay Graham on TV last night. He said he was willing to compromise on the Fiscal Cliff negotiations as long as Democrats were willing to compromise on entitlements! Surprised? No. His challenge is code for: ‘I’ll give you what you want in small part if you give me everything I want.’

Last I checked there were two entitlements: Social Security and Medicare. Both of these are actuarial based and funded through use taxes by employees and employers. Self employed pay double. If the two programs have financial difficulties, then it is because Congress screwed it up over and over. But we have tweaked the systems to stay solvent. They should be stronger, but they are not the cause of the Fiscal Cliff. The two programs have solvent trust funds and are not immediately in harm’s way. Congress knows that. They spout political nonsense to cloud the facts for the voters.

Congress has played games with Social Security and Medicare long enough. They have been found with their hands in the cookie jar. Congress owes Social Security’s trust fund $5 trillion. They borrowed it to pay for the Iraq War, Afghanistan War and countless other excursions of logic.

Keep these two programs solvent; do not include them in the Fiscal Cliff negotiations. They do not belong there and they know it.

Other quotes we could have used during the campaigns are these:

First from Barry Goldwater back in the 1960’s:

“Mark my word, if and when these preachers get control of the Republican Party, and they’re sure trying to do so, it’s going to be a terrible damn problem. Frankly, these people frighten me. Politics and governing demand compromise. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can’t and won’t compromise. I know, I’ve tried to deal with them.”

I felt the same way back then but the party wouldn't listen. What Goldwater feared would happen has happened. It is the basis of the current gridlock. It need not have happened. Freedom of Religion is working just fine. What the hardliners seem to think is that religion needs to be the ‘governing power’ behind our democracy. If that is so would they please point out to me the advantages of Muslim governance in the Middle Eastern states?

Second, Galileo made this statement long ago:

“I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason and intellect has intended us to forgo their use.”

Condemned by the Vatican Galileo has been restored to public praise and respect. The church was wrong then and is most capable of making profound errors in matters of both intellect and faith. History informs us so. Healthy dialogue is good for all sides in a discussion and exploration of the unknown.

Third, this is a made-up quote, but is clever and pungent:

            “The Prophecy:

 At the turn of the millennium plus twelve years, some

             Idiot on the internet will make up stuff and claim I said it.”

                                                                        ~Nostradamus, 1558

Uh huh!

And fourth, another gem from Albert Einstein:

            “Education is not the learning of facts,

             But the training of the mind to think.”

How true. And thinking is a willing use of the intellect to explore what was, what is, and how they fit together to help us understand both better. With that understanding comes a healthy preparation of what might be in our future.

Let us continue to work together to solve problems. Let us continue to reason together so we can explore what is best for us all. And let us know that each of us has a positive role to play in our explorations toward understanding.

If Congress won’t do this it is not because they can’t. We may have to do it for them.

Two years is a short time away for mid term Congressional elections.

November 29, 2012

Better? What Better?

Rather than pointing out faults or cause for anger I am on a bent to find statements that inspire or pull me out of myself. Perhaps you can benefit from this as well?  Here are few items that you may find of interest.

First, another gem from the Dali Lama:

            “When you practice gratefulness, there is a sense

             Of respect towards others.”

Funny how that is. Kindness begins with letting the ‘other’ be in peace. Not your other; but the other persons who surround us at all times, even when we think we are alone on a mountain top. Or in a lonely spot in the middle of the desert. We are surrounded by others, seen or not. Be grateful and let the respect toward others build.

Second, Helen Keller profoundly affected America with her strength in spite of her physical limitations. One of her quotes that remain powerful is this one:

            “The only thing worse than being blind

             Is having sight but no vision.”

Born with no sight or hearing, Helen Keller became a person with insight, vision and enormous understanding. Each of us is endowed with what Helen did not have. How then do we acquire what she did have?

Third, Martin Luther King, Jr. was arrested, jailed and beaten for his views. He stood up for the downtrodden and often became one himself. But his life and thought lives on to guide us. Here’s a thought I’ve shared in this space before:

            “He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it

             As he who helps perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without

             Protesting against it is really cooperating with it.

                                                                                    ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

Let us stand for right and take proper action to support it. Let us not quibble about the grammar or style of it.

Fourth, Maya Angelou deserves our attention and study. As a poet she embodies in a few words what others have written volumes about. Here’s an example:

            “I think a hero is any person

             Really intent on making this

             A better place for all people.”

Powerful, eh?

Fifth, Jason Read uses more words to make his point. Less elegant as well! But he does have a point to make. Here is one of them:

            “People who dismiss the unemployed and dependent as ‘parasites’ fail to

             Understand economics and parasitism. A successful parasite is one that is

             Not recognized by its host, one that can make its host work for it without

             Appearing as a burden. Such is the ruling class in a capitalist society.”

Think about that for a few moments. Did it surprise you at the end? Thought it might. Now continue thinking about it.

Sixth, in this season of charity it might be best if we thought a bit about who we are giving our money to. I think it good to remember this caution:

            “The Salvation Army is NOT a charity.

             They are an evangelical protestant church which uses donated money to

             Actively oppress gay rights. They have threatened to close tens of thousands

             Of New York soup kitchens if they are forced to adhere to civil rights laws

             When dealing with gay employees.

            They spend your money lobbying governments to prevent LGBT rights

             Legislation.

 Please research a charity before giving. Consider Doctors Without Borders

 Or Amnesty International.”

These items are all common sense. The other day a person labeled me a liberal. I demurred as a claimed centrist. She insisted I am liberal. I pointed out that her belief system is conservative and demands that all people other than conservatives are defined as liberal. But that is only a construct from their one perspective. Globally there is a broader perspective. And to that standard I hold and claim centrism. I can label myself. No other can do that for me.

In that spirit, let us reason together and claim our common humanity. If we are to build a better world or nation or neighborhood, let it begin with me and you working together. May we also claim the high road and focus on the best for the many. That would be better!

