Readin’, Writin’ and Money
I think we all understand the education of our children is a key element in the survival of a viable democratic Republic, i.e., a population that is ignorant about our history, philosophy of Government, responsibility of freedom, unable to effectively read or write, etc., will be unable to function successfully as a free and responsible citizen. For some time now, we, as a people, have been encouraged to throw more and more money at the education establishment in the hope of stopping the continuing downward spiral of education achievement. Good luck with that. Without knowing one wit about the educational system, anecdotal evidence abounds that educational achievement is inversely proportional to the money allocated to it. My personal anecdotal evidence supports this notion as well. For example, I went to a two-room school in Jordan Indiana, in my younger years, that had a pot-bellied stove for heat, an outhouse, a hand pump for water, lawyer-free discipline and not a piece of recreational equipment in sight and yet learned to read, write and do arithmetic. I also was taught our country’s history and how our government governs, and most importantly, how to be civil. I began to think about how badly our public education system has become when I was reading a small book about New England lighthouses by Bruce Roberts and Ray Jones. The authors were recounting a tale about the Matinicus Rock lighthouse, located some 25 miles out to sea off the coast of Maine, and included a letter by a lighthouse resident who was a girl of seventeen years (Abbie Burgess) and had written to her pen pal about the place, to wit:
“You have often expressed a desire to view the sea out on the ocean when it was angry. Had you been here on 19 January (1856), I surmise you would have been satisfied. Father was away. Early in the day, as the tide rose, the sea made a complete breach over the rock, washing every movable thing away, and of the old dwelling not one stone was left upon another. The new dwelling was flooded, and the windows had to be secured to prevent the violence of the spray from breaking them in. As the tide came, the sea rose higher and higher, till the only endurable places were the light towers. If they stood, we were saved, otherwise our fate was only too certain. But for some reason, I know not why, I had no misgivings, and went on with my work as usual. For four weeks, owing to rough weather, no landing could be affected on the rock. During this time we were without assistance of any male member of our family. Though at times greatly exhausted with my labors, not once did the lights fail. I was able to perform all of my accustomed duties as well as my father’s.
You know the hens are our only companions. Becoming convinced, as the gale increased, that unless they were brought into the house they would be lost. I said to my mother, “I must try to save them.” She advised me not to attempt it. The thought, however, of parting with them without an effort was not to be endured, so seizing a basket, I ran out a few yards after the rollers had passed and the sea fell off a little, with the water knee deep, to the coop, and rescued all but one. It was the work of a moment, and I was back in the house with the door fastened, but I was none too quick, for at that instant my little sister, standing at the window, exclaimed, “Oh look! Look there! The worst sea is coming.” That wave destroyed the old dwelling and swept the rock. I cannot think you would enjoy remaining here any great length of time for the sea is never still and when agitated, its roar shuts out every other sound, even drowning our voices.”
This girl of seventeen years, who could only go to school on the mainland whenever the sea permitted a boat to make the trip to the little school, and yet she, Abbie Burgess, wrote this beautiful letter. I have hired graduate Engineers who could not string two coherent sentences together and yet this isolated girl of 1856, without computers or modern technology, was educated to the extent that she could communicate with her fellow man by the written word that should be the envy of us all. How is this possible? I have never heard a convincing argument of how this can be other than a lot of very thoughtful people have placed the starting point for our public educational system decent at the same point in time when the “Progressive Movement” started in the 1890s. Could this be? I really don’t know either, but I do know that continuing to throw money at the educational system does not work and only demonstrates our collective lack of understanding on how to educate our children nowadays. This is particularly frustrating because, as Abbie Burgess’s letter demonstrates so skillfully, we used to know how to do it.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Qui Tacet Consentire
Qui Tacet Consentire
The Pew Research center is reporting a rapidly changing political landscape. The latest research of political party identification indicates that as of April 2009, 33% of the people identified themselves as Dems, 22 % as Pubs and 39% as Indies. If one adds the above percentages the total would be 94% which leaves nearly 10% who are either apolitical or are the traditional 10% who just never goes along with the rest of the people. The Pew Research Center is one of the most respected polling organizations around and is generally viewed as being apolitical so the above political identification trend data probably reflects a great deal of reality. However, just as Will Rogers repeated the famous retort that “there are lies, damn lies, and statistics”, polling and the resulting published data and analysis can be manipulated just as easily as statistical data and analysis. That is to say, polling results should be viewed with a great deal of suspicion, and by all means, one should never accept polling data from any political entity as truthful because such political polling is the AK-47 of political combat. In general, one should always be skeptical of any polling data, even data from the Pew Research Center. Here is anther reason why. I always refuse to participate in polling because I don’t think it is anyone’s business what I think, notwithstanding my natural resistance to being manipulated by some existential psychology major who has crafted leading and deceitful questions for me to answer along with God-only-knows-what other modern polling tomfoolery. In other words, I take the Don Vito Corleone instruction to Sonny very seriously, "Never tell anybody outside the family what you're thinking." And besides, when they hold elections in a democracy, they will find out rather quickly what the electorate is thinking. If I, and others like me, refuse to participate in polling, how is that situation accounted for in the polling data? For example, lets say 30% of the people contacted were just like me and refuse to be polled. Lets also conjecture that of that 30% that refused to be polled, 70% now consider themselves Independents. How is this data factoid accounted for in the Poll analysis and final published data? There is an even a darker side to political polling. The Flim Flam politicians that sponsor polling are trying to find out what is trending in the general population so that they can craft positions and expenditures to gain advantage over other politicians. In other words, the politician is only concerned about the expediency of the moment and the polling is the time-honored way of gaining political Intel in order to do so. Polling is not required if a Politician presents their political philosophy and positions and then debates the advantage of their candidacy in today’s circumstance. Why should anyone trust a Politician’s position that always twists and turns with expediency that polling has enabled? Here is even a greater problem with polling. People read and digest polling data and the ensuing debate in the media provides for a feeling that the people are being heard. Nothing could be further from the truth because those who design the polling are establishing the agenda and resulting conversation. In other words, the national political conversation is not the spontaneous voice of the people, it is instead, contrived dialog designed and manufactured by those in power in order to control popular political thought and remain in power. I believe most people understand what is going on but there is a general feeling of hopelessness because the political system as outlined in the Constitution is not working and so the great silent majority remain just that, silent. I believe the silent majority remains silent not out of apathy, but they are silent because most of us believe we have no real say in our Government and there is no way for our voice to be heard. I believe this is why people are rapidly changing their political identification as Independent rather than Dem or Pub because there is no real difference between the two national parties and the two political parties are corrupt to the extent they only view the electorate and citizens as vehicles to maintain personal power and so care little about what the public really thinks. The current Professional Politicians populating the national political Parties are people only interested in obtaining and remaining in power and they can hardly be described as patriots worthy of a vote or affirmation. Herein lies the problem, Qui Tacet Consentire. (Who is silent gives consent.)
