Two things happened yesterday I wanted to put out there: 1) a friend in my dance class that I've attended for 8 years had gone missing for a couple of weeks; it turns out Lisa was in Japan; she is an author whose work on Japanese culture is well credited, particularly the giesha girl as her area of expertise. Last time she was gone it was to go to Hollywood to be the technical adviser for the Geisha film a couple of years ago. But this time she wasn't in Japan for that purpose. Far away from the US of A with the election happening, she and her party up and decided to take a trip Obama, Japan, a few hours away from their location. Who knew there was an Obama, Japan? But that morning, the morning after the election, her party went to the township arriving around noon only to find the whole town not on their jobs or visible. They were told the whole town was up celebrating throughout the night the win of Barrack Obama as President of the United States.
Then a very dear friend studies with Lazarus very seriously every year. She shared with me this content: Obama is the perfect leader for this time; his brings less fear and all the hope of the NEW NOW. This higher place we are all reaching for has brought Obama forth as the leader of the Western World. That's funny, he has always said 'it's about you, not about me."
Meanwhile I'm filling out the forms available at change.gov that allow any of us who want to engage to find a place where we can serve in this next Administration. I'm thinking here in oru communities, just like in the campaign. Kind of like millions of people are responsible for the election of Obama and the change underway; we might never know their names or them ours. But there is something we can all contribute. Step one - filling out the application, doubts and all, that that will result in finding that place, cog in the wheel dynamic. The hardest part!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
A New Day-A New Time
Yesterday George and I went down to the flea market to hear the drums. We don't go very often, usually when we have friends from out of town who have brought us down the block to visit the market and enjoy the drums, but they can be heard from our house every Sunday late PM. On the way we met two neighbors who over the past ten years, a vague wave has been the agreed upon acknowledgement from them. But the invitation was there to speak, and visit about the project across the street and was a warm exchange. Then once we were there at the drum circle, two of the women there and a couple of the drummers made eye contact, head dipping slightly in greeting. What's so unusual about this you may well ask. Well, we have been here for ten years and this is the first time my black neighbors and the black musicians did more than than the vague wave no eye contact. And this is what I believe the election of Obama has done for us: there is the invitation to engage and a trust I haven't seen ever, an opening allowing expression beyond the limits we all agreed to. I saw that in working in the campaign office and wondered if it would prevail; it's like in that environment young old, rich poor, black, brown or white the walls were down and the commonality of our purpose and our enthusiasm prevailed. To see that out in the world we are all reaching out to have this whiff of possibility become reality is so gratifying, and makes more real the potential I experienced the night of Obama's election. No misunderstanding here, the work is all in front of us but we're ready for this NEW DAY-NEW TIME.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Oakland Convention Center Election Night
Today George and I had a very impressive experience. We went down to the Oakland Convention Center for the 36 hour Calling Party for Obama. The Convention is quite large, can hold thousands of people, and when we arrived at 10 AM we found tables set up and a very comfortable ambiance with people busily dialing up people on their cell phones. We had been to previous calling parties at the Berkeley Center, but this was IT. The election was happening as we were calling. We were calling first Missouri, then Indiana, North Carolina, Nevada being led by a staff that brought different groups to call around according to the different hour of the day given the polliing hours as people voted across the United States. The atmosphere was pretty relaxed and friendly with a substantial number of all ages, all races working together side by side. The calls were pretty straightforward and on the big screen in front of us with the sound off, what was happening across the country on MNBC. In Chicago, the big party gathering for Obama should he win, in Phoenix Mc Cain's party should he win. Right now as I write this, it's hard to concentrate because of all the horns and shouts and energetic whoopees all around town right now. But then things were a bit somber. When we called people, it wasn't a sales call in as much as we identified ourselves as calling from the Obama campaign and asked them to vote and sometimes they offered to say who they were voting for, but that wasn't required and mostly those who were voting for Obama brought up that's who they were voting for, and those who were not simply said they were voting or that they had voted without giving a candidate or being very chatty about it. We also gave Poll information, where they should go, encouraging them to vote, etc. The day went on with a rhythm of the district manager announcing now and then where we were and where we were going. The first polls closed at 3 and so we would begin to have some results then of the voting. There was only one other person that I knew from my dance group but it was a very friendly space so we all chatted as we worked together. The reports from the staff about how we were doing, the number of people we reached and so forth kept the flow moving. A group of black students from a near by high school came in and sat down to get trained to make calls and were enthusiastic about being there. When we left for some lunch at Le Cheval's right across the street, a group of young black students from another high school came marching up playing drums and shouting OOOBAM-AH. It brought tears to my eyes because I couldn't even begin to look at what their disappointment would look like if Obama were not elected. I felt a bit of panic about being in this large group of thousands if that kind of disappointment happened, or if there was some kind of weird breakdown and betrayal as in other elections.
When we came back from lunch at 3:15, the pace had picked up and on the big screen reports began to come in as we were making calls to Indiana and Pennsylvania. The results didn't look that good and the huge room got quiet and I felt a kind of dread that maybe all was for naught. See, the all was about breaking a barrier, breaking a limitation. Everybody knew this was about a black man getting to be President and in so doing, projecting a new image to the world of who and what America is. And how we look at the world and how we are seen by the world will most definitely be altered. So in the Oakland Convention Center as I looked around at the worried faces, as the results came in, and felt the dread of experiencing this potential loss, it was disturbing and then I discovered next to me Bart. One of those young men who knows everything a computer can give you information about, who good naturedly told me the states that were showing up as they did were expected. The tone and the tempo picked up again as we all continued our calls now changing to another time zone of calls. Things went along like that for awhile, and then since the sound had been off and we were all busy with our tasks, it was rather stunning to see the projections appear that had Obama projected as the leader in Pennsylvania, in Indiana, in North Carolina, then in Nevada. Cheers erupted and things sped up from there. Bart, the young man who knew everything who had been very seriously at work next to me suddenly said- it's over. Barrack has one. 538, a now famous poll site, had given evidence that all the rest was going to fall into place and that Barack Obama was at 242 in electoral votes, though the TV was only saying 207. Bart picked up his cell phone and shoulder bag and was on his way out the door.
