January 30, 2021

Not lost among the pictures taken during last week’s Biden inauguration was the shot of US Senator Bernie Sanders huddled alone in the cold trying to keep warm.  The picture has become the trending meme on social media for his iconic look.  When asked for a response, Sanders said he was “just sitting there trying to keep warm.”  It seems his mittens are what made the picture go viral on social media.  The mittens were made by a teacher in Vermont and have been in high demand since the ceremony.  This is not the first time Sanders has gone viral on social media.  The politician is also famous for another meme in which he wore his coat during the 2020 Presidential Election.  That clip had him saying, “I’m once again asking….”  People went wild and made the image a fill-in-the-blank meme.  Time Magazine said was one of the most impactful memes of 2020.

When I looked online, I found an Internet meme is “a type of idea, behavior, or style that is spread via the Internet through social media for humorous purposes.”  Memes can spread from person to person or through a variety of social networks.  These memes are often modified to become spoofs of the actual image or event.  The hallmark of all memes is the appropriation of a part of the broader culture.  Appropriation comes across by intentionally misspelling words or phrases or using incorrect grammar.  With this Bernie meme, it is by putting him next to other famous people.  Many memes use popular culture and can lead to issues with copyright.  It appears from his response Bernie is okay with all the attention he is getting.  So far, so is the photographer.

With all the attention memes are getting I was not surprised when I also found Meme Generator.  This is a free online image maker that allows you to customize both text and images.  The site stated most people just added captions, but you can also add images and create your own templates.  This is available from your computer or mobile device.  The meme created does have a watermark on the meme as it “helps other people find where the meme was created, so they can make memes too!”  If you buy the upgraded package you can “remove ads and supercharge your image creation abilities.”  Once more, the hidden cost of free.

Thoughts:  Between the unrest of the summer, the lies and turmoil of a stolen election, and the insurrection at the Capitol, our country is desperate for something to make us laugh.  Over the year I have seen a variety of animal pet memes that a few will find humorous and pass along.  What made Bernie different was that it captured the isolation most of us feel and gave it a humous twist.  Whether we are a provocative Senator or a casually followed blogger, we have been forced to embrace the separation of the past year.  I find it refreshing that with the Bernie meme we have found a way to come together that does not belittle or degrade another.  Perhaps this is a sign of hope.  (btw:  the caption attached to Bernie and Patrick was, “Hey Bernie, can I borrow your gloves for the big game?”).  Do the work.  Change is coming and it starts with you.

January 29, 2021

Between the outside temperatures and post-holiday rise of the virus we have been trying to stay home as much as we can.  I have computer work to do in my office to get ready for the weekend that keeps me busy most days and Melissa works from home, so it is not much of a change.  When the furnace went out, we had no space heaters, and the chill began to set in by the afternoon (we have them now!).  I had finished up for the day and began to get antsy.  I also found that my hands were going numb.  I finally made an excuse of getting more pop for Melissa and took off for the store.  What I really wanted was to get out and to feel the warmth of the vehicle’s heater.  The heater made the drive worthwhile.

I have mentioned how I now take my camera with me wherever I go.  This has been added to the fishing poles I constantly keep in the back of the vehicle.  You never know when you will be suddenly overcome with the urge to fish.  Now I have added, you never know when you will spot a new bird.  That means you need to always be ready.  Earlier in the day I had been reviewing and classifying the birds I had captured on camera the previous day.  The YouTube video I watched suggested to never delete pictures on the camera.  You never know how they can look after you edit them.  My old computer has a flash drive, so I can pull the card and review and edit the pictures easily.  That was what I had done.

When I arrived at the market, I noticed a small hawk (not yet photographed) perched on a light pole near the entrance.  I slowly pulled my car into position to let me get a good shot.  I readied the camera, extended the telephoto to maximum, and took the picture.  Nothing happened.  I fiddled with the settings and tried again.  Nothing.  Usually when this happens it is because I have not turned the camera on or removed the lens cap.  Not today.  I adjusted the camera for a third time to take the picture, but with the same result.  That was when I realized the problem.  I had taken the flash drive out of the camera and had forgotten to put it back.  In the good ol’ days, I would have just run out of film.

