Monday, September 30, 2019

Tired and Disgusted


Lies. Storytelling. Fabrication. Corruption. Power brokering. Money grubbing. National and regional sordid deals. International dirty deeds.


Is there no depth of dishonesty this president and his team won’t stoop to? Republican allies – senators, congressmen, Republican National Committee, donors and elder statesmen in the GOP – go along with this? No one’s feet are held to the fire. No responsibility or accountability is exercised.


Yes, I am disgusted. Yes, I am profoundly disappointed and embarrassed in our reputation as a nation. This simply is not what defines us. I know that. Most of you know that as well. Yet anytime someone stands to raise an objection they are shouted down. Political cat calls are tossed back and forth. Party labels and politics seem to hold sway. And always the disguised threat of violence. Fear.


But, this is America. This is your country and mine. I speak in defense of American ethics and honesty. Our basic values are solid and good. Of course mistakes have been made. Some people are too weak to do the right thing when called upon to do so. Others take advantage of situations to gain more power or wealth or fame for themselves. Like Mitch McConnell. He used to be honest and trustworthy. No more. He does nothing but buttress the defenses of the GOP. And his own bank account. He is a very wealthy man these days. So is his wife. Very wealthy.


Same for most senators, democrats, too. What is it that builds their wealth? Their salaries are not that high. Their benefits hold them mostly harmless to rising costs, in medical care, in vacations, in sick time, in travel, in gifts and emoluments that go uncounted. They have expense accounts and free offices. They have budgets paid for by taxpayers to hire their staff to do the work of the nation, only much of that work ends up padding their own resumes and investments.


I’m tired of politics. I’m tired of labels. I’m tired of little getting accomplished while huge problems roar off the tracks. Who is in charge of this mess?  Certainly not the White House. Not the Congress either. Nor the Supreme Court. I’d say pretty much the government of the USA is not working for the people. Yet it is we the people who own this nation lock stock and barrel. It is we who have the say in all things. all power and wealth come from us.


Don’t forget that.


This is in our states too. Illinois just came out of a dark and dirty era where nothing much got done. Voters finally tossed most of the bums out and new work is being done. It will take years to repair the damage. Years. Costly and slow progress to emerge from the depths of political despair. And foolish waste of our birthrights. All for what? For the power and wealth of politicians with little morals.


With gridlock in state houses and in Congress, it’s time to discuss whether our system needs renewal. Current political organizations are not working. My personal belief is the republicans and the conservatives are mostly to blame for what ails us. But liberals and democrats are not blameless. It takes a lot of people to get this much dark work accomplished. Dirty, selfish and demoralizing.


What will it take to undo this? What tools do we the people have to take back our country and live up to its dreams and vision? Surely there are enough of us willing to do the heavy lifting to accomplish a great turnaround. Surely?


Please tell me this is possible.


September 30, 2019


Friday, September 27, 2019

Outcomes Desired


I’ve said this before, in this space, probably several times.  Basically, this is the message:


Dream the outcome you hope for. Define it well. Then figure out how to make it come about.


That statement is the core of all successful strategic planning. It is difficult – if not impossible – to figure out what needs to be fixed and then do it if you don’t know where your going in the first place. The destination – the outcome – is the target, the goal. What do you want to be when you grow up? What do you want your organization – church, company, school, nonprofit, government, society – to be like 10 or 15 years from now?  What is your/our dream of the future with regard to something specific?


I often use the example of the challenge proffered by John F Kennedy: “Let us place a man on the moon by the end of this decade (1969).” And we did just that.


We didn’t know how to do that, not then. We knew where Earth was, and the moon, and we had experimented with high apogee rocket shots into space, but we hadn’t sent a man into space at the time. We knew our target was the moon, but we still had to invent our way there. And back, keeping the crew alive and well in both directions of the journey. And then be able to do it again and again.


We were inventing the future then. We are still doing that today, discovering new facts, processes, materials and science. We are making things happen.


What we are not doing very well is identifying goals that are challenging and worthwhile for mankind. Oh, some of that is going on, but a lot is not. It would be great if we truly defined one goal to be peace on Earth, goodwill toward all mankind. We have played around with that one for a very long time; made some progress, but we always seem to lose our way and slip back to ground zero.

If we don’t define what we want, it is a certainty we won’t obtain it.


It should go without saying that what we want needs to be a positive thing for the benefit of a whole lot of people. This should not be a selfish goal. Greatness comes from unselfish visions. Tyranny results from selfish visions writ large.


It will pay us well to consider visionary goals. They will contain the most value. Here are a few that come to my mind:


·        Healthcare for all regardless of ability to pay

·        Education for all dependent only on ability and desire

·        Eco-friendly environment healthy for all

·        Goodwill toward all mankind


There are others bouncing around in my head, but these will do for starters. Good ones, too, I think. These will affect a quality of life for all that makes so much more possible. Imagine the exciting new careers and industries invented by the above? Think of the possibilities. Know that money saved in negative endeavors will be used in positive ones.


Knowing what we are aiming to accomplish enables us to invent a way forward. We will build new platforms from which to launch fresh futures. We will unlock the unknown to a world of fresh possibility.


All we have to do is envision, define, and try.


I’m ready. Are you?


September 27, 2019


Thursday, September 26, 2019

Push and Pull of Policy


As a mom or dad, the kids ask you for something you are not sure of. They want an allowance let’s say, and you wonder how this should be done. On one hand the kids need to learn about money and how to handle it, what gives it value, and so forth. On the other hand, what do they do to earn the allowance?  Is this a weekly stipend for inhabiting the planet? Or is it a recognition of routine chores done daily?  Are those chores happenstance or assigned? Is there a formal ‘agreement’ on who does what when and under what circumstances?


In short what is the purpose of the allowance?  All the above, and then, maybe we are making too much of it?


In my mind this is the stuff policy is made of. What is the positive outcome that drives the need for the decision, the agreement? What are the pros and cons of the issue? What unintended consequences might arise from our actions? Are we creating a solution or a future problem?


The push and pull of policy formation is hard work. Essentially, it is the tug between you and us, me and them, the singular benefit of a person versus the fairness and utility to the community of ‘we.’


A policy is an attempt to solve a known problem.  Sounds easy; it isn’t.


