False Bravado

The House of Representatives poises for voting on impeaching the President. The opposition raises their fists and pantomimes their objections. The Speaker of the House calmly outlines the process; it is provided in the House Rules, the Constitution, and the many supporting documents that have maintained the process through the history of the nation. The Senate stands ready to process the indictment from the House. Their reaction is proscribed by the Senate Rules and the Constitution, too. Each player has a role. It is proscribed. All that is different from one to the other is the named of the accused and the details of the wrongdoings and missteps.


Both sides oppose the other. They speak and shout their scripts on cue. They threaten rue to the other for their actions. But the script is known and so is the conclusion.


Impeachment will be voted forward. It is a done deed. All know it. The deeds are many and heavily documented. Even admitted in public. The votes are there as well. And the opposition has little to complain about.


But impeachment is only an indictment of the accused for the crimes and misdemeanors enumerated. The trial on the matters is held in the Senate and they must answer the process accordingly. The trial will find a full presentation of the facts to the Senate body. When done, the Senate will act as judge and jury and conclude whether the facts presented are worthy of removing the President from office. They alone have the duty to make this decision. Yea or Nay votes are tallied. If too many Nays, then the indictment fails and a not guild verdict is rendered. The issue is over. The impeachment stands only as an unsuccessful indictment.


Or maybe not. The People will decide on the Senators’ futures. If they believe their senators did not render a fair and accurate verdict, they can and likely will remove the senator from office on the next election day. The House members, too, will be so judged on their role in the matter.


The process is ponderous. So are the crimes and misdemeanors alleged. The process mirrors the seriousness of the charges and the impact on our nation’s governance. Not on a whim are these matters considered. Serious people follow serious consideration and serious process.


It is as it should be. The only matter unknown at this time, is the verdict of the Senate, and then of the People.


Stay tuned.


October 31, 2019

Joy on the Plate

Awoke this morning recalling a recent breakfast shared with my son and Rocky.


Four eggs sunny side up, hash browns, well-done English muffin with butter and preserves. Oh, and 6 biscuits with sausage gravy, shared among the three of us.


Now, to some readers, this breakfast would seem over the top. Others will understand the pleasure such a feast brings to the diner. Let me explain…


First of all, the eggs. Four of them. Easily cooked, no singeing, pure white whites of the eggs, and orange-yellow yolks, perfectly formed and ready for cutting up and mixing with the whites. A little salt and pepper, and then the first bite. Pure lush egg yolk mixed with al dente whites. Runny yolks with rich, deep flavor. Moist and slippery morsels enticing the tongue and sparking the taste buds. Subtle flavors, but oh so rewarding.


The plate is awash in yolks and whites running together. Good just by themselves, but even better with some hash browns soaking up the runny-ness of the eggs. Some crunch from the top layer of hash browns, then more from the softer layers beneath. The potatoes are a perfect accompaniment to the eggs. Buttery potatoes, not of strong flavor, but of bland mask to soak up the eggs. A bit of salt and pepper enlivens the mixture. A small bouquet of taste that satisfies in a big way.


Why four eggs? Because that offers a prolonged period of mixing, eating, and tasting this wondrous joining of flavors. So good. So pleasing.


When it’s over, the muffins are pulled close. On top of the buttery slather I apply orange marmalade to one muffin half. Good Smucker’s marmalade, of course. Thick, rich, tangy and sweet.  A perfect complement to the salty, buttery taste of the muffin. The second muffin half is treated to a layer of either strawberry preserves, or blackberry jam. Either is wonderful. Sweet but not overly so, and full of tangy berry goodness.


A breather, then the biscuits and gravy. Oh man! This is special. This mouthwatering treat is the perfect cap to a terrific breakfast. Soft, sausage salty and savory, all the while the gravy lubricates the mouth to accept the biscuit as conveyor of the mouthful of flavor. Yum.


This is a breakfast. This is joy on a plate. This is a memory going forward until the next time.


And yes, such memories populate my head. If I’m on the road, this memory becomes the reward for the long drive towards the first stop of the day. Waitresses probably wondered why my gusto was so obvious. But a few hundred miles whets the appetite and pulls those special memories to mind.


Indeed. Joy on a plate. I’m ready for another plate!


October 30, 2019

Boo!

Halloween is near. Scary times for the youngsters. Costumes, parties, trick or treat, and other festivities are planned to delight the kids. As they experience this annual warp of the social order, wide eyes tell us older folk that such plans succeeded. And so the tradition goes from year to year repeating the wonder of scary things to our young.


For the adults, Halloween offers its own treats and scary times. Costumes, parties and weird antics aplenty confirm the season every year. This, too, is a tradition lived over and over through the decades as companion duty with the kids.


This year is different for the adults, however. This year the Big Scare lives in reality as we watch our social norms twist and fall. The news is filled with accounts of dishonesty, felonies, lying and intentional misleading. And this is focused squarely on the top of our federal government.


The Halloween-worthy tales don’t stop there. Oh no, they continue on in high, middle and lower government circles, too, as misdeeds multiply. Still, this focus is on the federal side of government. Plenty of shenanigans are reported on the state side as well. This form of malpractice in government is equal opportunity in both federal and state spheres.


The motives, of course, are the obvious: greed for power and greed for wealth. In government circles, another form of greed is present, it greed for ideological pre-eminence.


No matter the motive. The practice of dishonesty and malfeasance is evil because it breaks trust with the people of the land. In America, that trust begins with the people, not its leaders. Our form of government is OF, BY and FOR the People.


In 2019 our government has failed the people. And that is a big BOO!  Halloween or not.


Time for the People to take action. This is our duty. And it has nothing to do with greed.


October 29, 2019

Dodoism Lives

Alive and well. Dodoism. Need a definition?  Try this one out:


Dodoism – noun: belief in nothingness but basing decisions on that nothingness; acting with conviction with little or no factual support for the conviction; often confused with being stupid and pretending to be smart at the same time; public confusion as strength of character.


Yes, that explains the current state of affairs, both in public, nationally and locally, in the media and external to the media. In entertainment programs, style, fashion and fads, too. Movies, TV serial programs – drama or comedy – and other forms of artistic endeavor pretending to be high art and intellectual while there is no proof of such intelligence.


