Outcome Setting

Defining outcomes is another way of saying setting goals. However, goals are more gritty and specific and are usually found in corporations and organizations of all sorts. Outcomes, however, are generally things a whole bunch of us want. Like…let’s say…peace on Earth. Or goodwill among all men (mankind, these days!).

Well, you get the idea. I’m speaking here of dream statements that define our ideal outcomes. The big things. A few of those items are: access to affordable healthcare for everyone. Another would be access to appropriate education that matches a student’s ability, desires and needs. If that means college education, fine. Or, if vocational training is what the student wants, is good at, and society needs it, then provide that training. Another way of looking at this, provide appropriate educational support for every person as they travel the journey of their life and things change – technology, social norms, and whatnot. If someone’s career falls into disuse, then train the person for another career that makes sense to them and their skillsets.

Those kinds of outcomes. The big ones. They are not easy to provide. They are costly and highly variable based on need and personal abilities. But each person needs this support for their life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. They need to support themselves and their families as the case may be.

Housing is another big need. Of course the housing unit needed by a person or family, depends on the size of the family, its abilities or disabilities, and proximity to employment and jobs.

Regardless of the outcomes targeted, our society needs to identify the sorts of things we expect from society. We all pay into this society, so we should all benefit from it as well.

Those who are wealthy and own companies or parts of them, they earn money off their investments and the profitability of the companies they own. That’s as it should be. However, those who work for those companies and bring wealth to its owners, deserve a livable income. If they are expected to work hard, think creatively and invent new products and services, they should be paid according to their contribution to the health of the enterprise. Their income levels will rise to reflect their contributions to the success of the organization.

Owners of companies and wealthy individuals, are not the only people of means in any society. The people who populate companies and organizations make the organization work successfully. They should earn reasonable compensation as a result. They may not be wealthy in the long run, but they will have earned a high enough standard of living to taste the rewards of exceptional service and value to their employers.

A society takes on the shape and image of what all of its citizens need and want. If the citizenry supports justice, fairness and cooperation, then laws, regulations and expectations are needed to reflect that. Same with defining the standards of living we are obliged to provide productive individuals of that society.

All of this does not happen automatically. It happens because we want it to happen, we work for it to be, and we invest in planning, research and organizational effort to make good things happen. Organizations do strategic planning periodically. They define what they want and work to make their goals come true. But what of society? When did America every sit down and do a strategic plan for its society?  Probably never. Well, maybe we ought to be doing this activity.

The question is who? It ought to be congress, but they have their minds on other things of much lesser importance. So much so that the more vital planning effort never gets done.

Perhaps the time has arrived when we change that reality? What do you think? And if Congress is not the right entity to do this work, who else should?

August 31, 2018

Putting Humpty Dumpty Back Together Again

I’m reminded of the book “Everything I Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten”.

The big things in life are made up of many tiny things. Alone they make little difference. Together they pose a puzzle too large to solve. It is in this realization, however, that we have the opportunity to solve big problems.

Like eating the elephant one bite at a time, solving a large problem is breaking it down to its component parts. As small as they can be. Look for the connections and how and why they came together to make such a large problem. Not blame for problem, or cause, but connective process. It is in the coming together that makes complexity. Break it down and we are back to the simple stages.

Not an easy assignment, but more than possible.

The trick, I think, is to stop the noise – complaints, finger pointing, and all the rest of the drama – and get to work pulling the puzzle apart for examination. If colleagues don’t allow this, leave them to their pastime and go into a quiet space to work.

Think. Work with the pieces. Let them tell their story. We know what Humpty Dumpty looked like before his great fall, so, going from memory recall the outcome shape and form we are aiming for. What is missing? What is a critical cornerstone we rely upon? Where is it? Can we find it among all the broken pieces?

Outcome. Picture in the mind what the desired outcome should be, ought to be, can be. What has to happen to bring that outcome to life?

This is the process that needs to be employed if the current state of affairs in American constitutional government is to be restored. Clearly Humpty Dumpty – American Form of Governance – has had a great fall and is lying in pieces. He is in need of all the Kings Men to put him back together again.

Perhaps King is the wrong allegory to use here! It is a king-like person who assumed the shape of Humpty Dumpty and now he lies at the base of the great wall (a wall, he had all along, but didn’t recognize it!). It is our job, the American People, to restore Humpty Dumpty to wholeness.

Fortunately, we have an instruction sheet that came with our puzzle. It is the US Constitution. Now is the time to use it fully.

Options to explore and choose among:

a.      Removal of current sitting president. This can be accomplished by his resignation, or impeachment by the House of Representatives, and conviction at trial in the Senate

b.      Declaration of faulty election; vacate both offices of president and vice-president; what authority mechanism takes their place while a bonafide election is held remains to be discovered

c.      Declare the president incapacitated to serve; replace with vice president, but with powers strictly compressed by a transition team (Supreme Court supervision, Congressional leadership from both parties, etc.)

d.      Some other mechanism that constitutional lawyers may know of

Whatever the solution, let’s get on with it.

August 30, 2018

Eagle Feathers Molting

They seem so light, feathers. They float in a breeze. Defying gravity, they rise and slip-slide through the air before our eyes. Yet in a team, they lift the mighty eagle high heavenward, soaring between peaks and stupendous sequoias. Swooping over, in, down and through the Grand Canyon, the American Eagle is a sight that inspires. It reigns over all the kingdom there, in the wild.

Elsewhere, fake eagles want to soar but don’t. They have lost their buoyancy. They drop, not float, toward a harsh landing. Yes, a feather here or there, falls free from the wing, the body, the soul, of the fake eagle. Its surrounds are seats of power, mainly in Washington, DC. But other power sites stretch their ‘wings’ in New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago. Let us not overlook state capitols, too; much goes on there by wannabe eagles.

Like Fake News, fake eagles are among us.

The fakery does not include sinew as strong as the real thing. No, their glue fails and feathers dislodge. The carcass is soon found without the power of flight. It drops like a lead weight.

