Dumbing down, fattening up of young people

Even the U.S. Army doesn't want most of America's young people. The Army is rejecting most would-be recruits because they are too dumb and/or too fat. When teenagers can't even qualify to go get shot at in Afghanistan or Iraq, something is seriously wrong with the way kids are being raised and educated these days. Here's the story: http://www.sphere.com/2009/11/03/70-percent-of-young-americans-are-unfit-for-military-duty/?icid=main|main|dl1|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sphere.com%2F2009%2F11%2F03%2F70-percent-of-young-americans-are-unfit-for-military-duty%2F

Wondering what 2012 will really bring

Get ready for a barrage of movies, television shows and magazine articles relating to the end of the world. According to some, the Maya calendar, which expires in 2012, is a predictor of global doom. Don't doubt for a second that Hollywood won't jump all over this far-out theory.

I don't believe the end of the world will come in one swift impact by an asteroid or an all-out nuclear exchange. I think the end days will come slowly, with different species going extinct and storms worsening and man's collective soul weakening. If you concur, then you might even speculate that the end times have already begun.

Of course, it's not as sexy to make a movie about something that might take thousands of years to play out.

I often wonder what the end will look like? Will it be a mass exodus of mankind? Or will we be taken one by one, act by act, in a methodical way? Perhaps the bees will disappear, then the vegetation. Or maybe we will just get tired of being tired. Lose our drive, until we no longer innovate. Without innovation, will we be able to conquer future pandemics or escape to other planets when the sun finally calls it quits?

We live in troubled economic times with people losing everything they have ever had, including a sense of themselves. With each loss - a job, a house, a loved one - comes a sense of things disappearing on us lately. Eventually, spirits are broken, which explains in part why there is so much depression in the world. One's life can only be dismantled so much before it become unrecognizable and impossible to rebuild. Some are able to remain positive through all of the darkness, but many are succumbing to the endless stream of bad news. I am hearing a lot of down voices of late.

I have bounced back from several tragedies in my life, but admittedly know that with each reconstruction comes an underlying loss of energy to rebuild again if need be. It's like asking folks in New Orleans to bounce back from five consecutive Katrina's. Yeah, we all treasure New Orleans as a unique American city, but at some point our will would be broken and we'd have to abandon the city if disasters kept occurring there. And when we do that we are, in a sense, at an end.

Some say that 2012 will only be the end of a certain phase of mankind and that we will enter a new age. If that's true, I say bring it on because what is happening now isn't working. Everything from global warming to uncontrolled greed is governing this planet. Heck, we're running out of drinking water and some believe there will be no more seafood in the oceans in 50 years. And these are fairly smart people predicting this stuff. So I would say we need a collective adjustment of our consciousness, not to mention our intellect, to extricate ourselves from the messes we're creating.

While the environment and collapsing economy get a lot of attention, I believe we are failing as a species in small ways that are equally troubling. Just in my lifetime I have seen a decay in the quality of life in this country. While technology has improved in areas such as health care, a decline in service has been abundant. Remember when doctors came to your house when you were sick and they weren't racing the clock to get to their next patient? Was kind of nice and reassuring, and might have even helped in the healing process. In fact, I'd sacrifice the fancy thermometers to go back to doctors making house calls.

Remember when there was a difference between Republicans and Democrats?

Remember when strangers made conversation while standing in line and didn't have a cellphones attached to their ears?

Remember when employers were loyal to good employees, which in turn created a vibrant economy? Wasn't that long ago that we actually manufactured stuff in this country.

Remember when substance scored more points than style?

There is a lot that I do hope goes extinct in 2012.

Veal, for instance, is a product we can do without. What a horrendous, over-the-top abuse of our dominance over animals. Where shall we draw the line when it comes to satisfying our every craving? In the minds of some, there are no lines. Of course, there is also a thing called karma.

