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Archive for the ‘Current Events’ Category

Solstice

Posted in Current Events, Opinion, Quote, tagged , , , on December 21, 2018| Leave a Comment »

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In a way Winter is the real Spring – the time when the inner things happen, the resurgence of nature.

—Edna O’Brien

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Today is the Winter Solstice. It is the day in which the Earth, tilting on its axis as it makes its way around our sun, reaching its maximum tilt, giving us the shortest, darkest day of our year here in the northern hemisphere.

It is a day that fits well symbolically into our current state of affairs. At the moment, I am not sure that it will not spin right off it axis.

Here, the darkness of the day fits, as well. While unseasonably warm, it is exceedingly dark and rainy. Grim, really. Especially here in the woods where I have reverted from being a creature of ice into once again being a mud person.

Every move outside is a trek traveling through are what seems like endless trenches of mud. Even the trail through the grass that chipmunks have made through the years from a nearby rock pile to our bird feeders has turned into a muddy trench.

But despite the absolute criminal lunacy (this solstice does comes with a full moon, by the way) of what is taking place within the executive branch of our government, despite the grimy and endlessly gray muddiness surrounding me, despite the anxiety of an upcoming holiday, despite it all– I am comforted by the day.

Perhaps it is because, as the great Irish novelist Edna O’Brien says, it is the time when the inner things happen. For me, this has been the truth of my life for the past twenty years or so. I am comforted by knowing that once I get past the next week or two, I will be willingly locked in a creative cocoon. It is very much an internal period, one that has generally been a highly productive time for my work.

So, in the darkness of the solstice, I gird myself for what new horror today’s news cycle will reveal and for the distractions and responsibilities that comes with the holidays, prepared for the worst and hoping for the best.

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Circle of Traitors

Posted in Current Events, tagged , , , , on December 19, 2018| 2 Comments »

Virgil and Dante in the Circle of Traitors- Gustave Doré Engraving

I came across the image above from an article in The American Conservative from September of 2016, written by a writer, Rod Dreher, who is labeled as a leading conservative intellectual. Neither the magazine nor the author are in my regular reading rotation and I might not find substantial common ground with either on may issues but the article was an interesting read. The article had to do with the current resident of our White House in the run up to the 2016 election and his historic inability to keep his vows in all aspects of his life.

Here are two paragraphs that stood out for me:

One of the themes in Dante’s Commedia is the terrible political consequences that result when people break their vows. Dante the poet was exiled through the constant strife in Florence, and throughout Italy. In his fictional person, a pilgrim through the afterlife, Dante learns that so much of the violence and discord that has torn Italian society apart has to do with the inability of people to trust others to be true to their word. In the Inferno, the lowest level of Hell is reserved for Traitors, the worst of whom — those whose treason had wide social consequences — are immobilized in a lake of ice for eternity. In Dante, punishments fit the crime. For Traitors, who lived with no ultimate loyalties except to themselves, because that preserved the absolute freedom of their will, the just punishment was to be frozen in place forever.

Why are Traitors the worst of all sinners, in Dante’s scheme? For one thing, they make social and communal life impossible. If you cannot count on people to honor their vows, you never know what is real, and who is trustworthy. For another, as the pilgrim Dante learns in Paradiso, free will is God’s greatest gift to a man. To make a vow is to make a gift of God’s gift — that is, to pledge one’s sacred liberty, to a cause, person, or institution, out of love. If vows are tossed aside lightly, love is cheapened, and the order of the entire universe is weakened. By breaking vows, we weaken the power of love and goodness in the world. This is how our free will, the gift most precious to God, the gift that tells us the most about His nature, becomes a source of disharmony and debilitation within ourselves and the community.

Dreher later goes on to make a prediction about the election saying that if the Republican candidate ( I just cannot write that name!) won, his presidency would be, using terms from Dungeons & Dragons, at best neutral evil and at worst, chaotic evil. This is a conservative thought leader speaking, certainly not a Democrat or liberal voice.

His prediction  has turned out to be prescient in, unfortunately for us all, in his prophecy of chaotic evil.

But is the president* a traitor to more than his vows?