Arguments that big government doesn’t work abound. Take the criminal justice system.  This is entirely run by government and recidivism runs high, prisons are full, released offenders find themselves back in the clink again and again, often by committing similar crimes. But then, talk with public defenders, speak at length with public prosecutors, ask them why repeat offenders never seem to go away.


They will tell you that mental illness often is a disguise for crimes. The court system is forced to deal with mental illness as the cause of the criminal behavior, but then that assumes there are ample resources of mental health experts, doctors and therapists available to treat the offender. But those folks are not readily available, certainly not in the numbers needed to care for the current onslaught of offenders.


Another dimension of this same problem is the dearth of mental health treatment centers at which many patients need to be incarcerated as patients under lock and key for the period during which treatment is delivered to the patient. They must be institutionalized to keep the patient safe and secure, and maintain public safety at the same time. Money for these resources simply is not available.


Big government foes actually create the recidivism problem by underfunding resources needed to treat the mental illness that creates the crime wave the criminal justice system is charged with managing. The two situations are at odds with one another. Thus the problem is made worse while tax payers are rewarded with lower taxes. It is a false economy.


Results also demonstrate why big government is needed to solve the really big problems. Private resources do not exist to fully manage these issues. It takes government authority and resources to make happen.


Thinking otherwise is dodoism.


Same is true for public education: expect all the good things to happen from public education but don’t fund it to be successful. Furthermore, place even more duties on the teachers and school administrators and give them no training or administrative funds to make the good things happen. The only thing certain is failure.


Lack of proper education is also a feature of dodoism. Lacking a good education creates poor logic and decision making. In turn more social problems are created and the dwindling government has fewer resources at hand to manage the problems. That’s dodoism personified.


A president without an education grounding him in public service, foreign affairs, macro economics, political science and public policy making, is a sure sign that nothing good will occur. And we have proof positive of that after nearly 3 years of mr. trump’s tenure at the White House. He is a classic dodo. And he deals in dodoism, appoints dodos, and curries support from fans who themselves are dodos.


In short, donald trump is the king of dodoism. It will take a larger government at least a generation to overcome the dodoism of this age. It is unthinkable that five more years of this would do any good at all for what we once longingly called America.


Don’t be a dodo. Don’t vote for a dodo. In fact, help stamp out dodoism.


October 28, 2019



   

Impeachment

This is a done deal. The sitting president is not now or ever been president. In name, yes, but not in fact. He has demonstrated incompetence at every turn. He has diminished the office and debased the faith and trust of the American people in their own governance system. And our allies; they are dumbfounded by his insensitivity, arrogance and selfishness. All of these descriptions are not consistent with America and our definition of her.


The cruelty of this president is his ability to pull innocent people into his message. A deep look at that message will show how low he aimed: fear, divisive, ugly, bigoted, discriminatory. You name the lowly label and he has done it, practiced it and spouted it to anyone who would listen. And they were many. Perhaps as much as 38% of the people at any given time. During elections, he was able to attract close to 50% of the people. Then math takes over and elections are won on the margin. Narrow margins.


His below-the-belt style suckered in confederates who knew they could earn some benefits if they went along with him. Thus the Grand Old Party protected their ‘man of power’ and we find ourselves caught up in the current mess.


Legislators now feel it their right to invade confidential hearings designed to protect informants and sensitive material. Political party wags feel it their right to demean themselves and truth just so they can make political points. The Lindsay Grahams of the day have had a good and fiery time of it. But they have also dirtied themselves with the very mud they wanted you to believe they were being smeared with. That’s how Trumpism works. A new word in the American language – Trumpism.


It forever will stand as fakery of the highest order to do damage to others for one’s own gain.


Yes, impeachable offenses exist. Ukraine is a prime example. But once grasped, so many other examples begin to be visible. Syria. Kurds. Turkey. Iran. Iraq. Afghanistan. France. Germany. North Korea. And more. Saudi Arabia. Attempt to close down free speech and free press. And the attempt to make one’s own religion the belief system of the nation. All in the name of freedom of religion.


No. I didn’t fall for this. I know you didn’t either. And so, the US Constitution prescribes a time, a process and a way to restore order to our governance system. Its time has arrived.


Now for the doing of it.


October 25, 2019

Visceral Moments

The moment when we can’t go forward, or back; the spit of time when we teeter on the unknown. Frozen in fear.


When you know your illness is unmanageable; going back is not an answer, but then, forward is totally unknown and dark. It contains what? What horrors lurk there?


Or, what hope?


The same with a failed relationship. A friend’s steady presence is shaken and a future without him or her seems impossible. Perhaps this relationship is a marriage. Failed now? Or on what rocky precipice does our future rely?


The past as weed choked mire; the future as dark, fearful. Dreaded. What awaits? What failures hide in the crevices of doubt?


In between these difficult options is the present; this is me, you,…us. This is a point of decision.


A visceral moment of truth.


Finding ourselves there we are in need of help, a steady rock or hand. We need courage to step forward into the unknown because that way is hope for better things.


That requires a connection between a you and an I. It is a nexus toward better things, toward hope.


Last night I attended a meeting in which we discussed dwindling attendance at church. We soon learned that this was not about us – our church – but about all churches. Who is coming to church? Who are the regulars? Why do they come? And of course, the all-important question – why do others not come? What led to their falling away from a church community?


We discussed why people attach themselves to any group, assembly, or pattern of interaction with the same people. We realized a connection existed that fed an interest or need they all shared. Church life is certainly like that. it is a group of people sharing their needs and their hopes in a setting of stability through the ages. It is a connection to the past and the future. It is a nexus that feeds possibility.


We agreed that theological concerns were a search for answers in a sea of doubt. Our faith journeys are separate and meaningful to me. And you. Each on separate paths. Shared journeys make it a bit more comfortable. Still personal and separate but with more assurance. To deal with life’s challenges.


Finding a connecting point between people on similar journeys became a focus of our thinking. How do we let people be in their own beliefs and journeys of faith while providing support and care?


