“IMPROBABLE ENERGIES”
Recently I re-read parts of a book written about 50 years ago by Hannah Ardent.
In it she spoke of the infinite improbability of a universe, the infinite improbability of a planet like ours forming within it, the infinite improbability of a human race developing and accommodating itself to the conditions on it and the infinite improbability of a civilization developing, now having an impact on this planet and nearby space.
"I would have liked to be happy for just one hour a day.”
Echio Sato an 81 year old Japanese woman lived with her son and his family in Tokyo but they did not talk to her, or involve her in family life. And she could not afford to move to a retirement home. She wept every day.
“My food was left in the kitchen for me and I ate on my own... I would have liked to be happy for just one hour a day.”
Pain trauma and death.
A recent review of nursing homes highlights serious failures in care that causes residents to suffer unnecessary pain, injury, trauma and death in its June 2008 report by the Center for Medicare Advocacy.
These accommodations, not as rosy as they might appear. Shorewood elderly should form an overseeing group to check in on our elderly as they seek these accommodations.
Ideas do become realities, Mr. Johnson.
The same people that pay village taxes pay school board taxes.
There's plenty of unused space in our schools and the seniors of this community are in need of space for their activities.
EUROPEANS DO IT.
When I arrived in Milwaukee, long before most people in the world who are living today were born, I tried in my public talks, in English tailored suits and accent, to convince social intellectuals here that sidewalk cafes added something special to living, something festive.
I lectured that we should work toward developing that type of culture for ourselves here in America, yes in Milwaukee.
Is there any place else?
Nature constantly reminds us of how tenuous our situation is here on this planet as we stand on these floating masses of land that we call continents, sustained by plenty of hot molten stuff that is often displayed in the form a volcanic emission.
Yesterday, the atmosphere also engaged in proving that nature is not so happy with us, blowing down our buildings and inundating our streets, basements and sewer treatment plants, even right here in Shorewood.
What, too critical or too negative?
I've been reviewing a number of essays that I have not posted. I think that the reason that I have not is they seem to be too negative in tone.
Any analysis or disagreement with policy can produce some opposition or a surprising perspective of the facts.
Positive sewer-aging.
Recent watery weather combined with inadequate sewer systems has resulted in flooded basements in Shorewood.
These are long-standing problems that pose negative sanitary conditions.
WHAT IS BEGINNING TO TAKE PLACE HERE?
If one is fairly healthy, years after “retirement age,” aging can then be comfortable and even entertaining, especially if one does not need to worry too much about her or his economy.
On the other hand, older adults who are not too well and whose economic situations are not too lusty, cannot get much pleasure from their end-of-life circumstances.
How are we going to solve this one?
President Bush's unpopularity in European countries and in Pakistan, a neighboring country to Iraq doesn't seem to be diminishing according to new accounts in Europe where Bush is today.
Our occupation of Japan, as presidential candidate Senator John McCain often refers to, was more peaceful than our presence in Iraq and it didn't involve us in border disputes with other countries. It is possible however to compare our situation with Iran as similar to what we experienced with China when we were in Japan. Eventually it involved us in Korea and Vietnam.
Appointment vs. election by emotion.
Now we have a new appointed Trustee at Shorewood Village Hall who won out over eleven others.
Each applicant usually submits a resume and gives other information that is reviewed by all the other trustees. The selection system seems a superior evaluation technique to the actual election process. For often the voters do not have that much information about the candidates and they usually vote by emotion, name association or position on the ballot or have no other choice.
Can Shorewood's politicians be counted on?
Most bloggers are interested in more that one issue, but if my interest were only one, it would be that of society's obligation in developing a morality toward the elderly.
We could start with something that I learned as a child, that we should honor our fathers and our mothers.
THE VILLAGE POT.
Within the last few years, we've gained two new Shorewood Village Board members, both by appointment.
All of our board members are individually and socially intelligent. Once they jump into the pot of Village politics they seem to acquire a coating, like M and M's in a variety of colors but difficult to differentiate. The Board's activities and their manner of voting, is referred to as "consensus."