Hearing the word Treason yesterday come from the mouth of Judge Sullivan in the Michael Flynn sentencing hearing was a seismic shift in the ongoing Mueller investigation. To hear it in the clear air was a stunning thing, a movement of the whole affair into a new sphere that everyone had been dancing around for some time now. I know that the words, treason, along with its running mate, traitor, have been running around the perimeter of my mind for some time now.

For those of you who don’t follow this, you might think I am peddling conspiracy theories or just plain crazy talk. Maybe you’re right but every day seems to reveal more and more of a large criminal conspiracy. Like me, there are those of you who have been watching and trying to amass all the data points, all the massive amounts of information that are being dutifully exposed, on an internal flow chart that would take up the wall of a gymnasium in reality. You folks are most likely nodding in agreement.

Now is the time for us all to pay attention, like it or not. We may be on the verge of the exposing of a large circle of traitors, actors of treason who, along with a foreign adversary, have sowed division and violence among their fellow citizens for political power and personal gain.

We must now all serve as witnesses.

I do not know where this leads but if it leads to a band of traitors forever encased in a lake of ice at the lowest level of Hell, so be it.

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A Page of Lies

Posted in Current Events, Favorite Things, Quote, tagged , , , , on December 17, 2018| Leave a Comment »

We are at a crucial time in this country and, maybe as well, the world as a whole. I think even those who refuse to pay attention are beginning to see that something very wrong has taken place and there is an effort to find the truth behind it. If this situation were a painting, it began with an underpainting of a scene based on lies. But each new day brings more and more strokes and color in the form of facts and truths that expose the underlying falsehood, the illegitimacy of the scene painted for us two plus years ago.

With each day, the final painting is becoming clearer and clearer.

I could go on but that would most likely be overkill. Too pedantic and preachy.

Instead, I thought I would share some of my favorite quotes– I do love a good quote— dealing with lies and liars. A page of lies. Actually, not lies but about lies. As a liar myself, I can attest to the veracity of most of these but you would have to take my word for that. And, believe me (the liar’s favorite phrase, by the way), you don’t want to do that.

Though I think these are all pertinent, the most applicable to the current situation might be the last from Ray Bradbury‘s dystopian classic Fahrenheit 451. Most people will not be told, will not dare to extrapolate into the future. They only see the present moment and even then, it is seen with a subjective sort of vision, the kind that only sees and knows what is in its immediate reach. But once the fallout from this hits them, they will ask how this could have possibly happened, even though they themselves enabled it with their lack of attention.

The Albert Camus quote is also a favorite. The projection of self by the liar is most illuminating.

But don’t trust me, take a look for yourself.

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The Peace of Wild Things

Posted in Current Events, Favorite Things, Poetry, tagged , on November 28, 2018| 2 Comments »

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The Peace of Wild Things

 

When despair grows in me

and I wake in the night at the least sound

in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,

I go and lie down where the wood drake

rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.

I come into the peace of wild things

who do not tax their lives with forethought

of grief. I come into the presence of still water.

And I feel above me the day-blind stars

waiting for their light. For a time

I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

 

–Wendell Berry

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You can’t go too far wrong on those rough days when you look to the words of Wendell Berry. It generally will provide the needed stillness to overcome the anxiety of these times.

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Be Thankful For What You’ve Got

Posted in Current Events, Music, Quote, tagged , , on November 23, 2018| Leave a Comment »

“ATTENTION, WALMART SHOPPERS…”

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Blessed are the hearts that can bend; they shall never be broken.

― Albert Camus

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We’re wrapping up Gratitude Week on Black Friday. So instead of fist-fighting over a cheap TV in front of Walmart with some creepy toothless guy who looks like he just came from cooking his last batch of meth, why not avoid it altogether and focus on those things you already have.

There’s a pretty good chance you already have everything you really need in your life. And if not, you’re not going to find it in a Black Friday swarm.

So take this time to step back and be grateful for the blessings you possess.

Like the song says: Be thankful for what you’ve got…

Here’s that song, one of my all-time faves from Billy DeVaughn. Be of good heart and have a good and peaceful Friday.

