Linda"s 90th

 

Last week, Linda, the birthday girl, celebrated her 90th. We voyaged to the Berkeley Hills for  celebration.  This essay is about the ,one and only, birthday girl.

After my morning run, we were ready to leave for  our Berkeley destination when Linda received a birthday call greeting from Tony and Debbie.  After her chat, we left home.  We got on Highway 80, but didn't look for Paul  this time because he was in Greece.  After a leisurely  2 + hour drive , we reached Berkeley. We climbed and climbed and finally reached our abode, which was very close  to Grizzly Peak Boulevard. We had a spectacular view of the San Francisco Bay with the Golden Gate insight.

We unpacked and then headed for the golf links in Tilden Park.  We arrived and headed for the pro shop and talked with the young man at the desk.  He didn't recognize female golf legends from yesteryear.  I had him Google Patty Berg to enlighten him .  As a teenager, Linda was a member of a golf club in Kansas City.  She was a fabulous golfer and joined Babe Didrikson  Zaharias in exhibition. Babe was impressed with Linda's skill on the links.  She even talked about Linda joining her on tour.  That did not happen.  

Babe was a professional golfer and joined the LPGA at the beginning.  She had 48 professional wins ,10 major championships and was a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.  She  set world records, winning two gold medals and one silver medal  in track and field at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics.  She competed in basketball and pool as well.  She even pitched a total of four innings in three major league spring training exhibition games.  She gave up one walk and no hits pitching for the Philadelphia Athletics against the Brooklyn Dodgers..

 At the golf shop, Linda grabbed the seven iron and headed to the practice tee where she felt comfortable and familiar.  She made some terrific shots straight down the fairway and talked about hitting golf balls again. 

 Linda is also a water person.  We headed for the Bay for dinner and wound up at Skates on the Bay which was situated in the bay with, once again, a marvelous view.  We ate dinner that included a trio of shrimp, scallops and salmon.  We informed the waiter  that we wanted to share that meal and it arrived with two separate plates equally divided.  The food was terrific as Linda made the right choice.  We both agreed it was one of the best meals we've had in quite some time.  The setting, food, view , service  and company were excellent. 

After dinner we headed for Dreyer’s ice cream parlor in Berkeley.  However, it was  nowhere to be found.  The next stop was Fenton's on Piedmont Avenue.  There, we shared a huge hot fudge sundae to end the evening.  On our way back, the Grizzly Peak Drive was spectacular as we witnessed the gigantic fog headed inland.  It was simply breathtaking.

Next day Linda wanted to visit the Oakland zoo.  We spent the morning and afternoon at this facility . It had  the Wild Australia ,Tropical Rainforest ,African Savanna and California Trail System  locations . At each station, there was a description of animal habitat and specifics regarding extinction, balloon and plastic hazards , lifespan and social structure.  Animals are often found in herds ,packs or groups.  Some like a lion ,sleep a lot and then hunt at night.  In fact, I did not see the lion.  It was sad to see the Tiger playing with a large ball.  The elephant was just standing in one spot throwing dirt on his body.  Yes, the animals live longer  in zoos. But, they are caged and  their nature is being interfered with as they are captives.

Later that evening we headed back to the Bay and had dinner at The Berkeley Boathouse.  That restaurant was located in the  Doubletree Hilton Hotel.  The mahi-mahi  meal was tasty but not as spectacular as the evening before.  We talked with our San Leandro waitress regarding ice cream places . Humphrey's on College Avenue was recommended .  We headed for Humphrey's and found that little hole in the wall and to our surprise, we were delighted by their wide array of  exotic flavors . We enjoyed another   delicious  Sundae .  Humphrey's is now on our  do  it again list.

The next morning we headed home and stopped at her favorite gourmet eating place near The Monster of Massage in Newcastle for a pastrami sandwich.  We arrived home and retrieved Teddy.  

All in all, visiting the Bay Area's special with another memory being Linda's 90th.  Further,  I had forgotten that we had given Linda's golf equipment to Dave.  We retrieved them after putting on  Dave’ s putting green . And  the following day  headed for the links at ALT .  It was wonderful to see my beautiful young looking wife enthusiastically engage again  in the sport that she  once excelled.  Look out Scheffler, McElroy and Tiger as it may not take long for Linda to regain her magic form.

A Derisory Person

 

The 10 Commandments , found in Exodus and Deuteronomy, were the first moral and ethical principles for mankind . The majority , in our country, have a tendency not to commit murder or kill , while others have a tendency to ignore moral and ethical principles . Recently,  a white person murdered three black individuals. Also , I  viewed Dan Buettner's documentary titled Live to 100.  The Secrets of Longevity.  This essay incorporates the above ideas .

Sigmund Freud,  who witnessed World War 1, had to include an instinct of  death to more fully explain man's craziness.  Craziness occurred In Jacksonville , when that  21-year-old male murdered Angela, A.J. and Jerrald .We  heard more about guns  and the fact that he purchased them legally than we did  about  the moral and ethical problems facing this republic . Why does a Christian nation remain silent on  amorality  ?   Have we  become numb to murder and suicide because were living in the age of craziness ?  Perhaps , we are a Christian republic in name only ?

