Personal – Page 4 – John J Langan

May 16, 2016

Embracing My Inner Nitwit

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“Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!” ~ Albus Dumbledore

Recently, a friend re-introduced the word “nitwit” to me. Besides cracking up every time she said it, I was completely charmed by the word… but it wasn’t obvious why right away.

Over the course of a very short conversation she used the word about five times. She was clearly on a roll that day… Interestingly, she was applying the term to a few different people, not just one nitwit. The fact that she has surrounded herself with nitwits is her issue, and the smart move for me is to not nitpick about that in this post. That would be stupid, not nitwitty. Yeah… I know that’s not a word, but dammit it should be!

Based on the conversation and the people involved, I simply enjoyed to both the complete accuracy and silliness that the word conveyed. But allow me to get to some nitwit nitty gritty…

The best etymology I could scrape together was this: nit (a minor shortcoming), and wit (clever or apt humor). This combination doesn’t seem to get to the real heart of the word, especially given details of my friend’s nitwit backstories. Merriam-Webster’s definition is “a scatterbrained or stupid person”, and that description seemed right on the money.

When I looked at the synonyms, a silliness factor became quite clear: “cuckoo”, “dingbat”, “nutcase”, etc. Those words pretty much described every Monty Python Flying Circus episode, and that certainly appealed to me.

BJ_Nitwit_FINAL Please know that my investigation was thorough… I did find evidence of Nitwit Beer and a lice removal treatment. Even I can’t make a connection there…

So after my exhaustive research was complete, the conclusion for my nitwit enthusiasm was very clear… it was the simplicity of the silliness. Meaning… why make anything – even judgments we sometimes make – more complicated than they need to be?

What I really found interesting about my friend and the nitwits she cited was her willingness to embrace that small amount of silliness, versus denigration. Simply put, she was making a conscious decision to let some possibly annoying people off the hook, and not think less of them.

We are exposed to these types of shortcomings in people all the time – from some who don’t have the intelligence to some others who don’t have the drive. And we all expose our shortcomings as well. (Go ahead… insert whatever joke you please.)

Sometimes I am dumb as hell. I try not to be, but it happens. I have a firm grasp of my imperfections, so I know those instances will happen again and again despite my best efforts. And I can live with that.

But sometimes I’m a nitwit, and I can live with that as well. I will try to embrace that silliness, and hope that all of my friends will embrace it in me.

Thanks always to all of my nitwit friends. You know who you are… or maybe you don’t! Special thanks to SG for embracing the silliness and giving me some inspiration. Yay! You’re a nitwit!!

April 22, 2016January 20, 2021

Never Trump – My Reasons

“Love him or hate him, Donald Trump is a man who is certain about what he wants and sets out to get it, no holds barred. Women find his power almost as much of a turn-on as his money.” —Donald Trump on Donald Trump

I have spent a good amount of time recently criticizing Donald Trump in writing, in conversations and on social media. I have been exhorting my fellow Pennsylvanians to vote for anyone else in the upcoming primary, because I love my state and don’t want to see it embarrassed by supporting such a candidate. But the more important long game is denying Trump the Republican nomination… because so much damage will be done if he is still a candidate after the convention.

I’ve been asked many times why I have taken this “Never Trump” position. I’ve also found it very interesting that when I post something anti-Trump, the only responses I get are negative towards his competition… never citing reasons to vote for him other than he’s different.

My reasoning is simple: he is not qualified and his mere presence on a ballot is an embarrassment to our country. But to be fair, I will expand my thoughts on this very sad subject.

Donald Trump is a manipulator, and his enthusiastic supporters are the “manipulatees”. He is an outstanding marketer, and has hit a nerve with a base that was desperate for this kind of dialogue. While it would be easy to take cheap shots at a small portion of them for their racism and bigotry, that would not be fair. The majority of Trump supporters have had a difficult time for many years, and their candidate has marketed himself to be the answer to their prayers. Trump has recognized a base that has lost traction because of the domestic economy, foreign competition and – by their logical extension – immigrants. Legal or illegal, it doesn’t matter. Mexican or Muslim, that doesn’t matter either.

But as legitimate victims of corporate greed or government policies, they absolutely must have their problems addressed because they are citizens of our country. That failure is a completely different debate. These people deserve better… better than Donald Trump. Because after the rallies are over and the Trump circus heads out of town, his supporters are left with promises for change and no real solutions to achieve it.

