61 thoughts on “March 9, 2021: Man, It’s A Hot One”
Mrs Runner stayed up 'til midnight and snagged a Moderna for me next Monday, the first day for Tier 3 here in MO. Because of the governor's wonderful distribution system, (like many other St. Louis area residents) I will be travelling two hours from home, to a Walmart in Rolla, MO.
Apparently South Dakota's rollout is going much better, because Mrs. A had no problem whatsoever getting her shot. She called the local clinic and had her name put on a list. When her turn came up, they called her, we made an appointment, and she got the shot. That's all there was to it.
That's awesome at least SD getting that part right. My mother in FL searched for weeks to get a vaccine. Finally driving 2.5 hours inland for a 15 minute appt and then drive 2.5 hours back. She'll repeat this in 3 weeks. Not good for a 77 year old woman.
JeffA: how are things going in the Native American communities in the state? I know that in some other states, distribution on tribal lands has been...challenging.
Oklahoma's tribes seem to be doing pretty well from what I've heard from my friend down there
Sorry, I have no information on that.
Rolla, Missouri: The Middle of Everywhere!
"Sprout" or "Wrap a bow" probably would've been more on-the-nose CoC titles to nest an announcement that my family is expanding, but it's supposed to be hot out when she's due, so....yeah, this works.
Congrats!
there you go!
Noice!
Congrats, my friend, and it was great drinking a cold one with you to celebrate. Fake golf was fun, but can't wait to head out to the links with you sometime this summer! And.... "she's due" ... hmmm, I didn't even think to ask if you knew yet.
Ok, I read that again. Does "she's due" refer to your wife being due, or a baby girl being due?
Wife is due in mid-August. That was unclear.
And yeah, man, fake golf was a blast. Just what I needed, for sure.
!!!!!!!
Congratulations Nibs!
Congratulations!
Congrats!
! good news, indeed.
👏
Congrats!
congrats, man!
I'm working from home today because a direct report texted at 9 pm that he has a fever. and a cough.
I'm hoping his child brought home something non-covid edition from day care ..... ..... ...... ......
and rapid test covid free for both of us. Still going to be a lot of very social distanced work from home for the next two days to be sure...
Twins on MLB Network on the TV - free game today?
Pretty cool seeing Toby Gardenhire and Terrin Vavra chatting after the game.
In a strange twist I got a slot for a vaccine on the 25th of March.
Minnesota is opening vaccinations to group 1C so I'm eligible now, over 60 with an underlying medical condition. But I have to wait for either Allina or CVS to contact me for an appointment.
Food service workers now eligible. Challenge now is navigating into an appointment to git r dun.
Thrifty White has had a lot of openings in Fergus and Detroit Lakes that were going unused.
I'm now eligible in ND and MN (somehow for different reasons because the world is dumb) and Thrifty White had openings that were easy to book in MN Lake Country, and also Mid ND. ND primary care is already scheduling 50+, my parents are 57 and are scheduled in two week from their provider.
Also talking to Expats in the EU (some here some still overseas) moving to the EU for better public health isn't looks so hot right now
Any staff against getting it?
So far, a couple. Tough situation. We are strongly encouraging people to get it and I may even bonus out people who do.
speaking of sandwiches (because we usually are), I made pupusas for the first time last night. My technique needs improvement. They were delicious, but I had a very hard time getting the filling done (enclosed) without making a mess.
Any experienced pupusa hands out there with tips?
I ended up rolling my masa out fairly thin on my board, using a wide spatula to loosen the dough from the board before cutting in circles with a 1-cup metal measuring cup. These were too small, but I didn't have a better mold at hand. I then would spoon in a generous tablespoon of filling and try to pinch around to close. I ended up doing a lot of patching as the masa split.
the other technique I used was to use both a top and a bottom circle, pinching them together, so they looked more like ravioli. Not much better.
I have seen a technique starting with a ~1/4 cup ball of masa in hand, making a well for the filling, then pinching. But the rolling technique seemed easier. I dunno.
either way, they were tasty.
Oh, man do I ever have a suggestion for pupusa making ----> order out!
