2025 Daily - 04/30/2025 - The Extremes need to declare PEACE

 There are many things to consider .. First ... Shakespear suggests the first thing to do ... is kill all the lawyers. That is questionably what Trump might support or not. I think he would support killing those who have sued him, etc... Retribution!!!

However - killing is hardly ever the solution to anything. War end when killing ends. Capital punishment has not been shown to be a deterrant. SO - what should be done FIRST?

FIRST we must understand and define and state the problem. Many say that writing down the problem often gets you very very close to solving the problem... SO - I say here -- EXTREMISM needs to be understood with the FIRST POINT being - there are always extremes to consider in politics and politics touches everything. The same can be said for religions, And - races and nationalities, etc.SO - what I think is needed is to STOP EXCEPTING THE EXTREME POSITIONS....  Find THE MIDDLE.. Find CONSENSUS... 

THE question is: what is extreme? I guess some people's extreme is not seen by them as such. We will/do see the extreme in the "other" though and easily, too, right?  Besides -- if we are not discussing/talking how will we know where are the edges, the extremes, the redlines?

What if consensus cannot be found? I think acceptance and/or tolerance needs to be applied and for the extremists let them live on the fringes and policing their needs for dominance are what governments need to do. My view of evolution is:

children as the basis for human couples - lead by parent

couples as the basis for human families - lead by elders

families as the basis for tribes = lead by chiefs

tribes as the basis for religious groupings - lead by priests

religious groupings for the basis of nation states - lead by kings, queens, presidents, etc.

nation states for the basis of ?????

AND each group takes precedence over the previous groups. The later groups rule the current and previous groups -- AND RULING is done always with the essential consent of the people being ruled and if consent ebbs than the system collapses and falls back onto the previous grouping's control. Democracy is best preserved by PLURALISM.... The balancing of the needs of the many individuals and the many groups that are governed. Extremists are among the groups and they have individuals, too. SO - all must learn to live .. if not together than at least IN PEACE....

The ONE THNG that is essential for society, civilization, etc.. to work is PEACE. 

So - DECLARE PEACE!!!!!

2025 Daily - 04/29/2025 - war, war, war.... NOT

 SO -- politics... on my mind...

one: how do you prepare for peace? VS how do you prepare for war? -- Both the same in a complex diverse world where anything can happen on or around your borders?!

two: I read a couple of things about Trump ... since it is the 100 day point of his regime... and a thought that is on my mind is... WAR... Some of suggested a civil war could develop since our country is so divided. Another scenerio -- A WORLD WAR... which some might say has begun with the TRADE WAR... and the way to end any war is for the primary aggressor to be defeated. I am afraid to say ... it seems that Trump is the primary aggressive leader. In his first term he bombed in Syria which I thought at the time was a breach of International Law. Now the Trade War is his personally declared war with tarriffs and the harm to so many people everywhere is, I think, not balanced by any benefits the USA might reap in some long run...!! IF the problem is trade and unfair labor practices and/or subsidies in other countries .. we might answer that with subsidies to local industries. Our labor practices can probably be enhanced by more profit sharing by owners with their workers. There is, I think, another economic way to go instead of using tarriffs with their immediate devasting consequences here in the USA and in other countries. In fact I think we might suffer more in the short and medium run and maybe even the long run.... 

SO - War is The Issue. Do we Americans want any kind of war? Civil or global? One brings self-destruction and the other brings general destruction. Can we rebuild without war? YES - our industrial base needs redeveloping... or something. NOTE: our major industries were stagnant and successful for a while after WW2 while other countries rebuilt their industrial systems with modernized ways. Then - instead of playing catchup effectively we chose to buy cheaply from others who were more productive and who had different labor issues. The others didn't win. We played a losing hand while trade let us satisfy our consumption needs. We can correct without war and destruction ALTHOUGH - war and destruction is the old, tried way .. and thus easier to do. We know war! But we hate war -- or at least I do and I hope other do, too. 

On trade ... consider this thought... We have oil and other ways of producing the energy to power industries AND for the past 70 years we have imported, cheaply, a lot of that energy, i.e. oil... thus depleting others while maintaining our own reserves. We did good for ourselves and others benefited, too, but TODAY we can move forward with great independence. Bring on solar -- even if from China. Bring on wind. And even oil, gas, coal, and nuclear... Just to be safe - keep it clean and secured.

