Working Out My Differences: Writing vs Account Management

 It’s New Year’s Eve and I’m working. That’s not too bad though. I’m off from Midwest Sporting Goods, my main employer. Now that the retail days are kind of sparse I’m more of an office worker than a customer service guy. I’ve got a few regular accounts as well. So I’m an account rep but and a guy who handles retail customers. Also I pull orders throughout the day. Most are small and take less than 15 minutes, but it forms a portion of my daily routine.

So I’m an account rep who handles retail sales and regularly pulls orders for the sales team. That’s when I’m not buying letter jackets for high schools. I can’t tell if the letter jackets are their own account or just an extension of retail sales. I’d say I’m an account rep who does retail sales and letter jackets while helping the sales team with their orders.

Is that all I do? Well no actually. I drive the delivery van on holidays. For the sake of descriptive ease, I’m calling every off day for Joe (our regular driver) a holiday.

I’m an occasional delivery driving account rep who handles retail sales and letter jackets when he isn’t helping the sales team by pulling orders. Got it?

If I’m not doing any of those tasks at my main job than what am I doing?

I’m writing, editing and researching.

I listed all those previous jobs to sound busy, including a lot of descriptions will do that. All of those jobs from Midwest revolve around the same skill set, customer service. To be specific, customer service and support tied to sporting goods. After 13 years I understand the inner workings of team sports, uniforms and equipment sales like an expert.

But despite my expanding role, it’s all related to the service and sales of sporting goods. Writing is a different skill. I might say it’s a more creative muscle than I work at Midwest. That’s not a slight, it’s just a reality. Writing is more demanding from a creative perspective. I’m getting used to assignments from editors again.

Not since college have I had to correct my work usage, or rewrite something because it was “vague”. No one likes to correct their work but we need it. You can’t really improve or write to a standard without a good editor who knows which wound to pour the salt into. We get exposed when we have to provide documentation or tie a general idea to a specific one. I’ve been writing a marketing piece that’s going to be around 3000 words before it’s all done.

Marketing isn’t the most difficult thing to write, but without some basic knowledge or the terms you’ll sound lost quickly. Part of the creative process for me is being detailed with what little I know. That’s tough because it means you’re learning it for the first time while also teaching it to others. Thankfully I’ve got some direction from the editor. But like other articles I’ve done, when in doubt--do more research. It’s a different kind of problem solving that I’m rediscovering.

How is writing primarily different from sales? Well no one hears me cuss at the screen when I struggle with subject/verb agreement. That would be awkward in an office environment, although not too out of place among the former athletes and coaches I work with. Account management demands commitment to following up on behalf of your customers. Answering email, calling vendors, quoting and checking stock all compose the daily currency of customer service work.

There is a procedural aspect to it. Writing is procedural as well but only with experience. Blogging about your weekend in Branson is quite different than writing a safety flow chart for a glass manufacturing plant. One is light hearted and allows time to stretch an anecdote while lacing it with humor and romance; the other makes you want to cut yourself…with glass.

Anyone who knows the subject and writes enough can develop a procedure for either one. Writing is less procedural at first though. But if account management is a paint by numbers sketch that hangs on the fridge with a ‘win-win situation’ magnet, than writing is abstract art. It also includes a wide spectrum, from unintelligible to C.S Lewis. Account management requires showing up to work and calling people back.

If it sounds like I’m ripping customer service jobs it’s only because I’ve been in some form of it for the last 20 years. Naturally it’s easier to me. If people can’t do retail or manage accounts it’s because they don’t want to, not because they can’t. It’s not difficult but it demands you put your ego aside (on occasion) and take a verbal beating. It’s awful I know.

None of us should focus too hard on one skill. It’s good for the brain to solve problems in a different way. I stay mostly on the left side of the brain (logic, reason) but understand the need for right brain creativity. Even if you struggle to define your position at work, problem solving crosses all boundaries.

 

What I Learned From Detasseling Corn

 

 I reminisced with my cousin the other day about the misery of late July in the corn fields. We both made our back to school shopping money in the summers detasseling corn.

 Illinois is corn country so if you’re a little confused by the term “detasseling” let me explain. The top part of the corn stalk is the pollinator. In order to get the best yields, you rip out the tassel (the top part) and throw it on the ground. That way it won’t pollinate the field. Farmers choose to have one variety that pollinates the rest. It’s used every 5^th row and its tassels are left in place so it can do its work. This is primarily for food corn and not feed corn.

Seed companies have machines that go through the fields and pull most of the tassels. They can only get some 70 to 80% of them though, the rest are left for high school kids from July to August. With all things agriculture the weather dictates the perfect time. My brother and I worked with a group from Winnebago High School. One of the teachers there gathered kids for a few weeks every summer and sorted us into crews.

His crew leaders were usually experienced kids that followed us rookies through the long rows and pulled the ones we had missed. I liked the teacher, he was approachable and funny. He was also paid to get a job done so it was all business when we started.

The job was simply miserable, there is no way better way to categorize it. It’s a great way to earn money for kids with no other options though.

 It’s unlikely kids from 13 to 15 have had any job before. The ones who grew up in the country, on a farm knew how to work hard. But they weren’t going to be detasseling corn. They had other work to do. Most of us never had to get up at 4:30 in the morning to be at the bus pick up by 5:00 and be on by 5:30. It was summer after all. Kids sleep till 10:00 in the summer. The hardest part of the day was when my mom woke us up. I nearly cried every morning at the thought of what was coming.

We packed lunches (a welcome break) and took ponchos to wick the morning dew off the corn stalks that soaked your clothing without it. Mud caked on your shoes making every pass down the row heavier than the last. It’s often cold in the morning too, between 50 and 60 even in mid summer. But it warms up quick. After just a few hours of morning sun the wetness that turned your sweatshirt sleeves into a dripping sponge was already drying up. The July heat baked your skin and you regretted your heavier clothes.

I never seemed to get the clothing right.

Sunglasses are a must. The goggle type with the side guards are best. The eye level corn leafs do their best to gouge you as you walk by. This is in addition to stabbing your neck and scaring your face. You feel it more in the shower after a long day of cold and heat abuse to your skin. It’s summer too so sunburn is a constant. Every day I wanted to quit. It’s not impossible work but it’s tough and soft kids get weeded out quickly.

We had a commitment of two weeks. There was usually more work after that but only the guys who made a good impression were asked to stay. My brother and I were both asked to work a couple of extra days. I was proud of that but I don’t remember if we actually did. We weren’t allowed to skip regular days. My mom wouldn’t hear of it. It’s the only reason we made it through without quitting.

There is something magical that happens when you set your mind to a thing. You decide to do a chore or go to a place or make a call, the struggle gets easier. Much of the struggle is with the indecision, the vacillating over whether or not to go forward. Decisions make for smoother execution when you don’t give yourself an out. My mom made the first decision for my brother and I, “Go”. We had to make the second, “Finish”. But we pushed on with the knowledge that we were working at least the full two weeks. It made the rest easier.

Once you flip that switch in your brain from indecision to decision, everything gets easier. Parents help their kids immensely when they take away options that provide an out for them. Why? Because kids take the easy path every time. Discipline in later life comes from discipline in early life. I’m happy for the tough days, the cold morning and hot afternoons, the sunburn and chaffed skin, the sore legs and muddy, heavy shoes.

Find a job for your kids that makes them want to quit, and force them to finish. They’ll learn to get over the “I quit” instinct and set their minds to it.

Following Steyn: Writing and Radio

 

I’ve followed Mark Steyn for the last few years. I became aware of him in the early 2000s, not sure exactly when.

 First book I read was his America Alone: The End of the World as We Know It which juxtaposed Western decadence and Eastern advancement. More importantly it introduced everyone to the critical importance of demography. There was a famous saying in the book ‘demography is destiny’ or something to that effect. His point was that America is the last Western power that really believes in itself. The Europeans, Japanese and most of the democratic powers are experiencing decline. As a result they are importing immigrants from North Africa and other Muslim majority countries.

They don’t share the same traditions. Sharia law guides their lives and they ignore the laws of the countries they live in. It creates conflict like the explosion of terrorism across the continent. He’s written several books since but to me, it’s his most important book.

