Category Archives: Contemplations

Reflections on City Lights, City Sounds

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I didn’t notice until the topic arose at a gathering of neighbors, but the people who own our apartment building seem to crave attention. They’ve added lights. Lots of lights. Around every edge of our building’s roof, and there are lots of edges because of the way the building is constructed. Our specific apartment doesn’t face the lights, but for our neighbors, the new lights definitely brighten their bedrooms at night. 

We drove home after dark yesterday, and our building is, let’s just say, conspicuous. No one who lives here could fail to find their way home in the evening. We’re like the north star a million times over. Nothing around us has more than a lightbulb in a doorway to guide folks. As one who craves the sight of stars at night, I’m saddened to see this “improvement.” Why? What were they thinking? Do they have any second thoughts? Do the owners even live where they can see what they’ve done? 

As I get closer and closer to the point at which I will nod off and never wake up again, I’ve started to think of good things that could happen after I pass away. Two things come mind: lights and sounds. I don’t think we will go back to the stone age, but I do think that people in the future will crave darkness and silence and find ways to access both. People who live in urban areas today are fortunate if they can see Venus in the night sky, much less Orion or the Big Dipper, much less the Milky Way. Yet for most of human history, people relied on the night sky to guide them, land voyagers and seafarers alike. 

Little did I know when I was young that I would lose my ability to see the stars long before I lost my vision. I grew up in a small city with porch lights, street lights and some neon business lights, but we could still see stars and identify constellations. Today, I have to make a determined effort to get far enough away from city lights to get my fill of the night sky. We lived for a few years six miles from a very small town where we had the good fortune of being able to enjoy the stars, and on very dark nights, the Milky Way. My heart aches for the thrill of walking out our back door and looking up to take in the glory of our bit of the universe. Every move we make involves tradeoffs. Sigh.

City sounds are another mixed blessing. Sirens are annoying, but it’s reassuring to know that help is within reach if we need it. Street cleaners are perhaps the major annoyance where we currently live. I’m not sure why our small city thinks that 6:00 a.m. is the right time to send the very noisy street cleaner to our neighborhood. It takes an hour to go up and down the street in front of our building once a week like clockwork. Seriously? Who created this schedule? Bet that machine doesn’t work in their neighborhood ever! 

And then there are the garbage trucks and the food delivery trucks that service us and the restaurants that are nearby. These I value because I love for the garbage to go away, and I love to have half a dozen restaurants so close that we can easily walk to them. (Plus, the garbage and delivery trucks don’t start work at 6:00 a.m.)

Of course we have guys (yes, I’m sure they’re all guys) who make their motorcycles and cars as loud as they can, then rev their engines repeatedly – just to make sure they’re working –before they charge off into the night oblivious to the irritation they leave behind. I once asked a police office if there isn’t a noise ordinance just waiting to be enforced. He looked at me, cocked his head, and asked which crimes I’d place lower on the list of things he should attend to as he chased obnoxious vehicles around town? OK. I get it. But I still believe that eventually noise will become a higher priority than it is now. Maybe we’ll tamp down all other crime and finally be able to chase noise monsters. 

Truck noise is something else again. I don’t know why we can’t require trucks to rein in the noise they make. Some towns have highway signs saying they enforce rules agains certain brakes. Does that work? Do truckers obey such signs? And what about refrigerator trucks that keep their refrigerated trailers cold when the drivers are off eating or partying or who knows where? One more annoyance. 

I could comment on the Navy’s Growler aircraft, but I’m far enough away from them now that they no longer affect me. I learned last year that they their job is to mess with enemy communications, and I want them to do that. But damn those planes are noisy. I’m confident that some future generation will find a way to do their job with less of that bleeping “Sound of Freedom” noise. 

Perhaps the most aggravating noise I’ve heard in the past year was the sound of someone else’s music being shared with the world on a hiking trail of all places. City noise is irritating, but at least it’s in the city where we expect it. It’s bad enough if a group of hikers are yukking it up while hiking, but playing music via a bluetooth speaker when earbuds are the proper way to listen? What the f*ck!!! I’m not on this trail to listen to your music! Do we have to make a rule about not blasting your music to the world? Can you not just know that’s not polite? 

