And Then...
She visited me at 5 AM
Outside my bedroom window
Effervescent and calm
She smiled
Love knows no death
In her hair surrounded by
Soft light
Roses and peonies
Transposed in the field
Love knows no death
Ageless in the mist
Dancing on air
Spinning a song
Of stars and juniper
Love knows no death
Tide of wisdom
Current of light
Sweep over those
Who know its you
Love knows no death.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Saturday, May 4, 2013
This Morning 5/1/13 Approaching the End
There is nothing romantic about death. Nothing romantic about watching it or facing it. Damn the movies! Media, governments, and religions glorify it all the time, as if dying for this or that cause is something to be proud of. Rubbish! Death is death is death.
Humans justify and assign meaning to avoid it, to compartmentalize it, or to act as if it is something over there. It is not over there; it is here at any moment. It is not a better place; it is not any place. And it does not mean anything except what we think it means.
Nothing new can be said about death. From Dante to the Dalai Lama, there are a plethora of philosophies to explain it, to describe it, and to coddle us into feeling better about the whole thing. But when the rubber meet the road, when the wheat meets the chaff, when the sun goes down, all there is...is gone.
Gone. To be gone from an event or a location where you once lived; humans get the significance, conceptually, of gone. Gone from a relationship, from a time in your past, or gone from the now superficial addictions once thought to be our "whole lives." All of these contexts once gave us a sense of place in the world, but now they are gone. It is no small thing to feel in and of the world - part of this family of humankind, of living beings, of the very biosphere which contains the necessary balance of oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, carbon, light, and sound in order to sustain life.
What, though, is the full breadth of life beyond the biological? And even more so, if this human narrative is existence, what is its converse?
You can say what you believe to be. You can claim the understanding of your personal experiences. But, you cannot declare death as anything beyond subjective context. As far as we know - empirically - this human reality exists as a biological experience of relationship with the rest of the biosphere. To be abiotic is to be without life as we understand it.
Gone is gone at the end of the day.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
This Morning 4/10/13 Chemistry, Rhythm, Timing
Being in love is like being dropped in the middle of the ocean and then asked, "How's the view?"! It's incredibly breathtaking and frightening beyond anything. It envelops us in simultaneous feelings of freedom, isolation, perfection, and vulnerability.
A wise woman once said there are three integral pieces that lay the groundwork for a love relationship. They are chemistry, rhythm, and timing.
Chemistry
We are primarily biological creatures. We also happen to have consciousness; that is, cognizance of time and awareness of self and universe. The biology component predisposes us to the laws of nature; an abundance of procreative juice communicated through the senses of smell, taste, sight, and touch. Pheromones emitted by one can go unnoticed for years seemingly until a creature who happens to possess compatible receptors discovers and follows the trail, and eventually, the two find each other. The big bang theory in microcosm!
The consciousness aspect of our humanity plays another role in the chemistry equation. Often we have attractions to one another which are inexplicable by any component other than a "recognition" that the person to whom you are attracted is deeply connected with you. Theories of souls shouldn't be off the table when this sense is invoked. We really don't know. In fact, the inexplicable is just that, and therefore, not necessarily subject to any plausible explanation. Lack of empirical proof doesn't enter a conversation such as this. Cosmic awareness, whether contextualized in physical or religious cosmological terms, lends itself to substantiating the reason for the human brain's pre-frontal cortex. Intuition and instinct have validity, even if science doesn't explain it adequately.
Rhythm
The construct of rhythm, as it relates to love, focuses specifically on the dynamic interplay of two individuals. We pulse at a natural frequency which "works" with some people and clashes with others.
Rhythm is the beat of our inner drum. If one's natural rhythm resonates like a heartbeat and another's sits on the 2 & 4 beats, chances are their rhythms are not compatible. Someone whose eyes are constantly wandering, scouting the surrounding environment, may not resonate with another who can be still and relaxed in public.
Although simplistic in presentation, deciphering rhythm isn't at all simple. You can put someone in a quiet environment and completely shift their mood and, apparently, their rhythm. But the external and the internal song, when averaged out, comes to rest somewhere on a scale, and that place is where inner rhythm lies. It is the thing that facilitates clear communication and fun between partners.
Timing
The role of timing in love is widely recognized and touted as one of the most important aspects by which to measure potential longevity in relationship. While two people can definitely have incompatible timing for a short run, a long term commitment of harmony requires synchronicity of timing.
Being ready for love is a timing thing. You cannot will yourself successfully into a state of receptivity or active pursuit of love if the timing in your life is not congruent. The breath of love, and the breath of life, respirates - inhales and exales - and we must allow for our individual timing to either prompt us forward or hold us back.
There is nothing so frustrating as meeting someone with whom, it seems, all the ingredients are there, except that the timing is wrong for one or the other. These are the missed opportunities and we must just put aside the regret and move on. One never knows what roads may bring you back together later when the timing is right.
While there are many more attributes characterized as guideposts for recognizing a good groundwork for lasting love, even these can have limitations and often confuse more than clarify. Each experience that activates our love radar is unique with its own variety of complexities. Simplifying anything into an acronym - CRT - can minimize its true meaning, and this is unnecessary.
What is necessary is utilization of the knowledge, wisdom, and realizations gained from the missed opportunities and past attempts at connection, which were clouded by our denial of what we knew we knew, but chose to ignore. When we apply these understandings of ourselves and our past, our readiness moves into "allow" mode and chemistry, rhythm, and timing have a better chance of working for us, and not against us. Also, it is where that view of the ocean starts to look really good and not so scary!
A wise woman once said there are three integral pieces that lay the groundwork for a love relationship. They are chemistry, rhythm, and timing.
Chemistry
We are primarily biological creatures. We also happen to have consciousness; that is, cognizance of time and awareness of self and universe. The biology component predisposes us to the laws of nature; an abundance of procreative juice communicated through the senses of smell, taste, sight, and touch. Pheromones emitted by one can go unnoticed for years seemingly until a creature who happens to possess compatible receptors discovers and follows the trail, and eventually, the two find each other. The big bang theory in microcosm!
The consciousness aspect of our humanity plays another role in the chemistry equation. Often we have attractions to one another which are inexplicable by any component other than a "recognition" that the person to whom you are attracted is deeply connected with you. Theories of souls shouldn't be off the table when this sense is invoked. We really don't know. In fact, the inexplicable is just that, and therefore, not necessarily subject to any plausible explanation. Lack of empirical proof doesn't enter a conversation such as this. Cosmic awareness, whether contextualized in physical or religious cosmological terms, lends itself to substantiating the reason for the human brain's pre-frontal cortex. Intuition and instinct have validity, even if science doesn't explain it adequately.
Rhythm
The construct of rhythm, as it relates to love, focuses specifically on the dynamic interplay of two individuals. We pulse at a natural frequency which "works" with some people and clashes with others.
Rhythm is the beat of our inner drum. If one's natural rhythm resonates like a heartbeat and another's sits on the 2 & 4 beats, chances are their rhythms are not compatible. Someone whose eyes are constantly wandering, scouting the surrounding environment, may not resonate with another who can be still and relaxed in public.
Although simplistic in presentation, deciphering rhythm isn't at all simple. You can put someone in a quiet environment and completely shift their mood and, apparently, their rhythm. But the external and the internal song, when averaged out, comes to rest somewhere on a scale, and that place is where inner rhythm lies. It is the thing that facilitates clear communication and fun between partners.
Timing
The role of timing in love is widely recognized and touted as one of the most important aspects by which to measure potential longevity in relationship. While two people can definitely have incompatible timing for a short run, a long term commitment of harmony requires synchronicity of timing.
Being ready for love is a timing thing. You cannot will yourself successfully into a state of receptivity or active pursuit of love if the timing in your life is not congruent. The breath of love, and the breath of life, respirates - inhales and exales - and we must allow for our individual timing to either prompt us forward or hold us back.
There is nothing so frustrating as meeting someone with whom, it seems, all the ingredients are there, except that the timing is wrong for one or the other. These are the missed opportunities and we must just put aside the regret and move on. One never knows what roads may bring you back together later when the timing is right.
