Here are this week's topics: NPR factoids; China, Australia, and the "Pacific pond;" hope in deep space; the NPS is needed; flag displays; smoking bans; green energy dilemma; the not so "new" Russia.
NPR. The public network announced it would end its readers' comments section. According to Scott Montgomery, manager of NPR digital news, "...at this point...the audience itself has decided for NPR,
choosing to engage much more via social media, primarily on Twitter and
Facebook, rather than in the NPR.org comments section."
The Pacific's South China Sea in the 21st century. The situation in this area between Australia and China and China's quest for dominance cannot but call to mind America's past thirst for Caribbean dominance at the beginning of the 20th century. Back then many internationalists thought of the Caribbean as America's pond. Australia's Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop, commented, “It has often been noted that this is the first time in our history that
our No. 1 trading partner is not an ally..”
Washington Post foreign affairs columnist David Ignatius notes that "Australia has a split personality when it comes to China..." Hence, the mounting regional tension as China literally creats, then militarizes, man-made islands. Just for a good measure of unease, throw in the heavy presence of the US Navy's 7th Fleet.
Science and "life after death." NASA has announced that its "lost" STEREO-B spacecraft has been "found." Actually, they have been able to reestablish communications and the mission continues. Unexpected scientific wonders never cease to amaze.
The NPS and everyday life. In a Washington Post op-ed, Fritz Cahill ruminates about why we need our national parks more than ever. If you feel the need to get away, even if vicariously, take a read.
Flags. Roll Call reports that the US Department of Veterans Affairs will not allow the flying of the Confederate flag at national cemeteries on Memorial Day or Confederate Memorial Day. This was an item in a recent legislative proposal; it was later removed behind closed doors. In the vernacular, "messing with" flags is always a touchy subject, especially below the Mason Dixon Line.
In the not so distant past, the rules of flag etiquette were largely complied with. Then came the anti-Vietnam era and now victorious athletes from seemingly all nations who drape their nation's flag around their shoulders for their victory lap.
Smoking bans. I live in CO, regularly visit with relatives in PA, IL, and TX, and travel abroad. "Watching" the slow spread of smoking bans has been a continual source of pleasure, amusement, and consternation. Early on CO moved ever so slowly to restrict smoking: restaurants had to have a designated smoking area, then it was banned outright; bars and casinos were dragged along, kicking and screaming all the while; cigar bars; public venues.......
My wife does not smoke and I only enjoy an occasional cigar. Over the years we have been alternately appalled, then gladdened as smoking bans spread. Smoking abroad is another matter, though the anti- side is slowly winning there, too.
Now the Obama administration is advocating a smoking ban for any federally-assisted housing projects and the fight is on -- again.
Green or not so? An announcement by CO governor, John Hickenlooper, aptly points out the continuing tensions between the green energy movement and the gas/oil/coal industries. Not even those who object to his announced goal of reducing CO's carbon pollution by 35% would call Hickenlooper an outright advocate of "drill, baby, drill." Nevertheless, with prices down and production up, the loss of revenue, both for businesses' stockholders and the State treasury have combined to stir the pot.
On my recent trip in/out of DIA (Denver International Airport), I passed the airport's good-sized solar "farm" that supplies electricity to DIA. With my own rooftop solar panels, last month's electric bill was $0.00.
Reading, non-fiction, #1 Russia or a "new" USSR? Anne Garrels, Russian-speaking, former NPR correspondent based in the USSR/Russia, has written Putin Country: A Journey Into the Real Russia (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2015). She relates what she has learned from her frequent trips to the region of Chelyabinsk, an aging military-industrial center a
thousand miles east of Moscow that is home to the Russian nuclear
program. It was once a "closed" city she had not been able to visit, but knew of from Russian friends. Since retiring, she has been a frequent visitor with many continuing friendships. (Chelyabinsk is about as far east of Moscow as Chicago is west of Washington, D.C.)
Russia today seems to be carrying on the pattern of cronyism and corruption that was the unspoken, but necessary, of the USSR as its end neared. If you are at all curious about this "new" Russia, Garrels' revelations about
life in Chelyabinsk and Moscow (social and economic) will be both enlightening and frightening. Her visits and conversations reveal an increasingly authoritarian national government hell-bent on recreating the past, but saddled with a stumbling energy-dependent, corrupt economy that is increasingly short on education and innovation. (Fearing reprisals, she feels the need to, or been asked to, use pseudonyms for some of her more outspoken acquaintances.)
More and more, Russians are beginning to realize that they "make" little the world wants to buy. They have gas, oil, and lumber. Russia's "brain drain" is a very real, devastating problem. Intelligent, highly motivated young Russians are seeking education abroad, but are not terribly inclined to return home.
Reading, non-fiction, #2. Jacqueline Woodson was interviewed by PBS' Jeffery Brown in his weekly Bookshelf segment. Young, female, African American. Ms. Woodson's latest book, Another Brooklyn, tells the story of growing up in one of NYC's boroughs. Her earlier book, Brown Girl Dreaming tells of awakening to the power of writing and her desire to become a writer. She has been named Young Peoples' poet laureate by the Poetry Foundation. I have added both to my reading list.
Clouds. For a portion of this past Sunday's home-bound flight from St. Louis to Denver, we flew at 33,000 feet, over lower, still forming thunderstorms. These bright-white mushrooms, bathed in the sunlight from above, sprouted upwards, haunting talismans of the rain and wind being experienced below.
Yesterday (Monday) one such thunderhead produced flash floods and nearly two feet of hail in/around Colorado Springs, south of metro Denver. Mother Nature at her most unpredictable.
Thank you for reading. Have a good week.
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Here are the week's topics: robots, again; getting to Denver International Airport; Keillor on life; coming to America; our long standing anti-Muslim bias; insurance; Olympic inclusiveness; after the Olympics, what?'; statistics and conclusions; NPR tidbits; a final anniversary and very fond remembrance;
Robot worry? Stephen Pearlstein says the robotics revolution may not be as "bad" as his colleague David Ignatius thinks. (See last week's blog entry) He thinks the robotics revolution will spawn other jobs, though one has to wonder about the wages paid by these alternatives.
Columnist Robert Samuelson also believes that the robot-worries are overblown. Like Pearlstein, he talks about the jobs that are likely to be created. Similarly, though, he gives no assurance that the new jobs will anything but "temporary, part-time, and/or barely above living wage" positions. No one writes about training the plumber or electrician or carpenter you may need to call tomorrow.
Denver's RTD. The new "A" Line was supposed to whisk air travelers from downtown to Denver International Airport. Other RTD segments have been opened with relatively few disruptions, largely because prior to opening each new route, RTD ran literally hundreds of "test" trips. For whatever reason, delayed/disrupted air travelers are no doubt wondering "what's up" with the "A" Line? Who did not get what right? Too hurried construction?
Life after Lake Woebegone. Having retired from his weekly radio program, Garrison Keillor has found time for column writing. In his latest epistle, "Make the most of your brief time on earth," he says tongue-in-cheek, "Life is good if you have your health and not all bad even if you don’t, which is sometimes forgotten in an election year, what with the high-pitched oratory on behalf of the embittered rich and people with ingrown toenails and what not."
