Impeachment Stuff

 

I listened to about 30 minutes of impeachment testimony on the radio Friday. This one is feels very partisan. There isn’t a crime, at least not one that anyone can name and these witnesses all seem to have the same angle on the Ukraine situation, that Trump used ‘irregular channels’ with Zelensky. Big deal. Presidents’ can use any channel they want. They establish the direction of foreign policy and can change it on a whim. Whether going around the ambassador is a good idea or not is best left to the voters.  

The case for impeachment hangs on whether or not Trump withheld aid to Ukraine until they coughed up dirt on Biden. But we already know Ukraine got the money without any giving up any Biden info. There was a delay in releasing the money, but is that really worth this? So the committee hearings are just State Department officials complaining that Trump left them out of the diplomatic process. Trump went around them because he doesn’t trust them.

 He survived an attempt to prove that he colluded with the Russians in 2016 to steal the election. Robert Mueller’s report (which took a ridiculous 2.5 years) showed no evidence of collusion and left the question of ‘obstruction’ hanging in the air.

Forget that obstruction was beyond the mandate of the Mueller report, the FBI team handling the probe committed serious errors. A reckoning is coming very soon on the corruption (Comey, Mccabe) that launched the Mueller report.

A lot of Trump’s reluctance (in my opinion) to use regular channels is he doesn’t trust these agencies.

 His administration is clumsy with sensitive matters. He uses poor judgement and has no discipline; he lashes out through Twitter and changes his mind and attacks the nearest bureaucrat. He is a mess, but this back and forth with the Ukrainian president is within the range of acceptable diplomacy. 

There is a lot more in the phone call about the DNC's missing server and Crowdstrike than Joe and Hunter Biden. Trump thinks Ukraine might have some information on this. Who knows?

 During the call he asks Zelensky to look into Hunter Biden and whether anything illegal happened when Joe Biden got the investigator fired. It could be damaging to Joe in the upcoming 2020 race, which is probably why we know about it.

Impeachments aren’t just about criminal behavior; Congress is within its right to impeach on even trivial matters but if they push too hard they’ll hurt themselves.

The trick is to convince the American people that Trump’s phone call was so egregious it demands impeachment. I don’t think it’s going to work. Will these hearings convince Democrat reps in red states to vote in favor? It matters less what he is accused of doing and more about whether they can make a case. Even if Trump is impeached it’s unlikely that the Senate votes to remove him. The Republicans run the Senate and they aren’t likely to toss him out.

He’ll be the only impeached president to run for office if he actually loses the vote! This might be the beginning of impeachment as a regular political tool but I hope not. This Ukraine thing is petty. It’s obvious from these civil servants testimonies that they are offended at having their ‘authority’ usurped by the president. 

We all get territorial about our position, even small things. I worked with a person whose job was to order office supplies and day to day items for the business. I hated going to him with a suggestion about anything. “Can you double up the post-its next time? We are out of forms, can you get a few more?” Every suggestion or request was met with a heavy sigh and a reminder of how busy he was. Problems were dismissed out of hand as ‘not important’ or ‘not my problem’. He didn’t like sharing responsibility either, lest we figure out how easy it is and get rid of him. Most offices have these types, they protect their work and guard information.

This looks like what’s going on with Ambassador Yovanovitch who Trump trashed in his phone call to Zelensky. Whatever his beef, he could fire her for wearing too much makeup if he wanted. Presidents can do that. I think if he had cleaned house right after coming in some of these bureaucrats wouldn’t be such a problem. There are too many ‘threatened’ departments protecting their turf and handling information in their way. Attempts to go around them are seen as offensive.  

The 9/11 Commission Report  (remember that?) concluded that intelligence agencies didn’t share enough information. That lack of sharing, or “siloing”, created an environment where credible intelligence leading to an attack on the World Trade Center was overlooked. We still see a lot of turf protecting today.

Hulu had a show last year called the “Looming Tower”. It showed how the CIA held on to critical intelligence that should’ve been shared with the FBI.  I have no idea how accurate the show was but the performance of Peter Sarsgaard (Martin Schmidt) is brilliant. An unappreciated genius who thinks his knowledge is superior, he hides information from others so they can’t get credit. Worst of all he thinks he is outside the chain of command, a decision maker unto himself. The point isn’t how right or wrong Martin is but how his arrogance transcends cooperation. He is allergic to oversight, contemptuous of other views and calculating to a fault.

