Russia’s Role

Well Mr. Putin met with President Obama Monday. Before the meeting Putin made the rounds of several speaking venues and issued his opinions on the world and especially the US. He made it clear that America and particularly Mr. Obama were at fault for most of the world’s ailments. Especially those problems of a foreign policy nature. So the talks were set to get off on the wrong foot instantly.

                                           

More of Putin’s posturing. His foreign policy style is to shoot from the lip and the hip in private where he has no push back. That sufficiently poisons the planned talks beforehand and thus he appears strong and intelligent. He is in control. Or is he?

Actually, when heads of state meet they need to do so in private so they can properly gain the measure of each other and their strengths, weaknesses and so forth. Doing so allows each person to act naturally and demonstrate their own brand of openness and honesty.

In truth leaders are searching for answers, pathways and solutions. No one enters a conference with all the answers. Heck, they don’t even enter with all the problems fully known or well defined. That’s what these meetings are for.

Another valuable aspect to these talks is determining which problems have priority over another and why. How can two leaders discover what works best for them in solving complex problems? The solutions have to work for both of them and their nations. Not just one side or the other. These are not problems of Russia or America. They are global issues with the global community benefiting or not from cooperation from two unwieldy and discomforted enemies. Best if the enemy label were removed and friends or colleagues become the new tags of identity.

Entering a conference with predispositions of obfuscation and testiness only dooms the process and the conclusion.

Mr. Putin could help build a saving face for Syria’s Assad so he can retire peacefully to another country. New leadership could form as a result and Russia and America would be credited with helping that happen. Naturally it is Syria itself that must solve its leadership problem. For now they need a timeout in which to engineer the solution. This can happen only if the hostilities end and Assad is absent.

ISIS is a common thorn for everyone. They have no legitimacy with the exception of violence and death. That is their power. That, however, is not a path toward legitimacy. Fear is the cause for movement; not the cause for lasting power and governance. The Taliban have proven that. So too Al Qaeda. Violence for violence sake earns only attention; no lasting loyalty or basis for governing a land, a religion, a culture or anything else.

In America the republicans are learning the same lesson. Ideologies, like violence, do not win the day. China has learned this lesson as well. So, too, Russia.  Ideology alone does not rule the day or 10,000 days.

Common good of common people require more care and governing science. Not ideology.

Working together brings ideas together, not ideologies. History, too, is the product of many elements, mostly ideologies gone awry. Cause – Effect – Result – remember? These three bring movement to history. Not all movement is good. Not all history is good. But lessons abound nonetheless from history. Good or bad, we learn what not to do more than what to do.

Such is the grist of conferences among foreign leaders. How can they bring their assets to the discussion table and parse their use intelligently for the good of the global community? That is the task. That is the Holy Grail we seek.

Will this week’s talks between Putin and Obama be fruitful? I think time will tell if the parties were conciliatory and wishful for a common solution. If not, history continues on its track of frustration and obfuscation.

I’m hoping for the former, not the latter. Perhaps I’m too harsh on Mr. Putin?

We shall see, won’t we?

September 30, 2015

PS: Well, the talks went badly if you are a fan of peace. If you wish otherwise, then you are happy with Putin’s claim that Russia is only interested in international law. He said America is breaking the law in Syria. Oh sure; like Russia reclaimed the Crimea and has attempted to reabsorb Ukraine into its nation’s borders. Really, Putin? Your actions are legal and the US’s is not?  In Syria there are many nations working together under a leadership umbrella and weaponry to beat back ISIS. We are doing the work for Assad whether we wish to or not. But the alternative is not what any of us wants; even you Putin.

Shame on your Bad Boy Peck act, Vlad. Shame. The whole world is watching and you’ve been found desperately, swaggerishly, wanting.

Political Peace?

Now that House Speaker John Boehner has resigned both his position as Speaker and congressional seat as of October 30, the House of Representatives has a lot of work to do. Mostly the republican party has the work to do. But democrat members will also need to be alert to opportunities to make peace happen. The big change provides opportunity to make other changes. Will they be good for the country or bad?

That’s really a choice to be made by every member of the House and Senate.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal said it yesterday – “one down and 434 more to go.” He is referring, of course, to Boehner’s resignation and the need for the rest of the House of Representatives to resign as well. I agree with him. Probably the only time I will agree with him! But there it is. The House is in deep trouble and it did it to itself. The best way out of their quagmire is for all resign and stage elections to fill the seats with fresh faces. It might help to also cut the number in half so each member has more to focus on rather than the narrow interests of their small districts. That’s one way to get them to focus on the big picture.

It also is a way to make congressmen understand that government does not begin or end with them. It begins and ends with the American people.

Recall the US Constitution was not written for all citizens of the nation. It was written for the people who owned land and thus had a stake in the country, and thus a vote to be wielded in the governance of the nation. Only in later years did the power to vote spread to all people 18 years of age or older who were natural or naturalized citizens.

It is clear that the notion of a landed gentry remains within the halls of Congress. If it were otherwise each representative would truly focus on the common good of the nation and its people, not special interest groups primed to financially support re-election of each member of congress.

Interest groups. They are part and parcel of our nation’s fabric. They are important. They keep our discussions lively and focused. But when they distort governance by swaying or outright purchase of votes, then governance is marred and dishonored.

That’s where we are right now. Our government is bought and paid for by special interest groups. Conservatives, National Rifle Association, American Medical Association, American Bankers’ Association, and so on. Each has a message and a bankroll for their candidates who toe the line. Are they ashamed of this announcement? No! They are proud to be called loyal supporters of one thing or another. Trouble is they don’t stop there. They support opposite points of view as long as the money is there for their re-election.

That has to stop. When the power seekers in Washington, DC sell themselves to the highest bidders, they abase themselves and our nation’s honor. Consistent with national honor, each guilty party ought to resign immediately. They know who they are. All they need is a mirror or a hall of mirrors. Perhaps the House and Senate Chambers should be lined with mirrors as a reminder that they ought not represent themselves but all of us.

Senator Lindsay Graham fears a meltdown in the House. Now that Boehner is out of the picture, the other representatives are free to pursue their rule of power – as diverse as that is, as unfocused as that is, and as uncoordinated as that is. Perhaps Graham is correct. Maybe the House will meltdown.

Look, the American people do not respect the current congress – house or senate. They distrust congress; they want it to focus on what’s best for the American people and the world. Those two big picture focal points are now one and the same. They cannot be divorced from one another.

What America does for itself must also be good for the global community. We do not govern that community, but we best do the right thing by the global community every time we have the opportunity. That’s how we will get along with others and others will learn how to get along with everyone else, too.  That’s what leadership is all about.

As the Pope stated the other day, the Golden Rule still rules.  “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” It cannot be any simpler than that. Do right to expect right.

Same with congress. You folks do right by the American people and we will do just fine. But first, you have to understand what that really means and requires of you. Currently you are not doing very well. Either correct that or resign.

That’s also a very simple message. Is anyone listening?

September 29, 2015

The Fed Done Me Wrong!

CNN released a story Wednesday morning (9/23/15) entitled “The Sneaky Way that the Fed May Be Hurting Stocks.” Now there’s an unbiased piece of reporting. First the word ‘may’ is used to soften their bold claim, and second the use of the word ‘sneaky’ is a polemic that is meant to get your attention (and goat!).

The Federal Reserve sets financial policy for the nation on a macro economic basis. It is for all banks, all businesses, and all citizens. The policies also speak to massive markets for commodities, jobs, wages and salaries, and interest rates. Well, actually, interest rates is the mechanism that affects all the other elements of the economy.