He isn’t just a great writer. He never loses track of first principles in his opinions, whether in print or on the radio. Most Americans probably became familiar with him through his hosting gigs on the Rush Limbaugh show. The last year of Rush’s life 2020 (the cancer treatment year) say Mark fill in for the great man all too frequently.

He became the only guest host I looked forward to. Nothing against Todd Herman or any of the others who were asked to step up but Mark is smarter and more entertaining. He got a little grumpy toward the end though. He’d complain on the air about the lack of notice to appear and how it was starting to affect his other work. It wasn’t disrespectful but it became a common refrain. The trade-off for working without notice on the EIB network is exposure. But getting Mark to talk about his website and solicit new members wasn’t easy. He probably thinks asking makes him sound like a shill.

I jumped on his website the other day to catch up on his articles. He does a little less of the daily opinion and more of the radio and TV stuff now. I prefer his writing to his audio shows and his GB News spots. The last one is a new development. He always used to appear on Fox with Tucker or the Fox & Friends morning show. I listened to him explain that he was tired of being the comic relief guy in a serious age. I understand his reluctance to keep doing the same shtick, but he’s quite funny.

He wasn’t going to last there without getting his own show anyway. I think that’s what he has been aiming for. All those fill-ins for Tucker and chances to turn phrases and make hilarious points weren’t for nothing. He’ll be remembered in some circles as the author of Thoroughly Modern Milley, the mock phrase directed at General Milley after his disastrous congressional appearance. In it he told the committee that he hoped to “understand white rage”.

  I think his personal Mark Steyn Show that filmed in New Hampshire, is done. After a lawsuit cut the legs out from under it. The funding for the TV show was from CRTV, a conservative channel that owns other properties including Mark Levin’s show. I tried watching it but the segments were long and designed to show off his wit and knowledge of global affairs. It needed a producer who knew how to speed things along.

There is a bit of that in his newest GB show as well. He likes lengthy discourses and clever retorts. It’s not ideal for quick soundbites television demands. Not that he can’t change and become a great host, but he looks ill at ease to me. I do hope it goes well for him but I’m disappointed that his writing output is at half speed. There are only so many hours in a day after all.

He’s always been a brilliant writer of the arts too. That’s not my interest so I usually just scan. His still does the song of the week, every week. To me it’s always too long. I imagine it’s like reading the sports page without an interest in sports. He has a famous line he always dryly mentions during his reader questions and answers. That membership isn’t for everyone. I like that touch of honesty for his listeners. It’s like he knows his interests diverge significantly from his audiences.

I’ve never been a member and I don’t believe I ever will. But as a writer on global affairs there is no one better. Even if he is an eternal pessimist and something of a diva, his explanations of geopolitical realities have stuck with me for years.   

Saturday in Fayetteville

I got to work on Saturday this week. The University of Arkansas needed their baseball order and it had to go, too many others scheduled Monday through Friday. They offered me overtime so I jumped at the chance. Besides, deliveries are easy. Fayetteville is just less than 2 hours from Tulsa so most of my time would be spend behind the windshield listening to a podcast. I’m more or less the back up delivery option since I run the retail store.

On Friday night the warehouse crew loaded up the van with $30,000 worth of baseballs. That’s a lot of balls but it doesn’t take up as much room as you’d think. They seem to go up in price every year and these online warehouses move thousands every day. I’m always surprised when we are able to sell large orders of baseballs. The margins are thinner than the cardboard boxes they’re packed in. Whatever profit we make, the big stores like” Baseball Express” are certainly taking less. It’s tough to compete with that.

After drifting around campus looking for the stadium I finally called the equipment manager for directions. We unloaded in about 20 minutes and he offered to show me around. The facility is new. They’ve only been using it for a few months. Even the floor had an shiny, unused feel to it. This is probably the first baseball order the dock had seen. He didn’t have a place for it yet so we stacked them in a corner. Only the student training center is new though. The field and storage facilities, along the left field dugout, have been there since the middle 90s.

This new facility is a recruiters dream. I think the equipment manager, Mark, said 28 million. The boosters covered nearly all of it. He took me to a massive weight room with a wide view of the field. The right side of the room overlooked the pitching and hitting center. Each stall is equipped with high speed cameras that record every motion. Players can then sit in the video rooms and watch their performance while a coach recommends drills and techniques. We walked through the theater size locker room to the two Olympic size hot tubs. Behind that is the exam room for trainers to work tired arms, sore calves, pulled back muscles, pinched nerves and whatever ails a 20 year old prospect hoping to get on a professional club.

Most colleges have facilities like this but the scale and the quality of the University of Arkansas is a real separator. Top high school stand outs from around the country will decide to go there based on the upscale offerings. That’s the point. The recruiting game is more competitive than what happens on the diamond. It’s expensive too. I can’t blame boosters for pushing money into their Alma Mater’s baseball or football teams. Everyone wants to root for a winner; but what does spending millions of dollars on college sports really do for you?

Is getting good seats for home games worth it? I’m conspiratorial I admit, but for at least some of the high spenders there has to be more. For a guy who gives a 10K to the program and buys season tickets, the purchase makes sense. For families that donate millions of dollars it doesn’t. If there is one thing I know about rich people it’s this, they don’t waste money. What might seem frivolous (or a generous gift) is actually a payment for something else. Tax breaks come to mind. I don’t know exactly what kind of breaks they get but money given to a (don’t laugh) educational institution comes with certain breaks.

 I know they can’t deduct their seat purchases anymore. The Trump tax plan eliminated that in 2017.

Regular donations to athletic programs are still (I think) 100% deductible. Wouldn’t you rather control where your money went than have to pay it to the federal government? The booster clubs are using the money for sports of course, but it’s also being used for non-school related things. I don’t mean to pay players either. That happens but it’s risky and nearly always backfires costing the college penalties from the NCAA and hurting their recruiting efforts long term.

Best guess, these networks of well heeled donors are just ‘good ol boy’ clubs from years past. I’m not suggesting they don’t include women but they do help each other out and are probably too involved in the decisions of the team, and school. What it really amounts to is a private club that owns a sports team with university logos and signage on the walls.

But actually it’s better than that. They don’t have the nagging problems of running a for profit club. You don’t need to buy land or pay any of the city fees like taxes and whatever other zoning costs are involved. No need to pay salaries since these are student athletes and not contractors. And probably the biggest one of all, no need to generate profit. No, this isn’t a rant about how college kids should be paid. I don’t believe that.

I’m just uncomfortable with how important sports have become in our society. I’d like to see amateur sports rise and college sports fall. It would solve the issue of athletes getting paid for their talent at least.

But I do love baseball and I can understand the appeal of season tickets behind the plate. If nothing else it’s a yearly expense that pays you back if you run a business. Entertain the clients, take the kids, use them as gifts and currency.

I enjoyed the visit. Maybe I’ll get to catch a game this season. Or better yet, I’ll get to deliver something to the football team and get a tour of those facilities while on the clock. I think I like that idea better.   

Husbandry in the City: Sowing and Reaping

 

Husbandry isn’t a word we hear too much today. I caught it on a TV show the other day and wondered when the last time was I’d heard it, or read it. I had to scan the interwebs to make sure I got the exact definition right. Animals and agriculture come to mind, but that’s just one part of it. Animal Husbandry is raising livestock and/or breeding animals and everything that comes with the care of animals.

The second part of it, the more general part is what interested me, care of resources in the earth. If you own a vineyard you practice husbandry by growing and harvesting the crop. It works for family gardens and raising pitbulls too.  

I’ve noticed that kids raised on farms and ranches grow up quicker than those of us city folks. It’s not an accident. Responsibility grows us up like nothing else. Being forced to finish chores before 6 a.m. on a farm is a lot different than doing chores in a suburban bungalow. Animals die if you forget to feed them and land grows wild if you neglect it. What happens if you forget to make your bed or wash dishes? Just do them later, or wait till tomorrow. The consequences of neglect are high on a farm.

