Like a Cat...

 ... I landed on my feet.

My friend's thyroidectomy was successful and he is home recuperating.

I have a job.  It's not a full time job that lets me keep full financial independence, but I'm good with it.  Let me give you a bit of background.  As I said in my last post, my previous employer is a friend of mine, and he helped me out when I needed a job.  We both saw early on in my time with that company that I wasn't fully occupied, and he asked me if I'd be interested in doing IT work on the side for another company, where he's a silent partner.  I eagerly accepted the offer, because it kept me productive, and doing the type of work I most enjoy doing... designing, building and maintaining IT infrastructures, and helping people use technology.  I did that for free, because it wasn't a ton of work, because i had the free time in my primary job, because it was a new business starting at ground zero, and because my boss is my friend.  When I was cut from this position, my friend/boss said that the second company was still interested in retaining my services.

I had a chat with the primary guy as the second job, and it's now my first job.  The pay is a little less than I had hoped, but it's reasonable considering that I'm only working a few hours a week, and there is opportunity for growth.

During my last gig, when we realized there wasn't enough for me to do, we cut my hours back from full time to 30 hours per week.  I was a bit anxious over the accompanying pay cut, but I quickly realized it was a net gain, because I've come to value my time more than my paycheck.  This new scenario simply ratchets things up a notch.  I've taken another pay reduction, and have significantly increased my free time.

My biggest concern now is how this impacts my lovely bride.  She is once again the primary breadwinner, and she is an incredibly conscientious.  She will carry this load, but I know her well enough to realize it's an additional stressor on her.  On the good side, I'm still contributing to the household finances in some fashion.  I get that a marriage is not about who brings in more money, but how the overall load balances, and that balance is unique to each marriage.  I just need to make sure that I'm contributing my fair share to our marriage.  This means that at least some of this newfound free time will go toward tasks, chores and projects that she currently handles.  I also understand this is my issue more than hers, because I'm the one who feels like I run the risk of letting her down.  On the other hand, she has never once given me reason to believe that I'm failing to pull my weight in our relationship.

A Perfect Storm

Today's a bit of a perfect storm...

I lost my job yesterday.  I'm not surprised, and I'm not angry.  A close friend of mine hired me a couple of years ago when I got canned from my last job.  I was hired to make the company SOC2 compliant, and I accomplished the goal.  Having achieved success, there's just not enough for me to do, so cutting me loose was the only rational thing to do.  My friend helped me out in a time of need, I completed what he asked of me, and my continued employment with him is no longer mutually beneficial.  To be anything other than grateful would be childish.

My best friend is having his thyroid removed today.  He was diagnosed with cancer last month and the doctors decided that removing the thyroid is the best course of action.  I'm not precisely worried, but I am cognizant that sometimes things don't go as expected during surgery.

Today is also the 11th anniversary of the day my childhood best friend took his own life.  It's a slightly strange coincidence that one friend is fighting for his life today, on the anniversary of the day that another voluntarily ended his.

None of these items alone cause significant stress.  Even collectively I'm not exactly freaked out.  I am, however, conscious that all of this is going on in my little world, and it kind of drives home how so much of what happens is out of my hands, and that control is a bit of an illusion.

A Different Type of Political Junk Mail?

I received a message from my ex over the weekend.  We're not friends, and I don't communicate with her, but she's not blocked either.  I guess this stems back to the days when we were co-parenting, when we needed to be able to communicate about the kids.  Over time, communication naturally tapered off as the kids grew up.  In other words, no communication means no need to block.

Anyway, she basically said something like Not sure if you heard, but I recently got a rough health diagnosis.  This caused me to take stock, and along the way, someone said I should make amends to people I wronged, and I realized I never said sorry for cheating on you.  I was wrong and hurtful and you didn't deserve it, no matter what was going on between you and me.  I'm sorry for being unfaithful and for the pain it caused you and our family.

As you can imagine, I had thoughts, which I'm going to share in no particular order:

-Whatever.  This was a long time ago and I really don't care anymore.

-Yeah, I was heartbroken and pissed for a while, not just for me but for the kids as well.  But wife 2.2 is better by every possible measure.  I thought I was taking a bullet, but in reality I was dodging one.

-Ummm... okay, but you do understand you're doing this for you, not for me, right?

-Oh, I get it.  She's on the outs with the kids.  Neither of them are talking to her right now because of her behavior, so maybe she thinks she'll score a quick win with me saying I forgive you.

-Or maybe she's hoping I'll say I forgive you so she can go back to the kids and say dad forgave me for cheating and breaking up our family, why can't you work with me now?

-Dammit, this woman is like herpes.  She just keeps flaring up.  I wish I could just be rid of her.

I pondered whether to share with my wife and kids that ex had messaged me.  Not talking about it would prevent a bit of drama in our lives.  But if (when) they eventually found out, they might wonder why I didn't bring it up earlier.  I chose open communication and informed them all.  They asked what I was gonna do, and I hadn't decided.  I could accept the apology, even though it was kind of lame.  I could reject the apology as too little, too late.  I could completely ignore it.

Here's a paraphrase of my eventual reply... Thanks for reaching out.  I put this behind me quite a while ago.  Let's let sleeping dogs lie.  Wishing you the best on your health...

I didn't want to kick her when she was down, nor did I wish to completely absolve her of wrongdoing.  I also didn't want to dredge up the past.  In a perfect world, this will be the last I hear from or about her.  But she is the mother of my kids, so that's probably not going to happen.  And I certainly don't want the kids to feel like there's something I'm unwilling to discuss with them.  So instead, I'll just consider this what it is... another herpes outbreak.  Or, since it's close to election time, maybe I should think of it as just another unsolicited piece of junk mail from a politician, conveniently seeking my support while knowing full well they don't really care about me, just themselves.  Yeah, I kind of like that idea.  Time to throw that flyer in the trash.

I Never Do This!

I did something today that I never do.. I ordered something based on a first viewing of a testimonial advertisement.  The product is called swoveralls.  I stumbled across it in a social media feed, and the guy hawking the product is someone I casually follow.  The guy is a fellow GenXer, and historically speaking, he doesn't make a habit of plugging products.  The concept of overalls made out of sweatpants material intrigued me, so I checked it out further.

First things first:  I have to admit that I choked a bit when I saw the $100 price tag.  Holy crap, I don't spend that much for much of anything, much less a glorified pair of sweats.  Furthermore, I haven't worn overalls since I was a kid, but man, they looked stylish and comfortable.  After reading the reviews, I figured I'd give them a whirl.  The worst that happens is I don't like 'em, and if that's the case, I can return them, give them to a friend or family member, or donate them to charity.

I've got admit, this whole thing has me a little excited.  I'm very comfortable with my personal taste in clothing, so this is a new adventure for me.  I don't do the whole impulse buying thing, so that's a bit out of my comfort zone.  Oh... the manufacturer gives 20% off to military, veterans and first responders, dropping the price down to a still high but more manageable $80.  If I remember, I'll let you know the verdict after I've tried 'em out.

Jay-Z Doing the Superbowl

Once again my fellow old white guys are having a conniption over the announced halftime show.  They had a cow over Bad Bunny headlining last time around, and they're doing it again over Jay-Z.  Damn, these guys need to get a grip!

I'm going to say up front that I'm not a Jay-Z fan.  My musical taste is firmly in the rock genre.  At the same time, I know that I'm not the NFL's core demographic.  Yeah, I may have the money to purchase tickets and subscriptions to the NFL sports channels, but realistically speaking, at this stage in my life, the NFL has either hooked me or they haven't.  Who plays the halftime show will have little to no impact on whether or not I watch the game, and it certainly won't change how frequently I watch NFL football for the next twenty to thirty years.

The halftime show is certainly designed to keep people from channel surfing during the mid game break, but it's more than that.  It's designed to get new people to watch the game, with the ultimate goal of expanding their fan base.  Note that the operative word in that sentence is "new."  To use an analogy, football is the drug, and the NFL is trying to get people addicted.  This means they need to actively pursue the youth market.  Anyone complaining about Jay-Z performing doesn't understand this reality, and they certainly fail to realize that the NFL just doesn't care.

I Couldn't Help Myself

I'm a bit of a documentary junkie.  I can't help myself.  I enjoy history and like hearing the stories of those who came before us.  I had a bit of time on my hands yesterday and watched a couple of documentaries.  I tried to watch one on the Knights Templar, but that one really didn't do anything for me, because the story was incoherent, and the story was dry.  For the first time in ages, I didn't finish a documentary.  As I browsed through other possibilities, I saw that Tiger King was listed under documentaries.  That's not a documentary; it's reality TV, which is a television genre I don't enjoy.  I didn't watch the show while it was running, and I'm not gonna start now, thank you very much.

