Chapter Eight: Hitchhiking Trips, Part One

                                         Rachel's Dad

                       Chapter Eight: Hitchhiking Trips 

Rachel had heard stories of her dad's hitchhiking trips. Occasionally he related one, usually in connection with a topic already being discussed. For instance, sometimes when the topic of travel and cost might be broached, he would remind whoever was in attendance that the use of one's thumb to travel long distances was reasonably efficient, and remarkably inexpensive. 

Still, here she was, knee deep in his journals which he kept during those years of his youth, and as the trips unfolded. Additionally, there were his writings about those trips which he began compiling as part of his attempt to document his life, an endeavor that progressed but was never finished.

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I made three inter state hitchhiking trips, one in 1980 and two in 1981. The first occurred the summer after I moved from my parents home to live with a very nice woman named Mary Ellen, in Willow Grove, PA. The second one was to specifically visit a young lady who was part of our core group of friends after she moved to the Rochester, New York area. And the last was to Houston, TX to visit my good friends Mike who procured a job there after college graduation and Audrey, who had been dating Mike for a few years during his college days.

Upon reflection, it is difficult to imagine what was in my head at the time. A desire to continue the wanderlust I had started with the previous year's bus trips? The need to be different, and/or to get attention? A bit of cruel payback to my parents who, as their first child, over protected me as new parents often do? Perhaps even a search for myself, or for a meaning to life, although cliche as that sounds, was certainly in my head consistently during those years.

I kept many journals during my young adulthood, but, at this time, cannot find the one I kept for the first, and longest, hitchhiking trip which means that I am compiling the following summary while relying only on memory, perhaps useful for a based-on-a-true story novel but which most likely will product some fuzziness and convergence of events as opposed to just the facts, ma'am. 

Before leaving, I learned to juggle thinking it might provide a useful prop to obtain rides, although I could never get past 3 balls at once and rarely actually juggled on the highways I traversed. 

The longest trip, that summer of 1980, was also inspired by a man I met at my cousin's wedding earlier that year. Alan lived in Vail, Colorado, and when hearing of my desire to travel, told me I was welcome at his place if I ever got there. Again, this was before everyone owned a cell phone, and frankly, I don't recall contacting him before I left, but after a modicum of planning, off I went, west, with very few personal items, very little money, an Instamatic camera, a not very specific plan other than to go to Vail first, and a pocket 3" x 5" roadmap which depicted all the states and Canadian provinces. In my mind I guess I expected to get rides from truckers who might even utilize their CB radios to hand me off to another driver, heading west. That was to be the first of many assumptions that I would be wrong about. 

I was able to reach West Virginia that first day, Wheeling, to be exact. As darkness settled, I realized that I would be sleeping outside that night, under the stars. As it turned out, the romance of such a thought was tempered by the reality, which was that I found an business store complex that was unoccupied at night, as they tend to be, and hunkered down at the doorstep of a veterinarian's office. I debated the wisdom of being close to an overhead light or finding a dark spot as if hiding, eventually choosing the former, for no logical reason.

During the 2nd day, I was able to reach western Ohio. At this point, I was picked up by a young man in a yellow VW beetle who was going to Las Vegas. I was able to convince him to alter his planned route a bit to take me to Vail, which he agreed to, I assume, to have the company. We were together all that day, then overnight, then most of the next day. At some point he asked me my last name; we were both shocked to discover that our 8 letter last names were exactly the same except for one letter, the second, mine a U, his an A. There were a few times during my days on the road that I imagined that there was some kind of fate or universal energy at work for me, and this was the first of those times.

He dropped me at Alan's door in Vail. 

To my surprise, I wasn't the only young person using Alan's place as a way station. I spent a night or two there, sleeping on the living room floor among the other temporary visitors. 

Having realized that it might be a good idea to have a tent on my travels, what one might call a V-8 moment, I borrowed one from Alan before heading off to the Grand Teton/Yellowstone National Parks. 

I recall that I thought I might reach the parks in one day, but as it turned out I was forced to pitch my tent at a community park somewhere in Wyoming. Well, at least that is what the sign said, although it looked more like someone's extended yard that was designated a park just to reduce the taxes and upkeep. I slept spottily, but did learn how to put up my new tent. 

The next morning, I set out again, and was picked up rather quickly by a man going to work. He asked me if I had eaten breakfast, which I hadn't, and then proceeded to stop at a local diner. Not only was he generous enough to pay for my morning meal, he told me to grab as much change as I could reach from his back seat after we dined and were on the road again. It was more than a few dollars, as most of the coins were quarters, and would not be the first time that a stranger bought me a meal, or gave me a bit of money.

Quick note here. If you have never been to Wyoming, at least at that time, the one stereotype that was absolutely true was that there are oil derricks all over the place. Nothing huge, just 10, 12 foot derricks bobbing their heads up and down as they removed oil from the ground. Additionally, outside of the few cities such as Cheyenne, Laramie, and of course Jackson Hole, there is a whole lotta space. Wide open space, but also still dotted with derricks.

Anyway, I arrived at the parks the afternoon after leaving Vail, snapping pictures of the Tetons with my Instamatic through the window of the car. And again, that night, the tent was of great use.

I stayed a few days, hitching around Yellowstone, which was quite easy, seeing the sights, meeting people, many my age. It was at Yellowstone that I met the Swansons, (see Chapter Eleven.) It was also at Yellowstone that I got a sunburn on my face, fairly serious, as I made the typical tourist mistake of lounging in a hot spring for a considerable length of time, without sunscreen. To be honest, I didn't pack sunscreen so it wasn't like I forgot to use it, but again, times were different then and sunscreen wasn't used as regularly as today.

The ride back "home" was uneventful, although like the rides I accepted throughout my travels, I didn't always take the most direct route, instead sometimes choosing to just be inside a car going in the general direction, as opposed to stranded on the side of the road.  

I relaxed for a couple of days in Vail, then decided to go all the way west, to California. I can't say that I hadn't planned that all along, but it is also true that never having hitchhiked before, I did not necessarily believe that I might actually be able to go that far, east coast to west coast. But, the quick trip to Yellowstone, in addition to the bevy of nice people I had met already, convinced me to try.

I left Vail, again, naive, if not determined.

For those of you who haven't driven across America, as opposed to flying overhead, the lands between western Colorado and western Nevada are desolate, could even be called dangerous, if you get stranded, or lost. Of course, I was clueless, so off I went.

Fortunately, just outside of Grand Junction, Colorado, I was picked up by a young man going to the Lake Tahoe area in Nevada, which meant that I would need just one ride to cross Utah and Nevada. Unlike my ride from Ohio to Vail, this driver was not adverse to drinking as we talked and traveled. 

And did we drink. 

While I was not acquainted with 3.2 beer before the trip, I soon became very familiar with it. Good news was that you can consume more than would be typical of a 5% beer. Bad news is that from the afternoon, through the next day until we arrived in Provo, Utah, we drank the good part of a case.

While that night wasn't the first that I would spend sleeping in a car with my head against the passenger side window, it was the only night I spent sleeping in a car perched on 2nd base in a baseball field in a community park. When we awoke with the sunrise the next day, we hurriedly sped off the field and back on the road, laughing, quietly, due to our hangover, but still laughing.

As I have mentioned more than once, I never considered before embarking on this trip, about such mundane issues like where I would sleep, where and when I would eat, what I would do if I got stranded, how and where I would shower, not to mention where I might find a bathroom. To be honest, I guess I thought like Forest who, when asked about his running jag, said, "when I got tired I slept, when I got hungry I ate, and when I had to go, you know, I went". But, in retrospect, I'll be damned if I remember actually going.

From the Reno, Nevada area I was fortunate enough to get a ride to San Francisco where I did some sight seeing with the driver who brought me there. The Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and just walking around the city. At this point, I parted from my newest transportation buddy, and decided to head to Los Angeles. 

I had been to the LA area once before, as part of my two week bus ride the year before where I stayed with people that were somewhat related to me. I am fuzzy on the details but I do remember being picked up and eventually dropped off at the bus station and that the gentleman who did so was a big Dodger fan. 

The other time I was there, a few years later, was when I was fortunate enough to attend the 1984 Olympics, during which I went to Dodger Stadium to see a few baseball games associated with the Olympics. (More on that trip and my 1976 Olympic adventure later.)

