'I won't ask anyone to move on, but I hope we can all move forward'

'I won't ask anyone to move on, but I hope we can all move forward'

Progress in Northern Ireland. Always good news to my ears: First Minister Michelle O'Neill

Knowledge is Mightier than the Gun

A short news item encountered on BBC News. A rare day when something important, insightful, and uplifting makes it into my news feed. I want to pass it on: The Black Mambas: South Africa's all-female anti-poaching unit

There is Power in a Union

A great example of working people in the Scandinavian region uniting to support each other. Owners and management have lawyers, accountants & consultants at their disposal to make sure their way of life remains the best it can be. So too should their workers. See the concept in action: Tesla's Scandinavian woes deepen 

Financial Times' most influential women of 2023

The year end lists for 2023 have started. This one is comprised by women of influence across the world. The authors offer concise explanations on why they made the list and how they have affected their own lives. Influential women of 2023

Washington D.C's Hidden Architect for America's Future 

Forget the big names in the nation's capitol. This is the person you need to be concerned with changing the country:  We Don't Talk About Leonard

John Williams discusses his Star Wars music

Now retired KUSC legendairy host Jim Svjeda with his good friend John Williams in 23 minutes of fascinating conversation: Jim I am your fan!

The second year has begun in a war that was orchestrated by an evil man. Allowed by those who prop him up, the loss of life is massive and atrocities vast.  

A part of the living slowly dies as loved ones perish. The lyrics speak to a missing son. Daughters, sisters, brothers, wives, husbands, aunts & uncles have died in this war as well. 

Gorecki's Symphony No. 3, Third Movement

Where has he gone

My dearest son?

Perhaps during the uprising

The cruel enemy killed him

Ah, you bad people

In the name of God, the most Holy,

Tell me, why did you kill

My son?

Never again

Will I have his support

Even if I cry

My old eyes out

Were my bitter tears

to create another River Oder

They would not restore to life

My son

He lies in his grave

and I know not where

Though I keep asking people

Everywhere

Perhaps the poor child

Lies in a rough ditch

and instead he could have been

lying in his warm bed

Oh, sing for him

God's little song-birds

Since his mother

Cannot find him

And you, God's little flowers

May you blossom all around

So that my son

May sleep happily

Note: I chose this work by Henryk Górecki because it speaks to loss. First heard at the end of a film, it was so moving that I bought the recording. Upon reading the credits, I saw that the soprano who touched me deeply was a childhood school mate.

Myanmar on the Brink: Freedom or Military Dictatorship?

  Myanmar has undergone a military coup by order of self declared leader, General Min Aung Hlaing.  On February 1, 2021, the democratically elected government was two hours from convening for the first time when the Tatmadaw—Myanmar's military, took control of the country by force. The leaders of the elected government, National League for Democracy (NLD) were arrested and detained.

The people of Myanmar began a Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) shortly after the coup. CDM is peaceful, and respectful protests. Professionals throughout the country are participating including those from the healthcare, utilities, financial, transportation and entertainment/arts industry. They have brought the city to a standstill by declaring solidarity with the NLD. Their objective is to continue the CDM until the elected leaders of the NLD are released and the democratically elected representatives return to govern the country.

This has evoked an increasingly hostile response from the military. Reports of thousands of violent criminals being released from prisons and transported to areas around the country are rampant. They are said to be attempting to mix in peaceful protests and trying to create the illusion of violent citizen protests. There are also reports of peaceful protesters being beaten by the thugs. Police are also beating citizens as evidenced by camera footage made available on the internet.

The tactics of the military are clear: force the country back to work through fear and intimidation. Barring this, General Hlaing and the Tatmadaw cannot sustain the coup. There simply will not be an infrastructure in which to govern. Therefore, their coercion tactics have become rampant.

