27 November 2020

Keeping Watch for Miracles


It's been a tough year. Since January, we've been stressing about Covid-19, the US government, elections, and family. I've been having such a hard time concentrating and I'm not the only one. People all over are reporting that their creativity has suffered this year. So many creative people -- musicians and artists in particular -- have no outlet and no income this year, so I shouldn't complain. We're reasonably comfortable in retirement, so at least we don't have that worry. 

In the past couple of weeks, while the election results trickled in and Trump tried to stage a coup, I distracted myself by taking up my 'joy of sailing project'. Over the years, I had written many nature essays about things we'd seen and experienced while crossing oceans and living next to or on the sea. I have now collected all those essays and a few poems and I'm now editing them into a book with the working title 'Keeping Watch for Miracles'. The idea is that this is about more than sailing and perhaps nature will connect with more people. 

I hope to publish it on Amazon and promote it if people think it's worth reading. Wish me luck. Here's a current list of chapters...


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction to Miracles 13

An Everyday Miracle 16

A Fish Up My Sleeve 22

My Favorite Time of Day 25

Asleep in the Cradle 29

Lightning Strikes a Chord 32

Coastal Rhythms 35

Whale Song 40

Elusive Pursuits 47

Barnacle Geese 53

Torpedo Warning 59

The Ship’s Voice 62

Star Light and Beyond 64

Fingers of Fog 67

Surviving the Reckoning 71

Quality of Light 73

Water Music 77

Searching for Treasure 81

Chance Encounters 85

The Shape of Water 90

Shooting Stars 94

Out to Sea 96

Winter Melancholy 103

Emotion on the Ocean 107

The Last Day 109

Fish that fly and birds that swim 112

Haiku 114

And the earth stood still 115

Toe the Line 118

About the Author 119


26 November 2020

Giving thanks during a pandemic

 


I know there is much to be fretful about, especially for Americans this year. But today, let us count our blessings: 

  1. We are alive and healthy and have not lost any loved ones. 
  2. We have chosen a new leader to restore world order. 
  3. We have a US federal government forming that reflects how we all look. 
  4. We have not suffered a massive economic breakdown. 
  5. We will soon be vaccinated against this scourge. 
This Thanksgiving and most likely Christmas will be different from what we've been used to. Perhaps the alterations will not be so painful. Perhaps we will find ways to make it even better. As long as we can share with loved ones in some way, perhaps we will make it through stronger, wiser and happier, too. Happy Thanksgiving USA and Americans all around the world! 

25 November 2020

Millions in the US travel for Thanksgiving


As coronavirus cases close in on 13,000,000 in the US, millions of Americans have been taking to the roads and the skies for Thanksgiving. Traditionally, the highest travel volume period of the year, pandemic concerns have not deterred many even when Fauci implored people to stay home.  Hospitalizations and deaths from the highly contagious virus are skyrocketing and the National Guard has been called in in some places to help carry away the dead. I have no doubt that the surge in cases is a direct result of people congregating at rallies held by the Superspreader-in-Chief without masks or distancing precautions just before the election. 

Today, Wednesday, millions of Americans will travel for Thanksgiving despite some of the worst daily COVID-19 figures since the pandemic began. According to Johns Hopkins University, the United States reported 2,146 deaths on Tuesday — the highest daily death total since May and higher than any other country. The nation also reported 172,935 new coronavirus infections, and the number of hospitalizations hit a new record of 88,080. The number of deaths per 100,000 population now stands at 802, among the highest in the world. 

Millions are expected to ignore holiday guidelines against travel this week, and experts have warned that could cause infection numbers to explode.  Jonathan Reiner, CNN medical analyst, has predicted that Thanksgiving could become “the mother of all superspreader events.” We'll see in 2-3 weeks' time. 

As US Tops 12 Million Coronavirus Cases, Air Travel Is Busiest Since March | TODAY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5PDe25qYsw 

Uncommon sense




Common sense is not so common. - Voltaire. 

The people of the United States of America have shown this year that they have some sense. They have elected Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as President and VP to be inaugurated in January. Record numbers of people voted this year. Perhaps Trump, who will go down as the worst President in American history, will be best known as the man who mobilised Americans to vote in droves during a pandemic. No more apathy. It was a clear and decisive margin of more than 6 million in the popular vote and a clear win of the electoral vote (306-232). Moreover, almost 154 million voters turned out -- that's almost half the population of the US. More than 100 million votes were cast early either by mail or in person as states took into account safety during the pandemic. 