This white person followed Nazi propaganda and had a swastika mark on his gun.  Did his irrational and absurd beliefs and rationalizations  justify murder of self and others as did Hitler ?  Nazisim represented a  hateful dictatorial fascist political party that was intolerant, racist against Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals, and against  justice and the rule of law . 

 Did this white Nazi have a rational foundation for murder and suicide ?  If not, he was insane.  Why kill a black individual ?  Yes, in 1619 there were slaves brought to our shores ; yes, they have black pigmentation and a certain amount of melanin; yes, they are exceptional athletes; yes, we've had a black president and yes we  currently have a black female VP.  And the reason to kill a black is because ? If  there was no rational foundation for murder then he was insane. Moreover , those who accept the murder of others suggest that there is no higher value to guide behavior and that thou shall not kill is irrelevant.  If nothing is either true or false, good or bad,  just or unjust.  then we become slaves according to Camus in his book The Rebel . If  murder , in this case is justified , that means that  scruples , conscience  and guilt  are nonoperative and irrelevant   In other words, if murder and suicide are considered the same thing and accepted as such, then the justifications for murder and suicide  mean an indifference to life, which is the definition of nihilism .

This person had no grounds for murder and  his absurdist beliefs cannot defend the existence of acceptance and sacrifice  of the lives of others.  Others have a right  to live .  Was this resentful person rebelling ?      Scheler describes resentment as an evil secretion in a sealed vessel of prolonged impotence, passive, highly colored by envy of what one does not have, which turns into unscrupulous ambition or bitterness which is in wanting to be something other than what one is which means always a resentment against oneself. And, he was rebelling against the will , desire for survival, growth, life , humanism and  the respect  or value of self and for others. What irrational authority gave him permission for this violent crime  ? 

It was reported that he locked his bedroom door while living with his parents.  His identity was based on resentment, hatred and he alone was a lone wolf killer but had a shallow  attachment to “others” on social media, to those expressing malignant beliefs.  He was not developing skills , planning for a career , preparing for a  family,  teaching ,contributing, producing  or helping others . He had no future ,he was  a  narcissist with a necrophiliac attitude and character structure.

This individual with necrophilia  tendencies exhibited  indifference and a hating  of life and humanity with the tremendous capacity to destroy.  He was enamored by force, his power to kill those who lacked this power  as they were defenseless.  He was  in “control.”  Actually, he was fearful of life’s  uncertainty and  was willing to kill and die for some irrational and hateful idea of "justice."  Is he now a martyr ? An example of necrophiliac  was found in the biblical story.  It was a woman who wrongly claimed to be the mother of the child in the story of Solomon's judgment.  This woman would rather have a properly divided dead child than lose a living one . The true mother was willing to give up her child to live as opposed to having him cut in half.

 

Dan Buettner visited a number of countries interviewing many . In fact, one area was located in  Loma Linda, California.   Also, Michael Howard, PhD reviewed approximately two dozen centenarian studies across the world.  He came up with 16 healthy habits and lifestyle factors  that strongly predicted who would live  to 100 years old and  able to live independently.  A brief  review  of their research : 1.  All  centenarians were socially  and face to face connected, and  had reduced their  stress and distress with a purpose in life.  Some cooked healthy foods using appropriate vegan components; some tended their gardens; and some  were religiously connected. The Seventh-day Adventist's ,  from Loma Linda pursued health and  a healthy lifestyle.  2.  None of the centenarians devoted an enormous amount of time on social media.  Instead, they  interacted face to face  3.  They either lived independently , with a significant other or with family   4.  They had a positive humanistic attitude and  were concerned about others.  None exhibited malignant  narcissism and resentment , nor was the same found  in public or government forums   5.  All had a daily and resilient  work life with structure , repetition and meaning .  They all were focused on the present and future. None complained about being bored nor what to do today.  6.  All were physically active by either walking numerous steps in the city,  hills in the mountains; attending to wandering livestock; swimming, playing pickleball , volunteering,  or attending exercise class  7. They valued life and none had dementia, chronic depression , committed  suicide nor were drug  or alcohol dependent .

In summation, our republic appears to be headed in the direction toward an absence of religious ,ethical and moral principles ; excessive  negative physical and mental health  ; Intimacy with crime;  excessive criminal behavior with justice and the rule of law crumbling for some .  Murder has become repetitious and these acts of violence become numbing and more of the same .  Perhaps we need to spill more blood ?  We have excessive solitary loneliness, with plenty of noticeable tyrants on display .  With that being ,  it suggests the importance of how socioeconomic, political, and religious components affect biological and psychological health and longevity.  For instance, with the exception of one  Seventh-day Adventist community in Southern California, the majority of centenarians are found  elsewhere.  These communities are not represented by resentment, crime , murder, injustice, political divide, hate, destruction and discrimination.  However, they are represented by welcoming the aged; providing incentives for face-to-face interaction; self-motivation with  productivity; absence of  governmental and environmental distress; a positive future outlook.with congruent socioeconomic, political and environmental cooperation .  If we are going to have a rebellion, why not  against fascism, authoritarianism, racism, inequality , prejudice, discrimination, loneliness , murder, and suicide ?

