The gospel according to Pink Floyd...

I wasn't a Pink Floyd fan in high school.  I figured it was mindless druggie music and went back to my oh-so-harmless Billy Joel and James Taylor (since they were pure as the driven snow).  It's amazing the things you thought about as a teen ager and what those thoughts look like now.

A friend tricked me into listening to the song "Wish you were here" when I was in college - and I've never looked back.

Today's blog is not an ode to Pink Floyd, though.  It's about an idea that was explained to me by another friend a few years later.  The message contained in the song "On the Turning Away".

The fact that so many businesses are closing these days and that so many Americans are out of work is disturbing enough.  Virtually every statistical model points to this situation getting much worse before it gets better.  The more troubling idea is not the number of people affected...but the seeming indifference of those who are unaffected.

It also applies to the abused, the infirm, the disabled (if that term isn't PC enough I apologize) and the elderly.

When one of us suffers...we ALL suffer.

Here are some lyrics from "On the Turning Away":

On the turning away
From the pale and downtrodden
And the words they say
Which we won't understand
"Don't accept that what's happening
Is just a case of others' suffering
Or you'll find that you're joining in
The turning away"
 How many times do people walk past those asking for a few coins in the street, convincing themselves as quickly as possible that the person they've just ignored was "scamming", "going to use the money for booze or drugs", or "probably the richest guy on the block".  Chances are...they weren't any of those things.  What you can be 100% sure of is the fact that the person was just that...a PERSON.  With a STORY.  With a FAMILY somewhere.  Handing over a few cents won't change your life situation (most likely).  The lyrics explain that we "don't understand".  Most people are not too far from a situation where others have lost their means of support - how much do you really know about it, though?

It's a sin that somehow
Light is changing to shadow
And casting it's shroud
Over all we have known
Unaware how the ranks have grown
Driven on by a heart of stone
We could find that we're all alone
In the dream of the proud

We are in a condition nowadays where the segment of our society that has gone from "light" into "shadow" is growing faster than our consciousness will allow us to comprehend.  It's as if the people still above the waterline give now though to the hole in the hull of the ship simply because their feet aren't wet.  As some hearts grow harder, the pride that makes such indifference possible threatens us all.  The percentages being announced every so often aren't just numbers.  They are people.  Real people with real problems that are part of OUR experience.  OUR dna.  

On the wings of the night
As the daytime is stirring
Where the speechless unite
In a silent accord
Using words you will find are strange
And mesmerized as they light the flame
Feel the new wind of change
On the wings of the night 

Who are the flame lighters?  It has always been innovators with bottomless hearts that make America special.  When those hearts cease to feel the chill from the coldness in another person's life...we're in trouble from a philosophical AND actual standpoint.  How we treat others establishes our moral foothold.  1.35 million American children are currently homeless.  The collateral damage from this condition would astound you.  Since they travel so frequently, their school records don't get sent with them quickly enough to register in school.  They get deprived of educational opportunities which will hinder their ability to contribute later on.  This creates a work force of under qualified people which worsens the productive climate for us all.  This spiral has been going on for a couple of decades in earnest, and you see the result in clerks who cannot make change - just for a start.

No more turning away
From the weak and the weary
No more turning away
From the coldness inside
Just a world that we all must share
It's not enough just to stand and stare
Is it only a dream that there'll be
No more turning away?

Why must is be this way?  The answer is that it DOESN'T have to be this way.  You have holidays coming this season?  So do I.  My G-d sends a lesson along that we must help each other when we can with whatever we can.  The same lesson was also taught to me and driven home by my father, my Rabbi, my brothers and sister, my wife, my children, my friends, my neighbors (the one down the street with that snowblower really comes to mind) and my seventh grade teacher...just to name a few.

When asked about his communal village (the Hindi word is "Ashram"), Gandhi said that it's simply a place where we can look after each other.  He went on to explain the word "Ashram" can stand for a village, a home, or even the world.

This may be the season of miracles to many.  To me, every waking moment is a season of miracles, and every other person is a member of my village.  I will do what I can, where I am, for whoever needs it - to the best degree and depth I can muster.

"A person may cause evil to others not only by his actions but by his inaction" - John Stuart Mill

 

I've always believed what we do for ourselves provides momentary pleasure - but what we do for others extends the boundaries of the Universe farther into infinity.

Peas,

J

PS - Next blog will layout the corrective action needed to fix the entire world economy.  It's not really that complicated.

How long am I supposed to stare at it, anyway?

I was inspired by my friend Evie to write a blog about art.  I pumped out about 500 words...then deleted it.  I had Lewis Black in my ear, and he inspired me to write funny stuff.

Sorry, Evie.

Some thoughts for today...

When you meet someone, most often there will be a handshake and a "nice to meet you".  How can you tell?  Maybe we should say just "meet you", or "we'll see how this goes, ok?"  No need to commit right there...some of the people are not going to make the cut, you dig?

Don't ask me if I have an email address.  I do.  You know how you can tell?  Because my daughter's hermit crab has one.  Every man, woman and child has an email address.  You can ask me if I have a pancreas, but the email you can assume.

If you're out walking for "excercise", and you're doing it at a pace that allows you to drink coffee, text message, play Haydn's Cello Concerto in D, do your taxes and crochet a full scale model of Stonehenge at the same time...YOU'RE NOT EXERCISING YOU DOPE!

If the cough drop you're sucking on tastes like crap, it's working.  If it's tasty, you might as well have taken a life saver.  If they could have made Halls' taste good, they would have.  The stuff that makes Halls' taste like furniture polish IS the stuff that soothes.  Deal with it.