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Gratitude

Posted in Current Events, Favorite Things, History, Motivation, Quote, tagged , , , , on November 20, 2018| 1 Comment »

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“In ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.” 

― Dietrich Bonhoeffer

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I thought for this installment of Gratitude Week, I would start with the quote above from Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

The name might be familiar. I featured him a post last year, On Stupidity, that has been pretty popular, consistently getting quite a few views each week. He was the German pastor who spoke out against the Nazi regime throughout the 1930’s, later being sent to a concentration camp before being sent to his death on the gallows in the last days of the war. On Stupidity described the sort of blatant ignorance that led to the rise of the Nazis and seems to exist here today in forms. Bonhoeffer also coined the term Cheap Grace which also seems abundant these days. It’s a post that is worth another look.

But the words above from Bonhoeffer offer a different and positive thought, that we receive much more from this life than we ever give in return. Understanding this concept and living with a sense of gratitude gives our lives a richness beyond material wealth.

In that vein, I want to point out that there is a political/economic philosophy that has been out there for some time now, one that has led to the increasing disparity of wealth between those at the top and those in the middle and at the bottom.

It basically labels people as Makers and Takers. In the eyes of those at the top, the Makers are those who control the wealth and means of production and the Takers are everyone else. They believe that no matter how integral a person might be in assisting the Makers amass their wealth, they are only there to take from them.

They see the world as a zero sum scenario where there are only winners and losers. Those at the top are winners and anyone below them are losers. The loser Takers are tools at best to be used in their view. When their usefulness has went away, they are nothing more than dead weight.

It’s a distressing idea, one that I would love to say couldn’t exist, but there is ample evidence to support that this belief is flourishing.

I would like to offer a counter-thought.

In my eyes I see the Makers described above as the real Takers. By doing all they can to gain and gain at the expense of others, they extract joy and compassion from this world, along with dignity,respect, and honor. They take away from the humanity of all people with an extreme selfishness that creates a world of solely winners and losers.

But in my worldview anyone can be a Maker because wealth is not the only factor that makes for a better world. Anyone who acts to better people’s lives is a Maker. Those who inspire, those who teach, those who heal, those who put their own lives on the line to rescue those in harm’s way, those who come to the aid of others in need, those who give what little they have until it strains their budgets, those who volunteer, those who work to least the least among us a voice, those who stand up to power so that our air is clean and our food safe, along with so many others—these are the people who make this world a better place, who bring a sense of dignity to all people.

These are the true Makers. These are the people who create the richness of this world.

Please understand that what you have in this world is the result of being assisted by others. You may be the most fabulous, self-sufficient being in the universe but you have done nothing absolutely on your own.

We are the beneficiaries of the work and care of others.

Let us acknowledge that and be grateful. Be a Maker.

 

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Some California Dreaming

Posted in Current Events, Favorite Things, Music, tagged , , , , on November 18, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Looking out the studio window this morning with the snow softly falling. It’s a cold wet out there in a setting of shades of gray and forest green. Looking at it now, all I can think is that I wish I could send all of it out to California so that it might extinguish the fires that have devastated so much of the state.

My home and studio are nestled in the forest and, while we generally have wetter weather, in dryer periods I often find myself worrying about what might happen if the woods caught fire. It’s a scary thought so I can only imagine the mindset of those who have lost everything or those who are still looking for friends or family possibly lost in the fire’s fury. The horror and hopeless desperation they must be experiencing is far beyond the bounds of my limited imagination.

 Unlike a certain person who serves as the titular leader of this country, I have a soft spot in my heart for the people of California, having met so many warm and caring people who call that place home. I have always been impressed by the friendly openness I have experienced there. The lack of empathy shown and the sheer buffoonery of this person’s comments about the cause of the fires or how they might be avoided with a little raking –as though the forests were no more than a patch of trees between the fairways on a golf course– is a distraction from the real world tragedy happening before our eyes, one that deserves our full attention and support.

