Month: August 2019

Having done a quantity of “leadership thought” pieces recently, I also commented about how *a mother grizzly with cubs* – historically a kiss-your-ass goodbye! moment to avoid – treated the guy who saved her cubs better than Trumpster could hold it together for ten minutes into flight after visiting a hospital in Dayton.

Apples to apples comparison, one of those two did an excellent job with their PR.

In the week since those slaughters in Dayton and El Paso, TX, the over-whelming support for SOMETHING to change – by like 94% of everybody – has provided common cause, perhaps on the level of the Vietnam War protests I remember. That the recent violence was directed so specifically, that doesn’t represent the world I grew up in, so I and others will raise ours voices against it.

Does it feel like more jawing coming? Because while the NRA has clearly spoken to the Prez directly about their paid-for feelings, can even “Moscow Mitch” hold up something basic like background checks? How can this gun-racism tie in, after 18 months of barrage, still be inadequate to creating legislative changes? 

We are indeed in stressful times, and while I was pre-occupied with becoming my mother’s primary care person two memorable Valentine’s Day ago, the slaughter at Stoneman-Douglas HS raised the guns- school shootings profile to a national awareness of ENOUGH!  As individuals frequently expressed over BBQ and beers this weekend, there’s an expectation that its time to wrestle with that bear, as long as its getting shoved in our faces anyway.

UGANDA is issuing travel advisories for *their* people going to the United States, in light of constant gunfire in US.  How’s that square with “winning,” our vaunted sense of superiority?

It’s not just amplified jive from the bots, or is it?

Rep. Nadler says this IS what impeachment proceedings look like, that its a process, whether anyone believes they’ve poked strongly enough to move a monumental effort through the courts or not. This is something to be hopeful about. We have the history of Watergate, a defining moment many others – first time voters, post Nixon –  political learning curves rely on, too. Yes, I became part of that huge increase in journalism majors in the late Seventies.

This is where many stop – “There’s nothing I can do”

“Don’t sweat those things you can’t affect,” or maybe the common “Stay in your lane, bro,” begs the question of how much caring and worrying we should individually and collectively give. Was it Covey who suggested we wasted an awful lot of time/energy worrying about events that – 95% of the time – either never come to pass, or will happen in spite of anything we can do?

That doesn’t mean you completely crap out on paying attention though. IMHO, you still have to call out what’s on the other side of Decency or Right (as in correct) line, and yes, results come from changing those things you can actually affect. Since Day One, I expected that the media would need to keep hot, bright, continuous lights on what this administration will go down in history as being, and 2018 was proof of that.

While its stunning that the graft-riddled Trump Administration is still afloat, we can still hope to make certain necessary changes in bringing back our national mojo. Calling for that mojo thing isn’t just a Woodstock flashback – and its really been 50 years since the ‘Miracle Mets’ and Tom Terrific and landing on the moon? –  but this isn’t the time for Boomers to go quietly into that good night.

Social Security is NOT an entitlement program, its a payoff I’ve built up since that first inside job at sixteen, when I asked, “What’s FICA?”

This isn’t the time for Boomers to go quietly into that good night.

With all due gravity to everyone affected – and the cannery workers round-up designed to incite greater fears as a chaser – I’m glad to watch a Panthers preseason game, have a chance to whack a pretty good bucket of golf balls, and be invited to a ribs + beers gathering with neighbors and their young and college age children on Saturday to gird myself for “More.”

Pace yourself, America

I acknowledge feeling safe there, although such a scene is as ripe as any other gathering for violent changes. Yes, should the worst happen at some point, “A good guy with a gun,” showing up like NRA/GOP always exclaims would be welcome.

Counting on Wonder Woman to deflect ordinance is a fallacy, but we’ve been closer to  putting some brakes on assault weapon killings before – and it worked, remember?

As we consumed saucy ribs, with intelligent persons representing a variety of nationalities and ages, my interviewer gene was tickled: So excellent to hear what our acquaintances FEEL on various topics instead of hearing cable TV percentages. It was gratifying to recognize the free flow of discourse compared to naysaying, negativity, and dogmatic reactions that often lower conversations with ‘others.’

The women I spoke with – that demographic everyone recognizes brings victory – I *never* heard anyone mention Hillary, and Trump won’t get their votes either.

There’s no denying the experts saying its going to be loud and bad right through Election Day next November, but I also relaxed, because I unplugged from political analysis from Thursday-Sunday.

Nicole Wallace’s DEADLINE: White House and Brian William’s 11th Hour have been my standards, they don’t do “alternative facts.” Williams’ humor and precise, well-articulated questions of experts is still the standard to hold high regarding the power of the free press. I respect Wallace because she was in the Bush White House on 9/11, and she KNOWS what disarray with staff and a national emergency both look like for real.

Like the soaps opera manipulations your friends used to fill you in about in college, you can miss a couple episodes with politics and pick things up quick in a 24/7 news cycle. Oh, Epstein committed suicide? What a surprise, but Barr is starting a probe…

You’re gonna have to pace yourself, America. Mueller’s report wasn’t as great a “movie” as many hoped, but I’ll support the on-going, Watergate-style job designated for Congress 243 years ago; ICE bullying and savage malfeasance, unqualified clowns considered for high positions, its more anxiety than CBD oil should be called on to negate.

Becoming my Mom’s primary care person that Valentines Day shooting, can you believe we’ve gotten to THIS POINT, again, in 18 months?  Standing on “Moscow Mitch’s” feet of lead in the Senate, that’s a significant, well-defined desire by the many.

Periodically unplugging and stopping to smell any flowers, really, watch ANY high school football game, or having ribs and beers with neighbors, that contemplation of peace and joy we praise in the Constitution is out there, keep pushing for a piece of peace.