The closest many of us will come to being responsible for the land and resources is with our yards. Mowing, raking, pulling weeds and planting spring flowers creates in us a sense of husbandry for our little patch of earth. Sure Ok, the stakes are a bit lower but the husbandry idea is there. Land ownership encourages care for land, but more than that it creates in us a sense of stewardship for our resources. Stewardship leads to pride when we begin something and watch it grow.

This is true for learned skills as well like learning a foreign language or starting a business.

We don’t just watch it grow of course, we nurture and protect and feed our gardens and lawns. We watch the weather for rain, wind and snow. We prune out weeds and keep birds from eating the new growth. Often we lose plants to heat or erosion. Some years the rain is too frequent, drowning our young produce and turning it to mush. Our best efforts aren’t always enough.  

I’m probably stretching the meaning of the word “husbandry” a bit by scaling it down. The tendency today is to scale everything up. Most farms are corporate and highly efficient, tuned in to soil quality and water level.

 But it’s the meaning of the word that interests me. Husbandry is essentially sowing and reaping; in the literal sense as well as in a metaphorical one. It’s the process of starting and finishing while growing in the process. Our projects grow through our efforts and inputs, but our lives are also subject to the same pattern. Our Heavenly Father plants us and gives us a job, the same is true for carrots or sheep or cattle. Grow and multiply.

The principles of God’s Kingdom are found in planting and harvesting. It’s the actual currency with use to thrive. The cyclical nature ensures, it functions even when we are unaware of it. Care is rewarded, neglect is punished.

I started raking leaves just yesterday. I won’t pretend I love to rake leaves and bag them up all afternoon. It actually takes a few days but I’ve got it down to a science. Rake and bag the first half, blow and mulch the second half. As far as chores go I kind of enjoy it. It gives me a chance to listen to a long form podcasts while working. I don’t get the chance too often.

Being outdoors for more than a few hours forces me to notice how much cleaner my yard is since I first moved in 12 years ago. The back fence line was a jungle of neglected weeds and invasive grasses that the city had to come out and cut back. It was so tall it started to interfere with the overhead electric lines that cross my property. I didn’t attack it all at once. It took years of cutting, pulling and digging roots to have a clean space.

I’ve added a few landscaped areas since, had 2 trees cut down and replanted more grass seed than I care to think about. Much of it’s been a failure. This soil requires a lot of water and I’m too cheap (and lazy) to bother with it every year. But overall the place is an improvement. Husbandry provides a sense of satisfaction that you can’t get any other way. I’ve paid for others to work on my property, but it doesn’t feel the same.

The reason is simple, sowing and reaping. Our projects grow as we do. You want to understand husbandry, get a garden or a lawn and grow with it. Watch it change you. It's the way God intended.  

“For he who sows to the flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.” (Galatians 6:8) NKJV

Old and New Testament: God's Plan is the Same

 

I don’t think I cracked open much of the Old Testament, except for Psalm and Proverbs, as a kid.

Now I understand how important it is to see the nature of God through his people in the context of both covenants. The Bible is a story with God as the central figure. He creates and builds and causes us to flourish. We in turn get to tell of His character and redemption; we are fruitful and we multiply.

There is a tendency to see the Bible as two separate stories with different histories and different ideas about human nature. I had a professor once describe the Old Testament attitude of God versus the New Testament attitude. Clearly he thought the God of the Hebrews was a vindictive, petulant deity who was never satisfied. The New Testament God (in the person of Jesus) is a lovely creature, gentle and warm who goes around doing good.

 Even if I can understand the confusion, reading the Bible clears up the fogginess as some discover much later in life.

Admittedly I’ve learned much about the Old Testament from ministers who took time to explain how the covenant worked. God make a covenant with Abraham and much of the symbolic sacrifices point to a savior. Not to mention the prophecies that point to specific details in the life of Christ. I needed someone to show me, but hearing it caused me to seek out more detail about the Old Testament. The Law of Moses in Deuteronomy describes the Lord’s purpose for His children. None of it is frivolous or impossible. All serves a larger purpose for righteousness or good health or good order.

Prophesies about Jesus are the thread that connects Abraham’s promise to the savior of the world. 

The Jews didn’t see it then and many still don’t, but it’s human nature to not get the big picture. We don’t often see what God is doing because our perception is limited by culture and personal ability, even geopolitical realities of the day. I have to stop myself sometimes and ask “What are You doing in my life that I’m unaware of Lord?” But in order to ask that, we need to remove as much of our preconceived notions about life as we can. That’s tough to do.

The Jews thought the savior would be a political figure who would cast off the Roman government and return Israel to its greatness. In the same way we in America are hoping for the same thing, a return to political greatness and relative stability. I don’t think America’s best days are behind her, but we won’t recover anything without acknowledging the Creator of order and commerce and justice. That’s where we’ve missed it and I don’t think that’s even controversial anymore. But maybe God wants to do something different and better for the world than just making America the jewel in the crown (it has been no doubt).

America makes the world safe for democracy even now.

But maybe God wants a flourishing of a different kind. Instead of markets for commerce how about markets for ideas? Instead of another real estate bonanza where Target, Home Depot and Starbucks get to gobble up more space, how about one where locals trade goods and services? Maybe we’ll see a return to doctors doing house calls and caring for patients instead of writing scripts for every ailment.

I think we’ve all traded a little personal responsibility for comfort in some way.

I’m totally spit balling here. No one hates department stores or restaurants or hardware chains. It’s a model that’s worked well for a long time but so much is corrupted that’s it’s time for something new. Greed skews our perception about what money is for. Nearly all of the big companies in the world are owned by 2 or 3 conglomerates. We live with the illusion of choice. Those conglomerates buy each other’s stock and have a real interest in keeping the whole thing afloat. The dollar gets more worthless with every QE (Quantitative Easing) buying program the Fed goes on.

We will break free but not without some financial pain. Slave labor makes the products that fund corrupt governments and corrupt business leaders. I’m not just talking about China but everywhere. They’re in league together and they despise the God of the universe. You can tell by the music, movies and literature they promote. There is countless suffering that we aren’t even aware of because it’s hidden. I believe exposure is coming on a massive scale and it’s going to reset a lot of our priorities, both individual priorities and national ones.

The most important part of life right now is to humble ourselves and let God realign our priorities. We can’t know exactly how the next few years will unfold but I believe God’s people will become the leaders for a new age. It’s easy to see how globalism has failed and assume the opposite kind of reality will dominate the next few years. Instead of the flatness of globalism we get the peaks and valleys of small businesses—a return to a simpler time where producers lived next to consumers. But maybe not, God gave people creativity to design and build and flourish.

We might see a hybrid model of development that reduces barriers like globalism but retains a unique local character. Again, just spit balling.

What do the Old and New testaments and the story of Christ have to do with all of this trade talk? The common thread is God’s plan for humans remains to be fruitful and multiply. That hasn’t changed because when we follow that instruction we spread out the knowledge of the Creator like a fragrance and it goes on forever. God made a way to redemption for all time. Adam’s fall set in motion the coming of Christ to ‘fix’ that brokenness and restore us to the Creator.

The New Plan for Taiwan

 

An effort is underway to shore up support for the island Republic of Taiwan. The democratic West wants to make China realize that an attack would be costly. How much it would cost is up for debate.

 Last month some senators from France made an official visit, this month the European parliament did the same. Just yesterday some Republican lawmakers make the trip as well. They took a military aircraft from Manilla. In response to this 'disrespect' the Chinese navy sent a readiness patrol near the straits. It’s a show of force, an overwhelming demonstration of might.

China's been doing this with some regularity since 2020. In October of this year they flew 196 sorties around the island, a significant uptick since Trump left office. They flew a total of 320 sorties for all of last year. Military experts call this tactic “gray zone”. By flying close enough to Taiwan’s airspace but not engaging, they are playing a psychological game.

When this happens every day you either get used to it or lose your mind.

This uptick in sorties increases the chance of an incident from both sides. China might appreciate the chance to attack the island with everything they have. Maybe they’re hoping for an incident. In this swirling conflict just waiting to kick off, what does the US and Europe do? How do they gently apply pressure on the CCP while not letting Xi Jinping (Chairman of China) believe war with the US and Europe is imminent?