Then he is off and running with other anecdotes from his neck of the woods. Sure beats the latest depressing story about Donald, Hillary, et. al.
Chinese tourists in the US. Early on the authors of "Two Chinese retirees win hearts on epic American road trip" ask can you to imagine filling out a form that is written entirely in Chinese and finding your way for 4,000+ miles with only Chinese language road signs (and distances in kilometers). These intrepid travelers became well known to their countrymen back in China with stories like “Couple prove age no barrier to globe-trotting.” (a China Daily headline) Or "What a great couple!" (on Weibo, the Chinese social media site.) "I wish I could be like them when I’m old!"
So, just where is your next trip?
America and Islam. In a recent Washington Post op-ed column, Khaled Beydoun notes that America's love-hate relationship with Islam is not new. "The Naturalization Act of 1790, which limited citizenship to “any alien, being a free white person,” drastically restricted the ability of Muslims to become citizens." Indeed, that phrase "free white person" was at the heart of much racial and religious controversy, including an 1891 Supreme Court decision which noted “the intense hostility of the people of Moslem faith to all other sects, and particularly to Christians.”
As late at 1942, the Supreme Court held (In Re Ahmed Hassan,), “It cannot be expected that as a class they [meaning Arabs, a term used synonymously [sic] with Muslims at the time] would readily intermarry with our population and be assimilated into our civilization.” Beydoun writes that only in 1944, did the Court "grant naturalization to an Arab-born Muslim was for a Saudi man, in Ex Parte Mohriez, in 1944 — and, even then, based only on the finding that Arabs should be considered part of “the white race.” (emphasis added)
Did this then amount to a blanket assertion of Trump's current call for "extreme vetting?" ¿ Quien sabe?
FYI. Khaled A. Beydoun is an associate professor at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law and an affiliate faculty member at University of California at Berkeley.
Health and other insurances. No pun intended, but the "health" of the insurance industry is coming under close scrutiny. Are multiple, severe disasters stretching the industry too thin? Insurance is, after all, a capitalistic, for-profit enterprise. Note three current examples: the extreme flooding in Louisiana, the burgeoning wild fires in across California, and now the announcement that two major health insurance companies are largely withdrawing from "Omama care's" insurance healthcare exchanges.
Regarding the last item.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona said in June that it would withdraw from Pinal County and Maricopa County, in the wake of steep losses, but maintain its exchange presence in the remainder of the state. The nonprofit had said in June that it stayed in more-rural counties partly because it "couldn't overlook that several counties would have no options or very limited access if we didn't find a way to stay in the market."
Olympic events. Too many? Too few? Some things change (numbers), some not so much (purpose). The number of events has increase dramatically, due largely, I think, to a demand for inclusiveness - gymnastics and rythmatic gymnastics. At this very moment (Saturday morning), rhythmic gymnastics is holding forth. Earlier there was synchronized swimming and synchronized diving. Can synchronized tiddlywinks be far behind?
Yes, the original games had very few contests, though as Wikipedia relates, even those ancient games had nation-state, religious, and artistic overtones.
During the [ancient]celebration of the games, an Olympic Truce was enacted so that athletes could travel from their cities to the games in safety. The prizes for the victors were olive leaf wreaths or crowns. The games became a political tool used by city-states to assert dominance over their rivals. Politicians would announce political alliances at the games, and in times of war, priests would offer sacrifices to the gods for victory. The games were also used to help spread Hellenistic culture throughout the Mediterranean. The Olympics also featured religious celebrations and artistic competitions. The statue of Zeus at Olympia was counted as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Sculptors and poets would congregate each olympiad to display their works of art to
Post-Olympic trauma. What happens when you no longer have to train? You probably have not considered the bewilderment a world class athlete faces when a determined, long-term training regime suddenly ends and more mundane, everyday life begins. Here is that story.
Statistics and possible conclusions. These crime statistics might not be as startling and controversial were they not about today's criminal activity. Nevertheless, a careful reading clearly indicates how statistics can be very informing. It is all up to the user.
Homeless but doggedly determined. For years, eighty year-old Wanda Witter was homeless in Washington, D. C., all the while maintaining that she was owed approximately $100,00 in back Social Security funds. Thanks to friendly, persistent social worker, Julie Turner, and a pro bono lawyer, she has finally proven her point; the check is in the mail, so to speak.
NPR factoids. Here is a new addition to the blog, hopefully weekly. Like many others, my car radio is usually tuned to the local NPR station and I have also been known to turn off the car, at home or in a parking lot to "finish" an interesting/insightful story.
So we begin this new feature with the tidbit for August 22nd about photoelectric panels. I was interested because I have photoelectric panels on my roof which lower my bill. But, on to a larger picture. On a sunny day in Hawaii, the combined output of the many solar panels in all eight major islands actually exceeds the state's total electricity needs. Way to go, HI!
August 25, 1916. What have you learned from watching CBS's Sunday Morning program? This Sunday, August 21st, I was reminded that my mother was three years old when the National Park Service (NPS) was created in August, 1916. Certainly, I had seen/heard more than a few mentions of this year being the centenary of the NPS, but I did not realize the specific date had a special significance for my family, August 25, 1916. Happy Birthday, Helen Easter (McMahan, Abell, Magruder)!
Thank you for reading. Have a pleasant week.
Robot worry? Stephen Pearlstein says the robotics revolution may not be as "bad" as his colleague David Ignatius thinks. (See last week's blog entry) He thinks the robotics revolution will spawn other jobs, though one has to wonder about the wages paid by these alternatives.
Columnist Robert Samuelson also believes that the robot-worries are overblown. Like Pearlstein, he talks about the jobs that are likely to be created. Similarly, though, he gives no assurance that the new jobs will anything but "temporary, part-time, and/or barely above living wage" positions. No one writes about training the plumber or electrician or carpenter you may need to call tomorrow.
Denver's RTD. The new "A" Line was supposed to whisk air travelers from downtown to Denver International Airport. Other RTD segments have been opened with relatively few disruptions, largely because prior to opening each new route, RTD ran literally hundreds of "test" trips. For whatever reason, delayed/disrupted air travelers are no doubt wondering "what's up" with the "A" Line? Who did not get what right? Too hurried construction?
Life after Lake Woebegone. Having retired from his weekly radio program, Garrison Keillor has found time for column writing. In his latest epistle, "Make the most of your brief time on earth," he says tongue-in-cheek, "Life is good if you have your health and not all bad even if you don’t, which is sometimes forgotten in an election year, what with the high-pitched oratory on behalf of the embittered rich and people with ingrown toenails and what not."
Then he is off and running with other anecdotes from his neck of the woods. Sure beats the latest depressing story about Donald, Hillary, et. al.