But seriously, I've only made the ravioli version, and it's not bad because papusa but it's not pretty.
Sounds like your flavors turned out well. Reading your comments, I think you just need to find a mold that is the bigger so you can nail down the dough to filling ratio where you want it without the mess issue. Maybe keep an eye out no canned products you use. I have a few canned items in my pantry I use regularly that I will save the empty can for uses such as this. I have never made pupusas, but that may change soon.
they are super easy. The dough comes together fast, they are easy to cook (just a few minutes frying in a pan or on a flat top with a little bit of oil). It's the assembly that requires expertise and practice.
I got motivated by watching a Triple-D episode the other night. The chef/owner was a wizard, making it look easy. It is not. But maybe with practice (and a drier filling mix) it will be.
On Jan 24th, 2020, I started spreadsheeting the coronavirus. There were 550 cases that day for the world, according to Johns Hopkins University. Later, as of 2/4/20, there were 420 deaths worldwide.
I stopped tracking on 3/6/21 at 116,066,662 cases with 2,580,180 deaths worldwide.
On Mar 2nd, 2020, I started spreadsheeting the U.S. (from Johns Hopkins), with 102 cases and 6 deaths. I stopped on 3/6/21 with 28,894,783 cases and 522,874 deaths.
On April 14 2020, I started spreadsheeting Hartford County (from wunderground.com), at 2,243 cases and 133 deaths. I stopped at 3/5/21 with 71,020 cases and 2,299 deaths.
On Feb 8 2021 I started spreadsheeting U.S. vaccinations (from nytymes.com), from 2.8% (fully vaccinated) and 9.5% (one dose) until 3/5/2021, with 8.6% fully vaccinated and 17% one dose.
On Friday, March 5th, I got my first Pfizer vaccine. I've quit tracking on all of these numbers.
Not sure why but I cried for about 20 min after this post.
because. This has been the shits. Every aspect of the handling and the emotional toll the lack there of has been the shits.
I saw on the Twitter machine that 2020 was the first year since 1947 that more than 1% of Americans died. Back then, the death rate had been steadily falling, so 1947 wasn't some sort of terrible year, it was a year on the continuum of improved health outcomes and longer life. The shock of what happened in 2020 is foreign to modern American life.
My journey through the US Presidents is driving home to me the uniqueness of our modern state relative to any other time in World History. People died young back then. A lot. Disease was rampant, misunderstood, and allowed to wreak havoc. Hardships were common. In other words, life in the late 18th and early 19th centuries sucked. Plus, there was great resistance to spend money to improve infrastructure as many of the founding fathers saw that kind of activity as being unconstitutional. So, we are very lucky to live now, as opposed to then. But, given what we know, what happened in 2020 America was horrific and, I think, largely avoidable, although I could be wrong in the degree to which it was avoidable. Certainly, some parts of the world fared way better than we did.
The United States has always had a free rider problem. A concerted effort, a great collective sacrifice was required to stop this thing in its tracks. I'm coming around to the idea that the US has almost never had the will -- even when fighting a War for Independence -- to sacrifice collectively to make things happen. While our troops were dying in winter camps in tatters, the general population seemed to carry on as if it wasn't happening. We were unable or perhaps the proper word is unwilling, as a fledgling country, to provide food and clothing for the men fighting for the existence of the country. It could have been done. It wasn't. It was more profitable to sell food to the British (it was probably more complicated than this, but the idea that we left our troops to starve was disgraceful). We will see if this continues as a theme throughout our existence. As I continue through my book on JQA, this idea that it was only a few who sacrificed to make this country go is continually driven home. The 2020 pandemic response, to me, seems to be consistent with Americanism back in 1800 or thereabouts. 🙁
On the other hand, we (we is a broad term here, because it wasn't only America that was involved in this effort and some companies, but not all, did it without governmental assistance) did create multiple effective vaccines with unimaginable speed and this is not to be discounted. So, it is a complicated legacy that we have as a country. Great successes, coupled with a surprising lack of importance placed on ensuring the collective good. America.
