Promises, Promises....

 

There is a popular saying in business: “Under Promise, Over Deliver.”  As a bona fide pessimist, I tend to take this approach to most things in life, not just business relationships.  Experience has taught me that Murphy’s Law is real; as real as gravity, death and taxes.  If things can go wrong, they will go wrong.

What is often overlooked, even by pessimists like me, are the corollaries associated with Murphy’s Law. For example, when things go wrong, and they will; they usually go wrong at the worst possible moment. If there is a possibility that multiple things might go wrong, one can expect the one that will cause the most damage will be the one that goes wrong. If one prepares for multiple things to go wrong, there will always be something unexpected that goes wrong.  And when you come up with a way to handle it, the solution ends up creating some other problem. 

Which brings us to our 47^th President, Donald J. Trump.  I have already confessed that I voted for him, but with the disclaimer that the Democrats left me no choice other than to not vote at all.  With the exception of securing our southern border, most everything Trump has done has gone wrong.  And in every case, he said it would be “great” and remains in denial that it isn’t.  Trump not only OVER promises and UNDER delivers, he manages to make things worse than they would have been otherwise. 

Reducing government waste is a great idea.  Over promising how much and how soon and then turning Elon Musk and his Whiz Kids loose with an axe when a scalpel would have been more appropriate, is a classic move from the Trump playbook.

Addressing unfair trade practices needed to happen, especially with respect to China.  And we needed better deals with a number of other trading partners.  But across the board tariffs and threats of even more punitive tariff actions was a stupid move.  Even more so, given that it might well be ruled unconstitutional (and was in fact.)

Directing ICE to round up any and all undocumented persons was a fool’s errand. Did we need to focus on the criminals and welfare scammers?  Of course.  But we’ve allowed generations of people enter this country illegally or enter legally and subsequently fail to maintain legal immigration status.  They’ve worked, obeyed the law (other than immigration), raised families and on balance been a net positive for America.  And, now all at once, we’re going to treat them like criminals.  Technically they may be.  Morally, ethically and for that matter, pragmatically they are not.

And then there is Iran.  Dealing with Iran was long overdue.  But this has been a classic “Over Promise-Under Deliver” adventure.  It was never going to be easy.  There are reasons why the world has put up with Iran and their proxies.  Of course, it’s always about oil and here we are again. Then there is Iran’s radicalized version of Islam.  If only 1% of the world’s 2 Billion Muslims hold the most radical beliefs, that’s 20,000,000 people.  Some of those 20,000,000 will gladly give their life for jihad and a fair number of those jihadists are in the United States and Western Europe.  And there has always been the risk that China and or Russia will align themselves with Iran should it come to all-out war.  The truth of the matter is that most Americans and Europeans don’t want to fight that war.  They don’t think it’s worth it, may not be winnable and in the long run will only create more radicalized Muslims.

Too often our leaders Over-Promise and Under-Deliver.  To make it worse they don’t count the cost of things going wrong, and things always go wrong.  So best not to tell the people anything other than how necessary it is and how great it’s going to be.  Don’t mention what might go wrong or what it might cost.  Trump is not the first and he won’t be the last, but for now he is the poster boy for Over Promise-Under Deliver

Thus, history is littered with “Over Promises”.  Wars, Government Programs, Miracle Drugs, The Dallas Cowboys and The Golden Years….are but only a few.

 

 

Disappointment, Regret & Denial…Meet The American Voter

 

To the surprise and dismay of those who missed out on those Civics classes or slept through them, ours is NOT a “direct democracy”.  When one political party warns that the other party represents the “End of Democracy” they really mean the “End of Our Democracy”.  We may indeed be threatened by the “End of Our Democracy” which would result in “End of Our Republic”.  A “direct democracy” is a system where power ultimately resides with the people (which we tend to equate with American “democracy”).  On the other hand, a republic is a form of government where elected representatives govern under a constitution that protects individual and minority rights (whether you agree with them or not.)  Under a majority rule, direct democracy which is essentially “mob rule”, it is unlikely that individual or minority rights would be given much consideration.

