Thoughts Before The Alarm Sounds

     Even after observing the passing scene for over 80 years, I am still amazed at the emotions that are aroused by some words. In his 1933 work, Science and Sanity , Alfred Korzybski coined the phrases, “The word is not the thing” and “The map is not the territory,” indicating that knowing the name of an item does not mean that you know everything about the item itself. He recommended that new entities be observed on the silent level – a time for observing the reality without preconceptions. But it seems that many people fail to appreciate the wisdom of keeping these bits of advice in mind.      I live in a church-sponsored retirement community, which is in the process of constructing new facilities: a chapel, theater, gift shop, a small meeting room and a large community meeting room.      As explained at a recent residents' meeting, the administration discussed various names for the meeting rooms. For the smaller room, the choices boiled down to “bistro” or “pub.”      One d

     Some time ago I mentioned Ross Perot's “giant sucking sound” of jobs leaving the country in the wake of NAFTA (See February 16, 2011). As I stated, “If that sound is a whisper, today's sound of American jobs heading all over the globe is a space shuttle liftoff.” As of today that sucking sound has grown even louder.      According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics , the US unemployment rate for May was unchanged from the April figure: 9.1%. Private sector employment increased by 83,000; this is really a net loss because 125,000 new jobs are needed each month just to keep up with the increase in the number of individuals entering the labor force.      Also in May the number of long-term unemployed increased by 361,000. That number now stands at 6.2 million.      It is important to note that the BLS's definition of unemployment includes only job seekers who have looked for work at some time during the past four weeks. It does not include those who have been out of wor

     Sunday I attended the paying of the rent by Zion Lutheran Church in Manheim, Pennsylvania. Paying rent doesn't sound like such a big deal – one writes a check and hands it to the landlord – but in this case it was a payment that started 239 years ago.      In 1762 (Baron) Henry William Stiegel and two partners purchased a tract of land on which Stiegel laid out the town of Manheim. In 1772 Stiegel, a devout Lutheran, deeded a tract of land to the church for “for five shillings and in the month of June yearly hereafter the rent of One Red Rose if the same shall be lawfully demanded.” According to tradition, Stiegel received the annual rent only two times, and apparently did not lawfully demand it thereafter.      In 1892 the present church was built, and except for two years during WWII, the annual payment of the red rose has been paid to a descendant of Stiegel ever since.      The 2011 payment was made to Wallace Stiegel of Windemere, Florida, an eighth generation descenda

     The Labor Department's hiring report for May came out in Saturday's newspapers, and it wasn't pretty. Just 54,000 jobs were created – far less than the expected 150,000. Although the private sector added 83,000 workers – the lowest monthly total in the past year - they were offset by the loss of 28,000 jobs in local governments – firefighters, police, teachers and clerks. The Economic Policy Institute estimates that up to 300,000 new jobs a month are required to significantly affect the unemployment rate.      Meanwhile, back in Washington, the figures elicited what can best be described as a collective “ho-hum,” as Congress decided to dance around the subject of raising the debt ceiling. Without such action, the nation will soon begin defaulting on its debts, with a corresponding increase in interest rates. Through April, interest on the national debt for fiscal year 2011 is on track to surpass 2010's total of $4.13B. That's 413 followed by nine zeros! Imagin