Reflections on a Carl Sagan Excerpt

In The Demon-Haunted World (1995), Carl Sagan wrote:
"I have a foreboding of an America in my children's or grandchildren's time-when the United States is a service and information economy; when nearly all the key manufacturing industries have slipped away to other countries; when awesome technological powers are in the hands of a very few, and no one representing the public interest can even grasp the issues; when the people have lost the ability to set their own agenda or knowledgeably question those in authority; when, clutching our crystals and nervously consulting our horoscopes, our critical faculties in decline, unable to distinguish between what feels good and what's true, we slide, almost without noticing, back into superstition and darkness."

This is a powerful sentence, which needs to be dissected.  In the fifteen years since it was written America has shipped most of its manufacturing overseas.  We have become more of a service economy, which is why it has taken so long to recover from the Great Recession.  There is no forward-looking leaders in America.  The politicians look only to the next election.  Corporate leaders look only as far as the quarterly or annual earnings reports.  There is no investment in the future. There is no vision of an interstate highway system, a transcontinental railroad or an Erie Canal.  The governor of Florida could not see how high speed rail could connect the cities of the state and certainly not how those cities could be connected to the rest of the country.  He was looking back to "Americans love their cars."  In the few months since he killed high speed rail in Florida the price of gas has risen to nearly $4 a gallon.

"When awesome technological powers are in the hands of a very few" is coming with the attacks on public education.  Only those who are able to attend elite private schools will be able to experience those powers. The programs will be cut from public schools because of declining budgets.  Only the privileged, like Bill Gates, who was able to spend 16 hours a day on his private school computers, will have access to the latest technologies.

I am not sure if anyone in public office can grasp the issues or if they are just being paid to look the other way. The Great Recession was caused by irresponsible lending by banks, backed by Wall Street investment banks, yet no one was held responsible for this catastrophe.  Instead, the tax payers paid to cover their mistakes.  When the Republicans were in charge, they preached the value of debt and deficit but now that the Democrats are in the White House debt and deficit spending  is evil.

As for questioning authority, most Americans get their news from television, who reduces everything to 30 second sound bites.  How can the problems that plague us be comprehend in 30 seconds.  Those who do not get the news from television get it from an unfiltered Internet.  You do not what the author's agenda is.  Some are in the pay of the people who would benefit by the writing.  Most people, particularly the young, scan the Internet and do not read objectively.

I write this the day after the world was to come to an end, according to the pseudoscience of religion.    Many people were duped by his seemingly supportable mathematical calculations.  Others believe in Mayan calendar to point to 2012 as then end of the world.  It raises the question, has the slide into superstition and darkness begun.

Thoughts on the killing of Bin Laden

At first I was very excited by the news of the demise of Osama Bin Laden but then I began to think about the cost.  First there is the economic costs.  The Republicans preach about the deficit but one of the major causes of it is the "war on terrorism."  We are spending billions in Afghanistan and Iraq (which was not a source of terrorist activity).  Was Osama worth the economic cost?  We are spending billions in a country that is home to 100 al Queda operatives.  Second there is the cost is American life.  1500 Americans have died in Afghanistan.  I do not think there sacrifice was worth it.  Third there is cost of American values.  To fight terrorists Bush told us we needed to give up certain civil liberties, habeus corpus, unwarranted wiretaps, unreasonable search and seizure and unlawful detention. Lastly there was the cost to American prestige.  The wars in Iraq was the first time that America invaded a country that had not attacked us.  Since 911 we have become a diminished nation.

Political Musings

When I came of political age it was morning in America.  Reagan had replaced the Carter pessimism with optimism.  Politicians argued the merit of their beliefs, acknowledging the philosophical differences.  They were enemies on the floor of Congress but shared cocktails after hours.  It was how compromise was achieved.  It was a time of change- I thought for the better.  I was working in the mortgage banking and Republicanism was a natural fit.  I was living in Maryland - a Democratic stronghold.  I was in the minority, fighting the status quo.  I remained in the party through business school.

