Thought for the Day

Imagine the future. Let it be expansive - 20 years from now. Don't worry about your being alive then or not. It doesn't matter.

What matters is that we get outside of ourselves and then allow our imagination to define something better than today's reality. What would those elements be? What would you have them become?

What, if anything, could you do to help make that future a reality?

October 31, 2015

Genius at Work?

Did the title get you? Do you know what it means? Let me provide some hints.

Newscasts depress me. If I let them, they would succeed in convincing me that all is lost, the nation is in deep decline and very few people know what is going on and what to do about it. Example: reading and math scores for American students of all ages have declined.  Reading scores have steadily declined. Math for the first time in years, but declined this time around. So what is going on?

Reading scores are most likely suffering from electronic burnout. Why read text on paper when I get all I need to know from my phone or I-pad. Reading assignments aside, kids will find source notes to learn what the assignment was all about and its salient points. So why spend the time reading the text in the first place? More on that point later, but for now, let’s move on.

When social media is ascending why would a young person pay attention to the real news? They have more fun reading about their celebrities, musicians and actors. Of course sports figures are big in their world as well, so following news items pales in comparison to their chosen material.

Employers claim they have jobs available that go begging. They import talent from Asia and India to fill the gaps. They prowl the halls of universities and snag students nearing graduation in engineering and math, chemistry and physics, and other hot research oriented majors for jobs right after graduation. These students are commonly from China, Japan and Indonesia. Many from India as well. Our schools excel in these arenas but our native students aren’t interested. Or so the media claims.

More and more good paying jobs are located overseas where taxes on production facilities and net revenues are much lower than in the USA. Repatriating those jobs and profits would hurt the bottom line here at home, so the jobs and investment dollars remain outside our borders.

The Middle East lies in ruins and clouds of smoke. Oil production and shipments from the region are in serious doubt; surely a global shortage of oil energy is in the offing. Russia and China are making their moves in disputed regions for visibility, leadership and push back to American interests. We are challenged globally; seemingly everywhere. The global community is being lost to America.

Or so it seems surfing the net and printed news accounts.

We’d be wrong, of course, to make this conclusion. We would have to assume that America’s genius – what made us what we are and were – has disappeared. If you walk in my shoes you would turn your head and see what I see often: Genius at work.

Not my genius, Our American Genius. All is not lost. Here’s the evidence.

Kids in trouble with addiction to drugs and alcohol, all seriously underage. I work with these kids from age 13 through 17. They are all subject to legal proceedings and enrolled in rehab programs to help them move on to more productive behaviors. Transitioning from the angst of addiction to logical, productive lives is quite a journey. Experiencing it first hand is a challenge. The progress is slow. But here are the points I’ve learned from this work:

• The kids are very bright; high IQ’s; broad interests and curious minds
• They are bored; very bored. Their educational experience does not light them on fire but rather puts them to sleep
• Art is high on their interests – visual arts, creative arts, music, poetry (!)
• They feel isolated by adults; they think they are not being listened to
• When engaged in conversation their genius breaks forth; observations freely offered by them stun adults in their company 

Engaging these young people in pursuits that interest their intellects prove surprisingly effective. Is this normally done in our schools these days? If not, why not? If yes, why are destructive, isolating behaviors increasing and not decreasing? Or are they? Who has the data on this?

Another avenue of engagement and observation: small business entrepreneur coaching and mentoring. Being involved with SCORE (www.SCORE.org) regularly provides face time with people trying to bring fresh ideas, products and services to market. Although they are not always prepared to do so on their own, their thinking is refreshing and stunning. New ideas. From old circumstances. Placing new technology with old problems produces new opportunities. Envisioning the world in completely new ways produces fresh approaches to building exciting futures.

Isn’t this what America has been known for over 300 years? Innovation and creativity are the bywords. Can-do ability is another byword. Inventiveness is another word that describes the ambitious woman or man wanting to make a difference. They are filled with ideas and do not discourage easily. They keep pushing for something better, something they own and make happen.

This is a uniquely American genius. We are not out of ideas. We are loaded with them. Come to SCORE and see for yourself!

Trying to help these entrepreneurs succeed teaches us another lesson: mentors represent countless backgrounds from industry and commerce and they add several new dimensions of genius to the entrepreneurs. Suddenly new businesses pop up and thrive. Finding the right helping hands for precisely the right situation is made easier by the SCORE network of retired expert hands.

It’s pure genius of another sort. Unlocking it is the challenge and we are working on that at this very moment.

So, the moral of this story is that America has plenty of genius to fuel exciting new futures. Don’t give up just yet. These are blips on the journey that will make us even better at what we are best at: making a better tomorrow with fresh new discoveries. It begins with the native genius we each have within. Hear it knocking?

Open the door!

October 30, 2015

Mixing Past and Present

As a retired person I have time to think. And I do. At times, however, past and present mingle in ways that suggest no passage of time.

I caught myself the other day telling another the price I paid for lodging and restaurant fare in the same locale he mentioned, only to find out later I was quoting prices from 1984. You see the problem!

Another example is the technology application selected to address a current business problem. I found my conversant with an odd expression on his face. He later kindly pointed out that his cell phone does what I had told him his computer would do. My mind had anchored on 1998 circumstances and we were discussing 2015 conditions.

Somewhat embarrassing. I know. When I have taken the time to reflect on these awkward moments I find myself finding the gold in such situations. Here’s one.

A group of retired businessmen are talking about an all-volunteer organization they serve in common. They dissect and analyze the operational problems based on their experience of pre-retirement corporate America. They wonder why people don’t do as they are asked, or exhibit initiative and reinvent programs so they are more effective. They look for program ownership from their fellow volunteers. And then they grumble about the state of the nation and the lack of commitment among their peers.

I speak up mildly – ‘But it’s not the same thing; you talk of volunteers as salaried professionals.’

That stopped the discussion cold. In one second. And then I meekly point out that volunteers do what they want, when they want, and invent their own mission and vision that is only somewhat related to the current organization’s reason for being. The challenge is to pull the volunteers together with a common mission and vision and enlist them to support programs as one to build success for the organization.

I know this may seem natural to you, but to them it was novel. They had forgotten we were all retired. Now the big thing that matters is – is this something I believe in and have a passion for? If so, count me in!

The funny thing is our common organization is SCORE, a national volunteer entity devoted to helping entrepreneurs start up new businesses and/or improve and grow existing small businesses. We do this because small businesses are the traditional engine for economic growth throughout our country. In small towns and large, small businesses invent new products, new technologies, new services and exciting new visions of what will become new business standards. Big corporations have the money and talent to do all of this, but they tend to lose the inventive spirit in bureaucracy. Who gets credit for the work and earns the bonus? And the career advancement? Remember those battles? They were always with us.

Now envision the small business in which innovation is the life blood of the organization. It is the pulse of the firm, the driver of excitement and purpose. Everyone gets behind the idea and helps create the newest of new. Then the challenge is how to use it in new and old applications. Who can help us with this ticklish assignment without losing ownership of our new idea?

This is the opportunity each of us has in SCORE. Listen to the entrepreneur. Protect his privacy and innovation. Help him develop the means to launch the idea successfully so he can build it into a lasting business with a creative arc all its own. Innovation needs nurture. It requires freedom in which to grow and prosper as well. And it needs sensitive ears and minds to nourish entrepreneurs to fruitful adoption of processes and expertise to bring the new product to market.

The mindset needed to perform such magic is buried in each of us. Sometimes our bureaucratic experience bars us from seeing a way forward. Working with entrepreneurial genius may just unlock our own genius.

