Unintended Consequences: How Xenophobia boosted China's Rocket Program

This content was published on the Public Radio WGBH site. 
( The story was compelling enough to copy. It tells how McCarthy era fear-mongering caused the USA to  deport one of our most valued scientists, who went on to become the father of China's rocket program. )

Fear can lead to dumb decisions. 

And that could be an unintended consequence of US President Donald Trump’s ban on travel and immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries, according to Peter W. Singer of the New America Foundation. 

  
There are legitimate security concerns when it comes to deciding who to allow entry into the US from places like Syria and Iraq. That is why rigorous vetting procedures are already in place for asylum seekers from war-torn countries. 

“It’s a two-year process. It involves all sorts of different things from background checks to fingerprints to iris scans, you name it,” Singer says. 

Singer notes, however, that the framing of Trump’s executive order is about the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 — even though the home countries of the 9/11 plotters aren't included in the ban. 

“If this executive order had been put into place back in 2001, it would not have stopped either 9/11 or any single act of terror in the United States that has occurred since,” Singer says. 

Take the case of Qian Xuesen, a Chinese scientist Singer recently wrote about in Popular Science.  

Qian was born in China in 1911 and came to the United States in 1935 to study aeronautical engineering at MIT. He later took a job with the US government and worked on several programs, including ballistic missile technology and the Manhattan Project, the secret atomic bomb program. 

In 1949, Qian was named director of the jet propulsion lab at Cal Tech. Singer says Qian earned a reputation for being an undisputed genius. 

But in that same year, Mao Zedong’s communists took over mainland China. Soon after that came Sen. Joe McCarthy's Red Scare, a witch hunt targeting suspected communist sympathizers in the US. 

Singer says Qian’s attendance at a party held before the war was used to implicate him as a communist sympathizer and a security threat. The FBI apparently believed that the social gathering was organized by communists from Pasadena, California. 

“Solely for the fact that he attends this party, his application for US citizenship is denied. ... [Qian] then loses his security clearance, and then he’s placed under house arrest,” Singer says. 

The Chinese scientist was held in detention for four years, and then deported back to China in 1955. 

The head of the US Navy at the time was quoted as saying that Qian’s deportation was "the stupidest thing this country ever did. He was no more a communist than I was and we forced him to go.” 

Back in China, Qian went on to become a national hero who helped make great strides in China’s nascent nuclear, missile and space programs. 

“Over the next couple of decades, [Qian] becomes known as the ‘father of Chinese rocketry,’” Singer says.

In fact, Qian helped develop the long-range missiles that still target the US today, Singer says, along with the Chinese nuclear program. 

Singer sees Qian’s story as a powerful example of how fear of outsiders in the short term can end up backfiring on your own nation’s security. 

“We lost one of the top scientific minds of the last century that had already contributed greatly to US security and was clearly going to contribute more,” Singer says. 

“Then in turn we helped jump start this vast [Chinese] missile and space complex that’s still a rival to us today.”  

Not every scientist or university student being blocked from entry to the US by Trump’s executive order is going to make the same kind of impact that Qian did, of course. 

“But each and every one of them will be a story of lost opportunity,” Singer says.  

Attribution: https://www.pri.org/stories/2017-02-06/us-trained-scientist-was-deported-then-became-father-chinese-rocketry

Headlines and alternative facts

Random Thoughts

- Trump just signed an order to with hold funding from foreign non-profits that offer abortion counseling.  This is typical of shallow Pro-Life thinking.  If they considered the consequences of their actions they might see that many of the babies that they insist must be born to live a life of poverty and strife will grow into the same adults that they want to throw in jail, keep out of the US, and off the welfare roles.

- It was reported that one of the last (classless) acts of the Obama administration was to authorize $220 Million to the terrorist Palestinian Authority, despite a GOP request to hold back those funds. Trump should claw-back those funds and give a refund to people like me who actually pay taxes.

- There has been a huge flap about how many people attended the Trump inauguration, and the subsequent handling of the "alternative facts" given to the press.  I think the Trump staff is right when they say that the liberal press taunted them with comparisons of the attendances at previous Obama inaugurations.  How could Trump not fire back with exaggerated claims of a million an and a half bodies as far as the eye could see?
   I chalk this up to "irrelevant information" designed by the TV news editors (on both sides) to fill time because they have nothing of substance to talk about.  These days every time I see a news show with more than two guests, I switch to Comedy Channel.  These goat rodeos with panels of 5 or 8 people are unwatchable and bereft of useful information.  Don Lemon is the worst.  He should be fired if for no other reason than being drunk on camera on New Years Eve.

- As he promised, Trump has acted to remove the block that Obama had put on the Keystone XL pipeline.  I think this is a bad idea.  Here are my reasons.

