Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Cutting Through The Noise...

Years ago, my piano teacher Ben Karnes, wrote this note on a piece of music I was butchering:
"If everything is important, then nothing is important."
In otherwords, if you hit every note exactly the same, then there is no music. It's just noise.

Now, Mr. Karnes wrote that in the context of musical dynamics and musicality, but I also have tried to embrace that same concept as my philosphy in life too. As in music, life has it's crescendos and decrescendos, piannissimo and sforzando moments too. But if we give every issue the same high-pitched level of importance, then none of them are really important and priorities are lost.

Maybe what we need right now is a little perspective. And with so many issues and so much noise swirling about, it is hard to cut through it all and focus on which issues are really important. Seriously, what really are the most important issues that we need to focus on right now?

Help me here because I am getting lost in the cacophony of noise. Let's have a discussion...

25 comments:

AndrewPrice said...

Hi Bev, Sorry for the late comment, but I have a cold... and I'm pretty sure I'm dying. Ug.

You raise an excellent point for the present moment. Right now, the left is in such a tizzy about everything that nothing gets through. It's kind of funny actually.

Koshcat said...

Some really good wisdom there, Bev. Similar in tone to Dash's statement, "If everyone is special, then no one is."

This is why the climate cry-wolfers need to take it down a notch. They are being tuned out and climate change registers below the top 10 of most people's problems.

With the new administration, there are 3 things that I* think are important and hope Trump is able to move the needle:

1. Tax reform - it was overdue 10 years ago. Much of the problems with jobs over seas and companies moving headquarters isn't due to hate, racism, or unpatriotic. It is about money.

2. Government Health Care - I fear anytime this is touch because they have a propensity to fudge it up even more (see ACA, see MACRA). However, it is eating up over a 1/3 of the total budget and if something isn't done to alter the course, this cruise ship is going to Speed 2 all over us.

3. Regulation reform. Not just altering one executive order with another but over all reform. Congress needs to stop passing bills requiring agencies to write laws and then run out to the microphone pissing and moaning about how the executive branch is writing laws. You can still pass the bill but have the agency return to congress with the requested regulations for approval.

*Opinions expressed are mine and may not reflect other's opinions, although they should. Like my grandmother used to say, opinions are like buttholes: everyone has one and most stink.

BevfromNYC said...

Sorry, it's just been one of those days. Busy, busy, busy.

I am all for lowering our massive debt too.

Btw, it looks like Trump is using executive orders on steroids. One he has signed is approving the Keystone Pipeline...Canadians are thrilled.

Anthony said...

1. Lessening the burden of taxes and regulation
2. Healthcare reform
3. The War on Terror - Probably no more 'winnable' than the War on Drugs, but still something that has to be fought

BevfromNYC said...

I agree with that, Anthony. It seems that some of us are kind of on the same page. I am a hard-core fiscal conservative with this caveat. There will always be a segment of society that will always need to take care of. But "idle hands are the devil's workshop" as the saying goes. Healthly people need to be occupied with healthy activities like...occupation.

As for the "War on Terror". We can only do it by naming it what it is. And at least, Trump will name it what it is. That's a step in the right direction.

AndrewPrice said...

Hi Bev, I'm having a lucid moment! :) (no article tonight, btw)...

I think Trump is different. I don't think his administration will be judged on a couple big points. I think Trump will be "transformative." I expect a pretty sweeping change:

1. Government runs more like business. This will be "felt" the most.

2. Reduced regulations and taxes resulting in increased GNP and more free economy.

3. Increased mid-level jobs resulting from recapture of foreign factories.

4. Getting a handle on our borders, passport control. Possible reduction in number of immigrants allowed.

5. I don't think there will be fiscal sanity, but the spending will go toward hard infrastructure which is needed... roads, airports, ports, etc. Not phony green projects and welfare programs. I'm ok with this.

6. Increased energy production will further reduce reliance of Middle East.

7. Restructure the GOP away from social issues.

8. Increased mortgage availability.

I'm not sure that healthcare reform or the war on terror will result in anything different. I do think he will end up reducing tensions worldwide and increase the respect the US gets overseas.

tryanmax said...

Bev, I think it's fairly obvious that the most important things are (1) whether the latest unfalsifiable claim Trump has made is true or not, (2) determining exactly which combination of minority traits is most oppressed, and (3) what's for dinner.

BevfromNYC said...

Tryanmax - "What's for dinner" is THE most important in my life right now. As an aside, I have been spending the last year trying various and sundry "meal preparation" services. Where you subscribe to a service that sends the ingredients for meals and you actually prepare the meals - HelloFresh, Blue Apron, Green Chef, and, the most recent, Home Chef. All have their pluses and minuses. Don't know how they translate to families, but interesting research.

But then determining which combination of "oppressed group" one fits into is also "very important" too. I AM a women, so that is very important these days. But since knitting pink hats is not a top priority for me, I am failing my oppressed group.

tryanmax said...