That’s one of the things I’ve discovered in SCORE. As clients come to us for help we view with fresh ideas the genius that made America what she is. Individual initiative and creativity invents fresh futures. Harnessing the old experienced minds and souls now retired gives fresh life and vitality. Another form of genius emerges.

And then it hits the market to make its own history.

Mixing past and present helps build transition pathways forward. Reinventing ourselves is the result. That gives us fresh life. And purpose.

Such is the reward of this work!

October 29, 2015

PS Let us not forget that ‘he’ is more often a ‘she’. Women are increasingly the drivers of small businesses while men gravitate to the larger organizations.

Ben Carson Ascending

Yes, quiet Ben Carson, retired neurosurgeon and now republican presidential candidate, has finally broken from the pack and garnered polling numbers that place him at the top of their heap.

And what a heap it is. Once the pack numbered 14 candidates with more muttering their intent to also enter the sweepstakes, a few have withdrawn from the contest and so the number is now maybe ten serious candidates.  At the top of the numbers nationally are Ben Carson and Donald Trump.

Independents both, these two men have captured attention precisely because they were saying things the others were not. They dared to open cans of worms mostly left alone by other candidates. And they spoke directly.

Not always quietly, mind you! The Donald is noisy in his assertions and claims. He makes faces and hand gestures that would embarrass a Tea Queen in Brooklyn! And that’s just fine with him. In fact, it is his style and brand. Speak directly, boldly and maybe even nastily. It get’s attention and he won’t lose any sponsors with check books because he’s writing his own checks anyway.

Ben, on the other hand, has been oh so quiet and polite. When asked for substantive interviews he willingly gives up ideas and quotes that surprise many, but it is direct and not made in impolite tones of voice. No, Ben is a polite and mannerly person. Someone you would be willing to bring home and introduce to your mother.

As Donald continued to make waves throughout the land so did hackles grow with his temperature. Eventually died-in-the-wool republicans felt The Donald was not their kind of candidate. Too rough and definitely not chic, sophisticated or very nice. The latter is mostly the problem. Not a nice guy. Kindness is not a term used to describe The Donald.

And so attention was turned toward the one who is kindness personified. Ben Carson.

Now, if you really take a look at what his positions are on the many issues bandied about the campaign trail, you will find pointed conservative talking points. Illegal immigrants ought not to be in America. Women do not have the legal right to have an abortion. Government needs to be small and not at all intrusive in the lives of Americans' daily routines. Nothing surprising here.

The only problem we note about Ben is his poorly worded discussion points. He has claimed all illegal immigrants should be stripped of their citizenship! Well, Ben; they don’t have citizenship so they don’t have it to be stripped of. That’s how it works. It is part of the definition of being an illegal immigrant. Now what you would do about it is still an open question. Will you build a wall on the borders? Will you deport 11 million illegal immigrants all at once? Where to, pray tell? And with whose money are you supporting this expensive emigration?

And pray tell, why doesn’t a fully adult woman have any reproductive rights about her pregnancy? Why do you think a non-intrusive government should suddenly have the right to rule over a woman’s right to choose? Huh? Some of us really want to know your logic on this point.

And how do you think America should manage education? Whose standards drive the efforts to prepare kids for the future? And recapture and assist adults with retooling for newer careers when their old ones abandoned their knowledge base? Do we have 50 states deciding what the standards are? And again, who pays?

And what of religion intersecting with government and policy and decision making? Do you have a prescription for handling all of this? And the courts, commerce and infrastructure common to us all?

Hummmm. Seems there are some substantive issues your quiet approach is leaving untouched. What then should all of us think of your positions?

Governance, Ben, is leadership. It is not abandonment for all others to mess up and take charge of. “Where vacuums exist all folly enters the stage.” Remember that old saying? Seems to me the folly has long been with us. Why haven’t you provided the leadership so needed?

If you are to remain on top of the polls you will need to address these points. And soon.

Of course the Donald has claimed that if his poll numbers decline he will remove himself from the presidential race. Oh if that were true! But his successor in the polls needs to speak up knowledgeably. Your public hungers for that.

When will we hear your polite refrains?

October 28, 2015

What Concerns Us

I suppose some of you will lament my pulling this theme forward once again. But I have to share with you my frustration: the public appears to be consumed by things that have little lasting importance. Oh, they are fun. They are interesting. And the very serendipity nature of them all makes them even more alluring!

Still, I’m flummoxed by the very idea that my nation, my fellow citizens care about this list of issues:

• Which hockey team won the Stanley Cup
• Which baseball team made the playoffs for the World Series? Does anyone else wonder unabashedly why the World Series is going to be play in November rather than September when our ears were glued to hidden ear plug speakers connected to our transistor radios in high school? And boy did we get in trouble when we were caught. But the spirit was there and most of the kids were constantly asking for the scores.
• Which movies over the weekend scored big on the attendance sweepstakes?
• Which actor or actress is hot on our list to follow?
• Which pop songs lead the charts now? And which are trending higher and will most likely sweep to the top?
• Which beer is the most consumed? Advertised?
• Wine tasting parties are going to provide how many bottles to sample? Wow!
• The line up of parties to attend; which ones will I be asked to? And which ones will I plan on attending?
• The cars making news today aren’t necessarily muscle models; styling and alternate fuel technology is grabbing headlines; about time! Well, one out of tons of issues, isn’t the end of the world!
• Which schools should I attend after high school, and what major should I aim for? Which majors earn the most money after graduation?
• I like my new phone. It connects to everything. I keep in touch with everyone with silent texts so no one knows what I’m saying.
• School sports at all levels – grade, middle and high schools, then college…this must truly be the most important issue in America!
• How rich are the politicians? Very rich indeed! Wonder why that is?
• Beautiful homes of the rich and famous; and not so much!
• Idyllic islands to rent or buy for your holidays; why?
• …so many more to choose from!

Aren’t you just sick of the Kardashians? And do you really care to hear about a new book or movie just as it is hitting the market and doesn’t even make a dent in sales records? What about the latest costumes for Halloween, or Easter, or overly decorated homes for Christmas? Egads, the list goes on and on.

For me what really matters are these topics:

• Effective education; so Tom and Mary can build a future they are most interested in and good at
• Effective education so employers have a ready supply of well prepared workers skilled to perform the work that needs to be done
• Music and arts scene that embraces the depth and breadth of the people’s intellect
• Vibrant economy that supports reasonable lifestyles and security for most people
• Affordable and accessible healthcare
• Clean drinking water throughout the global community
• Global peace and security initiatives that wipe out violence
• …and this list goes on and on as well!

At least the last list is positive and productive. Instead of touting the problems why aren’t we gathering the resources and solving those same problems? Why do we have such an enduring argument over what needs attention, and what doesn’t?

Why aren’t we really making headway with these issues while we can?

Age old questions I know. But that’s precisely the point! Why are they age old? Why haven’t we solved them yet? We know the resources are available. What we don’t know is whether resolve is available to do the work.

Perhaps we should be asking…is anyone listening? Or caring?

October 27, 2015

A Boy Named Tom

Long ago, maybe 40 or 50 years ago, a nine year old boy struggled with school. He was interested in math but it wasn’t easy for him. Science classes were cool; they demonstrated how things worked and the results of some actions. But the boy didn’t understand the why of their working. It seemed to him to be one of the many mysteries of life. He wondered when he might get it. In fact he pined for it.

Classmates seemed to get it. They jiggled in their seats with upraised arms begging the teacher to call on them! Our guy didn’t do that. His name is Tom. Our guy. Nine years old and wondering.

