Be Offended

     It has recently come to my attention the issue of people, individuals or groups, being “Offended” and this being made an issue of, especially by conservatives. Okay, if they want to play this way, I can too. I propose there be no limit on age of the fetus for an abortion – it is purely up to the mother. And I propose that federal funding be available not only for education and medicare treatments, but for any kind of abortion. It is entirely up to the woman carrying the fetus and her partner. Offended yet? I thought so.

Gay marriage is a thing to be celebrated, and should be sanctioned by every religion in the land, and allowed in any church whatsoever. Offended yet? I thought so.

Our society should be made 100 percent secular with regard to any kind of government institution or property. No prayers whatsoever, no religious symbols allowed on any government property, federal state or city. Religion is to be practiced and acknowledged in the home or church and that is it – period. No crosses of any kind allowed in public, unless they are to be Burned! Offended yet? I thought so.

So you see, taking offense can go either way. Believe in whatever kind of magical fairy-tale god you want, but keep your garbage out of my face, my government and my way of life.

But while I'm on the topic, here are a few things that really offend me:

401-K's held by millions of Baby Boomers nearing retirement only giving a fraction of a percent interest growth. Millions face poverty and declining purchasing power, and rising medical costs.

Wages flat or declining in purchasing power, while a few very rich billionaires buy up everything in sight.

Costs of drugs and medical care increasing at least 10 percent a year, in an era of nearly no inflation otherwise. The only reason these things are going up is pure greed. Makes our country more like a failed state everyday.

Religious ideologues hijacking our congress and creating gridlock, and inability to get anything done, all because of their unwavering belief in a fairy-tale book that was mistranslated in the first place. We are becoming more like the theocracy of Iran every day. They should all be sent to ISIS, since that is who they most resemble. Fanaticism is crazy wherever it takes root.

Lots of things to be pissed off about. Ain't it great.

Now we are all offended. What has changed? Not a damn thing.

Experimental Tales revised

Just got a recent collection of short stories revised.  Two more stories have been added.   Enjoy.

https://www.createspace.com/4973862

Happy reading all.  

Time Arrows Forward

We speed through our lives and do so many things,

Rushing fast to the ultimate ending, to wonder

where it all went. But if we could rewind and change,

change, change choices, change motions and responses.

If a sneeze or boiled water can create an outcome

that affects the universe, how can we be sure anything

we do is right?

A snowflake may fall and start an avalanche,

A rock may get thrown and alter a destiny,

A car accident may snuff out a bright light.

A word misspoken could start a nasty fight,

result in a lost job, career and many fine nights.

Every choice has many possible outcomes.

How is it possible that there is a universe for each?

In our minds most anything is possible,

map-able

foresee-able,

do-able.

With our look-ahead and remember-back brains,

we truly are the masters of the universe.

Or at least our small corner of it.

Tiny bipedal gods with dexterous manipulators.

We can look forward by mapping possibilities,

we can look back by sifting through our memory.

We can co-operate and achieve mighty works.

Be careful what you wish for,

so that you know what to do if you get it.

Thanks for reading.

Sunny Days

Autumn approaches

Humid air gives way, finally, to cooler breezes.

Then, the skies open up.

Deluge after deluge;

streets flood,

stalled cars litter the roadways.

Somehow I make it to a restaurant and back..

The divine is with me – or lady luck.

I make it back home,

fed with conversation and fish fillets.

It is Friday night, I am lucky, all is well.

Today I am grateful for all the good in life.

No need for drama or hyperbole or alarm.

Life is good and I am grateful.

May life's blessings flow out to everyone!

Sunny days are coming again.

- end

Money Ethos

Just got done watching a documentary with Woody Harrelson called Ethos. Another sad reminder that our country is not really a Democracy, but a capital-ocracy. Money is in charge. The richest politicians win. Their biggest donors get special favors or choice appointments. And war is an ever-more-profitable business. No real surprise there - I've heard it before.  I just wonder what will happen when the US is completely and totally in hock to the rest of the world. Can we “war” our way out of that? And how will we pay for it? Food for thought, enough to give me a stomachache. 

checking it out

Thanks for checking it out:

www.dycen-alexander.com

Success!

When I set out on a grand adventure, a ten-year goal to achieve wondrous accomplishments in the literary world, I had little notion of what to expect. I visualized book deals, regular royalty checks, being able to work from anywhere, living the good life. Of course I found out it is not so simple or easy as all that.