They put lemon juice in bleach.  Does this send a troubling message...especially to Marilyn Quayle?

Whatever happened to Juice Newton?  Sure...go ahead and laugh - but you're going to Google it; we both KNOW you are.

There are no (read ZERO) openly gay men in the NFL.  Heh, heh, heh.  Ok, macho dudes.  Let's do some math.  The most conservative (interesting use of that word) estimate pegs the US male population at 2-3% gay.  There are 1696 active players in the NFL.  Add practice squads, coaches, etc. and you're at just over 2000.  2% would be 40 people.  That's more than 1 per team.  Land of the free?  Yeah, right.

I remember when MTV had music on it.

Have you ever stared directly into a light bulb and wondered when the dot in front of you was going to go away?

Now for some Microwave oven reminders in the name of world peace:

1)  Why would you put that food in for 3 minutes, only to press the "stop" button with 4 seconds left?  Was there some psychic bond you had with that frozen pizza that told you the box was only 99.2% correct?
2)  Who the hell knows how many watts the oven is?  What do I look like, Stephen Hawking?
3)  Are you so lazy that your food only cooked for the following intervals: 1:11, 2:22,3:33,4:44...I know I am.  You want me to move my finger ALL THE WAY from the 1 to the 3 and THEN to the ZERO!  Are you nuts?
4)  Excuse me, sir...but since you decided to put that tomato consomme in until Washington, D.C. elects a Republican Mayor, would you mind cleaning the inside of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre you just left behind for me?
5)  I'm sure you have a very good technique for microwaving beef...just don't serve it to humans
6) Don't microwave leaves.  Trust me on this.  If you doubt it so much that you HAVE to try it, I suggest having some Yankee Candles (the 30 hr. kind) around for afterward, or your kitchen will smell like Kazakhstan.

If you were George Clooney, you wouldn't get married, either.

What to do with all these VHS tapes....

I watched the video of Paul McCartney's initial reaction to the news of John Lennon's death.  I'm not saying they were distant, but Sir Paul looked like he was the one that did it.

I hope we're ready to watch a Chinese person walk on the moon.  They'll be there very soon.  Judging from the way the US reacts at the Olympics, it's not going to be a pretty sight 'round these parts.  What are we going to say..."at least we still have CSI!"  Yeesh.

Wouldn't it be cool if you were allowed to take the cell phone away from the cashier you're waiting for, and sell it on ebay?

I don't think Ashton Kutcher has any interest in winning an Oscar, do you?

They have pull strings in all the trunks of new cars these days, just in case you get locked in there.  Ummm...how the hell would you know where it was?  In a dark trunk, I might be tugging on my shoelace all the way to the evil hideout of Dr. No.

"Please hold...your call is very important to us"  Wow, if the "very important" calls get placed on hold, what do you do with the ones you don't really care about?

There must be something useful to do with avocado pits, old computer monitors, the plastic air cushions they pack stuff in, and David Letterman.

They sell some stuff at the 24 hour Quick Mart that I just don't see getting bought.  Car Wax?  At 3am?  Nah.

Have you ever sat down on a toilet seat, and discovered it was NOT the seat, but the toilet?  You immediately get the urge to molt.

There are more gun homicides in the USA than the entire rest of the world COMBINED.  Um, wow.

You stand a better chance of being elected to the US Senate than shot in Japan.

Yes, I know what they do to veal.  It's about as cool as what they do to whatever it is that you're eating.  What do you think they do to chickens...wine them and dine them, take them for a canoe ride with a parasol, and eat truffles?

That cool black stuff you just put on your driveway just makes it darker...it doesn't really help anything...but it is nice.

What if the President of Iran announced they had nuclear missiles, and showed one on TV being test launched 1000 miles?  DO you know how many countries DO have them?  Hint: It's more than you think.

Peas,

J

Since you asked...here's how I lost 127 pounds.

Jason Herman’s Laws of Weight Loss and Maintenance

1)       You have only one way to take in calories, but many ways to get rid of them

2)       Your food day should begin as quickly as possible and end as quickly as possible, and comprise no more than 75% of you awake time – with the bulk of the time being left before you go to sleep.  Going to sleep hungry is the goal.  You don’t need fuel to sleep.  Sleep happens anyway.

3)       The more things that went into the food, the more time it takes to get rid of the food, which is why a twinkie takes more time to burn than an apple

4)       Your body burns calories by burning calories, so keep eating healthy small portions all day long.  So if you bring digestion to a halt, your body’s burning engine slows down, and the calories get stored for who-knows-when instead of burned.

5)       You do not need an appetizer.  The appetizer for dinner is commonly referred to as lunch.  Appetizers are the worst disguised hidden calories you have ever seen.

6)       You do not need dessert.  If you do, it had better be the type of naturally sweet sugar that tells your stomach the meal is over, rather than the flour-based, complex carbs that clog your digestive machine

7)       Water is vital, not only to replenish the fluids in your body, but to keep the highway of digestion moving.  If food can’t get washed away, it stays for days.

8)       People that complain about exercising are usually those people who do NO exercise, rather than just a little.  Even a little exercising is good, but most people do a lot – or none at all.

9)       Sweating is one way that your body loses calories.  If you’re not sweating, you’re not getting the most benefit from your exercise.  You need to sweat to exercise.  That being said, for someone sitting on the couch, even walking to the mailbox provides at least some useful physical exertion.

10)   The scale you’re stepping on is a tool.  Like any tool, it can be used for progress, information, and assistance with a project.  It can also be used poorly, and provide misinformation, stress, and worry.  If you use the scale as a day-to-day path marker along the much longer journey of weight management success.  If you use it as a day-to-day harbinger of doom and gloom which is really just normal weight fluctuation, you will abandon your good habits and resort to emotional rather than rational caloric intake and consumption.