He participated in class when they discussed sports and reading assignments in English. He even liked civics classes. After all he read the paper – sort of – and heard his parents talk about news articles. So he knew what was current and what wasn’t. TV filled in some of the gaps. So did the library. His mom was a big reader and took Tom to the library at least once each week. She encouraged him to explore it on his own and he did, but at first he was nervous about walking into the adult sections. The card catalogue was huge and mysterious. And the dictionary was gigantic! A thousand pages at least, maybe two. Still, he flipped through the big book on display near the card catalogue. He followed a few words at first, then several each time he visited the library. He learned how each word had roots in other words – and languages! So much to learn.

Tom wondered when he would learn it. Not if; when.

This was before cell phones and the Internet. Tom wouldn’t know about those things for many years yet. For now he had the out of date encyclopedia set at home (10 years out of date!) and the weekly library visit with mom. School had a small library, too, but it was more for reading skill development. He knew that. His teacher worked with the librarian to provide a reading list appropriate to each student’s ability. He was encouraged to explore other titles but there was a required list he had to work through first.

The librarian was nice. But her collection was small. She seemed disappointed in the collection. Tom wondered about that, too.

Later when Tom was in high school, he remembered his early years of libraries. It was hard to believe that his school had such a large library, but the city library was huge in comparison. By high school Tom was pretty good at navigating the study aids at both the school and city libraries. He was now able to create questions to research. He was learning how to direct his own study program and he loved it.

On summer vacation his family visited the state university. They popped into the library and learned it cooperated with his city’s library. So, if he wanted a book on anything at all, all he had to do was request it and the librarian would arrange a loan of the university library’s collection for just that book. Tom was delighted. His mind wandered to much larger topics and questions multiplied. He recalled his science classes from elementary grades and now wondered why something reacted the way it did in the classroom experiments. He was able to study these things on his own now, at his own pace.

More importantly, he was free to associate one topic with any other one. Physics and math were common paired topics. So too were mechanics, math and biology. Tom became fascinated with how biologic systems functioned, and how man-made parts or systems might replace something in a real life, an animal or human.

After completing high school Tom went on to the state’s primary university campus. He completed all the required courses slotted for him for his degree, but sophomore year he was free to explore subject matter that might just lead him toward his major. What that was he didn’t know. But he had inklings.

Physics played a role in his academic planning. So did engineering. Biology, too, hovered nearby. Tom’s mind skipped ahead to man-made biologics – what if man could replace human body parts when the originals wore out or became diseased? Tom thought about that a lot.

Selecting a major field of study was difficult but Tom settled on engineering with physics as a primary field of interest and biology as a secondary curiosity. Tom took these interests to heart and eventually got an engineering degree in bio-engineering. His studies coupled three fields of major study into one and his graduate degree seemed inevitable.

Tom worked hard and learned how artificial blood was invented. He met the team of researchers who were designing artificial body parts that would replace parts of hearts, and lungs. Later he met a team working on artificial bone transplants that would actually grow into existing bone fragments.

Yes, Tom earned a masters of engineering degrees in biology and physics eventually. But he went on to earn a PhD in bio-engineering working closely with that state’s premier medical school. Together they were destined to accomplish much that would benefit mankind.

Tom is not a miracle. He is the result of a caring, competent and ever expanding educational system that supported Tom through all his years of development. His ideas and effort are his own. But he was supported at every turn to maximize what his curious mind would seek next. Together he and his society made wonderful things happen.

In today’s climate the same is possible. In fact it is happening every day with other Tom’s and Mary’s and Julia’s. Only now the names have changed to Pedro, Dietrich and Angelina. Today the internet is spewing forth tons of information – related and not – and mobile devices are allowing access to that data by phone and wi-fi connected think pads and computers of every description.

Information is whizzing in every direction being used by the curious Tom’s of our age. It will be a wonder to learn what they are able to do with it. And how we all will benefit as well!

Now that’s a miracle!

October 26, 2015

Thought for the Day

Today's thought is from Aristotle:

       "Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies."

A good thought to begin the weekend. Enjoy!

October 24, 2015

Commentary Bullet Points

El Nino           Weather patterns are very different today than they were in our re-callable past. Yes there have been years of odd weather; yes there have been many years of normal weather patterns. But not 2014 and 2015. These two years are quite extraordinary. Don’t go by what I say; read reports from NOAA and NASA. Both agencies work with weather forecasts and research. NOAA does it because it is its job. NASA does it because it truly has a global perspective – even from space – and relies on its data for space shots as well as recovering returning space craft.

All data suggests truly large changes have taken place. Of course these could be averaged out in time to make barely a blip on the historical records. But we are living through these weather days in real time. Right now. And it tells us that the climate has changed to warmer patterns, that jet streams and ocean currents have been altered. Those altered courses bring colder weather to some regions while others experience much warmer air temps. Precipitation follows suit: too cold and rain becomes snow or ice or hail; too warm and snow and sleet become rain; too much rain and floods are birthed; too much flooding and mud slides occur.  Too much water and earthquakes are engendered. Too little water, and aquifers dry up, shrink and earthquakes are also engendered.

Weather affects life. What scientists have been saying is that life affects weather. Together we live in harmony or not. Adjusting how we live might soften weather changes. Maybe we should look into this to learn what we can do best. We need to be kind to our planet. It is our home.

Killing Innocents      Terrorism is a hideous specter on any society. It upsets routines. Mostly, it upsets expectations. We expect calm and order in our lives. This allows us to take walks, visit with people, commute to jobs, experience relaxation as well as entertainment. If a terrorist enters our midst we suddenly confront violence, death, explosions, damage, injury, suffering and stark fear.

That changes how we spend our days. And nights. We think more of the unexpected, waiting for the shoe to drop, wondering where, when and if it will be me next. That is precisely what a terrorist wants to happen: to upset our lives of comfort and normalcy.

They think their lives mean nothing because of what others have done to them. They are the victim. They feel it necessary to repay others for their suffering and misery. And so they kill themselves by blowing themselves up in our restaurants, nightclubs, buses, trains and planes. Car bombs destroy buildings and streetscapes. This is the horror of hate unleashed with very little logic. The consequences, yes; logic no. Only in the twisted and tortured minds of the terrorist is this logical. Not to you and I.

So we protect ourselves. And we overreact. We actually shoot innocents in the act of protecting the larger society. Innocent kids and bystanders are killed by mistake. It is called collateral damage. Russia bombs a hospital and makes light of it; America mistakes a hospital for a strategic target and we are condemned the world over. We all are guilty of this stuff; we all have to take responsibility for the lost lives of innocents. But then the terrorists want us to shoot at them mistakenly to kill innocents; they are pressing the role of terrorism on us – we become them!  Unwittingly or not, the roles reverse. Hideous fallout of terrorism. We shake our heads in sadness and grief.

School Killings Continue      Nuts and crazies exist the world over. They read the news or watch it on international TV broadcasts. So nuts with guns, knives, bombs and swords enter schools and kill students and teachers. It is the way of the world. It is the fashion of the day. America is not alone in this scourge. Other nations and societies have the same problem.

Only in America is it worse. Here we allow killing kids and staff ten or more at a time. Because we encourage individualism that includes ownership of guns without restriction, liability or qualifications. Insane. We expect drivers to be vetted, insured and controlled. If not they are removed from the road. Or jailed for their mayhem. But not gun owners. Even property owners are responsible for the damage done by crumbling curbs and tripping hazards, or not shoveling snow from sidewalks. But gun owners? Nope. They have rights, don’t you know. I guess the rest of us don’t.