While there are many more attributes characterized as guideposts for recognizing a good groundwork for lasting love, even these can have limitations and often confuse more than clarify. Each experience that activates our love radar is unique with its own variety of complexities. Simplifying anything into an acronym - CRT - can minimize its true meaning, and this is unnecessary.
What is necessary is utilization of the knowledge, wisdom, and realizations gained from the missed opportunities and past attempts at connection, which were clouded by our denial of what we knew we knew, but chose to ignore. When we apply these understandings of ourselves and our past, our readiness moves into "allow" mode and chemistry, rhythm, and timing have a better chance of working for us, and not against us. Also, it is where that view of the ocean starts to look really good and not so scary!
Sunday, March 31, 2013
This Morning 3/31/13 On The Rocks by Sue Hallgarth
Reading a new novelist is like getting a new dance partner. To understand the movement of the other, you must turn up your senses. To create accurate steps in response, you must adjust expectations. To become comfortable with them, you must allow their rhythm to be what it is, follow it, and eventually decide if you want to dance with them again or not. Sometimes there is stumbling and stepping on toes, and sometimes it is just like floating on a cloud.
Sue Hallgarth's historical fiction novel, On the Rocks, starring the sleuth team of 20th century author, Willa Cather, and her great friend, Edith Lewis, is the first time Hallgarth has taken the plunge into fiction. Hallgarth is a Cather historian and incorporates scatterings of real-life references from her extensive research into this novel. From the location of Cather/Lewis retreats on Grand Manan and their educated "Cottage Girl" companions with whom they formed a community on the island to little known personal habits, like Cather's smoking and how she liked her coffee prepared, Hallgarth teases the reader with her knowledge base.
While the captivating story about the accidental (or intentional) death of an unusual island visitor displays Hallgarth's gift for writing a story line (and an unexpected conclusion, I might add!), the stops and starts of "lost" dialogue often caused me to stumble a bit and shake my head. When this happens, it is usually in the context of Cather/Lewis conversations. For example:
"Those years in Lincoln were wonderful times,"Edith heard her own voice turn wistful,
"So full of the future....especially for women....we could do anything we wanted."
"And we did. We did all of it," Willa sat down again and reached over to pat Edith's hand.
"It just wasn't as easy as we expected. Or as well appreciated."
This kind of pedestrian exchange derails momentum and doesn't characterize either the simplicity or the complexity inherent in the time or any probable conversation regarding such things. When you contrast this against Hallgarth's attempts to appeal to the intellectual reader by inserting Lord Byron and Ben Jonson text, again, in the context of Cather/Lewis conversations, there feels to be a disconnect in the "voice" of especially Cather. Although, Lewis' voice feels more intact as it develops in the novel.
To be fair, Hallgarth has taken on a huge task by putting words in the mouths of one the most famous and private literary couples of the 20th century. It is a courageous undertaking and given the context of fictionalizing stories about them, it is even more daunting.
Hallgarth excels at descriptors Her restrained depictions of environments or the simple movement of a hand are clear evidence of her adoption of one of Cather's most revered devices. Evidenced throughout the novel, this asset is consistently very well placed, more than once causing me to stop and engage my senses in the scenery. Very refreshing!
The enjoyment in this novel stands in the accessibility of the story and the colors of its characters. After getting past the first 50 pages, as is often the case, the pace picks up nicely, kind of like a medium foxtrot!
I suspect Hallgarth will undo some of the mistakes of this novel in her next mystery story starring Cather and Lewis and I believe I'll take another spin around the dance floor!
Sue Hallgarth's historical fiction novel, On the Rocks, starring the sleuth team of 20th century author, Willa Cather, and her great friend, Edith Lewis, is the first time Hallgarth has taken the plunge into fiction. Hallgarth is a Cather historian and incorporates scatterings of real-life references from her extensive research into this novel. From the location of Cather/Lewis retreats on Grand Manan and their educated "Cottage Girl" companions with whom they formed a community on the island to little known personal habits, like Cather's smoking and how she liked her coffee prepared, Hallgarth teases the reader with her knowledge base.
While the captivating story about the accidental (or intentional) death of an unusual island visitor displays Hallgarth's gift for writing a story line (and an unexpected conclusion, I might add!), the stops and starts of "lost" dialogue often caused me to stumble a bit and shake my head. When this happens, it is usually in the context of Cather/Lewis conversations. For example:
"Those years in Lincoln were wonderful times,"Edith heard her own voice turn wistful,
"So full of the future....especially for women....we could do anything we wanted."
"And we did. We did all of it," Willa sat down again and reached over to pat Edith's hand.
"It just wasn't as easy as we expected. Or as well appreciated."
This kind of pedestrian exchange derails momentum and doesn't characterize either the simplicity or the complexity inherent in the time or any probable conversation regarding such things. When you contrast this against Hallgarth's attempts to appeal to the intellectual reader by inserting Lord Byron and Ben Jonson text, again, in the context of Cather/Lewis conversations, there feels to be a disconnect in the "voice" of especially Cather. Although, Lewis' voice feels more intact as it develops in the novel.
To be fair, Hallgarth has taken on a huge task by putting words in the mouths of one the most famous and private literary couples of the 20th century. It is a courageous undertaking and given the context of fictionalizing stories about them, it is even more daunting.
Hallgarth excels at descriptors Her restrained depictions of environments or the simple movement of a hand are clear evidence of her adoption of one of Cather's most revered devices. Evidenced throughout the novel, this asset is consistently very well placed, more than once causing me to stop and engage my senses in the scenery. Very refreshing!
The enjoyment in this novel stands in the accessibility of the story and the colors of its characters. After getting past the first 50 pages, as is often the case, the pace picks up nicely, kind of like a medium foxtrot!
I suspect Hallgarth will undo some of the mistakes of this novel in her next mystery story starring Cather and Lewis and I believe I'll take another spin around the dance floor!
Saturday, March 23, 2013
This Morning 3/23/13 The Case for Formalized Learning
Formal education has its advantages. Materially, the benefits create access and opportunities mostly unavailable otherwise. There are exceptions such as a Jobs or Gates who began, but never finished, their formalized degree programs, but to be one in a million is, frankly, one in a million!
Emotionally, the formalization of learning via the standards of Western culture raises the barre on self-expectation. The requirement in university environments to compartmentalize, depersonalize, analyze, and clarify while applying mastery, veracity, multiplicity, and authenticity in both the written form and professional demeanor, lends great strides to maturation.
Socially, the foundations of lifetime relationships are learned via researched historical contexts as well as in the political mechanizations rampant in the course of obtaining a long-term goal. To see oneself as part of a system within systems, available for self-navigation, expands simultaneously both internal and external possibilities. In elementary school, we are encouraged to learn to play together, but in the workplace and in the nuclear family model, cooperation and teamwork bow to hierarchical structures. Exposure to classroom settings builds community spirit.
Movement, whether physical or mental, causes firing of neurons, release of neuro-chemicals, and adaptation to environments and information. In short, learning physiologically stimulates us. It is good for the brain, and thereby, the circulatory system. Dancing spontaneously is not uncommon among college students, no matter their age. Dare it be said, learning makes us younger - in spirit and body.
While philosophical ideology bridges the contexts of empirical ethics and faith-based belief, assigning spiritual fortitude as an outcome of formal education has its dangers. Faith-based educational institutions, in fact, incorporate objectives based on spiritual outcomes. Public institutions do not. Yet, the separation of church and state, of God and government, on which the U.S. Constitution is based, is full of contradictions. Do we not swear-in to office our politicians on Bibles and print money with the words, "In God We Trust?" An educational environment is the perfect venue for exploration of spiritual principles, ideas, and institutions. Exploration and curiosity trump judgement and dogma, creating open minds, and contributing to societal equilibrium.
The case for formalized learning rests on the most positive consequences inherent within a system of implementation not idealized, but strategically and consciously negotiated. Pratfalls exist which require sensitive and sensible maneuvering, but to castigate an institution in place of proactive modeling only serves the presence of chaos, instead of the mastering of its challenge.
In defining the bare bones advantage of formalized education, most valuable are critical thinking skills and access to resourceful, intelligent response. In a word, choice.