I moved to Arizona, birthplace of Barry Goldwater founder of American conservatism.  It was at that time that the Republicans took control of the House.  I realized that their agenda was not mine.  I knew that I would not be able to change it.  To paraphrase Reagan, I did not leave the Republican party, the Republican party left me.  I had read Atlas Shrugged and the Fountainhead, so I joined the Libertarian Party of smaller government.  In presidential elections I have voted third party, trying to end the failed two party system.  Unfortunately, Perot's presidential attempts were the closest a third party candidate has been in winning an election.

I grow dismayed when I see what is being put out by both parties.  The lunatic fringe of both parties have taken over.  There is no more debate.  It is just invective, spewed back and forth.  The intellectual caliber has certainly diminished in Congress.  They cannot argue the merits of their case but simply attack others.  I wonder what this people did before they entered politics.  They have no connection with the real world.

Views on Presidents
Ronald Reagan restored dignity to the office.  He always wore his jacket in the Oval Office, as a sign of respect for the office of the presidency. Reagan had a strong team of ad visors, who had a unified vision for America.  They believed in  limited government, lower taxes and the end of communism.  Reagan never veered from that vision.  Also it was the beginning of the shift of income to the rich and the end of the middle class.

George H.W. Bush had an impressive resume but lacked vision and conviction.  He broke his vow not to raise taxes, which lost him the election.

Bill Clinton's policies should be the role model for presidents.  He was a centrist, who governed from the middle.  His moderate policies reformed welfare and provided the country with a budget surplus.  His personal behavior was his downfall.

George W. Bush was not qualified to be president and needed to be watched over be his father's friends.  He entered office with the largest budget surplus and left with the largest deficit.  An so-called opponent of big government, Bush enacted the large prescription medicine entitlement for seniors.  He cut taxes for the wealthy. Bush is the first president to invade a country without provocation.  He used the 911 attacks to destroy American freedoms, such as habeus corpus.  Once the government labels you as a terrorist you lose your rights.  "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel."  The administration loosened regulations leading to the banking and housing crisisses.  The government bailed out the large banks and Wall Street gets its bonuses while the country suffers.

Jamaica Redux: A More Detail Account of the Trip

The flight to Jamaica was uneventful.  Since I arose at 3:00, I slept through most of it.  There was only a minor delay in getting through customs.  After retrieving my luggage, I went to the tour operator, who directed me to the ground transportation. I was the first to arrive in the people mover, so I had a long wait until it was full.  The last two boys to arrive had a Red Stripe in each hand.  The driver made a stop for stretch break and Red Stripe refill.  It took several hours to drive from Montego Bay to Negril but Scott was tour guide as well as driver. 

After I checked in, I went to lunch with my friend.  Then it was to the beach.  The water was shallow and the waves were small.  The beach was in a sheltered bay.  After traveling, the beach was a place to unwind.  I took a tour of the resort as I headed back to the room.  The Riu Tropical reminded me of an old Victorian restort.  It possesed old charm with modern ammenities.  It sat on the beach.  There were two small swimming pools, mostly for cooling off with built in lounge chairs.  One pool had a bar.  There was an open courtyard, three sides contained restaurants and bars, plus a stage, while the fourth was the pools.

A routine was established the first day.  Predinner cocktails at one of the three bars, dinner and postprandial drinks at the bar by the stage.  There was some form of nightly enterntainment.  It was mostly resort employees or a local band.

Our first night, we imbibed too much at the bar and were slightly hungover.  After breakfast, we went to the beach to recupperate.  On the beach, they served jerk chicken.  I went to get lunch for us.  I pulled my lounge chair under a palm tree.  I was sitting on the lounge chair, when I heard a crashing thud and felt wet.  A coconut fell from the tree and smashed into my chair spewing coconut water on me.  It would have hit my had had I been laying down.  The life guard suggested that I move my chair.  I would have been more helpful if the warning came a few minutes before but I would have lost the memory.  Later on I purchased two CDs from a vendor plying his wares on the beach.

