We went to Kroger today. The plan was to drop Shekinah off at work and pick up a few snacks for New Years Eve. We got our items and went to the "express" lane. It was not. There was an older woman in front of us who wanted to be chatty. I just wanted to pay for our things and get out of the store. They were very busy. In keeping with their business plan there were long lines at every lane so folks will get frustrated and go to self check lanes. I never will. That isn't what this story is about.
The talkative older lady had a sweater she was buying. It had the characteristics she wanted, ugly and on sale. She needed it for ugly sweater parties she attends around Christmas. She encouraged us to go buy one since they were only $11. We told her we were from up north and didn't find a need for sweaters in southern Georgia. She asked where we were from. We told her Illinois and she shared she was from Fargo, North Dakota and retired for warmer weather. Another lady walked up and started talking to her about the Zumba class they both attend. The conversation got interesting after that lady walked off.
She told us that there was a senior citizen class that was reasonably priced at AnyTime Fitness. She encouraged us to attend. I managed to hold my tongue and not say anything ignorant. I was thinking: "Do we look like we need to exercise? Do you think we are fat and lazy?" We are clearly fat. I wondered how she could think that at any time we would be going to a fitness class at AnyTime Fitness. I wanted to ask if they had a bar there. I didn't find the prospect of sharing time with a room full of sweaty oldsters appealing.
So at no time will I be going to AnyTime.
Monday, December 31, 2018
Thursday, December 20, 2018
Friday, December 14, 2018
Things to Think About
Charlotte Bacon, 6
Daniel Braden, 7
Olivia Engel, 6
Josephine Gay, 7
Dylan Hockley, 6
Madeleine Hsu, 6
Catherine Hubbard, 6
Chase Kowalski, 7
Jesse Lewis, 6
Ana Marquez-Greene, 6
James Mattioli, 6
Grace McDonnell, 7
Emilie Parker, 6
Jack Pinto, 6
Noah Pozner, 6
Caroline Previdi, 6
Jessica Rekos, 6
Arielle Richman, 6
Benjamin Wheeler, 6
Allison Wyatt, 6
They were murdered 6 years ago today. We could have done something in the years since to address the epidemic of gun violence in the United States. We have done nothing. The news today is that gun violence has reached a 40 year high. The gun debate appears to be over. When we allow 20 children to be murdered in their school one must wonder. What level of murder and mayhem will it take for us to act? Over 20 killed in a church? No! Over 50 killed at a concert in Las Vegas? No!
The Sandy Hook victims would have been 12 or 13 this year. They are forever 6 or 7. Take a moment today to remember them.
Sunday, December 9, 2018
Doctors
I wrote a few days ago about going to the doctor for abdominal pain. It has gone from doctor(singular) to doctors(plural). When I saw the gastroenterologist he recommended an endoscopy and a colonoscopy to determine what exactly was happening. So I went on the 3rd of December and had the endoscopy. I was unconscious after the procedure so the doctor talked to Carol. He told her my esophagus was "ugly" and "angry". Not exactly medical terms. They did communicate that things were not normal. He took some biopsies while he was looking around down there. He told Carol I needed to take my acid reflux medicine twice a day instead of once.
I went to my regular doctor on the 6th and got quizzed about what I had done in the past month. I told her I had the endoscopy and she asked what the doctor told me. I answered the question she asked and told her he didn't tell me anything since I was unconscious. Sorry doc, old corrections training. Don't try to figure out what people want, just answer the question they ask. Even if the question is stupid and the answer is unproductive. Carol stepped in and shared what she was told. The doctor changed my acid reflux medication to twice a day. She scheduled another appointment for me in three months.
What's next? I see the gastroenterologist on the 19th. I'm sure he will enlighten me on what an angry, ugly esophagus means. I was informed on Friday that my biopsy results were benign. So that was good welcome news. I have a colonoscopy scheduled for January 2nd. Happy new year to me. People have asked why that day? It was the first appointment they had available. Why not put it off a few days? I figured it was like going on a diet. You can find an excuse every day. Hell, sometimes every meal. Why it should wait until some other time. I would like to use some excuse, any excuse, to not have that test. I'm just at the point that something has to be done to figure out what is causing my pain. As my friend Mike and I mused a couple of weeks ago, the days of drinking, smoking and mistreating our bodies are over. The bill for our misspent youth is coming due and we aren't happy about it.
I went to my regular doctor on the 6th and got quizzed about what I had done in the past month. I told her I had the endoscopy and she asked what the doctor told me. I answered the question she asked and told her he didn't tell me anything since I was unconscious. Sorry doc, old corrections training. Don't try to figure out what people want, just answer the question they ask. Even if the question is stupid and the answer is unproductive. Carol stepped in and shared what she was told. The doctor changed my acid reflux medication to twice a day. She scheduled another appointment for me in three months.
What's next? I see the gastroenterologist on the 19th. I'm sure he will enlighten me on what an angry, ugly esophagus means. I was informed on Friday that my biopsy results were benign. So that was good welcome news. I have a colonoscopy scheduled for January 2nd. Happy new year to me. People have asked why that day? It was the first appointment they had available. Why not put it off a few days? I figured it was like going on a diet. You can find an excuse every day. Hell, sometimes every meal. Why it should wait until some other time. I would like to use some excuse, any excuse, to not have that test. I'm just at the point that something has to be done to figure out what is causing my pain. As my friend Mike and I mused a couple of weeks ago, the days of drinking, smoking and mistreating our bodies are over. The bill for our misspent youth is coming due and we aren't happy about it.
Wednesday, November 21, 2018
Happiness
I was driving back to Tybee this afternoon on Highway 80. I saw a car headed toward Savannah with a dog. He had his head stuck out the window looking something like this.
It made me think about my Buddy Mike and his recent blog post about Whiz Bang the Dumb Struck Wonder Pup bounding through the tall grass. Both dogs were just full of unbridled joy. I thought about how wonderful it would be if we, as adults, could accomplish that level of happiness. It seems that level of joy is lost to us sometime in our youth. Perhaps our teen years. Hormones and peer pressure? In adulthood we are concerned with car payments, mortgage, our spouses and children. Our joy is tempered by our responsibilities. Maybe the closest we get is riding a motorcycle.
Relax a little over the holiday weekend and try to find the joy that dog is experiencing.
It made me think about my Buddy Mike and his recent blog post about Whiz Bang the Dumb Struck Wonder Pup bounding through the tall grass. Both dogs were just full of unbridled joy. I thought about how wonderful it would be if we, as adults, could accomplish that level of happiness. It seems that level of joy is lost to us sometime in our youth. Perhaps our teen years. Hormones and peer pressure? In adulthood we are concerned with car payments, mortgage, our spouses and children. Our joy is tempered by our responsibilities. Maybe the closest we get is riding a motorcycle.
Relax a little over the holiday weekend and try to find the joy that dog is experiencing.
Monday, November 19, 2018
Walking
I walk every day. Sometimes with intent to get some much needed exercise. Sometimes it is just to give our fur kids Rose and Lily an opportunity to take care of their needs outdoors. I enjoy walking. It is an opportunity to enjoy nature. Feel the wind on your face. The sun shining on your skin. Hear the bark of a squirrel. The barking of another dog. The wail of an ambulance siren. I use a couple of different ways to track my walks. When I take the dogs out for their needs my steps are measured by my Fitbit. So far Fitbit says I have worn my trackers for a total of 14,972,382 steps, or 7,556.06 miles. It also says I have climbed the equivalent of 13,138 floors of stair steps. I'm currently on my third one of their trackers. Sweat and dirt are not the trackers friend.
When I take my long walk I use an application on my phone called Map My Walk. It utilizes GPS technology to track and map where I have walked. I haven't used this application as long but I do like the mapping feature. It did have one feature that I have finally turned off. It is able to provide voice coaching. So every quarter mile it would tell me how far I have walked, my pace during the walk and the total time elapsed since I started. It finally dawned on me that the voice feedback was ruining my walks. I wasn't listening to the birds in the trees. I wasn't feeling the sun and wind on my face. I wasn't paying attention to Rose and Lily. I was doing math problems in my head. How much faster does the next mile or quarter mile have to be so that I was walking 3.5 miles an hour? I would get irritated if the dogs wanted to stop and investigate some smell or pee for about the 100th time on that walk. Why can't they both go at the same time? We walked 10 feet and you want to pee again? Come on I need to make some time here. Every second I stop just makes getting my time right that much harder. Walking wasn't enjoyable. I'm retired. What's the rush? Ok the walk takes longer. The other day we walked about 5 miles. Map My Walk says it took me over 19 minutes to walk each mile. It wasn't chirping at me every quarter mile and I really enjoyed my walk.