The moment we give a system of belief to help is the moment we proselytize, sell our belief system, our religion or theology. I don’t want to do that. I just want to share the support and caring. The belief system is personal and will come to the individual as they need it to be. Yes, there is theology available, but it may best be there for discovery by the individual, not pressed upon them by a well-meaning person.


Connections. Nexus. Visceral moments shared so we can make sense of things together, not in a vacuum. Like life, death, natural disasters. Like failed marriages, relationships, careers, indecision on big questions. Pain of loss of loved ones. Loss of stability, financial, health or otherwise.


Visceral moments in which we feel the threads and sinews of life. Shaky and slipping away.


Philosophy is visceral. So are politics. Commerce, too. And child rearing! Let us not forget parenting.


The question remains – in visceral moments where do we find the nexus of possibility? Of hope?


October 24, 2019

Essence of a Nation

A nation is many things. history. Culture. Education of its people. Medical care of its people. Standard of living. Governance structure. Value systems. Leadership structure and format.
Landscapes of note – mountains, canyons, oceans, lakes, forests, cities…


It’s people, too. Yes, its people.


A nation is more than place and image. It is more than reputation, or even good intentions.


A nation is who and what its people are. Their dreams, actions, industry, effort to make living in the nation worthwhile. What are they talking about? What do they believe in? Who do they value and why? How do they treat their fellows? Are the people generous and supportive of those in need? Do they love one another and value them?


That is the essence of a nation. Not the leadership. Not its legal description of its governance system. Nor whether the leadership of that governance structure is worthy of its people. No, the essence of a nation is the people and how they treat one another.


The proof of that essence is not in institutions, corporations or government agencies. The proof is in the actions of one person dealing with another person. The connection and transaction of connecting is the core moment.


We don’t often see these transactions. We live them. We do them. We partner with them. The size of the transaction is seemingly inconsequential. So small it is not noticed by others, and certainly not recorded as historical fact. Thus, institutional memory is not built from this, nor is it recognized by media.


News program take note of major events and trends. The government in disarray. The emergence of a major social trend or fashion. The failure of a corporation and loss of many jobs. Elections won and elections lost. Legislative agendas set and pursued. Legislative failures and gridlock. These are reported as representative of a nation’s existence.


But that misses the essence of the nation itself.


Why is this so hard to understand? Why is this not the core of our attention at a time when failed leadership of our governments is scandalous and a three-ring circus? National, local or state governments are in disarray. That is a reflection on leadership. That is a reflection of what the people allow to happen in their name.


But that is not the people and their essence.


Why, then, does this national nightmare continue?


October 23, 2019

Dedicated Servant

A federal employee spoke to a business gathering the other day. She was from the US Census Bureau and spoke about the data bases openly managed and maintained for all to see. This is data collected by the government for both the people and the government to use.


Specifically, she spoke on demographic data of residents found in most every geographic territory of the nation. By zip code, municipality, county, state, region, multi-state, nation and so on. Also by age, gender, nationality, education level, income and household income, and much, much more.


Why? Why is this data collected? Because making policies, developing service programs, and governing the many peoples of America relies on data, lots of it. It is shared with the business community, academic world and anyone else who wants to use this information. Businesses use it to map markets in which to sell their products and services. Likewise, nonprofit organizations need this data to accurately map where their clients are and how to better serve their needs. Academia needs this data for any number of reasons in understanding people, their cultures, their economic determinants, and so forth.


The world runs on data. The government collects it to support worthy purposes.


The data is transparent and does not divulge personal information identifiable to specific persons; only masses of people living in specific areas.


The spokesman was very good. She understood her subject and knew how to access and use the data. Furthermore, she and her colleagues at the US Census Bureau work hard to help anyone to use their data as best as possible.


I remember feeling proud of her and her agency. I felt proud of public employees doing a good job for the good of the people.


I reflected on the thousands of people I worked with at the University of Illinois – Chicago. Clerks, custodians, tradesmen, secretaries, teachers, researchers, professors, academics of all types and specialties. Administrators, too, the kind that endeavor to run an efficient institution to support its long-term goals and objectives for the good of the people. Those people do a great job. The accumulative effect of their work helps Illinois and America prosper. Modern engineering, technology and medical breakthroughs are discovered in their labs. Classrooms prepare students for careers that fulfill their interests and abilities as an end to meet society’s needs now and far into the future.


For the most part these employees do a solid job. They accomplish much.


Sure there are rotten apples in every barrel; that is a reality of life not often avoided. Managing the whole of the institution, however, should and does reduce problems created by those bad apples. We don’t characterize an entire institution by the rotten apples; no, we characterize the agency based on the exciting results of its work, its accomplishments.


Having said that, we tend to forget that many of these institutions are funded by government authority and taxes - public schools, libraries, fire districts, park districts, colleges and universities, water and sewer districts, too. These are all part of government, not the legislative portion, but of the service side of things.


When political ideologies fight over the role of government and its size of operations, we tend to forget the common utilities represented by government. Those mentioned above are very important to the success of our nation. Yet they are not legislative.


Social services are often a critical segment of government, both local, regional and national. Health and Family Services are an example. Yet we hear broadside complaints of failures and law suits for conspicuous problems. Funny, those same problems could easily be addressed with proper staffing, training and funding. But such dollars are not made available to those agencies by the very political debaters who claim such services should not be borne by government.


If not them, who? Churches? Nonprofit charities and foundations? Why only them? Are they up to the job to maintain human dignity and promise? And equal access? If they fail, who really fails? Those agencies or we the people who did not step up to the plate to help fellow human beings?


If debaters argue private resources should be used for these endeavors, then we must ask: Are you among those who are donating the funds, energy, ideas, services and materials that make such help possible? And if not you, then who should be doing this?


I feel we the people ought to take care of each other. Government programs can be much more efficiently organized to perform such functions. The scale of the job alone requires a large and resourceful entity. Last I heard, churches and Foundations haven’t fixed these problems.  Helped, yes; fixed? No.


That’s why I feel government should be sized to address our nation’s and region’s problems expertly. With as little waste as possible, but certainly with the resources necessary to do the best job. We owe that to our fellow. Heck, we owe this to ourselves.


