Unabashedly stealing from the Beatles, this particular blog already feels like a long and winding road. Try and stick with me--I am not sure what to say, how to say it, or how long I might need to say whatever it is.
This is what I know for sure: I was on vacation when the bombs exploded in Copley Square. I felt personally (yet obviously only psychologically) injured. Stuck in the Miami airport, we watched as the various police forces moved ahead with the investigation. Upon returning we were "sheltered in" (terrific-- a new word to describe a new world) and spent virtually all day in front of the TV watching the hunt for the remaining killer. And then he was caught. Those are the facts.
(Item: The famine in Somalia may have killed as many as 260,000 Somalis).
The next day we went to a birthday party for someone turning 70. During the event, discussion turned to what we had all experienced during the week. It felt as if I was watching the talking heads on TV who really knew nothing but kept talking anyway. Chris Matthews, for one, must have told us 100 times that he went to Holy Cross and managed to speak over all musical interludes during the service at the Cathedral in the South End. But back to the party--second guessing about the overwhelming police reaction and presence was the appetizer. But what did we know even then? My amateur opinion was that there was no down side to over reacting. An under reaction, which might have lead to further death or injury, would have been a mega disaster. So, for a change, count me on the side of the gendarmes. Plus I thought what they did in less than a week was kind of excellent. The folks at this party, the talking heads, anyone else who acted like an expert--we fucking did not know enough to even have an opinion.
(Item: A fire engulfs a psychiatric hospital in Russia killing 35-40 patients.)
I do believe there is something "we" do to young men in this and other countries which leads to their disaffection to the point that they become violent. Newtown, Columbine, Aurora, Gabby Gifford, Oklahoma City--all atrocities committed by young(ish) white guys. Now these brothers from Chechnya--young, very disaffected though tied into some sort of jihadist movement which even now is not so clear. This has something to do with the family life of all these men (which if you have heard some of the relatives of the two brothers, you know they are a few cards short of a full deck--the mother believing it was red paint not blood); but it also has to do with how we misjudge people (everyone loved the younger brother). But a lot of people are disaffected and do not commit such atrocities--what clicks on in their heads and turns them into these killers.
(Item: A bus crash kills 45 in Afghanistan)
I end up feeling very lucky and wondering what if the medical tent was not right at the end of the marathon route. Despite feeling health care costs are unconscionable, I feel lucky that the hospitals in the city are so good during these traumatic events. I heard one trauma surgeon (who must have been 13 years old) say the injuries were not "otherworldly"--he had seen them before. It was the number of patients that was difficult not the severity of their injuries. Can you imagine? I feel unimaginable empathy for the victims who have lost family members and may have also lost body parts. I continue to have no clue what it means or how to prevent the next one.
(Item: an earthquake in rural China and a building collapse in Bangladesh kill hundreds of people.)
I don't think the end of the road is in sight but I have no clue where I am on it. There more questions than answers. So I will stop.
OTHER SNIPPETS:
--Connecticut passed sweeping gun legislation something Congress managed to bail out on to its everlasting disgrace. But then again Newtown is in Connecticut.
--But alas and alack, Connecticut is also considering legislation which wold give pets the right to an attorney--I kid you not.
--I would have felt worse if Meryl Streep had passed away than when I learned Margaret Thatcher did.
--The state of North Carolina has passed a law making Christianity the state religion.
--A town in Georgia passed a local ordinance requiring residents to own guns.
--The NRA obviously continues to push Congress around.
(Item: An explosion near the Charles bridge in Prague injures almost 60)
--You can get "organic cucumber vodka" in Florida and I saw people order it. What the fuck is that?
--John Oliver from the Jon Stewart show had a terrific 3 part series on Australia's gun laws passed with the leadership of Conservatives there. They are the most restrictive in the world.
--While stuck at Miami International, we sat in an area where most flights were going to Central or South America. It seemed like every passenger going to those countries had 8 suitcases each of which got shrink wrapped by guys who work there--not the airline people. What is that about?