Our fake president is losing altitude. He is flailing in the wind. He looks in terror at the fast approaching ground. Will he glide to a safe landing? Will he dip and soar yet again? Or will he crash land?

Bit by bit the smoke and mirrors disappear. The king has no robes. No protectors. He has no power. He truly never did.

That is how he was born and raised. To expect things to be handed to him by privilege. To take what he wants. Make excuses later. Or fake accounts for others to believe.

The victims are too numerous to count. They build like a mountain of hurt and resentment. They move and slide toward their nemesis. Soon they will overtake him and bury him like he did to them without a tear or care in the world.

That’s how privilege acts. It is an entitlement. It’s a wonder they have the balls to accuse others of the same slight.

August 28, 2018

Remembering

Facebook sent me a reminder to wish a friend a happy birthday. Problem: the friend died nearly 6 years ago. I was the administrator of his estate; I notified Facebook and they required me to send a copy of his death certificate before they would delete his data. I didn’t have another certificate handy and the estate was closed. So that was that.

Ever since I get annual reminders of Steve’s birthday.

How many others have this same experience? How many thousands or millions of people are in Facebook Limbo?

Seems to me FB would want something like this cleaned up.

We had a couple in our church. Elderly; they both succumbed within months of each other. Each was sparkly and a fountain of good spirit. We helped nurse them to their ends. Now years later their Facebook accounts remind us of their birthdays as though they are alive and well. They are, of course, in our memories. The FB reminder, though, always seems macabre to me.

Other examples come to mind, too. It is good to remember these kind and gentle people. Somehow it doesn’t feel right that their Facebook presence doesn’t register their passing.

Is this a modern form of eternal life? I hope not!

August 28, 2019

John McCain

Transitional politician describes Sen. John McCain. He was military, a fighter pilot. Assigned to the Vietnam theater, McCain was shot down, survived, and captured by the Viet Cong. He was imprisoned, tortured and re-tortured. Held in captivity for 5 and a half years, he was eventually freed. Offered early release out of deference for his father’s in-theatre command position, McCain refused to be treated differently than his fellow captives. For that he was tortured again and again.

Back in the states and no longer in the military, John McCain ran for political office in Arizona. At first he served as a congressman; four years later he was elected to his Senate seat he held until his death.

John McCain was considered a maverick in congress. He had his centrist views, and his conservative views. Conservative because of the state he represented, but centrist in order to fashion compromise with other politicians. Those compromises led to decisions that otherwise would not have been possible.

Still he swung from the political center to the very conservative. That maddened his fellow republicans. He was not, I repeat, not a softy. He was the democrats' worst nightmare as a political foe. Rarely did he side with liberals or democrats, but he did so to make a difference in some very tight votes.

Few people realize his efforts to reform the immigration mess. He spoke fervently with President George W. Bush to bring order to the immigration impasse. Bush said yes. The democrats said yes in private talks. And so he crafted a bi-partisan agreement to move forward to solve the immigration policy stalemate. He was met with a stunning refusal by most republican representatives. The conservatives were understandable; but the centrists AND ‘liberal’ republicans? Yes, pretty much a solid wall of denial.

John McCain was stunned by this intransigence. He understood the issue of immigration. And he wished to calm those waters while retaining the open door of welcome to immigration that defines our nation’s long history. A realist, however, he gave up and focused on other issues.

Election finance reform was one such effort he long worked toward. He made a difference in this arena, but not a lasting one. His colleagues on the republican side of the aisle in congress refused to recognize or maintain campaign finance reform agreements. His efforts eventually failed. The problems continue but McCain came to recognize and accept the benefits of political campaign donations for his own causes even though they were unfair and often unprincipled.

That describes the swing in his political ideology. He was able to fight for a principle one day, and defeat it the next. It is the reason democrats did not trust him unless the issue was critical to the nation. In those instances he was reliable and trustworthy.

For those times he was lovable. But a political foe worthy of his power, too.

For that reason I did not like McCain. However, I respected him. Grudgingly respected.

In the final analysis John McCain was a patriot and principled representative of his voters. At times he was principled for the good of the American people. And that is as it should be. He will be missed and long remembered.

August 27, 2018

Imponderables

A doctor sexually molests a woman patient under anesthesia. He is found out, prosecuted, and gets a suspended sentence. No jail time for his indiscretion.

Indiscretion?

Three hundred priests in Pennsylvania molest 1000 children (boys and girls) over 70 years. The coverup process appears age-old. Justice has been denied before, and much delayed. How much longer? Many of the accused/guilty(?) are deceased now. But their victims live life with horrors from their youth. Justice? When?

A husband/father kills his pregnant wife, and his two young daughters (2 and 5 years old), then confesses to what he has done. Financial pressures claimed. Really? And the justice for his wife and children? Justice denied?

Coaches at university and college athletic departments witness sexual abuse or hear the stories of same. Over and over for years. They don’t know all the facts; are they guilty of not probing for answers? How much guilt do they share for the actual abuse activity? Any?

The mission of a university – any institution of higher learning – is to accomplish what? Development of its students into responsible pro-active adults? Or nurture of forward generations of responsible citizens well informed on facts and possibilities for the future? Prepare future generations to lead and invent better futures for the common good? What is that mission? Who writes it? And what of the individuals within the system who have the authority and responsibility to give life and success to that mission? Shouldn’t they be a part of the whole? Why then do we have so many disconnected people within the system who don’t do the right thing? Is their professional career and financial reward blinding them to what they ought to be working toward? For the common good of us all?

The government agency is charged with preserving and protecting the public; from a host of evils that could befall them. Why then are they focusing instead on those who serve the public but reduce regulations that protect that very same public? Environmental damage affects all of us and future generations even more. Don’t we need to protect the environment? Don’t we want to ensure livable conditions for our kids and grandchildren? And the yet-unborn? Why then do we allow corporations to pollute the soil, air and water upon which we depend for our very lives and health?