PS

Jonathan Swift stated, "No wise man ever wished to be younger .”

Reference

Successful Aging in Men & Women . Institute for Natural Resources.

Social Media

 Our country is no stranger to individuals that lie, exploit, discriminate with hateful prejudice that began in 1619 for the sake of power, possession and status , in 1692 there was the Salem witch trials; in the 18th-century there was violence against the Freemason; later  attacks on Catholics ignited by Protestant leaders who lied about their sexual depravity and infanticide ;  Henry Ford's publishing "The International Jew,"  the anti-semetic series reported in his Dearborn Independent newspaper; McCarthy’s communism witch hunt in the 1950’s ;  the CIA's clandestine  filming of encounters between sex workers and Americans unaware that the agency had given them LSD ; the 1980s when innocent people had their lives ruined when children reported "recovered memories" of ritual abuse inside suburban daycare centers;  young moms  first  entertained , briefly, the falsehood that the Sandy Hook elementary school shootings was just a hoax and was about gun control ; a Trump  man who believed that walling off the southern border might have prevented his son's death from opioid addiction;  and the current election fraud disinformation . This disquisition addresses the June 25, 2023 edition of The New York Times  article titled "Social Media Is Said to Harm Teens, but Proving It is Hard." Is there substantially  more craziness occurring  because of internet technology ?

 The article , in question , addressed some   research difficulties encountered in studying social media. One major problem included a lack of a definition for social media, its apps or features  and sites . Definitions are required for research. For this particular research  It's also important to identify variables being studied  .

Inconsistent findings, at this point  are expected without a clear  definition and as well as  the particular  variables  for the research . This suggests the possibility of a flawed  research design  . It's been reported that there was a small negative correlation between social media use and mental health but specifics have not been identified. Other research has shown that social media is not inherently beneficial or harmful and its effects depend on individuals .  It's  also been found that teenagers with certain vulnerabilities such as those with low self-esteem , poor body image or social struggles seem to be most at risk.  One experiment found that exposure to manipulated images directly led to worse body image, particularly for girls more prone to compare themselves with others.  Another study found that using social media to compare self to others and seek approval was associated with depressive symptoms, especially for teens who struggle socially.  One study found that social media often had positive and negative effects on the same person.  According to Project Awesome, that  study reported that teenage girls with symptoms of depression were more likely than girls without symptoms to say  that social media made other people’s lives better  and were more likely to say it enhanced their social connections . 

A few recommendations  found in the article included  were as follows: 1. Set limits, especially around bedtime.  2 .Don't give a young teenager a smartphone right away.  Start with a smartphone or a phone without Internet.  3.  Talk to you teenagers and have them show you what they're seeing and how it  makes them feel.  Discuss privacy and safety.  4.  Pick a family springtime plan that takes into account which activities increase stress versus providing long-term satisfaction.  5..  Model responsible Internet use .  Parents should engage with their kids. Just like parents who did pre-social media .Talk  about being good humans and citizens , talk about respect for others and themselves ,and talk about how their day was.

 In thinking about this article, my take as follows  for  a research  study 1.  A thorough review of existing social media research pertaining to the subject matter.  2. A research design that would  measure attitude change pertaining to antisemitism, based on social media. Teens; anti-Semitism; attitude change and psychological variables.  3.  Coordination with the Anti-Defamation League(ADL) .  This service  organization addresses itself to  education, anti-Semitism . racism , religious harassment, bigotry, xenophobia ,conspiracy theories and so forth.  They conduct research; track hateful attacks;  evaluate social media content ; assist the schools with programs relating to anti-Semitism  bullying and march for justice and equality. The ADL would be a terrific resource for information  research expertise regarding online tropes on You Tube ,Tick -Tock  and Snapchat.

A few variables for consideration would include the following: 1.  The study of anti-sematic attitudes using a Likert or Gutman scale survey  and/ or  other ideas after consultation with the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago.  2.  Moral development scores employing either  Kohlberg's moral judgment scale and/or using The Defining Issues Test to assess level of moral reasoning   3.  GPA, intelligence  quotient and standard testing achievement scores   4.  Personality components such as conventionalism, superstition, cynicism, dependency, suggestibility, anxiety, impulse control, alienation, depression, denial, rationalization , projection, ethnocentrism, obedience are considerations 5.  Socioeconomic variables pertaining to parents.  6.  High school teenagers, preferably 10th or 11th graders.

.Briefly, the purpose of the research would be to evaluate  positive, negative or neutral effects  on moral and character development from a social media platform with high school students.  Moral and character development  within our socioeconomic culture is exhibited with attitudes with corresponding behaviors . Throughout history there are many examples of persons with anxiety, fears and flaws who become attracted to  authoritarian leaders . In essence, they identify and become loyal followers to the projective  power, possession and status of that person .They  become a part of a consensus irrespective of reason, objectivity or morality. Social media can be effective , with certain  moral and character types, for propagating  hate, prejudice , and disinformation  for those vulnerable types seeking  it.

