Madness Abounds

Speaking with those I know and reading what can be seen from here everything in the arena of public affairs seems quite insurmountable, overwhelming and inexplicably maddening for its complexity and cognitive dissonance. Folks I know are just throwing up their hands and turning to various diversions – March Madness, speculation about what the Yankees and Red Sox will achieve this year compared to the Rangers or Tigers or if RGIII will be able to start week 1 and if so, how healthy will he be?

Trying to make a dent in the stupid that surrounds us is slow hard and tedious, we seem to be legislated into paralysis and it may be deliberate. In a discussion this morning about what should be a simple improvement I found bureaucratic inertia would not allow a seemingly simple improvement. Oddly I noted this same colleague clamoring vociferously for change when asked to participate in making it happen, beyond complaining – angrily declined the opportunity. So fifteen minutes of warming the air later, I too could use a distraction. I fired up Al Gore’s magnificent machine and find myself drawn into the daily drumbeat of Papal reporting.

I’m not Catholic, one of my grandmothers was and so I’m just a tad bit curious about it. I like this fellow, as he seems to embody a very simple and straightforward approach to life and leadership. He might even be a link to a more magical world, a more spiritual world a less complex, nuanced, litigious and murderous world. He offers the intoxicating distraction of a vibrant breathing mythology perhaps able to compete even with the NFL. We’ll see in the fall that’s for sure. But this allure of his might be his undoing; the attention he’s garnered, the popularity might it become a worldly celebrity or fame?

His past is not without controversy either with regards to rebels and mass murders in Argentina or his take on same sex marriage. Marriage and the state, the current SCOTUS docket is perhaps the finest recent example, next to sequestration - of the wheels coming off the bus as we approach a hairpin turn. I personally don’t care if you marry a lampshade, a kangaroo or a dinosaur fossil unless this costs money from the public treasury or reduces my own legitimate sensible families’ ability to compete for resources and to thrive.  You can call a duck a chicken but it’s a duck, that’s my take – also the gov’t is too deeply involved in our daily lives if this has become an issue of national importance of any priority.

Meanwhile North Korea is perhaps running out of threats and may be forced, by inertia of its own distracting mythology surrounding their leadership cult into a nuclear exchange and oblivion. Looking at defense related media it seems all are in agreement a reheated war with NK would be a quick and easy win for the US. I however remain unimpressed and skeptical – I remember how many wars have been sold to us this way, including Iraq. The first NK intervention of 1950, a mere 5 years after the 2nd war to end all wars comes to mind.

As a semi-retired soldier I had to think would I prefer to serve in this theatre or another? It seems there are so many opportunities for pointless gruesome death or murder around the globe in the name of some obscure objective on a classified memo. We got our bluff called in Syria but seem hell bent to attack Iran where we don’t have to go. NK is something that might happen to us more than us asking for it like we are in Uganda, Jordan or Iran. I don’t want to fight in the sand so if given a choice in the event of a recall I’m going to ask for the pacific theatre – NK mud and smaller opponents for melee combat vs. the larger specimens of the Barbary Coast, Fertile Crescent or the Holy Land.

If that’s the holy land, it belongs to a cult of death, one that justifies murder and war for personal gain and revenge, not in self-defense.

That brings me back to the Papal topic. I think part of the interest in the Pope is that if I understand his statements he equates murder with war and doesn’t yield to the nation state entity the power to bless or legitimize it. There is a public voice I can agree with- simple, reasoned and sane.

I hope. Not because I’m lining up to convert, only because I know he is capturing the imagination of and can mobilize a growing young church with great influence in the economic south.

So I offer a statement of support, a plea or a prayer if you will for this fellow who might break the lawyer's, profiteer's, bankster's and madmen's grip on the world – their rule is driving us to a new madness.

This new madness is a place where teenagers are threatening mothers and executing babies in strollers, lawyers argue that an unconscious girl consented to rape, and her peers film it while daring each other to urinate on her unconscious form and her mother offers her up to this cohort of stupid savages who haven’t the common decency to apologize to the girl or the country as a whole for having to be sickened by their misdeeds. I wonder about their religious affiliation, what denomination do they belong to?

So marry a kangaroo I don’t care – in fact I don’t want to know about it, do it in your basement without the government having to sanctify it or pay for it. I’ll slog on trying to keep my kids safe until they’re ready to wade into this society and its debates, hoping I prepare them better than the boys of a certain big red football program for a life among the mad.

Oh and GO Skins! Pope if you read this – put a good word in with God for RGIII wouldja?

