Did you ever consider that everyone is crazy? We live in a society that tends to label as pathologies most common human behaviors. Look around you. People smoke, drink, do drugs. Some people act out sexually; others hide behind closed doors, peeking through windows, too scared to even talk to a stranger, let alone touch one.
Behind the wheel of a car, humans can become monsters -- killers on the road. Given a gun, who knows what one of us might do. Kill a stranger, a loved one or ourselves?
All bets are open.
Left to ourselves, time and how we spend it can become a burden greater than all others. All alone, bereft of friends, family, or even of obligations of any sort whatsoever, all we can hear is the tick-tock of time, clicking away until our demise.
If that isn't insanity, what is?
Why is time so cruel? Why does it march on, carelessly creating wrinkles on our faces, liver spots on our hands, sags in our muscles until we face the mirror as old bags of flesh, once pretty and desirable, only to end up despicable and disgusting.
Where is the justice in that?
What is the meaning of our lives? Why are we here, anyway? What of this matters?
I have some thoughts about these weighty questions. Men and women are meant to connect, during the decades when we are of reproducing age. We are meant to notice one another, become excited, have sex, and reproduce.
All of that is the stuff of novels, of the great love stories that energize the monstrously huge entertainment industry known as Hollywood.
Trust me, I worked there. Hollywood, in the end is only about one thing -- convincing you that love exists.
But that, my friends, is a lie. Of course love does exist in certain circumstances, but alas, it almost never exists in the real world when you need it most.
So all of those movies with happy endings are lies. For most of us, there is no one at the end of the rainbow.
You are ultimately on your own.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Thursday, February 09, 2012
Political Truths
The Republican primaries continue to weaken the party's chances this fall. Santorum wins three yesterday, confusing the meme that it was a Romney-Gingrich race. Santorum has now won more primaries than Romney.
My hunch is that this race goes on for a while, but that in the end, Romney will win the nomination.
By then, however, the GOP will have as its candidate a very rich man (part of the one percent) who consistently seems out of touch with the rest of us.
Is this a winning formula?
No.
Obama has had a checkered first term, but most Presidents do, historically. If he is to have any chance at being a great President, it was always going to be in his second term, when there is no longer any political goal to be achieved.
I suppose, therefore, we will face a race between two centrists, Obama v. Romney. In that case, Obama will almost certainly win the popular vote. I have not yet done the calculations on the electoral vote, which may allow Romney a chance to win with a minority of the popular vote.
Meanwhile, for the first time in a while, the Republican hold on the House is now in question, and it appears that the Democrats have a viable shot at regaining their majority there.
The Senate seems likely to remain in the Democratic Party's control.
All of this is subject to change, and before I issue solid predictions, as those who have followed my political coverage in previous election cycles well know, I will crunch all the data.
Election predictions must be grounded in numbers, not emotion, bias, or wishful thinking.
Putting on my journalistic hat, which is devoid of all emotion, bias, and wishful thinking, I anticipate a very close race for the White House, perhaps a close as the contested 2000 election.
Beyond that, it is way too soon to venture any guesses. Plus, as is always the case, the state of the economy will sway many voters, and determine the turnout. For that, we have to wait and see.
It's still anyone's White House, Senate and House. Let's be clear about that. Either party could sweep all three, lose all three -- or most likely -- split them, two out of three.
In that sense, this is one of the most uncertain cycles of the past twelve I've covered, starting in 1964.
-30-
My hunch is that this race goes on for a while, but that in the end, Romney will win the nomination.
By then, however, the GOP will have as its candidate a very rich man (part of the one percent) who consistently seems out of touch with the rest of us.
Is this a winning formula?
No.
Obama has had a checkered first term, but most Presidents do, historically. If he is to have any chance at being a great President, it was always going to be in his second term, when there is no longer any political goal to be achieved.
I suppose, therefore, we will face a race between two centrists, Obama v. Romney. In that case, Obama will almost certainly win the popular vote. I have not yet done the calculations on the electoral vote, which may allow Romney a chance to win with a minority of the popular vote.