11)   An important equation to remember is that an average person can consume calories at a rate 10 times faster (or more) than they can exercise.  You need to make this the law that you live by to almost a religious significance.  Running one mile might burn the average person 100 calories and take 10 minutes, but eating a 750 calorie Big Mac takes only 5 minutes.  Do this three times in one week (3 burgers, 3 miles run) and you’re in the hole for almost 2000 calories, which is almost one pound gained.

12)   If you’re a person that needs to exercise (which is everyone), you must understand and appreciate how the fuel (food) that you eat, will be burned.  If you eat poor burning foods, you’ll have a poor exercise experience.  If you eat good fuel, you’ll get a clean burn.  This is why some people have poor exercise experiences, even though their technique is sound.

13)   If you want to eat at a buffet, understand that the merit of a buffet should be that you choose an interesting variety of foods on the same size portion plate as normal, not extending the amount of portion plates past where you would/should be.  You may be getting more bang for your buck, but you are going to pay for it eventually.  The less you pay for the food in dollars, the more you’ll wind up paying in health and fitness.

14)   Science has claimed a genetic predisposition to obesity.  Then again, science also told us at one point the world was flat, the sound barrier could not be broken, and that a person could not be transported and retrieved from the moon.  Science might want to give a thought to fat parents passing on their poor dietary and fitness habits to their children.  Transference of poor habits from one generation to another does not constitute a genetic link.

15)   Do not consume poison, or foods that can be directly traced to poison.

16)   It is possible to consume 5000 calories a day worth of broccoli.  Therefore, how much you eat is just as important as what you eat.  Know portion sizes of everything, no exceptions.  You are what you eat AND how much you eat.  This is the critical failing of the past 50 years in US fitness decline. These two have been separated.

17)   Just as fat people visualize and suffer from the vision of foods, fit people benefit from visualizing exercise and health and longevity.

18)   It’s a never ending cycle.  Look bad, give up, look worse.  Are you moving this way, or that.

19)   Beware of hidden calories, and take advantage of hidden exercise opportunities.  Hidden calories in condiments, sauces, dressings, soups, bottled drinks (energy, alcohol, soft drinks, smoothies, coffees).  Good burn opportunities include parking further away, dancing, celebrating outdoors, standing up instead of sitting, taking a nap.

20)   Instead of treating yourself to that ice cream Sunday, reward yourself with fitness, a book, or a house cleaning.  Don’t offset a good event with bad fitness behavior, and don’t make bad situations worse by compounding the event with poor nutrition.

21)   Understand the difference between what you WANT and what you NEED…or else

22)   Changing your diet won’t matter if you don’t change your mind

If you would like me to email this to you, just ask...

Why I grow all my own food...

You didn't actually think I grew my own food, did you?  Have you ever met me?  I don't have the patience to pick produce - much less grow it.  I have less patience than Charlie Sheen at a massage parlor.

I bought one of those upside-down planters, but that's another story for another blog.

Anyway, this article is about the oddest place I go on a daily basis...the SUPERMARKET.

First of all, I'm almost 42 and don't know what the proper title is; grocery store, food store, supermarket, market, food market...what's the protocol?  Most people these days just punt and say the name of the store.  It's more confusing than the new Afghan Constitution.  You have READ it, right?  I mean, you paid for it, you might as well have a copy.

Now let's talk about parking.  The parking lot used to be so simple back in the days of Duran Duran, $2.00 per gallon gas, and the Soviet Union - you know, when Gerry Brown was California Governor and...what...he WHAT?!  They did WHAT!  Oh, well...anyway...back to the parking lot.  When I was a kid, you got out of your car, walked into the store - and shopped.  How about that?

No, no, no...not so fast.  You're not a consumer anymore, you're also an EMPLOYEE!  Go to the "cart corral" and get your wagon, then bring it to the store.  By the way, the handy cart corrals remove 4 spots from the parking area.  They take up more space than Roseanne Barr sitting in her daughters chair on back to school night.  They've also taken up an additional 4 (yes...FOUR!) for the new "fast lane", whereby people place their grocery orders online, then just drive through to get their groceries.  Huh?  What?  We're doing that online, too?  Pretty soon you won't have to leave the couch for anything!  You can get your Playstation to spit out a grilled cheese, then download your Lipitor later on.

Finally, you make it to the curb.  Go inside?  Are you Pine Nuts?!?  First you have to dodge the seasonal flower displays, lawn furniture, smoking employees (ignoring you), windshield cleaning fluid, rock salt/ice melter, plastic bag recycling center, hand sanitizer, cart disinfecting wipes and make it through the automatic door.  By the way, is there a longer period of time in the world than when you realize you've walked across the pressure mat and are standing 2 micrometers from the door (which says DO NOT ENTER) - and when you go off the mat and through the correct door?  It's more embarrassing than being the only one who didn't know it was Daylight Saving Time...in the WHOLE COUNTRY.

