That phrase was drilled into us as kids. Things just had to make good common sense or you didn’t do it. Of course, that occasionally tripped up the old man but honestly, it’s been a good rule to live by and while it’s cost me a few jobs over the years, it has never cost me a nights sleep. Judging from some of the stuff we have seen happen across America the past 20 years, I’m starting to wonder if having good common sense is a blessing or a curse? So many of the things that make the headlines seem to hinge upon having it or not and an awful lot of it appears to be on the lacking side of the meter.
I hate to point fingers but much of the garbage we are seeing in Ferguson, in ISIS, in Russia, and all across the world comes down to parents not teaching their children common sense. Now, that isn’t entirely fair because in so many cases the lacking of common sense has been going on from one generation to another for decades, even centuries. In fact what passes for good common sense depends heavily upon who’s common sense you want to apply. In many parts of the world what makes sense to us, is a complete mystery to others and that goes vice versa as well. The fact is that all of this is so speculative one must wonder what can be used as a guide?
Many will fall back upon their religious experience and that’s not a bad start, but like all things, that can be twisted and manipulated to say anything depending upon who’s doing the talking. Others would go to their political indoctrination but again, from who’s point of view? And let’s not forget the age thing where we get to the point where we are the oldest in the room, but that certainly doesn’t guarantee common sense, in fact I’m often told that makes NO sense at all.
I think the only fair thing to say about it all is that good sense, good judgment, and simple goodness starts in the home. If the parents are patient and teach their children the difference between right and wrong, that good common sense seems to just flourish because the two go hand in hand. When a person learns to respect authority they have little to fear from authority. When they learn the value of honesty and decency they too will enjoy the same. If you are a religious person you’re probably familiar with the para-phrase “do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. Doesn’t have to be especially exclusive to any religion, it’s just a concept that … you guessed it …. Makes good common sense.
I’m not a particular fan of Rev. Al Sharpton, mainly because of many of his earlier antics but today I listened to a much more focused Rev. Al and you know … he actually was making good common sense, in fact all of the people were speaking slowly, clearly, and directly. No silly or foolish accusations, they simply were asking for the same thing any of us would expect. Fair play, fair treatment … simply put, fairness. Sadly, had the officer involved been using his good common sense he would have realized those stolen cigars were a minor item. Rather than call suspects over to his car, he would have gotten out so he was prepared for any problems and he would have used his mace to subdue the perpetrator rather than start shooting. Someone on the force as long as him should have enough good common sense to follow procedure and safeguard the public. The prosecuting attorney … I’m afraid he left me believing he has no sense at all, but that is for others to decide.
Good common sense …. It’s a gift I would love to give everyone, especially those who’s simple decisions can weight so heavily on the rest of us.
OK … admittedly it’s not a subject that most would blog about and for many it’s a little uncomfortable to talk about much less celebrate but today is indeed World Toilet Day. So what’s to celebraite? Well, let me tell you that on a day like yesterday was with temperatures well below freezing, this old man was very thankful for not having to trudge out 50’ from the house to take care of business, not to mention those times of rain, sleet, snow, dark of night and you can probably think of a few more yourself.
Flush toilets are a lot older than some might think in fact there is sizeable evidence (no pun intended) of some found in the oldest Neolithic village in Britian dating from circa 31st century BC. In 1596 Sir John Harington installed a system for his Godmother Queen Elizabeth I at the Richmond Palace. The French adapted their own version named Angrez. Signicant improvements included the S-trap invented by Alexander Cummings in 1775 but his version had the tendency to freeze up in cold weather. Despite this it wasen’t until the mid-19th century, with growing levels of urbanization & industrialization this it was widly used, coinciding with the dramatic growth of sewage systems, first developed on a wide scale in London.
In America the modern outhouse remained popular, particular in farm country until up until nearly 1900. By the 1880’s the free standing water closet was released to the market place and gained instant popularity. During the 1930’s the plumber was held in high esteem with many life size posters showing these fellows in striking poses displaying their plungers akin to a septum. The promotion was part of the US wide drive to eliminate public health issues often directly related to poor sanitation issues that have all but completely disappeared in most non-third world countries. Contrary to popular myth, Thomas Crapper did not invent the first toilets in the USA but it did make many improvements of which quite a few are patented. He is also correctly credited with the terms of “crapper, crap, penny’s worth” and a few more.
