Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Topics this week: spring comes slowly; income inequality; earth's rejuvenation; and new saints
Spring in the Mile High city. Denver's nighttime and morning temperatures are slowly creeping upward. I find it less chilly retrieving the morning paper. The Abell tulip display is slowly opening, brightening the not-yet green front yard. The backyard lilly pond, totally ice free, is now self-clearing, ready for the annual pruning of the water lilies and other water flora. Here in the southeast metro area we had our first brief thunderstorm, followed by a lengthy, late evening rain shower. Given the strong winds of the past few days, the moisture was much needed.
Income and wealth inequality. The future does not bode well for America's middle class. One report shows our's has now fallen behind similar population/economic groups in other developed nations. Here is a quote from a review of Thomas Piketty's new book, Capital in the Twenty-First Century. A review, "Taking on Adam Smith (and Karl Marx)", was published in the NY Times on April 20,2014. Piketty's book was also discussed in a recent Bill Moyers conversation with Nobel prize-winning economist, Paul Krugman. Piketty's major point is that it is the wealth inequality that counts, since the very wealthy do not earn income so much as they gain wealth in a myriad of other ways.
In 2012 the top 1 percent of American households collected 22.5 percent of the nation's income, the highest total since 1928. The richest 10 percent of Americans now take a larger slice of the pie than in 1913, at the close of the Gilded Age, owning more than 70 percent of the nation's wealth. And half of that is owned by the top 1 percent.
The following quote is from the autobiography by Senator Elizabeth Warren (D, MA), A Fighting Chance. She was chosen to chair the congressional oversight panel that was to oversee the controversial TARP bank bailout program, then blatantly not chosen by President Obama to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which she was instrumental in creating. Of the TARP program, she said, “Over and over Congress had declared that there was no money for bridges or preschool or more medical research, but now the American taxpayer was on the hook for a $700 billion bailout of the big banks.”
Then there is this opening sentence from an article in the April 18th issue of Foreign Policy magazine, a not so subtile reminder of history's vagaries and organizational impermanence. "Nothing lasts forever, not even the Chinese Communist Party. Whether it will perish in a few years, or last for decades to come, there are a series of worrying indicators [that it, too, may be running out of time]." The CCP now finds itself knee-deep in their own "Watergate" of corruption, with growing better informed population that is becoming ever more aware of the income disparities in their society. While the now dead USSR had to deal with the clumsy, slow, laborious, hand/typewritten samizdat of the mid-20th century, the CCP now has to deal with today's far more potent, far reaching internet.
Earth's future. For those of you with little visited coffee table books, the review of Edward O. Wilson's coffee table-sized, A Window on Eternity, provides a ray of hope for those concerned with species depletion. His professional dedication to, and study of, insects in their millions gives him hope. "[Wilson's many]...lyrical passages underscore [his] enduring debt to Henri Fabre, the French entomologist and writer who always had his nose to the ground, with magnifying glass in hand but his head firmly planted in the cosmos, contemplating the big questions of existence."
Two new saints? I am not Roman Catholic, so (but?) I must confess to being totally in the dark about saints in general, particularly the seeming rush to judgement in canonizing two so recently deceased popes. To this outsider, it seems a rush to judgement that acknowledges the Church's troubles, a bureaucratic, top-heavy organization, struggling mightily to regain its lost place in a society that is rapidly moving on.
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Topics in today's lengthy, trip-delayed posting: Happy Easter; Denver's dubious Easter Sunday distinction; Patriot's Day, 2014; tulips and windmills; Out of Africa; a sad CO anniversary; American jihadists; retired senator Alan Simpson (R, WY); jobs outlook; income inequality; the future of democracy; education and testing;
HAPPY EASTER, TO ALL! Here in Denver, those who journeyed to Denver's famed Red Rocks Amphitheater for the traditional Easter Sun Rise service were treated to the always spectacular scenery and fair weather, a lightly veiled eastern sunrise, and, to the west, snow-covered peaks, blue skies, and a 3/4 moon. The music of Easter is always a feast for the ears.
Denver's other, dubious distinction on Easter Sunday. Later in the day, the atmosphere over Denver's downtown Civic Park was less than clear as thousands lit up to celebrate the now annal April 20th "pot day." Alarmingly (?) metro Denver now has more "botanical" outlets (aka pot shops) than Starbucks.
April 21, 2014. A special Patriot's Day for both Bostonians and the nation. I've never run Boston, but I have been on Boylston Street to cheer on runners at the finish line. A truly emotional experience. Ironically, this Patriot's Day coincided with the 88th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II.
Back home from Netherlands and Belgium. First, a short geography lesson. The country is the Netherlands which has as two of its provinces, North and South Holland. Hence, the common misnomer, Holland.