The word "like" needs to be banned from the vocabulary of females under the age of 25. OK, by comparison to other problems, this one is fairly minor. But damn, have you heard how 16-year-old girls speak these days? I think it might take some realignment of the planets to solve this problem!

Realty TV needs to be less about trivial people and their idiotic problems and more about real issues such as putting an end to domestic violence, corporate greed and corrupt politicians.

I was watching an interview of a senior scientist the other night who was expressing his disappointment with our inability to cure cancer. According to this scientist, all the information we need to beat cancer is currently in our possession. The pieces to the puzzle are there. But because of the way research is at the mercy of big business (including drug companies, HMOs, etc.) and money is misspent on a host of unproductive ventures, it might be many more decades before a cure is available. Government, of course, isn't helping matters. It seems a cure for cancer is like anything else. Everyone with a title has a hand in the pot, so nothing truly ever gets done in a timely or efficient fashion. Maybe this too shall pass.

If 2012 doesn't lead to massive tidal waves and earthquakes, I do hope we can improve as a species and a culture. We've become too reliant on technology to solve our problems and are losing our connection to a more powerful source that lies within all of us. Science can help but it can't solve all of our problems, especially when science is profit-driven.

We've become too entitled. Our values are slipping to the point where the nuts often run the nuthouses (this is seen in workplaces, schools and other institutions) - where perceptions and instant gratification are more important than hard work and integrity. Those who are trying to make a difference are being crushed by the masses of people who just want to tune into Survivor and catch the latest sale at mall.

It's fun to watch a special-effects movie every now and then. The graphic eye-candy is quite astonishing. But I wonder if Hollywood would dare make a film that touches on what needs to change in 2012, if not sooner -- changes that don't involve exploding pyramids and bridges? I wonder if anyone would go watch a movie about spiritual transformation and heightened awareness? Or will these types of movies become extinct along with other art forms and societal values?

December of 2012, when some say the world will end, isn't that far off. Even closer, and more realistic, are personal catastrophes about to happen if we don't break this cycle of business as usual in this country. America is no longer top dog when it comes to influencing the global economy. China has passed us by while we were eating Cheetos and watching American Idol. We can't keep treating ourselves and each other like crap and expect things to work out.

I don't know if the Maya calendar has any meaning whatsoever, but I do have an increasing feeling that we've lost our way or are at the end of a journey. I don't think we necessarily need to go backwards. Instead, I think we need to reach higher, move forward, but in smarter ways. Can we do that, however, while being force fed things we don't really need in our lives? Can we become more technologically advanced and intellectually competetive while also nurturing our collective awareness of where we are on this planet?

Virginia election a wake-up call

Republicans swept the three top offices in Virginia tonight.

My take on that is that we've reached a point where voters will give the boot to incumbent parties if unemployment continues to climb each year. Even in a relatively prosperous state like Virginia - a state that has been turning more Democrat in the last decade - jobs are the No. 1 issue according to the polls.

This is a state that voted for President Obama last November but tonight elected Bob McDonnell as governor by a 20-point margin over the Democrat, Creigh Deeds. And while the Commonwealth has done better than many states in retaining jobs, the fact remains that far too many folks are unemployed or are living in fear of becoming jobless soon. A lot of people are also underemployed, which is an under-reported but nonetheless growing problem in the higher-cost-of-living parts of the state.

I don't think the answer to unemployment lies with either party. But I am relatively certain that incumbents will continue to fall in future elections if people continue to lose jobs or are unable to get back to work at a reasonably similar level to their prior positions.

Whether you believed him or not, McDonnell was not shy about calling himself the jobs candidate during the campaign. Now we will see if he truly becomes the jobs governor. We already know from his own words that he's not a proponent of taking federal money to help extend unemployment benefits in the state, which is disturbing to say the least. But most unemployed people would gladly trade a state benefits check for paycheck.

The clock is ticking for many jobless Virginians. Time has expired for some who have lost their homes, and others are looking for cheaper digs in other states while they still have a few bucks in the bank.