--Will the Arkansas oil spill kill the proposed Keystone pipeline?
(Item: The men incarcerated at Guantanamo are on a major hunger strike and some are being fed by tube. No trials/just cells.)
--Richie Havens passed away--loved him and will miss him. But the Monkees are going on tour--I just saved about $100 abstaining from that.
SPORTS TALK
Jason Collins--A gutsy hurrah to him. Nuf said?
Sayonara
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Monday, April 1, 2013
AT THE HEAD OF THE TABLE
Hope all your holidays were pleasant and happy--for those celebrating Greek Easter, good luck with the goats!
During our holiday of Passover, a Seder is held. In Hebrew, Seder translates into "order". And, in fact, there is an order to the meal with certain foods and a fairly extensive written script. The leader kind of orchestrates the whole deal and the children participate to their maximum abilities. Since the death of my last surviving uncle and the death of Barbara's father, I have led this Seder. This year Oliver, our grandson, sat on my left. Lilli, our granddaughter, sat near Barbara but helped me with certain sections of the script. I felt deeply the absence of their mother and their aunt--my own daughters. The point of describing the context is this: I have never felt comfortable being at the head of this table. It should belong to the older generation--they were the ones who knew the whole thing by heart; they were the ones who believed the words in a literal sense; and they are the ones we have replaced. I am not being nostalgic when I say that I wish one of them were here to be the leader. My being the leader has all sorts of symbolic meaning none of which I care to explore here; but all of them heavily laden with the issue of becoming older. Despite my own inner turmoil, it was a very nice evening with friends and family. Enough.
Two more crazy Florida stories--not counting Senator Rubio who, immigrant child though he is, is not sure about immigrant reform and is consistently crazed. The first concerns the University of Central Florida and the body found in a dorm room which was stacked with weapons no one knew about. I guess those mean RA's from my dorm days do not go into rooms anymore. The second concerns Florida Gulf Coast University which made it to the NCAA sweet 16. This is a school carved out of the Everglades which apparently takes anyone and everyone. The coach's wife is a rather risque kind of model. 400 acres of swampland.
The state with the worse health in the country--that would be Mississippi--objects to Mayor Bloomberg trying to ban big gulp drinks. I say let them get all the big gulps they want and gain as much weight as they want and continue to have their health worsen. It is after all a free country--right? They probably will opt out of the medicaid piece of Obamacare but will surely be at the trough if they want federal highway dollars..
A terrific few strips in Doonesbury. Joanie Caucus has gone to work for my very own Senator Warren. She is kind of always under dressed and under made up--but she has to sit behind the Senator at a hearing. So the comic strip focused on her getting "prepped" with make up and clothes because she would be on tv--just wonderful.
Saw the documentary on Dick Cheney. The filmmakers never pushed him or confronted him and maybe that was the deal. Even so, this guy is scary and is unapologetic and still believes Saddam had WMD's all evidence to the contrary. Very creepy.
Another judge withdrew after Obama nominated her--too liberal say the Republicans. Having 60 votes in the senate apparently makes a difference unless you are considered a good old boy like Kerry.
I love having a pile of books and magazines next to my bed. I like the choices they offer and the idea that I can move among them. Great article a couple of weeks ago in the NY Times magazine about a Palestinian village. The residents non-violently stage a weekly protest along with pro peace Israelis and Americans in objection to the restrictions placed on their lives including that fucking wall.
Menino will not seek re-election. All I know is that he is very good at fixing potholes which I read somewhere is the most important job of a mayor.
And if you read no further, look for me in a month after the great silver bird returns us from a week or so in Key West.
SPORTS TALK
Got obliterated in my NCAA brackets--did not even back my boys from Ann Arbor and now they are in the final 4. I would like to ask this question: does Wisconsin have a special recruiter who locates tall thin non jumping white guys who can hit 3's? Those guys usually are led by an African American guard who can fly. Where do they come from?