So it’s a turf war with a twist. Adam Schiff plays out his hatred of Trump through the familiar idea of turf war and tries to makes a gamble that he can get the votes without alienating large swathes of the public. If he swings too hard people will show up just to vote against his party and all of Trump’s complaining about “witch hunts” and “fake news” will be true. Voters will see it that way too.

  

Up and to the Right

On running, I like to evaluate data points.

 I like to compare last year’s highs to this year’s. I’m not obsessive about it. I don’t write any of these numbers or times down. I have a working total in my head. I know when I’m up; I know when I’m down. As long the overall picture of success keeps improving and pushing for better, I’m doing what I should be.

 I guess if anything sticks out it’s that I’m kind of settling into a comfortable routine, 3 days a week with a long run on Sunday. I’m a little worried that this level of comfort will lead to complacency but it’s taken a while to get here and I don’t imagine I’ll throw it away. There will be weeks when I don’t get as much running in due to weather or injury or sickness, but a missed day here and there won’t throw me off that much. So far this winter is shaping up to be a cold one (by Oklahoma standards). Cold I can deal with but wet and stormy is a terrible mix and I hope we avoid a lot of the miserable days.

I’m back to getting hitting the gym before work instead of after. The change works better for me; I get up earlier now and coming home right after work gives me a lot more time to listen to podcasts and write. Going to bed a little earlier is a necessary adjustment. I thought getting out of bed a full hour earlier would bother me but it hasn’t, especially now that we’ve turned the clocks back an hour.

I might start running outdoors during the week. The downside is I live in the city and during the week the traffic is overwhelming. I don’t like jogging 5 or 6 feet from rush hour traffic so I would have to stay in the neighborhood. I’m not crazy about jogging in my neighborhood, too many dogs. It’s a true city neighborhood anyway, small lots and no sidewalks. I don’t have as much time during the week anyway. Sundays are fine for running through the city; I go early and the traffic is basically non-existent before 8:00 am. I use the treadmill at the gym which I used to hate but have actually gotten comfortable with.

The big race of the year is coming up and won’t be able to do it. The Route 66 Marathon (and Half Marathon) happens every November, usually right before Thanksgiving, and friends who’ve done it swear it’s the most fun they’ve had at an organized race. I’m committed to a church event the same week and although it sounds like a volunteer thing I could get out of, it’s actually pretty important so I can’t blow it off. I’m fine with it. I don’t live for these races the way some others do. I’ll join one when I can but I don’t exercise to compete. For me the joy is in making improvements and getting better, taking a look at where I was a year ago and drawing a line connecting the two.

As long as the line is still up and to the right, I’m happy.

An Exercise In Non-humility

I just read about an interesting discovery exercise, the kind of assignment these leadership gurus give to sleepy eyed participants. Write down a few achievements you are secretly proud of. These can be silly anecdotes about fixing a plumbing problem no one else could solve, an innate ability to answer sports trivia, or an undefeated streak at your basement fight club. For me, I would answer differently depending on the stage of life I was in.

 In my early twenties I was proud of finishing my college degree. Many people get degrees but for someone who wasn’t a great student, it meant a lot more. I wasn’t a bad student really. I did most of the work and turned in the required assignments but my ACT score was very low and I only took it once. It ensured that I wouldn’t get into a 4 year college on the first try. It’s a good thing though because I wasn’t ready for a full slate of work. Community College was more my speed at first. I eventually got to a University but struggled to find a rhythm, get to class consistently and do actual research.

One such hurdle was the level 1 math class I had to take for credit. If my post high school standardized tests were low, my math scores were in the basement. I had to do more than just show up this time. There would be little help in a class with 100 others. I put a routine in place right away; the first hour of every study day was dedicated to math homework. What was easy for most others (friends called it retard math) was difficult for me. I stood up while doing the homework. We had a kitchen bar for meals that I turned into my problem solving spot. I must have read somewhere that standing helps with focus; I never fell asleep mid problem either. I got through it. I did the work and finished the class. 

In my thirties I was proud of my teaching trip to China, even though it only lasted for one year. I stretched myself to learn in that time more than ever before and probably since. It’s also the kind of thing I can point to and say “Yup, I took a chance. I was lost and confused and disoriented a lot of the time but I did it”. I think the uniqueness of it stands out because it was very much outside my comfort zone. I had to navigate a world in which I didn’t speak the language and had very little help. From subway signs to buying food, tickets and asking for directions, I mostly traveled alone. Fortunately most Chinese are happy to help a confused white person staring aimlessly as a guidebook, I’m sure this is still true. Looking back, I’m surprised at how much problem solving was involved in everyday life.

