31 July 2018 Why Do They Like Him?

Why Do They Like Him?

People should be able to support whoever they want for political office. That is what makes democracy. However, you should be able to articulate why you like a candidate or current office holder.

I can’t understand why people still support President Trump and not just support him but really love how he governs.  I admit that when he entered the presidential race he offered a completely different character than the normal politician.  He said things at times that were so outrageous that just about every pundit said, “that’s it, that will force him to quit.”  But it didn’t.  He mowed through a vast Republican field.  Come the general election the consensus was he had a good run but couldn’t beat Hillary.  I think he was as surprised as anyone that he won.  Well, he won the electoral college vote not the popular vote.  But in our system, that’s all that counts for better or worse.

Now as President he has shown how truly ignorant he is of world affairs. He won’t say anything bad about dictators. He loves a thug like Putin of Russia and make no mistake, Putin is a thug not a stateman.  Trump made an unforgivable statement when he sided with Russia over our intelligence services.  Let that sink in, he took Russia’s side over us, yet he still has support within the party.

This is where I want his supporters to explain to me why?  This is where I want the spineless Republican’s in Congress to explain to me why?  Am I extremely mad over what he did, absolutely? Do I think he turned his back on the USA, yes?  Do I think Russia has something on him that governs his speech on them, yes?  As mad as I am, I would love to have a respectful conversation with any Trump supporter to have them defend his words.  You would need to be extremely persuasive to have me believe you.  I just don’t get it. 

30 July 2018 Who Should I Tell About My Health?

Who Should I Tell About My Health?

I’ve always been very private about my Health. I don’t know why, but it is just something I have always done. There is this guy at work who underwent treatment for prostate cancer. He told everybody all the time in great detail about everything. I sat near him and had to hear the same story told multiple times during the day as different people would come to his desk. Now his was caught early and he only ever missed a day or two of work. I just could not understand why he wanted everyone to know everything about it.

A few days ago, I went into the hospital for a minor heart procedure. The only person I told at work was the lady I provided direct support to. This surgery was done early in the morning and I could’ve been released early afternoon but my doctor is a very cautious type and kept me overnight. So, I missed the last two days of work last week. I didn’t see any reason to tell everybody in office what’s going on. They didn’t have any need to know no though I understand they would have wanted to know because they care.

Many years ago, I had a similar procedure done. At that time, I told my than wife I only wanted her to know. I didn’t tell my daughter who was overseas at the time because I know she would’ve really wanted to come home. I told no one else in my family. Even though I told my wife in no uncertain terms that I wanted no one else to know she still told her sister. She said she had to talk to somebody about it. That procedure was done early in the morning and I was home by early afternoon and work the next day.

This last procedure I did talk about with my daughters and wife before I had it done. I still didn’t tell other family members especially my mother. She is the ultimate pessimist and worrier and I did not think she needed the added stress. I did not tell her about the other heart procedure I had done until over 10 years after it.

If I had an issue that was terminal in nature, then yes I would go see each of the people I care about and have a discussion on it. But if I think it is just a routine procedure then I keep it to myself. Some may agree or disagree, but it is just what I’m comfortable with. 

29 July 2018 Have You Tried Therapy?

Have You Tried Therapy?

When I was a young adult the idea of therapy sounded so foreign.  Why would anyone need to go to therapy?  Can’t you handle it yourself?  I viewed it as a weakness.  Now when I say therapy I also mean counseling (e.g. marriage).  

I am not sure where my negative attitude towards therapy developed at that time. I just didn’t have a lot of empathy back then. I was very judgmental.  Who was I to question if someone wanted/needed it?  If it was a positive in their life, then I should just have accepted that.

I had an experience with a marriage counselor when I was 30.  To say I was reluctant to go was an understatement.  However, the counselor was excellent.  She had a lot of experience dealing with my type of relationship issues (military).  Though the experience was positive, it did not solve the issue.  That issue was my maturity.  I am not sure how she could have improved that in me.  I probably would have taken any comments on my behavior in a negative manner and would have shut her out.  I am not proud at all for how I handled the counseling.  It is embarrassing to admit how much of an idiot I was back then.  It had to be hard on my wife at the time.   She gave her all to our marriage.

