One Convention Down; One more to Go!

FDR said: “The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the

abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.”

Think about that just a bit. It is not a statement of socialism. It is a commitment to make life sound for those with very little. There is a balance to be maintained in this process. Now, compare this sentiment and FDR’s statement to this found on the Internet – anonymous of course!

“The Democratic Party created Social Security with the help of a few public service minded Republicans and independents. It has always been considered one of Franklin Roosevelt’s greatest achievements and was instrumental in creating the American Middle Class.

The Republican Party has always hated everything about Social Security and Medicare, and have been trying to plunder it, eviscerate it and legislate it out of existence ever since it was put into effect.

Now in 2012 whom do you really believe will protect Social Security and Medicare?”

This is serious business. A society cannot just jettison programs that protect people under duress and think of itself as caring and nurturing those less fortunate. There are people’s faces and bodies attached to the term ‘less fortunate’. If the middle class is so underrated, where are the consumers coming from in the future? The poor; no. The rich; hardly. No, consumers come from those people who are decently employed and paid who can afford the products and services for sale by wealthy individuals and corporations. Support a healthy middle class and we support our nation; and its return to financial health!

Another bit of political wit on the Internet provides this observation:

“When Democrats nominated a Christian with an African name, Republicans bore false witness and said he was a radical Muslim.

When Republicans nominated a Mormon who believes a horse-thief read golden tablets out of a top-hat with magical glasses, that black people are cursed, wears holy underwear, that Satan is Jesus’ brother and God lives on a planet called ‘Kolob’ with his many wives…suddenly religion shouldn’t matter.

Which is it???”

Interesting when the argument is on the other foot. And as petty as this all is, countless hours are devoted to it by pundits, political panel programs on TV, and news programs. And that doesn’t even count the political conventions which are all window dressing and no substance.

Former President Bill Clinton has advised President Obama of these golden words:

“They will lie, cheat and outright steal to win this election. That’s what Republicans do. They will use the politics of resentment, causing folks to work against their own best interests. They will change the rules to suppress the vote. However, if you continue to stand up for the American People, at the end of the day the American People will stand with you. And so will I, Mr. President.”

Bill Clinton knows what he is talking about. He worked tirelessly to compromise with his political enemies. He found ways to sweet talk them into agreements they otherwise would not support. That’s how he was able to generate consistent budget surpluses and actually begin to reduce the nation’s debt. But once the Republicans were in control of the White House and Congress, guess what? They cut taxes for their wealthy supporters, eased regulatory controls on favored industries, and reduced public programs that guaranteed some health and financial stability for the middle and poorer classes. That produced an endless string of annual public budget deficits which ballooned the nation’s debt from $5 or 6 trillion to the current $15 trillion. Two wars, unfunded tax cuts for the wealthy, failed policies that caused the need for a stimulus bill and TARP Act to bail out the financial services industry. And yet the mortgage debacle continues to suck the life out of our economy. 

All these negatives blamed on the wrong person and party. These were the results of failed leadership by George W. Bush and the republican leadership. Plain and simple.

And now that President Obama works to fix these problems, the republicans pose only obstacles not cooperation. Result? Continued recessed economy that could easily and quickly be repaired with bipartisan cooperation. But this is an election year so the republicans, panting after political power and wealth, say the damnedest things – mostly false, to win the election.

Who loses? All of us. Each and every one of us. Even the wealthy lose because they are destroying the very system that made them rich in the first place.

Pity.

And if this doesn’t sway your thinking, here’s more; this quote is from Facebook.com/beingliberal.org:

If you’re out there trying to argue that Ronald Reagan couldn’t win in today’s Republican Party, here’s a kit: Reagan gave amnesty to undocumented immigrants, expanded the size of the federal government, tripled the deficit and added trillions to the debt, backed bailouts of domestic industries, and called for a world without nuclear weapons.

Reagan also routinely compromised with Democrats, met with our most hated enemy without preconditions, criticized Israel, and illegally funneled arms to Iran.

And then there’s his gubernatorial record: in California Reagan increased spending, raised taxes, helped create the nation’s first state-based emissions standards, signed an abortion-rights bill, and expanded the nation’s largest state-based Medicaid program (socialized health insurance).”

Now that the convention is over and we have added some clarity to the issues, one can only hope that America returns to a period of calm, honesty and transparency in our public life.

Please vote. Please help others get to the polls. And please support Obama.

August 31, 2012

Labor Day Blues?

Another Labor Day is upon us. So is a rare Blue Moon. That occurs Friday, August 31, technically defined as a second full moon within the same month. Another definition is an extra full moon within one of the four seasons. Full moons regularly occur 12 times per calendar year. Blue moons can occur every two or three years.

Although many myths formed around the meaning of the ‘blue moon’, Labor Day is an American tradition formed to recognize the unique value of the working person. Made a federal holiday in 1894, the observance recognized labor stability addressed by labor unions. In later years the holiday values labor of all kinds in appreciation of the contributions each person makes to the common good of the nation through their employment, whether paid or volunteered.

The Work Ethic is another way of viewing it. Being of use in a family, community, neighborhood or industry carries a value for each of us. Making a living doing things is even better. It provides opportunity to others to do the same. Economic activity of larger scope projects deeper into the fabric of society.

From work also comes applied analysis and solutions. This leads to invention and innovation of product, service and process. From these efforts come many enhancements to quality of life. From simple tribal origins to modern day economies, work has a value far beyond the individual.