I stumbled across one called Bad Faith and decided to give it a watch.  The story discusses the rise of Christian Nationalism in America, touching on the KKK, but really focuses on how the Moral Majority has shaped our current political climate.  I think it's worth your time, and didn't see anything that was patently incorrect or false.  In fact, a lot of what was discussed falls in line with my education and my experiences growing up.

The one thing I will say is that the story left me feeling a little... hopeless.  I tend to work with the expectation that people are rational beings.  This fundamental assumption has bitten me in the @$$ more than I'd care to admit, but I continue to hold out hope.  Unfortunately, this story drove home the point that Christian Nationalists are operating from a belief system rooted in religion, and the belief system is ingrained in such a way that they don't want to negotiate with people whose viewpoint is different from their own.

In all honesty, I've kind of been quietly carrying this understanding for quite a while, but have generally chosen to overlook the reality, again, because I keep holding out the hope that I might be able to win a heart here or a mind there.  But it really hit me hard when a pastor essentially said that Christian Nationalists would rather burn it all down than compromise.  I get that Christian Nationalists are not a majority of America... heck, I doubt they're even a majority of Christians, but I could be wrong there.  Regardless, if even a quarter of Americans identify themselves as Christian Nationalist, and if they genuinely hold the mentality that they'd rather break our country and destroy our republic than compromise, then we're in serious trouble.

So yeah, the show was educational; I learned something.  But I did not feel better after the lesson ended.  Unfortunately, it was a documentary, and I couldn't help myself.  Oh, by the way, I still recommend it.

One other thing... I had forgotten that Ronald Reagan said Make America Great Again, way back in 1980. 

AI Meets a Narcissist

I'm sure by now you've heard that our illustrious commander in chief has decided that AI is now "Super Intelligence," or "SI."  He then doubled down on his decree, saying that anyone who doesn't use his preferred term is "the enemy."

Let me start by saying I had planned to keep my yap shut about this one.  I honestly believe that our POTUS is nothing more than an attention whore, and all he cares about is clicks and eyeballs.  He doesn't care if it's positive or negative, as long as all eyes are on him.  Part of me hopes that if I don't feed his addiction, maybe he'll just go away and die.  Unfortunately, there are plenty of people who are willing to feed the beast that is his ego.  Besides, it's a slow news day and it's been a bit since my post, and this is what I have to work with.  So let's dig in...

Let's tackle the obvious reference to George Orwell's book, 1984. Trump is quoted as saying that anyone who doesn't use his terminology is the enemy.  This is a play right out of the autocrat's handbook, and it loosely combines two concepts from 1984: 1) Thoughtcrime is the offense of holding politically unacceptable thoughts.  2) Newspeak is the concept of controlled language, designed to enforce party ideology and limit free thought.  Realistically, "Gulf of America" and "Lake America" have the same purpose, by "stealing" the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Ontario, claiming them for "ourselves," and "owning" Trump's so-called adversaries.

Now, let's talk about the timing.  Am I the only one who finds the timing of his rename a little suspect?  His administration is facing rising fuel costs, a war with Iran where he doesn't get to dictate the terms of the conflict, much less the resolution, and an increasing possibility of losing the House and/or Senate to the Democrats in the November election.  Trump has a well-established pattern of behavior that when things aren't going his way, he creates a distraction.  It's come to the point where even some of his most ardent supporters are seeing through the smokescreen.  Wag the dog much?

In closing, this is me doubling down.  AI.  Artificial Intelligence.  It's not Super, and it's not SI.  Bite me, because I'm the enemy!  I'm not going to toe the party line just because someone tells me that doing otherwise makes me the enemy.  I support free thought and expression, and abhor their suppression, to the point that I will quite possibly rage against the machine even if I agree, because screw you and your need to control me.

Another RenFest

I did the Iowa Renaissance Festival in Amana, IA today.  This event is quite toned down when compared to the Minnesota Renaissance Festival, but that makes a lot of sense.  The Minnesota RenFest has been in the same place for 50+ years, it runs every weekend from approximately Memorial Day to the end of September, and it's in one of the top 20 metro areas by population.  By way of comparison, the Iowa Renaissance Festival has been around for about 30 years, doesn't occur every weekend, and travels around the state, going to the people.  As a result the vibe is unique to each place.

The Minnesota Renfest has some awesome artisans.  Over the years, I purchased my boots, jerkin, hat, and a leather mug at the Minnesota Renfest.  I paid a premium, but the work was done by highly skilled experts in their crafts.  With these items alone, my constantly-evolving costume would retail today for well over $750.  Fun story about the leather mug... I bought it over 20 years ago.  When I went back the next year, a vendor -- yes, a VENDOR -- asked me where I got the mug.  When I told him that I'd bought it from a vendor at the MN RenFest, he asked me the purchase price, and when I told him, he offered double on the spot.  I politely declined.  He then said I need to hold on to the mug, because the original artisan had passed away, and the mugs were quickly skyrocketing in price.  He stamped each mug with a serial number, so you knew it was him.  To put this in perspective, leather mugs ran over $100 this year.  Mine is less ornate but superior quality.  But I'm digressing...

The Iowa Renfest has local artisans, and it's a bit more eclectic.  It caters a bit less to stereotypical tourist crowd, and more toward your average nerd.  Some of the vendors obviously purchase stuff online and sell at a markup, but there are others who are up-and-coming craftsmen, or who make crafts just for the love of it.  My favorite vendor today had a huge selection of cloaks and capes that were hand made and upcycled from remnant fabric such as curtains or old blankets.  At past Iowa Renfest events, I purchased my leather belt and a mug belt holder.  I also purchased a dice rolling tower.

Both events have mandatory things, such as bawdy comedy shows, smoked turkey legs, live jousting and sword fighting, and mead, which is one of my favorite indulgences.  I'm learning to make mead with my best friend James, so it's almost my duty to sample professional mead when the opportunity arises.  Today I tasted an apple pie mead, which was phenomenal.  It cost $25 for an 8 oz bottle, but I happily absorbed that cost in the name of professional research.

Oh, I should mention that I wore peace tied weapons.  I have a dagger, which is technically my oldest renfest attire item.  I purchased it when I visited Medieval Times in Buena Park, CA sometime in the late 80's or early 90's.  It's a cheap cast dagger, but it's fun to carry.  My other weapon is my official USMC issue NCO sword, which is technically a saber.  Some people may cringe at the fact that I use my USMC NCO sword as part of my renfest costume, but I would rather bring it out and play with it than let it simply sit on my wall, collect dust, and tarnish over time.

I took my dog Lainie with me, just like I did for the Minnesota Renfest.  Per usual, she was a hit.  She enjoys the outings, and loves the attention.  For my part, I enjoy watching people interact with her.  It makes them happy; it makes her happy; and that brings me happiness.

While shopping today, I was on the lookout for four possible purchases for my ever-evolving costume: 1)  I was looking for a better frog for my USMC NCO Sword.  The frog I have is too big.  I didn't find what I was looking for, so when I got home I bit the bullet and purchased a dagger holster from Amazon, because it's the perfect size.  2) I'm looking for a leather cavalier hat with an ostrich feather.  My lovely bride got one this year, and when I tried it on, I thought Oh, I need this for my costume! 3) I'm looking for a wool cloak with a hood.  But it was really hot today, and I didn't want to buy a cloak while it's crazy hot outside.  I need to find the right item at the right time.  4) I want to upgrade my bracers.  I saw a couple of possibilities, but none of them were dark brown, which I need to match my existing costume.  I have bracers, but they're thin leather.  I want something that's a little less ornamental, and a little thicker.  The fun thing about this is the hunt.  I've been doing this for a long time, so I can afford to go slow and find exactly what I'm looking for.

The only downside to today is that I had planned to go with my wife and another couple.  The other couple is dogsitting a puppy that kept them up all night, so they flaked, and my ride-or-die wife has a chest cold, making her feel more like "die" than "ride."  On the good side, this is the first time I've done a renfest totally solo, which allowed me the freedom to come and go completely on my timeline.  Additionally, I had purchased wifey's ticket in advance, so I made some random lady's day by giving her the extra ticket at no charge. 