The next day, my friend and I went for a tour.  The majority of the tour was spent in transit.  Scott, the tour guide, told me he was a PHD - pot hole dodger.  The pot holes were larger than compact cars.  I saw a good deal of goats grazing on the side of the roads, even in the towns.  We took a pontoon boat up the Black River to see the crocodiles.  We went through mangroves and the mountains filled the horizon.  After lunch by the river, I purchased a mask and a turtle from the local vendor.  I was able to get a good bargain and still support the locals.  We went to YS Falls.  On the way to the falls, it began to rain but had stopped as we arrived.  I still went swimming in the river.  I swung out on a rope and made the plunge into the cold river.  I was impressed that students were uniforms to school.  As I saw large groups of students walking home I saw unity and not division as I see in America.

I took a walk along the beach today.  I began with a walk down the beach past several other resorts.  There was a nude beach with the chairs discretely set back from the beach.  I would not have noticed it if there were not signs.  I am not sure were the topless women in the sea was staying.  I walked up the beach and stumbled into the "vendor's village".  I did not mind people hawking their wares because it was their space.  I could have turned back.  One man offered to give me a tour on his boat.  I was offered drugs, and reggae music.  I turned them all down.

The Riu Tropical had buffet dining in the main dining room.  They had theme dinner nights, my favorite was Jamaica night.  I enjoyed the jerk chicken and curry goat.  The waitstaff were very attentive.  My glass was never less than half full without someone asking if I would like more. In addition, there were restaurants that served Japanese, Italian, Fusion and a steakhouse.  We dined at the Japanese and Italian restaurants.  The food and service were well done.

A week of lying in the sun, swimming in the sea and drinking all night went by quickly.  Departing the island was a dreadfully long process.  The line to go through screening process was an hour.  Then there was another line for customs.  Finally, I was patted down before boarding the airplane.  My week in the tropics had come to an end.

Feeling Ire in Jamaica

I recenlty returned from a weeks stay in Negril, Jamaica.  The island is beautiful but I would not give it my full recommendation it.  As I mentioned, I stayed in Negril, so I needed ground transportation from Montego Bay.  It took about 45 minutes for the bus/van/people mover to fill up.  The driver turned on the cricket match while I waited.  After first I was peeved but when I discovered how long a ride it was, I understood that he would want a full vehicle.  You need to have a bit of patience, even though you want to get to your resort.

I stayed at the Riu Tropical, which oozed Victorian charm.  The staff was friendly and attentive.  They came to my from thrice daily - to clean, to restock the minibar and to turn down the covers.  The food was delicious with a wide variety.  I loved the jerk chicken and curry goat. The beach was white sand and sea blue.  The entertainment was good.  I would recommend it.

The beach is where I had a problem.  I did not mind the regaee singers entertaining me for tip.  I grew up listening to jazz saxophonist in Time Square.  They were excellent.  One wrote songs for people laying on the beach.  It was vendors that annoyed me because they were so persistent.  I had to turn down drug sales several times a day.  I did not mind that when I walked off the resort and walked through a vendors village but not when I am trying to relax on the beach.

Dredlock Rhasta

I went on a tour to the Black River and YS Falls.  It took several hours to get there, the roads were atrocious.  It was worth it to see the crocodiles and the mangroves.  It was a scenic ride with lush vegetation and the mountains providing a back drop.  YS Falls is worth the walk and the swim.  Despite the long ride it was an enjoyable day.


Negril is famous for its sunsets.


If you do not mind being hassled on the beach, Jamaica is worth the trip.  If you are looking for a quiet relaxing time on the beach go to the Dominican Republic.

