So I’m a gadget guy. I admit to devouring the Sunday circulars from Staples and Best Buy. If I have to be in a mall, I’d prefer to pass the time in the electronics section of any department store.

Technology fascinates and impresses me. Updates and innovations happen with such frequency. And the minds behind these things!

I have a working knowledge of hardly any of it. I just use things and hope they never stop functioning properly.

Obsolescence is a given. It doesn’t take long for something that’s new and hot to cool down and show up in the rear view mirror, taking a back seat to the next big thing.

Which might set one to wondering if such a progression hasn’t already happened with various gifts we received for Christmas. We can file our gifts in a variety of categories—useful, needed, wanted, useless, @#$%^!, creative, unexpected, sentimental, thoughtful…

In my experience and memory, there has never been a gift that approached the lofty status of the Official Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Range Model Air Rifle that Ralphie Parker dreamed of and received (with the compass in the stock), though there have been some needed, wanted, and unexpected gifts along the way and I’ve appreciated them all. Still, it amazes me how easily I can part with things that at one time were considered indispensable and must-haves.

If Christmas matters- beyond the candle light and family time and presents- then it need be bound up in Jesus. Everything and everybody else will wear out, break, not fit anymore, be willed to an heir, or take a back seat to whatever comes next.

The writer of Hebrews reminds us that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. In a world that gets quickly bored, this may sound like one more boring thing.

Yet Jesus is always a big thing, always calling us back from the brink, from our worship of lesser gods and the shallow, short-lived joy we might feel over whatever earthly treasure we care to covet.

It makes sense that we put our faith in things we can touch and see and use. But we know how that usually progresses.

 

Extraterrestrial life, or the possibility of it, has been getting a lot of press lately, especially since the recent New York Times article investigating reports by military pilots of unidentified flying objects they encountered in the course of their daily duties.

If I was a betting man, I believe I’d put money on the likelihood of there being life somewhere else in the universe. After all, it’s a pretty big place.

Having said that, I also believe that if it turns out there isn’t anyone else out there, I’d be ok with that.

Some folks are convinced that there are aliens among us, that there has to be a governmental cover-up dwarfing the JFK conspiracy theories and the lunar landings that is keeping the general public from knowing the real truth about extraterrestrial life.

To which I say, with all the passion and vigor I can muster, “Whatever.”

Can we talk about terrestrial life for a few minutes? There are approaching 8 billion of us on this magnificent celestial orb we call Earth. No matter where we stand on the necessity of contemplating carbon footprints and global warming, almost 8 billion humans in a finite space translates to the necessity of cooperation and awareness of need. And awareness of impact.

For the anti-tree huggers among us, events like Earth Day and the whole environmental movement must seem like so much hooey, major annoyances. Just window dressing and a band-aid, a bandwagon easy to jump on for a day or two.

However, for anyone who claims that the Bible speaks with a certain authority, care of the earth is not optional. Care for all its inhabitants is not optional.

There are two creation stories in the book of Genesis- chapters 1:1-2:4a, and 2:4b-24. The first speaks of “filling the earth and subduing it,” while the second portrays us humans as stewards and caretakers. The battle rages over which one deserves our allegiance, though it seems pretty clear that blindly ascribing to the first is a disaster in progress, not to mention incredibly selfish and short-sighted.

Wherever we stand on the authority of Scripture, or on the eco-awareness spectrum, may we be moved to take care of things—our families, our hearts and souls, and the only planet the vast majority of us will ever call

home.

Perfection is a lofty goal. It can be a driving force behind musicians and athletes, chefs and auto designers, wood-workers and surgeons. The pursuit keeps us focused. Of course, it can also consume us, which is somewhat tragic, since perfection can be such a subjective thing.

One’s perfectly-played Chopin Nocturne is another’s dreadful and unimaginative rendition of the same. One’s perfect soufflé is lost on another who prefers a cheeseburger and fries.

