Closing out the month

It is time to close out the first month of this year. Already this year has had its up and downs. What more will this year bring us? Only time will tell the tale. One thing has not changed and will never change, and that is change. Every day is one filled with the changes in life itself. Each day we are older, we come closer to wisdom or folly.

We sit on the eve of a new month, the month of February. A month filled with birth, death, action, inaction, turmoil, strife, hope and love. A month set apart from every other month in the Gregorian calendar. This, of all months, is the only month able to change the number of days in it. A month with 28 days, yet on years divisible by 4, it changes to 29 days. It seems strange to me that a month should change from an even number to and odd number of days in years divisible by four (4), an even number.

Calendars are unique, yet daily we think little to nothing about them. Our lives are ruled by an invention which is imprecise and not uniform in nature. Throughout time, men of power and influence have played with calendars to make annual events work out as they wanted them.

The idea of a calendar dates back to the beginning of time as we know it. The bible says the world was made in 6 days and the 7th day was one of rest, hence we have a week. The 7 day week has been the standard for eons. But what about following longer periods of time? As the sun rises and sets every day, the only way to see a change was by the moon, hence the lunar month was born. With this cycle, 28 days became the norm. After some time a problem was seen, counting the months did not always lead to the same time of year neither for planting crops nor for the harvesting of them. Changes had to be made!

There have been dozens of calendars over time and covering the globe. Each culture seemed to have their own answer to the problem, with no uniformity outside their sphere of influence. Only after the church got involved did a semi standard arise. This standard is more or less used worldwide and called the Gregorian calendar.

The Gregorian calendar is a bastardization of the Julian calendar. That’s right; you guessed it, a roman calendar. From the name, you also may have guessed who it is named after. I have no plan to get into the detailed workings of any calendar, either past or present. The complexities of any calendar are far too confusing to be dealt with in a short paper, such as this. My only intent was to remind you of something ruling your lives that is flawed by nature, yet thought of as precise and sacrosanct.

Nothing invented by man is so precise that change or improvements cannot be made. Our understanding of time itself is imprecise, therefore flawed. This is not a new or revolutionary idea, but one simply to ponder.

Enjoy today, as it is the only one of its kind. The next maybe similar, but can never be the same.

Ed Williams
©

Today’s history lesson – 30 January 2005

Looking back at events in history can be a very interesting hobby. It seems many dates in time have a theme. This may be by divine design or just a freak of nature, but it is there nonetheless. Today is just one of those days, a date centered “around” human entertainment. As entertainment comes in many forms, including politics, intrigue, the spoken and written word. This is an excellent day to view.

We have the birth of political heads, actors and writers topping the list. Franklin D. Roosevelt, (FDR) was born today in 1882, one of the most beloved presidents this nation has known. He is, by some, thought to have gotten us through the “great depression”, but in truth only World War II did that thanks to another man in today’s history of events. FDR never saw the end of the war, but was one of the engineers of the victory. He helped to set in place a system of civil reform in which we are, to this day, dealing with.

Also at the top of the list is Douglas Engelbart in 1925. I know most have never heard of this man, but if you are reading this, you should thank him. He was an inventor and the operations of the mouse for your computer can be traced to him and his work. Coming up next, we go to the “big screen” for the likes of Gene Hackman in 1930 and Vanessa Redgrave in 1937.

Back to the political arena with Richard Cheney, the vice president of the United States was born in 1941. This man has been around the political heads of this nation for decades, a real insider. Now to a man who has done some very interesting work, yet most Americans have not heard of him, Michael Dorris in 1945. This man deserves some research, so look him up and see what you have been missing.

Now on to a few interesting events to mark the day, in 1649, England was entertained as the head of the nation, lost it. King Charles I, was beheaded.

Once again the world got a hangover from over indulging in beer halls. In 1933 Adolf Hitler became Chancellor of Germany. He went head to head with FDR, but lost. It’s funny, in a way, but the birth of one man and the election of another on this date, still affect the world over a half century later. The war they fought, with the lives of billions in their hands, changed the world in ways we still do not fully understand.