The power of policy is what government does best. That is when the government is guided by science, math and deep, deep understanding of the interconnected issues. Then and only then can decisions be made that are right for the moment and the circumstances.

There are those who argue this stance. But then upon closer inspection the arguers would be people who have an ax to grind: banks who want higher interest rates for return on their investments, and a healthy spread between what interest rates they earn with those interest rates they pay. The greater the spread between these two, the stronger the banks’ earnings.

Same with companies. Those with competitive edge in their respective markets can make a killing if interest rates rise. Investors also win if interest rates boost their earnings from their retirement portfolios.

But Jack Welch, retired Chair/CEO/President of General Electric, has it right. The key measure interest rates are used to battle is inflation. Strong inflationary pressures damage the economy. Higher interest rates dampen demand, prices and thus inflationary pressures.

As I’ve written in this space before, higher interest rates are used to parse out investment funds for investment and lending. If those funds are scarce, interest rates rise. Such is not the case today. At last count a conservative estimate of excess liquid cash is $5 trillion. This means there is plenty of cash available to borrow, to invest and to buy other companies (competitors!). The latter is what the cash is currently being used for. Very little investment is being made. If it were, the liquid cash tally would fall to much lower levels and interest rates would naturally rise.

I suggest the Fed do the right thing and keep interest rates low until and unless inflation rears its ugly head again! Meanwhile, people with cash reserves, should use them to invest in new infrastructure, new jobs, new technology and new training efforts of underemployed people to learn higher level skills needed in today’s industrial environment. Then we might find the economy overheating and experiencing inflationary pressure.

That is not today’s condition so the Federal Reserve continues correctly to keep interest rates low.

For those who disagree, go back to Economics 101 and 102. Those courses will teach you the differences between macro economics and micro economics. Most people view the world through the lenses of micro economics. Hence the confusion. The Fed must operate within the strictures of macro economics.

Thank you very much for your time and understanding!

September 28, 2015

Thought for the Day

Choose beauty. It is all around us. In little ways and big. Enormous, too! Seeing beauty is up to each of us. Am I tuned to see beauty? What is my definition of beauty? Can each of us see the same thing and one label it ugly while another thinks its beauty is overwhelming?

Of course the answer is yes. This weekend intentionally see the beauty around you. Has it been there all the time without you seeing it before? Where else do you find beauty in your life?

September 26, 2015

Playing Hooky

Yesterday was a perfect weather day. Bright sunshine, no clouds, temperatures in the mid 60’s early, and mid 70’s for the high later in the day. Rush hour was over and the open road beckoned.

At the same time my errands were done, chores finished and I had written plenty of copy for newsletters, blogs and special projects. I could focus attention on nothing and explore the out of doors freely.

So we gathered the dog (leash, portable water bowl, and assorted bags and towels), jumped in the car and took off. This was before breakfast but after the first dog walk of the day so we entered the far west suburban farmlands of Chicago in search of a good old country breakfast.

We found one in Sycamore at a place we used to frequent on our many trips to Oregon, Illinois and Galena. Fond days of traveling the back roads of Illinois. Discovering the small towns and byways of an old agricultural state provides a glimpse into the past that is still vibrant today. Oh sure, some towns seem to have seen better days, and perhaps they have. But a quiet, orderly life awaits those who have the patience to find the right village.

Before we retired we wondered if we would be happy in such small towns. We thought we would be. But I remember my in-laws and my own parents retiring to far away places. My own folks retired to Arizona, my in-laws to California. Beautiful locales and even better weather! But so very far away. I knew we would have a difficult time helping them over the rough spots of old age. And we did.

I didn’t want to do that to my kids so we kept our relocation sights more local. Still local in suburban Chicago. We are 35 miles west of downtown Chicago and that works just fine for us. Our doctors are here, so too the church. Lots of friends and meaningful connections to keep us from being bored. Of course family is nearby as well as cultural attractions so readily available in a world class megalopolis.

Yes. We are happy being retired where we are. The weather is a challenge throughout the year but then four seasons adds zest and interest to our lives. The occasional storm and fury reminds us periodically that we don’t control our environment, Mother Nature does. That alone keeps us humble. Or at least moderately so!

Our day of hooky allowed us freedom to roam farther west, north or south. Instead we angled north and soon found ourselves in familiar territory and oddly back on route toward home. The dog was restless and unhappy. She isn’t a veteran traveler, which seems odd to us who are always ready for a car ride. She seems to sense when we have reached the mid point of every ride and are on our way home. She relaxes perceptibly. Even seems happier! So even if our hope for a longer trip is disappointed, we know she is happy to be aiming in the right direction.

She knows when we approach home. I swear she knows the corners we take to get home; and when we enter our driveway she is certain where she is. She is too little to see out the windows, so we know she doesn’t know by sight that we are home. No; she knows because of feel and smell somehow.

Well we did accomplish two things: first, we broke our daily routine to take a long drive in the country; and second we maintained close contact with our favorite pooch. We really don’t like leaving her home alone thinking she is lonely. Most likely she doesn’t feel lonely at all, but supremely happy to be left alone in familiar places redolent of us. That’s all she needs for a few hours. Sleep and a reminder of us.

She’s not lonely; we are!

September 25, 2015

Being There

Where were you when 9/11 happened? What were you doing? What did you do then? Similarly, where were you when JFK was shot? How did your timeline shift under those circumstances?

When your father or a significant person in your life died, what were your immediate reactions and activities? Did you reach out to other family members? Did you jump in the car and make a hurried visit to those family members. Or if at a distance, did you grab the phone and begin making plane reservations? What about funeral arrangements? Did you have anything to do with making them? Or were you an observer, an idle participant?

This sense of ‘being there’ is an odd matter. Being present with another person when they are experiencing a personal loss, death or tragedy, challenges us to invent what to say, how to act, and to what end our presence has meaning for the other person. It is not an easy matter to deal with.

And then there is your own personal reaction to the loss event. What has this meant to you in your life? What emotional reactions were drawn from it? Were you dealing with the same emotional freight as those around you who you were aiding?

Being there. Sometimes that is just what it is. Being present and available for another person so they are not experiencing the moments alone. They have structure and support.

I remember when my dad died; it was expected at the end of a long journey. The finality, however, is something we all had to deal with. The struggle was over. His life was over. He had been asked if he wanted the family to gather (he was in Arizona and we were scattered all over the country). He said no. So we stayed put. Finally he was moved to hospice and remained for a couple of days when mom and his minister gave him permission to go. And he did; five minutes later.

And so it was. We got a call. Dad’s cremation was performed and the memorial service was planned. We made our travel arrangements and gathered in Phoenix. As we came together for a solemn occasion, we were properly somber. But then, we were remembering and laughing. At one point mom interrupted our gaiety and said dad would have loved the laughter! Then she promptly wept!!

We had been prepared for dad’s passing. It was not a surprise. How we dealt with it was personal. We each did it in our own way. But we were there for each other and for mom. Being there as a phrase took on new meaning for me at that time. It has never meant anything else since.

We were there for others when my father in law died. When aunts and uncles passed away. And friends. Lots of friends have come and gone in our long lives. Perhaps that is more surprising and shocking to us than loved ones. For what reason I cannot imagine. But the currency of our knowing the person in ways different from loved ones may hold the answer to the conundrum.