Like the allowance matter, one child deserves the money purely from his cooperation and readiness to help with the chores. His sister doesn’t pitch in often and handles every task as a matter of homestead slavery. We know the type! One allowance is a reward while the other is ransom. How then is the matter settled for the now and going forward? How can it be instructive AND rewarding?


Ah, the art of policy making resides in humble places; and very high ones like the White House and Congress. And everywhere in between. Effort is required and must be done if the jobs entrusted to the primary players is to be done.


Protecting the rights of an individual is tantamount to protecting the rights of all. When the rights clash with the good of the public, however, order and health of the community is at stake. How do we handle that balance?


Take immigration; it is a mess precisely because decision makers refuse to manage the policy issues early enough when they are simple to understand. Mounting complexity bars progress until we have the Orwellian mess we confront today. This is not a blame game (although the seeds are there!), it is rather a plea to take responsibility for the tasks necessary to manage the complex realities.


America was founded on being a place of personal freedom, religious freedom for sure, but a whole lot of other freedoms as well. Freedom of assembly, speech, bear arms, and more. These were attendant to the ‘free pursuit of life, liberty and happiness.’ Freedom begins with the person, each of us. But for what good? I suggest it is for the good of the community, the assembled individuals who comprise the community. Extend the community to town, city, county and state; then to the nation; and then to all nations. From one to all. From you to the global village.


We cannot ignore policy formation. None is more important to Americans than immigration policy. Immigrants define us. How we treat them defines us as well. I suggest the two are worlds apart presently.


The president ought not solve this. Congress should. It is their job. Time to do it is long past. How about now?


September 26, 2019


Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Virtue and Virtuous?


A reader commented on how did I become so virtuous?  I don’t know how to answer him. I don’t see myself as virtuous, whatever that means. I see myself as an honest questioner of life and its happenings and delve into all of that to discern meaning. Meaning of a lot of things. An open questioner of reality, I guess. If that makes me virtuous, then I plead guilty. Only, I don’t really think that is the definition of the term.


Take yesterday’s post, I came out in favor of a Democrat Presidential ticket of Buttigieg and Warren, with Warren as VP. I explained my thinking. I offered the thought that age does and should have a lot to do with voter decision making. Biden is too old for the job. But his experience and temperament make him an excellent statesman to guide and mentor younger pols who are able and willing to lead the nation. Same for Bernie Sanders. He is a gifted thought provoker and agenda builder. I truly respect him, but still think he is too old to be President.


Does this make me an ageist? Probably, yes. I don’t mean to be discriminatory over age, but I do fear both Biden and Sanders might not live out a full term, let alone two. The chaos of a president dying in office is real. Timing is everything in the White House and a lot depends on that timing. I don’t want death to be a part of that scene if it is avoidable. And it is, at the ballot box.


OK, so Warren is 70 and at the cusp of what I consider too old to serve in the President’s chair. The next best thing is VP where the role is more modest and controlled. She is a thinker and doer in so many ways, and filled with energy. Focus that and watch what happens!  I don’t want her sidelined.


I don’t think any of the above is virtuous. It does choose a path to write about. If readers don’t agree, that’s OK with me. I’m not writing to change minds, just expand them with whatever musings I have that may be of value. That’s all.


Rather than labeling me, I would prefer the reader to share his logic and choices to date. They do change, and I reserve the right to change mine by election day. Meanwhile, don’t we all just struggle to define and understand all the facts available to us?


That’s an open society. I treasure that.


September 25, 2019


Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Another Trip to Chicago


A speech therapy appointment at Northwestern Memorial Hospital was the focus of this day. Son John drove us into the city for an 11:30 appointment. Traffic was lighter at that time of day, but still, construction reigns all over the region, especially on the doorstep of the city itself.


After days of heavy rain, the sun dawned bright on a chilly morning - 58 degrees, light breeze and a diminutive cloud or two. Clear blue skies with amazing hues. A lovely day to venture out.


Speech comes slowly with Rocky. The Electrolarynx (buzzer thingy) needs to be placed just so under the mouth in the crook of the next. Then mouthing words with great exaggeration and lip movement helps form the block of air in the mouth cavity. The buzzing does the rest and lo and behold, words are audible.


Sometimes, that is. It helps if you are facing him and reading his lips for verification. Otherwise heads turn to me to help them understand! I’m as much in the dark as they.


So, we advance day by day, week by week. Rocky’s medical condition is very good. He has healed from surgery. In a couple of weeks we will visit the surgeon again and he will maybe tell us if radiation therapy is needed just to be sure the cancer is gone, gone, gone. We think it is vanquished and hope radiation won’t be necessary.


Meanwhile, 32 pounds were lost and maybe 8 regained. Color is back, activity simmers within. Rocky appears to be the Rocky of yesteryear. That’s the good news. The bad – or maybe negative – is Parkinson’s is more vigorous and hampers walking, stride and exercise. The physical therapy sessions ended last week but Rocky is still prone to freezing up in mid step and then falling.


He has returned a bit to cooking. Much appreciated. We still go out for cheap fast meals. And we nosh on snacks to push meal times farther down the clock. Saturday, we feasted on roasted chicken from the supermarket; it was super good. We had missed that menu for many months. Stuffing and Brussels sprouts accompanied the bird and were delicious. We dined that evening!


I have yet to return to the stove as I had many years ago in early divorce era. I still think of those menus and how good they were. Rocky, however, needs softer foods to chew. A pork chop might take too long to be of any value! But the rice and sauce would be great, but then he doesn’t care for mushroom soup sauce!  Maybe that supper menu should remain in hiding.


Meanwhile we do enjoy a good hamburger from whatever joint is handy. Not good for the physique (!), but lovely for the tongue.


Ah!


September 24, 2019


Monday, September 23, 2019

Political Exhaustion


Saw poll results that concluded Americans are exhausted with the current political climate. As a result, they want Trump gone and a fresh start. This news resonated with me. Readers of this blog know I am no fan of tRump, never have been. There are so many reasons why it is difficult to choose where to start.


I write this blog daily and have always had something to write about. Lately I have tried to be removed from the political circus. It is tiring and inconsequential. All the circus accomplishes is upset and questions. Routines vanish and unknowns posited. Tension grows in place. Answers don’t come. The upset continues and expands.


This is the source of my exhaustion.


But it goes on to other dimensions of the same thing. If trouble is present, what are the solutions? Who will step up to lead us after sorting through the jumbled mess that defines America today?