As sometimes occurs when hitchhiking, I didn't make it to LA. Somewhere near Salinas, California, I was picked up by a man driving a rather old, somewhat worse for wear, Cadillac. I climbed into the back seat and was immediately struck with the knowledge that there were already two other hitchhikers in the car. The driver could have been the actor in the Marlboro cigarette commercials of the day; cowboy hat, sun weathered face, cigarette dangling from his mouth.

After a bit, we arrived in Coalinga, California. Collectively, we were told by Marlboro Man that he had business in town, and we could hang out and wait for him or be on our way. The other two guys, who it turned out were hitching together, departed while I decided to wait for further options.

When he emerged, he had good news and bad news. The bad news was that he could not conclude his business yet, but we could go to a local bar and have a few drinks while we waited. The good news was....I guess there really wasn't good news from my perspective, as I wouldn't be getting any closer to my destination, but as Coalinga was no longer on the way to LA, I needed a new direction anyway.

We walked to a near by bar, and must have looked a pair, Marlboro Man and long-haired hippy guy. But soon we were laughing and chatting as if our relationship wasn't just a few hours old. As time went by, two things became clear. First, that he would not be able to finish the business he was hoping to wrap up, which, as it turned out, was to be paid for some electrical work he had done. Second, that we were getting drunk. As the empty bottles piled up, we ate some food to help absorb the alcohol, but after all those 3.2 beers I had consumed earlier in the trip, I was not ready for that many full strength beers.

When he got up to make a phone call, I started wondering what I was going to do for shelter as darkness was well on its way. Of course, being drunk, the urgency of the matter wasn't quite as compelling as it probably should have been.

About fifteen minutes after he returned to the table, a woman strode into the bar, walking straight towards us, shouting rather loudly, and in a manner which bespoke anger.

"What are you doing?", she began. "You're not bringing another stray home!" she exclaimed. "Remember what happened last time?"

I was stunned, while Marlboro Man did not respond. She sat down at the table, in as aggressive a manner as I had ever witnessed, and began the questions and accusations again, although with less volume. It took a while, but a few beers for her later, the tension had lifted. To this day, I can't remember Marlboro Man's name, but I will never forget his wife, Wanda.

Anyway, they invited me to stay with them, on a hunting ranch that they managed outside of Coalinga, California. Of course, first we had to get there. I was chosen to drive the Cadillac while following Wanda in her car, as Marlboro Man was wasted. Fortunately, I was able to keep her in view as we maneuvered out of town and into the nearby hills. I say hills because it was dark and all I knew was that we were in a constant upwards direction along switchbacks that seemed no wider than one car width, the rocks and trees of the hill to my left, darkness to my right. It was only when I was eventually taken back into town to continue my travels, that I realized just how dangerous the road had been, and how lucky I was to have navigated it successfully.

I stayed with them about a week sleeping in the bunk house that was used for the hunters who came to shoot the wild animals that roamed within the boundaries of the ranch. There were no booked hunts while I was there, so I was the only occupant for that week. It was very hot every day. I lounged on the property, reading, writing, sleeping. After a few days I got the impression that I could stay at long as I wanted, having ingratiated myself with Wanda, which I guess meant that I hadn't stolen anything and run off, as had, apparently, a previous stray. I also gathered that they had a son but were estranged, which explained Marlboro Man's penchant for providing transportation to strange young men.

Despite the ease at which they allowed me to live, no demands on my time other than conversation, I thought it best to leave when Marlboro Man told me he had to go into town and stay for a few days as he had been hired for his electrician's skills. He gave me the choice to accompany him to start on my way, or stay with Wanda until he returned. Wanda did not encourage me one way or the other. I decided to be on my way and received an extended hug and a bag with some food for the road from Wanda, then a hearty handshake and good wishes from Marlboro Man when we separated in town. 

For a few years I wrote letters to them and sent Christmas cards but never received anything back. I often wondered if they found that replacement son at some point. 

Three years later there was a pretty serious earthquake that struck the town, causing $10 million in damage, injuring 94 people but with no fatalities. The downtown area where I had drank multiple beers with my two new friends was severely damaged. Total destruction, 309 single family homes and 33 apartment buildings, major damage, 558 single family homes, 94 mobile homes and 39 apartment buildings and minor damage, 811 single family homes, 22 mobile homes, and 70 apartment buildings. I knew that their ranch was quite a ways from the center of town but still sent silent good wishes their way for a few weeks after reading of the earthquake.

During my stay, I had decided to head towards Yosemite National Park at some point although, to be honest, I wasn't sure if I would be returning to Coalinga or going to some other not yet determined destination. It was to be the first of a few decisions that I made, to keep on keeping on in this case, that would change the course of my life, even though I wasn't necessarily cognizant of it at the time.

 

 

 

 

The Smithsonian Magazine

I have many posts from this blog about articles I have read in the Smithsonian Magazine. I also have mentioned a time or two that my wife and I visited DC with our children a number of times when they were young, with stops at the zoo as well as the various Smithsonian Museums. And, as a young adult, I hitchhiked to DC a time or two to visit my cousin who worked at the Pentagon, and to tour the sites of the city. The idea that a family can visit our nation's capital and tour so many interesting and educational buildings, for free, has always filled me with a sense of pride that we, the people, continue to support this endeavor with our tax money. And, in addition to providing such enjoyable opportunities for our own population to learn about America, we do the same for people not fortunate enough to have been born here. As far as I know, there is no other city on Earth where visitors can stroll through multiple buildings and learn about the home country's history, accomplishments, and yes, even failures without a fee. 

It is for all this, that it pains me to read about the attacks on the Smithsonian that the current administration has unleashed. Just a few days ago, I saw a (Fox) news article detailing how horrible one of the lead administrators of the Smithsonian is, and how she should resign. More than once, the author used the word "bile" to describe what they considered some of the exhibits in one of the Smithsonian buildings, in addition to the scathing report released by the White House which calls the institute, and its take on American history, as overly focused on our nation's shortcomings, which causes a reduction in love for our country and divisiveness among the citizens.

I just finished reading the summer edition of the Smithsonian, a larger than usual production that celebrated America's 250th birthday. After reading it cover to cover, as I do all the editions of this fine magazine, I was struck by the thought that those people attacking the Smithsonian must not actually read the magazine, or visit the various museums. That they either here from someone who saw or read one thing they didn't like, and so they prefer to focus on just one article or exhibit out of thousands, even ten of thousands,  to deride and condemn the entire organization, a path made so much easier with the "anti-woke" mentality that has infected so many state legislative bodies as well as the White House itself.

As I have said multiple times in the past, it is possible to hold two thoughts in one's head at the same time, or should be, at least. So, yes, one can be proud of the plethora of accomplishments that America and its citizens have achieved in the last 250 years, while also acknowledging that sometimes we have fallen short, exceedingly short of the ideals of our founding documents. 

Should we spend all of our energies discussing the mistakes? No, but neither should we pretend that egregious mistakes didn't occur, and that people didn't suffer and die due to them. In the end, it is really a matter of percentages, and whether you prefer a 50-50 approach or 90-10, the vast majority of people agree that a 100% focus, in either direction, is wrong.

So, highlights, for me, from the June-July-August issue of the Smithsonian.

As is so often the case, the Smithsonian provides insight into people and achievements both little known and mainstream. This particular issue broke its articles into three types; Life, Liberty and Happiness. But before those sections, was a wonderful introduction to the issue as a whole from the Smithsonian Secretary, Lonnie Bunch III as well as an in-depth article about Thomas Paine, author of Common Sense.

Bunch's intro, called "A Common Thread" discussed the nation's innovative spirit that was woven into our cultural, social and constitutional ideas, a truly unifying approach, while the discussion about Thomas Paine emphasized his sometimes overlooked importance to the early push for independence, as well as the formative documents which we now cherish. Of course, the article goes beyond the infantile belief that America and the ideals it represents was somehow divinely inspired by providing a direct connection from Paine's words to the scientific discoveries of Newton, specifically the idea of a balance and equality that existed in the heavens.  

When I hear people proclaim that our rights are God-given, it amuses me, knowing that the very idea that kings were born, by divine direction, to lead nations was widely believed throughout the history of humanity, used by Pharaohs as well as the patriarchs of all the European dynasties, it is painfully obvious that they would scoff at the idea that everyday people have any rights other than those they granted them. The concept of regular men, (although not women or minorities, at this point) might have rights not historically granted by the divine leaders, was revolutionary. And Paine's Common Sense, distributed widely in England as well as the colonies, was a major catalyst for the ideals of forming a nation which reflected such an idea, as well as the rejection of divinely dictated leadership through birth. Again, in our current age where acolytes of DJT express support for a third term or immunity from prosecution of crimes, I can't help but wonder how men like Paine would react.

