Tyrannosaurus Debt

One thing I was able to pass along to my kids from my childhood was the ol' Schoolhouse Rock videos that used to play every Saturday morning in between cartoons. I didn't realize it then but those little 2 minute education videos were to last in my memory well past the time I watched cartoons. I bought the video series for my kids when they were still too young to appreciate them (I of course had to watch them a few extra times to make sure they were still relevant..ahem) but now that they are 3 and 5 years old they are loving the songs and lessons. One of the songs that I didn't remember was called "Tyrannosaurus Debt". Apparently the national debt was pretty large back then also and caused a concern for the country. I wonder how the debt ratio compares now vs then if you adjust it to inflation. Has it become worse? Better? The same? I don't know but I do know that the national debt of 8.5 Trillion dollars is beyond belief. How is that our government can spend that much more than it takes in and still operate? As a percentage of the national budget it may be less imposing but can you imagine what the possibilities would be if we didn't have that debt hanging over our heads? The interest alone is over 200 Billion dollars per year. Can you imagine that it would cost each person in the US $650 dollars to pay the interest alone? What if we eliminated the debt? That would save us $28000 per person a year. What kind of society would we live in when each and every person made at least $28000 per year? Each year our elected representatives talk about reducing the "deficit". That's not the debt, it's only the amount that gets added to the debt. So how do we force our leaders to become fiscally responsible? I don't have any answers but at least now I know more about the problem. The possibilities once we become debt free are endless, but the road getting there is going to be long and extremely difficult with the current tax and spend mentality in D.C.

Giving in

Anyone who has little kids knows that bed times are synonymous with bedtime stories, getting ready for bed and good night kisses. But there's more. Last minute bathroom needs, thirst quenching and other various creative stall tactics are also a part of the parent-kid bedtime dance. I'm scared, I'm hungry, I'm thirsty, I need to prepare a thesis on the time space continuum are all common stall techniques passed down heretically through the ages. My son is no exception. On top of this he has allergies that make it more difficult to fall asleep some nights. Last night was one such night. After about an hour of his sniffling, asking for water and being unable to fall asleep he came into my room. I was already in bed awaiting the end of a TV show I was watching when he slowly came in looking at me with those pleading eyes. I knew that he was having a hard time falling asleep due to his allergies so I asked if he wanted to climb up into Mommy and Daddies bed. His face lit up instantly. He climbed up into the middle of the bed and covered up. I told him it was time to go to sleep and turned off the TV. As I reached for the light switch he put his hand on my arm, looked me straight in the eye and said those words that made giving in worth it. "You're the best Daddy ever. Thanks for letting me sleep here tonight".
He's 5 and yet he understands being grateful! I got a 2 fold gift in those sentences. First, the love of my 5 year old son, and second knowing that he understands what it means to appreciate things. We must be doing something right. My pride in my son was overflowing that night and we soon both drifted off to sleep with smiles on our faces.

Lost Words, Lost Worlds

We've become a society that has lost control of our own words. Every day people are misquoted, mis-spoken and misrepresented in the interpretation and intent of what is said. It has become too easy to take what someone says and impose a different intent upon those words. Someone says the war is necessary. It's taken to mean the war is all about oil. Someone says the war is unjust. They become unpatriotic. The truth is left by the roadside in our highjacking of speech. Newspapers take bits and pieces of a speech and re-assemble them to create a completely different intent.
A picture taken on a battlefield is altered in the hopes it makes a greater emotional impact on the reader. Where does it end? When will we regain control over what we say? Words are one of the most powerful things we have, yet we do not exercise the right to make sure our words are used as intended. Why is that? It seems that the need to obfuscate the events around us only ensures that we become more jaded in our lives. Who do we believe? The politicians who say all the right things while stuffing their pockets? The web site that promotes openness and accountability but is funded by groups with agendas? Or maybe the news that is forever being put to the fire for not researching the facts thoroughly enough before the deadline to print forces them to just run with the story and see what happens? Where is the accountability? It starts at home. The blogosphere is one example. It's the home bloggers that are the new detectives and investigative reporters in the world. Anyway, back to my original subject matter. Often I see people who make statements only to be taken out of content, misquoted, or vilified based not upon the speakers intent but upon the listeners interpretation. We have become a nation that jumps to conclusions based upon our own personal bias. Instead of asking how something is intended we arrogantly think we know what was meant and quickly drive down that road of self righteousness thinking we have understanding. When we make judgments on a persons first impressions, take dialogue the wrong way or read more into something that just maybe is really black and white, we take the path to literary indiscretion. Patience is what we lack. The patience to wait and find out the whole story before making any judgments. In effect, our "rush rush" lifestyles only tend to make us run down the wrong path, effort wasted.