Along the way, I've met some fine writer friends and enjoyed good socializing times. I've heard many interesting life stories, from people in diverse fields. Seeing actual books out with my name on them was a thrill, as well as stories published by other entities. I've gone to some fun book events and signings, and met great people there. Even writing classes I attended were enjoyable in various ways. The journey has been interesting.

But recently a young football player for the Iowa Hawkeyes (Tyler Sash)  passed away. One of his friends mentioned in passing that when the football season – and career – ended, the individual seemed lost, bereft almost. “It was as if he put all of his hopes into Football, and when that ended, he was adrift.”

This imparted to me an important lesson. “Success” is not so much excelling at one thing, although that may help in the short term. But throughout life, greater satisfaction comes from pursuing many different things. Hobbies, books, movies, travel, gardening. You may not be the best at any pursuit, but you owe it to yourself to become well-rounded, to try out different pursuits. That way if one thing does fall through, you have a net of other activities you can “land on” and keep up with. A one-trick pony soon becomes bored, in my opinion.

If this young man's unfortunate, tragic death can be said to accomplish anything, it was to make it clear to people that pursuit of a sports career to the exclusion of everything else carries great danger. Injuries can sideline you. Your career can be over at age 30 or 35, and then what do you do? Yet we spend huge sums on new stadiums and facilities, much more so than in any knowledge-based pursuits. Just so our youth can batter each other into submission for a higher point total. Insane. Skewed priorities.

Anyway, there are many ways to measure success. An enjoyable afternoon gardening, and the joy it can give, is as great a success as crossing a finish line or scoring a goal. Spread your interests around.

Thanks for reading.

Happy Labor Day 2015

Happy labor day today

as we enjoy our free Monday;

97 % of companies give it off,

prepare the barbecues, play some golf.

Politicians will not take the day off,

rather march in parades and speak.

The rest of us will endure their message,

while munching our burgers, brats and chips.

The parades march and show strident signage,

Declaring defiance and solidarity always.

In this day and age there are undertones of absurdity,

After decades of outsourcing it seems a losing battle.

But we still try and oppose the unstoppable force

of greed in society, some of it our own.

There are times it does good,

higher minimum wages won,

greater benefits, shorter workdays.

A five-day week for many now.

Human natures push back and forth,

Gaining and losing ground. Somehow,

we get fed and clothed and rested,

only to enter the fray all over the next day.

Happy Labor Day 2015 everyone.

The Monks closing on Two Centuries

      All the young man wanted when they finally arrived at the confluence of two rivers was to dismount and rest, grab a bite of rations – and get out of his itchy Dragoon uniform and perhaps bathe in the cooling waters that beckoned the group. Any thoughts of making treaty with the natives and building a fort were far from his, and probably his fellow soldiers',mind. When the small group  arrived at the confluence of two rivers, eager to establish a new fort and trading post, the sight that greeted them would have been far different than today. Woodlands, muddy banks by the two rivers, perhaps some Teepees belonging to the local Indian tribe, and not much else. But they soon got to work, and quickly built themselves a fort.  They had arrived at the leading edge of civilization in the Iowa Territory.

      Within a few years, they had a trading post going, a name for their new settlement. And homesteads were beginning to be built on both sides of the river. By 1846, Fort Des Moines was established as the seat of Polk County. Schools soon opened in cabins along Raccoon Row. And by 1849, a newspaper had been established. The tiny settlement was flourishing. New settlers arrived, homes went up, a brewery was established. The library and various churches opened right around the same time. By 1857, the town was growing so much they decided to put the state capitol there. Quite a change in 14 years.

      By 1861, the Western Union telegraph company had arrived. In 1866, the railroad finally made it here. After the civil war, growth really exploded. Brickyards were formed along the river. Also, sawmills, and lumbering operations. Ferryboats went back and forth, until permanent bridges were built across the river. Commerce and population boomed.

      However, the Des Moines of the late 1800's would not have been a pleasant sight (or smell) to modern tastes. There were many dumps operating, both legally and illegally. Many slaughterhouses were in full swing. There were a lot of coal mines, and everyone had to burn coal or wood to keep warm in the winter. The air must have been a foul mix to breathe. There were typhoid and flu epidemics. It would not have been a pretty sight.