They Tied the Knot

In my previous entry, I mentioned that wifey and I were going to a wedding.  Mission accomplished.  Oh, before I continue... in that post, I said I couldn't remember attending a wedding since younger daughter got hitched.  I forgot about my brother-in-law's wedding last summer, and it's a shame I forgot, even temporarily.  I like my brother-in-law, and I feel he chose a great woman to be his wife.  The wedding itself was a ton of fun, including the groom singing musical songs before the bride walked down the aisle.

The wedding last weekend was a young woman whom I'd consider a surrogate daughter, and I'm delighted that she found the right man.  They're a great couple and I am confident they'll have a lifetime of happiness and companionship.  The wedding itself was short and sweet, and I really liked the layout of the venue.  It was three separate rooms on the second floor of a building in downtown Omaha.  This allowed the wedding to proceed seamlessly, followed by a quick walk to another room where beverages and snacks were waiting while the bride bustled her train and relax for a few minutes before the meal.  When we sat for the meal, the caterers quickly set up shop for the buffet, and the venue employees converted the wedding hall into a dance hall while we ate.  It was logistically the most seamless wedding I've attended.

The bride and groom had a block of rooms right around the corner from the wedding hall, but I was too slow to make my reservations, so wifey and I had to get a hotel a mile or so away.  The drive from hotel to wedding was weird.  Downtown Omaha's streets are undergoing massive construction to install streetcars and for extensive utility work while they're at it.  Every single street was one lane, one way.  Oddly enough, there was no traffic though, so this was a minor inconvenience.  It was weird to jump from lane to lane multiple times within a couple of blocks though.  It felt like I was driving an obstacle course.

The drive to and from was easy.  I don't frequently do road trips anymore, and this one was pretty easy.  I kind of enjoyed just cruising down the road, listening to the radio, enjoying the scenery and quietly holding my wife's hand.  She's the best travel partner I could ask for.

With that much going on, the weekend felt quite short, but it was also cool to do something out of the ordinary. 

Ups and Downs

Up: I am heading to a wedding tomorrow.  I love weddings and I haven't been to one for several years.  I think the last wedding I attended was when I walked my younger daughter down the aisle about five years ago.  For this wedding, my wonderful bride and I will be heading to Omaha, NE, where a former coworker of mine will tie the knot with the man who won her heart.  I'm happy beyond words for.  She's kind of like a surrogate daughter to me.  We haven't worked together for over five years, but we still call or text each other a few times a year.  I also expect to see a few other former coworkers at the event, which will be fun.

Down: My best friend has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer.  On the good side, it was caught very early and he will likely just undergo a lumpectomy, meaning he may not have to go on thyroid medication for the rest of his life.  Also, thyroid cancer is considered one of the most treatable forms of cancer, so his prognosis is very good.

Up: One of my close friends is one step closer to moving into a new home with his wife.  I'm very happy for him.

Down: He moved to Georgia a couple of years ago, meaning it's quite likely I will never see him.  Regardless, he's living his best life and I'm very happy for him.

Up: I purchased tickets to the 2026 Marine Corps Ball.  This will be the first time in a very long time that I've attended a Marine Corps Ball for active duty Marines, and I'm very much looking forward to it.  I plan to wear my Dress Blues, which will be a first.  I didn't have blues when I was active duty, so it will be the first time I've worn blues to an active duty ball.  Furthermore, I will be with my local recruiters.  I'm gonna stop here, partially because I like ending on a positive note, and partially because I can't think of another down.  I guess that means life is good in the House of Evan. 

I Don't Make a Difference

My wife is a psychologist.  She helps people through difficult periods in their lives.  My older daughter is a cosmetologist.  She helps people feel good about themselves.  My younger daughter is an art teacher.  She creates beautiful works of art, and more importantly, teaches young people how to create art of their own.  I work in IT, and I've come to the conclusion that I don't make a difference.  Putting my career in the best possible light, I make the trains run on time.  My line of work contributes to the economy, but it doesn't do anything for humanity.

Before I go any further in this post, I'd like to say that I have made peace with this realization.  It took me a while to get here, but I'm okay with it.  In fact, even in my early twenties, I realized that I was not destined for the history books.  For most of my life, I've known that my purpose was to (hopefully) bring a little bit of light and life to those around me.  When I became a father, I knew that I existed to love and cherish these two souls I helped bring into the world, and to provide them what they need(ed) to be healthy, happy humans in their own right.  When I got married to wife 2.0, I knew that I had found the best possible partner with whom I could share this journey.

Early in my career, I was asked why I went into IT.  I chose this field because I was fascinated by how computers worked, because I have an analytical mind, and because I saw limitless possibilities in the industry.  During my first interview, I was asked how I saw myself contributing to IT.  Even then I was realistic about the possibilities.  I told the interviewer that I did not see myself as the next Bill Gates, inventing the next great thing; I envisioned myself helping people utilize existing technology as efficiently and effectively as possible.

For many years, this worked well for me.  I had (and still have) a knack for helping people understand how technology works, at least at a functional level.  My preferred approach is to use analogies that my end users can relate to, and this methodology has served me well and to this day, help desk stuff is my favorite type of work because I get to help people solve immediate problems.  Again though, these problems are insignificant in the grand scheme of things.  Oh, I also love IT security analysis, because I get to see human creativity working to overcome computer security.  It's kind of fun to get into the mind of a hacker, figure out their next step and stop them in their tracks.  Even that work, however, still only serves to keep the trains running.  I do, however, take some pride in the fact that I can use my expertise to help keep people safe from scammers at home.

Several years ago, I made a pivot from hands-on IT work and moved to the management track.  I had hoped that I would have an opportunity to mentor and guide the next generation of young IT professionals, but things didn't quite work out as expected.  For the most part, that job had me handling PTO requests, and being responsible for projects without being provided the tools needed to ensure success.  I shielded my team from petty office politics, absorbed blame from executives when things went wrong, and watched them take credit for successes of my team.  It was not fun, and I did not make a difference.

From there I went into IT Security Compliance. Security Compliance is a fancy way of demonstrating, in a formally recognized manner, that my company follows and enforces established best practices in order to minimize the likelihood that bad things happen to our computer systems.  These best practices include things like ensuring that people have passwords that aren't easy to crack, having good data backups (and making sure those backups are tested,) making sure that end users are trained to know what social engineering looks like, making sure we don't use obsolete equipment, and so forth.  Here's the crazy thing:  I don't actually DO this stuff, I just go around making sure that we're doing it, and ensuring I can prove it.  In reality, I'm kind of like a referee in a football game, watching to ensure that the rules are followed, except that I don't have the authority to impose a penalty.  All I can do is recommend a course of action based on the current situation.  The single biggest real-world benefit I bring to the table is that my work helps reduce how much we pay for cyber insurance.  That's not exactly earth shattering.

This brings me back to my original point, which is that I don't make a difference, or more accurately, that my work doesn't make a difference, in the grand scheme of things.  One could be forgiven for believing this causes me some sort of philosophical crisis, but that's not the case at all.  In fact, it's kind of freeing to know that my job isn't important.  I can recall many times early in my career where I was so critical to the company that I had to go to work in the middle of the night because something had broken and needed to be fixed before everyone got to work in the morning.  Even then, "critical" is a matter of perspective.  Nobody died.  The worst thing that would happen is that people were unable to do some portion of their job.  I was protecting the productivity of workers for one specific company.   Conversely, there's no such thing as a compliance emergency.  When the day ends, I can check out physically and mentally.

I will say that making a difference mattered more when I was younger.  I believe that's a function of our relationship with work in America, where your occupation is a large portion of your identity.  Think about it: In virtually every conversation with a new acquaintance, what do you do for a living is one of the first things asked.  In response, most people say I am an [insert job name here].  Not I do, not I work as, we say I am, as if that's a full, unredacted description of you as a person.  Ridiculous!

This is an area of our society where I believe the younger generation has it right.  They are eschewing 50 years on the hamster wheel as an end in itself, and embracing the concept that work is a necessary evil that allows us to do more of the things we enjoy as humans.  After all, I'd rather be remembered as someone who brought a little light and life to those around me.  I'd prefer being memorialized as a man who loved and cherished his children, and a man who unabashedly shared himself with his wife.  I'm Evan, and I don't make a difference.

Remember, You Have More Than Two Options

If you spend any time watching TV, surfing the Internet, or even checking your snail mail, you should be very aware that election time is right around the corner.  If you use these sources as your basis for research, it would be understandable for you to conclude there are only two choices... Democrats or Republicans... and it would be reasonable for you to conclude that both of these options suck.  I would like to take a moment to remind you there additional options.

While not every elected office may have third party candidates, a lot of them will, especially at the state and federal level.  Other parties include the Green Party, Libertarian, and independents, though others exist.  I strongly encourage you to do a bit of research before election day to see if there are other options.