Finally inside, and to the produce section...since the "good stuff" is all WAYYYYY in the back.  Or, should I say the "who eats this garbage?" section.  Star fruit?  Jicama? Stalks of sugar cane?  Citron?  I need to inform the manager that cucumbers don't really need 3/4 of an inch of wax.  Those things have more wax than alley 6 at the Waukegan, Illinois Roll-a-Bowl.  I know it's winter, but I'm not spending $6 for a package of strawberries no matter where they're from.  Have you noticed that you can NEVER buy the right number of bananas?  They usually spoil in the car on the way home from the store.  Even if you are lucky to get them home, by morning they turn darker than Dick Cheney's soul and stink up the joint.  We don't need 17 different kinds of tomatoes, for G-DS SAKE!  Vine ripened, grape, hot house (whatever that means), plum , greenhouse, heirloom, cherry, ugli, tomatillo, yellow, AUGGGGHHHH!!!  That brings up the worst offenders...apples - you know the drill: Red delicious, golden delicious, mcintosh, braeburn, pink lady, honeycrisp, cameo, cortland, empire, fuji, granny smith, gala, rome...I sort of envy the Cubans who don't have to worry about variety.  Ok, maybe totalitarianism is not the best trade off for produce convenience, but still...Oh, one more nugget from the produce department...WASH THE LETTUCE...EVEN IF IT CAME IN A PRE-CUT YUPPIE BAG.  I've known people from Honduras that pick that stuff.  Trust me.  Wash it.  Wash it all.  Twice.

On to the deli counter!  I'm beginning to think this will be a several part blog series...too much going on at the ol' market.  In years gone by, there was a number-taker thingee (not an industry term) which would let us all know who's next.  Not anymore.  I have no idea why, but I suspect someone could get a PhD in sociology watching the people at the deli counter give the "I think I'm next but avoid confrontation like AC Cowlings driving a white Ford Bronco on the LA Freeway" look.  So some brave soul steps forward.  The clerk (innocently) asks "What would you like"?  "Ham", he says.  HAM!  HAM!  Are you serious?  That's it?  HAM!

Clerk (C) : What kind of ham?

Clueless Customer (CC) : What do you have?

C :Domestic, spiced, cured, aged, sugar cured, honey, low sodium, black forest, fat free (huh?), Genoa, chopped -

CC : Domestic

C : What brand?

CC : What do you have?

C : D&W, Kunzler, Esskay, House, Boars Head - 

CC : What's on sale?

C : House

CC : Is it good?

C : Yes.

CC : Ok, I'll take that (obviously due to the clever sales pitch)

C : How much?

CC : How 'bout a half pound? (Why be assertive now, right?)

C : Works for me.  (I still don't know what that means)

Hey, Mr. Hawking...did you happen to notice the fact that the entire deli counter is encased in GLASS!  GLASS!   You had 6 minutes to put down your Droid and pick out your sliced flesh...but did you? NO!  You waited with all the intensity and drive of a tenured, union member motor vehicle counter clerk on Zoloft  4 minutes before a liberal leave day.

And, by the way - that ham isn't on sale because they like you.  It's the worst garbage they had too much of (heh, heh, heh).

Next entry - Meat/Poultry/Seafood and Health & Beauty aids!

You see, it's not all politics.

Remember, better to curse the candle than light the darkness.

Peas,

J

I'm liberal! (Don't worry, it's ok...so are you, you, you and you)

I saw a real peach of a bumper sticker today.  It said "Visualize no liberals".

If I were the man I was 15 years ago, I would have taken a crowbar to the windscreen.  I didn't.  Do you know why?  Because I'm liberal.  That's why.

Before I get into the meat of the matter, please indulge me in the following definition (from www.dictionary.com):

lib·er·al[lib-er-uhl, lib-ruhl]  

-adjective

1.  Favorable to progress or reform, as in political or religious affairs.

2.  Noting or pertaining to a political party advocating measures of progressive political reform.

3.  Of, pertaining to, based on, or advocating liberalism.

4.  Favorable to or in accord with concepts of maximum individual freedom possible, esp. as guaranteed by law and secured by governmental protection of civil liberties.

5.  Favoring or permitting freedom of action, esp. with respect to matters of personal belief or expression: a liberal policy toward dissident artists and writers.

6.  Of or pertaining to representational forms of government rather than aristocracies and monarchies.

7.  Free from prejudice or bigotry; tolerant: a liberal attitude toward foreigners.

8.  Open-minded or tolerant, esp. free of or not bound by traditional or conventional ideas, values, etc.

9.  Characterized by generosity and willingness to give in large amounts: a liberal donor.

10 . Given freely or abundantly; generous: a liberal donation

11.  Not strict or rigorous; free; not literal: a liberal interpretation of a rule.

12.  Of, pertaining to, or based on the liberal arts.

13.  Of, pertaining to, or befitting a freeman.

Ok, I should also (full disclosure) indicate that I'm also conservative, anarchist, socialist, and many other -ists depending on the issue and the nature of the question.  My brain is armed, and I'm not afraid to use it.

What I am not is simplistic, reactionary, uninformed, impatient or inhumane enough to trust the future of my planet to labels.  Chances are if you can glue the syllables together enough to read this...neither are you.  

Back to the bumper sticker...

It was obviously a play upon/mockery of the "visualize world peace" bumper sticker I've seen so many times.

So, we've arrived at a place where it's considered an insult to call someone a "liberal".

Since the root (liber) of the word "liberal" and the word "liberty" are the same (they both mean "free"...what do we do about the following?  Incidentally, the same root is used for the word "deliverance" - but that's another blog.

A)  Samuel Adams, the organizer of the original Boston Tea Party - was founder of the patriot group "The Sons of Liberty".  Some other notable members who all gathered under this liberal banner were Paul Revere, John Hancock and John Adams.  Their motto was "No Taxation Without Representation"...you'd find that battle cry being shouted today by the same people who (claim) to decry "liberalism".