Today with hindsight, I realize what I should have done.  That is, have more intense counseling sessions on my own. There is a good chance I would have not made the mistakes I did.  

Though I have not had more therapy, I have learned a great deal.  I understand what drove me to the behaviors I did.  I feel much better today, but it came at a large cost.  I have to accept I caused the pain and issues.  At least I won’t repeat it.   

28 July 2018 How Hard Have You Pushed Yourself?

How Hard Have You Pushed Yourself?

I have tried some challenging physical events; however, I don’t think I have really pushed myself to my limit.   But what does that mean?  Do I have to pass out to meet that criteria?  No, that be done with a short term extra hard hill runs or spin bike climb. What I am talking about is endurance activities.  

I have come close.  I participated in a 100 mile bike ride that took 7 hours.  Actual riding time was five and half hours.  I did not have much left at the end of that.  But, I was also only 33 years old.   

In the almost 3 decades since I have not tried to see what limits I have.  Is there any benefit to trying to see what my physical limit is…… that could be debated.  I would need to be smart and slowly work up to some goal I want to obtain. I could do myself more harm than good if I let my ego get in the way and attempt something foolish.   

I am thinking about some kettlebell goal.  Or, another area I am looking into is if I could do 30 days of hot yoga sessions or spin bike sessions.  Again, I have to define why this is a worthy goal.   Half of the benefit would be just working up to the goal.  

I believe it is important to challenge oneself in all areas.   It is easy to get into a routine and do the same thing with no impetus to push further. I will post what I decide to do and how I intend to accomplish it.   

27 July 2018 Do You Trust The News?

Do You Trust The News?

I wrote on this before, however, it is becoming a crucial issue.  The 1^stamendment has freedom of the press as a founding tenant of the US Constitution.  However, it does not say it has to be accurate.  Now, would a rational person assume that to be the case, I would say yes. However, news sites are part of businesses, businesses that need to make a profit.  These businesses are run on advertising.  They want to get the max number of people to read or at least see the ads.  This creates challenges at times because some of the news that is critical may not be “exciting” enough to attract people.  The is as an old adage that “if it bleeds it leads.”  

I don’t believe any news organization is truly objective.  All the items are written by people.  People have biases.  That is not wrong just reality.  The words they choose can present a story in many different ways and still be factually accurate.  I believe that the major news organization do try to be accurate, but biases can still be brought into the presentation.  

I do think it is funny that news that is “reported” is “objective” while the “opinion or commentary pages” are “subjective.”  This is just the journalistic profession way of hiding their biases.  Journalists are no different than anybody else.  They are presented items about a story and they arrange them and create words to describe them.  Journalists may have a better grasp of the language and the nuance of wording, but that does not mean they understand a topic better.  They may be just better at packaging the story.   

It is very important that people view every news story they see/hear with a critical mind.  There are so many “news” sites online whose sole purpose is to distort and sway public opinion on an issue.  It has nothing to do with right or wrong or any sense of integrity in the “reporting.”  There are “fake news” sites out there, you just have to be sure you feel a sense of trust when reading anything.  Not everything you read is true or false.  Finding out which means looking at different sites to get different viewpoints.   

26 July 2018 What Podcasts Do You Listen To?

What Podcasts Do You Listen To?

I spend a lot of time listening to podcasts.  During the week going to and from work I have them on.  When I work out I listen to one most of the time.  On weekends I get even more time in. Between audio books and podcasts, I listen a lot.  

The main podcasts are Tim Ferriss, Jocko Willink, Joe Rogan and Joe Scarborough. Three of these are multi-hour shows. Jocko is military centric as he is a retired Navy Seal.  Joe Rogan and Tim Ferriss have a wide variety of guests.  Joe Scarborough is a morning tv political show that is broadcast as a podcast after the show ends.  

I try to listen to a couple of foreign podcasts to get a different flavor. Monocle is my favorite magazine. The company also does podcasts on news and culture from all over the world.  It is interesting to hear how news is presented in different countries.

I have to be diligent with my time in order to stay current with these shows. I might not listen to the whole 3 hours on some of them each week, but I do get in some of each.  Not all the guests interest me, so I may let a show or two slide every now and then.   