• The pipeline is intended to bring Canadian oil to Texas for export..  
• The shale oil that is being extracted is the least pure oil, accessed by fracking. 
• Fracking uses a lot of fossil fuel to power the extraction engines. Thus it is much less efficient than other *available* sources of oil.  
• Many of the involved private landowners and civil authorities in the path of the pipeline object for various reasons.
• America is already independent of foreign oil.  This oil will be exported at low/crude tax rate to foreign refineries.
• It is a short term jobs creator.  Admittedly, thousands will be employed to create the pipeline, but once finished less than a hundred permanent jobs will be created.  
• Does does not lower fuel prices in the US. May actually result in regional increases. 
• Accidents can and do happen.  This is a project that does not benefit 99.4% of Americans.
• The only real beneficiaries of this project will be the Oil companies and construction companies involved.  
• Check out my facts at:  https://www.nwf.org/pdf/Global-Warming/KXL_Myths_vs_Facts.pdf

      Who you gonna believe? The lying oil companies or the National Wildlife Federation?.

English Majors Need Not Apply?

There was an article in yesterday's Boston Globe  about the plans at  a small NH college (Colby-Sawyer) to discontinue two major concentrations which were once thought to be the cornerstones of a Liberal Arts education:  English and Philosophy.  

I suppose this is a reflection of the relative level of interest in these fields.  The college reports that currently there are only 18 students majoring in English, and no Philosophy majors.  I guess it makes logical sense that parents who are looking at annual tuition costs of $54,000 per academic year, are urging their kids to choose more practical degrees that will translate into career opportunities later on. 

I am disappointed by the general assumption that Liberal Arts degrees are inferior to Science and Technology sheepskins -- largely because of the higher salary levels that engineers enjoy upon graduation.  

On the other hand,  I am pleased to report that there is a sparse but growing body of information that disputes the knee-jerk assumption that STEM graduates will outperform Liberal Arts majors in some critical jobs.  

One CEO admits: "Looking back at the tech teams that I’ve built at my companies, it’s evident that individuals with liberal arts degrees are by far the sharpest, best­-performing software developers and technology leaders. Often these modern techies have degrees in philosophy, history, and music – even political science..."

In another Wall Street Journal piece entitled: "Good News Liberal Arts Majors, Your Peers Probably Won't Outearn You Forever" 
Points to numerous examples of Liberal Arts majors whose salaries tend to close the gap and their careers mature.   Click on the article and take a look at the lifetime earning chart.  You might be surprised.

I should admit here that I graduated Northeastern University as an English Major.  Despite my inability to spell or punctuate correctly, I managed to come away from NU with one great asset - my wife of 49 years.  We met in Creative Writing class.  

Even in 1968, (unless you could write like Papa Hemingway)  there were few career paths for graduating English Majors.  You could go on for a degree in fine arts (MFA) and go into the publishing industry as an editor or proofreader. Or go to grad school for an MED so you could teach.  Or you could go out into the scary world of commerce as an administrative flunky.

Following a short stint in academic administration for my alma mater, I chose the latter road.  I worked for eight different companies in my career.  When applying for a job I always fibbed a bit on my resume/application.  Instead of English as my major, I would write English-Journalism because I thought it would make me seem more practical.  After all, I had taken a course in Investigative Reporting.   I guess it worked, because most of my working life I've been a Systems Analyst, Project Manager, Managed a Product Admin group, and was a even Program Manager for New Products Manufacturing, for goodness sake!  

You may ask how my degree in Liberal Arts/English prepared me for a career in High Tech companies.  Beats me!   I like to think that my Liberal Arts courses helped me to hone my analytical skills and communications abilities.  Luck plays a huge role in anyone's life.   (As a side note, I wish more people who present themselves as journalists on TV and in print could take a few courses in investigative journalism.  I often find myself reading a so-called News item and thinking "This sounds like an editorial."  But I digress.)    My wife also found gainful employment in Sales (Mfg Rep, Payroll Software, Insurance) and retired as Training Manager at a Bank.  Not bad for a couple of English Majors with BA's.

So I am one who still believes in a Liberal Arts education, as a foundation for developing critical thinking skills and understanding the cultural richness of our civilization.  

The Job is only one facet of life, after all.  Most of the joys in life are experienced in leisure time.   Far and away the most important characteristic of successful people is the ability to relate to others. Science and Math do not teach you that.


  
   

Breaking News

"Breaking News"  The other day CNN breathlessly announced that they had exclusive leaked information about a security briefing where it was revealed that intelligence sources had unverified accusations about Donald Trump.  Unverified salacious accusations.  Black mail worthy videos that the Russians had in their possession.  CNN announcers were careful to stipulate that these murky allegations were unverified, but the tone and urgency of the announcement was the same as if reporting a plane crash.
  Soon, other news stations were picking-up this story.  Before you could say "WTF?" speculation on the likelihood of Trump's carnal misdeeds while in Moscow being caught on camera were the fodder for talk shows and pundit programs.  In a press conference this week, Trump denied everything, of course.  He also refused to take any questions from the CNN reporter because he "worked for a fake news organization."