That is what we celebrate on Labor Day. Oh, and of course, we do that with cook outs, picnics, family gatherings and backbreaking work in the yard that we couldn’t get to because of our full time employment away from home!

Labor Day is the traditional time of the year we think of summer ending and fall beginning. Kids return to the classroom for the long months ahead. Business enterprises go into the final quarter of the year as they plan and intend to end the financial year with success and fat balance sheets.

Of course this time of year witnesses the official start to the countdown toward the “Holiday Season,” that period of our calendar in America that marks a beginning with Thanksgiving in late November, and ending with New Year’s Day on January 1^st.

But this year we have challenges to consider. Jobs support the expenses to house, feed, clothe and nurture our families. Work is important in defining who we are as individuals. Employment helps us see ourselves as individuals within a larger society. We learn to value our accomplishments; seek futures, too.

And yet opportunities to work are hindered by the current recession. The American people appear to be confused by the lack of opportunity they desire to make their own dreams come true: good jobs for strong wages and salaries; and benefits; let’s not forget the benefits.

Today’s economic landscape has redefined job opportunities as fewer, lower paid, and with fewer benefits. We are told to expect less. We are pressed to do more for our employers so they can remain in business.

Some of that is true; maybe even all of it to some extent. But it need not be this way. Not really. Why?

Because at any given time the environment exists for people to invent new ways of doing things, new products and new services. To do that takes risk. To make them happen takes more risk to find financing for support services, marketing, production of the ‘new thing’ and so on. Entrepreneurs help with that process. They risk dollars, their capital, to make the ‘new’ happen. If it works they reap many benefits. So does the person with the idea in the first place. Of course if this new enterprise doesn’t work, someone loses their capital or a part of it.

Along the way of our American History, society has become more risk averse. Fewer people seem to be willing to take risks in order to bring new products and services to market. On the other hand, industries and corporations appear much more avid risk takers if the federal or state governments are willing to partner for some of the risk.

Building of infrastructure so individuals and business firms don’t have to foot the bill in particular, is one example of what I refer to here. Another is regulatory activity. Such authority is used to safeguard players in specific industries, and their customers in case failure is encountered. Regulations help define the playing field so people don’t get hurt, or that opportunities are available to more people. There is always a trade off for such regulatory structures. A potential negative outcome is softened in its impact, the entrepreneurial reward is made a little less to help pay for it, and catastrophic failures that would harm the public at large is avoided or absorbed.

In modern day America we all have a stake in the economy and in the risk taking we make happen, or that others do to make the system function. This is a good thing. Gone are the days of the Wild West in which captains of industry were the masters of their own destiny, or barons with billions could grow up overnight. In some cases we have witnessed such barons being birthed: Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and the founders of new technologies such as Google, Facebook, et. al. These folks were pioneers and reaped the financial benefits accordingly.

Those remarkable opportunities will always spring forth when fundamental changes occur within our society. They don’t last long, but for the early adopter, rewards accrue!

In 2012, however, Labor Day will be celebrated for the jobs we have, and the jobs we hope to get soon!  May the latter be early; and may it bring your dreams closer to reality. And may the Blue Moon not sour your outlook!!

August 30, 2012

As Time Goes By

Aging is both interesting and challenging. Living with it and through it, however, expands one’s understanding of life. Let me attempt to count some ways. If any of this is the least bit humorous, it is totally a mistake!

First, feet grow throughout your life. I blogged about that the other day. It’s worth repeating. Each time you get new shoes, measure your feet; they grow wider with age, a little longer, and with weight gain and falling arches, they grow flatter both length- and width-wise. If you haven’t bought shoes in a few years and are feeling pain down under, you may have outgrown your shoes. Check it out!

Second, weight gain is caused by several factors. Painful feet leads to more sitting and less walking; hence calories build up unless you find other forms of exercise (and blogging doesn’t count!) and eating less. Also, leg and back pains may cause less exercise and more step saving. Parking close to the mall door may save steps but not weight gain. Think of parking more strategically. Also, as we age and slow down, we simply need fewer calories to maintain our health and appetite. We may have more time to appreciate food and look forward to meals with more gusto, but restrain yourself!

Also, with age come maladies doctors love to medicate for. This may result in a reduction in alertness, vigor and exercise. Be aware of these developments. Of course, if you don’t care, write a blog and forget the other things!

Third, changes in taste for food. This is both surprising and delightful. In younger days I could not abide the thought of bleu cheese! Now I cannot believe I love it so. And herbs and spices in place of salt; Lord there is a whole new world to explore. Fixed incomes causes a brush with poverty; that requires a return to basics. How I had forgotten what is very, very good to eat. Take softly fried sunny side eggs in butter! Don’t burn them! The whites are firm, the yolks are runny. The butter makes the eggs soooo good it’s hard to keep from weeping! And then there are the accompanying English muffins well toasted and buttered while hot; the tiny pools of butter running to other crevices and ridge-pools! What a treat. Bacon of course is optional and doesn’t fit well with low income diets at $5 per pound. But softly fried or baked bacon to chewiness, keeps the fats running and luscious. What a meal. Who would have thought that eating on a strict budget would allow us to rediscover the best basics?

Fourth, time home is a blessing. If your eye sight is also getting fuzzy, it is even better to loll around the house. That way you get to spend more quality time with your grandkids, the dog, and your favorite books while not seeing the fraying rugs and draperies. While sitting in your favorite chair or sofa you cannot see its condition so remain there! Ignore the sagging springs. They have acquired that shape to fit you better.

