Flashback: September 2010
Charles' campaign manager was cautiously optimistic. While things were going pretty well so far-the numbers told him they were still way behind. There was simply no way that Charles could speak to enough people face to face and pull it off. But all was not lost. He did have a couple of ideas about using social networks and other means to spread the word. This helped a lot. There must be some (future) point of critical mass when everything they were working toward must explode or else simply fade away. The problem was he didn't know when, or if, this point could be reached. But they must go on. At every meeting Charles gave him some time to talk about the importance of networking and how this could become something which had never happend before in history, an online campaign made up entirely of like-minded people whose reach could be more pervasive than either, or both parties together. He was driven to see if this could be accomplished and was constantly busy looking for the best and most efficient ways to communicate between them and their supporters.
It was the middle of the afternoon and Charles was in a radio interview. He had already spoken to two groups this morning and would have another before flying back late tonight.
The radio host asked, "And what do you say when people ask about your qualifications?"
"Well, I am over the age of 35. I am a natural born citizen and have lived here continuously for over 14 years. So I do meet the minimum requirements to run. But what people usually mean by this kind of questions is; do you have the right educational credentials, or do you have some kind of experience in government. I do have a University degree. Not from Yale or Harvard like some of our Presidents have. On the other hand, aren't these the very ones who have put us in the mess we're in? OK, so having an education at the right school isn't enough. Secondly, I owned a business for some 15 years. I was good at it. I negotiated prices, delivery schedules and all kinds of other things in the course of running that company. I had to know when to delegate and when the decision fell on me. Every decision was made with care because they affected my people and their jobs. How is this different from negotiating for a particular bill, or some kind of trade agreement? It's only a matter of scale. Also: One great advantage the President has is access to the best and brightest in the country. They can provide expertise that he may lack. That's what the cabinet and advisors are for. I plan on tapping into that knowledge pool when it comes to makinig decisions." Last of all, we hear a lot of people saying that we need to send some kind of message to Washington. Wouldn't electing someone like me be the biggest message of all?"
"And that's why you are running what is truly a grassroots campaign."
"Exactly. I've set things up so that I must be invited to come and speak. If my message does not resonate with them, then the offers will simply go away."
"And on that note, how many speaking engagements do you have right now?"
"More than I can handle. As a matter of fact we've had to up our minimum crowd request from fifty people to a hundred. And we still have more calls every single day."
Outside the studio Charles found several reporters assembled and waiting. This was a first and he politely held another question and answer session. Soon he felt his campaign manager pulling on his sleeve. They were going to be late. Time to go.
The next place happend to be at a gym. Charles found himself at the center of a friendly and supportive crowd. He wound up exercising between questions and comments. Some were political but a lot them were about his workout routine. His personality really meshed with them. Toward the end one guy said, "You know at some gyms they have a time when you can some in and workout naked!" "I would never workout naked," Charles replied with a twinkle in his eye, "For two reasons. First it's too distracting. Second, I don't want to draw a crowd." Everyone laughed and Charles had to move on.
However, someone in the crowd recorded that little quip and in a few days it became a minor YouTube hit. Rather than hurting Charles' campaign there was an upswing in numbers. His manager just shook his head. "Who is this guy?" he thought.
That very afternoon Charles received an invitation to appear on a local morning talk show. The topic of discussion they said would be the economy and how to address it. Charles agreed.
But it was a trick.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
Episode 5: Candidate of the Apocalypse
A few questions for our candidate.
Year: 2036 November
It took a few days to take down and clean up after the Festival. But the next time school met the teacher continued his story.
Flashback: August 2010
Charles was having a meeting in Spokane, Washington at a Holiday Inn. The room was full with people standing around the walls. He was dressed well but casually in a dark blue turtle-neck and jeans. He finished his introductory remarks then grabbed the mike and stepped into the crowd to take questions. The first came from an older man sitting near the back.
"Are you going to take away my Social Security?"
"Well! I can see you're not going to allow me any warm up questions!" (laughter)
Charles' voice grew soft. "I do not intend to take anybody's Social Security away. But we would be foolish to admit that there are no problems with it as it stands right now. If we take a look at the history of the program we would see that it has never lived up to the promises made about it. Ever. Today most people will not get the money out of the system they've put in. Yet at the same time the financial demands made on our country are increasing. This system could very well bankrupt the United States unless something is done soon."
"But what can be done?" A voice asked.
"I guess that's the million dollar question. Or, since we're talking about the government - the trillion dollar question. If the system is going to remain solvent three things must happen. If only one or two are done it will not work.