So, what is the lesson here. I guess for me it was gaining an understanding that technology should not be something that interferes with our enjoyment. When a device, or a program or a characteristic of an application becomes a problem we have to be willing to pull the plug. Make some changes. Technology should enhance our experiences not rule them. Now I walk in blissful silence except for the music that plays in my head. I have one Christmas song I enjoy, Burl Ives singing It's a Holly Jolly Christmas. The other day while I was walking that was stuck in an endless loop in my brain. While it was playing in there amid the sounds of Tybee I thought about how strange it was. When I hear it in my head it is not my voice singing it that I hear it is his. Mike here is where the question becomes philosophical. Are we really dead if someone remembers us? Did old Burl stop by and have a walk in my brain? I think both happened. It's okay, he's welcome any time. Maybe after Christmas he will change the words a bit for me so it is a Holly Jolly day on Tybee.
When I take my long walk I use an application on my phone called Map My Walk. It utilizes GPS technology to track and map where I have walked. I haven't used this application as long but I do like the mapping feature. It did have one feature that I have finally turned off. It is able to provide voice coaching. So every quarter mile it would tell me how far I have walked, my pace during the walk and the total time elapsed since I started. It finally dawned on me that the voice feedback was ruining my walks. I wasn't listening to the birds in the trees. I wasn't feeling the sun and wind on my face. I wasn't paying attention to Rose and Lily. I was doing math problems in my head. How much faster does the next mile or quarter mile have to be so that I was walking 3.5 miles an hour? I would get irritated if the dogs wanted to stop and investigate some smell or pee for about the 100th time on that walk. Why can't they both go at the same time? We walked 10 feet and you want to pee again? Come on I need to make some time here. Every second I stop just makes getting my time right that much harder. Walking wasn't enjoyable. I'm retired. What's the rush? Ok the walk takes longer. The other day we walked about 5 miles. Map My Walk says it took me over 19 minutes to walk each mile. It wasn't chirping at me every quarter mile and I really enjoyed my walk.
So, what is the lesson here. I guess for me it was gaining an understanding that technology should not be something that interferes with our enjoyment. When a device, or a program or a characteristic of an application becomes a problem we have to be willing to pull the plug. Make some changes. Technology should enhance our experiences not rule them. Now I walk in blissful silence except for the music that plays in my head. I have one Christmas song I enjoy, Burl Ives singing It's a Holly Jolly Christmas. The other day while I was walking that was stuck in an endless loop in my brain. While it was playing in there amid the sounds of Tybee I thought about how strange it was. When I hear it in my head it is not my voice singing it that I hear it is his. Mike here is where the question becomes philosophical. Are we really dead if someone remembers us? Did old Burl stop by and have a walk in my brain? I think both happened. It's okay, he's welcome any time. Maybe after Christmas he will change the words a bit for me so it is a Holly Jolly day on Tybee.
Thursday, November 15, 2018
Thoughts on Thursday
I probably shouldn't make fun of former Attorney General Jeff Sessions but I am. Anyone who thinks Donald Trump could have been, is, or ever will be a good president deserves to be ridiculed.
I usually think the Super Bowl halftime shows suck. I would watch Weird Al.
I refuse to use self check lanes. The other problem is I'm thinking about dropping Amazon as well. Seems to me that when you are a company valued at or above a trillion dollars and your major shareholder is the richest man on Earth you shouldn't need taxpayer dollars to fund the location of your new headquarters.
Surprised that stalker Santa isn't in that lineup. I hear he knows when you're sleeping, knows when you're awake. He knows if you've been good or bad. Sounds like a window peeping stalker to me.
I showed this to someone yesterday because I thought it was funny as hell. The picture doesn't mean anything if you don't understand praying mantis mating habits.
I've been to Ohio and I understand why they would all head for Michigan.
I probably won't be but any joke involving a Muppet is funny.
Monday, November 12, 2018
We Owe a Debt
I'm composing this on Veteran's Day. It has been 100 years since the end of the First World War. There will be plenty of things written and said about the actions of the current American president this weekend. The focus should be on the sacrifices made by those who fought, were wounded or died in The Great War. They thought it was the war to end all wars. Those of us who have followed sincerely wish they had been right. Instead we have spent the last 100 years figuring out new ways to kill people quicker and more efficiently. It is a sad but true statement on humanity and how we have chosen to live on this planet. We look at the vast universe and wonder if there is any intelligent life out in that giant expanse. I look around at what we do to each other and wonder if there is any intelligent life on this world.
My thoughts today were taken to the words of two men. The first, Abraham Lincoln. He spoke at his second inaugural as the Civil War was ending about binding the nations wounds and looking after the veterans of that war and their families.
"With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us
to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds,
to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all
which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations."
Abraham Lincoln
March 4, 1865
President Lincoln would die at the hand of an assassin on April 15, 1865. Some 150+ years later we are still unable to bind up the nation's wounds. President Lincoln did make it clear to us what our obligation is to those who serve in our nation's military. It is a debt we owe them and their families that realistically can never be fully repaid. We must do our utmost toward that repayment.
The second man is Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae the man who wrote "In Flanders Fields" in May 1915 after presiding over the funeral of his friend and fellow soldier Lieutenant Alexis Helmer. He died in the Second Battle of Ypres during World War One.
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
The dead pass their torch to us to finish the work they so nobly began. It seems to easy to honor them in word. We should rather work to honor them in our deeds. We know what the right things are to do. So we should work to see them done or at the least with our failing hand throw the torch to the next generation to finish the work we have nobly begun.
My thoughts today were taken to the words of two men. The first, Abraham Lincoln. He spoke at his second inaugural as the Civil War was ending about binding the nations wounds and looking after the veterans of that war and their families.
"With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us
to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds,
to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all
which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations."
Abraham Lincoln
March 4, 1865
President Lincoln would die at the hand of an assassin on April 15, 1865. Some 150+ years later we are still unable to bind up the nation's wounds. President Lincoln did make it clear to us what our obligation is to those who serve in our nation's military. It is a debt we owe them and their families that realistically can never be fully repaid. We must do our utmost toward that repayment.
The second man is Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae the man who wrote "In Flanders Fields" in May 1915 after presiding over the funeral of his friend and fellow soldier Lieutenant Alexis Helmer. He died in the Second Battle of Ypres during World War One.
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
The dead pass their torch to us to finish the work they so nobly began. It seems to easy to honor them in word. We should rather work to honor them in our deeds. We know what the right things are to do. So we should work to see them done or at the least with our failing hand throw the torch to the next generation to finish the work we have nobly begun.
Thursday, November 8, 2018
Live Longer?
I went to the doctor today. Well, maybe doctor is the correct term. I never actually saw the doctor. I was examined by the physician assistant. I had been having some discomfort in the upper left quadrant of my abdomen and in the center of my chest along my sternum. When you are old and fat, I'm clearly both, they want to check out your heart. So out came the 10 lead EKG. Got all hooked up and it showed no heart problem. One possibility out of the way. Blood pressure was up a bit but it always is when I go to the doctor. I have anxiety about going and it raises my blood pressure. The physician assistant came in and looked at my last visit there and told me it was the same problem I had complained about a year ago. Had I done anything different or just spent the year doing the same thing and putting up with the pains. So I got the usual list of things I shouldn't do. The things I should stop. No fried food. No chocolate, No beer or other alcohol. No soda or carbonated beverages. Lose some weight. Exercise more. Take some medication to reduce my acid re-flux.
Well, now what to do? I had a very dear friend who got the same kind of advice many years ago. He listened to what the doctor said and then told him: "I may not live any longer if I do this but it will sure seem like it." He lived his life on his terms and continued what he had been doing. Less than 2 years later in his mid 40's he was dead. Time to make some lifestyle changes.
Will I live longer? I don't know. Will I do what they told me to do today? Yes. I may not live longer. It may seem longer. I just haven't done everything I want to do yet. I can live without fried food and beer and chocolate and soda pop. There is more to life than those things.