The Life section featured short articles about Jonas Salk and the polio vaccine, Margaret Fuller and her writings in support of women decades before women gained the right to vote, Aldo Leopold who championed environmental conservation, the research into improving our method of detecting planets with Earth-like environments, and the early attempts at creating computers that could think.

After these pieces was a very illuminating article about the birth of the use of anesthesia, and the controversy surrounding those who tried to take credit for it, followed by an extended story about a man trying to retrace the steps of what he described as the first tourist trail in America which was detailed in the first travel guide (of America), published in 1822. Fascinating.

From there, the Liberty section, with articles about Ben Franklin's alter egos (used when he wrote opinion letters and articles), an early 18th century woman inventor (whose early patents had to be issued in her husband's name since women weren't allowed to hold patents), a quick blurb about Washington's decision not to be president for life as was considered at the time, as well as a nod to the few presidents who hold patents for their discoveries. 

Additional articles discussed the importance of Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe, as well as Frederick Douglass's speeches which also defined the evil of slavery and the point of the Civil War, the beginning of journalism that established the idea of reporting as fact finding as opposed to biased reports meant to alter opinions, a look back at the mothers who inspired suffrage for women even though they never voted themselves, as well as a review of child labor laws that put children in schools rather than working dangerous jobs which their size made for a good fit, safety be damned.

The Liberty section also has articles about Woodrow Wilson and his attempts to provide labor rights for the everyday worker who lacked sick and holiday time off, not to mention safe working conditions, an article about Ella Baker, an early proponent of civil rights for Blacks, a very interesting item about Sequoyah's invention of the Cherokee syllabary which led to a literate rate among his people that rivaled European countries, and finally the story about how the Dewey decimal system was invented, yes by a man named Melvil Dewey, an underrated invention which enabled the proliferation of information that marked the late 19th century to be organized in libraries making it easier to store, and then find, the books that a library holds.

From there are a few more extended articles, one on the beginnings of storm chasing and understanding thunderstorms which led to today's (mostly) accurate weather reports about upcoming storms, and then an incredibly compelling story about Alan Lomax, a man who recorded tens of thousands of songs, the authentic songs of America, as he put it.

Finally, the Happiness section with articles about the first cooking manual published in America "The Virginia House-Wife", published in 1824 by Mary Randolph, the origin of frozen food as developed by Clarence Birdseye, an article about innovations in sports that changed each, the influence of adolescents (a mid 20th century invention of America) on pop culture ever since, an interesting story about the # sign (hashtag) and it's power to drive conversation, a quick hitter about the cellphone, an origin story about hip-hop, another origin story, this one about comics, a history of Irna Phillips and the "soap" opera, and an article about the early history of the console (video) game industry and a few of the unheralded inventors who moved it along.

Finally, a multi-page article about Georgia O'Keefe, one of America's signature artists, a woman who rejected the style of painting that existed around the world, instead focusing of painting "what she saw", and what she saw was American landscapes.

Sometimes we, as Americans, forget that our nation is only 250 years old. That when compared to the Old Countries, let alone the history of China and Asia, we are at the very end of the timeline of humanity's existence. Yet the accomplishments that have emanated during our brief history seem outsized, almost as if nothing happened before us, at least not when considering how we live our lives today.  

Perhaps that is a bit of false pride, but it doesn't negate the powerful influence on the world that America has generated since 1776. I am fine with those who say we have been a force for good, as long as we acknowledge that some of the greatest achievements made by Americans throughout history were accomplished by people, or the children of people who were born outside our borders. We were once proud to be called the melting pot of the world, yet now seem to think we don't need anyone else. That, being successful, we can now determine who is more American than others, or who deserves to have a shot at the advantages that our country can still provide. 

They say pride goes before the fall, and so I worry that our pride in boasting about our accomplishments without acknowledging our failures, puts us on that very path. For me, having a magazine and an institution like the Smithsonian to remind us of both, is the vaccine we just might need to avoid the destiny that so many other great nations have experienced throughout human history. 

  

 

Project Hail Mary (The Movie)

Since my wife and I missed seeing the movie "Project Hail Mary" on the big screen when it was first released, we were glad to see that it had come to a streaming service that we subscribed to.

First, for those of you unfamiliar with the movie, it is based on a book written by Andy Weir. And for those unfamiliar with Andy Weir, he is also the author of The Martian, which was made into a movie starring Matt Damon, and was released the year following the publication of the book, in 2015. 

In the case of "Project Hail Mary", a little more time passed from the book release to the movie; book published 2021, movie released this year. Just to complete the thought, after researching Weir, I decided to search for other books he wrote and found "Artemis". Both myself and my wife have now read it and we recommend it although, while like The Martian and Project Hail Mary it is a futuristic novel, and all the action takes place in space, in the case of Artemis, on the moon, the main character is not a man, and is not a story that exalts American space exploration and/or the ingenuity and dominance that has been the history of space travel; just in case that matters to you.

So, back to "Project Hail Mary".

The basic premise of the movie is that scientists have discovered that the sun, our sun, is dying, which means that human life on Earth is at risk. An obscure high school teacher who had postulated a theory about the science behind the sun's dying is recruited to embark on a mission to a place many light years away where there appears to be a solar system with the existence of the same deadly material but that is not, apparently, in danger. 

The mission, of course, is called Project Hail Mary as even those who believe in the possibility that their assumptions are correct and that there may be a way to figure out and replicate whatever is unique that is protecting this planet, they also realize that the chances of actually accomplishing this feat are low. For those of you who don't know why the term Hail Mary means long shot, the most obvious example is in American football when the quarterback flings the ball as far as he can on the last play of the game in hopes of a miracle catch and touchdown. The fact that such a play has actually worked a few times, even though the other team knows it is coming, makes it even more of a miracle. 

Now, to be honest, when I used the word recruited, that was an misnomer as the main character, Ryland Grace, as played by Ryan Gosling, is actually drugged and kidnapped, then sent on the mission, a fact that becomes clear to him not right away, so also not right away to the audience. The fact that the two other astronauts sent with him have died during the long hibernation, also doesn't help.  

When an alien spacecraft docks with Grace's, he realizes that it is made of a material that is totally foreign to life on Earth, and that, in fact, the alien itself is made of what appears to be rock, so naturally, Grace calls him Rocky. As it turns out, Rocky is also the last being alive on his space ship, which was also on a mission to save his own planet from the same fate as Earth.

Grace and Rocky figure out a way to communicate, then actually solve the question as to why the planet they have traveled to seems immune to the catastrophe that is effecting every other planet. 

To be honest, it is a cute story, the tried and true man meets rock, man and rock bond tale. Considering that so many Earthlings are caught up in the hate and kill cycle, even though we share virtually all of the same DNA (especially when compared to a man and a rock), one could connclude that the author (and movie producer) wish to teach by example. Of course, there are those that might consider such a story "woke", which even makes the lesson more relevant. I mean, can you imagine, a man forming a relationship with a rock without discussing religion, and an alien to boot, most likely with no papers.

To further hammer home the analogy, during the attempt to capture the element that appears to be the reason why this star is immune to the galaxy wide dilemma, Grace becomes unconscious and it appears that he will perish. Rocky, having joined Grace on his ship, is encased in a bubble that allows him to maneuver around without suffering from the damaging effects of oxygen. 

In true Hollywood fashion, Rocky breaks out of his bubble and saves Grace but appears to die in the process. But only temporarily, as Rocky just needed some time to recuperate. The friends then part ways, each on their way to their home planet with the cure in hand. But then Grace realizes that the cure has breached the breeding tanks and is consuming his fuel, but worse, that the same thing will happen to Rocky except that he and his ship are made of the material that is being destroyed, and that Rocky will not have a way to alter the tragedy that awaits him. 

Grace sends the miraculous info back to earth along with the samples, then reverses course to overtake Rocky's ship, even though he knows that he won't have enough fuel to return to Earth. Self sacrifice for an entity as unlike himself as one could imagine. Talk about a lesson from the Mount!

In the end, Earth is saved from the prospect of the dying sun, and Grace is built an earth-like biodome on Rocky's home planet where he teaches Science to Eridian children. A teacher again.

Now, I haven't read the book, so I have no way of knowing how true to the movie it is. But, assuming it is relatively close to the book's intent, it is certainly a feel-good movie of the highest order. And, like The Martian, has a happy ending.