Well, that’s another problem. We have a chorus of screeching voices saying ‘Vote for me.’ So many voices it is hard to distinguish them one from another. When we finally catch up to the current list of candidates, there are reasons to avoid many. Some are inexperienced. Some are single issue candidates. Many are too old to take on this task. That leaves a few to consider seriously, and I do. Meanwhile the weaker candidates in the polls withdraw from the race. The field of candidates is sizing down to a manageable number.


So, left in my view are: Warren and Buttigieg.  The elders are Biden, Sanders, and well, Warren.  I have had other favorites: Booker, but I hear he is considering withdrawal; Beto O’Rourke, but his traction is slipping; Kamala Harris, but her numbers are falling fast; Andrew Yang, his numbers never took hold. So that leaves Warren and Buttigieg.


Warren’s problem in my view is two-fold: too strident; and too old, although that is marginal. I think she has the right issues in view and holds workable positions on those issues. Her stridency, however, wears me out. I prefer a reasoned approach without the shouting and the urging. I want to consider the issues broadly, research them, come up with options to follow, decide and go after the solution. She frenzies me. Maybe that’s an age thing, maybe not.


Buttigieg is calm, issue oriented, and unruffled in thinking through the logic of our problems as a nation. He is not in a rush to fix everything, and I feel I can trust him in carefully weighing which issues need work first, and which will come later when we have more time and infrastructure to handle them. We need not be in a rush to fix everything. Let’s take our time and do it right.


And for certain, let’s include voices and viewpoints that have been unserved of late.


Yes, Buttigieg is gay. But then, so am I and it doesn’t bother me one bit. Nor should it bother anyone else. His agenda is not gay, but American. He is not running as a gay man, but as an American who has served his country in the military, fought a messy war in an ungovernable place, governed in local grass roots arenas, and struggled with municipal problems which get personal in a hurry.


Hmm. Sounds like I’m supporting Buttigieg for President. Didn’t expect that. Maybe Elizabeth Warren and he can be a winning team in November 2020? And then lead our nation out of its current mess?


Yes, I’ll ponder that match-up and see where it leads. Not ready to be all in yet, but think I’m leaning this way.


September 23, 2019

Friday, September 20, 2019

Reactions


None, really. Yesterday’s post was the ‘World’s Shortest Play.’ It was four lines. I’m don’t know how many people saw it or read it. Or even if they wondered what was meant by it.


The genesis of the ‘play’ were thoughts running through my head in the wee hours of that morning. Random thoughts pricking my consciousness. One series of ideas played with the concept of past – present – future. Consciously thinking of the past is what we mainly do, attending to the present is always a struggle of focus; but the future? Now that is always a looming in our lives.


Remembering the Future


We don’t remember the future. We imagine it. We hope for it. We wonder what it will bring. We help it become whatever we want it to be. We want to be part of it, yearn for it. What it will be, however, is the product of forces unseen and uncontrolled by me, you, we. It is a force unto itself; what we do with it – the future – is an open question. It is not remembered. It is embraced, prepared for, worked for.


The Power of Why


Understanding anything is an exercise in logic and intellect. Putting bits and pieces together informs us. Realizing the enormity of time, space and life informs us of possibility, potential. We can experience what surrounds us while not understanding it. Like the Grand Canyon, or the Grant Tetons, or the Pacific Ocean. It is present. It stares back at our stares. But why it is, what it is, how it came to be, and why it is important, is for us to figure out.


The struggle to understand anything is the act of living life. Understanding and not understanding all at the same time pretty much explains our existence. What we do with it is the result of our power to ask questions and to wonder the purpose, the origin and the all-inclusive Why.


Fulfilling possibility comes from the empowering Why.


Because


My dad mainly answered by questions with ‘because.’ At every age the answer was universally ‘because.’ Time unfolded and I understood why he answered that way; I did the same with my kids. You, too?


‘Because’ is the root of begging why, the ‘why’ you take on to discover. It is a motivator to stretch into the unknown. It pulls us into the more of life. Bit by bit we learn more about ourselves and the world around us. It comes from ‘why’ and ‘because.’ Think about it.


Discuss


All the above is the meat of our daily lives. It is the sinew of our being and the stuff we can think about, work with, and produce with. It comes from interacting not only with ‘it,’ but also with other people. Social interaction. Loving. Knowing. Appreciating each other, friendship and relationships of all sorts. Our explorations are not done solo but in context with others doing the same as we.

Discussing our experiences alone and with others produce the lessons we learn. Exponential learning.

This morning I awoke thinking of this ‘shortest play.’ I wondered how to stage it. What would it look like. And then I realized it didn’t need to be staged. Let it be. Get out of bed and write about it. So here I am, still early of morn writing elemental thoughts of the universe.


May this always be our fresh start of the future.


September 20, 2019

Thursday, September 19, 2019

World’s Shortest Play


Remembering tomorrow.

               
         The power of why.

                              
                Because.

                                             
                      Discuss…


September 19, 2019


Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Economic Stability


War destabilizes a nation’s economy. That instability creates jobs in some sectors related to military supplies, weaponry and defense/offense weapon systems. Budget support for military expenses diverts funds from other government programs, mainly health and family services, education and other social services.


Labor is diverted from some industries as the military industrial complex goes into high gear to meet national defense needs. Consumer prices warp to fit circumstances and then eventually settle down.


That’s war time. What we have now is not war, but the threat of war. In times of peace, we have routine military defense preparedness. During times of threat, we have jiggles of demand for tweaked defense systems, and a build up of supplies. Each ‘jiggle’ creates supply and demand distortions to our economy. Some distortions are short-lived; others are longer term. Some distortions are good while others are bad. Like rampant inflation.


That’s the nature of destabilization. It upsets the equilibrium of markets.


Add to that context the national muddle over immigration and Congress’ inability to address that issue. For 40 years they have kicked that can down the road without serious effort to address it fully. I guess this issue is just too good a political campaign matter that can be raised from time to time to help otherwise hapless candidates for public office. Something to blame that is bigger than themselves?


The context also includes economic debris caused by major dislocations of the 2008 recession. That debris includes perhaps as many as 5 million displaced career workers shoved out of jobs that are now obsolete. Employers and governments have done little to nothing in helping them recover and find new employment and careers. No retooling of their skills. Just permanent hiatus in underemployed jobs with no future. Demeaning work, really. Surely, we can find meaningful assignments for these good people?