Indeed!

The CEO of a company, or the Vice President of a critical department, both successful in stressful circumstances, find pause and refreshment in pressing sexual favors from other people – women or men, same sex or different sex – all unwelcome advances. They do it anyway. They are entitled in their minds. Why? And why the coverup similar to priests and clergy? Is their value to their organization so high as to avoid consequences of their indiscretions? Their crimes?

Enough of the circumstances. Enough of the accusations. Wrongs have been committed. They need to be examined and addressed. Those hurt need to know their society cares for them, not the perpetrators of the dirty deeds.

And justice must be done. If not now, when? Justice delayed is justice denied and this, too, must be addressed. Sooner rather than later, please.

This is our system of governance. It is our cultural heritage. It is our value structure. If we let these core values slip, then where are we? Where will we find ourselves one day when we need assurance that evil is not king? Truth, justice and freedom are not empty words; they are profound truths and values we must maintain. At all costs.

There are those who have paid those costs. They are damaged goods now; or dead. From the evil deeds that we allowed to happen without consequence.

But consequences have a habit of demanding their peace. Like now. Like 1000 kids sexually abused in Pennsylvania. Like the actresses and actors abused by casting couch directors and producers over the decades. Like spouses murdered because of twisted minds and mental disorder.

Consequences ask that we care for the living and the future generations. Consequences demand we do the hard work of today for the good of tomorrow. And the yet to be born generations we hope for.

Imponderable? No; inconvenient maybe. But work is needed to be done. Best we get to it.

August 24, 2018

Respecting our Military

We rely on our military. The men and women who dedicate their lives to our protection and safety are the spinal column of our nation. They serve us in times of both peace and war. The in-between times, too, when tensions concern our waking and sleeping.

They are our sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, fathers and mothers. Uncles and aunts, too, and legions of grandparents. Generations have served. Generations prepare to serve. And whether we personally don uniforms or not, we support their commitment and service.

We call on them to patrol territories in conflict. We do so to give hope and promise to the threatened under our own flag or that of ally nations or the United Nations. Military personnel are called to serve in times of natural disasters – floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, and all the rest – to keep order and provide comfort.

These are our men and women serving other men, women and children. People to people. Mankind being kind and helpful to others. It is what we are all trained to do. But our military provides the larger capability to deliver the promise in our name.

We house, clothe and feed our servicemen and women. We pay them, provide medical care and insurance coverage, as well as retirement pay based on years of service. We provide a vast array of services and aid via the Veterans Administration. And when their service comes to a close, we help them with transition to other careers, education and professional development.

All of this is right and proper as compensation for all that they do for our society and world.

Odd that when it comes time to deliver these benefits, our political machinery struggles with policy and budget to deliver on our promises to them.

That is not a shame. It is a travesty.

This should not happen. No way, no how. And most of our 330 million citizens agree with that statement.

So, what do we do? For starters, insist our elected officials follow through with our collective promise to serve and protect our military personnel during and after their service. As promised. We should also elect representatives who will also promise to follow through on our promise.

Anyone failing to do so should be suspended from public service and removed for breach of contract.

In case you haven’t been paying attention, our government – in our name – has been systematically removing protections and benefits earned by our military personnel. They are giving lie to our promise.

This movement is led by the sitting president and supported by the republican congressional representatives and senators. I think we all should know this.

This news item is brought to you by a fellow citizen – me. I am a past journalist and writer for news outlets. But this is a small role for me. I acquired this information from our free press. They have reported these developments all along.

Have we been paying attention? Or do we also suspect the integrity of our free press institution along with our military personnel and institutions?

Some serious questions are being posed. What are our answers?

August 23, 2018

Quarterly Financial Reporting

Releasing a financial report every 90 days should not focus an organization’s attention on the numbers. Investors may be interested in this data, but managers and executives of the corporation need to focus on long-term goals, not short term ones.

It is true that American commerce is number driven over the short term. Monthly and quarterly operating results are the rage in many sectors. With salaries and bonuses based on these numbers, the executives do focus attention there.

However, the simple reporting of the numbers does not make American corporate life short-term. That has been caused by a lot of other deeply buried behaviors.

When compared to nonprofit organizations, the difference with for-profits is clear. Nonprofits are driven by mission – purpose. They have a passion to improve a situation or condition for those that suffer from it. Unequal education is one such condition. Whether a special education student, or gifted, or physically disabled, education must be tailored to the unique needs of each student. That’s hard to do in a large, public school environment. But private nonprofits take up the mission gladly. Because the need is there and demands workable solutions. Not to do this leads to horrific loss of human potential. And suffering.

Mission – a value orientation to life and action. Core values that drive people to work hard to benefit others and the entire community and society. They hold a dream of a society that lives free of the problem if they succeed with their mission.

In contrast, corporations aspire to a strong bottom line and even stronger capital base upon which to operate.

The other day I was stopped at a traffic light. Next to me was a well kept delivery van. It was a food purveyor’s truck. I don’t recall the name of the firm, but there was a simple line that read: “delivering food to keep America’s kitchens cooking”. Now that is a mission.

I wonder if that tag line is the real mission of the food supplier company? It is if most of its employees are dedicated to making it a true statement as to their purpose.

Most companies do not think this way. Nonprofits do. In fact, it is the core strength of nonprofits.

Think about it.

Our society is not entirely about capitalism. Nor is it all about government. It IS all about the wholeness of our communities and society, working together for the best outcomes of our efforts. That takes all of us working toward worthwhile goals. They mostly are not about money.

Shared work toward shared outcomes. Now there’s a mission!

August 22, 2018

Face of a Bully

Free press, free speech, right of assembly. These three make life difficult for those disagreeing with the messages offered. In a free society, the method of persuasion is logic and more free speech. Education helps, too. Free speech is always assisted with an open mind that is hungry for learning new facts. Facts; not fiction. Not pretend reality, but the real thing.

