Gates Gate

It is said a book cannot be judged by its cover. Well, you can't judge it if you haven't read it, especially if it has yet to be released. So I take the 'sound' bites being quoted from Robert Gates book as just that - sound bites.  The context cannot yet be judged.

That being said, however, it does show me one thing. Robert Gates, a man of my generation, takes our country and the governing of it seriously. To him foreign policy and defense are not a game to be used to further one's personal ambition but rather serious undertakings that have a long history in their making and serious consequences for not only the United States, but the world, if shunted aside because they are inconvenient.

In those two areas, good governance is an inclusive undertaking that should include all our allies.   Unfortunately, we have a President who is either incredibly naive or just doesn't care how his preferred actions affect the rest of the world.

He doesn't care that Iran is working daily toward their own nuclear armament.  He doesn't care that Assad continues to slaughter his own people.  He doesn't care that lies are still being told about the slaughter of four Americans in Benghazi.  He doesn't care that he lied about al Qaeda being decimated even as they grew in numbers and strength, returning to Iraq and spreading across northern Africa.

One subject I've write about often is how differently the world and our country are viewed by those in power  and seeking it versus  how those of my generation view it.  It would appear that Bob Gates has spelled it out far better than I can.  He has sat near the seat of power and has witnessed the change personally from the inner most circles.  I can only view it from the press point of view and we should all know that point of view is skewed.  The mind set of today's media is the same as today's politicians.  Self serving.

We're witnessing the vilification of a good man for having written a book laying out these differences.  The same goes for the Chris Christie debacle.  I have never seen so much effort to take down a man that can't even be proven to have known that his underlings behaved like children.  His biggest crime, until proven otherwise, was perhaps giving them too much power before they were mature enough to assume it.

We should take note as campaigns begin to heat up.  No PAC nor special interest group have been given the power, except by themselves, to determine who we should and should not support or dictate how a candidate should think.  Negative ads should be viewed negatively.

We should understand that those from both parties who have served their country long and well know of what they're speaking when they level a criticism.  They should not be summarily dismissed by a slanted press.  If they are it's then the press version that should be summarily dismissed

With the calls for a third party, perhaps I have a solution.  Those who are willing to look at the whole picture, realizing nothing will satisfy them completely should continue as Democrats and Republicans. From those fractions within parties, well rounded wholes can emerge. Those who are so unsure or too lazy to think things through for themselves and choose to follow the dictates of others as gospel, they should call themselves Lemmings for as sure as I write this they will follow until they go over the cliff.  Unfortunately they take everyone except those who would lead them with them.  You'll see if you look it has already started.

I can only hope there are more like Bob Gates who will come forward with their truths.  We won't all agree with everything, but we owe it to our country to hear them out.  Therein lies a lot of truth we need to hear.

The Devil's Dissin' Disney

Last November I wrote a post lamenting a book that was receiving some attention for portraying the dark side of Norman Rockwell, the iconic illustrator of American life.  It struck me as sad that with so much evil in the world, why it was necessary to explore this side of a man, long dead, who brought so much joy to the casual observer.  You didn't have to be a patron of the arts to appreciate Rockwell's work. Nor did those of us enjoying it at the time, even think of looking for something tawdry hidden within.

Now, it seems, Meryl Streep has found it necessary to do much the same to Walt Disney.  Also long gone from this earth but hardly forgotten. He hated women.  He was anti-Semitic.  He didn't trust cats.  Neither does my husband but that doesn't make him evil.

What is it with these celebrities?  Better Ms. Streep go after me.  I'll not be remembered for anything. But then, maybe that's why.  There is no danger of my eclipsing her for whatever end. But Walt Disney? Look what he has brought us. At the very least there's Mickey Mouse, Minnie and Pluto.  Donald Duck and his nephews.  Each and every one of his classic films that entertain today just as much as they did when first produced.

