View From Here

Two hundred and fifty years our federal government has been in operation. At first its role was to establish a national identity, some sense of cohesiveness, then a national presence in the global community of that era, then military defense of our borders. What came later were tasks that were logical and necessary. Settling the nation’s vast landscape west of our early eastern states. Manifest Destiny toward the Pacific coast was one such necessity. Indian affairs was another, and we did that badly. Transportation issues encouraged the Erie Canal, bridges, roads and connecting and expanding the railroad system from coast to coast. None of this came easily or quickly. All were earned by need and even dire circumstances. Along the way we focused attention on living conditions and public safety. That included policing, firefighting, streets and sanitation, response to emergencies such as floods, large fires, and destructive weather. Soon we paid attention to worker safety, employme...

The day unfolds from dawn to dusk to bedtime. Meals are created and eaten. Activities happen and pull me through the day. A time to rest, perhaps. A time to watch TV just for the fun of it. And then other things occur during the day and evening to occupy time and attention. It just does. This day, and yesterday. Tomorrow promises the same. Then the week unfolds, and month, seasons and year. Year after year. Each unfolds as individual but similar routines happen and reproduce themselves. Sameness. Predictability. Manner of thinking and seeing. And reasoning to temporary conclusions? Weather unfolds, too. Sunny and bright, or dark and gloomy. Rainy, snowy, windy, whatever will be. We survive the changes of temperatures and precipitation. We manage the travel and treks through mounds of weather. We just do. It is context to living. We do not control it, just how we live with it. Careers unfold as well. We start with schooling, then more specialized schooling, a starter job that lead...

What do you want to be when you grow up? That was a question asked of each of us as we were growing up. Our answers then were based on little. Just interests. Just ideas that brought us pleasure. Like eating ice cream, or selling ice cream, or being a hero like a firefighter or policeman. Very simple ideas. Just bits and pieces of the life we had experienced by that early age in life. But we all know life is more complicated than that. What do I want now that I am an adult? Well, that calls for serious thinking and choosing. The answers will shift depending on the context at the time of the questioning. Simple? Not at all. Today, I want world peace. I think we have all glimpsed enough of the global community to understand that we gain more through cooperation and collaboration than going it alone. Nations that act alone often turn out to be power grabbers and influencers of extremes. Ideologies seem to be the drivers of such power grabs, but not really. China does not wish the worl...

I finally figured out that the more press conferences the White House holds the more lies are delivered to public air ways. The baldness of these actions is breathtaking. So very obvious. The presentations of bloggers and vloggers create the statements the White House wishes to counter. To do that, pressers are held quickly, even more frequent than daily. Amazing when you realize some White House administrations rarely held pressers as often as once a month. The material shared at Trump’s pressers is the baldest of all. Simply untrue statements. Counter to facts or history – long or short term – that mirror the statements and story lines they wish to refute. Predictable. We could even write the scripts of them they are so predictable. The art of distraction is on full view. So are artful dodges and intended miscues. It is clear the White House staffers have a long view plan and script of their own. They continually push it forward. The cohesiveness gives proof to the lie itself –...

I enjoy food. I like fresh air. Rarely able but occasionally, I can smell fresh air and love it, truly love it! Sex is an interest but not much more than that. A beautiful sky lights up my day. Warm and comfortable air temps are noticed and appreciated. What else do I like and appreciate? Too much to mention here but a lot of things. For you as well, I’m sure. Life has much to like. Annoyance is present as well in normal daily routines. Waiting for others who are late meeting with me. Traffic congestion even when I plan to avoid it by choice of route and time of travel. Slow wanky drivers irritate me no end. Gloomy weather darkens my mood, always has, even when living in southern California. Living in New England pretty much broke that automatic response, but still, a dark day is a moody one for me. Much appreciated are things that go well in an organization. We sit in meetings, discuss issues and problems, and come up with solutions. We plan those actions, and they function well...

The creaks and crunching sounds are the first giveaway that the body is aging. Shortness of breath at inopportune times is another. Oh, gray hair does not always signal aging, I’m one of those whose hair has barely changed hues and I’m nearly 82. It’s a gene thing they say. Another gene thing is timing of death. So many of us have experienced death among our friends and some of us in our immediate household. That’s when aging becomes mighty apparent. Death and dying is a constant in all our lives. We will die someday, and all of us are in the process of dying every day. We just don’t think of it that way. In my case, both parents are now gone. My life partner, Rocky, is gone, nearly 20 months. My ex-wife’s husband died a week ago. Most of us have older siblings who are closer to death than we. That’s the chronology of life. The beginning has an inevitable end. Of that we are certain, and the passing of time – aging – is clearly marked. Forgetting things may be thought of as aging...

