A Random Post and Holiday Greetings to conclude my Blog "Year"

 1. After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem.

2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

Skipping ahead...... 

7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 

8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” 

9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 

10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 

11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 

12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. 

From The Gospel according to Matthew




Today's post is my first in more than a month.  Skiing has been great (best early conditions in Winter Park in 10 years!), Thanksgiving came and went and I simply have not had the time, or motivation to post. However, for some reason today's weekend interview in the Wall Street  Journal ignited my writing spirit. 

The interview was with Br. Guy Consolmagano  (who has a Doctorate in planetary science) Here are some bits from  the article (I have italicized the passages taken directly from the article-I would be happy to send a PDF copy of the article to any interested) that I found it most thought provoking: 

The Vatican’s Astronomer on God and the Stars

Brother Consolmagno, 66, grew up in Detroit as a self-described “Sputnik kid.” He studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Arizona, and then, at 37, joined the Jesuit order. At conferences or when meeting newsmen, he pairs a clerical collar with an MIT class ring. The outfit, along with his thick beard, has a way of confounding expectations.

Here is the introductory paragraphs that that caught my attention:

The Wise Men were led to Bethlehem, says the Gospel of Matthew, by a heavenly sign. “Where is he that is born King of the Jews?” the Magi asked, “for we have seen his star in the east.” Two thousand years later, the question often posed to Guy Consolmagno, an American Jesuit brother with a doctorate in planetary science, is what that star perhaps was.

A supernova, the last detonation of a dying sun? No. “When supernovas occur, they leave a remnant,” Brother Consolmagno says. The magnificent Crab Nebula consists of the glowing ashes of a supernova that Chinese astronomers noted in 1054. Nothing similar is contemporaneous with Jesus: “Our radio surveys of the sky are complete enough, we would have seen the radio signal.”

Might the star have been a comet, blazing past Earth the way Hale-Bopp did in 1997? Probably not, given a lack of historical corroboration. “Nobody else talks about such a comet,” Brother Consolmagno says. Worse, spotting one in the ancient world wasn’t a good tiding: “Comets are always described as arbiters of doom.”

Maybe the star was a planetary conjunction—say, in 6 B.C., when calculations show that Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn gathered together. This theory, Brother Consolmagno says, is everybody’s favorite. “The particular one in 6 B.C. that’s attractive is—they’re all right next to the sun, which explains why nobody actually saw it in the sky,” he says. “But the astrologers who can calculate these things would have calculated that they should all be there.”

Then again, perhaps the Star of Bethlehem was purely a literary symbol. “Caesar Augustus used a story like this, too,” Brother Consolmagno says, “as propaganda for why he should be the emperor and not his rivals. Maybe Matthew is saying: ‘Better than Caesar Augustus, we’ve got astrologers who could say this about Christ.’ ”

It might seem an odd line of inquiry, especially to a secular world that sees science and religion as separate, if not conflicting, domains. But Brother Consolmagno, director of the Vatican Observatory and thus the pope’s chief astronomer, is accustomed to fielding offbeat questions with good humor. One of his books is titled “Would You Baptize an Extraterrestrial?” His short answer: “Only if she asks!”

I confess that I chuckled at the article's assertion that the writer of Matthew was perhaps countering a piece of "fake news" spread by Caesar  Augustus (or his press secretary!) about a rumored cosmic event.  Some things in history are timeless!  

In reflecting further I could not help but think about the complicated, and intertwined role between religion and politics in human history.  Maybe because at various times in human existence the need to find meaning in life leads us to beliefs based on faith in something greater than ourselves which often conflicts with that of our secular rules of governance.  Certainly if one looks back at the Judeo-Christian history one finds times of both conflict and cooperation between the secular and the religious.  This is true from the time of the Pharaohs, through Roman Rule and down through the middle ages and yes to today.  Certainly the story of Christ  is one of conflict and upheaval with both the existing religious order (The Sanhedrin) and the secular rulers (Herod and later in the story of Christ, Rome).  With this background one cannot help but think of our own increasingly secular society it's conflicts with some traditional religious beliefs and the claims by many as to whose concept of morality is the "correct" one.

While I have no "pat" answers on "correct morality" I can only make this very personal comment:

I for one remain deeply rooted in a faith that our "moral" truths must come from  more than a collection of our own "internal ideas" built upon a series of random acts like the "big bang' and "evolution" (neither are fake news by the way).  It seems to me that to have any true meaning beyond ourselves first requires a belief that an eternal "god" exists.  For me  evidence of God's existence is revealed to us through our stories, traditions and those eternal truths found in places like that manger in Bethlehem a couple thousand years ago.  