2025 Daily - 04/28/2025

 its MONDAY .... wow! A new day and I had an ok breakfast - half bagel, tuna and egg salad from Shabbat, two coffees, two tomatoes...  Now at services ... registered for a zoom on effect of the 1st 100 days on Jews... from The Forward. And today will include a Chorale rehearsal and maybe some bereavement. I hope to get in a walk/aerobicWorkout... AND there is the 10am zoom on Zionism.  Open minds with more information. 

THE question always is -- now to stop hate?!!!?!!??!! It is easier to declare war, do hate/harm, be insular then to declare peace, love/support, be part group(s). Some things need reciprocation, I think, and love is one of those things that SEEMS to need reciprocation. With that needed it is then too possible to be disapointed, hurt... And when hurt do we not often return hurt for hurt? That is reciprocation, too, isn't it? SO - maybe reciprocation is the NORM and if so what about unreciprocated stuff, generally,

Another issue/question: - VERY POLITICAL... How do you advocate for raising taxes since we get what we pay for... and if we cut, cut, cut -- we will eventually bleed out. An infusion is needed and I would want those people with assets in excess of 5 (five) million dollars and an annual income of over 400,000 dollars to pay more into the communal pot. Is that fair? Is it necessary? Is it for the good of all, the rich and those not rich? Community is in tension with individualism and that is able to be moderated by the old ... progressive tax system.

For me what is a PROGRESSIVE TAX SET/SYSTEM? It is where income is taxed like this:

Annually - each part as it is... - this may or may not be as the past Progressive System was set up but doesn't this make sense and is fair? - or some such formulation:

0-40,000 - zero tax

40,000 - 80,000 - 20 percent

80K-160K - this part gets taxed 25 percent

160K-320K -  - this part gets taxed 35 percent

320K - 500K - this part gets taxed 45 percent

500K - 1Mil - this part gets taxed 55 percent

1Mil - and up  - this part gets taxed 65 percent

2025 Daily - 04/27/2025

 WELL... I am on it today -- at least by noon! Just got off phone with daughter Sarah. Nice far ranging conversation. History, anti-semitism, relationships, fathers day, jazz thing and place to eat... Nice!

Later off to Bar Mitzvah celebration for one of Shmary's sons. Before that -- a workout. And now - eating a fti-bar after taking morning pills.. which may be a second dose... I need to re-organize my daily pill taking.. DONE.. Now follow!!

Played/practiced piano already. Had a good night's sleep. 

It rained a bit last night, yesterday. I'll check my newly planted tomato plants and see how they are doing later/tomorrow. 

Maybe more later................................

2025 Daily - 04/26/2025

 And in under the wire... 

Sung in Davis Chorale concert tonight -- at big Cathedral on K street. Bruckner's Te Deum. Went well.

Services this morning... I sponsored Kiddush .... people were gracious. Nice.

Talked w/sister as usual on drive to Walnut Creek on Saturdays... Told her to not gift me the car... It is not my style and I'm not interested. She thought I liked Cadillacs. She thinks lots of things that are not corrrect and doesn't know lots of things that went on ... We really are not connected. But... I am doing what I'm doing ... for whatever reasons there are under the sun. Compasssion is probably the reason.

Thats all for now.... Good night!

2025 Daily - 04/25/2025

 here i am again...and remembering to write... something...

this morning: Rotary - met at the dump 

then met Steve in park... good discussions... Akedah came up .. how to we understand that .. and Kaddish - superstitions and meaning and how things are done today ... in Aramaic when we Aramaic was the vernacular and understood by all... So when will we do it in English? 

then some lunch

and a full workout ...

now about to go have Shabbat dinner ...at Neal's with Shai...

and THEN --- rehearsal in Sacramento for tomorrow night's concert... Te Deum by Anto Bruckner.

And when I return home later -- maybe I will sit and play the piano for the day's playing!

2025 Daily - 04/24/2025 - Birthrates???

 Well - back writing again after missing about a week. No good reasons and I have written some notes such as the one included here at the end which was a letter sent to the NYTimes for publication. While I do not reference the old Zero Population Growth movement/organization... I wonder where is that? And where are the economists who can help plan for a future with a decreasing population. Also - I don't mention the ways to the decrease which include wars, famines, disease, and such. What we need is what is called a Soft Landing!

Today is Yom Hashoah and I have a candle lit as is a custom these days for all those who died in the Holocaust and other terrible catastrophes such as the Oct. 7, 2024 event!

Another writing I began today will be an additive response to a Facebook post about "who we are" as Jews. My addition will be to describe regular folks rather than the stars of our people. The stars are important but the regular folks are essential. I think of myself as one of the regulars and I feel important, too. 

