Just when I think it can’t get any whackier, it does. I took note of two people this week. Musk and Zuckerberg. Both are absurdly wealthy and both are indicative of how substantive their effects on our lives are.

Good old Elon decided this week to turn off the Starlink program that enables Ukraine to survive. Was it a tantrum or perhaps a change of philosophy in his so called superior brain that led him to do so?  Was it Putin, Trump? Who knows but with a sweep of his imperial wand he brought about the deaths of both the military and civilian personnel alike.

Think about that. An unelected  civilian with so much of a hold on our reality of life that he can just decide to change the path of wars and the countries that fight them. Did anyone take note of just how dangerous that type of power is? He also launches rockets into space once or twice a week and is now the sole provider for NASA to go to the Space Station. Self driving cars finish off the cake de jour. Next up is your phone system.

Mark Zuckerberg is the head of Meta. They just paid a group of states  $25 billion because of some sort of info leak of their customers. They are also in the middle of a settlement for $20 billion because they targeted young kids. All without admitting any wrong doing.

It seems there is the threat of a billionaire tax in California. Ergo, the boss was giving careful consideration to moving out of the Golden State. Oh no, Mark we can’t let that happen. So they voted to issue $35 billion of non voting Meta stock to cover his potential bill. You can’t make this stuff up.

Now both of them are free to do as they see fit. However, what does their actions mean to the residents of Ukraine or the stockholders of Meta. My point is how much of everyday lives are affected by the very few.

Putin decided to invade Ukraine. Not a big deal if you discount the 500,000 Russian troops that have been killed. One man made that decision. Trump invaded Iran on a hunch. 6 months later there is chaos in the Strait as well as world economies. We now have three carrier groups in one spot. Xi is betting the ranch on a gigantic military force. Too bad there won’t be enough young men to man the battle stations.

That trio of egomaniacs have decided the only way to shape things up is to get together Yalta style and divvy the world between them . You students of the old world order are stupid. The boys know what they are doing. They have fired everyone around them that shows any sign of independent thinking. As a matter of fact, thought is forbidden. Only idiots and sycophants need apply.

I could go on and on  in corporate America with the likes of Oracle’s Ellison. Netflix’ vaunted birds eye seat has been knocked askew. IBM and Intel continue to retool. The CAPEX of AI is beyond astronomical. If it works a lot  of people will be out of jobs. Our whole manner of dealing with one another will turned upside down. If it doesn’t, a lot of people are going to be out a ton of money.

Tsk,tsk Teddy. You are getting your knickers in a knot over nothing. The world has evolved over time through the leadership of comparatively few individuals. The best and brightest will lead us and we should all fall into place and be grateful. Shut up and clip your coupons, amass the wealth of your portfolios and play some golf. Yikes! Is it just me?

I once had little tete a tete with the Archbishop of Denver. We exchanged emails which got a little testy at times. Finally I said, why don’t we get together? We had coffee and he commented that I seemed to have a problem with authority. I expressed my credo that no one is better or worse than me. You can be smart in certain areas and really stupid in others. I am not sure he got it.

In my last blog I mentioned how well Switzerland works as a people and a country. The have a group of seven ministers who take care of the governance. They rotate the presidency among the septet to make sure no one has too much power. I think that smells of collaboration and even dare I say, a touch of humility.

Pardon my blathering. We have accomplished some wonderful things in my lifetime. Life has been good to me. But there have been some colossal screwups by people who are supposed to be really smart. Is that human nature or hubris? Are we all supposed to accept it or can we question it?

We have some amazing opportunities in front of us. We also have some sink holes that could swallow us alive. I am hard pressed to see any of the top nation states who have their act together. The whole AI thing is daunting by its application but also by its ability to destroy our way of life. Rich and poor are so far apart that revolt  or rebellion could be just around the corner.