SBG, I admire your dedication on this project, and enjoy reading what you are gleaming from it. Thank you for that! History is definitely misunderstood by most of us, as we pick up most of it in sound bites and short discussions. Here are some of my thoughts:
As individuals, for the most part, we are a selfish nation. It's about "me" not "we". This pandemic has really brought this even further to light. A certain portion of our population is spoiled rotten. I remember thinking in 3rd grade, when I had to go to my small town grocery store with food stamps, that we were poor. At that time, we had a decent house, 2 vehicles, clothes on our back and, thanks to food stamps, food security. In reality, I was living better than 95% of the world's population. We are a nation who screams "buy American", but in reality we search for the cheapest price on most things online while our small, local retailers go under. We are a country littered with selfishness. We are beyond rallying around a common cause, as there can no longer be a common cause. Our fractured political system will not allow it. We are more tethered to the view points of talking heads and demagogues than we are to the collective good of our country. Of course, I am painting with a broad brush here, and yes, there are a lot of examples of people who do have their heads screwed on straight. However, the very nature of our democracy has always, and will always, breed conflict, division and strife.
As someone who has done pretty well in the field of conflict resolution in my career and social circles, the state of our country has weighed heavily on me for the past 3 decades. I read a ton. I engage in political conversations seeking to understand viewpoints I do not share. By my nature, I seek resolution to the conflict I see building around me. Like NBB, I have shed tears as I think about this pandemic, as I know we could have done better. When I witness the insane nature of our political discourse, I do not rage, but instead I mourn. I think I am coming to a point that I am finally able to understand that for the entirety of human existence there has been strife, conflict, sorrow, unfairness, greed and a myriad of other undesirable traits of our world. I am beginning to understand that these problems will always be present to some degree. There will be ebbs and flows. Yet acknowledging this, does not excuse me from not caring. It does not excuse me from not doing what I can to fight against such things. I guess I have come to understand there is no brokering to a solution, but an ongoing, endless battle that must continue to be fought, regardless of the fact that there is no end in sight. I find myself more focused lately on what my idea of the common good is. Helping others who need help. Fighting for the ideal that everyone deserves to have an opportunity to live a good life, free of tyranny. Maybe that thought of "my idea of the common good" actually makes me part of the problem, because that is exactly what divides us. Everyone is fighting for their own idea of the common good.
Something, something about journey versus destination.
I'm about 1/4 through the JQA book. He was, in his early thirties, America's #1 diplomat and he probably helped keep America out of a war with France because while he was in Berlin as minister to Prussia, he was his father's back channel on all things Europe. Personally, he needed to get back to the US because he was paid a pittance and was nearly broke. He got back to Boston and saw how all of his classmates at Harvard (he was second in his class) were getting rich and he was hanging on by a thread, comparatively. Yet, he remained in public service, because he believed in America. (He also didn't care much for the legal profession, so there was that.)
Likewise, Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe were pretty much bankrupt when they left the White House. Jefferson was a huge spender, but Monroe had floated the country expenses for years as a diplomat and had to fight like hell as an ex-president to obtain re-imbursement. When he was president, he was paid $25K a year (about $750K in today's dollars), which was a lot, but he was expected to pay for all entertaining at the White House. He had to borrow $35,000 to cover the expenses related to White House functions. This man was a diplomat, Secretary of State, Secretary of War, and president for two terms and he was basically penniless when he left the White House. He ended living with his daughter at the end of his life, because broke. The idea that we wouldn't have taken care of someone like him with a pension, an expense account, etc. was shameful. But, we couldn't levy taxes on people because that would be bad. Just amazing. The widow Dolley Madison had to sell her husband's papers to survive. Daniel Webster bought her servant (yep, these people were also slaveholders, so complicated!) and set him free so that Dolley wouldn't be out in the street.
Also, JQA had invested his parent's money in American bonds that were somehow tied up in a bank in Europe that failed and they lost it all. He felt that he'd caused that to happen, so he bought most of his parents' farm and allowed them to live there for the remained of their lives (and they lived a long time). JQA was married with two children and he took pretty much all he had and sunk it into his parents' farm. I'm of the opinion that the US was pretty lucky to have the first six presidents that they did.
I'm of the opinion that the US was pretty lucky to have the first six presidents that they did.