Being there also applies to situations in which you share tortured moments of someone in depression, bipolar angst or deep, deep dysfunction with the rest of the world. Knowing their condition, their mood, and just being there quietly. Maybe holding their hand. Maybe sitting quietly reading or listening to music while they vegetate through their agony. That’s being there for them. No judgment. No words of advice that are hollow and disconnected with their reality. Being there. Just sitting, passing the time. No expectations. Just a friend during a time of need, unfathomable as it may be.

One day you might remember where you were when so and so was in deep trouble. But I doubt that. It doesn’t make it any less valuable a time of sharing.

When we are called to share dark moments with others, that’s when we are called upon to just ‘be there’.

September 24, 2015

Long Good Bye

Yesterday we visited the cemetery where Rocky’s parents are buried. We cleaned their gravestones, weeded the plot and paid our respects. I gazed out at all the other grave markers realizing that each has a story, a biography. Who were they, what did they do during their life that they would have remarked upon, and who were their great loves in life? They came from where, lived where, and died here. What is the interstices connecting all of these facts of this particular life? And how many other lives did he or she intersect?

I know a little of the stories of Rocky’s parents. Born and raised in Italy near Bara. Rocky’s dad emigrated to America, got settled, then returned to Italy, married his sweetheart of longstanding interest, brought her home to America and resettled again. Along the way he financed the emigration of many of his family to America. And he and Clara brought two sons into the world – Joseph and Rocco. Each had their lives, of course, but they were intertwined with Joseph, Sr. and Clara for the rest of their lives. The family business absorbed their interest – a small family grocery store, first in Little Italy in Chicago on Taylor Street, then in Melrose Park.

I’ve heard many stories. Seen photos galore, even an 8 millimeter film or two, or three!

Stories. Biographies of individuals, then couples and finally families with generations of linked biographies. Modern day funerals are immense. I’ve attended a few. Those reminders of the generations are important guideposts. This is true in Rocky’s family. So too in my daughter’s marital family and my son’s as well. Both kids married into large extended families so typical of American life and culture. Liz’s is eastern European while John’s is Cuban and Mexican. How diverse is all of that? And so wonderful, too!

My family was small. Parents and three kids. Today each kid lives in a far separated state – Arizona, New York and Illinois. Not much communication and very little visiting face to face. That is all in the past as aging has added levels of logistical difficulties! That’s part of the biography as well.

In our case my brother married into a small and contained family. My sister did not marry but has maintained extended family ties with two or three families. My wife’s family was also small and contained. Our core family gatherings while our kids were growing up were small and well defined. Christmases were alone with our small nuclear family, or we added an Aunt and Uncle from time to time. Grandparents were also gathered under our roof but rarely in winter. They visited from California and Arizona and were no longer up to the cold Midwestern winters!

All of those folks are gone now. Ann’s parents have passed away. My dad passed away a long time ago. Most aunts and uncles have also passed away. But my mother remains a long lived forebear! At 101.5 years of age, 102 this coming February, she remains in stable health living in an assisted healthcare facility. She no longer travels. Neither do we for the most part. And if we did we couldn’t make it out to Arizona and back on our budget! So mom’s farewell is a slow motion long goodbye. That’s something worth pondering.

I do ponder upon it nearly every day. Not morbidly but historically and biographically. Remembering our roots is important as long as it does not take over our focus on today and tomorrow. The past is prologue to the rich today we live abundantly in this moment. And that is prologue to tomorrow and the long march of future tomorrows.

We are none alone. We are the product of many people, events and movements of history. All have shaped us. all have birthed us in some manner or other. Making sense of it all is our job. We ignore the precursor moments and biographies at our own peril.

Live in today fully but celebrate the past as well. It helps us value today and the tomorrows that will surely come.

September 23, 2015

People

Her eyes we slightly wrinkled around the edges. Fine lines. Her pupils were a faded blue of pastel strength. Mixed in was a hint of green that made her eyes not hazel, but not true blue, either.

Her face was soft yet strong. Hair was mostly a corn silk mixed with a tinge of gray giving her a sense of age a bit more than 60 years old. Soft spoken but with fervor and conviction.

She had a passion to share with others. Hers is holistic health unencumbered by modern age procedures and medicines. All natural with a whole lot of common sense thrown in. A survivor of cancer, she has a message that must be shared. She took charge of her recovery and fired her doctors. She did recover and is invigorated to spread the word and save others.

Another woman wonders if her story will help others. She survived a lifelong scourge of alcoholism in the family. Accompanying that was violence and verbal abuse. It weighed on her mind. So much so she wrote a book of her experiences. Throughout its entirety, the book is positive and supportive of strength and healing even in diversity. How do we help her spread her word?

A fellow nearing retirement is marginally employed and getting by nicely, thank you. He and his wife look forward to senior years of renewal and excitement as they invent a new life not dependent on earning a living. He is an idea man. He works those ideas into puzzles of great suspense and researches the internet to find the ways and means to share the puzzles. Can it be something that is self sustaining?

She loves to travel. She loves to share her love of travel with others. She plans travel for others as a hobby. Travel with purpose. Not an idle plane ride to an exotic place, or a sandy beach for a Mai Tai and a good summer read. No sir! Instead she seeks a journey with a goal – understanding diverse cultures. So she travels to India, China, Africa and Caribbean islands. She studies cultures and parallels with yet other cultures.

This person also thinks about problem solving. In Africa, for example, she wonders about clean water for small villages. Do they have it? If not, can she help them acquire it? How about medical clinics; are they readily available? If not, how can she help them get one? And schools. And public safety. All in the name of understanding diversity and culture and preserving it for others to behold.

Now that’s a mission worthy of travel! How do we help her bring that into being?

People. Ideas. People with ideas.

The Pope tells Cubans to serve people, not ideas. That’s good. But ideas come from people and hopefully serve them as well. So maybe serving ideas is OK because in the end it serves people. I get what he means, though. We should not serve ideologies unless they serve people very well, indeed. Doing so will keep us fruitful and on point.

People – you and I – alone or together, we are the power that makes the world go round. Do we ponder that often enough? Do we consider where this might take us? Are we brave enough to do it? Interesting question, that! It does take courage to move ahead without knowing the consequences. We do it all the time but don’t give it much thought. Just imagine what we could do if we did think about it before stepping off the curb?

Another woman I know is a fit, near-40-year-old. She is an expert in women sports, especially those that participate in the Olympics. She coaches some of their athletes, some of the US Olympic teams, and a whole lot of others who wish they were of Olympic caliber. She is a fitness coach, too, but loves speaking before diverse audiences the world over bringing them news and advice on physical prowess and fitness. How can we help her along this new path?

You have met in this posting several people who have asked SCORE for help in starting their new businesses or improving a fledgling enterprise. Each is a center of hope, ideas and energy. Each has a story to tell. All have life to share with others. You know, so our lives will be bountiful, too.

What a world we live in! And how the people do make a difference!!

September 22, 2015

Make America Great Again!

Who says we aren’t great already? And still improving?

Writing every day on current events and philosophical reflections I have discovered that there is much each of us can do to live fully and to help others. Of course this means we will be contributing to the ongoing quality of life here in America, land that we love – or at least we claim we love!

Contributing daily to the common good makes our nation great. Being involved helps us understand current events better and able to invent solutions to problems along the way. I think this is what made us great in the past, and does for the present, and will in the future. It is in the ‘DNA’ of our society.

