The Toughest Job - International Relations

One of the most difficult professions today has to be that of a diplomat, or ambassador. Even though time periods in the past have seemed incredibly difficult, like say, World War II, or the Vietnam Conflict era, times today are at least as difficult, if not more so. We find ourselves fighting a war on terror, but mired down in various regions of the Middle East and the Far East. Our enemies seem elusive, ghostlike. Some of them used to be co-operative, like elements of the former Iraqi army. Our enemies nowadays are religious fanatics of the worst kind, wanting to die to go to heaven, and take lots of innocents with them. To be a diplomat under these circumstances would be difficult on a good day.

There have been times in the past that have seemed dark indeed. During the days of the cold war, any incident might trigger nuclear saber-rattling on the part of the US or Soviet Union. For example, during the Yom Kippur war of 1973, there were supposedly Soviet nuclear weapons being moved towards the area of fighting between Israel and Egypt. The US went on worldwide nuclear alert, and soon, these same weapons were detected moving back where they came from. Or the time in the early 1980's , when a technology malfunction caused the US to temporarily go to high alert, only to find out it was all a mistake, not any Soviet threat. Nerves were jangled quite often in those days, and diplomats probably got many tense phone calls, or made them, to calm things down.

The hostage crisis in Iran, precipitated by the Islamic Revolution there, is another example. Some Americans managed to escape roving bands of Iranians by hiding in the Canadian embassy. The staff there helped them conjure up an escape plan, where they posed as a musical group, and assumed new identities. They made it out, with much assistance from the Canadian Embassy. Only one example of Ambassadors putting their own fingerprints on history, and averting loss of life in the bargain.

When the Soviet Union fell apart around 1991, affiliated states went off on their own. Old rivalries, quashed during the Soviet era, re-surfaced, Thus, Yugoslavia broke apart, and so did Czechoslovakia. The Baltic states fought ethnic cleansing battles. The Serbs, Croatians, and others were at each others throats. NATO finally had to step in and enforce the peace, bombing Serb tanks and positions in the process. International relations, once a black-and-white affair between the West and the Soviets, was now a multi-hued quagmire, worse than a Louisianan swamp. It seemed that the USA had more work than ever on its hands, keeping the lid on a fractured world. The war between NATO and the Serbs in the early '90's resulted in American national guard troops being stationed in Slavic lands for the first time ever.

Around this time (1990), Saddam Hussein's Iraq invaded Kuwait. The US had to send troops to expel Hussein's army, and then specialists to put out the oil fires. More work for the diplomatic corps, too. As the 1990's progressed, the US restored relations with various Soviet satellite countries who were newly independent. For example, Mongolia, Bulgaria, and even Albania. Poland became a close ally of the US. But as time went on, and the new Russian Federation strengthened under Vladimir Putin, new warning signs arose. Things were no longer going to be a cakewalk for the US. More issues arose for diplomats to sort out. 

In 1998 terrorists tried to bomb the World Trade Towers in New York. That was a wake-up call. Then-president Clinton launched some cruise missiles at their training camps in Afghanistan, then called it a day. But Al-Queda was not finished. They finally got the “job done” by crashing airplanes into the Twin Towers and the Pentagon in 2001. After that, the US entered a virtual state of war with all terrorist groups. This was a new situation. Not like a contained conflict on a certain land area, this was a continuous conflict with shadowy groups that moved around, nearly everywhere. So diplomats around the world now had a new task, that of fighting terrorism, added to their schedules. Given some of Pres. Bush's speeches, like the one where he said “either you are with us or you are against us,” the atmosphere was grim. Two years after the attacks, in 2003, we invaded Iraq, supposedly because they were seen to be supporting terrorism. 

We succeeded in unseating Saddam, only to unleash a quagmire. The three different tribal factions in Iraq (Sunnis, Shi'ites and Kurds) lost their Hussein-inflicted containment, and began fighting each other. After conquering the country, the US attempted to “train” the Iraqi army. Then we pulled most of our troops out, leaving a power vacuum. Immediately, the factions went at each other, the central government did little or could do little to prevent it. So extremist groups took to the field, and now (in 2015) we see ISIS controlling a large swath of Syria and Iraq, attempting to establish a new Caliphate or religious state. You can't establish diplomatic relations with an illegal state, founded on territory stolen away from legitimate states. Especially one that tortures or murders anyone who opposes their brand of religion. All you can do is try to contain them. Or evict them by any means from their stolen territory. Perhaps the US is to blame because of the 2003 invasion, and perhaps it is the Muslim extremists who are to blame. After all, it was them who attacked us on our soil to begin with. But in any case, international relations are being strained quite a bit by this one.

Russia's rise from a fractured state to a world power once again has been slow and steady. Vladimir Putin and his supporters have consolidated their grip on power, and established new ground rules. While Russia has a parliament, and is on the surface a democratic society, it is only skin deep. The reality is more like an autocratic, totalitarian government. But Russia has a long history of heavy-handed governments, rounding up and torturing its own people. Stalin was pretty good at this, even executing his own generals before the second world war. Nowadays, Russia is definitely a force to be reckoned with. I do not envy the diplomats who must deal with this new, assertive superpower-once-again. With thousands of nuclear weapons, millions of troops, and lots of ships and aircraft, Russia simply cannot be ignored or downplayed. But it seems that every time the US and Russia are going to play nice together, some international incident crops up to make that impossible. The latest is Turkey, a NATO member, shooting down a Russian fighter jet. The diplomats must be working overtime on that one.

But a quasi-state like ISIS or ISIL is a common enemy of all the forces involved. They would do away with all trappings of the modern society, and revert to some medieval religious dictatorship. Women would be robed and masked all the time, LGBTers just executed. Their religion would be forced on everyone, under threat of torture or death. Just when it seemed that perhaps all of the major world powers, even China, would gather forces to eliminate this scourge, some incident happens to spoil it, like the aforementioned jet being shot down. Diplomats, man your phones.

A recent event where diplomats actually lost their lives was in Benghazi, Libya a couple of years ago. A small staff was manning a US Consulate there, headed by a popular, affable FSA. Suddenly there was an attack, and everyone inside was killed. At first it was said that a mob had stormed the facility. But later it came out that the attack was planned, coordinated by a branch of Al-Queda. There was a lot of finger pointing, including blame placed on then secretary-of-state Hillary Clinton. Funding requests for more embassy guards in the past were turned down by Congress. Nevertheless, some of those same fossilized congressmen blamed Clinton. In any case, it was a terrible tragedy, illustrating just how risky it can be to be an international diplomat. 

The unrest and fighting in Libya stemmed from the overthrow of Mumahdar Gaddafi, the then-strongman leader. While his overthrow was seen as a positive at first, all of the factions fighting each other soon became a problem. Oil exports shrank, and societal structures broke down. And religious extremists moved in to fill a power vaccuum. The movement to unseat Gaddafi stemmed in part from the “Arab Spring” uprisings in Egypt. People took to the streets to overthrow a long-established corrupt government there. These successes spawned copycat movements in other states, including Libya. Diplomats all over the region must have been spending a lot of sleepless nights reporting on events and occurrences. Not to mention trying to protect American citizens and/or interests in the region. International relations put to the test. Who do we talk to that is in power now, when power is changing hands so fast. A democratically-elected government in Egypt with the Muslim Brotherhood as the majority was quashed by the military almost immediately after it was elected. The Muslim Brotherhood was disbanded by edict. And a new government was put in place. Some democracies are better than others, I guess. The US was put in the position of dealing with various governments in Egypt, in rapid succession!