Speaking of which, Artemis also has a happy ending.  

I am glad that Weir prefers happy endings to his space books, considering all the crap happening all around us on our home planet. And, at least for "Project Hail Mary", the alien is kind, not like those in Independence Day. 

I watched the end of "Earth Girls Are Easy" starring Geena Davis and Jeff Goldblum yesterday. To be honest, I never saw it all the way through, and after watching it, I hadn't really missed much. Except, again, the aliens were nice guys. 

I hope that as the broadcast signals of movies like "Project..." make their way through the vastness of space, that they bring a message of peace to any civilization that receives them. That they represent Earth to them as a place with people that would be good spacemates, good neighbors, a civilized people. Kind of like the aliens in "Galaxy Quest" who, even though they thought that Gilligan's Island was real, looked upon us as people to meet, perhaps even be friends. 

Wouldn't that be a kick, that we end up with a better reputation outside our solar system than we seem to have among ourselves here on Earth. 

 

What May Come 2

In March of 2025, I posted my thoughts on what may come during the second DJT term.

Here is a link to that post. 

https://wurdsfromtheburbs.blogspot.com/2025/03/what-may-come.html 

The good news is that some of the things I thought might occur have not. For instance, despite my correct prediction that American citizens would be killed in our streets, and that large protests against the Trump administration would occur, martial law has not been declared anywhere. Now, it is true that as punishment for those American citizens who reside in states which did not vote GOP, there have been various "investigations", national guard deployments, and increased ICE activities, the ultimate weapon of martial law has not been used. While I am grateful for being wrong on that account, I still stand behind the prediction that it may still be utilized.

Related to the killing of American citizens, Bruce Springsteen provided an answer to my question as to who would follow in Neil Young's footprints and create a song about death in our streets.  

I was also wrong about a national abortion ban. While there may still be some action towards that direction, still may be calls to revive the Comstock Act as a way to outlaw the mailing of mifepristone (especially when Todd Blanche is confirmed as Attorney General), I am hopeful that there is not enough time before the midterms to get that done. Doesn't mean Trump may not try an executive action along those lines, or that RFK Jr might not sway the FDA to change its rulings about drugs used for abortion, but for now, I am, again, grateful to be wrong.

I did expect that childhood diseases might increase due to the vaccine hesitancy that has been driven by RFK Jr's worm addled brain, and am not surprised that we are having record food borne illnesses considering the attacks against science and the government workers who have worked under the radar to inspect and regulate those businesses who produce our food. Let's not forget to praise Musk and DOGE for some of this as well.

I also touched on the possibility of a resurgence of American imperialism, which was right on the mark considering the forced removal of Venezuela's leader, not to mention the Iran War. While I admit that I didn't see the actual war in Iran coming, knowing that the concept of potentially interrupting the flow of oil was the main reason why previous administrations did not attempt what we now see is a disastrous plan, at least the oil companies are raking in huge profits. Certainly their perspective has always been the prime driver of our Middle East foreign policy, even before Trump. Now, at least it is out in the open! 

And yes, gay marriage is still the law of the land, having not been returned to the states. Again, glad to be wrong, but I have little faith that the Supreme Court may use the same logic (or lack thereof) the decide that since the founders didn't mention gay marriage in any of their documents or writings, there is no historical justification for using the Bill of Rights or the Constitution to guarantee such a right. Perhaps it might be another one of the rulings of the Roberts Court, along with Citizens United, Dobbs and the recent Humphreys Executor, not to mention the patently ridiculous and offensive ruling that presidents are immune to prosecution while in office, that will change the landscape of American politics, economics, and society. Pretty good for an institution that claims not to buck precedent or make laws! 

I ended that post with the sincere hope that I would be wrong in some of most dire predictions, and I am glad to have been right (or wrong) in a few areas. 

But, as I witness a man who can never admit any mistakes, has surrounded himself with sycophants who knowingly hide the truth from him, or, are just using him to get what they want, such as Stephen Miller, the ultimate racist, a man who can't help but brag about himself while belittling every other leader, past US presidents included, who prefers to ruin the lives of American citizens (see David Hearn) and those seeking to become Americans (see all those he has rounded up, even at actual asylum hearings, even some with sons, spouses, children serving in our military), someone who continues to talk about $2 gas being a thing, inflation being over, affordability being a Democrat scam, a leader (supposed) who now bandies about the "communist" description for anyone who disagrees with him (having zoomed right past the S word, S for socialist), I still expect some kind of federal intervention in the November elections. 

That is already a fact in his executive order concerning mail in ballots and his attempt to compel the United State Post Office to screen mail in ballots in states that do not change their election rules to suit him.

Whether DJT decides to run for a third term to further challenge and poop upon our Constitution, or merely becomes content with enriching himself and his family in the next two years, it is hard to fathom anything not to outrageous for him to attempt, and for the GOP controlled Congress to allow. While it seems that the Dems might control the House after November, again, most likely after Trump declares some of the results invalid, and/or pushes Mike Johnson not to seat those Dems who helped flip the House (Johnson being one of the worst House leaders in my lifetime, considering that he doesn't lead as much as take orders), I don't expect the Senate to flip so there will be another two years of Congressional impotency.

And executive orders like no one has even seen, to quote the man who exaggerates and lies like no president in our history.

Finally, the stock market is currently on a record run. I struggle mightily with this trend. On one hand, my selfish instincts are happy that my nest egg is growing and that I should continue to be able to live comfortably, despite the outrageous prices at the pump (drill baby drill not withstanding), and the inflationary pressures that are preventing the Fed from lowering interest rates.

Yet my personal outlook is completely overpowered by the knowledge that should the market continue to rise, some people will continue to vote for Republicans for that one reason only. They will ignore the fact that millions of their fellow citizens have lost their health insurance, that student loan debt continues to manacle those under 30, that we our government is actively rounding up hard working people (and let's not pretend they are mostly brown people) who believed in the message of the Statue of Liberty, but now face the reality that it is a lie, not to mention the tens of thousands of federal workers who have been forced out of their jobs for being loyal to the country over the president.

Do I wish for a 15% market drop? Sometimes.

If that's what it takes to wake up America from their fever, then I am willing to suffer a bit. I just hope that all the bad stuff to come, the Social Security shortfall (or bogus fix if it doesn't address the cap on when income is taxed), the future increase in childhood disease and death, the ongoing climate crisis featuring record breaking heat, storms, damage, along with the growing growth of AI and its drain on resources, water and power especially, is so overwhelming that our next president, regardless of party, will spend all his/her efforts on remediations rather than progress.

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Seven : Jobs of Adulthood

In chapter four, I detailed the various jobs I had as a young adult, roughly from 1976 to 1985. This time frame may seem rather long compared to some of my contemporaries, as many of those in my age group had "real" jobs well before the age of 27. 

I, however, moved from job to job, interspersed with my documented bursts of wanderlust, until I decided to return to college to attain a Bachelor's degree. While the credits I transferred to Bloomsburg were accumulated mostly at Montgomery County Community College, with a few from LaSalle College, I still had temporary jobs through those years, temporary defined as employment to pay for parties, or school, or just to make ends meet. 

I lived with various people, mostly friends and acquaintances, sometimes having to return to my parents' home. Again, non-permanence. I had met my future wife before returning to college, and we lived together for a bit, but our relationship, while solid, was tested by my absence. That we were able to survive this time, on, off then finally on again to the point where we married in the summer of 1988 is fairly remarkable. 

While I tend to retreat from the concept that there is only one true soul mate for each person, an idea that seems ludicrous in the face of the randomness of the birth lottery in that we have no control over when and where we are born, not to mention the simple fact that there are now 8 billion people on this planet, I also firmly believe my life, as it exists in this moment, would not be as contented, as happy, had Nora not come into my life that summer day when I found her crying at the foot of her stairs due to a PECO error that turned off her electricity, spoiling all the food in her tiny fridge and creating a God awful smell that permeated her entire apartment.

A quick aside here. In the mid to late 1980's, paying for college, community as well as 4 year institutions, was far easier than today. While I still had student loans when I graduated, the total debt was reasonable, the monthly payment not hard to meet. It is just another example of how we have screwed things up, have dealt our children and grand children a massive mess by our poor decisions, both in the voting booth, and in our hierarchy of priorities.

