Author’s Note: During my one week sabbatical I received messages that were caring,inquisitve and derisive. All were greatly appreciated. I am glad someone noticed.

Ah, the sounds of spring and another political campaign. I have decided to take Ted’s Head up to 30,000 feet. I live at Mile High but the airwaves are too crowded and the air a bit fetid in an intellectual way. I need to step back.

If you care to, join me. I need you to take off  your cloak of red or blue. We are going to look at our world in a rather dispassionate way. Kind of like a business problem and not a crusade. You see, on my week off I have been thinking about polarization and its implications.

Forget about which side you are on, realize that whoever gets elected there will 50% of the voting populace that didn’t like him. That’s a whole lot of millions who want to skewer the victor. Now if that just went away with time, all would be well. In reality as soon as the votes are in we spend the next two to four years using every machination we know to make sure he or she fails. Fun in chess but we are talking about our country.

How did this all come to be? Well it starts with the concept that if I am right, you are wrong. Fair enough. Like a good type A country we have amped this up to I am now good and you are evil. That is heavy duty.There is no in between. No compromise available. You are a jerk and even worse, your line of thinking will bring down the Republic as we know it. Now it is getting ugly.

We are talking about raw emotion. Cue in love and hate. Love gives you a warm and flighty feeling in your heart. It’s great. It is spring. The sky is blue and you have a strange but comfortable feeling in your soul. Things bounce off your back. Man this feels good.

Hate is something else. It is a visceral and raw feeling in your gut. Your temperature rises at the thought or sight. You are physically repulsed. The rage is building. You seek out kindred spirits to vent your wrath. Aha, let’s watch or listen to the talking heads of your particular persuasion and just grovel in the inflammatory. I don’t want it subtle. Let’s just bring those bastards down. This is not good.

Our particular two party system leaves no wiggle room. Overseas there are coalition governments. No one has a clear majority. They have got to work together. I am not advocating overthrow but we really have to figure out a different way to make this work. It is actually quite amazing to me that the pols think the hopes and dreams of 300 million plus people can be capsulated in two party platforms. I don’t think so.

I am an independent and if pushed I would call myself a moderate although I feel more comfortable with pragmatist. A local conservative talk show host who feels intellectually superior to most of  the world announced that the word moderate is not to be considered in the political lexicon. I rest my case.

So now we are looking down at this quandary from a distance. We have got severe but not insurmountable problems. They are right out there. We see them. Why don’t they? We get it. They have let their emotions and petty strivings for personal gain blind them. Is it me or do they really look foolish?

Our problems are social and economic. Unfortunately we have to address the material first. We have got a business to run. We have to make tough and sometimes surgical choices. Fourth quarter earnings suck. Production is down big time. But guidance is looking better. With some prudent thinking and a sense of cooperation we can get this thing going again. We need concessions from both labor and management. We have to think long term and not worry about the current share price.

Hmmm. this might not be easy. There is mistrust on the board. We have political creatures making economic decisions. Forget about reality. Let’s just look good. Play to the base. We really might want to replace the whole lot of them.

Once again it comes down to hate and love. The hate seems so deep rooted. As pure adrenalin it is much easier to maintain. It is so much easier to do than saying I might be willing to listen or God forbid not be 100%, AAA, right. Give in? Are you nuts? That would be Unamerican. Unfortunately that might be the case today.

We are landing now. Our destination is everyday. We can be refreshed and enlightened by the respite or we can get back to the samo samo. Somehow “I hate you” might feel better in the short run but it is really not a long term solution. Believe me I am one of the best at vitriol. But I have to change. You are all very smart people. Have I missed something?

As always

Ted The Great.

Factoids:

131 million people voted in the last election. That’s 63.6% of eligible voters. In theory 66 million of 330 million people elected the president.

If you were president of the company, would you present a budget  while hemorrhaging cash that didn’t mention entitlements? If you were the board would every one of you publicly refuse in any which way to raise taxes even with 1$ of taxes for every $10 of spending cuts.

Congress has an approval rating of under 10% but sitting members get returned every two years 98% of the time.