Throughout life I have encountered bullies. I am gay. Always have been, evidently. One doesn’t know this until its reality is made clear to the person. But others may sense it and use that difference as a point to bully the other person. I was the other person. I know what it is like to be bullied, and fear bullying.

I have observed bullies have a thin depth of thinking. Reality to them is what they perceive, not what is proven fact. They dislike difference. They need to feel superior to others. They seek differences so they feel superior. This is the pivot point of bullying.

We see bullying in full view these days. It is reported in the news media. Here are the examples:

·        President gets pushback from former leaders and experts in the intelligence community; he has no power over them, so he exercises what he can to shut down the negative information. He rescinds their access to intelligence information entirely. What he cannot turn off is their learned opinions based on deep experience

·        President accused of sexual philandering and inappropriate behavior toward women? Call the accusers ‘dogs’ and shame them in the coarsest of ways; message: don’t mess with me, I’ll return the favor 10-fold

·        Mexico didn’t pay to build a border wall? Threaten Democrats in Congress with a government shutdown if they don’t approve the budget for the wall. So far this tactic hasn’t worked. Shifting blame from self to others is not a convincing strategy

·        Can’t get the wall built? Mess up all other operations in the immigration agency’s machinery. Separate children from parents; deport parents without their children out of spite; disallow asylum seekers due process as guaranteed by our laws; detain kids and adults in jail-like facilities to dissuade others from making the trek to our borders; and as a last resort, demean all immigrants as no-good low lifes

·        Press actively reporting the Russia Collusion investigation? Demean all the players in that investigation and toss shoddy accusations at it constantly. Even hire attorneys to provide misleading legal ‘opinions’ as fact. Mislead over and over again.

·        Want to distract from one problem by creating another? Blur the lines separating Church and State. Rattle the cages of ideologues. Watch them squirm. Watch them moderate views to lessen the pressure.

Enough examples. The emperor has no clothes. His intent is clear. He is a bully. To get his way. Like he always has, from childhood throughout adulthood. Wealth has its privileges even when the wealth is questionable and at times quite iffy.

The president is a fraud as a president and as a person. He is in clear view as such.

The only question left, is what to do about it?

August 21, 2018

Free Speech, Press

The Bill of Rights are the first ten amendments to the US Constitution. They spell out the rights – the freedoms – we citizens have to realize the promise of ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.’ That’s it in a nutshell.

The life and liberty phrase had to be supported by items spelled out for all to understand the breadth and depth of our guaranteed freedoms. That’s why the Bill of Rights was written and accepted to amend the constitution. Ever since then, however, court cases have plumbed the depths of each amendment to test boundaries. Mankind always tests the limits. Then, as today, those tests keep on coming.

If each amendment is carefully viewed, a common element is the freedom to think, believe and act in self interest to fulfill one’s own life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. My definition of happiness is not yours, so we are each free to live by our own definition. That’s the essence of the amendments.

Freedom of speech is basic. Freedom of the press is basic. One is individual freedom to speak one’s mind; the other is the community to speak its mind through an organized method of gathering and printing the news. The voice or voices of the citizenry is free to form and be heard.

Saying it isn’t so does not make it so.

Politicians who disagree with a message can do so freely, but the message remains just the same. It remains for all to hear, see and ponder for themselves; then to decide what is fact and what is fancy. An open society is free to do this reasoning.

Unfortunately, mankind has emotions. Those cloud and filter reality. Others – including some politicians – manipulate the emotions to skew the message’s reception by the people. A systematic manipulation is labeled propaganda. That appears to be what we confront daily today, not by the press, but by the newsmakers themselves. Fake News, anyone?

The president insists the press is ‘the enemy of the people’. Emotional people may feel this statement is true. Non-emotional people will know it is not true. Facts are facts and can be verified and researched. That is the role of the press. It is a guardian of the society. It counters fiction with fact to help us all remain attuned to reality.

A free press is a counter-weight to political power and authority. An elected official has freedom to act but citizens have access to all the facts for perspective. A manipulator or liar is soon found out. The authority fizzles soon after.

Is the press always correct in its reporting? Of course not; facts occur fast and furious and keeping them properly sorted is a huge task. Reflection and analysis help restore proper order and truth emerges. Most of the time the press gets it right because of its long-held discipline and professional ethics.

There are press organizations – newspapers and magazines – which pander an ideology or political preference to a targeted market. That is propaganda and not news. It is the opposite of free press.

How clear are the two information systems delineated? Not very. The reader – consumer of news – must think this out for himself and decide. Which is true, and which is fancy?

The freedom gives us pause to do the right thing. More the pity that some use that pause to mislead.

August 20, 2018

Good Times

Open your newspaper, check your news outlets on the Internet, and switch on TV news. A lot is happening.

First are celebrity news stories. Smiles all around. Ridiculous fashions, cars, houses of enormous size. Money and more money. Sports are next with a lavish array of items, interviews and scores. A rich recounting of game highlights is also provided. With the sports news comes tales of wealth and extravagance. Next are society page items – weddings, engagements, retirements, wedding anniversaries, and reports of many charity events with photos of runners, dancers and ball gowns. Tuxedoes, too, complete with cummerbunds, bow ties and glistening shirt studs. More money in the news.

Then the business section with even more wealth stories, stock indexes, new executives hired, or old ones retired, even others in the corporate suite involved in lurid affairs or scandals that currently shake the hallowed halls of their employers. Mergers and acquisitions are next, along with stories of brutal competition from foreign commerce. Employment figures follow the trendlines of the good and bad news. Finally getting real about wealth or lack thereof. Jillions of dollars are reported in the news related to everything imaginable.

Then a story about average wages being back to the level of 1974 when inflation is calculated out. Imagine that. Wealthy lifestyles of the famous and glamorous, then non-wealthy lifestyles of the rest of humanity.

Then political news, world news, international intrigue and negotiations highlighted in many unrelated stories.  Just think of the juxtaposition of the real news in lineup with all the rest of the glitter news. Quite a difference.

