Dissolving The Past And Future

What is the past? Is it real anymore? Does it hide like a child from a parent when he/she has done something wrong? When you bring it up driving,is it present like the roses growing on the side of a public wall? Is it shared like an apple with a friend who has just ate potatoes but wants something sweet. Can the past be in two minds equally at the same time?

Why do we remember the past if it's gone? Does it hold value anymore? Who cares about the past? The past can hurt you if you let it. It can grab you when your walking in a park and make you discouraged about the present. If it upsets you,it laughs like someone watching a video of a person getting scared in a dark hallway. The past can dig a hole for you so deep that it controls sunlight. If the past is hurting you,give it the slip and make it wonder where you are. The present has no past if you want it. Tell your mind to stop thinking about it and it will go away. Stay in the present as much as possible. Watch the road..really watch the road...see the clouds come and go. The future and the past are cousins. They play the same game,a game you can never win. If a person comes before you, he/she is the most important thing in the world. Thinking about next month removes you from the beauty before you. When you realize that beauty,you are free.

Without A President In America

A committee should govern the executive branch,not one president. Power should be shared like the other branches of government. Ultimate authority isn't something that can rest in one person but should come from many. A platform should be elected,not a personality. If the Democrats win in 2020, let Harris,Warren,Biden and Buttigieg govern the country. Each could specialize in areas that interest them and interact with the given cabinet members. Each could travel to sections of the country or represent us at international meetings more frequently without difficulty. All would share the office equally and have full authority when speaking to the public after coming to a consensus. They could live outside the White House and open it up to more offices with greater support from advisors. The executive branch could be more transparent with group discussions of the designated leaders televised if appropriate. Power would come from cooperation and open to new ideas that would improve the platform the citizens have elected.

NBA: Just a business?

What is a fan of a sports team like the Brooklyn Nets? Is he or she similar to a movie or music fan? Does a fan always have to have his team win? Is there more to it than rooting for success, championship or bust? Does he or she agree with many that it's just a business like Pannara or Met Life.
I think it's a lot more than just a business and relationships form just as one does in any community. As a fan,I care about everyone on the team and want even the last player in the rotation to display the skills that got him or her to a professional team(I would mandate every player get a least one period to play). I get locked in on all the players within a given year, especially the new arrivals from the draft. I've been a Brooklyn Nets fan for the past eight years,especially the past two.
Mobility for NBA players has been a success for individual players and teams who want to be winners in the league. There is only one winner in the NBA and Toronto was the champion this year. Unfortunately,they lost their best player to free agency. My team got three free agents this year,Kevin Durant, DeAndre Jordan and Kyrie Irving. I should be happy with those moves because it is a big upgrade from last year but I'm not.
I wanted them to stay with DeAngelo Russell.(traded to the Warriors) who I have been critical of for his lack of defense and turnovers. With that said,he has improved offensively and I have seen his desire to be a productive member of the team in the areas that he needed to work on. A few other members of the team are gone who were getting old or didn't perform to their contract. I will miss them as they move on to new teams. I wanted small changes to the team I grew to respect and understand. I knew their strengths and weaknesses. Many older players couldn't be signed to new contracts because all the money went to the expensive free agents.
Winning isn't everything to me. I was a very happy fan with the season the Brooklyn Nets had last year( made the playoffs ). I just wanted to add a few pieces,good power forward and a stretch five. No great changes, everyone was important to me from that team. I like players who are humble and know their place on a team. Superstars,Irving and Durant, scare me because I want to believe in them but they seem to have bad track records, especially with the teams that pay them and the fans that invest time in their games. I hope they play hard and respect their teammates and have joy in their playing. Time will tell if Marks made the right moves.

Saving Migrants From U.S. Border Sins

Nicaragua,El Salvador, Guatemala and Hondorus have thirty-two million people living in their combined countries. Fifty percent of these citizens live in extreme poverty(16 million). Children make up half of that population, so eight million families need assistance.

I want to give them a UBI of four thousand dollars each year to help with their economic hardship. This basic income approach will hopefully stem the tide of migrating to America. Four thousand times eight million equals thirty two billion dollars. That's a good amount but we understand that a new wall would cost that much. Take a look at the defense budget($712 billion) and the number of planes the Air Force has. It has thousands of planes that cost tens of millions plus B-2 Stealth bomers that have a 3.2 billion price tag. We currently have a foreign aid budget of fifty billion and a border patrol budget of seven billion. A fifty billion total budget for Homeland Security. We can find the money in our discretionary budget.

If $4,000 is too high an amount,$2,000(16 billion) could do the trick. The GDP for individuals in these countries is around $7,000 a year. America is close to sixty thousand.  UBI can be a multifier(5x) for consumer spending in the targeted countries. This added revenue in taxes would help their governments help with additional social services.

All this is worth a try..... unlikely,but it's a start to help our neighbors overcome hardship.