Nothing to Fear, but have you looked at...

The Twenty-first Century will be Asia's as the Twentieth was America's. America didn't finish off the second half as well as the first half promised - but I blame that on lazy and comfort and materialism - otherwise we would have permanent scientific establishments on the Moon and perhaps Mars. Our national priorities were too small, our government loves to dwell on what it can control and count, not enough dreamers and challenges to be met.

It doesn't matter, but one thing about the coming conflict with China has always been that the Chinese don't have a Navy and can't march their millions over to the United States to conquer us. That answer made me happy years ago, but as I travelled the country last week I watched the invasions that are already happening. Why, the Chinese are going to buy airplane tickets and we will fly them into our country and allow them to establish beachheads and bring on the following waves. The government already owes them Billions (I don't really know that, but politicians use that word all the time, so I will, too). That makes them our partner in international events, and even in consideration of our internal matters. The adoption of Chinese children and raising them as good Americans (which I support) doesn't sit well with the racists and Han Centerists of Asia. All this because we want cheaper goods to keep the restless American consumers happy and less likely to question the government's ineffectiveness and perhaps revolt some day. Not that I think there are that many revolutionists left... being willing to fight for something isn't a core value taught in schools where "Run, Duck and Cover" is taught before basic weapons safety and marksmanship. Although, if the American education system, where no child is left behind, were in charge of marksmanship I might have trouble finding combat experts and future snipers...

Nothing to worry about yet, but between our government and the possible future enemies in the world the chance for our best is at risk. One thing I do know, there are more good people doing the best they can, in our less than perfect system. So when the polishing and sharpening of the people comes in the times of trouble, we will be alright, just tired and older and saddened by the effort to survive.

Help wanted!

Needed two library clerks, seems that I ran the other two off, I was too demanding? I just walk around saying "work harder, work faster" and they were driven off. Sad, I thought one of them was going to be really good, but he seemed to shatter under the interruptions of his harmonic motions.

So I put out a call with the job center and seven men showed up for testing, and four were satisfactory for the two positions. Three of the four had real problems with the Dewey system, don't I love a challenge? Then I have to pause and contemplate and review their interviews, and pause and contemplate. While I did that I had them all shelving books - and shelf reading, which we really needed, and I contemplated and got a telephone call from the Public Library asking if I could be available for a second job interview next week. No, I am visiting my mother on her birthday, so the suggestion was a telephone interview on Thursday or Friday. I said okay, just call and I will answer. I wonder why they would want someone like me, and then I really wonder if they don't know the other people would be better than I -- there is a reason that I do well on a prison island, in the library helping patrons with their needs.

I made a choice - picking the most educated and difficult to work with, and the least educated and almost slow to understand but very willing to work. After making my choices, notifying and talking and working the remainder of the day I think I should have taken one of the other applicants - since his testing and interview weren't the best but I liked watching him work with others and solving problems - the fellow with all the education is already trying to influence the environment, me and the crew - and I only want him to shelve and shelf read right now. Well, I do know the names of the two also rans, and the one that impressed me with his work, and I did some talking to him about how he could have done better in the testing and interview - you only get one first impression, but after that you build a reputation.

Blood pressure is lower today...

I check it daily, every morning and today it was good (or too low as my wife says) 103/64 and 97/67 - heart rate of 41 and 38 bpm. It was the wine last night? the medication? the motorcycle ride in the Sun? well, no prize if you guess my choice but it wouldn't be the first two. I seem to have lots on my plate, all undone and I keep piling more on to see how tall the pile of procrastination gets before it topples. Today on a conference call I volunteered to work with two other library keepers on a blog for our Institutional Library Services - which would be easy, except in the end it must be very professional and politically an asset, never a liability (bland?). I sometimes think politicians are completely surprised when they find they aren't perfect, nor perceived as perfect. I also mentioned in a local Homeowners meeting that the library has books on how to incorportate in Washington, so I got the assignment of getting the books we need to do that (the others don't go to libraries?). At the same time I picked up two new things to do, nothing dropped from what I need to get done - stress adaptation - keep piling it on. So by the end of the day I am farther behind in work flow. Today I lost one library clerk to getting a haircut, tomorrow I lose one to a visit, and no one came to get the job opening today although there were five names told to show up, only one did. And Friday is my day (only in my mind) to clean up and finish all that the week brought with it, will he make it?