Pakistan is another touchy example. There is basically a military dictatorship there (could be wrong). There are human rights violations, there is a state-sponsored terror organization to undertake battles in the Punjab, a region contested over with India. Pakistan also has a nuclear arsenal. We have diplomatic relations with both India and Pakistan, and must get along with both, even though they hate each other, and have fought several wars. After many years of hunting, the US finally found Osama Bin Laden, the head of Al-Queda. He was living in a comfortable villa in Pakistan. The Paks knew we wanted his head badly. They have intelligence apparatuses, they are not dumb. And yet they claimed ignorance. But, we have to get along – easier than fighting yet another war with someone. Diplomats, take your vitamins.

Every time I think we surely live in the most complicated age of international relations ever, something else happens to add to the complexity. Today's terror miasma makes the post WWII world look downright simplistic. It even makes the world wars look simple by comparison. Thank goodness we have a lot of computers to help us figure things out, otherwise we would be completely lost. The International diplomatic corps has to really be nimble on their feet to stay on top of things, and keep relations on a positive course. Here is hoping they succeed, and keep our world from self-destructing. Thanks for reading. 

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Must be a Conspiracy!

Sitting down to eat dinner one night, I brought up Youtube on my SmartTV. First up in a group of selections was what “really happened to Adolph Hitler at the end of WWII” It seems that an author out there believes Hitler actually escaped, rather than commit suicide with Eva Braun. And he lived the rest of his days in Argentina. Of course it was too compelling not to watch. They laid out some evidence, including the assertion by Stalin that Hitler got away. Add this to the growing number of conspiracy theories floating around, gaining a life of their own on the Internet. It was an interesting show, but evidence was not conclusive. All they seemed to prove was that a skull held by the Russians, thought to be Hitler's, was actually that of a younger woman.

No matter how wacky or outrageous, it is hard to ignore conspiracy theories. Oftentimes what really happened during a major war or historical event is not clear, since all of the principal actors were living it out, and perished. And official accounts could easily be perverted by factionalism or partisanship. Thus, what really happened to Anastasia Romanov after the rest of the Czars' family was murdered is a subject of speculation. As is the death or non-death of Rasputin, the mystic counselor to Czar Nickolas This all took place back in the early 1900's, before digital recording and the like. It is still a rich subject for books, documentaries and lots of idle gossip.

When you read some books by Von Daniken or Berlitz about the Bermuda Triangle and the Nazca lines in Peru, a lot of compelling evidence is laid out in front of you. Without any other information to shed light on it, it would seem that we are all descended from Atlanteans or Space Aliens. If only we could find the manuals hidden away by distant ancestors, we could re-fly the saucers and go out to meet our long-lost relatives. Or we could try and mash together some of the crystal skulls found around the world. It makes for great fun, even if skeptics could debunk most of the theories. But in the end, every individual must make up their own minds on what they believe, or not.

In the 1970's there used to be a popular magician, who would bend spoons by rubbing on them. He claimed special psychic powers in so doing. A professional skeptic and debunker challenged this person on a live TV program. The debunk-er studied what the magician was going to attempt, and put in place controls that prevented the tricks from being performed. When the magician or “psychic” tried his tricks, he could not perform them. (It involved moving things around on a table.) He claimed an atmosphere of hostility, and left the show without being able to perform one single trick. Later, the debunker said, “If he would only express his actions as sleigh-of-hand tricks, I would leave him alone. But he is claiming psychic powers, and that is simply unacceptable.” Or words to that effect.

Undoubtedly, some proponents of conspiracy theories feel the same way. That is, they feel they are onto the truth, and what the rest of us believe is a lie, or propaganda, or whatever. Even if they are selectively choosing facts, and choosing to ignore other, more accurate pieces of evidence.

Area 51 is a good example. This is a large area in the Nevada desert, chosen for its remoteness by the US air force for testing experimental aircraft. Since they did not want the Soviet Union to see what they were up to, they cordoned off the area, and declared it Top Secret. Witnesses (that would creep up to the edge of the property at night) claimed to see wedge-shaped craft performing impossible maneuvers, or perform vertical takeoff and landings. They saw lights in a cluster moving fast, expanding and then contracting. All of these things can be easily explained in a logical manner. A jet with a light on each wingtip is seen at night. The lights alone are visible. They appear to converge, then expand. This is simply a jet doing a roll maneuver. The triangular craft are stealth fighters and bombers being tested, at night, in seclusion. Or no, wait. They are really UFOs, spaceships visiting at night to confer with senior US leadership.

Another one is the spaceship that the US found in Roswell, New Mexico, in 1947. Even some movies reveal that they took it to Area 51, rebuilt it and reverse-engineered all of the alien technology. If that is what one wants to believe, then fine. The official account of what happened at Roswell is that it was a high-altitude weather balloon being tested. It rose to high altitudes, then lost pressure, and fell to the ground, landing on a ranch. Most likely it was being tested for radar reflectivity, since it had silver foil coverings. But the UFO stories started up, and no amount of official denial could stop it. The more the Air Force denied it, the more everyone else seemed to believe it. That poor, lost extraterrestrial had no idea what he started when he hit the telephone pole in a remote Earth desert. Its all its fault!

President John F. Kennedy did not die from the bullets impacting his brain in Dallas in November of 1963. They are keeping him alive in a secret warehouse somewhere. Or no, wait. He did die, but there were multiple shooters, from multiple angles. Lee H Oswald was the fall guy. The team firing from the Grassy Knoll escaped Scot-free. And got bonuses from their Mafia paymasters. If only the Warren Commission would have talked to those in the know. A trail of bread-crumb proof can be laid out, just as neat as you please. All of the principal actors are dead, and everyone else speculates endlessly. Or re-excavates old documents, pictures, and evidence and re-arranges things. Some have even said that LBJ was behind the assassination, since he had such strong ambitions to become president. And he wasted little time in having himself sworn in on Air Force One at the airfield.

There is a scientific truism called Occam's Razor. It simply states that “the simplest, most direct explanation is usually the truth.” But note that “usually” or “often” It does not denote “always”.

There is always room for error, or the inexplicable twist occurring.

All one has to do is watch the evening news on your local channels. Unbelievable, improbable things happen at least twice a week. A car hits a power pole going at 100 miles an hour – the car is unrecognizable, twisted and mangled. A passenger is killed, but the driver somehow survives. What on earth happened? Or a father shoots his wife and daughter, then tries to kill himself, but fails. Taken to the hospital, he is faced with everyone's formed question: “But why? Why why why.” A baby falls from an unattended window, at least three or four times every summer. The mothers are distraught, besides themselves. Or a child wanders off, and gets grabbed. One moment's inattention, and that is all it takes.