And yet President 7 was the first "defender of the common people"!
I think the AJ book is going to be very interesting. I think it is pretty sympathetic to him and I"m not sure how I'm gonna take that.
Another Meacham hagiography?
Oh hell no. Remini single volume (condensed from his three volume biography). It's hard to believe how much that Meacham book sticks out. The first two were really good. Madison and Monroe books were tough, but very informative. (That Madison book was a beast.) The JQA book is a lot easier to read than the last two and a wonderful companion to McCullough's treatment of his father. In between, Meacham's book is just crappy. Won't touch another of his books.
Fighting for the ideal that everyone deserves to have an opportunity to live a good life, free of tyranny. Maybe that thought of "my idea of the common good" actually makes me part of the problem, because that is exactly what divides us. Everyone is fighting for their own idea of the common good.
Not everyone is fighting for common good. As you mentioned, most people are fighting for status quo so they can continue to have theirs. I'm a firm believer that when we all do better we all do better, and that eliminating poverty and systemic racism would go along way to help unite people. I'm not a historian, but it seems to me that as a planet we're killing each other less than we ever have in our modern history and that is likely due to improved communalism and quality of life. We just still have an extremely long, long, long way to go.
Yes, could have worded that a bit better. I especially agree with your last 2 sentences. Long, long, long way to go at a snails pace. Our lifetimes are so short in the grand scheme of things. It is difficult to see measurable progress in one person's time on earth.
The arc of history is long but it bends toward justice, is what I've heard.
It's a great line, but it is patently untrue. MLK knew that, and I know SBG knows it. History don't play.
In a 2016 interview with CBS, former Attorney General Eric Holder cautioned that “the arc bends toward justice, but it only bends toward justice because people pull it towards justice. It doesn’t happen on its own.”
There is so much wrong with the world, however, that it can be paralyzing. I try to focus on harm reduction in my professional life, because we all need successes to hang our hats on.
and kudos to Beau for injecting the Paul Wellstone aphorism into the discussion. We all do better when we all do better.
Thanks for sharing this, NBB. I think there's something about tracking numbers that give a sense of control. That even if you can't (obviously) control the larger situation, you at least have a concrete task to do and to focus your anxiety. I can understand why letting go of those spreadsheets would bring up so many emotions tied to what we've all gone through this past year.
So glad you'll soon be fully vaccinated, and here's hoping all of us can achieve that in another few months!
Another thank you for posting. It has lead to some great discussion. The historical context is also appreciated as I've always been skeptical of the history we tell ourselves of America's great sacrifices. (Not skeptical of individual sacrifices, but the mass-collective ones.)
Two indirect connections for me to this story about Roy Marble not getting his number retired at Iowa. Gary Barta, the AD, was a backup QB at NDSU when I was there. Also, Roy Marble played for the Fargo CBA team in the two years that it was in existence. He was really, really good. Inexplicably, though, he always seemed to be on the bench when the game was being decided. The coach in Fargo was really talented in his ability to have his best player on the bench with like four minutes left in the game. Next level on that account.
Barta said that since he arrived at Iowa in 2006, three players are most often brought up as deserving to have their numbers retired: Marble and consensus All-Americans Murray Wier (1948) and Chuck Darling (1952).
Barta said none of the three met the university's criteria for such an honor. Barta would not disclose the criteria.
Mmmhmm.
On the one hand, retiring numbers is kind of dumb, particularly at the collegiate level. On the other hand, WTF? Dude held the school scoring record for 32 years?
The history of Iowa men's basketball is not exactly replete with great players. Possibly the best ever to play for the Hawkeyes was Downtown Freddie Brown (JUCO transfer, so only 2 seasons, but he averaged 27.6 ppg as a senior, and is the all-time NBA scoring leader among former Hawkeyes).
The best ever to attend Iowa was Connie Hawkins, but he got absolutely screwed in a point-shaving scandal and was expelled from Iowa before ever playing a varsity game. That is a sordid story of awful racism and abuse of a kid, which led to him being blackballed by both the NCAA and the NBA. The NBA finally settled out of court when it became increasingly clear that they would lose a suit he had filed against the league.