Promised Update

The new year - a snake year brings us many wonderful new opportunities and challenges. North Korea is more nuclear than it was, some seem to be quite worried about it. File that one under "challenges". There is a job opening coming soon at the Vatican, polish those resumes up if you're from the 3rd world. Internet rumors have it that the church, not to be outdone by the US is leaning towards a black or third world Pope for a change. If you're from the third world I think you've got more pressing concerns that race quotas in hiring but I want to wish all the candidates in the economic south well in seeking the post - good luck fellas, I'm quite sure you can't see this from there. Internet rumor quality what it is, the smart money is on a Polish or Japanese Pope instead. File under "opportunity".

I have another opportunity for consideration, a savings opportunity for the country. There is a lot of hand wringing and posturing about budget issues; Admirals cutting ship maintenance and telling the administration publicly it can't meet commitments and JOs over at the USNI blog suggesting senior leaders resign in protest, coincidentally opening up promotion opportunities for themselves. No need for the high drama, there are many simple cost-savings measures and if you recall, this blog believes sequestration is only a good start.

One reason I believe the sequester is a good start is the US Navy Reserves. As you know I've been in a simmering feud with them for some years regarding my final retirement status. Recently the 3 star in charge there has decided to appoint an ethnic employment champion for Hispanics whatever that means. Apparently, if you are from the Iberian peninsula, and blond you are not Hispanic. So they can do away with that six-figure salary person first, and this admiral who clearly has misplaced priorities. I think he's angling for a position on the Hon. Sen.  Rubio's presidential campaign staff for a 2016 or 2020 presidential run. Another reason is the DoD has long resisted common sense money saving ideas that other agencies had instituted long ago. Here at the DoC, for instance, we've altered printing habits and reduced printers inventory.

Originally I criticized the idea as too small to make much difference, and possibly counter-productive as printing volume will not decrease proportionally with the printing capability resulting in higher wear and tear on equipment, lost production time and reprints as documents are lost in shared printer schemes where office partners don't get along well. I thought it was a piece of low hanging fruit; shaving the hair off the elephant to reduce its weight when there was still a charging elephant to deal with. It might weigh a wee bit less without its hair but it might also be more aerodynamic and it's going to hit you with approximately the same force it would with the added weight of its hair. Still, the idea is a potential money saver (the jury remains out) despite the cost in man-hours to plan the excess, ship and strip equipment, re-network offices, increased wear and tear and the loss of sunk costs related to discarding equipment not yet halfway through its service life. In some cases, older printers were retained for special abilities newer (cheaper to operate) printers did not have.

Despite the idea having little proven merit, the printer reduction idea is one good example of an attempt however half-witted it might be, that the DoD resisted until just a few weeks ago when it issued a directive to reduce printing. The DoD directive was less extensive than the DoC one, in that it did not require draft quality printing of images and prohibit color but it is so late to the party as to be useless in realizing any immediate savings. Toner, paper, and maintenance contracts for existing soon to be discarded printers in inventory are sunk costs already misspent.

Okay so this sounds like a lot of complaining for nothing. Where is my big idea? In 2009 I put together a small paper and submitted it to the White House as a savings idea when they solicited ideas from government employees. My little idea might have helped then and still might help. In the beginning it would have saved over $75 million dollars, now I don't know what it might realize but I'm putting it back out there again here for reference.

Eagle and the Owl.

Happy Valentine’s Day, Chinese New Year and Homecoming!

If you haven’t found a fitting gift for your sweetheart it’s probably not too late. I’m one of the lucky ones, not only do I get adequate spam from various vendors of appropriately themed tchotchkes I also am well organized and forward oriented in my use of something called a calendar. I highly recommend them; they’ve been in use in one design or another for some time and can be used to ensure you don’t miss any upcoming or recurring events.  My lovely editor helped me plan our mutual gifting, our shared favorite a night away from the chaos of the rug rats who will observe the holiday with grandma. There will be the expected surprise of course, but she generously sets the bar low making it easy for me.

Speaking of calendars and recurring events though – things that happen again and again like revolutions, there is way too much angry, paranoid, socially withdrawn talk out there about revolutions again. I don’t want to revisit the Stop It post, so I won’t. The recent open justice ‘revelations’ about the torture program carried out by the CIA is nothing new. The DOJ memo discussing and endorsing the legal killing of citizens (including minors) with remote control robots and without due process is nothing new either. I would encourage those who are in opposition to these abusive policies carried out in their names to use the processes we have to oppose them, reverse them and restore some semblance of sanity and accountability. But in the spirit of the holiday let’s not take any hostages okay?