November 28, 2012

Simple Steps to Better

Rocky has busily gathered some great items from the internet. I gathered some of them today as ways to improve our lives simply. Not always easy steps, but good ones just the same!

First, youth Christmas present idea:

            Kid sitting on Santa’s lap asks for books, computers, and the ability to

            Travel through time and space. Santa responds with a Library Card.

If you haven’t already secured a library card for your child or grandkid, think about doing just that in time for the Holidays. It is the passport to a wonderful world of ideas.

Second, focusing on ourselves as the cause of problems is a good step to fixing things:

            “If you blame the decline of America on:

                        Homosexuals

                        Abortions

                        Non-believers

                        Separation of Church & State

                        Evolution

                        The Poor

            Congratulations! You are what’s wrong with this country.

We cannot fix others. We can fix ourselves. If the above list is accurate for you, then you know what to do!

Third, history contains actual facts. Events occurred. Why they did happen as they did takes years of study and piecing bits of information together to form an accurate picture of the times. Here’s one quote that helps us understand this premise clearly:

            “They came with a Bible and their religion, stole our land,

             Crushed our spirit, and now they tell us we should be thankful

             To the Lord for being saved.”

                                                                        ~Pontiac (1718-1769)

Fourth, what we wish for affects what we get. Sometimes with grossly unintended consequences! Bertrand Russell (1872-1970), the great British philosopher, logician and historian shares this thought with us:

            “If there were in the world today any large number of people who desired

             Their own happiness more than they desired the unhappiness of others,

             We could have paradise in a few years.”

Think about that. Desiring our own happiness – although egotistical and problematic – is not the problem. Desiring the unhappiness of others, however, is. Not wishing for that, not demanding retribution on others, strengthens us and makes for a better world. Think about the recently completed election campaigns, think not about the victor or loser. Think instead on the future and what would make us happy. You happy. Maybe now we can get somewhere?

Fifth, in this time of distressed economies and global unrest, it might be a good thing to remember those in need. They are mostly in need because of actions far away from them that delivered unintended consequences upon them. So now there is a need for those who can, to do. Listen please to the words of the Dalai Lama:

            “Compassion is not helpless pity, but an awareness and

             Determination that demands action.”

That directive is for each of us, not someone else. I can do something about the ills that surround us. You can, too.

Five simple things. Not easy to accomplish. But they will, when done, or even in process, lead to better times. Thank you in advance for being a part of this!

November 27, 2012

Picking Up The Pieces

As we recall our Thanksgiving traditions and honor those who bless our lives, may we also take the remainder of this year to celebrate what matters most in our lives: health, love, relationships, place, and a sense of well-being.

There are many things in our lives but most do not magnify it. Mostly those things are ‘things’, items, possessions. I understand loving a home, a building in which we make a life with those we love and are closest to. But the things come and go. Even the house that we call home. These things pass away in time. We will recall them in memory and mostly in pleasantness.

The things, however, take work to obtain, to maintain, and to keep fresh and useful. Loving them is misplaced affection. It drains us of the energy better spent on things that last beyond our lifetime.

A car, other than transportation, is just a car. Fancy and elaborate cars are a joy for a time, they are fun to have or a pleasure to use, but they do not magnify one’s life or value. They are just things.

Same with homes that are beyond our needs. Comfort and dazzling fashion are lots of fun to have and to enjoy. But they too will pass. Our needs change and our spaces change, too. Our tastes change and we seek different relationships with those tastes as they are expressed in lifestyle. Complicated concepts here. We spend so much time in this American culture to have things we miss the point of having them. They are not extensions of self. They do not define us; or if they do, how sad!

No, I think it matters most what we do with and for others, and the ideas we explore that have lasting meaning and value for us all.

From www.Daveswordsofwisdom.com comes this thought:

            “They say you don’t know what you have got until its gone.

             The truth is you knew what you had, you just didn’t think you would lose it.”

In losing it, however, we see more clearly what it is that we had. Rather than lamenting the loss, use the energy to extol the richness that simplicity has provided our understanding.

Simplicity. Breathing in and out. Sitting comfortably at peace. Thinking thoughts that edify and enrich. Sharing time with others. Connecting with those ‘others’. Expanding horizons of kindness. Those are the simple things of life worth having.

A Facebook entry (PIF1DAY) offers this simple thought:

            “Let peace begin with me.”

It is easy and natural to react to others, especially if they are goading and nasty. If we are able to slough those negatives aside, we continue to be at peace. That step alone is letting peace begin with me, or you. Ridiculously simple, right? Yes; but it is the doing that is not simple.

As we bring 2012 to a close in a few weeks, maybe we can pick up the negative happenings and words flung in fear and anger and end the year in peace. It will take work by each of us to do this. The result, though, will be well worth it. Our chances for success in this endeavor are not good; but think of the benefit should we get it right! Oh what a difference we can make – for each other and so many we don’t know we are having an effect upon.

I think we can do this. Even if we are not successful, we will unloose a synergy that will change life for others. Even if this is done in tiny fractions, it will be a good thing.

Another offering from www.Daveswordsofwisdom.com is of value here:

            “ Isn't it strange how LOVE can be the happiest thing ever?

             But it also causes the most pain. And yet everyone keeps searching for it…”

How true. The search itself is an act of gathering up the pieces of life and making it more whole. It is worth the risk because it fills the sense of loss or void that we know needs to be filled up – with joy.  May you have that now and realize it. If not, may your search be a journey of discovery and ever expanding joy!

November 26, 2012

Parenthood

A short blog today. You have things to do; so do I!

This quote comes from www.iampoopsie.com:

            “Anyone can have a child and call themselves a ‘parent’.

             A real parent is someone who puts that child above their own

                        Selfish needs and wants.”

Parenthood means nurture, love, care. It means selflessness even when it is hard to do so. It means hectic times. It means complicated schedules. It means listening to whining. Putting up with chaos, noise and messiness. And did we say untidiness? Lord, lord! Untidy rooms and lives.