Another context addition: politically charged attacks on the Federal Reserve. The institution’s job is to monitor and control interest rates and currency values. It is not a political job pool at the direction of any elected office; not the president, the Senate, or House of Representatives. It is independent by virtue of the US Constitution. It does its job based on its own analysis, expertise and professional judgment. No other influence.


A strong economy usually brings higher interest rates. Money is used to invest in successful industries in need of expanded facilities, labor pools and supplies. New technology demands investment funds to create whole new industries. The reason interest rates are low currently is the supply of idle cash is still enormous. Cash not being used for other purposes is stacked in the treasuries of corporations world wide, especially in the USA. Until those cash hoards are drawn down by investment activity, loans will not be needed to spike interest rates.


A friend asked me the other day, what exactly are negative interest rates?  Well, simply put, we the consumer would pay a banking/investment firm money to safeguard our unused cash. In many ways we already do this in fees. But negative interest rates mean we pay the institution based on the amount of money we have on deposit for their services. It is a fee. Some would say a tax. It is negative because we are not earning that fee, the bank is. If anyone thinks this is the way to stimulate investment, I think they have a few screws loose.


So, saying the economy is successful is an oxymoron. The economy is successful in some ways, and weak in others. What is of major concern are the pockets of unused capital in people, talents and cash that lie about waiting for a new tomorrow. The real question is: What will the ‘new tomorrow’ bring?


September 18, 2019


Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Order in the House!


Let’s see, what’s going off the rails now? These will do for starters:


1.      Foreign affairs not smooth at all; at all. Allies are distanced by our own rhetoric and broken promises. Being the leader of the Free World has responsibilities and a price tag. It is not a fiefdom to do with as you please. It is a relationship for adults only.


2.      Reducing taxes because that’s easy, is a cheap trick to bankrupt the government. Give away your income sources so you can plead poverty later and reduce human services spending. Your giveaways, Donald, have added over a trillion dollars in debt. We are still spending a trillion on military adventures in the Middle East. 


3.      And now you are begging for war in Iran?  Another trillion or so, then what?


4.      Who bombed Saudi Arabia’s oil fields? Who cares? We are responsible for the outcomes caused by our own stupid relations with known enemies and oil czars. Was this your plan, Donald? Or just a whim? An accident?


The convergence of these issues is not all by accident. Nor is it by pure design. A little of both is my fear. Fear, because, this portends lack of control over action and the cause of future actions. The stage appears to be set for serious military involvement. People concerned about the size of their sword usually are intent to prove the unprovable and start fights because that’s what bullies like: the action and to see fear in the other person’s eyes.


Electing the wrong person to the highest position in our nation has consequences. Or any nation. Intended or not, many lives will be lost here and at home. Families will be destroyed. Fortunes, too, will be derailed. And all for the ego of one person along with his ‘friends’ who smell profit for themselves.


Many of us have warned that the trump administration is a clear and present danger to the United States and the world community. Each day that passes without regime change in Washington DC is another day closer to the Armageddon of foolishness.


But hey! That’s what bullies do. Shame on the American people for allowing this crap to go on this long.


The most potent resolution is invoking the 25th Amendment of the US Constitution. The current chief executive is incapable of handling the job. He is incompetent. Now is the time to take charge by people who are well-informed and trusted to do the right thing. Maintaining the status quo will destroy the nation. That point is quite clear to me. Perhaps to you as well?


Kindly remember that political party mechanisms allowed this to happen. They define and control the election machinery nationwide. The time to replace that with a government managed system is now.

We have allowed the inmates of the asylum to run the institution for too long.


Heed this warning well, my friends.


September 17, 2019


Monday, September 16, 2019

Legacy Moment Report


Well, I must say Friday unfolded beautifully! Although a stormy night, dawn arrived with the storms moving east and I was about to head west and south 170 miles. By the time I got on the road clear skies were visible on the horizon. Puffy clouds dissipated and stark blue skies of Autumn reigned supreme.


The drive was uneventful but pleasant and quiet. Rolling Illinois farmlands swept past my windows. As Galesburg approached, the hilly, creek filled landscape returned to my view and memory. I had forgotten what a beautiful area of the state Galesburg inhabited.


New roads and Interstates lengthened the drive by 20 miles but whisked us along at 75 miles an hour. I made the trip in 2 hours and 44 minutes, complete with unloading the car at the dorm, and parking the car.


Next followed an inspection of the new dorm room with all the stuff two young women can cram into it! Wow. They should pursue an engineering degree, primarily in the space industry. They managed to bring order from the chaos and it all made for a neat, tidy environment in which to live, study and survive the next four years.


Then we explored some of the old haunts of the campus, remembering what each of the facilities looked like in our day, and how lovely they now were with new function and design. Legacy photos were taken by the college. There were 26 of us involving 7 new students. Three generations of legacies were present. What fun!


Then to the Student Union and food. As remembered, the food was excellent (beef stroganoff), the camaraderie terrific, and the dining hall spinning with life and laughter. Just like the old days. That would be 58 years ago for me, 56 years ago for Ann. So much was different at the same time that so much was the same. The spirit of the students remains whole and similar to ours back in the 60’s. Hope was ever present. Curiosity, too.


Heartfelt wishes for a successful learning experience for grandaughter Lindsay soon were replaced with the tears of farewell. Those are two required emotions at times such as these. Happy tears. And for good cause.

Our memories of the old days are now refreshed with the new and the dramas of the next generation. All is good in the world of Knox College and Galesburg, Illinois. May the Knox Idea and Experience continue to sow brilliant new outcomes for the world’s benefit.


September 16, 2019

PS: This morning Lindsay starts classes. I wonder if she is excited or nervous or both?  Probably both!


Friday, September 13, 2019

Legacy Moment


Today I drive to Galesburg, Illinois, to Knox College campus. My oldest grandchild – Lindsay – is moving into the college and enrolling as a freshman. At 11:45 am photos will be taken of the legacy families. Those are the kids entering Knox with relatives who have graduated from Knox. Ann Deardorff Safford Huneke is Lindsay’s grandmother. She graduated in 1967. George Safford, me, is Lindsay’s grandfather who graduated in 1965.


In my case – a native Californian displaced to both Massachusetts and New York before moving to Knox – I haven’t visited the campus since 1970. That’s 49 years if your are counting. I graduated 54 years ago. That doesn’t even seem possible.  Ann and I married in 1968 and divorced nearly 26 years later. Both remained in Illinois following graduation and never lived outside the state. We made meaningful lives in Illinois that Knox was instrumental in making happen.


