Photo by John Hayden
“If democracy deadlocks here, we raise doubts about democracy everywhere.”
Sen. John Kerry made that sobering comment during his farewell address to the U.S. Senate this week. He’s leaving the Senate to become the new U.S. secretary of state, America’s ambassador to the world.
“My Destination,” a travel industry Web site, is the sponsor of the travel blogging competition referenced in my Jan. 29 repost from the blog, “Bucket List Publications.”
As information goes viral around the Internet, it’s easy to be confused about the original source of the information. You can go straight to the source for more information about the contest here: http://www.mydestination.com/bbb#.UQcaxW8702w
The home page for My Destination is here. Travel is a huge worldwide industry.
Good luck to all in the contest. — John
(NOTE: This post from November, 19, 2009, is getting hits at my other blog. We’re now entering the unchartered waters of 2013, so maybe it’s time to take another look. The post opens with an anecdote, and it takes a while to get to the point. I’ll add a troubling note at the end. — John)
When we talk about corruption, we think of big government and big business. But corruption pervades every aspect of American culture and society. It’s a rot and decay that threatens to destroy American civilization. We hardly notice anymore.
Here’s an example of the current American zeitgeist: Driving from West Ocean City to Salisbury. In the rearview mirror, about a half-mile back on Route 50, is one of those big, modern ambulance vehicles. Continue reading
The Republican Party has exacted a pound of flesh from the people of New York and New Jersey.
It’s more than a slap in the face. It’s a kick in the teeth. Continue reading
What a bizarre spectacle of irresponsible brinkmanship! The ultimate House and Senate votes may have narrowly averted immediate fiscal crisis and tax increases, but they do not restore one iota of confidence in the legislative branch of American government.
President Barack Obama, after failing to exert the leadership the American people hoped for, immediately boarded Air Force One to resume a Hawaiian vacation with his family. What can he be thinking?
To put the cherry on top of the whipped cream, Continue reading
Note: An interesting discussion — mostly about mental health issues — follows this brief post.
It’s nearly a week now since the tragic shooting and loss of innocent life in Connecticut. Like many, I’m hesitant to write about this most recent mass murder out of respect for the families, and because so much information is unknown.
Two observations stand out, however, regarding television news coverage:
First, a great deal of speculation has been aired about mental illness. Never before have the words “autism“ and “Asperger’s” been spoken so often on television in such a short time. It’s probably misleading to even classify autism and Asperger’s as mental illnesses, at least not without clarification. They certainly should not be associated with conditions such as Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. I’d wager that many people are hearing about Asperger’s Syndrome for the first time, and half-baked information is apt to create an undeserved stigma for both autism and Asperger’s. Continue reading
Seventy degrees in December! It’s not unheard of in Maryland, although normal temps would be in the 40s during the day, maybe 30s at night.
But throughout the northern U.S.? Seventy degrees in December in Chicago? Temperature records are being broken in some places. Winter’s off to a mild start. (Reality check: Don’t get too excited. Winter doesn’t officially begin until Dec. 21.) I’m trying not to be complacent. A blizzard might slap us in the face when we least expect it.
December is always a variable month here in Maryland. We rarely get snow before Christmas. But we don’t often enjoy 70 degrees, either. The photo above was taken a few days ago at the south end of the Ocean City boardwalk. Too bad there’s not many people here to enjoy it, except us year-rounders.
Seventy in December. Global warming? You think?
— John Hayden
Photo by John Hayden
It’s 10 days since I last posted on Work In Progress. The Earth continues to spin. Gen. John Petraeus and Paula Broadwell, et al., were pushed from the front pages by a deadly rocket battle between Israelis in Israel and Palestinians in Gaza.
Full-out war appeared imminent, according to cable TV news. But a ceasefire was called in time for Thanksgiving. (Appropriate that it’s an American holiday. We have so much to be thankful for, compared to the rest of the world. And we take it all for granted.)
The waning of the Middle East crisis made room for a seasonal story: Walmart employees threatening to disrupt kickoff of the Christmas shopping frenzy. (Starting time for the frenzy advanced from Black Friday to Thanksgiving Day, henceforth to be known as Black Thursday.)
The Walmart protests fizzled, naturally. They had as much impact as Y2K. Walmart workers stand exposed as powerless against the energy of American consumerism.
Now we return to the dreaded “Fiscal Cliff,” at least until the next distraction. Be not faint-hearted! In the grand scheme of things, the fiscal cliff is a bump in the road.
Most importantly, the fiscal cliff provides a unique opportunity to put the brakes on the runaway military-industrial defense complex. Seize the day! Continue reading
Do we care if Gen. David Petraeus’ ego is so big he has to have a personal biographer follow him around a war zone? Do we care if a smart, beautiful, and physically fit Harvard doctoral student “works her magic” on a general? Not really.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Is it scandalous? Based on the definition of “scandal,” the answer is technically, “Yes.”
But realistically, matters of ego, ambition, and romance are simply “human.” It’s strictly a private matter.
Until it begins to corrode the quality of work being done by important institutions, such as the U.S. Military.
Petty corruption pervades modern society, from highest to lowest. Continue reading
“LIVES OF THE RICH, FAMOUS & STOOPID” — Tentative working title for my proposed reality TV show starring Gen. David Petraeus, biographer Paula Broadwell, and socialite Jill Kelley. Roles reserved for Gen. John Allen, Natalie Khawam, attorney Abbe Lowell, and crisis manager Judy Smith, if they can prove they qualify.
Living Simply And Still On The Grid 