Todays standard devices have reduced water use to as little as 1.3 gallons per flush and some use no waters, opting to burn the waste or compost it. While perhaps not as pleasant, many are extremely functional and for some locations, highly practical. And contrary to belief, the direction of the swirl in the toilet is not governed by the Coriolis effect but more by the directions of the jets beneath the bowl (a suitable bit of trivia great for any party). Dealing with waste aboard ships and airplanes …. Well, maybe you’re better off not knowing that one but never let the topic of “blue ice” every become part of your discussion at the local pub.
So, be it ever so humble, the modern toilet has done a great deal for helping mankind through the past few centuries and no doubt into the future. Many thanks to the pioneers that have spent their lives improving on this modern necessity and fellows … you’re out of the caves now so please remember to always put the seat down!
So, now you’ve got all the poop on this one …. Oh, sorry, sometimes I simply cannot help myself!
An interesting article in the BBC today. From an interview with the former Premier of Russia, Mikhail Gorbachev carried an grave observation from the former leader. He warns that a new cold war may be in the makings if not having already started. His basis are from his own observations of accelerating Western aggressions in the Middle East, tensions over the Ukraine and the continuing sanctions imposed on officials in Russia over it’s actions in Eastern Ukraine. Many in the West would proclaim “Bunk!” but we would be wrong because as hard as it might be to swallow, the West has enjoyed a great many of these things and more. Sadly, we spent to much time rejoicing in our successes that we forgot that our arrogance could and has worked against us. Over 50% of Russians now strongly support Mr. Putin and his efforts to rebuild the Soviet Union into it’s former greatness.
More than a few wars have been started over the unequal treatment that the losing side suffers. The attitude of “it’s their tough luck” might sound nice but in fact, by ignoring their plight we simply add fuel to the fire of revolution that burns so brightly in the midst of depressed economic times. A simple look back over the past 75 years shows countless examples of it and in a few rare cases such as the Japanese strike against Pearl Harbor the rise of the 3rd Rich, it was THE driving factor used to promote those aggressions. Sadly, it was similar circumstances that gave Bin Laden the support he needed to begin his campaign against “the great satan” that the US has so frequently been painted as. As we have recently learned, it was also the unfair treatment against many Muslins in Abu Grade prison that launched the birth of ISIS, which we and others are now paying for.
It is often accurately written that the winner of every conflict gets to write history and not surprisingly that history is told only from the winners perspective, often ignoring or re-writing facts in order to support the winners position. The problem or I should say the driving force behind these issues is often a political machine that fails to take into account the after effects of war and the obligations that come with being the winner. One of the greatest reasons for our allies in Japan and Europe are not from having won the war, but more from having won the peace after the war. We strongly supported these countries, helping them get back on their feet and giving the opportunity to return to some sense of normality. Lastly, but perhaps the most important is the need for us to be able to distinguish between those that can be helped and those that never will be helped, no matter our greatest efforts.
The purpose of war is to win, plain and simple. But we often forget that those we have defeated include many millions of innocents, caught up in war, that would just like to be left alone and to once again be made whole. If we are ever able to end war we must first end the reasons to make war. We need to invest in the citizens of the defeated and help them to understand a peaceful philosophy through education, jobs, and prosperity to the point that they willingly … no, make that wantingly become our allies and stand with us rather than against us. We should not try to make them a mirror image of us, only to share some of the same values for life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness while still maintaining their own culture and identity. Through respect comes admiration and the desire for emulation. Until that day dawns we will continue to face the ravages of war and there is no guarantee that at some later date it may be the other guys that gets to write the history the way they see it.
In an era of layoffs and people struggling to obtain and hold a job the Lowe’s Hardware chain has fired another important shot across the bow for all those employment hopefuls. What are they doing? Well, according to one highly regarded news source (Lowe’s themselves) they are going to add a robot in each store to assist customers in finding what they need. It will be about the size of a normal person and will be able to interact with customers. The only hope now is that the blasted thing breaks down regularly and they have to hire a technician to keep it going!
Seriously, how long will it be before we see one of these in just about every different kind of retail outlet? Walmart should be very soon to follow … wonder if it will be required to join their internal union? Of course, if these things become all the rage the robot building facility will certainly be hiring and they will need more truck drivers to deliver them as well as pick up the broken ones. So maybe, just maybe it will all balance out ….. of course if these robots are any good they will soon be driving the trucks, manning the assembly lines, hell maybe their CEO will be a robot that will be charged with s*xual harassment from his toaster. We can only dream.
