1. The Super Tuesday states upset the Iowa and New Hampshire winners as a way to diminish the importance that is given on these two states in the primaries. The start of something good.
2. The U.S. under George W Bush takes the world lead in in efforts to reduce global warming.
3. Al-Quida continues causing trouble in its own region of the world so those Arab countries and others riding on the fence turn against them as they did in Iraq ( this one is a possibility)
4. Large,unexpected advances are made in the free world and the U.S. in establishing alternative sources of energy - to reduce to an appreciable affect, the western worlds dependence on oil from the middle east. Something George W Bush seems to have finally understood after 7 years of being president.
5. More success occurs in Iraq, particularly security and political re-conciliation due to Al-Quida messing around in that area - allowing the U.S. to reduce its military presence there.
6. Pakistan has reasonably acceptable democratic elections, regardless who the winner might be. A stable Pakistan is one of the most important things for the world right now.
7. Democrats get their heads together and realize all other nominees are a role of the dice and Joe Biden or Chris Dodd are nominated for their party for president, two candidates who can surely beat any republican in the race. The country needs change and a different political party to take us into the next 4 years. This includes giving the senate and house more democrats so legislation can get passed.
8. Countries of the world, through the U.N. vote a resolution that nuclear weaponry is too great of a threat to the planet, and bans nuclear weapons as instruments of war - to be verified by by a strong U.N. inspection team.
9. The U.S. leads the world in a program to reduce greatly, child abuse and neglect throughout the world.
10. The greatest discovery ever made occurs provides a cure for all forms of cancer - the magic bullet.
11. The U.S. legislative and executive branch stops rewarding Americans who do not save to take care of their basic personal needs such as housing, healthcare, long term care. Basically force them to stop buying 48 inch television screens, expensive cars and boats and forces them to re-prioritize to put first responsibilities first and not depend on the government.
12. Congress and the executive branch let the banks and borrowers who wallowed in sub-prime mortgages, incurring debt and credit to fail in their own mess, and make sure Americans who loaned and borrowed with prudence and sensibility prosper.
13. The U.S. voters recognize the damage that the religious right has done to this country in mixing religion with politices ( i.e. electing George W Bush, incompetent to run the country) and allow history to record the type of damage this has done, so it never happens again.
14. The peace process that was jump started by Condelezza Rice actually takes hold, Palistine establishes its own country, becomes a memeber of the U.N. with all rights and privileges. The Bush presidency was late, but hopefully successful where no others have.
15. The countries of the world all come to understand, appreciate and incorporate into their U.N. priorities, Carl Sagan, astrophysicist, perceptions of the world, making it the centerpiece of their existence.
December 30, 2007
December 3, 2007
What Matters?
The greatest problems facing humankind in terms of urgency, as I see the planet:
1. Nuclear Detonation
2. Global Warming
3. Child Neglect and Abuse*
4. Non-renewable Sources of Energy
5. Disparity in the Advancement between Human Social Thought and Technological Knowledge (we know how to detonate a nuclear weapon but do not know how to live together in peace and harmony)
6. Disease
7. Famine
8. Tyranny **
* Child neglect and abuse used to be #1 on the list, reasoning that a human mind is a terrible thing to waste. It is with healthy human minds that all other problems are eventually resolved.
** Tyranny defined as the absence of human freedom and liberty. This is the only problem where there seems to be slow but increasing improvement. In 1776 there was only one democracy in the world based on the ideas of human liberty. Today, of the 194 (192 U.N. registered) countries in the world 26 are full fledged democracies where human liberties abound. There are 76 more countries that have some form of democracy - we could call them flawed democracies (e.g. Russia). Human liberty and freedom is moving forward slowly over the planet, slow but unstoppable.
1. Nuclear Detonation
2. Global Warming
3. Child Neglect and Abuse*
4. Non-renewable Sources of Energy
5. Disparity in the Advancement between Human Social Thought and Technological Knowledge (we know how to detonate a nuclear weapon but do not know how to live together in peace and harmony)
6. Disease
7. Famine
8. Tyranny **
* Child neglect and abuse used to be #1 on the list, reasoning that a human mind is a terrible thing to waste. It is with healthy human minds that all other problems are eventually resolved.