The legacy is now passed on to Lindsay who is a talented student in theater, music, English and more. Knox is the liberal arts institution that will help her discover what she will do with the rest of her life. Just like her grandparents.


Higher education is in our family blood. Most of us have college degrees, many have post graduate degrees. One even made a career working for the University of Illinois at Chicago. Volunteer work and nonprofit organizations filled in the years to magnify the outcomes of a Knox experience. And that is what happens when acorns grow into mature oak trees. The outcomes cannot be forecast. Nor can they be defined well. They just are, and that’s a good thing.


I’ll have captured thoughts of this day for some time to come. I’ll share them soon in this space if they seem noteworthy.


September 13, 2019


Thursday, September 12, 2019

Remembering September 11, 2001


It was a day to remember. Still is. More than 3000 lives were lost, mostly American, some foreign visitors or workers on special visas. All innocent. All with private lives. All part of the world. And now the next one.


We marshalled our resolve, cleaned up the sites of the violence. We rebuilt where once buildings stood. We repaired the Pentagon facility as though nothing happened. A field in Ohio now has a somber memorial. The Twin Trade Towers were replaced with a monumental single tower. A memorial now rests on the site of the downed towers.


Yes, we remember. That day. And what has happened since that day.


Our nation responded with resolve. We did not cower and faced the world community as one.

Emotions affected us then and now. In government circles emotions created new programs, new defenses, new protocols, stricter travel screening, and many international policies were altered as a direct result.


A war was begun. In Afghanistan to root out Osama Bin Laden, and his stalwart crew of desert rats. It took years, but we finally found him in Pakistan and killed him. We waged war in Afghanistan and found much to do there, not much of which had anything to do with 9/11. But Americans took on tasks not included in the original call to action and made hash out of the entire mission. Sad but true.

The legitimate government proved illegitimate to the max and greedily absorbed our 100’s of billions of dollars in aid for the wrong purposes. The Taliban grew and prospered and remains today the primary power of the land. We lost the war. France lost it’s war there too, many years ago. Just as Russia lost its horrendous war more recently. Egotists to the core, America thought it could do better but never understood – still doesn’t – what the culture of the place has as power to trump our extravagant military might. Sometimes missiles and guns don’t make much of a difference.

Sometimes the little things of daily routine change the course of history. Very true in Afghanistan.

Derailing those efforts was the nonsense mission of toppling Haddam Hussein in Iraq. We made a mess there and still don’t understand the political power of triple headed religious culture in the region. So, that effort was a failure as well. There is more to show for our money, lost military lives and horrendous disabled bodies of our military force, but remember that maybe a million or more Iraqi’s lost there lives, their homes, their families, there everything.


At least $2 trillion of our taxpayer money was spent for very little. There are those who argue a third trillion dollars should be added to the total. And still the infamy of our policies live on in the region accomplishing very little.


Yes, I remember 9/11. There are two events to recall. First is the hideous attack on 9/11/2001; second are the costly follies good people mistakenly authorized for world peace. They didn’t succeed. Neither did we. World peace seems more elusive these days.


Time to try a different approach, don’t you think?


September 12, 2019

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Economics


Trade between one person and another is commerce. The value of the thing traded – whether a thing or a service – matters little. Something is traded or swapped between two parties. The value in the instant is what is traded for it. Perhaps a pig for slaughter is worth a month of cleaning a home, perhaps two months. Or maybe, a wagon wheel needs replacement, or your transmission on the car; how much you trade for the repair establishes the value of the service or thing at that moment in time.


At another time/moment, the value of the transaction will likely change. What a person agrees to give up in order to gain the service or ownership of the thing is how prices are created. Multiply this by thousands or millions and pricing becomes fairly well known and observed. Modern communication shares such information quickly and accurately, thus a prevailing understanding of value and price becomes known. We call that the marketplace, and the pricing of it.


Such transactions among households in a community makes up the local economy. Expand that to several communities in a region and a county or regional economy takes shape. Same with larger regions like states, multiples of states, and then the nation as a whole. Regional differences will present themselves but on a national scale, the economy truly does take on mighty proportions. Rules of engagement are formed to handle the logistics and protocols of all of this.  Thus banking, currency values, contract law and much more become observed routines. This becomes the infrastructure of the economy.


This is called microeconomics. It begins with transactions between two people and expands to cover an entire nation.


Macroeconomics studies economics based on a nation taken as a whole; it quickly matters then, what happens between nations. Before getting into international economics, however, understand that macroeconomics is all about understanding how a nation can and does manage its national economy for sustainable health, of it and its people.


Money and banking deals with interest rates, interest setting protocols, banking safety reserves and requirements, lending and long-term saving mechanisms. Controlling the decision making in any of these many parts, and outcomes change. Do this enough and outcomes become quite predictable.
Thus economic theory is constructed to identify desired outcomes of economic activity and how to make those actually happen. How, when and to what extent become subsidiary concerns, but still much a part of the discussion and management process.


Tariffs are a national unilateral policy mechanism. If we do not want another nation’s goods to enter our markets to compete against our local/national products, then we place an artificial price barrier to such trade. It makes buying and selling that product much more costly to the end consumer and theoretically they choose to buy local goods instead. They won’t do that, however, if the local goods are inferior and the foreign goods are much more desirable. Price helps define marginal value of anything for sale in the marketplace. Clearly, however, if a foreign good is the standard for the specific product, then the consumer will pay the difference and that becomes the price. Tariff be damned. The customer pays the price of it. Simple as that.


And that is inflationary if other savings are not provided for. This is especially so if other goods are not available to replace the product barred by tariff.


That’s enough for one posting. Variables of the above are plentiful and each can be discussed separately. But only if there is interest. We shall look at those another day.


September 11, 2019




Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Use of Political Parties?


I know we have Republican and Democrat parties. Others as well, like Libertarian, Green, and maybe even the Socialist? But what it comes down to is ideology, not party.


There are party mechanisms adopted through the years that give life to the political parties. That is normal for any organization: it begins focused on a mission or principle, then morphs into this larger organism that accommodates differing points of view until it isn’t what it started out being.


Most organizations end up this way unless they remain focused on mission and vision accompanied by strong strategic planning along the way.


