Ridiculous To The Sublime. …

If you describe something as going from the sublime to the ridiculous, you mean that it involves a change from something very good or serious to something silly or unimportant. Kind of describes our world today. It is not new. Thomas Paine used it in the Age of Reason: “One step above sublime is the ridiculous.”

Another way to put it is sublime is a feeling of awe,euphoria, out of an out-of-this-world type of thing. You see an incredible sunset along the shore. You listen to music that just lights you up. You see a child or old man and you feel all sorts of emotion from joy to sorrow.

Ridiculous is more of a puzzlement, disbelief, absurdity that no matter how hard you try, you cannot make sense of. People say stupid things in the middle of a poignant moment. In the vernacular, it is more like WTF?

I read a column in the New York Times this AM. It had to do with the lack of desire for the milenials to have children. It could be money,one’s career, age but this seemed to gravitate towards their upbringing. Yikes!

It seems that all their anxiety, depression or crappy attitude towards life was a result of their potty training or the lack of attention from their parents. It could also be a mean sibling. I had an older brother whom I swore was one of the original Al-Qaeda cohorts from his brand of torture. Probably didn’t feel all that great, but is this a reason not to have children?

I quiz my kids as to whether we were too strict or harsh in grounding them or giving them curfews. They laugh and say they probably deserved it. Can you not look at your kids or grandkids and feel an immense pride in who they are and what they have accomplished? Could you in any way say you wish you had not brought them into the world?

Our world is bipolar. We constantly try to be perfect at this or that. There is always one more peak to climb. Part of this is a desire for achievement and recognition. Part of it is just sick. If you think you are the first to try to make sense out of your surroundings, think again. Plato, Socrates, Kant, and Camus have been down this road without much success. And yet we keep trying. 

The sublime to me is when I just kick back and look around me. This is not the disease of old age or too much time. It is just plain and simple reverie. Forget about how big your house is or how cool your car is. Look at a piece of furniture and figure out how many pieces there are and where they came from. How many different people from all over the globe had a part in making it? Sorry, the Donald is going to change all that last part. Absurd? Maybe. 

I do try to make sense of all this. I look for the common denominator. What is going to tie this all together? The fact of the matter is, this calliope plays a different kind of tune for all of us. You and I see different shades of green. Different colors of red. We all want to fit in and be part of something. We seek fame and fortune and compare ourselves to others. Yet the biggest part of belonging is that we are all incredibly different. 

I love reaching out to people. Some respond and some don’t. I like to recognize them. If I am in Publix, I look at their ID and call them by name. I like to hear about them. I am probably the anti-Christ of the Progressive insurance commercial, where the guy is trying to teach people not to be like their parents. My father taught me to say hello to everyone to make sure I never thought I was better than someone else. Ridiculous? I hope not.

The sublime is seeing someone smile back. I cringe every time His Hairness speaks. He is trashing some person, institution, or belief, whether it is a head of state or a member of the court. He likes to make fun of them. Put them on the defensive. Sure, his cost-cutting makes sense, but does his lying and ill will have to be accepted also? Maybe that is his sublime? Who knows?

People of all shapes and sizes are fraught with anxiety today. Believe me, if you really think about it, there are reasons aplenty. By the same token, there is so much good. Think of the world as a physical place. It really hasn’t changed for millennia. It is how we view it and react to it that shapes our psyches and way of life. It’s the old, half empty,half full deal but it really is true. There is so much out there 

I am not a psychologist by any stretch. I do try to find what works. I am at my best when I am myself, warts and all. Yes, I piss some people off. But I do cause some others to laugh or smile. Just like you, I am just another schmuck trying to make my way in the world. What a wonderful world that is. Just thinking about that is my sublime, no matter how ridiculous that may appear to you. 

As always,

Ted The Great

Factoids;

Ridiculous could be a form of alternate reality. 9/11 was a hoax. We did not land onthe moon. It was all done on a sound stage.  January 6 was just a bunch of unruly tourists. You really didn’t commit a crime so I am going to pardon you. Murder, theft, tax evasion are just figments of one’s imagination. Really?

.The sublime can be seen as a psychological state involving feelings of awe, wonder, and even a sense of one’s own insignificance in the face of something greater. 

Sublime can be experiencing a hurricane, a starry night, or a volcano. It provokes a feeling of awe. It could be just the waves crashing on shore or a sunrise. All very cool in their own right. 

The word “sublime” originates from the Latin word “sublīmis,” meaning “lofty,” “elevated,” or “raised up.”

The word “ridiculous” originates from the Latin word “ridiculus,” meaning “laughable” or “that which excites laughter”. 

Committed…..

I love it when a word like “committed” has a lot of meanings. Too many people after reading Ted’s Head, think that boy should be committed to an institution. Since we now have a new Pope, let’s see how  many sins have you committed lately or even today? For now, let’s go with “feeling dedication and loyalty to a cause, activity, or job,” as a defintion. It hits a lot of bases. 

Let’s say it is New Year’s. We all commit to do this or that. Lose weight. Be a better person. Stop complaining. Read more. The list goes on and on and even our thoughts of them are noteworthy. We might even make up a list and then file it neatly in some drawer or archive on one’s laptop. Aaah, I feel better already. 

Over our lives, we get much more long-term. Wife, family, job, region, country? Each requires a fair amount of planning, work, and dedication. You are saying, What do I want to spend time and effort accomplishing? Better yet, how far do you want to go to ensure success or fulfillment? 

This is not always easy in our rapid-fire world. Things change in an instant. The conservative or liberal of ten years ago looks nothing like that today. You move to an area and Bam, ten or twenty years later the demographics, politics and the personality of the place has flipped….and you are left wondering how you got here and even should you stay? 

