Thursday, March 29, 2012

My Worry Cup Runeth Over! 3/29/12

Still dealing with the sicklys. Dr.'s trying to find out who or what is attacking my abdomen ? In the meantime I am trying to keep up with the whirlwind of crap that is confusing my view. I know I am suppose to be hanging on to all the little tiny nuances going at the Supreme Court. “Did you notice that Justice Kennedy looked up at the ceiling when Justice Ginsburg asked what is the blah blah blah about Obama Care?” Besides we wont know exactly how this most politically active court will decide until June. So, I’m going to put that on “hold.” For now,as my worry cup is concerned with a lot of other stuff. For instance.

It may be out of the headlines but the Fukushimia Dailichi Nuclear meltdown continues. If it burns out the bottom of the container vessel we will have another Chenobel.
The President of the Maldives acknowledging that his country is going underwater as a result of rising ocean levels. CLIMATE CHANGE. Polar Bears are the Canaries in the coal mine.

Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Barak are itching to drop a bomb or two on Iran’s Nuclear Operation. After heavy reading on the issue of Iran’s Nuclear pursuit I conclude that this attack by Israel may well be a foregone conclusion. They cannot do this without the help of the US. They need “Bunkerbuster Bombs and guess what, we are the only one who have em. Remember the Open Mic conversation between Obama and Medvedev? (Obama telling Medvedev to wait until he is reelected.)

The Israeli’s know this timetable problem as well as the Russians. Except they don’t believe they have the luxury of waiting. I don’t hear voices tackling this issue.
In Netanyahu’s recent visit to the US he very successfully maneuvered the President in this critical election period into saying the US will not leave Israel in a lurch over the Iran nuclear bomb issue. Obama drew Red Lines and yes he tried to convince Netanyahu to “let the world wide boycott of Iran take its effect before we do anything.” Netanyahu sort shook his head as if to say, “yeah, yeah shon gehort.” (Yiddish for already heard.) All the parties involved understand the election problem both here and it turns out also in Israel. That’s what I fear is driving the decision.I really fear how this will launch a nuclear race in the middle east.

The Genocide's in Africa once again is on the front page. What if anything we can do about the Old Sudan versus the new Southern Sudan even if we were willing? By the way there is now oil in Southern part. The traditional tribal animosities, now plus oil, continue to haunt that poor continent. Yet, how can we watch those starving children without a strong sense that “attention must be paid.” But what can we do? At the very least send food to the overcrowded refugee camps.

Now there’s the Trayvon Martin problem that has re-ignited the civil rights struggles of the sixties. Also shines light on the crazy STAND YOUR GROUND Law that lets you shoot first because you believe you were threatened. Talk about Crazy.!

How can we support that effort to shine a light on the continuing problem of rank discrimination by public authority against the civil rights of Black people? As the Sanford Police Department continues its clumsy efforts to picture Trayvon as the aggressor. It becomes increasingly obvious that a classic case of blame the victim is underway. (Ha, not unlike the 400 women in Afghanistan jails who were sent there because they reported they were victims of husband abuse. Once again the world is looking like an old time Insane Asylum.)

How can I Gage how my worry cup is doing? Is it by the number of Petitions I am asked to sign daily? As well as the endless pleas for money for the most worthy causes? Including, being asked to set forth some notions about how the occupy movement should reassert itself? Wow, what a terrible time not to be feeling up to par with so many, better world battles to be won. Oh I know you could add a few of your own issues. Just got to HANG IN THERE, LIKE THAT KITTEN ON THE WASH-LINE. My best RS

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Miscellany Slouching to 95 !

No blog because unable to get brain in gear. When brain has to fight pain I can’t always be sure who is going to win. Past week goes to pain. Me and doctors trying to find the cause. In this time of reprieve. Let me sound off.

Start with sorrow. The end of the print addition of the Encyclopedia Britannica makes me sad. At my desk there is a bookcase within arms reach. In all its Gold and Brown glory lives the 30 volume Britannica. It’s my intellectual pussy blanket. It has always given me a felt sense of security regarding all the things I don’t know. Or things I thought I knew but needed a backup to say, “THIS IS A FACT” How do you know? “Because the Bible, no the Britannica told me so.