But the rewards are many. And the future we build for everyone else through our children is immense.

Just think of those parents who do not perform well in this role. It is then up to the rest of us to help the kids. Yes. We can help the parents, too. But only if they realize they need the help. Otherwise it is the children we lend a hand to.

Why? Because it is our future we are making happen as well as we can.

Listen to the youth of the land. Their hearts beat our future tattoo. The rhythm of the saga, the tale we will together write. They should not be alone if others abandon them. It is our job to do so. To tutor, to clothe, to listen, to mentor. They need these supports just as we needed them in our lives. Whether from parents or uncles, or grandparents or neighbors, or churches or charities or teachers. Each has needs. Each deserves those needs to be met.

We are that safety net. Else we will reap an apocalypse of failure too dark to imagine.

Tidy lives? Hardly. Meaningful ones? As much as we can make them!

Be there for them and for yours. Share the good with our future.

November 24, 2012

Black Friday?

Shop. Shop. Shop. Go ye out and fill the tills of the land! Buy things to use, to cherish or to give to others. And in the latter case, may these be to the needy as well as to your loved ones.

‘Tis the season to be jolly to be sure. It is also the season to be charitable. Every religion we have worshiped throughout history has taught charity. Whether you read the word as love, or generosity, both meanings bump up against one another. You cannot give to strangers unless you feel a love for them, a caring to fill a need they have, a need you can fill for them.

We have much to be thankful for. You know that. I know that. Even if you are in a state of need at this very moment, you know you have things to be thankful for. Life itself is something to cherish and be thankful for. The people in our lives that give meaning and purpose to life itself we are thankful for. The air we breathe is an object of thanks. So to our homes, seasonal warmth from hearth and furnace, ovens and stoves which pour forth food! So many reasons to be thankful.

So too tragedy. We can be thankful for it if only because it reminds us that most of us are not facing those same tragedies: fire, storm, flood, earthquake, poverty, hunger, death, ill health. At many moments in our life we do experience many of those tragedies. But we survive them because we have encountered them through others at other times. We learn from their experience. We capture glimpses of what we will one day also experience. Until then we help them muster through.

Being cared for by others is a heady experience. You are loved and know it. You are nurtured and embraced and pull energy and stamina from it.

This is what America did for Europe with the Marshall Plan. What America did in rebuilding Japan. What America does in Haiti, Indonesia or any other place that has experienced stunning disasters. Their people hurt and are in need. We respond. Either in government programs or personal and private ways. Some of us even hop on a plane and spend a week or two ministering to the needs of those who simply cannot do for themselves when laid low by natural disasters.

This is what America did for the victims of Katrina, Sandy and many other storms. Just ask the people of Joplin, Missouri. Or Homestead, Florida. Or southern California following major earthquakes.

Because these disasters take a toll in human life and health, as well as homes, food, transportation and basic infrastructure, it takes a large group of people and organizations to make a difference. From this FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) was formed. Companion organizations in each state have also formed to coordinate with FEMA should the need arise. For those states overly familiar with natural disasters, more companion agencies have been formed in counties and large cities. They coordinate with local first responders, then state agencies and finally with FEMA. Katrina taught our nation well. We want to be prepared for the next time.

Because next time it may affect us. How many people in New York and New Jersey know this intrinsically as we read and write these words? Next time will be different won’t it? Thank God we know, we learn, we care.

That is the basic line in the sand: we care.

For that I am thankful. This day and always. We are a nation of carers. May it always be true. For now let us rejoice in that alone!

November 23, 2012

Thanksgiving 2012

This is my favorite holiday of the year. I think it is because Thanksgiving comes without obligations. It allows us to pause and think on the good things of life. Not just accomplishments but blessings maybe we did not earn but have in our lives anyway!

Thanksgiving is a day to be with others who are important in our life. Loved ones and wonderful friends. (Hopefully they are one and the same!) It is a day, too, of good food; plenty of it; rich and filling. Comfort food of family history. Same old recipes and menu? Maybe; but it is tradition and all the good it conjures in our memory. It helps build our present and future by transitioning the past!

At this time of year the seasons have changed. Maybe you have snow already where you live, not so here, but soon! Warm and balmy days have been replaced by crisp dawns and early evenings. Decaying leaves and lawns prepared for a long slumber waft seasonal aromas that signal change. We prepare for winter, even look forward to it. We contemplate Christmas and all of the seasonal Holidays, and the coming New Year.

Thanksgiving is many things. Not just full stomachs but full hearts. Not just comfort foods but comfort and rest. There are those who have few close people in their lives; they are loners or orphans or hermits and recluses. There are those who are homeless and hungry. There are those who are sick and isolated.

As we remember our lives of plenty let us also think on those who have much need. They too are thankful. Hard for us to think so, but they have things to be grateful for. Maybe our paths will cross and each help the other?

Meanwhile, enjoy the people in your life. Not things.

November 22, 2012

Purpose

Ever wonder why you are alive? The purpose of your time on this planet?

Of course you have. Everyone does at one time or another. Most of us ask this question many times each year let alone during our lifetime! It is one of the imponderables. It is the core of philosophical search and discovery.

Life is not arranged for convenience. We deal with daily routines and details. Thousands of them, so many that we lose sight of the more basic principles and facts of life. So we are diverted from the big questions until we have a reason to think upon them. Or are forced to face them in crisis or deep personal sorrow or fear.

We respond to the big challenges as they are dealt. But we do not know how we will handle them in advance. That is part of our character. Fearful or brave; bold or withdrawn.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt said,

            “Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or

  softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have

  to be cruel to be tough.”

Not all nations have lived up to this principle. We hope that ours has. Of course that is in the eye of the beholder – friend or foe, ally or enemy. Kindness helps both allies and enemies, though; the latter to heal the wounds once the war is over.

