Category Archives: Musings

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Support for COVID Recovery Bill

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This morning I was reading the Pew Research Surveys on support for the $1.9T COVID Aid Package Bill.    Pew reports that 70% of Americans support the bill.  This is a huge majority.  Even 41% of Republicans and Republican leaning Independents support the bill.  And yet 0% of Republican Representatives in Washington DC support the bill.  Republican governors and mayors support it, but despite this, the voices with the biggest megaphones are not able to move public opinion against it, and refuse to move in the direction of their constituents… amazingly I hear Republican Senators and Congressmen say … “sure if you are getting $1400 in the mail, you’d support the bill without understanding the costs” … how arrogant a statement!  Are they really saying that nearly 180M Americans and of that 30+M Republicans are too stupid to understand the positive and negative consequences?
I advocate for sensible and responsible investment in American people and our economy… and more importantly I advocate for sensible conversation and debate.   Washington Republicans are missing the boat on this.

 

Poems

Light

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“Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it.”


― Terry Pratchett

Light

He said, let there be light
a gift to conquer the night
and so that you understand,
stars are too, part of the plan
and in between
……darkness makes no sound
awaiting the light,
……hiding so as not to be found.
So banish your worries to the setting sun
where they burn into passion
and upon morning break,
allow it to reflect back to you
in the delight of brilliant skies so blue
as darkness must
…….it continues to run and hide
For we’ll look to the light
……of life to rule and decide.



 

Poems

Perseverance

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Dedicated to the thousands that invest decades toward  exploration as a human necessity!

Perseverance

I saw a bright light in his eyes
as he told me he had to leave.
He needed to follow his dream
… there was life out there!
… not “if” there was life out there,
and he would find it.
Brilliant engineer and team leader
with unbounded passion.
Not unlike a kid that says he’ll play for the Yankees
but no, much more so, with a plan and preparation,
not in the sense that you or I see.
But in a swirl of ideas, a grand quest
which makes us extraordinary.
This is the best of humanity
it is poetry, art, a higher purpose.
On the shoulders of thousands and more
to lead where few could go… to persevere.

I saw those same eyes, decades later, above a mask
In mission control and as
Perseverance touched down
I saw this light still burned bright

 

 

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Evolving

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I wrote about de-evolution in a poem not long ago, as I was watching the seeming disintegration of norms.  The falling appart on the basis of ideas and words that in some cases had no basis in fact or science. https://mikevargamusings.com/2020/11/11/de-evolution/
In November, as the big lie was being told, I had concern for what it all meant for our institutions and way of life, I was  concerned for humanity.  I saw a form of disintegration happening.  I feared that vaccines would not arrive in time, that climate change would undo us, that an autocrat would never admit defeat, and the world would be worse for our children and grandchildren.

But I know Evolution is not a straight line up a mountain, and it is a rocky terrain, one in which you must sometimes descend in order to go further up.  In fact, we will only make leaps when there are threats.  Existential threats show us where our weaknesses are.  We are challenged to overcome such weaknesses.  It requires will as well as fortune.  For sometimes we do not have the right leaders, sometimes the planets will not align for our well being, and we’ll try different things and we learn.  A natural selection of sorts allows the fittest ideas, the fittest adaptations to win over the weakest ones in time.

The people chose order of our institutions and law over disorder and dismantling.  I doubt we’ll want to go back to such threats (most of us) and maybe we’ll strengthen our resolve to make democracy work? I think so.

We are social distancing (most), we are wearing masks (most) and we are vaccinating, leading toward a managed solution.   The result maybe fewer colds, flu’s and overall better health…. could this lower health care costs? Could our life expectancy rise again after we’ve beaten this pandemic?  I think so.

We are seeing the impact of climate change, it is no longer just an interesting thing for politicians to fight about.  We will have to adapt our infrastructure, we’ll have to consider our national security, and we’ll have to once again consider the global cooperation necessary to take care of the home we live on… Earth.   Will we get better at this and will this be good for all nations?  I think so.

The economic challenges of a K shaped recovery will create social unrest, social challenges.  I think we’ll understand that we cannot allow a drowning man to pull us down because he is struggling to survive.   Will we take care of each other, throwing out the life-saving ring?   Will we not all benefit from stimulus and investment in the well being of our economy?  I think so.

Forced into changing how we do business, as well as, how we educate.  I think we’ll find that some of the changes were good for business.  But more importantly, we will learn about the weaknesses in education, and we’ll find examples that work better than others, and we’ll adapt to those methods.  Will we evolve our communications and learning to an improved state after this set back?  I think so.