Oh yes you will now have the “one click” and there’s that same fact on your computer screen. You now what you will miss? Browsing through the before and after pages learning about stuff you never thought of. And the feel and smell of those rustling pages as they have done since the year 450 when the monks in the “Scriptoria” were handwriting books. Yea yea, I know we must press on. Why? I’m not sure? Next item.

The War on Woman seems to have grown right out of, “Woman Are Now a Majority in the Workforce.” Yupp he big man are increasingly suffering from a sense of loss. That sense has to do with their domination of the workplace since the invention of work. Back in the 1930s I remember the adds in Popular Mechanics of poor little skinny guy on the beach. He was losing his girl friend to he big muscle man. Exercise bar could change all that.

Yet, the men in power are once again trying to take charge of woman's bodies. In Virginia they Legislate that women wanting an abortion have to have a metal wand stuck in her vagina to see the heartbeat. Woman across the country raise hell. Republicans shiver. Governor McDonelle backs away. Substitute outside belly ultrasound. Don’t matter that women says I don’t want to do that.”

Same folks who want the government off our backs want the government inside woman's vagina's. Home run for hypocrisy. Governor of Penn. where they pass similar laws. Says, “If we’re doing an ultrasound the women can close her eyes and not look.” Can’t make this stuff up.

I admit, I never in my lifetime thought my “breadwinner” role would decline so rapidly. How come? The outsourcing of manufacture from the USA and the emergence of the electronic age speeded up the change. The new cubicle workplace does not require big brawny men. Mostly it requires brains and discipline. No shortage of that amongst woman. Men are now becoming increasingly Peacocks to attract the girls. Latest big promotional advertising is “Dove For Men.” A whole line of soaps, perfumes, body washes etc. all for the grown up boys just like Estee Lauder for the girls. Wow how fast things change. Next item?

Sergeant Bates on a shooting rampage, not a “spree” in Afghanistan is another crime like the My Lai massacre in Vietnam. Soldiers living in totally unfamiliar cultures and not having a clue why they are there are known to snap. They are suffering from the absurd reality that the whole idea is insane. They are just acting out what many of us back home just thought. They had come face to face with the lunacy. Reminds me of Dr. Winkle in the Remarque novel “Black Obelisk.” Dr. Winkle told Remarque, “if you understood all the lunacy in a mental hospital you would be a patient there.” That should be the diagnosis of Sergeant Bates”s actions. He simply could not grasp why he was in Afghanistan except to kill, kill, kill. That sent him over the hill. He may end up spending his life in prison. How about the crazies like Charlie Wilson, George Bush Dick Cheney Obama who took us and keep us there? Next item.

The movie, on HBO ”Game Change” about McCain, Pailin fiasco. Yes, I don’t think Sarah Pailin is to swift nor the, “sharpest pencil in the box,” as they use to say in the Bronx in Bing Crosby time. I hate to admit this but by the end I was feeling sorry for Sarah. How so? Well the whole idea of Pailin being the VP candidate was cooked up by a bunch of smart ass guys who were about to make use of a woman for their very own purposes. To help elect their loser candidate to the Presidency. Yes, for sure I can fault Pailin for going along. My gut tells me that Mr. Schmidt and company were more responsible than Pailin. They cooked up the idea in the first place. They are suppose to be the leaders. How about their responsibility? We seem to be in an epidemic of leaders failure to accept responsibility for their actions. They just kick it on down the line to some junior in the command structure. In this case they blame it all on Pailin.

Heah! For now I am glad to be back. PS see my blog of 2/10/11 “On Abortion” I am very proud to say that Planned Parenthood asked my permission to use it. A very happy, “Yes” of course.”

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Moose-head on the Table?

And other fears this spring

Got to get this off my chest. As I sit and watch the pictures of the increasing number of Tornadoes I am ready to scream out the window. No, It is not, “I’m am angry and not going to take it anymore.” As I look out over the devastation and listen to those poor souls through tears, telling the world, “We have lost everything we care about. What are we to do?” Last year was a record breaker in the number of Tornadoes. My hunch. This year will break last years record with its very early late February start.