There are 20,500 nuclear warheads in the world. We own 8500 of  them.

Two more kids died in Ohio today. Please don’t tell me hate is not a crime.

We went to the symphony Friday night with some dear friends. The hall is mostly circular. We sat in the dress circle which put us at eye level with the orchestra about thirty feet away. A great spot to not only listen to the music but a wonderful vantage point to watch them in action.

As the maestro gave the downbeat you could see all the violin, cello and bass bows work in perfect synchronicity. The horns were raised and provided right punctuation  for the piece. I love trombones and French horns the best. Brassy but a little more subtle than the brash trumpets. Like me. Ha!   Fill in with percussion, oboes, flutes and a harp and there you had it. A well meshed group providing a single sound. Very cool.

It had been a crazy week. I found myself deep in thought trying to figure out this world of ours and making some sense of my own. Don’t get me wrong. I love it. But it was just great to sit there and listen to warmth on a winter’s night. It was great to hear community.

On Sunday we went to mass in new parish we have joined. This place is special in all aspects. You go to church not because you have to but you want to. The place is packed for all different times and they just added another mass on Sunday evening. Quite an accomplishment in this day and age.

It could be the music. There is a choir of at least fifteen and sometimes thirty at all masses. The female director has a fantastic voice and accompanies with a violin that has an Irish lilt to it. The great part is that the solos aren’t always by the all stars. Some of the lesser divas stand up and belt out this or that with something less than perfect pitch. Doesn’t matter. And the shock of all things is that everyone in church sings. For you non Catholics that is not our forte.

Maybe it is the priest. A really great guy named Pr. Pat. He connects with people like the best of them. He writes a lot of the music for mass. He has a strong voice both musically as well as verbally. The church is in the round.  He is dramatic as he circles the altar with ease during his homily, making sure to have eye contact with all. He is down to earth and yet learned. It is a sight to behold.

We had a baptism yesterday. Not just a splash of water but a full scale dunking. The kids of all families in church gathered around. Pat makes it a celebration not just a rite. At the end he packs the infant under his arm and walks around the church introducing him to the parishioners as they touch and clap for him. This is good stuff.

The people are engaged. They smile, sing and pray together. This is not Rome’s church. It is theirs. It’s not so much a revival meeting as it is a group of people who feel pretty good about their God and their religion. Nice to see.

As I am sitting back and relishing these events you can’t but help to drift towards what is going on today. Take your town, state, country or world and look at it as an orchestra or a parish. If for one moment we didn’t worry about who was trying to screw us and instead saying what can I do for you, where could we be?

It’s Monday as I write and the usual diatribes are coming across in the emails. Imagine if all those clever individuals put some time in on solving problems instead of calling people out, where we could be? We had great employment numbers. The candidates and Rush spent all weekend explaining why they were bad. Obama has the GOP candidates killing one another and he decides it is smart to take on religious freedom. None of these guys will be invited into Mensa just yet.

I saw some kids competing on a science contest for eighth graders. There were great devices and theories. A lot smarter than me. I thought of Solyndra. Imagine if we spent that $500 million on 5,000 $100,000 prizes to kids for worthwhile inventions. Or better yet 500 $1million prizes to industry. I like that way better.

Imagine if we were all like an orchestra. Sure we would have a solo here and there but we would come back to the same melody. We would pick up some one who was faltering and help them along instead of putting them down. Sure there is a conductor but he is there to guide and not dictate. We would all be in there together. There would be a long standing ovation. What sweet music we could make.

As always.

Ted The Great

Factoids

Wonders of the World,

The Great Pyramid, Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Temple of Artemis, Statue of Zeus at Mt Olympus, Colossus of Rome, Lighthouse of Alexandria, Mausoleum of Halicamassus

15 million people in the US live alone. The highest percentage in DC and New York. 50% of the households are one person.

1/3 of taxes in Greece are just not paid. This equals the deficit per annum.

There are 25 million more male children in China than there are female. Nice odds if you are on the right side.

