College Football and Guilt...

Everyone who knows me knows that when it comes to sports, I'm very much a baseball...then everything else sort of guy. Truth be told, I'm a baseball nerd. The country could get invaded by the Chinese and I'd be the one checking out my MLB app for the west coast box scores. However, there is one sport that comes in a robust, albeit distant second. College football. I love it. I love the pagentry, the rabid fan bases, the mascots, the tailgate parties. But, I feel so guilty about it. Let me explain.

I'm a big Alabama fan. I got introduced to this monolithic force when I was 8 years old living in rural Alabama every weekend for 3 years. Paul Bear Bryant was the coach, and I quickly became aware that even Jesus wasn't as popular as "The Bear" in rural Alabama in the 1960's. So, I've been a fan ever since. Most people around here hate Alabama football. That's because 4 times in the last 10 years Alabama has won the national championship. When you live around a million Virginia Tech fans, this is a very sore subject. The Hokies are still waiting for their first national title, so...haters gonna hate. But, why the guilt?

Well, it's probably because college football is such a dirty, grubby business. Whoever coined the term student athlete to describe division I football players has probably been dead for fifty years now because while it may have at one time been true, it clearly no longer is. Yesterday's New York Times featured a story about a host of Florida State players who were caught cheating in an online hospitality class which dealt with the academically challenging world of coffee, tea and wine. Some poor professor who got bullied into inflating the grades of star football players despite the fact that none of them actually turned in any work eventually loses her job and commits suicide. And, that's not the worst of it. At least these FSU players were only guilty of cheating. For every cheater, there are probably 10 rapists. Just this past week, the Florida Gators had to suspend 10 players, many of them starters, for participating in an illegal jersey-selling scheme...or something.

But, as long as college football remains the money making behemoth it is today, this situation will get worse. Many of the best athletes in the sport come from backgrounds and environments not normally associated with academic achievement. All the tutors in the world aren't going to change that simple fact. The universities where they play don't have much incentive to educate them, but they do have plenty of insentive to exploit them for profit. The SEC is nothing more than a player development league for the NFL, and as such, those who play at these schools are actually unpaid, minor league athletes. Yes, they get a free education. But how much is that worth when so few actually graduate, and even if they did graduate, how valuable is an "education" which features online hospitality classes that require zero work? I say, drop this student athlete charade, and pay these players. Treat them as employees of the school. These guys bring big money to these schools. Many of them go on to the pros and get their big payday, but an even greater number don't. They blow out a knee and its over for them. What do those guys get by way of compensation for their work? If your answer is, a free education, you are living in a fantasy world where ghost-written term papers, fake classes and cooked grades equals an education.

But, despite all the flimflammery, rap sheets and crooked boosters...you can still count on me watching on Saturday when the Tide rolls. I suppose that makes me part of the problem.

SEC!!! SEC!!!

Attitude Adjustment Needed

What an odd week.

The week before a big event is always a slow, plodding thing. You find yourself trying to rush things along, making it next to impossible to stay in the moment. I have always suffered from an unfortunate affliction that constantly drives me to the next big thing. Pam is exactly the opposite in this regard, always content to make the most of now. Maine is the place where we are able to call a truce.

Anyway, so back to this week. There was the devastation of Harvey mixed with the heartwarming stories of heroic human beings from every background, every political persuasion, and every race, doing beautiful, selfless things. Of course, that was followed by various politicians trying to rush to the cameras to horn in on the good feelings being generated. Then the chattering classes did their best to throw a wet blanket on the sudden surge in unity by trying to undermine it all by casting doubt on the motives of our heros. And just like the sun rising in the east and setting in the west, a slew of activist/hacks began taking advantage of human compassion by sending our fundraising pitches ostensibly for flood victims, but actually providing links to various political action committees, proving once again the old adage that...no good dead goes unpunished. I'm convinced that partisan politics is this nation's divine punishment for the original sin of slavery.

Meanwhile, back at the office, I spent the week talking clients out of making moves that would have put several thousand dollars in my pocket. They were determined. I was persistent. Eventually they relented. I made zero dollars for my efforts. I labor in a profoundly strange business.