As a nation we collectively watched as one little boy with some social developmental difficulties was taken hostage, after his unarmed citizen defender was gunned down by some very angry old fellow and held for a week in a bunker. Did you know the gunman and hostage taker was a veteran? You probably couldn’t escape that “fact”.

No word on the military status of the bus driver, the hero in this episode.

Nor has the DoD officially verified that this kidnapper fellow was a veteran or that he served honorably.  It’s alleged he was a Vietnam era vet and thus possibly a draftee from another era, another time – hardly representative of all veterans.  Since his service some 40 year ago he has become a wholly different person. His life since Nam has since shaped and altered him over time far more than his service might reasonably be blamed for.

This kidnapper’s service had nothing to do with his killing of the bus driver, or his decision to be a violent sociopath – we have many of those in the civilian populace to which he belonged to until being killed by our government. Rumor has it his neighbors knew this man was dangerous but no one reached out to him – why? Are we not our brother’s keeper in the age of ever expanding friend networks across the World Wide Web? Do we embrace only those at a safe distance and ignore our neighbors as a matter of course?  

I for one am tired of hearing servicemen and women smeared as damaged or incapable, less equal and dangerous because of PTSD which does not make one violent. We don’t look at victims of other trauma that can cause PTSD (rape for instance) and marginalize them as ticking time bombs of violence waiting to go off. Why not? Because it’s not right, it’s quite stupid. Somehow the media and pop culture has decided they get a pass on civility and are allowed to smear veterans and military service writ large. The former Navy sniper killed this past week by a fellow veteran wasn’t just murdered in cold blood in a horrible tragedy; he was killed by a veteran with PTSD (whom he was trying to help). We might never know the details, and perhaps that’s for the best but nor should we be suggesting that PTSd is to blame.

First, it’s not a disorder, post-traumatic stress is a normal reaction to trauma, its normal and we heal with time usually, though sometimes a little help is necessary. Symptoms vary widely but it’s hardly a disorder. Second, not every veteran has it, not everyone who has it is a veteran and PTS, while presenting different ways is not normally violent. I do make the mistake of blaming my dad’s violent tendencies on PTS in TO&S but that isn’t fair – I too guilty of the conditioning by the media anxious to avoid attributing it to a character flaw in his own nature but it wasn’t the PTS that mad my dad prone to violent outbursts.  

It’s Valentine’s Day, enjoy and celebrate the spirit of romantic and filial love. Say hello to a neighbor even if he may not be the friendliest chap, maybe he or she is just lonely or enduring a loss. Perhaps it’s seasonal affected disorder. Stop being angry at the government for making our veteran’s ticking time bombs or shredding the constitution or what have you – take a deep breath, smell the roses and eat a chocolate truffle with a loved one, a neighbor, your cat – a picture of an old friend and be happy for a moment. No one you can think of? Go hug a veteran coming home off a plane. Lots of them come home to empty apartments or in the case of sailors an empty pier. Bring one flowers; guys like flowers too.

This would be an appropriate occasion to write a letter to your wife, girlfriend or even your mom.  And if for some reason you are unable to be excited and happy for the holiday, say you’re not catholic or don’t believe in saints or hallmark holidays guess what? Chinese new year’s is just around the corner (Feb 10^th) and I promised a post about it but I’ll be neck deep in adventure this weekend (of the romantic kind) and so a brief update of the prior new year’s post next week will have to suffice. Mom, Sis, if you’re reading this I love you both. My lovely editor gets her sentiments in analog format. Wolf, Alvie, Josh and Nick (both of you) I love you guys too - better brothers couldn't be wished for or coceived in the wildest work of fiction - I'm forever proud to have been in your company.

Good luck out there folks, keep your head on a swivel and remember when gifting – there is an art to understatement don’t get crazy!

No One Asked, 2012 In Review with Bonus Wife Haiku!

It’s time for the obligatory year in review. But I don’t really want to do a trite retrospective on the past year, I would prefer to use the Chinese New Year to mark that occasion and we’ll do a full review then, watch for it in February. If I had to do a review of 2012 now, what would I start with?

First, for all you cowboys fans, let me talk you back from the edge, Romo will be your quarterback for at least another year, you’ve got nothing to worry about – no playoffs in 2013 either, you should be more or less used to it by now.