Too much? There is too much concentration of power in the too few. The cognoscenti are preening their feathers and strutting their stuff. They are becoming richer and richer. I just don’t feel that can be a good thing in any way. I was called a socialist by one of my readers. Maybe, but I don’t think so.

Too little? Humility, collaboration, decency and we can throw in a touch of spirituality. We don’t admit our mistakes but blame others. We think there is no one else out there even half as smart. I am right, You are wrong. It is as simple as that.

As always

Ted The Great

Factoids;

People ask me why would anyone want to read a book about hospice? Good question.

Are you over the age of 70?

Do you have parents or loved ones over the age of 70?

Are you so healthy you have no fears of a life ending illness?

I am not trying to sell books. I am trying to educate people and take some of the fear away from a thing called death. Maybe like my blog I am chasing moonbeams. I am an optimistic pragmatist. Tragic flaw.

TTG

Available on Amazon or Ingram as an Ebook or Paperback

All proceeds are donated to hospice.

Kathy and I have been traveling…again. This time to Switzerland. We are at the end of our journey and it has been wonderful in so many different ways. 

This place is neutral but not when it comes to ingenuity and love of life. It is sane, peaceful, active and historical all rolled into one. The people exude pride in their homeland. Everywhere is clean as a whistle. You ask the question, do they have a lot of cleanup crews or do people take care of the place? What do you think ?

The water is crystal clear everywhere. You can fill up your flask from fountains in city squares or from the sink in the loo. Equal opportunity. Walk out on the dock and you can see clear to the bottom.

It is a representative government in its truest form. There are seven prime ministers and they rotate as president. All have equal power. They are elected every four years. The people vote four times a year and 90% do it by mail. They have a say in major issues from immigration to taxes. Simple vote up or down. 

There are contrasts galore, from the mountains to the cities and lakes.

Each have their unique personality with German,French and Italian areas. And yet it works. Our favorite was Lugano with a mixture of industry and laid back. Everywhere felt safe. 

Our tour group of 27 was an insight in its own right. There were couples and friends and a couple of ladies who had suffered losses. The community gathered around and looked out for them. Many of these had taken tours with this provider all over the world. One couple had gone on 32 of them. I couldn’t think up that many places on our bucket list. 

The mountains from the Matterhorn to Jungfrau were massive and both forbidding and beckoning. Cog railways carved through mountains for several miles only to pop up on top of the world. We actually went deep inside a glacier underground. 20 degrees Fahrenheit for these two from Flalaland.  We were served quiche and Mimosas. Why not? 

There is a feeling of awe and humility. Far from Iran and AI there is tranquility. The vast reaches of rock and ice soar into the sky and all of a sudden you are right in the middle of it. The silence was deafening until you heard the cacophony of certain  tour groups.   They took pictures from every angle and posed with selfie sticks, with nary a slice of concern for their fellow travelers. The reality of touring. 

Ski lifts could take you even further. I could only imagine the abject terror of jumping off and having your skis hit full bore down a sheer face. And yet in the summer season it was the stairway to heaven for paraglider and hikers. 

Below were farm pastures and villages with fields that look like golf fairways thanks to the bovine lawn mowers. In the winter the farmers lower their fences and cut off the electric to provide ad lib runs for the skiers from everywhere. It all ends up at the bottom for your next ride up on a lift or gondola. 

They celebrate the seasons and the harvest with century old traditions. Villages no more than a half mile from one another denote their individuality and yet their sense of family. There are no walls. They give thanks for what they have, not yearning for the next fad. We had a guide who left the valley to roam the world. She said nothing could replicate the beauty and serenity of her home. She returned to appreciate that view even more. Nice thought. 

We visited a cheese factory to see it happen. Our guide was a former ad exec in Zurich. This worked better. The cool part was it was a joint venture with the artisans and the farmers sharing equally. Everyone owned stock in the company. Private equity? Keep Out !