===============================

a copy of the letter sent ... and hopefully will get published:

Re: Birthrates

Recent articles have addressed declining birthrates and suggested reasons and ways to reverse that trend. I don’t think an increasing population is a good thing as the climate crisis can be linked to a world with over 8 billion people. Fewer people using fewer resources would have less impacts on the climate and planet! Where is a plan for reducing population while sustaining national economies and raising the quality of life for people who lack adequate food, shelter, and clothing? As a meaningful aside the article about robots in factories in China points to a future need for less workers as productivity rises.  

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2025 Daily - 04/17/2025 - Three State Solution? plus

Another new day... at services this morning and checked stock market --- which continues to be a roller coaster -- dropping and then rising ... but it has not fully risen... yet... !!??

Weather is cloudy and cool. 

I hope TODAY I will get back on to all my routines... writing (happening here and now), piano, workouts. ALSO - cleaning needs to be added ... another half-hour thing. Today? Office or Garage. And eating needs controlling as there are a lot of leftovers still "calling" me. Stopping after eating some meal... necessary! Less/no snacking. AND - as for wine.... limit after finishing the currently open bottle(s). And - WRITING is something I can do by refining and/or adding to the Duality Blog,

Eating: so far this morning --- cottage cheese and fruit (berries and pineapple). At lunch - I think it will be tzimmes and dinner - chicken and chicken soup.

====================

a thought...

A One State Solution is not likely to be democratically workable. A Two State Solution is now, more than ever, a scary proposition. Perhaps a Three State Solution might work. What would that look like on a map? There would be Israel defended by the IDF. There would be a Settler State also defended by the IDF. There would be a Palestinian State demilitarized and defended by various Arab States and the UN.  And maybe a fourth state, Gaza, also defended by various Arab States. BTW - the defensive needs might be generally eliminated by effective Policing of terrorists from within and the prevention of importation of weapons from without. 

========================

PLUS ... maybe for facebook, etc...

on court orders.... Some argue that the court order(s) relative deportations and specifically the case of Abrego Garcia are of little importance. They might suggest it is horribly wrong but not that big a deal while others, including me, would suggest this is on a Slippery Slope where any of us can be deported. Any of us!!! And there IS such a thing as a slippery slope which is denied by, I think, people who eventually want to get to the bottom of something and calling it minor, unimportant, not really on that slope -- is a great distraction from reality. Today reality is one thing and tomorrow another and on the third day it changes again AND SLOWING THINGS DOWN IS ESSENTIAL. IF Congress were doing its jobs then it would take back powers it was too slow to excercise. Congress needs to act more quickly and not delegate things such as economic WAR (tarriffs) and immigration/deportations and other difficult but important issues. DO THE WORK CONGRESS!!!!

2025 Daily - 04/16/2025 - w/president vs ceo and Economics is the basis of all war!

 Today I write .. again daily!? I am writing just after writing to fill in the past several days. TODAY -- as I have for several days - I wonder - how can one person - The T-man -- declare war on behalf of our country? Isn't it the Congress that has to declare war? It is very bad that one man who is inconsistant, mercurial... has the power seemingly to make war. Where are the people who have the job to do that Constitutionally gone to? There are too many people not doing their jobs and one person wreaking havoc unchecked while our system has long been based on checks and balances. I am afraid it may come down to a Real War being commanded and then our Armed Services standing down and disobeying a commander in chief who is way outside the Constitutional box of the power of the Presidency. In other words - things are moving in a direction which is truly destructive of the fabric of the American civil society, norms, and LAWS

and now MORE:

president vs ceo - The USA clearly does NOT have a King. What then is a "president"?  WELL - he is the head of our Executive Branch and therefore is?? - a CEO. What does a CEO do that a President does not? I would suggest that both positions are quite similar in basics with the following big differences: one: CEO's ARE allowed to get rich based on their performance. The President of the USA is NOT allowed to get rich. Period. Two: CEO's are subject to laws of the State... individual States and Federal nation-wide laws. Recently it seems the President was given immunity by the Supreme Court of such control ... while that control does still exist as the Impeachment process. However - Politics, i,e. Power ... is currently protecting the current President and unrestricted he is making war inside and outside of this country. Real War ... as War is always essentially about Economics. IMHO.

2025 Daily - 04/10-15/2025

This post... for days... will be followed by posts more timely AND in the other blog - two new dichotomies... "give/take vs lies/truth - based on Grapes of Wrath scene/song AND woke vs (or from) political correct speech. ALSO - why is the left the left and not liberals/progressive while the conservatives are conservatives... at least on BBC World News reporting the other day.