Not to mention that that Iowa team he was on is the best team they've had in my lifetime. He was the only starter to not spend much time in the NBA.
BJ Armstrong, Kevin Gamble, Brad Lohaus, Ed Horton, and Marble were the starting five. They were up big on UNLV in the tournament and ended up losing to them. That UNLV team was awesome.
That Fargo CBA team had Ed Horton and Les Zepson as well. Plus, George Ackles from UNLV.
We used to call him Lep Jespen. He's a financial advisor in the Twin Cities, now.
Mrs Runner stayed up 'til midnight and snagged a Moderna for me next Monday, the first day for Tier 3 here in MO. Because of the governor's wonderful distribution system, (like many other St. Louis area residents) I will be travelling two hours from home, to a Walmart in Rolla, MO.
Apparently South Dakota's rollout is going much better, because Mrs. A had no problem whatsoever getting her shot. She called the local clinic and had her name put on a list. When her turn came up, they called her, we made an appointment, and she got the shot. That's all there was to it.
That's awesome at least SD getting that part right. My mother in FL searched for weeks to get a vaccine. Finally driving 2.5 hours inland for a 15 minute appt and then drive 2.5 hours back. She'll repeat this in 3 weeks. Not good for a 77 year old woman.
JeffA: how are things going in the Native American communities in the state? I know that in some other states, distribution on tribal lands has been...challenging.
Oklahoma's tribes seem to be doing pretty well from what I've heard from my friend down there
Sorry, I have no information on that.
Rolla, Missouri: The Middle of Everywhere!
"Sprout" or "Wrap a bow" probably would've been more on-the-nose CoC titles to nest an announcement that my family is expanding, but it's supposed to be hot out when she's due, so....yeah, this works.
Congrats!
there you go!
Noice!
Congrats, my friend, and it was great drinking a cold one with you to celebrate. Fake golf was fun, but can't wait to head out to the links with you sometime this summer! And.... "she's due" ... hmmm, I didn't even think to ask if you knew yet.
Ok, I read that again. Does "she's due" refer to your wife being due, or a baby girl being due?
Wife is due in mid-August. That was unclear.
And yeah, man, fake golf was a blast. Just what I needed, for sure.
!!!!!!!
Congratulations Nibs!
Congratulations!
Congrats!
! good news, indeed.
👏
Congrats!
congrats, man!
I'm working from home today because a direct report texted at 9 pm that he has a fever. and a cough.
I'm hoping his child brought home something non-covid edition from day care ..... ..... ...... ......
and rapid test covid free for both of us. Still going to be a lot of very social distanced work from home for the next two days to be sure...
Twins on MLB Network on the TV - free game today?
Pretty cool seeing Toby Gardenhire and Terrin Vavra chatting after the game.
In a strange twist I got a slot for a vaccine on the 25th of March.
Minnesota is opening vaccinations to group 1C so I'm eligible now, over 60 with an underlying medical condition. But I have to wait for either Allina or CVS to contact me for an appointment.
Food service workers now eligible. Challenge now is navigating into an appointment to git r dun.
Thrifty White has had a lot of openings in Fergus and Detroit Lakes that were going unused.
Any staff against getting it?
So far, a couple. Tough situation. We are strongly encouraging people to get it and I may even bonus out people who do.
speaking of sandwiches (because we usually are), I made pupusas for the first time last night. My technique needs improvement. They were delicious, but I had a very hard time getting the filling done (enclosed) without making a mess.
Any experienced pupusa hands out there with tips?
I ended up rolling my masa out fairly thin on my board, using a wide spatula to loosen the dough from the board before cutting in circles with a 1-cup metal measuring cup. These were too small, but I didn't have a better mold at hand. I then would spoon in a generous tablespoon of filling and try to pinch around to close. I ended up doing a lot of patching as the masa split.
the other technique I used was to use both a top and a bottom circle, pinching them together, so they looked more like ravioli. Not much better.
I have seen a technique starting with a ~1/4 cup ball of masa in hand, making a well for the filling, then pinching. But the rolling technique seemed easier. I dunno.
either way, they were tasty.