Those who think we are not great I think are cynics. I doubt they truly think we are not great, but disagree seriously with people who hold other ideologies and governance ideas. If that is true they are throwing the baby out with the bath water. That’s opinionated bullshit. You know it and I know it. I think they know it as well.

Donald Trump is a blowhard politician wannabe. He can only gain traction by drawing attention to himself. He makes many claims on specific issues. Please note, however, that he never provides an answer that is a serious contender to managing the issue he has raised. Deporting over 11 million ‘illegal immigrants’ would cost an estimated $137 billion. It would denude our workforce of valuable labor. Many of those jobs would go empty and begging. Americans avoid those jobs, thus the demand for immigrant workers. The disruption within our economy alone would wreak havoc for years. I suggest The Donald consider productive assimilation of those same immigrants. Besides I think he has ignored the FICA taxes these immigrants have paid into Social Security and Medicare, thus propping up those programs.

Education in America is a growing mess but is it a failure? No; far from it. Does it need re-engineering and a whole lot of re-invention? I think so. Those two efforts would weed out the junk in the system and bring more focus to the process of learning at all ages throughout our lifetime. American education is accessible. It is beyond that of a social movement. It is a force unto itself. It is so good that millions of foreign nationals study here, remain here, research here, build fruitful lives here. There was a time when foreign nationals studied here so they could return to their homeland and help build their nation. That still happens, but less so today; more foreign students remain in America to seek their fortune and success.

Same with invention in corporate life. Microsoft happened in America. So did Apple. So did Warren Buffet and Berkshire Hathaway, and Boeing, GE, Ford Motor Company and so many other companies. The entire Silicon Valley miracle is invention cubed. Do great things happen in other countries? Of course they do. But in America generations of great things are birthed and morphed into generations still to come.

And music, the arts, theater and so many other creative venues in American culture allow things to happen that are magical. The art of business is also one of our strengths. But there are limits in all of these departments of life.

Yes. Limits. Some arenas become tired, bored even. Luster is lost and energy along with it. Getting the mojo back is something needed in most avenues of endeavor. Take the American automotive industry. We have size there. We have the physical plant. We have the technology. But we lack something that is hard to put our finger on.

I wonder what that is? Are we following the leader too much? Is this industry leaderless? Are they afraid of new directions that may take them far afield of where they began? Maybe so. Maybe that’s what is needed.  Think Tesla. Observe how others are playing catch up with Tesla while it forges ahead making automotive history all on its own.

What other industries ought to be reinventing themselves? Is that what made America great in the first place? Is that what will propel us yet again?

I do think we have lost our edge more than a bit. But it is up to each of us to bring it back. And it doesn’t begin by voting for people who do not contribute to the process in the first place. No; that role belongs with the rest of us who are willing to take a chance on fresh thought, ideas and investment.

The future lies before us. Whatever will we do with it?

I hope a lot, not waste a lot!

September 21, 2015

Thought for the Day

Birdsong. It is the voice of birds teeming among us. They are free. They beckon us to consider the pure air and freedom of movement. How much do you have in your life? Need more?

Consider your own birdsong. What will it sound like?

September 19, 2015

Commentary Catch-up

Today I will mention several current event topics and provide my perspective on them. These are brief mentions, not research pieces, although perhaps research is what is needed?

Religious Freedom has responsibilities. In America each citizen is free to his own spirituality and to worship in his own manner. The responsibility is not to demand that others believe or worship as he does. That’s the freedom part. You get to do your thing. Others get to do their things, too. They may not be in agreement, but then they don’t have to be. You believe in preserving fetuses from abortion? Fine. Don’t have an abortion and teach your kids the same if possible. But let others believe otherwise. I believe that an unwanted child is worse than abortion. We need to improve the welcome of each child born into this world, not condemn them to poverty, war, chaos and ill health. My religion dictates that to me. Perhaps yours is different? Fine. I won’t bother you. Please don’t bother me in this matter.

We need Russia as a partner against ISIS. ISIS is a global peril, not just a Middle Eastern one. Innocents are being murdered, sexually molested and enslaved in the name of a politicized religion. It is power run amok and needs to be dealt with accordingly. The powers of the world need to coordinate action to eliminate the ISIS threat and restore order in the regions so far devastated by ISIS. We should welcome all nations to join that effort.

Obamacare is a good program. Fix the things that need improvement. Strengthen it wherever possible. No major program, project or legislation was perfect at the outset of its life. Not even the US Constitution. It was immediately amended by the Bill of Rights. So, if the objectives of Obamacare are being mostly met, tinker with the weak components and fix them. Strengthen the program over time to remove the problem areas. Like Social Security, the Affordable Care Act is proving its value to our economy and society. Now let’s commit to preserving it and improving it.

Cease celebrity worship. Focus on more important matters. Like Chicken Little, attention was spent on the falling sky that wasn’t. Celebrity lives may be interesting but they provide little or no value to the issues that truly matter. Perhaps that’s why I don’t like soap operas on TV. Or movies that are disguised soap operas, either! Move on to the things that are important to the common good. Leave entertainment to their space and time. Leave news programming and documentaries for the important items upon which we should focus energy and intellect.

Remove ‘sponsored’ news items from news websites; they are nothing but ads that suck you into internet hell! Are you kidding? The MSN website contains ‘news’ items that are ‘sponsored’. Click on them and you are not getting news, but a pitch to buy an insurance policy, or compare auto insurance rates via a massive computer system that gloms onto your email address and forever contacts you via the web, email or phone. MSN should remove these hell hole invitations immediately.

We rescued Hungarian refugees in 1956; now look at the role reversal! I am emotionally drained watching the injustice of Syrian refugees being turned away at the Hungarian border, or being rounded up and treated as criminals. The horrors of Nazi Germany are rekindled. And then I remember 1956 when Hungary was forcefully invaded and America took in thousands and thousands of refugees. They became powerfully energized members of the American melting pot and contributed their culture and intellectual powers amazingly. Now they are rebuking welcome to their nation? How very sad!

Focus on high priced housing? Why? Nearly every day I am invited on the Internet to visit sites that tout the fanciest housing on the market today. Why? Why would I want to take a virtual tour of these amazing homes I cannot possibly afford, or even don’t need whatsoever?  Interesting homes, fabulous interiors, tantalizing architecture, yes! I understand the attraction. But aren’t we actually being enticed to spend more on what we don’t need? Is this really what America boils down to? Thoughtless consumption is wasteful and hedonistic. Leave house tours to magazines and fund raisers.

“Give us your tired and poor, teeming masses…” Emma Lazarus’ poem inscribed at the base of the Statue of Liberty is a heartfelt entreaty to welcome all who arrive on our shore. Read it in its entirety in silence and concentration. Then tell me immigration is wrong. If you truly feel it is wrong, then what does that say about your American heritage?

Some of the above cause me to weep. Can we get back on point and love our country by improving it to standards we believed in the past? They were a major part of our development. Aren’t they still a major part of what makes us uniquely American?

Peace to you all.

September 18, 2015

Bullies

The world has always been a restless place. Someone is always trying to steal someone else’s place, girl, guy, car, or gold mine. Wars have been fought over stolen hearts, insults, sticks and stones, and much more serious matters. Through it all, however, the world seems to come out seeking peace and getting it. At least for awhile.