On this issue, I agree with The President-elect.  Unverified allegations are not "Breaking News." They are not "News" at all.  CNN editors, Wolf Blitzer and the other talking heads who promulgated this story should be fired.

This raises another raft of annoyances about the so-called News industry.

Weather fatigue.  Why is ordinary winter weather covered as News?  I can understand why local stations might want to cover weather-related human interest stories,(bloody crashes, families burned-out of their homes in icy weather with firemen frozen to their hoses, etc.)   and local storm warnings can be useful to viewers especially fishermen and people looking for information about school closings.  But if you watch TV news on an ordinary winter day, at least a third of the time is spent watching a weatherperson standing in front of a map, yakking about isobars and windchills. Sorry, but seasonal weather is not news and it is certainly not entertaining.  Most annoying are the clever interactions of the news readers and the weather person as they try to fill time.    Worse, on the evening news programs we are forced to waste time watching footage weather related highway accidents in South Dakota. Yup, roads get slippery in winter.

What happened to the Weather Channel, where you could go and check to see if your upcoming trip or event would be affected by the weather?

The Crawl.  Another annoying feature of cable news is that stupid linear crawl of information that runs at the bottom of the screen while you are listening to other Breaking News, trying to read the captions and also seeing loops of  old file footage  of Osam Bin Laden brandishing an Uzi because they have no relevant new video.

"A story you heard first on our station."  For some reason, news editors think that we care who broke the story.  99% of the time, the exclusive story could easily be covered by this script: "We are first on the scene here in ______ where police are investigating something.  We don't know what happened and  in fact cannot answer any of the who what when where questions of traditional journalism.  But we wanted to show you some video of us standing in front of a building.  Complete story at nine when everyone will be reporting the same story.."

A Few Thoughts About The Flag

One of the issues that is roiling on the opinion pages of newspapers recently is Flag- burning.  There have been a few incidents since the election where some knuckleheads have set fire to Old Glory in protest to the results of the election.  Kind of a mixed message when you burn the symbol of democracy and freedom because the election didn't go your way.  Seems like a childish and unthoughtful expression for a US citizen.  Like burning a picture of your mother because you grew up with an ugly nose.

Trump could not resist tweeting: "Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag — if they do, there must be consequences — perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!" 

I believe one's opinion holds weight commensurate with the sacrifice one has made.   As a non-combat veteran, I  will yield to the strong feelings of any vet who fought and bled under the banner of the stars and stripes.

My own 2 cents about flag burning:  I vigorously disapprove of it, but I agree with the Supreme Court decision that protects freedom of speech.  (They have ruled that the Constitution protects your right to burn your own flag.  Not my flag or one owned by the government.)

I think flag-burners should be treated like any case of arson with regard to property ownership, damage and safety of the public.

I was proud to serve my country under the banner and will always respect the flag as a symbol of the ideals we share as patriots: Freedom, equality, justice.

But it's a symbol, not a sacred object.

I have to admit that I am not a purist on this issue.  I  recognize the valid feelings of those who are offended by certain odious expressions of free speech (Neo-nazi parades, disrupting funerals or other solemn occasion).  

I would suggest that a specific misdemeanor should apply to cases of "Justified Assault" - when someone is being so offensive that you just have to punch them in the mouth.  This offense should be punished by a slap on the wrist and an admonition not to do it again (wink, wink)

A Real Thanksgiving Memory

Family Traditions  - 2010

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday.  Growing up in Watertown, MA my memories of those family feasts are of happy times.  The holiday began on Thanksgiving Eve when my mother would start preparing the stuffing.  The house would be full of delicious odors as mounds of chopped onions and celery and  breakfast sausage were sauteed,  then mixed with bread crumbs, seasoning, and “secret Irish spices” – which was our joking reference to plain salt and pepper.

Mom would be up at six the next morning, making the final preparations and getting the turkey into the oven.  By the time we kids got out of bed, the house was already warm with the aroma of roasting turkey.  Store-bought turkeys always came with a bag of bird parts, called “giblets.”  Mom would boil the giblets in a pan to feed them to the cats, so they could have Thanksgiving too.

I read somewhere that some of our most vivid memories are associated with odor.  To me, there is nothing that says “home” quite like the fragrance of a turkey cooking in the oven.  The whole house smells like peace love and harmony.

