A slightly late New Year's Resolution

I went to a funeral today. I didn’t know the man who had died; I knew his daughter as somebody I once worked with and who I have kept in touch with since she left my place of employment. I went to this funeral more for her than anything else. However, as is often the case, it seems that there were other reasons I was there. What was said and what I saw forced me to look at my life and to measure it, using as a yardstick the life of this man who I did not know. I am not happy with what I am seeing in myself, and I hope that this feeling will stay with me and not allow me to slip back into passivity.

Passivity. That very well could be the word that best defines my life. For at least the last 40 years my life has been one of spurts of energy/activity followed by long periods of passive inertia. I would do something, make a change, set, pursue and reach a goal, and then I would coast on the momentum for five…ten…ten plus years. And during those periods of passivity, where I did not initiate anything or try to change the status quo in any way, I would fantasize about what I was going to do. So, here I am, looking my “golden years” dead square in the eyes, and I find my life lacking.

OK, I’ve done some things of value over the past 40 years, and I still have time (I hope) to do a little more with this life I’ve been given. To that end, I came home from the funeral and checked to see if any of my favorite blogs had anything new, and I found Sarah’s occasional Blog had a new entry. It, too, spoke to me. It reminded me of a letter I received about 30 years ago which, for a long time, I had framed over my desk. [Aside: I just went to look for it, and, probably not surprisingly, I have no idea where it is now.] The letter was one of encouragement from the editor of the Maine Times (may it rest in peace) regarding my writing. You see, writing is something I have always done fairly well. I just have never had the internal discipline required to make it the focus of my life.

I don’t kid myself: At this point in my life, writing will not be something that supports me in an economic way. However, it could become the thing that gives my life purpose and direction. To that end, though, I have to be, as Sarah says, intentional about my prose. I have to treat wordsmithing  with the respect and attention it deserves. I have to open the old word processor and write for, well…, at least thirty minutes per day. Ideally, this writing should be done when I am fresh and rested, but, even if I wait until the tag end of the day, I still need to write for at least that amount of time. So, this becomes a slightly late New Year’s Resolution for me: Write something every day. I may not publish what I write every day (it is more than likely that it will take me a couple days to get something “perfect”), but I will spend that much time putting words on a screen (or on paper, for that matter…thirty minutes of writing is thirty minutes of writing).

There is more to come on this topic. But, I want to get this posted before it gets buried in the “to be completed” file…

Well, alright....

There has been a change in the Laurel Hester affair. Seems the Republican dominated Board of Freeholders of Ocean County have bowed to public pressure. According to this story, there will be a vote this week by the Board which will allow Ms. Hester to pass along her pension benefits to her "domestic companion". This will allow said companion to keep the couple's home. Again and again we have to remind the cretins that the debate is not about the morality of same-sex "marriages", it is about equality for all citizens. I am glad Ms. Hester can now die with the knowledge that the person she loves will be provided for after she is gone. However, this still does not relieve Ocean County from the duty to remove, en masse, the current Board of Freeholders.

Intelligent Design? Only if you are terminally stupid...

Please! I have one question for the Intelligent Design folks, and that question is "Why would God bother to do all this shit?" There is a new effort to make sense of the Evolution vs Intelligent Design non-controversy in a film titled Flock of Dodos. The afore referenced site has a trailer for the film (which appears to be playing almost exclusively on college campuses), and there is one line in the trailer which truly bothers me. That line is, "Today, less than half of Americans believe in evolution." Can we say "dumbing of America?"

With more than half the population not believing the geologic record...stuff actually set in stone, mind you...it becomes obvious why we have an idiot in the White House and a foreign policy that is virtually guaranteed to paint a bulls-eye on this country for the foreseeable future. Of course, I do have to agree with anybody who says we didn't descend from apes, because, in fact, we didn't. Apes are not our forebearers, they are our cousins. Apes and humans descended from a common primate ancestor, which was more like a lemur than a great ape. But that is a quibble which distracts from the primary focus here.

I went to college a long time ago, and, in college, my major field of study was anthropology. It was absolutely clear way back then that evolution was about as proven a theory as it could get without the invention of time travel. The problem with the geologic record is that it is like a drunken photographer who snaps pictures at random: sometimes something of import is captured, but most of the time there is nothing on the film but random "noise". Therefore, anytime somebody tells me the "geologic record is inconclusive" I have to believe that said person is so insecure in his view of self and species that he has to try to separate himself from, basically, this universe.