Fifth, eye sight dims and yellows. Fuzzy becomes both a verb and a noun. Then you get new prescriptions and find that only surgery will help you. Dreaded with sheer terror (fixing your eyeball is really as easy as fixing a grape! Nice allegory, not!), the surgery is endured. A walk in the park. Big build-up but tiny procedure to the patient with miraculous results. That’s when renewed sight is astounding and one learns that light is white, not yellow! At least until the other eye gets surgery and is allowed to catch up with the other one.

Sixth, time or the sense of it. When retired every day is Saturday, or Sunday, unless you go to church regularly. One day runs into another and the only way to keep the calendar straight is to really get disciplined with your doctor appointments and drug store visits. While waiting for prescriptions you now have the opportunity to find over the counter remedies you once laughed at but now feel certain it is the missing ingredient in your life! Meanwhile, if time gets away you still, try memorizing your doctors’ names and spellings. With an influx of foreign trained medical personnel, I’ve wondered long on how to spell my doctors’ names; it helps to do this, too, because now you can practice understanding their dialect!

Finally, hearing acuity. The yelling you hear around older folks are not arguments. They are attempts to hear and make sense of what another person has said. This line of discussion can take a lot of time and opens many other topics to exploration whether intended or not. Humor is often the result although not to the direct participants! They are in a funk with each other because they don’t know how they got to their point of disagreement, or even what it was about. That’s when memory acuity enters the picture, but this is for another day.

That is when I remember it.

August 29, 2012

Party Politics

Think on these factoids as the Republican Convention is now underway:

From Bloomberg, POLITICO, US Department of Labor:

                                                                        Republicans                 Democrats

Years held Presidency                                         28 years                  22 years

Total jobs created                                             24 million                  42 million

Stock market return                                            109%                         992%

Stock market return annualized                         2.7%                        11.0%

Gross Domestic Product                                     2.7%                          4.1%

Income Growth                                                   0.6%                          2.2%

Interesting data! Now which is the party that’s good for business? And the middle class that pursues the education, technology, new careers, business transformations, household formation and consumers who build higher standards of living that benefit the most people?

Anonymous offering found on the Internet:

“The next time someone tells you that Obama is destroying the economy, remind them that the stock market and corporate profits are at all-time highs.

When they tell you that this hasn’t helped them any, remind them they’ve just admitted Trickle-Down Economics doesn’t work.   Boom!”

           

Remember trickle down? Didn’t work in Reagan’s time or Bush I’s era, either. Still doesn’t. What does work is repairing and replacing aging infrastructure so people have jobs in the meantime while the operating base provided for corporations is renewed and allows them more opportunity to do business efficiently and effectively. It doesn’t take a village in this instance; it takes a nation intent on succeeding for all of its people. Investment pays off for societies as much as it does entrepreneurs.

Another issue I’m reminded of: when he first took office, Obama had a congress controlled by Democrats. Instead of using that to pass legislation he favored, he used his leadership to build bipartisanship and compromise. Rather than working with that, Republicans fought it and frustrated the process. For two years Obama and congressional democrats gave this reasoned approach a chance to work. Biding their time, republicans sat out the opportunity to help the nation fix its problems. Mid term elections swung the House of Representatives to republican control. And that was the end of bipartisanship. In the Senate, arcane republican led rules require a super majority to pass anything, while a simple majority defeats just about everything.

In that moment of opportunity, who led? Who played politics at the expense of the nation?

This time around, re-elect Obama, but also give him a congress he can work with!

From the Think Progress website comes this report:

“Letter to Paul Ryan: ‘…We would be remiss in our duty to you and our students if we did not challenge your continuing misuse of Catholic teaching to defend a budget plan that decimates food programs for struggling families, radically weakens protections for the elderly and sick, and gives more tax breaks to the wealthiest few.’  

          ~Georgetown [University] Faculty and Religious Leaders”

Now that’s what I call a grounding statement of principle. Ryan says he holds these principled views but then espouses public policy for the opposite effect. Politics sure creates strange bedfellows!

And from the Women Suffragettes comes this campaign banner from 1872 and 1894:

“No self respecting woman should wish or work for the success of a party that ignores her sex.”                        ~Susan B. Anthony

How religious freedom became entangled in women’s rights and upside down logic is a mystery to me. And why there are any women still supportive of republicans is a greater mystery.

Watch this week’s convention in Tampa. Will the greatest surprises be on the floor of the convention hall, or the howling winds outdoors?  Tune in and see!

August 28, 2012

Miscellany to Start the Week

As this week witnesses the Republican National Convention in Tampa, I have collected a few thoughts you may find useful. 

From Searchquotes.com comes:

“Being honest may not get you a lot of friends; but it’ll always get you the right ones.”

           

            Good way to start the week! Honesty. Forthrightness. Logical. Factual.

            Alec Baldwin has thrust this statement into the open air of public debate:

“Everything we stand for is under assault in this country, and not from some outside force. Our rights, liberties and economic security are threatened by the Republican party as it operates today.”

For a party that spouts conservative principles of self reliance and freedom, they are hell bent on inserting government to control everything from abortion to access to education, access to healthcare and religious freedom. Think what Abraham Lincoln stood for and would stand for today were he alive. Then think the opposite. That would put you pretty much where republicans stand today. What an odd turn of events!

Jon Martin Designs at www.jonmartindesigns.com shares this thought:

“Rommunism: Rewind & Ransack ~You do all the work. You pay all the taxes. We bank offshore.”