I have happy memories of those days when we were all young and healthy.  My grandparents came to our house for holiday feasts.  They lived in a tiny cottage near Revere Beach.  They would drive 17 miles east along winding Route 16  to our house on Robbins Road.  I still remember one time when they arrived at our house in the old maroon Plymouth sedan.  Grandpa was a careful driver and he would frequently get honked-at for moving too slowly for some speed demons.  He would respond with colorful curses picked up during his Navy days.   We were very amused when we asked my grandmother about the traffic, she remarked, “Well, there sure were a lot of bastards and son-of-a-bitches on the road today!” She was of course quoting the words Grandpa had yelled out the window to anyone who honked at him.  

Usually we kids would go to the Watertown-Belmont football game. Dad might walk down with us if the weather was good.  After the game we would return home, and the smell of the roasting turkey would hit us as we walked through the door.  We had various chores.  Mine was to peel and cut the turnip and squash for boiling.   While the vegetables were boiling, Mom would serve hors d’oeuvres of cooked shrimp, nuts, celery and olives. For drinks there was always chilled cider and sodas for the young people and plenty of bubbly for the adults.    

Finally the dinner would be served and eight of us would gather around the table.     We all stuffed ourselves on roast turkey with mashed potatoes, squash, turnip, green peas, cranberry jelly, dinner rolls.  Everyone raved about Mom’s gravy. She always said that it was because she used the same water that was used to boil the turnips and onions. I still do not know how mom got everything on the table while still piping hot.  We didn’t have microwaves back then.

A few years later my daughters would grow-up in Wellesley, but we celebrated Thanksgiving in a very similar manner. Thankfully, when the time came, my wife Judy took on the role of hostess and kept the same cherished recipes for stuffing, gravy, and all the rest: the traditional football game (against Needham), the dinner with all the fixin’s --  even the visiting grandparents.  .

A few years ago, the Thanksgiving baton was passed to my eldest daughter.  She has assumed the role as holiday hostess and will again be cooking the turkey this year.

Now, we are the visiting grandparents.  We will be driving over to Natick just after noon next Thursday. If you are going that way and you see a silver Camry that seems to be going too slowly, please refrain from honking. I am just being a careful driver. It runs in the family.

The Real Thanksgiving Story

Just for the record,  the real Thanksgiving Dinner went off very well with no scenes from "Hotel California." 

My daughter reports that the 22 lb turkey from a local organic farm cost $125.  Holy shit!  That's like almost $6 a pound.   It was delicious and moist.  Still cheaper than fish or beef.

We did not mention the election, except for the 16 year old grand son who wanted to see the adults fight.  He kept making anti-Trump statements.  (His dad was a pro-Trump guy). 

It was peaceful and congenial and we were all thankful for our blessings.

...

We did not talk about the terrible choices Trump is making for his cabinet.  I was always disappointed that Obama did not select the strongest people for his administration, (especially Treasury and AG and Sec of State, twice), but he looks like a genius compared to the Twitterer-in-Chief (elect)'s announced appointments and reported considerations,  Nikki Haley is an ok choice for UN Ambassador -- what the heck do they do, anyway? 

 I am not feeling to confident when the guy who has been named Attorney General is a racist homophobe (Sessions).  Ben Carson, who admits that he has no administrative experience is gonna be HUD Secretary.  Two others are blatant plum jobs as a reward for rich donors, who are utterly unqualified to be Cabinet members.  If Rudy Guiliani gets Sec of State, I'm moving to Mexico, if they will let me in.. 

Thanksgiving 2016

It’s a cloudy day in New England.  The family gathers for the annual dinner and opportunity to reconnect.  We arrive and get hugs all around except from the grandchildren who barely look up from their electronic devices, with a “Uh, Hi.” Then back to the chase or battle or grand theft felony games.  

Fine, we think, accepting the proffered bloody marys; we prefer adult conversation anyhow.  But there are warnings this post-election year.  The wrong guy has been elected and those of us who are in the majority must be careful not to talk about it.  “No politics! Period,” our host commands.  

Several members of the family voted for the wrong guy and will very likely be displaying some offensive righteousness, if allowed to enter a free-for-all discussion.  The majority, wallowing in moral superiority and fear, cannot bring ourselves to even acknowledge the reality of what has happened, because it can't happen here. Or so we thought.   How could the opposition not see the calamities that will surely fall upon all our heads?

We, who are proud to profess our tolerance of all human behavior, except what we call hate-speech, remain steadfastly intolerant of people who disagree with us on which candidate was worse.

No, we must not allow talk about it.  Like being at a wake, we shall not speak ill.  We make a list of approved topics – Mmm the stuffing is especially good this year. Is that a new painting hanging on the wall?  So, how about them Patriots?  How is that cure for nagging rectal itch working out?  Cold, isn’t it?  What a cute kitty,  (to grandkid:  Hows school going? What grade are you in now? Really?) and etcetera. 