Technology will continue to march on but if arrangements are not made to provide for these poor humans that are displaced by so many modern conveniences one can only wonder how long before mandatory sterilization is required in order to regulate the number of “dependents” on the government payroll. Perhaps we need to level a payroll tax on every robot in order to bolster the social security accounts and provide for us poor useless humans. Or maybe we will be relegated to having our own little shops out in the garage to build spare parts for the computers. Perhaps to make them seem more human we put a designated life span, that is that the robots must “die” or have a massive failure in what? Say 40-50 years? We certainly don’t want them to live to any kind of retirement or we’ll end up supporting them and there we go with another population explosion!
Personally, I think I want to encourage every kid in America to make a serious effort to spill their (Coke or Pepsi?) favorite soft drink down the neck of the old robot, that way plenty of people will be needed to provide all those emergency services & repairs plus mop up the coke and grease that squirts out of the poor thing. With a little practice we could end up starting a new industrial revolution and drive the economy full steam ahead!
An interesting article in CNN-Money, verified by the OMB shows that despite all the back stabbing, complaining, etc, etc, this administration … that includes the congress & senate … have been pretty successful at lowing the deficits from a high in 2009 of 9.8% (1.4 Trillion Dollars) down to 2.8% ( 486 Billion Dollars) for 2014. It obviously wasn’t without some pain with those decreases coming from some large agencies like -5% by the Defense Department, -31% by the Dept of Housing & Urban Development and -34% in unemployment benefits.
While fiscal restraint has fallen out of fashion, the system does seem to be working with lawmakers only passing spending and tax measures that don’t add to the deficit, known as “pay fors”. While it’s good news for the economy, some programs like the Highway Trust Fund are not getting replenished and will eventually become a larger problem, but dispirit times often call for dispirit measures and one thing is for sure … these measures are producing results.
I must admit that in the beginning I was a supporter of this president, put in an inevitable, no-win position, he showed great bravery in his decisions and despite many critics that could only offer criticism and no solutions of their own. Unfortunately, as time has gone on, he has resorted to tactic’s that have proven to be far less than honorable, perhaps even as some have claimed, illegal. His popularity has plunged, but remains well above the rest of the legislature and he keeps fighting, an attribute that history will certainly take note of.
I carefully watch this man and have observed a coolness under fire as though his is the wisdom that comes from knowing. Often I have wondered out loud, if only his greatest critic’s showed such confidence, they too might be more believable but one by one, they shrink in the face of direct examination. All of it reminds me of a quote I heard many years ago, “great men are seldom good men” and I must admit, of those I have known, it is very true.
So, knowing all of this, I carefully examined the numbers. Checked, cross checked and re-checked and despite my best efforts … they come out as reported. I have some doubt that we will see another balanced budget within the span of this administration, but if we should see one in the next decade a great deal of credit must go to this president and the legislature he has so frequently gone to battle with. No one can singularly take credit or blame. They have all fought valiantly; some for the country, some for themselves, but all with the intent of improvement.
Contrary to all the claims, the OMB doesn’t pull punches. Oh sure, we see a lot of people take their figures and present them to support their own position, regardless of how misguided it might be, but if you take the time and examine them for yourself, the truth is there.
The next hat trick is obvious. Keep the country moving forward, get employer’s hiring again and put more and more Americans back to work in meaningful jobs. I for one start a new job on Monday. Not the best job I have ever had, but meaningful and economically reasonable. It has potential and I have a chance to once again make a living wage. I’m not sure if this is the credit of the administration or my own stubbornness but whatever the reason, I am thankful and hope I’ll do a great job for my new boss; most of all I am thankful to still live in a country where the American dream remains reachable … you only have to be willing to stick out your hand and not let go.
Operating from 1892 until 1954, Ellis Island was the gateway for millions of hopeful immigrants coming into the US. While currently under renovation as a part of our National Parks the recent scare from the Ebola finally creeping into the US makes me wonder if such centers need to be put back into operation for a number of possible uses. With the World Health Organization being good at identifying “hot spots” for serious disease outbreaks, should we consider anyone traveling from those destinations a potential health risk and require their short term detention until they can be given a clean bill of health?