The organizations that do not do this disappear in time. The Whigs is an example. Also the Know Nothings. Surely there are other such examples. Studebaker, certainly.


Today, I think the republican party is nothing like its original organization. Please recall that Abe Lincoln was the first Republican President. Many years of success followed. Somewhere along the way they lost their way. Today they are nothing like their past.


Democrats are doing much better but if they were studied in detail they, too, would be found far from their original path.

The point is: it is not party that matters. Rather it is ideology.


In 2019 America we have conservative, liberal and centrist ideologies. There are several other splinters from these three – like libertarian – but then libertarians can’t agree on what defines them so why should we worry about them?


Issue groups do not count. Those are merely time-focused efforts around a single issue that resonates with voters at that time in history. So let us focus on the three ideologies and not the parties.


Doing that, we soon discover that party affiliation is a lot of baloney and has been overplayed by structural politicians for large spans of history. The republican party is nothing more than a modern day conservative cult. It hangs onto power for that sake alone – power – and that yields vast sums of wealth into the hands of greedy people and ideologues.


Soon the focus is on them and not the country. And that’s the real point.


America has lost its bearing in my view. In the main, America is not conservative or liberal. It is something in between. I call that centrist or ‘middle of the road.’ Over time the lines between the ideologies become blurred only because of specific focal points that pop up at particular times; but those are temporary diversions.


The primary purpose of government is to maintain basic services and safety of the people, all while working for the common good of the people. Military preparedness pops readily to mind. Educated public does as well. Health and human services arise as worthy tasks as long as it is kept in balance with the needs of those who cannot provide for themselves. That boundary definition will always be a struggle.


Ideology can warp government far from its founding principles. For example, conservative defines what about government? Liberal defines the function of government in what way? And what exactly is the centrist definition of government? Then again, are we discussing central national government, or regional, state government?


Lots of questions. One thing not in question is fairness and decision making. Hegemony over government process is not government. That would be autocracy, monarchy or dictatorship.


No; government is all about compromise in finding a common point upon which consensus can be found. That means one side or the other does not hold sway. Does this reflect the reality of today?

No. Today’s government process is all about conservative beating everything else to a pulp. That is not only anti-government, it is anti-American.


Perhaps it is time we did away with parties and their self-serving fiefdoms and inner monarchies?

Well, at least we would get back to arguing the basics of conservative, liberal and the in-betweens.  Anyone have a good suggestion on how we can proceed?


September 10, 2019


Monday, September 9, 2019

Compelling Comfort


Every now and again peace descends upon me. Maybe it is after supper, the day is mostly done, all that remains is a soft, slow evening sitting in my recliner watching TV. The dog is near; Rocky is relaxing in his chair or on the sofa, and the TV is spewing harmless programming like BBC, Wheel of Fortune, and whatnot.


A glow settles around me. I feel it. Almost see it. Warmth embraces. Peaceful images and feelings dwell within.


Such times are gold. I can feel the cushions resisting my body’s weight. Relaxation oozes its presence.


All is well with the world.


Mind you this does not happen with the news blaring from the TV. No; not at all. Much better to turn off news programs, switch to something banal. Allow the peace to come. Intentional.


The dog will need walking at 8 pm. A quick pee and then back to her bed. Soon after, I have a quick pee, take my pills, and fall into bed. We are creatures of this earth and must do the necessaries. In that we are all the same.


The mattress pushes back against tired muscles and stiff bone joints. The neck; lower back; cantankerous knees; even the damn ankles and feet. In minutes all are grateful. They too, find peace.


Soon it is 5 am. Arise and find the phone, turn off the oxygen thingy, do the bathroom necessary, scan the phone and then more pills. Turn on computer, make coffee, and begin the computer day. The blog dashboard to see the latest activity; then pull today’s copy forward, copy to the blog draft and edit. Satisfied? Press ‘publish.’ Copy to Facebook and then done with that task.


On to a scan of Facebook activity, then to the Internet news feeds for a scan of the world and its hot spots. Afterward, scan webpages with think pieces. Read as many as possible. Finally, clean up the coffee mess and the kitchen, clean the dog dishes, and set out fresh water and breakfast for the pooch. A dog walk follows, then my own shower and dressing for the day. It is now 7:45 am.


By 8:15 I’m ready for the rest of the day. Meetings, breakfast with friends, blog writing, email traffic for SCORE and family and friends. If done by 10 am, it’s time for a nap. Then a dog walk at 11.


By noon it is time for lunch snacks and playing DVR recordings of Trevor Noah and Stephen Colbert. We laugh at the world and its zany politicos. We find perspective and release from the tensions of the day. And then we nap again.


The afternoon carries another dog walk at 4 pm, meetings, more internet musings, and then supper. If successfully embraced, the evening embrace of peace descends.


And the circle has been completed.


Now you know. The daily routine of a retired 76-year-old bloke. The only changes are the meetings, the people and the tasks encountered. All interesting. All life changing. All worthwhile.


Life does begin at 65. And 70. And 75. And whenever time is granted to us to savor the sweetness of life. If you are not yet there, know that it will come.


September 9, 2019


Friday, September 6, 2019

The Press, Free Speech & Civility


The title is a mouthful. It holds promise of interesting topics. In a blog, however, the promise is limited. Space for one; attention span for another. Perhaps attention span is the controller here. After all, most readers want a quick scan, not a poser that absorbs time in their busy day.


So, the scope of this post today is limited. The Press is a venerable institution much in decline today. Its mission is honorable but tattered. Too few dollars make teams of journalists sparse and unable to cover their news beats. Free Speech is another venerable institution, especially in America. It too, however, is much in decline. Pressure points serve to limit the ideas expressed. Who will be offended? Who will not? And so writers clip their prose so as not to offend.


Civility is a behavior of the past. Polite society set standards of social interaction and grace. Today those standards are in ruins. Tossed aside so my speech or yours can be heaped on someone else to cow their freedom of speech. “How dare you say that about…..?”  “Damn you, you scoundrel for dissing me!” You get the point.


So, the Press exists but not in the abundance it once was. Freedom of the Press is much more limited these days as autocrats and political hooligans wage war on the ideas they do not agree with. Clearly that is a limitation of Freedom of Speech.


What is important to us? As Americans, free speech and freedom of the press are high on our scale of defenders of our way of life. If that is truly the case, then why are both these institutions in such obvious decay?


