While I've Been Away

It has been several months since I've posted here, the country has been through a campaign and election, thousands of people have lost their homes, more US young men and women have lost their lives in the needless, senseless war in Iraq, I resigned my position of Community Minister for the Unitarian Universalist Church in Caribou, I have decided to leave northern Maine - possibly for good this time - and pursue life in northern California. And, remarkably at my age, I have created a Facebook page... more about this in a bit.

One of the most important things that has happened to me personally is the reawakening of my spiritual, creative side. I am now writing poetry in collaboration with a photographer creating posters and greeting cards for sale on the web. In addition to the move, at the age of 62 I am applying to return to school to get my PhD in Organizational Systems with a concentration in spiritually based social change. I am submitting an application to the Saybrook School for Graduate Studies and Reasearch to begin classes in March. We shall see.

It is comforting to have the connectedness of the Universe reaffirmed from time to time. These past few months have proven again to me that we as humans and earthlings are not in this alone. I have reached a transition point in my life, and as always happens at these junctures, I am presented with many options. During this time we all have a window of opportunity to objectively survey our past with an eye to the common threads, both intact and broken. I believe that Time allows us many repeat opportunities to redo parts of our lives with the possibility to have different outcomes if we so desire.

As an example of the recurring aspect of Time I present this as an exerpt of my life. My experiences in the virtual reality of Second Life have provided me with greater insight in human communication and have been a path to the transition point I am now at. Because of relationships I established there, the poetry is now flowing again; as a result of the poetry I developed a Facebook page to help market our work; and the Facebook page led to reconnection with an old friend, soulmate, and seminary classmate who put me in contact with Saybrook. This represents several broken threads in my past - of life's work, of relationship and of self-fulfillment. I now have the opportunity to tie these threads back together. Obviously there is a series of events that led me to Second Life - this is only what has happened since.

In the days and weeks ahead I will resume my commentary of the events of the day. As I transition from synthesized emotion to honest emotion and spiritual awareness I expect my tone to change. How that will affect my point of view we will all find out together. Until then, be well, go safely, and challenge reality.

Max

A Hole in the Life of...

It has been a challenging winter, but now most of the snow is gone, yards are being raked and grass is greening. Robins have been around for a month or so and flocks of geese are flying overhead looking for open water. Spring is in the process of springing!!! Yay!! When the blackflies and mosquitos emerge we here in northern Maine can rest easy knowing that spring was successfully accomplished for another year... and I can dig my fly pole out of the garage and go meditate over a nice quiet fishing hole.

My personal trials this winter left a hole in my life... my mother passed away at age 94. She called it quits after a full life - a retired teacher, mother of two, step mother of three, wife, sister, grandmother, great grandmother, friend of many and role model to several thousand students in her lifetime.

She was of a generation that quietly lived their beliefs as examples of hard work and fortitude. In her high school business classes she showed her students how to "dress for success" long before the term became a trademarked slogan. At the time of her retirement in 1973, she was able to type faster than an IBM Selectric typewriter ball could print. The machine would keep going for several seconds after her fingers left the keyboard. (This is a talent I did not pick up from her, by the way.) Mom accomplished everything without an exhorbitant salary, the use of performance enhancing drugs, commercial endorsements or fame. She was aware that many eyes were on her and she did not want to let any of her charges down. All this is in direct contrast to present day role models constantly disappointing their mentorees with shenannigans that land them on the front pages of the tabloids, testifying before Congress, or in jail.

Even if you never met the lady, she left a hole in your life too. Her passing marks another chip out of an era when the importance of individuals rested in their comportment and industry, rather than the size of their pay check, how many investors they can embezzle money from, or how much ink and air time they can garner.

Rest in Peace, Mom.

Dems Disenfranchise Voters -still

It's all about the money. Back when state democtratic parties were jostling for bragging rights and the lion's share of the media money associated with each state nominating contest, Florida and Michigan p'd off the Democratic National Committee by moving their state nominating process earlier than others traditionally first. So the DNC disenfranchised Michigan and Florida participants in the Democratic primaries and caucuses. Not much was done about the issue at the time other than some sabre rattling on both sides. Neither state's electorate stood up on their hind feet and waged a vocal protest. Their state parties made some noise but soon quieted.

Now that the rules are set, the nominating process is in full swing and everyone understands the rules, regardless of the ethics of them, Hillary wants to change them because she won the non existent delegates from FL and MI.

Should the voters have been disenfranchised in those two states? Of course not. It smacks of the Supreme Court disenfranchising Florida voters in Bush's adjudicated victory over Gore. Should Hillary be allowed to change the rules now? Of course not. The playing field with all its potholes and speedbumps has been set and agreed to. The DNC has offered the two states a remedy- hold another nominating caucus. Both states have refused.

Lets look at what the Law of Unintended Consequences might hold in store for the national election. Scenario 1 - The FL and MI delegates are not seated at the national Democratic convention, Obama wins the nomination on delegates and loses to the Republican nominee (most likely McCain) in November. MI and FL primary voters gain their voices in a riot of finger pointing and say "See, if we had been seated, Hillary would have been nominated and we would have the office of the president." Additionally, Democratic voters from around the country rise up in arms and go to Starbucks for a latte, not able to develop enough backbone to stand up for their rights. The country is subjected to another four years of the same values that has a looming recession if not depression.

Scenario 2) Hillary successfully challenges the DNC decision and the delegates are seated, she wins the nomination and subsequently loses to the same Republican nominee in November amid cries of foul from voters of both parties upset with the bending of the rules for the establishment. Again the country is subjected to four more years of status quo.

Scenario 3) MI and FL grudgingly submit to the DNC, have a second nominating action, their delegates are seated according to the new results and a nominee is selected and wins or loses on his or her merits without accusations of foul, disenfranchisment or finger pointing. The country may or may not be off on a new course, but the principles of our Republic are upheld and we are better off for it having won a moral victory.

How to avoid all this in the future. Divide the various states into geograpical areas using our traditional geographic groupings of New England + New York, Mid Atlantic, Southeast, Gulf Coast, Plains, Midwest, Northwest, Rockies, and Western including Alaska and Hawaii. Assign an unique ordinal number beginning with 1 to each region. Develop a schedule for the next century of the order that each region will hold its nominating contest (all parties simultaneously) such that each region shifts one spot in the schedule each four year cycle ie the number 1 region holds its contests first in the first cycle, second in the second cycle etc. This will do several things: 1) it will focus attention on all states in each region during its nominating season, 2) run properly it will reduce the carbon footprint of each campaign, 3) reduce the influence of results the "big" states on the electorate of the "smaller" states. and 4) prevent the situation we now find ourselves in.

But who am I to tell the parties how to run their business? I'm just John Q. Taxpayer subjugated to their asinine system and childish whims.