This quote from www.daveswordsofwisdom.com caught my attention the other day:

            “Our prime purpose in this life is to help others, and if you can’t help them,

             Don’t hurt them.”

Do the most good and the least damage. Not a bad way of guiding one’s self through life. There are rewards for this standard, but not always apparent. The best rewards are the ones unexpected ~ when someone does you a good turn when you least expect it but sorely need it! Pay back for when you did the same for someone else? Paid forward when you gave it some thought. Mostly, though, the doing of good for others just feels very, very good.

Gene Roddenberry shared this thought with the world:

            “The strength of a civilization is not measured by its ability to fight wars, but

  rather by its ability to prevent them.”

Do you remember Roddenberry? You should. He was multi-dimensional and very much an American. He was born in 1921 and died in 1991. He served as an Army Air Corp fighter pilot during World War II and flew 89 combat missions. He returned to civilian life as an LA policeman. Later he wrote television scripts, some of the old standards. In 1964 Gene Roddenberry created Star Trek. That program premiered in 1966 and ran for three seasons. He produced, consulted and wrote for the Star Trek films that have followed ever since. He was a futurist, a philosopher, a down to earth man. All of those things.

His life’s purpose has been with us in a large way. He demonstrated it well through many phases of his life. And he came up with the above quote about not fighting wars but avoiding them. Peace not destruction.

As we think back on our history as a people, we tend to focus on our accomplishments. We also tend to push aside our problems for another time. It would help, I think if we were realistic about our accomplishments. We need to remember the weaknesses as well as the strengths. They modify each other. They help us realize we are capable of much but have much yet to do. Our job is not done.

Here are a few reminders taken from the Internet without any citation of authorship:

“There is absolutely no evidence to support the statement that we’re the greatest country in the world.

We’re seventh in literacy, 27^th in math, 22^nd in science, 49^th in life expectancy. 178^th in infant mortality, third in median household income, number four in labor force, and number four in exports.

We lead the world in only three categories: number of incarcerated citizens per capita; number of adults who believe angels are real; and defense spending where we spend more than the next 26 countries combined.

So when you ask what makes us the greatest country in the world, I don’t know what the f—k you’re talking about.”

Abilities yes. Resolve no. Accomplishments are in the past; what is in our future? We need to keep asking that question or there will be no future. Just look at Afghanistan. Or the entire Middle East for that matter.

We can do better. That’s not a political statement. That’s an admonition directed at each and every one of us.

November 21, 2012

Labels, Labels, Labels

One of my all time favorite people in and of history is Abraham Lincoln. I was taken with him as an elementary school student. His bravery attracted my attention. His brain power used to cut through history’s chaos of the time and yet remain true to stunning statements of truth and wisdom. That material came through to me all those years ago. The wisdom still resonates with me.

I ran across this quote from Lincoln the other day:

            “I wish that you conservatives would stop using my name in all your

  propaganda. I was a liberal in a liberal political party that you conservatives

 corrupted. That’s right…Democrats were the conservatives and Republicans

 were the liberals.

 Deal with it!”

Well OK, this is a quote from www.ablazable.com. I doubt Lincoln actually said that. But the citation gives pause to think back on Lincoln’s arduous task during the Civil War. He was confronted with impossible challenges. Yet he stayed the course and did the hard work that ensured that our nation remained in existence and based on lasting principles.

The Republicans back then were pragmatic. They were principled. They saw the job to do and did it. They were not always comfortable with Lincoln’s manner or decisions; but they supported him well enough to get the job done. Not without rancor and serious debate. Lincoln stood alone often in his White House years. Alone yet steeled.

Democrats were the ones who wanted no change; keep the north and south happy and keep the union whole. Tinkering with the basics would corrupt it and the union would surely be lost. Well, the exact opposite was the truth. Hard to see in those times. No blogosphere to share ideas on. No instant electronic press reports to compare ideas with. No. Just individualism. And your own brain power.

This is the Lincoln of my Republican Party for several decades. Then when the conservative moniker was pasted all over the party, I became an independent. Now I vote mostly Democratic but that is a default on the positions and basic leadership trend. It is not a true affinity to Democrats. No, I felt then as I do now, abandoned by a party of proud distinction; of Lincoln. How bitter is the truth that the partnership no longer exists. The party of big ideas is no longer. It is a pity.

The rest of us will soldier on picking the best ideas, using them and moving on. For the sake of our nation. Not of party or ideology. But of nation and its dearest needs.

Remember Lincoln and strive to live his dream. It will serve us well.

November 20, 2012

Dr. King & Investment

Martin Luther King, Jr.’s reputation continues to grow. Over time his wisdom has been applied poignantly to many different circumstances. It retains its punch, its relevance nearly fifty years after his assassination. What a horrible time 1968 was. Two assassinations and only five years following JFK’s assassination. Tumultuous times, but a decade of rethinking the basics of American Life. New sexual mores, an involved electorate, the coming of age of a huge body of youthful citizens willing to be involved. Some will say this decade was a turning point toward good. A lot of others will claim this was when all went wrong. Time will eventually soften the opinion of the latter.

I continue to look back on the 1960’s as a very important era. The youth stepped up. They fought the war in both Viet Nam (to win it) and at home (to end it). They made their voices heard. They had political impact, unseated a president, and set the stage to limit the following president to honesty and truthfulness. He couldn't do it and so resigned in disgrace.

The era was also one of lightheartedness. Youth explored valiantly what it meant to be free, to be a sexual being, to be-not-uptight but embracing change and happiness. It was a huge leap of faith socially. It upset millions; it informed millions; it taught millions. All in all it led to major social upheaval and change that shaped the rest of the century. It also gave new rules to follow in the new millennium.