Why commit to anything? I am just going to continue rolling along and meet life as it comes. The less I get involved, the better. Leave the headaches ot someone else.  At least for me, there is a thing called meaning. I think it would boil down to being a better me and maybe just making my part of the world a slightly better place. That is not to sound lofty, but I think we are all here for a purpose. Even better, we all have a penchant or talent for doing something. The trick is to find it. 

I guess if you are independently wealthy or vapid toward life you can sit on your butt or at best dabble. Whimsical towards life and even relationships. I think at times, retired people are this way. Hey, I have worked hard all my life, so now is the time to kick back. I am not being critical. As in all things, you can do whatever you want. Go for it. 

Yet even now,  I am sometimes obsessed with the future. Not mine, but my kids and grandkids. Probably, this sounds a little absurd. Let’s assume  TTG has 10-15 years to go. At least before I start drooling. Not maudlin but realistic. Global warming. Nuclear threats. Collapsing economies. Who cares? Does that mean I can’t be committed to anything except making sure my last check bounces? Good question.

If I am honest, before now, commitments, to some degree have been about keeping up with others, setting halfhearted resolutions or performance measures or maybe even chasing the latest trend?  That really doesn’t seem all that important anymore. I really don’t care if I am up to date. Social media can give me a gazillion ways to improve myself but will they make a difference?  I seriously doubt it. Yet I still have an itch I can’t quite scratch. Not ready to give up yet. 

But why? Even better,am I looking for new challenges or maybe I should clean up some stuff I have left undone? Uh Oh. Now this is getting heavy. Find new and different ways of improving hospice. Write that book I have been talking about forever. Figure out a better way to be a husband,father, grandfather and friend. So many possibilities. 

When I get wound up about something I am passionate. It gets into my being and that is really neat. But it can be extraordinarily frustrating or annoying when people don’t share my same enthusiasm. Yet it can also be rewarding. Someone smiles as they get it. Someone shakes your hand or gives you a hug. Somebody adds a thought that is really enlightening. And suddenly it makes that commitment valid. It says you are not alone. I think I answered my own question. For now, I am going to keep on truckin’. Need a ride?

As always 

Ted The Great

Factoids:

Commitment requires:

1. Honesty with yourself.

2. Accepting our strengths and our limitations. 

3. A willingness to change

4. Committed to a process, not an outcome

5. Focus 

Sounds simple, huh?

Seize The Narrative….

A narrative is simply an account of a series of events. To almost everything in life, there is a way of looking at an occurrence or occurrences and developing a feeling pro or con. You adopt the theorem or you fight it. There are a bunch of variables. 

If you look at your personal belief system over time, you have watched the movie or read the book many times over. These viewings could range from family to world affairs to morality or even something as simple as what floats your boat.  You come to a conclusion that is yours and yours alone.  

Religion or morality is a great example. You have somehow developed a theory that starts off with some sort of belief and it is related or taught to you by parents or some sort of organization. They are telling you a story that has been passed down to them over years and centuries. Depending on their gravitas and authenticity, you accept it as gospel(no play on words). 

Maybe somewhere down the line, someone else enters the picture with an alternate set of rules. It could be the same story but just told by a different author, looking at things through a different prism. Hmm… Now what do I do? You feel unease, because you are petrified of giving up on what you have known for all those years. Yet something deep down says they may be right. Aha. This is the critical moment. It is when you really start to think for yourself. 

To me, it is like a kid in a candy store. Dark allies and rabbit holes get me going, if nothing more than just feeling alive. It is probably because I have been out on a limb so many times that I am used to it. The counter to that is, I am so stupid that I don’t realize how perilous this is. Tragic flaw. 

If I am going to listen, I have to be wary of the author. Do they really know what they are talking about and are they being straight with me? Do they have their facts straight or are they playing fast and loose. Are they thoughtful and eloquent or are they bombastic with little regard for the truth? Do hyperbole and vagueness pervade their delivery or perhaps it is just an intended deceit? 

Sorry to be so unforgiving, but today’s discourse leaves me wanting. I have found myself casting a wary eye in all sorts of arenas. Google or Bing, deliver answers to my search. They are creating a narrative but sadly, it is skewed. Over numerous inquiries, they have figured me out.  That’s great because I haven’t figured me out. But I digress. I only hear one side, be it left or right. That is all I see. Are they telling me the truth? Sorta,maybe, kinda. But most of us will never know. 

I love to listen to pundits expound on this or that. I also like to listen to cold, hard facts and develop my own conclusions. Unfortunately, the lines have become blurred beyond distinction. People watch the news and will take it once again as gospel truth. It had to be right because I watched it on FOX, CNN or MSNBC. And they all play to their fan base and sing to the choir. 

So what, you say? Just ask Francis. The now-gone Pope was a treasure to some and a curse to others. During his papacy, the reformers were jubilant and the conservatives despondent. But he had the upper hand. Infalible or not, he was doing the driving for a billion plus Catholics. There were murmurs of discontent but for the most part, the faithful got behind him. 

Where am I going with all of this? Think about all the narratives of your own world. Who are you listening to? A variety of people or the same old hacks. Is their agenda in sync with yours or one you are not terribly comfortable with? Are you overcome with the blare or are you able to discern what you are comfortable with and able to defend?

Most of all is the sheer number of inputs to our psyche. Each one tells a story. Interestingly, the core elements of a narrative include: plot, characters, setting, theme, conflict, and point of view. They meld but each part is distinct and subject to scrutiny. How far we go is probably a combination of how important it is and how hard do we want to work? 

Right now, there is a section of our society that feels lost. They have no coherent story, and even worse, they have no lead singer. On the other side, there is one faction that is dominating the airwaves. I am not saying one is right or wrong, but I would like to hear an alternative thought process. I feel that when one or the other dominates, the message can be flawed. No discussion. No original thought. Boring to a degree and at the same time scary. What do you think? What’s your narrative?