Take now, for instance. Here are hot spots around the globe:

• Iraq
• Iran
• Middle East in general – Libya, Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, Israel, Gaza…
• The Koreas – North and South
• China’s war of attrition and attention in coastal waters seeking to expand its control toward frenemies
• Russia and its world reach toward Scandinavia, the Ukraine, Crimea, Poland, China
• South American nations – Venezuela and its frenemies
• Central America and southern Mexico with warring drug cartels
• And other focused arenas of discomfort among locals – many regions of Africa as examples

The United Nations is a good representation of what I speak of – so many opportunities to build peace and most are lost because of political skirmishing among the diplomats with orders from home to block all avenues toward meaningful peace. Why? You ask this question simply but the answer is not simple. You see diplomats are window dressing for many nations seeking some small sense of power over global activity, while at the same time, begging for money, jobs, or other elements needed for their success.

But you see, the UN is small potatoes. It doesn’t have the money or influence to make for lasting peace at this point in time. Why, again, you ask!  Well, in my opinion it is due to bully power. Here’s more of what I mean.

Russia is bullying the world community: exciting North Korean to be a regional bad boy. So North Korea restarts its nuclear reactor. North Korea teases South Korea with missile test firings. North Korea executes its own leaders to show its brutality and infer it will act the same with their enemies outside its borders. Bullying as sport. Bullying as minor irritant. North Korea is incapable of waging a sustain war of any kind. It knows it will be its last act if it even tries. North Korea will cease to exist if they try any warlike act.

But you see, everyone would like to see the pressure disappear, so they give in a little to gain a bit of peace. But Russia, now there is another bad boy influence!

Russia eggs North Korea on so others are upset. Then Russia enters Syria to prop up Assad in his hour of need. Oh, Russia claims it is helping Syria fight ISIS, but we all know Russia is actually fighting the United States. They don’t want US efforts to go unchallenged by a puny Syria.

While they are at it Russia also partners with Iran to arm Syria and other Middle Eastern warriors to keep the balance of power in sway among ISIS and rebels. Little does Russia understand the power of ISIS and the ramifications within its own border. Mother Russia is playing with a ticking time bomb that is likely to blow up in its own face!

Bullies like to keep wars going. They like the chaos environment. They can do much unseen and illegal and get away with it. Too bad they don’t pour their resources into building a better standard of living for their own people. And their friends. They could accomplish much that is good and change their international image for the better, but they don’t. It’s the bully mentality taking over their own reality.

Putin is desperate to prove he is a man’s man. And will now poke every eye in the room for a reaction. Trouble is the world is on to him. His nation is broke. His economy is in shambles. He sits on a huge stockpile of surplus oil. And he conjures war in many places to distract attention from his troubles.

North Korea is a ghost enemy. Russia is a more serious enemy. But it plays with its own demise all alone in a diminishing world of influence. Only desperate measures remain. But now they are on full view. What a pity!

Instead of making lemonade from a bowl of lemons, Putin is making a stew of viscera and poverty. Things can get worse, Vlad. Much worse. And you will be the cause of your own downfall.

Yes it is a pity. It could be very much otherwise. The Lament of the Bully often is: “I shoulda done…..”

September 17, 2015

Issues That Matter

With the election cycle heating up and with so many candidates fighting for public attention it is natural to see issues pop up in the media that startle us.  One such is Scott Walker’s drastic restrictions on unions among government workers. He earned traction and extreme notoriety in his state of Wisconsin, but now that he is waning on the national stage he is attempting to gain traction nationally by playing the same anti-union card only this time addressing unions among federal workers.

I submit that this is not an issue worthy of our attention at this time. It wasn’t worthy in Wisconsin, either, but unfortunately he won a legal point and has begun the destruction of unions among state employees in Wisconsin. That legal point is bogus and should be reversed. Besides, unions are not the problem in Wisconsin or America.

The high cost of government so many republicans say they are fighting, is not caused by unions. Other more potent topics are the high cost culprit.  Here are the ones I think matter and should be reinvented to lower cost standards.

First, public education is out of control on two fronts: it is ineffective and we keep throwing money at the old education format to fix it without really fixing it, thus worsening the cost basis; and we avoid the hard work of actually re-engineering or re-inventing the entire education system so it can be at last effective AND adaptable to social changes. The more I ponder the role of education the more I realize it is the very cornerstone of how our society works and ought to work. Invest in education and many other problem issues are solved or eased. And that will reduce public costs, too.

Second, military/defense budgets are horrendous and expanding. Both the defense initiatives and foreign affairs directions need to be coordinated to conserve public resources. Wasteful or dated defense systems should be dumped in favor of more efficient systems. Waste in the military and defense establishments are historic. It is time to trim the beast using tested management techniques without harming the nation’s ability to defend itself.

Third, infrastructure investments are sorely needed to replace dangerously out of date installations as well as revise transportation systems and public utility delivery mechanisms that are efficient and cost effective. Investing in ourselves is always a good ‘first’ investment in our future. Do it now to save even more expense in the future. The added bonus is significant employment gains that will put our worker populations back to work productively.

Fourth, social welfare costs need intelligent examination. Some are employment benefits paid for by each of us during our working lives. We pay taxes and ‘premiums’ for these benefits (Medicaid, Medicare and Society Security, among others) and they ought not to be counted as welfare programs provided free to the needy. The needy are us! and we earned the benefits and paid for them. Unemployment benefits and other welfare programs are also earned benefits that are paid for by the public as safety nets for those who are left out of earning a living for reasons beyond their control. These safety net programs have good reason for being and we need to respect them and support them accordingly.

Fifth, the economy is not owned by captains of industry or stock holders. All of us ‘own’ the American economy. We subsidize it with public infrastructure that supports distribution of goods to market, raw resources to manufacturing sites, and employees commuting to and from work. The corporations did not pay the full price of public infrastructure, nor should they. We all benefit from it and so should share in the cost of providing it. Similarly, corporations and all employers do not pay the full cost of public education. The public does. In this sense employers are subsidized by all of us.

Accordingly, the economy should be managed by policies that help support the common good of the entire society. Free markets should be respected, but it should also be recognized that free markets are rare in a managed economy. We should recognize this reality and stop claiming free markets are the norm. They are not and haven’t been for many generations.

If politicians wish to be seriously considered for public office, they need to focus on these five topics and treat them seriously. All other blathering is noise and without value. The first clue is the ‘sound bite value’ a politician’s utterance has. If it is catchy it is probably a sound bite and without value. It should be rewarded with silence.

Silence for junk. Attention for worthwhile discussions and ideas. Only the latter ought to be in the public forum when we are doing the serious business of electing trusted citizens to positions of leadership and trust.

Perhaps this will also reduce the cost of election campaigns? Wouldn’t that be a delight?!

September 16, 2015

Immigration – Legal or Otherwise

It appears Europe has its own immigration problem. For awhile there it seemed as though all eyes were on the USA and its porous border with Mexico. To be assured illegal immigration across the Mexican border with the US is not just Mexicans; no, it is South and Central Americans as well. It seems many believe the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, their fence.

And it probably is greener. When despots and tyrants run a country into the ground and maintain their power by demonizing the least of their own countrymen, those dominated seek freedom. Anywhere they can find it.

America’s brand is freedom. Not that we are perfect at it; far from it! But we seem to have more of it than other nations. So we are a haven sought by those with little or no freedom. Not many people are seeking refuge in China, Russia or African nations. 

I wish we Americans took more pride in the fact that our nation is revered as a place of refuge. That’s a good thing. It means more is going right here at home than we give it credit for. Hooray for us, er US!

Yes, for years Poles have sought economic opportunity in Germany, France and Italy. They have found some of it, but not enough. They have also found discrimination and inhospitable communities. Not as much in America. Chicago is the largest community of Polish people outside of Warsaw. They are at home in Chicago. They are welcome here, as they should be.