I have no idea what he was like in person.  It doesn't matter to me that at the time women couldn't be animators at Disney.  It's the way it was in those days. I doubt he held an exclusive on which jobs were open to women in the industry as a whole. So why is it necessary, at an awards ceremony honoring someone else, no less, was it necessary to disparage him? Does it warm your feminist soul?

There are personal pasts that deserve to be remembered for the ill they served.  There are also personal pasts that should be left well enough alone. Especially when their achievements and contributions to what's good in the world far outweigh their personal demons.

Go away Ms. Streep.  Take your mean spiritedness with you. It will, you see, be forgotten anyway.  By people like me who grew up watching and loving Disney films and will continue to do so.  People like me who can name maybe one film in which you starred and have actually not seen any. The Devil Wears Prada. Curious, that is the one I remember. Is it a fair representation of you as a person and your work?

Hopefully it's as just and fair as the representation you made of Walt Disney.

Income Inequality And The Millennials

It is my wont to stew over the condition of the country.  It's a generational thing.  My folks did it and most of my peers do.  It's partly because we've been around long enough to know what does and does not work.  We worry that we're the only ones who recognize this and wonder why it isn't obvious to those following behind us, that they've elected to power those who now hold it.  In truth I don't think it's them so much as ourselves.

In a lot of ways this is the height of arrogance, that we are so all knowing.  Well, we didn't do a very good job of passing this knowledge along or we'd be having no reason to stew. On the other hand maybe we don't.

We listen to our leaders trying to divide us knowing it's vain effort to protect policies that have been proven faulty.  We dwell on the effort rather than the faultiness because we have little faith in anyone else seeing it as we do, ignoring the powers that be and fixing it.

Then I get on my computer.  There is far more I cannot do with it than I can.  The same holds true for my "smart" phone.  I can make a call.  That's about it.  Twitter?  Forget it.  I haven't a clue as to how to establish a presence nor am I sure if I want to.  Linkedin is a social network of sorts for those who actually have careers or want to.  I marvel how many like me are also members.  It started as a mistake answering an invite from a friend.  I just never left and periodically add to my contacts.  I've found a few old friends on it - maybe it has more prestige than Facebook.  Why else would 70-somethings be there?

There are tens of times as many networks to which I do not belong nor even know about.  Where did they all come from?  Thankfully, it isn't the government.  They are about as tech savvy as I am which isn't saying much.  And you know what, they need to be if they're going to make their income inequality hype work in their favor.  It isn't going to happen.

When I was younger it was a couple of college drop outs by the names of Jobs and Gates who revolutionized the world.  Today it a guys like Mark Zuckerberg who make the world go round.  How does this fit into income inequality?

It's pretty obvious.  A plan is hatched by a bunch of kids, literally.  On line it goes.  Next thing you know it goes public and you have a zillion or so new millionaires under the age of 30.  So much for equality.  The government can whimper and snivel all it wants about how unfair it is that these riches exist but don't bet any of those young techies are going to give up what they've earned!

They're so far ahead of the curve it makes my head spin.  Do I resent them?  Absolutely not.  I admire them.  Even the government does in a back handed way that was made evident when they began talking about getting the health care programs as up to snuff as those in the private sector.  I don't think it even occurred to them that they admitted the private sector does it better.

The politicians will continue ranting about the poor getting poorer while the rich are getting richer and wringing their hands about what to do about it.  Meanwhile the young turks will continue innovating and running rings around the rest of us.  They have little patience for those who can't keep up and because of that the government will be left in the lurch.  Don't look for the kids to move to government, they're going to take it back so they can move ahead.  Google glasses and self driving cars are out there.  Who knows what will replace Facebook and Twitter but I'm willing to wager it's already in the works. Lead, follow or get out of the way.  A young persons mantra.

In the end it only seems like they don't understand what's being lost as much as I do.  They've determined that in the time it took me to come up with this subject and have already moved on.
The only thing that's swinging back is the pendulum - to a time when creativity and entrepreneurship reigned.  May it do so again.  The sooner the better.  And may the government continue to be as slow at catching on as they are at admitting they are prone to making bad decisions.