      But the rail transportation network in the late 1800's was extensive. Trolleys moved people all around the city, and even to outlying towns. Railroads took over for longer distances. It was said that at one time, no one in Iowa was more than 10 miles from some kind of rail line. Electrified trolley systems covered the city up until the mid-twentieth century, when they set about tearing them all out.

      The city expanded westward, finally running into and swallowing Valley Junction. North Des Moines became a part of Des Moines. The east side swallowed places like Chesterfield. Finally, growth exploded southward, pushing the city limits well past their former boundary of Watrous avenue. To a visitor in the 1930s up to the 1960's, the city would really seem to be on a growth curve up. It slowed in the 1970s and 80's, with economic downturns and changing demographics. In the 2000's things began to pick up again. At this writing, the city is once again growing.

      Today, people are moving back downtown, where they can work, live, shop and play. More and more prefer to get around by bicycle or mass transit, reversing the suburbia-chasing trend of the late 1900's. It would not be much of a surprise to see some form of electrified rail go in at some point. Larger cities like Minneapolis have done this, seemingly going full circle, from rail transportation, to automotive-centric travel, to rail assisted travel once again. Many other cities are building condos downtown, and Des Moines is not being left behind in this by any means. The city is changing with the times, as it should. It will be fascinating to see what changes the future brings. Thanks for reading.

Rainy Ride

Riding...

I made it in good time, and entered the trail,

pace steady and smooth.

What was that? A raindorp? Two? Three?

Uh-oh.

Many drops soon fell, a steady shower,

turning to a deluge at times.

I was stuck.

Too far to turn back;

take shade under trees somewhat,

press on ahead – maybe it will stop!

But alas, no such luck.

I made it up to the University overpass,

finally turning around to head back

the (now wet) way I came.

Getting more soaked by the minute,

What a perfect experience for an

eccentric middle-aged writer to enjoy.

Riding a bike in a summer rainstorm –

like a kid again. No matter –

Youth still lives inside me,

appreciates that exhilaration of

flying down a street soaking wet,

trailing water streams off bike tires,

clothing, pedals and even hair.

What watery summer joy,

to abandon all care and press on;

I see a

stream of car headlights coming,

do they see this apparition on wheels,

laughing and pedaling through sheets of gray?

How jealous they must be. Poor things.

Thank goodness I made it back without wiping out.

www.dycen-alexander.com

State Fair is Here

Caravans of campers caper about,

jockeying for the best spot around.

Livestock trailers sprout like weeds,

get herded into enclosures with ease.

Lots are roped off, and signs pop up.

“No parking during State Fair” or

“Park here - $5.00 all day.”

Two and four-wheeled vehicles swarm the area.

The noise, smells and excitement build to

a crazed crescendo of happy confusion.

Crowds come in and congregate in celebration

of animal excesses and caloric confabulations.

For ten days we can forget the toil and sweat,

uncertainty and concern, the numerous fears.

Spend, eat and play with no thoughts past today.

Another fair is here, don't be glum, yell Hooray!

And no other shoe will drop until it is over. Enjoy.

- end

Dear God

Forgive me my trespasses,

as I forgive those of others.

Please keep me awake for the sermon,

not allow my gaze to stray to attractive parishioners.

Please help me pay my bills,

help my bladder hold firm,

keep my eyes on the road and my hands on the wheel.

Lord,

Forgive me for verbally stepping on people,

protect me from their anger and retaliation.

Please change my personality, Lord,

to one palatable to everyone

so I can stop looking over my shoulder.

Lord,

Take me away from here and put me

somewhere in the 24^th century.

Make me artificial,

not an abomination...

Put me where life is near perfect, Lord,

so the litany of complaint in my head

will cease, and perhaps I can finally,

finally,

finally

relax and be happy and at peace.

Amen.

(tongue firmly in cheek)

Bitten but not Smitten

Silly little flea,

why are you riding on me?

You can fly free,

how errant can you be?

Once I thought myself free,

now I'm but a beast of burden;

providing transport for a flea,

know I'm slow, beg your pardon.

Soon I tire of this little game,

swat the interloper with my hand.

Not very true was my aim,

now it circles round, makes to land.

Quick I slam the fridge with backhand!

Killed the bugger, life is grand!

(Ow, I hurt my hand.)

- end

Book values on Create-Space

Give them a look-see.  Thanks!

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

- end

Seek the Cool

“Hot down, summer in the city”

Goes a popular song.