Taking Flight

I'm in the airline business. I come by it honestly. My Dad worked for an airline most of his life. My brother worked for one for several years, and I've worked for one for 20 years, albeit not the same one. I'm on my third airline. Usually when two people from different airlines meet, one of the inevitable questions that arise is "So, is this your first airline?". Most times the answer is no. I've found that at one time or another everyone else worked for Braniff, even though it could be Braniff 1, 2 or 3. As for me I got into the biz when I was in my early 20's. The job seemed glamorous in a way and I was impressed by the way my Dad seemed to be friends with people all over the country. Some of the draws of working for an airline are the freedom to jet off to places all over the country, spending a day on the beach and flying back to snow that evening and going where many people could only dream of going. After all, what good was working for an airline if you didn't use the flight privledges? Of course I didn't use them that much, but I could have, got the t-shirt to prove it (My friends went to sunny Hawaii and all I got was this lousy t-shirt). When you're young, the world was an open book. I was fortunate, I've seen several places I probably wouldn't have seen if I had not worked for an airline. I don't have a college degree but I make a good living. Now the airlines are being attacked again. Yesterday a group of men in England were arrested for planning to detonate home made bombs on several flights to the U.S. Thankfully they were stopped by the intelligence services in England. Traveling by air has become a common event. People of all ages, statures and incomes are taking to the skies so it only makes sense that the people who hate our way of life would attack that freedom. But I'm sure they won't stop there. Telecommunications, food and water supply, and energy won't be far behind. After all, they live as if the year were still 1410 a.d. so of course they want us to live that way too. To them, they see progress as a capital offense. As our standard of living improves, it reminds them of how much farther the divide is between their lives and ours. Granted, with a free society comes things that are detrimental, but you can't tell me other societies don't have the same crime problems.
Yesterday was a horrible day in the airline business. Today was 180 degrees better. We went from a 40% on time day to a 90% on time day, and a Friday no less.
Our flights indicate that people are still flying. We'll see how this pans out in the weeks to come but for now, the traveling public are doing what they wanted to do. Taking flight.

Bill

Everyone should have a friend like my friend Bill. He's opposite to me on so many levels and as such challenges me on my beliefs. I hope that I have some small influence on his, but I doubt it. He's a liberal to my conservative, philosopher to my logic, single life to married life. We use to be roommates in our single days during which time we would ponder the origins of the universe, religon, girls, employment, inventions, music, movies, etc etc. Bill's spontaneous nature led to several exciting expeditions some of which I never would have traveled had it not been for him. From swimming at a state park beach to finding obscure movies at second rate theaters. We saw the Directors cut of Blade Runner that had a limited showing thanks to Bill. We visited Cranbrook Institute, saw a laser light show with U2 music and found ourselves on numerous trips to places in Michigan I probably never would have heard of or seen. Bill was the wild card to our group. The catalyst to change or challenge to the status quo. Employment was never his strong suit until later in life. I always had a stead job. Still, we remained friends.
Bills love of exploring his world helped me find new places because he never wanted to go alone so I got dragged along. I'm the better for it also. So today I say Thanks Bill. Everyone should have a friend Bill.