With that personal Observation I bid you all adieu and of course:

 A Very Merry Christmas to all of you!

 he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.

Maria Lanz: A "Modern" Women Way Ahead of Her Time

Sometimes I'm right and I can be wrong
My own beliefs are in my song
The butcher, the banker, the drummer and then
Makes no difference what group I'm in
I am everyday people, yeah, yeah

Sly and the Family Stone


Today's Post was inspired by a little article I picked up while killing time at the Newark Airport:

From BBC News:

Emile Ratelband man asks court to declare him legally younger

He has asked a court to legally change his age arguing that trans people can change their gender because they feel like a different sex.

His stance has angered LGBT campaigners who say the comparison is "tasteless".
Clip can be seen using link below:

BBC Clip

My "Observation":  Ratelband claims he "feels" much younger than his birth age of 69 so why should he not be able to change his birth certificate to make him the same age as he feels (or to what his "doctor" thinks).  No doubt he is doing this to "Troll" advocates for transgender legal identification.  However his claim is not without precedent (as my blog will reveal), and the "science" he cites is actually not way off.

When I saw this it made me smile because it reminded me of one of the most interesting women I have ever encountered, my Mother-in Law.

Let me relay two interesting stories about Maria Lanz and her ability to "buck" the system.

Story one:  Maria Lanz's "age"

Many years ago, Maria and Charlie were planning their first trip overseas and she needed a passport.  In order to obtain a passport she needed a birth certificate from the State of Kentucky and they were having trouble locating it.  My "faithful and Obedient Companion" was tasked by her Father to research "the problem".  In doing so he suggested that she call Kentucky and provide them with a birthdate several years earlier than that shown on her Drivers License.  Bingo.....it was actually like 5 years earlier than shown on her license.  Problem solved....for passport purposes.

Several years later Maria indicated to the Philadelphia School Board that she was "ready to retire".  The School Board said "what a minute" your not 65.  She then produced her Birth Certificate and walla she suddenly added years to her life!  The School Board let her retire in peace.

At age 85 Maria had to renew her Driver's license when a Social Security Card was needed for enhanced ID,  and my Faithful and Obedient Companion accompanied her on her visit to the DMV.  When an employee asked Barbara about the discrepancy between her "Social Security" DOB and her driver's license with a "younger age" my loving "Companion" simply responded "Why don't you tell her she is older than her license states".....

Speaking of gaming the system it was not just "age" but race that was an open issue.  In fact she beat even Elizabeth Warren when it comes to Racial Birth Identity. 

Story two: Maria's "Race":

A few of you may have heard the "old" story about my "inter-racial" marriage.  You see Maria Lanz was actually an African American when she needed to be, and not by her own initiative.  Here is the "back story":

Maria always wanted to be a teacher and she eventually discovered a special program to recruit inner city teaching candidates sponsored by Temple University.  This program was designed to provide   a college degree in teaching  to city residents and so she enrolled while in her early 40's.  After years of hard work she obtained her degree and proceeded to take her teaching certification exam on which she scored the 5th  highest in her class of about 300 fellow graduates.  For months she awaited a teaching position but she kept getting passed over for a job.  Meanwhile many of her fellow classmates  with much lower scores were hired.  Rather than give up she called first the school board, then the Mayor, and eventually her congressman. She persisted and finally got that  "phone call".  She was told  to report to the principle of a school for an interview and presumably a job.  When she sat down with the Principle he looked at Maria, looked at her application and said "you cannot be Maria Lanz, your white.....

Yes the politicians made my Mother-in Law the "gadfly" go away by making her  application say "African American".  Affirmative Action be damned she got the job by because a politician (Needless to say in Philly they were all Democrats) made a  racial change on her application different from that on her birth certificate.  What I have found more humorous as I reflect on all this she, unlike Ms. Warren, actually had a direct Cherokee Indian Ancestor born around 1740 ( he was a chief) that was confirmed by yours truly a few months ago while helping my Faithful and Obedient companion go through her mom's hereditary (from the DAR) papers a few months ago.  She probably could have claimed that minority status on her original application!

So I ask you all "What does a Birth Certificate really mean anyway?"   Why shouldn't we all be allowed  to be as old as we "feel" (or even our physicians evaluation of our Biological Age), whatever sex you choose (Our Gender "feeling"), or whatever race suits your needs (Maria being black suited those politicians, just as Harvard was Happy to have a "minority women" on their faculty).  Maybe if we could all just legally be who we "feel" like it might eliminate all this identity politics, and end bickering over the issue.