This statement may be over the top but really, all Romney has to do is share his tax data with the public so we can make up our own minds about his financial transparency and honesty. If it is good for everyone else, why not him? And please; tell us more why you think offshore banking should be good for you and the rich while not for others?

This next item comes from www.samuel-warde.com:

“I clearly see that Ryan has a whole lotta ‘rage’ in him; a rage against women, a rage against immigrants, a rage against workers, a rage against gays, a rage against the poor, a rage against the environment. Basically the only thing he’s not raging against is the privileged elite he’s groveling in front of for campaign contributions.”  ~ Tom Morello,

                                                                           Rage Against the Machine

           

Ryan’s core beliefs and political positions are strict Tea Party politics. They are in fact uncomfortable to Mitt Romney’s positions. How are they going to square those differences in the public forum during the campaign? It will be interesting to see, huh? In the past Mitt has been much more open to gays, abortion, religious freedom, and constitutional government. But now that he is running for the White House, he is tweaking every issue for votes from special interests. And he is asking for campaign contributions as well from those same interest groups. Decency is something that has become lost in this process. His principled past no longer is. That’s a shame. It also means we cannot trust what he will do on the presidential public stage should he win the White House. That seems very dangerous to me.

The Pro Wrestlers Against Bullying have this idea to share:

            “Parents…you want to make a dent in bullying?

Then don’t tell your children they are worthless, fat, weird, ugly, bad, stupid, dumb or any other negative names.

            Build up their confidence, Not TEAR it down…Words HURT!”

I don’t know what’s more pleasing or surprising of the above, the message itself which seems spot on; or the fact it comes from Pro Wrestlers! Either way, it’s all good. We all need to work on this. Respect youth and help them develop into the citizens we hope them to become.

And finally, I want to leave you with this thought:

“President Obama created more ‘American’ jobs in 2010 than George W. Bush did in 8 years and more than Romney ever has.”

                                                                                    ~ Anonymous

It may be from an anonymous source but check it out with the GAO. The data supports the statement. I’d much rather have a president who has our back and is attempting to rebuild the middle class than a president who continues to demean the middle class and redistribute wealth to the elite classes.

It all goes back to FDR’s statement, “the best customer of a corporation is a well paid worker.” The middle class is the core to both a healthy society and the economy. Nurture one and get both.

Of late breaking interest: Romney has finally issued a white paper on his energy policies. It appears it is more of the same old theories that our nation’s future is rooted to oil, natural gas and coal. All three are finite sources of energy and guaranteed to rise in price. The only people benefitting from that circumstance are the owners of the natural resources and corporations that bid up their prices. The rest of us keeping on paying. The real answer is to find alternate energy sources.

Both our health and the environment will benefit from alternate fuels. And the economy will find new life and vitality as well. But from a backward looking politician like Romney, I guess we couldn’t expect better.

What we need is forward vision. Doing the same old thing won’t get us anywhere.

August 27, 2012

Getting Some Facts Right

Here are a few thoughts that might surprise you:

·         USA is best educated nation on earth

·         Health care in the US best on the planet

·         Public understanding of basic facts, history and geography best in world

·         Household income continues to rise steadily in USA despite recession

·         GDP (Gross Domestic Product) in the US has fallen precipitately

·         Abortion is illegal throughout the USA

·         Medicare is broke

·         Social Security is broke

·         Federal Income Taxes have risen for upper income households

·         Federal expenditures have risen faster under Obama than any other administration in the past 20 years

The surprise? All of the above are false.

Remember that factoid if you plan to watch the Republican National Convention next week, or follow news accounts of what the RNC chooses to push in their press releases. They will spin almost anything to denigrate Obama and put a shine on anything republican ~ even if none of it is true.

All of the above bullet points can be disputed by science, research, or any other common search on the Internet. Every one of them.

And the search might do each of us some good. The facts, you see, are easily obtained. The trick is to ask the right question so you can find the logic path to the pertinent data. It’s is not knowing the facts. It is knowing what you need to know that is most important.

Knowing how to ask the right question. This is the penultimate finding of my many years in consulting. Clients want help. They ask outsiders for that help. But it almost always comes down to these elements:

1.      Fully define the problem you need help with

2.      Determine what you need to best manage the problem

3.      Seek information which will help design the needed solutions

The funny thing is most organizations have either the best information already among their staff, or have access to the right information readily available. In most situations they have both of those resources present.

What is missing is clarity of vision. They are too close to the problem and the people they must rely on to solve the problem. Perspective then brings fresh air to circumstance. An outsider provides that. The fresh air provides room for logic and calm to work. And asking the right questions!

Some answers to the bullet points shown at the beginning of this posting:

·         Americans do not spend more time being schooled; European nations do much better; Asian cultures exceed American standards by far

·         We pay more for healthcare per capita than any other nation on earth; but most nations with universal health care have lower per capita costs and higher health standards than the USA; check out Israel, United Kingdom just for starters

·         Any measure of the public’s understanding of math, science factoids and history show huge disparity between American scores and nearly any other industrialized nation; pitiful showing considering what American taxpayers pay per capita on education

·         Neither Medicare or Social Security is broke. As programs supported by actuarial-managed trust funds, both are doing quite well. Trouble is politicians keep playing word games in public to woo voters. Couple that with Congress’ penchant for borrowing cash from the trust funds to pay other government costs and you have some statistical difficulties in the future!