I watch very little tv as it would take away from my podcasts.  It is very easy for me to get sucked into a series on Netflix, so I avoid them to not tempt me. Though I do watch one or two series each year. 

I really enjoy the podcasts I listen too. They give me the variety of topics to entertain and educate.  It is time well spent.

25 July 2018 Is It A Choice?

Is It A Choice?

I have had a lot of discussions over the years about actions that I say are a choice and others have offered a different argument.  I saw a billboard that said “Obesity Is Not a Choice.”  I beg to differ.  You choose every type and quantity of calorie you put in your body. You may be addicted to food, but that is a different argument.  I feel the same about any addiction.  You choose to either feed that addiction or stop it. No one is holding a gun to your head to shove the food in your mouth, or the needle in your arm, the cigarette you light up, or the alcohol you drink.  By saying it is not a choice seems to absolve the individual of any responsibility for their actions.      

Now I do believe in addictions.  You may have strong cravings for a certain item.  However, each and every time you can stop choosing to do it.  From all I have read it appears to come down to the individual acknowledging that they have a problem and then changing their behavior.  Changing the behavior is another word for making better choices. 

It is never easy to change a behavior.  It takes times and usually has set-backs to go along with the gains. Doing it on your own is equally challenging.  You need a support group for a better chance of success.  

People need to have programs and options in order to help them overcome addictions.  What they don’t need is people telling them it is not their fault or a choice.  You can have compassion but also be firm. Sugar coating things does not help. Giving them excuses does not help. Better choices leads to a better life. 

24 July 2018 Are People Tribal?

Are People Tribal?

Do people want to live around people “like them” or do they want a diverse mix. Historically it has been the former. In cities, ethnic groups lived in the same neighborhoods.  In New York there was Harlem, Chinatown, Brooklyn had Hassidic Jews.  This is similar to many cities.   Now an argument can be made that housing laws, or a lack of such laws, forced segregation.  But I also believe people were comfortable being around neighbors who had similar cultural backgrounds.  I can’t say this was right or wrong, just how things were. 

Today’s younger generations are exposed to more cultures and thus enjoy the diversity of their surroundings.  They establish friendships at early ages with people from many different backgrounds.  They don’t hold onto the territorial mindset that their parents or grandparents had.  

There is still strong ethnic pressure on people to marry within their culture. It is ok to have close friends who are not from your “tribe” but marriage is a different thing.  It will take another generation or so to loosen this belief.  It will not go away.  There will always be groups that think their culture will diminish if intermarriage is normal.  

I believe you can have assimilation within a country and be able to maintain ones culture.  There is a give and take on both sides.  People have to accept that certain norms may not be consistent with the culture they came from but they need to integrate them if they want to be part of the country they go to.  A country should also respect an immigrant’s culture to have its people know and experience the many different cultures the world has.   

There are positives to having ethnic neighborhoods, however, the more we live together the better we will be.  That does not mean to exclude the culture you came from but to add it to the mix to enhance the overall place.         

23 July 2018 What Are They Afraid Of?

What Are They Afraid Of?

 

Why don’t we see criticism of President Trump from Republican leaders?  I would venture to guess that very few of them wanted him to be President.  I can’t believe they agree with the things he says.  But you hear almost zero public speeches or interviews where anyone will say something negative.  What are they afraid of?  Do they really think he is so powerful that if they say something that upsets him that he can have them voted out of office?   If you don’t stand and speak out for something you disagree with then you deserve to be voted out.  I would think your constituency would welcome someone who represents them to stand strong. 

 

President Trump talks tough but is just a bully.  He needs people to stand up to him.  Bullies are cowards who talk tough but shrink when faced with real strength.  How can someone look in the mirror and know they should be speaking out?  Saying what you really believe is more important that any political office.  If you are silent that means you are as much a coward as he is.   It also means you condone everything President Trump says and does.  If you do, then that means you are just his lap dog. 