The latter is still a work in progress. It is difficult to be one with self and others at the same time. But we are learning. Perhaps that is why the elections over the past 20 years have been so wrenching. The old guard keeps holding back the tide of time. Youth who are playing by those old rules want the old guard to win as well. But new guard believers keep pushing at the edges and limits. They are winning. They are made up of the young, those who are older and have finally learned, our newer immigrant citizens who continue to wonder why America is so slow to adapt to new social norms while the America of commerce and education has adapted so quickly to other revolutionary changes.

America is adaptable in so many ways. But socially we have displayed a woeful snail’s pace.

I started this piece with Martin Luther King, Jr. Here’s a quote that got me thinking today:

            “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on

             Military Defense than on programs of Social Uplift is approaching

             Spiritual Death.”

As we attempt to move away from the ‘fiscal cliff’ by limiting defense spending so social spending can continue on its mission of life, we need to recall the fear which motivates defense spending in the first place. Defense, yes; constant war, no. Preparedness, yes; at the cost of all other social spending? No. I hope Congress listens to King. I hope they let political posturing rest while the spirit of the nation and of Martin Luther King, Jr. rise up and guide our decisions on this important issue.

And while we are at it, let us not forget the goal of social spending. Education. Health. Charity. Living lives of value.

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn had this to say about education:

            “It’s a universal law – intolerance is the first sign of an inadequate education.

             An ill-educated person behaves with arrogant impatience, whereas truly

             Profound education breeds humility.”

Think back on the many examples of intolerance, bigotry and hate spewed during the past election time. Think about it. Deeply. Intolerance of differing opinions was on high display. On both sides of the political argument. Some rhetoric was hyperbole, to be sure. But not all of it. Intolerance has deep roots of ego, ignorance and lack of discipline.

May we repair that failing as best we can. It takes major investment to accomplish it. May we find the resources to make it happen.

November 19, 2012

A Pause for Uplift

A friend of mine asked that my weekend blog be of general principle and positive boost. I have tried to do that and will continue in that vein on Saturdays.  Here’s this week’s offering.

Dave Hodges writes a blog named www.Daveswordsofwisdom.com. He has presented the following as a special treat:

            “Our eyes will always see so much more

             Once we begin to open out mind to the world around us.”

It is not the eyes which need to be open, but the mind. Good thought, that! Not an easy task for any of us. Get tired enough of negativity and it gets a little easier; probably from exhaustion and wishing for calm! An open mind is receptive to new ideas. Kind ideas. Generous attitudes toward others. And problem solving becomes so much easier.

From Albert Einstein comes this gem:

            “Our task must be to free ourselves…by widening our circle of compassion to

             Embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty.”

It has taken me decades to catch up with Einstein’s quotes. He has provided us with so much intellectual fodder. New physics and expansive science. In depth understanding of old enigmas. Yet somehow he broke through to full humanity as well. I have shared with you in this space many offerings from Einstein. The breadth and depth of his thinking is mind boggling. So bright and fresh. So seminal. Yet so philosophically whole it makes me gasp. I wonder if the atom bomb and the misery it caused made him rethink philosophy. Perhaps the chronology of his statements/quotes would help us understand that?

Another scientist of large reputation and productivity is Neil deGrasse Tyson. You will remember him from his many appearances on cable channels focusing on science. He shares this thought with us today:

            “The good thing about science is that it’s

             True whether or not you believe in it.”

Yes. It takes time for us to understand it. Non belief is only one stage of the process. If the science is true, if it is correct, then eventually we will live with it comfortably or not. Regardless, its truth rules. This is not politics. This is not propaganda. We must live with it whether we like it or not.

Perhaps you will remember a quote from Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp’s role):

            “The problem is not the problem. The problem is

             Your attitude about the problem.

             Do you understand?”

I get it Jack! I get it. Now to help the others get it.

Pondering these ideas is a good thing to do over a weekend. Hope you enjoy these as much as I already have!

November 17, 2012

Benghazi and Other Diversions

Guess Benghazi was a cover up because pals John McCain and Lindsay Graham say it is so. Also, Fox News says the Generals Petraeus and Allen are indicative of wholesale skullduggery in the military as condoned by the Commander in Chief; merely because they say so. Oh, and Romney claims Obama bought the election with largess to key demographics. Guess he’s right because he would know; after all he raised hundreds of millions of dollars to fund super-PAC ads and smear campaigns. He would know how that is done, right?

Actually, the election did provide some clarity. Republicans didn't pay attention to changing demographics in the country: African-Americans make up at least 13% of the population; Hispanics add up to nearly 17% of the population; foreign born residents of America total almost 13% of the population; citizens under 18 years of age make up 23.7% of the population while those people 65 or older account for 13.3%, leaving 63% between 18 and 64 years of age. And the numbers are changing steadily toward youth due to immigration, and Hispanic and Asian groups growing to further dilute the African-American portion of the population.

All of these demographics favor big-issue, big-idea candidates. Those folk tend to be Democrats, not Republicans. Inclusion is one of the big ideas actively repulsed by Republicans. They practically worked 24/7 to make each of the smaller demographic elements enemies of Republicans. That is not the way you win elections, folks.

Economic opportunity is not the message of conservatives. It is, however, the message of Democrats. Education is the core support beam of that economic opportunity. Without knowledge and intellectual training the person cannot compete in a world of rapidly changing technology, science and applications of logic in the marketplace. Republicans tout capital and financial leverage; Democrats teach personal investment and responsibility to attain dreams.

The 1% cannot control the other 99% unless they buy them. But there really is not enough money to do that from the Donald Trumps of the world. Besides, Trump doesn't really own his wealth; his portfolio is on paper based on loans from other capitalists so he can build his buildings and play his power games. He is a paper tiger with a very bad hairdo. Entertaining to be sure; but that’s about all!

John McCain has done little with his life except be in the military, get shot down over Viet Nam and run for political office. He cheated on his wife and then married into wealth. From there he has done little but posture as a patriot while tearing down those who do accomplish much and are true patriots. McCain is an impostor  an aging one, who has little to offer the nation but an image of an old white man desperate to find relevance. Too bad; his anthem has been sung.

