Stargazing

Sunday, October 21, 2012
In the wee hours my wife and I got up to see if we could see the meteoric activity caused by the tail of Hailey’s Comet. One flew by as I watched. I believe in her half hour outside my wife saw another one. Sometimes you are given a build up that doesn’t predict the outcome. Stargazing is kind of like watching electoral contests, often there is much hyperbole and in the end nothing much really happens that matters.

Pumpkins in Glory

Sunday, October 07, 2012


It is a crisp Sunday morning here in the north country. Fall really seems to have arrived. At the farmer’s market the vendors have shifted from peas to gourds. Apple cider and donuts were being handed out and people were wearing those knit gloves. These are the ones that are totally useless once the snow starts to fly because they get wet and stay could. No smell of smoke in the air because leave burning is outlawed here in the city. The colors of the trees were quite vibrant. The colors of the gourds were truly autumnal.

Today is my brother’s birthday. I have left a Facebook message for him and at the same time left a greeting on his cell phone. Ah how quickly the years are ticking off now. Autumn it is.

Up the Mountain that is this Life

Tuesday, September 11, 2012
The start of fall is here. Summer may come back for a few days here and there but the air is cool in the morning and warm at midday. The light heading west in the morning coming from behind me is long and golden. Coffee tastes better and the warmth of the cup is nice in the early day’s air. The plants are taking on a rusty dusky kind of texture. There is such beauty in this season of decay and drive toward the dormant winter states.
Last night was hard. I had a school board meeting. It was not productive on the key issue before us. No blame will be laid. Nothing more will be said except that the competing visions of the seven people involved do not bode well for compromise or resolution. I will offer this, every bone in my body aches today from sitting tense as I watched the dance around the elephant in the room in the late evening hours.
Many Ways up the Mountain

There are many ways up the mountain, but each of us must choose a route to the divine that feels true to his own heart. It is not necessary for you to evaluate the paths chosen by others.

- Jack Kornfield, "Take the One Seat"


As I start my day I think about the above quote. Mr. Kornfield has been paraphrased by me. His quote talked about the conduct of meditation and I am not sure meditation is only the way to the divine. It is a way to the divine. Thus I tweaked the comment to reflect my vision of the path to enlightenment, at least my vision at this hour of this day.

In the light of morning, after a night of verbal sparring, I am thinking about my way up the mountain. With bones that ache and not as much sleep as is needed, I am left to wonder about the path I have taken in life. I will accept today as it is. I will try and show compassion and wisdom. I will be open. I guess that about sums it up.

Why Stating that the Constitution Does Not Expressly Provide for a Safety Net Does Not Mandate an Abandonment of Social Security and Medicare

When I posted my last set of comments on Facebook one person noted that the Constitution of the United States does not provide for a social safety net.  The implication was that all government intervention including social security and Medicare were somehow tainted by this. They aren’t. The writer was correct United States Constitution does not expressly provide for a “safety net” for the least among us. I also note that it does not prohibit it.

A government our government can and must accept responsibility for the poor, the disenfranchised, the sick and the outcast. We as a body politic must go beyond the express words of that hallowed document in seeking a just world. Our democracy is a living and adapting thing in a changing world. The Constitution is a framework for our communal life, not a straightjacket.

Our society has changed since the drafters penned the Constitution. Our society has changed dramatically even in the last century. 100 years ago our society was primarily agrarian, families lived in multi-generational units, existence was subsistence and the power and responsibility of other institutions beside the government were much greater. For example the church held much greater sway than it does today.

100 years ago the average American lived on a farm with children and grandparents in the family unit. The dictates of the church as to morality had something akin to the weight of law. In that world there were structures that minimized the need for government involvement in an individual’s life. When you got old your children took care of you and your grandchildren did too. Most likely you all lived under one roof. If times were tough the moral imperative was for other members of your church be it Methodist, Lutheran, Catholic to offer some aid albeit with a healthy dose of “Come to Jesus” intertwined. Societies like the Oddfellows, the Masons and various other groups provided communal structure. Your neighbors were part of your lifeline because chances were you all lived next to each other for decades and forged almost communal bonds.

We don’t live in that world anymore.

The majority of America’s population lives in urban/suburban communities. Less than 21 % of our people live in rural environments and of those less than 3 % farm. Thus the majority of our population does not grow its own food despite the locavore food movement. The majority of our population lives in very small (when compared to past history) family groups of 1 or 2 parents and 1 or 2 children. The majority of our population is what mainlined church leaders call the unchurched.

A 2006 online Harris Poll found that only 26% of those surveyed attended religious services "every week or more often", 9% went "once or twice a month". 2/3rds of the American population is not in any way a part of the weakened social structure provided by organized religion. The structure provided by the church is not as rigid as it was 100 years ago and to the majority of our people including the 35% that go at least once a month the 10 commandments do not have the moral weight they once did. Half of all marriages end in divorce and even bonding in marriage to have children and create a family unit is less common.