Chinese tourists in the US. Early on the authors of "Two Chinese retirees win hearts on epic American road trip" ask can you to imagine filling out a form that is written entirely in Chinese and finding your way for 4,000+ miles with only Chinese language road signs (and distances in kilometers). These intrepid travelers became well known to their countrymen back in China with stories like “Couple prove age no barrier to globe-trotting.” (a China Daily headline) Or "What a great couple!" (on Weibo, the Chinese social media site.) "I wish I could be like them when I’m old!"
So, just where is your next trip?
America and Islam. In a recent Washington Post op-ed column, Khaled Beydoun notes that America's love-hate relationship with Islam is not new. "The Naturalization Act of 1790, which limited citizenship to “any alien, being a free white person,” drastically restricted the ability of Muslims to become citizens." Indeed, that phrase "free white person" was at the heart of much racial and religious controversy, including an 1891 Supreme Court decision which noted “the intense hostility of the people of Moslem faith to all other sects, and particularly to Christians.”
As late at 1942, the Supreme Court held (In Re Ahmed Hassan,), “It cannot be expected that as a class they [meaning Arabs, a term used synonymously [sic] with Muslims at the time] would readily intermarry with our population and be assimilated into our civilization.” Beydoun writes that only in 1944, did the Court "grant naturalization to an Arab-born Muslim was for a Saudi man, in Ex Parte Mohriez, in 1944 — and, even then, based only on the finding that Arabs should be considered part of “the white race.” (emphasis added)
Did this then amount to a blanket assertion of Trump's current call for "extreme vetting?" ¿ Quien sabe?
FYI. Khaled A. Beydoun is an associate professor at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law and an affiliate faculty member at University of California at Berkeley.
Health and other insurances. No pun intended, but the "health" of the insurance industry is coming under close scrutiny. Are multiple, severe disasters stretching the industry too thin? Insurance is, after all, a capitalistic, for-profit enterprise. Note three current examples: the extreme flooding in Louisiana, the burgeoning wild fires in across California, and now the announcement that two major health insurance companies are largely withdrawing from "Omama care's" insurance healthcare exchanges.
Regarding the last item.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona said in June that it would withdraw from Pinal County and Maricopa County, in the wake of steep losses, but maintain its exchange presence in the remainder of the state. The nonprofit had said in June that it stayed in more-rural counties partly because it "couldn't overlook that several counties would have no options or very limited access if we didn't find a way to stay in the market."
Olympic events. Too many? Too few? Some things change (numbers), some not so much (purpose). The number of events has increase dramatically, due largely, I think, to a demand for inclusiveness - gymnastics and rythmatic gymnastics. At this very moment (Saturday morning), rhythmic gymnastics is holding forth. Earlier there was synchronized swimming and synchronized diving. Can synchronized tiddlywinks be far behind?
Yes, the original games had very few contests, though as Wikipedia relates, even those ancient games had nation-state, religious, and artistic overtones.
During the [ancient]celebration of the games, an Olympic Truce was enacted so that athletes could travel from their cities to the games in safety. The prizes for the victors were olive leaf wreaths or crowns. The games became a political tool used by city-states to assert dominance over their rivals. Politicians would announce political alliances at the games, and in times of war, priests would offer sacrifices to the gods for victory. The games were also used to help spread Hellenistic culture throughout the Mediterranean. The Olympics also featured religious celebrations and artistic competitions. The statue of Zeus at Olympia was counted as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Sculptors and poets would congregate each olympiad to display their works of art to
Post-Olympic trauma. What happens when you no longer have to train? You probably have not considered the bewilderment a world class athlete faces when a determined, long-term training regime suddenly ends and more mundane, everyday life begins. Here is that story.
Statistics and possible conclusions. These crime statistics might not be as startling and controversial were they not about today's criminal activity. Nevertheless, a careful reading clearly indicates how statistics can be very informing. It is all up to the user.
Homeless but doggedly determined. For years, eighty year-old Wanda Witter was homeless in Washington, D. C., all the while maintaining that she was owed approximately $100,00 in back Social Security funds. Thanks to friendly, persistent social worker, Julie Turner, and a pro bono lawyer, she has finally proven her point; the check is in the mail, so to speak.
NPR factoids. Here is a new addition to the blog, hopefully weekly. Like many others, my car radio is usually tuned to the local NPR station and I have also been known to turn off the car, at home or in a parking lot to "finish" an interesting/insightful story.
So we begin this new feature with the tidbit for August 22nd about photoelectric panels. I was interested because I have photoelectric panels on my roof which lower my bill. But, on to a larger picture. On a sunny day in Hawaii, the combined output of the many solar panels in all eight major islands actually exceeds the state's total electricity needs. Way to go, HI!
August 25, 1916. What have you learned from watching CBS's Sunday Morning program? This Sunday, August 21st, I was reminded that my mother was three years old when the National Park Service (NPS) was created in August, 1916. Certainly, I had seen/heard more than a few mentions of this year being the centenary of the NPS, but I did not realize the specific date had a special significance for my family, August 25, 1916. Happy Birthday, Helen Easter (McMahan, Abell, Magruder)!
Thank you for reading. Have a pleasant week.
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
Here are this week's topics: Trump & national security; federalism; words that matter; Olympic doping and ideals; two troubling harbingers of the future: youth and robots; weary of commuting?; dog sniffers; safer after 9/11?
Trump, a national security liability? Last week fifty major figures previously involved with national security matters signed an open letter saying they believed that as president Donald would be untrustworthy, a national security liability. One signer, former CIA official, Mike Morell, sat down with Charlie Rose to present his views. Near the end of the interview, Morell veered from the topic at hand to say that he had three major concerns, problems that had to be addressed nationally.
First, income inequality, second political gridlock, and third the "browning" of America. Morell said one and two were unarguable facts. Specifically, (1) Middle class income has stagnated and (2) 65% of the votes cast in the recent presidential primaries were for anti-establishment candidates, Sanders and Trump.
As to (3), while he lamented the fact, he thinks a portion of the electorate, primarily less-educated white males, were becoming increasingly fearful of their dwindling role/status in America. Left unsaid was his conclusion that a large portion of Trump's support comes from this disaffected group. This interview is well worth watching.
Federalism. As I used to tell my students, "The good news is we have federalism; the bad news is we have federalism!" The question, the mere, outside prospect of replacing a previously designated presidential candidate illustrates this point, as this Roll Call article points out. Replacing Clinton or Trump would be a laborious, uncertain, state-by-state process or, as our English cousins put it, "a very sticky wicket, indeed!"
Words matter. In a Washington Post op-ed, William Kennedy Smith and Jean Kennedy Smith looked back and remembered the words from Bobby Kennedy's speech, delivered in Indianapolis on April 4, 1968. After hearing the whispered news from an aide, RFK told those gathered, largely African Americans, that Martin Luther King, Jr. had just been shot and killed. Kennedy closed by pleading with the audience to go home and say a prayer for America in this hour when "love, wisdom, and compassion" were so necessary." The Smiths also poignantly noted that, "While there were riots in cities across the nation that night, Indianapolis did not burn." (emphasis added)
They also look at the words uttered during the presidential campaign of 2016. They emind us that "[in] the white-hot cauldron of a presidential campaign, it is still the words delivered extemporaneously, off the cuff, in the raw pressure of the moment that matter most....[These words] say most directly what is in a candidate’s heart."