I think they’re doing it by flaunting China’s decrees and visiting Taiwan anyway.  

The one thing Beijing insists on is absolute authority over Taiwan. It’s why any country that has official relations with Taiwan is cut off diplomatically from Beijing. In the CCP’s opinion, it’s just another province that’s gone rogue not a separate country with an ambassador, an embassy and a flag. Only a handful of countries actually recognize Taiwan and most are small nations themselves like Belize and Haiti.

By risking Beijing’s ire and visiting the island they hope to send a signal to the CCP that they stand with Taiwan. They probably hope to make the Chinese think that they will be giving up a lot in the form of markets with an attack.

I have no idea if this will work but it’s worth a try. It’s similar to standing up to a bully by showing up in support of the weakling. It’s much better to find a larger bully and enlist him on your side. But that isn’t an option. So you do what you can with gestures.

 You aren’t sending transport planes full of soldiers. That would be more overt and dangerous. You are matching Beijing’s bravado with bravado and reminding them that Taiwan has friends.

Don’t think Xi Jinping hasn’t considered the cost of a full scale invasion. But what is the cost? The CCP would love to get their hands on the Taiwan’s leaders and imprison them for their ‘rebellion’. Until now that equation had to take into account the might of the United States and her expansive navy. The navy is of course still there but in the last 10 years the Chinese have strengthened their position in the South China Sea. They’ve drudged up sand bars and built make shift military bases in strategic spots.

It’s given them positions from which to patrol and attack enemies. It was much easier for the US to guard the oceans with battleships and cruisers when no one else had them. It’s a different calculus when the enemy has a respectable navy.

Expect to see more ‘unofficial’ visits from foreign dignitaries in the upcoming months.

 The idea is to get Beijing to reconsider an attack by showing how much they stand to lose. I don’t imagine any western power goes to war over Taiwan. But an incident in which Beijing could claim to be the victim would give democratic countries an excuse to ignore the whole problem. Imagine Taiwan’s air defense fires off a rocket at a passing bomber sparking a war. China could claim they were attacked. It’s weak I know, but it might be enough for western powers (like the US) to stay out of it.

The best situation for Taiwan is to keep a steady stream of visitors from the West. The only leverage they really have is making China believe an attack would force a break with the West. That would be devastating economically.

 

Reason for Optimism? Durham's Plan

 

This John Durham thing is really picking up steam. I’ll miss some of the details here but this is a complicated story. Worst of all it plays out over the course of 5 years, from 2016 to 2021, an insanely long time to wait. John Durham is the special prosecutor assigned by Trump AG Bill Barr in 2019. The purpose of which was to investigate the origins of the Trump Russian collusion hoax. By this point most regular Americans at least suspected the collusion was kind of bullshit.

I was an avid Rush Limbaugh listener since about 2004. He was on this since day 1. Looking back at everything that’s come out about the Steele Dossier recently I can see how right he was. I never doubted of course but it’s nice when it’s confirmed.

In 2017 the assistant AG Rod Rosenstein appointed Robert Mueller (former FBI director) to investigate the supposed collusion. Naturally they took close to 2 years to and found nothing really. Officially they found no collusion and didn’t charge Trump with obstruction, which they think probably happened. The details were so thin though. Don McGahn, a trump advisor, talked Trump out of firing Mueller during the investigation. That always gets pointed to as ‘evidence’ that Trump was obstructing justice. But nothing came of it. McGahn ignored Trump and treated it like a tantrum.

Mueller and his team knew there was no collusion pretty early on in the case but kept investigating anyway. The FBI led by James Comey was looking into allegations against the president from a dossier filled with embarrassing stuff. This was right after the election. Comey briefed Trump on the dossier, supposedly to let him know what kind of stuff was out there. He also ensured Trump that the FBI wasn’t investigating him over any of it. A lie as it turns out. Trump fired Comey which prompted the Mueller team to take over, looking into the same stuff.

The stuff from the dossier was opposition research for Hilary Clinton’s team. They put together a packet with salacious rumors from supposed insiders about Trump’s behavior in Russia. Christopher Steele compiled it from ‘former spies’ and intel types, another lie. The most damaging rumor was about Trump hiring prostitutes to pee on a Moscow bed that Obama had slept in. This story sounded designed to attract the attention of the public. Nothing gets attentions like titillating accounts. Then team Clinton peddled this nonsense to the FBI as legitimate intel.

The FBI used the dossier to get a FISA (foreign intelligence surveillance act) warrant and spy on the Trump campaign in 2016. There is more here to say about the spying on the campaign. But the bottom line is the Clinton campaign tried to set Trump up from the beginning and the deep state helped. I think the Obama White House helped too but that’s just speculation right now.

Now it looks like Durham might actually be putting a lot of this sordid affair right. I’ll refrain from being too excitable. Not because I’m a cynic but because too many of these wasteful investigations result in fines. When other Feds are charged with wrongdoing it takes years to inspect, millions of dollars to fund and they get a slap on the wrist. Agencies protect each other. But I won’t spoil the food while it’s still cooking though.  

John Durham arrested a fake Russian source hired by Christopher Steele just this last week. He indicted a lawyer (Sussman) who went to the FBI with information on Trump and Russia. They asked him if he was working on behalf of a campaign, he said no. That was a lie since his law firm was hired by Clinton.

There is a third recent one but I don’t remember who. Trump allies in Congress like Devin Nunes had tried telling the American people this collusion stuff was bogus. He was censured for it, or at least threatened to be censured. For two years the press ran with lie after lie about the dossier, collusion, obstruction of justice. Trump’s team were assaulted on all sides and need vindication in the worst way. So I’m hopeful that Durham gets some justice and lays down some serious punishment. But I’ve been here before. I was sure Trump would be reelected. He was actually. But the same people who lied about his Russia dealings stole it from him.

I say the same people meaning the deep state. I used to talk about them like they were separate entities, the press, the FBI, the CIA, the Justice Department and so on. But it’s really one big incestuous family that helps each other out. I hope Durham is different, but like the Who says, We Won’t Get Fooled Again.

Review--Rigged: How the Media, Big Tech, and the Democrats Seized Our Election

 

The Election of 2020 was Stolen and Everyone Knows It.

Mollie Hemingway is fearless.

 Her directness is refreshing in an industry that rewards spin. Officially she writes for the Federalist, but is a frequent guest on Fox News as an expert journalist. She’s a conservative reporter who doesn’t mind being labeled one. Probably because her work speaks for itself. Even the left wing Guardian took shots at her partisanship but said nothing of her sources or logic.  

The book contains almost 100 pages of endnotes, many with commentary. This was no small undertaking. Rigged shows how tech money and Democrat activists stole an election, and suppressed any mention of it. She retells much of the 2020 Covid lockdown year and the effort to remake voting along ‘safer’ lines. By throwing out, or just ignoring, restrictions on voter verification the fix was in.

Lockdowns Become the Excuse

Covid became the perfect chance to change laws en masse and push through sweeping election reforms. States like Pennsylvania, Arizona, Wisconsin, Georgia and Michigan saw the largest changes. There isn’t enough space here to detail each state’s reckless disregard for using proper legal channels. The biggest steals were in vote by mail, signature verification, poll watching and a general loosening of standards.

 Mark Zuckerberg spread out over 400 million dollars through various non-profits to ‘aid’ in election safety. Dubbed Zuck Bucks, they funded a cottage industry of election shenanigans. 

The stated reason for the infusion of cash was to make sure elections “done in accordance with prevailing public health requirements”. The vast majority of money went to fund attorney fees for open record requests, salaries, laptops and other local hires for elections. Left wing groups like Power the Polls helped hire ballot curers. Curing is determining the intent of a voter on a disputed ballot. These are normally thrown out when in dispute. It’s an area ripe with fraud for good reason.

The problem with this outside money is it can overwhelm the normal, legal, function of election workers and election laws. That’s of course the point. Overwhelm the system and takeover the operation where possible. Private money isn’t necessarily new or unethical, but the scale and deployment points to why so much was spent on an election Democrats knew they’d likely lose.