First, there must be an overhaul of the current tax code. We must exchange the IRS for something better. (cheers) We have the second highest corporate tax system in the world. It is unfair and stifling to business and people. Now, I really do not care a lot about which tax system we enact, that would be something to talk to your representatives about. Many have proposed some kind of flat tax. I'm personally in favor of what the call the Fair Tax. It doesn't quite matter too much as long as the rates are loooow. He drew out the last work to the smiles of the audience.
That is a moot point if the second requirement does not happen. We're talking about spending. Let me give an example for you. If took the previous administration some 6 years to increase spending by a trillion dollars. The present administration's first act was to increase spending by some 800 Billion! By now they have spend over a trillion and a half. (That's new spending, mind you.) As a nation we are in more debt in terms of dollar amount and as a percentage of our gross national product than at any time in our history, even World War II.
Now, I believe that if progress is made on the first two they will go a long way toward solving the problems we are in and help Social Security. We are also in need of taking a sober practial look at that program and make changes. And do you know what? Several good ideas have been put forward which merit consideration. I've got a couple of web sites here on the screen for you to check out.
What I am not going to do is blow smoke at you, like some are doing or ignore the problem like most are doing. It will be addressed."
"Can you tell us something about your life sir?"
"Certainly. I was born and raised in far off Virginia and pursued my higher education at the College of William and Mary. I started grad school at the University of Virginia but never finished. The reason for that was a death in the family, a very close uncle of mine. He had recently started a delivery company with one truck and three customers. I dropped out of school to take over the company. Sixteen years later we had 15 trucks; I had added about a truck a year and by then the company was a medium-sized regional distributor with over a hundred clients. At that point I sold the company and basically, retired. By the way, the company existed for another eight years before it was absorbed into another, larger company.
After I retired I moved to the Midwest and spend the first ten years or so travelling around this great nation of ours. I've never been much for world travel, not that we didn't do a bit of that too. About 5 years ago I started another company selling truck accessories online. I guess I can't really get around my love for trucks! Two years ago I became part owner of a local gym."
"What do you think is the most important quality in a candidate?"
"First and formost is character. I would place that even higher than some sort of educational requirement. We've all seen Presidents that were supposed to be very smart and highly educated and yet they didn't do so well. Others, less educated did more. But every President has had situations in which he had a choice between doing the politically expedient thing or the right thing."
Afterward, Charles stayed to meet people, shake hand and talk. One guy came up and said, "I run a gym too, do you have time for a quick workout?" He did have time and agreed. It was a refreshing change since his schedule had been so tight recently. Before long he had to start refusing offers, or work out several times a day.
At about the same time a politcal operative in Washington discovered his web site and scanned the contents. He was immediately dismissed as a hack, but someone to watch.
Flashforward: 2036
The class was so engrossed in listening it took a few moments to acknowledge the ringing bell. The days were getting shorter and colder now. The students filed out quickly, shouting and talking to each other as they went while the teacher stood, trembling at the front of the class. A moment later the coughing began.
Year: 2036 November
It took a few days to take down and clean up after the Festival. But the next time school met the teacher continued his story.
Flashback: August 2010
Charles was having a meeting in Spokane, Washington at a Holiday Inn. The room was full with people standing around the walls. He was dressed well but casually in a dark blue turtle-neck and jeans. He finished his introductory remarks then grabbed the mike and stepped into the crowd to take questions. The first came from an older man sitting near the back.
"Are you going to take away my Social Security?"
"Well! I can see you're not going to allow me any warm up questions!" (laughter)
Charles' voice grew soft. "I do not intend to take anybody's Social Security away. But we would be foolish to admit that there are no problems with it as it stands right now. If we take a look at the history of the program we would see that it has never lived up to the promises made about it. Ever. Today most people will not get the money out of the system they've put in. Yet at the same time the financial demands made on our country are increasing. This system could very well bankrupt the United States unless something is done soon."
"But what can be done?" A voice asked.
"I guess that's the million dollar question. Or, since we're talking about the government - the trillion dollar question. If the system is going to remain solvent three things must happen. If only one or two are done it will not work.
First, there must be an overhaul of the current tax code. We must exchange the IRS for something better. (cheers) We have the second highest corporate tax system in the world. It is unfair and stifling to business and people. Now, I really do not care a lot about which tax system we enact, that would be something to talk to your representatives about. Many have proposed some kind of flat tax. I'm personally in favor of what the call the Fair Tax. It doesn't quite matter too much as long as the rates are loooow. He drew out the last work to the smiles of the audience.