A postscript food for thought:  At a recent Lions Club meeting we had a speaker outline today's identity taboo's.

He claimed a recent survey showed a majority of people now:
1. Accept marriages of our children to someone of a different religion.
2. Accept Marriages of their children to someone of a different race.
3.  Accept Marriages of their children to someone  of the same sex.

 However the Majority of Americans now oppose  marriage of their children to someone of a different political persuasion.

Says a lot Huh?

(PS my postscript has not been "fact checked" the speaker was a local Denver Radio Personality who has a show that tries to "Bring us all Together")

With that I Bid You

Adieu

A visit to Memphis and Batesville Arkansas

The world is one great battlefield,
With forces all arrayed;
If in my heart I do not yield,
I'll overcome some day.

First Stanza from "I'll Overcome Some Day"  Gospel Song by the Reverend Charles Albert Tindley of Philadelphia.
Inspiration for "We Shall Overcome" 

Yes I have not posted in a while, it has been a busy few weeks.  I warn you some pent up thoughts are pulsing from my finger to the keyboard.  Hopefully food for thought no matter your perspective.

Most of my readers were aware that my Faithful and Obedient Companion and I made a trip to Memphis on our journey back to Colorado from Vermont.  We had visited Memphis 4 years earlier and found the music history there to be incredible.  On that trip we not only took in Beale Street, an incredible 4 block section of Bars and Blues Clubs that celebrated to music revolution that centered in Memphis, as well as several "Historic Spots" including Sun Records and Graceland.

Aside from some disappointments with our stay at the Peabody (I will not bore you with the details), this trip was even more rewarding, particularly since we looked deeply at that piece of American History known as as The Civil Rights Era.  Indeed it was in Memphis that so much uniquely rich American  music evolved during these turbulent times.  Two museum visits were particularly filled with insight on this history.

The first was the National Civil Rights Museum, built on the site where Martin Luther King was Assassinated. 

Motel Balcony where MLK was Assassinated

The Museum was rich with details on the saga of Black Americans from the first years of Slavery through the sad era of Jim Crow era.  It deeply covered  the battles over integration in the in the late 40's and 50's culminating in the Freedom Rides of the sixties and King's assassination.  It included observations about the ongoing controversies of Race and Gender in our society up to present  It was impossible not to be moved by the stories it told.

As much as the National Civil Rights Museum was a in depth look at the belated blending of our heritage, I found the Stax Museum even more fascinating.  It documented the blending of  Mississippi Delta Blues with White Country and Hillbilly music along .with a good dose of both Black and White Gospel music.  The geographic center of all this was Memphis.  During the 50's and 60'3 Stax was essentially a "race neutral" place in the still segregated south.  Black and white musicians simply got together to make music.  Think  of "Booker T and the MG's" as one vivid example.  What moved me most were video interviews with several artists that talked about this collaboration.   It saddened me to listen to their general feeling (both by black and white performers) that after the King assassination such collaboration became harder to do.  Stax which had been built as a "unique" "white and black" managed and integrated employee organization when the rest of the south, including Memphis was segregated fell apart by 1972.

Today's Memphis is as "integrated" as anywhere I have ever visited (Shelby County TN is 52% Black).  It is certainly a far cry from Vermont.  The music scene there is vibrant and both black and white aficionado's of Blues and Rock happily mix it up all along Beale Street. Both my Faithful and Obedient Companion and I will undoubtedly revisit Memphis again in the future.

We left Memphis to visit "Batesville" Arkansas the county seat of Independence County Arkansas.   It is also the home of  Marshall's Dry Goods a HUGE fabric wholesaler which for a Quilter like my Faithful and Obedient Companion is like a magnet.  It was the sole reason for this unusual detour.  You will likely not be surprised to hear she purchased enough fabric to qualify as a "wholesaler".

Demographically Batesville and the county in which it resides is more like Vermont. The "white population ois 94%, and historically it is much more like  "White Appalachia" (it is in the Ozark's) then the deep south.  One big difference from Vermont is that Independence county is "dry" and is obviously (just from our drive through) populated by a huge number of Pentecostal and Baptist churches.  In reflecting on Memphis it is a place where Gospel and Country music have been an integral part of life for generations.  I felt as comfortable and as at home walking, dining and staying in Batesville as I did Beale Street in Memphis.

