Observe Your World

Choose Your Battles

2012-01-26T11:20:00.000-08:00

Robert Burns had to put up with the simple minded arrogant critics, as do all writers. But this one went to far, so Burns went a little farther. I love this letter.

Burns' Writing Samples:

A Red Red Rose

O my Luve's like a red, red rose,
That's newly sprung in June:
O my Luve's like the melodie,
That's sweetly play'd in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a' the seas gang dry.

Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi' the sun;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
While the sands o' life shall run.

And fare-thee-weel, my only Luve!
And fare-thee-weel, a while!
And I will come again, my Luve,
Tho' 'twere ten thousand mile!

and of course:

Auld Lang Syne

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne!

Chorus.-For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne.
We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

And surely ye'll be your pint stowp!
And surely I'll be mine!
And we'll tak a cup o'kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
For auld, &c.

We twa hae run about the braes,
And pou'd the gowans fine;
But we've wander'd mony a weary fit,
Sin' auld lang syne.
For auld, &c.

We twa hae paidl'd in the burn,
Frae morning sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar'd
Sin' auld lang syne.
For auld, &c.

And there's a hand, my trusty fere!
And gie's a hand o' thine!
And we'll tak a right gude-willie waught,
For auld lang syne.
For auld, &c.

More at: http://www.robertburns.org/works/

The War Between the States of Mind

2011-12-22T14:22:00.000-08:00

We've survived worse conflicts than the 99%/1% issue we're experiencing now. But the common root is some people want to get their work done for free, or virtually so, and keep all the profits, and some want to support others in making an honest living and having decent lifestyles. Slavery's outa style by now, isn't it? Isn't it??!

It Was Ever Thus

2011-12-03T22:25:00.001-08:00

History lasts a long time. We are not the first (or last) to be frustrated or frightened by mean, stupid, or rotten ideals allowed power by ignorance. Hopefully, we are not the last to help each other along.

Here are two of my favorite poems, to wit:

The World is Too Much With Us
William Wordsworth

The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;—
Little we see in Nature that is ours;
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!
This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon;
The winds that will be howling at all hours,
And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers;
For this, for everything, we are out of tune;
It moves us not. Great God! I’d rather be
A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;
So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,
Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;
Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;
Or hear old Triton blow his wreathèd horn.

Hope
Emily Dickinson

“Hope” is the thing with feathers -
That perches in the soul -
And sings the tune without the words -
And never stops - at all -

And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -
And sore must be the storm -
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm -

I’ve heard it in the chillest land -
And on the strangest Sea -
Yet - never - in Extremity,
It asked a crumb -of me.

Alms for the Poor?

2011-11-18T06:31:00.000-08:00

What a coup! Catholics are buying bankrupt crystal cathedral mega-church.

(Although I'd rather see them spending their money on feeding poor people, stuff like that. Still, I find this move very amusing.)

From the story linked above:

"'The Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange County, California is buying Robert Schuller's celebrated Protestant Crystal Cathedral megachurch for $57.5 million, the LA Times reports. The spacious, light-filled house of worship is a "a monument of 20th century modernist architecture,' the Times writes."

People Before Profit

2011-11-14T13:31:00.001-08:00

We live these lives, we humans, and the focus is askew. It's imperative that we focus on making whatever form of money our culture calls for so that we can have safety, comfort, security, maybe a little fun. I wish what we would care about most as a species is truly knowing our loved ones, and not so loved ones, to the finest detail of their personalities. And if we did that, we wouldn't fight over the food and water and comfort. Idealism. Seems so reasonable to me.

Compassion

2011-11-02T09:45:00.000-07:00

I saw an article today stating (in a derisive tone) that many of the "Occupy..." protesters "live in luxury, in homes worth $500,000 and go to private schools." Among the conclusions drawn were that occupations were about getting in on fun parties. Allow me to explain: those who are comfortable are sometimes willing to sacrifice a little comfort for those who are miserable. Do the math: that's the difference between 99% and 1%.

A Diamond in the Rough

2011-10-31T07:34:00.000-07:00

I used to think a diamond in the rough was a diamond chip that was lost in the grass - maybe I equated it with the image of "a catcher in the rye." Then I went to a jeweler's with a friend who said, "show her the rough diamond!" The Jeweler showed me a diamond in the rough. Looked like a piece of broken glass, slightly worn down. How could she tell it was a diamond? She knew how to look at it.

Occupy Wall Street: Humans Before Profits

2011-10-06T07:45:00.000-07:00

Would you like to know what the "Occupy Wall Street" protests are all about? Here's the statement:

The Technology Meeting

2011-09-30T07:05:00.000-07:00

Spider is a miracle

climbing by slips on nearly invisible thread.

I can watch it and still face toward

the speaker at the front of the room who is taking no stance.

His boss on the sidelines shoots him a glance. He leans on the podium asking forthoughts.

His empty follow up questions convolute our responses intonull sums.

Back to the spider:

Three of us watching it, none presume to impede.

Down some and up several times it glides to a stop on thetabletop and walks.

Could the man beside me casually rest his arm down and smashit?

I reach over, “Do you mind if I save it?”

It crawls onto my fingers. I set it on the floor behind usat the baseboard.

“Somebody might step on him now,” the man says low.

But the spider disappears into a crevice.

We turn back to business and I get the feeling

that the spider might’ve wanted its web in the ceiling.

And the speaker, more vague with each breath since hestarted,

Had planned to say more but his thunder was thwarted.

Of the people, by the people, for the people: that's US

2011-09-30T06:20:00.000-07:00

‎"America's representative democracy... the government of the people, by the people, for the people," said Lincoln, reminding us of our identity in 1863. Today, I wonder why so many dismiss the fact that WE (the people) ARE the government. We all have the opportunity to have our say, and elect our representation, except in one area of life: Corporations base leadership on the authoritarian model. You got yourself a little dictaorship there now, dontcha!? I'm not saying do away with corporations; I'm saying we need to make sure they follow the rules WE make.

Occupy Wall Street

2011-09-28T07:08:00.000-07:00

Remember when Wall Street crashed and we paid their debts for them and they never returned the favor of canceling ours? Remember how we should have protested in the streets? Wall Street is now occupied! Spread the news, the media isn't yet.

Gratitude Therapy

2011-09-20T23:40:00.001-07:00

Daily therapy:

Self Imposed Dramatic Tension: this episode, saving ideas for later

2011-09-19T18:19:00.000-07:00

Today we have two videos that address the issue of procrastination. Watch these, then check your facebook, then check your email, then go get a sandwich, then watch TV, then go to the bathroom, then put your laundry away, then go to bed and start fresh tomorrow with lots of promises.

I also wanted to show the scene from This is Spinal Tap where, after after Nigel has left the band, David and Derek are talking about having the "time to do the projects they've always dreamed of," and all they can come up with is Saucy Jack. I couldn't find it on youtube. I went straight to the task but to no avail then gave up. This is different than never starting. This is making an executive decision to move forward without accomplishing the intended task.

So then the question becomes, if I never start, does this mean I've given up? Give me enough years and the answer will be yes.

Better get to it then.

(Thanks, Ze Frank for both of these.)