B)  Thomas Jefferson - the "Life, LIBERTY, and pursuit of happiness" guy - was author of these famous words "To take from one, because it is thought that his own industry and that of his father's has acquired too much, in order to spare to others, who, or whose fathers have not exercised equal industry and skill, is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association -- the guarantee to every one of a free exercise of his industry, and the fruits acquired by it."  These words would get him pegged as a conservative today, but if there ever was a more self-proclaimed American liberal according to definition, I haven't met one.

C)  Quote from George Washington: "As Mankind becomes more liberal, they will be more apt to allow that all those who conduct themselves as worthy members of the community are equally entitled to the protections of civil government. I hope ever to see America among the foremost nations of justice and liberality."

D) Jesus Christ, Liberal (Luke 14:13&14) there are about a zillion others, if you like..


E)  Ronald Reagan (one of my favourite liebrals) signed the most expansive laws of his time as Governor of California protecting abortion rights of women, the first tailpipe emission standards (he was SUPER environmentally supportive compared to many who lionize him today), signed a bill grating amnesty to illegal aliens (yup, THAT Ronald Reagan), raised taxes 30% IN HIS FIRST YEAR as Governor, increased California spending 177%, and when he left the White House, he had increased the National Debt to the largest amount in history.  BTW, the Governor whose spending Reagan increased by 177%?  You guessed it...the "liberal" Gerry Brown (from the SF bay area!).


Galileo, Abe Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr., Gorbachev...the list goes on.


It's time to realize that tolerance, acceptance, desire for peace, caring for fellow man are all what we're about when we say "LIBERTY and justice for ALL".


It doesn't mean wanting to waste money on garbage programs in a bloated federal government...but it does mean a shared responsibility that gives us the greatest infrastructure since Rome fell.


Think of how wonderful we have it...


Have you ever tried:

 - navigating a traffic circle in Rome?
-  getting out of Paris during an airline worker strike?
-  lodging a comlaint against a 28 year veteran civil service worker in Britain?
-  driving through Beijing without getting swallowed by a 3 foot deep/wide pothole?


When was the last time you read the Bill of Rights or the Declaration of Independence?  Don't laugh.  They don't belong to the favoured few in D.C. - they belong to YOU, ME, and that guy living in the box.


As the weather turns bitterly cold...let us all remember how lucky we are, and how well equipped we are to do the tasks at hand, since (as Americans) we are REQUIRED to be liberal (if we are to fulfill our ever-evolving National destiny).


Toby Keith gets roaring applause for his song "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)".  Some of the lyrics include these gems:


Now this nation that I love is fallin' under attack.
A mighty sucker-punch came flying in from somewhere in the back.
Soon as we could see clearly through our big black eye,
Man, we lit up your world like the fourth of July.

Hey, Uncle Sam put your name at the top of his list,
And the Statue of Liberty started shaking her fist.
And the eagle will fly and it's gonna be hell,
When you hear Mother Freedom start ringing her bell.
And it'll feel like the whole wide world is raining down on you.
Ah, brought to you, courtesy of the red, white and blue.

Oh, justice will be served and the battle will rage:
This big dog will fight when you rattle his cage.
An' you'll be sorry that you messed with the U.S. of A.
'Cos we'll put a boot in your ass, it's the American way.

"Sucker punch"? - We've been at war almost non-stop for decades.  If we weren't spending a Trillion dollars on arms, I might agree with him.
"Lit up your world"? - That's something to brag about?  It's no better to kill an Afghan child than an American one, is it?  What happened to the "life" in the Declaration?
Hey, Toby - I'm from New York, and I can promise you the Statue of Liberty NEVER shakes her fist.
Oh, by the way Mr. USA - When mother freedom starts ringin' her bell, it's NEVER hell.  Hell is bad.  The ringing of the Liberty Bell is not hell.
We lit up your world "Like the Fourth of July"?  - The Star Spangled Banner was written we we were BEING attacked, not vice-versa.
Big dog?  Is that what we are?  A big dog?
A "boot in your ass" is "The American Way"?  No, I don't think it is.

Theodore Roosevelt won the Nobel prize for PEACE.  Not for charging San Juan Hill.

One last favourite...Dwight D. Eisenhower (Republican), was President of (GASP!) Columbia University in (GASP!) New York City BEFORE he was President of the US.

According to Eisenhower - former Supreme Allied Commander in WWII :
"Every gun that’s made
Every warship launched
Every rocket fired
Represents
In the final sense
A theft
From those who hunger and are not fed
Those who are cold and are not clothed.”

What would you rather be known for?

Have the vision, and shine a light so that others might share the vision.
Peas,

Jason

PS - I got some GREAT advice from my smart friend Claudia to come up with a theme for my blog, or some thing I "stand for".  I have come up with this:

I owe a debt I can never repay
For those who inspire me to move

The memory of those whose lives had value which lasts on still
And the future of those whose world is shaped by our every thought

Deserve an accounting...a chronicle of what may be achieved by mankind
When we embrace our own magnificence, and get out of our own way

When I grow up, I want to be a poor, stupid criminal...

You seldom hear that from Kindergartners, do you?

Then something happens.

I was listening earlier to day to sadly familiar tale from a woman whose son goes to school with my daughter.  Apparently, the 8-year old son has been getting bullied pretty regularly on the school playground.  What for, you ask?  Well, it's not because of his looks (which would certainly not be any more tolerable), his clothes (as if that matters to 8 year old boys), or his race, religion, creed, sexual orientation or nationality (all of which are equally inexcusable).  Nope, none of those "transgressions" of birth or uncontrollable factors.

He has been psychically, emotionally and socially abused because (pause for effect) - he gets perfect grades in class.  Yes, you read that correctly...the boy is an outcast because he is getting good grades.