Well, now what to do? I had a very dear friend who got the same kind of advice many years ago. He listened to what the doctor said and then told him: "I may not live any longer if I do this but it will sure seem like it." He lived his life on his terms and continued what he had been doing. Less than 2 years later in his mid 40's he was dead. Time to make some lifestyle changes.
Will I live longer? I don't know. Will I do what they told me to do today? Yes. I may not live longer. It may seem longer. I just haven't done everything I want to do yet. I can live without fried food and beer and chocolate and soda pop. There is more to life than those things.
Tuesday, November 6, 2018
Vote? Mickey Mouse? What About...?
It is election day. I hope you take the time to vote. I hope you think about what the candidate you vote for wants to accomplish while he or she is in office. One of many problems I have with elections and candidates is the tone and content of political advertisements. It seems so much time is wasted trying to tell me what a worthless, low down, lying piece of shit your opponent is. That information has absolutely no value to me as a voter. I need to know what you want to accomplish if you are elected. What do you see as our greatest needs? How do you want to address the high cost of healthcare? Drug prices continue to rise seemingly out of control. Do you have a plan to address that issue? What is it? The budget deficit has risen dramatically due to the tax cuts and increased defense spending. How do you intend to address that issue? Do you plan on cutting social security and government subsidized healthcare to reduce the deficit? Where do you stand on the Mueller investigation? Should it continue? Should there be more oversight provided by Congress on the actions of the current president? How do you plan to address immigration? Is it appropriate to send our military to the southern boarder? Those are some of the questions I think the candidates should answer. I'll use healthcare as an example. Those folks running for office say they want to protect preexisting conditions and expand healthcare. What they don't say in their advertisements or on their websites is how? Don't give me broad strokes of policy wishes. Tell me what, when, how, cost, benefit. As I was always taught, the devil is in the details. About now you are wondering what the hell Mickey Mouse has to do with this. Good question.
Sunday night, two days before an election, ABC broadcast a special celebrating Mickey Mouse's 90th birthday. Really? This is how we want to spend our valuable broadcast time, celebrating the birthday of an imaginary mouse. Those of you who know me are aware that I have no love for that little rodent bastard. I understand the economics of the broadcast. ABC is owned by Disney. Clearly since Disney raised worker wages they need to encourage more folks to attend their theme parks. So, while we should be focused on an important election, we are watching a celebration for a rodent. You see a mouse on your floor in your house. Do you wonder when his or her birthday is so you can plan a party? I think not. Time for glue traps, snap traps, and poison. Maybe wack that son of a bitch with a broom. Mickey Mouse- please just go back in the wall and eat that cheese on the snap trap.
What about? Don't be distract by bullshit. I keep hearing about this invading caravan of immigrants traveling through Mexico headed north. It has become the center theme of what the president has had to say. Think about what is going on here. They are over 600 miles away. They are walking. If they walk 20 miles a day they are still a month away. They are mostly women and children. They are not, as best as we can tell now, trying to cross illegally. They are coming to seek asylum from the horrible conditions in Central America. Conditions that our government's actions helped create. It is another distraction from the real issues that we need to address as a nation.
Today, go vote. Know who you are voting for, what they stand for, what they hope to accomplish. Then take time to follow up. Did they actually do those things. Are they working to earn your support in two or four years? Make them accountable.
Sunday night, two days before an election, ABC broadcast a special celebrating Mickey Mouse's 90th birthday. Really? This is how we want to spend our valuable broadcast time, celebrating the birthday of an imaginary mouse. Those of you who know me are aware that I have no love for that little rodent bastard. I understand the economics of the broadcast. ABC is owned by Disney. Clearly since Disney raised worker wages they need to encourage more folks to attend their theme parks. So, while we should be focused on an important election, we are watching a celebration for a rodent. You see a mouse on your floor in your house. Do you wonder when his or her birthday is so you can plan a party? I think not. Time for glue traps, snap traps, and poison. Maybe wack that son of a bitch with a broom. Mickey Mouse- please just go back in the wall and eat that cheese on the snap trap.
What about? Don't be distract by bullshit. I keep hearing about this invading caravan of immigrants traveling through Mexico headed north. It has become the center theme of what the president has had to say. Think about what is going on here. They are over 600 miles away. They are walking. If they walk 20 miles a day they are still a month away. They are mostly women and children. They are not, as best as we can tell now, trying to cross illegally. They are coming to seek asylum from the horrible conditions in Central America. Conditions that our government's actions helped create. It is another distraction from the real issues that we need to address as a nation.
Today, go vote. Know who you are voting for, what they stand for, what they hope to accomplish. Then take time to follow up. Did they actually do those things. Are they working to earn your support in two or four years? Make them accountable.
Monday, November 5, 2018
Sunday, November 4, 2018
Leadership
Sometimes life gets in the way of blogging. So it wasn't one day it was several. Today's post will be somewhat political so if you don't want to read that just move along now. I stopped commenting and posting about political issues on Facebook. That does not mean I'm stopping here.
I recently read an article on leadership. It addressed 10 characteristics of leadership. I'm going to list them all but not comment on all of them.
1. Vision
2. Motivation
3. Serving
4. Empathy
5. Creativity
6. Thoroughness
7. Managing
8. Team Building
9. Taking risks
10. Improving
Vision. I don't think there is any question that the current president has a vision of what he wants to do and where he wants to lead America. The other part of having a vision is that to accomplish that vision you must inspire others. There is no doubt the 40 or so percent that follow him and agree with him are inspired. The problem is team building. There seems to be no effort to reach out to anyone outside of those who are true believers. We have become a nation divided. It is increasingly clear that one of the major drivers of this is election district gerrymandering. Why? If we use computer modeling we can determine those areas that are solidly one party or the other. It allows political parties in power to create safe districts for their party. If you can ensure the opposition party has no chance of winning what happens? Effectively when you are elected the only way you can lose is in your party primary election. You lose because your party's voters have determined you are not sufficiently conservative or liberal. Compromise becomes impossible. You want to remain in office to affect the change you think will help America and compromise means you can't be reelected. Change is generally incremental and not revolutionary. Republicans understand this and it has driven their opposition to the Affordable Care Act. It was a step in a long process toward universal health care.
Empathy. This is the issue with the current administration I do not understand. The current president seems completely unable to express or exhibit any significant level of empathy. I watch the near worshipful level of his followers and wonder how they reach the conclusions about him that they do. He understands our struggle. He knows how we feel. I will give you that one. He knows you are angry. That you feel the systems our society depends on don't work for you. He knows those things but only uses them to manipulate you in support of his agenda. It is an agenda that is not in the majority's best interest. He claims his administration is fighting to protect health care for pre-existing conditions. This is while he has worked to overturn the Affordable Care Act and his Justice Department actively supports a legal challenge to that protection. He talks about no cuts to Medicare and Social Security while leaders in the House and Senate push to make those cuts to reduce the budget deficit the tax cut they passed and he signed created. Understands their struggle. Please- he shits in a gold toilet. He has, allegedly, billions of dollars. He doesn't worry about how to pay his bills, pay for groceries, sending his children to college, car repairs or any of a hundred other things that vex every day Americans. He talks about your struggle but he doesn't understand your struggle. He has never lived your struggle. Never laid awake at night knowing that he doesn't have health insurance and is one illness or accident away from financial ruin. He hides behind his shell companies, lawyers and bankruptcies to keep his personal lifestyle. He refuses to pay companies and people who work for him. You are just another piece of shit he steps on while he walks to his golden toilet.
Improving. Leaders create an environment where team members work to improve their skills and the outcomes for their organization. It seems this president is only interested in having people who are willing to kiss his ass. Don't suggest something that is not a part of his plan. He believes he is the smartest person in every room he enters. It is clear, if you are paying attention, he is not.
I have believed for a very long time that a boss is someone who can get you to do your job. A leader is someone who works and encourages you to do your best. When I look at our current president I know that we can do better, much better.
If you are interested in a good article on leadership here is a link.
www.game-learn.com/what-is-leadership-ways-to-define
I recently read an article on leadership. It addressed 10 characteristics of leadership. I'm going to list them all but not comment on all of them.