War Time Atrocities        So we know that atrocities are committed in time of war. Hundreds of innocents are gunned down and pushed into mass graves and buried. We discover them generations later as a footnote to history. This was done in Germany, Russia, Poland and many other nations throughout the First and Second World Wars. Japan, too, did this against American soldiers and Chinese citizens. Germany and Japan both performed human experiments in secret laboratories; heinous experiments. Some we touted to the world; others we kept secret in order to build and maintain later peace. But know this: atrocities were committed in times of war throughout history. America is certainly included in this. We just don’t know much about such things. Propaganda exists here at home, too. We are not always the innocent. We are not perfect.

So as adults we accept the consequences of our past actions and resolve not to do that again. We move forward and try to be better people and build a better future. Wounded and scarred though we may be, we aspire to something better. And hope others do the same. That’s all we can do.

Speaker of the House      Held hostage again in so many ways affecting so many things, the republicans continue their staged drama of ineptitude and leadership. Their past speakers used to be heros; now they are child molesters, drunks, addicts, tanning bed golfers, and do nothings. And yet we are expected to believe conservatives will yield their insane ideas for a moment or two to allow a family man who wants to be home with the kids on the weekend (Paul Ryan) to become Speaker.  This is the man who has held the nation hostage with unrealistic budgets. Commonweal spending is curtailed for people in favor of their lunatic ideas for war and defense while gutting health, education and welfare for the weakest among us.

Nice people, they. Bet they go to church on the weekend, too. They want to follow the teachings of their churches, their Bibles, their Torahs, and Korans. Also their prophets speaking for their gods.

Trouble is all of their prophets speak for one God and say the same things. Love one another; do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Period. End of story. The rest is dogma and nonsense. If you truly believe, then why do you persist to screw up governance for the good of us all?  Huh?

Huh?

October 23, 2015

Collaborative Government

We the people do establish our government and its nation. Furthermore, it is a government of the people, by the people and for the people.

Pretty simple, right? Well, no; accordingly to the republicans this is a government that has to be fought for and destroyed before it is made right. Unfortunately for them and the rest of us, they don’t seem to have an idea what that is. No programs. No ideas. No solutions. Just problems. Not even problems well defined; just problems. As though they have no responsibility for them, didn’t cause them, or whatever.

The rest of us get it. Like Abraham Lincoln said, ours is a government of, by and for the people. That means everyone. Each gains benefit, but they also have an obligation to make it work. Destroying it is not an option because too many would be hurt if not downright destroyed.

So. Here. We. Are. It is 2015 and we have a lot of work to do. Good things need to get done. Hard things need to be worked out. Problems need definition and solution. Not one or the other; both; at the same time or close to it.

Individuals are the only ingredient to a society or its government. Or its philosophy, for that matter. Philosophy and values accumulate through time with experience. Trial and error teaches us the valuable lessons. We cannot always be told what to do and understand the full meaning of it. We have to live it, make mistakes, and fully appreciate the experience we gain. Not all of it will be good. But all of it is valuable experience from which to learn.

Democracy – at least America’s sort – is messy. Not every society can stomach what we put up with in America. But we do because it is how we learn our civics lessons. For many generations we learned the lessons. Each generation struggles along its own journey until they get it as well. So elections are encountered; some are lost and some are won. Consequences are mostly OK but some are dire. 2000 and 2004 elected a boob at the head of a poor management team. They turned the economy upside down and forever have blamed others for that. No; it was them. Bush/Cheney did so much damage it has taken over a half generation to put the pieces back together again.

And what do we hear? More of the same going into the 2016 presidential election. Incredible fear mongering among Clinton haters; one wonders if they realize it is Hillary this time, not Bill? They are so fixated on fear that I doubt they realize Hillary is running and most likely will win. That must truly gall them; thus the fear, loathing and awful machinations taking place in the public arena these days.

The Benghazi Hearings are a joke. They have been stretched out for years. They are blaming Hillary for what they themselves did – starved the State Department so it could not adequately build defenses for many of its diplomatic outposts, especially ones like Benghazi. Even with pleas for budgets to do so, republicans said no. And so world terrorists took aim at our weakest links and burned them down. They killed our diplomats. Instead of circling the wagons and seeking solutions, republicans only seek blame. And only for the purpose – the one purpose – of eliminating Hillary as a candidate for President.

They won’t do it, however. Because Hillary is proving to be the most presidential of all the candidates. It takes guts. It takes standing up to bullies. It requires putting up with all sorts of nuts who shout nonsense and seek attention. Well they have the attention. It’s all on them, and it amounts to seeing them as foolish empty haters.

Benghazi should not be politicized. It is a foreign affairs management issue that is well in hand despite all the grandstanding and obfuscation thrown on the heap.

When we seek civil government this is precisely what I mean: seek out problems, define them, and fix them so they become a strength not a continuing weakness. The nation will benefit from this. Politicians are not good at fixing things. They are good at stirring up trouble where none exists.

Abraham Lincoln would council repair, cooperation and collaboration.

That latter term appears to be something republicans do not understand.  Hopefully it will not damage the nation too much before voters set this right.

I hope Hillary gives the congressional committee hell for standing in the way of good governance. I know, however, that even if she does give them hell, the media and republicans will claim the opposite occurred.

That’s what I mean by having the stomach for this form of government. Like aging, democracy is not for sissies.

October 22, 2015

Pay Day!

Well, the third Wednesday of the month is my social security check distribution date. It is electronically deposited in my checking account at midnight (or shortly thereafter!) on that Wednesday morning. I awake with fresh money to spend.

This was a tough month for us. Evidently I forgot to deduct from my checking account balance an amount for an automatic debit – a big one, the car payment. For whatever reason I was hundreds of dollars short but at least I had a little bit in savings and the credit union automatically transferred what was needed to cover the checks coming through – or electronic debits.

However, the drama tightened. I thought all the debits were covered but then one notice after another came through email from the credit union. I checked the savings account balance. It went down to $200, $150, then $100. When it hit $76 I began to really worry. Would the debits cease before the SS check was deposited?

Finally, $4.31 was left in the savings account; checking was zero. That’s the margin we came down to. Lest anyone state the obvious – Why didn’t you stop spending? – I had. Not one McDonald burger, or Panera coffee, no gas, nothing. We had a tiny amount of cash and we bought the barest minimum of groceries to get us through to shopping day. I even used a five dollar bill to buy 2 gallons of gas so I could attend one more meeting for SCORE. Thank God the car is hybrid. Getting 40 miles to the gallon paid off!  I got to all the meetings I was obligated for, and still had gas for transport to the gas station and Target for shopping on Wednesday.

We breathed a huge sigh of relief. We had done it by the skin of our teeth. Now I know what that phrase truly means!!

I have a few meds to refill. One I ran out of. Three just about ran out. Food was nearly gone except for two cans of soup and some crackers. I kept hoping there wasn’t another automatic electronic debit looming out there. There wasn’t, so we got through.

Our income is just about exactly what we have to spend to survive. There are no extras. I earn some additional income from two projects during the year. Usually these are in the spring so we spend that income down slowly for several months, usually using the funds for insurance premiums – car, renters and medical. Without that income we could not make it.

Due to medical difficulties I filed for bankruptcy in 2013, lost the house and we’ve been renting ever since. So no stash of investments await our emergency use. There is no emergency fund. No vacation fund, either. We simply learned to make do.

And to keep busy. Keeping the mind active, keeping the fingers busy, and getting involved in helping others has saved our day. We don’t need saving. Others do. And that fuels a lot of activity, excitement and passion. It makes our days full and rewarding. And for that we are very, very grateful.

