A Conversation with the Founding Fathers

 

A sports bar somewhere in Philadelphia

One of my favorite thought exercises is to imagine some of the Founding Fathers visiting modern America to see how we - and their Constitution – are doing. I imagine them all sitting around a sports bar in Philly shooting the breeze. They couldn't all make it but there’s James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, William Patterson, Ben Franklin, John Rutledge, Charles Pinckney and John Jay. (You'll note that they've also picked up some modern lingo.) 

Hamilton, always the wag, said, “Wow, if we had a place like this to drink at night in 1787 we might not have gotten anything done!”

“Or maybe we would have done an even better job.” opined Rutledge.

The always-studious Madison replied, “Well, we must have done alright, they’re still using it 234 years later.”

“Yes, but did you see that little soiree on Jan.6^th” asked Ben Franklin? “That was just too damn close!”

Hamilton responded, “We always knew it could happen if the wrong person became president - and it wouldn’t have if the Electoral College had worked as we originally intended (he, he, he - even if it was a little undemocratic!)”

John Jay adds, “Right, Alex, the Electoral College was there to assure the "right people" wouldn't allow someone like that last guy to get elected but it hasn't worked properly since it failed right after George retired in 1801. We should have just gotten rid of damn thing but noooo, we had to try and save it with the 12th amendment - clearly THAT didn't work."

"I  guess not!" said Madison, "One old guy wins by 7 million votes but if the other old guy got another hundred thousand votes in a just a few states he would have won - and it could have caused another civil war! Boy, we really goofed that up. Speaking of elections and the states, that's another thing we left to them foolishly assuming they would have the best interests of their citizens in mind." 

"Yeah, right!" Hamilton added,  "Like most other issues left to the states it's all about party politics now and not their citizens. I told you we shouldn't have given them so much power - what a pain in the butt they are!" 

"And look what's happened to some of our other great ideas.” Pinckney added, "I don’t recognize a lot of the things we created.”  

“Well, Chuck," John Rutledge pointed out, "I don’t recognize our country! None of us envisioned a U.S. with 330 million people across the whole continent mostly in cities with so many different races, religions, languages, jobs and ideas - our constitution was bound to adjust. It's just too bad we made it so difficult to change it - another goof?”

“Yup.” replied Bill Patterson, "And how about our 1^st Amendment freedom of speech now? Apparently, they think money equals free speech - the more money you give the more free speech you get!" 

“I know, even more bizarre now, corporations are “people,” Pinckney added, "and can contribute just like actual humans - or so says their Supreme Court. How did those justices get this nonsense from what we wrote? Originalists indeed!"  

"So, is this what you were thinking, James, when we said people must have the right to freedom of speech?" asked John Jay. 

“No, definitely not what I had in mind," said Madison, " it's preposterous! And apparently we were very naïve to think that people would run for office just to serve our country and not for a career." 

"Right, so now politicians need to beg for money to get elected - a lot of money!" added Patterson. "Speaking of politicians, if we knew that all these Congress critters would turn it into lucrative 30 or 40 year careers we would have had term limits - yet another thing I wish we would have thought of."

"And," James adds, "it reminds me that we also really screwed up with Article III in the first place. Having the justices serve for life and not staggering their terms like the senate was a terrible idea. Look what’s happened now, yet another political football - what were we thinking?!”

“Same with religion, Jim, said Old Ben, “Patrick (Henry) would be happy to see that some folks are still trying to officially impose Christianity on society like he tried in Virginia. This when we explicitly did not want ANY national religion but simply protect everyone’s right to one. Sheesh.”

“Okay, who’s going to take the rap for the 2^nd amendment?" asked Madison. "I’m telling you, guys, I’m not to blame for the mess they've got going on in our United States today with guns. It’s Jay’s fault, the dope edited it wrong. It was supposed to say: "A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of its members to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed upon."   What a difference punctuation makes! Besides, it should have been obvious we didn’t want every yahoo in the country to have any weapon they wanted - my God, we didn’t even trust them to vote!”

It got quiet around the table; James Madison was swishing around his Sam Adams beer. Finally, he said, “I guess we all have something to apologize for regarding the slavery issue. I never dreamed that it would still be causing so much pain 230 years later.”