1. Vision
2. Motivation
3. Serving
4. Empathy
5. Creativity
6. Thoroughness
7. Managing
8. Team Building
9. Taking risks
10. Improving
Vision. I don't think there is any question that the current president has a vision of what he wants to do and where he wants to lead America. The other part of having a vision is that to accomplish that vision you must inspire others. There is no doubt the 40 or so percent that follow him and agree with him are inspired. The problem is team building. There seems to be no effort to reach out to anyone outside of those who are true believers. We have become a nation divided. It is increasingly clear that one of the major drivers of this is election district gerrymandering. Why? If we use computer modeling we can determine those areas that are solidly one party or the other. It allows political parties in power to create safe districts for their party. If you can ensure the opposition party has no chance of winning what happens? Effectively when you are elected the only way you can lose is in your party primary election. You lose because your party's voters have determined you are not sufficiently conservative or liberal. Compromise becomes impossible. You want to remain in office to affect the change you think will help America and compromise means you can't be reelected. Change is generally incremental and not revolutionary. Republicans understand this and it has driven their opposition to the Affordable Care Act. It was a step in a long process toward universal health care.
Empathy. This is the issue with the current administration I do not understand. The current president seems completely unable to express or exhibit any significant level of empathy. I watch the near worshipful level of his followers and wonder how they reach the conclusions about him that they do. He understands our struggle. He knows how we feel. I will give you that one. He knows you are angry. That you feel the systems our society depends on don't work for you. He knows those things but only uses them to manipulate you in support of his agenda. It is an agenda that is not in the majority's best interest. He claims his administration is fighting to protect health care for pre-existing conditions. This is while he has worked to overturn the Affordable Care Act and his Justice Department actively supports a legal challenge to that protection. He talks about no cuts to Medicare and Social Security while leaders in the House and Senate push to make those cuts to reduce the budget deficit the tax cut they passed and he signed created. Understands their struggle. Please- he shits in a gold toilet. He has, allegedly, billions of dollars. He doesn't worry about how to pay his bills, pay for groceries, sending his children to college, car repairs or any of a hundred other things that vex every day Americans. He talks about your struggle but he doesn't understand your struggle. He has never lived your struggle. Never laid awake at night knowing that he doesn't have health insurance and is one illness or accident away from financial ruin. He hides behind his shell companies, lawyers and bankruptcies to keep his personal lifestyle. He refuses to pay companies and people who work for him. You are just another piece of shit he steps on while he walks to his golden toilet.
Improving. Leaders create an environment where team members work to improve their skills and the outcomes for their organization. It seems this president is only interested in having people who are willing to kiss his ass. Don't suggest something that is not a part of his plan. He believes he is the smartest person in every room he enters. It is clear, if you are paying attention, he is not.
I have believed for a very long time that a boss is someone who can get you to do your job. A leader is someone who works and encourages you to do your best. When I look at our current president I know that we can do better, much better.
If you are interested in a good article on leadership here is a link.
www.game-learn.com/what-is-leadership-ways-to-define
Thursday, November 1, 2018
Civility and Leadership
I haven't taken time to do this in several months. It wasn't that I didn't have anything to say. The problem was how am I going to say what I think. It has become increasingly clear that we, as a people, as Americans are becoming less tolerant of each other and even less understanding of immigrants and foreigners. What has caused this change? I have several thoughts on this. You may feel free to disagree at any time and choose to stop reading. I will not waste any time arguing with you.
First, the terror attack of 9-11-2001. It seems to have stoked our fears about folks of Middle Eastern descent. Made some of us strike out at Muslims. I can't provide numbers as recent as I would like but the reality looks something more like this. According to numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2001 to 2014, 440095 people died in the United States from the use of firearms. This would include deaths from homicide, suicide and accidents. The United States Department of State indicates that during the same time period 369 United States citizens were killed in incidents of terrorism overseas. In the same time period 3,043 people were killed inside the United States in domestic acts of terrorism. This brings the total to 3,412. So, it is clear that you are much more likely to be killed by a firearm in an incident that is not classified as foreign or domestic acts of terrorism. It would seem our fears regarding death in a terror attack are not especially rational. Yet our political leaders are always ready to stoke those fears. There is a "caravan" of Central American refugees walking through Mexico apparently headed for the United States boarder. It has been suggested it is an invasion and contains individuals of Middle Eastern descent or MS 13 gang members. Regular U S Army troops are being sent to meet them at our boarder. Makes little sense to me as they are almost 900 miles away and walking. It will take this group weeks to get here. The only reason to send troops and make a big issue of this is to stoke fear prior to Tuesday and the midterm elections. Big group of non English speaking brown people are headed our way to invade us and steal our jobs. What a huge crock of bullshit.
Second, social media. Take a little time and read the comments on some Facebook posts. It makes you wonder how, and perhaps more relevantly, why you were ever friends with some of those people. I have stopped commenting on political posts on Facebook. I use it to keep up with what friends are doing in their lives not what they think about elected officials. The true horror of media online is reading a news article and then reading the comment section below. Folks hide behind online names and say all kinds of horrible and insulting things to each other. While a zippy insult may feel personally satisfying it does nothing to settle issues or raise the level of political discourse. It is our collective effort to reduce ourselves to something similar to poop throwing monkeys at the zoo. Lots of noise and shit throwing that essentially accomplishes nothing.
Third, personal computers, tablet computers and "smart" phones. We literally have the collective knowledge of mankind at our fingertips. We see some picture of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln. Donald Trump, or Barak Obama with a statement allegedly made by them. It appears to be something they said and it lines up with our current political beliefs so we "like" it or share it on our news feed as if it is true. A simple 30 second check on Google would reveal if it is accurate or not but seriously folks who has time for that. I have done those checks and commented back to the person who posted the erroneous information. All is has gotten me is grief. They don't care if it is accurate they just like what is says. Facts matter.
For me our lack of civility is driven by those factors. Fear, social media being not so social and ignorance. It doesn't have to be true it just has to sound true.
Tomorrow- leadership.
First, the terror attack of 9-11-2001. It seems to have stoked our fears about folks of Middle Eastern descent. Made some of us strike out at Muslims. I can't provide numbers as recent as I would like but the reality looks something more like this. According to numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2001 to 2014, 440095 people died in the United States from the use of firearms. This would include deaths from homicide, suicide and accidents. The United States Department of State indicates that during the same time period 369 United States citizens were killed in incidents of terrorism overseas. In the same time period 3,043 people were killed inside the United States in domestic acts of terrorism. This brings the total to 3,412. So, it is clear that you are much more likely to be killed by a firearm in an incident that is not classified as foreign or domestic acts of terrorism. It would seem our fears regarding death in a terror attack are not especially rational. Yet our political leaders are always ready to stoke those fears. There is a "caravan" of Central American refugees walking through Mexico apparently headed for the United States boarder. It has been suggested it is an invasion and contains individuals of Middle Eastern descent or MS 13 gang members. Regular U S Army troops are being sent to meet them at our boarder. Makes little sense to me as they are almost 900 miles away and walking. It will take this group weeks to get here. The only reason to send troops and make a big issue of this is to stoke fear prior to Tuesday and the midterm elections. Big group of non English speaking brown people are headed our way to invade us and steal our jobs. What a huge crock of bullshit.
Second, social media. Take a little time and read the comments on some Facebook posts. It makes you wonder how, and perhaps more relevantly, why you were ever friends with some of those people. I have stopped commenting on political posts on Facebook. I use it to keep up with what friends are doing in their lives not what they think about elected officials. The true horror of media online is reading a news article and then reading the comment section below. Folks hide behind online names and say all kinds of horrible and insulting things to each other. While a zippy insult may feel personally satisfying it does nothing to settle issues or raise the level of political discourse. It is our collective effort to reduce ourselves to something similar to poop throwing monkeys at the zoo. Lots of noise and shit throwing that essentially accomplishes nothing.
Third, personal computers, tablet computers and "smart" phones. We literally have the collective knowledge of mankind at our fingertips. We see some picture of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln. Donald Trump, or Barak Obama with a statement allegedly made by them. It appears to be something they said and it lines up with our current political beliefs so we "like" it or share it on our news feed as if it is true. A simple 30 second check on Google would reveal if it is accurate or not but seriously folks who has time for that. I have done those checks and commented back to the person who posted the erroneous information. All is has gotten me is grief. They don't care if it is accurate they just like what is says. Facts matter.
For me our lack of civility is driven by those factors. Fear, social media being not so social and ignorance. It doesn't have to be true it just has to sound true.
Tomorrow- leadership.
Monday, April 16, 2018
Proust Question 5
What is your most marked characteristic?