Monday, March 18, 2013
This Morning 3/19/13 Remove Confusion
There are ones who would steal your sense of purpose because theirs is weak. They would profess to know more than you simply because they sense your knowledge. They would try to control your forward movement because they themselves can no longer walk straight. They would tell you what to do because nothing else is within their control.
Confusion is an immoral creature. When we feed it, we lose purity of heart and clarity of spirit.
Ask the question, "Does this create clarity or cause confusion?"
Confusion is an immoral creature. When we feed it, we lose purity of heart and clarity of spirit.
Ask the question, "Does this create clarity or cause confusion?"
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
This Morning 3/12/13 The Dangers of Daylight Savings Time
This new "daylight savings time" is really knocking me off. I don't remember this kind of effect in prior years. It would be easy to blame my age, now that I'm over 50, but somehow that doesn't jibe with me. Why do we need an artificial daytime extender anyway? Better yet, why not just never do the "fall back" thing in the autumn!
I did a little research about this conundrum and came across a Los Angeles Times article by Karen Kaplan that enlightened me to some important research about this phenomenon. Rather than tediously pick and choose the juiciest tidbits, I've pasted and copied the pertinent part of the article and provided the link here.
The following is a list of "dangers" associated with this political, economic, and social practice.
I did a little research about this conundrum and came across a Los Angeles Times article by Karen Kaplan that enlightened me to some important research about this phenomenon. Rather than tediously pick and choose the juiciest tidbits, I've pasted and copied the pertinent part of the article and provided the link here.
The following is a list of "dangers" associated with this political, economic, and social practice.
* Heart attacks are more likely in the first week after we spring forward. After examining nationwide data on hospital admissions to coronary care units in Sweden, researchers found that the incidence of acute myocardial infarctions was 3.9% higher than usual in the first week after daylight saving time took effect. The risk was even greater for people already taking heart medicines, according to a 2012 report in the journal Sleep Medicine.
* Traffic accidents are 8.6% more common on the first Monday of daylight saving time, according to an analysis of Canadian data that appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1996.
* A more recent study based on 21 years' worth of accident data from the U.S. concluded that there's "a significant increase" in fatal crashes on that first Monday. Those findings appeared in a 1999 edition of Sleep Medicine.
* Workplace accidents are more common -- and more severe -- on the Monday after switching to daylight saving time, according to an analysis of mining injuries that used 23 years' worth of data from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. The findings were published in the Journal of Applied Psychology in 2009.
* The disruption to normal sleep rhythms was blamed for an uptick in suicides among Australian men in the first weeks after daylight saving time begins. "Small changes in chrono-biological rhythms are potentially destabilizing in vulnerable individuals," study authors wrote in a 2008 edition of the journal Sleep and Biological Rhythms.
* Increased sleepiness on the first Monday after switching to daylight saving time leads to a "dramatic increase in cyberloafing behavior" (i.e. surfing the Web when you should be getting work done), at least in Singapore, according to a 2012 study in the Journal of Applied Psychology.
* The transition hits hardest for night owls, and it can take up to three weeks for them to adjust to the new time, German researchers reported in a 2009 edition of Sleep Medicine.
* Perhaps the solution is to simply stay on daylight saving time all year. A 2004 report in the journal Accident Analysis and Prevention calculated that doing so would provide enough extra daylight to avert hundreds of fatal car crashes. Specifically, it said, 195 fewer drivers and passengers and 171 fewer pedestrians would die each year.
Saturday, March 9, 2013
This Morning 3/10/13 Another Answer Deserves a Better Question
Jeopardy. You know the game show. You know the game. You get an answer and you have to find the right question. To be fair, categories are defined. Like "Anatomy," for example.
An answer might be: The system in the brain that regulates emotions.
The question would be: What is the limbic system?
But what do we do when the questions are just not right? Here is an answer, for example:
A 77-year old former pedophile, paroled sex offender/rapist driving his favorite antique hearse kills a man riding a motorcycle on a rural highway.
The question might be: What is irony? What is injustice? Or the question might be:
What did an internet search for your biological father's name turn up?
Sometimes, asking the right questions...well, it's just not right.
An answer might be: The system in the brain that regulates emotions.
The question would be: What is the limbic system?
But what do we do when the questions are just not right? Here is an answer, for example:
A 77-year old former pedophile, paroled sex offender/rapist driving his favorite antique hearse kills a man riding a motorcycle on a rural highway.
The question might be: What is irony? What is injustice? Or the question might be:
What did an internet search for your biological father's name turn up?
Sometimes, asking the right questions...well, it's just not right.
Friday, March 8, 2013
This Morning 3/6/13 The Question is as Important as the Answer - One
We live in a time of great technological and ecological change. The Ecosystem, which is the Earth's biotic and abiotic environments, and the Biosphere which "represents the role of living organisms and their remains in controlling and interacting with the other spheres in the global biogeochemical cycles and energy budgets"(1) are going through what could possibly be labeled a "midlife crisis."
It is estimated the age of the Earth is 3.5 billion years. Humans began appearing relatively late in relationship to most other forms of life. In the context of a clock, we arrived in the last 30 seconds of the 11th hour. Yet, our arrival has utilized the non-renewable resources of our Earth at an alarming rate.
The questions we ask about the overall effect of the human species on the Earth's resources can lead to some pretty difficult answers.
Is is necessary to ransack the Earth's resources to support our species?
Are humans that important in the universal panorama that ransacking a planet is justified?
Are humans that important in the universal panorama that ransacking a planet is justified?
If rabbits are considered ultra-over-breeders, how do we rank when the human population has doubled to 7 billion in 40 years?
How long remains before it is too late to change?
We must also ask personal questions.
Because we know we all die, does it make us less or more likely to live without consideration of consequence?
How selfish am I regarding my personal use of resources?
Am I status quo?
Is there anything I can do today to harmonize with the Biosphere?
None of the answers are easy. But all of the questions are important, and asking the right questions is essential.
(1) http://www.eoearth.org/article/Biosphere?topic=58074
Monday, March 4, 2013
This Morning 2/26/13 When the Fire Speaks
Six women gathered around the domed-shaped lodge where, inside, a ceremony would commence to purify their minds, bodies and spirits. Prayers would be said and songs would be sung in the ancient language to heal places and people known and unknown.
The effects of this ceremony and those like it are assembled in our conscious minds and in the basic constructions we imagine as "meaning." Meaning is essential to comprehend, to justify, and ultimately, to accept the temporal nature of life as we know it. We can explain our senses and our thoughts as a reflection of the ultimate truth of any situation, but empirically, there is no proof of anything. There is only what we think and how we feel. These are constructs of belief.
The women believe in something greater then themselves. Some call it a higher power, some call it Creator, some call it the Spirit world where their ancestors exist in a different form, yet still completely conscious of this world. Some believe in sentient awareness as the accompanying gift of the Spirit world. As if being dead has a reward: you get to know everything.
As the fire burned in the pit designed to contain it and the wood platform of stones it heated, the wind began to dance. The dance came from the west - the horses came running fast with the bear trailing behind, grunting as his brown fur moved back and forth in waves against the blue sky. A powerful sound was heard when these beings together reached the eastern gate just in time for the first spark from the fire to set the lodge ablaze.
The women moved in harmony like a song waiting to be sung. One covered the fire, one ran for water, one prayed, one grabbed the shovel, one called the fire department, one held the space for the horses and the bear to work together that no one would be harmed. It was a beautiful ancient song.
The ceremony to purify the minds, bodies and spirits of the women had commenced in a way unexpected and unknown in the construction of what they believed. What if this was also ceremony? The unexpected opportunity to understand that songs are not always sung the way we imagine. That prayers are not always prayed the way we know. That the effects of what we do cannot always be quantified by what we believe.
When the fire speaks, we must leave understanding as we know it. We must open.
The effects of this ceremony and those like it are assembled in our conscious minds and in the basic constructions we imagine as "meaning." Meaning is essential to comprehend, to justify, and ultimately, to accept the temporal nature of life as we know it. We can explain our senses and our thoughts as a reflection of the ultimate truth of any situation, but empirically, there is no proof of anything. There is only what we think and how we feel. These are constructs of belief.