Then the floor manager announced that there had been something like 1100 people who had worked that day at the Oakland Center and they had made 300,000 calls and had done great work and things were closing down as the door between where we were calling slid open to a party room, balloons, bar, food and party tables with decorations awaiting us. We all strolled over and stood in front of yet another even bigger TV and then it was announced that Barrack Obama was elected President. I saw faces fall and collapse, many faces full of tears and kind of in a devastated state at that news as it wasn't expected. I think we all thought there would be some drama, some trauma, a set back and what there was was an amazing victory. And what I could see on those faces was the removal of the crimp. The young and old black faces trained to think in terms of their race, accepting the limits even as they fought and lost around them, were laid bare by this removal of a reality, a perception that was removed in the election of this Black man as President.
I realize not eveyrone is a Democrat and not everyone is for Barack Obama, but what I was seeing in the faces and the laid open bare and vulnerable young and old African Americans was a sharp removal of something they have carried in one form or another since they had any kind of self concept of themselves, perception of what they are and who they are and what they see in each other that has had them be and feel separate. In that ballroom, those barriers were lifted and the expression was amazing and unique. Where do we go from here I wondered? Barbara Lee, a very brave congresswoman who has time and time again stood and held the line alone quite often spoke. She and the other black congressmen present all acknowledged the impact of this experience of having this major limitation of a group excluded from the office of the Presidency.
Hearing Obama's speech, I felt further that the crimp of self perception and social relevance provided by Obama's campaign and election is responsible for removing in not only the faces of the African Americans, but other minorities in the crowd as we all looked at each other pretty laid bare by this experience. I saw others like myself, who have allowed and accepted things as they are unchallenged, as if it has to be a particular way also laid bare by the potential of what his presidency represents. Will we like animals who have lived in a cage stay within the range of our comfort even as we mumble and grumble about how confining it is, or will we go out there where we don't know how it will be and do what we can to have it be the way we truly want it to be with our fellow human beings. Like Barack said: we can, we did and now every one needs to kept shuffling, keep the essence of the work that has been started out and known to people. There is every reason for optimism though no easy answers and no short term proposition. And, we are all in it together.
When we came back from lunch at 3:15, the pace had picked up and on the big screen reports began to come in as we were making calls to Indiana and Pennsylvania. The results didn't look that good and the huge room got quiet and I felt a kind of dread that maybe all was for naught. See, the all was about breaking a barrier, breaking a limitation. Everybody knew this was about a black man getting to be President and in so doing, projecting a new image to the world of who and what America is. And how we look at the world and how we are seen by the world will most definitely be altered. So in the Oakland Convention Center as I looked around at the worried faces, as the results came in, and felt the dread of experiencing this potential loss, it was disturbing and then I discovered next to me Bart. One of those young men who knows everything a computer can give you information about, who good naturedly told me the states that were showing up as they did were expected. The tone and the tempo picked up again as we all continued our calls now changing to another time zone of calls. Things went along like that for awhile, and then since the sound had been off and we were all busy with our tasks, it was rather stunning to see the projections appear that had Obama projected as the leader in Pennsylvania, in Indiana, in North Carolina, then in Nevada. Cheers erupted and things sped up from there. Bart, the young man who knew everything who had been very seriously at work next to me suddenly said- it's over. Barrack has one. 538, a now famous poll site, had given evidence that all the rest was going to fall into place and that Barack Obama was at 242 in electoral votes, though the TV was only saying 207. Bart picked up his cell phone and shoulder bag and was on his way out the door.
Then the floor manager announced that there had been something like 1100 people who had worked that day at the Oakland Center and they had made 300,000 calls and had done great work and things were closing down as the door between where we were calling slid open to a party room, balloons, bar, food and party tables with decorations awaiting us. We all strolled over and stood in front of yet another even bigger TV and then it was announced that Barrack Obama was elected President. I saw faces fall and collapse, many faces full of tears and kind of in a devastated state at that news as it wasn't expected. I think we all thought there would be some drama, some trauma, a set back and what there was was an amazing victory. And what I could see on those faces was the removal of the crimp. The young and old black faces trained to think in terms of their race, accepting the limits even as they fought and lost around them, were laid bare by this removal of a reality, a perception that was removed in the election of this Black man as President.
I realize not eveyrone is a Democrat and not everyone is for Barack Obama, but what I was seeing in the faces and the laid open bare and vulnerable young and old African Americans was a sharp removal of something they have carried in one form or another since they had any kind of self concept of themselves, perception of what they are and who they are and what they see in each other that has had them be and feel separate. In that ballroom, those barriers were lifted and the expression was amazing and unique. Where do we go from here I wondered? Barbara Lee, a very brave congresswoman who has time and time again stood and held the line alone quite often spoke. She and the other black congressmen present all acknowledged the impact of this experience of having this major limitation of a group excluded from the office of the Presidency.