 

You can be part of a political party and still disagree with someone.  It is a critical part of democracy.  Blind allegiance to anyone is called spineless.  If President Trump lies about something, then Republicans in Congress need to call him out on it every single time.  They can’t let “the little lies” slide by.  If the President says things that are detrimental to our country or allies then take a stand and say so.  Congress always says they are supposed to be a check on the Presidency per the Constitution.  If that is true and it most certainly is, then be that check.  Don’t sit in silence.   Be someone who speaks their mind.  Stand your ground.  People respect thoughtful opposition. President Trump is not strength, you can be.

22 July 2018 What Is NATO’s Fair Share?

What Is NATO’s Fair Share?

 

We hear President Trump complaining about NATO countries not paying their fair share to the alliance.  The US shoulders more than half the budget and stations a significant number of troops in Europe.  But what is a “fair share.” 

 

Does the US investment in Europe’s security justify the excess funding and personnel? I say yes.  What was the goal of NATO?  It was to keep Europe democratic and not turn towards communism.  Also, for the 1^st four decades it was also to stop the old USSR from invading.  In late 1991 the USSR dissolved, however, NATO was maintained at its historical levels. 

 

In the past 25 years Russia has emerged as a “threat” to Europe. But how?  Putin wants to bring back the old Russian Tsardom with himself at the head.  He is trying to destabilize countries that border Russia. He invaded Georgia and annexed Crimea.  NATO did nothing but sanctions.  This emboldened Putin.  He will continue to try to divide the European Union.

 

The US payment in NATO not only helps the European countries but also itself.  The US participated in both World Wars with significant losses in Europe.  Any investment the US makes to keep Europe safe is worth it.  They are our strongest allies.  Trump’s complaining is misguided and shows how ignorant he is of why NATO exists.  Should we continually assess how much we should fund NATO and how many troops we keep there, absolutely.  Are the European countries getting a free ride at our expense?  Only if you look at it as a cost and not an investment.

 

NATO is vital to our interests and theirs.  We need to keep it strong at whatever cost it takes.

21 July 2018 Is There Any Benefit To A Trade War?

Is There Any Benefit To A Trade War?

 

President Trump is engaged in a dangerous “game” with other countries on trade.  Yes, China and others have taken advantage of our trade practices to exploit them to a large imbalance between each other.  We import a lot more from China than we export.  Technology that we use in China is then re-engineered so that the US companies can be sent away. A lot of Chinese technology is intellectual property that they did not honor.

 

Japan for decades has fought free trade with the US.  They want full and open access to our markets but block or severely restrict access to theirs.  European countries have done the same. 

 

I can understand the frustration the President has with this issue.  He has been very vocal about this for 30 years.  It should come as no surprise that he is taking the actions he is doing.   However, is it the smart way to go about it?  No, there is not a good reason for a trade war.  I am not sure you can site a trade war in the past that ended with both sides “winning.”  Trump looks at things from a binary perspective.  He has to win and the other side has to lose.  This is strength to him.  Trade is not like a military war were there is a winner and loser.  Trade has to be win-win. 

 

Tariffs are most corrosive aspect of trade.  They are set up to protect a nation’s capability to produce something at an inefficient rate in order to save jobs.  That is all it is about.   Some other country can do it better, but political leaders bend to the local populace. 

 

Trump putting tariffs on a lot of products from China and other countries leads to nothing but bigger challenges.  Trump wants a “fair” trade deal.  If that were true, he would negotiate with the countries.  However, he wants trade in his favor.  That is not going happen.  Until he understands that, we will continue to have the trade wars.  Nobody is winning and everybody is losing.    

 

 

20 July 2018 Should Personal Change Be Fast or Slow And Steady?

Should Personal Change Be Fast or Slow And Steady?

 

I have always had a challenge with taking a slow and steady approach to changes in my habits.  I need to shock my system in order to get the results I want.  It is not that I need immediate gratification.  However, I do admit it may appear that way.  I need a steep slope of change and then can transition to a more gradual approach.   

 

I have tried both ways.  My issue is maintaining any changes.  I see great results, but don’t instill the habits so they are a permanent part of my life.  Slowly but surely I slide back to my starting or sometimes even worse than where I started.