2011-09-09T07:16:00.000-07:00

Goofiness is next to Godliness... In this case it's also next to Anime.

Revisiting Albert Brooks/ The Early Years

2011-09-02T23:32:00.000-07:00

The Flip Wilson Show was always funny to me. We'll look at Flip later. I'm on an Albert Brooks bender right now. Here's his ventriloquist bit.

The Famous School for Comedians Home Comedy Kit (2nd item): The Electronic Dummy: You don't need to be able to throw your voice: Buddy!

1972, Flip Wilson Show: Auditions for a new national anthem:

Internment of Americans of Japanese Descent

2011-08-29T06:50:00.000-07:00

It was right there in the LA Times last May yet quietly slipped past most of us. We know it was morally wrong to interrupt the lives of an entire population and force them into concentration camps. And it was unconstitutional. The truth came out last May: "...there was no evidence Japanese Americans were disloyal, were acting as spies or were signaling enemy submarines..." but this crucial piece of information was suppressed.

[Reprinted from Los Angeles Times. Link to original article below and here.]

U.S. official cites misconduct in Japanese American internment cases Acting Solicitor Gen. Neal Katyal says one of his predecessors, Charles Fahy, deliberately hid from the Supreme Court a military report that Japanese Americans were not a threat in World War II.

May 24, 2011|
By David G. Savage, Washington Bureau

Acting Solicitor Gen. Neal Katyal, in an extraordinary admission of misconduct, took to task one of his predecessors for hiding evidence and deceiving the Supreme Court in two of the major cases in its history: the World War II rulings that upheld the detention of more than 110,000 Japanese Americans.

Katyal said Tuesday that Charles Fahy, an appointee of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, deliberately hid from the court a report from the Office of Naval Intelligence that concluded the Japanese Americans on the West Coast did not pose a military threat. The report indicated there was no evidence Japanese Americans were disloyal, were acting as spies or were signaling enemy submarines, as some at the time had suggested.

Fahy was defending Roosevelt's Executive Order 9066, which authorized forced removals of Japanese Americans from "military areas" in 1942. The solicitor general, the U.S. government's top courtroom attorney, is viewed as the most important and trusted lawyer to appear before the Supreme Court, and Katyal said he had a "duty of absolute candor in our representations to the court."

Katyal, 41, who is of Indian American heritage and is the first Asian American to hold the post, said he decided "to set the record straight" Tuesday at a Justice Department event honoring Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

He said that two of the government's civilian lawyers had told Fahy it would be "suppression of evidence" to keep the naval intelligence report from the high court.

"What does Fahy do? Nothing," Katyal said.

Instead, Fahy told the justices the government and the military agreed the roundup of Japanese Americans was required as a matter of "military necessity." Roosevelt issued the order on Feb. 19, 1942, about two months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, which plunged the U.S. into World War II.

In 1943, the high court unanimously upheld a curfew imposed on Japanese Americans in the case of Gordon Hirabayashi vs. United States. And in 1944, the court in a 6-3 decision upheld the removal order imposed on Japanese Americans in Fred Korematsu vs. United States. The majority accepted the government's claim that it was a matter of "military urgency."

Scholars and judges have denounced the World War II rulings as among the worst in the court's history, but neither the high court nor the Justice Department had formally admitted they were mistaken — until now.

"It seemed obvious to me we had made a mistake. The duty of candor wasn't met," Katyal said.

Korematsu, who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Clinton, died in Marin County in 2005 at age 86. On Tuesday, his daughter Karen said she was grateful that Katyal had acknowledged the mistakes of his predecessor.

"It was a remarkable statement he made," she said. "It proves what my father believed all along — that removing the Japanese Americans was wrong and incarcerating them was unconstitutional."

Korematsu was sent to a camp in Utah, one of 10 in the country. California had two, Tule Lake and Manzanar.

Katyal said that last summer he was doing research for several immigration cases when he came upon some ugly, disturbing comments about Asians in 19th century briefs submitted to the Supreme Court. Chinese immigrants were described as "people not suited to our institutions." People from India were described as a "subject race."

He then looked into the history of the World War II internment cases, including documents revealed in the 1980s. Peter Irons, a professor at UC San Diego, had found reports in old government files that showed the U.S. military did not see Japanese Americans as a threat in 1942. His research led to federal court hearings that set aside the convictions of Korematsu and Hirabayashi. Congress later voted to have the nation apologize and pay reparations to those who were wrongly held.

Katyal said he decided it was important to publicly acknowledge the mistakes made in the solicitor general's office. Hiding the truth from the justices, he said, "harmed the court, and it harmed 120,000 Japanese Americans. It harmed our reputation as lawyers and as human beings, and it harmed our commitment to those words on the court's building: Equal Justice Under Law."

Hirabayashi is now 93 and living in Canada. His memory of the World War II years has faded, said his nephew Lane Hirabayashi, a professor of Asian American studies at UCLA. "I know Gordon would be very pleased by this. He didn't know at the time that government prosecutors had distorted evidence. However, he knew in his heart that mass incarceration was unconstitutional," he said.

"I thought it was good and very long overdue," Irons said of Katyal's statement. "This was a deliberate, knowing lie by Fahy to the Supreme Court. For the government's highest counsel to make that statement now is quite noteworthy and admirable."

A year ago, Katyal became the acting solicitor general when Elena Kagan was nominated to the Supreme Court. He had made a name for himself in legal circles in 2006 when took on the case of Salim Hamdan, who faced a military trial at the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He won in the Supreme Court, which struck down the military commissions because they had not been authorized by Congress.

But that victory in Hamdan vs. Rumsfeld earned him some critics in the Senate — and it may have cost him the chance to win Senate confirmation as solicitor general. This year, President Obama passed over Katyal and nominated Deputy White House Counsel Donald Verrilli Jr. for the post. Katyal said he would step down when the Senate officially confirmed Verrilli.

david.savage@latimes.com

"Until that day I have to believe"

2011-06-20T06:06:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite songs ever because of the way it turns toward hope.

Our Check was Delayed, he said, because he had to Crack a Lobster

2011-05-26T20:56:00.000-07:00

My my mom and I went to a well known chain-restaurant (known for the color of its lobsters) for dinner last night. The waiter took a long time to bring us our check. I was pretty sure he'd left the building. But he did come back, and he apologized, "Sorry, I had to go crack a lobster."

You have an idea how old I am, right?  My mom's the proper 39 for her age. She paid with a gift card she'd got from my brother and sister in law, and when I mentioned the birthday in the waiter's presence he said, "It's your birthday?" She said it was a couple of weeks ago. He gives the "hang on a second" gesture and says, "I think I can do something for your birthday," and hurries off.

I'm expecting cake and a candle. She's expecting about the same - maybe ice cream. We're hoping they don't sing. The waiter comes back with a second waiter.  They're both clean cut looking boys in their chain restaurant waiter white shirts and black slacks, but no dessert, no candle.  The second waiter perches his arm in a casual embrace of the top of my mom's side of the booth and leans in. The first waiter stands at the table. After a brief debate we acquiesce, their desire beginning to sour to embarassment. I 'm thinking maybe these kids are into musical theatre and want to grab any chance to perform. They fairly adequately sing "Happy Birthday" the second waiter working in a little melodic twisting which might construe as harmony if there were the distraction of a flame and a treat and a magical wish.