Hearing Obama's speech, I felt further that the crimp of self perception and social relevance provided by Obama's campaign and election is responsible for removing in not only the faces of the African Americans, but other minorities in the crowd as we all looked at each other pretty laid bare by this experience. I saw others like myself, who have allowed and accepted things as they are unchallenged, as if it has to be a particular way also laid bare by the potential of what his presidency represents. Will we like animals who have lived in a cage stay within the range of our comfort even as we mumble and grumble about how confining it is, or will we go out there where we don't know how it will be and do what we can to have it be the way we truly want it to be with our fellow human beings. Like Barack said: we can, we did and now every one needs to kept shuffling, keep the essence of the work that has been started out and known to people. There is every reason for optimism though no easy answers and no short term proposition. And, we are all in it together.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
San Francisco Symphony Opening Night Gala
For seven years, my husband has been responsible for raising over a million dollars a year for the San Francisco Symphony. We share alot of enthusiasm for the Symphony-both for the fundraisers and the experiences with and around the Symphony. Especially Robbie who made last evening possible, and is the reason my husband's life flows through river and dales with equanimity. Robbie is the Director of Membership Gifts for the Symphony and my husband's boss. Robbie is the gracious waters that provide the channel for symphony giving, and a delight in our life. Each season is unique and this year due to the economy, the gifts have not flowed and it's been a touch year. Even so, because of George and his staff, the steady Brian, the relentless Cyd, the long reach of interest and empathy provided by Ellen, and the dynamic Kassy, the campaign has done all right, better than most across the country. But then it is San Francisco; It is the San Francisco Symphony.
Part of the charm of life with the Symphony has definitely been our sharing the delight of a Symphony evening like last night. It's unique. You see, only at the San Francisco Symphony do you find such a mixture of class and style. You have the old guard dressed to the nines, very regal and yet accessible; you have the young successful professionals with gowns beyond your imagination and all the young men with good haircuts who probably had their $250/person ticket given to them by their employers as a benefit/compensation for their good work; and you have your in tune couples from Noe Valley, Los Altos, Marin and Walnut Creek who enjoy the experience the City provides within the context of the warmth of the the Symphony community. Eyes meet, expressions are shared as you walk the promenade and receive your first glass of champagne.
And then there's Michael Tilton Thomas who speaks to the audience as the world class Conductor and pride of the City; he steps from the side door of the stage and takes his rightful place, turning to the audience and commanding elegantly and wordlessly, their respectful silence by his own as he looks deeply into the full house. Before he turns and begins the experience of West Side Story, "Are you ready?" he asks then turns and begins the evening's main offering. West Side Story has never sounded like it sounded last night. My husband told me Leonard Bernstein had been a mentor to child prodigy Michael Tilton Thomas at the age of 13. The mellowness of the saxophone in Somewhere had the audience motionless and receiving each note fully and every sound, every snap of the fingers held us all spellbound.
And then the dancing: On the dance floor, everyone is a San Franciscan. Up for fun, down for rocking, and Out for a good time. Great food by several restaurants was offered, the wine and vodka flowed and it was a fitting celebration to begin the season for the Symphony. Some years we've danced next to Nancy Pelosi and her husband, the Gettys highly visible near the dance floor enjoying all the action but not engaging, the Mayor around flashing his attention to different people like a beacon of light. Unexpected delights in seeing everyone enjoying themselves and each other. But what I loved was meeting a new friend. Standing at the long bar almost the length of the entry to the lobby, a gorgeous bar laden with poured glasses of champagne allowed a great vantage point to see the people, the gowns and make contact. A smile here. A nod there. Appreciating exchanges going on throughtout the large floor space with the ceiling to floor windows looking out at City Hall all lit up in blue lighting. Even with the crowd, I noticed a woman and her husband, and simultaneously, I inched over feeling her turn in the direction toward us as I did so and proceed towards us. Katherine with a K and I launched into such an intense conversation and found so many common areas of interest that Katherine exploded with 'I love you" right there in the lobby of the Symphony, while our husbands also were deeply involved in a conversation. Actually Katherine and I made plans as she is very much involved in the education of womens health issues, an area of common interests to us both. Did you know, she said, that the one correlation they have established that is consistent in the area of Breast cancer is that Exercise is the main prohibito, the one and only definite claim of a prohibitor. I'm going to go to be her guest on Monday for her presentation, and I invited her to be my guest at the Wisdom Connection. We left with a - This is great! We have a future now! A future plan.
As we left around midnight, the click of heels on pavement and lights ablaze, the energy still high and the bands and dancing still going strong, I felt the future with the Symphony is one I will count on as well. More than just a great evening, which it was, it also is a validation of best parts of the City open to the people for their pleasure represented so well by its Symphony.
Part of the charm of life with the Symphony has definitely been our sharing the delight of a Symphony evening like last night. It's unique. You see, only at the San Francisco Symphony do you find such a mixture of class and style. You have the old guard dressed to the nines, very regal and yet accessible; you have the young successful professionals with gowns beyond your imagination and all the young men with good haircuts who probably had their $250/person ticket given to them by their employers as a benefit/compensation for their good work; and you have your in tune couples from Noe Valley, Los Altos, Marin and Walnut Creek who enjoy the experience the City provides within the context of the warmth of the the Symphony community. Eyes meet, expressions are shared as you walk the promenade and receive your first glass of champagne.
And then there's Michael Tilton Thomas who speaks to the audience as the world class Conductor and pride of the City; he steps from the side door of the stage and takes his rightful place, turning to the audience and commanding elegantly and wordlessly, their respectful silence by his own as he looks deeply into the full house. Before he turns and begins the experience of West Side Story, "Are you ready?" he asks then turns and begins the evening's main offering. West Side Story has never sounded like it sounded last night. My husband told me Leonard Bernstein had been a mentor to child prodigy Michael Tilton Thomas at the age of 13. The mellowness of the saxophone in Somewhere had the audience motionless and receiving each note fully and every sound, every snap of the fingers held us all spellbound.