As the once managing editor of a local, independent newspaper, my view is seared in memory. We were not profitable, mostly unprofitable, and with an all-volunteer staff. It was a labor of love for all of us. We worked hard and heard positive things from our readers. However, no one wanted to pay for the newspaper, and advertising was scarce. Oh, businesses and organizations wanted access to our information channel and readers, but they simply would not pay for it. Social Media was free, don’t you know? So, we couldn’t raise ad revenues to pay our costs.


The paper folded after seven years. We existed on some ads, a lot of red ink and some gracious donations from contributors. And a lot of free time from writers and staff.


Today, I get most of my news from the internet. I don’t pay for the news sources, just the wi-fi connection. More and more primary news sources are asking for my subscriptions to read their articles. They give me four a month for free, but after that, I’m cut off. I’m about to reward my favorites with a subscription. That would be the Washington Post and the New York Times. I’m still thinking on this, but I do value a free press and know well the lesson that the press is not free; someone has to pay for it. Freedom of the Press is about gathering and sharing the facts. That still is operable. The operating costs, however, are not free and we must help pay for those.


Freedom of speech is alive and well but takes more courage these days than in the past. To win the right of free speech, however, many people – our ancestors – paid dearly with their lives to pay for such freedom. We owe it to ourselves and subsequent generations to support, fight for, and win freedom of speech in perpetuity.


Civility? That’s also up to each of us to be polite, respectful and hearing the voices and speech of those we probably don’t agree with. But who knows? We might just learn something that will make all the difference in the world!


September 6, 2019


Thursday, September 5, 2019

Coping


Load up the schedule. Slot in another task. Consider an assignment and what needs researching. How would I lay out the written report? What are the expectations? What doctor’s appointment do we have today, or therapy, or prescription pickup?


Lots to do. Today. Tomorrow. The next day.


To be expected, and all manageable. Five meetings a month for caregiver groups. What are their experiences? How are those different from mine? Does my experience add understanding to their interaction with their patient? What do we pull from each other that helps us cope with what’s happening?


Yes, busy days, but manageable. Interesting, too. At least for now. I can see how a day will arrive that I might be tense and ready to explode. But not yet. Just minor annoyance at timing. Easily transacted.

The caregiver groups are an investment for when times get much more rough. We have time, though. Things are quite manageable right now. There’s that word again – manageable. Must be on my mind that it one day will not be so.


But then, coping is a talent one gains with time and experience. We all have been coping with too much on our plate for a lifetime! This is not new. The challenges have been there all along. The only difference now is we know more about what is coming; not if, when. We don’t know the when, just that it is ahead for us.


Current coping is to avoid fast foods and make something to eat at home. So far that is frozen fare. Casseroles from Stouffers. The are good. A little high in sodium and fats, but tasty and convenient to fix. Some days we add veggie side dishes, also frozen. Calculate the cost of these meals, realize fast food is the same or cheaper. Run to McDonalds or Burger King, or Augustino’s or Rosati’s. All good, but the last two are triple the cost of the first two. Let’s not go there! Avoid them. Budget too tight for them.


Going to meetings adds complexities to the calendar, but those doings outside the home are food for the brain and emotions. They keep me sane. The SCORE mentoring is challenging and fun. So too the discussion groups at church; those tickle the mind in ways the internet can’t. Plus interacting with people is a tonic in itself. So we continue to allow these activities, yes, even treasure them.


Making a difference in the lives of others still makes a difference in my life. It is a coping skill readily available. The writers’ group, too. We meet monthly and share our writings with one another for tips, edits, and suggestions. A rich experience. Some are publishing their books as we speak. So this group is fruitful, too!


Coping may seem a challenge, but in the main it is a continuation of routines that shift into different modes just like life demands of us normally. Sometimes the urgency is different, but then the caring is more as well. We do what we must. And it is good. All is good.


September 5, 2019


Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Focus on Differences


It’s fun to learn new things. Hell, it’s fun to learn new things about old things we thought we knew.

That’s one reason we listen to others. They may have something to say that helps us see something in a broader perspective. That nudge of fuller understanding may be the missing link we needed to handle the issue differently, better, more successfully.


That’s why we listen. That’s why we open our minds to hear what we don’t know. Sometimes, the unknown is close to our understanding, but we missed a crucial piece of information.


We grew up knowing we were all unique human beings. Intrinsically, that means we know we are all different in some ways; large and small, the differences matter to each of us on how we perceive the world around us.


On the other hand, we are all human beings. Either female or male (although we are coming to understand that even that has many bits and pieces that explode the binary concept of gender). Everything else is different: our DNA, place of birth, age, ethnicity, culture, religion and so many other points of difference too numerous to mention. The differences are what define each of us in the particular. That helps us understand ourselves and others, too.


The challenge is not making difference the point of it all. It is the sameness that offers the reason to protect all of us because of difference.


Differentness is a cause to celebrate, not ballyhoo as a separator or fault. Large, small, tall, short, it doesn’t matter what we are; it only matters who we are in the fullest sense. How do we magnify the value of each other’s lives? Why do I matter, and you?


It is easy to focus on the differences among us. It is more challenging to find the things we agree on and can work together on.


Several decades ago my church asked me to teach Sunday school to 7th and 8th graders. I prepared a lesson plan, took advice from the denomination’s lesson plan guidebook, and set out to deliver a relevant educational experience to the students. Because I was a seminary student at the time, everyone thought this would be easy. Not!


The kids looked at me with quiet respect and asked why there were so many different religions. They wanted to know how each was different from their own. They wanted to compare in order to understand. They were not trying to set themselves apart from others, rather to understand differences as enrichment.


So I began a term of comparative religions, beginning with Roman Catholic, Jewish, Methodism, Baptists, and so forth. We were Congregationalists – United Church of Christ.


It was a hoot. Priests and nuns were quick to cooperate with our educational journey. The local synagogue was thrilled that these middle schoolers were interested in understanding religious heritage through diversity. We had many houses of worship open their doors to us, including visits on weekdays and Saturdays. We discussed with worship leaders their roles and the why of the rituals. Kids of similar ages gathered to share their understanding of their own religion so those in other churches and traditions could better understand them. And vice versa.


These young people asked for this eye-opening class work. And we had a great year of learning. It started with honest questions and honest seeking of answers. It began with open minds and a hunger for facts. These kids had it right. Why I stumbled along to keep up with them was my shame of weakness.