Democrats and Republicans do a tremendous job of talking people out of voting for third party candidates.  They usually accomplish this goal by saying that voting for a third party is "wasting your vote," or claiming that you're a "spoiler" if you vote third party.  Saying that a vote that doesn't support a major party candidate is a spoiler or wasted vote is playing on the false choice fallacy.  The problem is that too many people buy into this lie, which paradoxically turns the lie into a truth... depending on your definition of wasted vote or spoiler.

I have a long history of casting my vote for third party candidates.  From my perspective, those who cry wasted vote and spoiler are failing to look at the larger picture.  As a voter, I have two concerns: 1) Does the candidate's platform align with my values?  2) Is the candidate qualified?  Notice that neither of these questions center of party or ability to win.

Let me use an analogy to make my point.  Let's say that I'm an employer looking for someone to fill an open position.  Why would I only accept applicants that graduated from an Ivy League school, (Yale, Harvard, etc.,)  when someone who attended an in-state university can do the job just as well?  Hopefully, you get that Ivy League in this analogy is Democrat/Republican and in-state university is the third party candidate.

Now, let's take a look at who owns the vote.  While the major parties seem to believe they're entitled, at the end of the day, it's my vote and my choice.  Republicans are chocolate cake.  Democrats are white cake.  (Maybe I should reverse that?!?)  Unfortunately for both parties, I like cheesecake.  Why should I settle for cake when cheesecake is an available choice?  I shouldn't!  I'd be settling.

I'd also like to note that every election offers the opportunity for a write-in.  In my opinion, this is the ultimate form of protest, and the ultimate exercise of free choice.  In this case, I am saying I don't want chocolate cake.  I don't want white cake.  I don't want cheesecake.  I want pie, and I'm going to drive to a different store to get it.  While you are virtually guaranteed to not get your way in the election, you are also saying that you refuse to compromise your vote... or conversely, that, while you agree to play the game, you are making a mockery of the generally accepted guidelines and exercise your right to protest by following the rules in a completely unexpected way.

Finally, I'd like to address staying home.  While I used to believe this is an unacceptable option, because every citizen has an obligation to participate in our representative government, I no longer believe that we have a moral duty to vote.  I say this because the establishment (IE the Democrats and Republicans) have broken the social contract.  Somewhere along the line, long before I became old enough to vote, the two major parties stopped putting forth the best candidates, instead choosing to advance people who toed the party line first and foremost, and who would perpetuate the power of the party.  If I don't like any of the teams playing in a football game, why should I go?

My point is this:  You have more than two choices.  Don't let the biggest kids on the block force you to play on their team because they suck least.  You can play on a smaller team, or you can keep your ball and stay home. 

I Guess I Did Okay

I went to the Minnesota Renaissance Festival yesterday with my lovely bride, my younger daughter, her family, and her in-law's side of the family.  We went at my daughter's request, in celebration of her 30th birthday.  It's been a while since we've done a renfest, and this trip was a fun combination of firsts and nostalgia. Let me start by saying that, while I know my girls enjoyed doing the renfest as kids, I was absolutely thrilled when younger daughter told me back in early June this is what she wanted to do for her 30th birthday.  It was one of those "I did it right as a dad" moments, knowing that she enjoys the renfest as much as wifey and I do.

Wifey and I drove up to Minneapolis on Friday and spent the night in a hotel.  I didn't feel like doing a marathon day; I'm too old for that $h!+.  We took our dog with us, because the event is pet friendly.  This was a first.  I've been a pet owner for over 25 years, but I've never taken my dog(s) to renfest.  It was also the first time I've stayed in a hotel with my furry companion(s), and the first time she's been away from the house overnight.  Historically, when wifey and I travel, we get a family member or friend to come check on the dogs, and let them chill at the house.

From the dog perspective, this was also the longest car ride she's ever had, and the first time she's been around this many people for this much time, and she was a champ!  Hundreds of people interacted with her, and she received many, many compliments on her mellow demeanor.

It was the first time that my grandson, son-in-law, and his family had been to a renaissance festival.  Both of the boys (grandson and son-in-law) dressed up in pirate style attire.  The grandson was like a kid in a candy store, with each new sight being more exciting than the last.  I think the highlight for me was when he got into a fencing contest with younger daughter.  It was a full circle moment, bringing back memories of when I fenced with my girls, and just writing about this makes me smile because it feels like one of those moments where life came full circle.  I can't help but imagine my grandson doing this with his kids, and so on.  Attending the renaissance festival has the possibility of becoming a family tradition that I started.

My longest tradition is that I purchase renfest attire each time I attend.  I've attended enough of these events that I have quite a bit of versatility in my renfest wardrobe, so I can go anywhere from peasant, to brigand, to artisan, to gentlemen.  This time, I purchased a suede jerkin, and I think I'm gonna have a lot of fun with this new acquisition.  My lovely bride also does this, and this year I promised her that I would pay for the item she wanted to pick up... I believe I did this for her birthday.  This was one of those times where I spent a lot more money than I'm comfortable spending, but quite frankly, that's a function of my upbringing, not my current financial status, and every now and then you just have to say screw it, spend a little more money, and enjoy the outcome.  This was one of those times where not buying would bring more regret than buying, and that doesn't happen often in my world.

On the way home, I just kind of basked in the afterglow of the event.  I had fun just doing the renfest.  I had fun taking my dog for the first time.  I really enjoyed seeing my daughter and her family doing so many of the things I did when I was a young dad.  I super-duper enjoyed my lovely bride standing by my side.  It was one of those perfect weekends where, as a dad and a husband I felt like "Yeah, I guess I did okay." 

My First Con(vention)

 As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I hit my first big fan convention over the weekend.  I've attended the Minnesota Renaissance Festival many, many times over the years, and I've hit a smaller RenFest closer to where I live, but I've never done anything like Comic-Con.  I've done TrekFest, which is kinda sorta like a Con, but the scale is much smaller.  There's only so much a town of 1000 people can do on a budget.  I will say though that Riverside has done a pretty good job of growing Trek Fest over the years, and claiming the "Future birthplace of Captain James T. Kirk" was a stroke of marketing brilliance on their part.  Heck, it even became official canon.  Oh, but I'm digressing... my point is that I've never done anything like GalaxyCon, and I finally seized the opportunity last weekend.

How I ended up attending GalaxyCon is a story in itself.  I received a notice from VetTix, informing me there were some GalaxyCon tickets available.  I asked my wife if she was interested in attending if I got tickets.  My younger daughter, who had dropped by for a visit, asked "What's GalaxyCon?"  I said "Think Comic-Con and you've got the right idea."  I then started naming some of the celebrities who would be there for meet-and-greets.  When I rattled off James Marsters' name, she got all kinds of excited!  I ended up not getting the free tickets from VetTix, but that's okay.  There was no way my daughter was going to miss the chance to meet Marsters, so we all bought tickets.

I really didn't know what to expect.  Some of the online reviews had said it's kind of lame, specifically that it was disorganized and not well attended.  That was not my experience at all.  There were tons of vendors, attendees, and Q&A panels. We attended a Q&A session with voice actors from Star Trek: Lower Decks, one with Jason Mewes, and a weird, darkly humorous discussion of uniquely horrible ways some people have died over the years.  For example, they talked about how Jack Daniel died of a blood infection as a result of kicking his safe when it wouldn't open, and a guy who tripped over his beard, fell, and broke his neck.

The event was a money making machine!  Using the meet and greet with Marsters I mentioned yesterday as a frame of reference:  He charged $50 per autograph or selfie, or $80 if you bundled and did both.  I estimate that he spent about two minutes with each person.  Using conservative back-of-the-napkin math, that meant he was pulling in over $100 every five minutes, which translates to $1200 per hour.  That's insane!  If he worked 1/2 day, he would have easily pulled in over $5000.  And that's just one guy at one table.

The costumes worn by attendees were tons of fun, too.  There were anime characters I knew nothing about.  But I saw Master Chief from Halo, Darth Vader, storm troopers, Klingons and Star Fleet officers from all generations of Star Trek, Dolly Parton, the Jack in the Box mascot, Dracula (complete with a full sized casket), WWE wrestlers, and the list goes on.

There were several tables devoted just to building custom light sabers from the Star Wars universe.  Those things were expensive, starting at $200 and going up over $600.  There were several booths dedicated to swords, daggers, axes, etc.  Artists sold paintings.  I saw many, many D&D dice booths with some crazy dice sets that looked like the Lament box from Hellraiser.