“What were we to do, James?” said Rutledge. “There was no way to get the slave states to go along without allowing slavery and the 3/5 agreement. I mean, we had to make a lot of ugly compromises but we did what we had to do to get a constitution.”

Still, Madison lamented, “We all know Tom’s beautiful Declaration of Independence by heart:  We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. What a load of manure! Even most of us slave owners knew slavery was wrong. We should NOT have agreed to let it stand and damn the consequences. Founding Fathers indeed – Founding Hypocrites!”

                                                       Founding Fathers - Ready to head out to the tavern                                                                                                                       (Ignore Thomas Jefferson, he wasn't involved in the Constitution) 

Hamilton gently pats Madison’s shoulder and says, “Yes, we screwed that up, Jim, but they are working on it and I know they’ll finally figure it out.” He adds, “We have to believe that or everything we did was for nothing." 

Quietly Ben Franklin adds, "Maybe 2021 will be the big step forward." 

With that Madison snaps out of his funk and says "I'll drink to that. Barkeep, another round – and put it on Franklin’s tab!”

Look on the Brightside - With Music

Mrs Dear Leader and I each have a friend who is in hospice, friends of many years. Having also lost two of my closest buddies of over forty years just in the last year alone I think I can say, this really sucks. In fact, life has been tough for a lot of people the last few years and it's easy to get down about it. There's another way to think about this though. As difficult as it is, sad events like this should make us realize, no, remember that life is precious. Yup, we have a lot problems maybe individually and certainly as a country but you know what?  If you’re still vertical then things aren’t so bad and there's always hope. Nobody has ever called me a Pollyanna but maybe we could stop whining and realize how lucky we are? Okay, end of sermon. 

With that said it’s time to embrace the sweet fragrance of spring in Minnesota. The days are getting longer, golf courses are opening, lakes are turning from white to blue - can flip flops and sun dresses be far behind? Best of all, unlike last year there’s real hope that life is slowly returning to normal (whatever that is.)

I’ve always said that there’s nothing like music to be your personal time machine. (You can ask anyone, really, I have always said that.) Music will take you back to exactly where you were and what you were doing when you heard the song  - and just lived for the day.  I suggest you just do that, look for a favorite song from past and go there. Go ahead, give it a try.

Here’s a bunch of summer music (and other tunes with good memories) along with my recollections for your consideration. I apologize for how old most of these songs are but like most people I quit paying attention in my 30’s so these are what I know. Hopefully you’re old enough to remember at least some of them.

Pick a couple to play or find your own and ask yourself where you were then. Bet it’s a happy place!

Summer Song, Chad and Jeremy – 1964  

Holy mackerel, it’s true, a driver’s license and girls don’t mix.

Summer in the City, Lovin Spoonful - 1966    

Hot damn, they let me graduate from high school!

59th St Bridge Song  Simon & Garfunkel – 1967     

Spring quarter freshman year down on Park Point in Duluth. Listening to this it was very hard to not skip across that Aerial Lift bridge.

Hot Fun in the Summer Time, Sly and Family Stone – 1969    

Between my junior and senior year in college, road trip with three other cadets (French for idiots) to ROTC summer camp in Spokane WA - legally drinking beer and listening to Sly (and Steppenwolf!)

Green-Eyed Lady, Sugarloaf – 1970 

My God, can it be over 50 years since they let me graduate from college AND gave me those brown bars? I wandered off to AF navigator school in the divorce capital of the country, Sacramento - yowser! This song seemed always to be playing as I was nodding off in my radar scope every time before takeoff on early morning training flt's – that sort of fluke kinda sticks with you.

Summer Breeze  (Possibly the greatest summer song – and video – ever done.) Seals and Croft – 1972

I was just starting AF career, flying around the world in the giant, globe-girdling C-130 without a care in the world. In some officer's club in Turkey the pilot, Johhny Mac, taught the young lieutenant navigator to love martini's - bastard! Anyway, a very good year (except for a little detour to Vietnam.)

Piano Man Billy Joel – 1973 

Back to SEA and Thailand accompanied by the Piano Man – “There’s someplace he’d rather be. . .” Still, it all worked out.

Find Your Place in the Sun Pablo Cruise – 1978   

Turning thirty was such a drag - says the old guy 43yrs later! - but at least there was still really good music.