The idea with all of this combing through proud moments of life like a former high school quarterback, is to find out why you’re proud of them. What is it you like most about yourself in that situation? What about that moment is worth remembering? And most importantly, how does it demonstrate the ‘best’ you? We are supposed to use this discovery as a means to pursue other careers, friendships, adventures, money making enterprises. Maybe it won’t work for everyone, but like a lot of thought experiments it’s designed to drag the mind and inspect the debris that surfaces.

It there is a theme for me it’s this, I’m always prouder of things that require persistence. The things that stand out are ones requiring grit and determination. There are plenty of activities I’ve attempted and quit too, it isn’t like I finish everything I start. I can remember joining a few softball teams (Army and college) and deciding after a few games I didn’t like the sport. Or I’d get drunk the night before and skip practice. But the ones I did finish after a long ordeal go into the secretly proud category. Why ‘secretly’? Mostly these are things we don’t run around telling everyone, they aren’t secretive really. The goal is to give yourself permission to be a little braggy and notice a trend, or not. Apparently I’m most proud of myself when a good deal of persistence is needed to finish.

Maybe a secondary point to all this is to never disregard areas of life we are proud of, even if they aren't traditional achievements. The author who turned me on to this exercise started a successful business magazine that was easy and fun to read like Sports Illustrated, instead of the dry newsletters circulating at the time. He said he had read every issue during the time he was supposed to be doing research at the school library. He funneled his interest of sports into a magazine for Silicone Valley companies. 

Maybe a little non-humility is all we need.

Renewing the Mind--Again

“Being Irish, he had an abiding sense of tragedy, which sustained him through periodic bouts of joy.” WB Yeats

I read through one of my usual blogs today (hard at work obviously) and that quote popped up. The funny lines always conceal a dark truth. Forget the Irish part of it, some of us wear sadness like a raincoat. But not just sadness, more that life is out to screw us; an impending sense that trouble is just around the corner.

Tragedy can play out in compulsive grumbling, but mostly it’s a personal view of life where the arc of the future is forever descending. The Yeats quote sums it up perfectly. We all experience joy on occasion, but for the tragic person it’s like an intermission to an exhausting opera.

A tragic person sees life like a pinball game. Everyone doing what they can to keep the  ball banging around and slamming into bumpers that light up and slides that move it quickly through a maze of buzzers and sounds. Others are just better at punching the flippers and keeping the game going, they can go long stretches on one ball. Some of us never quite figured out the timing of the flippers or just figured we weren’t lucky. The ball rolls through the middle slot every few seconds, as we angrily jam another couple of tokens in the slot.  For some it’s win big and score high. For tragic people it’s lose and score low.

Why do some do so well while others suffer to just keep the ball going? Pinball is a game, a contest designed to separate winners and losers. Life doesn’t work this way despite our penchant for comparison. We don’t all play the same game.

At some point the persistent feeling of coming up short feeds an already low self-esteem a steady diet of negativity. The sense of loss permeates everything from sports to finances. When the Bears miss the playoffs it’s because “We can’t pick any good players” or “We always fall apart in tough spots!” The fortunes of our teams run parallel to our own. The weather is cloudy and cold on our day off, you’ll probably get sick too because of your allergies. You didn’t have the grades for a 4 year University and had to settle for a junior college. The car you bought cost more in repairs than the sticker price, now you’re upside down. You didn’t have insurance either when you hit the curb and smashed into neighbors’ mailbox. Then you failed a sobriety test after the accident.

 “Hey, You’d drink too if your team lost, and your college rejected you, and you were always sick!”

Blaming people and events and upbringing creates a barrier, nothing positive gets through. But small victories build gratitude. When gratitude picks up steam it builds even more gratitude. Suddenly loses aren’t quite as grim. They don’t carry such ‘eternal’ weight. They don’t determine our worth as individuals.  

 A teacher once showed me how to study for test. She said condense the material into chunks and celebrate after I’d memorized a chunk. Celebrate could mean getting a snack or taking a break. I thought it was silly but I did it. Breaking up large amounts of information into manageable study units worked great. I didn’t celebrate, seemed a little like getting a trophy for showing up, but I did acquire a better way to learn. It’s a great way to approach life too. An appreciation for victories no matter how small replaces that negative feedback loop of failure, with one of success.