Blame the Legal Team

In the second half, Hemingway blames Rudy Giuliani and his team of lawyers tasked with contesting the results in various states. If there is a weak point of the book it’s here.

 He focused on making public all the wrong items when other perfectly good strategies existed. Pennsylvania was the death knell for effective litigation of the election. According to Hemingway, there was an exceptionally good case for voters being denied equal protection. Mail in votes were being counted well after the statue strictly forbid it.

In challenge to this, the Pittsburg lawyers wanted to pursue the equal protection violation but Giuliani and crew focused on more sensational parts of the election. One particular poll watcher was denied entry, true but not as meaty. Rudy did a presser about it that rubbed some the wrong way. Some of the original Pittsburg lawyers were scared off the case by death threats. On top of that, the rest couldn’t agree with Rudy and his team and how the case should go. They asked to be dismissed from the case.

Uphill Battle

Hemmingway’s criticism is unfair here. I don’t remember the Trump team getting a lot of help in too many states. In fact most wanted nothing to do with it. Maybe Giuliani was abrasive and maybe they liked the sensational stuff because it meant the press would have to notice. Maybe they were sloppy and too concerned with optics. I’m not a lawyer but of all the cases anyone connected to Trump brought to court, how many were winners? As of February of this year, the times when it would have mattered, zero.

Am I supposed to believe this is all just Rudy and his bumbling legal team? No way. What about the Texas case to challenge Pennsylvania at the Supreme Court? SCOTUS wouldn't even hear the case because of "standing".

There has been very little courage from judges, elections commissions, and anyone tied to the voting process. Arizona has gone the farthest with its audit of Maricopa County. There is some evidence that Wisconsin might follow this same path. But I’m cynical. I think all this sudden ‘bravery’ is to shore up the suckers, the ones who haven’t said F*@K national elections.

It’s a way of saying “Hey guys, Republican official here. Gosh we’d love to do something about those pesky democrats and what they did in 2020. So vote for us and we’ll do what we can.” They’re dangling audit language like a string to a kitten and hoping we’ll chase it around. How do I know this? We’ve got an election coming up next year. You think they want to waste time with audits, recounts, litigation. Hell no. It’s time to raise money!

Don’t fall for it. You fix the fence then bring in the horses that escaped. They’re asking us to bring in the horses in while they work on the fence.  

Without real consequences for election theft, ballot tampering or any voter fraud we lose the ability to stop it. Justice Alito told Pennsylvania election officials to separate late arriving ballots after 8:00 on November 3^rd (election day). They didn’t. They counted them anyway. What’s been done about it? Nothing.

Conclusion

Pick any swing state you like from last year. Most of the same problems are there in bunches, no oversight, out of date voter rolls, election laws ignored, double counting, signature verification problems.

Rigged is a fascinating deep dive into election fraud, mismanagement and plan by the tech companies and the deep state to steal the election. If you’re skeptical about the claims of among right wing nuts like me, just read it. Her research and summary of events are impeccable.  

"Tulsa Run" and Done

 

I ran my first Tulsa Run today.

It’s a 15k that’s the city has held every year since 1978, minus one year. You know of course which year that was, 2020 the one where we collectively lost our minds. The race is popular with Tulsans because it’s just short of a half marathon but longer than a 5K. Why is that important? The 5K isn’t really a serious run. It’s the starting point for anyone who wants to start getting in shape. Most people can do a 5K even if it pushes them to their limits. If you can’t run the whole way then walk, it’s only 3.1 miles.

But a 15K requires at least some training. It’s 9.32 miles which isn’t nothing. Without at least some regular running this one would be tough. I didn’t think the distance would be a problem for me but I was concerned that I couldn’t keep a regular pace. I did slow up in the last half but I only lost 20 seconds or so per minute. The last half was hilly so that’s my excuse. I came in at 1:23:10 or roughly 8:55 per mile.

My regular runs are in the 9:45 per minute neighborhood so I was impressed. I do think my Fitbit is off by quite a lot though. Although I imagine racing a quicker pace than I practice, I don’t think I jumped up nearly a whole minute better. Adrenaline kicks in when others run near you. There is a comradery with others that motivates everyone to give a little more. Until regular blocks of joggers start passing you, that is, and you get mad. But yeah. . . I need a new Fitbit.

The weather was chilly but great for racing. My phone said 39 degrees just before I left. I stuck with shorts and a long sleeve Tee even though I knew it would be a cold wait. The alternative is to wear something you’ll wish you didn’t though, like gloves and pants. After a few miles you’ll want to discard them. I noticed runners ahead of me doing just that. They pitched long sleeves shirts along the route as they warmed up. The sun came out and they realized their ability to work up a sweat.

Another reason to love this run is the ideal view of the business district downtown.  We started at Boston and 3^rd right in front of the Performing Arts Center and turned left 2 blocks west at Boulder. From Boulder the route spilled onto Riverside and South toward 41^st. This means we got to run past the Gathering Place at 31^st and come back along the bike path. The bike path along Riverside, at any point, is a familiar route for most Tulsa runners. All the running groups use it and individual walkers, bikers and even fisherman frequent it.

And it makes for great pictures for the newspaper.

We followed the bike path toward 11^th and turned around to get back to Boulder. It got hilly right there at the end and I saw a few who were ahead of me start walking. I nearly did myself. I’m no stranger to steep hills though. I try to get in hills at least once every two weeks. I tried to pace off this guy near the end. He ran faster than me but then would stop and walk. I passed him up and 30 seconds later he zoomed past me. He began walking again and I passed him. He flew past me again, almost spitefully. That cycle repeated itself a few times and I thought about grabbing him. For whatever reason it really irritated me. I’m laughing about it now because that irritation led to an aggressive push toward the finish.

 I determined to pass him up for good and I did.

Next time I’d like to run with a team. I did know at least 2 people there. One I saw at the finish line. He came in a minute after me. Him and his wife were both good customers at my store for years. When their kids were younger and in sports, they spend a lot of money with us. The other was a woman I used to run with at Runner’s World. She led the 1:25 pace group. That’s where I started but managed to stay just slightly ahead of them.

I’ve got enough time to sign up for the Route 66 Half Marathon in a month. I might just have to do it.

A Servant's Heart: A Discerning Mind

 The gospels are full of leading questions from the Pharisees to Jesus. Hoping to trip him like a good lawyer, they examined 'one offs' and exceptions to the rules.  "Is is lawful to pay taxes to the emperor" or "How is it he eats and drinks with sinners?" or "Can a man divorce his wife for any reason?"

It’s tough to always know the right thing to do for others. Some scenarios are tricky and lack a straightforward this or that answer.

Taking on another’s struggle challenges the part of us that doesn’t want to get too close. It’s uncomfortable to know where the boundary lines are. How far should we go in our efforts to reach the lost?

I had a conversation with my neighbor Cathy the other night. Her dog Gracie disappeared from the front yard a few days earlier. She panicked, naturally. She asked her friend who lives down the road to pray with her to have her dog returned safely. Her next door neighbor has a camera that records images from the street. They looked at footage from that day and recognized the thief as he walked by. Turns out it was a kid that Cathy had given money to the previous day, some homeless kid. She assumed he was homeless at least.

So the stranger she helped, believing she was doing God’s work, stole her dog. Two days later the kid came walking back with Gracie and pretended he found her wandering around. Like a good Samaritan he strolls up with his girlfriend hoping for a reward. By this point Cathy knows that he is the thief but the kid doesn’t know that. She tells him I knew you stole Gracie. “I saw you on the video”. He makes up a lame excuse about never having such a wonderful dog. He’s also has a meth problem. That’s what he admitted to at least. I didn’t see what he looked like, but I’ll bet it wasn’t exactly a surprise.

I was reminded first about God’s goodness in bringing her dog back. He is a rewarder of those that seek Him. Despite the difficult couple of days she endured wondering if Gracie was ok, the heavenly Father delivered. Secondly though, was her decision to give this kid some money a wise choice or a foolish one? I scolded her a bit for it. Only softly though, I could never get upset with such a generous person.