Thoughts:  While the problem was not having the scandisk in the camera, it came because of the settings I had chosen.  The same video which helped me set the camera up suggested that I disable the camera if there was not a disk present.  The presenter said, “Why would you want to be able to take pictures when there was no way to record what you had seen?”  That had made sense at the time.  Even if I had been able to take the photo it would not have saved to anything.  At least with the camera turned off I knew I had a problem.  I am trying to be ready with both my camera and my fishing poles.  Amid the rapid changes of the pandemic, we also need to be ready.  That means we need to take a proactive approach.  Following the advice of the experts (masks, distance, hands, and gatherings) is a start.  Getting the vaccine when available is another step.  We now need to be ready to decide how to live life as a world together, rather than divide and conquer.  Follow the science.  Do the work.  Change is coming and it starts with you.

January 29, 2021

Luckily, we had our furnace serviced earlier this month to make sure it was ready for the winter.  When we got up it seemed colder than usual in the house, but I thought nothing of it.  We have been keeping the thermostat at 65F for Melissa’s succulents and I am usually cold when I first get up.  I usually put on a sweatshirt and start moving around and the cold goes away.  This time it did not happen.  I thought that was curious and checked the thermostat and saw that it was cold.  The temperature was set for 65F, but the gauge read 63F and the fan had been turned off.  Melissa had been up for a while, so I asked her about the temperature.  She explained the vents were only blowing cold air, and the heater was making the house colder.  She had turned it off. 

I continued to mess with the thermostat and the furnace for the rest of the morning and into the afternoon.   I finally decided this was above my paygrade (I know, hard for a male to do), and called the heating company who had serviced the unit earlier.  They apologized and said they could not get a repair person out until after four.  I agreed because basically, I had no choice.  When the person arrived, he checked the blower and the ignition unit.  After about 30 minutes he said he knew what the problem was.  The blower motor had gone out and that set off the safety switch that turned off the unit every time he tried to start it up.  It was no wonder the fan blew cold.

We were told the company could send out an estimator on Friday to let us know how much it would be to replace the furnace.  When they had checked our A/C last summer they had let us know we needed to replace that as well (17 years old and freon based).  We were preparing for the A/C, but the furnace was a surprise.  The one good thing was they were having a winter sale.  If you replaced your A/C they would throw in the furnace for free.  Even though it was not planned, I suppose this turned out to be a good thing.  Like so many things over that last year, “good” has been relative.

Thoughts:  After the tech left the temperature started to drop outside.  That meant without a furnace the temperature dropped inside as well.  I was happy the house is well insulated, as the temps dropped into the low 20’s but the house only fell into the high 50’s.  Still, I was surprised what a difference 5F degrees of cold make.  I was told I should be happy the unit died in the winter rather than the summer.  As Melissa said, you can always bundle up but there is only so far you can take things off (not to mention the sale!).  Just like the insulation in our house protects us from the cold, our country has insulated itself from the systemic racism that was part of our founding.  Our furnace worked, but it only blew cold air because something was not right.  Our society worked, but it only masked the underlying flaw that led to the Civil War and the unrest of the last half century.  While good may be relative, the flaw needs to be fixed.  Do the work.  Change is coming and it starts with you.

January 27, 2021

NBC News reported that President Biden is set to deliver remarks Wednesday on his plan to tackle climate change and sign related executive actions to further this key part of his agenda.  Wednesday’s executive orders “will focus on elevating climate change to a national security priority, directing the federal government to conserve about 30 percent of all federal land and water by 2030 and suspending new leases for natural gas and oil development on federal lands and waters.”  These orders will create a climate commission focused on environmental justice and green jobs.  Many of Biden’s orders are designed to undo the orders signed and policies of our last administration.  The focus has shifted from making money to making a sustainable world.