** Tyranny defined as the absence of human freedom and liberty. This is the only problem where there seems to be slow but increasing improvement. In 1776 there was only one democracy in the world based on the ideas of human liberty. Today, of the 194 (192 U.N. registered) countries in the world 26 are full fledged democracies where human liberties abound. There are 76 more countries that have some form of democracy - we could call them flawed democracies (e.g. Russia). Human liberty and freedom is moving forward slowly over the planet, slow but unstoppable.
November 26, 2007
Iraq - Hope Springs Eternal 2nd Posting
The hope for success and an end to the Iraq war (see September 8th Posting)seems brighter. The Petraeus report in September seemed to dash hopes for me - there just did not seem like enough success at that time.
But luck has been with the U.S. and it comes from no other than Al Quida. They went into Iraq - a huge mistake for them and now the U.S., if it plays its card right, can snatch a victory from what was a black hole of death. Nothing can unite a people more than a common enemy and the Iraqi's found out they had one in Al Quida. They came together enough to drive this enemy out. The violence has gone down in Iraq, in Anbar but of more significance,in Bagdad.
Hope springs eternal. During this time, with the U.S. help, the security in the country has improved. The hope is that this is not just a respite from success in driving out Al Quida. Have the factions realized that outside insurgents are a greater threat to their peace and well being than the historical hatreds they have harbored and from which they have sought such bloody revenge? To me, the outcome now seems brighter.
It is ironic that Al Quida made the same mistake the U.S. did. They went into Iraq with the intention of causing violence and death. Hopefully, this is the beginning of the end of this long nightmare and the U.S. can soon begin the long process of repairing the damage it has done to itself in the world ( after Vietnam, it took 30 years). Now do things correctly and concentrate on necessary solutions like properly fighting terrorism, joining the Kyoto Protocol, work with the world in reducing the nuclear threat and find alternative sources of energy. Hope springs eternal.
Aime Casavant
But luck has been with the U.S. and it comes from no other than Al Quida. They went into Iraq - a huge mistake for them and now the U.S., if it plays its card right, can snatch a victory from what was a black hole of death. Nothing can unite a people more than a common enemy and the Iraqi's found out they had one in Al Quida. They came together enough to drive this enemy out. The violence has gone down in Iraq, in Anbar but of more significance,in Bagdad.
Hope springs eternal. During this time, with the U.S. help, the security in the country has improved. The hope is that this is not just a respite from success in driving out Al Quida. Have the factions realized that outside insurgents are a greater threat to their peace and well being than the historical hatreds they have harbored and from which they have sought such bloody revenge? To me, the outcome now seems brighter.
It is ironic that Al Quida made the same mistake the U.S. did. They went into Iraq with the intention of causing violence and death. Hopefully, this is the beginning of the end of this long nightmare and the U.S. can soon begin the long process of repairing the damage it has done to itself in the world ( after Vietnam, it took 30 years). Now do things correctly and concentrate on necessary solutions like properly fighting terrorism, joining the Kyoto Protocol, work with the world in reducing the nuclear threat and find alternative sources of energy. Hope springs eternal.
Aime Casavant
November 24, 2007
Thoreau on Wisdom
"All worldly wisdom was once the unamiable heresy of one wise person" - Henry David Thoreau
November 17, 2007
Global Warming and Other Thoughts
From all I read and understand, global warming caused by human activity is real. Its happening and from what I can tell, is not only real, it is moving faster towards an inevitable extinction of most life on earth that most of us realize.
It seems I'm becoming more accepting of this, less concerned. I'm not sure why, maybe it is accepting the inevitable, like one who is experiencing terminal illness and has reached the stage of acceptance. It is difficult to imagine the end of human existence, with the earth becoming warmer until it is one hot desert incapable of supporting life. I think what makes it difficult, is that it is humans that are causing it, in light of Carl Sagan's attempts to enlighten humankind of the pale blue dot.
When I think about it when using more concrete reasoning, I think of this: First, one only needs to understand the Chicxulub Impact of the large meteor about 65 million years ago that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. That is, mother nature (which includes the cosmos) can do to the world whatever it wants, whenever it wants to. A second or contributing cause of the extinction of the dinosaurs were volcanic eruptions. Mother nature, with a comparatively "flick of the hand" can end it all with nary a flinch. My reasoning: we are just beginning to explore the pale blue dot, there will not be enough time, so accept reality.