And then the dancing: On the dance floor, everyone is a San Franciscan. Up for fun, down for rocking, and Out for a good time. Great food by several restaurants was offered, the wine and vodka flowed and it was a fitting celebration to begin the season for the Symphony. Some years we've danced next to Nancy Pelosi and her husband, the Gettys highly visible near the dance floor enjoying all the action but not engaging, the Mayor around flashing his attention to different people like a beacon of light. Unexpected delights in seeing everyone enjoying themselves and each other. But what I loved was meeting a new friend. Standing at the long bar almost the length of the entry to the lobby, a gorgeous bar laden with poured glasses of champagne allowed a great vantage point to see the people, the gowns and make contact. A smile here. A nod there. Appreciating exchanges going on throughtout the large floor space with the ceiling to floor windows looking out at City Hall all lit up in blue lighting. Even with the crowd, I noticed a woman and her husband, and simultaneously, I inched over feeling her turn in the direction toward us as I did so and proceed towards us. Katherine with a K and I launched into such an intense conversation and found so many common areas of interest that Katherine exploded with 'I love you" right there in the lobby of the Symphony, while our husbands also were deeply involved in a conversation. Actually Katherine and I made plans as she is very much involved in the education of womens health issues, an area of common interests to us both. Did you know, she said, that the one correlation they have established that is consistent in the area of Breast cancer is that Exercise is the main prohibito, the one and only definite claim of a prohibitor. I'm going to go to be her guest on Monday for her presentation, and I invited her to be my guest at the Wisdom Connection. We left with a - This is great! We have a future now! A future plan.
As we left around midnight, the click of heels on pavement and lights ablaze, the energy still high and the bands and dancing still going strong, I felt the future with the Symphony is one I will count on as well. More than just a great evening, which it was, it also is a validation of best parts of the City open to the people for their pleasure represented so well by its Symphony.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
FeminineWisdom
Nine of us began a nine month course of study on feminine wisdom together: a discovery of a state of being and communication distinct and clear bringing into our lives the reality of what that is Like many things what it isn't defines it as well as the essence of what it is. For me, it has been the hearing, feeling and seeing between the cracks of positions that have served me to a point, to reach for a broader deeper realm of knowing, allowing, and acknowledging. All of the women in this group have researched with their lives the elements of knowing and discerning the passion and desire, the call that we honor and respond to. Witnessing in each other the shifts and changes that provide the inspiration toward realizing what femine is to the world- distinct and precise. in our daily lives is what we're up to. What it isn't is equally clear-emulating the masculine model of power, masculine standards and measures.
To that point: Hello Sarah Palin. Wow. It's all right with me that a woman is running with McCain if she has the ability to take on the office of the Presidency. However to try to lump Sarah Palin's stand/position in any way as related to the depth of respect for the issues truly worthy of passion and desire for good as demonstrated by Senator Hillary Clinton at the DNC last week is inaccurate. Insulting to all women everywhere, to all people. A bad joke. To slur because you're a woman and feisty, you are the same IS sexism at its most rank form. It is completely insultiing to women who stood for Hillary Clinton that the Republican candidate for President would attempt to confuse and purchase that affection earned by Hillary for her candidacy as President to a woman with totally different positions; Sarah is pro life and a creationist, a step back to the 50's is not what we need. Mc Cain and the Republican party owe the women of America an apology for their obvious sexism, but the pundits are all saying - hey, the blue collared women in the midwest may vote for Sarah since they were going to vote for Hillary. The steps forward that Senator Clinton relentlessly pursued then will not be taken away by Barack Obama and Joe Biden as they go towards the Presidency and include her work, her voice and her commitment to quality of life for American people, Instead that work is being toyed with by as a strategy, an attempt to misguide and bamboozle the women who followed Senator Clinton. Shameless exploitation, and not of Sarah Pain's doing. And you know, there's a hall pass for the RNC here, they can attribute the loss of the election to this woman. Sarah Palin obviously has no women friends in the senate or house of representatives to give her a heads up, no Nancy Pelosi, no Diane Feinstein with whom to take measure of the politics she has been thrown into hells bells. The Republicans have wanted this election to be about personalities rather than their record of the last 8 years, and this is their latest attempt to do that and they have shoved this woman on the political stage to, as Rushed Limbo would say, create chaos and confusion.
More tomorrow on feminine wisdom
To that point: Hello Sarah Palin. Wow. It's all right with me that a woman is running with McCain if she has the ability to take on the office of the Presidency. However to try to lump Sarah Palin's stand/position in any way as related to the depth of respect for the issues truly worthy of passion and desire for good as demonstrated by Senator Hillary Clinton at the DNC last week is inaccurate. Insulting to all women everywhere, to all people. A bad joke. To slur because you're a woman and feisty, you are the same IS sexism at its most rank form. It is completely insultiing to women who stood for Hillary Clinton that the Republican candidate for President would attempt to confuse and purchase that affection earned by Hillary for her candidacy as President to a woman with totally different positions; Sarah is pro life and a creationist, a step back to the 50's is not what we need. Mc Cain and the Republican party owe the women of America an apology for their obvious sexism, but the pundits are all saying - hey, the blue collared women in the midwest may vote for Sarah since they were going to vote for Hillary. The steps forward that Senator Clinton relentlessly pursued then will not be taken away by Barack Obama and Joe Biden as they go towards the Presidency and include her work, her voice and her commitment to quality of life for American people, Instead that work is being toyed with by as a strategy, an attempt to misguide and bamboozle the women who followed Senator Clinton. Shameless exploitation, and not of Sarah Pain's doing. And you know, there's a hall pass for the RNC here, they can attribute the loss of the election to this woman. Sarah Palin obviously has no women friends in the senate or house of representatives to give her a heads up, no Nancy Pelosi, no Diane Feinstein with whom to take measure of the politics she has been thrown into hells bells. The Republicans have wanted this election to be about personalities rather than their record of the last 8 years, and this is their latest attempt to do that and they have shoved this woman on the political stage to, as Rushed Limbo would say, create chaos and confusion.