When I attended my undergraduate college, the hot degree was ecology.  I was a science buff and had dreams of entering the field (sadly, 15 credits of chemistry killed my plans) that is now central to Sustainability.   After two years of coursework, I was enthralled by the thought of studying the gray wolves who followed the caribou in norther Canada.  It was over a decade later before another researcher finally fulfilled my dream.  I watched a Nature documentary in the 1990’s in fascination as a researcher filmed the habits and hunting techniques of pack behavior.  As research has grown, we have confirmed gray wolves rarely attack humans.  Their intimidating howls and pack behavior have still been written into the storylines of numerous movies.  Today’s wolf research is on reintroduction of wolves (Yellowstone) and making populations sustainable.

Sustainability is the new buss word for large corporations and the hot new degree in the environmental and business fields.  When I looked these degrees up online, I found that over 400 colleges in the US offer bachelor’s degrees, over 460 offer master’s degrees, over 100 offer doctor’s degrees, and more than 130 offer a certificate in Sustainability.  Sustainability combines economics, business, social/human environment, and environmental science.  The goal is to find a balanced approach that minimizes risks to these areas to maintain or enhance the quality of life in the future.  This is an attempt to minimize and mitigate the environmental impact caused by humans.  

Thoughts:  When the government abandoned climate research and discounted racial injustice, corporate America countered with its own call to create sustainability.  Amazon is just one example with a pledge to produce a net zero carbon footprint across the business by 2040.  This is ten years ahead of the Paris Agreement that the current President re-entered.  While some decry the loss of carbon industry jobs, others are excited by the possibility of new green jobs and infrastructure.  Retraining and repositioning workers has been a hallmark of human evolution.  I do not hear many still denouncing the loss of flintknapper jobs as the metal ages occurred.  Follow the science.  Change is coming and it starts with you.

January 26, 2021

I mentioned how last year I generally took a wait and see attitude toward my birding.  That meant while I was always on the lookout for birds, I was not purposeful and did not go out of my way to find them.  This year I have taken a different approach and have taken two specific trips to finds birds (one successful and one not so much).  While I recorded 26 species last year, I have already recorded 29 species this year, and that does not include six species where I have shots of both male and female birds that look appreciably different than each other.  Once more, being purposeful seems to make a big difference.

One of the downloads I now have for my phone is an identification guide from the Audubon Society.  While I find it a little difficult to use (you need to have an idea what the bird is to look it up), It is another tool in my birding arsenal.  Alexander Wilson is credited as the Father of American birding and he produced the 9-volume work American Ornithology between 1808 and 1814.  Wilson was closely followed by John James Audubon whose work, Birds of America, was published between 1827 and 1838.  This was long held as the most comprehensive study of American birds and the artwork is still considered exceptional.  After Audubon died George Grinnell became fascinated with birds in the 1860’s, and was mentored by Audubon’s wife, Lucy.  After she died in 1874 Grinnell continued to be a birder and founded the Audubon Society in 1886 in honor of Lucy and her husband John.

As my birding has increased so have the offers to help received from family and friends.  Melissa has found short day trips here in Arkansas where I can find different varieties of birds (I have yet to go).  Some of these trips involve migratory birds that are only in the state during the winter, so time is getting short to check them out.  My mom also gave me a 24-lesson course on birding as part of my birthday.  This is one of the Great Courses series and is put out by National Geographic.  I began watching the first lessons and have already learned a lot.  It is never surprising when we listen to the experts how much we can learn.

Thoughts:  When Grinnell became fascinated with birds, he sought out one the premier experts on American birds, Lucy Audubon.  He knew while he could become accomplished at recognizing birds on his own, it was much easier if he was tutored by an expert.  While I do not have a person who tutors me, I have found ways to find virtual experts who can help me identify the various birds I see.  Virtual experts seem appropriate amid all the virtual classes, meetings, and socials we have become accustomed to.  This year’s success has reemphasized how using the right tools and being purposeful allow me to obtain my goals.  So does following the advice of experts.  Follow the science.  Change is coming and it starts with you.

January 25, 2021

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One of the adjustments parents have been forced to make over the last year is to participate in schooling their children.  Parental engagement has always been a critical aspect to student achievement, as much as class size, curriculum, and teacher quality.  That is especially true over the last year as parents have been pressed into service by the sporadic nature of school openings and closings.  Many schools and students have been able to continue to attend class virtually, but this has not been as seamless as it might have been.   Our country is plagued by uneven band widths and differential levels of technology.  This is especially true in rural areas and among the poor.  These are also the students who often require extra help.