It might sound ridicules but with Houston now watching 100 possible exposed people and the entire family of the man being held in isolation, this might not be as far fetched an idea as it sounds. With the ability to travel anywhere in the world by anyone with a valid airline ticket, the possibility and probability of a pandemic must be seriously considered and while Ebola is a relatively easy disease to control, unlike something like …. Oh say Small Pox …. There is a potential and with potential comes serious threat.
After each world war there was a significant migration of refugee’s into the US from those countries most affected by war and with those refugee’s came quite a bit of disease that, if not caught, could have created yet another serious threat to many. The elaborate hospital facilities treated countless cases of Small Pox, STDs, Whooping Cough and a host of others. Had such a facility been in operation today our ticking time bomb in Houston would have been detained until it was determined he was non-infectious or he would have been detained for treatment with a minimum of exposure rather than what Houston is now facing. The inconvenience of one for the safety of many, many more.
We certainly could not detain every visitor to the US at such facilities, but, as mentioned, as a precaution we should consider some more formal means of monitoring those coming out of the “hot” zones that we know exist. Were this a case of serious, antibiotic resistant influenza, the city of Houston would now be on lock down and experiencing a very serious possibility of a high mortality rate not unlike that we saw in the 1930’s.
Limiting one’s freedom in a country that proclaims the rights to freedom as we do is a very serious matter, but turning a blind eye to a known and serious condition is simply inexcusable. The protection of our citizens is even spelled out in the oath of office each elected official and military member must take as part of their service … “against all enemies, foreign and domestic ….” And a serious medical issue would be on the same par. Not only would it provide an additional safeguard, but a test bed for some of the newest medications to give those affected the greatest opportunity of survival as well as a realistic proving grounds for important medications. We’re not talking experimental medicine here, but an opportunity, with the expressed consent of the affected, to take a medication that could save their life when no other method may exist.
The times, they are a changing and so must we. Now it’s just a matter of time for our government to wake up and act before it is simply too late.
As Secret Service Director Julia Pierson gets ready for her grilling, we have yet another reminder of how dysfunctional our government has become. I’m not talking about the administration; I’m talking about the professional agencies within the government. The CIA, FBI, Secret Service and the entire Homeland Security network continues to have embarrassing situations that they foolishly attempt to cover up, make excuses for, and then attempt to “spin” in some more favorable fashion.
A simple matter of a man with a knife being able to jump the fence and get inside of the White House is much more than a simple wake up call, is screams of a system(s) that simply isn’t doing the basic job that is supposed to be it’s core competence. The Secret Service does many things but guarding the President is it’s first and foremost responsibility. When an intruder not only can get into the White House, but can walk into a door that is supposed to be guarded 24/7 as well as over power another agent, it’s time for a serious top to bottom review of this agency as well as any and possibly ALL agencies that make up our government. Gone are the a** kicking public servants that used to have the power and authority to push the bureaucrats aside in order to get the job done. So diminished is the power of any agency chief that they quake in their boots at any suggestion they should take on a responsibility for which they cannot quickly pass the buck to some other agency. They have become, in a word, dysfunctional.
Fixing such a problem is no easy task. There was a time when many of these top spots were filled with people out of industry that chose to serve out of a sense of responsibility rather than some hidden agenda. They did their four years, then returned back to the public sector and their reward was, simply the knowledge they did their job well and the respect of their peers for doing just that. Political appointee’s based upon campaign support was poo-poo’ed and their was a serious effort to find the very best for the job, regardless of favoritism, political party, or personal agenda. Their job was to kick a**, take names, and get the job done. Period!
It’s going to take a person at the top that pushes away all political obligations, accepts they may be a one term president, and focus on making the best of those four years. Their reelection will come if they have done a good enough job and being reelected based upon merits is a compliment greater than gold bullion.
Unfortunately I simply don’t see such a person in the upcoming flock of candidates. I do see a bunch of “me first” people that will promise us anything and everything; and of course, deliver nothing. We need a person of significant character, demonstrated character – not just talk without substance. But most of all we need voters that can put aside all the fluff, the spin, the bullshit, and all of that other nonsense and evaluate the candidate in the purest form.
Julia Pierson is just another in a long list of broken promises. There is little reason to expect better from the next director. One has to honestly ask “do they have to actually kill another president in order to take this serious”? Sadly, the answer is becoming far too obvious …..