Longevity

  Last week's disquisition , including alienation. foreshadowed  the negative consequences pertaining to  physiological and psychological health .  Moreover , lifespans are  headed in the wrong direction.   This disquisition addresses additional factors interfering with  functional aging  employing  The longevity Test  which was based on  research from the Longevity Institute International. 

 

Alienation according to Marx  was related to socioeconomic factors in the work environment.  A few of these  socioeconomic variables  were measured , and suggest their importance affecting longevity . They are as follows : 1. Family income  up to $200,000  .2. Educational attainment had a higher score for postgraduate or a professional degree compared to some highschool or less  3.  Professionals and self-employed workers received higher scores than clerical, support, shift work or being unemployed.  4. Being in contact ,in the work environment with pollutants, toxic waste chemicals, radiation, or carrying a firearm to work. 5. Commuting time to and from work  6. Comprehensive medical insurance  and being able to use  physicians of your choice  compared to having  a limit for physician choices and/or having no insurance  7,Therapeutic measures such as comprehensive physical exams, blood tests, gynecological exams. Pap smears ,monthly breast exams , mammograms., genital self exams,  prostate exams, menstrual status, hysterectomy scores, postmenopausal , estrogen supplements, bowel movements, constipation, irritable bowel disorder ,sigmoidoscopy and skin lesions  .Other additional measures evaluated were blood pressure  with numbers ranging from normal ,borderline or high; cholesterol  being low, moderate, high; HDL-cholesterol 30 to 45, over 45;  and family member having diabetes.

Alienation also has to do with  having a negative  attitude and  making poor choices regarding self. This test identified many  of these behaviors that pertain  to  physiological, psychological and functional aging. The following variables  correlate and have to do with smart  or poor behavioral health choices.  For example: 1.  Tobacco use, ranging from one pipe or two cigarettes to the number of packs smoked daily  2. The number of years smoked compared to never smoking was also heavily weighted. 3.Alcohol  consumption was measured ,ranging from no alcohol consumption to the number of ounces of alcohol consumed on a daily basis.4..  Exercise ranged from 20 minutes or more of moderate aerobic exercise five or more times a week to no regular aerobic activity. 5. The number of flights of stairs  walked  6. Physical exercise at work  -from at least 2 miles of walking per day or   sedentary work without  much walking or climbing. 7. After taking a brisk walk or slow jog were symptoms of racing heart, irregular heartbeat or chest pain experienced  8.  Weight was evaluated for being  ideal or underweight  9.Measuring waist to hip ratio for both men and women . 

Accident Control  behavior was  assessed. 1. Wearing a seatbelt  2 . Drinking and driving including number of arrests 3. Weight of vehicle , subcompact or motorcycle.I would  have added contact sport activities , auto accidents and/or CTE diagnosis .

 Nutrition was important and some choices included :1.Eating a well-balanced diet or not eating a well-balanced diet 2. Eating regular meals at a consistent time  or not eating regular meals at a consistent time  3. Eating a balanced breakfast or not 4. Consuming fish, or poultry as primary protein sources  or not ;5.Eating at least five servings of green leafy vegetables daily or not 6. Eating at least five servings of fresh fruit or juice a day  or not 7. Avoiding fats or not avoiding  8. 50% meals consisting of fries, take-out foods, prepackaged or pre-cooked foods,or not 9. Eating some food each day that has a high fiber diet or not 10.Taking a daily multivitamin or mineral supplement that includes vitamins A ,C ,B complex, zinc, selenium .

.Changeable psychological factors were measured such as: 1. Being married or in a long term committed relationship or not 2. Satisfying sex life twice a week or more or not 3. Having close friends or not  4. Having a  regular daily routine or not  5.Hours of good sleep. or not  6. Yearly vacations or  not  7. Participation in stress management, yoga, meditation, music or not .I would have added psychotherapy treatment.

 Factors related to psychological  health called Changeable Emotional Stress factors  were measured , with a Likert Scale  . It  ranged from never, rarely ,sometimes ,to always.  The categories included : 1. Being generally happy  2. Having enjoyed time with family and friends 3 . Feeling in  control of personal life and career  4. Living within financial means  5. Set goals and look for new challenges  6. Participate in  a creative outlet or hobby 7. Having and enjoying leisure time 8. Express feelings easily 9. Laugh easily  10. Expect good things to happen 11. Anger easily  12.  Critical of self  13. Critical of others  14. Lonely even with others  15.Worry about things out of your control  16. Regret sacrifices made in life.

 Although I did not present the entire test, the topics Identified provide an indication of the number of choices pertaining to diet, lifestyle, environment,  mental attitude that relate to aging  that can be modified or changed..  I would have added  test  questions related to leisure activities such as equestrian , motorcycle, contact sports , accidents   along with pandemic vaccinations ,  mask wearing , climate change  stressors , CDC , prescription medication and physician guidelines,  dental care and participation in psychotherapy .