And speaking of cliffs, falling and failing, government continues to show us why, even in its best form it is only a necessary evil (thank you Thomas Paine) and this government is far from anything you might describe as “best”. Besides accelerating profligate spending mortgaging our future (death note – how did that catch on?) they’ve signed legislation to permit detaining of US citizens without due process in the 2012 NDAA, we've killed US citizens including minors, using robot drones without due process (in Yemen?), disclosed that the soul selling torture program didn’t yield useful intelligence and just extended warrantless wiretapping for another five years, all on the heels of some state police trooper giving 3 citizens a completely unnecessary (punitive) cavity search on a busy roadside.

Terrorism is down, school shootings and murders of children in areas with strict gun controls are up. It’s important to note that though there were seven theatres close to the batman shooter in Colorado, the one he chose was the only one that boasted it was a “gun free” (i.e. defenseless victim) zone. The shooter was smart enough to choose a smaller theatre, further away from his house where he knew there was virtually no chance he would face returning fire.

Yet government still seeks to disarm more of us. Intolerable.

I might own a firearm, I might not. I certainly have in the past. I’ve even sold some of my old guns. If the government wants mine anytime soon...

Though I work for the government, I am by no means its representative or under any obligation to waive my rights as a citizen. Excepting that I cannot run for partisan public office under the “Hatch Act”. No big deal, my life hardly centers on government. If it did I would have had a terrible year indeed!

Fortunately, I’m a Redskins fan. And I’ve been waiting more than ten years to be able to say “fortunately” and “Redskins” in the same sentence. So that’s a great thing, though not the greatest. Some folks are on the radio talking about how this win last night by the Skins over the Boys (28-18) is the happiest day of their lives others are comparing their joy with that of the birth of their children. Quite insane, amusing but also worrisome for the priorities American’s might have now. I could see a fan choosing to go to a game while his wife languishes in labor alone to deliver their first child.

Two parent families are an increasingly rarity these days, and while I suspect some would chose to go to the game, many won’t have to choose or even be aware that their ‘baby-mommas” will deliver until they get a text message from a relative or an invite to Maury.

I am thankful that I didn’t have to choose between the birth and football; all of my kids were born in the off season or early in the season, and none on a Sunday. The final member of the brood, readers know, arrived in April during the lockout negotiations. The completion of my family, now only missing a large dog is one of the greatest developments of 2012.

The only event that rivals the arrival of KB is something that I hope will continue into 2013 and beyond. My lovely editor continues to defy time and space – sorry Einstein. And I don’t pay her enough to invest in miraculous and expensive beauty treatments but she is getting prettier and younger even as I crumble having lost some ½ and inch in height this year. I’m not worried; she was out of my league to begin with, now she’s a trophy wife. I am awed by how she has managed to do it. I suspect it’s something in the ice cream or cookies, maybe the clean country air? I have no idea…something in the water out here in Gettysburg perhaps?

Speaking of my lovely editor, here is her New Year’s Eve Haiku – please to enjoy:

Another year gone

Time to face new adventures

Glad it’s with you, kiss

2012 was so busy for me; I hardly had a chance to blink. I blinked, had a kid, blinked wife got prettier, blinked a couple more times and curiously I shrank. I blinked again and government was misbehaving and the Redskins went from 3-6 to #4 seed in the playoffs as division champs. My warranty on my car expired as I’ve surpassed 36k miles (last week). I didn’t learn a new language, pick up another hobby, make much in the way of new friends, find a new job or finish my novel. I did manage to finish school and my first book; I got a twitter account (blech), opened this joint, I more than doubled charitable contributions (legit charities IRS) and added a new dimension to my career even as I closed the book on the military aspect, retiring from the Navy though the legal battle there over my status will go on into 2013.

2012 was a wonderful year for me and my family. We can look back on a year of getting more comfortable in our newly adopted hometown, in our new home and with our new neighbors. Certainly we are looking forward to next year, I plan to begin martial arts and music instruction for my kids this year though some might say I’m behind the 8ball on the music, timing is about right for kung-fu.

2013 might be crazy folks, be careful out there. The government is hell bent for leather to do who knows what or why (or shut itself down), al-qaeda is still out there, mentally ill shut-ins and angry adolescents have easier access to weapons than you do, including futuristic remote-controlled flying robots with guns (go to you tube search quadrotor and professional Russian) and folks with misguided priorities are shamelessly abandoning their families to see a kids game played by millionaires in bright costumes. Who knows what might happen?!? Keep your head on a swivel, and keep your powder dry, good luck!