As always 

Ted The Great 

Factoids:

A narrative starts with a fact. JFK was shot in Dallas on November 22,1963. You can only imagine the plot line or lines that ensue. People can twist and turn and play with facts. 

Controlling the narrative refers to what is being told, by whom, and what outlets one employs. Totalitarian governments don’t let anything get out without careful review and squash any contrary opinions. 

Spin doctors” refer to individuals, often public relations advisors or media consultants, who develop or manipulate messages to influence public opinion or portray a situation in a favorable light. Politics and corporate image creation are fertile fields that are there for the taking. 

Life can be broken down into several key narrative threads: the journey of self-discovery, relationships with others, and the pursuit of purpose and meaning. These narratives weave together to create a unique and evolving story for each individual…..This was from AI. Not bad

Lost In Space….

The latest says there might be life on another planet. Elon wants to go to Mars. He is also trying to get as many women pregnant as possible so he can further his super race. We have shitcanned most of our most valued friends in a search for equity in the marketplace. Threats have replaced gentle cajoling and diplomacy. Into this morass, I humbly try to figure out what is happening. 

I happened upon a comment on Facebook that mentioned Joe Biden. I was truly shocked by the number of comments as well as their vitriol. You don’t have to like the guy but Geez Louise doesn’t anyone get tired of piling on? Ditto the “Comments” section in articles in the WSJ and NYT. Does it just make you feel better?

As part of this, I have been researching conspiracy theories. Believers consider their fortune or ills to be part of some grand scheme. Someone is out to get them for better or worse. This actually is a result of trying to make sense of some cataclysmic event. It could be 9/11, Covid or maybe an election that didn’t go your way. 

In an article from Live Science there is stated: ”To achieve popularity and longevity, a conspiracy theory requires some unique ingredients coming together. The event or overarching issue needs to be significant, the conspirators need to be realistic (i.e., a tightly formed group), and the ground needs to be fertile.”

Planes flying into buildings are not normal. The fact that skyscrapers topple within a few hours is unfathomable. Throw in a little xenophobia about Middle Eastern people, and presto you have a conspiracy. The internet has become the equal opportunity employer for all whack jobs. America’s distaste for government and institutions is the final ingredient to bring things to a steady boil. 

We all have a little bit of paranoia built into us. The golf gods screwed me on that putt. I coulda been a contender if things had gone a little differently. The world is against me. I did not fail. It is the rest of you. But when does it go off the rails? When does it become a part of our psyche. We lack the ability to look ourselves in the eye and say this is BS. 

I try to look at things from several angles. The biggest problem I have today is defining what is real and what is not. FOX, CNN and MSNBC are not going to give you the full story, no matter how plausible they may seem. We all struggle to figure things out when things are amok. How far we go is another story. I am not saying this is easy or I am even successful in my wanderings. Many of you might think I am confusing. You are right, I am.  And that’s why there are no easy answers. 

This whole tariff thing is nuts to me in some ways but not others. We can’t just blanket the world. If you buy a diamond in the US from Botswana there is a large tariff. Why? Because we have a big trade deficit there. How the hell are Botswanians going to buy stuff produced in the US? They make a few bucks a day. TTG, you don’t understand, they have been ripping us off for decades. But wait,we don’t make diamonds here!

Ok, I am cherry picking and there are large discrepancies throughout the world economy. I understand completely balance of payments especially with China on just about everything and Europe on a lot of things. But can anyone give me a concise plan? Better yet can I have any faith in what they are doing? I am thoroughly confused. Where can I get a coherent story?

This is a not a total diatribe about the Trumpster and friends. We have halted illegal immigration for the most part. We have called attention to a bunch of festering boils that really need to be pricked. Who knew we were giving so much aid to universities, but do we cancel cancer research at Brigham Women’s because they are a part of Harvard? We have a highly efficient supply chain that operates between the US, Canada and Mexico. Let’s blow it up because of lumber and avocados. 

Go back to the elements of conspiracy. An issue,an organization and fertile ground. The issue is simple. The world has gotten a whole lot better for the few and for the lower rungs it is unbearable.

The middle is treading water. Food,housing and medicine are pricing out large numbers. Our perceived indifference to immigration grates on people. A lot of our fellow Amercians want to divorce from any responsibilty for the rest of tthe world. The issue is populism and isolationism. 

The organization is formidable. Project 2025 is the blueprint though disavowed by His Hairness. It speaks to control every lever of government and browbeat people into submission. If you do not swear complete allegiance, you are outta here. Habeas corpus and the law are irrelevant. We will figure some way out of this. Our legislature is absent save an imprimatur or two or a hearing that goes nowhere. If I see Chuck Schumer one more time with his cheaters hanging from a neck cord and reading from script, I am going to throw up. There is no one to speak out. 

Lastly, the ground is fertile. No matter what is said, it is fake news. Shut off all avenues of opposition. The universities are in disarray. Use inflated numbers and vague pronouncements.

No one cares. Science and innovation are suspect and money eaters. Let the good times roll. 

Is this the makings of a real conspiracy? That is heavy duty and I am not taking that step but I am worried. Is it something we will look back on and say how the hell did we let this happen. There are lofty goals and great outcomes that could happen. There are also disasters around the bend. Can we really sit back and wait to see how it plays out? Dunno, but it is giving me great pause.

As always 

Ted The Great 

Happy Easter and Happy Passover to all. 

Factoids:

Authoritarianism is a political system characterized by the rejection of political plurality, the use of strong central power to preserve the political status quo, and reductions in democracy, separation of powers, civil liberties, and the rule of law. Hmmm!

Good examples of such states today are: China,Russia, Hungary under Viktor Orban, and Turkey under Tayyip Erdoğan. 

Current Conspiracy Theories:

JFK Assasination.. will be analyzed after new material has been released. 

9/11 was an inside job with explosive devices already placed in the Twin Towers. 

NASA faked the moon landings.

Airplane contrails are believed to be “Chemtrails” carrying all sorts of bad things to poison us. 