Trump has opinions on what is wrong with our current foreign policy and the state of our economy… all gloom and doom. But he offers no real solutions, not a one. When asked for specifics he dodges the questions, only saying that he will have the best people and he will solve all of the problems.

Go to his campaign website and read his “positions”. You will find his policies to be vague and lacking detail. But they have been composed by professional writers on his staff… clearly more professional than the candidate. And Trump continues to confuse and confound everyone by straying from this published platform during speeches and interviews.

I know, I know… all of the other candidates’ plans have come into question. That is part of the political process. But at least they are consistent, and I suggest you read those positions as well. Whether you agree or disagree, you will certainly find Trump’s opponents have put more organization and thought into their plans… and have been consistent in their presentations.

Personally, I disagree with his opinions on energy and climate change, foreign policy, the economy, immigration, guns, etc. But I do agree with his opinions on some things. Maybe…

I can agree with his abortion stance, as I am Pro-Life. But I don’t think he is telling the truth about that because he wants to court evangelical voters.
I agree that our commitment to NATO is out of balance with other member countries, but I don’t think we should remove ourselves.
I’ll also agree with Trump that our system of electing a President is completely flawed – on both sides. But he wouldn’t care if it was working to his advantage.

Above anything else, Trump’s attitude is the main reason I would like him to disappear from the playing field. He respects no one, and changes his position on issues frequently – sometimes several times in the same day. And his quickness to call an opponent a liar flies in the face of the fact that he doesn’t tell the truth.

His hate is unprecedented in an election – at least in this country. That fact alone should stop his campaign in its tracks. Because America has always been – and should always strive to be – better than this.

He is a misogynist. I am constantly amazed at the sheer amount of dismissive and derogatory statements he makes about women. And I seriously question any woman who could possibly consider voting for him.

I’ve said in previous posts that when Trump announced his candidacy, he probably didn’t think he would win. I don’t think he ever wanted to be President, instead to be the trouble-making pundit on the fringes, getting financially rewarding speaking engagements and book deals. But now he’s clearly in over his head, and the American people are bearing the weight.

I don’t think it is possible for voters to agree with everything a candidate puts forth. There are way too many things that matter, so many details. While it’s very easy to blame a President for the economy and other problems, most of the big issues we face are shared by the Senate and House as well.

At the end of the day, I want my President to represent our country positively and professionally, and be committed to keeping my family safe. That is why a President Trump scares me to death. That is why I insist, “Never Trump.”

He may be rich, successful and a fantastic real estate entrepreneur, but Donald Trump is not qualified to be President of the United States. His attitudes and core beliefs will consistently make enemies around the world, and the indifference or loss of our allies. His hatred and policies will bring war to our country, and to our shores. And they will be fought by our children and grandchildren.

We can never let that happen.

Never.

No pics in this post other than the banner as I wanted my opinion to be the focus. As of today, I am still undecided who gets my vote, but I continue to shudder as some candidates stoop to Trump’s level. I will probably wait until there are only two left to make my choice. Hopefully, it won’t be the lesser of two evils…

April 18, 2016

B-Musings – Pants On Fire Edition

“B-Musings”… sharing random blurbiage and ping-pong balls rattling around my dome. Haven’t done this in over a year, but it doesn’t mean my brain is resting peacefully.

Liars – Not so long ago, calling someone a “liar” was one of the worst insults you could say. In this supercharged political season of today, it’s commonplace. Every presidential candidate has said the “L” word frequently, certainly exacerbating a campaign that has been definitely not “presidential”.

It’s not just in politics, I’ve seen it occur in the workplace as well. I’m not sure what’s worse… the ease at which people wield this knife, or that the increased frequency of the sin that makes the accusation so normal. It’s just another subtle decline of our values, part of a larger landslide.

Beautifully Played – If you have read my blogs before or know anything about me personally, you are aware of my love for soccer. I watch, coach, live and love the beautiful game. I’m not writing this to expand my thoughts further on these feelings, but today I was reminded what the game is about for me.

the-beautiful-game-shirt-alt_grande As I said, I am a coach. For most of the last twenty years or so I have been involved in youth soccer. I’ve held several official and administrator roles at various times, but I’ve always been a coach. Sometimes I’ve been a good one, sometimes not so much. But I’ve always tried to teach my players to respect the game and their opponents. We don’t always win, but we try to play with integrity.