October 22, 2019

Just Wondering

Daily routines keep us functioning. Healthy or ailing, we do our normal tasks without thinking much about them. Walk the dog; feed the dog, pick up the kitchen, organize the papers at the computer, turn on lights, open draperies, and so on. Make the coffee, sit at the computer, post the blog, read the emails and then switch to Facebook. Keep up with friends and family. Turn next to the day’s news.

Several news feeds from all over the world. Human interest stories, technology news, world and regional news, too. Some local news but not much.


Then a scan on what is on the docket for the day. Complete a few tasks, then focus on the heavier ones.


When the dust cloud clears, it is time to ponder the items and what they mean. Do they mean something different for the other items? Does cause and effect intermingle equally or without balance? What then does that mean?


One thought returns often – possibility.


So much of what we encounter is an atom of something else that, when connected or massaged, makes something else happen or possible. Ideas are like that. Feelings, too. And aromas, sounds, breezes felt on the face or arm. Together these sensations remind us of something in our past. Times long gone often were the harbingers of the future only we didn’t realize it at the time.


When I think back to younger years, I realize how little we knew at the time. Life experiences have informed us and, if we had it to do over again, we would live life differently. Only we didn’t have that knowledge then; what we know today is distilled from many experiences and earned slowly and dearly.


I suppose this is why I value education, training, interaction with mentors, coaches and experienced people; they bring practical knowledge to the situation. They help us use our gifts better, more fully.

Callow is a condition of ignorance, of chronology, lack of experience. It is a stage setter for vulnerability and openness. We are more receptive to experience and the gifts of others?  Depends how callow we were then!


Today we drink in what others have to say because we know better how to process the ideas. We know what is correct, what is likely incomplete and unreliable. We sense truth and fact better today with life experience under our belt.


So the uninitiated may be callow, but they are unencumbered by a lot of misinformation and are open to possibility. Remember when we first started high school and wondered what we would learn? Or began college and wondered the same thing? Or grad school?  What would we learn and realize what was possible with this new information?


Or a new job, a twist of career, new friends and interests in life. The possibilities became a flood and we knew better what to do with them. And yes, some of these were our own ideas, but the DNA of each of those came from so many sources we cannot tag their origins accurately.  


Possibilities lie before us. We need to recognize them. Find them. Ponder them. Use them.


And wonder.


October 21, 2019

Gathering Storm

The Weather forecast tells us as storms form, assemble and are ready to let loose. They tell us to take cover and protect our family and property. We do. Make preparations, gather food supplies, and seal windows and doors. We gather blankets, water, snow shovels and other implements handy for surviving what comes next.


We even help our neighbors do the same. It is a group effort. The community comes together to prepare. Afterward we struggle to recover, count our blessings and get back to work to regain normalcy.


That’s what is happening now. Only it is a gathering storm on our democracy focused on Washington DC. The barometric readings have been falling for months. Storm clouds are on the horizon. Sharp stabs of lightening staccato the skies. Claps of thunder roll over the landscape warning of the coming turmoil.


Yet, the community does not prepare. Their leaders split into factions and argue the fine points of the odds of what kind of damage will be done? Where will the storm hit exactly? How high the turmoil is likely to be. What kind of preparation is needed, and which committee has this responsibility in its job description?


Oh. And what party do you belong to? Do you have the ideological credentials to be one among us?

And then the fragile egg that is democracy is left all alone without protection.


But, the storm approaches. With steady determination it zeroes in on the nation’s capital.

Elsewhere, we the people are more assured of what is happening. We are preparing for the storm. We are gathering the survival tools, gathering the kids and families. Seeking safe shelter and food, we are preparing for the shattering storm that approaches.


Impeaching a President is not meant to be easy. But it must be possible when malfeasance and incompetence is present. That has to be proven by the established process; it is working as we write and read these words. The facts are gathered and analyzed. More facts are identified as needed, and work is set out to gather the information. This storm of reality and facts is forming well. Those in the know are assured of the outcome.


Those who have shirked knowing, are beginning to hear the distant rumbles of thunder. Now they are looking up and realizing the need for protective action - to protect their families and communities.

And our democracy.


The tide is shifting. The snow shovels and sand bags are being gathered.


And the President of the moment feels the momentum shifting. The votes are gathering. The process is working. The US Constitution lives.


We The People shall prevail.


October 18, 2019

Reflection on Pets

Willow, our dog, died this past Monday evening. We decided to euthanize her in the vet’s office after three days of dicey health condition. Clearly she was not self-sustaining and old age finally caught up with her. We did not want her to suffer. That decision was easy.


Not easy was knowing the empty space in our hearts and home would be huge. I had prepared for this over the last 3 or 4 months. I noticed Willow’s struggle from time to time and wondered if this were signs of the end. They were. But we gave her time, and us.


We needed that time.


Her absence is felt keenly. Today we will clean up the house a bit. Throw out unused food, treats and toys. Remove her queen pillow in the office. Wash blankets she frequented for nesting. You know the type of things we are talking about. Many of these we eye during the day and remember her. A catch of breath tells us we are healing.


I’ll never forget the peace on her face before she drifted off. Furry. Eyes partly closed. Snuggled into our arms. A prayer with the Vet masterly performed by Pam our neighbor and great friend. I’ll remember the peace of that moment. At other times I’ll recall the alert stare, the wagging tail with pompom end, and her questioning look for a treat or a hug.


In recent years Willow was losing eyesight in both eyes and hearing. She had difficulty judging distance and avoided heights, beds or sofas. She wanted to nestle close to us but feared the descent later. We usually helped her down to ease her trepidation.


On walks she barked ahead of us, warning others she was our protector. With failing eyesight there was normally no one there to warn! But she lived her role to the end. Small, wiry, alert and responsible. She was our pack leader.


As much as we were part of her life, she was very much a part of ours. We were not complete without her. When we left social gatherings with the assertion that we ‘had a dog at home in need of a walk,’ that was true.


Now it is we who need the walk. And the protection. And gentle lift.


Such are the phases of our creation. And endless joy.