I think other people may have a different opinion but to me it is humor. I find all too often it can be a two edged sword. You think something is funny and when you say it there is an audible gasp from those who are listening. I'll give you an example. A few nights ago we went to a local restaurant with a group of friends. There was a gentleman playing a guitar and singing. He was very good even to the point of mimicking the voices of the original singers of the songs he was performing. He was wearing an occluder over one eye which apparently had been lost to accident or illness. Someone in the group commented that he looked like a pirate. I had been uncharacteristically quiet and one of our group asked what I was thinking. What I should have said was something along the lines of how wonderful the evening was with such nice weather, good friends and great food. That really life doesn't get any better than that evening had been. I didn't go there. I went this way. I said I would like to see the guy performing on Wheel of Fortune to listen for him to say he would like to buy an "i". It was one of those moments when the entire group looks at you with the same look on their face. You know the look. It's the one that says: "What the fuck is wrong with you?" I gave them a moment to recover and then said: "You asked. Bet now you wish you hadn't. I have stuff like that going on in my head all the time. I just don't usually let it out."
Even Carol at times suffers from my attempts at humor. One night we were watching the local news and there was a report about a man killing his wife and then killing himself. It led to the following exchange.
Jeff: "I would never do that."
Carol: "Really?"
Jeff: "Yea, I would never kill myself."
She did not find the exchange at all humorous.
So, if I had any advice to offer it would be this. If you are going to attempt to be funny take a moment or two to consider the audience who will be receiving your words. Sometimes they just aren't ready for the tale you are going to share. It is good to learn when to shut your mouth. I'm a work in progress.
I think other people may have a different opinion but to me it is humor. I find all too often it can be a two edged sword. You think something is funny and when you say it there is an audible gasp from those who are listening. I'll give you an example. A few nights ago we went to a local restaurant with a group of friends. There was a gentleman playing a guitar and singing. He was very good even to the point of mimicking the voices of the original singers of the songs he was performing. He was wearing an occluder over one eye which apparently had been lost to accident or illness. Someone in the group commented that he looked like a pirate. I had been uncharacteristically quiet and one of our group asked what I was thinking. What I should have said was something along the lines of how wonderful the evening was with such nice weather, good friends and great food. That really life doesn't get any better than that evening had been. I didn't go there. I went this way. I said I would like to see the guy performing on Wheel of Fortune to listen for him to say he would like to buy an "i". It was one of those moments when the entire group looks at you with the same look on their face. You know the look. It's the one that says: "What the fuck is wrong with you?" I gave them a moment to recover and then said: "You asked. Bet now you wish you hadn't. I have stuff like that going on in my head all the time. I just don't usually let it out."
Even Carol at times suffers from my attempts at humor. One night we were watching the local news and there was a report about a man killing his wife and then killing himself. It led to the following exchange.
Jeff: "I would never do that."
Carol: "Really?"
Jeff: "Yea, I would never kill myself."
She did not find the exchange at all humorous.
So, if I had any advice to offer it would be this. If you are going to attempt to be funny take a moment or two to consider the audience who will be receiving your words. Sometimes they just aren't ready for the tale you are going to share. It is good to learn when to shut your mouth. I'm a work in progress.
Monday, April 9, 2018
Proust Question 4
What is your greatest fear?
This is one of the tougher questions. It would be easy to be a smart ass or flippant about this question. You know something like clowns or midgets. I find both to be a bit disturbing but they don't rise to the level of my greatest fear. It would also be easy to choose death as the answer. I think deep down we all share a concern about our ultimate demise. How will it happen? Will it be painful? Will I be alone? Will anyone care? Death is not my greatest fear. I don't go out and do things deliberately that might kill me. At the same time I don't refuse to do things because they might result in my death. I drive a car and ride a motorcycle. I understand that either one of those activities could result in my death. While I can control how I drive or ride I cannot control the actions of those who share the road with me. Some of them are, in my opinion and experience, stupid, inattentive and careless. Knowing this I still choose to drive and ride in a car and on a motorcycle. I do my best to drive defensively and follow traffic laws in an attempt to reduce my risk. Well, what is my greatest fear if it is not those things?
Dependence. I don't want to be physically or mentally incapacitated. I don't want to have to depend on others for my physical care or for someone to have to handle my business affairs. My father in law Larry had a heart attack and was in a nursing home brain dead for more years than I can recall. It was well over a decade. I can imagine no worse fate in life than what his physical body had to endure. If he had a choice I'm sure he would have wanted almost anything else to happen. To lay in a bed unable to control your bodily functions. To have to see your family come to visit and be unable to communicate with them. To be completely dependent on others for everything in your life strikes fear in my heart. There is no way to know what he thought or felt. What he could see or know. If I had to be in that place I would prefer that I had died instead. So when I look at the world and consider bravery I often think of Stephen Hawking. He was stronger and braver than I could ever be. I would have given up and died many years ago had I been in his condition. So take a little time today and consider what really scares the hell out of you. I hope in my heart you never have to face whatever it might be.
This is one of the tougher questions. It would be easy to be a smart ass or flippant about this question. You know something like clowns or midgets. I find both to be a bit disturbing but they don't rise to the level of my greatest fear. It would also be easy to choose death as the answer. I think deep down we all share a concern about our ultimate demise. How will it happen? Will it be painful? Will I be alone? Will anyone care? Death is not my greatest fear. I don't go out and do things deliberately that might kill me. At the same time I don't refuse to do things because they might result in my death. I drive a car and ride a motorcycle. I understand that either one of those activities could result in my death. While I can control how I drive or ride I cannot control the actions of those who share the road with me. Some of them are, in my opinion and experience, stupid, inattentive and careless. Knowing this I still choose to drive and ride in a car and on a motorcycle. I do my best to drive defensively and follow traffic laws in an attempt to reduce my risk. Well, what is my greatest fear if it is not those things?
Dependence. I don't want to be physically or mentally incapacitated. I don't want to have to depend on others for my physical care or for someone to have to handle my business affairs. My father in law Larry had a heart attack and was in a nursing home brain dead for more years than I can recall. It was well over a decade. I can imagine no worse fate in life than what his physical body had to endure. If he had a choice I'm sure he would have wanted almost anything else to happen. To lay in a bed unable to control your bodily functions. To have to see your family come to visit and be unable to communicate with them. To be completely dependent on others for everything in your life strikes fear in my heart. There is no way to know what he thought or felt. What he could see or know. If I had to be in that place I would prefer that I had died instead. So when I look at the world and consider bravery I often think of Stephen Hawking. He was stronger and braver than I could ever be. I would have given up and died many years ago had I been in his condition. So take a little time today and consider what really scares the hell out of you. I hope in my heart you never have to face whatever it might be.
Thursday, March 22, 2018
Proust Question 3
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
I think this is one of the tougher questions. It probably arises from my doubts that anything is ever perfect. You can be happy in the extreme but I don't know that it would reach perfection. We have chosen to live at least part of the year in Georgia. It separates us by about a 1,000 miles from our friends in Illinois. It isn't just the separation in miles but in time that is significant. It is not the separation that makes me happy. It is when we get back and have the chance to visit with old friends again. Sometimes months or even years pass between opportunities to see some friends yet we can sit and talk almost as if no time has passed at all. The conversation is easy, no topic seems off limits and we don't feel any need to hold back on any opinions. It is that easy familiarity that makes those moments happy and as close to perfect as I can recall.
I walk a good deal for a couple of reasons. First, it is good exercise. From time to time I think about joining the YMCA. It seems silly after I think about it because all I would do there is walk on a treadmill or ride and exercise bike. If I am going to walk it seems like walking outdoors is a much better alternative. It is the second thing that I find gives me almost perfect happiness. Somehow walking in the sun, seeing the world at a slower pace brings some clarity that other activities cannot. I am often surprised by how much you miss driving a car at 30 miles an hour or even a golf cart at 15 miles per hour that you see walking at 3 miles per hour. The flowers in the yards. Squirrels in the trees. Art or other decorations people put in their yards. The sound of gravel crunching under your shoes. The wind blowing in your face. The sun on your back. The solitude of your thoughts. The opportunity to think about anything and or nothing as the miles slowly pass you by.
The last thing would be sitting at home with Rose, Lily and Carol. We don't have to be doing anything. Just sitting and being with each other. There is no place I would rather be and no one else I would like to be with as much as them.
Happiness, friends, walking and home. Who could possibly want more?