My last semester of college involved a stint as a student teacher, which meant that I was "home". I am fuzzy in that I know I didn't live with my parents, but don't think Nora and I were fully together then. Regardless, I needed to earn some money. I was fortunate in that a friend of mine recommended me to his employer, where I worked weekends running commercial printers which produced bulk mail. Junk mail, in other words.

During my student teaching semester, I "taught" Monday thru Friday, then worked Friday and Saturday night in the print room where there were two shifts, 12 hours each, 8 AM to 8 PM then 8 PM to 8 AM. I worked the latter, meaning that every Friday I functioned without sleep, going home from school, a quick dinner, then off to work for my 12 hour shift. A semester of no sleep Fridays.

Once I graduated, I continued to work there, especially on the weekends, although I also registered at a number of local school districts to substitute teach. This process, while a good way to get one's foot in the door at a number of school districts, also meant that you got called either the night before, or even in the early AM, for a substitute shift. I was fortunate in that my employer was tolerant of my coming and going in favor of subbing, but it could also be chaotic, not knowing from one week to the next, let alone one day to another, where I would be. 

This continued through the fall of 1987, then in the spring of 1988, I was offered a full time sub position in Bristol Borough School District. I was also tutoring, at first at a brick and mortal establishment where you went to the building and the children came to you. But when the owner started getting requests for in-house tutoring, he allowed me to take those clients, so I often went from my classes in Bristol Borough right to a client's home. In the meantime, I also did some weekend shifts at the bulk mailing company.

Nora and I married in the summer of 1988. I opted to take my "summer" pay from the school district in a lump sum (you could get a weekly check during the summer, or all at once), which was used for the caterer at our wedding reception. 

That fall, I attempted to continue to sub on a day to day basis, the woman for whom I had long term subbed having returned from her maternity leave, but when my boss at the bulk mailing company offered to promote me to department manager, I jettisoned the idea of teaching and accepted the stability of a full time job, and its benefits, and substantial pay increase.

I worked there for the next seven years during which Nora and I moved from our shared apartment in Warrington to a house in Perkasie. While at the apartment, and during those years at the bulk mailing establishment, I continued to ride my bike to work, although not in the winter and not every day. But, considering that the ride from Perkasie to work was about 18 miles each way, I was happy to stay in touch with my non-car youth.

Eventually, I tired of the fact that the product I was helping to create was thrown in the trash at a 95 to 98% rate. Even though we had our first child at this point, a boy named JW, and a second one on the way, I quit before having another job. I know, shades of irresponsibility, echoes of my younger adulthood.

Fortunately, it didn't take me too long to find a new employer, in this case with a turnout gear manufacturer. Turnout gear, if you don't know, is the protective suit worn by firemen. I felt much better about working here, helping to outfit the men and women who ran towards a fire, to save both lives and property. It was especially gratifying that most of our clients were volunteer departments.

With our new daughter, Rachel, having added to the happiness of our home, I settled into learning the business, still occasionally riding my bike to work. As time went by, I expanded my responsibilities to include my original job as customer service manager to monitoring invoices and helping to collect payments, and creating the bids for contracts in attempts to expand our clientele base to include larger, paid, fire companies.

In the meantime, in 1990, I took on a seasonal part time job with the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB). That first holiday season was difficult, both because I was home with my young children less, and because I was back to working 50-55 hours a week. But, it's amazing what you can get used to, those weekly 24-hour Fridays without sleep as an example, and while Nora worked at nights when I was home, she was also able to spend that much more time with our kids, not working outside the home in the daytime. Between the two of us, we were able to provide a good balance, and, if the state of my children, now wonderful adults, is an indicator, we did a great job!

Sadly, I fell our of favor with the owner of the turnout gear company in January of 2000. OK, truth be told, I finished a conversation we were having about an employee of mine who was not always able to get to work on time, a single mother whom I compromised with so that she could get her kids off to school properly, while making up any late time at work by allowing her to work through lunch or stay late. When my boss expressed his displeasure about treating her differently that other of his employees, I mentioned that at least she performed her job when she was at work, while my boss's daughter, who he hired out of the blue one day, was not quite so devoted to her work.

I was fired the next day.

While searching for something new, I expanded my hours with the PLCB, although I must admit, even though it is obvious now that I made a critical error in questioning my ex-boss's daughter's work ethic, at the time, I was shocked that he would actually fire me. I had thought I was too valuable to the organization. While, in my mind at least, I always tried my best for those employers to come, went above and beyond in many ways, I also learned that employers have limited loyalty to their employees. That their words, while flowery and flattering, are just words when push comes to shove. Or when you challenge one of their rationalizations.

It took about three months to find my next employer, an indoor sporting goods importer. We sold all kinds of products, from darts and boards to pool cues and tables to Foosball games to ping pong tables and pretty much everything in between. We were a wholesaler, our customers ranging from small local companies to chains. We even sold a few SKUs to WalMart, although they were a customer that demanded very low margins, while also penalizing their vendors for all manners of exceptions from their shipping guidelines. In fact, that was the main reason for my being hired. They needed someone, in shipping, to come up with a process to reduce all the charge backs they were experiencing from these larger vendors.

Along with my boss Kirk, we soon had a plan in place and began to change the shipping department from a revenue loss to revenue gain.

Kirk, along with my boss at the bulk mailing organization, Bob, were what I would call my two most influential mentors during my work career. Both saw promise in me, both allowed me time to learn and grow within the job requirements, both encouraged me to go beyond the established job duties and to better connect what was required from the department I ran to the other departments of the company, but also to see the big picture and get involved in areas that would normally exceed my responsibilities. For instance, at the sporting goods company, a place with tens of thousands of square feet of warehouse, I used sales numbers to help both the purchasing department to maintain inventory when considering the 6 week transit time from China (the source of much of our product) while also helping receiving in storing the product when received, by providing the list of the 20% of our products that accounted for 80% of the sales which enabled the pickers to spend less time roaming the warehouse.

All the while I still worked for the PLCB, although this became quite difficult during the holiday season, as sales for both companies, skyrocketed at the same time. We sold upwards of 40% or our sporting goods the last two months, just as we sold an inordinate amount of liquor beginning with the Thanksgiving holiday through New Years. I worked a lot of 1/2 days for my primary employer, half days defined as 6 AM to 6 PM, then a night or two during the week plus either Saturday or Sunday for the PLCB. 

A pretty drastic change from the days when I would quit a job for months at a time to travel!

During this time, I created strong relationships with the various trucking companies that we used to ship our product. So much so that in the summer of 2007, I was offered a sales rep job with one of them, a job which increased my pay dramatically, not to mention the subsidized car and free meals when I took clients out. And the Eagles tickets. 

A the time, I thought it a natural evolution, to move from a shipping dock to helping the people who toiled at shipping docks at other companies. The fact that it was also a large corporation certainly dawned on me, but my experience, at least as a customer, was that each terminal had some independence. As a customer, I had always been treated fairly, and with an eye to improving my process, so I expected that I could do the same as a sales rep.

And, I thought I did that. For a small terminal, our numbers were good, slowly increasing. I felt that I got along with my clients well, they realizing I was one of them not that long ago. Perhaps I was too friendly, putting their interests, at times, ahead of the company I worked for, but the numbers were building so I felt good. 

Little did I know that the economic meltdown was right around the corner, so while 2007 was fine, I continued to improve our numbers and my relationships with my clients. 2008, on the other hand, very quickly presented me with stark evidence that the shipping industry was in trouble. With the heat of the summer, I began to see layoffs in the shipping departments of my customers, and beyond.  

Managers were let go, assistant managers promoted but without matching the salaries of the manager they replaced. A shipping staff member might leave and not be replaced, or worse, there would be one or two less from one monthly visit to the next. Even front desk personnel, (usually women) who greeted people with a smile and paged your contact, or let them know you were on the way, were replaced with a phone and list of contact numbers.

I was terminated the first day of the New Year, 2010, almost 10 years to the day from my firing from the turnout gear manufacturer. Not surprisingly, ten years later when the calendar turned to January, 2020, ten years since the last time I was fired which was 10 years from that first firing, I held my breath those first few weeks. As it turned out, I was reprimanded in early 2021, as we emerged from COVID when I failed to follow one of the innumerable rules that had been instituted, rules that did nothing to address the health of the employees but were strictly designed as a (CYO, cover you ass) maneuver for the PLCB, but I survived, although by the fall of that year I had retired. 

