Obama and Putin: Deal With the Past, Present and Future to Be Effective

What more of the world's leaders must understand
clearly and permanently is all time periods matter--
we never completely leave the past behind; it causes
and informs the present, all the palavers about
"computers completely changed the world",
"...But now, in the 21st century..."etc. to the
contrary. It should be obvious (yet is not) that
every shame or ill regarding human behavior and
actions, as well as every sublimity, kindness and joy
have existed for eons, are still with us. The present
realities are most pressing, ones we can actually
affect/effect, intractable though they may seem. We
must strive to improve ourselves and the world,
the minimum owed to future generations, but
remain alert and sensitive to what got us here.

--A tall order and a forbidding prescription? Yes.
Mr. Obama, as he no doubt studied at Harvard (or
earlier) must recall stark realities of Russian history--
how often they were the nation Germans, the French and
others tried to take and subjugate. But the Russians,
in many ways an indomitable people, have actually burned
down some of their own cities rather than let them be
taken. That this is not every country or culture, must be
realized when negotiating or relating to anyone from there
... others must show they care, are aware.

Mr. Putin must care as well, should understand
other nations, such as ours, have problems too.
Without this perspective, expect a third world
war, period. --Terrifying to think about?
naturally, but denial and avoidance only
gets us all closer to such a dystopian
future.

So slogans, assumptions, ideological purity,
braggadocio, macho posturing, et al. should go,
NOW. Let these behaviors truly, permanently,
land atop the dustbin of history, if anything ever
does. Mr. Putin, Mr. Obama, if you care about
your legacy and the rest of us, consider the past,
present and future when carrying out your
foreign policies or making speeches:  We all need
you to be statesmen, not politicians, right about now.

Ukraine's Pain is No One's Gain

It is entirely understandable that the Ukraine is world-weary
of the stranglehold/stronghold Russia (or the Soviet Union)
has had for many decades on the former "breadbasket of
Europe", a wonderful wheatfields-filled Ukraine. It is
equally easy to see why Russia needs her money from the
Ukraine for gas already provided, also her several ports
on the Black Sea, but these concerns and positions could have
been satisfactorily negotiated to the benefit of both countries,
until...

Corruption and incompetence entered the picture,
particularly on the part of Yanukovych, the elected/escaped
ousted Ukrainian Premier who had apparently ordered
Ukrainian military to open fire on demonstrators, killing
dozens of them. How was that justified or necessary?
(-Not that the demonstrators were all altar boys, either.)
Putin seems to back ethically and pragmatically dubious
despots, Assad in Syria and Yanukovych in the Ukraine.
Can't he ever shed his former/current KGB mentality?

So much over-reaction, death and destruction in a world
now needing calm and reason as almost never before will
only bring us all closer to Nostradamus's prediction, that
Armageddon comes when the Eagle and the Bear tangle.
Our "lofty" exceptionalism, often stated, will draw us
into an exceptionally bad situation if we are not especially
deft at this moment...

Pray for peace and reason, call your elected officials and
demand that they act accordingly. Ukraine's pain is no one's
gain.

Bitcoin: Purloined or Over-Imagined?

Either way, the young turks at work these days are
ahead of themselves, and reality, in many ways. Science
and technology have helpful, fascinating methods at
the ready, and I wouldn't wish to be without their
many benefits.  With the advent of marvels like
3D Printing, it's easy to appreciate how imaginations
can segue into overdrive, into fantasy, sci-fi and
beyond. (Don't remind me about the fact that sci-fi
gave us much of our present technology, I get it.)

Yet some sensible  understanding eludes
entrepreneurs like these--such as, we will
always be "material girls" (and guys). I also
took note that those using Bitcoin wanted to
evade taxes and regulations, hardly a moral
practice. Since, seemingly, it wasn't possible
for the newly bankrupt Mt. Gox to monitor
these electronic transactions accurately, the
enterprise was doomed to fail. (--Poetic
justice, perhaps??)

Apology by yet another idiot CEO not
accepted, actually. We must all do better,
therefore, fewer lame "sorries" required.  

Bitcoin, over-imagined, purloined, lacking
in ethics and community caring--
if it disappears altogether,
I won't shed a tear.

The U.S. and IL Constitutions: Just Words

"Just words": this phrase has two meanings, almost antithetical
to each other. "Just" refers to persons or principles interested in,
committed to, "justice" as well as "merely" or "only". History and
current events prove out these paradoxical definitions daily in
real/reel life: high-flown hopes written by our founders and
leaders into national and state law become mere palaver when
the specific stipulations are ignored, whether by intent  (-politics,
anyone?) or ignorance.