Christine and I enjoyed "Tulips and Windmills," our latest Viking River cruise. The weather gods cooperated with only one slightly drizzly day, otherwise it was partly cloudy and blustery. Flowers were in full bloom, though, sadly the daffodils had come and gone. On April 11th, we were treated to a magnificent display at the world-famous Keukenhof Gardens: acres and acres of brightly colored tulips and grape hyacinths. We were fortunate because last year at this same time the gardens remained snow covered.
Close inspection of the flower garden displays acquaints the visitor with how tulips in the fields are harvested, not for their flowers but, rather, their bulbs. The "life" of flowers in the field is indeed short, just long enough to bloom, then they are "topped," cut off in preparation for harvesting the bulbs for shipment around the world.
Dams, breakwaters, dikes, etc. One of our tours was to the famed water control system engineered along the Dutch coast of the North Sea. This is far, far beyond the superhuman efforts of that mythical Dutch boy! In fact, we learned that Dutch engineers are busily at work world-wide with water control projects. Climate change and rising sea levels promise employment well into the future.
Curtains. The Dutch have a long tradition of leaving their curtain undrawn, both for maximum light and also from the long tradition of "showing off" either their relative austerity or wealth. This seemed true in both the larger cities and smaller villages. Of course, in the larger cities, the ground floor is generally given over to commerce; but, we found open curtains in the smaller villages. Whatever the reason, Dutch windows usually have flowers prominently displayed.
Bicycles. Unless you have been to Amsterdam, you probably have never seen a 4-story bicycles-only parking garage, bringing a whole new meaning to that senior moment, "Now where did I park!" Apparently, the bicyclists become quite "attached" to their specific parking spot, so beware if you are a newbie on the block. Dutch city streets and roadways are bounded on both sides by a bicycle lane -- be forewarned, the bicyclist has the right of way. For the uninitiated, city walking requires extreme caution and an entirely new mind set. Every bike its bell, so listen up!
A favorite movie. An unlikely Easter choice, but "Out of Africa" remains one of my favorites. The low-level arial sequences over the East African veld are spectacular, harkening back to an Africa that is all too rapidly disappearing. Near the end of the movie, Baroness von Blixen (aka Isak Dennison, played by Meryl Streep) holds a rummage sale which, with its unsold cuckoo cuckoo clock, are symbolic of the end of an era. So, too, are the silhouetted lone Kikuyu warrior, the funeral oration for her lover, and the lions at his grave site. Long, long ago my father gave me a copy of Something of Value by Robert Ruark, an historical novel about the 1950s Mau Mau rebellion in Kenya, kindling a life-long interest in East Africa.
The Ludlow Massacre, a sad CO anniversary. This month Coloradans remembered the 100th anniversary of the infamous Ludlow Massacre. In the early 20th century, the fatality rate in CO's southeastern coalfields was roughly double the national mining rate. (Mining and agriculture then ranked as America's two most dangerous occupations.) After three horrific mine explosions in 1910 killed more than 200 miners, inflamed passions exploded in what has come to be called the CO coalfield wars. All three mine blasts were attributed to poor mine safety and served to spur on attempts at unionization by the miners. At the behest of the owners of Colorado Fuel and Iron (CF&I), Governor Ammons had ordered the National Guard into the coalfields to put down mine-related violence. On April 20, 1914, at Ludlow, soldiers entered the miners's tent city, where the resulting fatalities included two women, twelve children, one passerby, one guardsman, and the execution of three union members. A photograph of a union-sponsored demonstration in Trinidad, CO, shows one young boy carrying a sign declaring, "We Represent the CF&I Prosperity Slaves." The Colorado Heritage magazine (CO Historical Society), March - April 2014 issue is dedicated to this era in CO mining. http://www.historycolorado.org/adult-visitors/colorado-heritage-magazine
Close inspection of the flower garden displays acquaints the visitor with how tulips in the fields are harvested, not for their flowers but, rather, their bulbs. The "life" of flowers in the field is indeed short, just long enough to bloom, then they are "topped," cut off in preparation for harvesting the bulbs for shipment around the world.
Dams, breakwaters, dikes, etc. One of our tours was to the famed water control system engineered along the Dutch coast of the North Sea. This is far, far beyond the superhuman efforts of that mythical Dutch boy! In fact, we learned that Dutch engineers are busily at work world-wide with water control projects. Climate change and rising sea levels promise employment well into the future.
Curtains. The Dutch have a long tradition of leaving their curtain undrawn, both for maximum light and also from the long tradition of "showing off" either their relative austerity or wealth. This seemed true in both the larger cities and smaller villages. Of course, in the larger cities, the ground floor is generally given over to commerce; but, we found open curtains in the smaller villages. Whatever the reason, Dutch windows usually have flowers prominently displayed.
Bicycles. Unless you have been to Amsterdam, you probably have never seen a 4-story bicycles-only parking garage, bringing a whole new meaning to that senior moment, "Now where did I park!" Apparently, the bicyclists become quite "attached" to their specific parking spot, so beware if you are a newbie on the block. Dutch city streets and roadways are bounded on both sides by a bicycle lane -- be forewarned, the bicyclist has the right of way. For the uninitiated, city walking requires extreme caution and an entirely new mind set. Every bike its bell, so listen up!