Oh, man do I ever have a suggestion for pupusa making ----> order out!
But seriously, I've only made the ravioli version, and it's not bad because papusa but it's not pretty.
Sounds like your flavors turned out well. Reading your comments, I think you just need to find a mold that is the bigger so you can nail down the dough to filling ratio where you want it without the mess issue. Maybe keep an eye out no canned products you use. I have a few canned items in my pantry I use regularly that I will save the empty can for uses such as this. I have never made pupusas, but that may change soon.
they are super easy. The dough comes together fast, they are easy to cook (just a few minutes frying in a pan or on a flat top with a little bit of oil). It's the assembly that requires expertise and practice.
I got motivated by watching a Triple-D episode the other night. The chef/owner was a wizard, making it look easy. It is not. But maybe with practice (and a drier filling mix) it will be.
Tortilla Cafe, DC
On Jan 24th, 2020, I started spreadsheeting the coronavirus. There were 550 cases that day for the world, according to Johns Hopkins University. Later, as of 2/4/20, there were 420 deaths worldwide.
I stopped tracking on 3/6/21 at 116,066,662 cases with 2,580,180 deaths worldwide.
On Mar 2nd, 2020, I started spreadsheeting the U.S. (from Johns Hopkins), with 102 cases and 6 deaths. I stopped on 3/6/21 with 28,894,783 cases and 522,874 deaths.
On April 14 2020, I started spreadsheeting Hartford County (from wunderground.com), at 2,243 cases and 133 deaths. I stopped at 3/5/21 with 71,020 cases and 2,299 deaths.
On Feb 8 2021 I started spreadsheeting U.S. vaccinations (from nytymes.com), from 2.8% (fully vaccinated) and 9.5% (one dose) until 3/5/2021, with 8.6% fully vaccinated and 17% one dose.
On Friday, March 5th, I got my first Pfizer vaccine. I've quit tracking on all of these numbers.
Not sure why but I cried for about 20 min after this post.
because. This has been the shits. Every aspect of the handling and the emotional toll the lack there of has been the shits.
I saw on the Twitter machine that 2020 was the first year since 1947 that more than 1% of Americans died. Back then, the death rate had been steadily falling, so 1947 wasn't some sort of terrible year, it was a year on the continuum of improved health outcomes and longer life. The shock of what happened in 2020 is foreign to modern American life.
My journey through the US Presidents is driving home to me the uniqueness of our modern state relative to any other time in World History. People died young back then. A lot. Disease was rampant, misunderstood, and allowed to wreak havoc. Hardships were common. In other words, life in the late 18th and early 19th centuries sucked. Plus, there was great resistance to spend money to improve infrastructure as many of the founding fathers saw that kind of activity as being unconstitutional. So, we are very lucky to live now, as opposed to then. But, given what we know, what happened in 2020 America was horrific and, I think, largely avoidable, although I could be wrong in the degree to which it was avoidable. Certainly, some parts of the world fared way better than we did.
The United States has always had a free rider problem. A concerted effort, a great collective sacrifice was required to stop this thing in its tracks. I'm coming around to the idea that the US has almost never had the will -- even when fighting a War for Independence -- to sacrifice collectively to make things happen. While our troops were dying in winter camps in tatters, the general population seemed to carry on as if it wasn't happening. We were unable or perhaps the proper word is unwilling, as a fledgling country, to provide food and clothing for the men fighting for the existence of the country. It could have been done. It wasn't. It was more profitable to sell food to the British (it was probably more complicated than this, but the idea that we left our troops to starve was disgraceful). We will see if this continues as a theme throughout our existence. As I continue through my book on JQA, this idea that it was only a few who sacrificed to make this country go is continually driven home. The 2020 pandemic response, to me, seems to be consistent with Americanism back in 1800 or thereabouts. 🙁
On the other hand, we (we is a broad term here, because it wasn't only America that was involved in this effort and some companies, but not all, did it without governmental assistance) did create multiple effective vaccines with unimaginable speed and this is not to be discounted. So, it is a complicated legacy that we have as a country. Great successes, coupled with a surprising lack of importance placed on ensuring the collective good. America.
