Nationalists

Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. -George Santayana

I am a nationalist. Donald Trump

Nationalism cost over 100 million lives in the first half of the 20th century.

It's Armistice Day.Today it's called Veteran's Day. We celebrate those who sacrificed so much in the time of war. The Armistice marked the end of World War I.

It was called the war to end all wars. The Great War. It was fueled by raging nationalism. The Armistice brought temporary peace. There was hope when the League of Nations was formed, but without the participation of the isolationists United States, the League failed to hold the peace. 37 million people died in the first World War. 80 million died in World War II as the allies fought off fascism and more nationalism. It makes me wonder about the rebirth of nationalism here and in Europe. Why on earth would we go there again?

The animated short is "A War to End No Wars" published by Cog In The Works Media. .

The Last of the Melting Snow is performed by The Leisure Society.

Dragonflies and Hope

Change is coming

I've always had an affinity with dragon flies. Spending many weekends at the lake brought me up close with these beautiful creatures.I used to stand at the end of the dock, hold up my hand, and before long. one would land on my index finger. The dragonfly would pause, rest for a few minutes while I was able to examine their delicate features. 

At my father's family memorial at the lake, one landed on my finger while offered up a prayer. It was a touching moment for all of us.

They aren't all that delicate. I found out later that some can fly as fast as 40 mph. 

I've missed the connection with dragon flies. I haven't had much of a chance to go to the lake since a radical change in our circumstances since 2009. Like millions of others, the great recession took my job, and the recovery has been slow and incomplete. My boss at the time thought we should top asking the top 1% for contributions because their portfolios were damaged. They've all recovered and then some.

Reconnected

This summer there was a re-connection of sorts. In August dragonflies were flying close to the student driver car I use as a driving instructor. Golden fireflies flew up close on several occasions. It seemed odd. There's no lake anywhere near where I take my students, but the visits were welcome.

Intrigued, I looked up the symbolism of the dragonfly. According to Dragonflytrasitions.com, "In almost every part of the world, the Dragonfly symbolizes change, transformation, adaptability, and self-realization. The change that is often referred to has its source in mental and emotional maturity and understanding the deeper meaning of life."

None of that  can happen with a focus on the past tinged with regret. Maybe the dragonflies are telling me it's time to move forward. I can't affect the outcome directly, but I can improve mine. I certainly look forward to the opportunity. The change is long overdue.

Maybe the dragonflies are trying to tell us all something. It starts with our votes.

Bob Seger - Detroit Made

Some people collect cars. I do too, but instead of restoring three to four thousand pounds of sheet metal, I collect videos for my driver's ed students.


More to come...Suggestions?

How about this adaptation from American Graffiti! Do you remember when we used to cruise the Ave?

Hot Rod Lincoln Originally released in 1960 by Charlie Ryan and the Timberline Riders. I like to show this version by Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen.

Elvis bought a Pink Cadillac for his mom. When I went to look up this tune, I found one by Jerry Lee Lewis and  one by Bruce Springsteen. So...why is the Cadillac black?

Low Rider has been used in 17 Films starting with Up In Smoke.

Freedom of the road...Born to be Wild!

Kinda like radar love?

How to Turn - Vision (the most important thing)

Every time I share this with my students, the light goes on. They've been looking down the hood with their parents trying to give instructions like turn more or turn less. If the student uses their eyes, they will be able to turn smoothly. If they bring their eyes up and look down the path of travel, the car will follow.

And what about Tailgating?

Saudade

Loss From Something Gained

When I started the journey to find out more about myself, I was hoping to gain insight into a family health history that was totally absent. I had an outside hope for connections, but they weren't expected.

There were times in my life when people used my adoption as a weapon. They said things that were hurtful. At times intentionally, at other times unintentionally. They were meant to put me in my place.

Hearing from my half bother Gary Mantalas last spring was out of the blue. To suddenly find four half-siblings was unexpected. There was suddenly a connection that had not been there before.

After a few phone conversations with Gary, he decided it was time to meet him and his two brothers. They were planning a road trip her in October. We were all looking forward to getting to know each other better.

Yesterday I learned of Gary's unexpected death. I know we've never met, but I still feel the loss. I also sense the loss my bothers and sisters and his children must be feeling right now. I can take consolation in having found Gary and a family that was unknown to me for 68 years. My heart goes out to them.

There's an untranslatable word in Portuguese that expresses the feeling of loss and ,perhaps, lends some perspective,

Saudade.

I found this explanation by Laurie Burrows Grad.

Saudade is a Portuguese expression that is almost untranslatable. The best way to describe it is: the presence of absence. It is a longing for someone or something that you remember fondly but know you can never experience again. It is an awareness of the absence of a person or thing, which puts you in a deep emotional state of sadness. The presence of absence grapples with those who should be here but aren’t. It is a form of homesickness and deep yearning. You are among thousands of people but none is the one you want to be by your side. Saudade is the moment you realize how important people are in your life and the moments you have taken for granted.

But there is something to hold onto.

Saudade is not nostalgia where you reminisce about happy and sad emotions. You remember the happiness but feel the sadness knowing you can’t recapture the feeling. Nostalgia expresses a sensation one has for a loved one who has died while saudade is the knowledge that some one is absent from my life. Saudade provides comfort because even in my sorrow, I sometimes feel an incongruous rush of joy in the hope of recovering something that will fill the presence of their absence.

Crime Rates Among Immigrants Are Low

There's a claim that immigrants are bringing high crime rates. The United States is being infested with criminals

'They're bringing drugs,' crime and are 'rapists' -Trump

"These aren't people, these are animals."  -Trump

Is it Irrational Fear? Is it political posturing? It is demonstrably false.

There's even a claim that the crime rates are way up in Germany. That's false too. According to a report published by Politifact, According to the latest government numbers that came out in May, crime in the European Union’s largest economy is down by about 9.6 percent from 2016 to 2017.  

It is also down nearly 4 percent compared to 2012. This chart shows the percentage drop in all crime, violent crime, and the three most common crimes of street crime (a catchall category that spans offenses from sexual harassment to extortion to gang violence), theft and property damage.

An article in Vox by Matthew Yglesias contends Trump's cruel immigration politics is a scam. His approach is based on big lies. Keeping immigrants out will not make us all richer and safer.

Human Toll of Air Pollution

Easing the Standards

The EPA wants to ease the standards on air pollution. The reasoning is the standards get in the way of economic growth, but there's a trade off.  There's a cost much greater than the cost of clean air standards impose on industry.

According to the World Bank...

Air pollution costs the global economy more than $5 trillion annually in welfare costs, with the most devastating damage occurring in the developing world, according to a new World Bank report. The welfare figure incorporates a number of costs associated with air pollution like health and consumption.Sep 9, 2016

Bad air also costs lives...