If you'll notice, I did not describe the cause of the abuse as intelligence.  I have no idea how smart the young man is.  Neither do the other children.  It is simply because he gets good grades.  One does not have to be intelligent to get good grades.  Intelligence is not as reliable a source of good grades as hard work.

Children who are succumbing at ever-decreasing ages to the lure of laziness and the symptoms of that disease which pop up as people age.

With every pair of pants I see worn 14 inches below the waistline; with every sentence I hear comprised of nothing but slang and profanity; with every cashier who has no concept of basic math...I wonder where it begins - this infirmity of the will, this ritualized imbecility...

It begins right there, folks...KINDERGARTEN.  Maybe even younger.

There was a time not so long ago when achievers in all walks of life were glorified, emulated, respected, mimicked and memorialized.  Then came the age of deconstruction we're in today.  Some say it began with the Nixon resignation, others with the 1919 Black Sox (say it ain't so, Joe!), or with the JFK assassination, or the 60's in general, or other bellwether events in history.  Whenever or wherever it happened, the urge to break down everything and anything heretofore seen as "the establishment" has gone too far.

The Japanese have a saying "the peg which sticks out gets hammered back in".  Is this the culture - the country - the society we want?  If so, the past 234 years haven't been a grand experiment in self-governance.  They've been a colossal waste of time and will result in a simple footnote in the history of humankind.

When I think of the people I know who have the highest self esteem and most positive energy to offer in any situation, they're always the ones who have given their all in life.  Whether they succeed at any specific endeavor or achieve great fame or fortune is immaterial to the point; the nucleus of their contribution to humanity is the DESIRE to be their best, and expect the same in return.  As the wonderful educator Jaime Escalante (RIP) said..."Do you have the ganas?" - "Do you have the DESIRE"?.

What would have happened at Bunker Hill in the absence of this desire?  Or on the fields of Bannockburn?  Or Iwo Jima?  Or the laboratory at Menlo Park?  Or on launch pad 39a, Cape Canaveral July 16, 1969?  Or at the Lincoln Memorial August 28, 1963?

Somewhere out there - right now - TODAY - the next great generation sits in smallish chairs in smallish classrooms.  Will their desire to be the person of their own dreams be nurtured and promoted by a society that looks for the best in its own, or snuffed out due to cynicism and the faulty sentiments that lead some people to only feel secure in their own misery if accompanied by everyone around them.

I say no.  Not today.  Not EVER.

Search for, Strive for...DEMAND the best in yourself and those around you.

I reject the imbecility that bumper stickers are replacements for complete and developed thought.  I deny the backward "logic" that puts forth anger in place of respect.  I ignore the worn out false-reason that would have people believe ultimatums are an effective substitute for compromise.  People cheer when leaders declare we will "not negotiate with terrorists".  Rightfully so, I suppose...but what happens when the leadership widens the definitions and categories of people we do not negotiate with?

War.  That's what happens.

I read one of these wonderful bumper stickers yesterday that had the following uplifting prose: "So, how's that hopey-changey thing workin' out for ya?  I assume the person who placed the sticker was referring to the campaign of Barack Obama in 2008.  (Disclaimer : I am not a Democrat and the only person I vote for is ME - and I do vote in every election...for ME).

You want to discredit or defame Barack Obama?  Fine, that's your right...more power to you.

You want to smash and bash the Democrat party?  Fine, that's your right...more power to you.

You want to claim Obama is a complete failure?   Fine, that's your right...more power to you.

But...mocking the theme of "hope" and "change"...are you serious about that?  Do you have children?  What do you teach them...despair and malaise?  Hate is not a progressive strategy.

It's not about supporting the President (whoever she/he might be).  It's about looking forward, upward and onward.

There's a saying that we should all "be the change we want to see in the world"...well, what's your change?

Everyone has a chance to shine a light into the uncertainty of the fog that is the future to light the way for our future generations.  Its hard to smile and fight at the same time (unless you're completely insane).  Try being angry at someone while you're hugging them.

I thank all of you that have subscribed to and read my blog so far...it's a labour of love and I appreciate your comments, suggestions and referrals.  I think I need a closing line for the blog posts that reflects optimism and desire.

Nobody said it better (as usual) than Ralph Waldo Emerson:

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and affection of children

To learn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of
false friends; to appreciate beauty;

To find the best in others;

To leave the world a little bit better, whether bya healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;

To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.

Have the vision, and shine a light so that others might share the vision.
Peas,

Jason

Genocide...and Marshmallows

Fascinating world we live in...

We have recently elected a new group of "representatives" to go to Congress and engage in the business of "rebuilding" our country.  I have recently heard our land referred to as "broken" and "bankrupt", and a long list of accompanying pathologies.  The real questions are:

Do our "representatives" communicate with each other the way we (their constituents) do?
Do our "representatives" know what matters to us most?  How do they know?  How do they keep current?
Do our "representatives" feel as accountable to us as they would if they were employees in our company?
Do our "representatives" feel as optimistic as they wold have to in order to fulfill their promises?

There are so many qualities a "representative" must have to be effective...yet rarely get stressed.

First among them is compassion.

While contemplating the genocides throughout history, it occurred to me that in order to kill a person (much less a race of people) - you first need to overcome a critical psychological obstacle.  You need to dehumanize them.  You need to erase any possibility of guilt, remorse, second-guessing or hesitation from your mind and soul.  You must literally stare at another living creature on G-d's Earth and assume no redeeming value whatsoever.

Here's the rub...