Cities for the most part are built around lakes from Como to Lugano to Geneva. Tree lined esplanades  with the backdrop of gigantic mountains. Not a bad way to fly. Outdoor cafes line the streets in summer with the ever present church or museum for this or that. The history of Berne or Luzerne goes back hundreds if not thousands of years. Yet the country is renowned for its banking and pharmaceutical and delicate machinery prowess.  Insurance? Watches? They have got you covered. 

Is it perfect beneath the covers? Probablynot. There are flaws everywhere. But you get the impression when one is found they try to correct rather than put off the inevitable. Maybe that is why they seem so relaxed and loving of their surroundings. They revel in nature and the seasons rather than trying to figure out a way around them. Hmmm. That sounds like common sense to me.

Some will shrug their shoulders and say it is a country of 9 million people, twice the size of New Jersey. I would like to think about it as a microcosm of what could be. Not trying to screw each other out of this or that but figuring out a way we can all pull on the same oar. Really understanding our surroundings and our place in it. A humility to say there might be a higher power or reasoning that is a balance and let’s not try to conquer it. 

For me this was a visit to the top of the world. I will try to remember what I have learned and what I have heard.Good stuff and bad stuff alike. We have all the makings around each one of us. Find your top of the world and enjoy the view.

As always

Ted The Great

Factoid:

In Switzerland you have to have health insurance. Not government but private. They will help you pay for it but that’s it. No questions. 

There is poverty if you can call it that. Because their standard of living is so high the lower echelon is really quite high. The unemployment rate  is 2.2%. They have an estimated 2200 homeless people. 

Their taxes are higher depending on your canton and municipality. The fed  tax is 11.5 %. You could pay up to 15-40% depending on where you live. Switzerland has a robust social security system known for its “three-pillar” structure that covers retirement, disability, survivors’ benefits, healthcare, and unemployment.

Their infrastructure from roads to trains and tunnels is in very good shape. Maintained properly. There are unions but they rarely have strikes. They figure it out beforehand. 

Unlike systems funded entirely by general taxation, the Swiss system relies heavily on mandatory contributions from employees, employers, and individuals. Every male has to put in 2 years of public service in the military. 

Writer’s note: I have invited many of you to Ted’s head for the first time. I try to just give an everyman’s view of the world in an apolitical fashion. You don’t have to agree with me. I would just like you to think. I have been doing this for 15 years.

Revenge Ain’t Sweet …..

9/11 occurred 25 years ago. I can’t do justice to the trauma and heartache it created. I knew 20 people who went down including my cousin’s son who was at his second day of work for Cantor and Fitzgerald. We all have our own thoughts and contemplations about that horrible day that obliterated a clear blue sky. Not only for New York City but for all of us as a nation.

We will never forget. A visit to the  9/11 Memorial is at the same time beautiful and shattering of the senses. We will each do our own mourning. Our first and very plausible reaction was to seek revenge. “Let’s get them bastards.” All good and noble. But I do have to ask where has it gotten us? 

Our emotional demonstration of flags on every corner has waned. It’s rare to see Old Glory anywhere these days except for an occasional unfurling on Memorial or Veterans Day. Will the Stars and Stripes burn bright on Friday? I hope so. 

Revenge is plain and simple an emotional reaction. Eye for an eye. Yet decisions made in a moment of rage are rarely ones.  It feels good but empty. Then of course there is retaliation to the retaliation. It goes on and on. 

We went into Afghanistan to root out the terrorists and did a pretty good job. Then as often happens it became a springboard for other unfinished business. Mission Accomplished becomes ongoing. We blow the crap out of countries but we never thought what to do after that. 

Incredibly the first thing Paul Bremer did after we vanquished the Iraqi army and overran the capital, was fire to all of them including the police.  They made a  hundred bucks a month. They still had guns. There were no WMDs. Yikes! 

This is not Monday morning quarterbacking but questioning if anybody really had their shit together or were we doing things on the fly? It cost us anywhere from $6-8 trillion to get revenge. 