The women believe in something greater then themselves. Some call it a higher power, some call it Creator, some call it the Spirit world where their ancestors exist in a different form, yet still completely conscious of this world. Some believe in sentient awareness as the accompanying gift of the Spirit world. As if being dead has a reward: you get to know everything.
As the fire burned in the pit designed to contain it and the wood platform of stones it heated, the wind began to dance. The dance came from the west - the horses came running fast with the bear trailing behind, grunting as his brown fur moved back and forth in waves against the blue sky. A powerful sound was heard when these beings together reached the eastern gate just in time for the first spark from the fire to set the lodge ablaze.
The women moved in harmony like a song waiting to be sung. One covered the fire, one ran for water, one prayed, one grabbed the shovel, one called the fire department, one held the space for the horses and the bear to work together that no one would be harmed. It was a beautiful ancient song.
The ceremony to purify the minds, bodies and spirits of the women had commenced in a way unexpected and unknown in the construction of what they believed. What if this was also ceremony? The unexpected opportunity to understand that songs are not always sung the way we imagine. That prayers are not always prayed the way we know. That the effects of what we do cannot always be quantified by what we believe.
When the fire speaks, we must leave understanding as we know it. We must open.
Friday, February 22, 2013
This Morning 2/22/13 Women as Scapegoats
Paula Broadwell, the "mistress" of now retired four-star general, David Patraeus, has been demoted to the rank of major and remains in the U.S. Army Reserves. She had been previously promoted to lieutenant colonel in August, 2012, months before the story broke that she and Patraeus had engaged in an extra-marital affair, which cost him his directorship at the C.I.A.
To say that Broadwell was his "mistress" is meant a bit sarcastically. It takes two to tango, and if she was his mistress, then he was her "mistake." There is no absolute defining word for the male side of this equation, which only serves to ratify the misogynistic, patriarchal belief that men are somehow "permitted" such perks as extra-marital affairs, where women are not.
To demote Broadwell at this point, six months after the discovery of emails between she and Patraeus that defined their clandestine relationship, is just another way to punish the woman (a modern-day stoning) for being such a bad girl and getting the poor daddy-general caught!
There are no winners in a high-stakes game where public figures are behaving unethically, immorally, or criminally, but the arbitrary demotion of Broadwell at this time, well into the investigation phase for which the Army lays responsibility for its actions, just further signifies the evidence that the military is still just a boy's club.
To say that Broadwell was his "mistress" is meant a bit sarcastically. It takes two to tango, and if she was his mistress, then he was her "mistake." There is no absolute defining word for the male side of this equation, which only serves to ratify the misogynistic, patriarchal belief that men are somehow "permitted" such perks as extra-marital affairs, where women are not.
To demote Broadwell at this point, six months after the discovery of emails between she and Patraeus that defined their clandestine relationship, is just another way to punish the woman (a modern-day stoning) for being such a bad girl and getting the poor daddy-general caught!
There are no winners in a high-stakes game where public figures are behaving unethically, immorally, or criminally, but the arbitrary demotion of Broadwell at this time, well into the investigation phase for which the Army lays responsibility for its actions, just further signifies the evidence that the military is still just a boy's club.
Monday, February 18, 2013
This Morning 2/18/13 When the Past Passes: The Evolution of Handholding
For those who can't sleep, the middle of the night used to be prime time to experience boredom. It is the quietest part of this 24/7 world we no longer think of as "extraordinary." There was a time when referring to New York City as "the town that never sleeps" had a romantic and awe-inspiring quality about it. Not so, anymore. Everywhere is "the town that never sleeps" ever since the internet, 24-hour cable, and smartphones have come to infiltrate rural America and really, rural Earth!
My 23-year old son was showing me his I-Phone the other day, extolling its virtues. He has a "whip-cracking" app that sounds just like the kind in old western movies. He just moves his I-Phone left and right with a flick of his wrist and, "crack!" sounds reverberate, adjusting dynamically depending on the force with which you flick the wrist. "Woah!," I said, not realizing the double entendre.
After a few more minutes of his unrehearsed, but remarkably effective, defense of why the I-Phone is the greatest tool known to humankind, he announced as an afterthought, "I'm never bored."
This hit me like a ton of bricks (to use a very antiquated cliche). I thought, "he's never bored" and that is the reason why everybody is plugged in.
We think we are bored if we are quiet. Perhaps we think we are boring if we are quiet and unengaged in technology. Technology has become as much an extension of our minds and hands as our significant others used to be. Think about it. If we were obligated to hold hands with our loved ones as much as we hold hands with our cellphones, would we still feel as affectionately drawn to them? Or, would we feel somewhat held back by the constant contact?
Perhaps we can't let go of our devices because we are afraid to be alone. As long as we have technology, we are never far from our networks. We can always check our email or news feeds or even just play with an app. What we can't do with our devices is feel the sense of belonging that holding the hand of another insures.
Our devices have replaced our human counterparts, and we are allowing it so that we don't have to feel bored or lonely. When we lie there in the middle of the night, the past flashing inside our minds, our feelings coming to the surface, it's okay to breathe, to remember, and to know that our aloneness reminds us it is time to reach out to another person, not an I-Phone.
My 23-year old son was showing me his I-Phone the other day, extolling its virtues. He has a "whip-cracking" app that sounds just like the kind in old western movies. He just moves his I-Phone left and right with a flick of his wrist and, "crack!" sounds reverberate, adjusting dynamically depending on the force with which you flick the wrist. "Woah!," I said, not realizing the double entendre.
After a few more minutes of his unrehearsed, but remarkably effective, defense of why the I-Phone is the greatest tool known to humankind, he announced as an afterthought, "I'm never bored."
This hit me like a ton of bricks (to use a very antiquated cliche). I thought, "he's never bored" and that is the reason why everybody is plugged in.
We think we are bored if we are quiet. Perhaps we think we are boring if we are quiet and unengaged in technology. Technology has become as much an extension of our minds and hands as our significant others used to be. Think about it. If we were obligated to hold hands with our loved ones as much as we hold hands with our cellphones, would we still feel as affectionately drawn to them? Or, would we feel somewhat held back by the constant contact?
Perhaps we can't let go of our devices because we are afraid to be alone. As long as we have technology, we are never far from our networks. We can always check our email or news feeds or even just play with an app. What we can't do with our devices is feel the sense of belonging that holding the hand of another insures.
Our devices have replaced our human counterparts, and we are allowing it so that we don't have to feel bored or lonely. When we lie there in the middle of the night, the past flashing inside our minds, our feelings coming to the surface, it's okay to breathe, to remember, and to know that our aloneness reminds us it is time to reach out to another person, not an I-Phone.
Monday, February 11, 2013
This Morning 2/11/13 A Dying Generation Leads By Example
I live in a place affectionately referred to as the "Valley." As you would expect, geographically, there is a bowl-like effect created by small mountains with a 50 km range east to west. Within that valley, in key towns ornamented with specific important historic landmarks, an artistic and cultural renaissance has taken place over the past two decades. This is not unusual considering the financial boon of the 90's, the new millennium, the two wars of the last decade (war tends to push populations to seek comfort in aesthetics), and also considering, most importantly, the generosity of a generation of elders who understood they can't take their money with them!
In the last six months, the Valley has lost four of its elder philanthropists responsible, in large part, for this local renaissance. To be fair, these generous individuals have gained recognition, honor, and fame by the myriad buildings their names are etched into. However, the true effect of their worth could never be recaptured by them because their legacy extends into generations beyond theirs or mine or my children's. The true gifting which they have offered is immeasurable except by the random sampling of individuals who have been recipients of grants offered by these art centers or scholarships targeting specific populations, by the children's centers who have received boxes of books or the private schools who have refurbished heating systems to continue educating children with open minds. We cannot follow all the lives touched by the systemic inculcation of benefit through funding caused by these elder philanthropists who understood the value of each individual's potential to make the world a better place.
What now though? Four are gone. Yes, there are the corporate foundations which carry responsibility and have generously (though contrivingly) donated funds and materials to fuel and insure the continuation of cultural health in this community. But, who are the ones who can step into the shoes of those who have gone? Is there anyone in the Valley up to that honor?