This process doesn't happen overnight.  It surely doesn't happen with one huge thought.  On the contrary, it takes time to simmer the right mixture of despair, fear, ignorance, selfishness and weakness to blend a fresh batch of hatred.

Do you see it today?

The headline writers (not the headline MAKERS - an important distinction) sow the seeds of discord and disrespect with seeming indifference to the path which has been embarked upon.  No joke is made entirely in jest; nor does a jibe or slander exist in a vacuum. 

The slights, insults, mockery, and abuse forges the first link in a chain that will bind us all if not checked.  The theory of momentum dictates if we do not find ways to stem the tide, come together and mutually appreciate each other in order to use all of our respective talents and passions to make things better...we will have nowhere to gaze but the collective looking glass to find the culprit(s).

Even within symmetrical groups, there are ALWAYS layers upon layers of asymmetry. Jews have Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Chabad and so many others...yet the Nazis were more unifying when dealing with them.  Muslims have divisions among them by way of the Shia and Sunni  - yet a Quran burning maniac groups them rather uniformly.  Christianity has Catholicism, Lutheranism, Evangelism, Protestantism and so many others...yet Christ walked with all men hand in hand.

I've been a Boston Red Sox fan for 34 years.  I still didn't appreciate the owner of my favourite team referring to the New York Yankees as "the Evil Empire".  Just uncalled for...that's what it was.

Confucius said "not even the fastest horse can catch a word spoken in anger".  I believe short-sighted hate speech has driven wedges between humanity in a way only universal compassion can fix.  The good news is we have all the tools close at hand to correct things.  The human heart is the vault in which the treasure of our species resides.  Speaking of "mere words" is like speaking of "mere dynamite".  To the young people committing suicide due to verbal abuse and bullying...words are very important indeed.  Equally important are the words that inflame the rage of those who commit acts of terrorism that so often take the lives of people unaware and unattached to the dispute at issue.

Gordon Sumner wrote "we share the same biology, regardless of ideology".  Why must the divisions and differences rule the day?  Why must our corrosive diversion stand in the way of our collaboration and diversity?

The answer is as simple as it is troubling.  The answer is laziness.  Nothing more...nothing less.

It takes no time at all to hate for superficial reasons.  On the other hand, taking the time to learn about another person's burdens, joys, values and talents might actually reveal a special link that binds and benefits us all when fully appreciated.

So many things to share...

Let's take marshmallows, for example.  Do you know anyone (allergies notwithstanding) who doesn't love marshmallows?  Fluffy puffs of goodness and sweet satisfaction - yummeeeee.  I'd wager very few wars have broken out while the combatants were sitting around making s'mores.

Unite, not divide.

There's a wonderful part of the music video for the Paul McCartney song "Pipes of Peace" in which the entrenched World War I soldiers use a cease-fire to start a soccer (football) game between otherwise mortal combatants.  Before long, the soccer game leads to exchanges of liquor and mutual admiration of family photos.  Shortly after, a bomb (of unknown origin) explodes among the troops, and they all flee to their respective sides.  Two of the soldiers are left with the mementos of each others families...and the thought that much of what divided them was more smoke then fire.

The elected officials are not the answer.  None of them.

It must begin in the hearts of individuals and  spread to their daily actions which will uplift and transform their local groups of friends and associates.  This thread of humanity will begin as a stream and collect the momentum of progress which can only be incubated in such an atmosphere, ultimately leading to the ocean of peace which is mandatory for the long term survival of our species.

There is an old saying that humans are the only species capable of blushing...or needing to.

All good in the world flows from above-down, from inside-out.

At one point, Mahatma Gandhi was arguably the most influential human on the planet, yet he held no official title or office...possessed no money and had no legions.

“I offer you peace. I offer you love. I offer you friendship. I see your beauty. I hear your need. I feel your feelings. My wisdom flows from the Highest Source. I salute that Source in you. Let us work together for unity and love.” - Mahatma Gandhi

Namaste

I'm running for President! Well...sort of...

As a younger man, I had aspirations of a life of public service; aiding in the formation of coalitions between people whose diverse ideas and ideals could propel America forward as it had so many times in our glorious history.  Those ideas got shelved when I began to see the degeneration of the system by which we (supposedly) govern ourselves from a high minded, well intentioned forum of adversarial-ly inspired creativity through mutual repsect and progress into a street brawl.

Now, I wonder...

What would happen?  Would it be fair to occupy an office representing people who's design for America might not match my own?  After all, it's quite illogical to offer your services in the promotion or defense of concepts you do not support.  Of course, i can't agree with the electorate all the time (G-d forbid), but I wonder just how much of what I deem reasonable is also "popular"?

Let's find out, shall we?

I've decided to offer my (self proclaimed) centrist-progressive ideas for consideration.  The topics are mostly/all hot button issues, and i certainly expect much disagreement on many of the suggestions.  Those disagreements are exactly what I'm in search of.  Since I respect people's ideas enough to ask for them, I would love to hear any and other points of view in an effort to substantiate my own by making them more well researched, examined and debated.

"Let us never fear to negotiate" - JFK

So here we go:

ID efficiency in the USA - Every citizen would use their Social Security number for every official document at every level of government.  Your passport, birth certificate, drivers license, social security card, voter id, health insurance card, school id, county id, library card, etc. would all use the same id#.  There are probably thousands of people in bureaucracy whose sole job is to keep track of all these different numbers?  Why?  This way, everything from your blood type to your driving record would be easily accessible to you from one central place - at which you could change your (heavily encrypted and multi-tiered) passcode at any time.  Sure there would be glitches, but look what we have now!

