Life lessons (hacks)

- Life is hard.  It can be fun and a gift, but it is hard work every day

- Always pay your medical bills even if they seem like fraud

- If you hear water running in your home when you shouldn't, check it out ASAP

- 

Can we talk?

Can two (or more) people communicate?  This is a serious and important question these days, even IF they can speak the same language.  To help people communicate with me there are a few fundamental things that I find are critical to being able to share your ideas with me:

1) I am a lifelong student of science and the scientific method, and while not perfect, or always a straight line to the correct answer, it eventually works for knowing our universe.  If you don't think science has the answer to the question about our physical world, then we can have a great philosophical discussion, but not a practical, real world one.  Example of this

• Gravity is a "theory" and is a fact on earth, and by current research throughout  the universe.
• Smoking causes cancer.  The Tobacco industry spent a LOT of money to muddy this scientific result for over 25 years.
• Climate change is caused by humans.  The fossil fuel industry continues to spend a LOT of money to muddy this scientific results since the 90's.  Even the fossil fuel industry doesn't say climate change isn't real anymore, though some less informed people do. :-)
• Humans have visited the moon.  Currently only citizens from the U.S of A., but several countries' robots now.  This is not so much science as engineering.  
• SARS-COV-2 originated in bats and either directly or through an intermediate species (pangolin?) jumped to humans, first in China.

That said, there are many, many things that science does not know the final or ultimate answer to.  

• Is there other intelligent  life in the universe?
• How does consciousness work? 

2) If you believe that that any one gender, race, ethnic group, nationality, religion, culture or whatever way you want to separate people into 'us' and 'them' is inherently superior to any other gender, race, ethnic group, nationality, religion, culture, then we will have a hard time having a valuable exchange.  This isn't to deny any differences between gender, race, ethnic group, nationality, religion, cultures.  These differences are a part of what make this world an exquisitely beautiful and interesting place.  It is this belief in superiority that prevents a full discussion.  

A government shutdown for none

This extended government shutdown with no end in site is really eroding my confidence that the American system of government can survive these partisan attacks.  Once large numbers of people begin loosing faith in an institution it has to change, fall or become much more corrupt and despotic.

What the United States needs in a President

Fairness and Justice for all are the bedrock that this country was founded upon.  While initially that only applied to white males, this basic premise, has over the decades, expanded to include non-landowners, black males and finally women.  Currently we hold these truths to be self evident that All People are created equal.

The Courts are supposed to interpret the laws, and the Congress is supposed to reflect the will of the people, but only the President has the mandate and the ability to motivate and rally the nation to work toward it's higher goals and aspirations.  From the founding fathers through Lincoln, Rosevelt, Kennedy, Regan, Obama, Presidents have helped us overcome our biases and enabled us to achieve what has become known as The American Dream.

A President, and their administration are not required by the constitution to do very much, but...

America is not a country as much as an IDEAL that all countries, including the U.S. of A. can strive for.

Needed Constitutional Amendments

Proposed Constitutional Amendments

1. Congressional Districts Reform - No Gerrymandering
1. Equal weight for each congressperson (based on state with smallest population)
2. Minimal surface area for each drawn district. 
2. Election Reform 
1. Election day is a national holiday, since all citizens have the right to vote.
2. Direct election of presidents by popular national vote.  This dissolves the electoral college.
3. Every citizen receives a voter ID card every 4 years after initially registering to vote, valid in every state/territory for the purpose of all elections at no direct cost.
4. Every citizen can vote in EVERY election for a federal office regardless of party affiliation.
3. Senate Filibuster 
1. As the filibuster has been critical in partisan times to allow for civility and compromise, the use of the filibuster is hereby enforced for all senate activity and cannot be restricted in any way, shape, or form.
4. Automatic Budgets
1. If a new budget is not passed, the previous years budget automatically is renewed for another year with an included Cost-of-Living increase.  This happens regardless of any other actions except the passage of a new federal budget into law.
5. Pardon Reform
1. The power to pardon has been abused by too many presidents.  It is now vested in a committee made up of retired Supreme Court Justices and ANYONE convicted of a Federal Crime can petition for a full pardon. 
6. Medical Reform
1. Basic medical care is a right and no care can be denied based on ability to pay or preexisting condition.
2. Medical debt is not considered debt under the law and cannot be involuntarily collected
7. Legislative Reform
1. During any"lame duck" phase, no legislature, board, council, at any level of government from the U.S. Congress down to municipal boards or councils, can change any of the rules or procedures effecting the incoming members or any other newly elected officials rights and responsibilities.
8. Justice Reform
1. No U.S. Citizen is above U.S. Law, and ALL citizens regardless of position, from the President, to members of the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches of government can immediately be tried for all Federal crimes defined as felonies. 
9.  Election Reform
1. Any Federally elected or appointed office, not already limited, has a 25-year term limit.
10.  Definition reform
1. For the purposes of all federal law, life begins 38-weeks after conception.  The period between the moment of conception and when life is codified to begin, the pregnant person has the full authority for any decision related to that pregnancy.
11. Justice Reform
1. Except in the case of Treason, the death penalty is hereby banned in all U.S. states, territories, protectorates or colonies.
12. Justice Reform
1. From local police to FBI and CIA agents law-enforcement is a special and hallowed position that comes with great privilege and great responsibility  If any law-enforcement officer at any level is proven to have lied or willfully mislead any investigation/report/testimony in the normal course of their duties, they will forever and in all ways forfeit the right to be a said officer anywhere the U.S. Constitution is the law-of-the land.
13. Legislative Reform
1. All Federally and State elected officials must fully disclose ALL family financial interests in the same manner that current Federal Employees must disclose ALL financial interests.
14. Election Reform
1. No person may run for elected office if their 75th birthday will occur before election day.

The Cubs win the Series!

That high didn't last long enough...

The difference between a row house and a high-rise condo

In a row house you are at street level.
You are where the action is.
In the muck and the mush and the dirt.
You open your door and you in the thick of it.
Knee deep in the slush and the sleet and the white.

In a condo, you are an observer, not a participant.
You have perspective, you see the big picture.
You can watch the success and failure of those below.
You open your door, and you are in a nice cozy hall.
Not the cold harsh alive world mother nature served up.