The Pew Research center is reporting a rapidly changing political landscape. The latest research of political party identification indicates that as of April 2009, 33% of the people identified themselves as Dems, 22 % as Pubs and 39% as Indies. If one adds the above percentages the total would be 94% which leaves nearly 10% who are either apolitical or are the traditional 10% who just never goes along with the rest of the people. The Pew Research Center is one of the most respected polling organizations around and is generally viewed as being apolitical so the above political identification trend data probably reflects a great deal of reality. However, just as Will Rogers repeated the famous retort that “there are lies, damn lies, and statistics”, polling and the resulting published data and analysis can be manipulated just as easily as statistical data and analysis. That is to say, polling results should be viewed with a great deal of suspicion, and by all means, one should never accept polling data from any political entity as truthful because such political polling is the AK-47 of political combat. In general, one should always be skeptical of any polling data, even data from the Pew Research Center. Here is anther reason why. I always refuse to participate in polling because I don’t think it is anyone’s business what I think, notwithstanding my natural resistance to being manipulated by some existential psychology major who has crafted leading and deceitful questions for me to answer along with God-only-knows-what other modern polling tomfoolery. In other words, I take the Don Vito Corleone instruction to Sonny very seriously, "Never tell anybody outside the family what you're thinking." And besides, when they hold elections in a democracy, they will find out rather quickly what the electorate is thinking. If I, and others like me, refuse to participate in polling, how is that situation accounted for in the polling data? For example, lets say 30% of the people contacted were just like me and refuse to be polled. Lets also conjecture that of that 30% that refused to be polled, 70% now consider themselves Independents. How is this data factoid accounted for in the Poll analysis and final published data? There is an even a darker side to political polling. The Flim Flam politicians that sponsor polling are trying to find out what is trending in the general population so that they can craft positions and expenditures to gain advantage over other politicians. In other words, the politician is only concerned about the expediency of the moment and the polling is the time-honored way of gaining political Intel in order to do so. Polling is not required if a Politician presents their political philosophy and positions and then debates the advantage of their candidacy in today’s circumstance. Why should anyone trust a Politician’s position that always twists and turns with expediency that polling has enabled? Here is even a greater problem with polling. People read and digest polling data and the ensuing debate in the media provides for a feeling that the people are being heard. Nothing could be further from the truth because those who design the polling are establishing the agenda and resulting conversation. In other words, the national political conversation is not the spontaneous voice of the people, it is instead, contrived dialog designed and manufactured by those in power in order to control popular political thought and remain in power. I believe most people understand what is going on but there is a general feeling of hopelessness because the political system as outlined in the Constitution is not working and so the great silent majority remain just that, silent. I believe the silent majority remains silent not out of apathy, but they are silent because most of us believe we have no real say in our Government and there is no way for our voice to be heard. I believe this is why people are rapidly changing their political identification as Independent rather than Dem or Pub because there is no real difference between the two national parties and the two political parties are corrupt to the extent they only view the electorate and citizens as vehicles to maintain personal power and so care little about what the public really thinks. The current Professional Politicians populating the national political Parties are people only interested in obtaining and remaining in power and they can hardly be described as patriots worthy of a vote or affirmation. Herein lies the problem, Qui Tacet Consentire. (Who is silent gives consent.)