Overall, it was a wildly creative way for attendees to dress up as virtually anyone or anything, and countless opportunities for vendors to separate said attendees from their hard-earned money.  It was a lot of fun, and I suspect we'll do it again next year.

Meeting James Marsters

I met James Marsters yesterday at GalaxyCon.  If I remember, I'll share a post about GalaxyCon in general tomorrow, because that was a first too.  Today though, I'm going to focus on meeting Marsters.  For those of you not familiar, Marsters played Spike on the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  My wife and girls grew up on Buffy, and I'll admit I'm a fan too.  In fact, the primary reason I went to GalaxyCon was so my younger daughter could meet James Marsters.  Since my lovely bride is also a big Buffy fan, she happily agreed to join us.

We arrived shortly after the doors opened for the day, and essentially headed directly to the James Marsters table for the meet and greet.  The line wasn't horribly long, but we waited approximately 90 minutes until it was our turn.  Daughter was virtually bursting with excitement as we snaked through the line, and it was definitely an exercise in patience for her.  Fortunately for me, I don't go nuts in lines, a skill I picked up from the military.  We all chatted with others while waiting in line, which was a very pleasant way to help kill the time, and eventually it was our (daughter's) turn for the meet and greet.

While waiting in line, daughter indicated she was twitterpated, and she didn't disappoint.  Marsters greeted her and she responded with "You're my second crush."  Marsters didn't miss a beat and replied by saying "You're welcome, who was your first crush?"  Her mind went blank for a half second, before she recovered, telling him that her first crush was Johnny Depp, specifically Captain Jack Sparrow.  "Have you met Johnny," he casually queried?  "He's a really nice guy."  He then turned his attention to my wife and me, noticing that we were both wearing Star Trek attire.

"Oh, you're both Trekkies, nice!  Are you enjoying the convention?"  I replied informing him that it was my first time attending any convention like this, and he said he was a big Trek fan and attended his first convention when he was 13 years old, back when it was all Star Trek.  He then suggested that we spend time talking to other attendees, saying that in his opinion, the fans are the best part of conventions.  He then spent a few more moments talking to wifey and daughter as he signed some memorabilia daughter brought expressly for that purpose.

Backing up a bit... as we waited in line, I caught bits and pieces of his conversations with other fans.  Marsters had talked with a guy shortly before us in line about music.  (Marsters is in a band, Ghost of the Robot.)  The fan was a bass player, and Marsters said something about bass being too hard on the fingers, and said he plays acoustic with ultra light nylon strings.  Yes! I thought.  Not about bass, because that's my primary instrument, but about light strings.  My acoustic guitar has very light strings as well, though they're metal instead of nylon.  I never understood the appeal of heavy strings.  Even my bass has relatively light strings.  I had kind of hoped to chat about music, but I was more than happy to let him and daughter lead the conversation.  I was just a supporting cast member in daughter's show.  Heck, I didn't expect to have any lines, but I was happy to participate.  My overall impression was that he did a spectacular job of finding a connection with everyone who came to meet him.

A short while later there was an opportunity for a professional photo shoot with Marsters, and daughter seized that opportunity as well.  Despite the fact that he had met dozens of fans between our meet-and-greet and the photo session, he appeared to recognize us and said "Welcome back."  This, again, left me with the impression that he was doing more than just going through the motions.  He seemed to genuinely be paying attention to the fans.

That evening, Marsters did a short concert.  It was just him on stage with his acoustic guitar, and we were in a small, intimate room.  We sat at round tables, which lent to an atmosphere of a small lounge.  He played for about an hour, telling a brief story about each song before he played it.  I split my attention between enjoying the music and stories, observing his guitar technique and chord progressions, watching how he worked the audience, and noticing how the audience reacted to him.  It felt like Marsters made eye contact with everyone in the room at one point or another, which again impressed me.  It seemed like he was genuinely interested in his fans, and he came across as someone who was truly happy that people enjoyed his music.

Taking another conversational turn, this time talking as a musician, I have always considered myself a rudimentary musician.  I can play a few chords on guitar, and I can hit the right notes and hold rhythm on bass.  I feel like I have a decent voice and slightly better than average vocal range.  But I will never be a lead guitarist, blistering bass player or vocal virtuoso.  I've written, arranged, and recorded one song that I'm very proud of, but I suspect that if I were to become a songwriter, my songs would very quickly all sound the same.  With that said though, Marsters improved my assessment of my own ability to play.  I have a wider vocal range than what he demonstrated, and his guitar playing was basic chords and simple strumming patterns.  Don't get me wrong.  I very much enjoyed the concert.  His songs were well constructed lyrically and his guitar technique was advanced and varied enough that he didn't come across as a novice trying to pass himself off as a virtuoso.  All I am saying here is that when I left his concert, I thought damn, maybe I'm better at guitar than I've been giving myself credit for.

Now, having said all of this, I should say this is the first time I've been this close to any celebrity, and I've kind of always wondered what it would be like to brush elbows with someone famous.  Based on my reading, it should be obvious that my experience was positive.  He seemed genuinely interested in his fans, and down to earth with his interactions.  Most importantly though, he gave my little girl a day that she will remember for the rest of her life.  As much as anything else, I'm glad that I got to share in her happiness.

Commemorating 9/11/2001

Today is the 25th anniversary of the day terrorists flew airplanes into buildings, and the day where a few brave souls, knowing what was going on, prevented one instance of that happening, sending that specific plane into a field in Pennsylvania.  It was a day that altered the course of history.  It started America's war on terror, and complicated domestic air travel.  It generated fear, anger, and retaliation.  That action showed how utterly and senselessly destructive hatred can bring humans to behave.  It also brought out the best in us.

For the briefest of moments, America was united in outrage and grief.  While trying to make sense of an act that ultimately had no rational explanation, we cared for one another, focused on healing and rebuilding.  We didn't care about the political beliefs of those who perished, only that they were no longer here. We didn't question the religious affiliation of those who searched through the rubble, looking for survivors.  Instead, for an instant in time, we worked as one to process the events and forge a path forward.

Equally remarkable was the outpouring of empathy and support from the international community.  To most of the world, we were a shining example of what freedom should look like, and the most generous country on the planet.  Most of the world was just as shocked as we were, and they openly shared in our grief and disbelief.

Now, twenty-five years later, nothing remains of the unity.  We have predictably returned to our petty bickering and squabbling, and it's gotten so bad that the rest of the world is turning their collective back to us.  I'm having a difficult time with this.  I think back to the day and can almost relive parts of it; the memories are that vivid.  I can't help but mentally compare and contrast our society then vs. now, and I feel despair over our squandered opportunity to do better together.

I Doubt It

I've been seeing a lot of articles running around the interwebs saying that AI developers believe AI could kill us all within a ten years.  In fact, I saw an article this morning that claimed some believe it could kill us by the end of this decade.  To put things in perspective, the end of the current decade is less than four years away.  So let me say it now... I doubt this will come to pass.

Now that I've grabbed your attention with my clickbait, let me share my realistic, though less-than-fully-informed perspective.  Yes, it's quite possible that AI will do something highly disruptive within the next ten years, but that's a far cry from an extinction event.  The only way I see this as even a remote possibility is through the release of a biological agent that's as contagious as measles and as deadly as ebola, or by releasing a toxin into the entire world's water supply simultaneously.  Even then, the likelihood of either event wiping 100% of humans from the earth remain pretty low.

Don't get me wrong.  I am skeptical about AI.  I believe it can do good, but also feel that we're being crazy reckless in our pursuit of it.  I believe AI is generally overhyped; both its productivity and its capacity for bringing catastrophe are being exaggerated.  With that said though, I certainly agree that we need to slow things down.  At our current speed, I believe we're more likely than not to bring about a severe unintended consequence.

Death Knell?

I read an article today effectively saying that Americans don't trust political campaigns.  Okay, this shouldn't be a surprise, but the depth of the mistrust is noteworthy.  According to the article, about 60% of us have little or no trust in information about elections, politics, foreign affairs or the environment.  Less than 35% of us highly trust government certifications of election results.  Only 25% of us trust campaign messages.  To put this in perspective, constitutional amendments require a 2/3 (66%) majority.  This means we've almost reached a point where we have a "constitutional amendment majority" that distrusts trust the system, making things ripe for exploitation.