We will evolve.  We will see a revitalization of patriotism.  It will be aided by the return of sports, especially the Olympics this year.   Imagine the world coming together, and our country coming together after the challenges of 2020?  The sense of overcoming, the sense of survival will be strong, and the admiration of athletes that show us how they adapted to challenges as they demonstrate that the human spirit will prevail.  Will this change who we are and how we think, and maybe inspires us?  I think so.

There is no end… just evolution.

 

Poems

A Half-Million Raindrops

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I wrote a poem today, but I don’t like it much.  So I thought I’d write about what I’m thinking… then maybe you can tell me what you think.

I was thinking this week that we shall see the deaths in our country exceed half-million due to a pandemic that was at first denied, then for political convenience a delayed response, while science which is too often denied, still came to the rescue, to create a chance for us to weather this storm, and to enjoy the joy of a rainbow rather than the ugly arch of recent history.

Each raindrop is about 1/480th of an ounce.. a half-million raindrops is 8 gallons of water.  Imagining this much rain, enough to drown in.  A half-million deaths, is more than we endured in two world-wars and the vietnam war,  all within one year… and yet we are numb to the numbers… we cannot relate to the loss.  We see only the recovery.  The rainbow is the arch we look to… and maybe this is what makes us human, the unrelenting hope for a better future.

Well here is the poem I wrote… but I am torn about what message is sensible in this understanding… what message should I look to?

A Half-Million Raindrops

The arch of history bends
As does light through rain
And wet on our faces tends
Not in anticipation of a rain-
bow, rather tears that lends
Onto the loss of souls in the reign
Of sickness that portends
A half-million drops of rain
An eight gallon loss sends
Us swirling down the drain
As this arch surely never mends
While we seek rather in the main
The joy a rainbow arch sends

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The High Wire Act

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He amazes, he seems to defy gravity and good sense, he leaves us aghast and exhausted with his hypocrisy, but it is a glorious hypocrisy, one worth watching and learning from!

These are the thoughts that come to mind as I was watching Mitch McConnell’s (MM) speech just after he had voted to acquit Trump for incitement of an insurrection.   MM  is the politician’s politician, and as such is worth listening carefully to what he was saying.  Within the same day, within hours, he defends Trump by holding his Republican caucus together to acquit, then convicts him in words of being “practically and morally responsible” for the insurrection, the damage, the deaths, and the attack on the constitutional duties of congress upholding our democracy.  He says Trump has not gotten away with it yet.   Suggesting that there is Department of Justice consequences for his actions.

MM acquittal decision was based on the admittedly questionable (by MM himself) constitutional argument that someone who no longer holds office cannot be impeached, because the penalty of removal from office is not possible.  And if it is impeachments purpose to prevent someone from holding future office, then he argues that impeachment could be applied to any non-office holding citizen.  The argument is specious and simultaneously an amazing high wire act.

What he is doing, is worth noting.  He is clearing his conscience by attacking Trump in his speech, but that is a minor point.  He is giving his party the narrowest, high wire argument to support their reasons for acquittal… while at the same time making it clear to donors, people that write big checks.. .that it is OK to come back to the Republican party.  They they will be cleaning this up and he, MM will be taking back the GOP from Trump.

Wow, what a high wire act… gives hope, gives danger, and entertains.   Frankly, I’m OK if there is no net if he falls.

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Did you watch last night’s episode?

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I remember that it was common to talk about the last episode of the popular television show the next morning around the coffee pot, or amongst friends.  That just doesn’t occur anymore.  There is no proverbial water cooler, nor community coffee pot, nor for that matter episodes to discuss.  Rather we stream, so we talk the merits of one series over another, and what season are you up to?   Maybe Game of Thrones was the last of an era of episodically watched shows?  And it jumped the shark too!
When was the last time you said, did you watch last night’s episode?

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Happy Super Bowl Sunday! – Monday’s Reaction

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Yes the last year has been full of drama, full of surprises, full of challenges!  But today is Super Bowl Sunday, and it is the strangest ever as the crowds will be smaller, but still loud!  The hometown team for the first time playing at home in the Super Bowl.  The Greatest Of All Time up against the Kid that will become the Next GOAT!   Exciting, fun, and something rare and new.

My prediction:  Bucs win over the Chiefs by a score of 27 to 24.  And surprisingly with all the talk of offensive prowess, the defense will play a critical role.  The Buccaneers defense has been playing ever better and they will find a way to slow down the Chiefs potent offensive weapons, and give TOM BRADY enough field time to move the ball and score points.

Close game, but a Bucs Win!

MONDAY:   I was so wrong… not a close game… because great defense by the Bucs, and for that I was right,  defense played the critical role.  They more than slowed the Chiefs, they held them to just 3 field goals!  Todd Bowles (Bucs Defensive Coordinator) is amazing!  And Tom Brady wins his 5th Super Bowl MVP… Wow! 

Bucs win: 31 to 9