(Speaking of grandkids, one grandpa I know tells me that when he would visit his grandkids, which was not often, they would ignore him and keep playing or watching their devices.  He decided to start giving them each a crisp twenty dollar bill.  He reports that now every time he comes in the door they compete with each other to run and give him a big hug.) 

       

But I digress.  

At the Thanksgiving gathering, we,  the majority, stand around, sipping our drinks, nervously waiting for the Alt-right contingent to arrive.  We hope they will not be gloating about the election outcome -- or worse, complaining about the not-my-president  riots protests.   And if we hear any talk about immigration, the wall, locking-her-up, extreme muslim terrorists, trade pacts, China, guns, or the revered cast of “Hamilton,” we will be furious.  The more we think about it, the more pissed-off we get.

Who do they think they are, lording it over us like that?  Those fucking deplorables!

We gather at the window as the hate wagon arrives with it’s gaudy Trump/Pence bumper sticker. 

“Hello everyone,” they greet us warmly. 

We see through that phoniness, and stab them with our steely knives.    

More Post Election Prattle

In the aftermath of the Trump election earthquake, pundits are still sifting through the ruins, looking for causes.  The shambles of still smoking expectations resemble the landscape of a dystopian fantasy.
   
Shocked and dismayed, some wander the information highway like philosophical zombies searching for meaning.  Others gather into distraught groups standing with scrawled signs, crying out their anger, grief and disappointment to the pitiless sky.

For many, including me, the suddenness of this new reality came out of the blue. We would have been less surprised if large UFO monoliths suddenly appeared in the skies.  The reality is a temblor measuring at least 6 on the Richter scale, enough to crumble old beliefs and assumptions.   

Many progressives have stuck their heads in the sand, declaring with absolute certainty that Trump's election was simply more evidence of discrimination against a woman becoming President (similar to the way many on the left were quick to dismiss any criticism of Obama as racism).   Of course there are misogynists and racists in the general public, but I contend that those prejudices are less of a factor than the issue of Trust.

In case you hadn't noticed, plenty of women and minorities have been getting elected and appointed to important posts in government and business internationally.   Remember Golda Meir, Maggie Thatcher, Angela Merkel?  In recent decades, there has been a steady quota of about 20 female heads of state in the world. 

There are six  incumbent female Governors in  the USA.  Currently 125 elected members of congress/senate are Women. So this is the reality that Hillary supporters must come to grips with: it wasn't her gender that lost the race.

I am convinced that whatever latent prejudices a person might have, they will vote for the person that they believe will do the best job.  

Time will tell whether these beliefs were well-founded in last week's election.



  

Speechless, Almost

I am not a fan of election night coverage.  Call me old-fashioned but I prefer actual vote counts to exit polls and breathless projections the minute  the polls close.  So, last night I was reading a book at the kitchen table  (Grisham's newest novel "The Whistler," if you must know,) while Judy was following the various returns, and the all-important analysis on cable TV.   

 Around midnight she announced that she was going to bed, and with a look of trepidation on her face, said, "Trump's going to win."  She said it in the same tone a doctor might have used to inform you that you have inoperable cancer.

My first thought was "This cannot be..."  I had never entertained the thought that Trump might actually succeed in fooling most of the people.  

I woke up this morning and realized it was not just a bad dream.  I was not feeling great. I was stunned. I wondered how even the most ardent Hillary-hater could forget that Trump is little more than a bag of wind  -- a phony two bit reality show celebrity, a pussy-grabbing, multi-bankrupt, tax evading, petty blowhard.     But the numbers are there in blue and red.   

I am still stunned (if not speechless), and coming to grips with the new reality show that we will watch unfold.  I feel a few pluses: At least, Hillary is never going to be president.  This time she will not get a nice cabinet position.  Hopefully Hill and Bill will exit stage left and fade into history.  

Also, the stock market has not crashed -- as was feared during the early morning hours -- at least, not yet!. 

It is too early to do an effective autopsy, but one cannot help opining on cause and effect.  Many of us who are stunned today must admit to being deaf to the numbers of disaffected people.  

I think it will become clearer that Trump's election is to a great extent ( but not entirely) due to a backlash to the speed of changes that progressives/liberals have been inflicting on the not-so-silent majority.  Political correctness has gone amok, where many voters felt their rights and beliefs were being trampled in the progressive dust while the PC gang remained intolerant in smug moral superiority.   Hillary's failure to be elected has little to do with her gender and a lot to do with the fact that she is generally disliked and distrusted.

So now it is up to Mr. Trump to follow through on his promises to make America great.  Will that be manifested by  "Trump" being etched in big letters into the White House Portico? Will he invite Putin to spend a few nights in the Lincoln bedroom while they plan world domination?  

Or, will he actually help Veterans, reform immigration, improve the balance of trade, appoint responsible judges to SCOTUS, etc.?

