On this day - August 8, 2011

I've been trying to come up with an idea that would get me to blog more often. Today I finally had an idea (the jury is out on whether it will be a good idea or not). I'm a historian at heart and can be a news junkie at times, and love politics, and am looking for a way to get myself to understand more about current events in the world around me (the WHOLE world around me - not just my little corner of it). So, why not blog on the historical events of the day - my day - and maybe matters of significance occurring on this date in years gone by. Today I love the idea. Tomorrow maybe not so much. We'll see where this takes me. I'm hoping to learn a lot on the way.

ON THIS DAY:
News Item 1 - Mark O. Hatfield dies. Before today all I knew about Mark Hatfield was that he was a senator from Oregon and that the library at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon was named after him. But today I learned that not only did he serve in the U.S. Senate from 1967 to 1997 (serving eight years as chair of the Appropriations Committee) but he was also Oregon's youngest secretary of state and its youngest governor. He was described as a liberal conservative and was very outspoken against war.

News Item 2 - The Economy. This past Friday, Standard & Poors downgraded the United States from an AAA to an AA+. Evidently this is a big deal. There are 3 agencies/companies that grade companies and governments and the other two did not downgrade us. Now there's a debate over whether Standard & Poors even matters because apparently they gave AAA gradings to the very companies that ended up causing much of this country's economic mess in the first place. Interesting. Initially, S&P overestimated the U.S.'s debt by over $2 trillion causing the government to protest S&P's downgrade. S&P did a slight revision of its numbers in the final draft but stuck with its downgrade.

The S&P report states that "the downgrade reflects our view that the effectiveness, stability, and predictability of American policymaking and political institutions have weakened at a time of ongoing fiscal and economic challenges to a degree more than we envisioned when we assigned a negative outlook to the rating on April 18, 2011." (The report is available online at www.standardandpoors.com/ratings/us-rating-action/en/us/.) The report goes on to state that since the April 18 "negative outlook," S&P changed its "view of the difficulties in bridging the
gulf between the political parties over fiscal policy, which makes us pessimistic about the capacity of Congress and the Administration to be able to leverage their agreement this week into a broader fiscal consolidation plan that stabilizes the government's debt dynamics any time soon."

So basically they downgraded us because the two major political parties in this country are unable to get along, compromise, or work together in any fashion for the good of this nation. While each side blames the other and picks away at this report they both fail to see the chief underlying cause of this downgrade - its not whether there should have been more cuts or more taxes - its that the two sides are unable and unwilling to work together to solve the nation's economic problems.

This morning the stock market fell to its lowest point since 2008.

News Item 3 - London riots. London has experienced two days of violent rioting as people take to the streets to protest the police shooting of a young black man in a predominantly Afro-Caribbean neighborhood (Tottenham). The man was the father of four small children and was shot while sitting in his cab. There were peaceful protests at first but they quickly turned violent. The result has been burnt homes and business and over 300 arrests plus numerous injuries to protesters and police alike. A similar incident happened in Tottenham in 1985 and also resulted in riots.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY:
On August 8, 1876, Thomas Edison received a patent for the mimeograph. The mimeograph was a "method of preparing autographic stencils for printing." And on this day in 1899 the refrigerator was patented by A.T. Marshall.

On August 8, 1911, one hundred years ago, the number of representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives was established at 435. I wonder if they cooperated and compromised better in 1911 then they have in 2011.

On this day in 1945, President Truman signed the United Nations charter. The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace. The UN was founded in 1945 after World War II to replace the League of Nations, to stop wars between countries, and to provide a platform for dialogue. (Facts courtesy Wikipedia.) With war going on in Afghanistan and Iraq and major conflicts in Somalia and Syria, to mention just a few, I wonder if anyone would be able to consider this project a success yet.

Guilty Pleasures

I love my library. I especially love my hardbound books - those are my "important" books. Books on the lives of U.S. Presidents or other famous people in history. Books on historical events. Important books. Other books, my "fun" books, are usually paperback - John Grisham, classic novels, etc.