The Republicans are now in the hot seat and must fix the problem if they want to remain in office. The Obama administration needs to step up efforts nationally to get people back to work or else face many more political casualties during next year's mid-term elections.

The Virginian elections were an unmistakable warning shot fired by citizens who are growing tired of change that hasn't really changed anything. Unemployment continues to climb, we're still pouring billions into war and bailed-out corporations are still handing out millions of dollars in bonuses while laying off workers.

It appears to a growing number of voters that politicians in Richmond and Washington aren't feeling their pain. Tonight, the tables were turned.

Candidate calls annoying voters

I will be glad when Election Day passes. Our home phone has not stop ringing in the last few days. Seems local and state candidates think they can win the favor of voters by calling day and night with automated messages about their campaigns. These calls are annoying and seem to do nothing other than turn people sour on the candidates. Do these campaign gurus really think that voters are going to be swayed by these hit-and-run recorded calls? If anything, candidates are going to lose votes by pestering people in their homes with shallow political messages.

Economic numbers a bit deceptive

Some good news to take with a large grain of salt: The economy grew by 3.5 percent after four consecutive quarters of declines. The report was released today and exceeded expectations. However, how much of that growth was driven by the government's temporary "cash for clunkers" program that boosted the auto industry? As with improving real estate numbers mostly due to new government tax incentives, one has to question whether these improved statistics can be sustained without the stimulus money and government intervention.

I suspect that until jobs return and people begin feeling stable in their careers, any recovery will be skewed by various short-term government programs that are propping up certain industries. Ideally, spending must come from individuals not the government for there to be a true economic recovery. Spending won't return until folks feel comfortable with their incomes. Employers must become confident they can begin hiring again. In that regard, there is still a lot of work to be done.

I no longer look to Wall Street or the U.S. Commerce Department for accurate indicators of where the economy is going. It's nice to hear of good news coming from both of those places, but the job market is the engine that provides the power to the economy. Plain and simple, a lasting recovery will be built by opportunities being restored to those who want to work. The middle class has been the backbone of America and will be again if we can reverse the only numbers that truly count -- the unemployment and underemployment numbers. The government can help with this but it can't continue to spend billions to create the temporary illusion that things are improving.

Fiats revving up; Jeeps in trouble

Fiat is coming to America. Chrysler recently merged with the Italian car maker. What that means is that fewer traditional Chrysler products will be made while more Fiats will line American car dealerships in the near future. I have mixed emotions about that, leaving aside the whole American-made vs. foreign-made debate.

My first car was a Fiat Spider (like the one pictured above). It was the coolest car that I have ever owned. But I do admit, it fell short of being reliable. Still, a green European two-seater at age 18 isn't a bad ride. It was used and cost me $2,500 in 1979.

Now I own a Jeep. But rumor has it that many Jeep models (which are Chrysler products) will be discontinued. That, of course, will make it harder to get parts for certain models in the future. And forget about resale value.

So while I would appreciate giving a Fiat a spin again one day, I want to keep my Jeep for as long as possible for a variety of reasons. Just not sure how long that will be as Fiats roll onto American shores.

Yankees look bad in 6-1 loss

The World Series is off to a brutal start for the New York Yankees. The lack of timely hitting and poor relief pitching, which nearly did them in during the ACLS, worsened during tonight's game against the Philadelphia Phillies. Even Alex Rodriguez reverted to his unproductive post-season ways, striking out three times. The Yankees better wake up and realize that the defending champion Phillies aren't going to give games away with sloppy play like the L.A. Angels did in the prior series.

Unemployment: A national emergency

I have hammered away on this blog about the seriousness of the unemployment problem and the lack of viable opportunities for the baby boomer generation. I have also told people face-to-face about how bad things are in the job market. Still, I don't get the impression most people understand what is truly happening in this country. On a more personal level, I don't think there are many people who can relate to the feelings of the unemployed or underemployed. Last night, my feelings were once again validated.