Conspiracy theories abound for even these events. Space aliens controlling peoples minds, causing them to shoot their families, or forget about their toddler climbing in the next room. A secret government program is kidnapping people, taking them to the desert, and performing tests on them. Sometimes it is difficult to tell where popular fiction leaves off, and conspiracy theories begin. The Templars were a group of knights in the middle ages. They began as a group of religious folk, sanctioned by the Pope to help those in need. But over time, noblemen left their estates and wealth to the Templars, and they amassed fortunes. By the time of the Crusades, they were a formidable force, wealthy and powerful. They got a bit too powerful, and the then-current Pope finally decreed them outlawed, and had them disbanded. But it has been said that Templar treasure troves have been buried under churches, or even made it out to the American West.

Depending on who you talk to, or whose book you read, the Templars descendants are alive today, still meeting in secret, discussing who knows what. They are conspiring with the Illuminati and the Bilderbergs on how best to run the world's economy. The current world problems with Isis and Al-Queda are all orchestrations by the string-pullers and their Extraterrestrial handlers. Science Fiction can provide a rich trove of possibilities.

But of course, even those who believe that some of this may be true, surely have their doubts. They have had enough education, and hold enough skepticism, that many things just don't ring true. Why would Elvis pretend to die, then go into hiding, and then pop up ever so often, in his concert duds, just to say hello again? Elvis could be a space alien, a shape-shifter. But most people of sound mental capacity can accept the fact that Elvis is dead, JFK is dead, that flying saucers are not using Area 51 for an airport. The world economy may be run by large banks, trading back and forth, as well as governments. But one ruling family is most likely not calling all the shots. Nor are the Templars, or Illuminati.

Now don't get me wrong. The author has had science curricula in school, and knows just how vast distances are between this solar system and others. I do believe that because of the number of stars, and therefore planets,in our galaxy, the probability of other life out there does exist. I just think that if they do have space travel capability over light-year distances (what they would need to visit us), they wouldn't bother. They already have much more than we do, and could harvest whatever they want from material in and out of their local solar systems. If anything, they might cordon us off and simply observe. Therefore it is very unlikely we will ever contact other intelligent species, at least not until we become much more advanced than we are.

I am skeptical of most other conspiracy theories, although some raise good questions. Like what did happen to this or that person who disappeared, or went missing. The mysteries get solved over the years, sometimes as a result of public speculation. Maybe someday they will even figure out what happened to Jack the Ripper.

It is fun to chat about intriguing possibilities. What was that wedge-shape so and so saw last night? What about the lights appearing over major cities? What about newly-discovered evidence on the Templars, or Masons (said to be linked to the Templars) or even Bigfoot? It is fun to ask “what if” questions and it makes for good cocktail conversations.

I can remember visiting my uncle in a small Iowa town, back in the 1970's. Part of the enjoyment was the telling of ghost stories and mysterious happenings by both Uncle and Aunt. The visit included a “witch call” and viewing mysterious orbs in the attic. Part of my 19-year-old brain knew they were fibbing. But the visits were enjoyable nevertheless.

Thanks for reading.

For further study:

http://justice4germans.com/2013/06/17/debunking-the-hitler-escaped-myths-forensic-evidence-trumps-rumours-theories-and-romantic-tales/

http://www.blackraiser.com/nredoubt/identity.htm

http://www.infowars.com/bilderberg-2015-the-real-agenda/

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Reality Spread

Apparently the terrorist organization known as ISIL or ISIS uses social media to “recruit” followers. Consider this a rebuttal. IS people are forced to live under a severe form of Sharia law. Any kind of luxury is forbidden, including smoking, alcohol, and casual dress. Women are made to cover themselves from head to toe, no matter the temperature outside. They are not allowed to learn or work, and must obey their men in all things. Women are basically relegated to baby factories, to produce more warriors (or suicide bombers.) Their ideal society is a hell on earth to our eyes.

We are used to such things as television, the Internet, three meals a day including all kinds of food groups. We are used to freedom of religion, freedom of thought, and freedom from fear. No matter how religious our presidential candidates, I highly doubt any of them want to subject their women and children to the kinds of humiliation and abuse that the IS followers believe in. It is unimaginable to me why anyone would want to subject themselves and their loved ones to this kind of misery, just because they believe in a spiritual being.

“Abandon your smartphones, throw away your PC's. Cover your body head-to-toe, and deny yourself any kind of physical release. Deny science, deny human rights, deny modern medicine. Deny yourself and your family any kind of individual freedom. Follow us. And help us kill the infidels.” Kinda makes you want to toss out your beer, throw away your pizza, cover your wife with a curtain, and fly to Syria to join the cause, eh? Eh? All I hear are crickets. No thanks, not in any kind of bizarre dream would I ever want to join the IS cause of hatred. If you agree, share this, and spread the reality around.

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January reading list

Links to my books for sale.  Thanks for taking a look.

Experimental Tales                           www.createspace.com/4973862

The Osmotics                                     www.createspace.com/4661301

Mirror Worlds                                     www.createspace.com/3633147

A Strange Enterprise                          www.createspace.com/4281639

Future Property                                  www.createspace.com/3859469

Shadow Intersection                          www.createspace.com/4113022 

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Poetic Journeys

One of the very earliest art forms undertaken by humanity is poetry. Poetry could be described as playing with words to create an effect. It is erected on a framework called verse, or a series of artificial end-stops on lines. It is a powerful form of self-expression. Many of the earliest poems were histories of peoples, passed down orally by bards and tribal traditions. The Iliad and Odyssey, two famous Greek poems, were passed down this way, and (it was thought) finally recorded by Homer. Tribal mythologies, including early Judaism, were passed down orally and eventually recorded onto scrolls. By early medieval times, poetry was already well established. Kings were entertained and informed by lyric poems, some set to music. Beowulf and other epic poems recounted mythical tales and beliefs. People and poetry were a natural fit. Poetry was and is a natural expression of human spirit and creativity.

As time went on, in the 17^th and 18^th centuries, poems took on a much more formal and structured appearance, for the most part. The simple Sonnet form evolved into more complex variations. The Sonnet itself arose in the 14^th century in Italy. (Sonnet was Italian for 'little song'). The vilanelle and Pantoum, among other forms, arose and spread around Europe. Ballads were recited and sung in courts far and wide, recounting heroic deeds and mis-deeds. Elegies and epitaths were increasingly common. More elegant forms like the Sestina arose, as well as comic forms like the limerick and the epigram. Verse could be played with, and if one had enough of a reputation, new forms could be propagated far and wide. And throughout, but especially in recent times, free verse has also been popular. In the 20^th century, free verse seemed to take academic precedent over formal methods. Some have said that rhyming forms were distracting because of the rhyme, and were too sing-songy as well. Be that as it may, formal poetry is still widely popular with many people.

Now what follows will be a description of some poetic forms:

A Sonnet is a 14-line poetic form, in Iambic Pentameter. The rhymes alternate in the first three quatrains (groupings of four lines). Then, the last couplet rhymes. The format can be described in letters as ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. With each letter corresponding to an end rhyme.

For example - “You compare better to a rose,

than any line I could compose.”