Do you feel safer now than then? Why? What have you gotten and what have you given up? Considering what’s going on in the world today, was it worth it? Could it have been avoided?
It’s a very interesting question and one that has many, many different and equally qualified points of view. One thing is certain; we have given or been forced to give up many liberties than we once had. If you lived in an area that was under constant threat you might feel safer, if you live in a more rural area you probably feel far more imposed upon. If you travel by air you most certainly know how repressive you are made to feel by so many invasions into the privacy we once had. Unfortunately, as we are finding in too many cities of America, the claim of national security has been so abused that many feel we live in a police state. Incidents like what happened in Ferguson, MO certainly don’t help.
The former president Roosevelt, upon his inauguration gave us the best advice we have chosen to ignore and forget, “all we have to fear, is fear itself”. But the fear has become more real and our courage as a people and a country is not what it once was. Perhaps it is because so many of us never had to work so hard to gain the things we wanted. Never worried about losing a farm that had been in the family for generations, never had the realization that there was no social security, no unemployment check, no handouts. You either made it, or you died trying. No one worth their salt would dream of whimpering in a corner and not go down fighting.
We live in a time where we have stopped thinking for ourselves and want somebody else to do it for us. We would rather sit in front of a computer and play games than walk across the street and talk with our neighbor. We buy every possible mechanical gadget imaginable to do the simplest of tasks and complain bitterly when there isn’t a gadget that prevents us from having to perform any form of physical labor; yet we spend a small fortune on every possible diet pill, exercise machine, gym & spa when we could accomplish the same thing by a little hard work. Is it no wonder that we sit back and watch politicians, lawyers and bankers rob us blind yet won’t bind together to toss them out of power and take back the country once again?
We spend countless hours in front of television sets watching reality shows rather than go out and make our own reality. We sit in our recliners with heaps of popcorn and a flood of beer watching baseball, football, basketball, stock car racing and just about anything to prevent us from putting on the old sweats and going outside for a pick up game with the neighbors.
I recall a movie, years ago, called the matrix. The more I watch those around me I can’t help but wonder if this didn't really happen some night when I was asleep. How can we tolerate this slow spiral we are taking into nothingness?
So, after thirteen years do you feel safer, happier, more content, more at ease? Well, my friend if you do I propose you call up and have them open the grave for you …. It won’t be long. As for me, I played golf today and walked the course, skipped a round of beer, came home and offered to cut the grass for the old lady next door. My legs are killing me, I’m hungry & sunburned and you know what? I feel more alive tonight than I have in twenty years. It will be a struggle getting out of bed tomorrow, but I’m going to get up and start chopping down that dead tree in the back yard … with a hand ax. Yep, it might all just kill me but I will go down fighting and not regret it for even a second!
Well here we go again. A municipality, under fire for their practices, has promised reform. There are already promises of “blue ribbon commissions”, citizen review boards, and plenty of investigations and even more promises of reforms, reforms, reforms. The current focus of attention is Ferguson, MO trying desperately to get out from under the intense scrutiny for the Michael Brown shooting and all the added fall out created by their police force, legal system and city council.
You don’t have to look very far to see the problem, it’s was appropriately demonstrated by a number of police officers thrusting their rifles into the faces of residents and the news media threating all sorts of actions. Most of the country saw this for what it was … a police force out of control and oblivious to their duty. Finally, the DOJ opened it’s own investigation as well and perhaps, just perhaps there will be real change.
Ferguson’s court fines and fees accounted for $2.6 million of it’s fiscal budget last year; that’s nearly 20%. Around the area 22 others also depended upon fines and penalties for a fifth of their revenue. With such dependency, one has to wonder how many of these are trumped up just to collect revenue? This is certainly not a problem restricted to this state, it is a trend growing across the country where the average speeding ticket for a minor infraction averages well over $100. Just look at the sales tax in your state. How much has it grown? Have you seen any increase in services? Highly doubtful, in fact many states are cutting back on all services while blaming anyone and anything even remotely responsible.