White House officials told the New York Times that Donald Trump is expected to sign the executive order directing federal funds to be focused on building the Mexican border wall on Wednesday.

ArgentGale said...

Good point, Bev. That's definitely a problem with the left these days, though they do seem to be the most focused on identity politics and lashing out with as much anger and vulgarity as they can. I can't imagine that going over well with the public. Andrew, your list sounds plausible to me and would hit a lot of what I consider important. I'd definitely like to see some work done on fixing the mess that's caused college costs to go out of control along with a repeal of the OCR Dear Colleague letter to restore fairness and due process. I'm less sure about how to get the radicals under control without opening up possibilities for serious government abuse, though.

- Daniel

BevfromNYC said...

Daniel - The good news is that suddenly and without warning the Left seems to be embracing the Constitution again!

And for good or bad, THE DOW HIT 20,000!!!! There's dancing in the streets in Downtown NYC! Wall Street is...okay, there is no dancing and I am not really sure it is a good sign that we are in a bull market. But what I am sure that Trump and the Repubs will get blamed no matter what happens.

BevfromNYC said...

Okay, Tryanmax has inspired me...we need a running counter on golf games Trump plays during his first 100 days. Yeah, now THIS is what is REALLY important to me! Screw the economy and international relations. We must do this, people!!!

Here's one for Obama...LINK

tryanmax said...

USA Today reports that a campaign to impeach Donald Trump has reached more than 100,000 signatures. That number represents 0.08% of the number of people who voted in the last election.

tryanmax said...

So, Trump told some executive agencies--which he is the executive of--to hold off on speaking to the public. This is, according to the Trump paranoiacs, blatant fascism. Some are calling for Trump to be deposed.

AndrewPrice said...

tryanmax, I've seen Bush Derangement Syndrome and Obama Derangement Syndrome, but both were like the common cold to Trump Derangement Syndrome's being ebola.

The left (and the antiTrumps) are truly borderline mental at this point.

AndrewPrice said...

BTW, I'm loving how stupid the internet has gone:

1. Kelly Conway punched someone at the inaugural ball.

2. Trump is fuming and obsessed with the negative coverage.

3. The Trump team is at each other's throats.

4. Trump is breaking the law with his tweets... OMG, somebody stop this man!

And so on. And while this goes on, Trump has already kept more campaign promises than every other President in living memory combined, and yet the media has distracted itself.

BevfromNYC said...

Trump has already kept more campaign promises than every other President in living memory combined, and yet the media has distracted itself.

They need to distract themselves because how can they spin that he is doing exactly as he promised into a negative, impeachable action? And when I say "impeachable", I mean that literally?

tryanmax said...

Bev, to a degree I think you're right that the media is distracting themselves from things they don't like. On the other hand, I don't believe they've forgotten how to spin things negative.

Rather, I think Trump is feeding their need for distraction. This is not "4D chess," this is merely reading people. It's should now be fully apparent that Trump can read the media like an open Twitter feed.

A few weeks ago, I was wondering why Trump picks strange fights he doesn't need to fight. Now I think I understand. It's a classic political maneuver--do the unpopular thing you want while everyone is distracted by something else--taken to an absurd level. And, astonishingly, it's not Trump who's lending the absurdity!

BevfromNYC said...

This just in: It has just been reported that Mary Tyler Moore has passed away.

tryanmax said...

Bev, that is sad, but not tragic news for someone who lived 80 amazing years. But cue the leftist whiners moaning that 2016 has crept into 2017.

BevfromNYC said...

T - Yes, because no one of import ever died before that eeeevil Trump and his minions came along in 2016!

It is sad because she is a feminist icon really. She played the iconic dutiful housewife to the iconic feminist/single-never married/living alone w/o a man (and sometimes it was alluded to that she may or may not have had a man stay the night!! SHOCKING!)

AndrewPrice said...

More Trump-noia....

(1) Trump is making decisions based on late-night political talk shows!"

(2) If you squint, it kind of looks like Melina is uncomfortable around Trump.

(3) Trump isn't paying his private contractors!

(4) My God! Why won't Trump release his taxes? We MUST KNOW WHAT'S IN THEM! Help us Wikileaks!!

Then you had the usual cadre of idiots on the right who are desperate to do the left's bidding. McCain says we won't allow torture and he will stop Trump from doing so. High Hewitt thinks Trump could be impeached if the Democrats with the House.

LOL!

tryanmax said...

I threw some tangentially related thoughts that got too long for a comment on my derelict blog, if anyone cares: LINK

BevfromNYC said...

Andrew - You forget "OMG! He is working and signing executive orders and already started do what he said he would do! Of all the politicians who make campaign promises, WHY, OH, WHY IS IT TRUMP WHO IS MAKING GOOD ON HIS PROMISES!?????

tryanmax said...

Bev, that one is probably my favorite.

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