Athletic doping in the modern era. As the Olympic TV coverage saturates the airwaves, perhaps a humorous note is in order. To paraphrase Rogers and Hammerstein from "Carousel," [Honesty] is breaking out all over....." Olympic officials are discovering why the Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, was noticeably dismayed when he shut off some inconvenient nastiness (a sit-in by members of the House) being broadcast from the House floor on C-Span, only to find out that, alas, the disruption was being "broadcast" by the same representatives using the internet. "Oh, darn! Shall we ban smartphones?" Ergo.......
Apparently, some athletes in Rio have decided to take action, using scheduled TV coverage (on-air "finger wagging"), then the internet to challenge the "soothing words, excuses, and outright denials" about doping from the IOC and national officials. Several American competitors openly took their own officials to task for securing the hasty, problematic re-reinstatement of two male US sprinters earlier banned for doping. After all, "What's good for the goose is good for the gander."
In 1976, US swimmer Shirley Babashoff (unofficially dubbed, "Surly Shirley") was not so quietly shushed by the US IOC for openly hinting that the East German government had a doping regime. Rio is now light years beyond. It seems that few of those involved (athletes, national officials, international sports organizations) have yet come to grips with the changed circumstances of our interconnected world. Hiding anything is no longer easy, perhaps even impossible. Correspondence, records, tests, results......all have to be kept and are, therefore, hack-able.
Olympic spirit. David Clay Large maintains that, contrary to its stated ideal, "The [Olympic] Games succeed because they indulge precisely what they claim to transcend – the world's basest instinct for tribalism" Still, there were great moments. Clay's review, which goes back through history, makes for interesting reading. There are even some environmental parallels to Rio -- he recalls the "stinking Seine river of the 1900 games in Paris.
Columnist Jennifer Rubin, who has a child as old as some Olympians, recounts her love -- hate relationship with the Games. In 2016, America's diversity shines: an African American swimmer being joyfully hugged by a Jewish American teammate; an medal-winning African American gymnast; an appropriately clad Muslim American sabre victor (who had come in second to Michael Phelps in the vote among the American athletes as to who should carry the flag in the opening ceremony). All young women, by the way.
Some Rio events were riotously and happily boisterous (take your pick), some quite quiet (e.g. archery); some momentous harbingers of things to come (see above); finally, there was the team that was the mark of our troubled world, the IOC-sanctioned Refugee Olympic Team.
Troubled youngsters. Kristin Lord notes, "In the coming years, the population of people under the age of 30 in some of the most fragile and unstable countries is going to skyrocket. And the world is not ready for them." Indeed, today in Iran an estimated 60% of the population is less than 30 years-old.
Robots. David Ignatius writes that "economists warn that much bigger job losses are ahead in the United States — driven not by foreign competition but by advancing technology....The 'automation bomb' could destroy 45 percent of the work activities currently performed in the United States, representing about $2 trillion in annual wages..." (Note last week's comments on worker retraining.)
As with the world's troubled youngsters, Ignatius says that no one is talking about this looming problem. "[How] to provide meaningful work and good wages for the tens of millions of truck drivers, accountants, factory workers and office clerks whose jobs will disappear in coming years because of robots, driverless vehicles and “machine learning” systems." In time, similar economic dislocations will be world wide.
That terrible daily commute. Here is Rollin Stanley on congested city traffic. Mr. Stanley, now general manager of urban planning for Calgary, Alberta, was Montgomery County (MD) planning director from 2008 to 2012.
A headline I like to show in my public presentations — “Will 23 lanes be enough?” — references Atlanta’s proposed expansion of Interstate 75, making it wider than an aircraft carrier is long. The answer to the question in that headline is “no.” There will never be enough lanes. The billions they cost will be fruitless, as you can’t build your way out of congestion.
That great sniffer. Turns out that Fido "may be our best bet for staying safe." He/she has an amazing sense of smell that will find that "illegal" pineapple in the returning tourist's luggage or that terrorist bomb. Good dog!
Post- 9/11. A lengthy article from The Atlantic by Stephen Brill concludes there are some "yes-s," but more than a few "no-s." Certainly there have been important pluses at the airports and borders, but, as is often the case in emergency situations, there have also been petty, money-grubbing boondoggles, public and private.
Thank you for reading. Enjoy the week.
Trump, a national security liability? Last week fifty major figures previously involved with national security matters signed an open letter saying they believed that as president Donald would be untrustworthy, a national security liability. One signer, former CIA official, Mike Morell, sat down with Charlie Rose to present his views. Near the end of the interview, Morell veered from the topic at hand to say that he had three major concerns, problems that had to be addressed nationally.
First, income inequality, second political gridlock, and third the "browning" of America. Morell said one and two were unarguable facts. Specifically, (1) Middle class income has stagnated and (2) 65% of the votes cast in the recent presidential primaries were for anti-establishment candidates, Sanders and Trump.
As to (3), while he lamented the fact, he thinks a portion of the electorate, primarily less-educated white males, were becoming increasingly fearful of their dwindling role/status in America. Left unsaid was his conclusion that a large portion of Trump's support comes from this disaffected group. This interview is well worth watching.
Federalism. As I used to tell my students, "The good news is we have federalism; the bad news is we have federalism!" The question, the mere, outside prospect of replacing a previously designated presidential candidate illustrates this point, as this Roll Call article points out. Replacing Clinton or Trump would be a laborious, uncertain, state-by-state process or, as our English cousins put it, "a very sticky wicket, indeed!"
Words matter. In a Washington Post op-ed, William Kennedy Smith and Jean Kennedy Smith looked back and remembered the words from Bobby Kennedy's speech, delivered in Indianapolis on April 4, 1968. After hearing the whispered news from an aide, RFK told those gathered, largely African Americans, that Martin Luther King, Jr. had just been shot and killed. Kennedy closed by pleading with the audience to go home and say a prayer for America in this hour when "love, wisdom, and compassion" were so necessary." The Smiths also poignantly noted that, "While there were riots in cities across the nation that night, Indianapolis did not burn." (emphasis added)
They also look at the words uttered during the presidential campaign of 2016. They emind us that "[in] the white-hot cauldron of a presidential campaign, it is still the words delivered extemporaneously, off the cuff, in the raw pressure of the moment that matter most....[These words] say most directly what is in a candidate’s heart."
Athletic doping in the modern era. As the Olympic TV coverage saturates the airwaves, perhaps a humorous note is in order. To paraphrase Rogers and Hammerstein from "Carousel," [Honesty] is breaking out all over....." Olympic officials are discovering why the Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, was noticeably dismayed when he shut off some inconvenient nastiness (a sit-in by members of the House) being broadcast from the House floor on C-Span, only to find out that, alas, the disruption was being "broadcast" by the same representatives using the internet. "Oh, darn! Shall we ban smartphones?" Ergo.......