I was going to complain about these long term extensions college coaches get--all paid for with public dollars and was going to use Steve Alford at New Mexico as my worst example. But he did me one better. Days after getting a 10 year extension, he bolted the Lobos for the UCLA job. Hope he loses 20..
Celtics and Bruins looking mighty lethargic. Baseball in the Bronx today--but talk to me about baseball after July 4th.
Sayonara.
During our holiday of Passover, a Seder is held. In Hebrew, Seder translates into "order". And, in fact, there is an order to the meal with certain foods and a fairly extensive written script. The leader kind of orchestrates the whole deal and the children participate to their maximum abilities. Since the death of my last surviving uncle and the death of Barbara's father, I have led this Seder. This year Oliver, our grandson, sat on my left. Lilli, our granddaughter, sat near Barbara but helped me with certain sections of the script. I felt deeply the absence of their mother and their aunt--my own daughters. The point of describing the context is this: I have never felt comfortable being at the head of this table. It should belong to the older generation--they were the ones who knew the whole thing by heart; they were the ones who believed the words in a literal sense; and they are the ones we have replaced. I am not being nostalgic when I say that I wish one of them were here to be the leader. My being the leader has all sorts of symbolic meaning none of which I care to explore here; but all of them heavily laden with the issue of becoming older. Despite my own inner turmoil, it was a very nice evening with friends and family. Enough.
Two more crazy Florida stories--not counting Senator Rubio who, immigrant child though he is, is not sure about immigrant reform and is consistently crazed. The first concerns the University of Central Florida and the body found in a dorm room which was stacked with weapons no one knew about. I guess those mean RA's from my dorm days do not go into rooms anymore. The second concerns Florida Gulf Coast University which made it to the NCAA sweet 16. This is a school carved out of the Everglades which apparently takes anyone and everyone. The coach's wife is a rather risque kind of model. 400 acres of swampland.
The state with the worse health in the country--that would be Mississippi--objects to Mayor Bloomberg trying to ban big gulp drinks. I say let them get all the big gulps they want and gain as much weight as they want and continue to have their health worsen. It is after all a free country--right? They probably will opt out of the medicaid piece of Obamacare but will surely be at the trough if they want federal highway dollars..
A terrific few strips in Doonesbury. Joanie Caucus has gone to work for my very own Senator Warren. She is kind of always under dressed and under made up--but she has to sit behind the Senator at a hearing. So the comic strip focused on her getting "prepped" with make up and clothes because she would be on tv--just wonderful.
Saw the documentary on Dick Cheney. The filmmakers never pushed him or confronted him and maybe that was the deal. Even so, this guy is scary and is unapologetic and still believes Saddam had WMD's all evidence to the contrary. Very creepy.
Another judge withdrew after Obama nominated her--too liberal say the Republicans. Having 60 votes in the senate apparently makes a difference unless you are considered a good old boy like Kerry.
I love having a pile of books and magazines next to my bed. I like the choices they offer and the idea that I can move among them. Great article a couple of weeks ago in the NY Times magazine about a Palestinian village. The residents non-violently stage a weekly protest along with pro peace Israelis and Americans in objection to the restrictions placed on their lives including that fucking wall.
Menino will not seek re-election. All I know is that he is very good at fixing potholes which I read somewhere is the most important job of a mayor.
And if you read no further, look for me in a month after the great silver bird returns us from a week or so in Key West.
SPORTS TALK
Got obliterated in my NCAA brackets--did not even back my boys from Ann Arbor and now they are in the final 4. I would like to ask this question: does Wisconsin have a special recruiter who locates tall thin non jumping white guys who can hit 3's? Those guys usually are led by an African American guard who can fly. Where do they come from?
I was going to complain about these long term extensions college coaches get--all paid for with public dollars and was going to use Steve Alford at New Mexico as my worst example. But he did me one better. Days after getting a 10 year extension, he bolted the Lobos for the UCLA job. Hope he loses 20..
Celtics and Bruins looking mighty lethargic. Baseball in the Bronx today--but talk to me about baseball after July 4th.
Sayonara.
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