“Cathy. . . Don’t give them money, ever”. I must have sounded like a teacher who’s tired of repeating himself to stubborn pupils. You’d be tempted to say giving the kid any money was a bad idea. But if he was going to steal the dog anyway would they have gotten it back, if he didn’t expect a reward? I don’t know if he expected a reward but the way it played out, him coming back like he just found the dog, I assume he did.

In other words, was the money what ultimately ensured the dog would come back or did the money lead him to take the dog in the first place? My heart breaks when I hear stories like this from people I respect. It’s their generosity and heart that provides a way for scoundrels to take advantage. It enrages me. I think the Lord kept me from knowing anything about it until the incident until it was all over. I’m not violent but I won’t permit vagrants in the neighborhood taking advantage of the elderly.

 I’m no stranger to praying with the homeless and providing food for them. I seek them out when I jog through the city. Sometimes I’ll just talk to them and offer an encouraging word. But I keep boundaries from them. I don’t give money and I don’t offer them rides. I won’t approach groups of homeless unless I’m in a group myself. I rarely approach women unless I’m in a busy area where they feel safe.

 At some point in our Christian walk, we’ll have to get out of our comfort zone in the cause for Christ. “We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves, Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.” (Romans 15: 1-2)

For some of us, selflessness is easy. It’s learning to be discerning that trips us up. Most of us, raises hand, struggle with opening up our lives to the uncomfortable messiness of others. I don’t mean people that walk by on the street either. There are countless opportunities to do help out in small ways. How many people need rides for groceries or help with yardwork? Consistent generosity shows the heart of God to others.

Those efforts lead to deeper friendships and chances to take on their emotional, financial and spiritual burdens. The heavenly Father doesn’t dump those on us so we can stagger around with the same heaviness our neighbor feels. Our role is to offer be a rock in the storm. We’re confident in our authority in Christ because of what He did in us and for us.

That’s an awesome responsibility but it won’t happen if you aren’t ready. I think my neighbor makes mistakes by being too open, even at the expense of getting hurt. I think I make mistakes by holding back when I could help, at the expense of getting hurt.

This from Mathew 5:42 “Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.” I normally take that to mean goods and not money, but it’s the openness that counts. If it feels like God is encourage you to stretch a little, take a chance. There is blessing on the other side of obedience, for us and the ones we serve. 

It will make you smile like a husky that's just been returned.

The Right Way Forward on Abortion

 

Abolition or Incrementalism? Pro-lifers need each other because the goal is the same, an end to legalized murder.

 The SBC (Southern Baptist Convention) released a resolution over the summer decrying incrementalism on abortion legislation. What does that mean? Incrementalism is the idea that pro-lifers need to work to end abortion in stages. They vote for restrictions and limits, they try to defund programs that give money to clinics. They support politicians that introduce bills to limit its use.

 An incremental approach to anything is to chip away at it like ice on your windshield until it no longer exists. The hope is to make it so restrictive that it’s essentially outlawed. That’s the position favored by Scott Klusendorf of the TGC (The Gospel Coalition).

I’m not an expert on all the various state laws. I have noticed that some states like New York, loosened whatever restrictions did exist. Before 2019 the state outlawed abortion after 24 weeks unless the mother’s life was at risk.  After Cuomo’s bill there remains a fig leaf of a restriction. The baby can be aborted up to 24 weeks or more, but must be non-viable. But who decides viability? The language doesn’t define it, which makes it an easy law to abuse.

 Other states like Texas have all but outlawed the practice. Senate Bill 8 makes abortion after 6 weeks, roughly when a heartbeat is detected, illegal. Mississippi put a 15 week ban in place just this year. Red and blue states are going in different directions.  

The SBC thinks that making deals of any kind on abortion is (effectively) a sin. That’s unfair. If abortion were illegal and representatives signed legislation that allowed for it, that would be a different matter. They are also saying that their previous position of incrementalism, constituted sinful behavior. Ironically this resolution is issued after some big victories (in state like Mississippi and Texas) making their abolitionism a more comfortable position.

 They can thank incrementalism for the stronger hand. Small victories over the years provided the impetus to take a harder line.

The concern from the SBC is that politicians don’t hold the line on abortion. It’s a boutique issue that the ‘rubes’ insist on. They pretend to make deals when they’d rather fundraise or talk about tax breaks. That’s how I imagine the SBC sees it.

 In other words, it’s not an issue of morality for a lot of legislators even though they promise it is.

Here is the bottom line. The prolife movement needs hardliners like the SBC. They keep the squishy moderates honest by not letting them abandon the unborn to political expediency. But the hardliners need to realize how far the movement has come in restricting access. Some believe the easily available ultrasounds change the minds of women seeking abortions. Multiple states have laws that require a sonogram before making the decision to abort.

But Klusendorf believes abolitionists shoot themselves in the foot by ignoring the fallout if the Supreme Court upholds current federal laws.

Suppose that Roe and Casey survive challenge. Nevertheless, a state defies the federal courts and signs into law an abolitionist bill banning all abortions, without exceptions. What then? As more than one pro-life leader points out, a move like that is akin to secession. Don’t expect the federal government to look away. For millions of Americans, abortion is a sacrament that cannot be challenged. As happened with civil-rights integration in the 1950s and 1960s, troops will be sent in to enforce federal law. Abortion clinics will remain open. Then what?

Then What? I don’t think the SBC cares. Their statement is one of faith that God will sort it out. Do what’s right and the chips fall where they will, so to speak. I’m kind of with them on that.

Klusendorf thinks in strategic terms. He wants to move the ball 5 yards at a time.

The SBC doesn’t want to play anymore; especially since we aren’t playing the same game anymore. The Right likes consensus, and votes and specific language in their bills. The Left likes to throw 40 yard passes at a time. “Mandates for everyone, close the church doors it isn’t essential, pull your mask up! Immigration law… what’s that? Don’t like it, tough.”

Another big problem is how pro-lifers rank abortion. Almost all Republicans are pro-life but not all are PRO LIFE, you know? Anti-abortion efforts aren’t at the top of everyone’s list, making it more likely the issue will be with us for a while. There are other concerns of morality to fight for. Marriage is under attack, as is sex and gender confusion. Legal rights of parents to decide on medical treatments like mental health care and abortion are stripped certain states, like Washington, if the child is 13 or older.

Does anyone doubt that gender reassignment surgery for minors is next? I mean of course without parental permission.

The goal of the pro-life movement is to end abortion. Whether the Supreme Court will ever overturn Roe v Wade is anyone’s guess. The court upheld the basic right to an abortion in Casey, while allowing for restrictions. That was 1992. I’m not optimistic on this.

Supreme Court rulings have a trickle down effect on state laws. Their decisions can determine the course of legislation for another 50 years. But the pro-life movement has seen success due to incrementalism in just the last decade. January 2011 to July 2019 accounted for 40% of the new restrictions on abortions from states. That’s just the last decade.

Pro-lifers need each other.

 

Conference Tomorrow on Writing

 

I’m attending a writer’s conference tomorrow in Glenpool. It’s only about 25 minutes from here down 75. I got the idea last week to start attending some workshops to start networking with other writers. I’ve been very lazy in this regard. I don’t like to talk about myself to others and feel that awkward sense I’m being judged. Or, I feel pressure to appear like I’ve accomplished more than I have in writing.

Even putting that much down on the page makes me feel like a neurotic. Am I overly self-aware? Yes. Does my awareness lead to a crippling sense of social paranoia? No, but it does mean social grace is not natural for me. I need to force it a bit.

 If there is a silver lining it’s that this sense of not measuring up is less a problem than it used to be. With age comes a comfortability in who you are. I’m never completely at ease but I’m less concerned with how people might see me.

I can’t shake the feeling that these events are a dead end, most of the time.

But what else am I really doing? What am I giving up to spend a few hours at a free conference? Nothing. I’ve got no excuse to pop in and at least shake hands, ask people what they do. The event is put on by the Tulsa Night Writers. They’re an organization of local writers that support and mentor each other in book projects. I’ve thought about going to their once monthly meeting where I’m sure a published author talks about their style, process and inspiration. I’ve avoided it because it’s so fiction heavy. It’s a group focused on writing novels and not much else.

