A new first

Yes ladies and gentlemen, today represents a new first for me. It is actually a huge step forward, but it is important to note that it is only the first step in an endless journey of exploration.
This is my second post. I know it doesn't sound like a big deal, and I am the first one to admit it isn't all that important in the grand scheme of things. But to me it makes a step forward...but isn't that the nature of all personal advances? All to often people set goals that aren't unreachable but aren't as easy as expected. I think that it is a matter of perspective. It isn't that you are going to loose 200 pounds, but it is you are going to make some lifestyle changes and loose 20, then worry about the next 20...all of this is doable....just understand that quite a bit of it is a personal marathon. You don't just up a run one the next day(unless you are a serious freak of nature) but you train. I have read in some places that you should train for at least 4 months and then do no more than 3-6 a year....and if possible no more than 25 in your lifetime....now this is not to say that you cannot do more. I know there are people that exceed those numbers regularly but I must admit wonder if their knees remind them when they are older of the folly or vanity of their yesteryears.
But things are doable, in all ways and on all days. Just remember this, any one can take a first step....It is that second one that is tricky.

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Another Day

I read a blog called zen habits....and one of the more recent posts was about how many times a week the creator of the blog should post. I am impressed it takes a great deal of bravery to ask the public what they want of you and your time... Alexander Hamilton said it best when he said "The masses are asses". That is really what I want to talk about today. Democracy is a great thing, but its failing isn't in the process. I wish it were, cause the process is easy to change. It fails because of the people who choose it for their form of government. It is easier to vote in the short term and take your pleasure where it is but hard...very hard to look at the long term ramifications of your decisions. Looking at Social Security is a prime example. I doubt I will ever collect on it....and most people will within 4-6 years get back all the money they put into it as well. Yet, I have yet to see the man elected who would push through a bill to dissolve it....to many people care about....not enough to vote for you if you want to leave it unchanged but enough to vote against you if you say kill it.
Robert A. Heinlein once said that that the moment the people learned they could vote themselves bread and circuses that Rome fell... I fear that America is heading down that dark road as well...I just wish we could learn to stop our train and learn from our history....but I find learning from the past is a thing we seem to fail at doing. To often people don't know the past or think that the scenery or technology makes things different....look at the deeper themes and be very worried.

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