I remember a time when we celebrated good times experienced by most of us. Not just a few. Not just the elite. Hell, the elite wouldn’t be elite if it weren’t for the existence of all the rest of us. How about that for a sobering thought?

When the president claims America is great again, calls people dogs, scum and all the other negatives he can think of, and then runs an administration that disempowers people and enriches the few, what kind of universe do we live in? What kind of universe does he live in?

I’m thinking we’ve had enough of this. It’s time for change. And that time is now.

August 17, 2018

    

Calling the Kettle Black

Consider the poor kettle. It does its job very well – fill with water, place on stove, light fire. In a few minutes the kettle bubbles with boiling water. Task accomplished.

Same with the spider frying pan. Heat it up, insert food with natural oils and the cooking is over in a few minutes. Both utensils are cast iron. Black with use and absorbed oils. Seasoned for a lifetime of continued use.

Now enters the Attorney General. Nominated for the position for his lifetime of service in the Congress of the United States. He was a public prosecutor before then. And a knowledgeable lawyer. He has the credentials for being AG. His friends in the Senate agree and approve the nomination.

The AG is now in office. He is ill suited for the job in some respects – conservative socially and culturally. He is a church going Baptist and does not believe in abortion. He is a southerner and recoils at the truer meaning of equality; surely it doesn’t mean accepting blacks as full-fledged citizens like his own family members? And immigrants? Golly, we have nothing but trouble from these late comers to our shores. Can’t we control their intake numbers?

So the AG confronts established policy and legal precedent and upends the cart of social justice based on his personal belief system. Delighted he is that his boss, the president of the United States, thinks as he does. The fan base is pleased, too. But wait! There’s trouble brewing with talk the president colluded with Russia before and during the presidential campaign and on election day in the voter computer systems. Because he was a part of the campaign apparatus, he recuses himself from this messy legal issue. And that’s as it should be.

But the president disagrees. He feels stabbed in the back; his AG was supposed to protect his back, but now he is recused. He appoints his deputy to exercise the AG authority in appointing a special prosecutor. That Deputy does his job and appoints a very effective and credible prosecutor. The AG has no skin in this game. The president fumes.

And boy howdy does he fume. He verbally attacks and insults the AG for not doing his job. He pretends to believe that the AG can un-recuse himself and fire the special prosecutor. He can’t, but the president wants this. Meanwhile the president continues to demean the AG who hangs on by a thread and weathers storm after storm tossed his way by the angry president.

This tale is repeated for any staffer in the White House who, appointed by the president to serve him, disappoint his expectations. Omarosa is one. Comey is another. And day by day other names are added to the list. They either are fired or forced to resign. One after the other.

The black kettle accuses the other black kettles and spiders and pots of being black. It is what he asked for, and he is the blackest of all. Dark from misuse and burning issues. And yet he attempts to blacken the reputation of the others, all the time poisoning the transaction by his own dark reputation.

The president stands before time and nation nude of his principles and fully bare to his prejudices and self-serving narcissism. This is America of 2018. This is the president a minority placed in office. This is the kettle calling the kettle black.

The mirror reflects a truer image. Dare we look at it?

August 16, 2018

Buzz of Progress

A lot of people are upset with current events and newscasts. They fret over the direction of issues that matter to them. Some of these are: access to affordable healthcare; education that meets the unique needs of students – both kids and adults; continuing education for adults as they encounter a rapidly changing world of work and career; public infrastructure that gets patches but not fixes; elections that not free from foreign influence; digital networks susceptible to foreign hacking and uncontrolled shutdowns; cost of living increases without rising incomes; standard of living barely holding its own; rich getting richer and poor getting poorer; middle class disappearing and what’s left, stagnating.

Perhaps most upsetting is the temper of our public voice. Caustic, rude, loud, sarcastic and mostly unhelpful in dealing with or repairing the problems of our age. Political discourse is putrid and an obstacle to forward momentum.

While all of this goes on, here are things I’ve noticed of late:

·        People are inventing new products and services; they form new businesses; a steady stream of them; these are small entrepreneurs with hope and confidence in the future

·        Parents concerned about quality education for their kids form groups to support local schools and enrich the programs as best they can; some are after school programs; others are field trips with parent escorts; some are cultural events snagged on the cheap but organized for entire classes of students to attend; still others offer tutoring, daycare services for free, and a host of other supports to help teachers develop their children; some even open their own schools for gifted students

·        Professional teachers noting unfulfilled needs in the classroom invent programs and offer them as a product of a new nonprofit; topics such as bullying, special needs kids, and cultural diversity are offered in these programs

·        Nonprofit organizations tackle new and difficult programs; these are funded by private dollars for public good

·        Seeking answers to difficult problems, members of the public encounter thousands of other nonprofits already addressing many needs. All that is needed is a phone call or quick trip to a website

·        School kids at many grade levels explore their own culture and talents in music, drama and creative writing. They put on plays, concerts and recitals, even poetry slams. They not only share their artforms, but gather the money earned and donate it to local nonprofits helping senior citizens or alcohol/drug rehab centers

·        Dogs left stranded by storm, owner death or illness are quickly adopted by loving new homes

·        Wellness of senior citizens is addressed; rides offered; visits scheduled; recitals held; so many things to share and celebrate in later years

·        Medical personnel frustrated with diseases and physical deformities unaddressed, form cooperatives and nonprofits to deliver the needed help. Even across oceans and mountain ranges these services are offered and made available; and for free

This list goes on and on. We sense these things are happening, yet we focus on the negative news because that is what's broadcast. Good is being done. You and I are doing it. Or a neighbor or family member.

Just because it's not on the evening news doesn’t mean good isn't happening. It is. You are doing it. For a moment or two, celebrate that miracle of human nature needing to reach out and touch others with a hand of help and caring.

There is much to be thankful for.

August 15, 2018

The Webs We Weave

Each of us has a story. Who we are. What we have done. Our developing present. The victories and the troubles, all mushed together. Threads of past tales merge with newer ones. Together they seem separated; they are not. They are of a piece that is each of us.