Thursday, July 16, 2009
We're Going To Save Money
We’re Going To Save Money
No Matter How Much It Costs
For those of you who have spent a fair amount of your life in a corporate or company work environment, the above statement should bring forth fond memories of past work-place follies. You know what I’m talking about here, don’t you? Come on now. Think back to when a big meeting was called at your respective workplace and the Harvard Business School trained suits would do a stand-up about how the latest management brain-fart would save the Company, reap huge profits, and probably save the free world from tyranny in the bargain. Wow, a delicious Chris Matthews type shiver runs down my leg just thinking about it again. Do you remember how we would go back to our workstations with the soaring buzzword laced rhetoric ringing in our ears as we bent our intellectual backs to the company wheel in order to make happen what the suits and management said needed to be done. After a fair amount of management-induced enthusiasm had worn off, reality began to kick in when the graybeards of the company begin to question the wisdom of the new program or policy. The graybeards actually had numbers to show that the new “thing” would cost five times any conceivable return on investment, wreck the engineering department, and make it impossible for the field salespeople to operate. The usual response from the suits and management, after concerns were expressed, was to label the graybeards as dinosaurs and accuse them, and everyone else associated with them, of being obstructionists and an unnecessary impediment to business progress. One of two things usually happened at this point. (1) Mouths would snap shut for fear of losing one’s job and the employees would work around the new thing in order for business to remain profitable thereby saving one’s job in spite of the suits and management new directives. Of course, this course of action by the employees was accompanied by sincere sounding lip service to management’s cause while doing what was necessary to keep the company ship afloat. (2) Even though the responsible employees knew that the suits and management new directives would wreck the company, they would follow the directives right down to the last crossed “T” and dotted “I”. This course of action would come to be called “Malicious Compliance” because it would eventually demonstrate to management that they had their collective heads stuck up somewhere where the sun doesn’t shine while avoiding being labeled an obstructionists and impeding management directives. All in all, this method of responding is a rather intellectual and oblique way for mere employees to support management. I keep hoping that a merciful and benevolent God will some day point his finger down at the Harvard and Yale business schools and cause great sinkholes to swallow them up before the country is driven into final ruin. But I digress. I got to thinking about this saving money at all costs while observing the goings on in Washington these days. You know, “Cap and Trade’, “Health Care for All”, “Government Motors”, “Financial Collapse”, etc., because most of these programs have been presented as absolutely necessary in order to save money and the country from ruin even though we all know that these programs are in reality “Trojan Horses” that provide a fortuitous way for the Government to expand their power in order to implement great social change. I guess people will never learn that it is impossible for the Government to make business decisions because Government is a Political entity that can only make political decisions. When the graybeards challenge the wisdom of the programs by pointing out that there is no way on this beautiful blue planet that these programs can save money, they, along with all of their associates, are labeled obstructionists and even worse. It looks like responsible graybeard citizens, and those who are of like political persuasion, are beginning to react with a “Malicious Compliance” course of action in order to let reality demonstrate to a swooning public that these current Government actions will be the cause of their eventual loss of freedom and wealth.
No Matter How Much It Costs
For those of you who have spent a fair amount of your life in a corporate or company work environment, the above statement should bring forth fond memories of past work-place follies. You know what I’m talking about here, don’t you? Come on now. Think back to when a big meeting was called at your respective workplace and the Harvard Business School trained suits would do a stand-up about how the latest management brain-fart would save the Company, reap huge profits, and probably save the free world from tyranny in the bargain. Wow, a delicious Chris Matthews type shiver runs down my leg just thinking about it again. Do you remember how we would go back to our workstations with the soaring buzzword laced rhetoric ringing in our ears as we bent our intellectual backs to the company wheel in order to make happen what the suits and management said needed to be done. After a fair amount of management-induced enthusiasm had worn off, reality began to kick in when the graybeards of the company begin to question the wisdom of the new program or policy. The graybeards actually had numbers to show that the new “thing” would cost five times any conceivable return on investment, wreck the engineering department, and make it impossible for the field salespeople to operate. The usual response from the suits and management, after concerns were expressed, was to label the graybeards as dinosaurs and accuse them, and everyone else associated with them, of being obstructionists and an unnecessary impediment to business progress. One of two things usually happened at this point. (1) Mouths would snap shut for fear of losing one’s job and the employees would work around the new thing in order for business to remain profitable thereby saving one’s job in spite of the suits and management new directives. Of course, this course of action by the employees was accompanied by sincere sounding lip service to management’s cause while doing what was necessary to keep the company ship afloat. (2) Even though the responsible employees knew that the suits and management new directives would wreck the company, they would follow the directives right down to the last crossed “T” and dotted “I”. This course of action would come to be called “Malicious Compliance” because it would eventually demonstrate to management that they had their collective heads stuck up somewhere where the sun doesn’t shine while avoiding being labeled an obstructionists and impeding management directives. All in all, this method of responding is a rather intellectual and oblique way for mere employees to support management. I keep hoping that a merciful and benevolent God will some day point his finger down at the Harvard and Yale business schools and cause great sinkholes to swallow them up before the country is driven into final ruin. But I digress. I got to thinking about this saving money at all costs while observing the goings on in Washington these days. You know, “Cap and Trade’, “Health Care for All”, “Government Motors”, “Financial Collapse”, etc., because most of these programs have been presented as absolutely necessary in order to save money and the country from ruin even though we all know that these programs are in reality “Trojan Horses” that provide a fortuitous way for the Government to expand their power in order to implement great social change. I guess people will never learn that it is impossible for the Government to make business decisions because Government is a Political entity that can only make political decisions. When the graybeards challenge the wisdom of the programs by pointing out that there is no way on this beautiful blue planet that these programs can save money, they, along with all of their associates, are labeled obstructionists and even worse. It looks like responsible graybeard citizens, and those who are of like political persuasion, are beginning to react with a “Malicious Compliance” course of action in order to let reality demonstrate to a swooning public that these current Government actions will be the cause of their eventual loss of freedom and wealth.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Governor Sarah Palin
Governor Sarah Palin
Did you see her? Did you see Governor Palin in chest waders pulling a net full of fish? This all-American woman who can fell a moose with a high-power rifle, work a fish net (can you just imagine Jackie Kennedy, Eleanor Roosevelt or Michelle Obama pulling a fish net?), run a huge state as Governor, deal with lying cheating politicians, and all with a kid on her hip, and yet, still find time to look like a woman. Sarah Palin reminds me of the original All-American woman, the quintessential pioneer woman of the plains, multi-tasking with her husband to help build a home and family in the wilderness. You would think an original like Sarah Palin would be celebrated by press and mainstream media, but think again, how Governor Palin has been treated by the mainstream media and the agents of personal destruction is a total embarrassment for this magnificent country. For example, the following is just one example of the multitude of nastiness that has been written about Sarah Palin. This particular piece was written by Paul Lewis Hackett and published in the Daily Kos on 12 Sept 2008, to wit:
“The message (would be) simple and the professionals can refine it but essentially it should contain these elements: Sarah Palin? Can't keep her solemn oath of devotion to her husband and had sex with his employee. Sarah Palin? Accidentally got pregnant at age 43 and the tax payers of Alaska have to pay for the care of her disabled child. Sarah Palin? Unable to teach her 16 year old daughter right from wrong and now another teenager is pregnant. Sarah Palin? Can you trust Sarah Palin and her values with America's future?”