Evolution and Creationism (let's stop this drivel about "Intelligent Design" and call it what it really is...) should not be mentioned in the same sentence because they are two entirely different things. Evolution is a science based on the study of both living organisms and the geologic record. It is the theory which tries to make sense of observable facts, and, as far as I'm concerned, it does a pretty damn good job. Creationism is theology, pure and simple. It is not science because it depends entirely on faith. And that's what really gets me. The Creationists bitch and moan about how the geologic record is incomplete, yet they don't blink an eye when one asks for incontrovertible proof that a God exists. Oops! They can't do it, but that doesn't faze them. And that, in my opinion, fatally flaws their position. Not that they can't prove God's existence, but that their inability to do so does not cause them to pause in their attack upon science.

The final straw is that there is no real reason for there to be any conflict between evolution and the belief in a deity. First of all, the Fundamentalist Christians out there need to understand that God is not a human being; He was before the universe (which He created) came into existence. Heaven is not located somewhere in the starry fundament. If it exists (and I mostly believe that it does), it exists in another plane/dimension. So, understanding that God exists in a different plane than this particular universe, we can hypothesize that, perhaps, a "day" for God is not the same as a "day" for us. And when the Bible says that God "created man in his image", it is talking about our souls, not our physical appearance. Because, oops, God is not a physical being: He is a spiritual being--which brings us back to that other plane of existence idea. And, when the Bible talks about what He created, what it is talking about is the physical laws which govern this universe. The evolution of life on this particular planet actually has followed a pretty specific set of rules (call them laws if you want) which, I think, is pretty much what God intended.

So, let's take the stickers--the ones which say that evolution is an unproved theory and that Intelligent Design offers a alternative theory) out of the science books. All those people who have to prove their superiority over something because they are actually terrified that they may actually be just another part of nature, need to find a therapist to help them with their problem, and we need to put this whole non-debate behind us and move on.

There comes a time...

I don't live in Ocean County, so I don't really have a voice in how they run things down there. However, shit like this truly offends me. The continuing story of Ms. Laurel Hester and her treatment at the hands of the Ocean County Freeholders is beyond disgust. The only possible answer to these ignorant, stupid men is to vote them the hell out of office at the first opportunity. If there is a chance for a recall which would put the out on the street sooner than next November, that would even be better.

This type of small, evil thinking is the direct legacy of the fundamentalist Christian conservatives who back George Bush. No, this type of thinking typifies conservative fundamentalists of every religious stripe. The fools in Ocean County are like the mullahs who manipulate the poor jerks who go out and blow themselves up in the middle east. They are the truly dangerous ones; the ones who continue to spread their corrosive poison over the years.

The late Robert Heinlein once wrote, "When the need arises—and it does—you must be able to shoot your own dog. Don’t farm it out—that doesn’t make it nicer, it makes it worse." I take that to mean that sometimes we have to do things that are hard; do things that are even repugnant but that are necessary. Translated into our current political/social milieu, I think this means that the moderates and liberals need to stand up and emphatically reject the fundamentalist conservatives of all religions. Here at home, that means getting them the hell out of office. That also means not letting the rightwing talking heads drown out our message in the media.

Damn! One of the great tensions in the early years of our Republic was the conflict between the institution of slavery and the concept embodied in our constitution that all citizens are equal. (Sure, slaves weren't considered "citizens", but that was part of the tension.) Well, we fought a particularly bloody war to resolve that tension, but there are still people in this country who want to see a tiered citizenry: on the top we will have a bunch of wealthy whites who will do almost anything to preserve their power and privilege. Then we will have the sturdy yeomanry/proletariat who produce the goods and services which maintain the elite in their lifestyle of material excess. And finally we will have the underclasses at the bottom of the social pyramid: in the minds of the ruling elite, social inferiors who deserve whatever harsh treatment they get.

This is simply not acceptable. The good people of Dover, PA managed to oust a very conservative school board that was trying to elevate Intelligent Design to the same level as real science (which it is not). The good people of Ocean County need to do the same to this board of Freeholders. Unfortunately, it will probably be too late for Ms. Hester and her partner, but, if her legacy is a more humane and compassionate government, then, at least, a small measure of good will come of this.

Oh the pain...

OK, not real pain, but, rather, the kind of angst one feels when one contemplates one's property tax bill when one lives in a county seat. I moved back to New Jersey about 15 years ago, and, since that time, a rallying cry of almost every politician seeking state office has been "lower the property tax burden". Christie Whitman went a step further and called for lowering the extra burden borne by citizens of the state's county seats by sharing some of the associated costs with the rest of the county's citizens. I'm still waiting.

The problem with taxes is that there are so many of us now and we put such a huge strain on the public infrastructure that it costs big bucks just to keep the thing functioning, much less functioning particularly well. I like the fact that Somerville picks up the garbage and the leaves and brush from my yard. I like seeing the cop car cruise past the house every now and then. I like knowing the fire station is less than a 1/2 mile away...and that there is not likely to be much traffic impeding their arrival should it every be necessary. I like the idea that our schools are educating the generation that will care for me in my dotage. But, all of this cost money.