Later I had a text conversation with my son,(are there any other kind?), where it occurred to me that at some point over the past 35 years, my attitude towards the federal government has taken a decidedly cynical turn. Although I believe that my son gives them entirely too much credit, is far too willing to give them the benefit of the doubt than their actions over my lifetime would warrant, I am never willing to give the Feds any credit for anything. This has not always been so. There was a time in my life when I actually felt connected to my government and was generally convinced, at least, of their benevolence, and critical of those who questioned their motives. But, after a 35 year career in the financial world as a business owner, my views towards Washington are more jaded. I find myself nodding in agreement when I hear that old Ronald Reagan line, The most terrifying sentence in the English language is, "I'm from the government and I'm here to help!" I suppose that 35 years of paperwork, redundant regulation, fees, taxes, surcharges, and constantly moving goalposts will do that to a person. I don't trust them. I don't respect them or those we elect to represent me in my dealings with them. It is my considered view that anything done by government will always and forever be second rate, shoddy, and delivered to me by rude, arrogant, incompetent functionaries, who are free to be so because of the eternal job security they enjoy which shields them from oversight.

Having said all of this, I must confess...it's no fun feeling this way about your government. There is a bitter taste that lingers in your soul when you hold anything in such contempt. I actually envy my son and daughter their more benevolent attitudes toward government. At this point in my life, I can't imagine ever getting back to my younger attitudes toward Washington, but I am seeking something in between. I would settle for ambivalence. Actually I would be overjoyed to land at ambivalence. At the very least, I owe them my neutral disregard. Hostility and contempt don't work and I must figure out how to leave both behind.

Harvey Spending

I've often heard people lament the problem of why better people don't run for office. Why do the best and brightest people seem to go into the business world, or academia? That leaves us at the mercy of either the idle rich, or the egomaniacs to roam the corridors of power in Washington. Well, an obvious answer can be found in a recent example of what just happened to Senator Ted Cruz of Texas.

I should say at the outset that I am not a fan of Mr. Cruz. He seems to me to be a socially awkward, Dracula-Esk, smartest kid in the class know-it-all. In addition, he creeps me out for some reason. So, using him as an example is probably ill-advised. But, his example is just the closest at hand. What is happening to him happens to a lot of politicians in Washington, from both sides of the aisle. 

So, here's the deal...

In 2012, in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the Senator refused to vote for the giant disaster recovery appropriation bill that was rammed through Congress, on the basis that, according to Cruz, 60% of the money wasn't even going directly to the victims of Sandy, but were what amounted to a grab bag of spending that under normal conditions would not have been approved. Now, that his state is the one in need of disaster relief, he is pounding the drums the loudest for...federal spending! What a hypocrite!!...right?

Well, it's not that simple. In true Cruzian fashion, back in 2012, his 60% number was overblown. But, on the merits, he was absolutely right. Whenever some disaster befalls this country, the federal government is expected to step in with an emergency appropriation to help the people rebuild. This takes the form of flood insurance, low cost loans, etc.. But, it also is an occasion for often ridiculous overreach. You've been having a hard time getting the government to fund your pet project for the folks back home? Attach that baby to the disaster relief bill, then dare anyone to vote against it! In the case of Sandy, only a portion of the funds made available were actually spent to relieve the immediate suffering of its victims. In fact, the majority of the funds were not even meant to be spent until three years later, and much of it was earmarked for 47 other states not named New Jersey. So, yes...Ted Cruz is creepy. But, he was right about the Sandy disaster recovery bill being a wasteful mountain of pork masquerading as disaster relief. Sorry.

When trying to explain how a country as rich and prosperous as the United States finds itself 20 trillion dollars in debt, it's a bit like trying to explain why water is wet. It's not just one thing. Pointless, unending wars certainly don't help. A tax code that gives write offs to people who don't need them doesn't help. But, pork barrel rolling is the engine that drives the insolvency train. The path to debt is paved with big-hearted emergency spending that isn't. And nothing creates a greater opportunity for pork barrel spending than a crisis. The idea of only passing a relief bill with targeted spending for actual relief victims would seem like a wise move. The fact that anyone who suggests such a thing is a heartless, hypocritical ogre is the kind of thing I suspect keeps an awful lot of talented, wonderful people from entering politics.

Of course, if my government is going to start throwing money it doesn't  have around, I suppose throwing that money at those suffering in Texas is preferable to throwing it around in Afghanistan. Every dark cloud has a silver lining.

From Away....

One week from today. Seven days, a half a fortnight. That's how long before Pam and I will depart Short Pump for three weeks on Quantabacook Lake in Searsmont, Maine. The closer we get to the 7th of September, the less I am able to concentrate on anything else. It's like there is a gigantic black hole with a powerful gravitational pull on that day on the calendar, impossible to resist.