 

I say I instilled habits but that is the wrong term.  Habits are ingrained behaviors.  I never got to the ingrained part.  They were just temporary.   How long should it take for a behavior change to become a permanent habit, I don’t know.  I assume it varies with each individual.  I have been on programs where changes are given anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks to become habits.  

 

What I do know is that I am only capable of making one or at most two changes in a particular area at any one time.  Any more and my discipline has not held up.  Also, I rarely had a support group that was there with me.  Usually it was an online support structure.  I am sure there are many who benefited from this, however, I know from my previous experiences that it would be best for me if the support was local.  

 

I will continue to set goals and instill habits.  Some will be aggressive.  I will not stop trying.

 

 

 

19 July 2018 How Much For School Supplies?

How Much For School Supplies?

 

It is a national disgrace that teachers have to spend their own money to have enough supplies for the class room.  How would I fix this?  There about 50 million K-12 public school students in the US.  There are 3.2 million teachers. 

 

I propose we provide each student with a backpack and supplies totaling $200 dollars and teachers get a $1000 dollar stipend for supplies.  That would be $10 billion for the students and $3.2 billion for the teachers.  The total is $13.2 billion. The federal budget for 2018 is over $4 trillion, yes trillion, dollars.  My proposal comes out to a little over three-tenths of one percent of the budget.

 

How would I implement this program?  It would be through block grants to states based on the number of students and teachers. Each state would then block grant the money to each school district.  I want the purchasing to be done at the lowest level possible.  Local decisions for education are best.  Each state would use its purchasing power to order the supplies for the students.  Teachers would get a debit card or some on-line capability to purchase the supplies through the states supply chain and only through the states supply chain.  The American Federation of Teachers would recommend what each students backpack would contain, however, it would be up to the local Board of Education to make the detailed decisions after having public input.  

 

I don’t want this to be a competition for industry to bid on.  That would add too much bureaucracy and cost.   Each state already has existing contracts for basic supplies that can be used.

 

Every kid gets a bag. Every teacher gets a way to buy things.  For the cost of 3/10’s of 1% of the federal budget, this is a great investment for children’s education.  This won’t fix all the ills of the public education system, but it sure will fix one of the problems.

 

 

 

 

   

 

18 July 2018 Did He Go To Far?

Did He Go Too Far?

President Trump had a meeting with President Putin.  In the press conference that followed, Trump said Putin told him he did not interfere in the US elections.  The US intel agencies, all of them, said that Russia did in fact interfere. The Congressional committees on intelligence also agree that Russia interfered.  Trump says he believes Putin because Putin told him so.   The US President sides with Russia over the US. The words Trump said left no room for misinterpretation.  

I would never have thought I would ever hear a US President say that.  His ego is so fragile that anything said about the election that may make it seem like he did not win it legitimately, he lashes out and makes false claims.  He is the fake news.  

Will this finally get the US public who voted for him to condemn his behavior? Will Republicans in Congress finally show some backbone and stand up against him?  I don’t think so.   

Presidents get a lot of leeway from constituents. However, when is too far? For me it is when you side with Russia over your intelligence services.  Now I don’t support Trump or like what he has done in office to date. His statements at this press conference crossed a line.  What was political in his action prior has now become that of national interest.  He chose Russia which is not in our national interest.  For that I can never respect or like him.

17 July 2018 Can We Come Together?

Can We Come Together?

I am trying to think of a scenario where we as a country can be more civil to each other.  We can have disagreements, major ones, but does that mean we can’t treat each other with respect?

Can a President or political leaders actually lead us toward that?  I believe that is one of their major jobs.  We are never going to have full civility between all.  One, there are too many people involved and two, the fringes at each end of the political spectrum are so hard core that there is no compromise with them.  They hate each other with such intensity.  The good news I think is they only represent 10-15% of the population.  Yes, they may be the most vocal and disruptive, but the majority can come together to improve the country.

How do we start? At the local level, have a lot of town hall meetings and community events so people can engage with each other.  The more people meet face to face the better.  It is too easy to hide behind the internet to throw vitriol at someone.  If you have to do it to their face it is another thing.   If the argument gets heated, be the one who maintains your cool and remains respectful.   It is pointless to go on if both sides ratchet up the volume and name calling.  Be the better person.  Listen, really listen to the other person.  As the saying goes; “try first to understand than to be understood.” 