Take these little facts along with how many police departments are now heavily armed with military weapons, vehicles and tactics and you would be hard pressed to define the difference between the US and quite a few dictatorial governments. When our elected officials are more concerned with the collection of revenue and less on service to the citizen, I question their value. They have a lot of explanations; one of my favorite is “we are using this money to offset the costs incurred” but the last time I checked I saw no offset to my taxes at all. In fact, I noticed that expenses are way up and if you drill down to where the money is going, a lot of it is going to local and state companies …. Those same companies that now take advantage of the “no limit to political contributions” ruling our Supreme Court handed down. How much more clear does it need to be before we realize that we are being fleeced from every level of government out here? What happened to the concept of service to the citizen by those entrusted to public office?
Far too many promises with very little action. Far too many broken promises with far too many excuses. And far too long we have sat back and tolerated it all to the point that we are nearly helpless to turn the tide.
I’m certainly not talking about anything new here, but the question is when will we have enough? When will our Executive Branch and more important, our Congress start doing something about this before there are riots in the streets? The Constitution, the Jefferson Papers, Blackstone’s journals all talk about suppression of freedom and rights, and warn of what happens to Tory governments. Have we dumbed down education to the point that none of these folks are even aware of the dangerous path they are traveling? Now days I wonder if the distant future history books will recall these times with that starting phrase “Long, long ago, in a different part of the universe …”
I’m not much of a football fan so I have no idea who Ray Rice is or why his dismissal from the Baltimore Ravens is significant, if it is at all. I am concerned with the recent developments surrounding that dismissal and while somebody out there in NFL land will probably pick him up, what has transpired is nothing less than appalling and should enrage any and every citizen that might experience such a thing. So let me ask a few questions:
If the state has already handled the incident through the courts and the accused is complying with the orders of the court and the NFL commissioner has reviewed and ruled on the matter, why is the accused having to undergo double jeapordy? Further more, was the video tape of this altercation obtained through legal means, that is by court order or with the permission of those seen in the tape? Is there not an expectation of privacy on a persons part, particularly when they are paying for services at an establishment such as a hotel so that their actions cannot be viewed by others without their advanced knowledge and concent?
From what I have read it appears that Mr. Rice was dealt with by the police, the courts, and the NFL Commissioner (right or wrong, he did make a decision) so what is the reasoning for firing the man as well? I would seem, in my limited view, that Mr. Rice has cause of action (legal suite) against the hotel and perhaps the NFL and Baltimore Ravens for excessive punishment. I’m sure a SYL (Smart Young Lawyer) would go so far as to suggest it might be because of his race or gender or a few other things that I cannot imagine. Now, how good would THAT be for the reputation and image of those aforementioned organizations?
We continue to see an excessive degree of punishments for infractions that should be dealt with once. The courts attempt to tell us how to live, how to drive, how to raise our children, how to treat each other and on and on it goes. If the state wants to abide by biblical teachings they should stand the man up and let his wife punch him … shoot, make it more equal and give her a baseball bat and one lick for everyone he put on her. That is the proverbial “eye for an eye” approach so why are so many people and organizations piling on and trying to destroy this man and his family? Doesn’t sound much like those wholesome family values we keep hearing about. And strangely enough, where is the Players Union in all this mess? Isn’t one of the reasons that player contributes to them is to ensure fair and equal treatment?
Personally, I think any man that hits his wife is a cad and any man that does so with a fist deserves to be horse whipped, but I also think that what happens between two people should stay between those people unless one of them asks for help or is found to be so incapacitated they cannot ask for help. In any relationship there will certainly be disagreements and physical altercations of some kind but if we have the police intervene at every turn, how long will it be until we have a police officer stationed at our home, in our bedroom, monitoring every aspect of our lives and movements? Oh, don’t tell me that could never happen, 20 years ago we never would have dreamed that our every movement would be on camera and it could be used against us at the whim of the state. We would never have believed our government could eavesdrop on our private conversations without a Federal court order but now …. Well you know the story.
For fourth years I have predicted a 2nd civil war coming with the citizens pitted against the government. Every little infraction of our rights pushes us a bit closer. An Arab Spring certainly isn’t an impossibility and what sets it off will be the stuff history books are all about.
I would not even try to immortalize the talent of Robin Williams, there are far too many better than I that have done so and I won’t bother talking about his comedic genius, you need only see him once in performance and realize that. What I thinking about is that very thin line, in shades of gray, that defines a person as genius or insane. One looks at all of his accomplishments, the four projects he was currently working on and the schedule he maintained and has to wonder what kind of demons could fell such a gifted person? Alcohol, drugs, depression? I have seen all of these in action but in the case of Robin it is simply impossible for me to grasp that he, of all people, could not find some humor in it that would pull him through …. Yet, the results speak for themselves.