Third, humankind might destroy itself first through nuclear weaponry, because our advancement at social thought ( ability to live together in harmony) is at least several thousand years behind technological thought. That is, we have developed the capability of splitting an atom, but we have not learned how to live together as a species. The pre-dark age mentality of terrorist with nuclear weapons is an example of this. Albert Einstein, when he realized the destructive capability of the nuclear bomb said, "my god, what have we done?" He knew.
So it really does not matter. It seems, we should take the unknown amount of time we have left, try as much as possible to turn around the human contribution to the shortening of life on earth and do all that we can just to explore the pale blue dot in relation to the universe and understand this: That this brief existence we have known has been great and just love one another with our lives, with liberty and in the spirit of that pursuit of happiness.
It seems I'm becoming more accepting of this, less concerned. I'm not sure why, maybe it is accepting the inevitable, like one who is experiencing terminal illness and has reached the stage of acceptance. It is difficult to imagine the end of human existence, with the earth becoming warmer until it is one hot desert incapable of supporting life. I think what makes it difficult, is that it is humans that are causing it, in light of Carl Sagan's attempts to enlighten humankind of the pale blue dot.
When I think about it when using more concrete reasoning, I think of this: First, one only needs to understand the Chicxulub Impact of the large meteor about 65 million years ago that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. That is, mother nature (which includes the cosmos) can do to the world whatever it wants, whenever it wants to. A second or contributing cause of the extinction of the dinosaurs were volcanic eruptions. Mother nature, with a comparatively "flick of the hand" can end it all with nary a flinch. My reasoning: we are just beginning to explore the pale blue dot, there will not be enough time, so accept reality.
Third, humankind might destroy itself first through nuclear weaponry, because our advancement at social thought ( ability to live together in harmony) is at least several thousand years behind technological thought. That is, we have developed the capability of splitting an atom, but we have not learned how to live together as a species. The pre-dark age mentality of terrorist with nuclear weapons is an example of this. Albert Einstein, when he realized the destructive capability of the nuclear bomb said, "my god, what have we done?" He knew.
So it really does not matter. It seems, we should take the unknown amount of time we have left, try as much as possible to turn around the human contribution to the shortening of life on earth and do all that we can just to explore the pale blue dot in relation to the universe and understand this: That this brief existence we have known has been great and just love one another with our lives, with liberty and in the spirit of that pursuit of happiness.
October 5, 2007
Cirque du Soleil or "O"
This week I returned from Las Vegas, where I saw the show "O." Usually I can write a review of a movie, book or Broadway Show, but I'm at a loss with Cirque du Soleil O. I'm not putting the show down, I just did not understand it. Is there anyone out there trained in theater who can explain to me what this show is about, in simple, laymen terms? I beg for an explanation.
I can honestly say it is the first Broadway show that I have seen that was fantastic and I did not understand anything about it. I can describe some facts about it. There were highly talented acrobats doing magnificent aerial acts, there were high divers diving into water from about 60 feet, there was a person reading (a newspaper I think) that was on fire, there was a beautiful opera song, sung by a women, there were clown acts, there were people that were submerged in the water and stayed there for a long time and then they would come up. There was water dripping from a roof and the people below had holes in their umbrella. An old man would reappear on the stage - running around. The water the divers dived into would come and go. At the end of the show, the water was gone, the acrobats and actors standing on a stage.
I have seen at least 10 Broadway productions, many of them on Broadway in NY and I understood them. But I could not follow nor understand Cirque du Soleil O. There is so much ranting and raving about "O" that there must be something to it. I hope there is someone who can explain it to me in simple terms. Was it a display of theater techniques? What was the story if there was one? To me it seemed like an amalgamation of many things that could be done in a theater, but none of it was unified or otherwise coherent in a story like way. The performances by humans was just amazing. I'm not sure but I think the clown act on the raft in the water was supposed to be some type of comic relief. I don't know. The show seemed like the best wine in the world, mixed with the best oatmeal in the world mixed with the best filet of fish mixed with the best chocalate dessert - just all mixed together. Each were fantastic in themselves but they were all mixed together. So I'm begging for an explanation.
I can enjoy and appreciate figure skating or ballroom dancing, or Mozart or Handel's Messiah. I can enjoy Luciano Pavoratti even when he sings in Italian ( which I do not understand) and I can enjoy the Air Force Thunderbirds flying in formation or the spectacular athleticism of professional football players, but I could not understand "O". I beg for a simple explanation of what it was.