Moral development demands heroes and heroines in a society. Four of those have left the Valley too soon and too fast in succession. To lead by example is a powerful adage by which to live. Some give money, some read to children, some care for the disabled, some write poetry, some counsel addicts, some go around hugging people, some sing. To inspire others to give is probably the most you can ever hope to insure legacy, because upon the giving to another, another will give, and another, and another. It's powerful medicine.
In the last six months, the Valley has lost four of its elder philanthropists responsible, in large part, for this local renaissance. To be fair, these generous individuals have gained recognition, honor, and fame by the myriad buildings their names are etched into. However, the true effect of their worth could never be recaptured by them because their legacy extends into generations beyond theirs or mine or my children's. The true gifting which they have offered is immeasurable except by the random sampling of individuals who have been recipients of grants offered by these art centers or scholarships targeting specific populations, by the children's centers who have received boxes of books or the private schools who have refurbished heating systems to continue educating children with open minds. We cannot follow all the lives touched by the systemic inculcation of benefit through funding caused by these elder philanthropists who understood the value of each individual's potential to make the world a better place.
What now though? Four are gone. Yes, there are the corporate foundations which carry responsibility and have generously (though contrivingly) donated funds and materials to fuel and insure the continuation of cultural health in this community. But, who are the ones who can step into the shoes of those who have gone? Is there anyone in the Valley up to that honor?
Moral development demands heroes and heroines in a society. Four of those have left the Valley too soon and too fast in succession. To lead by example is a powerful adage by which to live. Some give money, some read to children, some care for the disabled, some write poetry, some counsel addicts, some go around hugging people, some sing. To inspire others to give is probably the most you can ever hope to insure legacy, because upon the giving to another, another will give, and another, and another. It's powerful medicine.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
This Morning 2/10/13 The Way of Chomsky
Noam Chomsky is an American hero to millions of people who
have counted on his important insights and intellectual firepower to advocate
for truth and common sense in government and society.
He recently spoke at a local university under the umbrella
topic, “Public Education.” Of course,
Chomsky didn’t miss the opportunity to use his lecture to essentially model
what Public Education ought to be: a
connective dissertation revealing the ways in which Americans can be
uneducated by the mass media and corporatizing climate woven throughout modern
institutions and the political process.
We need to consider this possibility.
To think outside the box of status quo ideals signals the essential nature
of democracy and individualism – the cornerstones of Americanism.
At age 85, for over two hours of lecture and discussion, Chomsky
never skipped a beat. His hearing was a
little less acute, and he asked the moderator to repeat a question or two,
leaning in closer to him, or even walking out from behind the podium to hear
the question in closer proximity.
Besides this understandable impairment, Chomsky was delightfully cogent
and succinct, warm and wise, sensible and, at times, sentient!
In fact, one of the striking things about him is his
non-intellectualistic manner. He is
completely the “man on the street.”
There are no formal airs, despite the fact he’s debated Piaget, Skinner,
and Buckley, and has been placed in history (by philosopher, Justin Leiber) as
sitting somewhere between Einstein and Freud for his relevant contributions to
original thought in social and cognitive sciences.
It was really quite an honor to shake his hand, give him a
box of Girl Scout cookies (which he promptly thanked me for, saying his grandchildren will love them - "anything with chocolate!" he said), and have him pleasantly sign my book, Media Control,
written by him in 1997. I thanked him back, for "keeping us awake." He raised his eyebrows and slightly smiled, and I knew he understood my sentiment.
The seed of Dr. Chomsky’s potency as a thinker is his
commitment to common sense. Of course, as
a linguist first and foremost, his ability to express himself through language
is unequaled. But it is not just his
prose which is penetrating, but his clarity and, therefore, absolute sincerity
which carry his ideas to the open ears, mind, and central beingness of the
listener.
Charmed by his amazing spirit, he's a kind of Zen master in disguise. I wish he was my Grampa!
Friday, February 8, 2013
This Morning 2/4/13 The Frame of HIgh Art
"Experiences exist to ripen our imagination. Imagination, to
disguise our existence."
I wrote this to a friend the other day. Partially, it was implied in jest to make a point that it's okay to fictionalize personal stories for the sake of art. I attributed the quote to Lao Tzu to "trick" his mind into legitimizing the statement.
When I said, "just kidding" and told him it was my quote, not Lao Tzu's, the seed of the wisdom had already been planted so that integration of the content was the issue, not the frame (or source). It is similar to the adage of "it's the message, not the messenger" that matters, but going one step further by the application.
To bind ourselves contextually to our own experiences is a very small place to live in the world. No one person, or family can possibly sit in the center of relationship to all things. We must expand beyond our own sphere of comfort and personal dynamics of living in order to fully experience the potential of our lives. Obviously, we don't want to experience poverty or war firsthand, but in order to truly understand the world, we must vicariously encounter these things through exposure to the Arts.
The Arts can be music, poetry, literature, film, dance, or theatre. To be clear, I don't consider newspapers (or most print media) to be necessarily art; although reportage and its craft is a legitimate form of expression, it does not consider relationship. It is (supposed to be) non-biased, non-emotional. The Arts give us the opposing intention of meaning. We are intended to relate to art, to feel.
Utilizing the Arts for any form of relationship, we have to examine the most effective medium by which to relate. As an artist, the question of truth arises from the question of whether the intended audience will believe the work enough to abstract meaning. Most people creating art become lost at this juncture, immediately out of the gate, so to speak. Most people creating art believe their own experience is the truest and most visceral they can offer. While this can be true, it most often isn't for one simple reason: Most people's lives are not all that interesting or meaningful for anyone but themselves.
As harsh as this sounds, on the average, most lives follow similar trajectories, specific to the circles one is either born into or has chosen. Musicians live the lives of musicians, senators lives the lives of senators, factory workers lives the lives of factory workers, and so on. The point at which we find meaning is when we twist the predictable experiences into unpredictable ones. Another way to say this is that by interpreting our lives in a dissimilar context than most, we create an opening (a peek) into another experience of life. Therefore, we engage our imagination, and conjure a reality seen through a different viewfinder. Hence, uniqueness is born of the sum of perspective and imagination. All of the best of the Arts possesses uniqueness; the offering of something new, and an opportunity to expand the conversation of possibilities. Meaning is manipulated into being.
This is not a bad thing. The abstraction of meaning can only be conjured. It doesn't exist except in the mind, heart, or soul. This is the result of high art - quite a precious commodity.
When I said, "just kidding" and told him it was my quote, not Lao Tzu's, the seed of the wisdom had already been planted so that integration of the content was the issue, not the frame (or source). It is similar to the adage of "it's the message, not the messenger" that matters, but going one step further by the application.
To bind ourselves contextually to our own experiences is a very small place to live in the world. No one person, or family can possibly sit in the center of relationship to all things. We must expand beyond our own sphere of comfort and personal dynamics of living in order to fully experience the potential of our lives. Obviously, we don't want to experience poverty or war firsthand, but in order to truly understand the world, we must vicariously encounter these things through exposure to the Arts.
The Arts can be music, poetry, literature, film, dance, or theatre. To be clear, I don't consider newspapers (or most print media) to be necessarily art; although reportage and its craft is a legitimate form of expression, it does not consider relationship. It is (supposed to be) non-biased, non-emotional. The Arts give us the opposing intention of meaning. We are intended to relate to art, to feel.
Utilizing the Arts for any form of relationship, we have to examine the most effective medium by which to relate. As an artist, the question of truth arises from the question of whether the intended audience will believe the work enough to abstract meaning. Most people creating art become lost at this juncture, immediately out of the gate, so to speak. Most people creating art believe their own experience is the truest and most visceral they can offer. While this can be true, it most often isn't for one simple reason: Most people's lives are not all that interesting or meaningful for anyone but themselves.
As harsh as this sounds, on the average, most lives follow similar trajectories, specific to the circles one is either born into or has chosen. Musicians live the lives of musicians, senators lives the lives of senators, factory workers lives the lives of factory workers, and so on. The point at which we find meaning is when we twist the predictable experiences into unpredictable ones. Another way to say this is that by interpreting our lives in a dissimilar context than most, we create an opening (a peek) into another experience of life. Therefore, we engage our imagination, and conjure a reality seen through a different viewfinder. Hence, uniqueness is born of the sum of perspective and imagination. All of the best of the Arts possesses uniqueness; the offering of something new, and an opportunity to expand the conversation of possibilities. Meaning is manipulated into being.