Each day I'm crossing more things off my to do list. Most of those things have revolved around preparing my business to function effectively without me. However, the fact that I will not be there to screw anything up is a big plus, making the planning much easier! 

Ominously, the ten day forecast for Searsmont has suddenly turned cooler, with high temperatures dropping out of the 70's. There is a chance that we will be, once again, making the drive up in the rain. Although the accuracy of weather forecasts a week out are spotty, ultimately the weather falls into a category of things that I can do absolutely nothing about, and as such, I will give it no more thought.

As long as I will be living in this place for three weeks, the weather is very much a secondary concern. At this point, the only guests we have scheduled are my inlaws who will be coming up for a week, and some friends of ours from Maine who will be coming to visit at some point yet to be determined. The rest of the time it will be Pam and I and our manic, mentally disturbed Golden Retriever, Lucy. We will sit on that deck in the mornings drinking our coffee. The edge of the lake is less than twenty-five feet from our bedroom, those French doors to the right. If it's not too chilly, maybe we will have our breakfast at that table to the left. We will walk out on the dock and read a book. We will launch out on the lake in the kayaks which will be delivered to us by Dan the Man from Ducktrap Kayaks in Lincolnville. At night, we will build a fire in the fire pit down next to the small beach on the property. 

Some days we will drive into Belfast and Camden to nose around in the shops. Our favorite store in the entire world, The Smiling Cow, will get several visits. They will know us and greet us as long lost friends. We will eat several meals at restaurants next to the ocean. We will have blueberry pancakes at the Camden Deli, lobster rolls at Hazel's, and ice cream at River Ducks. We will take a ride on a lobster boat called the Lively Lady. We will hike up to the top of Mount Battie, then walk the Oceanside trails of the Camden Hills State Park directly across the street from the mountain, one of the geographical oddities about this place that enchants us every year.

But mostly, we will just be there. It's very hard to explain the feeling that comes over me just being there. When I'm at home, there are many things that compete for my attention, that pull me out of the present. I have a business and responsibilities. Everything that causes me stress is essentially within two miles of this house. That's not a knock against my home. I love my home, love Short Pump. It's more like a simple fact of life. But, when I'm in Maine, I'm truly and totally...away. Mainers actually have a term for people like us, those worn out souls who come there for relief...they refer to us as people from away. It's true. For me, every place that isn't Maine is....away.

The Heartbreak of Houston

Houston has turned out to be a giant heartbreak. When a 500 year flood comes calling, it's what happens. I watch the videos and stare at the pictures, amazed and horrified at the devastation that over 40 inches of rain has brought to this slice of our modern, technologically advanced world. Build your gleaming cities, trust in your towering machines...then cling to a sapling when the rains come.

We have friends in Houston. They are in harm's way, they've been relocated, and have endured the unimaginable trauma of being separated from infant children. But they tell us that there are so many suffering far worse. They actually feel lucky. 

I see the photograph of the small child found shivering, clinging to the dead body of her mother. My heart breaks for them both.

I see the image of the cowboy-tough Texas redneck carrying an Asian woman and her baby through waist deep water to safety and I think...there is a real man.

I see another picture of a black man wearing a slick yellow pancho carrying two white toddlers in his arms through rising water and think...this is an image worth making into a statue for a town square.

I watch a video of a reporter approaching two men, one white, one black who are preparing their fishing boats for battle. He asks them what they are doing. The black man says, we're going to try to save some people today.

I remember the thing my Dad used to say about how a life crisis doesn't build character, it simply reveals it. Once again, Dad was right.

I get momentarily sidetracked by reading about some professor who earned his fifteen minutes of fame by suggesting that the people of Texas deserve this because they voted for Trump, and I marvel at the hardness of the human heart, the inability of some to set aside politics. But when I hear how this professor was denounced by both sides I take small comfort.

But, through all of this I discover that there is something wrong with me. For, although I am moved by all of the human suffering, nothing moves me like the sight of an abandoned dog on a rooftop of a car. I see pictures of terrified dogs in cages, wet and wild eyed and I have to look away. I just can't take it. I literally walk away from the computer and leave the room. Why? Why am I so quickly moved to tears by the suffering of family pets?

It's because they don't understand. We can't sit them down and explain what is happening. They trust us for everything. They never doubt us. They have cast their lot with their humans without reservation. And now, they have been abandoned in the midst of a 500 year flood. The images are too much for me.