Apparently, some athletes in Rio have decided to take action, using scheduled TV coverage (on-air "finger wagging"), then the internet to challenge the "soothing words, excuses, and outright denials" about doping from the IOC and national officials. Several American competitors openly took their own officials to task for securing the hasty, problematic re-reinstatement of two male US sprinters earlier banned for doping. After all, "What's good for the goose is good for the gander."
In 1976, US swimmer Shirley Babashoff (unofficially dubbed, "Surly Shirley") was not so quietly shushed by the US IOC for openly hinting that the East German government had a doping regime. Rio is now light years beyond. It seems that few of those involved (athletes, national officials, international sports organizations) have yet come to grips with the changed circumstances of our interconnected world. Hiding anything is no longer easy, perhaps even impossible. Correspondence, records, tests, results......all have to be kept and are, therefore, hack-able.
Olympic spirit. David Clay Large maintains that, contrary to its stated ideal, "The [Olympic] Games succeed because they indulge precisely what they claim to transcend – the world's basest instinct for tribalism" Still, there were great moments. Clay's review, which goes back through history, makes for interesting reading. There are even some environmental parallels to Rio -- he recalls the "stinking Seine river of the 1900 games in Paris.
Columnist Jennifer Rubin, who has a child as old as some Olympians, recounts her love -- hate relationship with the Games. In 2016, America's diversity shines: an African American swimmer being joyfully hugged by a Jewish American teammate; an medal-winning African American gymnast; an appropriately clad Muslim American sabre victor (who had come in second to Michael Phelps in the vote among the American athletes as to who should carry the flag in the opening ceremony). All young women, by the way.
Some Rio events were riotously and happily boisterous (take your pick), some quite quiet (e.g. archery); some momentous harbingers of things to come (see above); finally, there was the team that was the mark of our troubled world, the IOC-sanctioned Refugee Olympic Team.
Troubled youngsters. Kristin Lord notes, "In the coming years, the population of people under the age of 30 in some of the most fragile and unstable countries is going to skyrocket. And the world is not ready for them." Indeed, today in Iran an estimated 60% of the population is less than 30 years-old.
Robots. David Ignatius writes that "economists warn that much bigger job losses are ahead in the United States — driven not by foreign competition but by advancing technology....The 'automation bomb' could destroy 45 percent of the work activities currently performed in the United States, representing about $2 trillion in annual wages..." (Note last week's comments on worker retraining.)
As with the world's troubled youngsters, Ignatius says that no one is talking about this looming problem. "[How] to provide meaningful work and good wages for the tens of millions of truck drivers, accountants, factory workers and office clerks whose jobs will disappear in coming years because of robots, driverless vehicles and “machine learning” systems." In time, similar economic dislocations will be world wide.
That terrible daily commute. Here is Rollin Stanley on congested city traffic. Mr. Stanley, now general manager of urban planning for Calgary, Alberta, was Montgomery County (MD) planning director from 2008 to 2012.
A headline I like to show in my public presentations — “Will 23 lanes be enough?” — references Atlanta’s proposed expansion of Interstate 75, making it wider than an aircraft carrier is long. The answer to the question in that headline is “no.” There will never be enough lanes. The billions they cost will be fruitless, as you can’t build your way out of congestion.
That great sniffer. Turns out that Fido "may be our best bet for staying safe." He/she has an amazing sense of smell that will find that "illegal" pineapple in the returning tourist's luggage or that terrorist bomb. Good dog!
Post- 9/11. A lengthy article from The Atlantic by Stephen Brill concludes there are some "yes-s," but more than a few "no-s." Certainly there have been important pluses at the airports and borders, but, as is often the case in emergency situations, there have also been petty, money-grubbing boondoggles, public and private.
Thank you for reading. Enjoy the week.
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
Here are the topics for this week: Olympic news; b--- s--- vs. lies; conventional warfare; the Purple Heart; political time out; globalization; job retraining.
Rio, 2016. Let the games begin, but as columnist John Feinstein notes, the games may well be saved, yet again, by the athletes.
Rio, TV coverage. Washington Post columnist, Sally Jenkins, takes TV executives to task for their "packaging" strategy. Why, she wonders, is coverage of an Olympic event tape delayed, shortened, and packaged, but not the second quarter of an NFL football game? It may well have to do that there is simply so much going on -- all at once and in different venues. It is not physically feasible or economically worthwhile to broadcast every event in it's entirety.
Rio and doping. In another Olympic story, Ms. Jenkins floats what can only be classified as a sure-fire, highly controversial trial balloon: consign athletic performance enhancing drug (PED) testing to the same dust bin as our failed prohibition experiment.
It’s a failed social experiment that has yielded nothing but a larger form of corruption, a crooked self-dealing bureaucracy headed by a bunch of careerist drones trying to legislate a morality they themselves do not possess....[A] portentous bureaucracy that exhibits more pratfalls than a Charlie Chaplin film....Prohibition warped law enforcement and overburdened the court system and created all kinds of needless harm and black market poisons. The doping movement has done the same. Athletes should be permitted to consider performance enhancement as a matter of personal conscience and moderate it as they choose, with the above-board advice of their doctors and trainers. It would be a cleaner system for all.
BS vs a lie, a crucial difference. I leave it to you to judge the content of what you hear/see from the presidential and down-ballot candidates, but Washington Post columnist Fareed Zakaria is correct, BS and outright lies are not the same.
The new Cold War. One of the notable "non-events" of the now passed Cold War was any outright conventional battles between the USSR and the US. Yes, there isolated clashes. Yes, civilians trying to flee East Germany were shot. Yes, armed uprisings behind the Iron Curtain were brutally suppressed. Yes, armed military units were poised several times, in divided Berlin and along the East and West German borders. However, there was no open large-scale conflict.
In this little noted article, retired US Army Lt. Gen. Scales, looks at the recent Ukrainian conflict, pointedly noting the absolute effectiveness of Russian artillery. In "the July 2014 Battle of Zelenopillya, in which a single Russian artillery 'fire strike' almost destroyed two Ukrainian mechanized battalions in a few minutes.....“You know, guys,” I mused in the moment, “this is the first time since the beginning of the Cold War that an American {supplied] war-fighting function has been bested by a foreign military.”
General Scales unwittingly draws an unmentioned parallel with the Spanish Civil War. In helping Franco's fascist forces defeat the (not too democratic) Republicans, Germany tested/perfected some of its later WW II tactics.
The Purple Heart, Wednesday, August 7, 1782. President George Washington created the Order of the Purple Heart, the nation's oldest military decoration. It was originally designated the Badge of Military Merit.
Political reset time? In an op-ed column, Barton Swaim wonders, should "2016...make us rethink our approach to politicians?" He begins,
Demean at your own peril, empathy needed. E.A. Dionne Jr. notes that everyone need take note of the open and consequential "rage" that motivates many Trump's supporters.
[U]nderstanding what still attracts many voters to Trump is important, not only to those who want to prevent Trump from staging a comeback but also to anyone who wants to make our democracy thrive in the long run. Those of us who are horrified by Trump’s hideous lack of empathy need empathy ourselves.