Ask the person to explain why their position is better and not just why yours is bad.  Ask them if there is a compromise they are willing to explore.  Have them explain how gridlock solves anything. 

As much as I want political leaders to lead in civility, I don’t see that happening.  It has to be a grassroots process that builds town by town, county by county and then state by state. It can happen.  I will do my part to support and extend it.

   

16 July 2018 What Trip Do You Want To Take?

What Trip Do You Want To Take?

I have been fortunate to have traveled to many places around the world. However, there is always another trip that I want take.  For me it is to drive across the northern part of the US. I have driven the middle and a great deal of the southern part but have not explored the northern regions. 

My trip would have me drive from Minneapolis to Seattle. I want to see the Badlands and Mount Rushmore.  I also want to explore the beauty in Montana. Why this trip over anywhere else in the world? Yes, there are several other places in the world I want to see. But a leisurely drive across the US is at the top of my list. 

Summertime is the peak season for this trip for obvious reasons. The weather is cold and harsh from late October until late April. I think September would be an optimal time to go. There is still great weather, and schools are back in session so there will be less tourists on the road. 

In Montana, I would be happy to find a place that is fairly secluded but has incredible views. I would almost use as a retreat. I would minimize any technology use and just take in the spectacular scenery. 

What is stopping me from doing this?  Absolutely nothing.  This year has to many challenges to do it; however, it is what I intend to do next year.

15 July 2018 What Law Would You Change?

What Law Would You Change?

There are tens of thousands of federal laws.  If I could change one, it would be to  legalize marijuana.  I never understood how alcohol could be legal but marijuana is somehow worse.  I have heard the argument that it is a gateway drug to more addictive ones. If you use that logic, then beer is a Gateway drink to Everclear pure alcohol. You will never be able to convince me that alcohol is a lesser drug then marijuana. If marijuana caused the deaths of 15,000 people year due to highway crashes there would be an uproar to limit it. That is exactly the case for alcohol but there is no demand get rid of it. 

Marijuana could be taxed and controlled just like alcohol. The federal government in their greed for revenue would find a way to maximize how much they could get for it. 

In changing the law, I would also reduce the age of use to 18 years old. At 18 you are tried as an adult for every criminal offense. You can get married without anyone’s consent. You can join the military and die or be maimed for life in support of your country. But somehow elected leaders seemed to think they know better and require one to be 21 years old to purchase alcohol. The legalization of marijuana has to be tied to reducing the legal age for alcohol to 18. You are either an adult at 18 or you’re not. Hell, we let people get their driving license at 16 and no one has any problem with that.

It is time to decriminalize marijuana and have it regulated and used in a responsible manner for adults 18 years and older.

14 July 2018 Can You Retire?

Can You Retire?

When I was young and early in my career I never really thought about retirement. Now that I am at the other end of my work life it is time to actively plan. I have made some decisions over the course of my life they had a large impact on when I can retire. Of course, it all depends on what type of retirement I want. If I want to maintain my current standard of living, then I pretty much have to work for as long as I’m physically and mentally able to. If I am able to remain with my current job, I should be able to work there another 10 to 15 years.

I hope that in 10 years’ time, I will be able to reduce the hours I work per week if I am at my current job. This should be an option if I make wise financial decisions over those next 10 years. My only real desire is to be able to travel to Australia every 18 to 24 months. I would also like to be able to do some long cross-country drives around the US. I would be more than willing to reduce the size of my house I live in in order to be able to fund those travels. 

I remember when I was young looking even 10 years in the future seemed like such a long time. With the benefit of hindsight, I know that the time does pass quickly. Even if I was able stop and retire now at my current standard of living, I don’t think I would be happy with that. I enjoy my current job and I don’t have any hobbies that would help fulfill the time. 

It would be easy for me the fall into the trap of “I shoulda” type of thinking because there are many choices I made that put me in the position I am today with respect to retirement. However, I don’t think about that because it does no good and I have no one to blame but myself for those choices. 

Even though I have many years to go until I can consider a traditional retirement, it is never too early to start. Now if I can just work on those hobbies.