Some noise is inevitable in a city, but I really, truly believe the day will come when we realize that too much noise sets people on edge, and we need to tamp it down. We’ll also realize that the night sky has a calming effect, and we need to find ways for more people to get more of it. I don’t expect to be around when people make darkness and silence a priority, but I know it will happen!

December, 2024, Odds and Ends

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The year is coming to an end. What are we to make of it all? 

Syria

Bahar al-Assad is in Moscow. Good that he’s gone, but will something good come to pass in Syria in his absence? Check back a year from now.

Two Presidents

It has been customary in years past for the US to have only one president at at time, but this year we have two. The inauguration is not until January 20, but Trump is already wheeling and dealing with other world leaders. Hey, it’s Trump, so no one objects. Meanwhile, there is some hope that senators will grow a little spine as they contemplate his various cabinet appointees. Some are at least familiar with the basics of our government – stuff like three branches and no king. Others, not so much. I can’t wait to see if nominees will get background checks and if the Senate holds actual confirmation hearings. 

Health Care Anger

Periodically, I get angry at our health care system. That said, I don’t support assassinations of health care executives. Still, when I see YouTube videos with doctors saying things like, “a traumatic brain injury can last a lifetime,” I think, where were these docs when we needed them? Several years ago, when a certain friend was struggling with things as he did in the first few years after his TBI, I called two regional medical centers to see if I could get an appointment for him. Their first question was, “How long since his injury?” Decades, I responded. “Oh, well we don’t admit anyone to our program more than two years after an injury.” TWO YEARS??? WFT! Yeah, I get angry.

Hibernation, Anyone?

Why can’t we just hibernate during the winter? Wake up for holidays, then go back to sleep. Especially in the gloomy northwest. Even the winter sun is a problem because it aims right at my eyes when I’m driving. Yup. Hibernation!

 Seahawks

What is one to do with a floundering football team? The Seahawks are above .500 for now, but not by much. And even the games they win are hard to watch. Fumbles, interceptions, yellow flags, honestly it’s a miracle they win any. What to do, what to do???

SCOTUS

What is one to do with the Supreme Court? Yes, our Supreme Court, i.e. SCOTUS? This past week, they listened to arguments regarding a Tennessee law prohibiting medical transitions for minors. (You can find the transcript online.) Sadly, the only justices who seemed grounded in reality were the conservative ones. The liberals (remember Justice Jackson who couldn’t really say what a woman is because she’s not a biologist?) were off in la-la land with the trans-rights activists. Sigh. I just hate it when I have to rely on conservatives to stay tethered to earth. 

Swedish Death Cleaning

We have too much stuff and are too mired in winter lethargy to deal with it. A friend recently recommended a book about Swedish death cleaning. I started it, but wandered down a path of self-recrimination for not tending to such. Actually, it’s not just winter lethargy. We have opted not to deal with the stuff during all seasons for the past several years. A certain friend thinks we should sell it online. I can’t imagine gearing up for such an activity, so yesterday I actually emailed an estate sale agent nearby. Sadly, I waited until after 2:00, their office closing time on Saturdays, so I have to wait until Tuesday for a reply. Some of our stuff is worth some amount of money, but not so much that we are counting on it for our waning years. Check back with us in a year. 

Power Outages

We survived our first power outage in our new home. We were warned about big wind storms when we moved here, so we brought the porch chairs and the garbage bins inside. Then we watched TV until it blinked out about 7:00 p.m. First night, not too bad. Next day, (short winter day, remember), chilly but survivable. Second night: chillier than the first. Second day: we headed to Seattle. We had reservations at a hotel for our anniversary weekend, and decided to go a day early. Smart! Power came back 72 hours after it blinked out. Many others suffered much longer than we did.

