I thought about it off and on. Part of my life recedes in the rear view mirror: running. In my early years, those when I was a kid at play, or in the school yard, I loved to run. Running was fun. I always chose to run instead of walk no matter the occasional…
Several posts ago I invited comment from readers who viewed the Netflix film, The 13th. The film title is a reference to the 13th amendment to the constitution that freed the slaves during the Civil War. The point of the film is the loophole, an exception to universal freedom which we hear indefatigably advertised…
Many things on my mind this morning. We viewed the film Harriet last night. It is the story of Harriet Tubman, escaped slave from a Maryland slaveholder, becoming a female “Moses” returning to the area of her former captivity to lead family members and others to freedom. As a former Southerner I was rocked…
Sometimes you know what is going to happen, — and yet seeing for one’s self is a shocking revelation. This video shot in Harrison, Ark. by Rob Bliss was mentioned in the NYT Thursday edition of The Morning update. I am not a consumer of Youtube videos as a general rule. Viewing takes time…
I finished reading America, by Jean Baudrillard published in 1986. It is Baudrillard’s reflection upon his stay in this country, a rough parallel to the commentary by Alexis de Tocqueville in 1835. A recurring theme for Baudrillard is a comparison between the desert and the cities, especially Los Angeles. The concluding chapter is entitled…
Yesterday was blazing hot. The sun felt like you were too close to that charcoal grill. Yet my wife, the disciplined person that she is, prepared to embark on a lengthy walk in the neighborhood. I offered to go along, and she said Ok. She is serious about walking as a fitness regimen, while…
The world, meaning the wider, invisible context of my life, present in mind’s awareness is increasingly given over to chaos. It has not always been this way. There have been interludes of peace, of normality, when the rivers tranquil flow transported commerce, and ordinary ‘gossipy news’ that was a standard mix of fact and…
The fifties were a real high spot in the US…and you can feel the nostalgia for those years,for the ecstasy of power, when power held power.In the seventies power was still there,but the spell was broken.That was orgy time(war, sex, Manson, Woodstock).Today the orgy is over.The US, like everyone else,now has to face up…
Banality, lack of culture, and vulgarity do not have the same meaning here as they have in Europe. Or perhaps this is merely the crazy notion of a European, a fascination with an unreal America. Perhaps Americans are quite simply vulgar, and this meta-vulgarity is merely something I have dreamed up. Who knows? But…
Monday morning breaks with brilliant sunlight. I can hear the voice of our granddaughter, about 9 months old, loudly expressing pre-language delight in another day of life, of shapes, colors, sounds, of endless adventure and opportunity for exploration. May she never lose her voice, misplace her passion. While preparing breakfast I noticed a wild…