Lindsay Graham is another pretender to the throne without a chance of achieving it. He attached himself to McCain when John ran for president. Graham attempted to advise McCain on international affairs but didn't do well as McCain didn't catch the cues in time and made a foolish spectacle of himself.

No. Republicans don’t have much to offer the nation because they are focused not on the nation but on their own egos and self importance. Should they deign to actually research the issues and attempt to solve them for the good of the nation, they might learn what the Democrats already understand: the country is tired of obfuscation and petty diversion.

Sometimes an extramarital affair is just that. Poor judgment maybe, but the individual is acting out messages from the groin rather than the brain. When the brain is functioning on message, they do great work. Focus on that Lindsay and John. Focus on Petreaus’ phenomenal record of achievement. Understand that he is a fallible human like you, John, who had an affair and threatened his marriage.  Should we dump you based on that, John?

And let’s see Petraeus and Allen must have had some responsibility for Benghazi, too? If not, why not? Like UN Ambassador Rice, they were on duty when the Libyan mission was firebombed and four staff were slain. These killings couldn't be because of Al Qaeda terrorist action coupled with the confusion of the Middle Eastern riots caused by a failed movie trailer designed to heat up anti-American sentiment in the Middle East? No, I guess that scenario is not as valuable to you as a faked-up conspiracy theory that you can mold to your political purposes!

John and Lindsay. Give it up. Pay attention to the needs of the nation and stop trying to find political booby monsters hiding under your beds. This is grown up time. We need adults to tend to the nation’s business.  Apparently you are not up to it. Too bad. We could use some help here. Even from the likes of you.

November 16, 2012

Fun and Silly

A few Fun and Silly Items.

Winter approaches. So do the Holidays that most of us really feel good about. We’ve been through the hell of an election season that lasted maybe 4 years?! Are we tired and fed up yet? Yes, I thought so!!

So, to lighten the mood here are a few thoughts to brighten your outlook.

First, Maxine of the comics avers:

            “At over two dollars, a cup of Joe

             Should at least go by ‘Joseph.’”

Give a shout out or an Amen on that!

Katharine Hepburn reminds us:

            “If you always do what interests you,

             At least one person is pleased.”

Ahhh, individualism!!

Katie Stephens had this to say on the Internet the other day:

            “It all makes sense now: Gay marriage legalized on the same day as marijuana

             Makes perfect biblical sense. Letivicus 20:13: ‘A man who lays with another

             Man should be stoned’. Our interpretation has been wrong for all these years.”

Hmmm. Thank you, Katie, I think.

Again from the internet:

            “Water is the most essential element of life, because

             Without water you can’t make coffee.  True Story!”

And without coffee…..you know the rest.

From a website entitled makemestfu.com comes this admonition and request:

            “I want a hug.

             But not just a normal hug. NO. I want one of those pick-me-up-off-

             My-feet-squeeze-me-tight-spin-me-around-hurts-my-tummy-but-still-

             Makes-me-smile-leaves-me-breathless-gives-me-butterflies-makes-me-

             Giggle-stupidly kind of  hug.”

So there! That’s some kind of hug, hey?

Now, go back and re-read each one and spend a little time just musing over them. If these few minutes don’t put a smile on your face, I’m not sure what will!

Enjoy. See you tomorrow.

November 15, 2012

Let Go, Let's Go!

So much to do. So little time to do it in. So many ideas to process and test out for feasibility. And then to process the few ideas selected to see which will be chosen and implemented.

Yet we are caught in a dog fight about:

-          The ‘fiscal cliff’ badly named and defined even worse

-          Raising revenues or raising taxes; in this case they are the same thing!

-          CIA Chief Petreaus; was it an extra marital affair? A sex scandal? A conspiracy to hide national security weakness?

-          Lame duck session or golden opportunity to get something good accomplished?

-          You say tomayto, we say tomahto. Which is it, really?

-          I think it’s up and you think it down; who cares? Which one is fact-based?

I had hoped the election was over. Guess I had hoped too high for good sense and civility to keep us on the straight and narrow. So very disappointing.

Public agencies and officials have a job to do. Let’s let them do it until they have come to conclusions they can report with candor and accuracy. Until then we only make matters worse and cheapen reputations of good people who are or may be guilty of nothing!

OK. Let’s pretend that’s settled. Now what will we do with our time and resources?

Here’s my take on all of this:

First, face the facts on the ‘Fiscal Cliff’ and do the following:

-          Let the tax rates on households above $250,000 go back to the previous levels that were the law before Bush’s tax cut

-          Keep tax deductions the same until we learn what the previous step accomplishes

-          Cut the budget for the Defense Department by 15% for ten years. This will not affect research and development or acquisition of needed weaponry considered highly strategic. There is much waste in the DoD and both parties know this. The waste has been a major bargaining tool for generations so the armed services get what they want.

-          Calculate the savings from both the Iraq War and the ebbing actions in Afghanistan; add these savings to our solution for reducing the national debt

-          Set a reasonable size for the national debt based on a percent of Gross Domestic Product of our economy; push to get there and then further reduce the debt so it is back to where Clinton left it in 2000

Second, recognize that investing in our nation makes good business sense and actually produces new revenues, new taxes, and a growing economy. Infrastructure replacement or renewal and improvement allows our nation to operate better, more safely, and more cost effectively. That benefits corporations and government as well as all of we taxpayers. There is at least $1 trillion of infrastructure investment needed to be done. Just observe what Hurricane Sandy did to New Jersey and New York recently. Much of the damage was to shabby and crumbling infrastructure which was long overdue for replacement. Every city and town has the same situation. Fix it now! With major federal investment dollars appropriated.

Third, provide each state with a federal subsidy for one year to rehire police, fire and teaching personnel. These are the hardest hit public sector jobs which has driven down the employment data for the last several years. Size of subsidy? Probably $50 billion per month.