To clarify, I'm not saying that democracy will fall during this election, but it certainly could happen during my lifetime.  Trust is critical -- CRITICAL -- to democracy.  Democracy can only succeed as long as people trust those we elect, and it's quite clear that we don't.  By extension, we need to trust the press, and I don't think that's the case either.  As I see it, the most likely outcome is a continued decline in participation in the election process until another cult of personality arrives and energizes us.  By "us," I mean the American people at large.  I am not referring specifically to one party or the other, because both parties are equally susceptible to a demagogue.  The biggest factor is the exact wrong person coming to the political stage at the exact right time.

Donald Trump has done a uniquely successful job at eroding an already tenuous trust in our government.  It will be incredibly difficult to rebuild this trust, and based on what I today, there is not a single politician currently serving who is concerned about rebuilding trust.  They're all focused on leveraging this distrust to advance their own power and influence.  This takes me back to the likely outcome I mentioned earlier...  Political participation will continue to decline until we hit the point where a demagogue is able to take all the marbles.  I can't help but wonder if we just witnessed a death knell for democracy.

Wise Beyond His Years

In a post I made a few months back, I said that I'm about done with my local Marine Corps League detachment.  There's been a lot of bickering and infighting, and it's just not fun anymore.  While I still have one foot out the door, the fact that I'm writing today should indicate that I haven't yet given up.

We had our monthly meeting yesterday, and I went, after skipping the August meeting.  (We usually don't hold a meeting in July, because it tends to conflict with 4th of July weekend.)  I wasn't really looking forward to the meeting, but I had a specific reason to attend.  One of my delayed entry poolees just returned from boot camp after earning the title Marine, and I invited him to the meeting to talk about his experience.  I may have soured on my detachment, but I still like the idea of Veteran Service Organizations in general.  I invited this young man, because I believe that it's important for veterans to support those currently serving.  I believe it's important for those currently serving to be exposed to veteran service organizations so they're aware of our existence, and are open to joining a VSO when they hang up their uniform for the last time.

After this Marine spoke, he hung around for the rest of the meeting.  This wasn't our usual meeting, where we read the minutes and conducted business as usual.  We suspended our normal procedure and had what I'd like to call a family meeting.  It started with the Detachment Commandant reading the mission of the Marine Corps League, and saying that it feels like we've forgotten our mission.  He followed this by addressing the divisiveness that's taken root in the detachment.  He acknowledged the contributions of the old guard, admitted that we've gone through a lot of changes lately, and said that he appreciates how these changes have ruffled some feathers.  He also said that change is necessary if we wish to continue as an organization.  Next, he talked about how we have driven off some new members, citing a couple of examples without naming names, and encouraged us to brainstorm ways to do better and move forward.

When the meeting finished, the young Marine and I spoke at length.  He said that he was impressed with our meeting, and shared that he got to see that we have the same problems as everyone else, we addressed the problems head-on, and that in public we carry out our mission.  That statement hit me hard.  I've been so focused on my anger that I was unable to see the larger picture.  This kid is wise beyond his years, and it gave me a bit of a reality check.  I'm not going to say that I'm recommitting myself to the detachment, but I am going to take a mental pause and let his words of wisdom sink in...

This Ain't Rocket Science, It's Just Plain Ol' Science

I have a friend who lives not too far from me who received a notice that they may have been exposed to measles.  This friend then shared the notice on Facebook and said something along the line of I want answers.  This smacks of COVID! I looked at that post and almost did a facepalm, wondering how someone could connect these dots.  (Oh gee, I made a funny.  Dots... Measles...  Too soon?)  Anyway, let me share how these are not in any way related, except in the mind of a conspiracy theorist.

For starters, measles was eliminated in the United States back in 2000.  What this means is that measles was wiped out in the US.  The only way outbreaks occur here is when someone travels out of the country and brings the virus back as a souvenir.  Measles is still technically eliminated in the US, but that status is under threat because outbreaks are becoming increasingly common and widespread.  COVID was a new virus.

Moving on to my next point, measles has had a safe, effective vaccine for over 50 years. We wiped out measles in the US because we developed herd immunity, which states that 95% of the American population was immunized against measles.  By the way, herd immunity varies based on how contagious a given virus is.  Measles is considered the most contagious virus known to science, which is why we need such a high vaccination rate to contain it.  By way of comparison, the flu only needs about 45% vaccination for herd immunity.  COVID was a new pathogen that had no vaccine when it broke out.

When COVID happened, we basically shut down the whole world.  My friend just got a notice.  Nobody's being forced to stay home.  Nobody's being asked to quarantine, unless they have an active, diagnosed case.  These aspects are so dissimilar that it's mind boggling anyone would correlate them.

The measles vaccine provides lifetime immunity, whereas COVID requires new immunization as strains continue to mutate.  Measles, by contrast, has not mutated in decades.

So... to my friend who wants answers:  This does not smack of COVID.  These two situations are nothing alike.  The reason you may have been exposed to measles is because an unvaccinated individual in your general geographic region was exposed to measles, and caught the virus.  Since measles, as stated above, is considered the single most contagious pathogen known to science, and because our vaccination rate has fallen below the 95% threshold mentioned above, we need to take more precautions to prevent widespread outbreaks.  In other words, the anti-vaxxers are making things tougher for all of us.  This ain't rocket science, it's just plain ol' science.

Made My Day

I did a quick check on Facebook this morning and saw a friend request that made my day.

The friend request was from one of my (now former) delayed entry program poolees who just earned the title Marine.  This young man graduated boot camp two days ago, and one of the first things he did was send me a friend request.  Let me give you a little backstory...

When this kid first signed the paperwork, he was not a perfect example of physical fitness.  I know for certain that I ran faster than he did, and I believe I did more pull-ups and planked longer, though I'm not 100% on that recollection.  Just before he shipped out to boot camp, he shared that I intimidated the hell out of him because I was in better shape than him, and said that his motivation to beat me inspired him to improve.  By the way, before he went to boot camp, he was able to run faster, crank out more pull-ups, and plank longer than me, so I feel like I served my purpose.

Now this young man has earned his Eagle, Globe and Anchor, and one of the first things he did was send me a friend request.  I kind of feel like a teacher who had a student come back to visit and say you were one of my all-time favorite teachers.  That $h!+ made my day.

Self Reliance vs. Victimhood

I've been hearing a little bit about how the city of Gary, Indiana and the surrounding area has been without electricity for about two weeks, after some major storms knocked out the power.  This brings me back to when we had a major derecho in my neck of the woods.  I'm not going to try to compare the severity of the events, because I experienced the derecho, whereas I'm only reading about the storms in Gary, so I have a biased belief that my storm was worse.  As a result, any attempt at comparison would be something like saying my dad's lung cancer is worse than your mom's pancreatic cancer.  What I am going to do is talk about our responses to the event.

As I read the story about Gary,  I consumed a story about victimhood...  Oh, woe is me.  We've been without power for two weeks.  Who will save us?  This wasn't my first exposure to the story, but it was my first deep dive.  After reading this story, I continued on and read a couple of additional articles, and the trend was similar... the residents of Gary, Indiana are victims of a natural disaster, and they're frustrated or underserved by the public infrastructure that's supposed to help in this type of circumstance.

As I absorbed these stories, I thought back to the derecho that hit me, and the 500 year flood that had hit just over a decade earlier.  I also thought back to Hurricane Katrina when it hit New Orleans in 2005.  Here's my overall observation:  When we got hit by the derecho, we were also without power.  My house was without power for eight days, and I personally knew people who went without electricity for two weeks.  Portions of my city were completely isolated for days due to trees completely blocking roads.  When we saw the devastation, we pooled our resources and started digging our way out ourselves.  Neighbors shared chainsaws, manpower, and vehicles, and we started clearing the roads as citizens.

I knew I'd be without power for a while, so I called up a friend in a nearby town and asked if I could store meat from my small freezer in his deep freezer, and he happily agreed.  I kept a small amount of frozen meat and all of my frozen veggies, and moved my perishables from the refrigerator to the freezer, converting it into an icebox.  I ate food as it thawed, cooking on the grill on my deck.  I climbed on the roof and patched the hole that had been punched through it by a tree with expandable spray foam I happened to have on hand, and covered the hole where my fireplace chimney had been with a tarp.  Once I had finished taking care of the minor breaches in my home's integrity, I volunteered to assist others.

My mindset was quite typical.  People and businesses who had power restored early on put power strips on their porches, so that neighbors could charge their cell phones.  People with generators offered to let neighbors store insulin in their refrigerator.  My point is that we banded together and started rebuilding ourselves.  We didn't wait for others to come bail us out.

The story in Gary is a story of victimhood.  The story of Katrina was a story of helplessness. The overarching, repeating theme in both cases are that the residents are waiting for rescue, whereas my story was a story of self-reliance and resilience.