The comments of Dionne, Samuelson (following store), and others all point to a largely unaddressed need for America and most other nations: expanded educational opportunities and retraining for woefully under-prepared work forces for whom their "old" jobs simply no longer exist. Politicians and candidates who blather on and on about "job creation" beg the question, "what sort of jobs?" Unhappily today's reality is all too often, "under educated, low paying and service sector."
Globalization, the culprit? Economic columnist Robert J. Samuelson thinks not.
Though trade has helped reshape U.S. manufacturing, it is only one force of many. The appeal of making it the prime villain is political and psychological. We can blame manufacturing’s problems and dislocations on foreigners and disloyal American multinational firms. If they behaved better, the U.S. economy would improve. There is some truth to this, but it is hardly the whole truth — as the case of steel shows....Though trade has helped reshape U.S. manufacturing, it is only one force of many. The appeal of making it the prime villain is political and psychological. We can blame manufacturing’s problems and dislocations on foreigners and disloyal American multinational firms. If they behaved better, the U.S. economy would improve. There is some truth to this, but it is hardly the whole truth — as the case of steel shows.
Retraining and male nursing. Some years ago I remember a story from the Pittsburgh [PA] Post-Gazette which talked of the early days when steel jobs were disappearing and there was that initial flood of unemployment. A registered supervising nurse, whose husband was now unemployed, noted the shortage of nurses in the area and boldly began recruiting some rather unlikely nursing candidates, her reluctant husband included.
Initially it was a "tough sell," but she slowly gained ground. Many of those unemployed "steelers" were happy, proud to be learning new skills, finding jobs, and fulfilling a need in the area hospitals. Male nursing found traction in other areas around the country.
Thank you for reading.
Rio, 2016. Let the games begin, but as columnist John Feinstein notes, the games may well be saved, yet again, by the athletes.
But the Olympics have jumped the shark. They are too big, too corrupt and far too expensive. Countries that agree to host the Games go into massive debt to build facilities and infrastructure. Many of these facilities, built to satisfy the IOC’s need to feed its collective ego with sparkling new buildings, will become white elephants the instant the torch is extinguished on Aug. 21.I can attest to the truth of his two last comments. Some times the results are even worse than mere "white elephants." On a visit to Moscow in 1982, I witnessed the total dismantling of all the athletes' 1980 Olympic apartment buildings. I asked my Intourist guide, "Why? Surely there are Muscovites who could use them." "Poor concrete," she said. Upon closer examination she appeared to be correct: the massive pre-cast slabs being discarded would never have passed building inspection in Denver.
Rio, TV coverage. Washington Post columnist, Sally Jenkins, takes TV executives to task for their "packaging" strategy. Why, she wonders, is coverage of an Olympic event tape delayed, shortened, and packaged, but not the second quarter of an NFL football game? It may well have to do that there is simply so much going on -- all at once and in different venues. It is not physically feasible or economically worthwhile to broadcast every event in it's entirety.
Rio and doping. In another Olympic story, Ms. Jenkins floats what can only be classified as a sure-fire, highly controversial trial balloon: consign athletic performance enhancing drug (PED) testing to the same dust bin as our failed prohibition experiment.
It’s a failed social experiment that has yielded nothing but a larger form of corruption, a crooked self-dealing bureaucracy headed by a bunch of careerist drones trying to legislate a morality they themselves do not possess....[A] portentous bureaucracy that exhibits more pratfalls than a Charlie Chaplin film....Prohibition warped law enforcement and overburdened the court system and created all kinds of needless harm and black market poisons. The doping movement has done the same. Athletes should be permitted to consider performance enhancement as a matter of personal conscience and moderate it as they choose, with the above-board advice of their doctors and trainers. It would be a cleaner system for all.
BS vs a lie, a crucial difference. I leave it to you to judge the content of what you hear/see from the presidential and down-ballot candidates, but Washington Post columnist Fareed Zakaria is correct, BS and outright lies are not the same.
The new Cold War. One of the notable "non-events" of the now passed Cold War was any outright conventional battles between the USSR and the US. Yes, there isolated clashes. Yes, civilians trying to flee East Germany were shot. Yes, armed uprisings behind the Iron Curtain were brutally suppressed. Yes, armed military units were poised several times, in divided Berlin and along the East and West German borders. However, there was no open large-scale conflict.
In this little noted article, retired US Army Lt. Gen. Scales, looks at the recent Ukrainian conflict, pointedly noting the absolute effectiveness of Russian artillery. In "the July 2014 Battle of Zelenopillya, in which a single Russian artillery 'fire strike' almost destroyed two Ukrainian mechanized battalions in a few minutes.....“You know, guys,” I mused in the moment, “this is the first time since the beginning of the Cold War that an American {supplied] war-fighting function has been bested by a foreign military.”
General Scales unwittingly draws an unmentioned parallel with the Spanish Civil War. In helping Franco's fascist forces defeat the (not too democratic) Republicans, Germany tested/perfected some of its later WW II tactics.
The Purple Heart, Wednesday, August 7, 1782. President George Washington created the Order of the Purple Heart, the nation's oldest military decoration. It was originally designated the Badge of Military Merit.
Political reset time? In an op-ed column, Barton Swaim wonders, should "2016...make us rethink our approach to politicians?" He begins,
Those of us on the right who oppose Donald Trump’s candidacy are, in one sense, to be pitied. The choice between clownish and vitriolic populism, on the one hand, and Clintonian knavery, on the other, is not one we ever wanted to make. We are bewildered and, for this election year at least, [enviably] emotionally detached.Perhaps he has a point for us all, right and left. A necessary adult "time out?"
Demean at your own peril, empathy needed. E.A. Dionne Jr. notes that everyone need take note of the open and consequential "rage" that motivates many Trump's supporters.
[U]nderstanding what still attracts many voters to Trump is important, not only to those who want to prevent Trump from staging a comeback but also to anyone who wants to make our democracy thrive in the long run. Those of us who are horrified by Trump’s hideous lack of empathy need empathy ourselves.
The comments of Dionne, Samuelson (following store), and others all point to a largely unaddressed need for America and most other nations: expanded educational opportunities and retraining for woefully under-prepared work forces for whom their "old" jobs simply no longer exist. Politicians and candidates who blather on and on about "job creation" beg the question, "what sort of jobs?" Unhappily today's reality is all too often, "under educated, low paying and service sector."
Globalization, the culprit? Economic columnist Robert J. Samuelson thinks not.
Though trade has helped reshape U.S. manufacturing, it is only one force of many. The appeal of making it the prime villain is political and psychological. We can blame manufacturing’s problems and dislocations on foreigners and disloyal American multinational firms. If they behaved better, the U.S. economy would improve. There is some truth to this, but it is hardly the whole truth — as the case of steel shows....Though trade has helped reshape U.S. manufacturing, it is only one force of many. The appeal of making it the prime villain is political and psychological. We can blame manufacturing’s problems and dislocations on foreigners and disloyal American multinational firms. If they behaved better, the U.S. economy would improve. There is some truth to this, but it is hardly the whole truth — as the case of steel shows.