Thus, when we vote, we are voting to elect people to represent us according to a constitution, a constitution which may be and has been amended; but only 27 times.  (Over 11000 amendments have been proposed and in a majority rule democracy it is quite likely that many of those would have been ratified…which should scare the hell out of anyone advocating such a system of governance.)

So, you may say, “Well we still vote to elect those who represent us. So ‘we the people’ have the power”.

“We the People” have the power to vote for those whom others allow us to vote for.  Make no mistake, at the national and state level, political parties and the big money behind those political parties select the candidates.  Even the candidates in certain local elections are bought and paid for to become candidates so we can “elect” them.

This is the system we have.  As designed, it’s the best one we civilized keepers of the planet have come up with thus far.  But even our system is victimized by the human lust for power.  Those with lots of money and power, want two things…more money and more power.  And they have found that “influencing” the political process is a great way to get what they want.  The game is rigged and the players like it that way.  Even the losers tend to come away with more money and power than they would have had they never played the game.

So, where does this leave the voters?  Those who take their “right to vote” sit in the upper deck and pick from who is available.  Whether they pick the winners or the losers, most voters end up disappointed, regretful or in denial.  That’s the primary reason politicians spend so much time and money trying to stay in office.  They know they aren’t getting the job done.  If they were in any other business or profession, they would fail very quickly simply based on their inability to deliver a quality product or service.  But that’s not how it works in our system.  And we wonder why so many Americans just don’t bother to vote.

From Beginning To End

 

He woke up and saw a face.

He looked down and saw two hands.

The face belonged to a giant.

The hands he saw were his.

He knew nothing of his life

As he looked into that face,

He screamed and cried for someone to save him from that place.

 

He woke up and saw a woman.

He looked down and saw a tray.

The woman seemed to love him

The tray was full of food.

He looked up and blinked at the woman

And ate most of what was there.

Then he cried again and shit himself, she didn’t seem to care.

 

He woke up and saw a wall

He looked down and saw his desk

The wall contained much writing

The desk just held himself

He looked out the window

And then back at the wall.

He learned quite a lot there, but knew nothing much at all.

 

He woke up and heard people.

He looked down and saw water.

It was clear and up to his chest.

The people said amen, amen.

Buried sins and raised to life

But what life would he choose.

Was he really saved forever or was it something he could lose?

 

He woke up and he was running

He looked around at boys like himself

Running was all they had

And they were mostly happy with it.

But when the running stopped

They drank and then threw up.

They left the bread behind them and just consumed the cup.

 

He woke up and saw a girl.

He reached out and touched her face.

The girl belonged to herself,

Her face belonged to him.

And then he kissed her picture

Before he turned away.

Love is never certain, no matter what they say.

 

He woke up in small dark places.

He flew between each one.

Each place was like the others.

His best years left far behind.

Traveling with a memory,

And never going home.

It’s time that passes quickly, before one knows it’s gone.

 

He woke up in a chair.

He was rocking back and forth.

A dog lay there beside him,

The sun just going down.

A ghost called him for supper.

A shadow led him there.

The dog and man together, such a lonely pair.

 

He woke up and saw a face.

He looked down and saw his hands.

The face belonged to an angel,

Her hand held one of his.

He heard the machines, no voices.

And then he closed his eyes.

As he continued praying and crying as he died.

Notes and Quotes...May The Chaos Continue

 

“Honesty is not treated with empty hands.” Somali proverb

And so it goes thus far in 2026.

_At the top of list, the on-going battle between the I.C.E. Enforcers vs the I.C.E. Watchers.  With plenty of blame to go around, this was never going to end well.  The Watchers need to quit throwing bricks, cease spitting on LEO’s and stay out of the way.  The Enforcers need stop shooting annoying protestors and focus on the illegals who are engaged in serious criminal activity.  Baby steps.

_The Venezuelan “Extraction” was long over-due.  Kudos to the special forces who pulled that one off.