One fellow, 33 years old, has his story. An athlete of great promise on basketball court, football field, and baseball, too. Through high school he was a star athlete. He graduated and received a full scholarship at a private college to play on their football team, and basketball squad, too if possible. He did those things; but classes were another matter. He failed his classes and flunked out at the end of his freshman year. Seems his high school education was a shell to keep him active in the athletic programs. The reality caught up to him in college. He has done very little with his life since. Menial jobs, a small circle of friends, and a lot of cigarettes and beer. A little weed from time to time, but mainly beer and cigs. Lost his jobs routinely. Got stuck in low paying jobs. Has repeatedly been bailed out of the emergency room and hospitals by his family. Short of funds? He asks and gets pocket money for food and cigs from Dad. And beer. Always the beer.

This young fellow is an alcoholic. He cannot control the intake of beer. He drinks to sleep, to blur the pain of his minimal existence. His brain is talented in poetry. His body is athletically gifted. But these two talents do not make a career in his case without education and professional certifications. He is at a dead end.

And his parents and friends have enabled him for this journey. But now other friends are helping to get him the treatment to beat the beer. He was in a lock-down de-tox facility for 30 days earlier this year. Once out he lost his job and returned to beer. He entered the ER a few more times for de-tox. Each time he returned to an apartment to communicate with his beer. And more ER visits.

This weekend he entered the same lock-down de-tox facility he had been a patient in before. This time for another 30 days. This time to de-tox and to learn how to remain sober. Time will tell if this will be a success. I think not.

The long-term solution is to excite this young man in a calling, a lifetime purpose. I think he would be great with kids struggling to balance athletics with learning in school. He’d be a very good coach for young athletes, too. Those professions require a college degree and professional certification. Not likely for him at this point.

Maybe helping others to find themselves will help him find himself? That’s the hope. But the means are not readily apparent. We shall continue to hope for his sake and the promise of our own society.

This is one person’s tale. But it meshes with his parents: father almost 80 years old; mother 71 and diagnosed with dementia. Of five stages, she has probably advanced to stage 2. They are living in a senior citizens facility under subsidy. They are behind in their payments and cannot possibly catch up. They are under eviction notice and nearing the date of being put on the street. A week away, now. The husband balances these responsibilities with few resources while the wife remains mostly unaware of the housing problem plus the alcoholic son. The father attempts to do it all. Without sufficient income, no car, and being evicted from their apartment, he sees no immediate solution. This is their story and it still unfolds slowly toward a very uncertain future. A near-term future. What will happen? Will there be a miracle that repairs their situation? And if so, will there be another miracle to solve the son’s problems as well?

None of us know the answers. We observe, help and labor on. We hope. We care. We hurt for our friends caught in this web of tales so desperate.

August 14, 2018

Mueller Time Approaches

Nonsense news churned out by both the White House and Rudy G is the best announcement of the Mueller Investigation’s effect. Clearly the indictments, plea deals and massive mountain of evidence is having an effect on the trump team. They pretend to negotiate an interview agreement with the investigative team, but actually demonstrate their fear. Of what? Of the evidence that indicates so many things.

Collusion with Russia is only one arena of interest. The corruption of the trump election team is another. Influence peddling by third and fourth stringers to the trump organization is another.

I had a young man tell me during the runup to the Hillary – Trump election, that he thought the US was a sea of corruption that was an embarrassment to him and the nation. I agreed. But his solution was to ‘drain the swamp’. I knew differently. The swamp was exaggerated when politicians defined it by competing politicians. The real corruption is both in plain sight and well-hidden.

Of course, it turns out that the hidden corruption that has now been introduced to the nation’s capitol was resident in the political camp of the complainer-in-chief. That’s irony. I wonder what the young man feels about this today?

Rudy G continues to demand Mueller’s investigation end so we can get on with the real business of the country. Besides wondering what that business could be (!), the truth is this investigation is so far much shorter than Ken Starr’s. And in Starr’s case, nothing much came of his effort. No president was unseated and no indictments or convictions resulted from all the years and dollars consumed on it.

Stark contrast to that experience is the current Mueller probe. It has produced results. Convictions are just around the corner, plea deals and prison sentences have been made, indictments handed down, and all of this in a short period of time.

Another telling difference – Starr spoke often with the press and news commentators throughout his investigation. We haven’t heard a word from Mueller. Only actions speak for Mueller. The actions that count.

Besides the embarrassment of being found out and publicly humiliated, what is it they fear? Loss of job? Loss of influence? Loss of personal assets? Prison?

If the latter, what is it they fear in prison? The loss of freedom? The exposure to physical harm? Bullying? Loss of power and subjugation? Tell me. I want to know.

The fear – of whatever – is palpable now. It is written on their faces. Their actions, too, are volatile, angry. Their strut for the cameras less certain. Doubt has crept into the images. These people are scared.

We can smell it.

Yes. I want the Mueller investigation to be over, too. I need this long nightmare to be over. The nightmare of our nation. The world community awaits resolution of this nasty chapter of American history. Americans, too, want and need the nightmare to end.

Then we can return to building and rebuilding a nation of values and dreams. Only then the dreams will benefit the common good of America and the global community.

I sense a new industry will be birthed by all this – Civics: Understanding how a modern democracy works and prospers.

August 13, 2018

Leading Horses to Water

Inching towards the pool’s edge. Fresh water. Available. Clear and cool. The horse is thirsty. So is the rider. Both are tired needing rest. They stop. Rider slides down. The horse remains in place. Eyes the rider, then the water. The rider tugs the reins toward the water’s edge. Still the horse remains. Stubborn, thinks the rider.

The man walks to the water’s edge himself, kneels, checks the pool’s clarity. Then, leaning over, puts his lips into the water and pulls cool drink deep inside.

The horse shuffles his hooves. Fidgets at the sight of the rider’s long drink. Slowly moves toward the pool and drops his head. Lapping steadily, he slakes his thirst.