Retraining and male nursing. Some years ago I remember a story from the Pittsburgh [PA] Post-Gazette which talked of the early days when steel jobs were disappearing and there was that initial flood of unemployment. A registered supervising nurse, whose husband was now unemployed, noted the shortage of nurses in the area and boldly began recruiting some rather unlikely nursing candidates, her reluctant husband included.
Initially it was a "tough sell," but she slowly gained ground. Many of those unemployed "steelers" were happy, proud to be learning new skills, finding jobs, and fulfilling a need in the area hospitals. Male nursing found traction in other areas around the country.
Thank you for reading.
Tuesday, August 2, 2016
Here are this week's items: two cultural evenings; bankruptcy bonuses?; Hawaií and a day of firsts; WikiLeaks and the DNC; the long term unemployed; the "new" keyboard language; reading, non-fiction; a train-road trip; time marches on, women's suffrage; an anguished mother's reply; football in the future; good mosquitoes (?);
Two plays. I forgot to mention in last week's blog that we ventured out for back-to-back cultural evenings. Friday (22nd) at Aurora's small Vintage theater we saw "The Big Bang," not to be confused with CBS's current TV comedy, The Big Bang Theory. The Vintage's two-man cast (plus accompanist) gave an excellent performance. Fast paced and only a bit bawdy. On Saturday (23rd), we were off to the Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) for "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical." Another excellent production, on a much larger scale, of course. Wonderful voices singing many of Ms. King's songs and others of the era.
A bonus when you fail? A story in Thursday's (28th) Denver Post discusses controversial bonuses that Sports Authority corporation seeks to pay four top officials. You are at least partly responsible for your company's failure and are rewarded? Excuse me, but....
Hawaií statehood. As the momentous day drew near, residents of the soon-to-be 50th state "voted to send the first Chinese-American, Republican Hiram L. Fong, to the U.S. Senate and the first Japanese-American, Democrat Daniel K. Inouye, to the U.S. House of Representatives" Representative Inouye would go on to long and meritorious service as one of HI's sena
WikiLeaks. Washington Post columnist Marc Thiessen writes about the long string of leaked documents (many classified) about which nothing was done. Until the leaks about the Democratic National Committee were published. Only now us the administration is concerned?
Still unemployed? It is not often that columnists write about the responses they receive from their readers. However, economics columnist, Robert J. Samuelson, writes about an exchange of emails with a long-term unemployed reader who has become an advocate for others who share her dire straits. Interesting and informative.
What up? It just keeps happening in the universe of twitter, smartphone keyboards, et.al. u = you, 4 = for........ Now it is not "officer" it is "o>>icer". Actually, it is o... followed by two punctuation/spelling marks that are not yet listed among the Emoji symbols on by Firefox.
Reading, non-fiction. Azar Nafis, Reading Lolita in Tehran. For two years Ms. Nafisi, a dismissed literature professor at Tehran University, met almost every Thursday with seven of her most committed female students. The class's reading list, which included Jane Austen, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Henry James, and Vladimir Nabokov, was not without its dangers. Many western novels were "suspect," several banned/burned at one time or another.
She introduces her girls (as she calls them) to the novels of other American authors: Twain, Conrad, Melville, and, strangely, Mike Gold. The first three you are undoubtedly familiar. The last, Michael "Mike" Gold (April 12, 1894 – May 14, 1967) was the pen-name of Jewish American writer Itzok Isaac Granich. A lifelong communist, Gold was a novelist and literary critic. His semi-autobiographical novel Jews Without Money (1930) was a bestseller. If they had but known, the strict Iranian mullahs would have thought Gold, a godless communist, a very puzzling, troubling choice.
As she and her students read and discuss the works of these prominent authors, Professor Nafisi gives the reader a sense of the unsettled Iranian political and cultural climate that she and her students were experiencing, days which included the forcible take over of the American embassy.
See this link for more detailed information about the author, the book, and the times in Iran.
Re a previous blog entry on non-fiction reading, i.e. Secondhand Times: the Last of the Soviets, Svetlana Alexievich. Both Ms. Alexievich and Professor Nafis are acquainting us with their experiences as their familiar known past disappears, the USSR and pre-revolutionary Iran are just gone. To poach Huxley's title, theirs is now a "brave new world."
The Royal Gorge. If you are from Kansas it is the "Arkansas" River; here in CO, we call it the "Arkun-saw". Whatever! The river's gorgeous gorge between Cañon City and Peakview plays host to the tourist train, The Royal Gorge Route. The train's up/back trip can be experienced in a variety of ways from the open air flatbeds with benches to a more posh Vista Dome. It being our anniversary celebration, we chose the latter and watched the many river rafters enjoying Colorado- beef Wellington as the spectacular views of the gorge slid by.
The train passes beneath the world's highest (in altitude) suspension bridge, even stopping beneath the bridge on the return trip for the photographers. Our stop provided the opportunity to see, in "one frame," the bridge, six aerial tramway cars (traveling in opposite directions), and two specks which I at first thought to be eagles gliding near the tram cables. Looking more closely, the specks were in fact two daring zip-liners getting a really "tummy-turning" view of everything from above!
If you come this way, there a quite a few special event trains to consider -- the ever popular Santa train, a romantic Valentine's Day, even a murder mystery evening.
Colorado Day, #140. We celebrate our statehood on August 1st (1876), with all the fireworks (weather permitting) displays booming on the last Saturday in the July. Just down the street, the up-scale 'burb of Greenwood Village provides us with quite a nice show. Cause for inviting friends over for dinner and/or cocktails while you sit in the driveway and enjoy the colorful fifteen minute show. The neighborhood dogs are strangely quiet, many sheltering indoors.
Ten years on (2026) the celebratory sesquicentennial fireworks are certain to be "over-the- top."
19th Amendment, 96 years on: The nation is nearing the 96 anniversary (August 18th) of women's suffrage and that date was one of the stories to emerge from the Democratic convention. For example, Felicia Kahn, a 90 year-old resident of New Orleans, was one of the many women who delighted in witnessing Hillary Clinton's nomination. The number of women (and men) who witnessed that historic final ratification is rapidly dwindling. Somewhere among the convention stories was a "tongue-in-cheek" heavenly tweet to Elizabeth Cady Stanton announcing the historic event.
An anguished mother's reply to Donald Trump. In her op-ed column, Ghazala Kahn provided a grieving mother's poignant, heartfelt answer to Donald Trump's questioning why she did not speak along with her husband at the Democratic convention. Was she not allowed to speak by her husband? By her religion? Another political storm followed, naturally!
To paraphrase Ms. Kahn: "No, Mr. Trump, and if you had any appreciation for true grief and sacrifice, you might begin to understand that my grief was simply too great." Rather, she did write, "Whoever saw me [standing beside my husband] felt me in their heart....When Donald Trump is talking about Islam, he is ignorant....[He] said he has made a lot of sacrifices. He doesn’t know what the word sacrifice means."
Amen.
Virtual tackling. Here is a link to a interesting article about revolutionary changes in the Dartmouth college football program and how their model may be emulated elsewhere.