Coping with the unknown is one thing. Living up close and personal with challenges that threaten instability is different. Especially those that threaten personal instability. I remember walking across campus from church. We had a special choir rehearsal, and I had a test the next day. A test that I was most uncertain of regarding success or failure. I recall wondering if I should continue studying or getting to the rehearsal. I chose choir because music calms me. Actively participating in music calms me more. My test anxiety returned on the walk back to the dorm. Similar memories persist. The dread of possible failure clouded much of my time in undergraduate work. Did I really understand the concepts and how they fit with related topics? Could I work and create with those concepts? The doubt pulled breath from my lungs and emptied my core. The feelings were real. Physical hollowness became reality. By graduation I lessened those bouts of anxiety. I began to know I understood the...

In my early teens I thought much of current events. I pondered our form of government, how it worked, and how it remained stable for nearly 200 years. I observed elected politicians, their norms and interactions with other citizens, and the protocols kept true in those days. I never imagined things different. Never. Until now. Almost 70 years later I watch our system work entirely differently. For different ends, decidedly different processes, and shortcuts unimagined now seemingly the norm. The president proposes and enacts. Congress is evidently not needed. Only the courts dampen the process. Even then, the courts appear slow to act, diffident even; actions seem limited as well. My mind races back to recall checks and balances. They remain in place but no longer fully used. Other checks and balances come to mind, the most basic being voters. But those ballots are cast only every two years for some purposes, and four years for the more important purposes. There is one other ...

Authority, that is. What authority is real, and what is not. Does it truly matter which is which if both work? A person who asserts themselves and acts will be in control of the situation as long as nothing is done to counteract it. Con men rely on this. Pressure sales tactics depend on this. A string of decisions is made in a rapid flow of moments. An agreement is reached. Papers soon follow along with an exchange of value – cash, checks or loans. The deal is arranged as a done transaction. At any moment in the string of time the deal could have been derailed. All that was needed was someone to stop the decision-making process and ask questions. Like today, We The People are asking each of the three branches of government who has the authority to act? Our constitution is relatively clear. We have a tripartite form of government, and each part must agree with or veto the action of the other for the governance structure to operate. Laws are made by Congress. They have their pro...

Ukraine : An ally of America and the free world, upending its defense so Russia can control it, is a terrible outcome. And America makes this happen by rebuking its agreement to help Ukraine survive Russia’s invasion twice. If we allow this to happen, the history of our nation will be forever stained. Ukraine is the perfect buffer between the communist world and the free world. They share such a history and belong as that important buffer. It is up to Europe and the US to save Ukraine. That needs to happen now. Today. Trumpers : These people who supported Trump’s bare election victory, wonder why the rest of the country thinks of them as stupid. Five weeks into his presidency, Trump has proven why his vision of the nation and world is wrong. Five weeks. Record time to undo more than 250 years of American history. Trumpers focused on the wrong things to vote for. The rest of us understood the larger vision and the damage he could do to that. And we were right. Clarity of that stat...

Perhaps my age is a data selector for internet manipulators. Perhaps not. But I receive emails and Facebook ads for low premium auto insurance coverage for my age group. AARP touts very large discounts based on elder age, no DUIs for last 3 years, and low weekly mileage. All those points apply to me. Social Security Services is also claimed to be a provider of auto insurance coverage for seniors with the same exact selector points. Then there are the big four insurers, they all claim legislation has required them to lower insurance premiums for elders above 60 years of age, with no DUI’s for the last 3 years and weekly mileage of less than 50 miles. Then there are the special insurers who claim to focus on elders touting low premiums. The premiums are all in the $20 to $40 monthly rates with full coverages or lean ones. The numbers are mostly the same, and message and selector categories identical. A person like me is supposed to believe that all of this is true. But it is not....

The Friday, February 28, 2025, White House meeting of Volodymyr Zelensky with President Trump and Vice President Vance is evidence of impeachable actions. Both Trump and Vance manipulated an ally, deliberately misspoke facts and history, and denigrated the name of the United States to the world community. This historical event misrepresents the values and intentions of America herself. Accordingly, We The People take back our power of the nation. Congress is fully empowered to impeach both Trump and Vance. The Speaker of the House will assume their authority until a duly scheduled election is arranged to elect a new President and Vice President. Doing less than this allows the world to assume Trump and Vance speak for the American people. They do not and we must set the record straight immediately. May we expect Congress to finally get its act together and accomplish the above? March 5, 2025    

  March 3, 2025 Donald J. Trump, President 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, DC   Dear Sir: Your performance to date as President of the United States is far below par. It is clear you have not supported or defended the US Constitution and stand impeachable for those offenses. It is up to Congress to impeach you, but they do so at the will of We The People. Ukraine is to be supported. Contractual agreements with We The People should stand for Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Those will stand by way of the courts, including the Supreme Court. You have overestimated your power and authority and stand prime facie guilty of an impeachable offense. Resign your position now. We will take care of Vice President Vance in the same manner. The Speaker of the House will fill your term as President until replaced by a usually scheduled election. Your tenure has been disastrous and of little consequence as We The People take back our power for the nation. S...