More tomorrow on feminine wisdom
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
NEW YORKER COVER
The interview on NPR with the Author regarding the NEW YORKER Magazine cover explained that the cover was satire. That we shouldn't take ourselves so seriously that we can't have humor when exaggeration to the extreme which actually contradicts the meaning conveyed is the idea and so no one should be upset about it. Michelle carrying a machine gun and sporting an Afro, the flag burning in the fireplace, Obama in a turban. Satire, political satire to my mind is supposed to give a punch to social ideals that are held as reverent to dispell the hot air and make room for new notions and possibilities , and new ground. This cartoon might have done that, but it failed. It is as funny, as they say, as a rubber crutch. Something not given to joy or humor, but hurtful to watch. The Authors, the Editors, all of the NEW YORKER Magazine staff should just flat out apologize not just to the Obama family, but to the American public for the insult. Even the NEW YORKER makes mistakes, they could say. And we did.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Out of resignation
Really have appreciated feedback from folks about the blog, and you know the real value to me and I hope to those who read it is that there are things happening in the world, not all bad even, that kind of invite exploration and I have the time and the resources to investigate some of the issues and concerns slung around the news and TV as if they are for real, while real information is possible. The issues or concerns I bring up and direction I take in researching available information is not the definitive statement in any sense on any issue. But I will make known the sources of the material that I present and make the distinction between my own opinion and the material I find on different subjects. The subjects I choose are those that present themselves to me as I go through life. One can either ignore, deny, suffer or take it on out of/away from resignation towards some kind of responsibility if only to come to an accurate understanding of the issue.
Like, for instance, Friday afternoon I'm driving home from Lafayette feeling happy about the upcoming weekend, satisfied with the day and the week that has passed, when I hear on NPR that Israel may- upon sufficient threat and intimidation from Iran- respond with bombs and the question is air space: Turkey has said no to their coming across their country to bomb Iran, and the US has control of Iraq and may be in a position to not have Israel use Iraq's airspace to bomb Iran. Or not. And, Israel does bomb Iran, the NPR report said, Iran has indicated that the missles reach will extend to the high density area where there is the largest American population of soldiers and workers. Now see, for me it's hard to change the station and go home and have dinner like this is none of my business. What IS there to do? I decide the thing to do is to try to get information from a creditable source. Strangely enough, there wasn't much info on line or otherwise that I could find directly addressing Israel and Iran, but then I found an article in the Washington Post Sunday paper by Jim Hoegland.
.
The article showed the relationships in the Middle East have a pattern, an understanding that if pressure goes down in one area of the closed Middle East system, it must come out elsewhere. "If Isreal smiles at Syria, Iran must growl at Israel." He went on the describe the process: Israel has approached Iran saberrattling as follows : 1) Israel is moving towards a US led effort in a series of talks in Tehran; 2) Israel is having direct peace talks with Syria in an effort to wean the Arab country from its partial alliance with Iran; and 3) Israel recently accepted a cease fire in Gaza in large part to rebuild political bridges with Egypt. These measures, Hoegland points out have had the effect of their being a new calm last week and bringing down oil prices. Iran then fired off new missles and bragged that they could reach all parts of Israel as well as where the US troops and ships are in the Persion Gulf. Hoegland then goes on to say that the actual threat to global stability has more to do with Tehran than with Bush and Washington. Polarization and conflict help Iranian President Mahmaud Ahmadinejad maintian his shaky grip on power. Bush, only in the past six months, the article states, has stopped playing into Ahmadinejad's political need for conflict and tension. Thus the most significant change in the Middle East scenario is from the US putting public and private pressure on Israel.
And that pressure is focused on the use of sanctions. Israel Ambassador M. Sallai Mandoor has requested that the Worlds' oil companies not sell gasoline that is used by Iran's nuclear scientists, as well as sanctions on insurance and maritime and air transportation that would raise the cost of Iran's doing business.
Somehow the Washington Post article gave some gravitas to the floaty threats and intimidating blurbs from the radio and TV news. It even sounded hopeful to me.
Like, for instance, Friday afternoon I'm driving home from Lafayette feeling happy about the upcoming weekend, satisfied with the day and the week that has passed, when I hear on NPR that Israel may- upon sufficient threat and intimidation from Iran- respond with bombs and the question is air space: Turkey has said no to their coming across their country to bomb Iran, and the US has control of Iraq and may be in a position to not have Israel use Iraq's airspace to bomb Iran. Or not. And, Israel does bomb Iran, the NPR report said, Iran has indicated that the missles reach will extend to the high density area where there is the largest American population of soldiers and workers. Now see, for me it's hard to change the station and go home and have dinner like this is none of my business. What IS there to do? I decide the thing to do is to try to get information from a creditable source. Strangely enough, there wasn't much info on line or otherwise that I could find directly addressing Israel and Iran, but then I found an article in the Washington Post Sunday paper by Jim Hoegland.
.
The article showed the relationships in the Middle East have a pattern, an understanding that if pressure goes down in one area of the closed Middle East system, it must come out elsewhere. "If Isreal smiles at Syria, Iran must growl at Israel." He went on the describe the process: Israel has approached Iran saberrattling as follows : 1) Israel is moving towards a US led effort in a series of talks in Tehran; 2) Israel is having direct peace talks with Syria in an effort to wean the Arab country from its partial alliance with Iran; and 3) Israel recently accepted a cease fire in Gaza in large part to rebuild political bridges with Egypt. These measures, Hoegland points out have had the effect of their being a new calm last week and bringing down oil prices. Iran then fired off new missles and bragged that they could reach all parts of Israel as well as where the US troops and ships are in the Persion Gulf. Hoegland then goes on to say that the actual threat to global stability has more to do with Tehran than with Bush and Washington. Polarization and conflict help Iranian President Mahmaud Ahmadinejad maintian his shaky grip on power. Bush, only in the past six months, the article states, has stopped playing into Ahmadinejad's political need for conflict and tension. Thus the most significant change in the Middle East scenario is from the US putting public and private pressure on Israel.