SO - anyway - the posts for the last several days were not done as Passover, visits from daughters, baseball game... and life's other stuff didn't give me time... as I need a lot of time. And that is the why.

2025 Daily - 04/9/2025

 Ahhh... Getting to THIS earlyish... at about 10:30am -- and I've played the piano already, too.

ALSO - made airline reservations to travel to my sister ... Leaving Sacramento late on June 9th and return afternoon of June 17th... Two one way tiks... so I can change them seamlessly ... if/as necessary.

OTHER travel plans... none at this time.

And NOW - off to continuing Passover script preparations and then Pedrick (veggies and snacks), Safeway (beef), and CVS (wine) shopping. Sometimes things seem to be coming together. Yesterday almost changed to TURKEY... but daughters thought we already had a good idea! SO -- tzimmes and  costco chickens, etc. etc..

2025 Daily - 04/8/2025

 Well... here it is -- about 11:30PM and I've played the piano and I am writing ... writing this..

Today walked w/Ava and then pumped some iron. Saw Rachel a little - she was tired and I will see her again this week to shop in the morning, Thursday. Talked with Gil, gardener, and hope to get an estimate for the valves, watering in the back. And then get that done!

Good rehearsal at University. Yesterday's Chorale rehearsal was good, too.

Rooms are pretty cleaned up and will get Adriana's touch before delivery of new bed on Friday and moves of the old beds... one out!

All's otherwise well. Almost changed menu to include turkey because I FOUND THE TOP to the roast pan which had been missing for a few years!!!! I knew it had to be somewhere...??? - and it was in the "junk" room buried under books and stuff .. which was cleaned a lot/fully - today. YEA!!!!

Watched on TV a couple of Dark Winds... maybe tomorrow will do elliptical and do some Continuum... Or not... Tomorrow will be a Pedrick Shopping day... and maybe also get meat at Safeway as well as missing spices... and I'll probably make my charoset (persian style)...

MENU looks to be:

snacks on table - nuts, dried fruit, ????

eggs and fish

matzah ball soup

beef tzimmes and chicken

potato kugel

salad

asparagus

noodle kugel - sweet - may be dessert..

chocolate cakeS (2)

cheese cake

some macaroons

FRUIT...???!! berries....

AFIKOMEN...

2025 Daily - 04/7/2025

 Well - today ... began early w/the simple elliptical workout. Then some breakfast (cheese omelet w/mushrooms). Then services... Then called United Airlines and they did me a good solid correcting the name on the ticket I bought for Amy. I have to wonder if their system may have been the problem but in any case -- pretty much all fixed. Then got an appointment w/Dr. Dima at 1pm for the cyst... I wonder if it might be opened up again .. AND I think I need some Keflex. The weekend had the cyst very very inflamed but with some hot compresses and a few remaining Keflex -- it is now ok...   Had a video appt w/urologist and we will monitor w/blood tests and mri's the prostate so I am passing on the invasive biopsy at this time. Later I will see Jim and then maybe the bereavement class and then Davis Chorale. NOW -- off to the piano.

Maybe more later... below... -----------------------

2025 Daily - 04/6/2025 - a missed day

 What did happen yesterday??? (I am writing on the 7th) Well - a good workout. Some planning for Passover. Not much. Oh well.

2025 Daily - 04/5/2025

 It is late Saturday afternoon... I awoke very early, showered, went to services, and to costco (where I was disappointed to not find whitefish salad)....

I'm tired... and my cyst is flaring up again. I hope to see a doc on Monday! It hurts. I have some antibiotics left ... I took one at about 5pm and will probably take another at bed time. THEN - just about out. I did send a note on MyChart... hopefully that will produce a result for Monday.

I am cleaning up in "junk" room since that seems to be the preferred place for old bed... as I get a new one and get rid of the old cheap bed. Mostly I am finding myself shuffling things around to new places... I HAVE TO TOSS ! !!! There are books there to toss... though that is proving hard as I look at titles and think... hmmm... In fact I found a rather important book of the Mussar tradition... Duties of the Heart by Paquda.... It is good I recognized the title!!! I have to toss more though... Can't be keeping stuff I really can't store and which I don't use!!! Bad form. 

Today at services ... Bat Mitzva... and drash addressed really apologizing ... with the apology, the correcting, and the promise to not repeat. The promise is the difficult one. Better to not do any harm needing an apology!