Fourth, leave Social Security and Medicare alone for now. Fix Medicaid instead. That’s the leaking bucket that needs to be repaired. Later, when Medicaid is clearly out of the woods, enact tweaks and small fixes that will allow both Social Security and Medicare to survive by living within their means of the taxes they collect to pay for these two programs. HINT: both of these programs do not receive federal budget dollars; they are self funding trusts. Of course, Congress continually borrows the idle funds from both trusts to fund their other escapades!

Fifth, ask the Department of Energy to seek new energy sources to replace our current reliance on petroleum, domestic or foreign, so we can move forward to the next millennium without fear of running out of energy. This task is to be accomplished by 2020. Meeting this goal will strengthen the US Dollar and redefine foreign affairs exponentially.

Five steps to fix current problems. And to build a secure long term future. We can do this. We have the resolve. But only if we are willing and have our eyes wide open.

Which America do you dream about? One that cowers to internal bickering, or one which seeks new, self sustaining pathways.

I think the choice is simple. Let us leave the past behind and get moving with the things that really matter.

November 14, 2012

Moving Forward

Glad the election is over. It was hard fought and hard won. Plenty of negative comments to go around on all sides of the political divide. The problem is the divide itself. It is one thing to disagree. It is another to allow that to divide friends, family, neighborhoods and entire regions of our nation.

The Civil War was a major divider. It was not a small matter. Nor was it a simple one. It was as much economic as it was a moral divide. But whole new dimensions of the issues grew much larger because of emotional content and ego.

The Civil War may be over militarily; it is not emotionally or regionally. Good humor allows many of us to laugh this off; but it is not a laughing matter to many millions of people who live south of the Mason Dixon Line. The battle lines are still drawn in 2012 as they were in the 1860’s. It is a shame.

Part of the divide is racial, of course. Not all of it, but a significant portion of it in my view. There are people who do not believe a black family should reside in the White House. It is as plain a statement as that.

Well it is happening now and has for four years now. Nothing will change that. And the world did not grind to a halt. That alone should tell the doubters something they need to know!

They and we need to move forward – into the future.

John F. Kennedy said: “Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic

answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future.”

Those are wise words. They allow us the space to consider the future and fresh ideas. It allows us freedom to let go of the past that has dogged us and enslaved us from moving forward.

Winnie the Pooh also offered this thought:

            “As soon as I saw you, I knew an adventure was going to happen.”

The magic of a fresh relationship, a new being, a new mind to rub against. It gives us fresh possibilities. Some personalities shut down possibilities, but so many others open us to new adventures. An exploration of possible infuses us with new energy and ideas. That journey is good medicine for a society stuck in neutral or enmity. It needs the journey to grow wings to new times.

George Bernard Shaw gives us this thought to ponder and use:

            “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot

             Change their minds cannot change anything.”

Change is ever happening. It is a constant. Different pace perhaps and different themes. But constantly occurring. It is one of the certitudes of life. The globe is evolving. The tectonic plates are shifting; always have and always will as long as there is a planet named Earth. What is below those plates is shifting and moving. What is above the plates is changing, too. The temperatures are vacillating, the winds switch directions from time to time, the ocean currents, too, make directional shifts. Ice caps grow and they diminish. Complex causes make all of this happen but it comes down to basic physics.

So too are the residents of the planet. In some places change is lickety split. In others it is glacially slow. But change is present in both cultures. Whether each person understands this reality or not, change will occur with or without their participation. Better to be a part of it so we can see it happen, come to understand it, adapt to it and make the best of it.

We may even come to expect it and prepare for it. I call that strategic planning! You may call it whatever makes you happy.

Whether you believe in big government or small, know this: we each rely on others to survive in this world. Whether that is a charity or corporation or church or government, the partner we rely on is needed in times we least expect it. The New York metropolitan region and New Jersey need help. They don’t much care where it comes from. Federal, municipal, state or Red Cross. Food, water, clothing, housing and medical help are all needed. Private corporations do what they can for transportation, debris cleanup, restoration of utilities. They too need help. Illinois sent nearly 800 ComEd employees and equipment to the east coast to help. They left Illinois two days before Hurricane Sandy made landfall. They were on site to help restore electrical power. So were many other electric companies on the scene to lend a hand. They will stay until the job is done. It takes time to remove debris, clear the way, and rebuild electric grids. It takes time to restore power to everyone; bit by bit; block by block. It takes time.

If the out-of-power victims of the storm want to blame someone, they need to look in the mirror and say: “Why didn’t I insist that my power company build storm hardened facilities and underground installations?” Why haven’t we all asked that question? Why do we allow the most sophisticated nation on Earth to put up with above ground utilities that always get destroyed in major storms? The cost to restore such equipment is enormous. Those costs are in our rate structure.

Our suffering is not reflected in the rates we pay. Think about that.

Next time someone asks if our country should make infrastructure investments, say yes. There is much to modernize and improve. It will take trillions to renew and replace.

Let’s do it!

November 13, 2012

Iron Gray November Days

Wind is buffeting the leafless trees. Clouds this moment are absent and the stars are twinkling. The time is 5:20 am. The day is Sunday. Forecast is for 67 degrees. Tomorrow’s high is 30 degrees. Such is November!

But wait! Iron gray days are the norm for the month. Endless vistas of mean looking clouds. More shades of gray than you would have expected possible. Yet the color is November’s brand. Cool. Cold. Crispy. Windy. Hail and cold rain. A spit of snow. Then real snow. The month of transition – from fall to winter.

The colorful leaves – those that remain – scurry under wind power into gutters, under bushes, drifting into corners of buildings. They are drifting and unmoored. Snow and ice will weigh them down for the winter’s duration, but for now they are free to blow where they may.

We have taken in the outdoor furniture. Rose bushes have been coned. Mulch is packed around delicate plants and shrubs. Storm windows are in place. We await the cold weather and snow.