October 17, 2019

Value of Simpler Lifestyle

Downsizing is a common thread for many families. Besides emergency downsizing due to storms, fire or earthquake disasters, economic necessity often causes families to downsize their living arrangements. Life phases, too, will determine decisions leading to downsizing. Aging requires less space, less housework, and the desire for more freedom from things.


The Tiny House Movement is a symbol of downsizing. Monthly living expense is reduced. Independence is increased. Appreciation of lesser complexity is a benefit of the Tiny House. The challenge of living tiny forces the individual in each of us to focus more on what is important in life.

Community is one. Family relations is another. Independence on one hand and interdependence on community is a surprise realization.

Fresh out of college, I was anxious to have a place to live that was simple and easy to take care of. And small enough to furnish cheaply. Of more importance were the amenities: ease of commute, parking, ready connection with neighbors, and close to church and town shopping. Social interaction in my new town and surroundings was the aim then. I needed it to feel rooted. I needed to feel 'place' as home.

Later life phases required neighborhood for family life, nearness of schools, shopping, church and friends. Commuting needs, too, were high on the requirement list. And doctors, hospitals and other public institutions. Libraries were a constant 'need' for us.

As the family grew we added on to the house, and had larger dreams. But then a divorce and division into two households. Later still, when the kids were out of college, space was not the need. Less of it, and ease of maintenance was. And fewer things to take the mind off of important things.

Community life became a more important element in life. Involvement in relationships, organizations, purpose and values expanded to fill interests and cravings for belonging.

Think about that. Take a moment to realize how life changes throughout its many phases. Focus on what is the central need in each of those phases. Space is merely a functional concern. Things as well. It is the relationships and connections that become much more important.

And community. Belonging to something larger than self and family. Community grows in importance in each of our lives. Community becomes the well from which we draw sustenance, and into which we pour our gifts to enrich the community.

That community is ours to have and to hold. And to maintain and nurture. So it will nurture us in return. All of that revolves around the simpler things. And we rejoice in it.

October 16, 2019

Middle East Peace

I’ve said this many times before – Get off the oil standard; eliminate the power of the Middle East.


The logic is clear on many levels:

·        As long as the world energy demand relies on oil, the Middle East remains a bargaining chip for no other reason than its source of oil

·        A tinderbox already of multi-culturalism, and warring religious sects, oil is a perfect combustible of power struggles

·        International thugs like Russia and Turkey love exercising their macho military to wrest influence on the world’s stage

·       Reducing the sheer volume of fossil fuel use will save Earth’s ecology for future generations

What most galling is the ready availability and ingenuity of creating huge sources of renewable energy. That energy is clean, healthy, portable and economical. Couple that with engineering advances that reduce the need for energy in the first place, and we arrive at a self-sustaining model for future community living.

On or off the grid, new power sources are less hackable because entire communities can exist off the grid. Even individual homes can survive well off the grid.


This is a game changer for the Middle East. They are politically important only as long as their oil deposits are in high demand. Already Russia feels the squeeze of low demand for her oil. Natural gas demand remains high, but so does its supply, lowering the market value evermore. Russia is pursuing power and influence based on a dying fuel demand. Even if they win territorial influence, the reward will be high military costs without any economic gain. Their economy will continue to be strapped.


Turkey has become a regional power because of her geographical location. Period. History demonstrated that for thousands of years. It is still true. But not for military or economic power. If Turkey continues to seek influence and power by teaming up with Russia and China, they will have a dark and unhappy future. Using American military equipment for generations while building an attitude of spoiled child will not serve them well with Russia and China. That’s a lesson still to be learned.


Oil is the key ingredient for all of this. Russia needs access and power over oil supplies to make their own supplies more valuable. China needs access to more oil to power their economy. Turkey stands in the middle between both Russia and China and the Middle East oil pool.


Getting off oil energy will reduce tensions, greed and power lust.


Syria, Turkey, Russia. Not a good mix. Not a humanitarian combination. Without oil, what would they be fighting for?

And who enabled Turkey to be the turncoat? And the Kurds to run to the embrace of Syria's tyrant?

Only one guess allowed!


October 15, 2019

Chaos

Spittle leaps from his lips. Nasty words vomit from his mouth. Swagger approaching the podium. Facial sneers and snarling mouth. Agitated body language.


This is the presence of a despot, propagandist, pot stirrer.


And yes, this is the supposed president of the United States.


He may occupy the White House, but he isn’t a person of trust, knowledge, judgment or temperament of a leader. He is a thug and bully. He is the embodiment of a crime boss.


I don’t care what he thinks of baseball, the MLB, or the NFL. I couldn’t care less about his opinion on women’s wear, or the outcome of a prize fight. But we do know, don’t we? He shares his opinion on unimportant matters via tweet.


Of course we hear his tweeted messages on matters of global importance, too. To him it is one and the same.


And his nasty, personal opinions of those he does not agree with him. He denigrates those folks. Nasty personality. Nasty mindset. Potty mouth. Disagreeable.


We were told by behavioral experts these were the signs of a narcissist. We didn’t listen. But those experts were right on target. Now we know.


We also know that chaos in financial markets, international trade markets, energy markets, military expeditions and deaths of innocents abroad are a mark of a narcissist. His personality is a behavioral disorder. His actions are a disaster.


He is a clear and present danger to himself, his fellow citizens and to the nation at large.


We have a Constitutional process available to address this problem. It is quick, surgical and effective. It is not impeachment. That approach is cumbersome and politically charged. The 25^th Amendment to the Constitution is available.


Why is it not in use?


October 14, 2019

Fading Benefits

Today’s posting is a reflection on disappearing employee benefits.  


This week’s announcement that General Electric is freezing pensions for current workers is yet another ominous sign that retirement programs are disappearing from the employer’s career offering. This has become a trend in the last ten years. The trend actually began earlier as large employers filed for bankruptcy protection and walked away from their pension liabilities.


A federal pension guarantee program exists to cover those failed plans, but only a portion of the value is guaranteed. Most likely pensioners will find the program well below expected benefits under the original plan.


401k plans were originally created to motivate individuals to fund their own retirement dreams. This was supposed to be a marginal effort to improve standards of living during retirement funded by the employee’s own self-interest. However, another objective was in the design: attract people into the investment market and share a stake in America’s economy.


