I have been reading, "Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the opening of the American West", by Ambrose Stephen. It's about the Lewis and Clark Expedition, primarily through the eyes of Lewis.

The author begins developing the story by taking the reader through Lewis' birth in Virginia in 1774, his formative years as a young man eager to get an education, and his early manhood, (at the age of 18 he bore the responsibility as the head of the family estate).

Something, I didn't know or remember was that before he embarked on the famous expedition, Lewis had served as the personal secretary to Jefferson and even lived in the Whitehouse with Jefferson (who was single). Jefferson was a mentor to Lewis. It struck me that that alone might have been considered a noteworthy accomplishment by some.

But there was much more to come. I felt the excitement that Lewis and Jefferson must have felt as they spent time discussing and planning the expedition. Among other things that needed to be done, Jefferson had to provide for funding. He was not a spendthrift as President, but he felt this endeavor to be worthy. So, he set about trying to convince congress. Jefferson meanwhile was working on another project, an offer to Napoleon for the United States to purchase New Orleans. Napoleon offered not only the city of New Orleans, but also France's whole claim to lands known as Louisiana. Jefferson took the offer. Curiously, neither Napoleon or the Americans had an exact mapping or knew the exact extent of the land involved in the transaction. Louisiana was vaguely construed the area encompassing the Mississippi River and its tributaries.

With the successful completion of that enterprise, the purchase of Louisiana, Jefferson had even more reason to request funding from Congress for the exploration of the recently purchased lands. Jefferson also envisioned that a water passage to the Pacific, the so-called Northwest Passage, could be found.

When congress did approve the trip, Lewis received basically a carte blanche, letter of credit for supplies and expenses. (What's new, the expenses of the trip were greatly underestimated.) Reading about Lewis' purchases of supplies, and deciding on what would be needed for the trip, I could only imagine what would have been like to buy anything he wanted. And I thought of my own anticipation before trips trying to pack light and usually not successfully. He must have been trying to think of everything that would be needed, reviewing what he had bought and trying to think if there was anything else they would need. The list included, nourishment, medicine, journals, arms (rifles and ammunition, etc.) for hunting and protection, items for trading with the Indians, many tools of various sorts, and what not, for many months travel and camping. And then packing it; it amazed me to think of all of that being packed into a boat.

The first of the boats purchased could hold many tons of goods, it was not one of the sort of canoes that I had always pictured them traveling in. I must admit I'm not very familiar with boats and that I had a hard time picturing the vessels although the book describes them in some detail. I would like to see pictures, or better yet see them in person.

Waiting on a drunken boat builder to complete the boat he had ordered caused Lewis several weeks delay. But he had to wait, he was dependent upon that fellow's services because no one else around had the skill to finish the job. I could feel his anxiousness to get going and his frustration. He had a long way to go before winter set in. It was already August (of 1803).

By the time he did get going, (he was on the Ohio River at this point), the river was too low for easy passage and the boat had to be dragged at several points. He then purchased some canoes to help share the load. There would be several more boat purchases along the journey. They also made some boats.

As part of his preparations, Lewis had also spent a good bit of time learning about botany, and how to make geographical measurements using the sun and stars for references. Jefferson wanted him to keep records about a vast array of subjects including not only records of new plants and animals seen, and the geographic records, but also detailed descriptions about the various Indian groups and their trading practices.

An interesting note about Clark: Lewis chose Clark to accompany him and wanted him to have equal position with him as a captain. He hired Clark and sent notice of his request that Clark be made a captain. But when the papers finally came through, he found that Clark had been designated as Lieutenant. Lewis told Clark that he wanted him to be a captain and they didn't tell the crew any different.

It must have seemed like such a grand adventure as Lewis set out from Pittsburgh. And they must all have been filled with excitement when Lewis and crew met up with Clark and his men along the Ohio River, and again when they reached the Mississippi, and really at some many points along the way until they finally achieved their goal and reached the Pacific.

Not only Lewis, but Clark and the crew kept journals. One thing one can't help noticing in reading the various excerpts is the spelling and punctuation. The spelling was typical of the spelling of the time, there were no absolute standards. Even the well educated found it difficult to choose the proper spelling of words. I found the many variations in spelling for the same word rather amusing. But then I thought about the fact they would not have been carrying around dictionaries (and certainly did not have spell checkers). I'm not sure that there were dictionaries yet.