We Are Family  Sister Sledge – 1979

Okay, it’s disco but good disco – and nice way to introduce our son to the family.

Hey Nineteen  Steely Dan – 1980

Well, if I’m going to welcome a daughter to family too what better than possibly the greatest music group ever, The Dan!

Walking on Sunshine Katrina and the Waves – 1983  

If you can sit still while this is playing there is something seriously wrong with you – especially if you have two young kids!

Boys of Summer (Close 2^nd to “Summer Breeze”) Don Henley – 1984   

A family man and inching closer to being one of Henley’s boys of summer. (FYI - It’s actually a sad song but it’s still great tune.)

Smooth Santana   Rob Thomas -1999  

"Give me your heart, make it real or else forget about it" Got my MA and met future Mrs Dear Leader - it was very good year.

And to at least get into the 21^st century and prove there’s still great music - and memories - out there.

Clocks  Coldplay - 2002

Hall of Fame The Script - 2012 (You gotta see this video)

Well, I could suggest a ton more of good songs but it’s time to do something functional – like study for our Italian class. (Yeah, Buon giorno to you too!)

Okay, one more. Since we’re reminiscing, we might as well end with this - what the hell, enjoy it while you can!

It Was a Very Good Year, Frank Sinatra

Star Tribune Articles - Voter Suppression Mar 7 Trump Still Controls GOP Mar 8 2021

 

 Perhaps It's an Illness

Clearly something is not right with a huge group of our fellow citizens who cling to the coat tails of a known liar and seditionist. And now, apparently since democracy isn’t working for them, they also want to restrict the right to vote.

I read the article about the Republicans nationwide working hard to make voting “safe from fraud” and, like many people who actually care about democracy and the right to vote, I was outraged. After further consideration, I believe they are still wrong but I now think they deserve at least a little understanding; even before they allowed themselves to be hijacked by that corrupt, east coast grifter they had some mental health issues.

Starting with St Ronny Reagan with his assault on unions and goofy trickledown economics, they began to drift off the road of being a functional political party. Aided by guys like Newt Gingrich and Trump, they are so far off road now that it seems unlikely they will survive without some sort of major intervention. Don’t get me wrong, Democrats don’t have all the answers. In fact, they really need a strong opposition party to keep them from heading down the rabbit hole of their dumbest ideas. Sadly, that is not today’s Republicans. Luckily, I think I know what’s wrong with the Republicans. Among several issues, it’s a condition called Munchausen by Proxy. Bear with me.

This is a very real and rare disease - at least outside of Republican circles - where the afflicted individual causes some sort of injury to someone close to them so that they can turn around and be recognized as a caregiver or savior for that person. Now I ask you, how else would you describe the recent odd behavior in which Republicans have circulated a ridiculous story (created by said liar) and repeated it over and over (with a riot or two thrown in) thus causing great concern among certain people whom they can now “save” by restricting the vote to only those they deem eligible? Yup, Munchausen. (Although that sounds better than what it really is, voter suppression.)

According to experts, “Caregivers who have this condition need long-term counseling. They may resist treatment or deny that there is a problem" (Duh!) So, how can we help our Republican friends recover from this problem? It seems the kindest thing we can do is give them plenty of time for therapy. In turn, the easiest way to do that is by voting them out of office so they won't have the burden of actual governance while in treatment (which, given their record the last several years, should be fairly easy for them.) Republicans are very fortunate here in Minnesota because we can help them. Sadly, people are not so lucky in the red states where they are doomed to continue living in the 18th century until the voters wise up - or a lot of old white guys pass on.   

As for treatment, it might be challenging for them but I would suggest a ten-step program that covers at least: democracies, the Voting Rights Act and human empathy. (Maybe the Constitution but with focus on other amendments besides the Second.)

I wish them good luck and many years of therapy ahead.

Should We Have Stayed Farmers?

 

Explaining the Modern Economy

 

"No arts; no letters; no society; and which is worst of all, continual fear, and danger of violent death; and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short." Thomas Hobbes.