For those government and political thinkers who feel social security is an entitlement giveaway rather than an earned benefit, and for those who think seniors don’t have to deal with cost of living increases, just review what I’ve written above. This year we won’t get a small increase in SS benefits. But Medicare premiums reportedly will jump. We just don’t know by how much. That automatically comes out of the SS check. We have no way to budget for this. And my other health insurance premium I’m required to have, keeps going up as well. And rent. And food. And medical attention frequency.

The costs keep rising. The income doesn’t.

This is a perfect, distilled statement of what the middle class and lower middle class have to deal with. It is what the republican party has been attempting to do for many years. And they have succeeded.  Why they think this is important, I’ll never know.

I am a humble person. I need no lessons in humility. As a gay, senior citizen, member of Alcoholics Anonymous, now non-smoker, I’ve learned all the lessons I need to learn about addiction and lack of control. I get it. I accept the responsibility.

Now if all the others would as well. Especially the judgment oriented republican do nothings. They are the ones with blood on their hands.

For shame!

October 21, 2015

Dennis Hastert – Disappointment

OK. I am weighing in on Dennis Hastert and his legal difficulties. No, I don’t give a damn about the banking regulations he evidently fell afoul of, but thanks to them we know something about Hastert that for all the world he didn’t want anyone to know.

I don’t know exactly what it is he doesn’t want to share with everyone. Whatever it is he wants to keep private. I don’t blame him for that. It really doesn’t matter in so many ways.

First of all, Hastert is either gay or a pedophile. Not both. He used his teaching/coaching position to access an underage boy for sexual reasons. That is wrong because it betrays a public trust. It is also wrong because he, being of age, took advantage of a much younger person not of age of consent. Whether this is pedophilia or not, I leave to professional diagnosticians who know the field better than I. I hope he isn’t a pedophile. The act alone doesn’t make him one; the intent and follow through would.

A pedophile is not gay or straight. A pedophile is an adult who is driven to have sexual relations/contact with young people. Most pedophiles have relations with someone of the opposite sex. Doing so with a same gender victim does not make the pedophile gay.

Hastert could be gay, but he would have to clarify that. A gay person is perceived to be not acceptable for teaching positions. I think that perception is haywire and wrong. But I understand why people think this way. They are, however, confusing or conflating two issues into one – gay and pedophile. They are not the same thing.

I’m gay. I understand being interested in same gender persons of many age groups. Like anyone with blood coursing through their veins, sexual interest is not across the board. Some people simply strike you as being more attractive than someone else. Try to categorize that and you might just drive yourself crazy. I’m not sure categorization is even possible!  It is that complex an issue.

So, perhaps Hastert should clarify for all of us whether he considers himself gay or pedophile, or both if such a happenstance is the reality.

His career is over. He is 73 (74 this January) and retired. His lucrative lobbying assignments were ended with the public announcement of his legal problems. He will continue to collect a $200,000 annual pension for being a retired Speaker of the House. He also has his teachers’ pension as well as any social security benefits earned under that system of compensation. Of course Dennis has amassed a lot of wealth from his political career and most likely owns his home(s) and major assets outright without any debt. So his standard of living will continue uninterrupted and at a high level.

If the nation knew he was gay decades ago he most likely would not have been elected to congress. I think that is wrong, and that outcome today might very well be different. But back then, no; he would not have won election. Therefore he would never have had the chance to be Speaker of the House either.

I never voted for Hastert. By the time his district was gerrymandered to include my residence, I was a staunch anti-republican with a strong democratic voting record. But I will say Hastert was a very good congressman for his district. He brought back pork for the area. He represented many views of his constituents well in legislative matters, but most importantly, he intersected the complexity of the federal government with his constituents. His staff was excellent. Communications were timely and accurate.

He was a very good congressman.

If he is gay, that would mean something more to me. I’m gay. I get it. It is the hiding that I also understand but do not celebrate.  When I came out I was free. A lot of repercussions, but at least I was personally free at last. The relief was tremendous.

Since then being gay does not have an effect on my life. I hope it doesn’t on Hastert’s life. He does have family – wife, kids and grand kids – so that must be difficult for him and for them. It is never an easy thing to manage. His age and mine are not much different (I’m 72). We grew up in the same cultural age and milieu. It was not easy being gay. You hid this from everyone. It was the unspoken protocol to follow.

Later Hastert had a lot to lose if he came out as gay. I understand, again, why he chose to remain hidden on this matter. It comes with the gay territory when you were born in the 1940’s.

Where this takes us or him I don’t know. I think he was a good congressman. I disagreed with his politics almost completely. He played national political games for the republicans which I thought seriously were in error for our country. I still think so. But he is a good person. If he is gay he is still a good person. If he is a pedophile, he is a good person with a terrible problem that needs attention, for his good and for the good of others. But jailed at this age? No. That’s not fair. Or reasonable.

I wish Americans would talk more openly about this whole subject matter and come to an understanding. If Americans feel being gay is wrong and an impediment for being a good and productive person, then OK. I certainly don’t agree with that; but at least the public confession would do them all good! Not me; just them.

Meanwhile, I hope Dennis Hastert finds peace on this issue and does well. And his family.

October 20, 2015

Observant

I people watch. A very rewarding pastime. Fun, interesting, instructive.

A person enters the café, finds a seat, looks around at what?...and then sits, scans the menu and makes a selection once the waitress appears at his table. He doesn’t pull out a book, a notepad or a file to review. He just sits there waiting for his food. His gaze rises to the ceiling, then the wall next to him, over to the windows lining the storefront, and finally down at the floor. His eyes do not land on any person. He studies no one in the place. In other words he isn’t doing what I am doing, studying him intently.

I try not to be obvious but I have to observe him. He has become the star player in an imaginary play-let in my mind. I’m conjuring a plot, a story line. And I’m trying to fit him into it. But no; he does not follow any plot line that is handy. He stumps me. Interesting but a personality that I do not understand.

I live in an urban area. Chicago and its suburban surrounds. So, we have traffic and trains and accidents and construction. All of these cause delays. Not to waste time or allow my mind to settle on nothing, I have a book with me at all times. I read. If so moved I write. Wait time is productive time.

Same with my business travel. I had lots of restaurant and hotel time to fill. I often reviewed my clients notes and prepared for meetings and planning sessions. But I couldn’t do that endlessly. So I read a lot. I was thus not lonely when I traveled on business. I found a way to use the alone time productively.

At a family party with extended generations and several age groups people watching is rich. Especially the youngest ones. They mingle with each other easily and when tired move off quickly to pursue something entirely different – alone or with another kid. I don’t recall doing this as a child. I recall being shy and reserved. I followed the leader or sat impatiently until an adult nudged me off to play with the other kids.

Today’s children seem much more animated and involved than my generation was. Or was that just me? Was my shyness masking what others did? I’ll never know. Nor is it particularly important.

Oh, maybe it is. I observe my granddaughters and their interaction with others. They are amazing. They are musical, agile, easy mixers with other people (of all ages!) and have instinctive and curious minds that analyze quickly. There is ample intellect present and it is being exercised. Was I that way when I was their age? Could I even remember this accurately? I doubt it.

A group of retired people working on a project. Each has been a successful careerist in his/her day. All have minds that quickly capture details and forward themes. They buzz about tasks and options to pursue. They are amiable and animated.

But they make decisions slowly, not quite deliberatively, but haltingly and in fits and bursts. Usually some ill-temper appears as points are argued and played out. One can tell egos are involved. So too remembered authority from before retirement when an opinion carried weight and maybe a little more power. So the learning fields are rich to observe in this setting.