On to the death of a man of peace and revolution, in 1948 Gandhi was assassinated. The teachings and practices of this man were used in the United States during the racial strife of the 1960’s. During those trying times, in 1968, the North Vietnamese launched the “Tet offensive”. This was the beginning of the end to U.S. involvement in the country. In 1972, British troops opened fire on civil rights marchers in Northern Ireland, sparking the “Bloody Sunday” massacre. You may be asking how these events could fall into the realm of entertainment. Look to all the books, songs and movies made about them. The world glorified and immortalized these events in the minds of the world on the evening news keeping the populous glued to the tube. They show the macabre nature of man and may show the link of “modern man” to ancient Rome and the bloody killings in the coliseum.

The last event on my list for today happened in 1979. The Iranian civil government announced that Ayatollah Khomeini would be allowed to return to the country. This sparked a chain of events which would help create a late night news program as soon; the American government would be embroiled in a conflict with the religious radicals of that nation as hostages were taken.

As the people of the world search the media for entertainment, events governing the political world also govern the entertainment we see, read and hear. Depending on how it is viewed, these events may well fall within the realm of entertainment. No matter how macabre or how disturbing the event; people of the world crave entertainment! Often only carnage, savagery and bloodshed fulfill the needs of our inner beast.

Looking more closely to the births and events, there also is a link to World War II; the birth of one of the leaders, the rise to power of another and the birth of others during the conflict. The chain of events continues unbroken to this day, linking everything together. Entertainment comes in many different forms, and from many different sources. If it wasn’t for these events, the entertainment of this article would not have been written.

Ed Williams
©

27 January 2005

There are many events in the world today. Many things to remember from the past. There are births of great and well known people, the passing of many more. The event that mark this day can be felt and will be felt for generations to come.

Wolfgang Mozart was born in 1756; Lewis Carroll in 1832; Jerome Kern in 1885; Admiral Hyman G. Rickover in 1900; Mikhail Baryshnikov in 1948. In 1880 Thomas Edison was granted a patent for the incandescent light; Auschwitz was liberated by Russians in 1945. In 1967 we mourned the death of the astronauts killed in a fire in Apollo 1. In 1973, the Vietnam “peace” accords were signed in Paris.

Today we have people dieing in the name of freedom, music and literature being read, listened to and written. We see the light of Edison every night and share it with the world. We have come a long way, but have a long way yet to go. With every advance we have, there is always a setback. In the future may we have more advances and fewer setbacks, may peace be real and war no longer necessary. May the creation of the written word be uplifting, the music, dance and the arts be enjoyable.

Just a Thought

Yesterday, I set back and remembered. I thought of a man born on January 26 many years ago. That man meant a lot to me, we worked together on many projects. I loved him and what’s more I liked him. He was a great influence to me in my teen years. I hold many of his lessons with me today. His body died a few years ago, but I remember him always. His name was John (Jack) E. Williams. I miss him and always will, but I remember the good times and feel better.

I also remember a lady I never met. A woman who raised a son to be a good and honest man, who stands tall among others with he head held high. She raised that son to know the value of life, family and country. I miss the opportunity of meeting her before she passed last year, but I remember her and thank her for my son in law. Pam Silny.

January 26 is a day the world views as a day of giving and of passing. A day filled with great and the not so great. These are two of the great; though not known by the world. The few people who did know them are blessed; those who did not know them have a hole they know nothing about.


Ed Williams

BEATING A DEAD HORSE

Recently I have been conspicuously silent on many issues I normally would have commented on. This is not to say I have given up my point of view, rather the opposite.

It is like the old saying about beating a dead horse. While it may make you feel better, it will not change anything. The horse will not get up and do as you want, it’s dead. In the end, you end up tired, frustrated with a sore arm and a bloody corpse.