Every few years I count up all the books in my collection, then I count the number of those books that I've actually read and calculate the percentage. It usually hovers around a dismal 25%. Why? Because reading is a pleasure that makes me feel guilty.

I enjoy TV - a lot actually. Most of my adult life the TV has been scheduled to come on before I even wake up in the morning, turning the TV on is one of the first things I do when i get home, turning it off is one of the last things I do at night. TV serves many functions in my world. It's that "other presence" in the house. It drowns out my thoughts. It keeps things from being too quiet. It entertains me. Funny though, I never ever feel guilty having the TV on. See, from when I was little I was taught that if you're going to be watching TV "you have to have something in your hands to do at the same time." I've become the great multitasker. That "something" didn't necessarily have to be work - but it had to be something productive. I was always given a list of things I could do while the TV was on - fold laundry, straighten out a kitchen drawer, crochet, anything as long as I was doing something. In fact, NOT having something to do while the TV was on was an act that was sure to elicit an angry rebuke from my mother. So I seldom just sit and watch TV - and if I do I feel guilty. Therefore I can get a lot done while the TV is on and all seems well with the world. And somehow over the years that voice telling me to keep busy nags me now whether the TV is on or not.

So, why, I've been asking myself, is it so wrong to enjoy the pleasure of sitting down in the evening and reading a good book. I've realized its because when I'm reading I can't be doing anything else at the same time. Because I constantly compare myself to those I know who are over-achievers and uber productive so I can't just stop and do something that doesn't allow me to also accomplish something else at the same time. Reading by its very nature does not allow me to multitask. Thus reading makes me feel guilty.

But isn't finishing a book an act of accomplishment? Isn't gaining knowledge a worthy pursuit? I don't know anyone who really thinks reading is a waste of time per se. Yet, for me, it doesn't seem important enough to get beyond the status of a guilty pleasure. It just doesn't seem to accomplish enough. You can't see the end result the way you can a freshly dusted house, a load of clean laundry, a finished scrapbook, a stack of paid bills. There's so many books and so little time. They call to me from the shelves wanting to be appreciated for more than just their shiny covers. The pull just isn't strong enough to overcome that nagging childhood voice telling me I should always have something in my hands to do at the same time. And so, sadly, the books just serve as pretty decorations, objects to be admired from the corner of my eye while I watch TV and fold laundry.

Wondering What I've Missed . . .

Finding myself stuck and at a cross-roads in my life, trying to not spend too much time looking backwards but unable to look forward, I'm wondering what I've missed.

What did I miss by not getting married? The beautiful wedding I've been planning since I was 13. The ever-changing list of wedding music I've kept in my Palm Pilot left unused. Cooking dinner for 2 every night after a long day at work. Having someone to eat with. A second paycheck. A companion to walk with along the seashore or hike up a mountain. Someone to curl up and talk with until all hours of the night. Someone to hold me when the tears are flowing. Someone to laugh with after a hard day at work. Being cheated on. Divorce.

What did I miss by not having children? The pain of giving birth. A thousand messy diapers. Colic. Runny noses. Food smeared on every surface imaginable. The pure, innocent, unconditional love of a child. First day of school. School plays and Christmas pageants. Easter egg hunts and 4th of July sparklers. Christmas mornings. Broken bones. Teenage mood swings. Trips to the principal's office. First dates. Prom. Learning to drive. Careless accidents. Worry after worry as they grow and make their own mistakes. Weddings. Daughter- or son-in-laws. Grandchildren. A legacy.

What did I miss by not having a family of my own? Holiday get-togethers. Family feuds. Hurt feelings. Petty jealousies. Family meals. Celebrations. Nieces and nephews and grandchildren and in-laws. Graduations and weddings. People who love being with each other. People who can't stand each other. Family group photos. Reunions. Funerals.

On the other hand - what did I gain by being alone? Freedom to come and go as I choose. Power over the remote control. Long naps. Peace and quiet. Tears flowing freely without embarrassment or shame. Decorating to suit my personal tastes. A craft room. Freedom to create a loving environment for my cats. Not having anyone else to clean up after (it's enough to keep up with my own clutter). Not being under anyone else's control. Solitude.