After departing the freight company, and its very generous salary and benefits, I again went full time with the PLCB while searching for a new full time job. My core skills were in logistics/shipping but those first few years after the economic meltdown were not pleasant to the shipping industry, or any company that used logistics to move its product. Soon, it became apparent that the market for middle level managers in any type of business that utilized trucks to move their product was stagnant. After a year as a clerk, a position I had held for those twenty years as a part time employee, it became painfully clear that I needed to "move up" in the PLCB.

Note here, I was lucky that in 2010, government subsidies for health insurance were still in place from the 2008 economic downturn. It took me two months to get a full time spot with the PLCB, two months that I had to use COBRA to maintain health care coverage. Fortunately, the 66% subsidy which I qualified for paid $1000 of the $1500 per month COBRA cost. Luckily, the small severance I received when terminated by the freight company paid for those two months premium, then my costs dropped significantly when I became full time and received family medical benefits from the PLCB.

However, my total income had dropped by half! I was making less than half of the salary with the PLCB compared to the trucking company, plus had loss the extra income that the PLCB, as a part time employer, had provided. Then, when I did get a part time job, that pay was far less that what I had been paid with the PLCB, a salary that had steadily increased (thank you collective bargaining contracts) over the 20 years I had worked there.

Since I had to be available from 8 AM to 9 PM, seven days a week for my the PLCB, the opportunities for a new part time job were limited. 

The first one I did was delivering newspapers, a job which required me to arise every morning at 3 AM, drive to a warehouse the pick up my papers, then drive around the area to deliver about 100 daily papers on the weekdays, then about 300 on the weekend. This is where my ability to disassociate myself from my body, a skill I had perfected when riding my bike in reference to my legs and the process of pedaling. My daily newspaper route which lasted from 3 AM to about 6 AM became the activity of some other entity, which was doubly beneficial because this other part of me was earning a decent wage.

I have mentioned in the chapters that described my hitchhiking adventures, that the very process of hitchhiking,which required a dependence on the kindness of strangers (although not in the way that Blanche DuBois "pays" for that kindness), profoundly effected my perception of humanity. 

Delivering newspapers also reinforced that positive perception in that I received hundreds of dollars in tips during the 18 months that I delivered newspapers as my customers were able to add a tip to their monthly bill even though I never met any of them. They were just appreciative that their paper was in their driveway everyday. 

During this time, being out in the world from 3 AM to 6 AM, provided me with a host of experiences that I would never have had, or that I thought even existed.

Moon and sunrises.

Absolutely crystal clear winter mornings.

Early AM radio with far less commercials.

Neighborhoods only minutes from my house that I was unfamiliar with.

Animals, animals, animals. I once saw a herd of deer strolling down the middle of a fairly large road. 

Of course, it could be cold, driving around with your window open in single degree weather to facilitate the tossing of a paper, but oddly, I was not as cold as I expected on those days. Perhaps because I was active in the car, placing folded papers in a plastic bag, grabbing pre-wrapped papers from the back, tossing them into the appropriate driveway. On the weekends when my route went from 100 dailies to 300 weeklies, I prepared perhaps 150 or 200 of them at the warehouse, loading them into the back seat of my Toyota Corolla which created. literally, a pile of papers from the floor to midway to the top of the back of my front seats. The rest of the papers sat in the passenger seat for me to wrap on the go. Driving while wrapping papers was a skill I would have never expected to include on my resume, but one which was developed during the first few months.

Eventually, I left the paper route for an overnight stocking job at my local grocery store. I worked from 10 PM to 4 AM, three nights a week, some days going right from my full time job (if I had a night shift). Again, the occasional nights without sleep, but having already trained myself to exist on 5 hours of consecutive sleep or less, I became reasonably proficient at the art of cat naps.

In the meantime, I transferred from one PLCB store to another for promotions, or just to get closer to home when a promotion took me 20 miles or more from Perkasie. By 2015, I had risen enough within the system to be able to work just one job, having spent the previous 25 years working two. I had spent 20 years, part time with the PLCB, then another 11 full time, which equaled 20 years of service, earning me medical coverage for myself and my wife in retirement. And a pension, which in today's environment is, as they say at MasterCard, priceless.  

At this point, 4 plus years since retiring, I have been working part time for that same grocery store, although at a different location, for some pin money, some exercise, and some social contact. We don't stock overnight anymore, so I work a few days a week, unloading the skids onto the appropriate U-boats, then placing the stock on shelves. Easy work, little to no pressure, and the availability to take off whenever I want, no questions asked.

Oddly, the four years I have worked there is a total departure from my full time career at the PLCB where I worked at 12 stores in 12 years. like a bad penny popping up all over the place. 

I'm not sure how much longer I will work. At this point, I figure that as long as I can do it, I might as well do so. As I mentioned before, I can take off whenever I want, there is very little pressure, I have met some nice people, and it provides a bit of exercise, physical as well as mental. I've been considering the idea of volunteer work somewhere, perhaps at a local elementary school which would bring me full circle, considering that I barely used my elementary education degree.

Regardless of whether I work a few more years or not, I am grateful for all those employers who saw something in me, even those which ended in my termination. I often say that the days of the Renaissance Man, defined as someone who knows a little about a lot of things, has long been replaced by the age of the specialist, where knowing all there is to know about one subject is where the money is. Perhaps it always was, my "career" of moving from one job to another, one industry to another, the reason for my never having earned all that much money, never having become a principal in a company. 

No regrets though. I am far past wondering what if as it applies to jobs, except of course when it comes to writing, which is my biggest WHAT IF. But even then, it wouldn't have been about money.

The good news is that, at least for me, never having mastered a skill or process, did not prevent me from providing a stable home for my family, not withstanding those times when I was not at home due to 55-60 hours work weeks, at least from the standpoint of finances. If I may be so bold as to pat myself on the back, I feel that it was my work ethic that made it happen more than anything, perhaps even despite my natural anti-authority attitude, my tendency to question, nay, run the opposite way, from the normal, the accepted way of doing things, the proper path to take.

I just hope that we might someday maneuver back to such a world, as it seems we are far from that today, because if not, the world will be the worse for it, not being exposed to the range of people and jobs that I was, nor being out in the world, working, when most people were in bed. I wouldn't trade any of it, because, it all adds up to the person I am today. For better or worse, no regrets. 

 

A Trip To Philly's History

Last Friday, Nora, my son JW and his wife Abbye and I went into the city (Philadelphia) for the day. I had received a Walking Tour book for the city a few Christmases ago, so armed with said book, we decided to walk around the Independence Hall area which included the Betsy Ross House, the Ben Franklin museum and the Constitution Building, among others, as well as a few stops from the adjacent "Old City" Tour, Elfreth's Alley and a few very old churches.

We also planned to eat dinner at the Reading Terminal Market, so we found a parking lot about half way between the Market and the walking tour areas, and set out to enjoy the day.

It was a bit hot, so we popped into a few places just to take advantage of the AC, even if we didn't pay the admission price for an actual tour. But we did hear an interesting talk in the Free Quaker Meeting Hall, where we were told that the Quakers who participated in the War for Independence had to (temporarily) split off from the main Quaker sect to fight, Quakers being renowned for non-violence.

We did spend some time in the Ben Franklin Museum, and also took a tour of the building where the Congressional Congress debated, voted on and signed the Declaration of Independence. 

While the line to see the Liberty Bell was very long, which meant we did not get to see it up close, it was very enjoyable walking around the sites. At one point, we encountered a statue for Commodore John Barry, who is a distant relative of my wife. Pretty cool.

After strolling around the Market for a bit, we ate sandwiches at one of the many food establishments, then walked back to the car and headed off to the Mann Music Center in Fairmount Park were we had tickets to see Japanese Breakfast open for Death Cab for Cutie. We sat on the lawn under the fading evening light, while dragon flies dipped and dove among the crowd, then enjoyed two good performances into the evening. 

All in all, a very nice day, shared with three of my most favorite people.

Two quick observations about the various historical items I learned during our walk.

Well, actually, I knew about this first thing, that George Washington was elected as our first president in a unanimous vote. Of course, for those first few presidential "elections", only the representatives in Congress voted. He received all 69 votes from the electoral college in 1788 and all 132 votes in 1792. 

But the point emphasized by the tour guide was that Washington could have been president for life, had he wanted to, but chose to step down voluntarily, in respect for the premise that America didn't want a leader for lifetime, as they had just fought a war to reject the yoke of such a government. 

When placed in juxtaposition with the current resident of the White House who blithely talks about a third term, a prospect specifically forbidden by the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, and it is crystal clear how far away from the founders ideals a man like Trump has meandered, not to mention how unlike Washington he is, Washington being a man who put his country ahead of himself.