I think this is one of the tougher questions. It probably arises from my doubts that anything is ever perfect. You can be happy in the extreme but I don't know that it would reach perfection. We have chosen to live at least part of the year in Georgia. It separates us by about a 1,000 miles from our friends in Illinois. It isn't just the separation in miles but in time that is significant. It is not the separation that makes me happy. It is when we get back and have the chance to visit with old friends again. Sometimes months or even years pass between opportunities to see some friends yet we can sit and talk almost as if no time has passed at all. The conversation is easy, no topic seems off limits and we don't feel any need to hold back on any opinions. It is that easy familiarity that makes those moments happy and as close to perfect as I can recall.
I walk a good deal for a couple of reasons. First, it is good exercise. From time to time I think about joining the YMCA. It seems silly after I think about it because all I would do there is walk on a treadmill or ride and exercise bike. If I am going to walk it seems like walking outdoors is a much better alternative. It is the second thing that I find gives me almost perfect happiness. Somehow walking in the sun, seeing the world at a slower pace brings some clarity that other activities cannot. I am often surprised by how much you miss driving a car at 30 miles an hour or even a golf cart at 15 miles per hour that you see walking at 3 miles per hour. The flowers in the yards. Squirrels in the trees. Art or other decorations people put in their yards. The sound of gravel crunching under your shoes. The wind blowing in your face. The sun on your back. The solitude of your thoughts. The opportunity to think about anything and or nothing as the miles slowly pass you by.
The last thing would be sitting at home with Rose, Lily and Carol. We don't have to be doing anything. Just sitting and being with each other. There is no place I would rather be and no one else I would like to be with as much as them.
Happiness, friends, walking and home. Who could possibly want more?
Wednesday, March 7, 2018
Proust Question 2
What is your favorite journey?
It is tough to narrow this down to one journey. I enjoy returning to Illinois and our home there in the Spring. Carol finds it odd but I truly miss the smell of fresh turned dirt. The earthy smell of it reminds me of the springs of my youth. I don't mind being in Illinois for the summer heat. The heat brings those special treats that belong to the Midwest. Blackberries and black raspberries fresh off the vine. The best sweet corn you can get anywhere. The sweet corn they sell in Georgia is barely edible. So the journey north calls me in the Spring. Depending on how things go I am at least in the fall of my life and perhaps I have started winter. There really is no way to be sure. I am certain the flower of my spring has faded away. The summer of growth and productivity has passed. Yes, fall has arrived. The leaves have turned, the gray in my beard and the age spots on my hands provide ample evidence of fall. So while I enjoy the journey to home of my youth in the spring there is another journey I look forward to with equal anticipation. The return to the mild winters of Tybee. The sound of the waves breaking against the shore. The call of the ever present gulls. The smell of the salt in the ocean air. In the winter of my life I am looking for the mild embrace of the Georgia winter. A brief dip or two into the high 20's or low 30's. The mild afternoons in the 50's and 60's. If last winter was any forecaster of things to come we should not see snow again here until sometime in the late 2030's. I'm good with that forecast. I have scooped plenty of snow up north. I have not had to shovel sunshine down here on the coast. So the journey for me is north and south depending on the season. The difficult part is choosing to be happy wherever you are. My happiness is assured as long as I can enjoy the company of my wonderful wife and the companionship of a couple of great dogs. The three of them make the journey worthwhile.
It is tough to narrow this down to one journey. I enjoy returning to Illinois and our home there in the Spring. Carol finds it odd but I truly miss the smell of fresh turned dirt. The earthy smell of it reminds me of the springs of my youth. I don't mind being in Illinois for the summer heat. The heat brings those special treats that belong to the Midwest. Blackberries and black raspberries fresh off the vine. The best sweet corn you can get anywhere. The sweet corn they sell in Georgia is barely edible. So the journey north calls me in the Spring. Depending on how things go I am at least in the fall of my life and perhaps I have started winter. There really is no way to be sure. I am certain the flower of my spring has faded away. The summer of growth and productivity has passed. Yes, fall has arrived. The leaves have turned, the gray in my beard and the age spots on my hands provide ample evidence of fall. So while I enjoy the journey to home of my youth in the spring there is another journey I look forward to with equal anticipation. The return to the mild winters of Tybee. The sound of the waves breaking against the shore. The call of the ever present gulls. The smell of the salt in the ocean air. In the winter of my life I am looking for the mild embrace of the Georgia winter. A brief dip or two into the high 20's or low 30's. The mild afternoons in the 50's and 60's. If last winter was any forecaster of things to come we should not see snow again here until sometime in the late 2030's. I'm good with that forecast. I have scooped plenty of snow up north. I have not had to shovel sunshine down here on the coast. So the journey for me is north and south depending on the season. The difficult part is choosing to be happy wherever you are. My happiness is assured as long as I can enjoy the company of my wonderful wife and the companionship of a couple of great dogs. The three of them make the journey worthwhile.
Tuesday, March 6, 2018
Proust Question 1
So the experiment begins.
1. What is your current state of mind?
I've been thinking about that most of the day. I guess the best word I can use at this time is apprehensive. Part of it has to do with taking on this social experiment. Am I will to be honest in my answers to every question? How much do I want to reveal? Where is the line between not enough and too much. It's like realizing at some point in life that you are here because your parents had sex. You know it had to have happened but you really don't want to dwell on the thought. God forbid you ever have to hear the details. Sometimes ignorance is bliss. I am, in this case, blissfully ignorant. So, I will share what I think is appropriate. I also understand that there are times that my lovely bride of 43+ years wishes I could or would shut my damn mouth.
My apprehensive nature is not limited to this blog. Our daughter in law is currently in Dallas, Texas at a women's conference. The conference is not what makes me apprehensive. I hope she has a wonderful experience and comes back energized and confident. Travel always concerns me especially when it involves flying in an airplane. I know in my head that air travel is one of the safest forms of transportation. It does not stop that little nagging worry in the background that something could go wrong. My granddaughters need their mother and my son needs his wife.
Owning two houses, as Mike knows, is not the joy everyone thinks it is. When you are in Georgia you worry about the house in Illinois. Is everything okay? Are all the automatic systems like heat working? We will go back there in a few weeks. There are lots of things that need to be done here before we go there. Tomorrow is going to be taken up doing some painting downstairs. I tried to program the sprinkler system last week. I had trouble getting part of it to shut off. The instructions looked simple. Apparently I am simpler than the instructions. I still need to finish cleaning and water sealing the deck. I have some landscaping to do. The list goes on.
Audrey is our granddaughter who is involved in competitive gymnastics. One of the girls her age dislocated her elbow the other night. I know the gym she goes to takes every possible precaution to prevent injury. Everything wasn't enough to prevent this accident. You never want to see or hear about you child or grandchild being injured.
So, after all that I know what I got from my Grandmother Beck. Yes folks, clearly I am a worrier. I fret about things that I cannot change. Such is life. Sometimes even knowing does not lead to progress or change. Seems like in my 60's I'm pretty locked in to how I think and feel.
1. What is your current state of mind?
I've been thinking about that most of the day. I guess the best word I can use at this time is apprehensive. Part of it has to do with taking on this social experiment. Am I will to be honest in my answers to every question? How much do I want to reveal? Where is the line between not enough and too much. It's like realizing at some point in life that you are here because your parents had sex. You know it had to have happened but you really don't want to dwell on the thought. God forbid you ever have to hear the details. Sometimes ignorance is bliss. I am, in this case, blissfully ignorant. So, I will share what I think is appropriate. I also understand that there are times that my lovely bride of 43+ years wishes I could or would shut my damn mouth.
My apprehensive nature is not limited to this blog. Our daughter in law is currently in Dallas, Texas at a women's conference. The conference is not what makes me apprehensive. I hope she has a wonderful experience and comes back energized and confident. Travel always concerns me especially when it involves flying in an airplane. I know in my head that air travel is one of the safest forms of transportation. It does not stop that little nagging worry in the background that something could go wrong. My granddaughters need their mother and my son needs his wife.
Owning two houses, as Mike knows, is not the joy everyone thinks it is. When you are in Georgia you worry about the house in Illinois. Is everything okay? Are all the automatic systems like heat working? We will go back there in a few weeks. There are lots of things that need to be done here before we go there. Tomorrow is going to be taken up doing some painting downstairs. I tried to program the sprinkler system last week. I had trouble getting part of it to shut off. The instructions looked simple. Apparently I am simpler than the instructions. I still need to finish cleaning and water sealing the deck. I have some landscaping to do. The list goes on.