Organizational development is present in both volunteer and professional organizations. Also in for profit and non profit settings. OD is instructive and challenging. What makes one organization excel at processing decision making while another stumbles and trips continually? What propels one organization to invent new products, services and cultures while others remain stodgy and mired in the past? How do we reward these two different organizations?

And how do the individuals embraced in each organization fare overall? Do they live lives of expectation, reward, growth and future? Or are they dwarfed, stifled, maintained?

I’d rather live in a challenging environment that is caught up in creating something new and exciting. I wonder how observing these two different organizations would be different and instructive? Boring or interesting?

So many different kinds of people. The interactions of them are even more different. It is why we have different communication styles, different thinking modes, highly differentiated conclusions, and life styles.

No wonder a society as diverse and challenged as America accomplishes so much, and wastes even more! It is not pretty or efficient. But it does make life interesting!

October 19, 2015

Thought for the Day

A quote from Abraham Lincoln to think about:

         "No man has a memory good enough to be a perfect liar."

Yes, something to think about!

October 17, 2015

Volatile Stock Markets

Well, Wednesday the Dow was down 149 points. Thursday it is up about 210 points. That’s volatility, folks. In spades!

And the sub-headline on the internet is that stock traders are betting on a delay in raising interest rates by the Fed. Well, tut tut!

I’ve said in this space many times before the Fed ought not raise interest rates unless and until they are fighting an overheated economy with indicators such as inflation, runaway salaries and wages, and such as that.

No way are those indicative of current conditions. Salaries and wages are stuck in neutral. Most households earn less today than they did 12 years ago when ‘inflation’ is calculated in. Also Social Security benefits have been frozen even while Medicare premiums are staged for a major increase. For senior citizens cost of living is directly tied to cost of medical care. Period.  So if SS benefits aren’t rising, then interest rates don’t need a push, either.

Same with asset values, mainly real estate. Homes and commercial properties weathered a severe drop in value for several years. They are now improving, but not across the board. Even then the improvement is not major. A lot of  'lost ground' needs to be made up first.

The political chat these days centers much on economics. Funny thing – actually tragic thing – is that most people don’t have any idea what economics are and how they work. They simply don’t. I think it would be a great idea if all TV stations ran documentary quality TV programs on the basics of Economics 101 and 102. The mystery would be deposed instantly. And finally public policy issues would be easier to conjure and decide.

I heard an interview over NPR Thursday morning. The ‘expert’ claims that republicans have been effective in stalling the government from spending and wasting public funds. He estimated that over $2 trillion had been ‘saved’ during their reign of terror.

Actually, I’d like to understand how he arrived at the $2 trillion figure. I doubt it is that high. But then I also count public funds as investments in how well the country works and functions. During this time of congressional impasse our nation stands witness to ineffective education systems (the public working skills don’t match what the employers say they need and want), the infrastructure crumbles and takes more lives with it as it does so. Furthermore, failing infrastructure is an obstacle to company operations and improved standards of living.

We take much for granted in America. And we and we are too quick to criticize the very things we do not understand. Speaking in public, writing in public, etc., does not require any of us to have credentials to do so. More’s the shame of it.

America is a very intelligent nation and society that seems to have a cruel knack for demonstrating massive stupidity. It causes me great concern over and over again.

For all intents we don’t need to do anything to lose our nation to a foreign enemy. All they have to do is wait until the dumbest among us wakes up to turn out the lights. Then they will surely walk right in and do what they want with us all.

The ‘left behind’ phenomenon is about to begin folks. Won’t you please nudge your fellow neighbor and family member and ask them to smarten up?

Thank you. Thank you very much!

October 16, 2015

Herding Cats

I’ve spent most of my career working with volunteer organizations. Even those that didn’t think they were volunteer were, in actuality, volunteer by nature of who they served. I might have been paid by the University of Illinois to work with them, but most of the students were involved in extracurricular activities they agreed to do. They didn’t have to. Therefore, we had to work with them as volunteers. And that placed stresses and strains on staff accordingly.

Same with alumni of the institution; they didn’t have to do anything with the campus. We were lucky if some alums showed up and agreed to perform volunteer duties. Also with parents of students. We did what we had to do to keep everyone happy. If heavy duty professional work was required to fill in gaps among volunteers, so be it. That came with the territory.

The same dynamics appear in church work. Very few are paid staff in that setting. Most of us are volunteers. And home owner associations, ditto. PTA, Boy Scouts of America, Girls Scouts, and so on. Each is a volunteer organization at their very roots. So all of us, whether paid or not, conformed to volunteer cultures.

Now, getting people to do good work under voluntary circumstances is interesting. It requires discipline, skill-sets from many professional career disciplines, as well as sheer perseverance of belief in mission. Along the way fellow travelers either get excited by the mission and the long term vision for the organization, or they don’t. Those that do become long term volunteers. Fixtures, even. Those that don’t get excited, are short-termers in the organization. Trouble is, you never know for sure who is who.

Organizing the efforts of volunteers, therefore, is like herding cats. They do exactly what they want to do, feel at the moment to do, and are quick to change their minds without notice. Just like a cat. I’ll sit on the window sill and soak up sunshine; don’t bother me at this moment. Later I’ll catch up with you; if I feel like it.

Sound like herding or leading? Neither, you say? You are probably right on the money!

Regardless, if you believe in the purpose of the organization you will follow through and do what you can to make it work as best as possible. So many organizations survive on this: hospitals, schools, PTA, HOAs, fraternal organizations, churches, synagogues and temples. Mosques, too, I bet!

I got excited at the diversity of our town’s artists. They were quite good. Not just crafters, but artists. Very creative and articulate, also mind bending. So I thought we should have a community organization that supported the arts, artists, and interactions through exhibits, concerts, recitals and art fairs. Enough volunteers stepped forward to get the group off the ground. We incorporated, got our 501c3 status approved, opened a checking account, wrote grant requests, and received early funding for concerts and exhibits. We worked hard producing a concert series, an exhibit series, and attempted to conduct art classes to engage more artists and budding artists living within the community. We did this work for seven seasons.

Exhausted, the dwindling number of volunteers became overworked and decided to shut down the organization. We had been successful financially. We had been successful producing a diverse family of events. The community began to know who we were and supported our mission.

Our volunteers, however, did not grow in number, and the public didn’t support us in volunteer growth. Those of us left had our own reasons for being involved and didn’t always abide by what needed to be done. So internal discipline began to slip and the cat mentality became more pronounced.

The herd refused to be led. Sort of like modern day republicans, don’t you know? Sometimes this interaction pattern is refreshing and conducive to producing new thinking and philosophical shifts. Mostly, however, the pattern exhausts the poor devil volunteers who remain in the active ranks.

And they die of overwork. Each and every one of them. Sometimes with a smile on their lips, sometimes with a grimace. Each knows the fight is for good, but appreciation for personal efforts appears lacking inevitably. And then the death knell is heard.

Not a gasp. Not a rale or rattle. Just an evermore silenced sigh.

Cats don’t lead. They do. Just do.

October 15, 2015

Involvement

Out of the mist of the mind come repeated images and hints of ideas. Often these are so incomplete I don’t know what they mean or even to what they refer. An active mind, however, draws other ideas forward. Not all are clearly relative to one another.

In a meeting yesterday I did catch a glimpse of meaning. Played with it awhile and finally had a better notion of what to do with it. This post is the result however incomplete!

The title of this piece is ‘involvement’ but I mean it as a question: to be involved or not, and then with what?

Ah! That begins to beg more questions.

I am an involved person. Have been most of my life. If someone asks for help with a project I usually step in. If I’m asked to be on a board for some organization or other, I quickly learn what the organization’s mission is, and what it is doing to fulfill that mission. Soon I learn what the problems are, what the blockages to mission fulfillment the board has been struggling with.