Putin has felt screwed by the fall of the USSR. Never should have happened. He wants revenge so he invades Ukraine. How is that working? China wants to take over Taiwan. This will make up for their “lost century” where nobody respected them. The Israelis have leveled Gaza and doing their best to inhale the West Bank. Of course we want to blow Iran to smithereens. Does anyone see a trend here? Have we really settled things?

This is not to heap scorn but really ask if governments everywhere have done a good job since 9/11. We have had a financial crisis, COVID and now a pretty pervasive debt problem. In many countries, 50%  of the populace hate one another.Rather than cooperation we want to build walls. Every man or woman for themselves. Has hate and revenge abated or just gotten worse?

In WW II we had a very recognizable enemy in the Axis Powers. We had a surrender that was signed and sealed. We rebuilt and thrived. Now we have terror cells and rogue nation in all parts of the world. Warlords and authoritarians have signed all sorts of agreements that they don’t have to live up to. Threats are becoming more and more regular and the fear of big countries is abating. 

When 9/11 happened most of the world was behind us. We were welcomed in foreign countries. We had a common goal across the globe to get back to some sort of normal. The only problem was “normal” wasn’t well defined and elusive. We as a world became petty. Diplomatic snubs and insults showed there was a lot of infighting among the natives. 

Now nationalism is the new vogue. Ironically this will only lead to more revenge. You tariff me, I am going to tariff you. You keep your poor and hungry out of my yard. We don’t want them. The “we” is becoming larger and larger, from the US,Europe and Africa. Kids, I really don’t see how this will lead to a better world for any of us. 

Why should we care? 9/11 brought about a lot of crazy things. The world banking system had to cooperate to keep out terror money. We all exchange intelligence. Unfortunately Russia exchanges with Iran and China but let’s look on the bright side. At least we can monitor and try to control things. But are we facing a common enemy or are we becoming enemies to each other? Is everyone trying to get even in one way or another? 

Okay, where am I going with this mess? For a start we have to be creative in so many aspects from geopolitics to warfare to everyday life. We have shunned former allies to our own detriment. We all have to have some friends. No man is an island. 

We are trying to arm a world with carriers and battleships while they can be taken out by both aerial and sea going drones. We need to  blow up or at least adjust old notions to meet the present. We have declining populations in most modern countries. Who is going to fill the jobs and pay taxes? Let’s be honest. Good luck!

Have we learned anything since 9/11? Probably a little here and a little there. But like everything else, memories are short. New ideas get quelled by the old guard and we look to the past while we are living in a very dynamic present and future. 

It is going to become more and more of a balancing act. Brute force has been shown to have limited results. The world needs states people and not politicians and tsars. Waiting until the next election or overthrow will not get us anywhere. We have got to get real. Or should we just stay in our little Fantasyland, we call whatever country we are living in. Live is good. Why worry?

As always 

Ted The Great 

Factoids:

The world has spent roughly $250 billion to $350 billion on dedicated airport and commercial aviation security over the past 25 years. Ironically we could probably save money with faster tomagraphic scans and identity checks but then again we might be invading privacy. 

3,000 wonderful people lost their lives at the World Trade Center, Pentagon and Shanksville. Approximately 15,000 have been disabled by the cumulative effects of exposure to toxic material. 10,000 of those have died. 

All of this upheaval was created by 19 terrorists. So much payback for so few.

The Islamic State IS has operations in 24 countries today. 20% of terrorist arrests are people under 18. The epicenter of terrorism has shifted from the Middle East to the Central Sahel in northern Africa. which now accounts for over half of all deaths from terrorism.

Both Russia and China have terrorist activity within their borders. 

Researchers  describe revenge as an adaptive mechanism that evolved to solve the problem of deterrence. By punishing those who harm us, even at personal cost, we create a reputation that discourages future aggression.

“Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.”  Anonymous

These days I am search of a rare object. Class! Being classy means acting with grace, respect, humility and self control. You are calm and discreet. Kindness and authenticity. Yikes! Know anyone? That’s a tough one. 