Audrey is our granddaughter who is involved in competitive gymnastics. One of the girls her age dislocated her elbow the other night. I know the gym she goes to takes every possible precaution to prevent injury. Everything wasn't enough to prevent this accident. You never want to see or hear about you child or grandchild being injured.
So, after all that I know what I got from my Grandmother Beck. Yes folks, clearly I am a worrier. I fret about things that I cannot change. Such is life. Sometimes even knowing does not lead to progress or change. Seems like in my 60's I'm pretty locked in to how I think and feel.
Monday, March 5, 2018
Proust
Marcel Proust was a French essayist and novelist. I have never read any of his essays or books. I read the Proust Questionnaire a few months ago and contemplated sharing it and my answers with you. He believed that by answering these questions you reveal your true nature. I do not intend to answer all of them in one post. Some questions may lend themselves to an entire blog post. Some may require several questions and answers to make a blog entry. Today all you get are the questions. I hope the exercise is interesting enough that you choose to examine your life. Perhaps not in this type of public forum, but in a manner that is comfortable for you. Here are the questions.
1. What is your current state of mind?
2. What is your favorite journey?
3. What is your idea of perfect happiness?
4. What is your greatest fear?
5. What is your most marked characteristic?
6. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
7. What is the trait you most deplore in others?
8. What is your greatest extravagance?
9. What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
10. On what occasion do you lie?
11. Dislike most about your appearance?
12. Which living person do you most despise?
13. Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
14. What is your greatest regret?
15. What or who is the greatest love in your life?
16. When and where were you the happiest?
17. Which talent would you most like to have?
18. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
19. If you could change one thing about your family, what would it be?
20. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
21. What is your most treasured possession?
22. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
23. Where would you like to live?
24. What is your favorite occupation?
25. What is the quality you most like in a man?
26. What is the quality you most like in a woman?
27. What do you value most in your friends?
28. Who are your favorite writers?
29. Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
30. What is it that you most dislike?
31. Who are your heroes in real life?
32. How would you like to die?
33. If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be?
34. What is your motto?
Some questions on the surface appear to be easy. Some seem almost impossible. I will do my best over the next few blog posts to answer every one as completely and honestly as possible. Take some time as I do this to think about your answers to these questions.
1. What is your current state of mind?
2. What is your favorite journey?
3. What is your idea of perfect happiness?
4. What is your greatest fear?
5. What is your most marked characteristic?
6. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
7. What is the trait you most deplore in others?
8. What is your greatest extravagance?
9. What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
10. On what occasion do you lie?
11. Dislike most about your appearance?
12. Which living person do you most despise?
13. Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
14. What is your greatest regret?
15. What or who is the greatest love in your life?
16. When and where were you the happiest?
17. Which talent would you most like to have?
18. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
19. If you could change one thing about your family, what would it be?
20. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
21. What is your most treasured possession?
22. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
23. Where would you like to live?
24. What is your favorite occupation?
25. What is the quality you most like in a man?
26. What is the quality you most like in a woman?
27. What do you value most in your friends?
28. Who are your favorite writers?
29. Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
30. What is it that you most dislike?
31. Who are your heroes in real life?
32. How would you like to die?
33. If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be?
34. What is your motto?
Some questions on the surface appear to be easy. Some seem almost impossible. I will do my best over the next few blog posts to answer every one as completely and honestly as possible. Take some time as I do this to think about your answers to these questions.
Tuesday, February 20, 2018
Use Your Head for More Than Just a Hat Rack
A Facebook friend of mine posted a meme from some rocket scientist about gun violence. I will quote it exactly as it was written.
"Remember 3000 people died on 911 and not 1 shot was fired. It's NOT a gun issue it's a HATE issue #truth!!!"
In the recent history of stupid shit I have read this has to be somewhere near the top. Is this person that completely empty headed? Think for a minute. Guys with box cutters or other edged weapons hijacked four airplanes and managed to crash three of them into buildings. So, first part is correct. No guns. Hell I will give him fact two. About 3000 people were killed. Okay, throw in hate. Certainly their acts were not driven by love. Seems like I have given them credit for all their claims. What they seem to have failed to consider was what happened in response to the attack on 9-11-2001.
We stopped all flights into, out of and within the United States while we figured out what happened. How did the weapons get on the planes? How were the terrorists trained. We upgraded security in airports, add armed sky marshals to flights, changed the makeup of identification cards used so they are more difficult to fake, passed the Patriot Act to make surveillance easier. We even went to war with a couple of countries who were not directly involved.
So if we applied the same effort when a gun massacre occurs like Las Vegas or Parkland, Florida things would look something like this. Increased and more stringent background checks to buy guns. There would be restrictions on gun magazine capacity. Perhaps restriction on the types of weapons that are available to the general population. Registration of guns and limits on the amount and type of ammunition you could buy. We don't do that and that is my problem with this meme. Sure no guns were used but the reaction to prevent another occurrence was swift and effective.
Imagine if you will that we had taken the same approach we take with gun violence. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and the families of those who were on the flights and in the buildings who were injured and killed. We have laws on the books that need to be enforced but there is no need for additional legislation that limits the rights of the law abiding flying public. The many should not be punished for the actions of a few mentally deranged individuals. Please enjoy your flight and if something unfortunate happens know that you will be in our prayers and it must have been part of God's grand plan.
Would those gun loving ammosexuals accept that as a solution to air traffic safety? I think not. They do expect us to think they have a valid point when they say no guns were used on 9-11. As you can see their argument is just fucking ignorant bullshit.
"Remember 3000 people died on 911 and not 1 shot was fired. It's NOT a gun issue it's a HATE issue #truth!!!"
In the recent history of stupid shit I have read this has to be somewhere near the top. Is this person that completely empty headed? Think for a minute. Guys with box cutters or other edged weapons hijacked four airplanes and managed to crash three of them into buildings. So, first part is correct. No guns. Hell I will give him fact two. About 3000 people were killed. Okay, throw in hate. Certainly their acts were not driven by love. Seems like I have given them credit for all their claims. What they seem to have failed to consider was what happened in response to the attack on 9-11-2001.
We stopped all flights into, out of and within the United States while we figured out what happened. How did the weapons get on the planes? How were the terrorists trained. We upgraded security in airports, add armed sky marshals to flights, changed the makeup of identification cards used so they are more difficult to fake, passed the Patriot Act to make surveillance easier. We even went to war with a couple of countries who were not directly involved.
So if we applied the same effort when a gun massacre occurs like Las Vegas or Parkland, Florida things would look something like this. Increased and more stringent background checks to buy guns. There would be restrictions on gun magazine capacity. Perhaps restriction on the types of weapons that are available to the general population. Registration of guns and limits on the amount and type of ammunition you could buy. We don't do that and that is my problem with this meme. Sure no guns were used but the reaction to prevent another occurrence was swift and effective.
Imagine if you will that we had taken the same approach we take with gun violence. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and the families of those who were on the flights and in the buildings who were injured and killed. We have laws on the books that need to be enforced but there is no need for additional legislation that limits the rights of the law abiding flying public. The many should not be punished for the actions of a few mentally deranged individuals. Please enjoy your flight and if something unfortunate happens know that you will be in our prayers and it must have been part of God's grand plan.
Would those gun loving ammosexuals accept that as a solution to air traffic safety? I think not. They do expect us to think they have a valid point when they say no guns were used on 9-11. As you can see their argument is just fucking ignorant bullshit.
Monday, February 19, 2018
I'm Back
I took some time off to contemplate, think, ponder and examine. The question in my head was a simple one. Do I want to continue to write this blog? I was looking at the state of the society we are in and it was making me increasingly angry. Did I want to sit down day after day and shoot my anger out of my fingertips into cyber space? Did I have anything to say that wasn't angry? It is exhausting to stay mad. It seemed as time went on that it just fell into a feeling of hopelessness. Sure, I could get on here and rant and rave about politics, religion, education, stupid drivers, global warming, the military budget, the price of a good steak, and a hundred other topics. What difference would it make? I thought most likely no difference. So, what would be the point? Maybe I should just quit. Then some jackass with a gun decided to shoot up a school in Florida. I watched high school students organizing and saying enough is enough. Stop offering thoughts and prayers and do something. So, if all I have some days is anger to spew about whatever it is that has pissed me off, well that is what you are going to get. Maybe some days it will be a happy story about something nice I noticed around town or a piece of art or literature I enjoyed. Not today. Maybe not for a few days. Maybe never. I am going to continue this blog. If you don't like what I write you have two options. First, take some time to get your thoughts together and write a comment. I don't review them before publication. You get an uncensored shot at a response. Call me stupid, call me names, DILLIGAF. Second option is stop reading my blog. Find some other thing to read or just sit around a scratch whatever itches. I don't get paid for this and you reading or leaving doesn't matter to me.