The idea that the U.S. government (or perhaps the entire world government) is run by reptilian humanoids. This actually could be true Ha!

Heavy Rolls….

In the Navy, the announcement would come over the 1 MC (Main Circuit), to “Stand by for heavy rolls”. This was not dissing the boys in the galley but rough weather topside. Whether in the North Atlantic or the Gulf of Siam, this usually meant high winds and pretty heavy seas. Luckily, I was never seasick. Right about now, I may have that record tested. 

Chaos,maelstrom,pandemonium,madness and havoc might describe our state of affairs right now. Both here in the US of A and the world at large. Rather than wringing my hands, I can’t say I was not expecting this. Just not quite the speed and force of this 25 foot wave. 

We had lost our way long before the Donald. Out-of-control debt. Throwing money at education, disease, entitlements and space dreams,like as John McCain used to say, “drunken sailors”. Drunken sailors? Not a chance.  Old people of Congress and even Presidents long past their prime. Constant adding to the payroll without any thought of trimming previous extravagances. Obesity in words and actions. We needed a crash diet. 

I would like to think there was another way. Ok, boys and girls of the Beltway we need to shape up. Let’s have a committee draw up a list of priorities. Then we can look at each individual problem to be solved and have input from at least 20-30 jurisdictions that might be affected. Then we will send that to committee and then if the leader of either houses deems it to be of importance, it will be brought  to the floor for a vote. Oh yeah,the prez can then veto all this fine effort because his cousin in Dubuque, Iowa will be put out of work. 

Then to accomplish all of this we need a new group to oversee, get office space and have their own set of hoops to go through. Wait. We will now have protests, sit ins, and unions will go on strike. Left and right media will bring everything to a rapid boil and Voila we are back to the drawing board. Silly? How about our vain efforts to shut down useless military installations or obsolete weapons systems. Don’t forget snail darters and National Parks that have been proclaimed with no money to administer them. Insane? You bet it is. 

Globally, we have been the world’s policeman. We fought in Afghanistan and Iraq to the tune of $8 trillion. That is about 25% of the tab we as a nation have to pay sometime. Worse was the fact the world made hay while we were nation building. We have been getting screwed but not tariff-wise as His Hairness would tell you. We have been the doting parent to a fairly spoiled group of nations that are more than welcoming of our largesse but have no interest in helping share the load…for the most part.  Go gett’em, Uncle Sam. We are all behind you !

In another vein, let’s look at this dirty little secret called immigration. Papa Joe was asleep or accommodative to all sorts with very little control. The crazy part is we need immigrants, but from a garden hose, not a fire hose. There is this little thing called E Verify which is pretty efficient. An employer just has to put the name in and it comes back instantly whether this dude or dudette is legal. It has been around for thirty years! 

Why not use it? Well, there are a couple of problems. First is if I run everybody through the system then I will wind up with a few to no workers. Secondly I might have to pay them a going wage to work in the fields or meat packing plants.They could only work so many hours. Then I can’t be competitive. Ok then let’s just ship them to those left leaning cities. Effective but costly. Estimates are that Denver with 42,000 illegals could be spending  $250-300 million on illegals when everything is totalled. Immigration has been begging for reform since 1988.

There are multiple conclusions to all of this.The first and foremost is, I am not a Trumper but you do have to look hard at all of this. Both the Executive and Legislative branches have been complicit for at least the last 30 years. Republicans and Democrats alike.Bureaucracies have ballooned. The last time the budget was balanced was in 2001. And we keep raising the debt limit. 

 American business has bilked the system. The WSJ has recently cited various health insurance companies for overbilling and phantom billing. Wall Street has gotten wealthy from carried interest. There are loopholes galore that exist because the advantageous and vague wording is lost in a gigantic omnibus bill. 

And we, the American people have sat idly by. We keep reelecting bums who serve our own interests. You know if everyone paid their taxes we would not need an IRS. We slip and slide while saying,”well everyone else is doing it”.  We believe and encourage outright lies. We attribute everything to fake news or semantics. We look the other way. There is an excuse for everything. 

I don’t like the Orange Man’s take no prisoners philosphy. But do you honestly think anything will get done without shock therapy? The system is broken but we have not trained nor encouraged mechanics. We have had it so easy and now the bill is coming due. On the open seas, you know the front will pass and can make your way to calmer seas. It is right there on the radar or satellite. Right now, both of ours are broken. 

The “Righting Moment” of a ship is the tendency to return to an upright position as the vessel rolls. If you go beyond that the ship capsizes. Let’s hope we don’t go past ours. Sadly,for now there are heavy rolls ahead. Hang on tight.

As always 

Ted The Great 

Factoids:

The “carried interest loophole” refers to favorable tax treatment for certain compensation received by private equity, venture capital and hedge-fund managers. They pay long term rates rather than short term. That cost us around $2billion a year. We wouldn’t venture have to fire anyone. Beleive it or not the guardian angel who won’t let any changes happen? None other than Chuck Shumer. 

United Healthcare takes a perfectly healthy person and codes them for exotic diseases and receives extra compensation from Medicare. At the same time they refuse authorizations for sick people who should be paid.  Just business!

The nation’s millionaires and billionaires are evading more than $150 billion a year in taxes, according to the head of the Internal Revenue Service. Let’s just say they are off by 23% We just fired a whole bunch of IRS agents. “Psst Elon.Over here”

Big And Small….

Winners and losers. Haves and have-nots. Yadda, yadda. We have created this world of contest, and it goes to every aspect of life. I am right,you are wrong. I have been thinking to see if this is a just for certain periods of time or is this ingrained in us? Let’s let it rip. 

DNA is a whole bunch of genes. They dictate every part of our development, growth, and function. They steer us this way and that. Let’s just say it is built into our system, and to date, it is tough to change, although there are a lot of people trying. 