If you have been reading my pieces posted on Bangingthedrum, you will remember that I have fearlessly made two predictions in the past:
1. The economy will tank during the late summer period of 2009 when the cascade of job losses and funny money begin to have their full impact.
2. The Educated Idiots in Washington will complete their mastery over the home of the brave and the land of the free when they enact a National Sales Tax either in the form of a VAT Tax or one taken at the cash register.
I will make a 3rd prediction and this one concerns Sarah Palin. I believe that Palin will run for the office of President in 2012 and do it after organizing a new political party that will probably be called “The Independent Party”. Think about it. Most people are coming around to the notion that there is really no difference between the Democratic and Republican parties because most of the politicians associated with the two major parties are in reality Professional Politicians only interested in personal power. The Pew Research Center indicates that people identify themselves with the political parties in roughly the following manner: 1/3 Democratic, 1/3 Republican and 1/3 Independent. This make up of political identification has been rapidly changing lately. It is now approximately ¼ Democratic, ¼ Republican and ½ Independent. Now when you consider that the conservative base of the Republican Party and the Blue Dog Democrats are basically of the same political persuasion and the fact that these political elements are becoming increasingly “out of step” with their party leadership, I believe you have the same opportunity available now as when the Wigs morphed into the Republican Party due to the issue of slavery. The issue now is Constitutional America or Socialist America. I believe that these political elements would probably jump at the opportunity to be associated with an a new political party that represents basic American Constitutional values and if they joined with those identified as Independents, you would have a new Political Party with a considerable majority. All in all, a rare opportunity for a patriot with vision and the will to go down the road less traveled. Sure sounds like Sarah Palin to me. Well, let’s just sit back and see what happens.
Did you see her? Did you see Governor Palin in chest waders pulling a net full of fish? This all-American woman who can fell a moose with a high-power rifle, work a fish net (can you just imagine Jackie Kennedy, Eleanor Roosevelt or Michelle Obama pulling a fish net?), run a huge state as Governor, deal with lying cheating politicians, and all with a kid on her hip, and yet, still find time to look like a woman. Sarah Palin reminds me of the original All-American woman, the quintessential pioneer woman of the plains, multi-tasking with her husband to help build a home and family in the wilderness. You would think an original like Sarah Palin would be celebrated by press and mainstream media, but think again, how Governor Palin has been treated by the mainstream media and the agents of personal destruction is a total embarrassment for this magnificent country. For example, the following is just one example of the multitude of nastiness that has been written about Sarah Palin. This particular piece was written by Paul Lewis Hackett and published in the Daily Kos on 12 Sept 2008, to wit:
“The message (would be) simple and the professionals can refine it but essentially it should contain these elements: Sarah Palin? Can't keep her solemn oath of devotion to her husband and had sex with his employee. Sarah Palin? Accidentally got pregnant at age 43 and the tax payers of Alaska have to pay for the care of her disabled child. Sarah Palin? Unable to teach her 16 year old daughter right from wrong and now another teenager is pregnant. Sarah Palin? Can you trust Sarah Palin and her values with America's future?”
If you have been reading my pieces posted on Bangingthedrum, you will remember that I have fearlessly made two predictions in the past:
1. The economy will tank during the late summer period of 2009 when the cascade of job losses and funny money begin to have their full impact.
2. The Educated Idiots in Washington will complete their mastery over the home of the brave and the land of the free when they enact a National Sales Tax either in the form of a VAT Tax or one taken at the cash register.