But, they are there and I am here, safe and dry. I can only pray for all the people of Texas. I can donate to the Red Cross. 

I remind myself that this is Texas we're talking about. Those people are tough as shoe leather. They will recover. They won't sit around waiting for someone else to save their fellow Texans. They will fill up the Evinrude with gas and do it themselves.

God bless them...everyone.

Scaramucci To Speak at Liberty Convocation

Liberty University has announced that Anthony "The Mooch" Scaramucci will speak during convocation. Something called the Office of Spiritual Formation booked the former hedge fund manager and political gadfly to speak to the mandatory gathering of 10,000 plus students at the Christian school in Lynchburg, despite the fact that Scaramucci has previously had no known connection to anything vaguely associated with Christianity. Scaramucci, best known for his expletive-laden interview which appeared in The NewYorker, served as President Trump's Communications Director for eleven days. Complaints about selecting someone of Scaramucci's dubious character and paper thin list of accomplishments were directed at Liberty President, Jerry Falwell Jr. who vigorously denied any involvement with the choice, noting that the selection of convocation speakers was the responsibility of the Office of Spiritual Formation. A spokesman for that office pointed out the invitation to Scaramucci was made prior to his stormy tenure at the Trump White House and his profane rant in the New Yorker. This "explanation" is quite odd since, if true, begs the question...what had Mr. Scaramucci done prior to his stint at the White House that would have suggested him as an appropriate speaker for Liberty University students?

He ran hedge funds. He wrote three books, all three of which celebrated his ability to make lots of money. Along the way he managed to have five kids with two women, both of whom he ended up divorcing, the last one while she was eight months pregnant with his child. At various times over the past ten years he had been involved in supporting the Presidential campaigns of Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Scott Walker, and JEB Bush. What aspects of spirituality are the leadership at Liberty trying to form here?

Listen, it's none of my business what Liberty University does. They are a private university and can invite anyone they want to speak on their campus. All sorts of really bad people get invited to speak at colleges all the time. But for a school like Liberty, dedicated as they are to producing "champions for Christ," it seems an extraordinarily odd choice. Yes, I know that simply by inviting someone to speak does not equal approval of the message. Liberty has had many speakers over the years that fall outside their wheelhouse...Ted Kennedy and Bernie Sanders come to mind. But, Anthony Scaramucci??

Jerry Falwell Jr. has transformed himself in the minds of many into the chief apologist for Donald Trump, at least among evangelicals. Again, that's his choice and his business. But, when he does so, like it or not, he also represents his university. It should not surprise him that many of his current and former students are appalled by the strident support that he offers a man who has lived a life antithetical to the Gospel of Christ. In an interview with Fox News after Trump's hamfisted remarks about Charlottesville, Falwell, with not an ounce of self awareness offered up this insight...

Trump doesn't say what's politically correct, he says what's in his heart.

Yes, Jerry. He does say what's in his heart. And, isn't that the problem?

Seven Essentials

Don't worry, I'm done with church talk for a good while. However, there was one aspect of this past weekend's class that I found fascinating, and I'm wondering if there might be a secular version we could rally around as a nation. On matters of theology, the Christian faith is a cauldron of factions and denominations. Hope did not trivialize those tensions, but rather boiled them down to their essence with their Seven Essentials of our Faith. I will not list them here since that is not what this post is about. The larger point made by Hope is that, as a church body, they allow disagreement on a great many things about doctrine...but not with respect to the seven essentials. There is, after all, no point in organizing a church around no guiding theological principles. Anarchy is not a workable doctrine. Chaos is not the foundation of a functioning church, or anything else.

This seven essentials business has launched me into thinking about my country. We are at a point in our history where all of the things that divide us seem overwhelming, a way forward seems elusive. If we were so inclined, what would the seven essentials of American citizenship be? For years I would have thought that it would have been the Bill of Rights. But, with each passing day, I hear more voices claiming that freedom of speech needs a few tweaks. Once that iconic freedom falls, how many others are safe?

So, if you could construct a seven essentials for American citizenship, what would it contain? I suppose I'm not committed to the number seven, there's nothing sacred about that, but, I think the fewer, the better. More importantly, are there a set of rules that free citizens must agree upon in order to live together in peace and stability? I'm not asking how everyone should be forced to live their life. I'm not asking you to impose your personal political ideology on the rest of the public. Rather, in the spirit of compromise and accommodation, what are the principles that are vital to living together in peace, principles that all human beings could coalesce around?

Go.....