Time will tell.   I am not optimistic.  

Not Voting for Trump

Since you asked, I may as well reveal my political preference.  

I'm voting for the second-worst candidate.   I'm not happy about it.  Her election will keep us at status quo, a deadlocked congress, corruption at the highest levels, weak economic growth.

At least we won't be going to war to settle Donald's grudges and debts.  No intelligent person who actually listens to what he has said over the course of the campaign could want this person as Commander in Chief.  I couldn't even vote for Trump for Permanent Latrine Orderly (PLO)

Pro Football Thoughts

8 Changes I would like to see in Pro Football TV broadcasts:

1. No more than two consecutive commercials during the break after a score, injury or 2 minute warning.

There are simply too many commercials.  They interrupt the pace of the games, and are largely irrelevant unless you 

a) need more insurance, 

b) are thinking of buying a new luxury SUV or Pickup Truck,

c) are amenable to changing your brand of beer.

2. More time covering cheerleaders, less time with sideline commentary and injury reports.

Currentlly, too much time is devoted to injury reports, arcane statistics, fans in outlandish costume, people with signs, what the Qback's mother thinks, etc.  Personally I think the perky young cheerleaders who spend a great deal of time preparing their routines should get more camera time.

3. Ability to mute commentary but still hear crowd noise.

As mentioned in the previous point, too much time is spent yakking about stuff that is not the game-at-hand.  Sometimes the booth staff gets carried away with their own cleverness, and you just have to mute them. There should be an option to shut off the commentary but still hear the ambient noise of the fans.

4. More diversity on teams.

I notice that most of the pro teams appear to be over-represented with African-Americans.  Is this fair? In the spirit of equal representation, there ought to be an affirmative action program for Caucasians, Jews, Indian- and Chinese- Americans.

5. Eliminate Holding penalty for offensive blockers.

More seriously, I would abolish the penalty for offensive holding.
The Quarterback is a vulnerable position - as evidenced by the number of key QB injuries.  Blockers should be allowed to trip and hold opponents from access to the QB or other runner. 

6. No Throw back uniforms

This is an annoying waste of fabric, and serves no purpose.  The uniforms are usually ugly and disturbingly different from the uniforms that viewers are accustomed to.  They might as well be wearing clown masks. 

7.  Eliminate the over head camera.

Un-necessary distraction.  I worry the the cables will snap and fall on the players.  I don't need to experience the angles that the overhead camera gives.

8.  No player or coach interviews.
Invariably, these exchanges are both un-informative and un-interesting.  The only entertaining sideline interview was when Suzy Kolber talked to a drunken Joe Nameth.

Had Enough

Keith Oberman,  Progressive commentator and chief critic of the Bush Administration in the day, is back.  

He says, " I would rather endure a third term of George W Bush than 5 minutes in a Trump presidency."

Add caption

This rant is pretty good Click here.    7 minutes, but worth it, if you've had enough..

Remember the Everly Brothers?

Last night we went to our favorite local venue - The Center for Arts in Natick (TCAN) - to see the Everly Brothers tribute band called "The Bird Dogs."  It was an entertaining and enjoyable return to the 50's and 60's when the Everlies produced hit after hit.  They played a lot of the old songs that we loved.  My only complaint is that they were too loud, but I feel that way about a lot of modern music.
Returning home after the show, I was moved to click on some of the Everly hit tunes on You Tube.  While listening to the 1984 Albert Hall Reunion Concert, I checked-in with Wikipedia to try to learn why the brothers had split-up in the first place, after such a successful run of hits as a duo.

I was surprised and dismayed to learn that the pair were plagued by jealousy, drugs and alcohol.  At one point they wouldn't even record together.  Phil refused to be in the studio with Don, so he sang his  part and later Phil would record the harmony. They sang together onstage but not in the studio.

Don  attributed their estrangement in later life to  "their vastly different views on politics and life"
Could it be true that a big reason for their enmity was political differences?  Jeeps, this would be a poster example for how ideology can ruin relationships.  Come to think of it I suppose it's been going on since the Civil War.  So sad to watch good things go bad.

Phil died in 2014 from COPD shortly before his 75th birthday.

AFTERWORD:

Don is said to be supporting Hillary Clinton in the upcoming election.

Carpe Autumn

There is nothing as magic as an early morning stroll under a bright New England sky in October. The crisp, moist air hangs like golden wisps of smoke, whispering ripe apples and pumpkins. 

Emily Dickinson found the slant of light on winter afternoons to be oppressive, but the hue and angle of the light in autumn is a tonic for the soul.

Yes, you can feel the promise of frost in the damp air and the dew glistening on the grass. One night, very soon, the tomato vines and marigold leaves will turn black. We will pull them up and toss them on the compost pile.  