There are huge egos involved on both sides.  The government makes a move then preens.  The young entrepreneur makes a move, realizes it's already obsolete and moves on to something better.  Here's to the millennials.  It's time you replace we near centennials!  America needs you.

The Legal Devil Is In The Details

The headline screams Illegal immigrant gets California lawyer license!  Federal law says wait just a minute.  No can do! Unless the state passes a law allowing it.  So California did just that.

The problem is that unless you read the details you might be siding with the Feds.  But not so fast.  It's their fault the young lawyer is still illegal, not his.

Sergio Garcia came here as a teen to work in the almond groves with his father who was a permanent legal resident. The elder Garcia then filed for an immigration visa for his son but due to the backlog of such visas for Mexicans, Garcia's was overlooked and he never got a visa number.  At the time his father applied for the young mans visa,  Garcia applied for citizenship and is but has yet to be so granted.  This all began back in 1984.  1984!  During that time he graduated from high school, attended two colleges plus California Northern School of Law getting his degree in 2009 and passing the bar the same year.

Still the fight ensues.  Granted there are a lot of details left out of this story, but from what I can read, it seems the inefficiency of the Federal Bureaucracy is far more to blame for his illegal status than he is.  Effort has obviously been made on both his part and the part of  his father to do things properly.

It makes you wonder how many more similar cases are hanging out there.  Maybe there wouldn't be so many 'illegals' if the bureaucrats got their act together, reviewed and probably simplified their procedures and followed up in a far more timely manner when discrepancies are brought to their attention.

If they are over worked bet that it's inefficiency.  Almost daily, if you look beyond the front page, there will be similar stories pointing out the failures of bloated governmental departments unable to handle their work loads.  Mostly because of management that isn't chosen for ability nearly as much as loyalty.

We need scholars to come to this country and stay.  If it's a skill or profession that's sorely needed nationality shouldn't matter.  If the 'illegal ' loves this country as much as Mr. Garcia seems to and wants to stay and serve it's people, his being denied for our own government's inability to get it right is  dismal.

The Trouble With Reality Shows

The trouble with reality show is that they bear no resemblance of reality as I know it.  Right down to and including the current hit Duck Dynasty.

As with all like it, the show is staged and the dialog written for gags.  Heck all you have to do is watch Jase's eyes as he reads from his teleprompter.  It's a hit, I think, because it so unreal.  I dug a bit deeper on patriarch Phil and found several articles that would suggest he would not qualify for father of the year.

Think about what role models Snookie and friends from Jersey Shore or any of the Kardasians are?  Do you really think they're real?  Or want your kids to think they're real?  Or want your kids to emulate any of them?

Does it take we old folks to set the trend on the right track?  I can see it now.  No, not the Floridians that were Obama boosters.  That too was staged.  But maybe our really old friends in senior communities.  Adult diapers to blue hair, walkers to oxygen masks. Depression, drool and disinfectant.  Not much of a subject for a TV show looking for ratings, but unfortunately for many too real.  Maybe it needs to be seen though.  Maybe those so inclined might not think body piercings and tatoos are so great when lip rings snag on dentures!

Oh my.  Could it get worse?  Sure.  What is real, especially if unpleasant, should never be exploited for ratings or the almighty dollar.  How do you explain then a show like My Strange Addiction that showcases a young woman who gets off on eating mattresses?

Not only does this girl have a mental problem, but also a physical one.  She obviously eats more than mattresses.  But to exploit this?  To showcase it?  The producers and advertisers are as sick as those showcased.  It isn't funny, it's pathetic.

If there is anything more so, it's how much we seem to enjoy it all.  The more bazaar the better.

 

 It's a far cry from my reality.  Mine's more the nuts and bolts type. Aging.  And all that goes along with it. Will I exploit it?  Not until the government denies me what I need to cope but then Katy bar the door!