Now, these cells change infinitesmally over time to adapt to one’s environment. This is not minute by minute but over tens of thousands of years.

The caveman had it a lot different than we have today but there are some who would debate we are acting like Neanderthals. Let’s at least take it as a given. 

In pure survival mode, our forefathers had to be kings or queens of the mountain, or they were goners. You invade my turf; you are going to pay for it. Someone is going to win, and someone is going to lose. A fact of life. Yet there was a further wrinkle. I not only want to survive, but I want more. I want to better my lot in life. As we became more social and communicative, we began to compare ourselves. 

Men and women want to matter. It is just that simple. How they do that is subject to interpretation. I can beat the crap out of you. I can run circles around you with my wonderful brain power. I can have tons of stuff, and my stuff is flashier and better than yours.  I can have natural sex appeal or there is some doc who will help me find something out of a bottle or scalpel to get me perfection. 

Let’s assume this is all normal. Normal means you are never going to get there. I know some of you believe in Nirvannah, but for TTG, I am going to accept my lot. It’s funny, but as you get older and older, many areas seem to be less important. It is not like I am giving up but learning to accept my limitations. Who needs the angst?

Where am I going with all of this? Today I think we have taken the concept of one upsmanship and put it on steroids. This can be government, war, golf or even a casual discussion. I don’t think we realize how much our lives are dictated by what other people think of us. Sure, we can deny it as a person or country but it matters. 

Look at Ukraine. I really am not sure if Putin is truly fearful of NATO or is still bemoaning the breakup of the USSR. He has not done very well by any standard. The only thing he has going is the nuclear missiles in his back pocket. He is pulling off the best bluff ever seen at a card table. 

Yet the Trumpster thinks the Russians have a strong hand, or perhaps he has bigger and better plans for them. Include XI, and everyone wants to be king of the hill or at least their portion of it. The sheer fact that they think the world is a chess board bespeaks their inferiority complex. That is sad. 

Let’s have a go at the budget deficit. You and I know the answer. Cut the fat,even the untouchables.  Getting elected is the biggest beauty pageant on earth. You are pretty if you get those other bastards and leave me untouched. Go after my entitlements and you are a dead man or woman. Image is everything. This would not be so unsettling if we ALL didn’t act like juveniles. Yes the bozos in DC and yes those who dwell in the Flalalands throughout our country. It’s always the other guy’s fault. Sorry, but we are all to blame. 

Going back to DNA there are two tracks here. First is we are the winner. Screw the rest of them. We have put so much into the world, it is time we worried about ourselves. I am going to berate heads of state and nations as a whole. No more living off the dole. You are low lifes. To some that makes absolute sense. 

On the other hand we can say we are making an absolute wake-up call.

You do have to help us more but we are still there. Let’s approach tariffs in an even-handed way. Let’s play fair, even though we have let you get away with a lot. That would require a lot of humility. Among nations. Among leaders. Among the public at large. 

We can be big or we can be small. Nations have to fork over more of their time and money and armed forces. Maybe we have to fork over more of our money in taxes. Maybe we have to take a long look at entitlements. That would really take a lot of big men and women. Do you think they are out there?

As always 

Ted The Great 

Factoids. 

Tariffs are a great rallying cry. In theory, if I make it more expensive for you to bring products into our country, then people will manufacture here. That’s great until we realize that we no longer get TVS for $350 bucks or clothes and food costs skyrocket.

60% of our fruits and nuts are imported.  That is outside of the fruits and nuts in California. No more guac.

Starlink connections for war in Ukraine can be turned on and off, as can reconnaissance and intelligence. We can hold back guns and dictate use of weaponry. Man,are we powerful.

Numbers can’t be substantiated, but Russia has lost at least twice as many troops in its war with Ukraine. On both sides over 250,000 soldiers have died. Almost 13,000 Ukrainian citizens have died. We call that collateral damage.

Rhyme Or Reason…..

I am going to stop thinking and reading for Lent. Ted’s Head is about to explode. Right,Left,Center,Gurus. What is a guy to think? Everyone has an opinion,comment, or diatribe for this one or that. Emotion leads to anger or frustration and sanity was about a month ago. What happened?

To start, this has all been a long time coming. In some cases, life and ethos have changed without anyone noticing. We have gotten comfortable with the status quo in all walks of life. Government, business, religions, military, and families have been roiling for some time and very few have noticed. Those that have are labeled radical on both sides of the spectrum.

Look around at all our lives. The populace has gone from the city to the burbs and back again. Not having a bunch of kids or even getting married has implications we have either avoided or never even dreamed of. We travel in the blink of an eye to far away places. We are going from four on the floor to self driving. Some crave for the good old days and some can’t wait to blow them up. The times they are a changing. 

Time and outcomes are measured by eras. Those delineations can be wars, economic decline or improvement, fashion, morality or administrations. We have had the Big Depression and the Financial Crisis of 2009. Rock and Roll, Heavy Metal, New Age and Rap all have their day. We have had Roosevelt, Reagan and now Trump to hitch our wagon to. There have been huge successes and incredible flops. Let’s not panic. 

Social media and the Fourth Estate whip us up in a frenzy. That’s how they make money but it is also what we want. People love to rubberneck at accidents as long it is not them. We want tragedies to be explained immediately as if it is really going to affect us personally. Plane crashes, shootings, overdoses, celebrity divorces, fires and war keep us rapt. We say a prayer of sorts and thank the Lord it is not us. 

So where are we now? Fairly chaotic, in my view. On the world stage, there are actors, both good and bad. China and Russia are becoming more irrelevant.They are evil empires, but there are cracks beginning to show. Russia could not defeat a rag-tag army in Ukraine. China has economic problems that are about to bring its lofty ambitions to a screeching halt. Europe can’t figure out how to respond, and the kingpin economy of Germany is going in reverse. This isn’t clever thinking on my part but rather a compilation of reading some savvy people and trying to glean a theme.