Still, we pursue perfection—not all of us, but many of us—in whatever endeavors we undertake. It gives us peace of mind and satisfaction, knowing that we’ve put forth our best effort.

Some abide by the mantra, “If I can’t do it well, then I won’t do it at all,” which sort of skips over the whole idea of practice and repetition and finding reinforcement through incremental improvement. Which in turn involves patience and a certain hope and desire, not to mention courage.

Garrison Keillor (I know, I know…) used to sign off each Writer’s Almanac installment with, “Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.” No mention of perfect work, in his typically understated manner.

There is a place for simply seeing that our heart is in whatever we do, in the name of self-betterment or building up others.

Is it really just about the economy, stupid? It seems so. Many economic indicators have been on fire since Mr. Trump took office. The stock market is up 5000 points, so investors must feel pretty good about their own fucking climate. Of course, any rustling leaf or little whiff of conflict will have them running for cover and claiming the sky is falling.

So, apparently, when push comes to shove, it really is all about how people feel about their economic well-being. Nothing else much matters, like who is in office or what else is being done or undone or said or promised. Or threatened.

Our President’s a jerk? It doesn’t matter- my 401k is up 30 percent. He’s declaring war on a free press? Tsk, tsk, Bitcoin is going through the roof! He’s undoing every sane attempt at regulation of abuse of privilege and power? Please, this is ‘murica.  It’s amazing what we can overlook when our bellies are full.

Heaven help us. And now we have to suffer through another gloat fest thanks to passage of a tax bill rammed through Congress, to be signed in early January. The prospect of seeing a bunch of beaming white millionaires standing behind the Braggart-in-Chief, all puffed up over their “accomplishment,” is hard to handle. They’re painting it as the best Christmas gift ever for the average American taxpayer (well, until 2027). Throwing us a bone and then feeling pleased with themselves.

Please stop saying that you’re speaking for the American people. You’re not even speaking for a tiny majority of the American people. As if you know us or what is in our hearts and on our minds. Please leave me out of your pronouncements. You are not speaking for me or the actual majority of us.

Just stop it. Just go away.  That would be the best Christmas gift ever.

I used to consider myself an Independent, in terms of who I voted for. In Presidential elections, I’ve voted for both Democrats and Republicans over the years. I’ve never been a party loyalist. Until lately.

I vote a straight Democratic ticket anymore, sometimes to spite, sometimes on principle.

One has to look and listen closely to detect any separation or distinction between any Republican House rep or Senator. Ever since Barack Obama (though probably before), the Republicans have been in lockstep opposition to Democratic policy ideas. Donald Trump won the electoral college because he promised to undo whatever was done in the eight years Obama was in office. And he is keeping those promises with a barrage of executive orders. 

Oh, there is separation in the Republican camp- the tea partiers and Bannon disciples have wackier and more frightening ideas than the old guard McConnell types. But I’ve learned that a Republican vision of governance tends to overlook people, leave people out. The focus is heavily on small government, reckless deregulation, skewed tax policy that seems to favor big business and the rich few, and an unhealthy embrace of “Christian values.”

There is a conservatism that seems to come from a place of fear and ignorance and nostalgia.

It is stunning, on occasion, to realize how much of the daily news cycle is merely a recounting of small-mindedness. And everyone gets drawn in. This President is the biggest culprit, the Instigator-in-Chief. He’s a braggart, a dispenser of sewage and paper towels, lacks any semblance of a unifying vision, and in general is just not a very likeable person.  Yet day after day, everyone continues to play right into his hand.

What would happen if the late night hosts decided to look elsewhere for material? What would happen if the media just stopped covering him? Oops, that wouldn’t work because then Fox News and the Breitbart universe would have free reign.

Trump loves attention, and without it he’s nothing. But since he is the President, he gets coverage by default. He’s like a porch light attracting moths.

Though any mention of him and light in the same sentence is a disservice to light.