For this Sunday morning, I thought I would share a couple of California themed paintings and play a couple of versions of California Dreaming, the classic song from The Mamas and the Papas. It’s a great song and has been covered, as most great songs are, by a huge variety of artists from all sorts of genres. Sia does a fine version. The first is my favorite from Jose Feliciano and the second gets the deep soul treatment from the late and little known Lee Moses who only recorded for a short time in the late 60’s and early 70’s.

Give a listen and think a bit about our fellow citizens in California. With Thanksgiving coming this week, be thankful for what you have and consider what you can do to help others who might be experiencing darker days.


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Green Fields of France

Posted in Current Events, Music, tagged , , , on November 11, 2018| 1 Comment »

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The suffering, the sorrow, the glory, the shame,

The killing, the dying, it was all done in vain,

For Willie McBride, it all happened again,

And again, and again, and again, and again!

—Eric Bogle,

 No Man’s Land (Green Fields of France)

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Another Armistice Day. We observe the day now as Veteran’s Day  or Remembrance Day in some other countries, recognizing with it the service of all veterans, living and dead. But originally it was observed to commemorate the end of combat in World War I, 100 years ago on this date in 1918.

The Great War.

The War to End All Wars.

If only.

Unfortunately, we humans have short memories and a poor grasp of history. The Great War was but a prelude to a another World War and in the years since, there have been a multitude of other wars, invasions,genocides and ethnic cleansings.

They seem to always begin with an act of aggression based on greed, ego, or some kind of racial, religious, or ethnic hatred. One nation envies what another nation possesses. One leader desires more power and self enrichment. People, spurred on by manipulative leaders, feel threatened by the existence of others, those who don’t share their race or religion or social beliefs.

It seems so long as we live in a world ruled by the greed, envy and fear of those who lead the nations of this world, war will always be near at hand.

It will remain a necessary evil until men stop exploiting other men.

And as such, the continued service and sacrifice of young men and women will be required.

Today is a day to honor those who serve and or have served their duty to this and other countries.

It is a day to remember how much has been given to us the living and how much has been taken from those who sacrificed their futures for the living.

A day to remind us all how fragile this world is and how each new war dishonors the veterans of the past and makes their sacrifice seem to have been made in vain.

Take a moment from your day and give it some thought. It is the least we can do.

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Before playing this week’s Sunday music, I have to note that our current president* cancelled his attendance at a ceremony yesterday because of rainy weather. It was an observance to honor  the US Marines of WWI who died at Belleau Wood in France. Yesterday was also was the 243rd anniversary of the formation of the Marines by the Continental Congress in 1775.

I am not a veteran so maybe you might think I have no standing to criticize. But looking back at the many relatives who served and sacrificed through the past near 400 years in this land, I am ashamed as an American and consider his absence in honoring these fallen soldiers a great dishonor to this country and those who have served it.

Thank god a little rain didn’t dissuade those soldiers from the duty they felt to this nation. I am sure that the weather will not prevent him from his cordial meeting with Putin today in Paris, on the 100th observance of Armistice Day.

The song today is from 1976 and was written by the Scottish Australian singer Eric Bogle. It is titled No Man’s Land and is also known as Green Fields of France. It tells the story of young soldier named Willie McBride who died in World War I. It was inspired by Bogle’s visits to the battlefield graveyards in Flanders and Northern France. It is a song that has been recorded by numerous artists but I chose this version from the Dropkick Murphys. It’s a well done version and the video is a moving document and tribute to those who died in that war.

A word of warning: This video contains graphic images from that war.

Have a good day…

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Borderline

Posted in Current Events, Opinion, tagged , , , on November 9, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Yesterday, I watched a man painfully talk about his son being shot down in the massacre at the Borderline dance club in Thousand Oaks, California. It was painful to witness the form of pure and primal grief he was expressing with his cries and his heaven-sent moans.

It was a moment that most of us hope with all our souls we would never have to share on a national platform.

He wasn’t alone. 12 died, mostly young people along with a 29-year police veteran who quickly responded to the shooting. All of their families were forced to go through that same gut wrenching agony and sense of loss.

It was the deadliest shooting in–wait for it– 12 days. 

It had been only 12 days since the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting that killed 11.