Well, my plan is to do what I can and concentrate on the important stuff. Being really old so much that passes for things to worry about, I won't. Universal health care, I was in the military, my family and I had total health care - we never needed plastic surgery, brain surgery, nor (lucky me) did anything traumatic come along. But I had to participate, taking all shots when scheduled, eating the food provided when in operations, and physical fitness training five or more days a week (those candidates never talk about what to eat and how much exercise you will have to do under their guidance, and look out on smoking and drinking and UA's?). And scheduling appointments was interesting, since there were never the number of health care professionals to support the needs of the populations served (the purpose of the military is to break things and kill people when so directed by Congress and the President - healing is only an economy measure - for morale and cutting training costs for replacements). This is one of my not to worry abouts, Medicare is coming to save me - and why do I have to pay for something I am taxed for already? Don't worry about it, they know what they are doing.

The IRS thinks I don't have to pay taxes (or file them) for 2007, since they haven't sent my booklet and materials. I won't worry about that either unless I think they owe me - since they think they got over they are waiting for me to figure it out. With all their computers and staff and everyone reporting to them - they could do my taxes for me and send me something to check against. I will file, and keep the records and be happy about it - proves I still have just a bit of intelligence left to be able to do my own taxes, they don't make it easy because it would empower more independence in the citizen. April 15th is weeks away.

One thing I always noticed when I wandered in foreign countries - I never had to worry about the laws. They existed in the local language, and if I behaved, like my parents taught me, good manners got me through just fine. But there are people in all the different governments making new laws to cover whatever they hadn't thought about before. I can't worry about that, I don't have enough time to read them, obey nor break them, or be punished for them. Not going to lose sleep on that either.

I think I will ponder the Clintons as repeating Presidents... when is the daughter going to be thirty-five? Or should I look at the interesting French fellow with his fine lady, and think that an American wench from Orange County country could be President and publicly fool around better than the French (not in 2008, give us a few more years to get it right). Well, nothing even got my blood pressure to spike, so I will go read about the Boer War.

Leader of the Free World...

Selecting a President, read about it at the Library!- the media only knows how to attract your interest so they can sell ad time (commercials abound). I have heard that Iowa doesn't represent the United States - but then I say that New York City, Washington, DC, and Los Angeles don't (thankfully) represent the United States either. I will vote in November, for one of the candidates groomed and well presented by the vested interests of their respective parties. And although I told one loud patron at my library not to offend my sense of harmony by using vulgar and obscene language, "when he decided that XXX would be elected", I think the candidates have sterling characteristics and are just the kind of people I would invite home, if I weren't a recluse and paranoid from surviving the Vietnam War and still confused about if I had been doing a good thing or I was the most evil pawn of that ancient nasty government. The term I have had the most problem with is "Leader of the Free World" and then thinking our President should be followed by free thinking people, freedom lovers everywhere and others if they know what is good for them. I don't, and haven't followed a President anywhere - I made a career of going where he pointed out I was needed, but I don't follow Presidents. They often impress me but I could never get away with their lapses of common sense and good judgement, and are then so easily forgiven by people I know would never forgive me, sigh. I sent my last political monetary contribution to a one legged Senator from the midwest when I thought he would be someone I could understand, it wasn't enough and some governor from Arkansas took the party's position, and I couldn't understand him not being brave enough to jog through Washington DC every day. How much he feared real America was all I could think, I didn't know how he would occupy his time stuck inside the Whitehouse all day. Yes, I have jogged in Washington, DC, and helped paratroopers march proudly there, walked the streets and all, but then no one depends on me to push the button on Nuclear Release between bimbos... we can do a better job of selection of a President, but somehow I think the money men will buy our next leader or the ones they can't buy won't get selected. Which maybe why the thirty thousand excellent potential Presidents don't even attempt to compete - they have a great life, and don't think the position of President is that critical, most Americans aren't following, most of us are out there living the best we can. Even my inmate patrons and library clerks are doing the best they can every day, no matter who is President or trying to become the next one.