Voting - Why in the world is it easier to vote for American Idol then for President?  You should have the option to create an online account at the state.gov website for your state on which you could log in and vote from 12:01 AM until midnight on election day.  This is a slam dunk for democracy.  There is no reason for this to be delayed.  You would need tons less paper, volunteers and space.  Oh, by the way...how much fossil fuel is burned by folks driving back and forth to the polling place?  yes, quite a bit.  It would also mean countless hours saved in the middle of work days where people w
would normally be leaving to wait on a voting line.

The Speed limit - If the municipalities of our country want to raise money, they should have a bake sale.  Speed traps, roving patrols for no particular reason and byzantine traffic regulations are really only serving to drain people's pockets and hike insurance rates - sapping more money from the public that can ill afford to lose it.  Furthermore, the police who are so brave, dedicated and highly equipped to fight, solve, and prevent real crime(s) have much better things to do then cite someone for their taillight being out.  There are heroin deals being made and rapes being committed.  Let's keep our eyes on the ball, shall we?  75 mph is not too much to ask.

Abortion (a biggie) - Women are going to do with their pregnancies what they wish.  That's the fact.  Since they are, it should be done in a safe, professional manner which can (from a medical standpoint) be supervised and regulated for safety.  Any objection to this process usually comes from a moral position which is founded in religious doctrine.  I am for absolute and unbending removal of all religious reference from every level of government.  G-d should be in the heart, home, house of worship, marriage, parent/child relationship and any/everywhere else individuals would like to have it...but it should NOT be in the law(s) of the land.  Too many people's beliefs (or absence thereof) are too diverse and too sensitive to enshrine any of those tenets into law.  It's not necessary to have the hand of G-d guide our country.  The responsibility (like it or not) resides with us.

Campaign Finance - This is getting absurd.  Every campaign contribution should be limited to a certain amount of money per social security number, or tax id number for corporations.  Whatever that number is (maybe $1000 per person / $2000 per corporation), it should be very easy to track in this manner.  This idea is just a start, but the root cause of our elections' significance waning is campaign finance.  It must be fixed, and the only way for that to happen is grass roots, since no sitting politician in this climate would ever dare bite the hand that feeds them.

Gay Marriage - Two people should not have to ask anyone but each other to get married.  Since when is the government involved in this anyway?  Do we have to ask to have children?  To get divorced?  If the idea is (as some say) to preserve the sanctity of marriage, why not make divorce illegal?  There are far too many other things for the government to deal with than this issue which someday will not be an issue anymore (that's 100% guaranteed).  The time is coming.  It might as well be now.  "Justice delayed is justice DENIED" - Langston Hughes

Gays in the military - This very concept (banning people from serving bravely to defend their country simply because of their sexual orientation) is a criminal violation of civil rights.  I have not heard one single bit of argument to the contrary that was not based in solely religious or discriminatory rhetoric, neither one of which have any place in the defense of a country.  How can we fight to oust dictators because of their represive nature with soldiers whose silence is rooted in our own intolerance and repression?  Institutionalized, brutal hypocrisy leads to the downfall of civilizations.  We should learn this before it's too late.

Global Warming / Climate Change - Call it whatever you want.  Trace it's cause(s) to wherever you please.  It really doesn't matter if we're dead.  The temperature of the planet is changing, as are the winds, tides, and coastline(s).  We need to get consensus on what to do about these FACTS instead of arguing about their CAUSES.  It might mean less fossil fuels, more research, less waste, or building a ladder tall enough to reach Mars...but any way we slice the pie will not be good for our future generations if we rob them of a chance to have a habitable planet because we stood around rearranging the deck chairs on the SS ClimaTitanic.

Teachers - The only justifications to pay them so little are A) Because nothing is expected of them (hence the ridiculously low amount of teachers who are removed due to poor performance - B) Some group wants to keep the populous dumb - C) They are an easy mark, since education is such a low priority.  Whatever the reason, this shortfall in merit based compensation is maybe the best example of US short sightedness since the end of World War II.

Taxes - Taxes are not too high on their own.  Or too low.  They are judged as such (either way) based on what teh money is being spent to do.  How much money is too little to be counted as a waste?  Very few Americans I speak with put the percent waste they assume in the Federal budget at less than 33%.  what does that say about the people's faith in the government?  Taxation is best kept local, since localities know best where to spend the money.  The Federal government should only be taxing/spending for those areas which are inherently NATIONAL...such as defense, interstate transportation, and exploration or the sea and space, etc.

Maturation - There should be one age for military service, alcohol consumption, firearms purchase, mariage, etc.  Either you're an adult, or you're not.  It's that simple.

Marijuana - If alcohol is legal, so should marijuana be.  It's already legal in every sense other than the actual passing of the law.  It might as well be taxed (as cigarettes are) and use the money to educate people about it's (potential) dangers, along with those of liquor, cigarettes, etc.   Some of that money should also be used to educate people about the dangers of poor diet (diabetes, cholesterol, etc.).  The amount of money the government is spending to fight this issue is only slightly more absurd than the amount of money it could be making from the taxation and regulation of it as a legal industry.

War - The concept of "pre-emptive" war is perhaps the most dangerous I have ever experienced in any context, whether current or historical.  How many lives, how much infrastructure and useful assets have been wasted in the name of unjust wars?  It must be stopped with all deliberate speed; that means NOW.  The reason(s) for military action should be active, provocative, plainly seen and unavoidable by any other means.  A rush to harness the wind(s) of war is the mark of an ill-informed, poorly educated, overly hostile, recklessly ambitious populous that will ultimately reap the whirlwind.

Stay tuned for more...and please offer commentary and suggestions!

Spread the word!