I will make a 3rd prediction and this one concerns Sarah Palin. I believe that Palin will run for the office of President in 2012 and do it after organizing a new political party that will probably be called “The Independent Party”. Think about it. Most people are coming around to the notion that there is really no difference between the Democratic and Republican parties because most of the politicians associated with the two major parties are in reality Professional Politicians only interested in personal power. The Pew Research Center indicates that people identify themselves with the political parties in roughly the following manner: 1/3 Democratic, 1/3 Republican and 1/3 Independent. This make up of political identification has been rapidly changing lately. It is now approximately ¼ Democratic, ¼ Republican and ½ Independent. Now when you consider that the conservative base of the Republican Party and the Blue Dog Democrats are basically of the same political persuasion and the fact that these political elements are becoming increasingly “out of step” with their party leadership, I believe you have the same opportunity available now as when the Wigs morphed into the Republican Party due to the issue of slavery. The issue now is Constitutional America or Socialist America. I believe that these political elements would probably jump at the opportunity to be associated with an a new political party that represents basic American Constitutional values and if they joined with those identified as Independents, you would have a new Political Party with a considerable majority. All in all, a rare opportunity for a patriot with vision and the will to go down the road less traveled. Sure sounds like Sarah Palin to me. Well, let’s just sit back and see what happens.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Right and Wrong
Right and Wrong
Right and wrong, good and evil, just and unjust, fair and unfair, biased and unbiased; these are just a few of the arguments that each of us try to resolve on a daily basis as we make necessary personal decisions about what to do, how to do it, and react and adjust to circumstances beyond our personal control. The problem is, of course, each of us makes a subjective judgment about what is right or wrong within our particular circumstances based on our personal experiences, education, social pressure, state of comfort or discomfort, ad infinitum, and these differences in personal circumstances leads each of us to have a different opinion of what is, right or wrong. This leads us to the notion of Relativism that argues that ethical truths (right and wrong) in society depends upon the individuals and groups holding them (ethical truths) versus a steady Moral Compass that argues that ethical truths (right and wrong) in society are an unequivocal moral standard that is indifferent to subjective circumstances. Here is the problem with these two notions. Relativism can justify any social behavior and a Moral Compass cannot allow for changing circumstances. For example, racial discrimination against white people is allowable today in order to balance out the past racial discrimination against black people, i.e., relativism argues it’s Right to racially discriminate against white people in order to correct the Wrong of past racial discrimination against black people. As you can see, it’s no longer the unequivocal notion that racial discrimination is always wrong regardless of when, were or whom, it’s relative to the circumstances of blacks being racially discriminated against in the past that makes it Right to racially discriminate against white people today. How about an even easier example of relativism? Within a civil society it is wrong to kill another human but relative to a time of war it is right (or at least not wrong) to kill another human who is an enemy combatant. A Moral Compass can argue that it is unequivocally wrong to racially discriminate, and if everyone agrees with that ethical truth, all is well within the body social. But what happens when circumstances are such that racial discrimination is practiced as an ethical truth (right)? For example, the Germans practiced eugenics in order to produce the Master Race. This practice of eugenics to create the Master Race was an extension of the theory of evolution that held that survival of the fittest justified the mass murder of Jews and others thought to be inferior races. If you are a Jew or another of a race that the Germans sought to eliminate, is it right to racially discriminate against Germans by killing Germans until the Germans stopped killing Jews? In this circumstance, a Moral Compass that unequivocally says racial discrimination is wrong would be an objective ethical guidance that lacks a subjective equilibrium, and as such, would be an impractical and deadly compass for a moral people. On balance, I believe that a Moral Compass is a greater problem than Relativism. I say this because the unequivocal right and wrong that a Moral Compass promotes can be misused for nefarious purposes by those in power and authority, and indeed has been misused throughout the history of mankind, i.e., right and wrong are only subjective metaphors that twist and turn with expediency rather than a real social construct that offers eternal moral guidance. Further, an unequivocal right or wrong relieves the individual of the necessity of subjectively deciding what is right or wrong within a civil society and thereby does not serve the cause of individual liberty. All of this cogitation about right and wrong is really about what is going on today in our country and society. I believe that to try to assign right or wrong, good or bad, etc., to the Bernie Madoffs, Flim Flam Politicians, greed, dishonesty, and on and on, offers no solution or true understanding of problems facing us today. That is to say it is the essence of democracy to judge, decide and vote on the basis of individual liberty and justice and not on a notion of right or wrong. In so doing, correct decisions and judgments will be rendered and collective society will be served.
Right and wrong, good and evil, just and unjust, fair and unfair, biased and unbiased; these are just a few of the arguments that each of us try to resolve on a daily basis as we make necessary personal decisions about what to do, how to do it, and react and adjust to circumstances beyond our personal control. The problem is, of course, each of us makes a subjective judgment about what is right or wrong within our particular circumstances based on our personal experiences, education, social pressure, state of comfort or discomfort, ad infinitum, and these differences in personal circumstances leads each of us to have a different opinion of what is, right or wrong. This leads us to the notion of Relativism that argues that ethical truths (right and wrong) in society depends upon the individuals and groups holding them (ethical truths) versus a steady Moral Compass that argues that ethical truths (right and wrong) in society are an unequivocal moral standard that is indifferent to subjective circumstances. Here is the problem with these two notions. Relativism can justify any social behavior and a Moral Compass cannot allow for changing circumstances. For example, racial discrimination against white people is allowable today in order to balance out the past racial discrimination against black people, i.e., relativism argues it’s Right to racially discriminate