Category Archives: Musings

Musings, Poems

Thank You

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Thank you for family and friends
Thank you for all life energies
Thank you for the health we enjoy
Thank you for the gift of comedy
Thank you for the wonders of the world
Thank you for the diversity of thought
Thank you for the lyric and melody of music
Thank you for letters and language
Thank you for moments and memories
Thank you for the bounty of the table
Thank you for the comfort of the couch
Thank you for all the seasons of sports
Thank you for the sun, the moon and stars
Thank you for the wonder of it all
and mostly for life and each other’s love!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Blog, Musings

Satire and Comedy Wins

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Trump has been attacking Kimmel, Colbert, Meyers, Stewart and other comedians because their comedic attacks are working.  Yes, there may be a wee bit of thin skin involved.  But more importantly Trump knows from his own experience with his political rallies that insults, comedy, and wild accusations get people’s attention.  Even violence or the threat of violence can get people to pay attention.  But comedy, and especially satire are a mainstay of American politics from the earliest years of our Nation, even before we had a nation; satire was used against the King George to rally people to the cause of Independence.

Comedy has a special way of breaking through with ideas.  Pointing out the absurdities of a deranged Orange King in order to gain the opportunity to remind us of American values, morals, and ethics is extremely effective.

This coming year,  building to the mid-terms, the opposition to Trump would do well to have rallies headlined by comedians, and followed with politicians addressing policy and return to democratic norms.   The absurdities and the danger of the Trump administration must be pointed out continually, but there must be leadership to replace it, something that raises us up.   Happy warriors with positive positions on affordability, on health care improvements, and sensible border security and immigration policy.  The disregard for the issues that matter to Americans and the abject cruelty of the current administration actions can be pointed out through comedy and once the attention is gained then new policy can be addressed.

Sensible leadership would be addressing the rules of the road for AI as this may have profound impact on future jobs and how people work.  Sensible leadership would be addressing the cost of housing for young families, they would be addressing the denial by insurance companies of doctor prescribed procedures and medicine.  They would eliminate surprise medical costs.  Sensible leadership would give undocumented workers with no criminal history a path toward documented residency in our country.   Sensible leadership would not confuse and conflate war fighting with crime enforcement.

Yes, a winning combination is to use satire and comedy to point out the absurdities of a want-to-be autocrat and follow it with real solutions for real people.  Trump used the showmanship of his rallies to gain the attention of people who otherwise felt ignored by policy wonks and coastal elites, in order to bring in to play the prospects of an oppressive autocratic government.  He did it because it worked, and it got under the skin of the “politically correct”.   The loyal opposition to Trump should return the favor!

 

Musings, Poems, Uncategorized

They Say

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The annoying anonymous 
who seem to know everything
or at least that’s what they say.

But do they mean we need
not think for ourselves, 
relying on the wisdom-less they?

Who gets to decide they 
are they? Those who repeat 
the banality of the common they?

You know they say that Rome
wasn’t built in a day as an excuse
for not getting their work done. 

They say that ignorance is bliss,
as an excuse for failing to learn, 
like a happy blithering idiot. 

They say that the camera 
doesn’t lie, but I guess they
know nothing of deep fakes. 

They say a pessimist is 
simply an optimist with experience,
now that is something I could agree with. 

They say that love is blind,
but I believe we see far more
with eyes of love, then eyes closed by hate. 

 

 

Musings, Poems

Honor Veterans

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Honor today our Veterans,
those who served
those who made a difference
those who believe in the flag
they wore on their shoulders.

Service is not to be taken
for granted, not to be
viewed as anything other
than devotion to country
devotion to our way of life.

For their path was not easy,
not with the intent of wealth
not with the intent of glories
but with the intent of honoring
our traditions and constitution.

Along the way they discover
that they are part of something
greater than themselves,
something that represents
the strength of our diversity and ideals.

We all who honor them,
have much to learn from their
experience, have much to learn
from their commitment and service,
and it is right we honor them today.