America is the home of the immigrant, whether refugee, legal or illegal. They know America has become home for generations and generations of foreign peoples. Not always were they welcome or easily assimilated, but they were eventually. Along the way they taught Americans how to be better hosts and accept diversity in each fresh wave.

If we took the time to consider the benefits of immigration, we would embrace newcomers better. Consider these benefits:

• Immigrants work for lower wages as they begin working career in their new country
• Wage and salary inflation is contained as a result of immigrant labor
• Many jobs of menial nature go begging for applicants; Americans are loathe to scrub, clean and do menial tasks; immigrants willingly fill the gap
• Agriculture needs hand labor to pick crops and perform seasonal labor on ranches and farms; not enough Americans are willing to do this work so seasonal bands of immigrants roam the country performing this valuable service; food prices are contained as a result
• Immigrant workers pay FICA taxes thus easing finances for Medicare and Social Security; if they move on to other countries they don’t remain in the US to claim benefits; these two benefit systems reap the gains
• A growing labor pool always eases the finances of Medicare and Social Security; other pension programs, too; immigrants provide growth in our labor pool, well above the natural growth of our population due to birth rates
• Our culture has always been a blend of nationalities from all over the globe; new immigrants provide the fresh ingredients to our ‘social stew’ reinvigorating it and adding spice! Our collective world view is thus stronger and more knowledgeable than nations which experience low or zero growth
• Immigrants provide genius perspectives on many fronts; new math, science and educational vigor result from well educated immigrants. Check out enrollments at American universities and colleges; note the burgeoning numbers of Asian students in science and engineering curricula
• Immigrants provide Americans with internal competition to excel; left alone we grow flabby and lazy. Immigrants awaken our abilities!
• Arts and history are enriched by our new citizens as well; they come from nations where such is valued more than here in America. The cosmopolitan/world view of immigrants enriches our life and understanding of the world community 

I will stop here. Enough is said. Immigration is a positive force in America. For those who doubt, re-read the bullet points above. If still in doubt, question your own sense of self satisfaction and ponder the need to refresh your own core beliefs. There is a lot going on in the world and it is not all bad. Different and challenging, yes; bad, no!

America is an action center for this fresh revolution. We can either be a part of it and benefit accordingly, or we can fight it and dwarf our own opportunities.

Which will it be? Frightened protector of our borders? Or welcoming embrace of a host and hostess looking to make new friends?

September 15, 2015

Stop Making Stupid People Famous

I saw today’s title phrase on the internet the other day. I don’t know who said it. Nor do I know who it was said about. I have my candidates. So do you. Palin and Trump come to mind.

But more than that I think today’s title encourages us to put a stop to people who have little to say, or don’t speak factually.  Certainly many ‘popular’ politicians in the news today qualify for this distinction. Not all politicians, but many! And perhaps that is our problem.

You may ask what we are to do about this problem. I think it is pretty simple.

Silence.

Meet stupid comments with silence. Provide stupid people with silence.

Do not react. I know I come to this battle ground late! I have been moved to comment on what I perceive to be wrong headed thinking with a diatribe of my own. So I pledge to reform my behavior. I have placed this pledge in writing for all to see. Now it’s up to all of you to keep me honest and compliant with the pledge.

Here are the benefits of working together on this project:

• Politicians playing games with public opinion will be met with silence; they will get no traction
• Politicians who do not play games with public opinion and consistently deal with facts, will gain traction with other decision makers so good things get done
• Stupid people among our public will wonder why their audiences are silent; they may think before speaking next time; or not; they are stupid so they likely will not understand what is happening; no matter; they haven’t understood up ‘til now, either!
• Serious discussions will likely ensue and the public will gain knowledge of the facts and make good decisions; in turn good politicians will gain the support they need to do the work we all need to have done
• Emotional responses to the news will likely calm down; hopefully to a modicum of order, giving us peace
• Prioritization of issues will likely take place; this is an ordering of the work we have ahead of us; we do step one first, then step two, and so forth; taking things out of order confuses and stymies progress
• Stupid people will most likely cease to be a major component of public life; tranquility will have a chance to grow
• Perhaps we will finally get the government we deserve
• The world community will praise us and like us for the right reasons! 

Refreshing prospect isn’t it? And all from exercising the power of silence at critical times. I wonder why it took me so long to see this. I guess I have to give others the benefit of the doubt as well. Obviously they haven’t seen this either so I have to have patience with them until they learn to be silent in the face of stupidity.

For now, we need to support these key projects if our society will prosper long into the future:

1. Re-engineer all aspects of education so it is effective at reasonable cost; provide education for everyone to the extent they are able and desire it; enhance the utility of each person and the quality of their life for the common good of our social order
2. Respect our planet and make it whole: reduce pollution of air, soil and water to sustainable levels; insist our trading partners do the same or ban their products in our country
3. Manage our economy for the common good, not for special interests; always strive for self-sustaining function of the economy so it pays for itself
4. Reward risk-taking for the common good: if risk produces jobs and social benefits leading to quality of life for the masses, reward those who risk their wealth with profits sufficient to sustain more risk
5. Communicate effectively with all audiences – foreign and domestic – so the community of mankind gets along within its ranks and sustains such actions in perpetuity. Listen to one another; allow freedom of speech; intentionally connect with others and strive to understand them

I am confident these projects, movements and causes will yield results we will all recognize as worthwhile. With those results we will expect more of the same and keep the effort moving forward.

In the meanwhile, respect the past, enjoy the present and strive for a better tomorrow always.

Peace!

September 14, 2015

Thought for the Day

We are responsible only for ourselves. Be serious about that so we don’t become a project for someone else to be responsible for.

With your strength help someone less fortunate than yourself. And Always, Always, Always, be kind to one another.

If you do, you will have many wonderful years of life.

Enjoy the weekend!

September 12, 2015

Pleasure vs Joy

The terms ‘joy’ and ‘pleasure’ are interesting. They sound very much alike, but I think they are not. Pleasure is defined as satisfaction, enjoyment, fulfillment – words like that. Joy, on the other hand, is defined as exhilaration, pleasure beyond belief, extraordinary happiness, at least for a moment. Joy seems to be measured by depth or height of  an emotional register while pleasure, although quite pleasant, is of shorter duration.

There have been times in my life – surely yours as well – when joy seemed absent. A sense of worth was missing in my life. A bounce to my step was missing. There wasn’t much to look forward to. That sort of thing plagued by feelings and thinking. I turned to friends and asked, “do you have joy in your life?” If so, how do you identify it, define it, measure it, etc.?

I must admit they looked at me somewhat dumbfounded! It took some talking to convince them I was serious in my question. And of course they lent a hand to the quest.

The search for joy was an interesting one. It lasted for a few months when suddenly I realized I had ceased the search. Wondering about that I learned I had found joy! It was there, in my life. This is and was especially true when I wasn’t looking for it. Imagine that!

Joy helped me leap out of bed in the morning. Joy masked physical pains of aging so I didn’t recognize them; they were still there, just not such a big deal. I looked forward to a nap, to a night’s rest, and the getting up on the morrow. I anticipated good things and expected them to happen during the day. I had faith and trust in others and looked forward to the relationships I had with each person. I had found ‘joy’ and it was good.

A few years later and I felt a longing for something. There was a void that was difficult to define but I knew it was there. I could feel it. It was sort of like a brooding, or a gloom, not a foreboding or sense of imminent disaster. No, it was sensing something was missing and that it was somehow important.