·         GDP continues to grow. Ask any economics department at any reputable university. The Government Accounting Office will confirm the data

·         Abortion is not illegal except in a few places the court system hasn’t overthrown the laws. Republicans want you to think it is unlawful, and if it isn’t, it should be. That depends on your religious beliefs, I think; and last I checked you and I can still believe as we want without laws interfering with those beliefs, at least with regard to abortion rights

·         Income tax rates for wealthy households are lower now than in many generations. Of course they pay more in taxes when their incomes rise; and they are the only demographic grouping in America that is experiencing rising income

·         Obama administration spending has risen 1.4% throughout his entire term of nearly 4 years; that includes the stimulus plan, TARP and all the other steps to save our financial system. In comparison, here are the following spending increases of several of the past administrations:

o       Reagan 1982 to 1985: 8.7% growth

o       Reagan 1986 to 1989: 4.9% growth

o       Bush I 1990 to 1993: 5.4% growth

o       Clinton 1994 to 1997: 3.2% growth

o       Clinton 1998 to 2001: 3.9% growth

o       Bush II 2002 to 2005: 7.3% growth

o       Bush II 2006 to 2009: 8.1%

o       Obama 2010 to 2013: 1.4%

Please note that the lowest spending growth was during Democrat Administrations. Clinton’s terms also witnessed not only surplus budgets but debt pay down. And despite inheriting 2 wars and an economy in shambles, Obama has stabilized the economy and carefully rebuilt a foundation for future growth.

Isn’t it time we got with the facts as a nation and worked together to solve problems and build opportunity for future generations?

August 25, 2012

Spreading the Word

No, this is not a religious tract. But it does have something to do with spirit and positive attitudes.

Think about it:

“Imagine what the world would be like if all the gossip began with: ~ You are loved, pass it on?”

 -- Words by Noetic Alchemy

And if you find it hard to love others, work on it. It helps if you love yourself first, not out of egotism, but your own appreciation of self as good and earnest. You try to do the right thing and you have no doubts about that. If this is working in you then you likely are able to move to the next step.

Every religion in the history of Man exhorts us to love others as ourselves. Christianity is not the only belief system to support this tenet. Most of the others, if not all, have followed the same logic.

If we love others we care for them and nurture them. We seek to do no harm. This starting point avoids judging them, thinking negatively about them. If they are strong and well, they are like partners in the community; making us all strong. If they are weak and unwell, we have work to do. That work teaches the other that we mean well. We are not enemies. We are alike. The base of this relationship is well laid and the future has much potential.

The same can be said of our brothers and sisters in community. We seek commonality, not sameness. We are each unique but still serve joint interests for the common good. Our differences enrich our brotherhood and potential. Our hopes and dreams spring forward with different skills and talents. Together we are strong.

We have much to love in each other. We have much to gain by it, too.

An anonymous offering from the Internet shares this thought with us:

“If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it. If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. If you don’t step forward, you’re always in the same place.”

           

Go after it. Don’t assume it. Don’t take it from someone else. Earn it and learn from the effort. Compare notes with what you’ve learned before this moment. Grow. Develop your own strengths and talents. But seek what you need and want. Share it with others so they do the same. Together your community will gain strength and happy futures. If you don’t try, they most likely won’t either. Seeking makes progress possible. No seeking; no progress. You may be stuck in a rut.

A similar piece of advice from the Internet, of course anonymous, reads:

“Keep your eyes open and your feet moving forward. You’ll find what you need.”

That takes faith in your own capabilities. It also takes faith in the good nature of strangers. That requires a leap of faith. It is not without peril. But remember this admonition from a Methodist pastor:

“God prefers kind atheists over hateful Christians.”

~Tom Tate, Rose City Park United Methodist Church (state unknown)

Not a bad way to end this posting. Know yourself and love yourself. Do the same for others. Trust strangers and do good together. A good lesson. We learned it both in Kindergarten and church school. Trust it. It works!

August 24, 2012

Expansions

Feet grow. Even when you are an aging adult. Who’d a thunk it?

OK. There is a story behind that line. Here it is.

I’ve complained to my team of doctors that my feet hurt, ankles tire easily and, in fact, the feet are partially numb. This has slowed my gait and reduced physical activity. As the weight piled onto my limbs the doctors told me to eat less, exercise more and lose the weight.

Finally, my partner Rocky let me accompany him to his quarterly foot doctor visit. He is a diabetic and Medicare pays for close attention to feet. His podiatrist is connected with a renowned orthopedic clinic so I thought I’d seek some advice. Two months later I had my own appointment for an assessment of my feet.

She prodded them and x-rayed them; she listened to my complaints. Her diagnosis: compression of nerves in the ankle, slight edema in ankle, and a growing presence of arthritis in the feet. This explains some of the symptoms but not all. Further discussion uncovered the basic fact that feet continue to grow throughout our lifetime, although slower as we age. Elderly experience a spreading of the feet as well.

Long story short: I had long fit my feet to shoes sized 10 and a half A (narrow). The doctor recommended a visit to a sports shoe retailer for an accurate fit. When I arrived at the New Balance store, they measured my feet at 12 and a half with a D width! I was shocked.

Moments later I was walking the store in new walkers of the proper size and marveled at their comfort and how easy my feet performed. I wore the shoes home like a kid! Even ordered a second pair for dressy occasions.

A day later I could feel the improvement and figured after a few months I ought to have more spring in my step, less pain and the willingness to walk regularly without fear of pain.

How simple. How basic. Now, all of you in reader-land, raise your hands if you knew feet continued to grow throughout adulthood!  I thought so; it was news to you, too.