against white people in order to correct the Wrong of past racial discrimination against black people. As you can see, it’s no longer the unequivocal notion that racial discrimination is always wrong regardless of when, were or whom, it’s relative to the circumstances of blacks being racially discriminated against in the past that makes it Right to racially discriminate against white people today. How about an even easier example of relativism? Within a civil society it is wrong to kill another human but relative to a time of war it is right (or at least not wrong) to kill another human who is an enemy combatant. A Moral Compass can argue that it is unequivocally wrong to racially discriminate, and if everyone agrees with that ethical truth, all is well within the body social. But what happens when circumstances are such that racial discrimination is practiced as an ethical truth (right)? For example, the Germans practiced eugenics in order to produce the Master Race. This practice of eugenics to create the Master Race was an extension of the theory of evolution that held that survival of the fittest justified the mass murder of Jews and others thought to be inferior races. If you are a Jew or another of a race that the Germans sought to eliminate, is it right to racially discriminate against Germans by killing Germans until the Germans stopped killing Jews? In this circumstance, a Moral Compass that unequivocally says racial discrimination is wrong would be an objective ethical guidance that lacks a subjective equilibrium, and as such, would be an impractical and deadly compass for a moral people. On balance, I believe that a Moral Compass is a greater problem than Relativism. I say this because the unequivocal right and wrong that a Moral Compass promotes can be misused for nefarious purposes by those in power and authority, and indeed has been misused throughout the history of mankind, i.e., right and wrong are only subjective metaphors that twist and turn with expediency rather than a real social construct that offers eternal moral guidance. Further, an unequivocal right or wrong relieves the individual of the necessity of subjectively deciding what is right or wrong within a civil society and thereby does not serve the cause of individual liberty. All of this cogitation about right and wrong is really about what is going on today in our country and society. I believe that to try to assign right or wrong, good or bad, etc., to the Bernie Madoffs, Flim Flam Politicians, greed, dishonesty, and on and on, offers no solution or true understanding of problems facing us today. That is to say it is the essence of democracy to judge, decide and vote on the basis of individual liberty and justice and not on a notion of right or wrong. In so doing, correct decisions and judgments will be rendered and collective society will be served.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Seadog Rhapsody
Seadog Rhapsody
The restrained movements of the boat on anchor and the first light of dawn beginning to filter through the forward hatch are combining to gently nudge consciousness into existence after a sound night’s sleep. There is something about sleeping on a boat that is securely anchored in a snug harbor, it promotes a restful sleep that can’t be had in a landlocked bed held firmly in place by gravity. Some have speculated that the gentle rocking of the boat at anchor mimics the gentle movements we experienced while warm and secure in our sweet mother’s womb and this is why sleeping on a boat is so restful. Some may find it hard to believe that a rough and ready sailor sleeping on an anchored boat could earn a lovely metaphor like being all warm and secure in your mother’s womb, but stranger things have happened, you know, like really smart people giving Bernie Madoff all of their money. Slowly your eyes begin to adjust to the brightening environment, and now fully awake, it’s time for the rituals of awaking to begin, you know, rubbing the sleep from your eyes, sloughing your tongue around a foul mouth that still has the telltale remains of last’s night feasting and drinking, stretching muscles back into shape, the pure pleasure of reaching down and scratching your, well, you know what I’m talking about here. It’s time to swing the legs out of the rack and onto the deck and test the old trusty lower limbs to see if they can still answer the call to walk about fully upright like a proper bipedal. Speaking of answering the call, you hurry to the head and find sweet relief after a full night of not once getting up to satisfy a more urgent than sweet relief. You slide open the main deck hatch and expose the morning sky and the fresh sea air. Sweet Jesus, that smells good. You stick your head up and look around to survey your surrounding and the sounds of seabirds begin to fill the air, especially the gulls. The gulls are laughing like a madman mocking the sane people. Off to the galley, fill the on- stove coffee percolator with water and coffee grounds, you know, the one that still has a small glass bulb on top so that you can watch the coffee get darker and darker until its “just right.” One of the last pure pleasures in life is smelling coffee brewing in an honest to God on-stove percolator that has really hot coffee bubbling up into that little glass bulb so that you can watch it, and watch it, and build up the anticipation of sipping your first cup of really hot steaming coffee. It is absolute nirvana to smell hot percolating coffee and fresh sea air all mixed in together. With the treasured hot cup of coffee clutched firmly in your hands, you enjoy the beginning of a new day while sitting in the cockpit of the boat and contently watching the world come alive after a hard day’s night. Well enough of the finer things in life, it’s time to ready the boat for some serious sailing east so that the Bahamas banks can be made at “Memory Rock” before the brand new day can turn into night again. Go below, secure everything that can become loose in high seas, secure the hatches, set the battery switch to “battery 1”, turn on all navigational instruments including the GPS, turn on VHF radio and set to the international hailing and emergency channel 16. Hurry back up topside, don life vest, place engine control to neutral, fire up the Yanmar diesel, check the exhaust to make sure the engine water pump is pumping cooling water out the exhaust port, check the charts for tides, verify a waxing tide by reading the current going by the boat, go forward and haul the “delta” and “danforth” anchors and be quick about it before the boat follows the current into some other boats at anchor. Hurry to the helm, engage the engine and head for the channel while avoiding boats at anchor and constantly reading depth because there are many places where you can run aground while navigating the harbor to the channel. Locate the green channel buoy and make way while keeping the green buoy to starboard and the red marker buoy to port. Now, very carefully make your way against the strong current out to sea between the red/green channel buoys and finally into blue water and good seas. It’s always very comforting to watch the water depth go from 6 to 7 feet and start dropping off to 10, then 50, and eventually to over 100 feet. The seas don’t become orderly until you can get into at least a 100-foot of water depth. Adjust the GPS to the proper chart and visit the NOAA weather channel on the VHF radio one last