SBG, I admire your dedication on this project, and enjoy reading what you are gleaming from it. Thank you for that! History is definitely misunderstood by most of us, as we pick up most of it in sound bites and short discussions. Here are some of my thoughts:
As individuals, for the most part, we are a selfish nation. It's about "me" not "we". This pandemic has really brought this even further to light. A certain portion of our population is spoiled rotten. I remember thinking in 3rd grade, when I had to go to my small town grocery store with food stamps, that we were poor. At that time, we had a decent house, 2 vehicles, clothes on our back and, thanks to food stamps, food security. In reality, I was living better than 95% of the world's population. We are a nation who screams "buy American", but in reality we search for the cheapest price on most things online while our small, local retailers go under. We are a country littered with selfishness. We are beyond rallying around a common cause, as there can no longer be a common cause. Our fractured political system will not allow it. We are more tethered to the view points of talking heads and demagogues than we are to the collective good of our country. Of course, I am painting with a broad brush here, and yes, there are a lot of examples of people who do have their heads screwed on straight. However, the very nature of our democracy has always, and will always, breed conflict, division and strife.
As someone who has done pretty well in the field of conflict resolution in my career and social circles, the state of our country has weighed heavily on me for the past 3 decades. I read a ton. I engage in political conversations seeking to understand viewpoints I do not share. By my nature, I seek resolution to the conflict I see building around me. Like NBB, I have shed tears as I think about this pandemic, as I know we could have done better. When I witness the insane nature of our political discourse, I do not rage, but instead I mourn. I think I am coming to a point that I am finally able to understand that for the entirety of human existence there has been strife, conflict, sorrow, unfairness, greed and a myriad of other undesirable traits of our world. I am beginning to understand that these problems will always be present to some degree. There will be ebbs and flows. Yet acknowledging this, does not excuse me from not caring. It does not excuse me from not doing what I can to fight against such things. I guess I have come to understand there is no brokering to a solution, but an ongoing, endless battle that must continue to be fought, regardless of the fact that there is no end in sight. I find myself more focused lately on what my idea of the common good is. Helping others who need help. Fighting for the ideal that everyone deserves to have an opportunity to live a good life, free of tyranny. Maybe that thought of "my idea of the common good" actually makes me part of the problem, because that is exactly what divides us. Everyone is fighting for their own idea of the common good.
Something, something about journey versus destination.
I'm about 1/4 through the JQA book. He was, in his early thirties, America's #1 diplomat and he probably helped keep America out of a war with France because while he was in Berlin as minister to Prussia, he was his father's back channel on all things Europe. Personally, he needed to get back to the US because he was paid a pittance and was nearly broke. He got back to Boston and saw how all of his classmates at Harvard (he was second in his class) were getting rich and he was hanging on by a thread, comparatively. Yet, he remained in public service, because he believed in America. (He also didn't care much for the legal profession, so there was that.)
Likewise, Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe were pretty much bankrupt when they left the White House. Jefferson was a huge spender, but Monroe had floated the country expenses for years as a diplomat and had to fight like hell as an ex-president to obtain re-imbursement. When he was president, he was paid $25K a year (about $750K in today's dollars), which was a lot, but he was expected to pay for all entertaining at the White House. He had to borrow $35,000 to cover the expenses related to White House functions. This man was a diplomat, Secretary of State, Secretary of War, and president for two terms and he was basically penniless when he left the White House. He ended living with his daughter at the end of his life, because broke. The idea that we wouldn't have taken care of someone like him with a pension, an expense account, etc. was shameful. But, we couldn't levy taxes on people because that would be bad. Just amazing. The widow Dolley Madison had to sell her husband's papers to survive. Daniel Webster bought her servant (yep, these people were also slaveholders, so complicated!) and set him free so that Dolley wouldn't be out in the street.
Also, JQA had invested his parent's money in American bonds that were somehow tied up in a bank in Europe that failed and they lost it all. He felt that he'd caused that to happen, so he bought most of his parents' farm and allowed them to live there for the remained of their lives (and they lived a long time). JQA was married with two children and he took pretty much all he had and sunk it into his parents' farm. I'm of the opinion that the US was pretty lucky to have the first six presidents that they did.