So spread the word. Feet grow and spread. Proper shoe sizing is well worth checking. Now all I have to do is find a new home for my shoe wardrobe worth well over $2000! Anyone interested?

August 23, 2012

Some Interesting Dichotomies

Many ideas flow on the Internet. Some are very clever; they make me laugh out loud! Others pull at the heartstrings while still others pique deeper thought. I’ll try a few out on you. See if you find them as curious and tempting as I do.

Renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright:

“If capitalism is fair, then unionism must be. If men have a right to capitalize their ideas and the resources of the country, then that implies the right of men to capitalize their labor.”

In other words we can make a market for key resources – labor, money, commodities, land, homes and buildings. Why not consumers, then? And voters?

Just a thought!

From an ecard site on the web, www.someecards.com:

“If voting for the GOP is the ‘path to prosperity,’ why are most GOP-leaning states the poorest and most uneducated?”

Check this assertion out on the Web. Statistics surrounding this statement suggest it is correct. Just saying…..

On March 13, 2012 Mitt Romney stated:

“Planned Parenthood. We’re going to get rid of that.”

On March 28, 2012 President Obama stated:

“If you truly value families, you shouldn’t play politics with a woman’s health.”

President Obama also said:

“No, you can’t deny women their basic rights and pretend it’s about your ‘religious freedom.’ If you don’t like birth control, don’t use it. Religious freedom doesn’t mean you can force others to live by your own beliefs.”

Well these three quotes sum it up pretty well, I think. Believe what you will, politically or religiously, or philosophically; but don’t even try to legislate it. That is imposing your belief system on everyone else. How can anyone say that is fair?

And if you doubt that, ask a woman for her opinion on this controversy!

Rachel Maddow made this statement on her TV show:

“Here’s the thing about rights. They’re not supposed to be voted on… that’s why they call them rights.”

Rights are provided in the US Constitution. As a nation the document itself was voted on for ratification. After that, however, it is the law of the land subject to interpretation by the US Supreme Court only. Rights in all other respects are not subject to public vote; if they were the majority would always crush the minority. And that’s the reason why rights are not subject to popular votes. Rachel gets it. Why don’t conservative state legislatures and congress understand these basics?

From www.facebook.com/welovetoirritatehatefulrepublicans.com:

“Lately Romney keeps referring to President Obama and his ideas as being ‘foreign’ but what’s really foreign are the countries that Romney invests in and the places he outsources our jobs to.”

While Romney worked at and owned Bain Capital, foreign outsourcing of American jobs was common. Now his wealth is deposited all over – in America to be sure, but also in Swiss bank accounts and Bahamian banks and other off-shore financial institutions. It is legal to do so. But why won’t he engage in a public discussion about this practice? Is this good policy for America? From someone desiring to be the President? And tax reporting – why does he get a free pass on ignoring the legitimate interest of the American voter? We want to see his tax returns to determine if he paid his fair share or if he dodged via many loop holes available only to the rich? How transparent and honest is Mitt Romney? We may never know. He hides.

George Carlin (1937-2008) wisely said:

“If you have selfish, ignorant citizens, you’re gonna get selfish, ignorant leaders.”

I know Carlin was often profane. But he got people’s attention. His wisdom was bottom line and spot on.  Basic and clearly understandable. I miss him.

           

From the social commentary cartoon folks who gave us Maxine (Hallmark Cards):

“Let me get this straight. You want to defund Social Security, and take people’s security in the future away;

            You want to defund Medicare and take away their security now;

You want to defund Planned Parenthood so that we have more unwanted children and more sexually transmitted diseases;

You want to defund education so only those who can afford a private education will be educated;

            You want to defund HUD and put poor people onto the streets;

            And you want everyone to have the ability to buy assault rifles?

            What the hell could possibly go wrong?”

Well for one, the Aurora, Colorado rampage in the theater; Columbine High School massacre for another; Oklahoma City bombing by Timothy McVey for yet another. Rage is hard to contain on the road or in the gun store or other public places. We treat these elements lightly at our own peril. And that’s just the guns and ammo discussion. The education, Social Security, Medicare, Planned Parenthood, HUD, National Endowment for the Arts, et. al. are just the separate topics acting as explosives for the well-armed and hateful. What a commentary on modern life in the USA!

Franklin D. Roosevelt gave us this pearl of wisdom:

            “The best customer of American industry is the well paid worker.”

Bottom line this thought is gold. If manufacturers want to move the merchandise they have made, if retailers desire strong sales, then employers need to pay their employees good base pay and build strong future oriented careers. Together these work to produce a sound economy in which all parts are well rewarded. Focusing on the needs of only a few creates imbalances that spin the system out of control to our common detriment.

All owners of resources needed in the American enterprise must be willing to take risks if they are to earn rewards. That includes owners of labor as well as capital. And to enrich labor by education makes capital worth more as well.

We need to pay attention.

August 22, 2012

Putting Things in Order

Incredible weather. Cooling at night; low 50’s. Warm and dry by day; 70’s with humidity in the 20’s. For the Midwest that is like perpetual Indian Summer. Greens are greener. Blue skies are deepest azure. Colors of flowers are vibrant. A hint of color change among the trees. Breezes are modest, even wafting.

With gentle weather comes pause for thinking. Wondering. Appreciation for feelings and relationships. A time to think things through and feel good about them. In short, putting things into perspective.

Doe Zantamata (www.happinessinyourlife.com) suggests “Taking time to do nothing often brings everything into perspective.”