Meanwhile, for the first time in a while, the Republican hold on the House is now in question, and it appears that the Democrats have a viable shot at regaining their majority there.
The Senate seems likely to remain in the Democratic Party's control.
All of this is subject to change, and before I issue solid predictions, as those who have followed my political coverage in previous election cycles well know, I will crunch all the data.
Election predictions must be grounded in numbers, not emotion, bias, or wishful thinking.
Putting on my journalistic hat, which is devoid of all emotion, bias, and wishful thinking, I anticipate a very close race for the White House, perhaps a close as the contested 2000 election.
Beyond that, it is way too soon to venture any guesses. Plus, as is always the case, the state of the economy will sway many voters, and determine the turnout. For that, we have to wait and see.
It's still anyone's White House, Senate and House. Let's be clear about that. Either party could sweep all three, lose all three -- or most likely -- split them, two out of three.
In that sense, this is one of the most uncertain cycles of the past twelve I've covered, starting in 1964.
-30-
Wednesday, February 08, 2012
Moments of Truth
A long time ago, 41 years ago to be exact, my wife and I returned from our Peace Corps service to rejoin American society. I remember one of my parents' friends in Bay City, Michigan, asking me, after I explained to him that we had been in Afghanistan, whether he was correct in assuming that "that's out near Arizona, right?"
Not right, I gently explained, but half a world away.
Sometimes, I think it is hard for those outside of this big, rich country to truly understand just what an unsophisticated, parochial culture ours truly is. Not on the coasts, but in our great Midwest and South.
On the coasts, we pride ourselves on being aware of the global realities that truly limit America's aspirations and power, outside of our military might, which is also finite, unless we choose to bomb the planet into a wasteland.
But in our heartland, my heartland, we Americans still don't get it. We do not understand how rich we are in comparison with the rest of the world, or why, or how that is not going to be the case for our children.
And that is the fatal flaw of our politicians. Forget Democrats and forget Republicans. What we need are truth-tellers. The future will be more level than Americans have enjoyed post-WW2.
-30-
Not right, I gently explained, but half a world away.
Sometimes, I think it is hard for those outside of this big, rich country to truly understand just what an unsophisticated, parochial culture ours truly is. Not on the coasts, but in our great Midwest and South.
On the coasts, we pride ourselves on being aware of the global realities that truly limit America's aspirations and power, outside of our military might, which is also finite, unless we choose to bomb the planet into a wasteland.
But in our heartland, my heartland, we Americans still don't get it. We do not understand how rich we are in comparison with the rest of the world, or why, or how that is not going to be the case for our children.
And that is the fatal flaw of our politicians. Forget Democrats and forget Republicans. What we need are truth-tellers. The future will be more level than Americans have enjoyed post-WW2.
-30-
Tuesday, February 07, 2012
As the Past Rots
I lost a few more boxes of files today courtesy of the latest water leak in my ghetto apartment. As I threw the files away, which included writings from the 70s, I hesitated. Maybe some of that stuff really mattered or would matter to someone in the future.
But there's nothing to be done with writings once they become water-logged, smelly, disgusting. So I just held my nose, dumped them into the garbage bin out front, and listened as the City carted them away.
It reminded me of the sound of bodies being cremated, but I do not wish to seem dramatic.
Maybe this is how stories die. Maybe this is how voices grow silent.
My landlord complained, when I told her of the new leak, about how much she had to pay in December, the last time water destroyed pieces of my past. That time the water heater burst, creating a hazardous situation here.
This time, an ancient pipe sprang a leak.
It's an old house. I like old places. The water pipes here occasionally fail, and my writings are the victims. So be it. Many of those stories were unpublishable back then, long before the age of the Internet. Who should care if they vanish now?
We live in an age where this sort of loss need not happen. Now every thought or idea or narrative can appear instantly in digital form.
No need for the old constraints of paper and pen.
As for me, I'm letting the past go. As flood after flood in this place claims my past writings, I am fine with knowing they have been claimed by history, rendered silent.