And that pressure is focused on the use of sanctions. Israel Ambassador M. Sallai Mandoor has requested that the Worlds' oil companies not sell gasoline that is used by Iran's nuclear scientists, as well as sanctions on insurance and maritime and air transportation that would raise the cost of Iran's doing business.
Somehow the Washington Post article gave some gravitas to the floaty threats and intimidating blurbs from the radio and TV news. It even sounded hopeful to me.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
MUST SEE WALL E
Last night my son mentioned going to see Wall-E, always ahead of us in music and film but his choices not necessarily always in the realm of our interest, or vice versa. Then reviews this morning from Frank Rich of the New York Times sealed the deal. My husband is an artist and loves Pixar films, but I'm only thinking CARS was fun because I was with my two grandsons. But no, Pixar has come up with a film that as Frank Rich today in the New York Times, states is an enormous box office Independence Weekend success, similar to Farrenheit 9/11 which prior to this had the largest summer weekend success. 2004, Rich points out, looks like the good old days compared to now: Today Oil is $140/barrell compared to $38/barrell then; The June 2008 stock market has taken its greatest dive since the depression, there are layoffs and forclosures across all income line and no end in sight. WALL-E, Rich describes as a robot meets robot lovestory set in the smoldering and abandoned earth of the year 2700; he observes the effect on the young audience predominantly under 12 with the film featuring visual and musical similarities to the film 2001:A Space Oddysey; he points out that it's a story not about good over evil but an awakening, an inspiration to take care of the world as we know it before time runs out.
Rich began the article talking about getting away from the 24/7 coverage of the presidential campaign, it's clatter and crass filling our lives claiming to represent the real world, but his take on WALL-E is this is where we can find more reality about the world, any semblance of truth. Further he thinks Obama and McCain should see this film, as they have both slide into the complacency of their candidacies looking to dodge and weave their way into the white house. Who doesn't find it alarming to consider Obama using Mark Penn and other Clinton staffers and directing his campaign towards the middle to pander votes.
It's hard not to see I have noticed since Obama's candidacy nomination the deft oppotunistic moves away from his stand on government snooping, and conditions on ending the war using the "the generals to inform his decisions when I am President". Trying to be everyman's man just never has really worked, just like Lincoln said: " You can fool some of the people some of the time..." Impossible to tolerate it seems to me. It's like the Safeway/Clintons or Bush moved out of the shopping center and Albertsons /Obama or McCain moved in and life goes on. Trying hard not to notice but can't help but see the Vice Presidency issue is huge this time around.
Nora Ephron today in the Huffington Post had a column on Gore as the Vice Presidential candidate with all the attributes Obama needs, especially his strong immutable stake in all the important issues of our times. He wouldn't change jerseys no matter what was required of him I'm thinking.
But back to Rich who had somethings to say about McCain that rang true also. The real problem with McCain is not his age in terms of number of years, he says, but his rigidity and the fact that he is willing to not do as much as develop computer skills to engage with the rest of the world, and remains in fixed position where flexible and creative thinking is the very least we can have with the new leader of the Western world.
So we will be off to WALL-E and what I'm wanting from the film is that there is the renewal of spirit to buttress people to withstand the campaign propoganda to determine their own information and action to take to back that up. The cable network is selling us on news while they sell cars, drugs and other network shows. Back to the Safeway analogy, when we go to the store, we decide on the product we want that suits us and know all the clerks are there making a living and don't know what we need or want. We'd hardly be looking to them to guide our decisions or pocketbooks; same is true for all of the self important newscasters with their opinions and selling points toward some position that has a lifespan of 5 minutes till the next thing comes along. We're on our own here.
Rich began the article talking about getting away from the 24/7 coverage of the presidential campaign, it's clatter and crass filling our lives claiming to represent the real world, but his take on WALL-E is this is where we can find more reality about the world, any semblance of truth. Further he thinks Obama and McCain should see this film, as they have both slide into the complacency of their candidacies looking to dodge and weave their way into the white house. Who doesn't find it alarming to consider Obama using Mark Penn and other Clinton staffers and directing his campaign towards the middle to pander votes.
It's hard not to see I have noticed since Obama's candidacy nomination the deft oppotunistic moves away from his stand on government snooping, and conditions on ending the war using the "the generals to inform his decisions when I am President". Trying to be everyman's man just never has really worked, just like Lincoln said: " You can fool some of the people some of the time..." Impossible to tolerate it seems to me. It's like the Safeway/Clintons or Bush moved out of the shopping center and Albertsons /Obama or McCain moved in and life goes on. Trying hard not to notice but can't help but see the Vice Presidency issue is huge this time around.
Nora Ephron today in the Huffington Post had a column on Gore as the Vice Presidential candidate with all the attributes Obama needs, especially his strong immutable stake in all the important issues of our times. He wouldn't change jerseys no matter what was required of him I'm thinking.
But back to Rich who had somethings to say about McCain that rang true also. The real problem with McCain is not his age in terms of number of years, he says, but his rigidity and the fact that he is willing to not do as much as develop computer skills to engage with the rest of the world, and remains in fixed position where flexible and creative thinking is the very least we can have with the new leader of the Western world.