Musings on Education

Would you allow a person with no medical experience to run a hospital?  Would you allow someone who has not attended law school to run your law firm?  The mayor of a city would not have a person with no police experience to be the police commissioner yet someone with no education experience can be commissioner of schools.  It is incredulous to me.  Just because you taught your child to ride a bike does not make you an educator.  As with the aforementioned fields, education is a profession.  You need to have an advanced degree to teach in a public school.  In Finland, educators are respected and paid as  professionals with pay equal to an engineers.  It is no wonder that it is ranked first in education.

Despite the rhetoric from the Republican party and the Tea Party, education cannot be run like a business.  There is no bottom line.  The mandate is that we educate every child.  A child is not an expense that can be written off.  Charter and private schools are not the answer.  You cannot compare public and private education.  Private and charter schools can select the academic achievers and eliminate the behavior problems.  Public schools do not have that luxury.  Charter and private school parents take a more active role in their child's education, which is not always the case in public schools.  As one parent told at the beginning of the school year, "He is your problem now."

A Trip to Vermont

            I drove to Lou’s house.  He was the pilot of the ship of fools. I was the new guy joining the annual fishing trip to Vermont.  Lou was a family friend with whom I had reconnected when I moved back East.  Bob and Cliffy were Lou’s friends from work, who I had met several times at the local pub.  Christian, who could not get off until the following day, would meet us in Vermont.  They worked in healthcare.

            Despite Lou’s golf bag taking up half the cargo area.  I thought we had plenty of room in the SUV.  I had only one bag and a fishing pole.  When we stopped at Cliffy’s, I realized I was the only one who packed light.  Bob had bags of fool and alcohol.  Cliffy had bags of toys.  People brought numerous fishing poles.  There were two bait buckets and fishing nets.  We were set for an expedition.  It would be an adventure.  We headed north in high spirits.

            On the outskirts of Albany, we decided to stop for lunch.  Lou pulled into a Chili’s.  After we ordered, Cliffy disappeared.  Since he was gone awhile we grew curious.

“What did you have to take a big dump before lunch?” Lou asked.

“I went across the street.”

“What for?”

“I went to use the ATM at the bank.”

“Cliffy, you knew about the trip for week and you are going to get cash on the way!” I exclaimed incredulously.

“I didn’t have time yesterday.”

“You had weeks.”

We arrived at the hotel in Vermont, which sat on the lake.  They had a dock for the boat we were renting.  It was a beautiful spot.  The rooms, while inexpensive, had not been redecorated since the 1950s.  They were clean which was all that mattered to me.  We unpacked and drove over to pick up the boat.

            Duda, the person we rented the boat from had the look of an ex-con.  He had slicked back long hair, a goatee and tattoos on both arms.  He wore a black T-shirt that stated, “Live to ride, ride to live.”  He looked like he would drive a shank in your back if you brought the boat back damaged.  Looks can be deceiving.  Duda was a friendly person, who trusted Lou enough not to charge him a deposit on the boat.     

            It was evening on the lake by the time everything was squared away.  The boys want to give me a tour of the lake.  Black clouds were forming over the mountains on the western horizon.  As we were getting on the boat an old woman, like one of the witches in Macbeth called out.

“You boys know there is a storm coming?”

“We will be alright,” the crew cried back.

            We took a scenic tour of the lake, which sat in a valley surrounded by forested mountains.  It is the largest lake in Vermont.  There are two small islands on the lake, which are occupied.  We went under a bridge to the less frequented side of the lake, too many weeds, to see the campground they stayed at a few years ago.  Occasionally, Lou had to raise the engine to remove the weeds from it.  I felt as if we were in Sargasso Sea.  The sky grew dark.  We slowly made our way through the weeds to the bridge.  The sky grew steadily grew darker.  We crossed under the bridge as the sky lit up with lightening.  We were about 15-20 minutes from the hotel. Lightening crackled in the sky and the rain began to fall.  We were heading into the storm.

“You know being in an aluminum boat in the middle of the water is not the safest place to be in a lightening storm,” Cliffy stated the obvious.

“No shit,” Bob replied.

“You trying to get me killed on my first trip to the lake.”

“Let’s hurry back.”

