Boomerang! Blog

Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Charging...

I took the battery for my Mac down to the “Genius Bar” the other day. Batteries aren’t included in extended care warranty. I think the powers-that-be assume something like 300 recharge cycles -- so I was expecting a brush off. Then, suddenly feeling like a genius myself, I quietly laid the battery out on the counter in front of salespeople and other customers. You see this particular battery may have depleted in energy, but it had kicked into an unusual growth spurt, bursting out of its container and looking downright ghastly. Too scary to look at (this is very much like too big to fail) “fat boy” was quickly disposed of and my Mac was vested with new life.

But it’s those 300 recharge cycles I’m writing about.

Just how many recharge cycles does the average human being have, do you think? I ask that after watching my home state of Illinois go through it’s quarterly corruption scandals, and learning that my adopted state of California, with the 8th largest economy in the world, would be in bankruptcy court if it could (but can’t).

Given that hill to climb, I sometimes feel I’ve had my 300 cycles… that I’m “wore out” as it were. Then one of my kids will do something wonderful, or I’ll talk to someone on the phone about how their child can’t wait for the opening sound of the boomerang on their new issue, and, yup, you guessed it, the “depleted” battery magically – and against all laws of human nature -- recharges.

I.F. “Izzy” Stone was a journalist in the 30’s, 40’s, 50’s and 60’s, who went through far more than his guaranteed re-charge cycles. Hounded by extremists both on the left and the right, Stone fearlessly pursued the truth in very difficult times. The rise of Hitler-brand fascism, sent many people, including Stone, leftwards. Immediately after the war communism had replaced fascism as the new swear word. It is true that some Americans were slow in seeing Stalin’s brand of terror. Russia, after all, was an important ally to America during the second war. But the vicious red-baiting that ruined so many loyal Americans’ lives, was like a mad dog at Stone’s heels. At one point, unable to witness the carnage as friends and fellow journalists were attacked by no less than Edgar J. himself, Stone fled with his family to Paris. But it was those very friends that lured him right back again. He wasn’t going to allow his beloved America go down this path without contributing to their defense.
And I’ll be doggoned if Izzy’s spit and vinegar didn’t charge me up all over again…
Turning Points… coming up.

posted by Boomerang! 12:13 PM

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