It is imperative that the Civil Disobedience Movement continue unabated. There will be deaths, there will be guns, clubs, thugs and fire. However, there are 54 million peaceful, hard working and gentle people in Myanmar. They have tasted democracy and cannot stomach anything else. They are a tidal wave that cannot be stopped. They will win their freedom.

"Freedom is never granted: It is won. Justice is never given: It is exacted."

These are the words of  A. Philip Randolph, the great American Labor leader who organized the 1963 March on Washington. 

The Attempt to Destroy Barack Obama on the Internet

I've seen quite a bit of dirty politics in my time. Being from Chicago gives me somewhat of a head start in sorting out the misfits, power brokers and hardball tacticians from the earnest individuals who want real change.

In my time, I've not witnessed an attempt to defame a politician as vicious as the documentary that seeped onto the internet this election year. It was called 'Dreams from My Real Father'. 

It was yet another despicable attempt to attach ugliness, fear and hatred to the character of the president. It first came to my attention while viewing the Drudge Report website. Drudge is basically a news aggregate, mixed with what appeared to be an effort to show the president as inept. 

Almost every news story seemed to be a headline written with the intent to place the Obama administration in a negative light. An example of this was found on the day when the largest paper in Utah endorsed the president, Drudge never mentioned it. Nor did he mention Colin Powell's endorsement of Obama. The documentary however, was being advertised on the header of the website.

This documentary implied and in many instances came out and stated that the president was raised by relatives who were CIA spies, and leaders of an underworld organization out to overthrow America. Why was this done? Because the tactic of convincing the world Barack Obama was not born in America failed. 

So this time, they took the approach that he was born into communism. Three days ago, we received the verdict on what America thinks about this documentary. Barack Obama was reelected.

And while I might be inclined to call for action against those that perpetrated this despicable smear campaign, I'll settle for something much more satisfying. Watching them squirm as the president successfully leads America the next four years.

Blog Action Day: The Green Gambit...

Dr. Hunter S. Thompson made an appearance on ‘Late Night with David Letterman’ some years ago. ‘Late Night’ was broadcasting from a New York hotel room that evening, and Hunter was nestled on a couch next to Carly Simon. 

Doc was fidgeting with his jacket and shirtsleeves, while Dave was trying to ask him questions. Letterman, half-annoyingly confronted the good doctor

“Hunter, what on earth are you doing!” 

Thompson looked up, took a sip of his Chivas, and stated 

“Well, you’ve got the hot lights in front of me and the cold air blowing in the window behind. I am not sure which will prevail.”

The above and the four seasons I experienced growing up in Chicago comprise my knowledge on climate change. I haven’t seen the Gore movie, followed Leonardo’s (the actor) call to arms or sent checks to Greenpeace.

I am pretty much like the rest of the overworked zombies that make-up the world’s workforce. We spend most of our day preparing for, getting to, sloshing through paperwork and people, and go back to our nests. 

We are bombarded the rest of the time with sensory over-load. Therefore, when something of substance is placed before us, we look to the talking heads of the world to explain it and tell us what to do.

Historically, the good have taken on the bad and prevented the ugly. World War II is the best example of that. And polio was confronted and for the most part, eradicated.  It is a bit early yet, but a vaccine for HIV looks promising. 

These were threats to humanity that were deemed unacceptable. They were confronted head on, and our collective focus was sure. Our world would be afforded more time to smooth the imperfections that drive us onward.

With the new millennium came the wake-up call to confront something they called ‘Global Warming’. The ominous tone signaled impending disaster if the world did not change its energy habits.

It seems reasonable to think that even for overworked zombies, we could have responded in the 'all-for-one, one-for-all' mode. After all, this time nobody would have to take up arms, nobody would be killed and bombs would not be dropped.

Yet, a strange thing has occurred. Skeptics who believe climate change is a myth have gone into overdrive to hasten down the winds of change. The plans had been drawn, and the world was listening. The momentum appears to have been sidelined in favor of reviving a war on shadows, and replenishing squandered riches. Will we wait or try to catch the prevailing wind?