The importance of stress cannot be understated.   Dr. Hans Selye, postulated the alarm reaction caused by prolonged stress, which he called distress. Selye identified 4 stages:  !. Alarm Reaction. 2. Resistance  3. Exhaustion .4.Organ failure ,disease and death in his model.  There are many factors that affect the physical or emotional disequilibrium resulting from stress or prolonged distress.. Change in temperature , having a conversation , watching TV, playing a sport, planning an event, reading a novel, running a hill , driving a car. being late to an event, working , being in an uncontrollable situation etc..  Any activity can result in a change in homeostasis or disequilibrium resulting in  hazardous. Health consequences 

Negative  stresses are not pleasurable, but result in anxiety that affects mind and body such as a headache, stomachache ,allergies, ulcers, heart disease, cancer as well as affecting one's immune system, blood pressure, increased serum cholesterol levels, and lowered lymphocyte count.  In fact, one study found evidence of a heart attack four days after the individual experienced angry episodes with the risk doubling only  two hours after the outburst.  Specifically, the hormone cortisol is released with a cascading effect of production of free radicals . The hypothalamus ,neuropeptides , pituitary and adrenal glands become activated during stress.

In conclusion, healthy living is influenced by heredity , environmental circumstances, luck , values, perseverance,  commitment , being astute and well read with a myriad of choices and their unintended consequences. Psychological and functional age has to do with lifestyle.  Individuals in "It Has Nothing To Do With Age,"  pursued  healthy lifestyles that were indicative of their youthfulness, competitiveness and excellence.  Russ Kiernan  passed at 84; Jim Steere at 85 and Jack Sholl at 85.  Lew Hollander remains active in his 90s.  I'm nearing 84 and fit . I was told , as a teenager, by my dear Aunt Eva that there was nothing more valuable than health .Aunt Eva was a wise Lieberman .

Reference

Klatz, Ronald and Goldman, Robert.  Stopping The Clock.  Keats Publishing Inc.

PS

Some people try to achieve immortality through their offspring or their works.  I prefer to achieve immortality by not dying.-Woody Allen

Karl Marx

 Income inequality and alienation leads us to Karl Marx’s philosophy of man.  His propositions unfortunately  ,especially in the West , have often been misunderstood and  misrepresented. Today's disquisition reflects the implications of Marx's philosophy . 

Karl Marx was a humanistic existentialist born in 1818 and died in 1883. Briefly, his philosophy of man was actually a  protest against man's alienation. He  meant that man has lost himself and has been transformed into a thing based on the socioeconomics of the West. Marx was against man being transformed into a thing and  the dehumanization and automatization taking place in  corporate  production. He opposed this highly technological mass production with its emphasis on an abundance of  erroneous  communication , propaganda and conformity . He believed that socio economic conditions were contrary to developing  an authentic and genuine  existence.  This existentialist was rooted in the humanistic Western tradition and influenced by Spinoza, French and German Enlightenment philosophers  and with the writings of Goethe and Hegel.  This existentialist movement foreshadowed the humanistic psychology  of  Fromm ,  Maslow , May , Allport , Rogers and others . Marx believed that man had the capacity to liberate himself, and realize his potential . With emancipation or self-actualization , justice, equality and universality would flourish, not at all like the totalitarianism , communism in Russia ,China and elsewhere.

Marx's conception of socialism was not related to equality of income  nor that people would be well fed, well dressed with many possessions.  Also, socialism , in his conception, was that  the production of goods and services should not be subordinated to  the state, corporations or powerful individuals.  The aim of socialism was for man to achieve his potential in order to overcome the alienation that's evolved as a result of the socioeconomic conditions ithat has infected the development of  negativity with self, with others -loneliness, suicide, estrangement ,separation, and nature. Man can develop his own powers and become one with the world, 

Alienation was found in the Old Testament's story of  idolatry.  Alienation is the process by which  man creates idols by  his own hands;  bows down , faithfully follows , obeys and worships this thing.  In doing so, he associates himself with this thing or object and therefore  becomes estranged  from himself.  This alienation is an experience in which he becomes passive , receptive and becomes separated from self .

In other words, according to Marx ,the process of alienation is expressed in man's work behavior , and in the division of labor.  When  his work is active, as in the creation of intellectual or artistic forms, man begins to create the powers of  himself. However, when  his labor becomes alienated  that process , behavior  or work does not fulfill his being.  As a result , man experiences a feeling of misery, resentment, and  frustration rather than well-being . And his labor  or work becomes physically exhausting or mentally debasing without joy and satisfaction .  Marx states "labor exists for the process of production and not the process of production for the laborer."  He adds, "consciousness which man has from a species is transformed through alienation so that the species life becomes only a means for him."

Marx was not concerned primarily with the equalization of income, but with the liberation of man from a kind of work which destroys his individuality , transforms him into a thing which makes him into a slave of things.  The worker having no part in the direction of the work, being employed as part of the machines he serves, is transformed into a thing and is dependent on capital.  Marx referred to this as the "fetishism of commodities."  Marx adds, "it cannot be otherwise.  In a mode of production in which the laborer exists to satisfy the need of self-expression of existing values, instead of on the contrary, material wealth exists to satisfy the needs of development on the part of the laborer.  As in religion man is governed by the products of his own brain, so in capitalistic production he is governed by the products of his own hands."  "Machinery is adapted to the weakness of the human being, in order to turn the weak human being into a machine."