That is a moot point if the second requirement does not happen. We're talking about spending. Let me give an example for you. If took the previous administration some 6 years to increase spending by a trillion dollars. The present administration's first act was to increase spending by some 800 Billion! By now they have spend over a trillion and a half. (That's new spending, mind you.) As a nation we are in more debt in terms of dollar amount and as a percentage of our gross national product than at any time in our history, even World War II.
Now, I believe that if progress is made on the first two they will go a long way toward solving the problems we are in and help Social Security. We are also in need of taking a sober practial look at that program and make changes. And do you know what? Several good ideas have been put forward which merit consideration. I've got a couple of web sites here on the screen for you to check out.
What I am not going to do is blow smoke at you, like some are doing or ignore the problem like most are doing. It will be addressed."
"Can you tell us something about your life sir?"
"Certainly. I was born and raised in far off Virginia and pursued my higher education at the College of William and Mary. I started grad school at the University of Virginia but never finished. The reason for that was a death in the family, a very close uncle of mine. He had recently started a delivery company with one truck and three customers. I dropped out of school to take over the company. Sixteen years later we had 15 trucks; I had added about a truck a year and by then the company was a medium-sized regional distributor with over a hundred clients. At that point I sold the company and basically, retired. By the way, the company existed for another eight years before it was absorbed into another, larger company.
After I retired I moved to the Midwest and spend the first ten years or so travelling around this great nation of ours. I've never been much for world travel, not that we didn't do a bit of that too. About 5 years ago I started another company selling truck accessories online. I guess I can't really get around my love for trucks! Two years ago I became part owner of a local gym."
"What do you think is the most important quality in a candidate?"
"First and formost is character. I would place that even higher than some sort of educational requirement. We've all seen Presidents that were supposed to be very smart and highly educated and yet they didn't do so well. Others, less educated did more. But every President has had situations in which he had a choice between doing the politically expedient thing or the right thing."
Afterward, Charles stayed to meet people, shake hand and talk. One guy came up and said, "I run a gym too, do you have time for a quick workout?" He did have time and agreed. It was a refreshing change since his schedule had been so tight recently. Before long he had to start refusing offers, or work out several times a day.
At about the same time a politcal operative in Washington discovered his web site and scanned the contents. He was immediately dismissed as a hack, but someone to watch.
Flashforward: 2036
The class was so engrossed in listening it took a few moments to acknowledge the ringing bell. The days were getting shorter and colder now. The students filed out quickly, shouting and talking to each other as they went while the teacher stood, trembling at the front of the class. A moment later the coughing began.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Skeptic's Arguments Leave Something to be Desired
Some years ago a Reverend by the name of Wilson Paley came up with an argument for God that went this way. He wrote:
"In crossing a heath, suppose I pitched my foot against a stone, and were asked how the stone came to be there: I might possibly answer, that, for anything I knew to the contrary, it had lain there forever: nor would it perhaps be very easy to show the absurdity of this answer. But suppose I had found a watch upon the ground, and it should be inquired how the watch happened to be in that place; I should hardly think of the answer I had before given.... There must have have existed, at some time and at some place or another, an artificer or artificers, who formed (the watch) for the purpose which we find it actually to answer; who comprehended its construction and designed its use....." (William Paley, Natural Theology)
Charles Darwin cast doubt on Paley's watch argument. It was known at the time that the blood supply for the retina comes out in front of the photoreceptors, and so each eye has a blind spot. This, and other supposed flaws observed in nature caused him to discount a Creator:
"Although I did not think much about the existence of a personal God until a considerably later period of my life, I will here give the vague conclusions to which I have been driven. The old argument of design in nature, as given by Paley, which formerly seemed to me so conclusive, fails now...."
The weakness of Darwin's argument can be seen if it is applied to the watch rather than the eye. Let's say the timepiece is found on a beach exactly as in Paley's illustration. It is taken to s self-proclaimed expert who, after some examination throws it out. He has seen a flaw. "The spring is weak!" He declares. This could not have been designed or made by anyone! It must be the result of random forces. This is nothing more than a collection of molecules known as 'watch'.
And this is supposed to be persuasive? What about all the other parts? The gears meshing perfectly with all the others, the tiny screws which hold the various parts together, the jewels strategically placed to reduce wear, the case being just the right size and depth, the glass front which allows the workings can be seen, markings on the face placed so they will be crossed by the hands in regular intervals; these intervals coincide with minutes and hours. There are more but I'm sure you get the point. The presence of flaws does not negate design or specific manufacture.