I knew going into my U-13 match this weekend that I would have some trouble fielding a team. Some players were sick, some had some family conflicts, etc. But we had the full eleven side and started the match. At halftime, one of my defenders had to leave to attend his lacrosse game. The opposing coach saw him leave and immediately took one of his players off the field.

I’ve been in this situation before… on both sides of the ball. What to do depends on many factors, and a somewhat meaningless spring soccer game made it easier to make the sides even. And he did that.

Sometimes in youth sports you see examples of adults behave badly because of a skewed sense of proprieties… not that day. It really doesn’t matter who won the match, and these kids all played beautifully. Clearly, I love this word…

It was a beautiful thing, on a beautiful day, and it’s all part of the beautiful game.

Funkified – I’ve been feeling funky lately. No… not George Clinton Parliament Funkedelic funky, but I’m not above posting a picture of him to add some color to all your lives… you’re welcome!!

I’ve just been in a rut. I’ve been busy at work, travelling, more work, etc. I’ve also been distracted by many things, like politics and the unbelievable rise of Leicester City Football Club (that could be an entire blog post). So I haven’t been reading and writing much in the last couple of months.

Reading a book usually gets me out of these funks, and that simple act rescued me again over seven flights in the past two weeks. This time it really made me think, as I am reading the autobiography of my favorite artist – Elvis Costello.

To be honest… this is a good book, not a great one. If you are familiar with Costello’s career you know that he’s pretty much done whatever he wanted, sometimes risking success and certainly record sales. In this book he tells his story… the one he wants to tell. It is sometimes boring and sometimes exhilarating. The chapter stories are told randomly, without regard to his chronology.

I own every second of Elvis Costello’s published music, plus hours of concert stuff and radio shows. I’m guessing I’ve seen him live close to thirty times. He’s recorded about a thousands songs… I love some, I like some, and a few I don’t like at all. But I always respected his commitment to be his own artist, and he always inspires me.

You are reading this now because this week, he inspired me to read and write… and get funky.

Turn the sound up and enjoy my favorite Elvis Costello song… and maybe ask that same question. Enjoy your day!

February 22, 2016

On Politics, People and Gray Areas

“He’s a gray area in a world that doesn’t like gray areas. But the gray areas are where you find the complexity, it’s where you find the humanity and it’s where you find the truth.” —Jon Ronson at TED2012

GrayArea

I’d love to say that the above quote was about me, but the author is describing what he terms to be “a semi-psychopath”. I can live with that, because I’ve been confused lately… struggling with gray areas. And not just the ever-increasing acreage on top of my head!

Areas of gray… I just don’t know. It’s been bothering me for weeks now. There have been questions in my head that I can neither qualify nor quantify. Looking at a thesaurus… “ambiguity”, “open to question”. I’m getting close. “Debatable”… that could be it. Although, the word “debate” has been terribly overused these days.

Two months ago I wrote a blog post about Donald Trump, and I was tough on him – there was pretty much nothing gray about paralleling him to Adolf Hitler! I haven’t softened my stance… if anything Mr. Trump continues to provide more examples confirming my assertions.

But I really should take this opportunity to thank the Donald for igniting in me a new awareness of politics. I have never been this interested in a presidential election so early in the process. Trump has done this service to the country in two ways, with supporters delighting in his views and people like me looking forward to the next crazy ass blurb to leap from his mouth. But in spite of this, he is the front-runner for the GOP nomination… a clear dose of reality for me and my silly little blog!

There is not one iota of gray in Donald Trump – his beliefs and policies are dead right, and if you disagree you are dead wrong. And that makes you a loser, or a liar. No gray areas there, thank you very much… and most of the other candidates aren’t much better!

But let’s get back to my boggle. I’ve realized my failure to accept the existence of ONLY two options – the perceived right and the perceived wrong – is the issue I’m wrestling. I’m hard pressed to identify any friends, relatives or candidates that I agree with completely, on every level. The consideration for some people of only an A or B solution eliminates gray areas, rendering compromise impossible.