I could be wrong about this of course. The director sent me a list of the classes for tomorrow. I picked the ones I really wanted to attend from 1 to 10. All were geared to writing novels. “How to write Dialogue” and “On World building” I did see at least one about self-publishing. That’s useful enough for me.

 The guests are published authors in the area of fiction. I might end up leaving at the halfway point, I’ll decide after the first couple of classes. The fact remains that a good number of these attendees may actually have professional writing jobs already. I’m in it for the networking. I’ve never considered writing stories. Actually blogging is what I do but because I have such a high tolerance for politics it often feels like journalism.

Journalism is a high bar though if it’s done right. I prefer the opinion heavy stuff. I don’t have to source it as well. If anyone complains, “I’m just a guy with a blog—whaddaya want?”

 I think I would’ve liked working at a newspaper. But then everyone prefers the work they don’t do to the work they do. It always seems easier somehow. But writing on any level requires some creativity that I never thought I had. But Creativity is a muscle not a gene.  At a certain point though if we exercise muscles they grow. Writing skills need to grow and develop in the same way. 

I used to think some people were creative and some weren’t.

It’s not right though. Some have a knack or talent that’s innate. But most people can learn to do other things in the creative sphere. Writing is one of them. Few will sell books like James Patterson or Sue Grafton but they’ll get to a point where they achieve success. The negative thing about writing is that it’s tough to get over a certain hump. “When do I start making money, and will it soon dry up?” is kind of the thing everyone needs to figure out. It’s where I’m at right now.

The positive thing about writing is a lot of people give up on it. It’s time consuming and Oh So competitive. But what isn’t competitive? You got a federal job I don’t know about? Competition is good for us; it keeps us sharp.

But the few writers I’ve known are a helpful group. The market is competitive but writers can be cooperative. As fans of the written word they probably assume there is enough work and quality will rise to the top. Whatever their reason, I hope to run across a few tomorrow. I regret not printing off some business cards with my logo on them. Maybe next time.

Is Rebellion in the Works?

 

From NBA players to truckers and airline workers, a small rebellion is taking place across the country on the issue of vaccine mandates. Will it lead to copycat protests across the country against mandates? I can’t say for sure, but some event or action or incentive needs to. 

I won’t pretend that all Americans are fed up with restrictions either. 

I’ve been wrong (So Wrong!) about how long citizens would put up with having their livelihoods and health privacy taken away. I remember talking to a friend about how long Americans would tolerate not being able to work, church, restaurants, school events and sports. I think I said something like a month will be enough. This was in April of last year. Yup, very wrong. 

 I watched a short clip from Jim Cramer (CNBC) with the CEO of Southwest Airlines Gary Kelly. That airline has seen a slew of canceled flights this past week, over 2000. He denied it was due to pilots pulling a ‘sick out’ or a refusal to come to work. He talked about weather delays and pilots being overworked. 

Even the AP listed those reasons and a few others like absenteeism. But does that really explain it? 

Debra Heine of “American Greatness” says not so fast. Kelly told George Stephanopoulos that there is “no evidence” of a coordinated refusal from pilots. But followed it up with a list of reasons why the airline’s hands are tied, one of which is that Biden’s executive order for vaccine mandates includes federal employees and contractors. 

Pilots are contractors. 

Still, why spend time explaining that you have no choice if there is no evidence of a strike? Kelly also said they airline wouldn’t fire anyone. That’s a lie. Southwest send a memo around to its employees that if they didn’t get vaccinated (or have an exemption) by November 24 will be terminated. It sounds to me like he’s trying to have it both ways: pretend it’s all just weather delays while also trying to halt a rising tide of rebellion and pretend it doesn’t exist.

 If the workers are staging a protest we wouldn’t know it. They’ll play dumb about it because their agreement (through the union) specifically prohibits striking.

I don’t want to get too excited about the prospect that a genuine sick out might be in the works. But I hope it’s true. The rest of the week seems back to normal so far but the weekend is on the way. 

That’s probably where the disruption will hit if it's true.

Professional basketball has its own problems. 

The NBA is requiring all players to get the shot or apply for an exemption. They always throw that “exemption” in there but as a possibility just before they reject it. That’s what happened to Andrew Wiggins of the Warriors, he applied for an exemption and the league said “nah brah”. So he took the shot. There are a handful of holdouts, Kyrie Irving being of the Nets being the one star. 

Jonathan Isaiah of the Orlando Magic isn’t taking it either. He’s the one who famously stood up for the national anthem when the rest of the team (the rest of the league) knelt down. Players who aren’t vaccinated are treated like leapers when not playing. They stay in separate hotel rooms, and use different areas of the locker room. During tip off though they can walk through the tunnel and join the team during the game. It’s Ridiculous.

Isaiah even had the virus earlier this year. He believes in free choice and, rightly, pointed to the fact that natural immunity is better than the vaccine. There was a study in Israel early this year that backs him up. 

This will come to a head and I think the league will get its way. Is there enough grit in these young players to actually give up such a lucrative career? I certainly hope.

We need young people with solid morals who understand what they are actually giving up by acquiescing to mob rule. Giving up now means giving up every single time, to whatever the next demand is. 

 I’m not looking forward to the inevitable breakdown of commerce and good order that a rebellion will bring. Without some real pain nothing changes and citizens become slaves to whatever the state demands. By pain I mean disruption everywhere, get used to being ostracized for not going along with their demands. 

Without true rebellion we go through the cycle of restrictions all over again. We need to get to a point where government overreach (or ever the suggestion) is met with a swift rebuke from citizens.

 The simplest way through this is to just say “I will not comply.”

It might not be the time yet, but a rebellion from the middle class is coming.

Dream Interpretation Made Simple: A review

 

If you’ve ever considered your dreams might have some meaning, this book is a good place to start. The illogical nature of dreams creates skepticism about their usefulness, but the author (Praying Medic) believes dreams are messages from God.

The text is short, less than 200 words. The back half contains a useful guide (dictionary) to symbols and their biblical reference. Most symbols in dreams have more than one meaning. Buildings for instance might represent a church or a business or something conceptual like an institution. Animals can be evil or good depending on the context of the dream. No one interpretation is complete or perfect but there are similarities across the landscape.

 The Bible is full of examples. Daniel interpreted King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (Daniel 2) about the eternal nature of God’s Kingdom. Mary and Joseph were warned to go to Israel and escape Herod while the Magi were also told in a dream to keep away (Mathew 2).

But there is a lot differing opinion on the subject from Christians. We should all agree however, that God does give us dreams. “I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions.” Joel 2:28 (NLT).  

Job’s friend Elihu tells him about the way God speaks. “For God may speak in one way or another, yet man does not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men, while slumbering on their beds, then He open the ears of men, and seals their instruction.” Job 33:15-16 (NKJV)

 What about a person with no spiritual awareness of God or salvation or righteousness? The book is written to believers so Medic doesn’t really address that. Our spirits take messages from God while we sleep. Often we see people we know in conflict or emotional distress. Often dreams are warnings to us to change some behavior or relationship.

The Holy Spirit warns, instructs and blesses us through our dreams.

According to Medic, “Dreams show us a different reality. In them, God reveals truths of which we are unaware.” (p. 21)

His advice is to record your dreams every time. 

You will have more dreams if you learn to take them seriously. I can attest to this. I started writing mind down in summary form immediately after I woke up. I still do this. Not a night goes by that I don’t have some kind of dream, often multiple dreams. That only started happening after I decided to take seriously the messages from God. I only remember tiny bits of information but it’s surprising how much symbolic wisdom can come from evaluating your seemingly random dreams.

A good number of them are personal. Praying Medic warns the reader to be careful who you share your dreams with, especially when you don’t know what they’re about. 

The best piece of advice I found in this book is to note how a dream made you feel. 

Emotion is a critical part of knowing where the dream originated, meaning what is the spirit behind it? Evil spirits will try to pass messages to us in dreams as well. Emotions like fear, hatred, lust and violence are from demonic spirits. They can be represented by darkness, aliens, rats and countless other symbols.