The crux of the issue is as follows. The America we live in is one of individuals living in isolation among a mass of people all acting as part of a mass of worker drones. We have few familial ties. We have weak community networks to offer any real support in times of medical crises and old age. Unless the government intercedes what stands between an individual and the corporate imperative to lower costs?

Corporations exist to make profit for a few. Isn’t the easier way to do that by forcing salaries down to the level of our third world free trade partners and by jettisoning health care and retirement programs? If people organize to obtain benefits from corporations that is called a union. But among the libertarian and Republican political philosophers union activity is anathema. Do you really believe that Wal-Mart who employs more than 1 in 100 Americans will actually put the health and living conditions of those people that work as clerk and stock room employees over those of it shareholders in the calculation of pay and medical benefits without the intercession of an external force, i.e. the government?

Who is left to stand for the isolated average individual at this time healthy or beset by infirmity but the government? Who is left to work with a citizen without moral judgment as to their race, creed or sexual orientation but the government? Does the Constitution require a safety net be provided by the government? No. Do the conditions of the America we live in today make it a moral imperative that the government actually create some form of a safety net? I believe the answer is yes.

My politics are fairly simple. Facebook Edition

The purpose of government is to provide personal safety to its citizens from threats to their persons from internal and external dangers. This means protecting the quality of our food, water and other items put into commerce as well as providing a standing army to fight for our defense against other militarily inclined potential oppressors. The government must also provide a fair starting point for all of our citizens and thus quality public education for any child who wishes to or by economic circumstances must attend a public school. Additionally the government must provide a fair marketplace in which to engage in the commerce of seeking the things guaranteed in the constitution. This means the marketplace must not be rigged to favor those with more wealth and thus more access and more power to interact with and bend the will of our representatives.
I do believe that our public schools must accommodate the disabled. I do believe we have a civic and governmental obligation to provide care for the weak and the infirm. And finally I believe that the wealthier you are the larger pro rata burden of the cost of these things you should pay. A 30% tax on a $10,000 a year income has a greater impact in overall life quality than a 30% tax on a $10,000,000 a year income. Poverty is not a crime nor is a demonstration poor moral character just as wealth is not a sign of God’s blessing on you or your personal moral fitness.
Maybe you agree with me on these things or maybe you don’t. But if I have met you and we have talked or perhaps worked together or worshipped together or gotten drunk together you know that I can deal with you one on one in a respectful manner. (I mean to say I can do that most of the time, if I am not drunk.)
The next election appears to be shaping up as one that may be a watershed for the political philosophy that will prevail for the next decade or more. A great deal of rhetoric will be splashed across the various sources of media to try and persuade us all, to cajole us all and/or to anger us all into voting a certain way. The tighter the race is the uglier the ad craft purveyed will become.
I will make this promise I will not attack a candidate personally on the basis of race or faith or other similar attributes. Things like Obama = Osama and Mormon = Moron are off the table. I will endeavor to post only limited but positive things about the candidates and party I support. I will not rail on in the comment beneath one of you posts if I think that post is ill advised or downright boneheaded. In other words I will endeavor to be as civil online to you as I would be to you in person despite the overwhelming push of both parties to go negative and polarize us.

We are after all Americans. We are after all charged with being good citizens.

Cynicism is the enemy of a democracy striving to promote life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Ad hominem attacks and caustic rants will take us nowhere but right to the cesspool of cynicism and that march will lead us to an abrogation of duties to be trustees of this rare thing that is American Democracy. Talk and advocate but don’t rant. Remember we owe it to our country.

If you agree with me feel free to post this link wherever you want.  If we act as respectful citizens we can make things better.

No coffee, just some blooms

I love to walk outside and see the fruits of my labors. This morning there were two blossoms on my morning glory plant. A vibrant color filled my field of vision, I am not sure if it is purple or indigo or something else altogether. It just kind of startled me awake to the promise of a good day. As I looked around there were four or five heirloom tomatoes waiting to be picked. Odd term heirloom tomatoes, these are the real tomatoes not transport friendly tomatoes that popular the stores today. A garden in full is a great thing to see as I am leaving to work indoor all day dealing with the psychology and legality of addiction.

The radio promised a clear day today with bright sun and blue skies. I may see it at my lunch hour if I am lucky. Still knowing that the weather is nice is kind of comforting. Little things, little joys, these keep me going.

The shoals of what is and what is not

Tuesday, September 04, 2012

It was the first day of school from Primus and Secundus.  The years have flown by.  Primus is a senior and Secundus is a junior.  Every year has had it challenges and this year will be the college application process.  I don’t know if this is going to be anything like I expected it to be.