I recently finished a book called “Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind” by Yuval Harari. It’s a very intriguing book with a lot of concepts and theories that will make you think about us as a species, the good and the bad (and there’s a lot of both.) One particular claim he makes, though, really made me sit back and say “whoa!” He suggests that we were all probably better off as . . . farmers? In his opinion, we gave up the agrarian life that humans had led for thousands of years, a period when we “just” had to go grow our own food then enjoy the simple pleasures of family and friends (and living until 40?) Thomas Jefferson, noted urban hater, would agree. He said, "Agriculture is our wisest pursuit, because it will in the end contribute most to real wealth, good morals, and happiness." Like Jefferson, Harari blames a lot of our real (and imagined) problems on leaving the fields to go “work for the man.” 

As enticing as it sounds to go back to the soil, it’s not going to happen. This made me think, however, about modern life and, more importantly, about what we can - and cannot - control in it. For example, how many and what kind of jobs there are.

In the 1940’s an economist named Joseph Schumpeter came up the idea of “creative destruction” to describe the modern economy; new ideas and businesses drive out the old, old jobs replaced with new ones. Over the last forty years or so it has destroyed millions of the jobs. True to form, it also created millions of new jobs. Many of those destroyed were ones that a majority of “working” Americans like my dad had depended upon, for example like coal mining and manufacturing, while the bulk of those created are in our so-called service economy, most with low pay and few or no benefits. Today, my dad would probably be out of luck. Like a majority of Americans, he would find that jobs for people like him either don’t exist or the pay is so low that you have to work multiple jobs to live even a vaguely average life. Or give up.

Good jobs were created too, of course. What's a good job is open for debate but I think most people would define a good job as one that pays enough for a family to raise their kids, buy a house, save for retirement and maybe take a vacation from time to time  - forget saving for college education or healthcare though. Let's say 100k/yr. (Unless you live on either coast!) According to the data, 34% of households (that's families not individuals) earn that in the US. So, yes, there are good jobs - that are held by relatively few workers - but in the end we all just take the jobs the economy creates (like good, little drones as Jefferson might say?)

Now, rather than go down the “capitalism is bad” road (even though I personally doubt that what we have going on in America is actually capitalism) and blame globalism, big corporations and greedy rich guys, I choose to say this is just the reality of our economy.

Of course you should get a degree or some training for your best chance at a better job. The fact is, though, that you can get all the training you want but you will still have to take the jobs that the economy creates. For example, one of the fastest growing jobs is a Personal Care Attendant (PCA, average pay $14/hr).  Other fast growing jobs: restaurant cooks, construction laborers, RNs and LPNs. Can you imagine a former coal miner or auto worker re-training for them?? Nope, nope, nope, nope and nope. There is always lawn care, nail salons and yoga instructors too - all are perfectly honorable jobs - but it's hard to envision a middle class built on them either.

We can gnash our teeth and rend our garments about it but in the overused vernacular, it is what it is. Now add racism, radicalism and general stupidity. And we wonder about the anger and frustration that’s expressed through riots and electing horrific politicians across the political spectrum?  

Generally, most of us don’t think much about how complex modern life is so we may not grasp how fragile our existence has become. (See Covid or recent cold snap in TX.)  Modern society, however wonderful its fruits, often breaks down and at the worst possible time for many. Today, you don’t need to do anything “wrong,” you just kinda get steamrolled by “progress” - and this is not a bug of the system, it’s a feature.

I wish life was as simple as good, old Tom Jefferson envisioned but it isn’t. It’s a complex and changing world that was impossible to foresee in the 18^th century. In the blink of an eye any of us can lose our job, health, home – our future.

Fortunately, we’ve come a long way from a Hobbesian life - but it may not seem like it for a lot of our fellow Americans. Hopefully that’s something the rest of us can try to remember.

 

 

 

It's Hard to Say Goodbye

 

I’m helping to undertake one of the most difficult, painful, irritating, aggravating and downright crappy jobs that I have ever done in my life (and I've had some doozies!) Mrs. Dear Leader and I are tearing apart the results of her long, creative musical life; we are getting rid of the many boxes of cds of her different albums and first we have to take each cd apart individually.

Before you ask, it’s because nobody buys cds anymore, actually they haven’t for a long time. As to why we have several boxes of them stored (that is, thousands of cds!) Well, you can’t blame her for her optimism when she had them made. After all, like any entrepreneur – especially someone creative – if you don’t think you have something that people will want, why would you even start in the first place, why wouldn’t you have inventory?