 Further , production should be under common control.  This means that individuals should not be exclusively associated with being in a  competitive , dog eat dog atmosphere , being second as in being a loser with its primary aim as profit and loss. Production being under his control means that he is actively participating in the planning and execution of all plans related to  that process.

Marxists socialism  was about living ,  actualizing or reaching his potential . His attitude of likes , dislikes  should be his main business rather than producing the means for  a living.  In other words, life aims should  not focus on wages to buy things, but to actually evolve,  create , live , like and love self and fellow man.  Competition can lead to rivalry,  destructiveness, hostility , getting ahead, stepping on others and greed for non-useful or irrelevant  things.  Once again socialism developed by Marx was meant for tman’s fulfillment  but was never the fulfillment of life, but only the condition of fulfillment.  The goal  of life  is  to be able to create a self for its own end, freedom for producing and  being  creative. .

In a hazardous environment  or with stress , a fear response is activated in the amygdala  section of the mammalian or old brain within the limbic system .With fear is the activation  of  the stress hormones cortisol epinephrine and norepinephrine . These  deleterious  emotional effects result in significant interference in higher ordered  or executive ego functioning cognition in the cerebral cortex in the human or new brain . And  cortisol is associated with degenerative diseases of aging , ulcers, myocardial  infarction, diabetes, cerebral vascular accidents, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, alcoholism, and obesity.  In other words, a warlike or stressful environment does not  result in more intelligent thinking and actions , but in  primitive emotions , less intelligent thinking and behavior with physiological and psychological  disease .

A recent article titled "We're in the Era of the "Top Gun" CEO" in The July 30, 2023 edition of The New York Times supports Marx's definition of alienation  in addition to  a May 11, 2022 report by Gallup. They stated that many employees are drifting from their organizations - even when they are not actually leaving.  Only one in four employees strongly agree they feel connected to their culture and only one in three strongly believe that they belong in their organization. In the New York Times article, CEOs are undergoing combat like training because :1.  Work is war 2.  Their stress related  problems are  the competitive  market , shareholder pressure and  significant  employee  turnover 3.Typical corporate office environments  are riddled with passive aggressiveness that includes shouting, cursing and pacing the floor with lacrosse sticks. These overpaid , passive aggressive Walter Mitty types represent the aggressive  exploitative nature  of our time.  In war, there’s an enemy, friendly fire and civilian deaths.  When CEOs are at war , then they should be held accountable for their hostility. It’s not surprising , with alienation and hostility,  that there's a high employee turnover in the corporate environment. The current state of the capitalistic system with its  shortsightedness and greed contribute to decrease in physiological and psychological health with increased probability of a Doomsday Clock occurrence. And do not forget to review Edwin Starr’s “War” lyrics.

A few words about friends , associates and  retirement . Their fields of employment consist of a counselor  and teacher in public school ; teaching in a  state prison ; state employee with law enforcement; teamster; employee in a   corporation. Are  these  individuals  alienated ?  That question  can be debated.  However, there are some common themes that pertain to  these individuals : 1.  All were concerned about income and the best time to retire.  2.  All were looking forward to retirement and were counting the days.  3.  All expressed , a form of happiness,  when not working or on vacation.  4.  All  expressed various forms of frustration, disappointment and discouragement regarding interacting with supervisors, fellow workers, or rules and regulations. 5.  All received good earnings with benefits.

For me, these last 24 years of  retirement have been a blessing and have resulted in well-being . Chasing the mighty dollar was compulsive  and stressful behavior .  Retirement  resulted in freedom, additional options for personal decisions and the ability for furthering the development of physical and mental health.  Equine activities were fun, joyous, personal and facilitated important interpersonal relationships  irrespective of the competition.  Running also has been super , satisfying and enjoyable while pursuing and meeting all the difficult challenges with many friendships ..  Reading and writing has become necessary, fulfilling, educational and intellectually satisfying . 

There are many problems within income inequality. Many employed individuals  appear alienated , lonely and not happy while at work. It’s likely related to  wages,  health, family, education , skill level , character issues etc.. Capitalism works best for those with the right inheritance ,  ZIP Code , educational opportunities , intellectual capacity  and character in a limited supply and high demand field.  Fortunately, too many don't have the right variables and become  isolated, left out , resentful and make  too many self-defeating  victim-like decisions.  Marx identified one major socio economic  problem  that affects physiological and psychological aging along with disease .. Alienation plays a major part and  makes significant contributions to our  political, personal and economic dysfunction.

PS

A special word of gratitude to T.B. Bottomore for his translation of Marx's Economic And Philosophical Manuscripts.

Lake Tahoe

  Linda and I just returned from Lake Tahoe . Lake Tahoe is  located relatively close as I buckled  on  both the Tevis and Western States when I was in my  early 60’s. This essay relates to our recent visit .

We  left for Lake Tahoe after I had finished completing my early morning run . On the way, we called Paul to see if he was somewhere in the vicinity.  As it turned out, he was returning from Nevada . We coordinated and met at a nearby Shell gas station . After a discussion about  the recent Tevis  and other topics, we parted. We headed  East and Paul West. On our way , Linda connected with her long time friend Trina .