We shouldn’t use a symbol like a body of water, for instance, and say it represents only one thing. A lot of the symbolism depends on the nature of the dream. Drowning in a raging ocean is vastly different than surfing on a sunny day. I’ve had violent dreams were I was being chased by knife wielding assassins, I’ve also dreamed that I murdered someone. The first one was terrifying. I couldn't fall asleep after that, afraid of the dream staring all over again. 

In the second dream, I killed a person and conjured as much emotion as if I was screwing hinges on a bedroom door. The violence wasn’t the point in the second dream, it was in the first.

I can’t say whether everything in the book lines up completely with the scriptures. But he certainly makes an effort of it. The back of the book contains a helpful guide to spiritual discernment of dream symbols. He references the glossary with biblical passages for each word, all contain multiple scriptures.

Are there elements that don’t completely fit into an evangelical/protestant doctrine? Perhaps, I’m not the best judge of that.

This is admittedly a weird, unknown subject that probably raises some eyebrows. Much of dream interpretation is subjective, opening it up to charges of New Age silliness. Who can say what a dream means given the very conceptual nature of them? I think in most cases we can figure out for ourselves by following a common format to symbols. 

I’ve been fortunate enough to wake up, many times, and know immediately what my dream was about.

I subscribe whole heartedly to Praying Medic’s advice though. Write them down, value your dreams and you’ll have more of them.

The Necessity of Football

 

Friday night is high school football night for anyone growing up in America. 

 Here in Oklahoma it’s almost a sacred past time that only the bravest of souls dare monkey with.

 I seriously doubt that if the height of Covid 19 season began in August or September school officials would have shut it down. No chance. Coaches would make arrangements, fans might spread out and players might separate for a while, but no one would cancel football.

Even in Illinois, a less pigskin crazy state, it’s still football that brings out the crowds on Fridays. It’s a bit cooler this year up north but no bother, it’s the season for cheering crowds, hard hits, chilly temps and buttery popcorn scents wafting through the bleachers. I took in game last night at Lincoln Christian. I choose the school where I know the most people, many of whose kids play on the team or cheer.

Lincoln Christian (Bulldogs) are well coached and highly disciplined for a 3A school team. I’m not an expert on these things but the difference in squads was obvious. Since it was homecoming for the Bulldogs everyone expected a massacre, the kind you’re embarrassed to cheer for. I don’t mean like the New England Patriots used to do to the Jets every year. I mean like an Aussie cop on a citizen who snuck out of his house without a mask.

 After the 3^rd touchdown in 10 minutes of game time I started feeling bad for the other team, Locust Grove. I took a look at their record before the game. There were a lot of zeros on their side of the ledger. Seems like every school gives them the jackboot treatment. Small community schools suffer from the same problems across the country, a limited talent pool with little option to move kids in. Coaches understand that you can only win with small kids and average talent for a little while. You’ll have some nail bitters where smart play makes up the difference in a close one. But for long term winning you need to attract big athletes, year after year.

Some schools just won’t get there. They can’t. The best they can hope for is to have a few strong teams every decade or so. It’s tough on the kids to go out there and get smashed like that every week. Every game becomes a reminder of how awful their situation. Consistent losing also keeps what little talent exists away. No kid wants to join a team that’s reluctant to take the field every week. He’ll likely go play baseball. 

I’m not much of an athlete so the world of big time high school sports remained a mystery.

Working at a sporting goods store where the half the salesman were either college athletes or coaches has caught me up quick. High school football is about recruiting the best kids. I don’t mean recruiting in an illegal way, although that certainly happens. I just mean establishing a pipeline of talent to fill the ranks of your high school squad. Much of it happens naturally. Consistent winning makes parents of young athletes want to live there. So they move in to the area and get their boys in football.

This is true for other sports and disciplines (wrestling, band, theater) but football is the big show and probably will be for some time.

Whenever I hear some anti-football zealot detailing the cost of the injuries or the risk of head trauma I have to shake my head. Football is popular BECAUSE it’s dangerous, not in spite of it. There is a rough, masculine intensity that you don’t get from soccer or baseball or basketball. But I’m all for making sports safer and more accessible. I sell high end football helmets and shoulder pads after all. Just don’t mess with its internal parts. It’s strategic and violent; it rewards discipline and hard work.

 It’s not designed for everyone, like marching bands and theater.

But I’m for football--in all its societal shaming and ‘tut tutting’ about its dangers. No one gave up on the game last night either. Despite the drubbing the Pirates dug in and played hard.

They even found a little bit of juice near the end of the game. The Bulldogs invoked the unstated mercy rule and let their JV team have a go in the second half. On a kickoff return one of Locust Grove's speedier backs found a seam and took it down the sideline for touchdown.

At that point I had switched allegiance and started rooting for them. Not all schools can have historic winning programs and dominate the class. But individual players are capable of greatness in the moment. For that kid, on that night, during that play—he was best talent on the field.

Football pays you back sometimes.

 

Documentaries on Friday

 

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 I considered going to a football game Friday night but decided to watch it at home instead.

 This is high school by the way. Around here they show at least one game per week on TV, usually the best match up of the week. I wasn’t able to find it after scanning the channels though. Same thing happened last week. What’s likely going on is that the game is only available on the cable affiliate. I’ve got an old school antenna and no, I don’t miss having cable TV. Other than high school football games I don’t watch sports anymore. I’m through with woke sports; this is year two of pretending the baseball and football don't exist at the pro level.

 Golf is the one exception because it’s positively focused on the sport. But I wouldn’t rush home to in order to watch a match. If it’s on great, if not no big deal.

Without sports I won't pay for cable, the internet however is another matter. The high school game was supposed to be on a YouTube channel but it never started. I might have had the wrong station but the date and teams were correct on the description line. Whatever. I had already convinced myself I wasn’t going to write or do any sort of work last night. I surfed Hulu for bit, then Amazon.

Finally I landed on a documentary about drummers on Netflix instead called “Count Me In”. Anytime I can listen to a gifted musician, or artist or athlete talk about their process I'll check it out. I’m not even a big Rock N Roll guy anymore. I hardly listen to music on a regular basis anymore. When writing I like to put on a Pandora station (jazz mostly) for background.

 Documentaries are to me what sitcoms are to others, nostalgia and silly stories. But right in the middle, I’d call it the sweet spot, are professionals talking about their love of craft. Try it next time you watch any of these shows featuring pros, experts. It works for cooking, painting, home restoration builders, actors and countless others. They really love what they do and it’s inspiring.

I recognize most of them contain a lot of filler. Here is what I mean. On the drummer doc there was a lot of talk about Keith Moon (The Who) and John Boham (Led Zeppelin). Others were mentioned as well from the early jazz guys like Buddy Rich and Art Blakey. I don’t have any special inside knowledge on styles or sounds or creativity, but these are names most people know. If you didn’t know the names of the drummer you’d certainly know the bands. My point is you can fill up a lot of time talking about legends and showing old footage.

 It’s easy to do and it becomes a point of reference for the rest of the story. It brings the viewer back to something they likely remember from childhood.  

 In fact, most of the film consists of drummers breaking down their inspirations. Just a side note here: not one of these current band members referenced Neil Peart from Rush. Really guys? Not one mention?

I recognize how simple this format is and I still love it. Sitcoms come to mind because the  educational value is zero, just entertainment. This is how some documentaries are done and you either love it or you don’t. ESPN did one called just last year called "The Last Dance" about the Chicago Bulls and their final championship run in 1998. The series stretched over 10 episodes and included a ton of old footage. It was a masterclass in how to do documentaries right.

Some are more historical or investigative, this kind relies heavily on interviews to move the story.

 "Count Me In" reminds me a of the "VH1 Behind the Music" series.  There is a story running in parallel to the parade of old rockers detailing their influences. Four drummers prepare for kind of jam session (Is that what they’re called?) in middle of telling their origins. Stephen Perkins (Janes Addiction), Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Cindy Blackman (Lenny Kravitz), Jess Bowan (The Summer Set).

The session right at the end of the film was intense. I’m not that into long drum solos but for those inclined it was skill central. I like the stories, the history, the inspiration and the creativity. For that reason documentaries work well for bored days when nothing else will do.

Or if you can’t find your high school football game on the YouTube.