We know quite a bit more about the eye today than in Darwin's era. Every discovery shows with greater clarity how marvelous it is. We should also recognize that the 'flaws' Darwin suggested were only his opinion. Sure there is a blind spot in our eyes, but it is strategically placed to be in the overlapping field of the other eye. We never notice it. There may be a perfectly good explanation for the blind spot we do not yet understand. And considering the operating conditions under which the eye performs - it is an amazingly good design.
Paley's conclusion is an obervation that no skeptic has been able to refute effectively:
"Every indication of contrivance, every manifestation of design, which existed in the watch, exists in the works of nature; with the difference, on the side of nature, of being greater or more, and that in a degree which exceeds all computation."
How true.
"In crossing a heath, suppose I pitched my foot against a stone, and were asked how the stone came to be there: I might possibly answer, that, for anything I knew to the contrary, it had lain there forever: nor would it perhaps be very easy to show the absurdity of this answer. But suppose I had found a watch upon the ground, and it should be inquired how the watch happened to be in that place; I should hardly think of the answer I had before given.... There must have have existed, at some time and at some place or another, an artificer or artificers, who formed (the watch) for the purpose which we find it actually to answer; who comprehended its construction and designed its use....." (William Paley, Natural Theology)
Charles Darwin cast doubt on Paley's watch argument. It was known at the time that the blood supply for the retina comes out in front of the photoreceptors, and so each eye has a blind spot. This, and other supposed flaws observed in nature caused him to discount a Creator:
"Although I did not think much about the existence of a personal God until a considerably later period of my life, I will here give the vague conclusions to which I have been driven. The old argument of design in nature, as given by Paley, which formerly seemed to me so conclusive, fails now...."
The weakness of Darwin's argument can be seen if it is applied to the watch rather than the eye. Let's say the timepiece is found on a beach exactly as in Paley's illustration. It is taken to s self-proclaimed expert who, after some examination throws it out. He has seen a flaw. "The spring is weak!" He declares. This could not have been designed or made by anyone! It must be the result of random forces. This is nothing more than a collection of molecules known as 'watch'.
And this is supposed to be persuasive? What about all the other parts? The gears meshing perfectly with all the others, the tiny screws which hold the various parts together, the jewels strategically placed to reduce wear, the case being just the right size and depth, the glass front which allows the workings can be seen, markings on the face placed so they will be crossed by the hands in regular intervals; these intervals coincide with minutes and hours. There are more but I'm sure you get the point. The presence of flaws does not negate design or specific manufacture.
We know quite a bit more about the eye today than in Darwin's era. Every discovery shows with greater clarity how marvelous it is. We should also recognize that the 'flaws' Darwin suggested were only his opinion. Sure there is a blind spot in our eyes, but it is strategically placed to be in the overlapping field of the other eye. We never notice it. There may be a perfectly good explanation for the blind spot we do not yet understand. And considering the operating conditions under which the eye performs - it is an amazingly good design.
Paley's conclusion is an obervation that no skeptic has been able to refute effectively:
"Every indication of contrivance, every manifestation of design, which existed in the watch, exists in the works of nature; with the difference, on the side of nature, of being greater or more, and that in a degree which exceeds all computation."
How true.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Candidate of the Apocalypse
Episode 4: Year 2036 Mid October
A Long Awaited Party
School had been on hiatus for about a week now. Everyone was busy making final preparations. The crops had been harvested and stored even earlier than last year. But that was not the reason for the current activity. After the townspeople finished their last minute assignments they gathered along the westward road, waiting and talking excitedly. Around noon they heard the hooves. Voices followed. In a few minutes a parade of wagons drawn mostly by horses swept by to the shouts and applause of the townspeople. The Fall Fair had now begun.
Victorville was nestled in a valley of the San Gabriel Mountains about 50 miles from old Los Angeles. In the former days highway 15 ran through town, around the Mojave Desert and eventually to Las Vegas. The road had not disappeared, but it's once smooth pavement was cracked and broken. Teams of workers, when they could be spared from other duties, worked hard to clear and repair the damage.
Because of the mighty tectonic shifts at the end of the Great Darkness, Victorville was now one of the western most towns in California. It stood only a few miles from the new cost. From here the traveller turned either north or south. Today the road hosted a menagerie from near and far. Out of the south came a contingent from nearby Lucerne Valley. Citizens of eastward Barstow had started the day before, travelling late into the night, camping under the stars before setting out at the sun's first light. They arrived first. Later, a band from far off Bakersfield arrived. It had taken some three days for them to get here. They came up the northward road with heavily laden wagons drawn by four horses each. The various parades lasted all afternoon with stragglers continuing to arrive into the night.