The more I have thought about this the more I have realized that those figures that have made the greatest impact on my life all seemed to wrestle with the same or similar demons. Some continue to survive while others simply gave up. Figuring out who would do what … well, I just can’t come up with a comparison that would explain the impossibility of it all. We seem to think that those of great wealth & popularity would have all sorts of safety nets to catch them, all sorts of professionals to treat them, and a host of close friends and relatives to support their every step, but in the final analysis it comes down to the individual to decide if they can take one more step or simply give up.
Like most of the truly great figures, he managed to put just a dash of the darkness into his work. We laughed because it would turn it into humor, but if we go back now, we can see it and sadly, none of us could do anything about it. Such is the way of human behavior. Upon reflection we can always see the things that lead to another person’s demise, but we simply cannot or choose not to take that next step to put ourselves at risk by trying to help another.
For many centuries we had institutions to send these folks to, but their failings because obvious by their actions and treatment of these poor souls so we closed them down. Now we have gone through decades of just tossing them back on the street and not even attempting to do what needs to be done. Are we simply cruel and uncaring? Doubt full since even today with the tremendous advances in science and medicine, the brain still remains largely a complex mystery and trying to treat what is unknown is, at best, a crap shoot.
I wish I had some incredible eye opening revelation to share but the fact is this is one of those things in life that we may never fully understand. All that is left is to mourn the loss of a very funny man that warmed our hearts and made us forget about our troubles. If only he would have had someone to lean on as we leaned upon him, things might be different.
Well I must admit that I was shocked to hear that the basic skill of cursive writing is no longer a requirement in any school and very few still make it part of their curriculum. Personally, I’m guessing they gave up on the doctors first, long ago, and the rest of us were so busy playing video games and texting that we just didn’t notice, but it’s true. In Tennessee there is now a movement to bring it back and it’s got quite a following; all started when a young student received a paper back from his teacher only to discover he could not read the comments she had put on his paper … all in cursive writing.
There are no doubt quite a few out there that think it’s a thing of the past, replaced by eMail and all sorts of technology that make it passé and I can’t completely agree with that. Most of us still leave notes, write down directions, etc. on a near daily basis and if you think a doctors handwriting looks bad, you should try to read some of this chicken scrawling that so many adults put out. WOW … I never fully understood how large an advantage this is! I’m one of those that took it a few steps forward years ago when I learned basic calligraphy and have adapted it into my every day life, in fact I write several thank-you notes each week using my own calligraphic style and you would not believe the number of phone calls I get just gushing all over me about how much they enjoy it … oh yeah, and a lot want to know if I do wedding invitations too … LOL.
Honestly, there are many benefits to learning and using cursive writing. Yes, it is slower, but the advantage to that is that it causes your brain to slow down and think things through before you write, creating a much better formed and thought out sentence, paragraph, etc. It also vastly improves the writers manual dexterity & visual activity simply by using the brain and hand / eye coordination; yep, that also gets a good work out. Hard to believe that this simple activity can have so many benefits. Oh yes, and another one is that the students cannot cut & paste their next research paper together. When they have to write it out, they understand it and when they understand it, they actually are learning the subject rather than how to just assemble something quickly that they have no idea about.
Taking a page out of my own book, years ago I taught a bunch of young engineers how to use the basic slide rule (good luck finding those on Amazon!) after they could not do calculations on material feed rates next to a very large electric furnace (large EMP sphere). After seeing how it worked, several proclaimed it was the most useful “new technology” they had ever seen! I got a laugh out of that, but they learned an important lesson; that older technology wasn’t necessarily useless, especially when you considered how it could be applied. Sadly, a decent slide rule today will set you back $100-250, if you can find them, but for furnace engineers they are invaluable.
There is a tremendous movement towards these so called “preppers” that are all getting ready for society to collapse but I’m not sure they have thought out how people will communicate directions, instructions, etc. if they cannot simply write them down. I once got a Christmas card from a photographer in NYC. His wife was holding a view camera lens in her mouth while he held the shutter. The inscription was “the old equipment is still the best equipment” …. So true Alfred, so damn true!
injuneer Blog (226)