Look at some of the buzzword battles we concern ourselves with today: Rich vs Poor, Pro-Choice vs Pro-Life, Gun Control vs Second Amendment, Apple vs FBI… just to name a few in the news. All can inspire passion depending on what side of the street you reside. The worst battle is Democrat Blue vs Republican Red, where the possibility of compromise and achieving a positive result is growing more and more elusive. And few conflicts in my lifetime require more time and scrutiny than Black Lives Matter vs Blue Lives Matter, the poster children for two sides not interested in conversation and solutions. With many “colors” speaking so loudly, that poor gray area has no voice and – ironically – is getting killed.

gray-area The amount of people who now only consider one of two choices is continuing to grow. I’ve had several conversations with friends – in person and via social media – that have basically ended like this: “If you don’t agree with me about (insert issue) then we can no longer be friends.” Sound familiar?

I completely disagree with several friends regarding the Second Amendment and Gun Laws. I consider some of them to be smart people, and I respect their opinions. So I listen and discuss, and/or read what they have to say. Solutions are in the gray areas.

I readily agree that I can be opinionated, but no more than most people. I also try to admit when I’m wrong. I may disagree with people on some issues, but I am not ready to terminate relationships because of it. If we are friends or family or whatever, I’m trying to respect your opinion out of the gate.

Listening to the politicians frame the dangers of our world – terrorism, death, illegal immigration, too much government, etc. All of that is nothing compared to ignoring the gray areas of opinion, and the cost is the end of opportunities to learn.

That’s too large a price to pay.

November 28, 2015January 20, 2021

Trump America

“Naturally the common people don’t want war… All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.” ~ Hermann Göring at Nuremberg

A couple of months ago I posted on Facebook about Donald Trump… saying that I hoped he stayed around for a while because he was ridiculously funny. It was a joke.

I’ve never regretted anything I’ve written more.

20150807cover1800-x-2400 The state of American politics is at an all-time low, and it is being driven straight into the ground by Trump. He has no discernible platform, and his speeches are just rants that have no direction. To the Republican Party he has been a nuisance who won’t go away. But now, it’s clear that his presence threatens the entire party and they are in a panic.

A lot can happen in the next few months, but what if he wins the nomination? I shudder to think of what could happen after that.

A decade ago I read a novel by Phillip Roth entitled “The Plot Against America”. In this book Roth imagined an alternate history where FDR lost his presidential bid in 1940 to Charles Lindbergh. Roth imagines a world where Lindbergh fully acts on his rumored Nazi party sympathies and helps create an America gripped with fear and antisemitism. Clearly fiction, but we should all be happy that none of those scenarios were ever realized.

The current rise of Donald Trump made me think of that book, and the early rise of the Nazi Party. In the 1930’s, Hitler and his goons longed to create the 1,000 Year Reich because of their hatred of Jews and their need to dominate. They succeeded mostly because of the fear of anyone to challenge them. I seriously doubt that in America in 2015 we could reach that state of insanity, but to me the comparisons are obvious.

I wonder what Trump thinks of America, and if he knows that we are a nation of immigrants. For that matter, does he realize that all three of his wives are immigrants?

trump-hat I wonder if the Pilgrims would be welcome in Trump’s America. Or Albert Einstein. Or Henry Kissinger. Or, someone more Donald’s speed, Arnold Schwarzenegger. And I wonder if he would have supported my Mother coming to his America… an Irish Catholic from Belfast whose brother spent a small amount of time in the IRA.

Who is Donald Trump? This is my simple answer… He’s a swindler. He is creating this persona for himself that, at the end of it all, just wants your money. He doesn’t want to be President of the United States and have all that responsibility. He doesn’t have the chops and he knows it. But Trump dearly wants to be the very public critic of whoever is in power. That will make him a boatload of money in books, interviews and speeches. Obviously he doesn’t need the money, and he clearly is bored making billions in real estate or whatever. One look at an episode of “The Apprentice” will show you the hungriest ego on the planet. Watch him now in the campaign, as people applaud and scream his name. He is practically orgasmic.

He is also a daily embarrassment to our country. Trump has hidden his true agenda, but he hasn’t been clever enough to hide what fills his heart… hate and fear. He’s a liar and a racist. He’s attacked women, Mexican immigrants, Syrian refugees, Blacks and now, a physically challenged reporter… who’s next?

Me, probably. Let the tweets about that fat blogger begin!!

It is beyond my comprehension how anyone supports Donald Trump. Maybe that says more about our country than anything by the man himself. But from where I sit, he is a candidate whose every policy and opinion are opposite of what makes our country great. I know you’re out there, please educate me.

Trump will never have my vote. Why the hell does he have yours?