 

Musings, Poems

Nary a Whisper

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Nary a whisper of a wind
contented clouds calming
with colors deep and many hues

The water still and quiet
is purple tinged, peacefully
mirroring a secret sky

The world sleeps silently
and yet captured here are these
words and image of beauty and peace

Keeping the turbulence of life
below the surface, the troubles
beyond the horizon

For we are fortunate to
know beauty, to know each
other and to know peace.

 

 

Uncategorized

Life Resonance

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I was thinking this morning about how nursery rhymes and songs of long ago stay with us, how poems well written to music resonate through time in our souls, How, music of 50 years ago is so persistent today.  How we can hear the rhythms of life in children… the same for nature.  We need to see, hear, and be connected to this life resonance…

 

Life Resonance

There’s a life resonance all around us
we find it in everything, feel it about us.
We never say ‘oh I’ve seen a sunrise,
I don’t need to see another again.’

We don’t say, ‘I’ve heard the ocean
waves, and the babbling brook or
the wind through the pine trees,
so I need not hear them again.’

We seek the sunset and birds singing
not for the rarity but for the clarity of
the repeating songs, the resonance
which assures us life continues on.

We listen to the rhythms of life
in those we love, their breaths,
their movements and sounds, and
we hear and love their songs of life.

We hear not a song and say,
I’ve heard this before, we need not
hear it again, but rather we sing along
or hum for then it brings us greater joy.

These poems with notes are not
alive in us because we heard them once
but because they become part of our
life-story, our life-love resonance.

So sing along, sing loud for this
is life resonance, these are the
rhythms which enrich our souls
as they flow through us.

Even a little snoring is good for the soul! 

 

 

Uncategorized

My Space Station Story

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I’ve published a memoir of sorts, it describes my life and career as it paralleled the Space Station Program. There were many lessons learned that I captured along the way, and some surprising stories. The Space Station is a modern marvel, and it is the product of hundreds of thousands of people applying their energies and talents over the last several decades. I was fortunate to be one of them.
Musings, Poems

First Steps

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First Steps (video)

Is it evolutional, or is it learned,
is it about speed or convenience,
is it our urging or natural urgency?

As she takes those first steps
toward a miniature version
of an independent future-self,

we are alive with excitement
for her development, for she
is becoming who she will be.

and someday she may carry us
when we are no longer able,
certainly, she will amaze us

with their words, her deeds,
her mobility and athleticism
and we will have this same joy

as we have today, seeing these
first tentative steps, for soon
she will be everywhere, all at once.

Yes, the world should get
ready, because here she
comes, ready or not!

 

 

Musings, Poems

My Heart, Now Whole Again

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An old soul at seven
he expresses wisdom
without reservation
in poetry of thought.

He moves with frantic
energy, until he settles
into remarkable
moments of reflection.

On a timeless beach,
on sand as fine as
sugar and cinnamon
he contemplates value.

He see’s himself in
this timelessness, as well as,
the fragility of life, and
the randomness of chance.

A handful of sand he lets
pass through his fingers
saying, mom this is my 
heart if I didn’t have you.

Then with another handful
he says, as he holds it firm,
this is my heart, now 
whole again.

 

for Carson Michael Flynn

 

Musings, Poems

Bridges

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Are metaphors for connection
and yet they always seem too far
and once crossed, it is often
their fate to be burned,

We value wins, but not win-win,
for it is in our nature, like small
children, to see the world as win-lose
which invariably is lose-lose.

A bridge to our destruction
is the one built across the river
of lies, a river of constant turmoil
that we see as something to conquer.

A bridge of connection is built across
a river of understanding and compassion.
Such a bridge can last forever
in spirit of love and enterprise.

Legacies are built when bridges
end fear and misunderstanding
because we let ourselves
live beyond our selfishness.

When we let empathy in  and
worship reason, and see ourselves
in all those others, then we can become
master bridge builders.