If you didn't catch PBS's Frontline show Close to Home last night, I would recommend you go to this web site and watch it: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/closetohome/. While at the site, I would also suggest reading some of the articles about how the middle class, and particularly men over 50, are being systematically eliminated from the workplace and not being permitted back in. This is no longer opinion. This is a fact. Baby boomers, for whatever reason, are being plucked out of the workplace at a time when they should be paying their children's college tuition or accelerating their retirement savings. What was once considered the prime earning years are now a financial wasteland for many families. Even folks getting by on one salary have to wonder what the future holds if the other spouse, usually the husband, can't return to work in 2010.

Maybe some employers view these older employees as too expensive to keep in bad times. But as someone pondered in Close to Home, would that commercial jet have landed safely in the Hudson River several months ago if a lesser-experienced pilot was in command?

Experience use to count. In my mind, it still makes good business sense to retain as much institutional knowledge as possible. But in the panic to throw people overboard in order to save money, companies are often cutting lose people who are least likely to find new work in a terrible recession. Perhaps some of these people have grown stale and haven't learned new skills, but most folks are more than willing to be retrained or have taken the initiative to stay current on their own. Many are even willing to take pay cuts in order to stay employed. Those options are only explored by the best of companies such as CF Martin Guitars, which I explored in an earlier post.

Why should you watch this show? Well, even if you're employed or young, you are probably going to know of someone soon who loses their job or can't get back into the workforce. Could be a spouse or a parent. Could be a good friend. If you want to remain in that person's life, you better understand what they are facing on a daily basis. It's not just being without a paycheck. It's bigger than that and it eats away at the inner fabric of what once made those folks productive members of society. Few have ever accused baby boomers of being loafers, yet many are collapsing under the hopelessness of the current job market. The unemployed are losing their identities. Empathy can help to a degree, particularly from close friends and former colleagues. Job leads can help even more, of course.

The unemployed are being silently cast out at an alarming rate. If you can't find a job, even though you've led a responsible life and are doing all the "right things" to seek work, something is wrong. The deck being stacked against the over-50 crowd creates individual and societal hardships. When their diploma and 30 years of experience are deemed as negatives by employers because they're too old or too overqualified, and when they get tired of trying to swim upstream or reinvent themselves, bad things can happen. There is a domino effect. Nothing as bad as this crisis happens without spilling over into almost every segment of culture and economy. Even businesses that are somewhat immune to the recession will face problems.

If my neighbor's house is foreclosed on, the value of my home goes down. We all have a stake in this.

When a 60-year-old man hasn't been employed in years, do you think he's going to be able to afford a proper funeral for his parents? Not even the classic, so-called recession-proof funeral home business is going to go unscathed if people don't get back to work soon, rebuild savings and pay taxes. As it is, teachers, once thought to be in short supply, are losing their jobs in cities such as Detroit and Washington.

The PBS documentary, filmed mostly in New York, is very well done. It tells the stories of the unemployed through the words of the victims and the hairstylists who come into contact with these middle class folks on a daily basis. People who cut hair tend to be like bartenders -- they hear it all in a very up close and personal way. They don't need unemployment statistics to understand how widespread this problem is becoming and what the ramifications are if things don't improve. In some ways, hairstylists have more empathy for the unemployed than the friends and former colleagues of layoff victims do. I don't think that is because friends and former colleagues are bad people. I just think the problem isn't on their radar screens every day.

At one point in the show, the film-maker follows a former human resources manager in his mid 50s to a support group for jobless people. She is struck by the overwhelming number of men in their 50s attending the event. These are mostly people who held white-collar jobs, which dispels the myth that this recession is mainly hitting the manufacturing sector in the heartland.

The film also makes the point that people who are being laid off today are well-respected, talented folks who did nothing to deserve being let go from their jobs. Still, it is hard to break the stereotype that anyone who has been laid off is somehow damaged goods or of lesser ability.