Dog day heat oppresses;

time to cool down

take a dip in waters

blue or brown,

river or aquatic center.

In big towns and small the pools are full.

Short sleeves, tops down,

Motorcycles and bicycles explode

onto city roads.

People are out, everywhere.

Sweat, heat, sun and sizzle;

what we long for in winter,

we begin to despise by late summer.

But we endure, and our reward comes.

Refreshing fall cool spells

spoil us all again and we are

ill-prepared as usual

for winter's

recurring hells.

- end

Cookies

Apparently there was some kind of ruling by the European Union.  So here is my semi-official notice to any readers across the oceans:  Google and Google Analytics may place cookies on your computers.  If you wish,you can certainly go to your Cookies folder and delete these after reading this or other blogs.  There should be some kind of official Google notice on this matter as well.  But this is a simple, mainly textual blog.   Any cookies would probably be related to ad-tracking.  Again, try and locate the "Cookies" folder on your particular computer and delete them if you do not want these on your machine.  Thank you.

Saving our World

To progress, we must regress.

Drop back to simpler technologies.

Human-powered vehicles,

sun-powered homes,

decentralized utilities.

Backwards is the new forwards.

We here in the US get it –

if only the other 90+ percent

of Earth's people

would get the same 'clue.'

Here is hoping they do,

and we keep getting it too.

• end

Times and Relatives passed

How fast it is all over,

How soon relatives are sent

to the great beyond out there,

The monies left all get spent.

Left with only memories,

happy times and love;

thought of past times please

oneself more than a treasure trove.

Routine reality binds one to all,

no ungainly, unusual windfall

to generate shame and a downfall.

Rest enjoyed at home, not in any mall.

Good memories of my mom and dad

remain long after the cash has fled.

They will always make my heart glad,

long after any inheritance has been bled.

• end

We Should Carry On

Here is hoping that the youth in this country and others get interested in space exploration, and carry the torch. Since the New Horizons probe reached Pluto, we have made it to every classical planet in our Solar System, in the space of 50 years. To bridge the time until humans make the outward journey to settle distant worlds, our younger generation must continue to explore. They can use telescopes and space probes to learn everything the can about our mighty Solar System. So that when the day arrives for distant astronauts to make outward journeys, they will know what to expect, and how to get where they are going.

One plan involves establishing a permanent base on the Moon. Three astronauts could get this started, landing in a huge crater with a beefed-up version of the old Lunar Lander. They could use an inflatable living module, (modeled on the Bigelow inflatable habs) anchored to the wall of a crater. More of these modules could be sent up later as add-ons. Meantime, the astronauts would get busy setting up a primitive mining camp. They would survey the area, search for useful ores, and work on smelting the ores and fashioning structural members for a meteor shield. This in addition to valuable astronomical observing and the like. Over the course of a decade or so, a large base could be established and re-supplied in this manner.

A regular, routine flight service to the Moon and back would have to be established, using expendable rockets, or perhaps a Moon Shuttle that would dock with the ISS, and then land on the Moon, and return. Fuel depots could be built near the Colony - but not too close. This could and should be an international effort. If a permanent budget allocation could be agreed upon, and set, for this endeavor, then the colony could be a reality. Humanity would then have a permanent foothold on the Moon. From there, they could erect larger spacecraft to go further out. Next stop, Mars.

This is worth doing for several reasons. The international co-operation it would generate. The resource availability. The new frontier aspect, where humanity could aspire to go further than the Earth, to go out and reach new vistas. Technologies would be developed that would have applications on Earth. The money spent would be a good investment, generating returns both tangible and intangible. Most of all, the youth of today and tomorrow would have something to look forward to besides ever-more-violent games and constant warfare. In my view, exploration beats extermination any day. Let's do it.

Thanks for reading.

Does Dr Who think in circles

Time is just an overarching term for moving forward, going on, a process unfolding. And if we try to go back, re-fold or go backwards, all we are really doing is starting another process that moves forward – the Arrow of Process. You can't undo that without re-initializing new process. Everything we do vibrates forward – to un-vibrate is impossible.

But nature and evolution have given us one great way to re-create the past: our long-term memories, where we can relive the past endlessly, however inaccurate. Of course there are artificial means, including journals, video documentaries, etc. But to actually counter the massive force of reality in all its manifestations and go back in time – no way. Stuff of fiction, period. 

YMMV.  Have a great weekend.