After all, I still have 20 more boxes or so of this crap to lose, after the past five or six leaks that took ten or so to their grave. But just sometimes, I wish I had someone to help me sort through my unpublished intellectual past, since such a tiny portion of it has ever been read by anyone but me, just in case there is something of value there.
There is no such helper. Thus I assume by the time I leave here it will all be gone.
That's okay. I am happy to erase work that was never meant to find an audience. It was just me, spinning out words and dreams, into the void. Somehow it seems fitting that it escapes my clutches back to where it came from.
-30-
But there's nothing to be done with writings once they become water-logged, smelly, disgusting. So I just held my nose, dumped them into the garbage bin out front, and listened as the City carted them away.
It reminded me of the sound of bodies being cremated, but I do not wish to seem dramatic.
Maybe this is how stories die. Maybe this is how voices grow silent.
My landlord complained, when I told her of the new leak, about how much she had to pay in December, the last time water destroyed pieces of my past. That time the water heater burst, creating a hazardous situation here.
This time, an ancient pipe sprang a leak.
It's an old house. I like old places. The water pipes here occasionally fail, and my writings are the victims. So be it. Many of those stories were unpublishable back then, long before the age of the Internet. Who should care if they vanish now?
We live in an age where this sort of loss need not happen. Now every thought or idea or narrative can appear instantly in digital form.
No need for the old constraints of paper and pen.
As for me, I'm letting the past go. As flood after flood in this place claims my past writings, I am fine with knowing they have been claimed by history, rendered silent.
After all, I still have 20 more boxes or so of this crap to lose, after the past five or six leaks that took ten or so to their grave. But just sometimes, I wish I had someone to help me sort through my unpublished intellectual past, since such a tiny portion of it has ever been read by anyone but me, just in case there is something of value there.
There is no such helper. Thus I assume by the time I leave here it will all be gone.
That's okay. I am happy to erase work that was never meant to find an audience. It was just me, spinning out words and dreams, into the void. Somehow it seems fitting that it escapes my clutches back to where it came from.
-30-
Milestones
Driving home from dinner on the peninsula through a very soft rain, nearing my house, I happened to glance at the odometer just as my car reached its 111,111th mile traveled.
That in a little over eight years, or a bit under 14,000 per year or almost 40 miles per day.
If my car could talk the stories it would tell would include a number of memorable road trips, many driving lessons, trips to meet new grandchildren, new girlfriends, new employers.
Last trips with girlfriends, trips to funerals, trips home after being laid off.
Many laughs, some fights, a few tears.
The voices of children growing up and of adults growing old. The voices of some no longer with us,
Trips home after great sports triumphs and trips home after bitter losses. Stories of happiness and stories of heartache.
Through it all, the old car lumbers on, silent, keeping whatever secrets it holds in confidence, Only the driver knows...and remembers all.
-30-
That in a little over eight years, or a bit under 14,000 per year or almost 40 miles per day.
If my car could talk the stories it would tell would include a number of memorable road trips, many driving lessons, trips to meet new grandchildren, new girlfriends, new employers.
Last trips with girlfriends, trips to funerals, trips home after being laid off.
Many laughs, some fights, a few tears.
The voices of children growing up and of adults growing old. The voices of some no longer with us,
Trips home after great sports triumphs and trips home after bitter losses. Stories of happiness and stories of heartache.
Through it all, the old car lumbers on, silent, keeping whatever secrets it holds in confidence, Only the driver knows...and remembers all.
-30-
Sunday, February 05, 2012
Favorite Moments: Family Super Bowl
It was a good day. My teenage sons and I had our own party and rooted their grandfather's favorite pro football team on to a well-deserved Super Bowl win. Congrats to the Giants.
But, as I was reviewing all of the past year's photos tonight, it was not sports but family that trumped.
Thus this photo, of my youngest daughter comforting her niece, a few months back.
Sorry sports fans, but this is our family's Super Bowl shot of the year!
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