Category: Society

Happy Birthday?

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A Soldier’s Perspective on Where We Are Now

June 14 Has Come and Gone

Well, a day I celebrate yearly has come and gone this year with not much of a celebration. Regular readers will have guessed by now that I am referring to the US Army’s birthday, which falls on June 14. This year is especially notable on the calendar, as it was the Army’s 250th birthday – the first American armed forces and older than the country itself by a year.

This year, of course, was different in that President Trump finally was able to force on the military his own birthday parade.

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The Republican Budget is Crystal Clear

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Image by Dee from Pixabay

This Has Nothing To Do With Traditional Conservative/Liberal Arguments

Remember the Old Days?

Once upon a time, our political debates pretty much revolved around two sets of priorities/belief systems, both seeking a better America for all, but choosing different paths.

Republicans were generally thought to be pro-business, but that included small business. They sought smaller government where feasible, sought to minimize taxes, and expected America to be a leader on the world stage. Republicans abhorred deficit spending at any level. They emphasized a moral code of traditional values.

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Observations At Large

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Let’s Wander Around A Bit Today

Stakeholder vs Shareholder Capitalism

I listened to a presentation recently about B Corporations, something I have long thought of as the best shot for the future of capitalism. For too many years we have been increasingly operating in a badly distorted version of capitalism. It is a version that focuses ONLY on profits and shareholders. It does not work, and it is convincing entire generations that capitalism is hopelessly evil.

Alternatives like socialism do not work. B Capitalism does work. Business is still business, companies make profits, but they also take measure and assign value to their effects broadly (environment,

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A Snapshot of the Current Presidency

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The Headlines Tell The Story

What Does America Want In A President?

Clearly, the answer to that question can vary a lot, as divided as the country is these days. Still, I think the majority of us could agree on a few traits and attributes we would like to see in whomever is occupying the White House at any given moment.

How about this as a short list of what most of us would like to see:

  • A bit of class
  • A sense of stable, calm leadership
  • Someone who seeks to unite us,

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Cities With Personality

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I Really Like A Lot Of Places

Traveling America

I have had the good fortune over the years of seeing a lot of America firsthand and up close.

Where we currently live is our 26th relocation, so we have lived in many places. We have taken two cross country drives, each about a month long, over the years, exploring the out of the way and the well-known parts of this country. I also had several years of business travel domestically that ranged from Alaska to Florida and about every state in between. I think we have missed only 1-2 states so far.

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Is the Blue Bird of Happiness Around the Corner?

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Well, Probably Not. Still, There are good signs. Here are some of them.

 Interesting First 100 Days, Eh?

Well, we cannot say the first 100 days of this administration have been boring. Trump has pursued largely the path he laid out in the campaign. Only some of his voters seem surprised at what that actually mean. Others are still fans but give it time – this dance will get old for about everyone shortly.

There are–finally–signs of resistance and effective pushback popping up all over the country. Let’s take a look at a few of them and draw encouragement from the patterns shaping up.

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A Dozen “Guideposts” to a Better Life

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Life Has Its Challenges. Here Is My List For Making It Better

What?! No Politics?

Yeah, I thought it might be a good thing to talk about something other than political and social justice issues for a change, even if only once in a while. So today, let’s talk about something besides what passes for our national government – at least for today.

I hesitated to print this list. It sounds a bit arrogant to be saying something along the lines of “I have figured out life. Follow my guidelines.” That, of course,

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Maybe Sesame Street Has An Answer

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How Best to Understand This Administration

Remember Sesame Street And The Alphabet?

You may remember that Sesame Street has offered sessions that focus on one letter of the alphabet, with examples of how that letter could be used to spell words. Given the constant mess and communications kerfuffle that is the Trump administration, maybe the Sesame Street approach of one focus at a time might help.

So, ladies and gentlemen, let us consider The Letter C – a letter with TONS of applications for this administration. We will look at a few of them today.

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Play Ball!

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Baseball Season Has Begun. Hooray! Time For A Tea Ceremony

Not a fan? Read On – I Bet You Will Like This

Let’s Take A Short Break From Politics

This is one of my favorite times of year, the start of the baseball season. Everyone is a World Series contender at this point. Spring training gave some hints, but unlike sports like football, the baseball season is long, with something over 160 games for each team to rise to the occasion. A momentary burst of excellence will not cut it. You have to be in it consistently for the long haul to take the prize in baseball.

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Two “Teams” To Get America Right

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One for Action, One for Resources. Both to Help America

Shades of 1992

Anyone remember 1992? A small state governor named Bill Clinton surprised a lot of people that year. Having won a bruising primaries battle, he became the Democratic Presidential nominee, and he won. A lot of factors were at work in that election, but one cornerstone was that Clinton set himself up as a “New Democrat,” focusing on centrist politics connected with Democratic values, inclusiveness, and good governance. The theme scratched an itch in America and the man won.

He was surely helped by the fact that George Bush was not that great a campaigner and Ross Perot picked up a lot of votes.

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