Info Junkie

Ok, I'll admit it. I'm an "Information Junkie". I read the news daily searching for any article of strangeness or obscurity. Searching for an article that has a direct impact on my life or anyone I know. Cataloging the information until that moment in time when the subject comes up in conversation and I'm able to pluck it out of memory and into the verbal exchange. I read the internet news, the local rags, the major newspaper for this area, and the Drudge Report for any late breaking news stories. Give me some news on stocks I own, places I've been, political issues, and helpful tips regarding a wide range of subjects and my attention is drawn. I can remember when I was young and my parents would have the news on in the evening. I of course wanted nothing to do with watching that so I would go into another room to watch a sit-com or cartoon. I believe I understand now why they watched. It provides a brief overview of the days events in our state and around the world. It's kind of a way to get a condensed summary of news. I'm not sure what changed in my viewpoint to make the news so interesting to me but I now know why my parents loved having the news on at 6pm. It's just what you do when you get older.

Half Full

I recently posted why the glass is half empty when it comes to our dependence upon energy from other countries and the global instability we face. Here are some reasons to be hopeful for the future.

National Debt. If the debt was such a drag on our country, then why is the economy so strong? Foreign investments in the US ensure our own stability. The more invested in the US other countries are the less likely they are to do something adverse to the health of our country. Why would you sabotage your own investment?
It also makes the economy global. In other words the impact of large events is mitigated by the globalization of the worlds economies. When one country has a downturn there's a very good chance another country is having an upswing in equal proportions.

Our Borders. The outcry to secure the borders has finally reached a plateau high enough for our government to realize they must do something. It also has brought this subject out to debate on a grand scale. The more debate there is the better the chance of a comprehensive solution being found. It may not be the perfect fix, but you can bet it'll be something noteworthy.

Energy Dependence. Here's a actually a subject that could have a very good ending. With the price of oil through the roof and the political instability in regions that supply a large part of the worlds supply there is actually good news for the future. First for the US, we get most of our oil from Canada and Mexico. Those are 2 nations that we get along with and are less impacted by political instability in the middle east. Oil is now at a price that makes it economical to get it from places that required more effort to extract. Prime example, the oil shale deposits in the US and the oil sands in Canada. These will continue to be a rich source of energy reserves available. Alternative forms of energy are becoming more and more viable. Hydrogen, biodiesel, and ethanol are some examples. Hybrid vehicles are becoming more popular which will reduce our dependence on gas and oil. The result is less exposure to the wild fluctuations in the oil markets. It's a classic case of "Necessity is the Mother of Invention".

China. China is becoming more and more progressive in it's bid to open up to the rest of the world. Our engagement of China economically has provided the catalyst to set them on the road toward change. They have revaluated their currency a few times due to pressure from the markets and have been negotiating trade policies. As this exchange continues I would expect to see China more toward a more free society. It will take time, but look at what has been accomplished just since 1970. Formal trade relations and open policy discussions. These are big steps for a communist country.

Other countries. Although there are still hostile relations with other countries and a lot of newsworthy anti-United States remarks made by countries who are feeling their oats lately, we have strengthened relations with some countries who were on the fence when it came to the US. Germany in years past had been aligned more with France in their opposition to our policies but recent elections had placed into power a pro-US Chancellor in Angela Merkel. She was freely elected based upon her pro-US stance and that says the people of Germany want better relations with the US. Also, in South America there have been several countries that are telling Venezuelan Presidente Chavez to butt-out. They claim he is interfering with their elections by trying to have candidates he supports elected. Iran is making overtures to establish a direct dialogue with the US. Could it be they are feeling the heat? It could open the door to moderating the rhetoric coming from that country which would provide stabilization in that area of the world.
So for every negative, anti-United States event that happens there are other pro-United States events that even out the playing field.

Ying and Yang in the geo-political world.