When I looked online, I read about the schools created for the Ninja (or Shinobi) in medieval Japan.  These students were the specialized assassins, saboteurs, and secret agents of the country.  Warriors were highly trained proponents of the martial arts, especially what later became known as ninjutsu or ‘the art of the ninja’.  This included special schools for training in disguise, deception, and assaulting enemy positions and strongholds.  Their missions usually took place at night and were augmented by their traditional dark clothing.  Ninjas have been employed since the 15th century CE onwards.  The secret of the ninjas was their lengthy secret training in specialized schools and mysterious anonymity.  This has led to an exaggerated reputation for fantastic feats and weapons play.  This makes them the perfect characters for comic books and computer games.

With many teachers relegated to computer screens, parents have taken on the role of teacher’s aide, hall monitor, counselor, and cafeteria worker.  These roles are often added to preforming their own jobs at the same time.  This has created extraordinary stress for students and parents alike.  Essential workers (read, the poor and most vulnerable) are often in the toughest spot, especially if they are away from home during school hours.  These leaves a single parent, or no one at all, at home when students need them most.  Once more our essential workers face untenable choices.

Thoughts:  I saw an Instagram post about our granddaughter yesterday that gave me hope.  She (5 years old) and her brother (3 years old) were drawing Ninjas for their daily project with mom.  Each of their Ninjas’ had a special power.  Lauren’s Ninja power was “Love.”  The Ninja had a club in one hand (with hearts on top) and a large heart in the other.  One of the things she knew was that the most powerful thing on earth is the love we have for others, and this love is what is needed right now.  This is a realization that can escape us as adults.  Perhaps we need to quit trying to rationalize and to blame each other and instead look at the world through the eyes of a child.  We could all use the special power of love.  Do the work.  Change is coming and it starts with you.

January 23, 2021

I admit I have not paid much attention to QAnon or its followers.  Instead, I discounted it as yet another fringe group associated with the ex-president.  An article in today’s paper shed an entirely different light on the movement.  For years adherents have called on the faithful to “trust the plan.”  This was the belief that the president would “orchestrate mass arrests, military tribunals, and executions of the Satan-worshiping, child-sacrificing enemies.”  QAnon asserted that the president was planning a day of reckoning known as the “Storm” when thousands of members of the cabal would be arrested.  The “Storm” was initially said to be scheduled for November 3, 2017, but there were no notable events on that day.  Next the “Storm” was said to take place on January 20, 2021, the day of the presidential inauguration, but no coup took place.  The faithful have been forced to reassess.

When I looked up the group online it called QAnon “a disproven and discredited far-right conspiracy theory.”  U.S. prosecutors have discounted QAnon as “a group commonly referred to as a cult”.  QAnon supporters have accused many liberal Hollywood actors, Democratic politicians, and high-ranking government officials of being members of the cabal.  They have also claimed that the ex-president feigned conspiracy with Russians to enlist Robert Mueller to join him in exposing the sex trafficking ring and preventing a coup d’état by Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and George Soros.  The QAnon conspiracy theories have been amplified by Russian state-backed troll accounts on social media, as well as Russian state-backed traditional media.

When Biden was sworn in on Wednesday the QAnon message boards were bombarded by hecklers making fun of the conspiracy, and prominent posters announced they were stepping away from social media, “if only temporarily.”   Adherents were left with anger, confusion and disappointment as the apocalyptic reckoning failed to appear.  For many, the departure of the past president sowed doubt on the beliefs that had consumed their lives for several years.  Others continued to find cryptic clues in the “17 American flags” behind the ex-president as he delivered his last speech (Q is the 17^th letter of the alphabet).  As one follower wrote, “I believe the game is still being played this is not over.”     