Though we will sorely miss the freshly picked tomatoes for our salads and homemade salsa, and we will long for the luxury of golden pungent marigolds in vases, but we will not mourn their passing.   We are already thinking of the spring planting. Renewal.

Perhaps it is the knowledge that we only have a few precious weeks to savor the fruits of our cultivation makes us appreciate them more than if we could expect them every day. And invites us to look ahead with hope to the inevitable Spring

We who love the change of seasons welcome Autumn, and in turn, Winter. We do not carp about weather. We celebrate the changes in the skies.  

You will not hear us complaining about the rain or the heat or even the hurricane. We take what comes, knowing that, if there is a god, then it is his will.  Despite our prayers or wishes or puny technology we have no power over weather - we can only try to endure.

You may hear us remark that the lawn is brown or the snow is too deep to go to work.  These are not complaints they are merely observations.  We are Buddhists.  We cannot make the weather happen.  We can only sit and hunker down when the winds blow, and wait for the lovely days.

This is life.  Because the earth is off-kilter, we have seasons.  

As I get older I truly appreciate the seasons. Predictable changes give us a sense of urgency - adding commas and semicolons to our life sentences.  As we see the lifeline getting shorter, we eschew comfort and tedium. We embrace the challenge of slip and skid against our aging bones. Let the winds and seas rage. Let the snow pile high. Let the power lines fail and the toilets freeze. We'll survive.

Or, maybe not.

In our hearts, we know that the temperature of the earth is constant at a depth of six feet. And, lord knows, there will be plenty of time for that.

Treedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb

Don't ask me who won the Vice Presidential Nominee debate last night.  After watching the first  fifteen minutes, I bailed, and went back to reading my book.

Instead of showing us something new and fresh, both candidates made it clear that they came to replay the samo-samo party lines of their running mate.

Since I have heard those stale and half-true claims and accusations already dozens of times I did not want to waste any more time listening to these two stooges.

The moderator, whose name I did not get, was wearing too much make-up and looked completely fake.  She was ineffective in keeping the schoolyard antagonists from interrupting each other (Kane was the worst offender - I felt like punching him in the stomach.)  

I will not put much stake in the opinion polls.  If someone actually stayed and watched the whole
show, I would not value their opinion anyhow.

Too bad they didn't invite Bill Weld, the Libertarian VP nominee.   He might have livened things up a bit.  Since Gary Johnson has embarrassingly flubbed several easy foreign affairs questions, Weld has apparently given up on Johnson.  He tells the Boston Globe that he plans to spend the next five weeks blasting Trump.  His chief goal is to keep Trump out of the White House and take a lead role in rebuilding the GOP.  Good luck with that plan.  

Tax Evasion

TAX EVASION

At the debate the other night Hillary launched her "October surprise" on Trump, suggesting that he refuses to show us his birth certificate oops I mean tax returns because he doesn't pay any taxes.

Then a copy of Trump's tax return for 1995 is mysteriously "leaked."    It showed that he claimed a nearly billion dollar loss and subsequently paid no taxes.    Trump says, "That makes me smart." Accountants say this is legal, since tax rules that favor wealthy filers would have allowed writing-off up to $50 million in taxable income per year for up to 18 years.

By stark contrast, a middle-income earner reporting a $30,000 loss would only be allowed to take a maximum of $3,000 as a write-off for that tax year.  And the carry forward loss is capped at $3k per year, even if there are further losses.

I am reminded of Leona Helmsley the hotel heiress who famously remarked "We don't pay taxes. Only the little people pay taxes." (She went to jail for tax evasion, sentenced to 16 years, but was able to buy her freedom after only 19 months.)

Mark Cuban thinks the"loss" was probably a quasi-legal tax shelter.  I think it was tax evasion.

NeverHillary vs NeverTrump

Dorothy Rabinowitz, writes an interesting op-ed essay in today's Wall Street Journal.   "The Hillary-Hatred Derangement Syndrome" compares the compelling arguments between the "anti-" groups.

Ms Rabinowitz is a member of the Journal's editorial board so Clinton haters cannot dismiss her writing as the product of leftist kool-aid drinker mentality.  Her conclusion, surprisingly, is to urge for the election of Mrs. Clinton because "She alone stands between America and the reign of the most unstable, proudly uninformed, psychologically unfit president ever to enter the White House."



Since base supporters on either side are largely deaf to criticism of their chosen candidate, the election will likely be decided by the voters who will hold their noses and then vote for the second-worst-choice.

"You told me that already."

On Repeating Oneself

One of the more annoying phrases in current American parlance is, "You told me that already."   For me, it's a conversation killer.
Everyone repeats themselves.  If you have a good story, you tend to tell it to more than one person.  It's not a personality disorder to forget the names of everyone you have already told the story to.  Paradoxically, the ones most-likely to call you on repetition are, themselves, the worst repetition offenders. 