Difference is texture. Texture is breadth and depth. Enrichment is a combination of all these. What a rich and diverse universe we live in. As human beings we have cause to celebrate this richness.

Shalom! Peace.


September 4, 2019




Tuesday, September 3, 2019

Existential Concerns


Yesterday we spoke of peace and goodwill toward all humankind. Another way of saying it is survival. Survival plus quality of life. The latter reflects on goodwill toward all humankind, I think.


Survival. To be or not to be.  When we speak of peace, aren’t we stating uncategorically that we wish to survive and thus repudiate war? And then, is that the opposite of peace?


I’m not certain of that. There must be people who will argue endlessly that these terms are not only different but disconnected from one another. My soul believes otherwise. Of course, you knew that didn’t you?


To be or not to be, that is certainly the question as Shakespeare’s Hamlet asserts.


Facing that question on a very personal level, I tend to make deals before answering the question. Example: would you ever like to go back and live your life over again? The answer is yes only if I can go back knowing what I know now. Well, that’s not a fair answer. If I were to live life over again it would be on the same basis as my original life – start from scratch and learn day by day how to survive. Would I live it differently the second time around?  Probably yes, but not because I knew more; that ‘condition’ was rejected.


Yes. We know people who seem to live golden lives. Somehow they knew the correct response to stimuli and lived life well. They skirted problems we had to run straight thru, brambles and all. I truly doubt we would live any differently the next time around.


The brambles teach us valuable lessons. One is to see them before hand, realize what they are, and avoid them. Although we would have missed the pain of the brambles, we would not then know what the pain would be like. Experiencing pain is part of life, part of the learning cycle. We learn not to touch the hot stove eventually. Same with brambles. The pain, however, is the motivator of avoidance.


Life teaches us many things: pleasure, joy, sadness, loss, love, thrill, laughter, and much, much more. So we live this day and sleep expecting the next day to appear. It is a rhythm we come to know. It is natural. When we witness another person’s loss – of life or a loved one, or the threat of that loss – we realize the opposite of life is possible. Death. Absence of life. We don’t know what that is because we would have to die to know what it is like. Of course we cannot know this and remain alive.


I have some clients who have died and returned to life. They believe this fully. They were in accidents or suffered severe health issues, died and were resuscitated and came back from death. They share their experiences of being outside their body and ‘seeing the activity around me’ without the me feeling anything. It is an external perspective. Then a blip or two later – they know not the length of time elapsed – they are back in body and breathing. When they awake from unconsciousness, they remember the experience. They associate with one another now because they alone can share this happening. It is something they each relate to; not you and I. We have not known this phenomenon; we have no basis upon which to share.


If we value life we make efforts to maintain it, prolong it. We even invest in enriching the experience of life. But is the enrichment as basic as that of surviving in the first instance? That is what I mean by existential concern. Our existence alone is the core fact. What do we do to maintain our life? Can we accurately project that concept to vast numbers of people and seek commonality in survival alone? Is this question even answerable?  


Perhaps this is where we begin the discussion on seeking global peace. The what and why in the personal instance is the starting point for each discussant. Now the trillions of dollars spent world-wide on military capabilities come into focus. If such were not needed, what would we do with that wealth? And why?


September 3, 2019




Monday, September 2, 2019

Agreement – Universal?


When I sit back and ponder what can be, my mind goes quickly to the one big item I have wished for most of my life. No, it is not having abundant money. No, it is not about having the newest, nicest car, or even good looks or an endless supply of steaks. None of that. Nice items, but not my biggest, bestest hope.


That would be: world peace, goodwill toward all of mankind.


I often wonder how that would be. What would the world look like if we had total peace, no wars or armed conflict anywhere on the globe, and that as a sustainable condition. How would each of us live our lives knowing there was total peace everywhere? Would we be happy? Would we be struggling with something else that then becomes the most important hope or problem to manage?


When President John F. Kennedy set a goal to place a man on the moon by the end of the decade (1969), we didn’t know how to make that goal happen. But we did get busy finding out how to do it. We literally invented our way to the moon, back, and safely kept the astronauts alive and healthy. We learned how to do it so we repeated the task a few more times. The space program is now a mature feature of American science and engineering.


Peace could be our goal as well. We truly do not know how to achieve this goal, after all, we have worked toward it for hundreds of years. If anything, wars and military sciences have only expanded the carnage and capability of same many times over.


No, for me peace is achievable, a great goal. I hope it is for you as well.


The task ahead to make the goal happen, is to learn how to do it. It will take listening to all peoples and their leaders. We have the UN as a good starting point and operating platform. Not perfect, but it is there to be used. We have fine universities throughout the global community; each has talents and achievements to their credit that can be used in finding and maintaining world peace. We should build on their expertise and knowledge, work together and support the peace goal.


We have billions of people on the planet interested in and hoping for peace. With such support, surely we can urge our leaders to do what is necessary to achieve world peace.  


We have the resources and wealth to make peace possible. With the will of the people, we should have no problem. Right?


Wrong! If it were that simple, peace would be our companion at this moment. We know it is not, therefore, we have work to do.


The first step is to agree that world peace is a worthy goal to work toward and make the national commitment to do so.


The second step is to develop a plan among nations to support the goal’s achievement. This will take concentration, commitment, money, understanding, and open eyes, ears, minds and hearts. The last two are the most valuable. They are also the most difficult to muster to aid our goal’s achievement.


We have people of good will and people of ill will. We have munificent leaders and autocrats or dictators. We have generous people and cultures, but also greedy people and nations. Whether it is power or riches pursued, there seems to be someone always wanting what someone else has. Thus crime, war and violence is a constant companion of modern life.


To change that, we must agree to disagree, focus on the things we do agree on, and build on that consensus to generate the will and the way toward peace. The benefits are enormous. Consensus builds understanding, commonality of purpose, and huge reductions in military costs while these resources can be used to support better living conditions for everyone.


We’ve had the ugliness of world wars. Can’t we spend the time, energy and money saved on those fruitless pursuits to achieve something that is much better and happier?


If we don’t do this, no one else can. If we don’t save our lives together, then there will eventually be no life. If we don’t save our own planet from mankind’s destruction, we will have no planet.


This isn’t for me. It isn’t even for you. But it is for our kids, our families and their successive generations. We were given life and opportunity. It is time for us to do the same for future generations.


September 2, 2019