The people showed uncommon sense in choosing a decent and honourable man and a woman of colour both of whom speak in full sentences and make all the sense in the world. Biden had a birthday after the election and he will take office as the oldest President in history at the age of 78. Kamala will make history as the first female VP, and the highest-ranking woman of colour. Finally, girls everywhere will be able to see themselves in important governing roles. Another first will be that President-Elect Biden's wife Jill is a PhD and Dr. Biden plans to continue to teach. We should call her Dr FLOTUS. The Second Gentleman, as VPE Harris' husband Doug Emhoff is to be known, is Jewish. There has never before been a SGOTUS and never has a spouse of POTUS or VPOTUS been Jewish. 

The US has the most cases of coronavirus infection in the world at nearly 13 million and more than 264,000 deaths. Trump tried to overturn the election results and was shut down by the courts, Guiliani made a fool of himself with melting hair colour and bizarre conspiracy theories. And still, they have extraordinary support. But they lost. 

I believe that Biden-Harris and all the smart people they are bringing in can heal and unite. But it's not going to be easy. It is so refreshing to hear people say reasonable things. It feels like integrity is returning to the People's House. 

Thanks be to God and the American people for restoring some order in the world. 

Happy Thanksgiving to all. 


I know that I am intelligent because I know that I know nothing. -Socrates

Turnout statistics
ElectionVoting eligible population (VEP)% Turnout of VEP
2008229,945,00057.1%
2012235,248,00054.9%
2016230,931,92159.2%
2020239,247,18266.4% - 72.1%

24 November 2020

Decisions, decisions


Some time ago, I noticed an interesting phenomenon. When I was in management, mostly as President of an ad agency, I never wanted to make personal decisions about what to have for dinner, what plans to make for the weekend, or which colour to choose for the house paint. 

One summer, I took some time off. I travelled to Ireland, went sailing, visited family and friends and found that decisions, like where to have lunch or what movie to see, became a snap. I found that quite curious. 

I think that being in a position in which every moment of every day requires split-second decisions making layered over long-range planning puts a strain on personal decision-making capacity. Personal life becomes overload. Removal from that corporate responsibility frees up the ability and the interest in making basic life choices and decisions again.

Now that I am retired, decisions are easy. 

Just a thought. 

08 November 2020

A historic day


Yesterday, 4 days of counting after the US Presidential election, the Biden-Harris ticket was declared the winner with more than 270 electoral college votes and a 4 million count advantage of the popular vote. With the win in Pennsylvania, the Keystone State where I grew up, Joe Biden became President-Elect, the oldest ever at 77, the same age as my brother. Kamala Harris became the first woman and the first woman of colour to become Vice President-Elect. As the daughter of immigrants from Jamaica and India and married to a Jewish man becoming a stepmom to his children, she broke all kinds of ceilings. Kamala is as all-American as it gets. 

This will be an unusual Presidency, of course after all the court challenges Trump is mounting. We have a President-Elect who tried to run twice and third time was lucky. We have a majority in the house but not in the Senate, so there will be obstacles. Unless of course, the run-off in Georgia flips two seats -- or at least one to cause a tie between Republican and Democratic seats, because then Kamala will have the tiebreaker vote. Personally, I'd quite like the latter outcome.

Trump had meltdowns on Twitter as expected and Twitter vowed to treat him like any normal human being if he lost. Well, he has lost and they've been not just flagging his tweets, they've been suppressing them. Cool. Thank you, Twitter. But the second-best moment of the election was that Rudy Guiliani held a press conference at the Four Seasons Landscaping company instead of the Four Seasons Hotel in Philly. He stood in a parking lot between a sex toys shop and a crematorium. The internet has had a field day with that one. And while he was talking about the lawsuits being prepared, the Biden-Harris win was announced. He asked who announced it and the reporters responded, "They all did!" Sweet.



Jill Biden is expecting to continue teaching in college so she will become Professor FLOTUS. Of course, she already has experience as Second Lady of the US. Douglas Emhoff is the husband of U.S. Senator and vice president-elect Kamala Harris and a successful litigation attorney. He is set to become the first Second Gentleman of the United States. He will be the first Jewish person in US history to be married to a President or Vice President. He has said he will take a leave of absence from the legal firm of which he is a partner. He could have interesting conflicts.


Things are getting complicated in two-career families who hold elected office. Michelle Obama must have found it extremely difficult to give up her career for 8+ years. 

We have a divided country, a soaring pandemic, historic unemployment, a delicately balanced economy, and systemic racism -- can these people heal a country in turmoil? It certainly finally feels like someone is going to try. 

I am grateful for the lack of rioting and peaceful celebrations in the interim. I just feel so relieved that we aren't going to have to endure another 4 years of trumpism. He's fired!  

May life be interesting. 



Global Cases

50,078,292

Sadly, yesterday was also the day that the global confirmed cases of coronavirus infection topped 50 million while America soared to 9.9 million ahead of most third world countries. God help us all.