Which is bringing me to my Observations of the day.  As we drove home I speculated about how different these two "southern places" were.  So as I thought of what direction to take my impulses led me to my "statistics fetish"and cultural things.

 For the heck of it I decided to look at how residents Shelby County TN and Independence county AR have voted "historically" over the last Presidential elections, and then a few other key demographics.

Shelby TN voting and demographics (underlined are voting similarities):

Lyndon Johnson in 1964 (before MLK was assassinated), A small plurality for George Wallace in 1968. Nixon in 72, Carter in 76, Carter in 80, Reagan in 84,  Bush in 88, Clinton in 92 and 96 and Democrats ever since.

Now if one thinks of the Climate of the south through the late 60's no surprise that before black voter registration drives Wallace won with 35% of the vote.  However, this was and remains strong Democratic territory with notable exceptions for Reagan in 84, and Bush in 88.  In essence the large African American population (now enfranchised) and "Hip" Urban Center have made Shelby County as solidly Democrat as it had been, since long before the end of Jim Crow.  It is a culture  I enjoy and appreciate  immensely

Household Demographics
Married Living together-42.8%
Female No Husband      -20.1%
Households Individuals-27.7%

Independence AR:


Lyndon Johnson in 1964 (before MLK was assassinated),Nixon in 68, Nixon in 72, Carter in 76 ,Carter in 80,  Reagan in  84, Bush in 88, Clinton in 92, Clinton in 96, firmly Republican since.  I am not surprised that they voted overwhelmingly for Trump.


Now my impression is that historically this slice of America has voted on primarily religious grounds and "traditional values".  In many ways I find much appealing about their perspectives particularly with a the focus on family religious values. However,  I did appreciate the Alcohol laws in Memphis much more than Batesville! I did not see any evidence that this northwest corner of Arkansas is a place of racial hatred.  Just a strong and deeply embedded "country" culture.  My own sense is the social changes over the last 40-50 years have had a big effect on voting patterns and why they "left" the democratic party. 

Household Demographics
Married Living together-59%
Female No Husband      -9.2%%
Households Individuals-25.5%




Now some things I have since pondered:

Our country has generally had a "live and let live" view of what a society should be like. it is embedded in our federalist structure.  It also sadly contributed to the establishment of Jim Crow.  All of this is laid out in that Civil Rights Museum in Memphis.  But how did our country "allow that to happen" after strong gains in civil rights from 1865 until about 1876?  What about today's divisiveness?

First on Jim Crow.  What happened that allowed a "counter revolution" and disenfranchisement of African Americans  after a bloody conflict to free them? I have read a few theories that a "war weary" North was tired of occupying the deep south.  There was great political pressure for De-Militarizing our country that forced Northern politicians to end support of  continued Southern Occupation. I found in that an interesting perspective.  Sometimes force is needed to overcome injustice and oppression.  Love of Peace does not always have a positive result given human behavior.  Thus for millions freedom was delayed.

Second (and this may seem counterintuitive to my readers after reading the prior paragraph, but 100% in line with my predisposed "Haidt" conservative worldview):

I understand that some group "values" can violate one's sense of fairness and decency.  But I also find great importance in our deeply rooted and traditional social values (Like those I sense in Independence AR).  These values are that it is a nuclear families primary responsibility to raise and nurture our children, not the states. Regardless of your perspective it is true that in many ways, we have relieved families of this responsibility.  We increasingly have asked or allowed the state to teach them basic values, and have made the nuclear family passe (even if inadvertently and with all the best intentions).  How?   By offering and promoting state sponsored early and primary childcare (where our most basic values are taught), and through income support which ultimately discounts the need for two parent homes.  Our news, media and politicians glorify single parent families.  In many cases there is increasing state enforcement of parenting practices. We have radically altered our most basic social structure in ways that will be difficult to "undue".  I think for many these changes are now delivering results that are discouraging. 

As I  go back and look at my various prior posts and statistics.  Some questions I was left to consider:

When does resistance to these trends  become imperative to those who believe this has serious long term consequences to all of us and especially our descendants?  When does it become bigger than just "live and let live"?

On the opposite side to those  who feel these changes have been best for society, when does counter-resistance to those fighting these trends become imperative?

Finally given these "battlefields" and natural human resistance to "yielding" how do we as a society arrive at an acceptable compromise of "live and let live"?

No "uplifting" or "pat" answers come to my mind,  but this all seem like a Ken Follett novel I recently read about the religious wars of the 14th and 15th centuries.  I cannot help but see the parallels to those times playing out in our country right now.