The school shooting in Florida has reignited the gun debate. I'm sure in a week or two this will all die down and nothing will happen. I am hoping those optimistic high school kids in Florida prove me wrong. The usual arguments are being made. Arm teachers with guns. Really? Just how fucking stupid are you? I wouldn't have to bring a gun to school, I could just take one away from a teacher. Who thinks that at some point a teacher will snap and open fire on their class because they are sick of the back talk and bullshit? This guy! Of course the blame will be mental health problems. Well, only if the teacher is white. Black person- thug. Someone we can identify as middle eastern- terrorist. Hispanic- gang banger, rapist, or drug dealer. Apparently Hispanics are multi-talented. I'm pretty sure if a teacher was to shoot back at an armed gunman in a school there would still be about the same number of deaths, they would just be from two different guns. Lack of training and ongoing practice would result in bullets hitting about anything except what they intended. Those of you who think the issue has nothing to do with the use of an AR-15 need to read the article from a couple of writers who reviewed the autopsy reports from the Las Vegas shooting. Learn a little something about cavitation or hydrostatic shock caused by bullets. Be prepared to be horrified.Those of you with children or grandchildren going to school, the mall, a movie theater or any other public place need to get off your asses and make the government do something. I can hear the gun nuts now. If you outlaw guns only outlaws will have guns. If you want to go with that logic why have any laws at all? If murderers are going to kill people have a law making it illegal won't stop them. If people are going to drive drunk anyway why should that be illegal. It didn't stop them. It is a stupid argument. Sure, semi automatic rifles like the AR-15 are fun to shoot. Do you need one to kill that deer? No. Home protection? There are other effective alternatives. Fight the government? Really? Are you that fucking ignorant? If they want to take you out they got stuff way more effective that you can't fight against. Helicopters, drones, tanks, fighter jets. Get fucking real.
I'm done for now. See you soon or not.
The school shooting in Florida has reignited the gun debate. I'm sure in a week or two this will all die down and nothing will happen. I am hoping those optimistic high school kids in Florida prove me wrong. The usual arguments are being made. Arm teachers with guns. Really? Just how fucking stupid are you? I wouldn't have to bring a gun to school, I could just take one away from a teacher. Who thinks that at some point a teacher will snap and open fire on their class because they are sick of the back talk and bullshit? This guy! Of course the blame will be mental health problems. Well, only if the teacher is white. Black person- thug. Someone we can identify as middle eastern- terrorist. Hispanic- gang banger, rapist, or drug dealer. Apparently Hispanics are multi-talented. I'm pretty sure if a teacher was to shoot back at an armed gunman in a school there would still be about the same number of deaths, they would just be from two different guns. Lack of training and ongoing practice would result in bullets hitting about anything except what they intended. Those of you who think the issue has nothing to do with the use of an AR-15 need to read the article from a couple of writers who reviewed the autopsy reports from the Las Vegas shooting. Learn a little something about cavitation or hydrostatic shock caused by bullets. Be prepared to be horrified.Those of you with children or grandchildren going to school, the mall, a movie theater or any other public place need to get off your asses and make the government do something. I can hear the gun nuts now. If you outlaw guns only outlaws will have guns. If you want to go with that logic why have any laws at all? If murderers are going to kill people have a law making it illegal won't stop them. If people are going to drive drunk anyway why should that be illegal. It didn't stop them. It is a stupid argument. Sure, semi automatic rifles like the AR-15 are fun to shoot. Do you need one to kill that deer? No. Home protection? There are other effective alternatives. Fight the government? Really? Are you that fucking ignorant? If they want to take you out they got stuff way more effective that you can't fight against. Helicopters, drones, tanks, fighter jets. Get fucking real.
I'm done for now. See you soon or not.
Tuesday, January 9, 2018
Kansas June 27, 1946
In past posts I have documented the family connection with Kansas. This post moves us ahead to the 1940's. My Dad, John G. Sutor is writing from Kansas back to his mother in Illinois. He has gone to Kansas to assist my Grandfather John J. Sutor with the wheat harvest. That year my Dad would be 17 and my Grandfather would be 39 at the time of the letter. I'm sure it was part of the process of training the next generation of farmer a lesson in hard work. Here is the letter.
There are a few things to note. In the last two days he notes they have worked twelve and a half hours one day and eleven and a half hours on the day he wrote the letter. The wheat on one field was too green so they moved west to Earl Grecian's farm. It is over 70 years later and Ken Grecian now farms some of our family's ground in Kansas. In a world where too often we don't know or care about our neighbors it is important to note in rural America this is more often the case. Families are neighbors or business partners for generations. Ken is near retirement now and I suspect that Earl was his most likely his grandfather. When you get to the end Dad talks about driving the Cat 30. He is talking about a Caterpillar Tractor Model 30. Rudy and I don't know who he is has been operating the Cat 60. A final note before I move on. Note my Dad signs the note "Sonny Boy". When you and your father are both named John it was a quick way to determine who you were talking to or about. I remember many times in my youth my Father being referred to as Sonny.
The Cat 30.
The Cat 60.
This is what wheat harvest would have looked like.
One man would now do the work that two did in those days with a much larger machine that harvests many times faster.
In closing it is in some ways sad the amount of history we are losing. Letters like this one provide insight into the lives of our parents and grandparents. We just don't write letters now and if we do no one seems to keep them.
The Cat 30.
The Cat 60.
This is what wheat harvest would have looked like.
In closing it is in some ways sad the amount of history we are losing. Letters like this one provide insight into the lives of our parents and grandparents. We just don't write letters now and if we do no one seems to keep them.
Tuesday, January 2, 2018
Cattle Business
In a blog post dated July 12, 2013 I wrote about my great grandfather John J. Sutor, Sr. and his brother Henry T. Sutor and Martin Sutor. I want to add some detail to that story based on a recently discovered letter. First a little background. Martin Sutor was born on September 3, 1854 in Haldimand County Ontario Canada and Henry T. Sutor was born on March 19, 1861 in Galesburg, Illinois. The Knox College directory indicates Henry attended there for the 1879- 1880 school year. It appears that after the end of the 1880 school year at Knox he and Martin went to Kansas to seek their own way on the American prairie. They became farmers and cattle ranchers. We knew that the two brothers in Kansas shipped cattle back to Illinois to be corn fed and sold in the Chicago market. We don't know when that started but we do know in 1901 it was happening. Since the letter seems routine it is reasonable to assume that this was not the first time they had sent cattle east.
I put an image of the envelope in for a couple of reasons. First, the top image is the front. Note the postmark of Fairbury, Illinois. The letter was mailed from Zurich, Kansas on November 11, 1901. It was apparently mistakenly routed to Fairbury instead of Wataga. The image of the back of the envelope was interesting because it is stamped November 14, 1901 indicating that was when the letter was received in Wataga. I had not seen an envelop stamped indicating when it was received.
Martin indicates to his brother John they are leaving Kansas on Tuesday, November 12, 1901 with three 36 foot cars holding a total of 75 head of cattle. They will take a short lay over in Kansas City to rest the cattle and expect to arrive in Wataga on Thursday. It raises the question. Would John be surprised? The letter was mailed on the 11th with the expectation it would arrive on time before the cattle did on Thursday. Since the letter took an unexpected side trip to Fairbury it arrived the same day as the cattle. The Sutor farm in the Wataga area was about 2 miles by road from the train tracks and possible siding. It would require several men to drive the cattle from Wataga to the farm. It seems maybe things wouldn't have gone as smoothly as expected. There were other issues to be considered. John had married Emma Parsons on November 22, 1900. She gave birth to their first son Martin Parsons Sutor on November 21, 1901. So the cattle are coming to the farm and Emma is great with child.
So we know that in 1901 the Sutor Brothers in Kansas and Illinois were involved in shipping cattle from the great plains of Kansas to the fertile corn country of Illinois to be grain fed and eventually shipped to and sold through the Chicago Stock Yards. A short letter but a vital piece of family history.
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