Anyone who knows me, knows I am filled with ideas and opinions. I feel strongly about a great many things. One of the greatest ideals I hold is the inner good mankind secretly holds. Yes, it can be hard to find as it is buried deep, but I know it is there, somewhere. I believe in a creator of all things but do not completely dismiss evolution. In fact they go hand in hand as I see it. If you bake a cake, you start with the basic ingredients to form a batter, and then you bake it. Over this course you have changed things around to make something completely different than it was to start, an evolution if you will. With that said, I believe every person has the inner spark of the creator within them and that holds goodness.

I also believe every person should help those in need. This is true of nations as well as individuals. But to place the burden upon one nation to carry out all things is to kill the golden goose. As with any company, if resources are spread too thin, the company will collapse, then nothing is accomplished. This seems to be the case with the United States. Yes, we are the most powerful nation on earth today. We are the richest in many ways, but there is a limit to what we can do. We cannot fix all the ills of the world, fight all the fights or correct all the wrongs. With the money the United States already gives out to nations of the world in the form of aid, loan guarantees, grants, trade agreements, etc, there is not a member of any civilized nation not affected. We fight the war on hunger, yet we have hungry people at home. We fight terrorism and crime fills our streets. We give medical aid, yet we have people without health care. We fund education programs for underdeveloped nations, yet we have illiterate adults here, at home and children who cannot locate another country on the map when asked. We fight and die to give people freedom, yet we deny freedoms to our own citizens. We are saving the world and yet tearing our nation down in the process.

The United Nations drains resources from nations with little return. They demand support for international troops who do not have the teeth to maintain peace. They condemn terrorism, yet do nothing to stop it. If the United States were to pull out of the UN, the organization would fold. Until the day comes when all nations work together, it seems the United States is expected to lead. We cannot continue without help.

Have you ever looked at a flock of geese flying? They fly in formation with a lead goose breaking the wind, all the other geese follow. When the lead goose tires, another takes its place and leads until it tires, then the process is repeated. Before the trip is completed, every goose has had its turn as leader.

The United States has been that lead goose for many years now, we are tired and it is time another takes the lead. It is time we stepped back to replenish our strength and fix some of the problems here, at home. Later we may once more take the lead and show our rejuvenated vigor.

In the past, as now, there have been groups spouting isolationism. I can understand it! History shows any nation tasked with controlling and correcting the wrongs and ills of the world as failed. Not only failed the world, but themselves as well. Greece, Rome, Carthage, England, all had vast empires only to fall from the lead as decay eroded them from the inside and the empires fell.

With the world economy as it is, there is no way the United States can stop completely and pull back to its borders to heal. We can, however, cut back and stop over extending ourselves. Some say if we are not involved with the world as much, we would not be the main objective of terrorists. I disagree! Even as Rome stopped their conquest of lands, they fell under attack from within and outside their borders. Those who had less wanted what Rome had, so it is now with the United States. Others want our freedoms and lifestyle. If this is not true, why do people from all over the world fight to come here? The answer is simple, we have what they want.

Our presence is known and felt throughout the world. Every nation trades goods and money keeping the American dollar in mind. Look at the world markets and see the value of one currency to another. They base it on the American dollar! We are the standard! At one time the English pound was the standard, but that time has passed. Some day our time will pass but not as long as we can keep our nation strong. That strength doesn’t come from others, but it comes from within the nation itself and its people.

It is time, and past time for reform of our system. A major overhaul is needed before we are beyond the breaking point. Some say it is too late, we are on the downhill slide, and I hope they are wrong.

We need reform in our government. It has gotten too large to manage and listen to the will of the people. We need reform in education, healthcare, personal rights, transportation, energy and crime, just to state a few. We have, for far too long, operated at a deficit. Continuing along these lines we will fail! Countries around the globe owe us money for debts going back decades. There is no plan to collect this debt! We have companies farming out labor to other nations to save a few pennies on the dollar, making them richer and this nation poorer.