That’s when I came up with the term pleasure. Was pleasure missing in my life? What in fact gave me pleasure?

As one ages pleasure is encountered in many ways large and small, mostly small. It’s the little things in life that give one pleasure. Like a crystal breath of fresh air in the morning when it is cool and crisp. Or a morning of bird song and dancing leaves on trees that have been bare for the winter months and suddenly in spring they are green with life. That’s pleasure. Rushing waters of a steam or river in the woods is a pleasure, too. The same with a slow walk through the woods, smelling the rich aroma of decomposing needles and leaves underfoot, the rich loamy soil bursting with nutrients and supporting abundant new life.

Flowers with fresh blooms, whether in early blooming garden beds or summery hanging baskets, they all proclaim life and beauty.

Then there is music, of course! Strains of melodies, strong chordal compositions, booming organ preludes, symphonic gestures of august complex sounds or simple lilting ballads, all announce their unmistakable presence. Lyrics, too, grace the music giving it added meaning. Choral music has a special place in our culture. So too popular music that mirrors the yearnings of all of us as we encounter the mystery that is life.

Pleasure is mine in writing. Such efforts allow me to go on journeys of the mind that expand my view of the world, my experience of life. These are things unrelated to making a living. But they are related to making a life.

Perhaps that is the source of pleasure? Making of a life. Mine or someone else’s.

I sat in a meeting the other day and wanted to ask others in the room what gave them pleasure. But I demurred and sat silently. I observed and listened. Driving home afterwards I still was in a quandary.

This morning, writing this piece I began to glimpse something that made sense. Pleasure is all around us, and like joy, it is found while not looking for it.

Pleasure is found in the little things – reading a book that captures the imagination and sets you free to think on rare thoughts; listening to music that explores feelings not normally on view; feeling the air embrace the skin of the arm or face when least expected; a smile on a stranger’s face appearing as a gift with no reason or cause – these are pleasures to me.

Past pleasures like food, thrill seeking, exercise and vitality, or not current pleasures. They all have a cost that is unpleasant. Body aches and pains, for one, accumulated weight gain and fat for another. The costs are real. They cause discomfort so they are avoided or engaged in small doses. Each does, however, reminds you of what you are beginning to miss as age advances.

The wonder of end times is not the definition of lack of pleasure or joy. No; that is not what I mean here at all. End times come to each of us in their time. That is a fact that cannot be ignored. It need not be dwelled upon. While one lives it is their duty to find the joy and pleasure that remains. Well, a duty to find is a bit harsh; no, I’ve said before, one finds joy and pleasure when not looking for them. Perhaps that is the art of living? Well, I’ll have to think about that for a bit!

September 11, 2015

Kindness Passing

No, kindness has not met an untimely end. It does that nearly every moment when unthinking, uncaring people simply don’t do the right thing, or the nice thing. But there was someone among us in Warrenville, Illinois who did do the kind and nice thing. Almost every chance she had to do so.

Her name is Lynn Hoppenrath, owner and proprietor of Al’s Pizza at the corner of Warrenville and River Roads in Warrenville. Lynn is the daughter of Al, who started the pizzeria. He built it into a shrine of sorts for the community. When he retired he anointed his daughter Lynn to carry on the family tradition. And did she ever!

Al’s Pizza is well known in west suburban Chicago. And I do mean well known.

I didn’t know of Al’s when I lived in Wheaton. Only when I moved to Warrenville did I learn of the delectability of a pizza from Al’s. But once there I found people returning to Warrenville to eat yet another Al’s pizza. It was fun talking with patrons and learning where they were from and why they were here. Also, I met Al through the chamber of commerce but shortly after he retired and Lynn took on the business.

Soon Al’s Pizza was my Friday night routine. Of course we ate it in Towne Tap right next door throughout the swinging connecting doors. That’s where the community met up on Friday nights. First for after work drinks, then pizza or fish fry. That’s where you got to know the spirit of the town. And what a lot of spirit!

Frequent visits allowed me to become an acquaintance of Lynn H. But also Lynn Burgess, proprietor of Towne Tap. The two Lynns. Each the owner and successor of a successful business started by their dads. In the same building in which each business owned its own space and did its own business.

I came to know Lynn Burgess who has an opinion on everything (like me!) and those discussions led Lynn Hoppenrath to report to me one day, “I’m the nice Lynn; the bad Lynn is Burgess!” I thought this was funny, especially so because she told me this private message in front of the other Lynn. And we all laughed.

As the years ticked away, I observed both Lynns run their businesses successfully through years of constant change. They both managed to maintain the flavor, spirit and essence of their establishments that reflected the standards of the community. They were each special businesses. Each led by a special person. Good or bad, they are/were very special people.

And the community supported them through thick and thin, in droughts and floods, through road work, bridge construction and reconstruction. Through spoiled water wells from a local gas station tank leak, to massive flood protection projects that protected them from future flooding (hopefully!). The community rallied for them. They cherished these two businesses that somehow embody the identity of Warrenville.

Precious are these small businesses. The owners take on risk to create them, and continue the risk-taking to maintain them. But they are not alone in this task. Their customers form an entire community. And that community wants them, supports them, and lends them a hand day after day.

The Lynns – both of them – are strong members of our community. Now we are less one.

Lynn H will be missed. Sorely so. But we will always have her memory, her pizza product, and her spirit to remind us of how special she has been in our lives. And her delectable smile!

Peace Lynn. You gave us much peace. Now it is yours to savor.

September 10, 2015

View From Here

It has been a while since I last considered the name of this blog. I’ve used View From Here as the title for the blog (4 years), but also for a weekly newspaper column (7 years) in a local newspaper.

When I first began writing for publication I searched for a name. View From Here popped into mind nearly at the outset. So I searched its uniqueness on the internet. I learned it wasn’t unique. Plenty of people have used and are using this title for all sorts of written material. I also learned that the title really isn’t copyrighted. All you have to do is associate the title with your name and consistently do so. I have so the title is mine to use.

Why this title? For some reason it speaks to me.  View is not a fact or factoid. It is an opinion held within someone’s mind, in this case, mine. So View From Here is a reference to an opinion or idle commentary on something worth focusing on. From is another word that holds a particular meaning. For me it refers to the environment or situation that embraces the issue being examined. My life and yours are different from each other; primarily because each of our lives exists and functions in their own space, time and relational elements. Although much of our lives may be similar, they are not the same. You and I are complex beings. We live in a highly disparate confluence of elements which conglomerate to form an environment or gestalt that forms a unique subculture. We react to that culture, appropriately or inappropriately. Those reactions set up other elements in the subculture to be reacted to as well. And soon our worlds are very separate indeed.

The from is very important in this sense. And it leads to…

The Here of the title. Here  is this unique moment and place. It is not yours or anyone else’s. It is mine. Only mine. My words pertain to this time capsule place in which I inhabit and form a commentary.

So, View From Here is an intellectual pinpoint upon which I write ideas, theories, memories or whatever that relates back to the pinpoint. It is uniquely mine as it would be uniquely yours should you be doing the writing. Comparing notes with each others ideas holds an interest for some readers. Or perhaps not.

I don’t know why people read my words. It has always been a mystery to me. But oddly it pleases me. I don’t feel alone in the world knowing someone is reading my stuff. I wish this exercise were somehow more of a two way street, but it isn’t. I get some comments on the blog but very few considering the number of posts (1250) and the number of reader hits (73,000). I think only 119 comments have been received in the four years of the blog. This does not constitute a two way channel of communication!