I am hoping the death total from this latest shooting stands as the most for the rest of our lives. But this America so I am not confident in saying that it will even last another 12 days. I may not be exact in this figure but I believe it is reported that there have been 307 mass shootings here in the 314 days of this calendar year.

American exceptionalism, my ass.

Then I wake up this morning to see the tweet from the NRA where they tell doctors to “stay in their lane” and stop talking about gun control.

Yeah, the doctors who are often wrist deep in the blood and gore of gunshot wounds should shut their yaps and do their jobs

Patch’em up or sign the death certificates.

Perhaps they should thank the NRA for job security they provide in the form of the multitude of victims coming their way?

American exceptionalism, my ass.

I can’t offer any answers. I am just angry and tired of the carnage. And especially tired of those who say more guns are the answer and that grade school teachers and rabbis and bartenders and dishwashers and cabbies and every other person in this goddamn country should be packing sidearms.

I just know we can do better. When I think of American exceptionalism I am saying that we have that ability to rise up and do better.

That is, if we want to. And maybe we won’t have the desire and will to do something truly tangible until this scourge touches every family, every school, every church, and every public place.

Until we all experience the sheer and awful agony of that father yesterday.

Maybe then we will be better, will do what is right and necessary. Then we might be able to see ourselves as exceptional.

Until then, I say American exceptionalism, my ass.

Here’s the title song from the 1993 album Across the Borderline from Willie Nelson. I chose it because it’s a beautiful song but mainly because it contains Borderline to honor those folks who died in that club. The song was written by Ry Cooder and has a message and tone that is so pertinent for these times. The phrase broken promised land just jumps out at me.

Give a listen. Maybe tomorrow we can get back to art…

 

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Some Plus and Minus

Posted in Current Events, tagged on November 7, 2018| 2 Comments »

Well, the election is somewhat over. A few races are still undecided with votes still being tabulated and some with perhaps recounts ahead.

All in all, I am satisfied. If you watched only the races that were in the headlines nationally, a Dem might be crestfallen that their rock star candidates — Beto in Texas, Stacy in Georgia and Andrew in Florida, for example– couldn’t break through. They were the emotional magnets for a lot of voters and to see them go down, even in an extremely close battle, hurts a bit.

But when I step back and look at the results and the repercussions of these elections, I am pleased.

First, the House of Reps moved blue with a Democratic majority now in place, providing a clear check on the president*. Committee leaderships move to the Dems now and they can set the agenda for how the president*’s actions are handled. They now have investigative and subpoena power as well as a check on the Senate.

This Blue move includes over 100 women being elected to the House last night. The class picture for the House Dems is a very diverse one that now includes more women, Native Americans, Muslims and people of color. That is fantastic and provides us with a voice that better reflects this nation’s multitudes.

Secondly, a large number of states’ governors switched to the Democratic side. This is a huge gain, especially in the fight against the gerrymandering of districts which is pertinent as the 2020 census looms with the redistricting that comes with it.

I am also pleased that overall, Dems outvoted the GOP by between 7 and 8% nationally. The voters came out. I hope those young voters who invested so much in races that may not have gone their way, such as the Parkland students in Florida, are not disheartened and turn their backs on future political involvement. They made a difference in our political discourse and are close to changing the face of our political class forever, if only they continue their fight.

In the Senate races, the Dems won by more than 12%– but still lost at least 3 seats. We are still strongly divided but the fact that the gaps in races in historically red states are closing gives me optimism.

On the downside, voter suppression remains a problem in many areas and is something that needs to be addressed on a national level. There are obviously systems available that would allow all eligible voters to easily register and cast their vote. Voting should not be set up as a series of hurdles to be overcome. Each citizen deserves to have their vote counted.

While I would loved to have seen a blue tsunami across the board, I believe overall it was a pretty good day for America. It moves us in a more positive direction, towards a government that represents all of our interests.

But to get that point, we have to stay aware and involved. Political change is sometimes slow and incremental. It is not always easy to keep up the energy needed to create change.

Do not be distracted. Keep your eyes and ears open. Stay involved and hold those in power accountable.

Our work is not over with one election.

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