We're entering a critical time with this unemployment situation. Things are not getting better despite what you might hear on the network news, which itself has been hit hard by the recession and is of lesser journalistic quality these days. State benefits and personal savings are running out. Folks in their 50s are beginning to give up, or worse, get sick from the stress of looking for work. They spend hundreds of hours applying for jobs that they have no chance of landing because of age discrimination or application saturation.

Why are political leaders allowing this to continue? It seems we need a summit of sorts to attack this problem on multiple levels. Businesses need to be more fair in hiring and firing practices. That's not going to happen unless there is a mandate to clean up practices that have led us to this mess.

Where is the mainstream news media in all of this? The best reporting on the unemployment crisis seems to be on PBS and HBO, as well as some fringe publications and blogs. Everyone else seems to be trailing behind, like they did going into the Iraq war.

The documentary points out that the wealthy, in this case in ritzy Manhattan, don't really notice what's happening to the middle class yet. No surprise there. I would add that those who are currently employed, even at lower incomes, also don't have a full understanding of the situation. But with each passing day, more people are getting first-hand knowledge of the tragedy of prolonged unemployment. Even the rich will eventually feel the pain if no one is patronizing their businesses.

If those who are in their 50s don't get a fair chance to become reemployed soon, the next 15-20 years will transform this country into a sea of elderly welfare cases. Not a pretty picture. Those who are working will have to support the millions who haven't worked in years. The strain on social services and the deficit will spin out of control. There will be streets lined with senior citizens begging and living in tent cities - folks who once were tops in their fields. Close to Home profiles several people who are candidates for this sort of fall from grace.

President Obama likes to use the phrase "now is the time" when giving speeches. But it seems those were just campaign words. I don't see a sense of urgency in him when it comes to job creation or in enforcing age discrimination laws. Just enforcing labor laws alone would create a more level playing field for 50somethings. Instead, Obama seems to distance himself from the problems that are truly becoming a national disaster, maybe because he honestly has no viable solution. Or, like with other people of considerable privilege, any president would be too far from the problem to see what a hairstylist sees every day. If he really wants to give people hope, he must find a way to get people of all ages back to work.

The unemployment problem is moving closer to home each day. Companies need to do more to jump start business. They need to hire people and to give everyone a fair chance regardless of age. Government needs to play a role in the recovery, too, but not just by throwing around stimulus money. Small businesses need a break. This is a national emergency and needs to be treated as such. I don't have the answers. I just having a growing sense that more attention needs to be given to this problem so that millions of unemployed people aren't forgotten.

Like during the Great Depression, there are too many once-proud workers who aren't being given a chance. Companies are failing, stores are closing and tax rolls are declining. The American dream is turning into a nightmare for millions. The unemployed don't have ribbons or marches in Washington. But in terms of numbers and ramifications, I can't think of too many causes more in need of a cure.

Another Bronx tale

In the movie, A Bronx Tale, Sonny (the local mobster) tells an impressionable young boy who he calls "C" that he shouldn't care about Mickey Mantle because Mickey Mantle doesn't care about him. The boy, an avid Yankees fan, takes the advice to heart and soon realizes the mobsters can do more for him than any baseball idol.

I root for the Yankees and am glad they are going to the World Series. I even met Mantle back in his playing days. But at age 52, and in one of life's real binds at the moment, it's hard for me to generate the kind of enthusiasm that I once had for sports and professional athletes. I am happy that Alex Rodriguez has broken his post-season slump, but in reality, A-Rod isn't going to solve my problems. The Yankees aren't going to make me feel better about the dismal job market or the future of our economy.

At best, for most fans of a certain age, sports is a distraction from life's problems for a few hours. Similar to a movie or concert. Grateful the Yankees can take my mind off of a couple hardships, but very well aware that those issues aren't going to go away when the game is over.