Got emails from Marie -- with a recipe for a chocolate cake .. .and good wishes. She is something! I wonder if I will see her again somewhere??? I could ask about when she will be in Miami... to just touch bases, so to speak. Ahhh.....

I really do have SOO much to do... Davis Chorale, musical prep for Seder (contemporary stuff and other stuff... THIS year - a song sheet/book... copies at Kinkos!).

MUSIC -- I have many solemn songs on my list on my phone. I am calling it Firestein's Fado -- They are not the blues but they are melancholy and romantic and thoughtful and sensitive... I think they represent a significant part of my soul. And here is Disturbed/Davis Draman's "Sound of Silence" 

Do I go to one of their concerts? With whom... This is Heavy Metal... I think. Videos are loud and violent and disturbing!!! yes DISTURBED!!!!

2025 Daily - 04/4/2025

 Good'day - Well I was in Australia a few months ago (September). Now - back from Portugal I am getting back in to my 2025 routines which are: usual workouts, usual attendance at services, chorus-University - AND - now also piano each day, trying to write something (even if just this blog) each day, and Davis Chorale.

And - next week - Passover and I've been thinking about music, questions, etc... And working w/daughters on menu and making the food AND Susan Hildreth will also make something. NICE. And Amy will be here... so w/Sarah and Amy and Susan and me - the original nuclear family. NICE.

THE writing I will turn to now ... is the piece about LGBTQ+ people and how making peace with all people's requires or will be helped or facsilitated by being at peace with LGBTQ+ people... maybe we adding an "H" for heterosexual would be useful! So we might get: HLGBTQ+ folks... ALL folks.  Unless this is viewed as those who said "all lives matter" as a take-away response to "black lives matter". I guess being special and distinct to highlight problems is important and yet to me... I have or try to have no negative issues with non-white and non-binary/heteros since for one thing - I am a definite white hetero who likes the idea that IF I were to be gay, etc -- I would double or more the number of possible dates for Saturday night (HA HA HA ...!!!). 

Well - actually - this may be all the writing for today....

thoughts and ideas while on 2025 trip to Portugal... and more, maybe

 March 21, 2025

Day ! In Portugal. Lisbon to be sure. Was met at airport smoothly. Found out this is a BIG group... Actually two with 50 people in each. Different hotels but dinner was a the same big restaurant in two separate rooms ... We did bot notice the other groups.
The restaurant was in an old building that was THE one to survive the late 1700 earthquake. Foor was good - fins and feathers... Chicken and shredded cod. And wine and salad and dessert. A good conversations. With -- Vic, Stephanie Alberto.... Earlier met - Marti, Deloris, Carol,Rosemary, Gtwo, Mamalarta, and some others.
While the grou and ???
Rested and will head to sleep soon.. 9:30us,,, Day starts tomorrow at 8:15 after breakfast. BTW - and other NO POLITICS DISCUSSION RULE....
Hotel is nice. Room small with no desk or chair but electricy good enough and bed us comfortable and shower was fine.
Tomorrow - Fada extra at night. Bus tour of city in morning.

March 22, 2025


March 23


March 24


THOUGHTS NIGHT OF 23RD very early the 24th
Remember the good .. to Amy and Sarah.. not as Father taught me
Passover welcome and intro
Chapters of my life.... Different women, jobs, examples.. etc.. things owned,
The letter without specifics to my sister.
Critical analysis of information on Internet.. or anywhere..... The same.. compare verifiable facts and distinguish from opinion and soecut
Library tours ... California and national and international.... AND get library cards where possible.
Do we need a bomb test... To demo terrible power. And end spending on the military... Education!!!!!


Some new? Dualisms
Wrong or right... Thinking of doing
*****Stay or go?****

2025 Daily - 04/3/2025 - on a role again???

 Well -- day two of continuous writing on this blog... for whatever it is...  Not much yesterday and maybe not much today. AND - yesterday I did get back playing the piano. And today listened a bit to Davis Chorale recorded rehearsal to try to catch up. AND yesterday was first day of University Chorus where we with whom I will be performing the Mathew Shepherd piece. Quite moving!!!!

maybe more later..................

2025 Daily - 04/2/2025 - after Portugal

 I have some notes from my trip to Portugal.... and those will be added soon as will facebook posts of pictures. I now have to write something about LGBTQ+ people and issues ... especially as I need to process past personal tolerance and acceptance after hearing somethings in a class as we prepare for singing about Mathew Sheperd...  I have been moved to consider the issues around LGBTQ+ folks as THE issue of the 21st Century. The ONE primary issue! SO - off to the word processing program... now. 

More about me, today, etc... later.