It will come. Probably before Thanksgiving. We often have a rime of snow and ice on Thanksgiving morn; sometimes not. But soon afterward to arrives to prepare us for the holidays. What would Christmas be like without snow?

For those in the southern states, or western non-mountainous areas, snow is not your Holiday landscape. And the holidays without snow and bluster is still festive with red bows and decorated trees. We know about that having lived in the west years ago. But for the northern or mountain residents of America snow is a part of the Holidays.

Getting to that period of the year follows a long cue of weather reminders. The mood shifts accordingly. Whether Christmas or Hanukah or Kwanza – the gathering of family and very close friends is a treasured staple of our lives. It comes during cold times when we want to be indoors warmed by a fire, filled with timely taste treats of the season. It prepares us for gathering. Reuniting with family we may not see often enough during the year. Or reuniting in a more meaningful fashion with those we see every day.

This is the season we seek meaning. What is important? Who is important in our life? Why do we do some things, and not others? We ache to become – what? And when?

The universal why inserts itself in our mind. We are aware of seeking, of feeling, of appreciating. The ‘why’ may not be easily answered but we know we are OK because we are with those we love and trust and rely on. The why – at first uncomfortable – now seems welcome. It is good. We should do this more often: consider the important things in our life, not just at Thanksgiving and Christmas, but all year round.

The hubbub of quadrennial elections is past us now. We can focus on other things, more personal things. It is time to enter the magic of the Holidays. A time of preparation and seriousness. A time to reconsider what matters most to us. A time to value.

As we move toward these special days, I hope each of you are readying for joy.

November 12, 2012

   

Back to Basics

Mahatma Gandhi beckons us to truth this morning with this quotation:

            “Seven Dangers to Human Virtue:

1.      Wealth without work

2.      Pleasure without conscience

3.      Knowledge without character

4.      Business without ethics

5.      Science without humanity

6.      Religion without sacrifice

7.      Politics without principle”

Virtue. Moral excellence. Perhaps excellence to a particular moral discipline.

In anyway we make it, virtue is following a path of purpose based on moral standards of and for good. Those standards will naturally differ among people and cultures. But overall they will gravitate toward consonance. Agreement. One with the other. A general consensus of good.

The basics. Honesty. Ethics. Principle. Virtue. Gandhi had it right. He was not alone. Many cultural gurus over the history of mankind have got it right. But oh so many did not.

We won’t dwell on them. Only the basics. The elements that guide us day by day, or in times of chaos, the truths which lead us out of darkness into the light. Whatever that is that works for you and yours. Those are the basics that I refer to today.

May this day be one in which the basics come readily to mind. May they guide you for many years.

Meanwhile, peace and calm be yours as we move toward Thanksgiving Day and count our blessings. Each and everyone.

November 10, 2012

Musings

The week has been busy, meaningful, hectic, and even tumultuous.

Monday began with Rocky reorganizing the studio space following his Saturday art show. This involves repacking and stacking ceramic inventory in the garage, putting away exhibit equipment, and putting away folding tables. This allows the car to park indoors don’t you know!

But wait! Monday night I helped the polling place judges set up the polling place for the election scheduled the next day. Then I dashed to City Hall for the council meeting so I could write an article for this week’s newspaper.

Then early to bed so I could arise at 4 am on Election Day and finish the polling site set up and be able to open the polls at 6 am. We arrived a little after 5 am and managed to barely open the doors for voters at 6:04 am. The electronics were a little balky and time consuming but we made it happen.

Home that night before 10 pm after dropping off the election results at the County Election Commission office. But I was too wound up to go to bed. Watched election news until 11 pm but still watched TV from bed until Obama’s televised victory speech. Turned off the TV at 1:30 am. A 21-hour day was over the top!

Wednesday dawned slowly and late, but the newspaper still had finishing touches to be made and final layout and proofing. That usually takes the whole day. An important board meeting for the Arts Council that evening topped out the day. Rocky, meanwhile, used the garage (the car still was parked outdoors!) while he organized the sorting tables and postal bins by route for the paper once we returned with it from the printer early Thursday morning.

Thursday emerged cloudy and dim which meant no sunny glare and faster traffic during rush hour! We arose at 5 am and trekked out to DeKalb to pick up the paper at the printer, loaded 1000 pounds into the van and brought it back to the garage for unloading and packing into postal bins. Then off to the Warrenville post office where we unloaded the paper (again!), paid the postage and submitted the forms. Off to two drop-off deliveries and then breakfast at the local pancake house. Nine more drop offs then home for a quick nap.

Off to Aurora for another paper pick up at a printer prep center and loading 500 pounds of more paper so we could deliver that to the Winfield Post Office. Following that we dropped deliveries at another 20 locations in Winfield and West Chicago and finally called it a day near 2 pm.

My final duty was physical therapy for the spine condition and supper. Then sleepy TV viewing for the evening. Early to bed, late to rise. And thus the late publishing of this blog!

Today is an easy day. I have only physical therapy this afternoon. So writing this blog, balancing the check book and maybe packing some stuff so we can continue decluttering the house. Looking back the week was exhausting but carried with it a lot of reward. Along the way Rocky and I discovered ourselves making lots of mental miscalculations. We forgot newspaper delivery routes and had to run extra miles and blocks to correct for the errors. We backtracked to include a skipped delivery or an undercount of papers dropped off. We forgot my daughter’s birthday. We forgot to pick up our own mail. We forgot to turn on the dishwasher. I forgot to buy more coffee. I’m sure we failed to return all phone messages and emails, but there you have the aftermath of a very busy week. And for a couple nearing 70!

But you know what? The candidate of our choice won the presidential election. So did several congressmen and senate candidates we were interested in. Equality of marriage won everywhere it was on the ballot in the nation. The nation appeared to be edging back towards the center spectrum of ideology. And reason.

And finally – the van was able to park in the garage Thursday evening! Yes. It was a good week. One that has a future for us all. One people.

November 9, 2012