We politely say thank you and clap. They dash away.  As my mom and I are wondering what that exactly was, the second waiter comes back and slaps a round business card on the table. My mother tells him he has a nice voice and with his thanks he says he's in a band and points at the card, "Check it out!" My mom asks if the other waiter is in the band, too. "Oh, no - he can't be in it," and he's gone like a phantom.

I take the card, put it in my purse. I am expecting a Josh Groban wannabe or an American Idol belter with the strategically ripped jeans, something women among older generations generally would like. Later, I check the site - the kid's full throttle mega punk complete with the monsterous gutteral throaty roar and the percussive antithetical melodies that all jam together the same kind of rupture that is obviously happening to the boy's vocal chords.

So what's the motivation? Was it a dare? Was it a test of our kindness? Did they offer us a birthday too soon and did the manager refuse their request to offer us a complementary cupcake? Did the second waiter have henchmen after him, threatening him with baseball bats if he came home with any of those little round cards in his pockets? Did they think we'd come to a show? Did they think we had connections? And did they actually believe they think they'd charmed us into using them?!

"Crack a lobster," indeed. "Go get loaded while on break," more like.

Note: I really wanted to turn the phrase and say something about smoking crack, but if they'd been smoking crack they'd've forgotten altogether to come back.

Perspective

2011-05-03T07:16:00.000-07:00

"Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction. - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Not so Much Who, as What

2011-04-29T07:16:00.000-07:00

Aside from trying to get into bars when I was underage, or getting caught making a traffic error, I've never been asked to prove who I was. And aside from getting my social security card, or passport, I've never had to prove my place of birth. And aside from the times I was hired to teach English at public institutions, I've never had an employer ask to see proof of my degrees.

I'm just sayin'.

Wouldn't Fit in a Haiku

2011-04-13T07:49:00.000-07:00

The feel of a moment in a day stays with me
sun shining through tall grass in an afternoon
air silent light breeze grass says hush
dinner was coming along later I remember
holding the precious eternity of the fleeting now.

Cainer's Equation

2011-04-11T07:28:00.000-07:00

My favorite astrologer, wrote this one, almost mentioned in passing, but worth keeping in mind:

Researchers Everywhere

2011-04-08T09:58:00.000-07:00

In light of the corruption in Bell:

LA Times invites readers to "chase down public records and share them with the Times."

I especially like the filename for the url.

Happy Cesar Chavez Day!

2011-03-30T17:39:00.000-07:00

"Perhaps we can bring the day when children will learn from their earliest days that being fully man and fully woman means to give one's life to the liberation of the brother who suffers. It is up to each one of us. It won't happen unless we decide to use our lives to show the way."

– Cesar Chavez

Learn more about Cesar Chavez, watch this video.

"He fought for the farmworkers' right to form their own union, demanded that the workers have lunchbreaks, access to clean drinking water and restrooms..." (from the video)

Overheard: Popularity Contested

2011-03-29T07:10:00.000-07:00

A herd of 18-24 year old males walking by:

Guy 1: "And how cool are ya if you got facebook messages poppin' into your phone every five minutes?"

Guy 2: "And 99% of 'em are 'leave me alone.'"

He Says "No Nukes is Good Nukes" Too - and he's been there!

2011-03-24T07:29:00.000-07:00

I just read an article that skillfully minimizes the hazards of nuclear power as it pays lip service to the dangers. This is as scary as fallout, though not literally (yet, at least not outside Japan at the moment).

I Googled "No nukes is good nukes" and found this insightful article from Robert Scheer, who's obviously not in somebody's pocket and has done his research.

"I know there will be an attempt to sell us the argument that the odds of a catastrophic earthquake and a catastrophic tsunami occurring together in an area containing a nuclear power facility are incredibly low, that the Japanese plants in question were of inadequate design and, as in the case of Chernobyl, that 'human error' was at fault. Despite the earlier accident at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania, there was a strong tendency to present the Chernobyl disaster as a warning sign not about nuclear power in general but rather the particular failures of a rotting Soviet economy. After the Japanese experience, such cavalier dismissal of the intrinsic problems of nuclear power is no longer plausible."

Read more from Robert Scheer, and his reflections on Chernyobyl, humanity and our charming combination of ignorance and hubris.

The Sun is Right There, Every Day, Without Fail

2011-03-21T18:31:00.000-07:00

Today we talk about nuclear power, which makes us powerless beyond belief, and at the end of this post, a little reprieve. The second video has horrific images, so if you already understand why today we have fears about the effects of nuclear radiation, you can skip it. The first video is what my and my parents' generations were told. It felt like a lie because it was, but a lot of people believed it because it could be received as comforting, and that was enough!

"Sometimes a mutation can be a good variation - an improvement over the parents. If you'll be honest with yourself, face the fact: you'll proably realize that your principal worry ought to be that your offspring will look just like you."

Nice and easy to live with, the above, yes? Wouldn't it be nice if only it were true. The following images are disturbing. The video shows some of the birth defects caused by radiation exposure:

But there have been alternatives all my life that have been pushed to the side in favor of high profit energy sources like oil and nuclear. Here's an example of what can be done (but nobody makes money) note the Newfoundlander with the soda cans:

All You Need is Love

2011-03-15T06:53:00.000-07:00

All You Need is Love sung in 156 countries, all edited together in a lovely way. It's a campaign for AIDS awareness, but also a good general reminder that we focus on bringing out the goodness in humanity for all reasons.

I Had a Hat

2011-03-09T00:42:00.001-08:00

Conscience

2011-02-28T06:33:00.000-08:00

You can't trust corporate America, and you can't trust the government, so you have to trust your conscience. How do you trust your conscience? Know yourself. How do you know yourself? Know your mind, know your heart, know your soul. Know these aspects by study, practicing empathy, getting to know others as deeply as possible and learning all of the above with honesty, tact and compassion. Then, if someone tells you to do something you know is wrong, there will be one less blindly complicit human being and one more length of stride toward creating a world to be proud of.

Freedom from What, Exactly?

2011-02-24T07:03:00.000-08:00

As the rich get richer, they get smarter with marketing. How else could the fashion industry make so many people think that $200 jeans made by Chinese slave children are better to have than cheap ones you can get for $21.99? Remember always, as those of us who were alive in the sixties still can, that corporate backing is the push behind Republican politics - and the subtext of, "keep the government out of my life," is "I don't want rules that stop me from doing whatever I want, regardless of the effect my behavior has on anybody else."

Freedom has more to do with being civil to others and sharing responsiblity than it does with letting the people who own the most own ever more without paying a proportionate share of taxes or being held accountable to the rules the rest of are bound to. It's a falsehood to claim that deregulation (for one example) represents some form of freedom. Well, I guess in some ways it does represent freedom - freedom from the American Dream.

Read:
Separate but unequal: Charts show growing rich-poor gap
by Zachary Roth

"The Great Recession and the slump that followed have triggered a jobs crisis that's been making headlines since before President Obama was in office, and that will likely be with us for years. But the American economy is also plagued by a less-noted, but just as serious, problem: Simply put, over the last 30 years, the gap between rich and poor has widened into a chasm."