I can't help but wonder how much of these stories are the real, full story, vs. a media fabrication.  I keep asking myself if my case was unique or if it was spun by the storytellers.  I question if I'm misremembering things, but can't help but believe my memories are accurate.  Let's assume I'm right, just for a moment...

What does that mean for American society?  If my little pocket is the exception and not the rule, what does that mean for American resilience and exceptionalism?  Is it effectively dead?  Have we turned into a country of victims, unable to persevere during times of adversity, destined to rely on the help of others?

But if I'm wrong, what does that mean for the state of journalism?  Has the fourth pillar devolved to the point where it no longer serves the public, and is instead only interested in producing a story that will engage the reader, even to the extend of skewing reality beyond the realm of fact?

I suspect that both are true, which is even worse. 

Good. He Should Be Charged!

 

I read an article this morning saying that the an Air Force major is going to be charged essentially for protesting in uniform. I support the administration for pressing charges. While everyone is entitled to exercise their first amendment rights, military personnel are prohibited from doing so in uniform. This is because the military is supposed to be non-partisan. As soon as the uniform is donned, you cease speaking or acting as an individual and you assume the role of Airman, Sailor, Soldier or Marine.

 

I fully expect this officer knew what he was doing. I am confident he sees himself as a martyr. While I acknowledge that his actions required a strength of conviction, I strongly disagree with how he chose to express his position.

Allergies Suck

Let me start by saying this is a minor inconvenience.  I have seasonal allergies.  My specific symptoms include itchy, watery eyes, nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, a little bit of congestion in my lungs, and occasional bouts of eczema.  It's not wildly different from a cold.  Unfortunately, I have spring and fall allergies.  Maybe that's part of why I love summer so much.  The spring pollen is gone, the fall pollen hasn't yet arrived, and I get the sun and heat that's sorely lacking in the winter.

I should clarify that I take daily allergy medicine to combat the symptoms.  That's tremendously helpful.  Back in the day, I spent months suffering from allergies, and the only relief I could find was from Benadryl, which just knocked me on my @$$.  I also did the allergy shots for several years.  That helped too.  Unfortunately, I didn't get to complete the treatment plan because of my divorce from wife 1.0.  Regardless though, the shots helped a lot.  I'm a lot less susceptible to allergens than I was before the shots.

It still doesn't help days like today.  I'm having a miserable allergy day.  It's the ragweed.  Unfortunately, I can't take the Benadryl, because I have too much to do, and I can't afford to be a zombie.  Allergies suck! 

Why I Give

I was asked to give a quick speech in church yesterday, discussing why I give/serve.  It was a little weird for me, because I'm not bit into tooting my own horn, specifically when it comes to my charity work.  I've long believed that the best charity work is done anonymously.  While I have occasionally discussed certain facets of my volunteer work, I don't believe I've ever shared everything I do, all at once, with a large group of people.  In this case though, I understood what my pastor was trying to accomplish, so I took one for the team, and discussed why, where and how I give.

I serve on the church's worship team, primarily as a bass player, though I've occasionally been known to sing harmonies or play six string.  This one is primarily for selfish reasons.  I serve on the worship team because it forces me to practice and play music.  If it wasn't for the worship team, my guitars and bass would just sit around and collect dust.  Furthermore, music is one of the two times I feel closest to God.  (The other time is when I'm communing with nature.)  When it comes to music though, I have to be playing it.  Singing along with the congregation from the pews isn't the same.  When I'm playing, I feel like a conduit.

I volunteer with the Humane Society.  Each month, I take a dog to a nearby nursing home to interact with the residents.  I do this because I love dogs, and because it provides an opportunity for me to serve an overlooked segment of society.  I genuinely believe that humans don't deserve the unconditional love that dogs give us, and I can't describe the satisfaction I receive when I see a resident light up when I bring a dog for them to pet.

I'm active in the veteran community.  This is partially because I'm a vet.  It's more because I see that veterans, as a group, have given more to our society than virtually another demographic, and they pay a far higher price for that service.  They have earned our respect and deserve our service.

I donate money to an area faith-based nonprofit that focuses on housing and food insecurity.  This charity holds an annual event where they fix up houses for homeowners who could otherwise not afford it.  This work ranges from painting the exterior to replacing appliances, to structural repairs, and everything in between.  The work is done by volunteers and area trades experts, and paid for by community fundraising.  Additionally, they have a few houses and apartments that they've renovated and rent out at below-market prices.  They have a nonprofit grocery store in an area that used to be a food desert.  They have a pay-it-forward nonprofit cafe, and they supplement these food locations with an urban farm.  I donate money to this group because I remember what it's like to struggle to pay rent.  I remember going weeks without eating meat so I could put nutritious food into my kids' bellies.  I remember what it was like as a kid, not having the nice clothes.

I don't do this because I'm obedient to God, per se. In fact, most people who know me would probably not use the word obedient to describe me.  I don't do it to follow a rule.  I do it out of love for my fellow human being.  I do it because I can.

As I finished my talk, I shared that it doesn't matter why, where, or how often you give.  It only matters that you give.  I hope that by sharing where, why and how I give that my reason for each of my charitable involvements had a unique reason, and that service can take many different forms.  I hope I touched a couple of hearts that might now consider a couple of new ideas for their own community involvement.

Bye Bye, Boy

Grandson is on his way back home today.  The house feels unusually quiet, despite his being here for only three weeks.  I guess I got used to his presence.

I won't miss the mess he left in his wake.

I won't miss telling him to do things that is common sense for an adult to do, such as flushing the toilet.

I won't miss watching him fall into the abyss of his cell phone.

I won't miss him arguing with his little cousin.

I will miss the trash talk.

I will miss the mundane conversation about nothing in particular.

I will miss him at the gym and Marine PT.

I will miss cooking with and for him.

I will miss playing video games with him.

I will miss him arguing with his little cousin, despite what I said earlier. 

I will miss him. 

Speaking of the Middle East...

Today's post is a coincidental follow-up to yesterday's topic of the mess in the middle east.  I read an article reporting that Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan just signed a defense treaty.  From my perspective, this is an interesting development, which resulted from a worldwide understanding that the U.S. is no longer a reliable partner.  To clarify, all of these countries are considered American allies.  For example, Saudi Arabia was our staging area for Desert Storm, and Pakistan allowed us to cross their borders into Afghanistan.  In other words, it's not automatically a problem, but it is a potential complication.

India is understandably wary of this news, because of their tense relations with Pakistan.  Iran is probably concerned, because they have a tense relationship with Saudi Arabia, though Iran is downplaying the news.  Turkey has been trying to get into the EU for a long time, so this may be their way of thumbing their noses at EU officials who won't let Turkey join.  All in all, I believe that each country stands to benefit economically and militarily.

I find it a amusing that some in the U.S. are concerned about this, and it feels like those most concerned are the biggest supporters of America First.  Like I said above, we have shown the world that we're no longer a reliable partner.  If the biggest kid in the schoolyard stops protecting you and starts bullying you, it's only reasonable to link up with other kids and promise to help each other out.  What did you think would happen?

The Middle East Mess

I was prompted to discuss my thoughts on the mess in the Middle East, specifically the Israel-Palestine conflict.  In order to explain my perspective though, we need a not-so-little history lesson.

Let's start with the basics.  Ancient Israel goes back thousands of years.  The Bible shows the Israelites warring with many nations, and archaeologists seem to agree that frequent conflict was pretty much how society looked in that area at that time.  Heck, the Israelites couldn't even agree amongst themselves, resulting in the area splitting into two separate countries -- Israel and Judah.  Both kingdoms fell well before 500 BCE.  In other words, Israel ceased to exist as a nation well before Christ was born.  The temple in Jerusalem was under Roman rule during Christ's life, as is verified in many biblical passages.  When the kingdom(s) of Israel fell, the Jewish people were scattered across the world, though they did hold their faith, traditions, and bloodlines over time.  This is generally known as the diaspora.

Over the following centuries, the Jewish people suffered persecution, though the oppression was not universal.  In fact, many Jewish settlements were quite integrated into local societies.  In my opinion, this experience is not radically different from any minority ethnic group throughout history.  So let's fast forward to World War II, where we all know what happened.

As a direct result of the Holocaust, the United Nations got together and decided to create a new nation of Israel.  There's a lot of geopolitical stuff I don't fully understand, so I'm not going to try to explain it, because I may get it wrong.  The result, however, is pretty straight forward.  A lot of Arabs lost their land.  If I were in their position, I'd be a little cranky about having my land taken from me and given to someone else, so I can understand the tension.