For certain the words written by Reverend Tindley back in 1901 are as poignant today as they were back then.


With That I bid you adieu









 

 



 

Friendships

You may live in a Marble Palace dear
On a throne that was built just for you

You may live in a tent in the far orient
or a vine covered cottage for two (just for two)

You may spend all your life as a gypsy's' wife
or live in a French Chateau

But the love that is true is waiting for you
in a Phi Delt bungalow (bungalow)




Well our big "Phi" SFF (Stowe Foliage Festival) has come and gone.  While I know the "majority" of my blog followers are not college Fraternity "buddies" enough are that I felt compelled to give a mention before digging in to a couple of random thoughts on lasting friendships and tack on a  couple of  somber but pleasant reflections.

First on today's "song".  This is an old Phi Delta Theta song most of us had sung to our brides at our weddings.  Now I will not delve into some of our other "bar room" ditties but needless to say I always loved this song (as well as "Tell me Why she wears his pin)" as it reflects a happy tribute to honor and respect the one we love. We were known as the "singing fraternity" and even had a chapter "chorister". In fact  for several years our own fellow blogger "Lester"   held that important title.  True to form Lester (who several of us roomed with at our Apartment at 220 Cattell Street in Easton Pa) broke out in song while showering over the weekend.  Nothing wrong with his pipes!

It really was great fun, golfing together (a first for all of us at one time!) and hitting up several Micro breweries over the weekend.  I will say our penchant for beer is more of quality rather than quantity these days.  Age does that!

I bring up "age" for a reason  because an old Fraternity friend (Dave Reifsnyder) from those years passed away earlier in the week.  His funeral service was Friday  and because of our planned weekend we did not make his services.  It did serve as a reminder though of how precious all our time is together and we even stopped at 2 PM (the time his service started) on the Golf Course to toast him passing on to the Chapter Grand.

This brings me to today's "Observation" and reflection.  During the weekend given a backdrop of a divided country we wandered inevitably to some discussions of current events.  No surprise we had  divergent views on several current issues.  However despite some differences of opinion we never wavered in our friendships as "Brother's in the Bond" (including all of their  feisty "Faithful and Obedient Companions"!).

Which got me thinking the last day or two that life is too short, and nobody knows when it will come to an end.  I for one have reflected on this and have mulled over how I would want to spend my last day on earth.  One very pleasant thought is that maybe it would be in the company of great friends (Fraternal or otherwise) drinking a beer and discussing the Eagles and Phillies (or even the Yankees  or Red Sox) on a fall day in Stowe Vermont. Maybe even playing a game of bridge while we do so.

 So....Maybe  just maybe if I try to wake up every day from now on and recall that thought before my feet hit the floor that invariable last day will end up a great one!  At any rate it may just be worth a shot.

With that I bid you adieu!

Golf-The Great Equalizer?

“The only sure rule in golf is he who has the fastest cart never has to play the bad lie.” – Mickey Mantle

“To find a man’s true character, play golf with him.” – P.G. Wodehouse

“If you drink, don’t drive. Don’t even putt.” – Dean Martin

“Hockey is a sport for white men. Basketball is a sport for black men. Golf is a sport for white men dressed like black pimps.” – Tiger Woods

“Golf is a puzzle without an answer. I’ve played the game for 50 years and I still haven’t the slightest idea of how to play.” – Gary Player

“Give me golf clubs, fresh air and a beautiful partner, and you can keep the clubs and the fresh air.” – Jack Benny

Since returning to Vermont I have had the opportunity to play lot's of golf.  I have found my lack of play has had little impact on my ability.  In general I still stink but boy do I still enjoy a "good walk ruined" 2 or 3 times per week.  I have even played a few rounds with my "Faithful and Obedient Companion" (see Jack Benny's comment above)  One big surprise came while playing with my spouse. In the one "Million Dollar Match" we played while here (an old tradition)  I actually won!  You see  it is unusual for me to beat my spouse.  Since we started this "tradition" my "Faithful and not always Obedient Companion"  has bested me enough to still be ahead some 5 million dollars that we have "on account" since we initiated the competition several years ago. Funny I had to play on the senior tees to beat her.  She did not complain about that-yet.

Many of my readers are familiar with golfs great equalizing system known as  the "Handicap Index", a complex system that takes into account ones past scoring history, course difficulty ratings and Tee location (Men's "white or black or senior tees" and Women's Tees).  It is a remarkably accurate method of adjusting the score to account for all these factors.  My Handicap index is 29, my Faithful and Obedient Companions is 2 or 3 strokes better at 26.  Funny thing is I still have to give her several strokes (4 -6) depending on the tee location I play from (she has no option I guess women do not age)).   Go figure.  What I find most fascinating is how course ratings truly reflect a courses difficulty as I always seem to play worse on higher rated courses.