IamIsaid

2011-02-21T23:21:00.000-08:00

Listen to Neil Diamond's classic, I Am I Said with a subtle twist, as performed by osullivus mattox virtuous in special sessions, December 2010.
Iamisaid by jeanosullivan

This recording made under terms of fair use to evoke discussion about dynamics of volume and the messages carried through presentation, for educational purposes.

King Queen of the Road

2011-02-14T23:33:00.000-08:00

Photo: Larry Sterling (w/graphics added)

Listen to Roger Miller's classic performed by osullivus, mattox, virtuous in special sessions in December, 2010. Recorded under terms of fair use as a prompt for discussions on musical phrasing as well as the sociology of gender stereotypes.

King Queen of the Road by jeanosullivan

vocals and guitar, osullivus; vox-trombone, mattox; drums and percussion, virtuous.

Dog Alone

2011-02-07T06:53:00.000-08:00

The dog across the alley barks in distressed repetition
I feel sorry for her
but am getting mad at the same time.
Sharp edged it hurts my ears.
My instincts are to save her
From harm, alarm, fear
But it's just that she's alone again, again
again, again. How?

I would throw some food over the fence to make her stop
But would they think a neighbor had tried to poison her?

The other night I opened the window,
turning off the lights, and yelled, 'QUIET!"
so loud my voice echoed through the darkness.
I could see kids playing in a yard a couple of houses down
freezing in mid-frolic
repeating perfectly intoned whispers of my shout
as their mom ushered them inside.
So now I don't yell "QUIET!" anymore,
although the dog did stop.

I Think This is a Good Song

2011-01-22T03:39:00.000-08:00

A good song, a nice bike ride, a fireplace and full moon, a seashore and sand, a galaxy and clay, just some of the elements of an ideal day. I Think This is a Good Song. Featuring the trio: osullivus, mattox, virtuous playing an original score.

From the Category: Backward

2011-01-19T07:43:00.000-08:00

Think about it: it wasn't that long ago that in Alabama two men could walk into a bar and within just a few minutes one would be served a beer and the other would be murdered.

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley told a church crowd just moments into his new administration that those who have not accepted Jesus as their savior are not his brothers and sisters.

This guy just shifted the hate over a little, that's all. And, as it was before the Civil Rights Movement, he seems to think there is nothing wrong with his approach.

Happy Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday!

2011-01-13T07:07:00.000-08:00

"And another reason I'm happy to live in this period is that we have been forced to a point where we are going to have to grapple with the problems that men have been trying to grapple with through history, but the demands didn't force them to do it. Survival demands that we grapple with them. Men for years now have been talking about war and peace. But now no longer can they just talk about it. It is no longer a choice between violence and nonviolence in this world; it's nonviolence or nonexistence. That is where we are today."

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. "I've Been to the Mountaintop" April 3, 1968.

Le Ballon Rouge

2011-01-08T01:28:00.000-08:00

Et le Ballon Rouge!
(in four parts)

part 1

part 2

part 3

part 4

Paddle to the Sea

2011-01-08T00:53:00.000-08:00

On Film Day at school in the 1960's, we learned about art, history, safety, what to do in a nuclear blast, good table manners, how to revere a new book, and we got to see this film, "Paddle to the Sea." It's a story of innocence and good luck - and geography.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Footwork

2011-01-07T06:22:00.000-08:00

Temptations performing, "My Girl". Simply delightful.

(Embedding was disabled so click the link.)

Finding a Voice

2011-01-05T19:18:00.000-08:00

It's the story of the golden voiced homeless man in Ohio. Usually these "amazing talented person!" videos turn out not to be amazing. This one turns out to be amazing.

"This clip speaks for itself -- literally. The Columbus Dispatch discovered a homeless man along Ohio's I-71 claiming to have 'the God-given gift of voice,' and what began as your everyday viral video has exploded into a life-changing experience for one man. Yesterday morning he was a panhandler; today he's the most in-demand voice personality in the world..."

Read the story. Watch the videos. Here's a guy who gets sober, finds his spiritual path, focuses on the good, and does not fade away. Not everyone who does the above survives or thrives, but here's one who is having a good upswing, and that is pleasing.

Virtual non Virtuoso

2010-12-07T10:02:00.001-08:00

"I know about everything and I know nothing," said the internet junkie.

One for the Good Guys

2010-12-03T07:07:00.000-08:00

They've invented an airbag for bicyclist's heads
to use instead of a helmet
So they can ride with the wind in their hair
and be protected should they crash, flip or plummet.

This is a good use of human ingenuity
I like it better than guns
I like it better than a war machine
that's brighter than a million suns.

There you go cruising freely through life,
when abruptly, your course is diverted.
A neutral protector that springs into action
Is quite the oppostite of perverted.

No Further Condemnation; Free to be a Condomnation!

2010-11-23T22:57:00.000-08:00

Pope declares condom use less evil than spread of HIV. "'This is a game-changer,' declared the Rev. James Martin, a prominent Jesuit writer and editor." See, this just goes to show, sometimes you gotta do what's right, even if the voice of authority has not yet figured out the obvious.

Black Hole Physics for Non Math Types

2010-11-16T06:10:00.000-08:00

I got this info from a reliable source, though I don't remember if it was Nova or something on the History Channel:

To understand the density of a black hole, imagine the earth at its current weight and size. Now imagine it squeezed down to the size of a golf ball, but keep the weight the same. The density would be so high the gravitational field would suck everything into it, even light. Et voila!

If it's too upsetting, just don't imagine it with any of the earth's creatures being involved.

Here's a story about the new baby black hole!

"War is Not Healthy For...

2010-11-09T17:25:00.000-08:00

"Children and Other Living Things" ...such as soldiers and their families, to for example. War is obsolete; we're too smart now to pretend it's just a series of territorial exercises (aren't we?).

Art Imitates Art

2010-11-08T07:00:00.000-08:00

I couldn't help noticing the similarities (and each from the depths).

Click on pic to see bigger version.

That $163 Million Could have Helped California

2010-11-05T07:05:00.000-07:00

"Meg Whitman spent at least $163 million on her bid for the California governorship. How much is that exactly? If a baby born today were destined to spend $163 million from now until the age of 90, he or she would have to spend nearly $5,000 per day, every day, until the year 2100 to reach the $163 million mark!"*

*CSU Employees Union

Stuff Written Down Left Lying Around

2010-10-27T07:02:00.000-07:00

German Diplomats weren't so diplomatic after all.

The Heritage IS the Problem

2010-10-15T07:40:00.000-07:00

Okay: let's get this straight once and for all, Southerners of the United States: Yes, the confederate flag is a symbol of your heritage, and that's the problem. The confederate flag is a symbol that needs to be banished to the museums so we never forget what horrors we are capable of. It symbolizes humans=chattel. Is that what you really want the rest of us to keep thinking about?

Now some middle aged woman, who should really know better (or perhaps she was absent from school all her life), has chosen to fly one over her house?! No. Not a good idea. Nope. Woman: send it to the Smithsonian with a letter of apology from you and your ancestors and try to move forward.