I can honestly say it is the first Broadway show that I have seen that was fantastic and I did not understand anything about it. I can describe some facts about it. There were highly talented acrobats doing magnificent aerial acts, there were high divers diving into water from about 60 feet, there was a person reading (a newspaper I think) that was on fire, there was a beautiful opera song, sung by a women, there were clown acts, there were people that were submerged in the water and stayed there for a long time and then they would come up. There was water dripping from a roof and the people below had holes in their umbrella. An old man would reappear on the stage - running around. The water the divers dived into would come and go. At the end of the show, the water was gone, the acrobats and actors standing on a stage.
I have seen at least 10 Broadway productions, many of them on Broadway in NY and I understood them. But I could not follow nor understand Cirque du Soleil O. There is so much ranting and raving about "O" that there must be something to it. I hope there is someone who can explain it to me in simple terms. Was it a display of theater techniques? What was the story if there was one? To me it seemed like an amalgamation of many things that could be done in a theater, but none of it was unified or otherwise coherent in a story like way. The performances by humans was just amazing. I'm not sure but I think the clown act on the raft in the water was supposed to be some type of comic relief. I don't know. The show seemed like the best wine in the world, mixed with the best oatmeal in the world mixed with the best filet of fish mixed with the best chocalate dessert - just all mixed together. Each were fantastic in themselves but they were all mixed together. So I'm begging for an explanation.
I can enjoy and appreciate figure skating or ballroom dancing, or Mozart or Handel's Messiah. I can enjoy Luciano Pavoratti even when he sings in Italian ( which I do not understand) and I can enjoy the Air Force Thunderbirds flying in formation or the spectacular athleticism of professional football players, but I could not understand "O". I beg for a simple explanation of what it was.
September 25, 2007
A Thousand Years of Darkness
Of any scientist that lived in my lifetime that I have understood, Carl Sagan, astrophysicist had the greatest influence on me. I know Albert Einstein made greater practical contributions, but I still have not figured out E=mc2. If any of you can give me an explanation of this that is as easy to understand as Carl Sagan's type of explanations, I welcome it. I'm becoming much too old of a man, I don't think I will understand this in my lifetime unless you make it easy for me.
In 9 short minutes Carl Sagan explains how the dark ages came about and what we lost. It was because he could explain something as complicated as this in an easy to understand way, that I enjoyed learning from him. If you have never understood anything about the "why" of the dark ages, this is the best 9 minute explanation I have seen. In 9 minutes you can learn a very important part of history. As a bonus you can learn much of what Carl Sagan gave us in 7 additional short clips - from the beginnings of the universe, the lure of astrology, evolution and more. In all of this for those of you that are wondering, there is room for God in all of this whatever you conceive God to be.
Aime
In 9 short minutes Carl Sagan explains how the dark ages came about and what we lost. It was because he could explain something as complicated as this in an easy to understand way, that I enjoyed learning from him. If you have never understood anything about the "why" of the dark ages, this is the best 9 minute explanation I have seen. In 9 minutes you can learn a very important part of history. As a bonus you can learn much of what Carl Sagan gave us in 7 additional short clips - from the beginnings of the universe, the lure of astrology, evolution and more. In all of this for those of you that are wondering, there is room for God in all of this whatever you conceive God to be.
Aime
September 8, 2007
Iraq - Hope Springs Eternal
It is September 8th, 2007. Next week General David Petraeus will give a report to President George Bush and Congress on the status of the "surge effort."
I do not intend to make light of the grief and sorrow of the Iraq war under the presidency of George W Bush. Nor do I want to make light of the seriousness of the outcome, whether we succeed or fail. For some reason, as I listened to the build up of this upcoming report, I'm tense and anxious. I have been thinking and thinking all week of the fictitious fans of Mudville, with "Casey at the Bat. It is the words of Ernest Lawrence Thayer, " Hope springs eternal" that I believe are getting to me.
As much as I think it was a colossal mistake to start this war, I hope so very much that this outstanding military general can report our efforts are not in vain. I hope he can report there has been enough success, that the military and security efforts there are beginning to make some type of internal strategic sense. At least that much.