A favorite movie. An unlikely Easter choice, but "Out of Africa" remains one of my favorites. The low-level arial sequences over the East African veld are spectacular, harkening back to an Africa that is all too rapidly disappearing. Near the end of the movie, Baroness von Blixen (aka Isak Dennison, played by Meryl Streep) holds a rummage sale which, with its unsold cuckoo cuckoo clock, are symbolic of the end of an era. So, too, are the silhouetted lone Kikuyu warrior, the funeral oration for her lover, and the lions at his grave site. Long, long ago my father gave me a copy of Something of Value by Robert Ruark, an historical novel about the 1950s Mau Mau rebellion in Kenya, kindling a life-long interest in East Africa.
The Ludlow Massacre, a sad CO anniversary. This month Coloradans remembered the 100th anniversary of the infamous Ludlow Massacre. In the early 20th century, the fatality rate in CO's southeastern coalfields was roughly double the national mining rate. (Mining and agriculture then ranked as America's two most dangerous occupations.) After three horrific mine explosions in 1910 killed more than 200 miners, inflamed passions exploded in what has come to be called the CO coalfield wars. All three mine blasts were attributed to poor mine safety and served to spur on attempts at unionization by the miners. At the behest of the owners of Colorado Fuel and Iron (CF&I), Governor Ammons had ordered the National Guard into the coalfields to put down mine-related violence. On April 20, 1914, at Ludlow, soldiers entered the miners's tent city, where the resulting fatalities included two women, twelve children, one passerby, one guardsman, and the execution of three union members. A photograph of a union-sponsored demonstration in Trinidad, CO, shows one young boy carrying a sign declaring, "We Represent the CF&I Prosperity Slaves." The Colorado Heritage magazine (CO Historical Society), March - April 2014 issue is dedicated to this era in CO mining. http://www.historycolorado.org/adult-visitors/colorado-heritage-magazine
America jihadists. There has been a spate of reports about young Americans who have joined various Syrian rebel groups, received military training, and are now engaged in the fighting against government forces. One recurrent concern: what will happen if/when these young jihadists return to the United States.
Where will the jobs go? Harold Meyerson's recent Washington Post column told a potentially sad tale for the future of the American workforce. As he notes towards the end of the column, if the statistics are wrong by one-third, even by one-half, many of today's jobs will vanish at an astonishing rate and workers must prepare for what jobs remain/are created. http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/harold-meyerson-technology-and-trade-policy-is-pointing-america-toward-a-job-apocalypse/2014/03/26/ba331784-b513-11e3-8cb6-284052554d74_story.html?hpid=z3
Income inequality. How to "raise up" some of the poor without upsetting the entire apple cart? As Charles Lane writes, doing so means "...getting Washington to stop some policies that skew after-tax income distribution upward..." This path will threaten some very "sacred cows," e.g. residential real estate interest rules, treatment of home sale capital gains, etc. http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/charles-lane-fixing-one-driver-of-inequality-may-hit-close-to-home-for-some-progressives/2014/03/26/c00afa3c-b4ff-11e3-b899-20667de76985_story.html
The future of democracy. This linked article deserves notice. Is the future of democracy tied to the fate of America and Great Britain? History tells us that Athenian democracy came and went in 250 years; America is approaching this mark and the signs of chaos seem to bode ill for the future. http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/is-american-democracy-headed-to-extinction/2014/03/28/f8084fbe-aa34-11e3-b61e-8051b8b52d06_story.html
Science...has been much in the news in recent days. Waves in space/time, "lost" Martian water, and this article about the little known, true "father" of the scientific method. Most westerners would likely give Bacon, Newton, Galileo, even Aristotle as their best guess, but the most likely candidate might be a devout Muslim with the impossibly long name, Abu Ali al-Hassan ibn al-Hassan ibn al-Haytham. His 11th century work on optics and his desire that others actually "see" (verify) what he did became known as the scientific method.
http://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2014/03/the_muslim_scientist_who_birthed_the_scientific_method.html
Testing kids. For a retired teacher, the story's headline was, to say the least, dispiriting: "My job is now about testing and data -- not children. I quit." [emphasis added] Unfortunately, more and more teachers are having similar qualms about the their profession. Politicians and educators alike seem more interested in what is easily verifiable (test scores), less about knowledge for life-long learning and employment. A/B/C/D or True/False! Please forget questions requiring critical thinking skills. These are far too hard to grade and, besides, they require costly, thinking adult evaluators. Besides, you know, "One man's ceiling is another man's floor."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/03/23/kindergarten-teacher-my-job-is-now-about-tests-and-data-not-children-i-quit/?hpid=z9
Thanks for reading. I hope you have a pleasant week.
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