Class and elegance are closely related but class is a timeless dignity as to  how you act but elegance is a subtle sophistication in how you present yourself. You walk in the room like James Bond but you act like Mother Theresa. Try pulling that off. 

Narcissism seems to be a transmittable disease these days. Maybe RFK could come with a vaccine. Probably not, because he’d say the meds change one’s personality. Why would we ever want to do that?  

 But behind this mask of extreme confidence, they are not sure of their self-worth and are easily upset by the slightest criticism. People with narcissistic personality disorder may be generally unhappy and disappointed when they’re not given the special favors or admiration that they believe they deserve. They may find their relationships troubled and unfulfilling, and other people may not enjoy being around them. 

These last two paragraphs I plagiarized. I am not that smart. But they are worth thinking about. 

Have you ever seen somebody with money or power berate a waiter or someone behind a reception desk? Do you know who I am? No, and I really don’t give a crap. I will have your job! The classic is playing golf with a caddy. Crappy shot? Of course it was his fault not yours. He handed you the wrong club or read the putt wrong. That isn’t just being rude. It is the height of insecurity. Making a lesser person feel even worse. Good for you.

They have an unreasonable sense of self importance and need constant admiration and fawning. They feel they deserve special treatment. They want the best of everything and constantly compare themselves to others. They become impatient with staff and lose it when someone criticizes them. 

Is it just me or is this becoming pervasive in so many walks of life. Government? You can be president, senator, rep or cabinet official. You are squired around and doted on. You are unapproachable unless it is on your terms. Wait! Who do they work for? 

Narcissistic personality disorder is a mental health condition in which people have an unreasonably high sense of their own importance. They need and seek too much attention and want people to admire them. People with this disorder may lack the ability to understand or care about the feelings of others.

CEOS and veeps in corporate suites. Just tell me the good stuff or you are fired. Sports people ? Celebrities? I want only green M and M’s in my dressing room. I will do interviews when I want. I want to be your idol but don’t dare invade my privacy. It is beyond interesting that we not only accept it but want that behavior as a consuming public. Probably would be a great study of human nature an failings. 

If you are classy you are kind, approachable and even humble. You have an authenticity that is palpable. Dolly Parton just died. Does she fit the bill? Never forgot where she came from. She knew who she was and was not afraid to show it. 

I hope I am not overplaying it when I say maybe that is what is missing today. We all have different points view. What if we really listened to people? Not just polite but really trying to understand. What if we were empathetic? I can’t experience your pain but
I can picture it. People really do have crappy lives and huge personal problems. Do you just blow them off? Sorry for your loss but I have things to do. Really interesting stuff. 

Is it silly to aspire to this high level? I hope not. I am one of the worst offenders but it doesn’t mean one settles into being a jerk forever. Work in progress and that is the point. We are all guilty in one manner or another. Maybe a lot of us have just given up? Sad.

Me? I am gong to try to be authentic.

I am going to try not to interrupt. Set my ham radio to receive and not just transmit. I have specific thoughts and beliefs but it does not mean I don’t have a lot to learn. Maybe I just say thank you for all the numbers things people do for me. Perhaps not God’s gift to the music world as the saying goes. Work in progress, right to the end.

As always 

Ted The Great  

Factoids:

Wealth breeds contempt. You think you got there by your brains and not luck. As you have more you want to amp it up. The higher and higher you go the more detached you become from the real world. From what really makes this world tick. 

Classy People

Mother Theresa..top of the list. 

Pope Leo…

Adam Scott and Justin Rose…pro golfers. 

George Herbert Walker and Barbara Bush

Tom Hanks

Jimmy and Rosanne Carter

Kate Middleton

Princess Di

Warren Buffett

MY MOM!

I am sure there are more but I really have to think. Decent, honest and humble probably were my favorite attributes. Interesting as I look online everyone was great because the were beautiful or well dressed. Hmmm.