It’s interesting sometimes to see what inspires people- pithy words of wisdom, comeback stories, people overcoming the odds. Most of it does nothing for me. I find, in most instances, that the old wisdom quotes serve the purpose as effectively as anything else. Some of the more contemporary stuff is tinged with narcissistic overtones, a shallow, self-important vibe that turns me off.

I don’t respond to a tug at the heartstrings. And don’t get me started on these TV shows featuring overweight people or spoiled six-year olds or families with nineteen children whose parents smell a pay day and don’t mind exposing their lives for the benefit of a voyeuristic public.

Anything to make a buck and fill air time, I guess.

My memory is growing a bit hazy, but I think it was my third grade teacher who hung a poster treating, of all things, the topic of maturity. Maturity, according to this nugget of wisdom, is foregoing the immediate pleasure in favor of the long-term gain. Kind of a heavy message for a third grader, and there are other ways of thinking and talking about maturity. But this is a good place to start.

I’m trying to set the tone for a treatment of taxes and taxation, and I can’t help but think that not only is this about how we feel about money and who gets to keep and use it, but how we view our role in society. I argue that a mature, rational way of thinking about the responsibilities of citizenship includes making peace with the fact that taxation, as odious and unpleasant as it might be, is also a necessity. An obligation.

The latest November election cycle included a statewide ballot question regarding property taxation, and whether or not to leave it up to individual municipalities to levy or not levy these taxes. Predictably, the results leaned toward leaving the decision to the municipalities, assumingly in hopes of local officials deciding against collection of these taxes.

In some ways, it’s a no-brainer. Homeowners would save money, and who doesn’t like saving money? But isn’t there a thornier issue, a looming question regarding what would take the place of the tax which was used to fund school budgets?  It’s too easy just to say, “Don’t tax me for that.” But where and what are the viable alternatives for funding our schools? Bake sales? Donations from concerned citizens?

I would prefer to keep every penny I earn, but beyond just being selfish, this is an unrealistic way of looking at things.

Most everybody should pay taxes, including the one percenters with offshore tax shelters, and the corporations who levy undue influence by holding out for tax breaks that can only cripple or at least inhibit a community’s ability to deliver needed services. Promises of employment and other potential benefits are fine and good, but I need to see studies confirming that this is actually what happens when a mega-company moves in,  builds a plant and then either doesn’t pay taxes or enjoys reduced taxation for twenty years or longer.

I know this touches on one’s philosophy of governance and commerce and what Hamilton and the rest actually envisioned at the birth of this nation, but the hard reality is that government at every level is entrusted with certain responsibilities, among them the proper management of assets as these are used to alleviate suffering and provide services to citizens who live in any given village or city. We can’t depend on collective largesse and altruism to fill human needs. Nor does it seem realistic to expect charitable organizations to handle such responsibilities.

And enough of the bootstraps mentality. I’m tired of hearing how, if everyone just works hard, they’ll make their own way. That philosophy boils my blood, because not everyone gets an equal shot at tackling life this way. People need help from time to time.

It is just too easy for someone in a penthouse or a board room to sit back and say, “If I can do it, so can you.”

Bull shit.

It’s not as ominous as it looks. Actually just a quiet morning, a few minutes before the sun really lit up the edges of the clouds.

 

A representative system of governance is only as good as the representatives. An informed electorate is also critical. It bothers me that we seem to have such a disconnect between voters and people for whom we vote. A candidate can say he or she has their constituents’ best interests in mind as they journey off to Washington, but then something happens. The waters get muddied, promises made during a campaign give way to the more complicated reality of deal making and concessions. And all those promises, while not exactly falling by the wayside, get trampled a bit.

Candidates for public office promise the world. This was Donald Trump’s strategy. If ever there was somebody who just said whatever he thought people wanted to hear, it was him. What he promised was a whole lot of garbage, but people bought it.