Thoughts:  I have been an adherent of Generational History for 30 years.  This theory of cyclical history suggests a four-stage cycle that changes roughly every generation (20 years +/-).  The theory also identifies that we are in a period where a new prophet is destined to lead the people (good or bad) in a new direction.  That is exactly what QAnon said was happening.  With the collapse of the “Storm,” members are being forced to reevaluate.  This reassessment has happened time and again in the past and is generally associated with apocalyptic overtones.  The news article I read told of various right-wing neofascist groups looking to recruit the QAnon followers left in the vacuum.  Indeed, the game is still being played.  Do the work.  Change is coming and it starts with you.

January 22, 2021

Fourteen days after insurrectionists stormed the Capitol Building the FBI has charged three Oath Keepers with alleged conspiracy charges.  The FBI complaint tells how they planned the attack weeks in advance, coordinated their movements by radio, and entered the Capitol wearing helmets, body armor and military style insignia.  When I checked online, I found that “Oath Keepers is an American far-right anti-government militia organization composed of current and former military, police, and first responders who pledge to fulfill the oath that all military and police take in order to ‘defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic’.”  A total of seven persons have now been charged with conspiracy by the FBI and the Department of Justice.

Since aerial photos are not permitted in Washington, D.C. for reasons of security, reliable numbers for the crowd size have not been ascertained.  It is estimated at between 2,000 to 80,000 (That seems to be a big difference).  It is also not clear how many breached the Capitol doors, although there appears to be several hundred shown by the selfies and phone movies posted online by participants.  So far there have been over 100 arrests and over 300 cases opened against the rioters.  The arrests include a diverse group of people, ranging from supporters of the then president, to right-wing and anti-government groups, to people who just decided to show up.  There might have been a better day to visit.

I read in an article from USA Today that among those charged with alleged crimes are former and current police officers, world class athletes, military veterans, currently elected officials, and grandparents.  This included residents of 32 states and the District of Columbia, with Texas, New York and Florida leading the way.  Their ages ranged from 20-70 and included 85 men and 11 women.  Attorney Aitan Goelman (Oklahoma City bombing prosecutor) stated they came together as a “toxic brew of conspiracy theorists.”  There were a few dozen more arrested for curfew violations on January 6^th.  The focus of the FBI is on those alleged to have entered the Capitol or for crimes related to violence or weapons.  

Thoughts:  Even while I was reluctant again write on the aftermath of January 6^th, the importance of the event make it warranted.  Over the past weeks the news media has vacillated between the wide range of stories vying for our attention: the riot, the inauguration, and a renewed focus on the virus.  Some have suggested we just need to move on.  If we could only forgive and forget we could get back to normal.  That precludes the fact this is the new normal and unless we address the long-term dissatisfaction felt by most Americans we will never come to unity.  We need to call out the racism that sparked the BLM riots.  We need to address the discontent that sparked the Capitol riot.  Until we face who we are and where we have been, we will not be able to move forward.  We will instead just sweep it together with the growing lump of dirt under the carpet.  Do the work.  Change is coming and it starts with you.

January 21, 2021

Presidential inaugurations are typically attended by hundreds of dignitaries, including former presidents, Supreme Court justices, and members of Congress.  That does not include the hundreds of thousands of spectators who spill out across the National Mall.  This year was different.  Instead of massive crowds, a public art exhibition was erected on the National Mall to represent the American people who are unable to travel to the capitol.  The display included nearly 200,000 American flags and 400 lights representing the 400,000 Americans who lost their lives to the pandemic.  Several prominent people and law makers announced they would not attend due to the pandemic or because of security concerns following a breach on the Capitol building two weeks ago.  I think it was their loss.

After the preliminary speeches and invocation, the Biden Inauguration kicked off with Lady Gaga singing the national anthem of the US, the “Star-Spangled Banner.”  The lyrics come from a poem written by an amateur poet, Francis Scott Key, called the “Defence of Fort M’Henry”.  The poem was written on September 14, 1814, after Key witnessed the bombardment of Fort McHenry by British ships of the Royal Navy in Baltimore Harbor during the Battle of Baltimore during the War of 1812.  Key was inspired by the large US flag flying triumphantly above the fort during the US holdout and victory.  More than any moment witnessed yesterday, this act made me feel more unified and patriotic than I have ever felt. 