At the time of the request for "more troops for a surge," I was not doubting. I was beyond doubting - I thought it was just more senseless bloodshed. A better description is that I thought it was just completely foolish - dumb. But the surge went forward.
When the benchmarks were set I was dumbfounded. Numbed. Reversing de-Baathification? In this sectarian country of pre-dark age thinking? National re-conciliation? Agreement on the status of Kirkuk? Benchmarks of "increasing annual economic growth" in a country which is at least at a low level of civil war with its infrastructure badly damaged? How does one even get an economic measure (sounds like the U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman wrote this benchmark) with a dysfunctional government in place?
I decided that these were completely unrealistic benchmarks, that the democrats, republicans and the George W Bush administration were agreeing on this surge for different reasons. But as the surge went on, I thought - if there is at least enough success so General Petraeus can report, "there are enough benchmarks met or partially met and enough progress that stability and some form of democratic republic will develop much sooner than later." That is all I need to hear.
Whatever is reported, I still believe it was uninformed, inadequate intellect and an absence of understanding of history that caused this mistake. Al-quida and terrorism from a faceless enemy was a problem for the U.S. and the world, not Saddam Hussein. All this administration needed to understand were two things: 1) The history of the middle east, their people, religion and culture 2) that the idea of human liberty as pondered and written by men like Jean Jacques Rousseau, Thomas Paine, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke and distilled into that single document by Thomas Jefferson called the Declaration of Independence will always prevail. Understand that human liberty is not just a trend, it is the inexorable movement of history. Some day every country in the world will be a democracy. All we have to do is encourage it and help those who have it in some form, protect it. We don't have to drop bombs and do shock and awe and break things and kill people to force it.
Hope springs eternal.
Aime Casavant
I do not intend to make light of the grief and sorrow of the Iraq war under the presidency of George W Bush. Nor do I want to make light of the seriousness of the outcome, whether we succeed or fail. For some reason, as I listened to the build up of this upcoming report, I'm tense and anxious. I have been thinking and thinking all week of the fictitious fans of Mudville, with "Casey at the Bat. It is the words of Ernest Lawrence Thayer, " Hope springs eternal" that I believe are getting to me.
As much as I think it was a colossal mistake to start this war, I hope so very much that this outstanding military general can report our efforts are not in vain. I hope he can report there has been enough success, that the military and security efforts there are beginning to make some type of internal strategic sense. At least that much.
At the time of the request for "more troops for a surge," I was not doubting. I was beyond doubting - I thought it was just more senseless bloodshed. A better description is that I thought it was just completely foolish - dumb. But the surge went forward.
When the benchmarks were set I was dumbfounded. Numbed. Reversing de-Baathification? In this sectarian country of pre-dark age thinking? National re-conciliation? Agreement on the status of Kirkuk? Benchmarks of "increasing annual economic growth" in a country which is at least at a low level of civil war with its infrastructure badly damaged? How does one even get an economic measure (sounds like the U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman wrote this benchmark) with a dysfunctional government in place?
I decided that these were completely unrealistic benchmarks, that the democrats, republicans and the George W Bush administration were agreeing on this surge for different reasons. But as the surge went on, I thought - if there is at least enough success so General Petraeus can report, "there are enough benchmarks met or partially met and enough progress that stability and some form of democratic republic will develop much sooner than later." That is all I need to hear.
Whatever is reported, I still believe it was uninformed, inadequate intellect and an absence of understanding of history that caused this mistake. Al-quida and terrorism from a faceless enemy was a problem for the U.S. and the world, not Saddam Hussein. All this administration needed to understand were two things: 1) The history of the middle east, their people, religion and culture 2) that the idea of human liberty as pondered and written by men like Jean Jacques Rousseau, Thomas Paine, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke and distilled into that single document by Thomas Jefferson called the Declaration of Independence will always prevail. Understand that human liberty is not just a trend, it is the inexorable movement of history. Some day every country in the world will be a democracy. All we have to do is encourage it and help those who have it in some form, protect it. We don't have to drop bombs and do shock and awe and break things and kill people to force it.
Hope springs eternal.
Aime Casavant
September 6, 2007
Losing the Only Stradivari Violin
"Today, September 6th, I awoke to find out the world lost the one single "Stradivari" ever made of tenor voice opera." Goodbye Luciano.
Aime
Aime
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