Regardless of this apparent "inequity"  (Barbara does not hit as far but boy she is she deadly with her short game around the greens) our matches are generally competitive and our matches usually last at least 16 holes.  I suspect my unusual win was a fluke and so I keep hoping that the "MeToo" movement will have a reverse effect and eventually she will have to give me a stroke or two someday soon.

Ok so what is my point other than to discuss the golf system of "Handicaps".  Well it got me to thinking.  What if life was one big game of golf and all of us "competed" in the real world like amateurs compete in golf?

Well we could open up academic achievement to be handicapped so that brilliant students would be on a level playing field with all other students.

College Admissions could likewise be handicapped so that all applicants could get a shot at Harvard (or Lafayette).

Job applications could be handicapped as well as ongoing career promotional opportunities.

It certainly might help to end all the inequality arguments, accusations and litigation.

Of course before I got on to a Plane,  had heart surgery or even had my toilet fixed I would likely ask...."So what is your handicap?" , prior to deciding who would perform the work. 

After all twisting my wrist and hitting a golf ball out of bounds has a  much more benign outcome than say missing a runway, slicing an Aorta or even laying up short on my sewage line.

With that I bid you
Adieu

Liar Liar Pants On Fire

From Urban Dictionary:

"Liar Liar Pants On Fire is a phrase that children like to scream at each other whenever they think the other is lying. They also like to scream it at adults who tell them stories about fairies. It is an overall stupid thing to say, since if your pants actually caught on fire when you lied, more politicians would be dead."

One of my blog followers (Phil)  last week talked about my "burying the lead".  I agreed with Phil's comments and said so (and in my comment added it was intentional). 

 Two articles I came across this week (One on "Tennis" and One on Colorado Wildfires) piqued my interest because  of the reporter's headline's -and because of Phil's comments on "The Lead".  In both cases "Climate Change" (yes an old favorite) was "the Lead". 


Whenever a reporter links specific event(s) to Climate Change I immediately get my "Haidt" up. I admit that  I have a predisposition to suspect some  deliberate misrepresentation or bias whenever  climate change is named as the culprit in a headline.  This in turn usually motivates me to do some personal research.

Let me start with the "Tennis" story, written for the NY Times by Kendra Pierre-Lewis.  I looked up Kendra and, after a little research,  I learned she has  a Master of "Arts" in Climate Change (not in Climate "Science") and Sustainability  from SIT School of Graduate Arts (not science) which is located in Bennington -Vermont (I could have guessed after seeing "sustainability" as her degree).  Already I "smelled" bias.

Here is the "The Headline" and first few paragraph's in the Article:

Roger Federer Is Tough to Beat. Global
Warming Might Have Pulled an Upset.

By Kendra Pierre-Louis
Sept. 4, 2018

Want climate news in your inbox? Sign up here for Climate Fwd:, our email newsletter.

Roger Federer, one of the world’s greatest tennis players, may have become an unwitting
spokesman for the effects of climate change on Monday at the U.S. Open.
Federer, who is ranked No. 2, seemed to struggle all night in the heat and humidity at Arthur
Ashe Stadium, losing in a fourth-round upset to John Millman, an Australian ranked 55th.

“It was hot,” Federer said. It “was just one of those nights where I guess I felt I couldn’t get air;
there was no circulation at all.”

This was the first time Federer, who won the U.S. Open five consecutive times from 2004 to 2008,
lost to a player outside the top 50 at the tournament.

To some, the comments by Federer, 37, may sound like sour grapes. But they also underscore a
growing problem: increasing nighttime temperatures.

OK so what about this idea that Climate Change affected Federer's competitive edge??

 I decided to look up some "Labor Day" weekend temperatures in NYC in recent history.
(From  NYC Weather Archive Labor Day Highlights). Yes the Underlines are mine).

• 2015 (Sept. 5-7) - Sunny and warm throughout with each day warmer than the next (highs of 83-87-92).  Labor Day's high was the first in the 90s since 1983.

• 2016 (Sept. 3-5) - It was a rain-free weekend, with highs of 75° on Saturday, 80° on Sunday and 84° on Labor Day - which was the same high as 4th of July (and Memorial Day wasn't far behind, with a high of 82°).  It was a nice surprise that the holiday weekend ended up being so nice since earlier forecasts predicted tropical storm Hermine would stall off the Mid-Atlantic on Sunday and Monday, but it moved further east than expected.   

