I LIVE DEEP INSIDE MY HEAD

That's a quote from a song by John Prine.  The song is on his last CD and it has stuck in my mind ever since his death.  The more popular cut ("when i get to heaven") is the final song on that CD. But inside MY head, this is the song that resonates.  There is just too much going on sometimes.  I have even begun to respond to Mike Pence when he appears on my tv.  In many ways, he is worse than POTUS.  They are both smarmy but anyone who calls his wife "mother" is a step worse.  They are both liars except one of them is in charge. It is no longer humorous to hope that Moe shows up to take charge.  Please understand that the one lie about the curve flattening actually harms people and sometimes kills them. Moving on.

--I am a child of the South.  I have mentioned before that my schools were segregated for my entire public school experience.  I have mentioned before the white lines on the bus which separated the "Negroes" from us.  I have mentioned before the sight of 4 bathrooms in public places:  one for white men, one for "colored" men, one for white women, and one for "colored" women.  That is part of my history; a history that I was reminded of these past few weeks.  I am glad the Confederate flag has been lowered in Mississippi.
But, that does not change history nor does it change the fact that the south is different--and not in a good way; not kind of quaint or charming.  Just because you have virtually all African American football athletes at your two big universities does not mean things have changed--it just means you want to win.
--Then there is Atlanta.  Like Miami, we are supposed to think of it as not really southern city.  But it too has a history despite having Mayors who are African American. But go look up at Stone Mountain and tell me who is carved on its cliffs.
--John Bolton is not a hero.  He is a slime ball who gutlessly refused to testify in front of Congress and preferred writing a book.  That does not mean what he wrote is a lie--it just means he does not deserve all these accolades shortly after these same media outlets were castigating him for his hawkishness. And I wish to hell he got rid of his yellow pad.
--And Dr. Brix should ditch her scarves unelss she can tell me how I can get my hair cut from a 6 foot safe distance.
--When and if I ever have to dial 911,I do not want to find out that the service has been defunded.  I'm not sure what needs to happen but I do know it requires a massive culture change.  When I was hired to run a state hospital, the person I replaced smilingly informed me how hard it was to turn the Queen Mary around.
Culture change is not easy or quick.
--Anyone seen Jared or Rudy lately?
--So sweet that both POTUS and Roger Goodell want Kapernick to play now.  Thats their committment to equity--now that he is probably too old to lace them up.
--Just because I can get and wear a Morehouse tee doe not mean I am such a great person--it just means I can afford it.
--Seen any tv ads lately?  Seems as if corporate america (actually the corporate world) has decided that some customers are actually people of color.  They get no credit in my book for coming to the party way too late.
--Carl Reiner passed away.  He and Mel Broks were hysterical.  On an episode of "Comedians in Cars...", they had dinner together every night and ate on those old fashioned tv tables some of us used to have. Watched tv together and yakked.
--I will leave you with this quote from a 7 minute video by Arthur Jafa:
     "What wold America be like if we loved black people as much as we liked black culture".

Shalom