-Today, Thursday, 15 October, 2009 is Blog Action Day. A concept that finds bloggers around the world posting about the topic at hand, climate change. To read more posts check out www.blogactionday.org

Out of Print...

The newspaper industry may be the last sign of an era that is phasing out. Papers are ubiquitous. They occupy a place on every corner of every major city in the world, and in the hearts of their citizens. This will soon end. Taking its place is an industry with little use for paper, ink, or cigar chomping reporters. The new information industry will provide updates before the ink on newsprint has had the time to dry.

Time-honored institutions that carry monikers like Daily, Globe, Herald, Tribune, and Times, cannot compete with the electronic devices that time sensitive youth have come to rely upon for their information. They have neither the patience for nor the understanding of attaching sentimentality to their information.

The names Royko, Landers, Bradlee, Bombeck, Jarrett, Payne, Fuller and Lovejoy – will their snarling, inquisitive, straight shot, humorous, and courageous styles of journalism live on? Will the Billy Goat be shuttered in favor of an Internet café? Will the sacred, crown jewel of the industry – investigative integrity - be passed along to the next era of media? The ‘State of the Union’ could very well depend on it.

No longer will colorful rows of metal boxes line the streets. No longer will the old-timers emerge from the dark to deliver magazines, papers, and tomorrows Racing Form to anonymous drivers lurching into pockets for change. No longer will they disappear back into their cavernous shacks to stare distantly into the past until another vehicle approaches. In the future, zero dark thirty in America will find the nighthawks scampering to find a trace of the past. A refuge from the cleanly swept memories of ‘open all night’.

I believe it when they say this new age of information is vastly superior to the eras of the past. Much like when Gutenberg revealed what his new invention was capable of. I am sure they will replace silly putty and copy Dick Tracy’s Sunday strip in some electronic way that brings wonder to the eyes of a child. Or cover the bottom of a birdcage with yesterday’s newsprint, and the kitchen floor when Dad brings home a new puppy. Or spending Sunday morning nestled in a cozy bed with the various sections of the paper strewn about the covers - the crossword puzzle half-finished. Yes, they will all be replaced somehow, I just can’t figure out by what.

Thoughts for an upcoming holiday...

Troll the waters of any cable TV, filler content, the uglier the better, sledgehammer of the month 'television news journalist', and you'll find President Barack Obama's head firmly situated on the chopping block. Never mind that he has done little more than save the economy, stock market, auto industry, soon to be health care industry and beyond that, with some leftover mojo, maybe, just maybe - Afghanistan.

November is coming and one of our oldest and most sacred holidays requires millions of farmers to sharpen the axes. The gobblers haven't done anything wrong and neither has Obama, but the fact remains that millions need to be fed, and as much as we love Grandma's gravy, political blood is much tastier when football alone will not take the edge off of the realities of national recovery.

We are an impatient society. We have been given much. It came from back breaking labor of our grandparents, and theirs as well. Their patience and sacrifice have allowed millions to taste the fruits of education and the promise that comes with it. The results have enabled us to move further ahead, and faster than any other time in our brief history.

Now that we are on the brink of unbelievable breakthroughs in medicine, technology, and global partnership, are we willing to trample the gains and spirits of our ancestors in a rush to misjudgement? Consider the story of the Fox and the grapes. Factor this in, Americans are being intimidated, and frightened by the same big, bad, bully who picked on you at school, he was and still is seeking attention.

It's funny, but as Americans accept the holiday time off from work, prepare their feasts and fill their plates high, increasing numbers will dig in before giving thanks for the blessings that have filled their tables. And this year, will we forget the dire predicament this nation was in one year ago, with many whispering 'end of America', and those same television news journalist's shouting 'utter collapse'. Will the man who held the nation together be remembered on the this sacred day? Our day of Thanksgiving?