While some chose not to attend, I found it more ironic who did attend.  The caucus members who led the charge to disavow the election, even after the insurrection, were all invited to the Inauguration.  While a few declined, most decided to show up.   They sat united with the less than 1000 invitees to hear Biden’s call for unity.  Three of the more notable quotes I took away from his speech were these.  “I will defend the truth and defeat the lies.”  “Democracy did not die on our watch.”  And finally, that to be a democracy, “takes the most elusive of all things in a democracy, unity.”  It has been a long election year.

Thoughts:  I have not watched much more than the swearing in during past inaugurations.  The crowds, parades, and dinners drug out over the course of hours, culminating in the balls that lasted into the night.  That was changed this year.  Rather than crowds, the media focused on Biden and Harris as they made the normal rounds to the capitol lunch (presentations only), Arlington and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and Biden’s entrance to the White House.  Not lost amid the limited pomp and circumstance was the acknowledgement of those we lost during the pandemic.   This acknowledgement began with the memorial on Tuesday and continued throughout the day on Wednesday.  This was a needed step toward any possibility of unity.  Follow the science.  Do the work.  Change is coming and it starts with you.

January 20, 2021

President-elect Joe Biden is scheduled to be sworn into office as the 46^th President of the United States at 12:00 pm EST.  Biden has promised a series of sweeping actions, most as a series of executive orders within hours of being sworn in.  Biden is proposing a $1.9 trillion coronavirus bailout package that would increase unemployment benefits and generate a new round of stimulus checks.  Another visible change is an expected nationwide mask mandate for all federal locations.  A third promise is to provide 100 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to the public by creating more locations for people to get to the shot.  “On my first day in office, I’ll instruct the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to set up the first of these centers.”  Biden hopes to have 100 federally supported centers across the nation by the end of his first month.  Now we need to find enough vaccine.

History shows us what is accomplished during the first 100 days of the Presidency rarely reflects its success or failure.  Until the first part of the 20th century the “Hundred Days” usually referred to Napoleon Bonaparte’s frenetic activity from the time he escaped from Elba in 1815 until his permanent fall from power after the military defeat at Waterloo.  For American precedents, it was not until the actions of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the 73rd Congress in 1933 that the term became a symbol of executive success.  Roosevelt’s burst of presidential activity has yet to be equaled by any subsequent president and occurred during a unique political moment.  The transfer of power between the unpopular Herbert Hoover (Depression) and the popular Franklin Roosevelt came as the country was gripped in fear.  The official unemployment rate was 25% and America’s economic system seemed to be in free fall.  Perhaps the movement is not as unique as it used to be.

While 100 Days has become a media benchmark, later Presidents rarely marked it as such.  The first 100 days of Roosevelt’s presidency began on March 4, 1933, when he was inaugurated as the 32nd President of the United States.  He had signaled his intention to move with unprecedented speed to address the problems facing the nation in his inaugural address, declaring: “I am prepared under my constitutional duty to recommend the measures that a stricken nation in the midst of a stricken world may require.”  Roosevelt’s specific priorities at the outset of his presidency were getting Americans back to work, protecting their savings and creating prosperity, providing relief for the sick and elderly, and getting industry and agriculture back on their feet.  He immediately summoned the United States Congress into a three-month (nearly 100-day) special session, during which he presented and was able to rapidly get passed a series of 15 major bills designed to counter the effects of the Great Depression.

Thoughts:  Biden’s reaction to the 100 Days is like past Presidents.  It is more an expression than a chronology.  We have been told Biden does have a three-fold direction: creating unity in a divided country, rebuilding the economy and creating jobs, and response to the corona virus pandemic.  While 100 Days is not enough to resolve these issues, there has been a pledge to begin the process on Day 1.   Even with Roosevelt’s ambitious plans and actions, the American economy never righted itself until the industrial response to World War II.  There is a Chinese saying by philosopher Lao-Tze (erroneously ascribed to Confucius), “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”  America’s next journey (and step) begins on Day 1.  Do the work.  Change is coming and it starts with you.