Much of what we know about their journey is through what they recorded in those journals. Naturally, there were many frustrations and difficulties along the way. There were dangerous encounters with Indians, with the elements, with grizzly bears, and mosquitoes, sickness, injuries, hunger, cold, anxieties and uncertainties about where they were and which way to proceed.

In one way, I was impressed with Lewis' bravery over all, and in particular in encountering the Indians. I just wonder what those meetings would have been like. I suppose that he must have had a forceful personality to not only make the initial approaches but to be welcomed and to continue in the company of all of the different Indians they met. In other words, I think they must have liked and respected him.

I could admire his bravery, but then again, I was saddened by the way Lewis and the rest of the party viewed and treated the Indians. For one, he was trying sell the story that they, as representatives of the United States, were just friendly visitors. Jefferson and Lewis had fixed their stories as to what they would tell the Indian tribes. Lewis had his agenda and he stuck to it, pretty much. One version of the story was that Lewis's group were merely on a scientific expedition (they were, but that was only partially true), and another was that they were just hoping to establish trade with the Indians.

Invitations were extended to the chiefs to meet their "father" Jefferson. They urged peace and cooperation between all of the other Indians and with the Americans. I wonder if their words were met with any skepticism by the Indians? If so, rightly so. It would nice to have a record of those visits through the Indian's eyes.

I felt saddened especially when they reached the Pacific Northwest learning that the Indian tribes that they spent time with there would mostly die off in not too many years, due to small pox.

I really disliked reading what Jefferson told someone in a letter, essentially that he was hoping to pacify the Indians by creating dependence on the United States through trade. He said, if the United States could put the Indians in the position of buying trade goods on credit, they would likely soon go into debt and then they would likely pay off they debts with their land.

The Indian way of life, including their notion of "ownership" of land, being a sort of fluid thing, would soon be coming to an end. In some ways the Lewis and Clark expedition might have served the purpose of notifying the Indians of the changes that were coming their way.

It would be easy to romanticize that way of life, but then again they were warring peoples, not only fighting white men but also among themselves. As one of their young men remarked fighting was their way of proving their bravery, how else could they do it? It's difficult, if not impossible, to imagine the Indian way of life continuing the way it had been.

Tough Choices

I am not living on government assistance and don't qualify for it yet. But it sadly seems to be a good possibility for me not too far down the road. I'm not sure how long I can make the money I have now stretch. I heard that many Americans live paycheck to paycheck. I don't know what the statistics are. Unlike some folks I really hate the idea of depending on assistance.

I need a job. I'm not sure what kind of job I should be looking for. I may end up working at McDonalds. That was where I worked when I first graduated from college with my degree in Religion and Philosophy. It was not a very practical thing to get a degree in. Neither was my first choice for a major when I started college. After trying then to consider my strengths I decided upon an art major. I didn't really have drive for art however. I don't know if I have ever had a drive for anything. I did really want to get married. I thought I would have children.

And wanted to go to college from when I was in Junior High School. I knew I was smart enough. So maybe that was the main reason I wanted to go. My mom had gotten a college degree, worked a few years and then she got married, and quit working when she had me. I guess I was supposing that I would be like her, marry soon after college and be a well educated mother. I didn't really have any strong ambitions for what I wanted to do as far as employment. I have had a very hard time figuring out what I'm really good at.

Advice about how to get hired and get your resume noticed seems hard for me to take. On this one talk show they were saying you should put your achievements on your resume. The guy said and everyone has achievements.

So far I've tried to think of what sort of accomplishments I could put on my resume and nothing much in the way of achievements has come to mind. Even people who have been in jail get jobs. So I guess there must be something out there for me somewhere. I have stayed out of jail so far. I am reasonably intelligent. I read Les Miserables last year. That was a bit of an achievement, I think it took me about 2 months. I have read books about grammar for fun and tried to work at my writing skills. I'm thinking that and $5 bucks will buy me a cup of coffee at Starbucks (if I was willing to pay that much).

I just found out that not only does my dog (one of two) have a broken leg, but he has heartworms also. Arg! How do you put a value on a dog? He is the best companion and most loyal and affectionate dog a person could ask for. And he seems to really like my company, he actually wants to be around me. I'm not sure if any humans like my company quite so much. I don't have to do anything special and he just likes hanging around. Isn't that great?

With times the way they are I guess it's true that a lot of us are having to make tough choices.

More rambling about economics

This bit of rambling I had kept as a draft for some time, but why not publish it?

I have been posting about economics (admittedly speaking out of my ignorance). But what makes a person an expert. How correct are the experts?