Since then, the Arabs have tried a couple of times to take the land back by force.  In one instance, (the Six Day War,) a bunch of Arab countries tried to gang up on Israel all at once, and got their collective asses kicked.  In fact, Israel ended up taking a bunch or land from them in the process.  Israeli ownership of the West Bank and Gaza strip are contested territory to this day.  In my personal opinion on this event, the Arabs tried to bully Israel, got their asses kicked, and lost the land fair and square.

Let's deviate just for a quick second and talk about Palestine. For the record, there has never been a country called Palestine.  Not in the way we think of countries today, with universally recognized borders.  Palestinians are a group of people from that geographical area.  It's more accurate to think of Ancient Palestine how you would think of Ancient Israel.  I'm not saying that the Palestinians are unworthy of a country.  From where I sit, they are probably as worthy as the Jewish people who now live in Israel.  The big difference is that the Palestinians didn't face global extinction like the Jews did, so they haven't received the same level of global sympathy.  Anyway, back to the history lesson...

Since Israel became a state, they have had to fight tooth and nail for their existence as a country.  Many Arab countries have said quite plainly that they want to wipe Israel from the map.  I'm not sure that Arabs hate Jews like we are led to believe, but it's reasonably clear that Arab countries disagree with the idea of Zionism, which is the desire for the Jewish people to have a nation that's recognized and secured by law.  Heck, it's theoretically possible that the Arabs would be okay with Israel existing, as long it's not on "their land."  Typical NIMBYism, I guess.  I'd like to clarify this all conjecture on my part.

Now, let's talk about America's support of Israel.  As far as I can tell, there is a very high correlation between Fundamental Christianity and support for Israel as a nation.  In other words, it seems to me that the most ardent support for Israel is based on Christian faith, rather than humanistic or political reasons.  Based on many, many conversations I've had on this subject, I've come to the personal conclusion that this is based on Biblical prophesy indicating that Israel will be restored when Jesus returns.  This would seem to indicate that if Israel were to cease being a country, we would by extension no longer be in the end of days.  Assuming I'm correct, this means that faith is the root of America's unfailing support for Israel's existence.

The thing is, Israel is very heavy-handed in its efforts to maintain its existence.  This means that the human rights of ethnic Arabs are not always observed, especially in the occupied areas I mentioned before.  This, understandably, could make some Arabs in the region a little cranky.  I can absolutely recognize why some of these oppressed individuals might choose violence to voice their opposition to their situation.

This all leads to my conclusion.  The Jews and Arabs have been fighting for as long as Israel has been a country.  Heck, their ancestors have been warring for thousands of years.  This anger and hostility is nothing new.  Furthermore, many, many countries have worked for longer than I've been alive to bring about peace in this region, to no avail.  This is because both Arabs and Jews are unwilling to compromise.  Both sides have committed atrocities in the name of independence or protecting their homeland, and both sides have legitimate grievances against their foes. While it's reasonable to strive for a permanent end to hostilities in the region, it is folly to believe that it's imminent, and hubris for any one individual to believe they can single-handedly make it happen.

I'd also like to point out that problems in the Middle East are not restricted to conflict between Jews and Arabs.  There is also a high level of conflict between Shiite Muslims and Sunni Muslims, but that's a complete story in itself, so it's a topic for another day.

Must Be in the Blood

Though he's only 13, I've taken my grandson to weekly PT with the Marine Corps recruiters and poolees on delayed entry.  The kid's been crushing it!

Last week we did an Indian run, with the added twist of a medicine ball.  The boy kept up and actually outperformed a good number of the poolees and other guests.  Yesterday, we did our monthly Initial Strength Test, which consists of each person doing a max set of pull-ups, a timed plank, and a 1.5 mile run.  The boy did 7 pull-ups, planked for the max time of 3:45, and ran the 1.5 miles in just over 10 minutes.  He outperformed poolees and other guests in every single event.

After we all finished our pull-ups, I asked the poolees to raise their hands if they did 10 or fewer pull-ups.  About half raised their hands, and I said "Congratulations, you just got beat by an old man."  I then asked the poolees to raise their hands if they did fewer than 7 pull-ups.  About a third kept their hands up.  To them, I continued with "Congratulations, you just got beat by an old man AND a thirteen year old boy."  When we finished the planks, the kids who hadn't maxed their time at 3:45 were standing in a group off to the side.  I looked over at them and said, "Congrats on getting out-planked by a 13 year old boy and an old man.  You suck!  Do better!"

I didn't do that for the run, though I should have.  The boy was one of the fastest ones there, finishing fourth, and I pulled out a personal best run time of 12:18, finishing faster than about 1/3 of the kids.  The recruiters seem to be enjoying the boy's presence.  I'm sure it is disheartening for these kids to get their asses kicked so mercilessly by the boy and me, and it should motivate them to do better.  Lord knows I'm proud of the boy.  It must be in the blood.

Not the Way

As this Cyclosporiasis thing is still going strong because of bad lettuce, I'm now reading there's a problem with jalapenos.  It's almost as if the universe it trying to tell us that a global mega food chain, full of an exploited work force, while simultaneously woefully lacking in product diversity, is not the way.

 #EatLocal

Some Things Stick With You...

I saw the movie Parenthood almost 40 years ago.  There's a scene from that movie that really hit home, even as a young man who hadn't yet had children. I still paraphrase the scene, and try diligently to live by it when I'm feeling overwhelmed.  I'd love to share the clip with you.

The Forgotten Art of Personalized Service

One thing that online retailers and big box stores cannot provide is highly personalized service, and I had forgotten the wonder of that level of attentiveness and expertise. My running shoes were wearing out and it was time to replace them. As is the case with many consumer goods, there is a dizzying variety of choice, and finding the best option can be a bit overwhelming. I've done the whole research-to-death thing, and quite frankly I'm a bit tired of it, so I decided to hit a store that specializes in running shoes, and I'm glad I went. 

I chose my spot, and the sales guy provided the exact expertise I need. We started by verifying my shoe size with a podoscope, which measures not just foot size, but arch height and other smaller details to provide a more customized fit. Next they asked me to run on a treadmill for a minute so they could record my running gait, again to find shoes that would match my body type. In this instance, they were looking for indication of excessive ankle rolling. From there, we discussed the frequency, distance and terrain of my typical run, and then Andy brought out about a half dozen shoes for me to try. Next, I walked around the store directly comparing different shoes. Wearing one of each shoe allowed me to directly compare and contrast, making it easy to select the best shoe for my needs. He also showed me inserts and socks to try out. The inserts didn't do anything for me, but I did pick up a pair of socks.

Another really cool item to note:  I was prepared to pay a small premium for the additional service, but was pleasantly surprised to discover that prices were in line with far larger competitors.  In fact, I received a discount for being a veteran, so I actually paid less.  It was great to rediscover the forgotten art of personalized service.

We have a boy!

Wifey and I fetched older grandson from Chicago yesterday morning.  We’ve got him for an extended visit, and I’m excited that he’s here.  After picking him up, we drove to downtown Chicago for a bit of sightseeing.  The original plan was to take him to the observation deck at Sears Tower, but the tickets were about $50 bucks a pop, and we had to wait for an hour, so we passed.  Wifey had considered getting advanced tickets, but we had no guarantee that we’d be able to make it, considering flight and traffic delays.

From there, we walked through the park, showing off the bean and the public water park area, after which we walked down Michigan Avenue.  We stopped in a couple of shoe stores at the boy’s request and introduced him to Pizzeria Due’s deep dish Chicago style pizza.

We left Chicago around 5:00 PM, at the peak of rush hour.  GPS sent us home via a path that's different from my tried-and-true method, and from there I made a mistake that cost us an extra hour of drive time.  Instead of following the GPS start to finish, I followed a US highway that I usually take.  Unfortunately, I didn’t realize that road cuts south, and goes through a ton of towns in the previously unexplored area.  The result was that I drove more miles, at a slower pace.  That’s a mistake I won’t make again.  Instead of getting home at about 9:30, we got home at 10:30.  Oh well, live and learn.  In the grand scheme of things, this is a first world problem.

Oh, on the good side, I got record high MPG in my little Murano.  I had a portion of travel where my average MPG was 32+ MPG, and the average mileage was 28 MPG for the tank. To put this in perspective, EPA estimates are 28 MPG highway, and my driving was combination.  My mileage was about 15% better than advertised.  And no, I didn't drive like a grandpa.  I'm too young at heart for that $h!+.