Spare Heat

Some of our neighbors are planning to buy generators, but I think we will skip that solution. Been there, done that. We got a generator after a few outages at our Skagit house. But the problem with a generator is that it needs fuel. Usually gasoline. Which means you need to have it on hand just in case the power goes out because when the power goes out, the gas stations shut down. How much fuel? Depends on how big your generator is and how long you run it. We just ran ours for a couple of hours in the morning and evening to keep the fridge cool and run the furnace for a bit. But we had a propane stove, propane fireplaces, and propane lanterns. The house wasn’t toasty, but it was tolerable. What I really want here is a gas fireplace. I might even get out of bed to go shopping for that!

The End

I could go on, but I think I’ll do more odds and ends in the new year. Be well, folks.

Peace is Possible?

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“The Economist” magazine thinks peace is possible. Their theory is that October 7 shook things up enough that both Israel and the Palestinians want things to change. October 7 and events since then have shaken me up, but I’ve come down on the opposite end of the teeter-totter. I see the end of Israel, and the increasing likelihood of another Holocaust. Perhaps the writers at the Economist don’t think pessimism sells as well as optimism? 

Here’s my reasoning: 1) Peace is unknown in the Middle East since the demise of the Ottoman Empire; 2) The two-state solution was conjured by the British in the 1920s and 30s, but it was never the preferred solution of either the Zionists or the Arabs/Palestinians. (In early iterations, Britain assumed it would be staying in the Middle East and could referee the unfriendly neighbors on occasion.) 3) Like it or not, Gaza voted for Hamas in 2005 just as Israel, through it multi-party system, voted for Netanyahu (many times over). Both want a single state solution (their own state). Israel has citizens who would opt for a two-state solution if it would bring peace, but they are currently not the majority. 

After WW II, when Britain could not get agreement on a solution, and everyone just wanted the Brits to go home, it placed the problem on the doorstep of the United Nations and left. The UN offered a two-state solution, which the Israelis reluctantly accepted. The Arabs and Palestinians rejected it, declared war when Israel declared independence, but lost the war. Jordan annexed the West Bank, Egypt took over Gaza, and Israel began governing the rest of Palestine. Many Arabs lost their homes during that war and continue to demand the “right to return.” Jordan accepted some of these as temporary refugees, but later sent them packing when they tried to take over Jordan. Meanwhile, Jews were purged by every Muslim country in the Middle East, but were accepted in Israel. 

The US tried carrots and sticks to push through a two-state solution in the ‘90s (Oslo Accords), but no deal was acceptable to all. And today, we have a horrendous situation. Currently, it seems the Palestinians are winning the PR war, at least with the “elite” members of European society and the Anglo-sphere. We are, it seems, unable to favor a winner and must always side with the underdog. For sure, the situation in Israel/Palestine is a long-standing, murky feud in which sad stories abound, and there is plenty of blame for all parties. 

But seriously, Israel has done some things right that seem to be ignored by those determined to commit both-sides-ism. Primary example: Arabs living within Israel, i.e. not in the West Bank or Gaza, are citizens, can vote, have representatives in the Knesset and on the Supreme Court. If Muslim or Christian, they can practice their religion unimpeded. Bedouins fare better within Israel than within the territories. 

Israeli citizens can and do protest, argue (eternally), speak and write of their concerns about every issue under the sun. No Arab country boasts such freedom. Who knows what the people of Gaza actually think of Hamas which has not held elections since it was voted into power in 2006. Do you ever wonder what improvements people might have enjoyed if all the money that has been poured into Gaza had gone for improved schools, hospitals, and other infrastructure rather than the immense network of fortified tunnels that shield their fighters? What if Hamas stopped firing rockets into Israel and focused on building an economy and Palestinian culture? 

The militant Islamists who run Gaza teach children every horrid prejudice of history about the Jews next door. They do not hate Zionists. They hate Jews. Honest. It’s that simple. There used to be Arabs who differentiated Zionists, who wanted a Jewish State, from Jews who simply wanted to live in their historic homeland. There were and still are Jews who are anti-Zionists, including a few in Israel. And I believe there are some Arabs who could still accept Jews as a minority population in a country run according to Sharia law. But I fear that most protesters who prance about shouting “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be Free!” haven’t bothered to even wonder what plans Hamas has for their Jewish neighbors living in Israel. Protesters may envisage a happy place where Jews, Muslims, Christians, atheists and others will live peacefully side by side. I don’t for a single minute believe that that is what Hamas envisions. 