The thread that keeps popping up is how we feel about each other. On a global scale, the US has been the policeman since WW2.

Partially morally driven with several shots of opportunism thrown in. Eisenhower warned of the military industrial complex ahead but the road was paved in gold for contractors and military who wanted to demonstrate their bravado.  Our peace dividend has made a lot of people wealthy….and in many ways, us poor. 

We are talking about pulling back and downsizing. This is where it gets interesting. A good portion of the world has had a relatively free ride. We have made a case for arming against the unthinkable and showing empathy for the unfortunate. To not continue would be disastrous, they say. Who is going to fill the void? Is it time to find out? Dunno.

This is a philosophical as well as moral dilemma. Our course for the moment we are doing a one-eighty. Let’s call it survival of the fittest or, even better, let the cards fall where they may. Everything is transactional, and the big blue marble is a giant chessboard. We are not being taken for a sucker anymore. We hope you make it but no more lifelines. We are all business. 

I am torn. We have a giant mountain of debt. Part of it from largesse and part of it from profligacy. We spend more on defense than the next three or four combined. As a country, we have well-off states and some that are disasters. Is it weather and bad luck that need to be rehabbed for the Arkansas’ and West Virginia’s of our world, or do we say to our own, tough shit? Do we try to solve the inequities, or do we say that is just the way things go? 

I believe the seas are changing. More and more, we look out for ourselves. As a nation and, more often than not, as citizens. We are a capitalistic society. That has brought tremendous advances in technology, medicine, and the commonweal. It has also created a lot of wealth, and with that, my most hated trait of arrogance. Is this new generation going to stop giving or even worse caring? They will be tagged not so much by age as attitude. I am just not sure. 

If I care only about me, I can always move to higher ground when there is a flood. If there is plastic in the water, I can filter it out. Global warming? I don’t give a crap. I will be out of here before it really affects us. I want my car or truck, and I want my freedom to go where I want and say what I want. End of story. 

But when I get sick from all my wanton ways you better have someone there to fix me. If I am stranded by my stupidity,please send help. Then I really want you to care about me. Sounds fair, doesn’t it? There really is no rhyme or reason. 

As always 

Ted The Great 

Factoids:

Radio and print publications are hurting. Only about 25% of the populace uses them. On the heartening side, 87% of our fellow Americans do seek out the news on a daily basis. There are about 3,000 news outlets nationwide. Less than 50% of the US trusts the news. 

The Cost of War:

World War II 

  • The cost of World War II was $4.1 trillion in FY2011 dollars, or 35.8% of GDP at its peak. When adjusted to 2024 dollars, the U.S. spent $5.74 trillion on World War II.

The Korean War 

  • The U.S. spent $476.69 billion on the Korean War.

The Vietnam War 

  • The U.S. spent $555 billion on the Vietnam War (1964–1972).

The Gulf War 

  • The U.S. spent $372 billion on the First Gulf War (1991).

The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq

  • The U.S. spent over $2.3 trillion on the war in Afghanistan from FY2001-FY2022. 
  • The U.S. spent $2.9 trillion on the wars in Iraq and Syria from FY2003-FY2023. 
  • The U.S. has spent $8 trillion on the post-9/11 wars. 

Other costs

The costs of war include direct war appropriations, veterans care and disability, homeland security, interest payments, foreign assistance, and environmental damage. 

And That’s The Truth….

I am reading a very interesting but heavy-duty book by Yuval Harari titled “Nexus.”He traces the origins of information going back to cavemen and roaring right into our AI Age. The burning question is about what is the truth and who defines it? And you thought I was just playing golf or going to hospice. I need to learn so much. 

In early times, information was survival. Watch out for this and beware of that. As we became more educated there were more and more pieces to absorb. People not only viewed occurrences or revisited history but they were now subject to some people’s interpretation. 

Beliefs became complex and adherence became essential to keeping everyone in line. Pre-Gutenburg, it was a lot simpler. The mucky mucks put out the word and there was not much discussion. A fascinating fact is that the Bible is the word of God…sorta. It seems the religious cognoscenti in the 3rd or 4th century, decided which books were to be included with some provocative deletions. It swayed how people thought and in some ways, could be viewed as early algorithms. 

With the printing press, all hell broke loose. In the Age of Enlightenment, you could opine and be read by a lot of different people.Some of the early writings were supportive of the status quo and some said let’s chuck it and start anew. The drip, drip of knowledge became a fire hose. The truth became more and more vague or undefinable. 

Enter, stage right, the self-correcting mechanisms.Your brilliant ideas were subject to scrutiny and debated. That at least, was the case on the scientific spectrum. The ideological part was where it got a little more difficult. People could believe in a lot of things and absolute control of the masses got some  big chinks in the armor. This struck fear in the hearts of everyone  from the Popes to Kings and despots. 

Wait! Let’s bring up the concept of infallibility. That’ll fix em. I can whore and thieve all I want but when it comes to moral doctrine I am the way, the truth and the life. The monarchs  were chosen by and approved by the Vatican. One big happy family. Please understand, I am not opting for heresy. I believe in God. I just think that whole message has taken left and right turns to be convenient rather than doctrinal. Jesus was a simple and loving man to me. What part of, “Do Unto Others” needs deep thinking? But I digress. 

Information, factual and otherwise determines your brand of government or vice versa. In a vibrant democracy, different thoughts are encouraged. You can say and believe whatever you want. In theory, we sit down and hash things out. A little from column A and some from column B and maybe even C. In theory. 

Totalitarian governments control everything informational. Their self-correcting methods are secret police and censorship. Your perception of reality is orchestrated and distorted. No dissonance or commentary is tolerated. If something comes up that seems at odds and maybe even sensible it is quashed and labeled fake news. Our propaganda is the real thing. Just you believe it. 