You can buy a decorative flag at the garden store - they have some with pretty flowers on them, or you may even find one with a hummingbird on it. Who knows, the attractive new colorful artwork above your house might even give you an opportunity to strike up a conversation with someone on the neighborhood street who looks different than you! Maybe you'll get lucky and that person will be a teacher!

You're Not Alone

2010-10-07T20:06:00.001-07:00

My new favorite song and performance: Mavis Staples & Jeff Tweedy, "You're Not Alone" as seen on the Colbert Report.

macawacka!

2010-10-07T17:39:00.000-07:00

I found this refreshing I use PC and mac and find it frustrating that mac is so macocentric. There, I said it, too.

Happy Mooniversary!

2010-09-28T07:15:00.000-07:00

Here are lots of great pics of the moon landing, 1969.

I remember when it came on TV, we kids complained that our regular shows weren't on. Our parents tried to explain the significance of the event, but we just didn't get it. I have the best excuse because I was the youngest.

Inseam Let Out of Fat Suits

2010-09-23T07:12:00.000-07:00

Huh... and just this morning walking down the road thinking, "If they ever make a movie that takes place around the year 2010, they're gonna need a lotta fat suits."

Read:
Number of Fat People in US to Grow, Report Says

Four Four Doubletime

2010-09-11T02:32:00.000-07:00

Worth staying through to the end:

I recognized one of the guys in the above, from one of my fave I Love Lucy episodes which would come along about ten years later:

Okay, now that we're warmed up:

Religious Zealot as Evil Twin

2010-09-07T07:37:00.000-07:00

"Jones, who is known for posting signs proclaiming that Islam is the devil's religion, says the Constitution gives him the right to publicly set fire to the book that Muslims consider the word of God."

There is a story in the news today about a fundamentalist Christian pastor in Florida who wants to burn copies of the Quran in efforts to kill the influence of Islam. Ah! Torn from the headlines we are presented with a fine example of the religious zealot as evil twin. Here's how it works:

What happens in every plot where there is an evil twin to the respectable protagonist (i.e., "good twin hero")? The evil twin gets away with his evil deeds for a time, but eventually the good twin hero gets free of whatever traps the evil twin had set for him (gets untied, escapes the lair, swims past the alligators).

The good twin hero appears on the scene just at the moment the evil twin is about to do his worst. The secondary hero thinks he's seeing double! There's a mix up! The secondary hero gets confused!

The evil twin is charismatic, convincing, seems kinder and gentler than a lamb. For a moment, even the audience is in doubt! The good twin is rightfully angry. The evil twin appears earnest as a lost puppy. But as the secondary hero wavers seeking the truth, the evil twin snaps - he shouts as he points his finger at the good twin hero: "Kill him! Kill him! Can't you see HE'S the evil one?!?"

The good twin hero knows his humanity will outlast the moment, trusting the secondary hero to recognize the characteristic plea of the evil twin. Depending on your production, and whether there's a sequel in the works, the evil twin will be wrested into handcuffs, knocked out cold or shot.

Now apparently this struggle between good and evil has been going on since the time of Caine and Abel. Actually I believe it traces back to the introduction of matter to anti-matter but let's stay on the pastor's turf a little longer, as here we are back at the beginning of our tale about him. There he is, standing in the bright sun, arms folded, his billboard truck in the background advertising big Quran book burning party! This man believes he has permission to do this based on his interpretation of his favorite (or second favorite) book, which he perceives to be the word of God, but he hates the book that Muslims perceive to be the word of God.

We can envision an earth sandwich of men like this, one Christian, another Muslim, each vehemently asserting identical declarations. The evil twin is illusive! He doesn't wear a special outfit that makes him recognizable! A wise person will ask himself what is true, especially when he's in a pinch. Unless the secondary hero has the ability to think for himself, he won't know what to do unless someone tells him (and the good twin hero dies). The secondary hero who has the ability to think for himself can bring his life-experience to the moment, weigh the circumstance, and take appropriate action (and the good twin hero lives).

And we are the secondary hero. And any leader, religious or secular, who orders ignorance and calls for the destruction of others' beliefs is questionable. I'm not sure about you, but I'm going with the twin who trusts me to make up my own mind.

Collaborative Memory

2010-09-03T16:36:00.000-07:00

Sometimes along the back of my mind I get a sense memory of driving through a nondescript natural section of Northern California

a winding highway with a long steep grade that doesn't feel steep but calls for a little extra power

and the yellow beige grass and the spots of dark green oaks on the smooth hills and the blue sky with sparse wisp-ended cottony billow clouds.

It's just a part of a trip I once took

In a place where my grandfather had traveled

and where separately, of different lives, my father and mother, my brother and sisters and you and I have all seen this little section of Earth.

At the moment I wonder

if maybe we all felt the same mix of peace and anticipation at this simple passing through.

Not a famous forest, or a labeled rock formation or a declared scenic drive
just yellow beige grass blue sky green oaks

and reverence for a simple moment

that inspired always.

Further Clarification for our Democracy

2010-09-02T07:08:00.000-07:00

"This isn't a tea party, it's a country."
- Rachel Maddow, 09/01/10

Why a Duck?

2010-08-22T23:52:00.000-07:00

Found Art. I call this one, "Speak no evil, see no evil, duck." Seems to me as good a dodge as not listening.

ABC's Secrets of Your Mind Remain Secret

2010-08-19T23:27:00.000-07:00

Here at the end of the summer of 2010, "ABC News" began a new "summer series" called "Secrets of Your Mind: Why We Do What We Do." The promo that attracted me and several of my friends said, "Love is Like Cocaine!" The show promised to unlock the mystery about "why some people choose lust over love," and what aspects of our brain function can cause confusion between the two.

Tonight on ABC: Cynthia McFadden explores the brain in love. What does love look like in the brain? Can you be addicted to love?

That's not what it was about.

But I believed the promos, and so I watched, this distinction being so potentially fascinating to ascertain.

Maybe they will unlock the mystery in their telling of the newlyweds who ride a motorcycle (man driving/ woman in side-car) on a 20,000 mile trip from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, in efforts to create a working metaphor for fifty years of committment.  No. The ride was about the couple's ability to endure difficult circumstances and not break up. Okay, maybe the show will unlock the mystery after we see brain scans of the couple pre- and post-trip to find out whether they're really in love. They're truly terrified when the second of three scans suggests the thrill is gone, and thrilled when the third confirms their enduring love.

Perhaps now, in the second segment, they will unlock the mystery! No. The next piece is about a man with so much repressed disdain for his wife he falls asleep if she so much as looks at him. But nobody looks at the psychology of his malady or how tragically sad it is that she believes his ploy - I was editorializing in that last sentence. The story simply reviews instances of the man dozing off in the face of kindness. Poor fellow can't even go on a stroll through the rose garden at the park with his wife without having to sit down and contemplate his navel for ten minutes. Imagine, a grown man not wanting to spend his day off taking a gentle stroll through a rose garden! We don't get any analysis of his condition, but we see him fall asleep in lots of places. Here he conks out on the couch. Here he nods off during his dinner. Here he makes it all the way up the stairs and into bed.