That’s the practical part, the listing of things so you check them off part. You need to change your mindset as well, which is much tougher. It’s never finished either. Renewing your mind is a lifelong journey that begins at the cross. You need to understand how God sees you and let His truth transform the image of yourself, rooted in failure and tragedy.

Open the Bible and read a chapter or two. If that’s too big of a chunk then study one verse. Here is a good one “For I know the plans I have for you” says the Lord, They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jerimiah 29:11 NLT).   

The point of all of it really is that life falls into place in the order that it should. Important things like family relationships and spiritual growth become central. Most important, you’ll understand that sense of foreboding for what it is, lies (malarkey?). You won’t see life as a pinball game anymore with some just better equipped to play. It won’t be a contest you’re destined to lose. Hope replaces tragedy when you put in the work and focus on renewing the mind.

The Ross Era

I was a little surprised the Cubs went with David Ross. Like most new manager hires, no one is really sure how they'll do. Everyone in Chicago loves the guy. He had an amazing run as the Cubs catcher in 2016 during the World Series win; he won a World Series with the Red Sox as well so he is a winner. I would rather he got his experience somewhere else first. This is still a team loaded with talent.

Here is the article.

I wanted Joe Girardi. He was also a catcher with the Cubs in 1990 and again in 2000. After he quit playing he was hired by the Yankees to manage the team. He won the Series in 2009. I just think his experience is unmatched. And he is an Illinois kid too. Not that it matters a lot but he grew up in Peoria and attended Northwestern. I thought he had the best shot.

The biggest issue the Cubs are going to have is how to hold on to these players (Bryant, Baez) when their contracts are up in two years. They'll probably have to trade at least one of them or risk loosing farm talent for the next few years. They are a rich team (relatively speaking) but they need to start winning again. Big salaried teams need to justify their price and missing the playoffs for the last two years isn't good. I remember looking at the fivethirtyeight website at the start of the season. It's a stat heavy website that compiles data on everything from sports to politics. It predicted that they would  finish 3rd in their division this year. I thought it was nuts at the time, "Big data is a scam!" They led all year, won more games and had the best shot at the playoffs. The Cards couldn't keep up, the Brewers fell behind. 

Then they finished 3rd, as predicted.

I've been watching the Nationals run through the playoffs this year, ticking off victory after victory. They lead the series 2 games to 0 over a much better Astros team. Astros are better in almost every category, starting pitching, bullpen pitching, overall hitting and even total wins. But in baseball the team that gets hot in the playoffs usually wins out. It isn't over yet but I like Washington's chances. Their next 2 games are at home in DC.

Hopefully next year the Cubs with their new, very green, manager can get hot like in 2016.
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Fall Jogging

It’s getting chilly in Tulsa, the good kind of chilly; the kind we welcome after a long hot summer. But just because the first night below 40 degrees hits in mid-October, it doesn’t mean the chill is here to stay. We’ll have plenty of warm afternoons and cool mornings until December arrives. Even then we tend to move slowly into winter like an elderly man climbing steps. No matter though, the snow melts pretty quickly on average. I’m looking forward to colder weather running again. If nothing else the heat makes it difficult to get your weekly miles in. Getting up and running in the cold is no treat for the first mile, but when your extremities warm and your muscles loosen up you put in more distance for less effort. I don’t run in anything below 30 degrees though.   

This past Sunday’s weather was ideal for joggers. I was surprised to see so few of them out considering the temp of 45 degrees with full sun is almost perfect. I managed 10.25 miles and felt like I could eek out another couple of miles if I had to. I usually manage to go between 8 and 10 on Sunday (my long day) but I’m always ready to crawl to the finish when the temps are hot. My biggest mistake this time was not wearing a thicker shirt. When it gets sweaty the cool air blows through the wet fabric making it feel like I'm running through a spring storm. A little chill in the air is ideal though.

I carried a bottle this time. I’d seen others run with a contoured squirt bottle that wraps neatly around your hand. I bought one when I was in Colorado and only used on that disastrous trail run. I had yet to bring it on one of my longer runs even though it’s perfect. The idea being ‘stay hydrated and avoid frequent stops at drinking fountains dry mouthed and overheated’.