So we will be off to WALL-E and what I'm wanting from the film is that there is the renewal of spirit to buttress people to withstand the campaign propoganda to determine their own information and action to take to back that up. The cable network is selling us on news while they sell cars, drugs and other network shows. Back to the Safeway analogy, when we go to the store, we decide on the product we want that suits us and know all the clerks are there making a living and don't know what we need or want. We'd hardly be looking to them to guide our decisions or pocketbooks; same is true for all of the self important newscasters with their opinions and selling points toward some position that has a lifespan of 5 minutes till the next thing comes along. We're on our own here.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
PATRIOTISM - A VIRTUE OR LIMITATION
Recently I heard "Rushed Limbo" (you know who I mean) say on the radio at 9 AM, Democrats hate soldiers and it's so unfair that the service men are going to come home to nothing because the Democrats hate soldiers. Not the first time I've heard this man do his insane rant designed to confuse and abuse reason. Nothing could be further from the truth I thought; all of us, everyone of us feels the incredible sense of loss and heartache over the in many cases late teen, early '20's soldiers whose lives have been lost or will never be the same. The Post Traumatic Stress indicator of perhaps 49% of the soldiers who will admit to symptoms of PTSD are only the tip of the iceberg they say, because in the military if you admit to that form of fragility or damage, you could be put out of the military poste haste or at least have your function limited and diminished. No Democrats don't hate Soldiers, they hate the lies that sent them to do duty that has been destructive hurting the people we supposedly are helping beyond scope and measure; they hate the poor care and respect the soldiers receive upon their homecomings; they hate the lack of standards that allowed in soldiers who are not equipped to deal with the war, barely able to function and seeing poor alternatives outside the military getting in because of the limited entry standards.
Patriotism is a word that is being cast about to attempt to reduce the value of the distinctions of individuality which is what this country was based on. Anybody who didn't read or see on HBO John Adams ought to do whatever it takes to take in the information of what actually patriotism looks like. It has rough edges, it is combative, it is the willingness to see where mistakes have been made - mistakes are a fact, it's the admitting and cleaning up that makes for courage. Time's article by Richard Stengel on The New Patriotism makes the distinction between the conservative and liberal strains of what is definited as patriotism and through which they debate their politics. "The True Patriot" by Eric Liu and Nick Hanauer is the New Patriotism means appreciating what's great about our country but what it takes to creat and sustain greatness.
Paternalism is not necessary patriotic and on Father's Day on NPR, there was an amazing program discussing both Obama and McCain's relationships with their fathers on tape from their books on their fathers. So different and so much the same. McCain's Admiral father whose father was an Admiral was a hero figure not often present with his family in naval life. But the father's presence in spirit as the moral judge of how McCain measured his own conduct was a primary influence sustained all the way through his POW capture and release. It was noted that his father ordered the bombing over the area where he was known to be a POW. McCain felt privileged with having his father as a presence in his life, even though their contact was limited and in his dad's later years he was exposed to what his father became, somewhat bitter and alcoholic and a man he couldn't relate to or identify when McCain was in his company during those times. The relationship with his father he credited with the hold he had over himself of not wanting to disappoint his father or let his country down irregardless of whatever they did to him, in prison.
Obama's father was a Head man in Kenya, and therefore Obama was a prince in the tribal group where his father lived, Obama reports in the tape of his book The Dreams of My Father. He was taken away by his mother to the US and had no contact with his father and in the absence of that contact, he made up who his father was with family stories. These stories had him take on rigorous moral standards for himself pleasing his grandparents and mother, but actually designed to meet the height of strength that he attributed to his father. When his father died, he returned to his father's country and there he heard different stories about who his father was: am embittered man who turned to drink in the losses that were the mainstay of his later years.
In both cases, the imagined status of the father propelled the sons to take on strong moral stances, higher and harder positions in valuing service and patriotism. McCain has had the reputation of a Maverick, a loner who doesn't fit it, not a very popular Republican candidate with only 33% of the Republican donors coming through for him because of his reliance not on the ideals of other people's interpretion of what is right, but marking his own territory. Obama, mixed race child of a single mother has a wider and more inclusive interpretation and perspective. Both have taken on the view of America having a greatness of purpose, but defining what their role will be is the history we are about to see unfold.
Each of us are patriots, back to the John Adams book, to the degree we work to see our truth and act in ways that demonstrate that democracy exists simply because we say so. It is a concept we fill out by how we see and act out our view of how we see the world and the responsibility we take to bring about the elements of the Declaration of Independence. It lives through us or not at all. Pretty scairy stuff, and something to be excited about in this election.
Happy 4th of July!
Patriotism is a word that is being cast about to attempt to reduce the value of the distinctions of individuality which is what this country was based on. Anybody who didn't read or see on HBO John Adams ought to do whatever it takes to take in the information of what actually patriotism looks like. It has rough edges, it is combative, it is the willingness to see where mistakes have been made - mistakes are a fact, it's the admitting and cleaning up that makes for courage. Time's article by Richard Stengel on The New Patriotism makes the distinction between the conservative and liberal strains of what is definited as patriotism and through which they debate their politics. "The True Patriot" by Eric Liu and Nick Hanauer is the New Patriotism means appreciating what's great about our country but what it takes to creat and sustain greatness.
Paternalism is not necessary patriotic and on Father's Day on NPR, there was an amazing program discussing both Obama and McCain's relationships with their fathers on tape from their books on their fathers. So different and so much the same. McCain's Admiral father whose father was an Admiral was a hero figure not often present with his family in naval life. But the father's presence in spirit as the moral judge of how McCain measured his own conduct was a primary influence sustained all the way through his POW capture and release. It was noted that his father ordered the bombing over the area where he was known to be a POW. McCain felt privileged with having his father as a presence in his life, even though their contact was limited and in his dad's later years he was exposed to what his father became, somewhat bitter and alcoholic and a man he couldn't relate to or identify when McCain was in his company during those times. The relationship with his father he credited with the hold he had over himself of not wanting to disappoint his father or let his country down irregardless of whatever they did to him, in prison.