If you read some history of the pre-WW II era and then the role of the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem during the War, this scenario is not what was envisioned. And no one really presses Hamas to describe what would happen to the Jews of Israel if Hamas succeeded in extinguishing the State of Israel. Given recent events, what’s your guess? 

You might share my concern about Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Many people do. But there’s actually a case to be made in support of the settlements (excluding those on land clearly owned by individual Palestinians). Yes, the settlements seem to be a thorn in the side of anyone who supports a two-state solution. But who is that today? Too few Israelis and certainly no Palestinians. In any event, I refer you to an intriguing explanation of why the settlements are legal.*

I have long been a fan of the two-state solution, but I now realize that no Palestinians support such a scheme. The optimists at the Economists think things are so bad right now that both Israel and Hamas need a way out, and a two-state solution might enable both to save face. I know they are way more informed than I am, and smarter too, but I think current circumstances only incentivize Israel to take over all of Palestine giving up all pretense of two states. Could some parts develop the level of autonomy of US states? Of Scotland? Of Cantons in Switzerland? I don’t know, but that’s the best outcome I can see. 

The other option I see is a second Holocaust, this one conducted by the Palestinians with the backing of Iran. Israel may use its nuclear weapons to try to forestall such an outcome, in which case, all hell breaks loose. Truly, that’s how worried I am. May I please be wrong.

Suggestions for further learning:
*Jesusalem and the Israeli settlements according to international law,
lecture by Natasha Hausdorff

Palestine 1936: The Great Revolt and the Roots of the Middle East Conflict, (readable book) by Oren Kessler, 2023

About That Code of Ethics…

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The reason I featured that particular “code of ethics” (see my May 25 post) for discussion is because it so starkly contrasts with other guidance we get nowadays. I’m thinking of “centering” guidance, such as “We will center racism…” or whatever other ism is in the headlines. I stumbled across the “Live each day with courage…” code when I was browsing news about Wyoming, my home state. I do that periodically, just to see what that broad empty expanse of the Wild West is up to today.

In my most recent exploration of all things Wyoming, I discovered that the Code of the West was adopted in 2010 as the Official State Code of Wyoming. The one thing I changed in my recent post was the “Work for the team” line which was originally “Ride for the brand.” I just figured that “Ride for the brand” would give too much away, and I wanted it to come to you in a neutral way.

This code is being used in schools across the state, and I have to say that prefer it to all of the various diversity, equity, inclusion guidance that kids get in many schools today. I would quibble with lots of it based on experience derived from my advancing age. For example: “Always finish what you start.” Ha. A year ago, as part of my ongoing downsizing effort, I officially gave up on a variety of knitting projects, some of which were fairly close to completion. I’d had them sitting around, some for years, waiting for a bit of advice, time, or that feeling of optimism I had when I started them. They only induced guilt each time I looked at them until I finally said to myself, “This is ridiculous. Perhaps someone will make use of this yarn. Get these out of here!” And yes, I’m glad I did that.

One bit of the code I do like is this one: “Talk less. Say more.” For me, it’s missing a bit in the middle, namely “Listen first.” I really am committed to doing a lot more listening lately, and I am learning some valuable things. I’d do other editing before adopting the code as is, but if a state is going to give guidance in this day and age, I rather they use this code than, say, the Ten Commandments, or “Look for racism everywhere all the time,” or other admonitions that pass for good advice today.

If you were searching for advice that schools could adopt, would you start from scratch, edit something like this, or forego the exercise altogether? Years ago, I substituted in a 4th grade classroom that had this for a motto: “It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.” It was a great class, but perhaps it was because the teacher just led the kids in a supportive, but patient way. Perhaps it wasn’t just the motto. Whatever the case, I do think it might be worthwhile to think through our values now and then. Have they changed? Do they need to be updated? Have world events or personal experience affected how we see things?

Hmm.