This is not a bad thing. The abstraction of meaning can only be conjured. It doesn't exist except in the mind, heart, or soul. This is the result of high art - quite a precious commodity.
Friday, February 1, 2013
This Morning 2/1/2013 Emails about Life
This comes from an email and my parenthetical, italicized comments are the response to it:
I saw M--- today. I told you her husband died, right? (yes, it's sad)
Anyway...she's doing not too bad....but oddly, my leg started hurting when I left there. (that's weird!)
Remember my knee went out when I worked with her and before that, I had been getting
femoral nerve pain in the same leg at the mid-thigh point. Very odd... (perhaps muscle memory from unresolved emotions or coincidence because of the way you were sitting all day - take your pick!)
Moreso, I write to say that his death was sudden and she wondered why she never left work at 5pm when
he always called her to come home for supper. (it is normal to wish we had some conscious knowledge of an approaching death; it's how we try to find control again) It reminded me of you. And saddened me. (insert the last sentence, but after the word "approaching," insert "a breakup from which you've not recovered")
You people who think you have life after life lose something in the translation. (reincarnation of a soul doesn't negate responsibility; besides, belief gives meaning and that is part of the human condition.) You remember some things but forget other things. (conveniently!) And that saddens me as well. (you who don't remember are still operating from memory; just unconsciously!)
She said it is none of her business why he chose to go (transform she says) - it's for him to know and honor. (it doesn't remove the pain to know this)
Why can't we just say things are accidents? (to say "accident" means there is possibly no meaning to attach to an event and we humans like meaning.) Accidents sometimes are permanent, but mostly, they are just mistakes made by one or another. Most accidents can probably be rectified. (this is true; but as you point out, the operative word is "most." a permanent accident, like anything else, is also subject to the meaning we attach to it. humans need meaning. find yours but don't impose it on another. sharing is one thing, but a filter is a good thing to have.)
OK that's it. I'm going to sleep now. Goodnight. (rest in love and meaning!)(what's the alternative?!)
signed,
the real me.
I saw M--- today. I told you her husband died, right? (yes, it's sad)
Anyway...she's doing not too bad....but oddly, my leg started hurting when I left there. (that's weird!)
Remember my knee went out when I worked with her and before that, I had been getting
femoral nerve pain in the same leg at the mid-thigh point. Very odd... (perhaps muscle memory from unresolved emotions or coincidence because of the way you were sitting all day - take your pick!)
Moreso, I write to say that his death was sudden and she wondered why she never left work at 5pm when
he always called her to come home for supper. (it is normal to wish we had some conscious knowledge of an approaching death; it's how we try to find control again) It reminded me of you. And saddened me. (insert the last sentence, but after the word "approaching," insert "a breakup from which you've not recovered")
You people who think you have life after life lose something in the translation. (reincarnation of a soul doesn't negate responsibility; besides, belief gives meaning and that is part of the human condition.) You remember some things but forget other things. (conveniently!) And that saddens me as well. (you who don't remember are still operating from memory; just unconsciously!)
She said it is none of her business why he chose to go (transform she says) - it's for him to know and honor. (it doesn't remove the pain to know this)
Why can't we just say things are accidents? (to say "accident" means there is possibly no meaning to attach to an event and we humans like meaning.) Accidents sometimes are permanent, but mostly, they are just mistakes made by one or another. Most accidents can probably be rectified. (this is true; but as you point out, the operative word is "most." a permanent accident, like anything else, is also subject to the meaning we attach to it. humans need meaning. find yours but don't impose it on another. sharing is one thing, but a filter is a good thing to have.)
OK that's it. I'm going to sleep now. Goodnight. (rest in love and meaning!)(what's the alternative?!)
signed,
the real me.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
This Morning 1/27/13 Healthcare Reform
Health insurance exchanges are an important part of the new Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) that goes into effect in 2014. Obamacare, as it is known, relies on the cooperation of states to implement central information marketplaces via websites and call centers that will operate as access points for the millions of Americans presently without health insurance.
According to the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, the December 14 deadline for states to submit plans for state-run health insurance exchanges has produced approximately half of states signing on. In lieu of state participation, the federal government will run the information sites that will serve to inform consumers about their options for insurance coverage.
On the exchange websites consumers
will learn whether they qualify for government tax credits and what insurance
options are available to them. In
general, those whose income is 133% of poverty level will be eligible for
Medicaid, of which no premiums are required of the consumer. A calculator can be found here: http://healthreform.kff.org/subsidycalculator.aspx.
Those between 133% and 400% of poverty level will have adjusted premiums and cost-sharing responsibilities, which will vary by state. For PA residents, Governor Corbett has opted to not enact a PA health insurance exchange. In NJ, Governor Christie has chosen to work with the federal government in implementing a state-run insurance exchange.
The advantage of states setting up insurance exchanges is that it may streamline the process for those consumers who may otherwise fall through the cracks. Having the federal government administrate a process which has been previously state-run (insurance availability) puts forth excess burden on consumers to navigate the federal and state level paperwork and information required for ACA to reach the optimum level of population participation.
Although I was once against ACA, I have realized a systemic change in the U.S. is necessary to provide healthcare for all as a right of citizenship. This is the first step in this long road of ensuring our population is secure regardless of race, age, gender, socioeconomic status, or health status.
Those between 133% and 400% of poverty level will have adjusted premiums and cost-sharing responsibilities, which will vary by state. For PA residents, Governor Corbett has opted to not enact a PA health insurance exchange. In NJ, Governor Christie has chosen to work with the federal government in implementing a state-run insurance exchange.
The advantage of states setting up insurance exchanges is that it may streamline the process for those consumers who may otherwise fall through the cracks. Having the federal government administrate a process which has been previously state-run (insurance availability) puts forth excess burden on consumers to navigate the federal and state level paperwork and information required for ACA to reach the optimum level of population participation.
Although I was once against ACA, I have realized a systemic change in the U.S. is necessary to provide healthcare for all as a right of citizenship. This is the first step in this long road of ensuring our population is secure regardless of race, age, gender, socioeconomic status, or health status.
Another advantage of this new system is that private insurance companies will be subject to cost containment factors such as capping the amount they can charge an elder citizen in comparison to a younger one. Age discrimination, resulting in price gouging, has been a status quo practice in the health insurance industry for decades and it is time for it to end.
Friday, January 25, 2013
This Morning 1/25/13 Life Solos
The power of music to inspire is unmatched. Perhaps its potency is equaled by the beauty of the earth: a purple sunset, the Grand Canyon, Mt. Waialeale, a school of dolphins, or hummingbirds at rest in mid-air. But then, these are the things which inspire the creation of music. The reason music exists is because of these beauties, because of the human experience and interpretation of it. Music also exists because of unpretty experiences of life, serving as a lifeboat to rescue the psyche from drowning in our selfish id's center of the universe worldview; so irrational, I sometimes wonder how I could have once really believed I was that important.
Last night, from the depth of thousands of miles and decades of life, solos on mandolin resounded from the inner poetry of Peter Ostroushko. To gush would dishonor him, and his music, and give that id thing way too much attention. Not his, but mine.
Sometimes it is enough to just know something inspired happened. Beyond words and explanations, life solos are unique to each one of us. Sing it to the world or cradle it within; we are all related by the touching.
Last night, from the depth of thousands of miles and decades of life, solos on mandolin resounded from the inner poetry of Peter Ostroushko. To gush would dishonor him, and his music, and give that id thing way too much attention. Not his, but mine.
Sometimes it is enough to just know something inspired happened. Beyond words and explanations, life solos are unique to each one of us. Sing it to the world or cradle it within; we are all related by the touching.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
This Morning 1/21/13 Is He Really One of Us?
Listening to the second inaugural speech of President Obama, I am left with this one searing question:
Is he really one of us?
He looks like us: Mid-aged, and greying.
He talks like one of us: His social justice rhetoric seems sincere, smart and inclusive.
He seems to think like one of us: Equity of access to healthcare is essential.