Like many, and more than most, the music industry has been disrupted by technology and the internet. It was Lizzy Rain’s bad fortune to produce her music just as it was going online with downloads for sites like Apple iTunes and Spotify. The rest, as they say, is history. And a sad history it is. Artists receiving pennies – or a percent of a penny – per download, people stealing the music and sharing it with friends with nothing paid to the artist, big companies like Apple and Amazon getting rich off the backs of artists. (Lizzy has had thousands and thousands of downloads all over the world which is marvelous, people enjoying her music - and made about a hundred bucks.) It’s not fair but who said life is fair? While all that is bad enough, somehow it’s not the worst of it.

I claim no artistic talent – and pretty much everyone would vouch for that – but I have always admired most artistic efforts and especially music. As I have gotten older I have come to appreciate that artists of all stripes are the keenest observers of society and the conscience of the average person. When you want to know what is actually going on in a country or culture just listen to the music, read books, look at the paintings, stare at the statues: George Gershwin, Van Gogh, Big bands, Rodin, gospel, Picasso, blues, JD Salinger, rock and roll. Just by the music alone an astute person could understand where the country was going and watch it change before so-called “leaders" have a clue. 

And yet we treat artists and musicians as second-class citizens – or worse - there to entertain us for whatever pocket change we generously throw them. I’m not talking about the few big names who manage to get all the attention and can tour the country and make the big bucks – good for them! I’m talking about people like Lizzy Rain and the millions of other talented musicians for whom there is no way to get their music in front of fans except online AND the drudgery of nonstop touring in little shitbird towns all over the country. Today, right now, bands full of great musicians play at bars for 75-100 bucks for 5 or 6 hours of work – and yet they do it night after night. Why? Because they love making music. Forget radio, nearly all stations are owned by just a few big conglomerates with automated play lists and fake formulas. Forget the music labels, they’re dying. (For which there is some karma since they were the ones screwing the artists before artists started getting screwed by Apple.)

Look no further than education for our concern for the arts. Budget problems at the school? Cut the music and art departments, for God's sake, not football! World full of complex problems needing new and creative ideas and we demean the most creative people - what a brilliant idea! Yeah, we need science and math but we also need the other side of the brain, we need the much disparaged – and greatest - form of education ever created, we need the liberal arts. And another thing . . . Sorry, whew, boy, I didn’t mean to wander off into a rant. Lord knows we have enough old white guys ranting about something out there.

Anyway, we need to get back to work dismantling thousands of cds. Just to add a little salt to the open musical wound, you can’t just recycle them whole you have to separate all the packaging - jewel case one way, liner notes another and cd yet another - and get rid of each separately. In a fit of pique it would be easy to say to hell with it and just take the boxes to the dump – but we like to think we’re better than that. (Well, Lizzy Rain is better than that.) Besides, this is still the work of a lifetime for her and they deserve a decent funeral. 

But no need to mourn just yet, it's not really the end of Lizzy Rain's music just these pieces of plastic. The muse still visits her often and there's still a lot of great music inside that beautiful, blond head! 

(This post is approved by Lizzy Rain)

On another positive note, as of today the Resolute desk is now occupied by a deserving president.

Hail to the Chief   

Another Day of Infamy

 

My hope is that our country makes Jan 6^th 2021 another day of remembrance to equal Dec. 7^th and 9/11. Like those dates, today was a day we were again attacked but sadly it was neither a sneak attack nor an attack by an outside enemy. We were attacked by our own citizens bent on destroying essentially everything we profess to believe in. We have lost more than what little was left of our innocence, we have lost a part of our soul. And it ain’t coming back.    

Does waving an American flag make you a Patriot?

Jan. 6^th is a day that no American ever thought could occur. We are special, we are told. Our leaders are strong and noble and hold the Constitution in the highest esteem, we said. We have been led to believe that despite our differences no one would ever consider overthrowing the government of our fine country like that which last happened in 1861. But today they tried. They didn’t succeed - yet - but the damage has been done.