time to verify favorable weather, wind and wave. Confirm that a 10-15 knot wind is making headway from the southwest and set an initial compass course to 120° magnetic. Carefully observe the wind vane on top of the main mast and determine that you have a starboard wind that will allow a starboard reach. A beam reach is a very favorable point of sail and you will have it this day with seas running about 3 to 5 feet and a slowly building swell out of confused seas while still in the lee of the land. You should never cross the gulf steam with a north wind blowing because the gulf stream flows northward and a wind from the north will blow against the current and generate very bad waves that will increasingly become steep and treacherous. These kind of seas are the cause of many a boat to founder while trying to make way across the gulf stream when a spirited north wind is blowing. A direct course to Memory Rock is 99° magnetic but you must calculate the amount of drift northward the gulf stream current (4-6 knots) will have on the course of the boat, depending, of course, on the speed of the boat, i.e., the slower the boat, the more time in the gulf stream current and the more northward you will be taken instead of the east heading of the boat at 99° magnetic. So you will set a heading of 120° to allow for a northward drift and carefully monitor your GPS course in route to make the necessary corrections in order to arrive at memory rock at the end of the day instead of someplace where you don’t want to be. Having steadied the boat on a 120° heading, throttle back the engine enough to make head way straight into the wind and come starboard until the wind is straight onto the bow. Engage the autohelm to maintain the boat heading into the wind and carefully make your way on top deck to the mainmast to change the main sail furling ratchet from “ratchet” to “free” which will allow the main sail to be pulled from the furling inside the mainmast once the outhaul line is unblocked from the line clutch. Set the boomvang to 2 inches for a beam reach while at the mainmast in order to set the proper sail twist for a reach, and carefully make your way back to the helm in order to avoid falling into the sea. If you are the only one on the boat and you fall into the sea, you will become another unexplained missing at sea incident. Back at the helm, unblock the mainmast furling line from the line clutches and wrap the main sail outhaul line 3 wraps clockwise around the starboard winch, insert a winch handle and grind away on the winch until the mainsail is fully extended from the mainmast. Secure the mainsail outhaul line. Unsecure both the starboard and port headsail sheet lines and unsecure the headsail furling line. Because the wind is to starboard, the headsail will fill to port so wrap the port headsail sheet line three wraps around the port aft winch and while holding the headsail furling line with just enough pressure to make a firm wrap around the headsail furling hub, insert a winch handle into the port aft winch and grind away until the headsail (jib) is fully extended. Secure the jib sheet to the port aft winch and secure the furling line. Now disengage the engine by placing the throttle into the neutral position and pressing the engine “Stop” button to turnoff the engine. Place the engine throttle into the reverse position in order to stop the propeller from turning while the boat is underway which will cause a drag that will slow the boat speed through the water. Disengage the autohelm and bring the boat heading port back into a 120° heading and engage the autohelm to maintain a heading of 120°. Slowly ease the jib port sheet line until the headsail fills, and while watching the telltales on the jib sail, adjust the headsail point of entry into the wind until most of the telltales are streaming aft. Secure the port jib sheet line to the port aft winch. Locate the mainsail sheet line and wrap 3 turns clockwise around the starboard forward winch and while holding fast to the line, unblock the mainsail sheet line from the line clutch and slowly ease the mainsail port to take the wind. While watching the mainsail leach telltales, adjust the mainsail point of entry to the wind until the telltales are streaming aft. Secure the mainsail sheet line with the clutch block and remove the line from the winch. Locate the mainsail outhaul line and wrap 3 turns clockwise around the winch and while holding fast to the outhaul line unblock the line from the clutch block. Slowly ease the outhaul line until the draft of the mainsail is about 12 to 14 inches windward from the mainsail boom and secure the outhaul line with the clutch block. Disengage the auto helm and take control of the helm by taking manual control of the rudder. Keep adjusting sails until you can obtain maximum boat speed while balancing the helm. The boat is now taking a fine 15° list to port while making 5-6 knots on a starboard beam reach with a freshening wind blowing a fine mist of salt water that tastes great when you lick your lips. The boat is making a beautiful wake and cutting into the waves nicely as you make you way on a 120°heading. Surely God must be a sailor.
The restrained movements of the boat on anchor and the first light of dawn beginning to filter through the forward hatch are combining to gently nudge consciousness into existence after a sound night’s sleep. There is something about sleeping on a boat that is securely anchored in a snug harbor, it promotes a restful sleep that can’t be had in a landlocked bed held firmly in place by gravity. Some have speculated that the gentle rocking of the boat at anchor mimics the gentle movements we experienced while warm and secure in our sweet mother’s womb and this is why sleeping on a boat is so restful. Some may find it hard to believe that a rough and ready sailor sleeping on an anchored boat could earn a lovely metaphor like being all warm and secure in your mother’s womb, but stranger things have happened, you know, like really smart people giving Bernie Madoff all of their money. Slowly your eyes begin to adjust to the brightening environment, and now fully awake, it’s time for the rituals of awaking to begin, you know, rubbing the sleep from your eyes, sloughing your tongue around a foul mouth that still has the telltale remains of last’s night feasting and drinking, stretching muscles back into shape, the pure pleasure of reaching down and scratching your, well, you know what I’m talking about here. It’s time to swing the legs out of the rack and onto the deck and test the old trusty lower limbs to see if they can still answer the call to walk about fully upright like a proper bipedal. Speaking of answering the call, you hurry to the head and find sweet relief after a full night of not once getting up to satisfy a more urgent than sweet relief. You slide open the main deck hatch and expose the morning sky and the fresh sea air. Sweet Jesus, that smells good. You stick your head up and look around to survey your surrounding and the sounds of seabirds begin to fill the air, especially the gulls. The gulls are laughing like a madman mocking the sane people. Off to the galley, fill the on- stove coffee percolator with water and coffee grounds, you know, the one that still has a small glass bulb on top so that you can watch the coffee get darker and darker until its “just right.” One of the last pure pleasures in life is smelling coffee brewing in an honest to God