Many people did just that. investments soared, the kind that were left alone for long periods of time. this added bulk and stability to the investment market. A good thing but of questionable value given the wild swings of market values in recent years.


Another objective was not shared with the public. Employers were increasingly concerned with the large and growing pension liability carried on their books. They considered ways and means of reducing that liability, or at least controlling it toward lower levels. The 401k program was a handy means of doing that. The result: pension plans were slowly modified to cap payouts and cost of living adjustments.


A few years later and pension plans were being replaced with skeleton plans compared with the older programs. Corporate bankruptcies sealed the fate of many pensions by being completely erased from existence. The federal pension guarantee program picked up a modest portion of the slack. However, the American taxpayer paid for this one way or another.


Careers today are less and less focused on one employer. Loyalty to one long-time employer is disappearing as careerist follow opportunity wherever it takes them. Cycles of careers have shortened with technology shifts and global economic forces. Portability of benefits became a term in the early 2000’s. Today it is a feature of benefit plans.


To be clear, pensions will continue to exist and motivate employers to attract the best employees. However, it is in their interest to limit their forward liability and they will do so. That leaves employees on their own to manage their own benefit and security plans.


Social security, 401k plans, personal investments and savings will become the primary foundation for retirement security. Corporate and union pension plans will be important components for guaranteeing retiree standards of living.


I think it is in the interests of both employee and employer to be clear on their integrated interests. Promising a future benefit is a contractual duty to perform. If the intent is to be believed and valued, the employer will need to put up and show up. If they don’t wish to do this, then their attractiveness in the labor market will be zero and they will fail.


Pensions are a hidden value of employment. Most people don’t think about pensions until much later in their career. That’s a problem. There truly is no guarantee that employer pensions will continue to exist. Like group health benefits, many employers are shirking their once prized benefit programs and sticking it to their employees.


Along with favorable tax treatments of recent years, it appears employers are getting their wealth protected at the expense of the employee. That’s you and I, folks. All of us.


Just when will the lights go out in the Human Resources Benefits Office? And at what cost?


October 11, 2019

Nexus

Latin word for connection, or hub, a place where things and minds come together and function.

Readers will remember we have a group called Nexus. We came together in April of this year and meet monthly. We discuss issues of importance. Issues that matter to all of us, even though we disagree. That’s the purpose of Nexus: find purpose and value in the issues so we can carry forward. Not to change minds, but to help each understand the issues better so we can go forth confident in our knowing.


This month we discussed Medicare For All. The 9 brave souls gathered were not in 100% agreement. But we agreed on terms and their definitions. Not sure any decisions or conclusions were formed, but we had fun and enjoyed each other as we muddled forward.


Clearly, Medicare For All is an issues that zeroes in on a common denominator of functionality. Who will do this, with what resources, and to what end? Huge issue, huge operation, huge cost. Only one party big enough to handle this with fairness and justice. That would be the federal government.


That’s where the discussion stutters to a close for a time.


The crux of many social issues is the wherewithal needed to solve or manage the issues. An all-knowing partner is needed. An argument is made that private industry is not the right partner because it would become a monopoly, unfair, and profit oriented, running up the costs that would exclude the very people it promises otherwise to help.


That line of thinking quickly arrives on the doorstep of government. But then the issue becomes: What is the role of government? Ought it be large, small, or somewhere in between? And if not large, how do we achieve the desired outcomes we know are necessary for the commonweal?


There you have our next Nexus discussion. It will be held Tuesday, November 5^th. Al’s Pizza’s front room, at 6:30 pm. Buy a pizza, have a beer from Towne Tap next door, and enjoy the conversation. That's in Warrneville, 30 miles due west of Chicago. We don’t promise results, but we do examine many ideas. Together we get to know each other and enjoy each other.


This process is so much better than yelling at the TV during the news hour! Join us?


October 10, 2019

And Then There Was None

Dreams of cohesive society. Pulling together in the same direction. Leaders and followers in synchronization. Logical and synergized. The possibilities clear and very doable.


One by one the leaders fade away. Some were lauded by others, not me; but still they led the way to build a better day for us all. The method was not mine, but the outcomes were still acceptable. Leaders leading. Forging ahead with others researching and engineering the more technical aspects of the way forward.


Then those leaders retire, die or step aside. New ones emerge and carry on. We follow together yet forward. More years added to the momentum. The future is sparkling and bright. It holds much promise of good things for the many.


In recent decades, however, leaders faltered. They picked sides and became more partisan. Their followers became associated with particular ideas. Ideologies. They scrambled for more support from others, parsing arguments narrowly here, and again there. New voices supported the older ones and soon issues have issues and outcomes become blurred. Outcomes not yet happening, but in the offing. Blurred to the point of shifting shapes and meaning. And values. Remember the values.


Soon the objectives are mush. Players begin to lose focus on what they were aiming for, who they are, and why they do what they do. They curry support, votes, numbers. The why loses space for reasoning. Only who is winning, and who is losing.


Confusion strips one leader from the pact, then another. One by one they disappear. Others step up to take their places but soon they too, are gone. Swept away by innuendo, suspicion, yes, even bigotry.

The chorus is now supporters only without leaders. A cacophony of talk, conjecture and blather. Talking heads on media platforms take up the chorus. The noise grows. Still without meaning.


Without meaning, but not without consequence. Oh, consequences always appear; we just don’t know them well to understand their genesis. Or their worth, or damage. Soon enough it will be known, but only when the noise abates just enough for us to think clearly and regain our balance.


Impeachment will provide a time to think. But only then on one person with all his supporters. They will renew the noise. Smart people will focus on the future and our values. New leaders will find a way forward away from the pack of noisemakers. Then – and only then – will our path become clear.


I’m betting the majority of Americans want this nightmare over so we can get back to work. And our values.


October 9, 2019

Love and Violence

It’s not easy imagining a loved one being violent. Sometimes pondering brings us to the edge of this consideration, but mostly it is just that, a pondering.


Until the blow is struck. Then is it real.