In the shade of a tree the horse stands tied to a low branch. The man sits with his back against the tree trunk. They rest. Quietly. Together.

Birds flit in the tree. They perch and sing their calls. Mood is light and horse and rider are calmed.

Finally, both stir. The rider climbs onto the horse and they slowly step out of the encampment. Refreshed and ready for the rest of the journey.

How much leadership did the horse need from the rider? Or was the horse wanting the man to refresh himself first? No ones can tell which the leader and which the follower.

In other circles we are equally unknowing. The kids are agog with the video game. They are hungry but do not let go the controls. Mom is near and beckons them to lunch. They don’t move. The food waits on the counter. The game offers no break to eat. All-consuming of attention both to time and hunger. The food dries out uneaten.

The news anchor reads his script telling viewers of the approaching storm. The dangers seem real and immediate for part of the viewing area. Who is paying attention? Will viewers look out their windows to monitor their own safety? Or will community sirens screeching move them to the basement?

The election is approaching. News stories rife with pros and cons of each candidate’s stand on myriad topics. When asked, the voter demurs and shakes his head; doesn’t know which candidate will get his vote on election day. His wife differs; she is engaged with the topic and berates his indecision. Will they cancel each other out? Or will they combine to support the candidate just barely losing in the polls? Can they make a difference? Will they vote? Or will they slip out on their daily routine mentally noting they will vote on their way home tonight.

The pool is available to each of these players. The food, the water, the voter choice – all awaiting action by the person. But will they? Be of use? Be approached and consumed?

What outcome is to be?

August 10, 2018

Focus

Want something? Is it a thing you want? Or maybe it is a feeling? A sensation, perhaps?

Are you certain you know what it is you want? Is this personal? Or a universal. Is this what you need for yourself or is this ‘thing’ something you wish shared by everyone? What is it you are looking for? What’s wrong, Nemo?

Like everyone else on the planet, I often get the feeling that something is missing from my life. That usually begins a hunt for it, only I haven’t fully defined it yet. A search for the un-named is almost a certain folly.

Yet that doesn’t stop others from the folly. They go merrily on their way seeking the un-named and make a spectacle of themselves! Look at all the bars filled with drinkers surging from one group to another inserting their smiles, winks and comments. A throbbing crowd of people feeling good and rising higher as they look for the ‘something’ in their life that is missing.

Perhaps it is sex, pure and simple? Or maybe companionship, or a good conversation, a deep discussion of what interests them the most, or a bundle of other things pending in their lives without conclusion, resolution, or even the faintest of definitions.

I’ve been in those dens many times. It was many years ago, but I remember them well. And I recall the escape from it as well.

Ah, yes! The escape. To where? To silence and alone time.

The quiet captured the senses then. The rushing throb of silence in the ears, like air passing rhythmically past the eardrum. The lack of another body nearby. The aloneness was not a burden but a pleasure. No competing id or ego to distract from thinking clearly; first linear, then circular, and finally, three-D cubic. Shifting shapes, places and timelines that illuminate the idea fully. A fresh perspective on an old topic, with new outcomes and conclusions.

Break-through thinking with a succession of a-ha’s.

All from silence. All from being alone. All without distraction from others and their clashing processes of chatter-thinking. The chaos is at bay. The space for ideas provided. Now the thinking moves ahead.

With startling results. Steve Jobs must have had many moments such as these. Bill Gates, too. And Einstein, Beethoven, Mozart and other thinkers of their day.

It is not just discipline that produces results. It is what we do with it that matters. And the context of its creation. All good. All necessary for clear thinking.

Do we allow this in our lives? To really focus?

August 9, 2018

The Genius Within

Some proclaim themselves geniuses. Some cannot believe they are capable of genius. Most will accept momentary achievement as a form of genius and appreciate it. Most will also doubt they have the mark of genius. It is a sign of their humility. And we take comfort from that.

I’ve had friends and colleagues in which I’ve felt certain they were of genius rank. You, too? They are the folks who quietly consider the facts and then, quite some time later, offer an opinion that sounds more like an eternal truth! They just have it figured out; and I don’t!

Some people live in the past; some in the future; but very few in the now.

For some reason the now is hard to take. Is that why we seek to party? Is this the way we cope with the now? To laugh, drink, eat and be merry seems at times to be the means by which we consume the now.

When I was a kid we traveled the western states. For weeks on end we roamed purposely across vast stretches of open space. We viewed mountain ranges, deserts, small towns and forested hills; and dales. Meadowlands posited in the crotch of two mountains were my favorite. Think Yosemite and you have a picture of what I mean. Deep lush grasslands lying amidst granite pinnacles. And forest surrounding it all. A place of quiet. Fresh nature. Consumed and felt, seen and tasted.

Nature’s presence defined the now. And it was good. Very, very good.

At times of chaos I think back to those travels through pristine forests and valleys. Order and quiet were the balm then; also, now. Repose. Rest. Think. Feel. Sense. Imagine the greatness of the universe and how small each of us is. Rich or poor, this is the truth, our smallness.

So then, what of genius? Perhaps it is perceiving reality clearly and factually. Maybe it is our ability to process the core truths while in chaos? The outcome of such effort provides what? Answers rather than more chaos?

One can hope. It is not a given. One must continue to think clearly in whatever situation. Your calm makes my calm. With peace thinking moves on toward its conclusions. And then we learn. Perhaps that is the genius?

Hmm! I’ll have to think on that a bit more. You, too?

August 8, 2018

Rule of Law

There are those among us who feel confident that the troubles in Washington are survivable. They hang their certainty on ‘the rule of law’. I wish I had their same confidence but there are now signs that perhaps they are right.

A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to fully restore the DACA program. This will reverse what trump has done to destroy the program initiated by Obama. Young immigrants who came to the US as children will now find renewed protection from deportation. They have lived their whole lives here, have been acculturated, educated and begun their careers in America. Many of them have served in our military as well. For all intents and purposes, they are American citizens and ought to have that status bestowed on them automatically.

