Morning Thoughts

On the way to work this morning, I got to thinking about the Republican cuts to Obama's stimulus package and one of those cuts was to the funding to local health agencies to prepare for a pandemic. What are we possibly facing - Wow Swine Flu! It isn't a real problem just yet (except for those families that have lost a love one to it) but clearly it is something that could be because of our quick and broad array of travel locations. But why did the Republicans pick this issue to take a stand on?

Here is my understanding of Republican positions. They only want to protect the rich and successful in life. They think that because we are born equal under the law that we are born equal in all things. Like an intercity kid or a kid born to migrant workers is going to get the same opportunities as a Bush kid or a Rockefeller kid. If you think about that you should come up with a lot of thoughts about what really makes or breaks a successful citizen.

Likewise they fail to understand that the business successful never achieve success solely on their own efforts. They are successful because (in part) of those of us that work for them and those of us that buy from them, i.e. the non-rich. (We the non-rich measure success quite differently.) Without workers and purchases (those with needs to be filled) they wouldn’t have any success at all. I’m not ignoring their contribution to success. I’m just saying they need to remember that it takes all of us to make it happen. I by no means think the working class is without it’s faults. But if we the non-rich died in the next month from a pandemic what would happen to all those successful people the Republicans are protecting? You can legislate an increase population, at least no overnight. I guess you could five tax breaks to the wealthy for each successful conception they produced. (LOL)

All I’m saying is we are a diverse nation and our diversity is not just culture or ethnic. In fact the diversity of our work ethic and our emotional goals are a great contribution to one of the most open and free societies in history and that our government has to look at protecting more than just the financially successful.

It is Christmas Eve - Eve. I’m the only contract person in my section at work today. I’m here with the project manager. We just happen to be the two oldest folks in our respective sections as well. What does that tell you?

One of the more enjoyable aspects of working in the procurement field is that it is predominately women I work with. I’ve always preferred women’s company over men’s. No, I’m not a “Player” or a womanizer even though I do appreciate the female form. I just get bored with the bravado conversations that characterize men’s conversations.

Yesterday, I overheard a group of guys talking about welding on hunting trucks and the best guns for ridding pesky rodents. The conversations were full of “I get away with . . .”, “it’s against the law but . . .”, “this is the best way to . . .” and the characteristic interruptions of agreements/disagreements with personal antidotes that come across in tones of chest pounding.

Sunday at a family Christmas gathering (Emily’s side) I ended up defending the Corps of Engineer Engineers to a couple of good old boys who just love to find fault with professionals overly impressed with their smarts. There is nothing like good old common sense to make the world right, ya know. The fact that they set the setting for their criticism and I have no way of disproving “the facts” they choose to present is why I hate such conversations. They pound their chest and I look like I’m on the looser side of life. My comeback? How many times have you put your $10,000 fishing boat in the water at a Government built boat ramp? Nice to not have to bounce over a tree roots or run your trailer into a muddy bottom creek bed isn’t it.

We men just can’t seem to have a conversation in which we don’t somehow compete on the topic of at hand. Somewhere in that discussion we have to have the “best” answer. That’s not a bad thing unless it is the only thing coming out of the conversation. After all these years, I’m bored to tears by it.

Women, I find, actually exchange ideas. They offer solutions without claiming it to be the “end all” solution. They care that you come away with enough information to be successful. Yes, they talk about shopping and cooking and health aids, etc., but the conversations are pleasant and constructive. These days, I’m beyond getting dirty under the hood or constructing the worlds best carpentry/welding shop in a 8’ by 10 ‘ shed. I like Martha Stewart and find cooking very rewarding as a creative activity. I appreciate a designer that can design with a man’s taste in mind. And yes, I still love power tools but I love them for assisting me in achieving my goals, not as jewelry hung from my ego.
So what does this have to do with being at work on this Christmas Eve – Eve? It’s a guy’s thing and I’m still very much a guy. LOL

Morning Thoughts

This morning is one of those “hard to get moving” mornings which I’ve been having a lot of lately. When I got to work I took a moment to check out my Google Reader service and stumbled onto a photograph of a person holding buttercups titled “Likes Butter”. I got to thinking I really never paid that much attention to butter. The color or the texture or the smell are not all that familiar to me. Could it be that a lifetime exposed to butter want-a-be’s in the form of margarine have hidden real butter from my experiences? Has the chemically altered state of normal foods dulled my senses to good old wholesome foods? I’ve long healed a believe that chemistry as wonderful a tool as it is has been misused by the commercial world and is the underlining cause of many of today’s illnesses. If you want to challenge me on this then I recommend you look at the tremendous increase of lead in our air which can be clearly linked to 1923 when it was added to gasoline to make cars run smoother. Note when you check that out that the nature of such lead is to hang around a long time so that even though we have outlawed it in gasoline the parts per million in our air is still unnaturally high. The consequences of our indulgences are long lasting and will effect generations to come.

Another thought that hit me this morning while riding the elevator up to the third floor (I said I was dragging this morning), is how sad it seemed to me for people who work in the big cities who work in buildings that are so tall they need two or more elevator changes to get to their place of employment. If they are happy so be it. I’m not passing judgment on their choices, but I would find that sad if I found myself in that situation. Of course this comes with the whole city life style of commuting, crowds, noise and smells. I know there is lots to offer people in that life style but I guess it is not for me. Especially as I age. Reminds me of the Simon and Garfunkle song “Old Friends”.

Such are my thoughts today.