That realization begins a new phase of involvement with that organization. Eventually, once I’m pooped out helping them regain balance and effectiveness, I move on to another organization with similar needs. I didn’t start out to do this work, it just happened.

When I was a kid the stock phrase was ‘Let George Do It’. Because my name is George people poked me in the ribs and suggested I should ‘do it’. And so it went. I became a professional volunteer. That led to countless positions on boards of directors, some chairmanships, a presidency or two, and some career changes. It also led me to studying strategic planning and organizational development.

Now in retirement I am as busy as ever and the threat is to accelerate that busy-ness. Lately I’ve questioned whether this is a good thing or not, or even if it is inevitable. Do I really need to be this involved in things.

In the past involvement taught me much. I recall one day doing my taxes and marveling at the embarrassment of riches when I suddenly realized all of my income came directly from what I used to volunteer for. In time the work became full time and a paid career. Not once had I thought this would be, or even wished for it. It just happened.

Well, here I am at 72 wondering if I’m doing too much and should slow down. Besides, this blog is filled with my frustrations with what’s wrong in our society and what needs to be fixed. If I’m not willing to be involved in that, who will be? Does it follow that no one will be involved if I’m not?

No; it doesn’t follow. Someone will step forward because many people are like me. We know we can do better as an organization, a society, a people, or whatever. All that’s needed is a willing hand and some good ideas shared willingly!  Yeah, sure. Someone will step forward.

But you know what? Someone does step forward. Maybe they don’t say or do what I would but then their actions speak as well as mine would. So no; I don’t have to be the guy who gets involved every time.

In fact doing so might be proof positive that I’m a control freak and think I have all the answers. I don’t. I ask more questions than I find answers for. That’s why I know I’m not a control freak.

But the issue is uncomfortably near to me. I just might harbor those control issues!

So, what do I do about this? Do I still get involved but ask others to step up and take on tasks and leadership roles? Do I stand by and let others do this in place of me?

The world happened a long time before I came on the scene. It will go on a long time after I’ve left as well! Meanwhile good things get done by good people. Bad people cause trouble but good people respond and make it right. In the doing of all this we learn a lot about ourselves and our abilities. We also get to rethink what we believe and value. That’s always a refreshing thing to do.

So, I’m involved now in a heavy role of which I’m uncertain. I have much to learn. Learning will keep me fresh and energized. But will it lead to the effective results the organization needs? Time will tell. And maybe it doesn’t depend on me anymore.

That would be a refreshing discovery. And a relief!

October 14, 2015

Popularity

Let’s see, President Obama aced a recent Gallup Poll conducted internationally and here at home. He was named the most admired man on the planet. For the seventh straight year! Of course political enemies abound and they are fuming. They wonder how they can hold such a negative view of Mr. Obama while a clear majority in and out of our nation feel the opposite.

The other day John McCain said the Syrian foreign policy is a debacle. He should know; he and Mr. Bush helped create that policy. And McCain continues to push for more American arms in Syria and more American boots on the ground as well. War is Mr. McCain’s business. He can’t wage war if he doesn’t foment it in Libya, Syria, Somalia, Turkey, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, and most of the –stans (Turkestan, et. al.). If McCain had his way we would be at perpetual war throughout the Middle East. Of course the reason is dimly viewed. I guess it is to protect the oil supply which is funny because we really don’t need Middle Eastern oil. If we pursued other energy policies and supplies we wouldn’t need any foreign oil. Or perhaps his warlike stance is an exaggerated posture of machismo? 

And Chris Christie thinks the Syrian problem is so bad and so obviously Mr. Obama’s fault that he pushes Obama to leave the White House early so republicans can get an early crack at settling the regional problems there. One wonders if he will align with John McCain and go to war throughout the Middle East as well.

You know republicans made this mess in the Middle East. And anytime someone tries to add a voice of reason and renew peace talks, the problem makers claim Israel would be wronged and thus the peace talks fail. With a guy like Netanyahu as Israel’s prime minister, no wonder nothing gets done. And the republicans have not seen a law they liked that attempted to make Israel more accountable for its own troubles and trouble making.

Mr. Putin loves this disarray in Congress. He sees it as an opportunity to step in and make some hay. Don’t the republicans get this? Don’t they see what they are doing with America’s reputation and reliability? America’s woes in the world are because we take strong steps to protect the innocent and keep the peace. We don’t give in to tyrants and despots. But we don’t rattle swords and shoot from the hip with real guns because others have to make up their own minds about what is what.

Putin enters Syria, shoots at American allies and supports the tyrant Assad. He does this to goad the US. He does this to goad China and other nations into taking a stronger position against the West and western allies. It is in his DNA to do this. He is also posturing for his citizens. He knows he is powerless in assets, cash and military materiel. He struts for show, not for purpose. The rest of us get this. Why don’t the republicans?

Because they do get it. They just want you and I to think that maybe they are right. But not so!

In other posts I have often said republicans state what they want you and I to believe and think. They support this tactic so much that they repeat the statements over and over again. Evidently they are trying to convince themselves as well. After all, repeating something must make it true or truer with time.

Not really. Two plus two still equals four. Russia cannot win a war in the Middle East. He has no friends, no armies among allies, and most importantly, no funding sponsor to make this happen. Wait him out. Assad is a goner. Do not implant our troops and arms in that nation any more than we already have done so. Putin is fighting a pipe dream like most bullies. He thinks his presence is all it takes.

Well it doesn’t. And I think he knows it.  This is just a game for him. He knows it. The republicans evidently don’t. More’s the pity.

If this is the case, then it’s time for the wannabe republican presidential candidates to do the right thing and press forward a positive view of America, one filled with support and commitment for doing the right thing because it is the right thing to do. Currently you would never know they are loyal Americans at all.

Tsk tsk!

October 13, 2015

Republican Agenda?

Just what do the republicans want? In Washington DC or anywhere else? They say they want to govern their way. What does that mean? Exactly? What are the rest of us getting involved in if they get their wish? Is this something we can all manage well or is there a disconnect that is impenetrable?

I think it well if we revisited the beginnings of this struggle. And no, it didn’t start with Obama’s election effort nine years ago, or Clinton’s back in the 1990’s. No, the beginning happened in the 1980’s, and I can personally affirm I felt the tremors of change occurring in the 1960’s. That is when I was most active. I know most of you will find that hard to believe, and even a bit assumptive on my part. But in the last half of the 1960’s I was very idealistic, young and filled with purpose and vigor. I just knew I could make a difference and I worked at it.

With the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy, my idealism was severely tested but I turned that into a call to the seminary and left the business world. Seminary was not the answer for me, either; I needed to be involved where life was happening and to me that was the world of work, industry and commerce. Culture intersected with business all the time; so did all of us who had to work for a living.

After college but before grad school (three years) I volunteered nearly forty hours per week in republican organization work. In those days we campaigned to provide balance to the democrat machine then in charge of Chicago. We elected a republican as Cook County Sheriff (Richard Olgivie) who went on to become governor and the guy who installed a much needed income tax so the state could pay its bills and enter the modern age.

We also elected Chuck Percy as US Senator. Percy was broadly touted as a potential presidential candidate; that never happened but the dance was fun to watch! Countless other republican candidates were elected via our efforts for congress and the state house as well as some powerful county and municipal elections.