Friends of mine have battled a son with alcoholism. Now 35 years of age, the son continues to spiral down in drunkenness. First it was sloppy over drinking. Then it was vomitous results, frequently. Then subdued breathing and unconsciousness. A drink was never enough. Another was added to the others. Until black out.


The pattern continued with weekly ambulance rides to ER. Finally, the doctors were convinced other measures were needed. Off to a lockdown facility with counseling, group therapy for both drug and alcohol addicts. Soon after release of 32 days, a bit of work, some money earned, and another drunk. Two days later ER again. Several more times and another clinic for psychological help. All in all four admissions to these facilities, each time resulting in new fervor for a new day.


But the old pattern soon reappeared.


A drunken brawl found him in jail. Then hospital again, jail again, and no relief in sight.
Begging for help from his elderly parents (81 and 72), bullying soon followed. They were and are unable to afford any meaningful help. They turned to friends and social agencies. Even the police were engaged to help. And they did.


More hospital interventions followed and more lockdown psych facilities, too.


Finally released with no job, no money and a need to find solace in his misery, his anger took over. He beat his mom; then his dad: smashed his glasses, broke his nose and four ribs (and a punctured lung). The dad was able to push the son out on the street, called 911 for both the police and an ambulance. After the ER, they were both admitted to the hospital. Just home now after three days.


Violence. The unthinkable. Among loved ones. Utter lack of control of both the self and family. This is when local authorities step in to preserve order and focus on the real problem of addiction. No drugs, but alcohol. Of course, that is a drug. And some people cannot control their requirement of it.


The price for order in this case is a tearful admission of failed management of alcoholism.


Jail, prison, psychological attention, perhaps psychiatric help, too. Whatever, this young fellow will not be allowed to mingle with the public anytime soon.


We can rest easy now. Until he is released and tested for resolve over life in the open. What will it be then?



October 8, 2019

Walking the Dog

She’s old now, 16.5 years and counting. Willow is a honey blonde Lasa Apso. We rescued her 13.5 years ago. In turn, she rescued us.


She has been going blind for the last two years. One eye we think only registers light to her; the other has vision but probably quite blurry with little depth perception. She walks into curbs and walls. Not with gusto, just slight bumps. She grows more skittish of the unknown, and barks at shadows.


Her hearing is not acute. That has been coming on for at least 3 years. Still, she responds to noises and clapped hands. Her world is growing darker and more silent. With that she sleeps a lot.


Lately she has not been eating regularly. If she thinks you are offering her a treat – or should be! – she will eat what is handed her. If it comes in a bowl, however, forget it.


Even her favorite treats are rebuffed these days. We think that is the state of her teeth and gums. Hard treats are not worth her effort or pain.


Taken together we watch Willow closely. She seeks our presence. Sits down close to us. Snoozes a bit. Then she makes her way to her bed and takes a serious nap. Little food, lots of sleep, fading action, we know the end is approaching.


Next week we are having her groomed. Then we will visit the vet for some opinions on what is happening and when to expect the end.


Just when I think she may not be breathing, she bounces back to life, chipper and curious as ever. A dash down the hall for her walk, and tugging at her leash to get out as soon as possible, and we are left wondering why we thought the end was nigh.


This is life with our beloved dog. She has been a comfort and companion for many years. She will be wretchedly missed when she is gone. We are trying to get used to that idea. Not an easy one. But a necessary step. It is only the when now.


And we wonder. And hope for another day.


October 7, 2019

When Children Play Adult

The 2016 Presidential election was messed with by Russia and others. North Korea most probably. The nuclear weapons agreement with North Korea and tRump came to naught; most observers instinctively knew it would. Global warning is a threat studied and projected by the brightest and best scientists for well over a decade. It is here. Now. We even worked internationally for a very bold treaty and it was signed by most of the global community. But our president reneged on the ‘deal’ and is going his separate way without a ‘way’ being defined. Still hasn’t defined our answer to the deterioration of the planet's ecology. Same with the Iran Nuclear deal to squash nuclear ambitions. And the international trade deal that opened markets to American businesses throughout the Pacific Rim.


Agreements. Handshakes. Ink on paper. Resolve among serious leaders and thinkers. The global village was finally making its presence known and peace on a global basis was the hoped for outcome. And order and strong business climate. As well as planetary health of our home planet.


But a child appeared on the world stage. His name is donald. And he lived a spoiled existence all of his life. Someone always said yes to him, not no. others never held him accountable for his mistakes. No one corrected his nasty remarks about other people. A bully was born to a rich family. And he went on to become a wealthy bully as an adult with a child-like personality and character development.


So he pulled America out of agreements. He verbally attacked our allies. He makes demands that mean little, but holds out hope of his agreement and the following largesse. Only the latter never comes. Only the disappointment. Only the increasing vacuum of hope.


We are going nowhere. Our enemies are laughing and applauding the decline of America. Our institutions are becoming a mockery to benefit only the rich and powerful. That is not what America was, is or meant to be.


The noise of the Right and republicans is just that – noise. Too long we have witnessed it and been subjected to it. No more.


This is not a republican or democratic thing. It is an American matter. Both parties and those in between need to compromise and govern. They need to fulfill their responsibilities they pledged in order to be elected. The time to do is now.


All noise makers shut up. Serious work is called for. Adults only are to respond. Children are not allowed in the seats of power any longer.


October 4, 2019

Impeachment Coup?

No. The president is the subject of an impeachment inquiry that may lead to impeachment. Such is the process, and such is the nature of impeachment – an indictment of wrongdoing that, if proved in trial, can lead to the orderly removal of the president from office.


This is not a coup. Coups are normally violent, grisly, involve death of targeted persons and innocent bystanders. Coups are not lawful. They are the forceful taking of government power away from one party and give it to another. The other party is not the one currently elected to power. It is a taking.


The White House occupant has been in office nearly 3 years. During that time, he has bullied his way through many issues, concluding in changes to operations, procedures, and policies. He has erased standing policies with which he did not agree. He has asked staff to perform acts not in their job descriptions, then castigated them, and finally fired them, or made them resign. Enemies have popped up within the White House and external to it. Republicans have exited their own party and resigned from both the House and Senate in frustration with the ‘chief executive.’ Democrats have reluctantly played to their role as loyal opposition. Theirs is a voice of reason dictated by the US Constitution.