This is probably a silly concern but I was afraid I’d get irritated with the swinging motion of a heavier bottle in one hand and nothing in the other. I couldn’t exactly change my mind after a few miles and throw it away either. But it worked out great and I didn’t need to stop along the way. I didn’t even notice the swinging motion after a while. Besides, I’d rather have the water when I need it. I can’t believe I didn’t get one for those hot days in the summer. Oh well, next year.

I’m not signed up for any half marathons yet. I would do the Route 66 one in mid -November but I have a commitment I can’t get out of. I’m working during the Tulsa Run, which is only a 15K but is a popular event around here. As long as I keep my schedule of running 3 days every week I’ll never be too out of shape for a race. I don’t see doing a full marathon anytime soon though. I know the amount of work it takes to get into 26 mile shape, and I’m not interested right now.

The fall is the best time to run in Oklahoma. It’s the first time I made real strides in my overall distance and it’s the best time to make new ones.  

More Hokey Please!

That’s it, no more! I’m not making fun of the Hallmark channel anymore. I won’t poke fun at their predictably jolly Christmas stories with ‘happily ever after’ endings. I definitely won't mock the thin plot lines and sappy romance leaking through the screen like hot coffee through a paper cup.  They’ve found a niche in making low budget family movies and turned it into gold for two months out of the year. They've also tapped into a growing discontentment among viewers over dark, twisted TV shows and movies. 

 I just noticed a list for new Christmas movies this year; a cause for celebration among some, including my mom. They’ve made 40 new films, 40! That’s impressive, even for factory films shot in studios and patched up over the course of a week. They’ve gone from a family friendly station with very cheesy programming to a Christmas only network, basically. The cheese is still there in heaping portions but the holiday specials bring in a lot of viewers for the network. Their model for raking it in looks an awful lot like a retail store. Make sure the good stuff is available for November and December and churn out new product in the spring and summer.

 The actors are mostly B and C who’ve had bit parts in other movies. You’re bound to see a familiar face in at least one of the snowy town sets, “Isn’t that the one from?” or “Didn’t they play the doctor in?” Hallmark is getting wealthy though and going after bigger stars like Danny Glover and John Cusack, both of whom were in a big budget Christmas film in 2017. Candace Cameron Bure is practically an ambassador for the network.

Most of the stuff I read about Hallmark doesn’t really get at why it’s raking in money on Christmas films like a hustler on a pool table. So here is my theory. People are sick of bad news and dark, horrific subject matter in TV and films. The biggest box office movie right now is about a guy who loses his mind becomes a psychopath. OK so the title is Joker , as in DC Comics but from the reviews, it’s a very different sort of movie. Nothing against making gritty depictions of urban decay, but I like my narratives to have a redemptive arc, or at least the notion that evil gets punished. I haven’t seen it yet so maybe I’m being unfair. Some of the Netflix shows have the same issue, dark cities with unspeakably cruel villains, moral cowardice and a flawed hero. 

I’m not trashing movies with heavy themes. I love great drama and even sad stories some of the time. I even like violence and righteous killing, but TV and films overflow with them like a septic tank in a suburban yard. Is it any wonder there is an increase in light hearted movies with predictable plots and fairy tale endings?

The national news is worse because it’s real life and anxiety and depression are on the rise. A couple of the sources I looked at found that because of things like 24/7 news but also everyday issue like health, finances, relationships and safety. I’m sure constant connectivity (alerts, and status updates) from social media plays a role in anxiousness.   

 The news is basically awful all the time. Not that positive things don’t happen, but news is kind of tilted toward the bad, the negative, the reckless. Positive well-lit feature films might offer a reprieve, or at least a smidge of sunny optimism in their canned, studio way. We know the story is loose and predictable, we know the acting is lame but we don’t care. I realize I'm giving Hallmark a heavy load in assuaging America's anxiousness with a bit of hot cocoa and warm blanket, but the number of viewers to their Christmas extravaganza goes up every year. At least some of those viewers are in the 'I can't take anymore darkness' category.

Real life is messy and corny yarns give us just the right amount of relief. We don’t need to feel guilty or sad about the outcome. The director isn’t making us feel bad about the environment or driving a gas guzzler or persecuted religious groups or poor indigenous tribes or voting Republican or owning guns or eating meat. They just want you to watch and root for the guy to get the girl, the town to get a new firetruck (or courthouse) and the long lost siblings to reunite on Christmas Eve. All of this needs to happen in sweaters.

The best part is, no grisly murders or rapes, no nuclear bombs or assassinations and no face eating zombies.

 I don’t usually watch Hallmark, but maybe I’ll start.