My pinpoint is momentary in time, of course. It also explains why I can have so many ideas about so much that seemingly is the same. It isn’t the same. Each moment conjures its own milieu. It is the playing field of thought. And that is what I write about.

For some reason it doesn’t bore me. I hope it doesn’t bore you. If my readership disappears perhaps that is a sign of boredom? Ah yes. Of course!

Until then, I will continue with my mission: making sense out of the nonsensical. Somehow we each do this. Most of us don’t write about it, though. I wonder why?

Maybe that’s the subject of the next blog post?

September 9, 2015

Humor

So many things to laugh about. Some serious to the max and thus ridiculous and worthy of a guffaw. Other things are stupid things said by serious people who are attempting to draw attention to themselves and some political issue they champion. Many of their utterances are too stupid to make sense, so they make nonsense and create hilarity.

Example: late night talk show hosts have more material to work with from politicians engaged in their campaigns. Fruitful field of laugh gems. A bounteous supply, even.

Spoonerisms were my forte when a young lad. Simply slip the first letter of one word to the first letter of another word, put them together, and do so unintentionally and you have a nearly guaranteed laugh. Beanut Putter and Jam sandwich is an example.

Mixing any words together unintentionally often makes for a chuckle – bodily nudily is one. We know what the person was trying to say but what came out was even better!

Puns are funny, too. I had an uncle-in-law who enjoyed sparring with me with puns. I know our exercises were wearing on the family who could not avoid our antics, but occasionally they broke out in hysterics. We had hit on one that caught them unawares. And that’s what makes puns so funny in the first place. That and the fact they are clever. Or so we think!

Prat falls are funny, too. Although I’ve not understood why because they are so dangerous. The older I get the more sensitive I feel about the injury a fall can cause. Still, when I see someone slip and fall and seemingly disappear from view, I break out in spontaneous laughter. That’s what slap stick humor was all about. I can still hear my father’s hysterical laughter as he watched old clips from Charlie Chaplin or Laurel and Hardy movies.

“What’s Up Doc” was a movie with Barbra Streisand and Ryan O’Neal. There were shticks throughout the movie that were slap stick, really. And boy were they funny! I remember laughing so hard and for so long that I actually worked myself into an asthma attack in the theater. That's how funny it was to me at the time!

It’s a good thing there are lots of things to laugh at. I don’t mean being mean, but actually humorous. Laughter releases tensions. It allows us to relax and enjoy ourselves for a while. It is one reason why comedians are able to make us laugh; they build a false tension, or address a known tension, then say something ridiculous about it that saps the seriousness right out of the situation. The result: we laugh. If the comedian’s timing is good, he/she can build on that first laugh and keep the laughter rolling for several minutes. Now that’s a successful gig!

It has been said that laughter is the best medicine. Quite rightly so. A good laugh causes the body to move the diaphragm, suck in air, expel it with force, just to fuel the act of laughing. That lung/muscle movement is healthy, especially for someone who is sick or recovering from an operation. Laughter also brightens the mood and lifts the spirits when they are otherwise down. Again, laughter – humor – comes to the rescue and makes the patient feel better and actually be better.

Tragedy is often fodder for humor. Suffering presents the tension, you see. Humor makes light of it and we laugh at ourselves and our predicament. Such humor takes on major weight as time passes; the tragedy wanes and humor leavens the seriousness. Poking fun at the self helps us put things into perspective. It is not the end of our life, after all. It is just a misstep or a detour. It is temporary. Life goes on. And humor tells us so.

So when we feel low, depressed or sorry for ourselves, consider a chuckle. A Knock-knock joke. A pun. Or an ‘intentional slip’. Get someone near you to laugh and soon you will be laughing yourself. And then the whole room will be on the mend!

September 8, 2015

Labor Day

This is the day we set aside each year in America to honor those who have dedicated their lives to the working-day life. Each of us does this; just at different levels of dedication! We all work. At something. Even if it is attempting to get out of work, that takes effort! Sometimes the effort is overwhelming – to get out of work.  It’s a little like college campuses when students who work so hard avoiding academics just buckled down a little and realized that their efforts would yield them greater good if they just stopped wasting time.

We all are like that, really. I hated painting the house. Yet I had one of those old frame buildings poorly built to hold onto paint. It had to do with the unknown technology in the early days about vapor barriers and proper insulation. Water just poured from interior atmospherics through the wall paint, into the wall cavity, and out through the exterior’s sheathing, wood and paint layers. Paint popped off the outside walls. Pretty much on schedule. Once each year as seasons changed and temperatures coaxed the little evil paint molecules to leap to their death! Right into the garden down below.

Yes, suicidal paint chips abounded at 315 West Forest Avenue in Wheaton, Illinois. You could rake the leavings into piles, mounds, really. Pyres ready for a match, you know?

Oh well, I finally gritted teeth and prepared to repaint one exposure per year. First the south exposure, followed by the east side, the north side the following year and finally, year four, the west side. West was worst. It took the sun’s beating 12 months a year. The south side was protected by a line of mature maple trees. North rarely got sun in our part of the hemisphere. The eastern exposure got the worst of the morning condensation.

At any rate, paint popped until I was too tired and frustrated to handle it. Then we wrapped the house in foil, covered it with foam board, and finally nailed up aluminum siding. Yes dreaded aluminum siding in an historic enclave of an old Midwestern town. It was anathema to the historical preservation people, but we did it anyway. For the remainder of our 23 years in that home I rarely had to paint anything. Maybe the porch, railings and steps. But that was a walk in the park.

So, you see I expended much energy on not wanting to paint the house. I made a production of it. It was almost obsessive. Now if I had focused attention and funds on the final solution, I would have been much better off.

And so it goes with most of us. Stop obsessing and begin planning. Then onto action. The best plan, pay someone to do the damn job you hate so much. That’s the ticket!

Well, I’m glad we settled that issue. What next is on our agenda?

Oh, back to Labor Day. You see for most years since the beginning of time people took advantage of those who worked for them. Labor – management disputes have been with us since the first club was discovered and used as a tool. If someone other than the club bearer benefited from his wielding duties, then a labor – management situation was present. Usually it was the spouse/mate who played the management role. You know that drill all too well. Anyhow, the mate/spouse/manager usually had something to complain about and the club bearer, frustrated and taken unawares, yielded his power to the manager and toed the line.

In time this did not settle well so deep and broad unrest was fomented. This had nothing to do with the straw mattress upon which they rested at night; no, nor the rocks that lay just below the straw. No, tossing and turning in darkness caused brooding over unrest and finally a strike – a voluntary cessation of labor for the benefit of others – was embarked upon.

That day the club was used only to kill the game for food of the bearer of the club. The male/spouse/manager went hungry for meat but filled up on green grass and other plant life – signaling the beginning of the vegan diet. But that’s another topic for another day.

For now we will concentrate on the labor/management dispute which, incidentally, was settled quite quickly when the club bearer realized that there was more than food at stake. Yes, there was comity and restfulness of another sort in the company of management the club bearer sorely yearned for.

And that was the beginning of labor law, strike rules, and negotiated settlements.

Today we know them as trial separations and divorce, but then, that, too, is a topic for another day. Yes, so many topics for another day. No wonder we have writers and media people teeming the planet. It makes one’s head spin. And so, I rest. Best to avoid concentration on this matter for another day.

Ta Ta!

September 7, 2015