There is only a three month supply of Methotrexate which is the optimum treatment for childhood leukemia. A bill aimed at resolving this shortage is sitting in limbo in Congress. No action being taken because the Dems want to give the FDA more power to correct the problem and the GOP doesn’t want to give them any more power. Ergo stalemate and kids could die.

Since the last time we chatted I have been wondering about so many things. We seem to have survived some catastrophes while mixing the witch’s brew for some others. I just can’t let things go. It seems they become all the more urgent as our instantaneous worlds keeps twittering me.

I wonder how this whole political thing has come down to good versus evil? I am totally, 100%, A number one right. No if ands or buts. Ergo you are wrong. Not one thing in your thesis holds water. Yes, you my friend are the devil incarnate and it is up to me to put you out of your misery or move you to a new part of the world. By my calculation that is hell and you belong there. I wonder why I was so lucky to be imbued with this gift?

I wonder why the Army prevented the head of all chaplains from disseminating a letter to the Catholic troops regarding payment for contraceptives? Isn’t that freedom that they are fighting for in hell holes like Iraq and Afghanistan? To further the perplexing nature, the hue and cry from the “faithful” was from Catholics of whom 60% said they have used contraceptives during their adult lives. Beats me.

I can’t help but wonder at Susan G Komen. I am not sure what breast cancer has to do with Planned Parenthood?  I understand a woman’s right to choose. I  just don’t agree with abortion. But the two don’t seem to match up. Talk about a firestorm. But then 68% of Americans think abortion is wrong. Didn’t sound that way. On this point there were 350,000 abortions last year provided through PP. There were 850 adoptions. Do you think there is as much joy in the organization when a girl decides to keep her baby? I wonder?

I was wondering the other day. I hopped in the car and drove south to a little town by the name of Salida. I drove through the high plateau that goes down the spinal cord of our state. I estimated you could see over 50 miles on a magnificent Colorado Blue Sky Day. I talked with simple folk in gas stations, motels and a simple ski area called Monarch. I really wondered if their day’s tone was set by Greece, Syria, the Fed and  stock price of Apple?

Speaking of Apple, the deceased Steve Jobs had told the President a while back that there was no way his products could or would be built in the U.S. You see there is this little wonderland called Foxconn. It consists of 300,000 employees who work 12 hour shifts 6 days a week. They live in dorms and are susceptible to suicidal thoughts. Go figure. They make Ipads, Kindles, WII’s and X boxes. Yet we buy millions and millions of these things without outcry. Steve and his partner started in a garage. No wonder.

I love Boston. It is where I met my wife. I will admit that I was not rooting for the Pats. Bill’s hoodie and constant look of pain just don’t jive with my schtick. But after reading reports of the post game I wonder if the boys from Southy, Dorchester and Revere are inviting Gisele Bundchen and Tom over for drinks and dinner next weekend? Actually I wonder if she has a brain in her pretty little head? And you think guys are stupid?

Newt constantly refers to Barak and Saul Alinsky as being blood brothers. I decided to tickle the keyboard and find out who this dude was. Actually quite interesting in an intellectual way. He was a community organizer but I don’t think communism was part of his lexicon. He said that there were two sources of power: money and people. He didn’t have money. After the defeat in Florida, Newt said Romney had the power of money. He had the power of the people. Makes you wonder how far apart they are?

I wonder a lot. Life is full of extraordinary mysteries and enigmas that at the same time seem so obvious after a little thought. I question. I am not so much a non believer as I am just not satisfied with a quick hit explanation. I hope it makes you question. I wonder if you do?

As always

Ted The Great

Factoids:

There are 77 million Catholics in the U.S. 22% go to church on a regular basis. Catholic Charities is the largest private charitable organization in the U.S. with 160 separate agencies

After the dustup Planned Parenthood got $1 million in new donations. $250,000 from Mayor Bloomberg. Susan G Komen said donations were up 100%. I am going to create a controversy for the TTG Foundation.

Can you name the Seven Wonders of The World ? ..Answer next week

Do you ever wonder why:

They sterilize needles for lethal injections?

If con is the opposite of pro then is Congress the opposite of progress?

Why the guy who invests all your money is called a broker?

(All plagiarized..I am not that smart)