My children are human.  In some ways they are bright. In some ways they are dumber than moose poop.  I guess much the same can be said of me.  My wife, well she isn’t dumber than moose poop, not ever.  The maze of admissions with grades and test schools will never reveal who my children are to the people on the other end of the pipeline.  How can a dry sheet of paper convey the work ethic of an ASD kid or his wry and witty sense of humor?  Funny that, ASD kids are not known for their biting humor, but Primus’ tongue is rapier sharp. 

The thing is words on paper and raw scores aren’t going to tell you what that boy is all about. It is my hope he finds a place in this world, a good place, where he can be of benefit to our greater community.  He believes in public service although there are flashes of cynicism that I see.  Sometimes I am convinced that his Aspergers is an evolutionary step in a better direction.  Less deception, less artifice, more of this is what is and this is what is not. 

Pick that Book Up Dummny

When I was young I read voraciously.  I was not of the norm. In the past I have talked about my weight and myself so I won’t dwell on it.  When I started reading it was an escape from my contemporaries.  It took me to place where great people lived.  My first reading addiction was a biographical series about famous Americans.  Lincoln, Washington, Edison, Nathan Hale, Patrick Henry these were the idealistic characters I lived with.

Of course now I know these were hagiographic tomes designed to inspire youth like myself.  These were more complex people, men and woman who still did great things mind you, but their failings, their feet of clay were hidden from my view then.  But that is not what this is about.  I have missed reading. When I poured over those pages I was in pure joy.  Word after word brought me pleasure.  

As I grew my appetite for books became voracious.  I read anything that wasn’t just pulp, science fiction, surrealistic tales of life, political rants and the classics. Many were new classics mostly late nineteenth century. In the past couple of weeks I have reheard a book I read as a teen.  (Chris, please, please don’t let you blood pressure go up here).  As I heard it I heard lyric poetry and I heard voices crying to connect with something greater.  I also heard disillusionment and a sense of despair that was ever pervasive.  

I am left to wonder now what would I get if I reread some other books that were part of myself education cannon in my teens and twenties?  I know that early Kurt Vonnegut has held up well particularly Mother Night.  I read that to my children as a bedtime story over a couple of weeks.

Ah the balance.  I want to continue to mentally grow and it seems foolish to go back and revisit the books of my past.  Maybe I will pull an oral copy of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.  That might be the only one that would make sense.  

The key thing is I have to make time for reading, writing and thought.

Saturday Before the Holiday

The air condition is turned off today. Trust me I hate the heat today is not too bad.  I am listening to Mary Chapin Carpenter again trying to get a sense of what this disc means.  It just seems to me that she is in a dark place.  I think the music is beautiful and the lyrics elegant but pained.  For example:

These are your instructions

When you become reclusive

When old friends say they miss you

When sleep becomes elusive

Fill up every journal

Empty every shoebox

Burn the lists and letters

Sweep out all the old thoughts

Shake off all the covers

Throw every window open

Stand here in your bare feet

Welcome in the morning

These are your instructions

When grace has left you stranded

When you are lost and wounded

Bleeding and abandoned

As I write Francie is in the kitchen.  She is cooking dinner.  Also there is zucchini bread in the over giving off the warm most smell of walnuts and green shredded yard fruits.  Primus is disassembling and reassembling his computer.  The mouse does on this particular does not work.  School is next week and thus it must be returned to operating condition. Secundus is watching snarky cartoons.  Life is good right now.

How I Spent a Free Day

Friday, August 31, 2012

The breakfast is done for those of us who eat breakfast.  Morning repast today was a mushroom cheddar omelet with a dash of B & B for flavor with Kenyan coffee on the side.   (Me I am still drinking decaf.) 

Mary Chapin Carpenter is on the stereo.  While on holiday a couple of weeks back a friend had asked me whatever had happened to Ms. Carpenter.  I told her that I had seen a recent CD but that I hadn’t heard it.  Last night while at Best Buy I saw the disc for $9.99 I thought how could I go wrong? Thus I bought it. 

The tunes are different.  The music is beautiful but the themes are dark. I am also listening to Jann Arden and to Rosanne Cash.  Ladies day on the CD juke box or so it seems.

As the music plays the delicates are in the washing machine.  Yesterday’s dishes are in the dishwasher going swoosh, swoosh, and swoosh. I have pulled out the kids expired passports and now I prepare to experience the post office.  Arggh. Did I mention I am dying to hear the last disk of On the Road?  When last we left Dean and Sal they were smoking the hugest bomber ever with a bunch of Mexican men somewhere deep in Mexico.  

(Later)

4 loads of laundry later and the day of house work is done.  I made chicken noodle soup for dinner from scratch, beans, peas, potatoes, noodles, chicken, shallots, chicken stock, carrots and fresh tomatoes.  With some cibatta bread on the side it seemed to go over quite well. I ran out of milk today.  Thus I had to go to Sam’s Club.  On the trip to and from we took a circuitous route.  On the Road is over.  Really I think I appreciate the writing farm more than I did when I was 14.