To make this work for you find a place that provides a calming view. Maybe it is sitting upon a rock on a hill looking toward a horizon of nature. Maybe it’s a log in the woods with damp decomposing woods, leaves and soils underfoot while gently fluttering leaves of surrounding trees provide sheltering cool. Perhaps it is a rocky outcropping in the desert giving silence three dimensions. Silence. Whispering nature. Depth of aloneness. Just for a while. Peace.

These then are moments of ease. Feel it in your bones and sinew. Relaxation slowly bringing tensions to rest.

The brain responds. Fills the space with thought patterns. Who am I? Where am I?  What is happening? Where am I headed? Am I all right?

“The happiest people don’t have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything.”    ~ www.justequotes.com

 Moments to appreciate the little things and make them big: weather, deep full breaths, strides that pull muscle and bone in harmony with a bit of stretch, a view that pleases all the senses, loved ones nearby, a sense of home, good friends puttering about with purpose and enjoyment. All good things. All so basic and simple. Like a meal with simple flavors which spark memories of years gone by, people now gone. A sip of cool water to soften thirst.

In moments such as these we reflect on meanings. We value what we often forget while busy or stressed. We do those things why? To make a happy life? To earn the means to buy food, shelter and nurture? Yes; but remember the why!

“Some people create their own storms, then get upset when it rains.”  ~ kushandwizdom.tumblr

So why don’t they create their own peace to avoid the rain and drama?!

Mary Travers cautioned us when she said, “It’s not politics. It’s ethics, it’s humanity. It’s community, trying to figure out a way to live.”

Along this pathway is found what is really important to us. It’s not about government, is it? It’s not about religion solely, is it? It’s not about power over others, is it? What it is is basic. It is about finding place for self. That rarely has value unless self is found with others. Definition of the person is found through relationship with other persons. So evident yet so difficult to realize.

This is a journey. The travel is challenging yet enjoyable. The mind alerts to differences encountered. The journey takes on a life of its own and partners with our personhood. So much so is the journey itself important that it is the destination! It matters little where we arrive or intend to get. It matters greatly that we are on the journey and seeing ourselves in new ways and different situations.

“Pain makes you stronger. Tears make you braver. Heartbreak makes you wiser. So thank the past for a better future.” ~Anonymous

And one should add,…thank the journey for providing the perspective of the past so we can use it for building the future.

We mustn’t get lost in the past. It is important to live in the present but also not get absorbed by it. These two prepare us for future. Enjoy all the tenses but move from one to the other fluidly.

Now is that putting things in order or not?!

August 21, 2012

Looking Forward?

It pleases me that one of my old heroes, Dwight Eisenhower, is quoted today. Here it is:

“Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children.”

Of course we have to defend ourselves and be ready for emergencies. That is a good and proper role of government. But it is also the role of government to spend wisely and discern the needs of people. Dollars spent in one way necessarily reduces its presence to pay for something else. Eisenhower knew the necessity of both as a career military professional.

When I was 9 years old, the political talk of the nation was General Eisenhower’s masterful management of America’s victory over both Germany. His efforts were critical in making the world a safe place once the world was rebuilding following the devastation of war. His hero status was well established and well earned.

What surprised many was his shift to policy away from military matters. Although a cool assessor of the Cold War, Eisenhower was also keenly aware of the stresses in a nation that led to unrest, turmoil and war across borders. Quality of life was his focus and how to bring that about for the masses. Not a socialist and certainly not a communist, Eisenhower focused his attention on getting the American war-weary capitalist system working smoothly for the long term future.

He warned us of the military-industrial complex, a massive corporate structure deeply embedded in the nation’s business culture. He feared the manipulation of international issues to boost business interests. He was right to be concerned. Military expenditures continued to soar as the country rearmed itself following World War II and the Korean Conflict. Military hardware was reinvented and engineered in an endless array of armor and capability. Bigger and better was the cry! The armed forces were preened and trained for an Armageddon that might come but never did. Meanwhile, those involved corporations, management teams and stockholders reaped endless riches. 

When the Space Race replaced in some measure the Arms Race, technology held center stage and manufacturing and electronic industries were transformed. We still feel those impacts today as we reinvent our worlds of commerce, science and communications at a continued fast pace. At least now we are building a means to enrich our life experience rather than end it in violence.

We would be wise to listen again to Eisenhower’s admonition. There is a far greater need to avoid war and international unrest than to merely be ready to defend ourselves. The latter creates endless waste and military expense. The former requires us to use our heads and endeavor towards peace. It is possible with effort. And the reward is a deeper appreciation of cultural differences that enrich our lives rather than threaten them. It is the positive task. It is uplifting.

And it is a proper role for government ~ ours at least ~ to pursue. To make the world a better and safer place in which all peoples may live bountiful lives.

Author and political analyst Chris Hayes reported his views on August 11, 2012:

“There is zero – ZERO – evidence that the Republican Party is committed to cutting government in any way; it is a question of who that government benefits. Government as a percent of GDP did not go down under Ronald Reagan. Government as a percent of GDP did not go down under George W. Bush and Tom Delay when they had all three branches of government.

And Paul Ryan was sitting there along with Rick Santorum voting time and time again for things like the Medicare Part D prescription benefit; a completely unpaid for new, very costly bit of social insurance that Paul Ryan cast the deciding vote for.  So the idea is that we want to choose between this grand ideology of Ayn Rand and some collectivist strawman.

I just refuse to concede the premise that Republicans are interested in cutting government because there is no record that they are.”