  I have politely listened, for the second or third time, to some tedious story about some former neighbor's niece's cocker-poodle who desperately needed a kidney transplant.    Shouting "Yes, you already told me that." seems like an unnecessary rebuke.  Si I sit quietly, nodding at the appropriate junctures,  not interrupting, until the tedious end. 

Because I understand that it is therapeutic for you to tell this story, I smile and nod. Rather than embarrassing you with an interjected, "You told me that already,"  I let you tell the story beginning to end, again, up to and including the solemn ceremony placing of little Max's ashes in an urn on the mantle.


Perhaps the motives of the person informing you that you are repeating yourself are completely innocent.  Perhaps they just want to let you know that they were indeed listening the first time you told them that joke or anecdote.  In my opinion, they are just being rude. 

The thought occurs that maybe the solution for me is to get out and meet more new people who have not heard any of my fascinating stories and knee-slapper jokes already.   

Labor Day Thoughts 2016

It has been 13 years since I was a full-time employee of a company.   Since I "retired" I've had a few part-time (retail) jobs, one very lucrative 12 month contract job and a dozen or so "gigs" involving writing, editing or database work.   Currently my only commitment is to a volunteer job which requires 3 hrs a week. And lunch.

Most of the time since 2003, I have been free to do anything I wished, whenever I wish. Within certain parameters, (eg physical limitations, fiscal constraints and of course, permission from my wife.)

In general, I like being retired a lot more than I liked working for a living. No more meetings, daily commuting, no more trying to look competent to an audience of doubters.  Being unstructured is liberating.  Now, I only have one boss, and she is often too busy with her own agenda (grandkids, art classes, painting, museums, part time work) to place too many constraints on my activities.    

But I do my best to remain connected with interesting people I once worked with.  And I meet new people all the time who share interests.  Good books, poetry, fishing, eating, etc.

 Occasionally, I feel nostalgia for the structure and sociability of working in a corporate environment -- belonging to a team of people trying to accomplish a common goal. And I do miss my lavish salary.  (Ok it wasn't that lavish, but,  unlike social security, it paid the bills.)

I try to justify spending those decades  at the office by saying, "Well I helped make the process better for my coworkers." But the evidence of my "work" is not visible, unless you regard folders full of charts and plans as accomplishments.   Most of it was really useless paperwork demanded by some would-be Napoleon who had clawed his way into the executive ranks.  At least if I had worked on an assembly line or built a wall, I'd be able to say, "I did that."  

When you look back and realize that nothing that you did has made a damn bit of difference, it's a wee bit humbling.  It seemed like I was working hard at the time, but in retrospect, it probably made little difference whether I came into the office or called-in sick.  None of the companies that I worked for from 1972 to 2003 are still extant.  None of the applications I designed and helped develop are running today.  Obsolete and forgotten.

You might think this perspective would leave me wallowing in disappointment and regret.  But, not so.  I actually feel pretty good about my "career."  True, I did not accomplish anything permanent or important. No one will compose epic poems about my accomplishments.  No statue will commemorate my contributions to civilization.  My name will not be etched into a bronze plaque at some hall of fame.

But I did keep a record of activities.  I started writing a journal in the early 1980's.  I can go back to those pages and validate the earnestness of my intention to do good things.  Pages filled with conflict, disappointment and a few glorious wins.    

And, it pleases me to imagine that most of my coworkers, if they remember me at all, will remember me as a guy who trustworthy, creative and anti-authoritarian, who was trying to have fun in a disapproving corporate world.

If anyone asked me (and believe me, no one has) for career advice, I would tell them:

1. Never take a job that requires you to drive East in the morning. You will be driving into the sun every morning and every evening.  It's not worth it.
2. Avoid working in retail.  Retail managers do not value individuality.  They want interchangeable parts who do not ask challenging questions about process.
3. Do not take a job that requires you to carry a pager or work-supplied cellphone.  They will wear you down with 24-7 connection.  The stress will make you sick and shorten your life.
4. Make lunch the focus of your day.  Avoid eating with assholes.  Never eat at your desk.  Work will wait.  Don't drink martinis at lunch.
5. Try not to share the boss's sense of urgency.  You can't avoid dealing with it and complying with it, but never let it own you.
6.  Seek a career in a field where your accomplishments are palpable. Be a builder or a maker or a healer.   If you become a bureaucrat, at least keep a journal so you can have something to show for your time.
7.  Do mix pleasure with work whenever possible.
8.  If you hate your boss, or vice versa, quit and go somewhere else.  Good bosses are hard to find.  Keep looking.
9.  Do not get a tattoo that is visible when you are dressed for work.
10.  At some point between the ages of 40 and 50, you will come to the realization that almost nothing is worth the time it takes to do it right.  Figure out what is really important and do those few things right.