• 2017 (Sept. 2-4) - After a cool and mostly overcast Saturday and Sunday (which included 1.27" of rain on Saturday evening thru early Sunday AM), Labor Day turned out beautiful, with mostly clear skies and seasonable temperatures.  All told, this was the coolest Labor Day weekend since 2004).

Makes me wonder where Roger was the last couple of years and what Kendra had to say about "trend" the last two years.  In 2015 the temperature did hit 92 one day but is was the the first time Labor Day had a high in the 90's since 1983!

Maybe poor Roger is just getting "older: since his winning streak.

If you actually read her whole article she hedges quite  a bit about some of the other reasons Roger might have lost.   However, as with most Times Articles the "lead" buries the story.  In fact in my opinion the headline and article is  entirely BS News..  

The second article was from my "local paper" the Denver Post.

COLORADO NEWS- COLORADO WILDFIRES

Driven by climate change, wildfires reshape U.S. West

By MATTHEW BROWN | The Associated Press

September 4, 2018 at 6:00 am

BILLINGS, Mont. — Wildfires in the U.S. have charred more than 10,000

square miles so far this year, an area larger than the state of Maryland,

with large fires still burning in every Western state including many that are

not fully contained.

Whether sparked by lightning or humans, Fire has long been a force

shaping the landscape of the U.S. West.  Hot, dry winds can whip flames into firestorms that leave behind charred wastelands prone to erosion and mudslides. Other fires clear out

underbrush, open the forest floor to sunlight and stimulate growth.

Government agencies in recent decades effectively upended that cycle of

destruction and rebirth. Fire suppression policies allowed fuels to build up

in many Western forests.

Those influences are magnified as development creeps ever deeper into

forests and climate change brings hotter temperatures. Recent images of

subdivisions ablaze thrust the power and ecological role of wildfires into

the spotlight.

The article goes into all of these other factors which actually are in the first several paragraph's, but the headline of course is "Climate Change".  In fact if you really read the entire piece it focuses as much or more on the topics of population growth and fire suppression.  However, Mr. Brown's own article "History" on topics like the Keystone Pipeline and other "environmental issues of the day suggest to me he might have some "bias" in his headline.  I did find much of his article, unlike Kendra's, largely informative.  In fact I might not have noticed the article if the author had NOT made that the headline.  Hmmm..interesting self analysis might be in order!

I never really thought about Wildfires until I moved west.  This summer our own county had several major fires some not far from us, and I can tell you I have quickly gained some  "concern" about forest fires.  My Brother-in-law's son is a firefighter in Washington state and has been fighting large fires in Washington so I am also aware that millions in the west have been affected by at least the haze and smoke generated by some "Mega" fires this year.  

After reading this article I decided to search some out some "historical context" of western fires.

A couple of interesting graphs from some publicly available places: (see my comments below)

Note: While, the NIFC states that “prior to 1983, sources of these figures are not known, or cannot be confirmed, and were not derived from the current situation reporting process. As a result the figures prior to 1983 should not be compared to later data” and there is a clear seam in the number of fires time series, the acreage burned is not so subject to reporting errors, is a smooth time series and is very consistent with the data from Oregon.

Now I realize that these graphs certainly do not tell the whole story. But here are a couple of my "Observations":

At one time in the west...before humans produced "climate change" and BEFORE fire suppression which essentially became big in the 60's when with increased population in places like Colorado, Washington, Oregon and California, fires burned HUGE parts of the west ....year after year after year.  Now with increased human habitation, in places like Winter Park Colorado we all (yes even me) take note of fires.  This massive population increase was not driven by "Human Induced Climate Change ", nor were firefighting strategies.  The Oregon Graph also shows historically "drought and Fires".  No kidding droughts impact fires, but that has always been true.

If I were  an "uneducated" observer I might even say the increase in atmospheric CO2 helped reduce wildfire damage with this simple (but stupid graph):

My point Mr Brown's lead also buried the primary reasons for this years terrible cycle of fires in Colorado and elsewhere.  If one digs into his article it was actually not at all simply BS news.  In fact the fire suppression issue coupled with increased population in the Inter-Mountain West creates some real problems-as evidenced by these graphs and as clearly spelled out in his article..  This has been aggravated by drought.  Now given the climate history of the "hot dry west" I am skeptical about his linkage to climate change as  caused by CO2,  but I am willing to be open to that possibility.  But in reality Climate Change even if "real" is not the primary driver of  this, at all.