That would correspond to the GG or rhyming couplet.

Shakespearean or Elizabethan sonnets have the above rhyming schemes. But Petrarchan Sonnets vary in their rhyme schemes: ABBA CDDC EFFEGG. They all use Iambic Pentameter, meaning the first syllable of each word is unstressed, the second is stressed. This lends a lyrical beat to them.

Many prefer Sonnets as a good jumping-in point to writing formal or structured poems.

The Vilanelle is another popular form. Made famous by Dylan Thomas and his “Do not go gently into the night” poem, they alternate lines in each stanza. There are six stanzas, and the middle lines in the stanzas must all end-rhyme, and many are written in metrical form, IE Iambic or Trochaic. It uses two rhymes throughout. ABA, ABA, ABA, ABA, ABA, ABAA . The first and third lines repeat for a refrain. This has been used effectively on a number of subjects other than “raging against the dying of the light!”

The Pantoum is another fun form to play with. It originated in Malaysia. It is an indefinite number of abab quatrain stanzas. Line 2 and 4 of the previous group, in their entirety, become 1 and 3 of the next stanza. At the end, the lines are reversed. One can find many examples of this on the Internet. It can be an entertaining form to play with and express your thoughts.

The Sestina is another complex form. Do not attempt these without a lot of patience and time. The rhyme scheme is quite complex.

There are some short forms that are enjoyable and simple (though not necessarily easy.) The Haiku is a popular three-line form. Five words, then seven, then five. Some vary the number of words, and some use punctuation, others do not. Most of the time, no title is used. The Limerick is a fun form that was invented sometime in the early 1800's. It has five lines, the first, second and fifth rhyme. And the 2^nd and 3^rd rhyme with each other. Many college students have whiled away the hours composing silly limericks, at least until the advent of television and later, the Internet.

The Epitaph is another short form. It is for words on a tomb, commemorating the dead. But the form has also been used for humorous or comedic writes. The Epigram is another short form, for humorous jots. Epigrams are four-line gems, like this one from Alexander Pope:

“Sir, I admit your gen'ral rule

that every poet is a fool,

But you yourself may serve to show it,

That every fool is not a poet.”

The Cinquain is a five-line form. One version simply starts with one word, then two, then three, four, and the last line, one single word again. It is a simple form, good for playing with various concepts. Another form is line 1, a noun, two, 2 adjectives, 3, three -ing words, 4 – a phrase, and 5 – another word for the noun in line 1.

There is also the Clerihew, another four-line gem.

Ekphrastic is a poetry form based on a visual piece of artwork. Poets write whatever comes to mind when they are viewing a picture or piece of sculpture. They can be long or short.

Poems have another quality as well: Tone, or mood. A poem can convey a bright, happy mood, like some by e e cummings. Or they can be sad, like Dylan Thomas's work.

There are forms like the Acrostic poem, or the Abecadarian. Acrostic spells out a predetermined word with the first letter of each line of the poem. Sometimes the word or phrase is included in the title. The Abecedarian uses the letters of the alphabet to start each line of a poem. There are many other forms out there, and new ones pop up every so often.

But free verse also deserves some discussion here. Free verse poems can be quite powerful, given the word choices and arrangements by the poet. Greats like e e cummings started out writing formal poetry and immersing themselves in techniques. Then they branched out, confident they could spin a rhymed, metrical poem. And went on to compose some delightful free verse gems. When the words contain imagery, emotion, tone and feeling, they can be just as effective as any rhyming poem. Walt Whitman conveyed much emotion with his writings of Lincoln, “My Captain, oh my captain....” Modern-day beat poets like Alan Ginsburg and his “Howl” broke new literary ground, conveying much feeling along the way. These free-verse poems can hit you in the gut with their painful irony or insights. Many seem to show as much skill as composing a rhymed, metrical piece.

Of course, somewhere in the mists of time, lyrical words were set to music, and another art form was born. Today some popular hits contain a relatively small number of poetic words, sometimes repeated in refrains. Song lyrics I have personally heard decades ago are still memorable today, by their rhythm and the music behind them, and also by the emotions they helped generate back in the day.

Lyrical words and sounds have a lot of power. Even some speeches by politicians, when written well and spoken eloquently, can carry a lot of weight, and resonate down through the years. (“Fourscore and Seven years ago...”) It all started with human language, and a very early component of that was poetry.

Here are a few examples of modern poetry.

Lyric Tidbit - Anon

No hefty paycheck can replace

a sunlit river flowing at lazy pace;

Big bank accounts do not compare

with gorgeous mountain vistas out there.

Two Voices - Anon

The first intoned a gentle refrain:

Southern express route, Northern Special,

Vent car before unloading - Manifest Present,

Load Limit - serial number - chemicals inside...

On and on went the official inscriptions.

The second screeched louder than a sticking brake:

“KUSH, Vanity Rulz, M8domin8m, Charles was here,

KULZ, SPS6, Always into Something...”

Graffiti noise insinuated itself over every orderly

procession of wheels, walls and welds.

I sat there on a bike, musing on the discordant

harmonizing of civilizations influences.

Suddenly a telltale rumble, the loud thrumming

of diesel locomotives pushing the entire

two-toned visual orchestration past my vision.

Informing voices faded from concern as I

watched the big yellow engines pass.

Time to pedal through the now vacant crossing;

home, dinner and a hungry cat await.

There will be many other chances to watch

those discordant long-distance voices holler

their endless competition with one another.

The switching yard is right around the corner.

Me Up At Does – e e Cummings

out of the floor

quietly Stare

a poisoned mouse

still who alive

is asking What

have I done that

You wouldn't have.

Poetry is often used on special occasions, even by Television announcers. Commercials feature rhyming jingles. And, of course, greeting cards are full of poetry, from the maudlin to the humorous to just plain awful. But we keep buying them, hoping they can express feelings which we feel inadequate to write down ourselves. I guarantee you, when you write someone a note or a poem, in your own words, it carries far more weight than any “canned” poem. Because it comes from your heart and your own hands. I have saved letters written to me over thirty years ago. They mean a lot because they were written (from the heart) by my friends or loved ones.

Happy writing, and thank you for reading this.

Links for further reading:

http://www.sparknotes.com/poetry/coleridge/section5.rhtml Coleridge's poem.

http://literarydevices.net/free-verse/ Free verse definition.

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/learning/glossary-terms?category=rhythm-and-meter Rhyme and meter definitions.

Http://www.iowapoetry.com

and last but not least,

http://radical-readings.blogspot.com

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Making a Building Vanish

It is dawn. A crowd gathers in a Midwestern downtown, on the east side of the main river bisecting the area. On the opposite side, crews are making last-minute checks on a gutted 10-story building that used to house the local YMCA. The sky brightens, the crowd swells, anticipation builds. Finally, a signal is given, and announcement is made: “Fire in the Hole!” A large explosion shoots up flame and smoke atop the structure. Then, dozens of charges go off in a staccato popping. For a fraction of a second, everything becomes still. And then the structure crumples in on itself, and mashes down into a pile of rubble and dust. A cheer goes up. The audience got what it came for. Noise, destruction, spectacle. All for nothing. Chalk up one more successful implosion of an aging building.