The other interesting thing of note that I learned was that Benjamin Franklin, certainly one of America's greatest innovators, held very few patents when compared to all his inventions. He believed

"that science and knowledge should be shared freely for the benefit of all. He did not seek patents for his inventions because he wanted them to be available to everyone, without restrictions or monopolies. He believed that innovation should be driven by curiosity and the desire to improve the world, rather than by profit or personal gain. His commitment to the public good and his belief in the power of science and education continue to inspire people today." 

That doesn't mean he didn't profit from his inventions, but it does mean that he allowed other people to replicate, even improve on his ideas as he thought that the overall progress or America was more important that individual wealth.

Almost socialistic in its philosophy, but certainly far from our current capitalist mindset where law suits which grapple with the ownership of ideas and inventions are as commonplace as the inventions themselves.

Of course, our devotion to capitalism, which, as I have said before, is the worst form of economic system except for all the other ones, is the real problem as we use it as an excuse to put profit ahead of the health of millions of our fellow citizens, among other travesties.

Gotta watch those isms! They will get you every time! 

Soccer and Testosterone

Before the main point of this post, I wanted to share my (last) thoughts on the World Cup.

First, I was obviously wrong in my prediction that France would make the final and win the day. I also gave our team a 50-50 chance to beat Belgium which turned out to be incorrect as well, as we were never in the game, practically from the start. The US team looked sluggish, hesitant, playing not to lose rather than to win. 

That was also my perception of England in their match against Argentina. When they pushed upfield they looked as good, perhaps even better. But once England took the 1-0 lead, they went into a defensive shell. Very few aggressive runs, very little offensive attacks. Again, playing not to lose. One might even say they played into the hands of Argentina, allowing them to mount wave after wave of attacks which ultimately led to two goals, and a 2-1 win.

As I had looked past Spain in my expectation that France would beat them, it might be foolish for me to do the same, to predict Argentina will successfully defend their 2022 title. But I truly think that the Argentina team just won't accept defeat, that they will find a way to win. If so, it would be a spectacular way for Messi to finish his World Cup career, assuming he won't play in 2030. But Spain is formidable so it won't surprise me if they prove to be triumphant. 

All in all, an enjoyable World Cup despite the antics of our president who couldn't help interjecting himself into the controversy regarding the red card given to our best scorer. While the foul was certainly questionable, his involvement made FIFA's rule committee appear feckless (apparently it was just one member who made the decision to revoke the suspension) and put the team itself in a no win situation as, had they won, Trump would have taken credit for it, while they would have looked to the rest of the soccer world as a team that needs their mommies to intervene for them. Not that Trump cares about other people, but just once I would like him to put aside his overwhelming narcissism and think about someone else for a change.

Which brings me to our Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth. Yesterday he announced that all military members would receive a testosterone test, and have available treatment (I assume at taxpayers expense) if their testosterone level is low. 

I commented on Mr Hegseth in a previous post called Jane Goodall and the Warrior Ethos. Rather than summarizing what I wrote, here it is word for word.

-- 

Which brings us to Hegseth and his military meeting.

While there was some speculation that he might announce a bunch of firings, it turned out the purpose was to tell the leaders of the United States military, how to do their job. And specifically, how we need to get back to the macho version of the military that an insecure person like Hegseth, and his boss, Trump, deem necessary to demonstrate our collective manliness.

The phrase, "me thinks he doth protest too much" rings loud, considering the president served nary a day in the military due to a medical exception, while Hegseth, after serving, (and I give him credit for that), spent the last ten years railing about how soft the American military has become, by allowing women in combat, investigating sexual harassment claims by women in the military, and promoting women and people of color to positions of authority over any white male.

But even more importantly, so he says, the military has stopped creating and building the warrior ethos that needs to exist, both to scare our adversaries, and to vanquish them in battle.

Now, if I wanted to be sarcastic, I would say that Hegseth spent too much time reading the history of Sparta, or the conquests of the Roman Legionnaires.  Or that he must have really enjoyed those stories about throwing young boys into a pit to fight, as a way to separate the warriors from the weak.

Considering Trump's obsession with having his face on coins and mountains, perhaps they share that fixation on all that is Roman.

Also, if sarcasm was the goal, I might ask if Hegseth and Trump are planning a ground war anytime soon, as it seems that the nature of war, when both sides are adequately armed as is the case for Ukraine vs Russia, has turned to remote attacks via drones, long range missiles, targeted bombings. So, while it is quaint to think of our armed forces as the biggest, baddest men on the block, don't we also need really smart people, even nerds, if you like, to program the technology that is in use today. I certainly don't see a near future with battles featuring hand to hand combat with bayonets drawn, do you?

But let's get to the real danger of Hegseth's philosophy which, I believe, is bad for America, and especially bad for our armed forces.  

First, for the individual soldiers who are attracted to the idea that a warrior ethos makes them a better man, they might want to ask themselves if such an attitude will make them better fathers, husbands, citizens, when their military career ends. 

While a belief system that inspires our soldiers to think, act and lead like warfighters might lead to victory on the battlefield, it hinders the adjustment that veterans face when taking the next hill or killing one's enemy, is no longer a viable coping mechanism when dealing with the daily demands and tribulations of life.

Just ask any of the family members of the 17 veterans who kill themselves every day, a number that is staggeringly higher as a percentage than for non-military people of the same age. 

Or perhaps we should look to the number of veterans that are homeless in America, a number that has decreased in the last few years, thankfully, but is still indicative of a group of Americans that struggle to cope once outside the military.

Do we really think that making them emotionless warriors who are trained to kill without thinking, will provide them with a better mindset when dealing with noisy children, a daily routine that is less than exciting, various family members who may disagree with them, or any of the innumerable problems that face us everyday where violence is not the solution?

Hegseth wants a strong army, fine, but he seems to think that the soldiers who make up that army are plastic soldiers that can be replaced with a new batch when they become worn, or weak.

Of course, for a man who has a history of treating women like play toys, again, like his boss, perhaps that is consistent. 

Even worse, America is also a victim of such thinking, as this administration seems to think that being the bully of the globe will make everyone else respect us more, and do what we want. Like the tariff chaos that is ongoing, Trump has forgotten the kindergarten lesson that you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar.

Perhaps I am wrong, but the bullies I encountered in my life, whether as a child or an adult, did not earn my respect. Perhaps fear, but not respect. And certainly not a desire to see them succeed. So it should come as no surprise that this America first selfishness that goes hand in hand with "my way or the highway" is driving our traditional allies away. 

Or perhaps Hegseth and Trump think that "turn the other cheek" and "treat others as you would want to be treated" are too woke for their world view of warrior ethos.

I truly believe that most Americans would prefer that we treat our fellow Americans, as well as the other 8 billion people who share our planet, as Jane Goodall engaged with the primates she lived with and studied. That we should hold out an open hand to help rather than a closed fist to hurt.

Unfortunately, I also believe that many Americans, perhaps more than half, are on board with treating our enemies inhumanely. That all is fair in war, including killing civilians, bombing schools and hospitals, stealing children from their homes, because, well, I guess because that is what they would do to us. 

And, if there is one thing that Trump is superior at, it is telling us who we should hate, who we should consider less than human, who is out to get us. 

Whether it is the people in the boats that he is blowing up in defiance of international law, or the two million Palestinians that he thinks should be killed, or moved, or starved, or the immigrants who come here to seek a better life but are from a country that isn't white enough, or the federal workers who don't kiss his ring, whether they be in the DOJ or FBI, or any department that democrats like, or the countless number of Americans who love America but despise how Trump is remaking our country, Trump has an endless list of those we should hate, and consequently treat as if they were less than human.

So sad that people like Hegseth and Trump talk about America first yet enact policies that place Americans last. Even sadder that people who are on board with such cruelty, claim to be Christians as well.

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In retrospect, not much to add to that. But here goes anyway.

Perhaps I am missing something, but aren't the two superpowers of the world, the two countries that have overwhelming supplies of nuclear weapons, enough to blow up the world many times over, aren't they both having difficulty in their respective wars, as we speak?

Russia has been at it with Ukraine for over four years, and while they have taken some land and have certainly sown fear in the hearts of the people who reside there, they are also suffering immense casualties on the field and are now fearing for their own infrastructure and citizen deaths due to Ukraine's amazing drone capabilities.