13 July 2018 Do You Manipulate Events?

Do You Manipulate Events?

I would say things to people in order to not hurt them or to avoid confrontation. But in doing so, I was not honest with myself or them.  In the end it caused more hurt.  I would manipulate events through my words.  I have made rash decisions that have had major impacts on my life.  The consequences of those decisions are my fault and not from any other. 

Telling someone the truth may hurt, but it would hurt a lot more to keep it inside which causes greater challenges.   There fear of hurting someone overcame any rational thought about the situation.  I would think I was keeping my emotions inside about an issue that I did not want to discuss, but in fact I was acting badly towards someone by giving them false indicators.  

I have to own how people feel if I tell them how I really feel about something that in the past I led them to believe otherwise.  These are discussions I can’t ignore. If they choose to turn away from me, I have accept that as part of the consequence.  

Going forward, I have to be honest in all situations.  I can’t manipulate things just because I want to avoid something. It does not help me or anyone else.   

12 July 2018 What Are Allies?

What Are Allies?

President Trump takes pride is bashing our allies and praising our adversaries. He sees dictators as strong and allied elected leaders as weak.  So what are allies?  Allies don’t need to be friends.  They have goals and practices that are in alignment with ours.  We have a collect relationship for security needs. 

A lot of our traditional allies come from the European area and British Empire. Today we have strategic alliances all over the world.  As I said, allies are not friends like a personal relationship.  Allies have to do what is in their best interest and may not always align with us.  What they do might be hard on a friendship but not an alliance. An ally is a country you could not think of a scenario where military action would occur between each of you.  However, you are willing to support that country if it is attacked.  

President Trump looks at all relationships from a business perspective. Is that country giving us something of benefit?  This shows how ignorant he is of history and why alliances are not necessarily just business based.  If he continues to disparage our allies, they will go where they are wanted.  We do not want to be the country that only wants to be “friendly” with dictators.  He may think he is the league of a dictator by projecting strength, but he is so wrong. They are ruthless, he is not. 

We need to maintain and enhance our relationships with our allies.  We need thriving democracies, not more dictators.  We can maintain a civil discourse with dictators but not praise them. Trump will learn a hard lesson of who really has his back when times get tough.  Dictators have our back but with a knife held to it. Allies have a hand to help push us forward. 

11 July 2018 Why No Progress?

Why No Progress?

I told myself at the start of the year that I was committed to reaching my physical goals.  However, I am not going in the right direction at all.  I do know that nutrition alone can get me to my goal.  It may take longer than planned if I don’t include workouts, but I will still succeed.  I kidded myself that workouts allowed to make up for poor nutrition habits.  The results are obvious.

So why if I know what to do but I still don’t do it?  I am not happy with my appearance.  I tell myself over and over that I will change.  But here I am further behind.  

I did have one of those moments where I was confronted with just how bad I have let my health go.  It was embarrassing.  Though no one else saw it, it hurt.  There are no excuses.  I have all the time and knowledge to succeed.  I know it takes time.  I have to accept that.  As much as I want to have it change today, I did not get myself into this position overnight.  

I have to look in the mirror each morning and remind myself why I am doing this. I also have to look in the mirror each evening and ask if my actions that day were consistent with my goal. It is all in my hands.  Or more importantly, what my hand puts in my mouth.   

10 July 2018 Can We Be Friends?

Can We Be Friends?

I went to an event in Portland Oregon called the World Domination Summit.  It has a catchy name but what its mission is “How to lead a remarkable life in a conventional world?”   I have attended this event for the past 5 years.  People come from all over the world for it.  I would venture to guess that the vast majority of the people are liberal in their views.  I know I have views that differ on certain topics, but I have some of my deepest relationships with some of the people who come.

We leave judgements by the wayside once we came to learn who each really are. You are the sum of a whole bunch of different parts.  To deny a relationship due to one or two of those would be a mistake.  Now I understand that everyone has limits and there are deal breakers that you can’t get past.  I have them too. 