_May I suggest that the NFL owners simply agree that only those four head coaches whose teams get to Conference Championships be allowed to keep their jobs. 

_We can all sleep better now…Greenland has agreed to stop flirting with Russia and China, and allow us to do what we’ve been doing on their behalf for decades as long as we lower the tariffs on Danish clogs.

_Extreme cold weather (yawn) is, of course, being attributed to climate change (yawn).

_Hats off to the Iranian people who have risen up against the Ayatollah. Unfortunately, neither America nor anyone else is coming to save them.  Who would dare stir up the Shiite hornet’s nests which are buzzing throughout the Middle East and around the world?  

“If a battle cannot be won, do not fight it”. -Sun Tzu

_And one last thing…The Winter Olympics (yawn) are about to begin (yawn).  

Snark Hunting

 

In recent times, the word “Snarky” has become a very overused adjective.  Some folks have stopped using the word, opting to just verbally attack those whose sarcastic remarks they find to be offensive. But it’s still a pretty good word to describe much of the tit-for-tat social media commentary one observes.

Interestingly, once upon a time the word “snark” was used in a different context, and with a meaning that remains open to debate.  That mad genius 19^th century author of Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll, used the word in one of his less well-known works, “The Hunting of The Snark”.  “The Hunting of The Snark”, published in 1876, is a rather long narrative poem describing the voyage of an odd crew of characters who seek the elusive Snark.

The Snark is indeed a strange creature. It tastes “meager and hollow, but crisp”.  It sleeps late, sometimes eating breakfast at 5 pm.  The Snark is slow to “take a jest” and always looks “grave at a pun”.  The creature enjoys a good bath and is full of “ambition”.  Some have feathers and bite, others have whiskers and scratch.  But beware, some Snarks are Boojums. And if the Snark turns out to be a Boojum, the hunter who finds it will vanish, ceasing to exist

The crew may also encounter a Jubjub. The Jubjub is a desperate bird that lives in “perpetual passion”.  Its taste in costume is absurd, but only because it is ages ahead in fashion. It knows any friend even if met only once.  The Jubjub cannot be bribed and will always assist in charitable endeavors, but never actually makes a donation.  And the Jubjub is great to eat, tasting better than “mutton, oysters or eggs.”

It’s a long poem, but worth reading and full of symbolism if one is inclined to think so. What was Lewis Carroll thinking about when he wrote it? Considering Alice in Wonderland and poems like this one, there has always been speculation that he was on drugs. But there is no evidence to support that claim.  He was known to have a glass of sherry on occasion and perhaps like many in this time may have consumed laudanum now and then. Perhaps he was in fact loaded when he was writing. I tend to think not.

In my opinion he was using outrageous characters and wonderful alliteration both satirically and seriously to entertain as well as to make his readers think about life in the British Empire at that time. The age of discovery was coming to an end.  Most of the planet was known and mapped, albeit with some errors and omissions. British aristocrats, wealthy merchants, brave missionaries and hardy adventurers fortunate enough to have sponsors were intent on exploration and fame. Intellectuals were challenging The Church and The Crown with new ideas. The Industrial Revolution was in full swing uplifting some while exploiting others.

Addressing the risks, as well as the opportunities, that came with all of this may well be the point of Carroll’s writing.  And it’s not a far reach to find application in our world today.  There seems to be a good bit of Snark hunting going on and millions of Jubjubs standing behind the ropes waiting to be devoured.  And those on the hunt for a Snark best pray they don’t end up with a Boojum.

“They hunted till darkness came on, but they found

Not a button, or feather, or mark,

By which they could tell that they stood on the ground

Where the Baker had met with the Snark.

In the midst of the word he was trying to say,

In the midst of his laughter and glee,

He had softly and suddenly vanished away…

For the Snark was a Boojum, you see.”

-Lewis Carroll, from “The Hunting of the Snark”

Wrong Place, Right Time

 

Recently I had something happen that left me asking questions for which there are no answers this side of heaven. 