As the Great Darkness came to an end, the survivors that crawled out from the wreckage realized they had to literally start over again. Now, some sixteen years later the survivors were enjoying a semblence of prosperity. Craftsmanship was coming into its own. The roads were used more often. Not by cars, mind you. The old rigs were all gone, and refineries had not been repaired as of yet. A few vehicles, those whose parts were not plundered for other use, were kept in decent repair against the day when fuel could be developed.
Festival Week. It was time to meet people and renew friendships struck from previous fairs, do a little bartering and gather news from far off places. Everything from crops to clothing was enthusiastically swapped. Victorville excelled in all manner of hand crafts. And their apple orchards were held in high regard by all.
Once the initial greetings and parties had subsided it was time for the various trades to meet with their counterparts to discuss and plan. The teacher was no different. He met with the others to talk about the art of teaching and exchange things of great value; books. It was he who originally found some books in an abandoned home and started the collection that is the school library. It was not very big. Most of the entries were of the romance and pulp fiction type, but scattered among them could be found some literary masterpieces as well as some college textbooks. He longed for some fresh material, expecially since most of his students had already read the entire library more than once.
He and the others were in general agreement about the curriculum. His was put into question only because he was discussing the conditions that led to The Great Darkness. They were concerned he might in some way be glorifying those days. Teacher shook his head. Why glorify something that led to the destruction of every nation on earth except one? No. His one and only aim was to inculcate in his students an awareness of the dangers so they could be avoided.
Evening fell and the growing darkness was filled with smoke and the smell of cooking food. Laughter, song and lively conversation continued far into the night.
A Long Awaited Party
School had been on hiatus for about a week now. Everyone was busy making final preparations. The crops had been harvested and stored even earlier than last year. But that was not the reason for the current activity. After the townspeople finished their last minute assignments they gathered along the westward road, waiting and talking excitedly. Around noon they heard the hooves. Voices followed. In a few minutes a parade of wagons drawn mostly by horses swept by to the shouts and applause of the townspeople. The Fall Fair had now begun.
Victorville was nestled in a valley of the San Gabriel Mountains about 50 miles from old Los Angeles. In the former days highway 15 ran through town, around the Mojave Desert and eventually to Las Vegas. The road had not disappeared, but it's once smooth pavement was cracked and broken. Teams of workers, when they could be spared from other duties, worked hard to clear and repair the damage.
Because of the mighty tectonic shifts at the end of the Great Darkness, Victorville was now one of the western most towns in California. It stood only a few miles from the new cost. From here the traveller turned either north or south. Today the road hosted a menagerie from near and far. Out of the south came a contingent from nearby Lucerne Valley. Citizens of eastward Barstow had started the day before, travelling late into the night, camping under the stars before setting out at the sun's first light. They arrived first. Later, a band from far off Bakersfield arrived. It had taken some three days for them to get here. They came up the northward road with heavily laden wagons drawn by four horses each. The various parades lasted all afternoon with stragglers continuing to arrive into the night.
As the Great Darkness came to an end, the survivors that crawled out from the wreckage realized they had to literally start over again. Now, some sixteen years later the survivors were enjoying a semblence of prosperity. Craftsmanship was coming into its own. The roads were used more often. Not by cars, mind you. The old rigs were all gone, and refineries had not been repaired as of yet. A few vehicles, those whose parts were not plundered for other use, were kept in decent repair against the day when fuel could be developed.
Festival Week. It was time to meet people and renew friendships struck from previous fairs, do a little bartering and gather news from far off places. Everything from crops to clothing was enthusiastically swapped. Victorville excelled in all manner of hand crafts. And their apple orchards were held in high regard by all.
Once the initial greetings and parties had subsided it was time for the various trades to meet with their counterparts to discuss and plan. The teacher was no different. He met with the others to talk about the art of teaching and exchange things of great value; books. It was he who originally found some books in an abandoned home and started the collection that is the school library. It was not very big. Most of the entries were of the romance and pulp fiction type, but scattered among them could be found some literary masterpieces as well as some college textbooks. He longed for some fresh material, expecially since most of his students had already read the entire library more than once.
He and the others were in general agreement about the curriculum. His was put into question only because he was discussing the conditions that led to The Great Darkness. They were concerned he might in some way be glorifying those days. Teacher shook his head. Why glorify something that led to the destruction of every nation on earth except one? No. His one and only aim was to inculcate in his students an awareness of the dangers so they could be avoided.
Evening fell and the growing darkness was filled with smoke and the smell of cooking food. Laughter, song and lively conversation continued far into the night.
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