This is almost an intractable problem for any politician. I wish our new governor lots of luck, but I'm not going to be holding my breath waiting for "tax relief" from Trenton.

I am doing an experiment here...

I know, I've said this before, but this time I really mean it: I am going to try to split my posting between two Blogs. This one is more for my commentary upon our times. The other one will have the cute pictures of the granddaughter etc., my music recommendations and anecdotes outta my life. However, this means I have to update the template for this blog to include a link to The Mark(ings) of Zorro. I hope to have the time to do this minor maintenance at some point today. Until I get it done, though, just use the link above. As of today, there is only one current entry (namely the one I just made). However, I do plan to get it up and running again this week in with a few more entries which will include pictures.

What Is a Living Wage? - New York Times

The Dems, having failed abysmally to take advantage of all the negatives facing the administration and Alito in the confirmation hearings, might do well to take a gander at this week's New York Times magazines cover article(registration required) about the minimum wage and the growing groundswell to change it into a "living wage". The fact that a significant number of our fellow citizens cannot survive on the wage they currently make for a full-time job is a stain of the fabric of our society. Now, I'm not talking about the two jobs people hold because they want some of the more pricey luxuries dangled infront of our noses. No, I'm talking about people who work 40 hours a week and still have to chose between paying the rent and buying groceries.

I have to say that the Democrats remind me of the joke about the guy who dies in the flood while waiting for God to rescue him. It is about time for the party leaders (i.e. those elected representatives in congress and the state legislatures/governorships) to understand that it is OK in politics to attack the opposition. This is especially true when the opposition is doing its level best to destroy our democracy and institute a form of oligarchy/aristocracy where the top 5% of the economic ladder pretty much run everything. The Dems have been given a number of golden opportunities to do to this administration pretty much what the Republicans did to Clinton's, but, so far, our DC contingent have pretty much let the ball drop.

OK, so here is a positive moral imperative the Dems can latch onto and, hopefully, ride back into control fo congress. GNIP!...the ball's in their court. Let's see what is done.

Music labels could be in trouble over how they charge subscription services

Ha! Once again the suits of the music industry show their true colors. As this story in ars technica illustrates, the music industry is the epitome of corporate greed. The thing that really gets me is how little of the rivers of money which flow into these companies actually get to the artists.

However, this also illustrates how we are failing to use the Internet to its true potential. The 'Net provides a perfect medium to develop an alternative business model for both the artists and the consumers; a model which could result in lower per track costs to consumers while, simultaneously, putting more money in the pockets of the actual creators of the music. Of course, if the actual artists/creators were getting more money and consumers were actually paying less, this would mean that somebody (eh...make that plural) will have lost their place in the income line. Tsk! Could be be talking about a couple of levels of suits?

Now, as for this new business model, I do have one in mind, but, rather than expound (at length) here, I think I would rather leave it up to you to come up with possible alternatives. Feel free to post them as comments. Maybe we can get a little discussion going here. However, just to start things off, let me point out that the rationale for suit side of the music industry has always been 1) the cost of production and 2) the cost of promotion. Is there any way for the digital revolution and the Internet to cut these costs to a point where it no longer makes sense for artists to sign with the likes of Sony or BMI? I think there is. 'Nuff said...

What are they thinking, Part 2

I was reading this article, AT&T sees benefits to tiered Internet service, when the heavens parted above my head and a voice boomed forth, "Beware the Antichrist." OK, so there were no parting clouds or messages from a diety, but there was a bit of an epiphany. The people who own the copper wire or fiber optic cable over which the Internet flows are known as "public utilities". We allow them to operate as virtual monopolies in exchange for having a communications network which is not plagued with multiple redundancies. They, in turn, are supposed to provide us, their customers, with the service we pay for.

This article discusses the new AT&T's flirtation with providing tiers of service for their Internet customers. What I am hearing is that there will be extra charges above and beyond what you pay for that 6meg/second broadband connection. Oh, you want streaming music? Well, that's another $$ per month. You want to access your Flickr account and upload those 200 pictures you took of your kid playing soccer? Oops, that's another $$. In other words, what they are saying is that what you actually get for your wide pipe, broadband connection is about the same level of service a dial-up customer gets.

I don't listen to over-the-air radio at home anymore. What I listen to is Internet radio. And I pay for this by contributing to the radio stations I listen to (RadioParadise, hint, hint)When I purchase web access, that is all I am purchasing: access to the web with a maximum speed of whatever. When I am told that the size of the data pipe I'm getting is x/bps, that is what I expect to get. I don't want the supplier of that pipe filtering or interfering with the content I access.

The idea of monetizing the delivery of content by positioning yourself between the source and the destination is a seductive one for American owners of the pipes. It creates a revenue source with almost zero costs. Whatever income is generated, it will flow virtually untouched to the bottom line. What few costs there are are externalized to the consumer. And part of what we pay is not measured in money--it is measured in the loss of our freedom and our opportunity.