I was driving into Dallas for a routine follow-up appointment with a doctor; nothing life threatening other than driving in Dallas traffic.  I’m in the inside lane southbound on 75 in McKinney and going about 80 MPH which is the minimum for inside lane travel on 75.  A Prius (yes a Prius) blows by me on the right side going at least 100, dodging in and out of traffic.  They cut in front of a car ahead of me, almost clipping the front bumper. 

A few minutes later the crazy Prius is back in the middle lane and decides to jump back to the inside lane this time causing the car in front of me to slam on their brakes and swerve.  At this point they lost control and the car went all over the place almost flipping over completely.  Somehow the driver regained control and ended up at a dead stop sideways across the inside lane.  This all happened in a matter of seconds.

I came to a stop less than 10 feet from the driver’s passenger door.  A young woman was watching the big black Ram pickup to see if it was going to plow into her vehicle.  When I stopped she looked down, still clutching the steering wheel.  The cars behind me had stopped…those in the lanes to the right were still slowly rolling by.  I was about to get out and check on her when I saw she gathered herself and started looking to see what she needed to do to get turned back around.  Fortunately, a car in the lane next to us stopped traffic allowing her to back up and get going.  Then the wave of cars seemed to part. She was able to cross all the way over and safely exit.   

 So why do I say I was in the wrong place?  It turned out that I had screwed up on the time for my appointment.  I was an hour early.  Otherwise, I would not have been behind this young woman.  She might have had someone else like me behind her who maintains a safe distance and isn’t texting or eating breakfast as they speed down the highway.   But more than likely, she would have had someone following too close and not paying attention until it was too late.  I was pumping my brakes to get the attention of those behind me and doing everything I could to stop before running into her; or perhaps worse yet swerving into the lane to my right and setting off an even larger chain reaction accident.

Someone else could have been there.  But I was.  And this time it worked out.  I am no hero, just an old man driving too fast but paying attention.  I said a special prayer that night for the young woman who was, in fact, a hero; and one helluva of a driver.  I am further convinced that someone else was with her that day….and I suppose with me as well.  

Metanoia

 

It’s that time of year when resolutions are made.  When we make commitments to do better and be better.  Workout, eat healthy, lose weight, get more sleep, reduce time spent scrolling on the smart phone, read books, listen more, talk less, go to church, study the bible, pray, mend fences, save money, stop cursing, give up alcohol, learn a new language, clean up the garage, say you’re sorry and mean it. 

Pick one or more of these and just do it, right? This year it’s going to be different, you’re serious. But in a matter of weeks, or in a couple of months if you were really serious, old habits and patterns of behavior creep back into your life. Resolutions are revised, goalposts get moved and motivation fades.

Often Christians treat repentance like resolutions.  We feel guilty about something bad we’ve been doing or something good left undone.   As with resolutions, repentance tends to be pretty much hit or miss, mostly miss.  But ultimately our sins will find us out and betray us. We might claim to “hate” sin, but mostly we hate other peoples’ sins. We may even claim to “hate” some of our own sins.  But until we see them clearly and completely, we will keep going back for more.  Even after our sins have harmed us or the people we love, we make excuses and drift back into them.

The Greek word “metanoia” is found throughout the New Testament. It translates as repent or repentance and literally means “a change of mind”.  Christians tend to find themselves in a vicious cycle of changing their minds: turning away from sin and then returning to it. Even the great Apostle Paul found himself struggling: “I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.” Romans 7: 18b-19

He then goes on to say, “But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is the sin living in me that does it.” Romans 7: 20

While it may sound like Paul is letting himself off the hook, he’s actually making the point that as long as we are in these earthly bodies we will forever struggle with sin. He goes on to say, “Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So, you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.” Romans 7: 25.

What Paul is not saying is to just give up and give in to your sinful nature. It is a war that we’ll be fighting as long as we live. But we can win a few more battles if we are honest about our sins and, more importantly, the consequences of those sins. By the grace of God, we have eternal salvation but make no mistake our sins are still doing damage in the here and now and will be judged in the hereafter.  So perhaps it’s never too late to try a bit of “metanoia.”…and mean it this time.