And speaking of bed, the man can have sexual relations of purely carnal nature, but if any intimacy enters the room, he's out for the count. The wife shows McFadden their new dog. She can't pet her husband without him slipping into a paralytic mini-coma, so they got a dog so she can express her love. Although when he does nod off within arm's reach of her, she reaches over and gives his beard a little caress and scratch as he goes under.  I'm not minimizing her suffering. It is bad. It is sad: but I'm watching the show to find out about why some people choose lust and others choose love.

We're departing segment two and heading into the commercial break before the third story. Here's the promo again! The mystery is about to be unlocked!  This time it's real! The neurologist leans in toward McFadden. She says the chemical pull of lust - and love - is poweful!  McFadden says, "So Love is like cocaine?" The neuroligist echoes, "Only it lasts longer!"

Twenty minutes left in the show. I'd hoped they'd go into enough detail on the subject to fill an hour, but twenty minutes is better than nothing. Now the mystery will be unlocked!

Not quite. Now McFadden tells the story of a man who survives an absolutely horrific car accident and loses his memory. At first she says the man can't remember anything about his life before the accident, including his wife. He struggles to recover the life she (and friends and family) confirm existed before the crash because he doesn't remember her, but he knows he trusts her. Now there's something to explore, McFadden. Ah but here is the man telling us he has no ability to remember. Over pictures of his life before the crash, McFadden's voice over declares, "He can't remember anything!" [Why is McFadden using that whiney emphatic Diane Sawyer tone?]

Here he is relearning his life. Here he is responding to his wife. Here he is playing catch with his children. These are the children that were created in the years after the accident.  McFadden does not address the fact that he didn't forget how to toss a ball back and forth.

Now it's 10:54 and they're going to commercial again. Maybe the answer to the mystery is so precise McFadden only needs a minute to clarify why some people choose lust and others choose love.

Back from break it's 10:58. Show's over.

The stories took cursory looks at a few qualities: enduring committment, fear of failure, the desire to test the ties that bind, persistence of heart, and the tenacity of emotion. All of these may or may not be components of love, but they are not what's at the heart of love.

This is what I think happened:  ABC bought this story because it had had a sexy pitch, "We'll look at the brain in love and lust! We'll interview a neurologist and use brain scans!" The producer liked the title and the promise and sealed the deal before the research was even started.  Had McFadden dug into the question and showed the satisfaction of true love and the unhappiness of an unravelling lust, that would have been fascinating, truly a show to love.

That dang show made me stay up too late! It teased my hopes that the mystery at the heart of romantic struggle would be unlocked, explored and made understandable!  That show did not deliver what it promised.

Odd, that's just what lust does.

Well at least lust is exciting.

This thing wasn't even interesting.

Curses. Foiled again.

George Harrison's Website

2010-08-11T06:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I quietly thought about George Harrison. Today someone sends me this:

http://www.georgeharrison.com/

I remember once in an interview he explained the concept of time as a pizza instead of a line. That is far more sensible to me.

I read in Eric Idle's book that he read the script for "Life of Brian" and financed it because he "wanted to see it."

He was a good friend to all of us when we were kids, teens, and now - even though we never met.

The End.

What's a Moment?

2010-08-09T17:36:00.000-07:00

We have guest blogger today, Will Hoffman. This is "Moments", a project for RadioLab.

Thank you to Ze Frank for finding and sharing.

Here's what I have to say about it:

We gather them, we spend them, they define us as we make them; we have them and they have us:

The Hairstylist and the Lady Who Went to Rome

2010-08-08T15:09:00.001-07:00

A woman tells her hairstylist about her upcoming trip to Rome and meets with less than enthusiasm. Yet another classic piece of anonymous literature is immortalized on video. Yes, I made this one, too. The joke's origin is unknown (though I got it from Barbara H. Thanks Barbara!)

Romeo and Juliet: Balcony Scene (abridged)

2010-07-30T10:10:00.000-07:00

In my latest animation made using xtranormal.com, I decided to test the master playwright against the robots. It's a close call, but the playwright won!

Or is it because I've seen so much bad Shakespeare, and so read it to get past the bad acting, that my ears would hear the poetry anyway? A major point for the robots, they don't fall into the rhymey sing song that humans are prone to. But the gesturing, well, I guess it's universal!

Dweamy

2010-07-28T17:48:00.000-07:00

Today we have a guest video by that famed artiste, Johnooo:
The Lunch Hour

The Importance of Being Present

2010-07-26T23:19:00.001-07:00

The Captain must communicate an urgent message to her chief minion, Rarthon - but he receives a text!

The Dog Nose

2010-07-26T22:04:00.000-07:00

A new video created on xtranormal.com. Turns out if you use the default characters you can make animated videos for free; while if you choose from the menu of "talent" you need "points" to make animations (points cost money). Here we have another literary classic made into a mini-play for your entertainment and education.

Ghost Town Tumble Weed Papers

2010-07-26T07:47:00.000-07:00

A piece of philosophy for future writers: your friends won't read your stories. If you give your stories to your friends, you'll always wonder, if they say nothing, whether they read your stories and didn't have the heart to tell you they didn't like them, or if they just never got around to reading them. Chances are, since you're their friend and they hear your voice enough day to day, your stories will wait, but won't be read.

So either way, it's a pinch for you. So, send your stories to strangers if you want them read. In the old days, we submitted to magazines and got form letters back. Now adays, we can blog, which is nice, 'cause friends might read a blog and can comment anonymously, and yet you will never know if they ever even looked so you'll be free to stew about your characters instead of your friends.

And that is the end of this story, my friends.

It Calls for Understanding II

2010-07-23T18:11:00.000-07:00

"Simple Complexities" says the phrase, "It is what it is" equals, "I don't want to talk about what matters to you right now." I agree! Saying "It is what it is," is not an acknowledgement that is meant to comfort or calm, it's a power move, and a rather aggressive one at that, meant to put a stop to what is perceived as a complaint, to halt to a nagging concern. Not only is it rude, but it does nothing to resolve the issue at hand.

How about this: "That's a fact!" Well, there it is.

"I sure am upset about the oil catastrophe in the gulf."

"Well, it is what it is."

"I feel so hopeless now!"

"That's a fact!"

The Past is Prologue (Again)

2010-07-22T06:31:00.000-07:00

Here is a brilliantly presented historical view that needed to be said and needs saying again about the insidious history of the “good ol’ boy” mentality – and the actions it generates!

"Rachel Maddow explains that the Sherrod scandal-spun-out-of-thin-air is political strategy to stoke fear and racial resentment among white voters."

Seek and Go Find

2010-07-20T00:09:00.000-07:00

My latest cinematic marvel, created on www.xtranormal.com/ "If you can type, you can make movies". Fun! At this point you can't really preview before publishing (unless you have lots of time on your hands) so pardon any questionable gesturing.

My, What a Lovely Brain You Have, My Dear...

2010-07-07T06:19:00.000-07:00

Some people are just impossible, aren't they? Inherited brain traits are not necessarily bound up by fate. But to understand complicated personalities, it helps to understand how how the brain functions.

Who Turned Out the Lights?!

2010-07-06T17:49:00.000-07:00

Prince says the internet's over. I tend to agree, but think he's about ten years ahead of his time (as usual). At the end of the brief article he mentions the uselessness of the quick information and numbers our techo toys fill our heads with. He's got a significant point there - the constant jumping around the virtual world is depleting our attention spans.