Here comes the Moosehead on the table. back in my Organizational Development, OD days we spoke of the Mooshead phenomena. Sometimes it was the elephant in the room. The point simply was that we are suffering from a refusal to recognize a major factor staring us in the face. Why? Because then we would have to do something about it. That’s called, DENIAL. Buy doing so we simply avoid dealing with the issue. Welcome to Tornado Mooshead on the table.

I am, waiting for ONE SINGLE reporter meteorologist anybody who might just ask the question. COULD THIS BE PART OF CLIMATE CHANGE PHENOMENA? Oh, no because that has now become a political no,no like the Mooos-------on the table. You get what I mean.

As I sit here at my desk looking at pictures of my wonderful grand and great grandchildren it depresses me to think of how we continue to destroy this wondrous planet with all its grandeur of animals and plants. How our destruction will end up I am not at all certain. But for God-sakes how many more clues do we need to see what Climate Change is doing? Defrosted Arctic, South pacific Island flooded by rising seas. New deserts being created by shifting rain patterns. Floods wiping out old cities and towns etc. etc. And the deniers keep whistling Dixie as they explain, “oh its just another cyclical shift.” I have only one question for that crap shoot. And suppose it ain’t? Then what?

Yes, it's spring here on long Island. How do I know? The Red Wing Blackbird in his gorgeous,red, yellow black Tuxedo is back. I love him announcing his presence with his call, Maitre Deeee, Maitre Deee. Yes, I am lucky enough to still be able to experience these simple joys. But here comes another probably more urgent fear. Constant fear is a terrible consequence of our times? I spend a lot of time trying to decide what is our greatest fear for today?

Here comes the Bunkerbuster War!

Very heavy saber rattling in Washington about the Iran Israel crisis. Is this for real or is it just another send-up to another war? Sure reminiscent of the Iraq war. In case you forgot Weapons of Mass Destruction was the reason for that invasion. Iran is threatening the very existence of Israel vis a vie a Nuclear Bomb. We happen to be in high Presidential political season. Israel Prime Minister, Netanyaho makes a speech to AIPAC, powerful, top Jewish lobbying group in the US. He wants Obama to make red lines of when we start dropping “Bunkerbuster Bombs” on the Iranian Nuclear facilities. Yes, we are the only ones who have such instruments of war. So, either we drop em or give them over to the Israelis. Even that presents problems of their delivery ability. Okay, you see where this argument is going. It turns out that we might be the only resource that the Israelis can depend on for what Netanyaho has called their very survival.

The counter argument is that the Iranians on not that stupid or irrational to threaten Israeli with a Nuclear weapon. After all Israel has a dozen or more. It does remind me of the years of the Cold War including the Cuban Missile crisis. All those Nukes out there and none were ever launched. Yes that’s an alternative point of view not popular in an election year when the game of “Chicken” is now in full play. Obama is going to have to prove he is even tougher than taking out Asama Ben Laden. Poor, poor Obama he is always being pushed into a corner by the far right to prove his Macho.

Thinking of the possible consequences of the Bunkerbuster War? Arab Spring turns into Arab war against the American Satan. Iran blocks the Gulf of Hormuz. Our Navy bombs Iran to open up the Gulf. Gas prices at $4.00 a gallon will be a bargain as we go to $5.00 or maybe $6.00. Terrorist attacks against world wide US targets including some in the US. Gas lines reminecent of Jimmy Carter. Same Fox News crowd will then be blaming, you guessed it, Obama for creating the mess.

Real Problem. Once this Bunkerbuster war gets started, “How do we stop it??? “ Can we take it to the UN? The Arab countries well say the US needs to get its Imperialist intentions out of the Middle East. And what will we say in reply? We are once again entering a very dangerous game that once started will take on a life of its own and be very difficult to stop. Could be just like in Afghanistan.

Enjoy the spring and I hope the Red Wing Blackbird visits you as well.