Linda and I had lunch  at a Japanese restaurant in Tahoe city  that came with a spectacular view of that gorgeous lake.  After lunch ,we proceeded to our destination . For the first time ,I booked through Airbnb because of a credible recommendation. Charlotte informed us to not  book a  room without a  private toilet.  Online, there was a beautiful picture of Lake Tahoe with a beach and condo. The picture and location seemed perfect .

 We arrived at the Airbnb condo which was located parallel to  Lake Tahoe Blvd. But, there was  no lake  or beach in sight.  The condo was in an old building. The  furnished room seemed  clean . There ,on the table, was a list of do’s and don'ts . We unpacked and then found that the TV  was not  usable unless one had all sorts of streaming passwords . We subsequently found out how to navigate to the beach and that it was necessary to bring  beach paraphernalia. It would've been appropriate to know about all these  significant details when booking.  

Linda and I had a pleasant  dinner and a noisy tavern. There , it was reinforced that  it was a better idea to share meals as opposed to ordering them separately. I had a couple of tacos and salad even though the  attractive waitress told me that she consumes three tacos. Two tacos and the salad was more than enough. After dinner, we did some sightseeing.

The next morning, Heidi's was recommended for breakfast.  We got in line and waited for a table.  After being seated , we looked around and found ourselves surrounded by gigantic sized people  . We shared an Eggs Benedict breakfast which was tasty .The restaurant reviews were correct pertaining to our order . We then proceeded to the pickle ball court.  After playing for about 45 minutes , a couple walked in and Linda invited them to join us.  The woman said she wasn’t wearing the correct shoes  for pickleball . They left and she returned  with pickleball  shoes .  They didn't have their equipment and used paddles from the facility.  Joe was 20 years younger than Linda and he played competitively in tournaments although his wife did not.  Linda and Joe teamed up and I played with Karen.  Joe was skilled and taught us a few things about competition rules and so forth. He also informed us about indoor and outdoor balls as we were  skunked. As it turned out , they lived in Lake of the Pines and played in Auburn. Playing was a fun experience and we both enjoyed our meeting .

The next morning we decided to go to an IHOP as we had not experienced one in many many years. I was thinking about pancakes and remembered that that was one place to check out.  The waitress seated us and I opened up the menu.  The waitress took  the menu from me and turned  the page to the 55+ section.  I thanked her as I was unaware of that fact.  During  breakfast, at a nearby table, a gentleman asked the amount of batter used in making pancakes since he was on a low-carb diet.  If I was on a low-carb diet, I certainly wouldn't go to an IHOP.

For dinner we proceeded to a fancy restaurant on the water with valet parking.  We shared a salmon dinner.  The waitress told us  that with a second plate we would have to pay extra.  I asked what other extras came with the second plate. She replied” extra rice” . I said okay.  The attractive waitress had a dialect that we didn't recognize.  I asked her where she learned that dialect and she said Bulgaria.  Initially,  the people didn't seem to be huge. But when we were about to leave the restaurant  it became more crowded and also the size of the people became greater.  After dinner, we played more pickle ball and walked around the tourist section. adjacent to the casinos.

After breakfast we took a leisurely drive back to the Truckee area and proceeded home. All in all, I have a smile on my face while writing this short essay . Lake Tahoe’s beauty is second to none along with many great memories. However, it certainly is a popular place as there were many people and lots of traffic.

1984

 The history of man , as presented in the Old Testament , suggests a self-actualization philosophy .  Man can reach his potential when he develops his powers of reason and love for mankind. In doing so, man's able to preserve individuality and integrity while pursuing values of justice and universal peace in spite of his weakness, and moral failings.  Yet, his days are numbered "end of days" with the coming of the Messiah.  Centuries later Christian thinkers, with  the rise of the universities in Paris and Bologna, suggested that the social order must encompass the spiritual principles of Christianity.  However, today's reality is  different. Man experiences anxiety, frustration, anger and resentment with a sour mood.  Common sense is not apparent with the threat of nuclear war, climate change, political ineptness  and authoritarianism.  On the other hand, indictments of Trump are associated with hope.  This essay depicts a few ideas found in George Orwell's 1984.

Before the World Wars, Stalin, Hitler, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, there were positive utopias written such as Thomas More’s Utopia . More’s book critically penetrated the irrationality and injustice in society, but did not suggest we are in the period of " end of  days."  Subsequently, Huxley's Brave New World, published in 1932 and George Orwell's 1984, published in 1949 presented an opinion that did not suggest that man's nature was  relative , a  blank sheet of paper that can be modified at will. Instead, they insisted the nature of man is driven to fight hopelessness and powerlessness in his quest for freedom, integrity, justice, truth, love and solidarity. However ,  both authors acknowledged  that society imposed  mass suggestions , hypnosis for the populace; drugs, torture, and brainwashing.  Yet, the paradox exists.  Although we’ve had tremendous advances in  science, technology , food production,  and health , we remain faced with loss of individuality with the dangers of  bureaucracy, automation, income inequality and artificial intelligence,

In 1984, there were three dictatorial powers situated in European Russia, Western Europe and North America.  Despite the agreement that no more nuclear bombs should be dropped, the three existing powers continued to produce and store  weapons of destruction .  They “believed” that peace would be “maintained" by having nuclear weapons but did not trust the others to keep the peace . What a projection !