Accompanying these campaign activities were countless banquets and cocktail parties. We schmoozed with the highest and the mightiest. Also the wannabes! But what changed my mind about being involved with republican politics was the mindless conservative chatter that began making its way around all circles of republicans. It was too bad, too, because most of the talk was empty ideology that spouted anti-communism (where no threat was present), deficit spending (which was a miniscule measure compared with today’s), and liberal control over all facets of American life. Keynesian economics was a popular enemy to scourge. For some reason every conservative thought Keynesian theory was akin to communism. It isn’t. They just said it was.

But that doesn’t make it so. Just like today in 2015 (50 years later!). Saying something is so doesn’t make it so, even if they repeat it 1000 times.

So I gave up on the republicans back in the early 1980’s. They allowed religion to be a political topic. They accepted lobbyist donations to write planks in the party platform. Most party members were expected to pass a litmus test of loyalty. It was a party that excluded low income, black, immigrant and brown people. And they were proud of it.  Proud! I couldn’t believe the undemocratic process they used to make policy for the party, and couldn’t accept the discriminatory basis upon which they chose people to mingle with.

In short the republican party became the opposite of what Abraham Lincoln would have wanted it to be. And that I could not abide. So I left the party behind. Many years ago, now. And they have only gotten worse in their party platform.

Let me see if I have their agenda down. If you disagree, by all means say so, but be sure to have citations ready to back up your point.

1. Women don’t get to choose about the outcome of their pregnancy; abortions are strictly rejected. Men and religious belief dictate this policy, not medicine, science or freedom; we won’t discuss caring for an unwanted child born into poverty and chaos; that’s for someone else to worry about, and definitely not the government's business.
2. Government is a distrusted concept. No programs are to be funded by tax collections including these:
1. Public education unless no one wants to do it; and then, private providers get to choose the religion, the science and the ethnic minority/majority they serve
2. Higher education including critical research and development projects, unless of course the defense industry is funding the research, or a private corporation itching to hitch their wagon to public domain discoveries for their own private gain
3. Public infrastructure is off limits unless no one wants to fund it and everyone needs it; but wait, if a private business has enough government guarantees against loss, then they reserve the right to build and own the infrastructure so they can charge for its use to one and all in a monopoly
4. Foreign policy is forbidden that doesn’t exactly conform to our ideology; and for little reason do we fund foreign aid to nations needing help
5. All medical care is to be performed by private parties for those who can pay for it; all others are not to be served for any reason
6. Social welfare programs are a communist plot and must be paid for from voluntary charitable donations or church sponsored programs
3. Law enforcement and the judicial system wouldn’t be necessary if everyone were Christian, wealthy and hard working. Thus no government funds should be used for this function.

The foolishness of this post is obvious. However, what say republicans to these points?

Do they really distrust their local municipal governments, county agencies, state and regional authorities and all of the federal entities they actually rely on day to day without knowing?  Really? If yes, how do they propose to fix what is now so broken in their view? If not, what are they complaining about, and what then do they want done about it?

I’m only asking. And I’m waiting.  Waiting.  Waiting.

October 12, 2015

Thought for the Day

Bring cheer to someone else. Smile.

That’s all it will take to turn the day around for someone struggling. Try it and see!

October 10, 2015

Art of Blame

Reading the headlines this morning I read Rupert Murdoch wondering aloud whether Ben Carson might be America’s first real black president. Another headline, this one from the sports world, had Kaepernick (the 49er’s star quarterback) lashing back at his critics. Then there are the stories about vaccinations – whether we are too reliant on them to prevent diseases and wind up increasing the public’s vulnerability for other health risks. And so it goes. Every day we encounter more questions posed in the media about some topic or other.

They start of course from one person’s idea of what is right or wrong, or normal or odd, usual or twisted. Someone finds the disharmony is a subject and writes about it. Sort of like I’m doing right now.

Disharmony is a condition of mis-balance. It tugs at us and shouts something is wrong. Like the unbalanced wheel on the car when it informs us of such at higher speeds and the wheel vibrates, even bounces repeatedly. Our driving control is hampered. We have less braking distance, or less steering accuracy. Something is off and we must fix it. The noise and vibration from the wheel is disconcerting and requires attention.

The wash of news headlines or story subheadings do that same thing for me. Something vibrates in my head warning of a growing presence of disharmony in the news. What is it? Is the pattern clear enough? Is a response needed? And from me? Now?

Well, let’s see. Rupert Murdoch, of course, distributes the news because that is the business he is in – publishing. Unfortunately, some publishers think they ought to create the news, or at least funnel what they think is important to the rest of the public. Same thing begins to happen. Eventually there is a prism used to select stories or view them in a larger sense that fits a pattern predetermined in the publisher’s mind. Such is the path of subjective news editing. And Rupert is famous for it.

The trail of failed newspapers he has left behind is proof of this. All too bad. Both for the papers and the public they purported to serve. The trust in the papers is spent; the public’s understanding of the issues poor and distorted.

Time. It takes time. To make judgments. To understand broad thrusts of issues – topics – subjects – so that we see how they intersect with the larger story of society’s meandering through history. It is not predetermined. It is not a slam dunk. For anyone.

It is merely opinion unless and until cogent thought and research is performed to broaden the base of thinking that leads to conclusions with merit.

“The first real black president?” What on earth does Rupert mean by that? Is it a slam against Mr. Obama? Is it an endorsement of Carson? Or is it a bad boy being a bad boy?

I think the latter is closer to the truth. As I said it takes time to make good judgments. Perspective builds slowly through experience. Nearly eight years of the Obama presidency and I have a comfortable feeling that his tenure will be viewed as a turning point in public policy and politics. A seminal presidency. Fact holds sway against opinion and emotion. History is built on facts carefully curried so they don’t get lost. Admission of errors when they occur so we can avoid them in the future. The human experience is never 100% accurate – but always true to its nature. The latter is built on error and trial and correction. That is how we learn. It is how we improve ourselves.

Better done when we are mostly pulling in the same direction rather than atomizing our efforts across the board trying to lay blame for a negative happening. Yes, stuff happens, as Jeb Bush so eloquently uttered. But what we do about the ‘stuff happening’ is what sets us all apart in the long run. Did we respond intelligently to ward off re-occurrences of future stuff happening? Are we protecting our public appropriately, or is this really the Wild West of the 19^th century America returning to life? I doubt that. Too many people, too much density of population, too much diversity and too much common good to ignore.

Blaming is not helpful. Understanding causation is. Researching and thinking is another.

Kaepernick’s quarter back talent is enormous. The head game others implant on him is also part of the game. Let him work it out. He has done beautifully in the past. He will do so again. Ben Carson continues to wobble from issue to issue attempting to find a happy course; not yet has he found it, but eventually he may. He is calm. He is nice, seemingly. But is he historic? Does he understand the issues in their broad context of history and cultural evolution? Can he govern because of that?

He will need that, Rupert. For now we have a President who does understand history – American and World history. Obama also understands the US Constitution intimately. He is an expert in constitutional law. He also has first hand experience with building community organizations in under-served neighborhoods. He understands those dynamics. And he can place them accurately within the context of the nation’s agenda of building healthy futures for the society.

Everyone else is a critic. Only a critic. They have not struggled with engineering solutions to stubborn problems. They have not attempted to gain larger understanding among a diverse population to gain support for one solution over another. They have not been the manager of compromise so needed in a democracy to move forward day after day.

The current President has been leading a nation like a man dogged by a pack of wild dogs all nipping at and gripping at his ankles and legs. He is dragging the pack along. Unwilling as they are, he is showing them the future they deny.

And Murdoch and other blamers forget there is an opposite art we all desperately need to learn.

The art of leadership and perseverance. Obama has that lesson well learned. The pack made it so.

History will so mark this accomplishment, of that I am certain.

October 9, 2015