It should be a day of shame for those people - but they are people who know no shame. This starts with a President who has spent his entire four years spewing lies and falsehoods too numerous to count. And we just tsked tsked – or applauded. His corruption, incompetence and general ignorance were obvious to anyone with an IQ above a kumquat (perhaps why he was crushed by over 7 million votes?) Yet there were no consequences. And then he told his biggest lie of all, the lie that he was cheated out of the election. He knew it wasn’t true. His shameless family knew it wasn’t true. The shameless people around him knew it wasn’t true. The shameless Republican politicians knew it wasn’t true.  Yet, like Nazi propaganda, he kept repeating and repeating and repeating it until his millions of sad, uninformed believers - people who, for whatever reason, consider him to be their messiah - didn’t know that it wasn’t true. So here we are, the blackest day in the country since the Civil War.

In the 233 years since the Constitution was written the Capitol has only been violated once before and that by the British army in 1814. And now, today, it’s violated again by a bunch of brain dead, right wing radicals led by a “washed-up reality star pretending to be president.” * And, of course, his Republican henchmen who are out doing each other to claim his “powerful base” (read: cult) for their own craven purposes by protesting a legitimate election outcome.  

So it’s out in the open. There’s no more pretending that it’s just political differences; we are a country at war with ourselves and it’s time to choose. I know that neither side is particularly savory or pure but the difference is very clear as is the decision. Can it be the Republicans, with their sniveling, self serving acceptance of a man who has no regard for what they once stood for and showed all the honor of modern Benedict Arnolds? The Republicans and their unseemly pandering to his swarming mass of MAGA hat-wearing, sign waving, slack jawed goofs that would be funny if not so frightening? The Republicans who gave total acquiescence by treating an American president as a dictator right up until this very day? And, as added insult, there is the utter gall of all these “Republican Leaders” coming out today to protest - in the strongest terms, mind you - Trump’s actions? My God, there is no word to describe their hypocrisy! Sorry, it’s just too late.

Security! Security! We need security!         How about a backbone?!

You don’t have to be a Democrat or Independent or any other political persuasion to ask how this can all be forgiven. The answer is that it can’t, there must be consequences for the Republican party - perhaps starting with a trip to the political wilderness for a generation.

We must not forget this day, another day of infamy, and who is totally responsible for it. It is up to them to make amends – and not for the rest of America to forgive. Perhaps they could start by immediately impeaching this president and censuring all legislators who are trying to undermine the Electoral College certification.

God bless America.

*My very sharp – and sharp tongued – daughter coined the phrase and I take credit only for being her father.

Our Proud American Patriots 

Winter Solstice 2020 - Annus Horribilis

 Solstice Dawn 

(Geez, seems like it shows up in same spot every year!)

Annus Horribilis. (No, it doesn't mean horrible pain in the ass - although this year might qualify.) It means "Horrible year" and that's what Queen Elizabeth thought of her 1992. Kinda makes you wonder what she thinks of this year. Anyway, it's been a stinker alright but hold fast, the greatest day of the year is at hand! 

For the past many years I have done my best with various solstice stories to help my fellow Northern Hemispherians get through this longest of nights. I had hoped that I could retire or at least slack off a bit but no, this horribilis year requires that I man up and see you through this vale of tears once again. This has been a terrible year, no doubt about it, a horrible year and some say the worst ever. But is it? Let's see:

1347AD, Black Death, 200 million dead. 1520, Hernan Cortez invades Mexico, kills of 9 of 10 Aztecs through war and disease. 1943, WWII rages, millions of Jews murdered, millions of soldiers and civilians dead, food/fuel rationing. 1968, height of Viet Nam war, 16,592 GIs killed in single year, thousands of civilians dead, My Lai Massacre, two tragic assassinations. 2001, 2977 civilians killed on 9/11, 20 years of non-stop wars started with thousands more GI's and civilians killed. 2020 sucked but it has a way to go on the all-time hit parade.

Where was I? Oh yeah, on these cold December nights it can be hard to remember that dawn and spring always come. Well, okay, have always come in the past. Right, okay, that doesn’t mean that it’s guaranteed but it is really likely. Besides, there’s a lot to be thankful for this year. No, really, there are many positive lessons the pandemic has taught us about ourselves (well, mostly positive.)

