In Primo Aspectu (at first glance)

Joe Biden should not run for a second term. I always viewed him as a placeholder until a younger man or woman ran for the office. In a sense he is like Gerald Ford—-a good man providing some needed relief and a period of decency and calm after replacing a corrupt prior president and administration.

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That being said, Biden generally does not deserve some of the low poll numbers or extreme criticism that he has received from less than one year in office. The economy is strong. People are going back to work. There are no troops in Afghanistan after 20 years. We are working with our allies again. The infrastructure bill will add jobs to various states and communities as well as improving local economies by fixing roads, bridges and transportation services.

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My hope is that the following people do not run or do not get nominated as the Republican candidate for President: Donald Trump, Mike Pompeo, Mike Pence, Florida Governor Ron Desantis, Nikki Haley, Ted Cruz or anyone remotely associated with the Trump Administration or supporting it.

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Currently the Democrats are looking at losing both the House and Senate in next year’s mid-terms. However if the Supreme Court decides to revoke Roe v Wade or support additional measures by States to restrict abortions, that may energize the Democratic party and could mitigate potential losses.

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Omicron, the new Covid variant, is headed this way from Africa or Europe, if it is not here already. I think most Americans are tired of Covid precautions and I sense that many will roll the dice and avoid any lockdowns, vaccinations or other preventive measures if they are mandated or recommended by the government or CDC.

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Count me as slightly suspicious that both Moderna and Pfizer announced that they can produce a counter vaccine to Omicron. A scientist from South Africa had described the effects of Omicron as relatively mild. Slight cough and fever that lasted 2-3 days. Most of the people who had the new variant were reportedly unvaccinated. So do we really need a new vaccine?

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Unless I see dozens of people consisting of White House officials, high level Trump flunkies, with Congressmen and Congresswomen indicted, convicted and sent to jail, then I would view the Congressional hearings on 1/6/2021 as a waste of time. I know Trump will not be indicted but Steve Bannon and Mark Meadows can take his place in prison.

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Totally confused by Penn State providing James Franklin a 10 year contract based on his mediocre record so far. I think the only guarantee Franklin can make is that the Penn State program will be better than Rutgers.

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I thought fans of English football (soccer) were fanatical. But they may be in second place after the fans of football teams in the SEC, many of whom are crazy.

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I originally thought it was dumb to rename Woodrow Wilson High School in Camden based on the allegations that Wilson was a racist. But based on cursory research, there may be justifications to make the change. Wilson, among other racist actions, policies and thoughts, supported the Ku Klux Klan.

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The Big Push

In my youth I read a book about Vince Lombardi, the fabled coach of the Green Bay Packers. Lombardi was able to motivate a mediocre or average team to world championships in pro football. One of his favorite motivational methods was to urge his team towards “the big push” by exerting more effort.” Lombardi employed this motivation towards the end of the season when winning games were critical if they were to get into the playoffs.

When a class paper needed to be written in a few days or having to cram for upcoming exams I used to amuse my college classmates by solemnly announcing that it was time for “the big push.” I also used this as a rallying cry in a tightly contested sporting event to finish strong at the finish. This was useful at the end of a 5 or 10K race so I could summon the energy to sprint not jog at the finish line. Partly motivation, partly advisory, “the big push” was my mantra when there was little time, and significant effort needed to be extended as an assignment, a project, a finish line or objective was imminently due.

I remember blearily typing a college paper (this was before computers and word processors) the night before it was due. My fingers cramped up from all the typing and my brain froze from fatigue. The words blurred into the paper and I could barely keep my eyes open. I learned my lesson. (No, reader, it was not to wait until the last minute but to find a girlfriend who could type my papers a lot faster than I could.)

The mantra followed me into my career. How many times sensitive projects and assignments required me to expend a lot of effort and time at the end to successfully complete it? I confess that the mantra often was a result of procrastination on my part.

One of the benefits when retiring is that the corporate big push disappears. No work deadlines! No demands from bosses to be met! No late and hurried meetings! No changes at the eleventh hour or rushing to edit/revise a spreadsheet, presentation, flowchart or report.

So does “the big push” disappear at retirement??

The answer is “No.” In fact the mantra becomes more incessant, more personal and more time sensitive.

In our younger days, our efforts were largely to fulfill or meet the expectations of others (employer, client, manager). The target dates for completion could be arbitrarily changed. When we stop working, our focus is on fulfilling our personal dreams and goals. Maybe there were things we put off while working and did not have the time to do. Along with a Medicare card and social security check, retirement provides a mental bucket list of plans and dreams to get checked off. For many of us, this list includes travel, cruises, adventure, relocation, endless golf and pickleball, philanthropy, and more quality time with family, children, grandchildren and friends.

Regrettably there is no guarantee particularly as one gets older that the vagaries of time, good health, capacity and circumstance won’t interfere with our plans. For example, my stepfather intended to fish and live down the shore when he retired. Unfortunately he had health issues with his heart and with cancer and he never fully realized his dreams dying only a few years after his retirement.