(http://whotv.com/2015/10/04/demolition-crews-implode-riverfront-ymca-building/)

Building demolition has been going on for as long as there have been older, tall buildings that need to be torn down. Cities grow, or wars happen. And structures need to be demolished. The techniques started with wrecking balls and such. But these were slow, and dangerous. So some tried dynamite to demolish structures. This could also be dangerous, although methods were developed to make it safer. Over the years, people and firms got better at controlled demolition, and finally, implosion. Setting off a number of charges to weaken the load-bearing members in a building, so that gravity and its own weight brings it down on itself.

(http://science.howstuffworks.com/engineering/structural/building-implosion.htm)

In the earliest known building demolition, 150 pounds of gunpowder were used to bring down a cathedral in Ireland. The explosion was said to be deafening, and the entire structure quickly reduced to rubble. As time went on, and buildings got taller, other methods had to be found to protect surrounding structures, and the spectators who gathered to watch. Dynamite was invented, and used. Blasting experience during mining was used to craft a safer method of bringing down structures. Controlled charges were timed to go off at the right moment to weaken the structure and bring it down safely. (See http://www.implosionworld.com/history2.htm )

After World War II, Europeans were faced with extensive work rebuilding their downtowns. Experts gathered together, and came up with ever-more efficient methods to safely and rapidly demolish damaged structures, Safer explosive material (RDX) and non-electrical firing methods were employed to improve the process. In the US, crowds gathered for some of the more notable implosions of landmark structures. Food stands were set up and souvenirs sold. It became a real public event. As the crowds swelled at these events, safety became even more of a concern.

Here in Des Moines, Iowa, we have had a few notable implosions. The old Woolworth's building, which was a partial failure. In the words of one resident who witnessed it: “It was literally a flop – part of the building flopped out onto the street and some material showered buildings across the street.”

But by the time the YMCA building was demolished in the fall of 2015, techniques were refined quite well. The building fell without a hitch. Now the biggest problem is what to do with the space that has been freed up.

There are other alternatives to implosion, of course. The wrecking ball has been used quite effectively for decades. Hydraulic hammers and cutting shears can be used. They are making quick work of a local city parking ramp near 7^th and Grand ave. A fire hose is used in conjunction with the work to keep the dust down. In areas where other buildings adjoin the structure, implosions can be just too risky, no matter how well controlled. So the slower way must be used, with hydraulic hammers pounding away, and end-loaders hauling away debris, pile by pile.

In San Francisco, in the 1900's, dynamite was used to stop fires. When a fire spread uncontrollably, one method to stop it was to demolish any buildings in its path. This was used many times as a fire-fighting technique. Thankfully, this is no longer used in cities today.

(see http://www.nps.gov/prsf/learn/historyculture/1906-earthquake-fire-fighting.htm)

The Japanese have invented a new method, whereby entire floors are held up by hydraulic jacks while the supports are cut out underneath. The floors are then gently lowered. This seems to be a safer and cleaner method of demolition. So newer methods to taking down old buildings will come along. I imagine someday scientists will invent a molecular disruptor that will melt away buildings with every sweep of a powerful ray. Perhaps these methods will attract crowds too. But there is something exciting about being at an Implosion, and hearing the “fire in the hole”, and the loud bangs.

(By the way the term “implosion” is incorrect, since the building does not implode, as from air pressure, but rather collapses of its own weight after all supports are blasted. Think of what happens is a football player has his legs swept out from underneath him by some blocker. He falls pretty quickly, too.)

See you at the next big boom party. Thanks for reading.

Some terms: Implosion – bringing down a building by controlled explosions.

Demolition – bringing down a building using traditional methods. Wrecking ball and hydraulic hammers or shears.

Deconstruction: An alternate method of taking down buildings. Materials are stripped down and segregated, and recycled as much as possible. Old concrete can be ground down and used as aggregate for new foundations and such.

For further reading:

www.controlled-demolition.com

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Building_implosion

www.implosionworld.com

Cracking Then and Now

       Back in the late 1980s and early 90's, a new phenomenon popped up. The proponents borrowed a term from the programmer community, which had used 'hacking' since the 1960's as a term for intensive coding work. These new hackers specialized in unauthorized entry into systems, especially online systems. They could scan phone numbers calling them one at a time, and find the ones that returned data instead of a voice or answering machine, and then try password combinations to break in. Many mini and mainframe computers maintained a “backdoor” or way for an engineer to log in remotely, for troubleshooting procedures. These backdoors became known in the underground, and much used by the early hackers/crackers/phreakers. Just breaking in was a badge of honor for these folks.

      Early 'heroes' included Phiber Optik and Kevin Mitnick. Mitnick was said to have two terminals in his apartment. On one he did his hacking, and the other was logged into a phone company computer. When the phone co put a trace on his line, he backed out of whatever system he was rifling through and hung up. He did some time for those exploits, but after being released from prison, he resumed his activities. He even taunted a highly-skilled cyber-specialsit (Tsutomo Shimomura ), antagonizing him so much, that Shimomura made it his life's mission to take Mitnick down. Eventually, he and others succeeded in tracking down Mitnick, and arresting him. There is even a book out about it.

      There was a crude glory to these early crackers. Some specialized in phreaking, or getting free long-distance phone calls, in the days of crossbar phone switches. Others passed around lists of outdials and data numbers. There was even an early Usenet Newsgroup, called alt.2600 . The 2600 referring to the sound frequency used to get a free phone call on the older style automatic switching systems. It was all command line, hands on stuff. Best done with a computer running Unix or later, Linux – the lingua franca of the early Internet. As the 1990s progressed, however, back-doors were slammed shut, and system vulnerabilities were eradicated. Hacking became difficult or impossible in most respects.

      But not all. Some simply tried random email addresses and passwords, and found a trove of personal information. Others downloaded complete hacking programs from the numerous BBS systems out there, and gave them a whirl. If you wanted to download free software from a bulletin board system, I hopefully you had a good anti-virus program. They were chock-full of viruses. But these were the things early online users were forced to use. If you wanted the games, pictures, and messaging capability, then you had to endure the virii and other attacks.

      By the late 1990's, the early Internet protocols were fading, or being merged with ever-more-powerful web browsers. Telnet, FTP and Gopher were early Net tools that are now mostly gone. In the early days, one could use these to gain root access to a server or mainframe. From there, it was an easy matter to copy over a Trojan program, or simply copy whatever files you wanted. By the late 90's, people were forced to hack web pages, manipulating code to, for instance, bypass a login screen, or take out an anti-copying script. (Authors note: I take no position on the legality or morality of these activities. I'm merely reporting them, as part of the background scenery within which we must all live). The more HTML one knew, the more one could do. Hacks went on, and cyber-crimes got more spectacular. The government took notice, and formed cybersecurity committees.

      On September 11, 2001, there were the attacks on the WTC, Pentagon and (almost) White House. In the increased paranoia one arena that was focused on was cyber-terrorism and cyber-crime. More and more programs were initiated. Some were found to be able to spy on individual e-mails. Others took advantage of public security cameras. The massive Wikileaks, and the revelations of Edward Snowden revealed the existence of many surveillance programs. It seemed that far from being a Wild West free-for-all, the Internet was actually fairly well monitored. Yet the hacks would not be stopped.