He appears to share our values: Family and protection of constitutional and human rights.
Okay, that said: why is it that I've got a gnawing feeling that something is amiss?
About three days into his first term, something happened to the Barack Obama we had elected. It was a subtle, but visible tension in his facial muscles, a not-quite palpable feeling of restraint in his stride, perhaps a sense that he was now facing the reality of government in its truth from inside the walls instead of the view from outside. Whatever it was, it changed him on a very visceral level and he has never been the same. I have suspicions of my own, but his first term proved without a doubt that he was more a puppet than a puppet master of government and military agendas formerly issued.
Yesterday, his tone was clicked back four years while simultaneously shooting forward five or ten. The inclusion of an openly gay Cubano poet, an Episcopal pastor who spoke Spanish in his blessing, and the swearing in of Vice President Biden by Justice Sotomayor were all indications that not only was the president reaching back to his own values, but reaching forward to a new kind of America.
I can't forget that this is the same president that has outwardly encouraged the feverish, deadly drone program which has become the new normal in this new era of digitized war. I can't forget that we still have poverty, disparity, and unemployment at unconscionable levels. I can't forget that this president ordered pay raises for Congress at the end of a year when millions of students can't afford college and elementary schools are being closed for lack of funding. I can't forget these things. These things do not feel like the "one of us" president President Obama appears to be.
However, I have a stronger sense that his second term will reveal a renewed enthusiasm for the "one of us" president President Obama is. For that, to my original question, I am left with a resounding, hopeful "oh yes, please!"
Is he really one of us?
He looks like us: Mid-aged, and greying.
He talks like one of us: His social justice rhetoric seems sincere, smart and inclusive.
He seems to think like one of us: Equity of access to healthcare is essential.
He appears to share our values: Family and protection of constitutional and human rights.
Okay, that said: why is it that I've got a gnawing feeling that something is amiss?
About three days into his first term, something happened to the Barack Obama we had elected. It was a subtle, but visible tension in his facial muscles, a not-quite palpable feeling of restraint in his stride, perhaps a sense that he was now facing the reality of government in its truth from inside the walls instead of the view from outside. Whatever it was, it changed him on a very visceral level and he has never been the same. I have suspicions of my own, but his first term proved without a doubt that he was more a puppet than a puppet master of government and military agendas formerly issued.
Yesterday, his tone was clicked back four years while simultaneously shooting forward five or ten. The inclusion of an openly gay Cubano poet, an Episcopal pastor who spoke Spanish in his blessing, and the swearing in of Vice President Biden by Justice Sotomayor were all indications that not only was the president reaching back to his own values, but reaching forward to a new kind of America.
I can't forget that this is the same president that has outwardly encouraged the feverish, deadly drone program which has become the new normal in this new era of digitized war. I can't forget that we still have poverty, disparity, and unemployment at unconscionable levels. I can't forget that this president ordered pay raises for Congress at the end of a year when millions of students can't afford college and elementary schools are being closed for lack of funding. I can't forget these things. These things do not feel like the "one of us" president President Obama appears to be.
However, I have a stronger sense that his second term will reveal a renewed enthusiasm for the "one of us" president President Obama is. For that, to my original question, I am left with a resounding, hopeful "oh yes, please!"
Sunday, January 13, 2013
This Morning 1/14/13 The Count of Monte Cristo
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas is one of those books you must have on your bookshelf but never expect to ever read. It is a classic which was published in Europe in 1846. The book became an instant best seller. Prior to Monte Cristo, Dumas wrote the more populist The Three Musketeers.
To attempt a summary is almost insulting to the breadth of the storyline and Dumas' incredible command of space, language, and mood. The privileged class collides with pirates, slaves and imposters all dying (figuratively and literally) for a taste of coveted financial gain, and seemingly guided by the hand of Providence which, in this case, appears as the Count. Prestige plays a close second in import but, in this story, wealth is king and Monte Cristo spends (and gives away) money like it actually does grow on trees. It's quite spectacular to imagine and Dumas certainly fills the reader's mind with plenty of ways to spend from jewels to graft!
The deeper meaning of the book rests in justice, reward, repentance, and shame couched in a convoluted, but beautifully-constructed web of power brokers and their bystanders spanning twenty or so years. Dumas has a poetic style of dialogue and this otherwise very tedious process of deciphering connections and relationships is made fully palatable, clear as day, and more importantly, believable.
The wisdom of Monte Cristo lies in its simplicity of expression. “Often we pass beside happiness without seeing it, without looking at it, or even if we have seen and looked at it, without recognizing it” is one of my favorite quotes from Dumas. There are many more and Dumas certainly takes his role seriously as a purveyor of the truth and value of turning adversity into gain.
Having never seen the movie adaptation of this book, I was surprised and simultaneously let down by the ending (no spoilers here!). I suspect the nearly 500-pages was getting to Dumas by this point, but Dumas extends himself by laying to rest injustices perpetrated within a frame in which balance doesn't mean equilibrium as much as dividend - both emotional and spiritual. It is pretty near a perfect story and I didn't want it to end while, at the same time, I was feeling impatient for some resolution.
With patience and prudence as key values of the Count, my own personal growth curve was laid wide open in the reading.
Dumas provides a historically-accurate account of the life and times of the upper class during the rise and fall of Napoleon in France. It was a turbulent time, but one in which he was familiar. The opulence, although a bit sickening at times, inspires compassion for the desperateness of the wealthy class, despite their access to anything material.
Dumas addressed the nature of disparity in his book from both ends of the spectrum. He was, after all, the son of a bi-racial father, whose mother was a Haitian slave. The name, Dumas, was her family name. Although Alexandre Dumas faced poverty after the death of his father when Dumas was four years of age, his voracious reading and bloodline gave him later entree to venues of the French royalty.
To attempt a summary is almost insulting to the breadth of the storyline and Dumas' incredible command of space, language, and mood. The privileged class collides with pirates, slaves and imposters all dying (figuratively and literally) for a taste of coveted financial gain, and seemingly guided by the hand of Providence which, in this case, appears as the Count. Prestige plays a close second in import but, in this story, wealth is king and Monte Cristo spends (and gives away) money like it actually does grow on trees. It's quite spectacular to imagine and Dumas certainly fills the reader's mind with plenty of ways to spend from jewels to graft!
The deeper meaning of the book rests in justice, reward, repentance, and shame couched in a convoluted, but beautifully-constructed web of power brokers and their bystanders spanning twenty or so years. Dumas has a poetic style of dialogue and this otherwise very tedious process of deciphering connections and relationships is made fully palatable, clear as day, and more importantly, believable.
The wisdom of Monte Cristo lies in its simplicity of expression. “Often we pass beside happiness without seeing it, without looking at it, or even if we have seen and looked at it, without recognizing it” is one of my favorite quotes from Dumas. There are many more and Dumas certainly takes his role seriously as a purveyor of the truth and value of turning adversity into gain.
Having never seen the movie adaptation of this book, I was surprised and simultaneously let down by the ending (no spoilers here!). I suspect the nearly 500-pages was getting to Dumas by this point, but Dumas extends himself by laying to rest injustices perpetrated within a frame in which balance doesn't mean equilibrium as much as dividend - both emotional and spiritual. It is pretty near a perfect story and I didn't want it to end while, at the same time, I was feeling impatient for some resolution.
With patience and prudence as key values of the Count, my own personal growth curve was laid wide open in the reading.
Dumas provides a historically-accurate account of the life and times of the upper class during the rise and fall of Napoleon in France. It was a turbulent time, but one in which he was familiar. The opulence, although a bit sickening at times, inspires compassion for the desperateness of the wealthy class, despite their access to anything material.
Dumas addressed the nature of disparity in his book from both ends of the spectrum. He was, after all, the son of a bi-racial father, whose mother was a Haitian slave. The name, Dumas, was her family name. Although Alexandre Dumas faced poverty after the death of his father when Dumas was four years of age, his voracious reading and bloodline gave him later entree to venues of the French royalty.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
This Morning 1/11/13 Health Care and Profit
Eduardo
Porter, in his New York Times article, “Health Care and Profits, A Poor Mix,”
poses the question that serves as the “elephant in the room” in most
discussions of healthcare delivery systems. That is whether a for-profit system can fairly and,
therefore, adequately serve the needs of its population.