This turn of events is based on law, the courts, due process and all the rest of our legal traditions. Other arenas under fire are already feeling the support of the courts in defiance of the White House would-be president.

Which raises the entire question of Russian interference with our 2016 Presidential election. If Russia’s meddling caused a misfire of the election machinery, then the results of the election ought to be reversed. That would mean another election to determine the proper results. There is no indication at this point if the principals are willing to run again for office, but if they are, this can be sorted out and the election reprised.

Such a happening would avoid impeachment proceedings. It would also avoid succession of powers to the vice president. All would be null and void. The actions of the current occupant of the white house would all be declared null and void and what existed at the end of the Obama term would be reinstated.

Even if my suggestion is ruled invalid and impractical, I am certain the rule of law would guide us through an appropriate repair of the current situation. One certainly needs to be installed soonest.

From my point of view – yes, that may be quite singular! – it appears the current president has lost much of his bearing and is in an emotional breakdown. He is a clear and present danger to the nation and the globe’s peace of mind. It is time to end this nightmare. For his good and ours.

Already the white house power structure is developing policies and procedures separate from their boss. Already procedures separating the president and the military are showing. The rallies conducted for mr. trump are just that; they are not policy forums, or mass press conferences. They are single party, single candidate rallies. And they are being paid for by the American taxpayer. The cost of Air Force One, security details and all the rest should be borne by mr. trump himself or his party. This is politics pure and simple. It has nothing to do with governing the nation.

If we wait much longer to correct this situation, several ambulances and men in white coats will be needed to protect mr. trump from himself and his meltdown. What his crazed supporters will do is another matter, but we have trained personnel to handle that eventuality.

Let’s get on with it.

August 7, 2018

Realities

Here are grounded facts that will not change just because we want them to. We will need to manage each and every one of them for the best outcomes we want.  What we want will need to be averaged out with all citizens accounted for. The silent ones will not be counted, of course, just as always.

1.      The planet will slowly destruct as it ages, hastened by mankind’s abuse of it. We can slow the process but most likely cannot reverse the process. It is our choice whether to act or not.

2.      Each and every one of us will die. It is the Omega of the Alpha birth. What goes up must come down. What lives must also die. When death occurs depends on many factors mostly out of our control.

3.      An addict – of anything – must do what he must to remain an addict. Nothing else makes any sense. To stop the addiction, the addict must choose to change his life. No one can make the choice for him. His death may be caused by the addiction or not; this is one of the uncontrollable life-limiting factors alluded to above.

4.      The purpose of life is not happiness; the purpose of life is to be of use to others, bring them happiness. Be of use the bottom line. Without the purpose, life is meaningless.

5.      The less one has materially the more valuable the little things are in life. The little things are vital; the nice things are not.

6.      What others think of me is of no importance. What I think of me is the primary means to health, or death. It all depends on how positive one’s view of self is.

7.      What is, is; we did not make it or do it, or cause it. We do not have much power except to accept and enjoy the it of now.

8.      The first three bites of a meal are the best. The rest of the meal is only a memory of what the first bites must have tasted like.

9.      All new things age toward their demise. The new car loses its shine and quiet. Rust and rattles soon follow. Then nothing.

10.   All things require a human to tend it. It is a responsibility caused by the thing. Simplifying life reduces the onus of things.

That’s enough truth for one sitting. Its weight suffocates.

August 6, 2018

Politics of Fear

Take away Social Security? Undo all of Medicare? Those are the threats. They are made to make others fearful, those of us – and all of us eventually – who currently benefit from the programs. These are the safety nets for all of us. Our retirement security is vested in Social Security; so too, our security in access to reasonable health care. Medicare does that to a large degree. But neither of these programs were designed to be the sole income and medical care for retired citizens.

No, each of us was supposed to save and invest for many years in order to accumulate financial reserves capable of caring for selves and spouses. That didn’t work out well for those who are not good at investing or saving. Nor did it work out for those who encountered severe set-backs on their road to retirement.

Taking a step back, however, both of these social safety nets are paid for – wait for it – not the government; no, government agencies are the organizations responsible for managing and administering the programs. We taxpayers have paid in all our lives to the Federal Income and Contributions Act – FICA. Payments come directly from our paychecks (our contributions) and a co-payment by employers of equal amount. These funds are held by the federal government and invested. Benefit payments are withdrawn directly from these amassed funds. Both programs pay for themselves.

Like insurance funding, not all retirees receive what they pay in. They die before receiving their share, or live shorten lives in retirement. On the other hand, some beneficiaries live far beyond what they pay in. It balances out, however, in the long run. Actuarial studies performed repeatedly monitor the adequacy of the funding; if adjustments in payouts or pay-in are needed, they are legislated repairs made to the programs.

So, a claim to kill either Medicare or Social Security are idle threats. They are made to shake people up. Besides, if any political party were foolish enough to follow through on such a threat, an uprising would take place that would make comparisons to the Civil War seem pale.

Threats made by politicians are studied tactics to upset voting blocs and detract their attention from another topic. Most of the time the American people are smart enough to see these threats for what they are – empty gestures.

The only time I have personally witnessed threats that worked were in 2016 when a minority was able to sway a presidential election to the perpetrator of the idle threats. That winner of the electoral college is currently sitting in the white house.

And this man continues to make threats that turn out to be idle, just to rattle the public and their elected representatives.  The current threat is to shut down the government if the congressional democrats don’t vote to fund the Wall separating America from Mexico. He claims it is to secure our borders. I ask him, how are you securing the watery borders of the Gulf of Mexico and all of the Pacific and Atlantic coastlines?  Hmmmmm? We don’t need a wall for $1 billion or the more accurate estimate of $70 billion. Totally useless and wasteful. He knows it; the threat is for power. But it will not work this time.

It will take another national election to repair this calamitous turn of fickleness. November nears! And that's no threat.

August 3, 2018