Companies came to work one day, and found their websites defaced. Or their executive's names and private information distributed and posted all over the Internet. Much of the handiwork seemed prankish. Like “look what we can do” and post some obscene picture or other on the front of their website. More sinister attackes came in the form of DDOS, distributed denial of service. People wrote programs that repeatedly pinged host computers with requests, swamping them and slowing response time to a crawl. Or in some cases, created false links to download viruses to crash hard drives, or copy their contents, or fill them with kiddie porn. There was lots of malicious stuff out there. And the targets were quite often corporations that antagonized public opinion, or even government agencies. AT&T was constantly hacked, as was the CIA, etc. The successful exploits were seen on the nightly news, or more to the point, and first: On many Net chatrooms and hangouts.

      In the mid-2000's some new hacking entities sprang up. There was the Anonymous movement. A shadowy group of hackers that could seemingly bring a company computer network to its knees. And Lulz, an offshoot of Anonymous. One prominent hacker named WEEV was behind a lot of things. Somewhere in the midst of this activity, the Occupy Wall Street movement was born. Occupiers showed up all over the country. Physical occupation of bank lobbies and properties went hand-in-hand with some hacking activities. Many companies, and some government agencies, had their websites defaced. Prominent in this was Jeremy Hammond, who was said to have hacked into the Stratfor website, and exposed thousands of emails detailing illicit activities by the same. Another, Barret Brown, was sentenced to 105 years in prison for disseminating the file grabbed by Hammond. A third, SABU, was turned into an informant by the FBI, and thus earned himself freedom from prison, as well as the eternal hostility of the hacking community. A new game, new players, using new techniques.

      While the author has read or seen bits and pieces of hacking techniques through the years, the total picture is murky at best, and he has no desire to find out, and earn a jail cell for himself. . However it is surmised that some of the methods involve coding HTML and C++ languages. The DDOS attacks involve repeatedly contacting a host computer, thus overloading it. Some hackers employ a method called Phishing, where they send a fake email from, say, a bank. If they can get an unwitting person to enter their login and password, and capture it, they have just “caught” a bank account “phish”. There are many variations on this, I suspect. The Internet is a dangerous place, there are a lot of sneaky emails and spam.

      Unlike the old days, around 25 years ago, when hackers were bored teenagers scanning phone numbers to see if a computer answered, the present crop of crackerdom must use ever-more sophisticated tools. The computers are out there, all over the place, but they are well-guarded. To scale these new walls, one needs ever-more wily methods. The well-publicized Stuxnet virus, that caused Centrifuges in a nuclear processing facility in Iran to over-spin and destruct – that one was brought in by a flash drive. In other words, the “sneaker-net” got in where the Internet could not. A telling development. Watch who you let into the data center, and whether or not they are carrying a flash or thumb drive with them.

      In recent years there has been a lot of publicity about Bitcoins and the Darknet. Supposedly, one can find these bitcoins, and use them to buy illegal substances online. The Darknet is where you go to buy things like heroin, weapons, whatever. A lot has been written about these entities. Suffice it to say, stay away if you want to avoid trouble, or a virus. One guy, Ross W. Albricht, was rwecently arrested. He created the Silk road website, where you could buy any kind of illegal drug or weapon your heart desired. For a time, until it was shut down by the FBI. He ran it from a laptop, which he carried around with him. He made lots of money the first couple of years, then imitators sapped his profits. Federal investigators were tipped off at some point. Then they began to watch him closely. And within months, his whole business empire unraveled. Today he is in Federal Prison.

(see http://www.wired.com/2015/05/silk-road-creator-ross-ulbricht-sentenced-life-prison/).

      Cracking in the early years carried an aura of glamor and excitement. A way for teenagers to delve into technology, perhaps perform a few pranks, mostly harmless. But things have gotten a lot darker in recent years. Now, large companies, including telecoms and insurance operations, have permanent, full-time cyber-security positions. It is money that must be spent to protect customer data, and avoid corporate disasters.

      Cracking has even turned into cyber-warfare, and been used by governments against other governments. Vast amounts of taxpayer money have been spent by the US government for cyber-warfare and security programs. Not to mention all of the spying and surveillance that goes on. Meanwhile, we have all been convinced to do our bill-paying and banking online. Thus, here we are, living our entire financial life online. Vulnerable to being wiped out by one ill-timed malicious hack. It is a scary world these days. Hacking just is not what it used to be. Just remember to always practice safe computing, and cross your fingers while you are at it.

A partial list of some famous Crackers and illicit traders:

Ross William Ulbricht – creator of Silk road illegal trading site. Sentenced to life in prison for ordering a murder of a competitor.

Kevin D Mitnick – gained access to many computer networks, including DEC and the Pentagon.

Robert Tappan Morris – the first Internet worm – shut down many networks.

Robert Draper – the Cap'n Crunch whistle – in the early 1970s he came up with a way to get free phone calls. Later, Steve Jobs and Wozniak improved on his method and built the first Blue Box, imitating many of the tones used by the Bell System in those days.

Adrian Lamo – despite being homeless, he hacked into the computers of the New York times and others.

Vladimir Levin – stole millions from international banks by listening in on teleconference calls.

Albert Gonzolez. Stole upwards of 170 million credit card numbers, the most massive identity theft ever.

Gary McKinnon. Gained access to 97 American military networks between 2001 and 2002.

Kevin Poulson. Hacked into LA phone networks so that he would win a prize. Known as Dark Dante. Now works as a contributing editor for Wired magazine.

Max Ray “Iceman” Butler. Stole millions of credit card numbers, and opened a “carders exchange.” He ran up over 80 million dollars in fraudulent charges.

Information on Bitcoins and the Dark Web:

http://www.coindesk.com/bitcoin-on-the-dark-web-the-facts/

Thanks for reading.

A Sport for Any Age

      In this day of multiple new trail systems around Iowa and elsewhere, it seems worth noting that you can ride a bike at almost any age. From toddlers riding tricycles, to seniors riding whatever they want to, many people have embraced this pastime. Some are like me, who gave it up for a while after I learned to drive, only to take it up again in my 30's. It was partly out of necessity, to get around. But once I discovered the then-new but growing trail system, I realized it was also a recreational activity. Not at all like in the 1960's, where riding a bike meant hopping curbs and dodging cars and people.

Bicycles have become big-ticket items, with some selling for thousands of dollars in area stores. There are now recumbent bikes, bike carts, electric-assist bikes, and bikes with many, many speeds – some at least 28-speed. There is even a company called RhoadesCar that makes a four-wheeled pedal “car” cycle. (https://www.rhoadescar.com/) In the current climate of enthusiasm for renewable energy of all kinds, bicycles are a perfect fit. Get out of that car and pedal, get in shape, clean up the air, and your arteries too.