A quarter of an hour later we arrived safely but soaking wet back at the hotel.

“You boys know there is a storm coming,” I said as we stepped on the dock.

“I need a drink,” Lou said.

“I can handle that,” Bob replied.

We returned to the room to change and have a drink.

The next morning, we arose early to go fishing.  It was a calm, serene morning.  Lou broke the ice, catching the first fish.  Bob and I followed shortly.  The boys chatted about work and people from the company.  Occasionally, the conversation drifted to something I could comment on.  I enjoyed relaxing on the water, unwinding after a hectic year.  At 10, we went in so Lou could perform his morning bowel movement.

Lou went to play golf and we went out to try our luck with fishing.  Cliffy manned the helm.  We drifted around the lake.  I caught another fish.  We were drifting close to shore and a few owners’ docks.  Cliffy tried to start the engine but could not get it to turnover.

“This is ridiculous!” Bob exclaimed.

“I can get it.”

“Didn’t you pay attention when Duda was explaining how to start it?” Bob asked me.

“No because I figured Mr. Coast Guard would be at the helm not us.” (Cliffy was considering the Coast Guard reserves.)

“What are we going to do?”

“We have an oar, we can paddle back.”

“You can’t paddle a damn pontoon boat,” I replied.

“We are stuck.”

“Listen,” I said. “We are close to shore and houses.  I can walk back to the hotel and get Lou.”

“No you can’t tell Lou”

“Promise you won’t tell.”

“If it is that important, I won’t tell.”

“Thank you.”

“You guys have a problem,” a man called from shore.

“We’re fine,” Cliffy replied.

“We can’t get the boat started,” Bob told.

“Where did you rent it from?”

“Duda’s”

“I’ll give him a call.”

One of Duda’s employees came out and got us started.  I was sworn to secrecy.  We returned to the hotel and met Lou for cocktails.  Entertainment director Cliffy brought a set of bocce balls.  We played a game.  As we were playing a woman stopped to watch us.

“What are you playing?” she inquired.

“Bocce,” I told her.

“It is a game we brought from the old country,” Cliffy replied.

“What are you talking about old country? Cliffy, you don’t have a drop of Italian blood in you,” I retorted.

“Well it is from the old country!”

“Lou’s and mine.”

Christian arrived as the game drew to a close.  He was anxious to fish, so we went back on the lake.

            Saturday morning found us on the lake fishing. At 10 we returned to the room.  Lou is like clockwork.  The weather grew warmer, so we took a few of Cliffy’s toys to the lake.  We took the boat out to the middle of the lake.  Cliffy unveiled his rocket.

“It is Zephram Cockran”

“Yes we are to launch a rocket and achieve warp speed.”

“There isn’t a hell of a lot of room to launch a rocket on this boat.”

“We’ll be fine.”

“”I’ll be safe at the helm.”

“I’ll use the wakeboard as a blast shield.”

“Someone count down.”

“10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1. Engage!”

“Holy shit!”

“Christ that rocket went 600 feet!”

“Warp speed!”

“The parachute had opened.”

“It is returning to orbit.”

“Follow it with the boat.”

“I’ll get the net,” I said as I moved to the bow.

“Cut the engine.”

“Ready the net recovery team.”

I scooped the rocket into the net.

“Mission accomplished.”

            We headed to the Lakeside restaurant.  It was beautiful day to dine on the water.  After lunch, Cliffy set up his kite.  We flew the kite on the way back to the hotel.  The kite trailed the boat about 50 feet in the air.  We put on bathing suits, except for Bob, for water activities.  We set up a wake board behind the boat.  Cliffy was the first to go and Lou drove the boat.  Cliffy did well, hanging on with one hand.  Lou was the next to go into the water and Cliffy drove the boat.

“Lou is hanging on with one hand.”

“I’ll bring him across the wake.”

“He is barely hanging on.”

“Fuck him.”

“Real nice Cliffy!”