However, for the most part political differences should not be a deal breaker. As a country we can’t have two groups who won’t socialize or develop friendships due to policy conflicts.  Ruth Bader Ginsberg is one of most liberal justices on the Supreme Court.  She had a deep personal friendship with Anton Scalia who was the most conservative member. They had very heated differences in writing court decisions, however, at the end of day could get together.  Justice Scalia also recommend Ellen Kagan as a nominee for President Obama.  Judge Scalia knew the President would select a liberal.   Judge Scalia knew Ellen Kagan was very liberal, but he had a deep respect for her.  

If our Supreme Court Justices can have vastly different views on issues, but can also have friendships, why can’t Congress and everyone else?  It is vital for the good of our country.   

9 July 2018 What About The Supreme Court?

What About The Supreme Court?

 It is sad that most Supreme Court decisions can be predicted.  We say that the court is non-political but it is not non-ideological. There are 4 strong liberal justices and 4 strong conservative ones. It pretty much came down to one man’s position and he was Anthony Kennedy.  He was 9^thjudge and impacted decisions more than any other justice.  He has decided to retire.   Major judicial decisions should not be up to one man.  They impact millions of people.

Liberals are now very concerned that court will be strongly conservative.  With Ruth Bader Ginberg at 85 years old, they are even more concerned that she won’t make another 18 months.  If President Trump gets to fill her seat too, it will have an impact for decades.  

I did not support the Republican Senate’s handling of Merrick Garland.  He was appointed by President Obama in April of his final year in office.  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said they would not deal with the issue until after the election.  This was unprecedented.   When Trump won, he nominated Neil Gorsuch.  McConnell again broke with tradition by only requiring 51 votes. This blocked the Democrats from filibustering.    

Nobody stays in power for long and the Republicans will regret doing this. It will come back to haunt them.  

I don’t know how we can get away from the politicization of the Supreme Court. If there was one institution that should be free of this, it should be it.  However, that is not reality.  The conservatives have the upper hand at this time.  It will move again at some point in the future.   

8 July 2018 Is Shaming Ok?

Is Shaming Ok?

 There was a lot of press last week about shaming Trump staffers in public.  A Congresswoman from California encouraged it. I thought it ironic that a liberal restaurant owner asked Sarah Sanders to leave but liberals were upset that a baker would not make a wedding cake for a gay couple.  I wonder how that can be explained away.

I do not promote publicly shaming someone who you have different political views. I would much rather have reasoned debate.  Yes, the debate could get intense but not to the point where name calling is ok.  You lost the argument if have to resort to that. Obviously, you can’t defend your position well otherwise you wouldn’t have had to resort to verbal bashing. Or, you are so narrow minded that you are only capable of lashing out at someone.

We have lost the ability to have reasoned dialogue.  Things appear to be black and white to both sides.  Either you believe in what I say, or you are the enemy seems to be the refrain.  I want people in my life who have different opinions than me.   It would be so boring to have everyone agree with everything.   

Stop with the holier than though attitude.  You are not always right, and I am not always wrong.  Don’t be so offended with different opinions.  You may actually learn something.   

7 July 208 What Is It With Suicide?

What Is It With Suicide?

I would guess most people would have someone they knew who committed suicide. I had a Navy bud who took his own life. I know I do not have any comprehension of depression.  One of my challenges is I can’t accept that someone says they love their children and spouse and still kills themselves.  If you choose to kill yourself vice being the parent or partner, then you didn’t love them.  How can you look you children in the eyes and tell them you love them and turn around and leave them?  How does hurting them make it better for you?

I am not saying I don’t have empathy for the suicidal person, I do.  They have deep challenges.  However, your responsibilities as a parent have to outweigh any issues you have.  This is especially true if you have young children.  They look up to you and feel so attached to you.  If you go kill yourself, how does someone explain that to a young child?  How does that child not have guilt or lasting sadness?  Mom or dad said they loved me but left.  They didn’t say goodbye.  What did I do wrong? 

Depression needs to be treated.  But you also need to see your family as more important.  Suicide is the ultimate selfish act if you are a parent.  Don’t choose it over your kid.  You may not like your life, but that’s tough.  You chose to be a parent.  Be one until the child can live on their own.   Just don’t lie to them and say how special they are to you and how much you love them. Don’t make them suffer just because you do.