Follow the train down the track a little: as attention spans decrease, the ability to explore anything in depth decreases, and boredom sets in. So we have all these toys and flashing lights and we're bored because we're really not studying anything. And what do bored people want? Entertainment! And what did Julius Caesar say about that? I'll paraphrase, but he said if you can keep the masses entertained you can put pretty much anything over on them.

(Hey, where'd the Gulf of Mexico disappear to? And what the hell happened to the economy? What do you mean affordable higher education in California is falling into the sea? What Texas sized plastic garbage patch in the Pacific ocean? I don't see it on Google Earth...)

I love the internet, it's fun and useful, I'm just calling for balance, and if Prince says it's over let me weigh in to suggest it's just not the be all and end all we've made it out to be.

I saw a promo for a TV show where people were actually racing to pull kleenexes out of boxes. How long can ya watch something like that before you need something new? Now: how about humanity spending its free time learning about each other, maybe even considering ways to address the needs of societies and nature? How about solving problems instead of turning away to lucious little fixes?

Oh the notion is complex, it might induce meaningful conversations leading to increased compassion and passion for life! Why, we might go outside at night, away from the glowing screens, ponder the stars again and consider our place in the universe. Somebody could fall truly in love! The moon would glow a little brighter! Interactions beyond the 134-character limits might just take hold and soulfulness would ensue!

I might laugh! I might write a poem or paint a picture beautiful enough to make me cry!

And here I am all out of kleenex.

Good Practice

2010-07-01T06:56:00.000-07:00

People like to say that if it weren't for the bad times, we wouldn't appreciate the good. I wholeheartedly disagree! I guarantee you I would LOVE all good, all the time, even with no contrasting agents to spell it out for me.

Of course the cynic might suggest the absence of bad would neutralize good. Then a conversation could go on for hours engaging the concepts of good vs. bad, or holy vs. evil. But even an argument wouldn't need to exist if all good was pervasive.

But what about people's different definitions of good? Ah yes, thinking from here in 3D that is a problem. Some people find others' bads good and others' goods bad. Maybe that's why the concept of Heaven was invented. What would happen if everyone on this earth, regardless of their dogmas, just said, and meant, and acted upon the following for a complete year: "Today I will work to see how heavenly I can make this earth."? I bet we'd find more agreement about the nature of good than we would discover through academic argument.

...but maybe some people wouldn't want to do this because they feared it wouldn't be good, or their minds were the literal kind that would presume this meant a remodeling of the earth to mimic their envisioned heaven. I don't think we could make enough dry-ice fast enough. And here we have the not-good on the first day of all-good. Great.

Don't Call it a Spill, Call it a Blowout

2010-06-25T07:27:00.000-07:00

"Words matter," See http://thisisnotaspill.org/what-is-spill/

"This is not a spill. A spill is what happens when your toddler knocks over a tumbler of milk. A spill is what happens when you turn over that bucket of soapy water while washing your car. It’s not what happens when you leave the water hose running for days. Or weeks. Or months. A spill is what happens when a fixed quantity of fluid accidentally escapes its container. Connotatively, spills are small."

-thisisnotaspill.org

Yes, technically a "spill" could be huge and out of control, but thisisnotaspill gets it right - we think small when we think "spill". "Don't cry over spilled milk!" "Spill the beans [and tell your secrets]." "Spill your guts! [and make your confession]." We need to start using language that conveys the enormity of this global hemmorage, no that still says it too small: this gaping bleeding wound, no that's not it, this disasterous massive... come to think of it "blowout" is too humble a term, too. BUT, it's a start.

Thank you Kathy Gill, for reframing the story more appropriately (and for the photo above captioned: "Thick oil in the waters and marshlands along Louisiana’s coast, near Pass a Loutre (19 May 2010). Via Gov. Bobby Jindal's Office"). Thank you also to Spyra for drawing attention to the thisisnotaspill.
And hang on a minute: how did we make ourselves vulnerable to this kind of money-first global management strategy?

Also see the Rolling Stone article: "The Spill, The Scandal and the President: The inside story of how Obama failed to crack down on the corruption of the Bush years – and let the world's most dangerous oil company get away with murder."

And in another some-odd few years, when people start chanting about "government regulations threatening our freedom!" you can mention the catastrophe above (or go back a year and a half to Wall Street, which we're still paying for. Note to self: pay credit card at 26% interest by the 20th to avoid $30 late fee), or you can simply agree with them. Say, "Yeah! And let's start by getting rid of all those damn government run traffic signals!"

We Are Just Too Much

2010-06-23T17:42:00.000-07:00

"It's nonending for a while."

Sludge oil slick lands on Pensacola beaches.

Music and Mourning

2010-06-16T06:26:00.000-07:00

In wondering where a particular common quote came from, I found this:

The Mourning Bride

Musick has Charms to sooth a savage Breast,
To soften Rocks, or bend a knotted Oak.
I've read, that things inanimate have mov'd,
And, as with living Souls, have been inform'd,
By Magick Numbers and persuasive Sound.
What then am I? Am I more senseless grown
Than Trees, or Flint? O force of constant Woe!
'Tis not in Harmony to calm my Griefs.

Anselmo sleeps, and is at Peace; last Night
The silent Tomb receiv'd the good Old King;
He and his Sorrows now are safely lodg'd
Within its cold, but hospitable Bosom.
Why am not I at Peace?

William Congreve, 1697

Oil Over Again: Greed Kills

2010-06-09T06:36:00.000-07:00

I conjecture BP never had any intention of cleaning up the spill or stopping the flow because their objective - since even before the explosion on the rig - has been to get that oil and use it as product at any cost (hence ignoring the rig workers' safety complaints and firing those who spoke up too often and slowed production). BP's concern is that the well blew up and now they're losing money.

So, resources haven't been poured into stopping the spew, they've been dedicated to salvaging the well's production. Attempts to cap off the gusher with domes and boxes, covering it up with mud, were ruses. That trick where they sawed off the pipe ahead of the kink causing a tremendous increase of the flow? That wasn't a prelude to putting a lid on the force of oil, it was readying the pipe surfaces for a fitting so they could siphon oil off to a tanker. Mere prep work. As I've said here before, any six year old who's played with a garden hose could tell you those methods wouldn't work.

Public outcry surprised them with its insistence, first as a buzz of a mosquito they thought they could wave away and now like a buzz of maybe half a dozen mosquitoes, they eighth-heartedly wave their little hands toward solving problem by making grandiose "attempts to cap the well!" So far they have seemed simply stupid: but you don't get that rich being stupid, unless you're stupid like a mega-macro corporation! The smart people are the ones tasked with finding a way to salvage product (and the boss' people pleasers are the ones making up the dog and pony show as we go along).

Even though BP has such extensive wealth that if they were to put massive effort into a 100% clean up of this mess they'd still be solvent, that's not where the money is: Their response, lack of contrition and inability to admit full financial responsibility urgently and above all demonstrates they do not perceive the issue at hand to be the ocean, sea creatures, beaches, wetlands, tourism, or the fishing industry (when they get their lives back, they can have steak instead of seafood). As for the lives and generations of fisherfolk who rely on small boats in one considerable geographic patch of sea? Piffle!).