So recreational trails have gone in wholesale. There are bike lanes all over downtown streets now. How many riders use them is an open question. But this is Iowa, and we get nasty weather here. A few hardy souls pedal around town in the wintertime. I know of one man that is 62, who pedals almost everywhere he can. Despite his age, he pedals in all kinds of conditions. He has ridden on the trails in winter, and helped clear off debris like fallen limbs. People half his age are either driving in their cars, or at home where it is warm. Even more amazing, he prefers to ride barefoot. While he is an extreme case, there are many older riders out there “pushing the weather envelope.”

Bike choices used to be somewhat limited, and some older folks may visualize that when they contemplate riding a bike. In the past it was either a 10-speed racing bike with curled handlebars and a seat the width of a two-by-four – or a single-speeder with a more comfortable seat. Those days are long gone now. As was mentioned, you can find bikes of every size, function and description. If one can afford it, one can go to a specialty bike store. Around here those include Bike World, Ichi bike, and Kyle's Bikes or Bike Country in Ankeny. There are also places like Wal-mart and K-mart for your common, run-of-the-mill bikes. The author purchased a nice 7-speed called a “messenger bike” for everyday riding. I don't know if that particular model is used in larger cities by bike messengers, but for me it rides real good on the trails, or on the streets. It is durable, the tires are skinny enough to go faster, and it seems a good fit for me overall. For someone contemplating renewing a friendship with a bicycle, there are a lot of choices out there.

Online places carry a plethora of bikes too. Arguably a greater variety can be found on the Internet. But remember, they have to be shipped to you. And the one time I purchased a bike and had it shipped via UPS, it was not a good result. In addition to the high cost, the bike arrived bent and damaged inside the shipping box. Your experience may vary. But a good strategy is to research some bikes online, then see if your local stores carry a brand you are interested in, or could acquire one for you. Sine I was on a budget, I bought a more 'common' product at a big-box retailer. For someone else this may not be their preferred choice. But it is best to buy what you will be comfortable riding in various weather conditions. And don't forget a helmet. In some locales it is illegal to ride without one. Save your brain bucket – buy a helmet.

One a prospective new or more likely, “returning” bike rider starts again, there are a few tips I can offer. One is don't fret too much about your weight starting out. When I resumed my riding, I made sure the tires were well inflated. My weight still pressed down pretty hard on them, and it took me some practice to regain my balance-agility to ride a bike. But after two or three rides, my balance on a bike returned to smooth mastery. One has to make sure and look all around for cars, people, etc, before starting out. And if it is your first ride after many years, give yourself time and patience. It takes the body a bit of time and effort to resume a physical activity you have not done in 20, 30 or 40 years!

If one is really out of shape, and/or very overweight, it may be wise to begin some kind of exercise regimen before you ride. Like say, a half-hour walk once or twice a day for a week. Just something to get the body to realize it is going to be doing some physical exertions again. Perhaps take the bicycle you will ride out and simply walk or wheel it around for a while. Get yourself used to the idea that you will be riding again. Your blood flow will improve, your muscles tighten up a bit. And then you will be ready to begin riding.

Many that are approaching retirement age, or already there, are on a tight budget. And even if you don't have to ride a bike to get around, riding a bicycle for recreation is a great form of cheap entertainment. With the trail system being as developed as it is, there are trails that go high over river valleys, or wind along river greenways. There are trails that circle lakes and go through parks, and connect into other parks further away. It can be enjoyable just to see where the trails take you – you will be surprised at how far you can go after an hours' leisurely pedaling. Just be sure to remember what turns you took to get there. But the signage has improved vastly in the last five years, so it is doubtful you could get truly lost.

Once a person has been riding a bike for awhile, they encounter the need to accessorize and/or repair their two-wheeled steed. Front and rear lights are a requirement if you are going to be riding at night, or even at dusk. Some put on a rear platform or container. Some carry saddle-bags or a water bottle strapped to the frame. Chain oil of some kind helps keep your gears shifting well. After a few years, brake pads begin to wear out, and should be replaced. There is a certain amount of maintenance necessary for a bicycle. And sooner or later, you will get a flat tire. Whether from a nail, metal shaving, glass or whatever, you'll get a flat tire. Let's just hope you aren't too far from home. Then you can either use a screwdriver to pry out the bad tube and replace it, or pay to have it done. I have done it both ways. The guys at the repair shop are preferable, since they tend to do it the right way. But one can always do it themselves.

There are also computerized speedometers and tire lights. Many, many accessories exist for a bicycle. Some are beginning to electrify their rides. Strap a Lithium Ion battery pack over your frame, and hook it up to some kind of transmission-drive. (https://www.electricbike.com/lithium-battery/) Then you can get help going up those steep hills. I investigated these, and they are still quite expensive. So I'll stick to pedaling slow in low gear, or in extreme cases, walking the bike up a hill. But once I get myself into “cycling shape” which means a month of regular cycling, I find that I can make it up even steep hills, just pedaling slow and breathing deep, regular gasps of air. It can be done, and not just by the Olympians or steroid users. Still, it is good to know there are options out there like electric or E-bikes for those that desire them.

I tried bike commuting for a short time, and did not particularly care for it. For me, bicycling is a recreational pastime, and that is it. But for some, once they get into a pattern of riding their bike to work, they want to keep at it. No gas, fresh air, parking is very cheap. Wherever you can find to chain your bike to is fair game. Here in downtown Des Moines, some companies have bike racks. Others have bikes chained to trees, parking meters and anywhere else someone can think of. The drawback is you might need a shower before going to work, unless you live close by and don't need to pedal for miles to get there. But some make bike commuting “work,” and to them I salute.

The future. What does the future hold for those of us who like to pedal ourselves around town?

Most likely continued increase in composite materials for biking. Already there are lightweight carbon-fiber bikes, and high-strength plastics are everywhere from carts to pedals to lights, and more. More styles and kinds of bikes for every need. There are folding bicycles out, that can be carried in a backpack. Innovations like this make a bicycle into just another item to stuff in your carry-on or backpack. With the advent of 3-d printing tech, you may take a vacation, and decide you want a bicycle. Then go to a store, and they will 'print' one off for you. Even today, there are bikes for rent in downtown locations of many cities. With the swipe of a credit card, you can hop on a rental bike and ride around town. But at an hour per ride, make sure you have a watch with you. If you go over, or ride the thing off, your card balance could reflect that! It is hard to say what else is coming down the road in terms of bicycles. Some keep predicting flying cars, so perhaps flying bicycles aren't too far behind. One never knows. (http://www.hammacher.com/Product/Default.aspx?sku=12187)

In any case, I hope the older readers can experience the thrill and enjoyment of cycling, especially if one has not done so for many years. What you find awaiting you on the trail system can be a delightful, enjoyable experience. See you out there, and thanks for reading.

For further reading:

Maintaining your ride:

http://www.bicycling.com/maintenance/bicycle-maintenance/101-bike-maintenance-tips

Central Iowa Recreational Trails

http://www.inhf.org/trails/central-iowa-trail-network.cfm

Pick the best bike

http://centurycycles.com/buyers-guides/bicycle-types-how-to-pick-the-best-bike-for-you-pg9.htm

List of Bicycle types (Wikipedia)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_bicycle_types

Happy New Year...

So here we are in a new year.