Iran, no ones favorite country, a place where the leaders care very little for their own people, especially women, and are willing to sacrifice literally, everything, to declare they are winning, now have, a bit of  leverage in regards to the Strait of Hormuz, something they did not have before the war began. While one could can say that they have not won even one battle, that their military capabilities have been severely damaged, that they have even less friends than before due to their attacks on some of their neighbors, America is not in control of how this will end.

Makes one wonder if all that money spent on the military, especially the  trillions we have spent on nuclear weapons, was a waste if both of the nuclear powers in the world are struggling to beat nations with far less resources.

So, again, Mr Hegseth can promote bad ass men who can beat up anyone they encounter, but unless those testosterone fueled soldiers are going to deployed on Kharg Island, or Tehran itself, to take and hold oil fields and land, his anachronistic perception of warfare is as useless as the silos filled with nuclear weapons that will never be fired.

Even worse, his Neanderthal (and I hate to disparage an entire species without really knowing them personally) perception of what makes a man a man will do far more damage than good for those young men who believe that being able to follow commands that order them to kill our enemies, no hesitation, will confirm their masculinity. Of course, if they intend to leave the military and join ICE so they can kill those people whom this administration deems less than human, at least they will have a job. Perhaps no morals, but at least a job.

In my dissection of why England lost to Argentina in the semi-final match, I point to their lack of aggressiveness, there seeming decision to cede territory (on the pitch) without a fight, to play not to lose. Perhaps it then sounds hypocritical to condemn that same methodology when promoted by Hegseth and Trump.

I guess I consider sports and the strategies that result in winning a game, just that, a game. And assuming good sportsmanship which is the rule rather than the exception, the two sides meet on the battlefield, perhaps shake hands, maybe even exchange shirts. 

While training our young people so they can kill other human beings without remorse, without questioning the morality of it, with efficiency even, is abhorrent. No communion after the fact, no comrades in battle greeting each other with respect. Just death.

But not unexpected from men like Hegseth and Trump. 

And so the decline continues. 

 

 

Happy 4th of July!

In light of the recent decisions handed down by SCOTUS, and to celebrate our 250th birthday, here is my post for this important day.

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Does anyone else wonder how conservatives will react when the next Democrat in the White House uses all the new powers that the Supreme Court just granted the office of the President?

Will they howl when a future president from the Democrat party, or horrors, someone who labels themselves as a Democratic Socialist, fires a slew of federal agency heads, civil servants, bureaucrats from the departments which oversee our health, food safety, air and water quality, etc?

Will Mr Trump, now a private citizen complain when all his appointees (the best people ever appointed, as he likes to say) are replaced with people "loyal" to the new president's agenda?

And, will the judges on the Supreme Court continue to rule in support of the unitary executive theory which they are using to justify their recent rulings, or will they pull back when the new President uses those very same powers to do things that they do not agree with?

Short term thinking has always been an attractive way of operating one's life, a focus on instant gratification being preferable to long term planning in deference to the future.

One might speculate that the Founders were attempting to think about the future by creating the three, coequal branches of government, as a way to preserve their belief that too much power in the hands of any one part of the government might work in the short run, but not for long. And, of course, because they were very specific in their rejection of the power of the king of England, those disagreements very clearly delineated in the Declaration.

For us liberals, "radical" liberals as the president constantly states, perhaps we will see how this all plays out in a mere two and a half years.

Until then, sadly, we are in for a rough 30 months during which DJT will stomp on even more constitutional rights, will abuse the tax dollars we all pay to continue his vanity projects, will profit in a way unheard of in our history as he sells access to the White House, all because he has been given carte blanche by a Supreme Court that has decided that they prefer to judicate in his favor rather that just abdicating their power as the GOP controlled Congress has done.

On this very special day, our 250th birthday, I am proud to be called an American, proud of our national accomplishments, especially those which promote global health, reduction of disease through programs like PEPFAR. and all the great work done through USAID, not to mention our pivotal role in defeating the powers which attempted to eliminate people not like themselves.

Talk about putting the teachings of Christ to work!!

But less than proud at how we have turned our backs on the most vulnerable of our planet, are actively creating laws that punish children for being born to the wrong parents, and prefer a president who lauds leaders who control their populations with fear and violence (like Putin) while denigrating the democratically elected heads of state at every turn.

America is an amazing place, one might even say an amazing concept in terms of providing the most opportunity for, not only its own citizens, but those who the Creator chose to be born in other countries. And yet, with a history of denying those ideals to some people due to their skin color or even gender.

Despite what many people think, it is possible to have two thoughts in your head at once. To recognize the great achievements of the United States of America, while also acknowledging that we have also fell short of the ideals of our foundational documents.

It is in that balance that we find ourselves at odds with each other. If nothing else, I hope that as we work through our national discussion as to how we will navigate this decision, how we will treat each other, and those who still look to America for the same freedom and opportunity that our ancestors, all (unless you are among the very small percentage of Native Americans who live in our country) of whom were born elsewhere, we will remember that if we choose to turn our backs on the premise that America is as much an ideal as a place, then we will be turning our backs on ourselves, and the pride we have in our wonderful country.

Happy 4th of July!!!


 

World Cup 2026

The 2026 World Cup has been ongoing since mid June. It is being hosted by three countries this year, a first in World Cup history, with games being played in Canada, Mexico and the United States. 

I posted about the 2022 World Cup, after it ended. Here is a link to that effort. 

https://wurdsfromtheburbs.blogspot.com/2022/12/world-cup-2022.html

In the 2022 post, I detailed both negative and positive aspects of that World Cup. Negative in terms of its host country, Qatar having little infrastructure when chosen, a poor record on human rights, summer temps that forced the tournament to be held in December, and many examples of workers' rights being violated as they scrambled to build the necessary venues. 

Positive in terms of the unity that sports can build, within nations and between competitors from different countries, and the games themselves, especially the final between France and Argentina which featured two of the world's best players, a 2 goal comeback in the second half by France, a late, tying goal in the 2nd overtime by Argentina, and then a thrilling series of penalty kicks that resulted in Argentina's victory.

Similarly, there are some negatives associated with this years edition, especially in light of the threats by the Trump Administration to dispatch ICE agents to the various American city stadiums, the ugly treatment of the Iranian team epitomized with the current DHS secretary who stated that he "did a little dance" when Iran was eliminated, not to mention the hesitancy of some people born in other countries to come to America to see their team in action. 

On top of that, the cost to attend the events was staggering, from the tickets themselves to the transportation fees to get to the various sites, especially at the MetLife stadium.  

Fortunately, those obstacles did not keep a record number of people from jamming the various arenas to watch. I will resist the desire to comment on our questionable priorities, considering the billions of dollars that will be spent during this tournament.

I must admit, I initially decided to boycott the games, to not watch any of the games. In addition to the negatives I mentioned above, I felt hypocritical in supporting FIFA, especially in light of their obsequious gifting of a "peace" prize to DJT. I know it is all about flattery and bending the knee for the bigger picture, but Infantino, current FIFA president, makes me want to throw up in my mouth when I see him talking on TV.

I say initially, because I finally watched parts of two games this past week, and all of the USA round of 32 match.

As expected, I enjoyed the games I watched, putting aside my displeasure of FIFA and the threats from our own government to have ICE agents on the ground, instead relishing the athletic prowess of the players, and their ability to perform under such intense pressure.

At this point, with half of the round of 32 over, I expect that France will be back in the final on Sunday, July 19th although they will have to get past (probably) Morocco and Spain. 

The other side of the bracket features three very strong South American teams, Brazil and Columbia along with Argentina, and a very interesting match this Saturday between Mexico and England. 

As for the United States team, I think they have a 50-50 chance to beat Belgium, and if someone upsets Brazil, perhaps, having shot their wad so to speak, the USA squad can move onto the semifinals to face France. I don't see them winning that match but hey, you never know, there having been one big upset already, as Germany can attest to.

Alluding to my belief that France has an easier bracket, that perhaps the other really good teams will have beat up one another to the point that France is fresher, healthier, I won't be surprised if France is the ultimate winner, but would never discount the level of competition from the South American teams.

Regardless, I only hope that the rest of the tournament progresses without incident, that we are gracious hosts to the world, and that if our team does not advance past Belgium or Spain or France for that matter, we accept a loss with humility. And celebrate the eventual winner and their fans.

Sports truly has a way of bringing people of disparate circumstances together, if even only for a month, and that in this particular common thread, soccer, we can recognize our similarities while also respecting, even rejoicing in our differences and in the diversity of life on our shared planet.