Something added

Over there on the right side of the page, in the sidebar, I've added links to some (most)of the Blogs I read regularly. Well, actually, I've only just started reading The Opinion Mill, but, since he has a link to here, I've included a link back...courtesy and all. (Plus, from my first few visits, he is very good...)

Bush urges critics be responsible on Iraq - Yahoo! News

Hah! I'll bet he does, and it is no surprise that anyone who "..claim that we acted in Iraq because of oil, or because of Israel or because we misled the American people" falls into his "partisan critic"/dishonest critic/giving-comfort-to-the-enemy traitor category. Basically, what he wants us to debate is...nothing. I mean, the war itself was done right and was over quickly. It's what to do with the place after deposing the previous regime that is the bitch. And, of course, why we were there in the first place. Bush cannot take that off the table. We cannot let him even attempt to take that off the table.

So, Mr. President, I protest your callow and cavalier treatment of all your fellow citizens who feel that you are about the worst thing to happen to this country since Herbert Hoover. I question the motives that led you to place my fellow citizens in harm's way by committing them to a virtually unwinable war. I question why you diverted resources from the actual war on terror (which we're not doing all that well with) to pursue this adventuristic path.

And, while I'm at it, let me note that, even though the net number of jobs in the economy grew last quarter, the wages of those jobs did not keep pace with inflation. In other words, all of us who aren't in the top 5% of the economic ladder are a little worse off economically today than we were at this time last year. So, Mr. President, I plan to hold your feet to the fire about the economy, the fiasco in Iraq and the fact that that said fiasco has, in effect, painted a great big bullseye on this country. I am sure that you know that, sooner or later, our fundamentalist Islamic enemies are going to start targeting Homeland American targets rather than troops who can at least shoot back. When that happens, by the way, I hope to hell that at least some of your supporters will wake up and realize that you are responsible. Mr. President, I'm sorry, but you are a travesty and a liability to us. The sooner you are removed from a position where you can hurt us like you have been doing, the better for the United States. Taking control of the congress from your hands is a good first step towards that end. (Impeachment would be better, but we have to wait until we get congress back before we initiate those proceedings...)

What are they thinking?

I received an offer from, let's name names, Premier Bank today. They want me to become one of their VISA card customers. And, in many ways, it is a nice offer. Interest is down, potential credit line is up; all in all, it is not a bad offer...until you get to the fees in the small print (or in the initial 4 fees, not so small print): There are two one time fees--Account set up fee: $29.00 and Program fee: $95.00. Then there are two annual fees: The Annual Fee: $48.00 and the Participation Fee: $72.00 (billed at $6/month). So, if you accept this offer, before you charge a single thing, you owe these people over $200.00. And it gets worse.

If you want to use an outside Autodraft service to pay their bill every month, that will cost you another $11.00 per payment. However, it ain't that much cheaper to use their in-house service. Autodrafts requested through their automated systems "(i.e. Voice Response or Internet)are assessed at $7.00 per transaction." Then there is a $3.95 charge for Internet access. (I'm not sure if that is a per usage, a one-time or a monthly fee.) The thing is that, these days, I look to be able to pay my bills online without actually writing checks. A couple of minutes at the computer and the bill in question is paid--and the institution being paid gets their money faster.

This is what gets me. The sons-of-bitches who think up these schemes are looking to bleed the middle class of this country dry. At one time, the middle class was the strength of our society. That is changing. The middle class is being eroded away while the wealth it generates is being accumulated in fewer and fewer hands.

It's like this offer; I haven't sat down to run numbers, but I will bet that, by the time all those fees are figured in, the effective interest rate being paid will be up over 20%. As far as I'm concerned, that is usury. Or, to put it another way, when I was growing up, we locked people up as loan sharks for charging that much interest on "loans." We need to re-examine a lot in our society to determine what is actually good for the whole and what is good for only a very small part of the whole. Anything falling into the latter category needs to be examined with a microscope.

Aside: Don't jump in here with an impassioned attack on social welfare, either. Those programs are supposed to be for bringing people up to certain minimum living standards which the majority of us would consider actually rather grim. I'm talking about anything that makes that top 5-10% of us even richer and that widens the fissures in our social fabric.

So, you can be sure that this offer has already hit the paper shredder. In fact, one of our goals this year is to consolidate our debt into a fixed-rate home equity loan and eliminate all the high interest credit card debt we have accumulated in the past 15 years. We figure we can pay everything off, pay our share of the upcoming wedding and still have money left over for improvements to the house and an emergency fund while actually paying less per month than we are paying now. Then we use the plastic like cash; if you don't have the cash to pay off the card at the end of the month, you don't use the card. Period.