The
United States relies on private sector businesses to provide care and
monitoring of individual health through hospitals, HMO’s, and integrated
delivery systems. Porter points
out that despite the enthusiasm of hospital stakeholders to applaud creative
profit-based initiatives employed by these institutions, the patients served
may not be reaping so much benefit.
One study published in the Rand Journal of Economics found that
patient mortality rates spiked when nonprofit hospitals switched to becoming
profit-based.
Other
countries, such as Britain and France, are providing government-led healthcare
systems at much lower costs to their GDP.
The U.S. leads all 34 member nations in the OCED (Organization for
Cooperation and Economic Development) in spending on healthcare with 17% of GDP. The Netherlands, its closest
competitor, comes in at 12%. Clearly, the primary privatization of the healthcare industry
is costing our country much more than other developed countries.
With
the passing of the ACA (Affordable Care Act of 2010), the U.S. will begin to
focus on a broader social justice-based system. This new system will create access to healthcare for
millions of Americans of all socioeconomic levels at a cost which will level the
playing field for those who either pay too much for private insurance via
demand-side rationing, or who are limited to Medicare and Medicaid providers
which create a stigma in our society.
Adopting a stronger social justice-based model in the U.S. will also
give the United States the advantage of removing some of the conflict of
interest present when you put big business in charge of human rights. For this, I applaud the Congress for
their willingness to step forward toward a kinder, gentler approach for all
populations.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
This Morning 1/6/12 Sun
Sun distant lately
Tucked behind Winter's cloak
Dense blanketing clouds
Keeping chilly-eared folks
Grappling for light
Reciting by rote
"Patience, Patience...
Soon warmth will invoke
Presence of joy
As if luck had been stroked."
All that had passed
Was a season of smoke
From chimneys of woodstoves
Their bellies full, stoked
Atop, pots full of water
Whistling, bubbling songs gloat
For it is but a short time
Till the Spring is awoke
And the Sun will arise
From behind Winter's cloak
Tucked behind Winter's cloak
Dense blanketing clouds
Keeping chilly-eared folks
Grappling for light
Reciting by rote
"Patience, Patience...
Soon warmth will invoke
Presence of joy
As if luck had been stroked."
All that had passed
Was a season of smoke
From chimneys of woodstoves
Their bellies full, stoked
Atop, pots full of water
Whistling, bubbling songs gloat
For it is but a short time
Till the Spring is awoke
And the Sun will arise
From behind Winter's cloak
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
This Morning 1/1/13 New Year Ponderings on SES
Welcome to 2013. When I was born in 1961 I never dreamed that 2013 would look like what it is. Between My Favorite Martian and Star Trek, the future - which included 2013 - would be akin to Captain James T. Kirk's world. Certainly, we now possess the computer technology which Lieutenant Uhura and Spock used unsparingly when informing the Captain of details of Romulans and geological formations encountered in the vast galaxies of space. Even some medical diagnostic devices, although much larger than the hand-held size used by Dr. McCoy, are meeting the "magical" definition employed by the future healthcare model presented on Star Trek. What is not jibing is the state of poverty and the diseases promoted by poverty that I expected, by 2013, to be adequately managed.
The last 45 years have seen the population double to seven billion. This is certainly due to advances in medical sciences whereby people with chronic diseases live longer. The incidence of infectious diseases has decreased due to vaccines and prophylactics. If chronic diseases and infectious agents are being better managed, isn't poverty just a different problem? The answer is no.
The effectiveness of health management is dependent on access to services. Those in poverty or with a low SES (socioeconomic status) have less access to those disease-fighting services, are more inclined to mental illness, are less likely to have health insurance and less likely to finish high school; they are more likely to be undernourished, more likely to be exposed to violence in the household, and have an overall higher rate of morbidity and mortality.
To account for the disparity, many studies exist which document and outline the factors globally which lead to these unacceptable trends. With such vast wealth across developed countries, the means of creating remedies certainly does exist. But it is the lack of will of those wealthiest nations, corporations and individuals to prioritize poverty and exercise solutions which blocks sufficient advancement on this front.
Inherent classism and inequitable labor practices are the touchstone of democratic capitalism. The rich cannot be served if the poor do not serve them and the CEO cannot be respected if the workers make as much as he does. Making the job of a floor sweeper as important as the advertising executive seems absurd, but paying the floor sweeper $7.00/hour and paying the advertising executive $70.00/hour seems like economic rape. Are the financial needs of that advertising exec so much more that they require ten times the pay scale? I think not.
Empowerment is an important by-product of executing stopgaps to low SES. It is the reason why unions were created. It is an essential ingredient in the human psyche to be viewed and to view itself as a part of the wheel of production and creation - of making life better and advancing oneself. Without the participation of the entire of humanity though, the present statistic of 2.4 billion people (more than 1/3 of the population) living in poverty (below $2/day) is unfathomable.
In the U.S., those of the extinct middle class are feeling the tremors of poverty, and some have definitely hit the mark as social services funding, the housing market, and employment statistics have caused millions of families to plummet financially. This last two years in the Eurozone have also taken their toll on families. And yet, still the richest hang on, hide behind meaningless philanthropic endeavors, and invest offshore to avoid taxation which would help their fellow citizens.
The likes of Bill and Melinda Gates and others of their class who are contributing to the eradication of malaria, AIDS, and other communicable diseases through their foundations would find better use for their funds by sponsoring the education of families, thereby creating empowerment within individuals who can themselves then create the means to "pass it on" through their own endeavors.
This will, eventually, bring to an end to SES as a barrier to true equity, of which the statistics of health management can then be extended across the entire socioeconomic spectrum.
The last 45 years have seen the population double to seven billion. This is certainly due to advances in medical sciences whereby people with chronic diseases live longer. The incidence of infectious diseases has decreased due to vaccines and prophylactics. If chronic diseases and infectious agents are being better managed, isn't poverty just a different problem? The answer is no.
The effectiveness of health management is dependent on access to services. Those in poverty or with a low SES (socioeconomic status) have less access to those disease-fighting services, are more inclined to mental illness, are less likely to have health insurance and less likely to finish high school; they are more likely to be undernourished, more likely to be exposed to violence in the household, and have an overall higher rate of morbidity and mortality.
To account for the disparity, many studies exist which document and outline the factors globally which lead to these unacceptable trends. With such vast wealth across developed countries, the means of creating remedies certainly does exist. But it is the lack of will of those wealthiest nations, corporations and individuals to prioritize poverty and exercise solutions which blocks sufficient advancement on this front.
Inherent classism and inequitable labor practices are the touchstone of democratic capitalism. The rich cannot be served if the poor do not serve them and the CEO cannot be respected if the workers make as much as he does. Making the job of a floor sweeper as important as the advertising executive seems absurd, but paying the floor sweeper $7.00/hour and paying the advertising executive $70.00/hour seems like economic rape. Are the financial needs of that advertising exec so much more that they require ten times the pay scale? I think not.
Empowerment is an important by-product of executing stopgaps to low SES. It is the reason why unions were created. It is an essential ingredient in the human psyche to be viewed and to view itself as a part of the wheel of production and creation - of making life better and advancing oneself. Without the participation of the entire of humanity though, the present statistic of 2.4 billion people (more than 1/3 of the population) living in poverty (below $2/day) is unfathomable.
In the U.S., those of the extinct middle class are feeling the tremors of poverty, and some have definitely hit the mark as social services funding, the housing market, and employment statistics have caused millions of families to plummet financially. This last two years in the Eurozone have also taken their toll on families. And yet, still the richest hang on, hide behind meaningless philanthropic endeavors, and invest offshore to avoid taxation which would help their fellow citizens.
The likes of Bill and Melinda Gates and others of their class who are contributing to the eradication of malaria, AIDS, and other communicable diseases through their foundations would find better use for their funds by sponsoring the education of families, thereby creating empowerment within individuals who can themselves then create the means to "pass it on" through their own endeavors.
This will, eventually, bring to an end to SES as a barrier to true equity, of which the statistics of health management can then be extended across the entire socioeconomic spectrum.
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