on-stove percolator that has really hot coffee bubbling up into that little glass bulb so that you can watch it, and watch it, and build up the anticipation of sipping your first cup of really hot steaming coffee. It is absolute nirvana to smell hot percolating coffee and fresh sea air all mixed in together. With the treasured hot cup of coffee clutched firmly in your hands, you enjoy the beginning of a new day while sitting in the cockpit of the boat and contently watching the world come alive after a hard day’s night. Well enough of the finer things in life, it’s time to ready the boat for some serious sailing east so that the Bahamas banks can be made at “Memory Rock” before the brand new day can turn into night again. Go below, secure everything that can become loose in high seas, secure the hatches, set the battery switch to “battery 1”, turn on all navigational instruments including the GPS, turn on VHF radio and set to the international hailing and emergency channel 16. Hurry back up topside, don life vest, place engine control to neutral, fire up the Yanmar diesel, check the exhaust to make sure the engine water pump is pumping cooling water out the exhaust port, check the charts for tides, verify a waxing tide by reading the current going by the boat, go forward and haul the “delta” and “danforth” anchors and be quick about it before the boat follows the current into some other boats at anchor. Hurry to the helm, engage the engine and head for the channel while avoiding boats at anchor and constantly reading depth because there are many places where you can run aground while navigating the harbor to the channel. Locate the green channel buoy and make way while keeping the green buoy to starboard and the red marker buoy to port. Now, very carefully make your way against the strong current out to sea between the red/green channel buoys and finally into blue water and good seas. It’s always very comforting to watch the water depth go from 6 to 7 feet and start dropping off to 10, then 50, and eventually to over 100 feet. The seas don’t become orderly until you can get into at least a 100-foot of water depth. Adjust the GPS to the proper chart and visit the NOAA weather channel on the VHF radio one last time to verify favorable weather, wind and wave. Confirm that a 10-15 knot wind is making headway from the southwest and set an initial compass course to 120° magnetic. Carefully observe the wind vane on top of the main mast and determine that you have a starboard wind that will allow a starboard reach. A beam reach is a very favorable point of sail and you will have it this day with seas running about 3 to 5 feet and a slowly building swell out of confused seas while still in the lee of the land. You should never cross the gulf steam with a north wind blowing because the gulf stream flows northward and a wind from the north will blow against the current and generate very bad waves that will increasingly become steep and treacherous. These kind of seas are the cause of many a boat to founder while trying to make way across the gulf stream when a spirited north wind is blowing. A direct course to Memory Rock is 99° magnetic but you must calculate the amount of drift northward the gulf stream current (4-6 knots) will have on the course of the boat, depending, of course, on the speed of the boat, i.e., the slower the boat, the more time in the gulf stream current and the more northward you will be taken instead of the east heading of the boat at 99° magnetic. So you will set a heading of 120° to allow for a northward drift and carefully monitor your GPS course in route to make the necessary corrections in order to arrive at memory rock at the end of the day instead of someplace where you don’t want to be. Having steadied the boat on a 120° heading, throttle back the engine enough to make head way straight into the wind and come starboard until the wind is straight onto the bow. Engage the autohelm to maintain the boat heading into the wind and carefully make your way on top deck to the mainmast to change the main sail furling ratchet from “ratchet” to “free” which will allow the main sail to be pulled from the furling inside the mainmast once the outhaul line is unblocked from the line clutch. Set the boomvang to 2 inches for a beam reach while at the mainmast in order to set the proper sail twist for a reach, and carefully make your way back to the helm in order to avoid falling into the sea. If you are the only one on the boat and you fall into the sea, you will become another unexplained missing at sea incident. Back at the helm, unblock the mainmast furling line from the line clutches and wrap the main sail outhaul line 3 wraps clockwise around the starboard winch, insert a winch handle and grind away on the winch until the mainsail is fully extended from the mainmast. Secure the mainsail outhaul line. Unsecure both the starboard and port headsail sheet lines and unsecure the headsail furling line. Because the wind is to starboard, the headsail will fill to port so wrap the port headsail sheet line three wraps around the port aft winch and while holding the headsail furling line with just enough pressure to make a firm wrap around the headsail furling hub, insert a winch handle into the port aft winch and grind away until the headsail (jib) is fully extended. Secure the jib sheet to the port aft winch and secure the furling line. Now disengage the engine by placing the throttle into the neutral position and pressing the engine “Stop” button to turnoff the engine. Place the engine throttle into the reverse position in order to stop the propeller from turning while the boat is underway which will cause a drag that will slow the boat speed through the water. Disengage the autohelm and bring the boat heading port back into a 120° heading and engage the autohelm to maintain a heading of 120°. Slowly ease the jib port sheet line until the headsail fills, and while watching the telltales on the jib sail, adjust the headsail point of entry into the wind until most of the telltales are streaming aft. Secure the port jib sheet line to the port aft winch. Locate the mainsail sheet line and wrap 3 turns clockwise around the starboard forward winch and while holding fast to the line, unblock the mainsail sheet line from the line clutch and slowly ease the mainsail port to take the wind. While watching the mainsail leach telltales, adjust the mainsail point of entry to the wind until the telltales are streaming aft. Secure the mainsail sheet line with the clutch block and remove the line from the winch. Locate the mainsail outhaul line and wrap 3 turns clockwise around the winch and while holding fast to the outhaul line unblock the line from the clutch block. Slowly ease the outhaul line until the draft of the mainsail is about 12 to 14 inches windward from the mainsail boom and secure the outhaul line with the clutch block. Disengage the auto helm and take control of the helm by taking manual control of the rudder. Keep adjusting sails until you can obtain maximum boat speed while balancing the helm. The boat is now taking a fine 15° list to port while making 5-6 knots on a starboard beam reach with a freshening wind blowing a fine mist of salt water that tastes great when you lick your lips. The boat is making a beautiful wake and cutting into the waves nicely as you make you way on a 120°heading. Surely God must be a sailor.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)