I knew I would live in the wake since I was new. I did and survived, eventually getting to my knees.  Lou fell off and we circled around to pick him up.

“You trying to kill me!”

“You’re a tough guy.”

            Lou went out again.  He was doing well when we saw his hand go to his waist.  It took us a moment to realize he was losing his bathing suit.  We saw it fly off.  Cliffy was not quick to slow down.  We were near the public beach.

“Do you want me to take me back toward my suit?”

“I thought we would take you toward the beach.”

“We don’t want to blind them with that white ass.”

“Just take me to my damn suit!”

“Oh ho, Lou is getting bitchy”

“Better take him.”

“Yeah, don’t scare the children.”

            After we went wake boarding we went to the shallow beach area of the lake. We got out of the boat and threw the football around.

            The group sat around a bed playing Monopoly.  It was a very competitive game.  Christian had won the two fishing contests, so we did not want him to win.  Traditionally we won.  The game was getting heated.  Monopolies were beginning to form.  I had the four railroads; Christian had Boardwalk and

Park Place

.  A loud crack stopped the game.  The thud brought our attention to Bob.  The chair he was sitting in broke.  There was stunned silence.

“Are you okay?”

“Are you alright?”

“I don’t know,” Bob replied.

“You’d know if you had a piece of wood up your ass,” Cliffy said.

“I love your compassion.”

“Can you get up?”

“Yeah.  I am so embarrassed.”

“No need to be.”

“Let’s get rid of the chair.”

“The furniture is old.”

“You’re just a fat fuck, Bob”

“More compassion from Cliffy.”

“Let’s all have a drink.”

“What do you want?”

            The game resumed.  It was beginning to get rough with houses and hotels going up.  A few players were getting overextended.  Besides the railroads and utilities, I did not have great monopolies.  Since the railroads were evenly distributed around the board, they were pulling in steady income and my monopolies did not cost that much to develop.

I was heading in to a dangerous territory, which could bankrupt some and ended up in jail.  I spent a good deal of time in jail.

“Do you want to pay to get out?”

“No I am quite comfortable here.”

“Of course you are.  Collecting rent without paying anything,” Christian said.

“The game hangs on the roll of the dice.”

“And Lou just had a bad one.”

“I think I am history.”

“You can join Cliffy on the loser’s bed.”

“Let me unmortgage some of the property I just acquired,” I said.

I spent more time in jail safely gathering rents.  I was able to use the rents to absorb the rents I had to pay.  I did not overextend myself.  Bob soon succumbed.  Finally Christian went bankrupt.

“I can’t believe you won with no major monopolies,” he griped.

“At least I am victorious in one contest.”

            Sunday morning, we spent a few unsuccessful hours on the lake.  We returned and packed up.  Louis and I took the boat back, while the others drove.  We arrived at the dock.

“I heard you problems,” Duda said.

“What are you talking about?” Lou asked. “No we didn’t.”

“Your boys had a problem starting the boat.”

Lou looked at me.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I was sworn to secrecy.”

“I can have fun with this on the way back.”

We drove to the restaurant for breakfast.  As with most of the events, it was based on tradition.  Lou had been dining therefore years.

“They have a buffet which is good.”

“I prefer quality over quantity,” Lou said.

“You know I prefer quantity,” joked Bob.

“With culinary matters, I concur with Lou”

We ordered.  The three went to the buffet; our meals followed soon.

“These scrambled eggs are pathetic,” Christian whined. “I don’t think they are real. Look, Jeff’s scrambled eggs are real!”

“They may not be good but you get more.”

“I get more crap!”

“Next year I am going to order for you,” I told him.

“I don’t see why you should get different syrup.”

“It is real Vermont syrup.”

“See I get the fake stuff.”

“Here have some of mine,” I said.

“I am going back for more.”

“How can you Bob?”

“I have a large space to fill.”

“I don’t know why you get the buffet Cliffy,” I said.

“I do it. It is easy for him.  He doesn’t have to think.”

We paid the bill and headed south for home.