There is no concern for the overall health of the planet let alone the immediate health of those affected by the toxic mess. BP blamed the sickening of the first of the clean up workers on food poisoning. Stopping the loss of potential profit is the only problem they're intent on solving.

Watch the story unfold: they will capture most of the oil. They will get the leak down to about 20% and return to business as usual, if we let them. And it's likely we will come to accept the sludge slick that slathers its way around the planet for the next generations, just as we have accepted the Texas-sized Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Witness our friends and family trip to El Capitan beach in California a couple of years ago. As the sun set, an oil slick that had been hovering off the coast (from the derricks off the coast of Santa Barbara) came to shore. We couldn't get back to our campsite without walking through it. We all complained as we wiped the crude off our feet and sandals with nice greasy lotions, but we accepted it as normal, though frustrating, because Santa Barbara beaches have *always been like that.

I am not quick to take a cynical view, but this one's just too obvious.

*First trip to Santa Barbara beaches circa 1968. We swam and ran and played and laughed. I got freckled and blonder from the sun and my dad taught us how to get crude oil off our feet using margarine and paper towels.

Environmentalism Well Considered

2010-06-03T17:15:00.001-07:00

Dot Earth.
Great worth.

We're All in This Together!

2010-05-27T11:20:00.000-07:00

I love this!

Socialism: keeping america safe from fires since 1898

Gimmie two!

Who's in Charge Here?

2010-05-13T07:43:00.000-07:00

And about the oil spill: I said they'd need a lot of caulk if they were gonna put a "dome" over the leak, didn't I? Yes I did! (turns out I wasted the moment on fb and didn't post it here. Curses!)

And what happened when they lowered the dome? All the oil kept spewing out through the - the what? - yes, the bottom of the dome where it met the sea floor. Why did anyone think, even for a second, that a natural seal would be created by putting that thing on there? There's too much force coming from the spewing gushing oil leak! It's impossible to stop such a force by simply putting a cup over it. Any kid who's ever blown air into his soda through his straw could figure that one out.

W
T
F
?

Video of the Big Busted Pipe Under the Oily Gulf

2010-05-12T12:10:00.000-07:00

BP shares video of the undersea oil gusher. The headline of the news story announcing it said they "caved to pressure" and posted this on youtube. A good use of math will help create estimates of how much is pouring into the sea by the minute. Here's the story, the video is below. Here's their schpiel:

May 12, 2010 — ROBERT, La. -- Oil and gas stream from the riser of the Deepwater Horizon well May 11, 2010. This video is from the larger of two existing leaks on the riser. This leak is located approximately 460 feet from the top of the blowout preventer and rests on the sea floor at a depth of about 5,000 feet.

We are a ridiculous species sometimes.

World vs. Earth

2010-05-11T07:54:00.000-07:00

Today, we have a guest blogger from the past (1806), Mr. William Wordsworth:

The World is Too Much with us:

The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;
Little we see in Nature that is ours;
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!
This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon,
The winds that will be howling at all hours
And are up-gather’d now like sleeping flowers,
For this, for every thing, we are out of tune;
It moves us not.—Great God! I’d rather be
A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn,—
So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,
Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;
Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;
Or hear old Triton blow his wreathéd horn.

Oil Slick Solution / Oil Slick Superimposition

2010-05-10T06:51:00.000-07:00

They're pouring more chemicals on the oil spill, the ramifications about which they aren't certain. I say pour kitty litter all over it, mix it up with the Texas-sized floating patch of plastic pieces out there in the sea, stir in some lava from Iceland and make a new island. They could call it "Atlantis".

Now, from the *fantastic to the feasible:
Get an idea of the size of the Gulf Coast oil spill. Here's an interactive map that lets you superimpose it over just about any city you can think of. Not fun. We need to get off this stuff once and for all.

Here comes the sun.

*I really don't think my idea's that far fetched if you skip the lava step. I just didn't want to lose you for the rest of the piece. Sun, sun, sun: here it comes!

California Poppies

2010-05-10T06:04:00.000-07:00

Here is a nice respite with the California poppies.

I Like Drums!

2010-05-04T07:48:00.000-07:00

A little bitty kid rocks the mall! What a happifying experience!

Watch: Howard Drum Show

It's All About the Circulatory System

2010-05-03T17:03:00.000-07:00

From Barbara Strauch, author of "The Talents of a Middle Aged Brain"

"Our brains are more like our hearts in that everything you do for your heart is thought to be equally as good or better for your brain."

Art is Not Mimicry

2010-04-28T22:35:00.000-07:00

...although mimicry can be art.

I saw Tina Turner sing HELP (on TV) years ago. She caused it to dawn on me that lots of Beatles lyrics were contrary to the mood they were presented in. For example, HELP is such a happy peppy tune, isn't it!?

Talk about taking a song and making it your own! Watch: Tina Turner sings HELP.

Perfectly Imperfect!

2010-04-21T07:28:00.000-07:00

Here's some good reading to rest your mind on from time to time:

The Pursuit of Imperfection

One Pantleg at a Time

2010-04-16T06:56:00.000-07:00

It's the Handyshot portable washing machine from the 1950's:

They could have had the slogan, "We'll get your clothes clean, one pantleg at a time."

(Thank you to AtomicAntiques for the discovery.)

Baby Kangaroo!

2010-04-16T06:53:00.000-07:00

Joyful play among species!

These Are a Few of the Most Important Things

2010-03-25T06:59:00.000-07:00

Steve Martin: clip from interview with Charlie Rose:

Character

2010-03-23T17:56:00.000-07:00

I saw this at an "old folks' home" and I think it is a good thing to remember about character.

The Story of Stuff: Can't Get Enough!

2010-03-10T23:18:00.000-08:00

Watch "The Story of Stuff". It's about 20 minutes long, but there's so much good about it, from the artistry to the intellect and of course the heart of it.

Thank you Colbert Report for featuring this last night!

Enough Hubris to Eat a Whale

2010-03-09T07:04:00.000-08:00

They really are eating whale meat in Santa Monica. We really should not allow it, apparently its being illegal is not enough. Read the New York Times article about the restaurant called "The Hump". The sting operation had the academy award winning makers of "The Cove" behind it. Please share this information.

A Good Managment Credo

2010-03-04T06:55:00.000-08:00

"If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people together to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea." -Antoine de Saint-Exupery

The Russian La-la Guy

2010-03-02T06:25:00.000-08:00

Wordlessly, it speaks for itself.

(Thank you Ze Frank for finding and sharing this one.)

Javier's Favorite Joke: An Homage

2010-02-15T07:47:00.000-08:00

Doubleclick and watch on youtube for correct aspect ratio (and so I won't be cut out in the driving scenes!).

Bored Beyond Tears

2010-02-10T07:38:00.000-08:00

(Yawn...) ... but who the hell cares...

Being Bored Can Bring About Early Death

The question is, if you're worried about it, how bored can you actually be?

From the story:
"...Still, Mann said it was only people who were chronically bored who should be worried. 'Everybody is bored from time to time,' she said."

Embrace Life

2010-02-03T07:12:00.000-08:00

A beautiful Public Service Announcement and a wonderful work of art.