Denial of fact and truth is the script of the incumbent supporters of the president. They have stood in the way of logic, reason and policy for nearly 3 years. They have abetted the dilution and partial destruction of the US Constitution. They have done all of this in full view of the American people.


And those people are fed up with the nonsense, chicanery and dishonesty. Our nation no longer reflects our beliefs and values. Nothing much of value is accomplished. Problems are allowed to fester and grow without proper maintenance or repair. What once was a smooth operating government machine, is not a stuttering behemoth unable to articulate policy and procedure within any of the three branches of government – judiciary, legislative, executive. We have a mockery of America.


We are left to guess the motive. I think it is wealth and power for greedy people. I also think the ideology of rampant conservatism is not protection of America, but the minimalization of government and its role. Little policy, procedure or regulation is envisioned in such an idealized concept of government. Those with power are left to exercise it; those without power are forced to live with the consequences. People with wealth make more wealth without regulations protecting people of lesser wealth. Two classes result – the haves and have-nots.


We’ve been through this drama before throughout our history. It didn’t end well for either the wealthy or the poor. So why are we fiddling with a replay of this bad script? Because uneducated, ignorant selfish people are not aware of the repercussions of their deeds? Maybe, maybe not. Won wonders if darker purpose is afoot.


We need grownups to stand up and take charge. That’s what real adults do. And the tool they have at their disposal is the Articles of Impeachment. May they go forward and successfully stand the test of time in history. Let time judge the purity of their motives. Meanwhile, let’s clean up the White House and the Senate so the real business of America can resume.


Republicans take note: your perfidious actions and worn out ideology are on full display. Our prayers and thoughts are with you in your days of peril. Wake to the good news that awaits you.


October 3, 2019

Anniversary Nears

It doesn’t seem possible but this blog is nearly eight years old. October 5, 2011 was the first posting.


At the beginning I wrote daily, seven days a week, and if something special popped up I inserted another post that same day. After a year or so, friends suggested I skip Sundays, and maybe do something brief for Saturdays. So, I did. Sundays were eliminated. Saturdays were saved for ‘thought for the weekend.’ I did that for a few years then adopted the Monday through Friday schedule that is current to this very day.


Number of posts including today’s stands at 2632.


In the early days my word count per posting was 1000 to 1400. Readers complained that they were too long. I shortened them to be less than 1000 words, and later clipped them further. Today’s postings are between 450 and 650 words.


Still, with 2632 posts published, that’s a lot of words!


I have pondered knitting these together to form a book, or a series of books. I have been tempted. The task, however, is monumental. It was not my goal to write a book. All I wanted to do was share thoughts that came to mind from the complex of issues and pressures of modern life. Couple that backdrop with the author’s aging, and a wealth of themes come to life. It is very natural. It is quite sharable. Perhaps of more interest, it displays fully the coming to light of ideas and theories. An unfolding.


Some of these ideas are fascinating to me. Boring to readers at times, no doubt. But no blank page syndrome ever struck my efforts. I always had something to write about, something to share.

Along the way I hope this blog has helped readers think of their own ideas and motivate them to share them with others. That is part of our social nature. It is the heart of conversation. And it ought to foster civil discourse throughout the land. Well, we know that hasn’t happened, but maybe a little is better than it would have been without these efforts?


We shall never know.


Meanwhile, I will continue pounding out future messages to any and all who have the patience to read my utterings. For those of you who have been along for the entire ride, thank you!  You humble me with your loyal presence.


October 2, 2019

Left, Right and In-Between

Yes, we live in a mosh pit of opinion. Not always civil, the discussion, or shall we say, the interplay of ideas, is often messy. The mosh pit becomes more messy and difficult to parse.


I have friends and family who believe I’m a liberal. But they are a bit conservative themselves, and view me from that perspective. A gulf between our opinions exists, and it enlarges. Yes, it grows in size but I wonder if that is from my leaning farther left, or their traveling much farther to the right?


You see, I consider myself a centrist. I gladly think of the ideas from both right and left, pick the ones most practical, and work at finding a way to engage those ideas in useful pursuit. What good can come from the marriage of disparate ideas?


Now that last paragraph, is an ideal example of my centrism. I’m practical. I borrow workable ideas from those around me. I work those ideas into something practical.


The only element missing from all this is ‘to what good or purpose is this work?’


Now then, we are getting somewhere! What use is anything having to do with these matters? I think it is simple: what does the commonweal need to maintain quality of life and perhaps improve upon it? That’s it. That’s what drives my thinking.


I happen to think this is the core of centrist thought. It is unsettling, perhaps, to a conservative, because their position is to retain control over all government so it does not grow larger and encroach on personal freedoms. I tend to agree with that fear, but I do not fear government, so my approach is a bit more unfettered and positive.


Liberals are all about what should the government do for its people? I’m supportive of this generous spirit, but I consider the practicality of paying for all the largesse of the perfect liberal establishment.

I am practical; not cheap or miserly, but practical. I also don’t mind taking care of people who cannot take care of themselves. That comes from deep inside of my value structure. My ethos was shaped by Christian ideals that do not easily dislodge me from this thinking.


It matters to me that some people game the system and think others ought to support them. I think that sort of thinking stunts their personal growth and capability to do for themselves. So, you see, I am not a pure liberal, nor a pure conservative. That places me square in the centrist campground!


Centrists tend to be inventors and doers. They see the practicality of ideas and pick and choose which of them are likely to work. Blending left and right ideologies is not as challenging as it may seem. The ideas are workable in the main; it is the drama and emotion of the ideologists that muck up the discussion!


I prefer to work in the middle where the workings are more visible and malleable. Leave me be awhile and I’ll come up with something. Be forewarned, however, purists will hate what I come up with. That is on them, not me.


Let’s see what we can do with the ideas so freely given by others. Perhaps there is a solution to a common problem in that mosh pit. A good challenge for a good end!


October 1, 2019

PS: Nexus tonight at Al's Pizza. 6:30 pm. Topic: Medicare for All?