First, let’s get the political stuff out of the way. There’s been 59 presidential elections in this country and in only one has the outgoing president tried to throw out the Constitution and overturn the legal outcome so in one sense that's not too bad in 232 years. Also, despite massive fraud - it’s pretty clear that Biden won by a lot more than seven million votes – we will have a new president on Jan. 20^th so our system, while a bit shaky, still seems to work. I think it is important now that we all move on, let our national wounds heal and again become the great nation that we once were. (Remind me, when was that again?)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Oops, Wrong Great America!   

Healthcare Providers   

Our first responders and care givers have been magnificent – but at a high cost. Over 1700 healthcare workers have died of the virus and countless more sickened. (And for about 14 bucks an hour for nursing homes caregivers.) How can we possibly thank them enough?  

                                                                                                                                                          

                                                                        The Greatest Generation 

We learned that, as usual, we could count on our parents’ and grandparents’ generations to make the real sacrifices for us. Sure, we did lose a few grandma’s and grandpa’s but as the Lt. Gov. of Texas said, “There are more important things than living and that’s saving the country.” Gee, thanks Nana and Bumpa. (I can think of someone I'd like to sacrifice for the economy.)

                                                                                                                                  Service Industry Workers   

 While 2020 might not be the worst year ever, it's all in the eye of the beholder. It’s not too bad for all the folks that can work from home – and those in the stock market – but it’s been awful for the millions of service workers who paid for the pandemic with their jobs. Yet many managed to keep things going at grocery stores and food delivery even while about 20% of grocery workers caught the virus and many died. Look up unsung heroes in the dictionary and you should see their pictures should be there.

                            Mr Covid 19

 

We also learned that the rotten little bug doesn’t discriminate by race, gender or religion. You might say that, unlike us, it doesn’t bend a knee for (or on) anyone. (So take the damn vaccine when you can!)

Finally, there’s this. From the mouth of babes come some of the simplest and most honest observations in life. A neighbor, who occasionally (okay, often) forces me to have an adult beverage with him, shared something with me that his young son recently told him. “Dad, I know lots of people are sick and have died and that’s terrible but there’s some good things too. Since you’ve been home, we’ve had so much time together, all of us. You know, walking and biking and watching TV. It’s been great!”

 

If nothing else, hopefully a lot of families have come out of this mess with this same realization.

                                                                                      Parting Solstice Gift?

Just a Coincidence?

Anyway, I come not to curse the darkness but to proclaim the light at the end of the tunnel that is the solstice night. (And, no, it is not the headlight of another expensive, underused light rail train.) It will be the dawn of a new day that will be longer than the last one and shorter than the next. 

But wait, there's more! 

Unless you have retreated to your safe space without any sort of news (probably not a bad idea these days) you know that we are receiving a sort of astronomical bonus this year.  On the solstice the two biggest planets in the solar system, Jupiter and Saturn, are so close together that it will look like one, huge star in the western sky. As far as we know, the last time it happened around the winter solstice was about 2000 years ago (2000 yrs ago, solstice, big bright thing in the sky, hmmm, sounds familiar.) Everyone knows that the most recent that these two were this close together was in March 1226AD but did you know that King Louis VIII of France died later that same year? No? Well, then you probably didn't know that he was married at 12, had 13 kids and was dead at 39 and no wonder, that's a lot of playing catch, kids baths and school conferences! Oh yeah, and his wife outlived him by 26 years (Reports of her later marriage to the harpsicord player were never confirmed.) The point is that, like us, old Louis had a bad year but at least he too enjoyed a special celestial event. (I know, that's just me, Mr. Positive, making lemonade out of lemons.)

Back to OUR planetary bonus. Yup, it's been a grim year but what a way to say good bye to it, huh? Do you think it's a coincidence that after this terrible year we see a a big star-like vision on the solstice? That's got to be a good sign, right? You bet it is! So stay “Negative” my friends and it will be 70 and sunny before you can say “Windchill Alert” - and everything is going to be alright. (Well, until June 20th anyway.)

A little music to help you make it through the long solstice night . . . There's Got to be a Morning After 

You're welcome.

(As an interesting aside, the video clip for the song was actually filmed during an early Pederson family New Years Eve party. Understandably, that was the last one that Liz let me plan.)

Solstice Evening