If we were to “nationalize” the debt, as other countries have done and say “we owe you nothing”. We could start at square one with a balanced budget, work within our means and become strong once more. As it is, we are beating our heads against the wall funding aid to other countries when we cannot pay our own debts. We are falling deeper and deeper into an ocean of red ink.

Soon, if nothing changes, we will be the dead horse with the nations of the world beating us for more. There will be no more to come as we will be a broken country with nothing to give, not even to ourselves.

Before repairing the house next door, put our own house in order.

Ed Williams
©

A TV lose

Good bye Johnny, we will miss you. But you will live on with us as you have for years. You have been gone from our late night viewing for years now, but not from our memories.

Good night Johnny, say hi to Ed Sullivan, Jack Parr, Jack Benny, Bob Hope and all the other greats I remember from my youth. You may have departed, but you can never leave us as long as we remember you.

Ed Williams

Today in History

I have been told I’m a frustrated teacher at heart. In almost everything I write, I try and impart a bit of knowledge or wisdom. This may well be one of the reasons I’m on a kick to let people know a little something of what has happened in the past. This is not to say I have given up on essays/commentaries pertaining to life in the world today. As history shows us the past, it also shines a light on the world of today.

Where are the births of a few people of note and events to remember: Edgar Allan Poe, 1809. Robert E. Lee, 1807. The two men never met, as far as I know, in fact Poe died in 1849, long before the Civil War. We also have Paul Cézanne, the painter, in 1839 and country western singer/actor Dolly Pardon in 1946. In 1915 the “Neon light” was patented in the United States by a Frenchman, George Claude, and we have never been the same. For old television buffs, in 1953 Lucy Ricardo gave birth to baby Ricky on I Love Lucy. More people tuned in to watch the show than the inauguration of President Eisenhower. For the CNN fans, in 1955 President Eisenhower okayed the first filming of a news conference for television. In 1981 the United States and Iran signed an agreement paving the way for the release of 52 Americans held hostage for more than 14 months. In 1997 Yasser Arafat returned to Hebron for the first time in 30 years, as Israel hands over control of the West Bank city to Palestinians. It still didn’t bring peace.

As this is just a very brief highlight, there are many other births and events to happen today. I just wanted to let you in on a little of the diversity this day has seen. We have entertainment and are still being entertained. We have the birth of a great general and a peace gesture, we still have war. As things change, so they stay the same. Maybe someday a writer or historian can note that today, a great humanitarian was born. Only time will tell, but we can hope.

Ed Williams
©

Just a Quick Salute

To the land “down under”, also known as Australia, I say hello. On this day in 1788 the first ship arrived at Botany Bay, delivering the cream of England’s convict population (yeah right) and sheep.

Australia, you have become a proud nation, far removed from your sorted beginnings. Though removed, your beginnings are woven deep into your very being and can never be truly forgotten.

You are a nation with humble beginnings, may you continue to grow and prosper. I say to you, G’day.

Ed Williams
©

January 17, 2005

Today we remember events from the past in hopes of understanding the present and improving the future.

Everyone in the United States knows today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a federal holiday to honor the birth of a man who worked for racial equality. He was only one person in a movement which is still in motion today. A movement which has evolved into something much more and less than what Doctor King had envisioned.

The equality movement of today is one for all people. These are not the mass marches and demonstrations of the 1960’s, but more subtle in nature. Now it is a movement gently working in more of a subliminal level to reach every walk of life. Today could be called world peace and equality day to remember not only the efforts of Martin Luther King Jr., but of all the people who gave their lives and those still dying to make that dream a reality. To honor every person, both men and women serving to free those oppressed.