Obama's father was a Head man in Kenya, and therefore Obama was a prince in the tribal group where his father lived, Obama reports in the tape of his book The Dreams of My Father. He was taken away by his mother to the US and had no contact with his father and in the absence of that contact, he made up who his father was with family stories. These stories had him take on rigorous moral standards for himself pleasing his grandparents and mother, but actually designed to meet the height of strength that he attributed to his father. When his father died, he returned to his father's country and there he heard different stories about who his father was: am embittered man who turned to drink in the losses that were the mainstay of his later years.
In both cases, the imagined status of the father propelled the sons to take on strong moral stances, higher and harder positions in valuing service and patriotism. McCain has had the reputation of a Maverick, a loner who doesn't fit it, not a very popular Republican candidate with only 33% of the Republican donors coming through for him because of his reliance not on the ideals of other people's interpretion of what is right, but marking his own territory. Obama, mixed race child of a single mother has a wider and more inclusive interpretation and perspective. Both have taken on the view of America having a greatness of purpose, but defining what their role will be is the history we are about to see unfold.
Each of us are patriots, back to the John Adams book, to the degree we work to see our truth and act in ways that demonstrate that democracy exists simply because we say so. It is a concept we fill out by how we see and act out our view of how we see the world and the responsibility we take to bring about the elements of the Declaration of Independence. It lives through us or not at all. Pretty scairy stuff, and something to be excited about in this election.
Happy 4th of July!
WHO'S HAPPY OUT THERE?
The July edition of Newsweek had a riveting article by Lorraine Ali: Who Says Kids Make You Happy. Turns out that Daniel Gilbert's 2006 book "Stumbling on Happiness" indicates that marital satisfaction dsecreases dramatically after the birth of the firs tchild, and increases only after the last child has left home. Arthur C. Brooks, Author of 2008 "Gross National Happiness" finds that parents are 
about 7 percentage points less likely to report being happy than the childless. This goes against the cultural graine for sure and the authors reported getting hate mail in response to some of their survey work according to Robin Simon, a sociology professor who gathered information from 13,000 families. The childless couples, it is suggested, must feel redeemed for their heretofore unpopular stance of choosing child free marriages.
Then again in a recent Time magazine series on love, the research showed that while falling in love a temporary insanity highly positive in value, has a term limit of approximately 18 months, and that the mythology of the 7 year itch where the bloom is off the rose, the honeymoon is over, and intensity in the relationship is diminished-is an actual measureable outcome. In the state of being in love, as opposed to before was researched What makes people happy in love is how they feel about themselves as much as how they feel about their fascination with the object of their affection. However, after 7 years people pretty much go back to whatever their former state of happiness or unhappiness before the falling in love.
Seems like what makes people happy is themselves: what they choose to put their attention on or are compelled to find attractive that requires something more of themselves that they respond to than they would find within themselves would be one assessment of these studies reported.
Having a necessary funtion/role/passion fulfills and maybe that's what makes us happy. Another report of the Newsweek July 7th article is that married people are significantly less likely than the unmarried to visit their parents or siblings; 80% of the unmarried contacted parents with the the past month was the report. Hmmm, so what makes us happy might be intimate contact and two can be the loneliest number accordingly to this data, wedded bliss and isolation chosen over contact outside the unit.
My happiness is all about intimate contact sharing my life with other people, experiencing what other people feel and care about even if I don't agree with them. That is the very reason for this blog. How about you? Who's happy out there and what do you attribute to your state of happiness or unhappiness?
about 7 percentage points less likely to report being happy than the childless. This goes against the cultural graine for sure and the authors reported getting hate mail in response to some of their survey work according to Robin Simon, a sociology professor who gathered information from 13,000 families. The childless couples, it is suggested, must feel redeemed for their heretofore unpopular stance of choosing child free marriages.Then again in a recent Time magazine series on love, the research showed that while falling in love a temporary insanity highly positive in value, has a term limit of approximately 18 months, and that the mythology of the 7 year itch where the bloom is off the rose, the honeymoon is over, and intensity in the relationship is diminished-is an actual measureable outcome. In the state of being in love, as opposed to before was researched What makes people happy in love is how they feel about themselves as much as how they feel about their fascination with the object of their affection. However, after 7 years people pretty much go back to whatever their former state of happiness or unhappiness before the falling in love.
Seems like what makes people happy is themselves: what they choose to put their attention on or are compelled to find attractive that requires something more of themselves that they respond to than they would find within themselves would be one assessment of these studies reported.
Having a necessary funtion/role/passion fulfills and maybe that's what makes us happy. Another report of the Newsweek July 7th article is that married people are significantly less likely than the unmarried to visit their parents or siblings; 80% of the unmarried contacted parents with the the past month was the report. Hmmm, so what makes us happy might be intimate contact and two can be the loneliest number accordingly to this data, wedded bliss and isolation chosen over contact outside the unit.
My happiness is all about intimate contact sharing my life with other people, experiencing what other people feel and care about even if I don't agree with them. That is the very reason for this blog. How about you? Who's happy out there and what do you attribute to your state of happiness or unhappiness?
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Michelle Obama was on the View Today
Don't know about your politics, who you favored Hillary, Michelle or Cindy McCain, but for me, Michelle is all about straight talk and the ladies of the View have benefit of her company on the view today. I think the thing that impresses me most about Mrs. Obama is that her life with her family will definitely have the cost of the public glare and misrepresentation of her motives and intentions will be her unpleasant company in the months ahead. But I like the straight ahead that she demonstrates. Watching the Obama's navigate the tricky waters and stormy attacks with grace and dignity is what I have seen consistently. Take a look.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFPMjtj5Jcc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFPMjtj5Jcc
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