In my past comments on "climate change" I outlined my skepticism on it's dangers to mankind.  If you look at "polls" Americans place climate change very low as a "big issue".

OK so what's my point?

Maybe if the news stopped headlining mindless drivel (and outright BS) about climate change and Tennis Matches and treated the topic with some respect for readers by presenting realistic facts, costs versus benefits, and realistic impacts of carbon usage they may actually educate some of us dumb deniers" and skeptics.  Instead they try to generate "panic" whenever snow falls (or doesn't) or whenever we have a warm spell.  This drivel has become so mind numbing to the public that ALL OF is starts to appear as BS  to most reasonable people. 

With that I bid you

Adieu

Some after writing thoughts.....Speaking of US Open Tennis

1.  Tennis is not just about Climate Change is it?   How about that Serena controversy-it's a sexism issue!!

2.  So Speaking of "sexism" Nike a few months back was accused of same , so now they have hired Kaepernick to help their progressive shoe buyers feel like they are part of the "cause".

Even Tennis Tournaments  and Tennis Shoes have become full of political statements now!!

What a world!

The Handyman

Hey girls, gather round
Because of what I'm puttin' down
Oh, baby, I'm your handy man
I'm not the kind that uses pencil or rule
I'm handy with the love and I'm no fool
I fix broken hearts, I know I really can

James Taylor-I'm Your Handyman


Today's Post lead is is not about fixing "broken hearts" but about fixing a broken Ice Machine which was something we discovered the first day back in our Stowe Condo.  Yes I like to consider myself quite the "Handy Man" particularly when the solution seems so "simple" .  Somehow nothing is ever as simple as it first appears, particularly to a guy who is not the kind to use a "pencil or a rule".

Having noticed that our ice machine no longer worked I first suspected it was a clogged filter so on to Amazon to buy a new filter.  This arrived two days later...oops wrong size.  No problem we returned it  and ordered the correct one which arrived the same day that Barbara's sister Maria and her husband Vern arrived for an impromptu family reunion!  Time spent on "Filter" 2 hours.

it did not solve the problem.

 Pulling out the refrigerator Vern and I quickly determined a simple "splice" of my ice makers cracked tubing would solve the problem.  Confident of an easy solution we went to the local hardware store purchased some new tubing, and a couple of in-line fittings spliced the line and promptly "restarted" the refrigerator's ice maker.   So what if the tubes were a slightly different size the splice held up just fine..for an hour or so.

 No problem I assured my brother in law-I would order a new correct size tube on Amazon and install it when it arrived.  Time spent splicing 1.5 hours.

Three days later the tube arrived and I promptly pulled out the refrigerator. I removed the entire old tube from the valves and installed the new tube and bingo I soon discovered (via a new leak) that when I removed the old tube from the electronic valve at the base of the Refrigerator  I destroyed the valve's simple plastic fitting.   Time spent 2 hours.

Back to Amazon where after about 40 minutes of research (including a U-Tube video) I found and ordered the part (a new valve) that I now needed.

Three days later my part arrived, I pulled out the refrigerator removed the old part and...wait a minute this is not the same part.  S0 back on line , cursing my stupidity,  I found I inadvertently ordered a part for the top valve assembly.  Back to Amazon where with further research I found that I typed "A" instead of "B" in the part number.  I told Amazon I was returning, and ordered a correct part.  Time spent 2 hours including a trip by my faithful and obedient companion to the post office to return the part for a refund.  

Three days later my faithful and obedient companion advised me my part was "In'.  OOPs, I had it sent to Winter Park by mistake.  No problem-Eric my son was going up to our Winter Park Home (unbeknown to us he got engaged to his girlfriend "Erin" on that trip! This is my first official announcement of that!).  They took  some time out of their big weekend to mail the part to us in Stowe.  Thanks and Oh by the way congratulations Eric and Erin (I wonder what Erin's thoughts are about her future "handyman Father-in law are?)  Their time spent remailing from Winter Park (estimate )1.5 hours

Finally the part arrived a couple of days ago and I actually successfully finished the job!  Time spent 1.5 hours

I was so proud of my accomplishment (all in a "days work" so to speak) that at a meeting with our property manager here yesterday I bragged that we now had an ice machine again!  Her response- that's great but all you really needed were a few ice cube trays for renters.  

My takeaway from this whole experience maybe I need to think "outside the "(ice))box".

With that I bid you a "Handy"

 Adieu





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