The concept of war was related to arms production . In 1984 , it was believed that weaponry  production was both a necessity and necessary for the economic system to function properly. Today, there’s  a constant review and preparation for war, as well as the constant fear of being attacked with plans to annihilate one's opponents . How is striving for freedom and continuing to find and look for new technologies to destroy the enemy related to peace ?  In other words, to not trust and arm in order for peace is propaganda . Today ,we  and our allies  are supplying  Ukraine in its fight against Russia . We are told that providing these  weapons will lead to a safer world . For whom I ask ?

We have the Republican cult talking about truth by destroying  something called woke . They do not even pretend that this is going to make individuals happier or safer . Orwell used doublethink accurately.  We currently have many examples of "Doublethink."  Doublethink is the ability to hold two contradictory feelings in one's mind simultaneously, and accept both of them at the same time .  The unconscious is also  apparent because not going along with doublethink propaganda can bring a feeling of falsity and guilt.  Current examples of doublethink include having the biggest military budget in the world = peace; censorship = enlightenment; slavery  =freedom and skill development ; January 6 = patriotism;  Abortion = killing ;  2020 election=fraud . Do not forget to believe a pathological liar when he said the election was rigged and fraudulent .

Statistically, books targeted for censorship in America's libraries in 2022 were nearly 40% over 2021 with 40% of those pertaining to LGBTQ according to the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom.  In San Diego,  2 neighborhood residents of one Library branch informed the manager of that Library that they checked out nearly all of the books in the Pride display and would not return them unless the library  permanently removed  them because they  considered  it "inappropriate content."  Another example of censorship was from a group called Catholic Vote.  This group is not affiliated with the Catholic Church.  They have a campaign that describes LGBTQ characters and families as pornographic and obscene and should not be available for young library patrons.  The role of public libraries is to provide a place to find information , art, etc. for anyone in the community .

Orwell also described the ability to manipulate the historical past by removing or erasing evidence of it.  In other words, there was no  objective  fact , but  only the existence of information provided by the party . The  power structure of the party determined and controlled the truth..  The sensors in essence, propagated  learning,  thinking and memory..  We have book bannings and have eliminated certain subjects and classes by a small minority especially  regarding slavery . Orwell wrote  “ Who controls the past controls the future  and Who controls the present controls the past. “ 

Individuals, many of whom , now think the opposite of what is true and they're not aware of the discrepancy between falsehoods , reality or between truth and falsehoods . Are we the number one country in the world ? World rankings of countries tell another story. It’s just another illusion .  What about the Christian view regarding  killing as evil or more evil than being killed ?  Jesus preached love thy neighbor ; blessed are the poor ; the 10 Commandments etc.  A Christian Mike Pence did not say Trump’s actions on January 6 were criminal.  What type of Christian is Pence ?

The authoritarians have no trouble with doublethink, because they believe that man is frail, cowardly , wants to escape from freedom and therefore is unable to face the truth.  The aim of authoritarianism is not truth but power .Power not as a means, but as an end which means man's capacity to inflict unlimited pain-and-suffering on other human beings.

Examples of power  and misleading are a  CEO’s “truth”. CEO’s have no trouble telling the shareholders and others that their product is the best and better than the competition, regardless of objective reality or even proof.  CEOs have no trouble leaving one company and going to the other  and allowing the truth  to change from product to product.  The new product becomes the best,  the state-of-the-art  etc.. The new truth will be as true as the old one.  It’s the same with advertising. These products are advertised with a testimonial  paid  to some individual that says this product did wonders.  Once again there is no objective evidence that demonstrates one product is better than another product.  It's all about marketing, profit and possessing .  Take for example that 71 million people or so that voted for Trump in 2020.  So ,with the belief that the election was stolen , there was a consensus.  How can  71 million be wrong about that lie ?  Truth and accuracy is not at all objective judgment, but a brain washing technique. 

We have a number of authoritarian leaders throughout the world as in Russia: Turkey; North Korea; China; Hungary; Iran ; Saudi Arabia and others. How long  will our world continue to have these mad men as leaders ?  Have we lost our power of individuality,  love, rationality, reason, and  humanity. ?  Are we unaware of all the doublethink ? Reality is what the cult preaches. For example, Republicans have a script that they all follow such as Biden is evil or they are not scientists so they have no opinion re climate change. In fact, these  Republican characters all repeat, robotically the same phraseology over and over again.  After a while, the lie has a numbing effect and becomes effective ?

It's only been 74 years since Orwell's prediction.  Brilliantly, Orwell’s  insights  depict  the history of man  which permitted him to predict  the repetition of  irrationality and susceptibility . Hopefully, man's human nature is not relative so we can prevail and overcome fear, short sightedness, hate, poverty  and  madness .

PS

A book must be the ax for the frozen sea inside us, said Franz Kafka.