This is not only the birth date of Martin Luther King Jr., but of other notable Americans as well. Benjamin Franklin was born in 1706, a man of many talents and achievements. This nation would not stand as tall in the eyes of the world if it were not of the efforts old Ben. James Earl Jones in 1931, an actor maybe best known as the voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars movies. Muhammad Ali in 1942 (Cassius Clay), one of the world’s best known combatants and showmen in the world of boxing. This is just to name a few.

This date has seen many events such as: the first birth in the White House of the grandson to Thomas Jefferson, James Madison Randolph in 1806; Hawaii’s Queen Liliuokalani was forced to abdicate her throne in 1893; Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish diplomat, disappeared in 1945 while in Soviet custody in Hungary; Operation Desert Storm started in 1991, only to be stopped short with the completion in progress today; President Clinton became the first sitting President to testify as a defendant in a criminal or civil suit in 1998.

Many events and happenings occur daily which affect our day to day lives. Embrace them for what they are, both the good and bad, for they all help to shape tomorrow by forging today. As with the birth of a butterfly, each event has a ripple effect on another. Everything is joined together to form a whole, leave something out and a piece is missing to a beautiful picture called life on earth. Darkness is needed to see light as evil is necessary to know goodness.

A day worth nothing is a day which has not happened.

Ed Williams
©

People

There are many types of people in the world. We all fall into at least one category or another, maybe more. We all have seen or hear of the other types of people one time or another. The following are a few of the different types of people.

The Humble has little but is thankful for the little they have. When they receive help, they are honored by it and show their thanks.

The Proud will make do with what they have and not ask for help. If they are in dire need and help is offered, they take it only as a last resort.

The Noble will give help when they see it is needed. They feel it is their place to give when called upon or the need is great.

The Greedy will give little but make others pay for the little they receive. They will only give when pushed into it.

The Pious give without being asked, even if it hurts themselves in the long run of things.

The Self absorbed ignore another’s needs unless it serves their interest. In the end everything has to serve their self interest.

The Selfish want everything others have, but on their terms. They demand others to give everything to them, and then complain it is not enough. They put restrictions on how and when others MUST give, yet claim intrusion and violation of their rights.

The Vampires pray on the needs of others. Taking what they want, caring only to satisfy their wants and desires, bleeding everyone else of theirs.

The Inept may try to help others, only to stumble along the way. In the end they do nothing but get in the way.

World events in the past have shown each of these types of individuals, groups of people and nations. Where would you place the OPEC nations, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, the United States, England, Canada, Australia, Germany, China, Russia, Switzerland, France, the African Nations or the Red Cross, the United Nations, the PLO, the IRA, the Christian coalition, the Jewish federation, and the Arab league of nations? Do not limit your view only to the past few weeks, but over the last 50 years, or more. Over time the true nature of the beast comes to light and can be seem. All you have to do is look. A single act or group of acts, of either good or evil cannot and does not hide the true nature.

Over time the true nature shall be known by the deeds performed, and they shall be known for who and what they are.

Ed Williams
©

A Quick Look at History Today

Here is just a few of the happening today, January 7, in history.

1800 - The 13th President of the United States, Millard Fillmore was born in Locke New York.

1896 – The 1st “American” cook book was published by Fanny Framer.

1927 – The transatlantic phone service began between New York and London.

1953 – Harry Truman (33rd president) announced we had developed the ‘Hydrogen Bomb’.

1989 – Hirohito died.

1999 – The impeachment trial Bill Clinton (42nd president) began.

HISTORY SHOWS THE PAST, BUT WE MAKE THE FUTURE.

Ed Williams
©

Just a Thought

Money cannot buy love, happiness or friends; it can buy a nice place to be lonely. Trying to buy friends only gets you enemies who are leeches and have more money to spend on weapons to hurt you.

Love and compassion cannot buy you anything, but can be given. They may be rejected, but the value is still there.

Compassion by guilt is not really compassion, only appeasement.

Ed Williams

©

Thought for the day or week

I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure--which is: Try to please everybody.

- Herbert Swope, address, Dec. 20, 1950

Is this the United States?