Who cares? I ask seriously, not flippantly. Is our society a
joke, or do we actually have standards and reasonable
rules of law which we follow closely?

The answers are within our very selves.

An Open Letter to Illinois Governor Quinn re: Our State Constitution's Budget Address Stipulations

Dear Governor Quinn,
You can only survive a court challenge to your
"five year plan"  budget address if the judges
are illiterate. Article VIII--Finance, in the current
Illinois Constitution, Section 2., subsection (a)
clearly states the serving governor must submit
to the General Assembly a state budget for the
ensuing fiscal year. (-That is, one year out,
NOT five!)  "At a time prescribed by law" had
the date as February 19th, but you, Mr. Quinn,
now want to skip that by, oh, I don't know,
executive fiat (allowed by Cullerton and Madigan),
instead wrapping the "ensuing fiscal year" into a
five year plan full of estimates and precious little
hard data. Your proposed date of address is
March 26, eight days after the election...why?
Do you need to know who has won the Republican
Primary for governor before your big budget reveal? 

Yes, the state is in serious arrears by billions;
yes, the five percent Illinois income tax is quite
unpopular, although necessary; yes, your political
career's future is definitely on the line....

But  none of that authorizes an abrogation
of our state constitution, period.

Throwing Down the Gauntlet: "Genius" Hackers, Help Save the World--Don't Destroy it

"Genius" gamers and hackers can cause commotion, facilitate
crime and make negative news, but what ELSE have they got?
 
A Russian teenager is now alleged to have caused the Target and
Neiman Marcus customer card many millions strong hacking
incident (the published numbers ran from 40 to 70 to 110
millions and more, so I'll be vague.)  "Intrepid" hackers, all
the way back to the 414s in Milwaukee (~1980s) have
managed to get into hospital and  government databases.
That was not internet hacking, however--there was no
internet until the 1990s; although Darpanet and Arpanet did
exist, they were not public-access technologies.  

So, gamers/hackers, show me your true genius: find a cure
for cancer, comprehensively create an enduring peace plan,
effectively encourage employers to increase their hiring,
ad infinitum. Instead, I see a far more pathetic personality
profile for you in the aggregate.  You:

(1)  Deploy what intelligence you DO have to focus many
hours over several years to the exclusion of other pursuits
to gain mastery of the "hacking skill set"...genius not required
to acquire such "expertise".

(2)  Feel disaffected, out of place, powerless, so Black Hat
malware activities are justified somewhere in the nether regions
of your subconscious.  (Such rationalizations may also be
conscious.)

(3)  Haven't helped solve many/any of humanity's ills, probably
won't, because you don't actually care. You don't mind
harming many who never hurt you--demonstrating a deep
lack of character, logic AND intelligence.

I could rant on, but I AM certain that great intelligence and
caring concern generally co-exist in the same brain; Albert
Einstein and  Albert Schweitzer come to mind.

I'm issuing an open challenge right here, right now:
genius hackers, take up the gauntlet and get to work,
a world's awaiting. 

After Actor Hoffman: The Demons That Possess too Many of Us...

are not simply a matter of individual, personal failings.
P.S. Hoffman had help, plenty of it. A celebrity culture
that obviously allows and encourages alcohol and drug
use, because mere reality "ain't good enough" is part
of it; needing to be part of a wide acquaintanceship
circle, therefore not being selective, is another; 
generally, our American denial, escapism and frantic
focus on fun underscores much of this.

Then there are personal life and family factors: Mr.
Hoffman's parents were high achievers (she, a judge,
he, a tech exec) who divorced when Philip was nine.
Study after study and anecdote after anecdote
demonstrate how difficult and life-changing divorce
is for the child, even in the most amicable separations.
Look at a bit of Philip Hoffman's existence: he was
quite overweight (-all food is "comfort food"), had
a partnership with a woman which produced three
children, but no marriage, after 15 years. It may
well hark back to little Phil, age nine.

Whether there are emotional issues, addiction
problems or criminal behaviors (often all three)
look at the whole life circumstances to get a
fairer understanding of what has brought
someone down. Chances are excellent that
other people played a significant role, even
if it is also true that adults must take
responsibility for themselves.

The demons that possess us should be
fought with every ounce of strength we
can muster. It is a worthy and important
fight.