The interesting thing about this type of thinking is that it quashes any originality or inventiveness. Why be creative, it will never go anywhere? You are in lockstep as a family, in school and in life. You refuse to acknowledge any other possibilty. Even worse is when the boss man or woman goes off the rails. They will not tolerate any individual thinking. Sycophants are successful. Factual pragmatism is not spoken here. Conspiracy theories abound. The unbelievers are just out to get us. 

Building trust over miIllenia has required introduction, ridicule, persistence, refinement and ultimately acceptance of some sort. In an evolving world there is a continuing review  and verificatiuon. My religious and ethical views mature and morph by what I discover in time. They could change or not based on new treatises. It is a process of evolution of basic underlying tenets. That I believe is changing. 

Fast forward to our current world. Facebook, X et al designed to maximize human engagement. They make money by selling ads. The more you watch this or that, the more lucrative.  If that content is human, one can challenge the validity. If it is machine-generated you don’t know and most people accept it as gospel truth. AI can recreate my image and voice to the point no one will realize it is fake. 

QAnon was established by a dude named Q. This far right innovator came up with incredible conspiracy theories that blamed various groups for all our ills. If you feel like the world is doing you wrong, you latch onto this and even help in its propagation. The more people believing in these posits, the more fantasy becomes real life happenings. The same is true for the left as well. They are playing on people’s soft spots and we are more than receptive. 

This creates a conundrum for yours truly. I can hunker down and rely on my block of beliefs. I will close my eyes and ears to anything new. This is probably one of the basics in polarization.  Or I can consider all the possibilities in trying to glean some element of truth. I feel I can have a discussion and try to learn new ideas or different approaches. But where did your beliefs come from? How can I verify your sources? How can I know if it is an original construct or someone’s warped fantasy. 

Well, kids that is my problem. I really don’t know. I am confused as I hope some others are. And….that’s the truth

As always 

Ted The Great 

Factoids:

The internet houses a staggering 1.9 billion websites, including over 600 million blogs. More than two billion blog posts are published annually.There are over 6 million podcasts. Man, do I feel irrelevant? 

Gutenberg invented the printing press in 1455. By 1500 there were believed to be 8 to 10 million books in existence. There are over 135 billion today. 

Some experts estimate that AI-powered scams could reach losses of over $10 trillion globally by 2025.The classic is a recreation of a person’s voice and image.  The kids call grandparents and say they need money. They even create the surroundings of a person’s location. 

Transition….

As we greet a new administration coming into office, the word transition is bandied about. Ironically, the word is also used in hospice.  It denotes the time when one goes from dying to “actively dying”. The final countdown, so to speak. I bring this up, tongue in cheek, for both sides of the fence. 

Over many years, I have been witness to our country, society, military,religion and ethos change at various times. Those switchovers for the most part have been subtle. Yes, we all can claim the savior or disaster about to befall us, but by talent and a little luck we have all survived. Could it have gone differently or more expedtiously? Perhaps but rear view mirrors are just that. Looking behind us. I like to look forward.

In terms of government, we have gatekeepers of a sort for the process. The system of checks and balances allows that however shallow the process seems. I was taken aback on the hearing for Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense. As each pol used their 7 minutes of time, there were long introductory statements and posturing and any questioning was in the realm of the absurd.

 Very few if any asked the most important one. What experience do you have that would qualify you to run an $850 billion company with over two million employees? Not woke or about your sex life. Just plain and simple how would you run the place, deal with foreign governments and threats to our viability as a nation. Seems rather obvious. Why was it not to boys and girls under the Dome? Maybe we should have reverse hearing on the senators. 

I am struck by the one step forward two back approach over the years. One guy comes in and wants to change everything. Then four or eight years later another genius has a totaly different idea. I can’t even imagine what this costs us in manpower and dollars. Some time I am going to go back and see all the promises to do this or that. Then I am going to compare them to what actually gets done. 

Think about all the transitions that have taken place in our lives. Rural to urban. Offshoring of manufacturing in the 90’s and now we are bringing it back again. From globalism to isolationism of a sort. Religious to secular. Neighbor interaction to loneliness. Mostly married to mostly single.  Simple way of life to one that is chocka block with activity and consumerism. The rise of China. The disaster of a united Europe. The fall of the USSR. Warfare with might and right to a simple homemade drone laying waste. I could go on but you get the idea. 

We face them in our own lives. We marry. We have children. We get a job and advance. We might lose that job and security. We excel and yet some fall ill. It can be sudden or over a period of time. Life changing is the moniker. It could not be more true. 

That brings to mind the tenor of change. Currently, we want to take the Bastille by storm. There is a new sheriff in town. We are going to show you. We are going to get even. If that floats your boat, go for it. Looking back we have seen New Deals, Great Societies, Hope andChange.A Thousand Points of Light. Yada,Yada,Yada. Not a lot of the Great Expectations seem to survive, so forgive me if I am suspect. 

I tend to question not the motive but the execution. Take immigration. It is a mess and has been so for 40 years. We do have to fix this, but how? Let’s not talk about philosophy but practicality. We CANNOT round up 11 million people and get them shipped out. 65% of the populace think the same way. Yet we make attention-getting headlines that we will get it done. That is a short time feel good that will never happen. 

There have been a lot of promises made as far as taxes. Hell, I would love to pay less taxes. But we have a dirty little secret called the deficit that kind of puts a hole in that tire. We are also going to fire the Feds, move offices out of DC and cut back on a bunch of programs. We are going to build a hundred ships and submarines. Is all this going to be a wonderful utopia or will it be a pipedream that never comes true? This is not anti anybody but just asking you and me if this makes any sense at all? 

If we start this off with parties for the rich and famous are we really helping out the little guy? I am pretty sure the average Joe did not pony up the $200 million for bands and booze. If $1 million gets you in the door or an audience, doesn’t one swamp take the place of the other? If the incoming and outgoing presidents are pardoning everyone, how about the poor schmuck doing time for the everyday assault or fraud or tax evasion? Oh, I forgot. We are all created equal. 