Here is hoping there are no more

Charlie Hebdo's, mass shootings,

school shootings, police shootings,

rioting over shootings,

teen suicides and shootings,

or senseless violence in general.

Hopefully there will be no more

devastating hurricanes or tornadoes,

earthquakes, landslides or massive

erupting volcanoes.

Hold the blizzards and floods, please;

torrential rains and devastating droughts

can all be done without!

Instead I much prefer a heaping

helping of good news.

Successful spaceflights,

good harvests, happy people,

responsible policing,

effective gun laws and prevention

of mass attacks.

Democratization and reasonable governance

across the globe,

no more population abuse to prop up

dictators, in either hemisphere.

Joyful celebration and

solved problems are much

desired menu items in 2016.

Well-fed, employed people

taking good care of the Earth

is a much sought-after entree.

World Peace is the crème brulee

of my fantasy menu for the new year.

But when I awake from this dream,

I'll still wish one and all a reasonably

good and sometimes happy New Year.

Good luck out there!

- end

 

A New Year

Wrinkles have replaced tinsel,

trees not as decorated as flesh.

We are slowing down this year,

even in snow not nearly as fresh.

Fewer people make the pilgrimage

to the fine home we share for festivities.

But the ones who are left enjoy it no less,

The meaning is shared in all its profundity.

Our sore muscles, aching joints, diminished looks

will not spoil good memories, good food and fun.

Once we are together the room takes on a glow,

skin features soften, pulse quickens...

For a brief moment in time we go back.

Presents under the bright tree,

excitement at what is found there.

Santa came last night and left us

new sleds and toys – time to play!

So we go out in the snow and run,

sled and play and enjoy our youth...

in memory perhaps more than we really did.

Another merry trip back in time soon spent,

meals and wine and sleep came and went.

Time to load the car and say our goodbyes,

Hugs and thanks, and try not to cry.

For it is now a happy new year,

full of possibilities all over again.

We are still alive and moving,

present in this world for we hope

many, many years to come...

That would be the best gift of all.

- end

Reminiscing about Roosevelt

Digging through piles of paper,

frustration comes to the fore.

Special offers and credit come-ons

hide a few truly important items.

Segue...

When I watched that program

about the depression days,

the “Roosevelt Recovery,”

that War when we produced

300,000 airplanes and so forth,

It reminded me of how good

we have it in the present day.

In the 1940's

Blacks fought for a segregated society, as

Reactionaries fought to roll back progress;

tar-paper cardboard hovels were fine with them,

as long as it was someone else starving to death.

One man (from a privileged background) dared

to take them all on and transform society.

The royalists and insider manipulators who

thought our financial system was their private party.

He stood up to them, mostly succeeded,

and was properly revered.

That black-and-white world colors itself in the present.

Now human rights extend not only to blacks but to

gays, lesbians and transgender people. Human Rights

is becoming universal, as envisioned in that U.N

declaration made in 1945. I am so happy it is,

that the piles of papers seem less threatening now.

Even the Internet, something not even imagined

back then, seems less of a hassle when I consider

the good it has brought me.

And to think a Liberal Democrat made it all possible.

Wow.

Questions

Who should we fear?

Extremists at home, or extremists abroad?

Those of the accepted near-state religion,

or that exotic one that makes

women cover their faces?

Politicians who advocate radical measures,

or harmless-seeming ones who become

anything but once in office?

The bad guys with guns and bombs,

or the good guys with guns and bombs,

protecting us from the bad guys.

They both seem so much alike,

once they deploy their lethal devices.

We are at war with radicals who seek to

destroy us, that is plain.

But the radicals have always been around.
(They used to call them Anarchists)

What makes them so dangerous now?

We have had radicals since the beginning of time.

Perhaps it is the flavor of government,

the mood or temper of the times,

the fright of the people.

Humanity seems like a petulant child,

storming around,

throwing tantrums,

hitting itself repeatedly in frustration,

screaming at the impossibility

of making a larger sense of things.

Like in “Childhood's End” by A.C. Clarke,

we may someday find out what things

really are and who is running the show.

Here is hoping we survive long enough.

Stay safe everyone,

and lock your doors.

- end

Let's Renew Progress

In the 21^st century we are not

wearing spandex jackets or flying

cars to and fro across gleaming skies.

Our life expectancy rests below 100.

The count of settled planets remains at 1.

That is fine with me;  however...

Once upon a time much of our society stood

as a shining example of progress.

We marched hopefully towards a better future.

Immigrants eagerly changed their names,

because they wanted to be Americans,

sharing in the vision of a greater society.

We were unashamedly expansionist,

so proud and patriotic, and could do no wrong.

We built the Panama Canal, many huge dams,

re-engineered our vast landscape after dominating

any native peoples that stayed around.

(rightly  or wrongly)

At some point in the 20^th century, we “made it.”

King of the hill, top of the heap. Best of all nations.

Maybe it was the end of WWII,

or perhaps the Moon landings.

But there was so much strife along the way,

civil rights, Vietnam, counter-culture,

rise of new conservatism, religious fundamentalism.

Unhappiness and infighting seem to always be

close at hand, never far away in the USA.

If there ever was any good snapshot of an

ascendant, dominating America,

it would still be clouded with conflicts.

Fifteen years into the new century, we are

as ornery and angry as ever!

But progress seems to have taken a back seat,

to terrorism.

Terrorism – the new buzzword.

But in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries,

we had “Anarchists” who set off bombs and attacked

the public.  In 1920 they even bombed Wall Street.

The new demon seems a lot like the old,

but now it is clothed in religious fanaticism

and suicide vests.

We really should not let the

anarchists-terrorists-violence perpetrators

derail our national progress.

Rather, we should progress despite the vile efforts of

these little serpents, and show them just how

insignificant they are in the scheme of things.

Long live the United States of America,

and Long Live every kind of progress!

Let's all march together towards a brighter future,

and trample anyone who tries to 'scare us otherwise.'

Thanks for reading.

Holiday Shopping

Buy books - the gift that keeps on giving!

Experimental Tales www.createspace.com/4973862

The Osmotics www.createspace.com/4661301

Mirror Worlds www.createspace.com/3633147

A Strange Enterprise www.createspace.com/4281639

Future Property www.createspace.com/3859469

Shadow Intersection www.createspace.com/4113022

thx for taking a look  :-)

Rake and Mow

Oh the weather outside is delightful,

any fire would smell most frightful.

Fifty degrees feels so sublime,

Let it shine, let it shine let it shine!

Oh the leaves continue to blow about,

do I really have to get the rake back out?

Green grasses encourage some to mow,

My stubborn self says “No No No!”

Perhaps it's time for another car wash,

to rid of the road salt from the last

and first snow of the late fall season.

End of TV football game is a good reason...

Look all around the disorganized house,

more chores to do inside and out;

sweep droppings from some hidden mouse,

bait and set those spring traps throughout.

So I'll put aside any thoughts of snow,

as I set aside the shovel and salt;

Admire the mole hills in their neat rows,

admit yard's sorry state is my own fault.

This December is a jolly time to

Rake and mow, rake and mow, rake and mow!

Happy Holidays everyone!

(With apologies to the song  "Let it Snow")

-end