And yet President 7 was the first "defender of the common people"!
I think the AJ book is going to be very interesting. I think it is pretty sympathetic to him and I"m not sure how I'm gonna take that.
Another Meacham hagiography?
Oh hell no. Remini single volume (condensed from his three volume biography). It's hard to believe how much that Meacham book sticks out. The first two were really good. Madison and Monroe books were tough, but very informative. (That Madison book was a beast.) The JQA book is a lot easier to read than the last two and a wonderful companion to McCullough's treatment of his father. In between, Meacham's book is just crappy. Won't touch another of his books.
Not everyone is fighting for common good. As you mentioned, most people are fighting for status quo so they can continue to have theirs. I'm a firm believer that when we all do better we all do better, and that eliminating poverty and systemic racism would go along way to help unite people. I'm not a historian, but it seems to me that as a planet we're killing each other less than we ever have in our modern history and that is likely due to improved communalism and quality of life. We just still have an extremely long, long, long way to go.
Yes, could have worded that a bit better. I especially agree with your last 2 sentences. Long, long, long way to go at a snails pace. Our lifetimes are so short in the grand scheme of things. It is difficult to see measurable progress in one person's time on earth.
The arc of history is long but it bends toward justice, is what I've heard.
It's a great line, but it is patently untrue. MLK knew that, and I know SBG knows it. History don't play.
source
Dido. It has been the shits.
There is so much wrong with the world, however, that it can be paralyzing. I try to focus on harm reduction in my professional life, because we all need successes to hang our hats on.
and kudos to Beau for injecting the Paul Wellstone aphorism into the discussion. We all do better when we all do better.
Thanks for sharing this, NBB. I think there's something about tracking numbers that give a sense of control. That even if you can't (obviously) control the larger situation, you at least have a concrete task to do and to focus your anxiety. I can understand why letting go of those spreadsheets would bring up so many emotions tied to what we've all gone through this past year.
So glad you'll soon be fully vaccinated, and here's hoping all of us can achieve that in another few months!
Another thank you for posting. It has lead to some great discussion. The historical context is also appreciated as I've always been skeptical of the history we tell ourselves of America's great sacrifices. (Not skeptical of individual sacrifices, but the mass-collective ones.)
Two indirect connections for me to this story about Roy Marble not getting his number retired at Iowa. Gary Barta, the AD, was a backup QB at NDSU when I was there. Also, Roy Marble played for the Fargo CBA team in the two years that it was in existence. He was really, really good. Inexplicably, though, he always seemed to be on the bench when the game was being decided. The coach in Fargo was really talented in his ability to have his best player on the bench with like four minutes left in the game. Next level on that account.
Mmmhmm.
On the one hand, retiring numbers is kind of dumb, particularly at the collegiate level. On the other hand, WTF? Dude held the school scoring record for 32 years?
The history of Iowa men's basketball is not exactly replete with great players. Possibly the best ever to play for the Hawkeyes was Downtown Freddie Brown (JUCO transfer, so only 2 seasons, but he averaged 27.6 ppg as a senior, and is the all-time NBA scoring leader among former Hawkeyes).
The best ever to attend Iowa was Connie Hawkins, but he got absolutely screwed in a point-shaving scandal and was expelled from Iowa before ever playing a varsity game. That is a sordid story of awful racism and abuse of a kid, which led to him being blackballed by both the NCAA and the NBA. The NBA finally settled out of court when it became increasingly clear that they would lose a suit he had filed against the league.
Not to mention that that Iowa team he was on is the best team they've had in my lifetime. He was the only starter to not spend much time in the NBA.
BJ Armstrong, Kevin Gamble, Brad Lohaus, Ed Horton, and Marble were the starting five. They were up big on UNLV in the tournament and ended up losing to them. That UNLV team was awesome.
That Fargo CBA team had Ed Horton and Les Zepson as well. Plus, George Ackles from UNLV.
We used to call him Lep Jespen. He's a financial advisor in the Twin Cities, now.
LOL on the Z.