My closest friend’s parents died relatively early. He is obsessed with living as fully as he can daily. He doesn’t need to say the big push mantra, he lives it. Life and experience have taught him the uncertainty of guaranteed future time and opportunity.

Many of us want not only to pursue our pleasures and hobbies but to leave a legacy, whether it is a result of our charity or community efforts or to serve as an example to our children or grandchildren. This is our big push, indeed it may be our final big push. Let’s not look back at this time with regret but with satisfaction that we used the time and opportunities we had to enjoy life and make life enjoyable and better for others.

Mental Defragmentation

Sorting through various and disparate ideas in my mind…

Friends disappoint, strangers rarely.

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The greatest gift one can provide to another person is their attention.

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Generally the people who urge the banning of certain books rarely (or can’t) read.

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Too many Americans can’t read between the “lies’ much less read between the “lines.”

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The most thoughtful commentary and analysis of our political and cultural discourse are often found in comedy. (See SNL openings, Doonesbury, Bill Maher etc.)

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The most preposterous, unintentionally comic and inane commentary and analysis of our political and cultural discourse are often found from the mouths of politicians, pundits and government officials.

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For me, gambling ads on social media, television and websites are as morally and ethically repugnant as cigarette ads decades ago.

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If you can’t stand up to a dictator in your own party, why should anyone trust that you would stand up to a dictator in another country?

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Home prices, gasoline, food, cars and other hard assets continue to inflate, good judgement, rationality and truth continue to abate.

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Regrettably there is no one-shot vaccination against one of our major contagions, stupidity. Worse, the ones who are most infected would refuse to take it.

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Three unappreciated occupations dealing with unrealized expectations and public disdain: Detroit Lions head coach, convenience store cashier and public school teacher.

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Pennsauken High School has an 81% graduation rate. However only 26% can pass a reading proficiency test; only 6% can pass a math proficiency test. How low is the bar to graduate from Pennsauken High School? Which business would take a chance to hire a graduate from PHS based on those statistics?

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Coincidentally Pennsauken voters will be voting on a bond referendum that includes funding for a new indoor pool. Makes sense as a lot of Pennsauken students are already drowning in terms of their education and future.

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We live in a country where many people believe professional wrestling is real, the 2020 election was stolen, Joe Rogan is a better health expert than Dr. Fauci, vaccination mandates are totalitarian, the Capitol takeover on 1/6/2021 was: justified/a liberal plot/a peaceful demonstration of American patriots/not instigated by Trump. So much for American exceptionalism!

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Review: Peril by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa

Authors Bob Woodward and Robert Costa closed this book with the following warning based on a conversation with Donald Trump.

“Real power is – – I don’t even want to use the word – – fear,” Trump told us.

“I bring the rage out. I do bring rage out. I always have. I don’t know if that’s an asset or a liability, but whatever it is, I do.”

Could Trump work his will again? Were there any limits to what he and his supporters might do to put him back in power?

Peril remains.

I have read a number of the retrospectives of the Trump presidency particularly as it relates to his last year and last days in office. There is nothing in this book that presents Trump in a positive light. There are plenty of examples of him being a bully, arrogant, insensitive and just plain stupid. Despite entreaties from many in his cabinet, among advisers and even from his daughter Ivanka, Trump continued to believe that he was cheated in the 2020 presidential election. There is very little doubt that he caused the insurrection on January 6, 2021.

Most of the highlights of this book have been reported through various media. Here is my list of observations and analysis from this book:

Mike Pence was a coward. Yes he finally did the right thing by validating the election. But it appears to the reader that he was looking for a way to accommodate Donald Trump’s wishes to overturn the election results. Pence even sought the advice of that well-known constitutional scholar, Dan Quayle, as to what to do. Quayle thankfully told Pence that he had no role in overturning the election. Even after a Trump mob wanted to hang him, Pence returned to the White House and tried to mend a relationship with a man who mocked him and treated him very poorly during their four year administration.

General Mark Milley was a voice of reason during a very precarious period in our nation’s history. He understood the danger that Donald Trump represented and was very concerned that Trump would create either a war or some type of foreign policy crisis so he could stay in office. In particular Milley assured the Chinese that there would be no military actions against them. There were a few countries that were very concerned that Trump would initiate a military attack against them.

The benefit of this book was to see the campaign of Joe Biden and his first few months as President. The contrast in decency between Biden and Trump is very evident throughout the many anecdotes in this book. Unfortunately the Democratic party does not shine. Too much infighting. Lack of party discipline and unity. Too much influence by West Virginia senator Joe Manchin. One gets the sense that Biden is a placeholder and does not possess the necessary influence to put forward a transformative domestic agenda and get it passed in Congress.

Interestingly enough, there is not a lot of coverage about Vice President Kamala Harris. Biden had spoken with South Carolina congressman Jim Clyburn prior to the South Carolina primary and Biden indicated he was favorable to Kamala being on the national ticket. There is little indication how much influence Harris possesses in decision making or policy.

If you are going to read just one book about the end of the Trump presidency in 2021, this book is the best to read. Just don’t be surprised if Woodward has to write another sequel in 2024 about the re-election of Trump.