I don't like writers that seem to needlessly use big words. I think I have a fairly decent vocabulary--but trying to read about economics is difficult. I have already posted about that. So, I'm ranting a little. So, what constitutes "needless" and "big"? Is "constitutes" a big word? Enough on that distraction!

I really meant to write something about wages. I was just reading this bit of inspiration--I should have recorded where I copied it from (some old book). The writer was saying something to the effect that the value of labor can be scientifically discovered or evaluated. That seems like nonsense to me. What I have read of Marxian thought seemed like nonsensical to me also. But nevertheless, I think that their observations have some value. I just don't see that you can say that the value of labor is a precise equation. Maybe that isn't what the writer meant. It does seem hard to come up with a just notion of fair wages, (or unfair wages).

Some even more random thoughts--some people probably get paid more because they insist on it, because they are better looking, all kinds of reasons that are not "fair". Is it fair that movie stars can command millions? I dunno.

The state of the economy and me

I'm liable to write just about anything in this blog.

Yesterday I attended an event in Chattanooga hosted by the local Moody Radio station. The event was called a "Town Hall Meeting" and featured Howard Dayton and Chuck Bentley of the Christian financial ministry called Crown Financial that has a radio show called MoneyLife.

The meeting was set up so that if people wanted to ask a question, they would raise their hands and then a lady would come and see what your question was and write down your name. When it was time to ask your question she would give you the mike. I already had in mind before I got to the meeting what I wanted to ask about.

I asked about the economy and the value of the dollar. I also had several less significant, perhaps even trivial questions, coming to mind that I might have asked. Later, during a commercial, they asked the audience members to introduce themselves. They started on my side of the room, and I was seated so that I was the second person to speak. I guess having been bold enough to ask my first question, I was bold enough to say something about myself. I said my name and said I am unemployed and haven't worked for a long while and I need to get a job. And that was how I ended up being offered the to do the career direct program as their guest. What a blessing!

When I was in college (30 years ago), I took a class in economics, and I did well in the class. I think I did well because during the summer I had read a book, I can't remember the name of the book, but it was one that I picked up after my Mom had read it. It was about economics and had gotten me thinking already about supply and demand, how the global dimensions of economics, things like that. So, the professor ended up inviting me to take part in an honors class for non-majors. I was one of - I think it was - five students in the class which was taught by a local businessman.

It was very interesting. There were several people in the class who were more talkative and able to put thoughts into words than I was. There was this one guy that I always liked having in my classes because he asked such good questions. He was in my astronomy, existentialism, and religion in American history classes. He just brought out the wonder in the astonomy class. I think I might have missed it if it weren't for his being the class. So anyway, somehow I managed to pass the class which was based largely on class participation. I remember that I did a written report on the car industry.

What I remember learning and thinking about in regards to the car business is the difficulties of planning for mass production. For car companies to make a profit, they have to correctly anticipate what consumers will want to buy in the future. By the time a car comes to market it may have been through several years of planning. Market conditions can change over few years time, so they have to try to project the future. And it takes a great deal of time and capital to design and produce a new model car. It also takes a good deal of capital to continue to produce cars. Not too long ago I read the autobiography of Lee Iacocca who was president of Ford and then went to Dodge as their president. He is probably fairly well known and recognized because he was in a bunch of commercials. His book is a good read. He writes in a way that is accessible to anybody and tell how he rose in the ranks of the car business.

So, one thing I am trying to do is figure out what my areas of talent are.

I know I have a hard time remembering details. I tend typically to remember the broad picture, maybe very generalized. I am not very impressed with my ability to reel off facts and explain stuff about stuff without saying "stuff". I so often can't think of the right terminology.

I occasionally listen to the PBS newshour program, and I noticed that I find it difficult to keep listening to people talk about stuff I don't already know about. How do news people stay caught up? I guess they know stuff already. Or they refresh their memories often by rereading about stuff. Maybe this is just something I could work on - the remembering and being about to explain things thing.

My major in college was religion and philosophy. I think I equally enjoyed both subjects. And I have a philosophical bent, meaning I'm not sure what. It's certainly not that I can tell anyone about philosophy. Maybe it's just that I think about ideas and principles. Since school I have kept reading and learning. I am more verbal than I used to be and I'm sure I am better at pulling my thoughts together and writing than I was when I was in college. But of course those English major types and those who were verbally proficient in college and have kept reading and writing are way ahead of me still.

I adore puzzles. People are probably wired to want to figure things out.