Helpful mosquitoes (?). The first-ever "do not travel" alert in the US has been issued by the Communicable Diseases Center (CDC) for an area in Miami, FL. Try to totally eradicate these pesky critters? Not so, says this science piece. Seems they do have a vital role to play in the larger scheme of things. Meanwhile: use long sleeves and DEET-laced repellent.
Thank you for reading. Enjoy the upcoming week.
Two plays. I forgot to mention in last week's blog that we ventured out for back-to-back cultural evenings. Friday (22nd) at Aurora's small Vintage theater we saw "The Big Bang," not to be confused with CBS's current TV comedy, The Big Bang Theory. The Vintage's two-man cast (plus accompanist) gave an excellent performance. Fast paced and only a bit bawdy. On Saturday (23rd), we were off to the Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) for "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical." Another excellent production, on a much larger scale, of course. Wonderful voices singing many of Ms. King's songs and others of the era.
A bonus when you fail? A story in Thursday's (28th) Denver Post discusses controversial bonuses that Sports Authority corporation seeks to pay four top officials. You are at least partly responsible for your company's failure and are rewarded? Excuse me, but....
Hawaií statehood. As the momentous day drew near, residents of the soon-to-be 50th state "voted to send the first Chinese-American, Republican Hiram L. Fong, to the U.S. Senate and the first Japanese-American, Democrat Daniel K. Inouye, to the U.S. House of Representatives" Representative Inouye would go on to long and meritorious service as one of HI's sena
WikiLeaks. Washington Post columnist Marc Thiessen writes about the long string of leaked documents (many classified) about which nothing was done. Until the leaks about the Democratic National Committee were published. Only now us the administration is concerned?
Still unemployed? It is not often that columnists write about the responses they receive from their readers. However, economics columnist, Robert J. Samuelson, writes about an exchange of emails with a long-term unemployed reader who has become an advocate for others who share her dire straits. Interesting and informative.
What up? It just keeps happening in the universe of twitter, smartphone keyboards, et.al. u = you, 4 = for........ Now it is not "officer" it is "o>>icer". Actually, it is o... followed by two punctuation/spelling marks that are not yet listed among the Emoji symbols on by Firefox.
Reading, non-fiction. Azar Nafis, Reading Lolita in Tehran. For two years Ms. Nafisi, a dismissed literature professor at Tehran University, met almost every Thursday with seven of her most committed female students. The class's reading list, which included Jane Austen, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Henry James, and Vladimir Nabokov, was not without its dangers. Many western novels were "suspect," several banned/burned at one time or another.
She introduces her girls (as she calls them) to the novels of other American authors: Twain, Conrad, Melville, and, strangely, Mike Gold. The first three you are undoubtedly familiar. The last, Michael "Mike" Gold (April 12, 1894 – May 14, 1967) was the pen-name of Jewish American writer Itzok Isaac Granich. A lifelong communist, Gold was a novelist and literary critic. His semi-autobiographical novel Jews Without Money (1930) was a bestseller. If they had but known, the strict Iranian mullahs would have thought Gold, a godless communist, a very puzzling, troubling choice.
As she and her students read and discuss the works of these prominent authors, Professor Nafisi gives the reader a sense of the unsettled Iranian political and cultural climate that she and her students were experiencing, days which included the forcible take over of the American embassy.
See this link for more detailed information about the author, the book, and the times in Iran.
Re a previous blog entry on non-fiction reading, i.e. Secondhand Times: the Last of the Soviets, Svetlana Alexievich. Both Ms. Alexievich and Professor Nafis are acquainting us with their experiences as their familiar known past disappears, the USSR and pre-revolutionary Iran are just gone. To poach Huxley's title, theirs is now a "brave new world."
The Royal Gorge. If you are from Kansas it is the "Arkansas" River; here in CO, we call it the "Arkun-saw". Whatever! The river's gorgeous gorge between Cañon City and Peakview plays host to the tourist train, The Royal Gorge Route. The train's up/back trip can be experienced in a variety of ways from the open air flatbeds with benches to a more posh Vista Dome. It being our anniversary celebration, we chose the latter and watched the many river rafters enjoying Colorado- beef Wellington as the spectacular views of the gorge slid by.
The train passes beneath the world's highest (in altitude) suspension bridge, even stopping beneath the bridge on the return trip for the photographers. Our stop provided the opportunity to see, in "one frame," the bridge, six aerial tramway cars (traveling in opposite directions), and two specks which I at first thought to be eagles gliding near the tram cables. Looking more closely, the specks were in fact two daring zip-liners getting a really "tummy-turning" view of everything from above!
If you come this way, there a quite a few special event trains to consider -- the ever popular Santa train, a romantic Valentine's Day, even a murder mystery evening.
Colorado Day, #140. We celebrate our statehood on August 1st (1876), with all the fireworks (weather permitting) displays booming on the last Saturday in the July. Just down the street, the up-scale 'burb of Greenwood Village provides us with quite a nice show. Cause for inviting friends over for dinner and/or cocktails while you sit in the driveway and enjoy the colorful fifteen minute show. The neighborhood dogs are strangely quiet, many sheltering indoors.
Ten years on (2026) the celebratory sesquicentennial fireworks are certain to be "over-the- top."
19th Amendment, 96 years on: The nation is nearing the 96 anniversary (August 18th) of women's suffrage and that date was one of the stories to emerge from the Democratic convention. For example, Felicia Kahn, a 90 year-old resident of New Orleans, was one of the many women who delighted in witnessing Hillary Clinton's nomination. The number of women (and men) who witnessed that historic final ratification is rapidly dwindling. Somewhere among the convention stories was a "tongue-in-cheek" heavenly tweet to Elizabeth Cady Stanton announcing the historic event.
An anguished mother's reply to Donald Trump. In her op-ed column, Ghazala Kahn provided a grieving mother's poignant, heartfelt answer to Donald Trump's questioning why she did not speak along with her husband at the Democratic convention. Was she not allowed to speak by her husband? By her religion? Another political storm followed, naturally!
To paraphrase Ms. Kahn: "No, Mr. Trump, and if you had any appreciation for true grief and sacrifice, you might begin to understand that my grief was simply too great." Rather, she did write, "Whoever saw me [standing beside my husband] felt me in their heart....When Donald Trump is talking about Islam, he is ignorant....[He] said he has made a lot of sacrifices. He doesn’t know what the word sacrifice means."
Amen.
Virtual tackling. Here is a link to a interesting article about revolutionary changes in the Dartmouth college football program and how their model may be emulated elsewhere.
Helpful mosquitoes (?). The first-ever "do not travel" alert in the US has been issued by the Communicable Diseases Center (CDC) for an area in Miami, FL. Try to totally eradicate these pesky critters? Not so, says this science piece. Seems they do have a vital role to play in the larger scheme of things. Meanwhile: use long sleeves and DEET-laced repellent.
Felicia Kahn of New Orleans
Felicia Kahn of New Orleans
Democrats' vision. In an alternative to Trump's dark America. Michael Gerson begins, "With Thomas Hobbes now firmly in charge of Republican messaging......"Thank you for reading. Enjoy the upcoming week.
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