Transitions are good and bad. The devil you know can be better than the one you are about to meet. Totally replacing an existing framework is easier than fixing what we have. It is almost like tearing down a nice house to replace it with something new and glitzy. In the end, you are going to be paying a lot more money. For what? Bragging rights? 

I would like to see this transition be like one a long time ago. Walk softly and carry a big stick. Get it done without the bravado and blame. Turn off the cameras and microphones. It is not what you are doing but the style in which you do so. Hey, I can always hope. 

As Always 

Ted The Great 

Factoids. 

The Donald has raised $200 million for the inauguration. Since they moved inside, there had been a fistfight for seats from the millionaires who opened their wallets. 

There are 27 members of the Senate Armed Service Committee. That is 189 minutes of questioning. The Republicans were the only ones ot ask questions of competence and suitability to hold the job. 

Transition is very much akin to Gail Sheehy’s Passages. In the book she notes that these times are periods to learn and grow no matter how bumpy the road. Here’s hoping.

Transitions often portend taking a big risk. They can markedly change one’s outlook in both a positive and negative way. Don’t look past them. 

Scrambled Eggs….

I was making breakfast for myself this chilly but beautiful morning in Flalaland. A couple of eggs, cheese, bacon and anything else that was lying around looking for a home. It occurred to me that this was a wonderful simile for my brain right now. Contra indicators galore. A little right. A little left. What is a guy to do? 

Reflective as always, I have been reading this and that before I venture outside. One article depicted the plight of a DACA person in Georgia. He came to this beautiful country at 10 months of age. He had no say in the matter. He then just did something stupid like growing up as a normal kid in a small Southern town. 

He went on to get a good job, be involved at the local church, and participate in helping young kids find their way. In his twenties, he has a wife and two kids. In a few weeks, his whole life could get turned upside down. He is illegal by definition, and under the new administration, he is a target for removal. I have a problem with that. 

Under the law, he is wrong to be here. In my poor little brain, I wonder how we can be so stupid but even more inhumane.

Should we round up the criminals and ne’er do wells? Of course, but what is the percentage out of 11 million that have that scarlet letter? I told you last time of our Christmas celebration that The Hope Rural School. I am sure there were illegals there. Should I back throwing them out even though they provide some valuable services to our little Playland?  If I am a Christian doesn’t that go against my beliefs? TTG, you just don’t understand. I guess I don’t. 

I was giving platelets a while back. It is a two hour procedure which is really pretty simple. As I sat there twiddling my thumbs I took a chance. The phlebotomist was black. Stupid Ted said, “Can we talk about the black thing?” Holy Shiite, I am not supposed to ask that. She was more than gracious by saying yes. Her story was beyond revealing. 

She had worked as a phlebotomist for seven years, and her husband was a boat mechanic. Their combined income was above $100,000. They had paid rent on their apartment and never missed a payment for eight years. They wanted to buy a house west of I95 in Broward County, which includes Fort Lauderdale. They could not get a mortgage. I figured it was because it was way beyond her means. Rashly, I asked how much the price of the house was. $250,000 was her reply. WTF? Is that equality? 

She went on to relate what her life was like. She was not bitter. She simply said if you are in a crap neighborhood, you got crap doctors. If it was a school in a black or Hispanic neighborhood, you got shitty teachers. Tragically, it all made sense. Garbage in. Garbage out. I asked how we could change that? She replied, “by talking to more people like you.” Yikes !

I will probably lose my elite card for thinking about these things. I am an old fart. Who cares if I am troubled? This is not hand-wringing or woe is me. It is things over my life that I have believed in and sometimes cherished. I have now seen them cast aside and minimalized. Please forgive me. 

I hope I am a moral person. This does not mean I am without sin. It just clearly states to me what is wrong and right. If you do something that is wrong you should not get a pass whether you are Hunter Biden or Donald Trump. I have listened to the cognoscenti try to explain away this or that. It just doesn’t hold water. 

In some ways, it comes down to what you think your place is on this big blue marble.

If you feel the world is out there to serve you and meet your every want, then we don’t have a lot to talk about. That is not blowing you off, but just saying we are on different wavelengths. My quandary is wondering if you are right or am I? Better yet is their some sort of common ground? A starting point. Those are kind of rare these days. 

The word that comes to mind is humanity. Humanity can refer to all people in the world, both past and present. It can also refer to the shared values, experiences, and aspirations of all humans. Kind of why are we all here? We see violence in Nola and Vegas. Mass shootings to make a name for oneself. Manifestos that scream about intangibles. Psychological problems and PTSD are the villains. That makes sense, and now let’s get on with life. Sorry for your loss. 

I wonder if this makes any sense at all? I can’t solve the world’s problems. Why even try? Do I just give up and crawl back under my comfortable golf cart or make merry at the club bar. All that outside world is so far away. And that to me kids, is just scrambled eggs. It’s tough to swallow. 

As always 

Ted The Great 

Factoids:

Perfect Storm. By different estimates we are short 3-5 million homes. Interest rates are stubbornly high. Investors bought 15% of housing stock in 2023. Rents increase by 1 1/2 to 2 time annually. 700,000 homeless are not just mentally ill or on drugs. 

In an oft-cited study, as many as 66.5% of people who file for bankruptcy blame medical bills as the primary cause. As many as 550,000 people file for bankruptcy each year for this reason. This data has been known for many years and has continued even with the passage of the Affordable Care Act.

There are approximately 1,000,000 illegals that would qualify for DACA. They were brought into our country by their parents. Their average age is 31. Their average length of stay is 25 years. 83% are in the labor force. 96% have high school diplomas. 49% have some sort of higher education. We have not revised our immigration laws in 37 years.