           

            Hayes has it right. Who benefits from the central government seems to be

the ideological divide. Currently it is the wealthy and high income earners. The poor and young and elderly are not the focus. In fact spreading the cost and pain to these citizen demographic groups appears to be the aim – regardless of the damage done to these brothers and sisters of our tribe.

That is decidedly not the American Dream, or the American Compact witnessed by the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Those cornerstones of our nation bring us together to labor on our common tasks and needs together – not apart.

For the Party of Lincoln, times are bad indeed. They have lost their way and do damage to the very tenets of our republic. So we all suffered under Bush II; and the architects of that debacle of eight years seem to think more of the same is the ticket to the future. No; it is not.

Rather we seek solutions that fairly include us all. The November election is very important. Think seriously and wisely before casting your vote. Do not listen to the uncivil attacks and mean spirited rhetoric. Pay attention to the issues and the solutions offered. Make sure the solutions are thought out and well delivered, not mere rhetorical catch phrases. Think about those solutions.

Reality and maturity require us to engage our intellect and logic. Suffer not the fools of political games and noise. Do not be distracted. Seek peace and understanding.

August 20, 2012

Matters Gay

As I sit at the keyboard this day has dawned sparkling clear, cool, crisp and calm. It is a Friday morn. The sun washes through freshly mown grass pixilating the greens only imagined in dreams. Dew drops lazily fall from overhead leaves building rainbows only seen by birds and insects. Blue skies offset by tree silhouettes, their branches tipped with gold from the early morning sun.

Enjoying the scene; appreciation opens another day of possibility and value. Allowing our senses to receive such stimuli is a joy. Simple. Deep breaths. Serenity.

So why the title of today’s blog? Maybe because serenity is disturbed by comments continually uttered by malcontents who refuse to understand realities of Nature. The Anthony Perkins of the world roils opinions because that brings him attention; the Family Research Council spews its hate and discontent because there is a political center of votes drawn into battles that win congressional seats. Power comes from these ill-formed urges and twists of logic. So vitriol spills over the land as wild as a river roaring down a narrow mountain chasm. The too-clever comments hurled before TV cameras hit the mark of immature souls who feel good hearing their bias’ aired in public.

And yet the FRC gets away with this because it attaches Christianity to its missives, the hallowedness of patriotism to its message and garners support from unwitting conservative republicans; or just plain ignorant people. Those who do not question the speaker or author as to the credibility of their words. Saying it is so doesn’t make it so. We all know that, or do we?

As politicians continue to damage their own credibility by spewing nonsensical bleats during campaigns, they damage also our ability to pay attention to the things that matter. Along with that come boredom, ennui and a ceding of discussion. Those left on the battlefield let stand the untruths; and upon that scrabbled foundation a creed begins to form.

Only if we let it. It takes courage to recognize the need to fight on, to set the record straight; to maintain truthful standards as foundations of beliefs.

Let me put forth a few comments regarding gay culture in America.

James Carville has said, “I was against gay marriage until I realized I didn’t have to get one.” Right on Mr. Carville! It doesn’t apply to you, only to those who are gay and desire equal treatment under the law. But first those who hold the votes have to allow equal treatment under the law to be granted to all of its citizens.

Dan Savage, noted humorist, author, reporter and gay ‘tilter at windmills’ shared this story with his public:

“The clerk called over her manager, a nice older white man, who explained that Amy and Sonia couldn’t have a marriage license. So I asked if Amy and I could have one – even though I’m gay and live with my boyfriend, and Amy’s a lesbian and lives with her girlfriend. We emphasized to the clerk and her manager that Amy and I don’t live together, we don’t love each other, we don’t plan to have kids together, and we’re going to go on living and sleeping with our same-sex partners after we get married. So could we still get a marriage license? “Sure,” the license-department manager said, “if you’ve got $54, you can have a marriage license.””

Now isn’t that just special? It’s not about right or wrong, up or down; it’s about process. Words meaning nothing but process holding mathematical certainty.

Yet, Focus on Family, Family Research Council and the Boy Scouts of America are obsessed about homosexuality and what they think it means. No research have they done; nor thoughtful interrogation or discussion. Just empty statements forming vacuous conclusions. Oh, and some drivel about the US Constitution and religious freedom, and of course that leads to accusations that religious freedom is under attack. No, folks, that isn’t what is under attack.

What is being attacked is fairness and logic. Assertions don’t count. Facts do.

There is no Gay Agenda; I’ve never found any coherent remnant of it, or read a cogent summary of it. I’ve not encountered one organized clan of gay persons who agree with each other! They are willo-the-wisps. Misty creations of conservative minds willing into being enemies who are not there.

What are there are American citizens living their lives in honesty. They live in fairness and respect toward others. They expect the same in return. They don’t always get it, but expect it, yes. That is our Constitution.

If gays cause some people consternation, then that’s their problem. Trying to make this a religious issue so they can make it a political issue is sheer bosh.

But last I check bosh does sway voters. Unless we can collectively laugh loud enough and long enough to sway them back to logic or silence.

Which will it be? Today it is the ‘gay agenda’. Perhaps tomorrow it will be national parks? Or smaller government? Or Social Security? Or Medicare? Which fight do you prefer to fight?

Or do we realize this is really all of them, all of the time. Being a woman, or a poor person, or a Muslim, or African American, or immigrant, or….. This is our full-time being so it is our full-time job to protect and defend. Or am I a hopeless ideologue who believes in the American Promise and its Constitution? I hope I am that. I hope you are my blood sibling in this as well.

August 18, 2012