RIP Al Myers

In stunned silence I sit down to write someting in response to the news that our friend, Al Myers died last night. He was a prince among men; truly a great soul.

I only knew him in the context of community theatre. He was an actor, a producer, a director, and a "techie." He pitched in. He did what needed to be done. He did what he did with a good attitude and was always willing to help, coach, mentor, or follow without complaint.

Al was cast as Peter in a production of Jesus Christ Superstar that I directed in 2003. Surprised as I was that he chose to audition for a show that he had directed (in 1989), I was so grateful for what he brought to that production. Al stepped into that role and got it; he understood Peter's complexity and sadness, even to the point of helping create one of the most amazing moments in the production: a Pieta at the very end.

The first time I worked with Al he played Lazar Wolfe in Lyric Theatre Company's production of Fiddler on the Roof in 1993; the last time was when he directed that show in 2006. My wife produced that show, we were continually grateful for the opportunity to work with him. Sue says she learned much about the role of Producer from Al; he always took the time to work with each of the teams involved in the production so he could develop relationships with the team members and keep lines of communication open to know where there might be challenges that needed to be addressed.

Al was a brave director. He's the one who directed Finian's Rainbow in 1994; it's a show with a very diverse cast (and includes a subplot about a bigoted Senator from "Missitucky" who is turned black) with oustanding results. During the 2006 production of Fiddler, Al made a point of helping the cast come to an understanding of what people from villages like Anatevka went through, including having a seminar with a rabbi from Ohavi Zedek Synagogue and a seder dinner for the cast and congregation.

He was also a Civil War re-enactor (he's in the back row on the right in the linked photo). Al looked great as a colonel in the 2nd VT Volunteers. I can imagine him as a great leader in that awful war, his gentle strength would be an inspiration to the troops.

I don't know what else to say about the man from whom we can learn so much. WWAD? "What would Al do?" could be a good place to start when undertaking almost anything, and most certainly when thinking about how we treat each other.

I hope he knew how much we appreciated him.

An Articulated Mystery

A way of articulating a great mystery occurred to me in church last Sunday morning. During the time for children, the minister asked them to raise their hands if they knew Jesus loves them. Then she built a few more questions, ending with:

"Do you know that Jesus wants us to be kind and good to one another?"

When I heard that I was struck with the paradox of Fox News. We have removed it from our house for exactly that reason.

While she is an extreme example, the titles of the works of Ann Coulter come to mind, when she belittles a whole category of people (broad-brushedly called "liberals") with a mean-spiritedness that astonishes me. The same sort of thing comes from Limbaugh and others on talk radio, as well as on Fox News and, particularly disturbingly, in emails that get forwarded endlessly by people whose participation in propogating such hate speech is truly disappointing.

Do we know that Jesus wants us to be kind and good to one another?

I want our children to know and act accordingly.

When I'm helping my parents with their email and I see forwarded "Liberal"-bashing emails in their inbox I wonder, "If the sender had Jesus' email address, would He be on the distribution list?" What about repudiation? When is it incumbent upon us to stand up, hit "reply all", and say "That's not OK!" Should we actually be kind and good to one another, or does it not count when we're talking about "them?" There are many different kinds of them. Which ones are OK to speak unkindly about? Which are subhuman? Which deserve ridicule?

That's part of why you can't see Fox News on our TV. It's not OK in our house to be cruel and unkind and unfriendly, and that's how people like us get treated by that network. We happen to believe in some of the ideas that would have us branded (I wouldn't be surprised to learn that some people would support the use of branding irons for this) as Liberals. And we think that it is a good idea to be kind and good to one another.

Mental Contortionism

A former classmate of mine made a comment on something I had posted on Facebook regarding Nobel Prize winning economist Paul Krugman's Op-Ed in the Times, Forgive and Forget in which he said

"...if we don’t have an inquest into what happened during the Bush years — and nearly everyone has taken Mr. Obama’s remarks to mean that we won’t — this means that those who hold power are indeed above the law because they don’t face any consequences if they abuse their power."

I had wondered as much in an earlier post, suspecting that John McCain would preëmptively pardon the whole gang, should he get elected (see Hey John McCain). This combination pushed my friend S*****'s Bush Button apparently.

S***** K**** at 9:09am January 17

Forgive and forget what???? I am sorry, but President Bush did nothing against the law! He did not abuse his power! He had to face unprecidented struggles and tragedies! He is a wonderful leader and man. People forget so fast how much they loved him right after 9/11. His approval rating was through the roof. Higher than any others! We are an "ADD" nation. The media determines how most people feel about something. He isn't perfect, not by a long shot. But he has done, what in my opinion, was a very good job. But hey, that's just my opinion...

I'm so happy to have Facebook and the capability to find and reconnect with so many people whose paths have crossed mine. I'm even pleased that S***** "friended" me. We've had a great many lively conversations, the last one was when she took umbrage at my Bokononist approach to Christmas and tried so earnestly to save my immortal soul. Another time was when she feared what might happen to the USA if Barak Obama were to be elected President.

It frightens me that there are so many true believers on this amazing planet. Put down the Kool-Aid, turn off Fox News, and open your eyes to as many perspectives as you can find.

The Logical Conclusion

For many years, at least since the Reagan years, Republicans have raged about The Government and have made Small Government a mantra. When it was impossible to eliminate The Government, Republicans have seemed to make it their business to break it. Now it's broken and many major Republican constituencies need help, so what happens?

Hey John McCain!

...do you plan to pardon Cheney and Bush (and those in their administration) for their crimes domestically or shield them from international prosecution?

Let's think about this, even though there have been distinctions drawn between civil and criminal prosecutions, breaking the law is a crime and there are laws about hiring, contracting, revealing the identity of CIA agents, torture, wiretapping, archiving, secrecy, and so many other activities that were carried out by this gang of thugs and thieves. Will they be brought to justice? Will the new administration (whichever one wins) say, "Let's put the past behind us" and let the lawbreakers walk away from the mess they made?

The damage that's been done is nearly irreparable. Nevertheless, we are ostensibly a nation of laws. There still is an international criminal court (despite this administration's flaunting and denial) which does have jurisdiction over international crimes. Justice should be served and carried out with all due process.

I ask again, would John McCain preemptively pardon his predecessors or shield them from international prosecution?

Oh, Huh!

When my sister was younger and found herself backed up against a logical wall, she would frequently respond to facts with a vehement, "Oh, huh!"

Recently, I've discovered the root of this: our own dear mother. I don't particularly remember her 35 years ago resorting to any presentation of uncomfortable fact about a Republican with something like, "Well, did you hear what Hillary did?" She may have, and it really is the rhetorical equivalent of, "Oh, huh!"

There comes a time when we must converse like adults, and the fact that "Oh, huh!" is not the answer to a parry or point.

Irony alert: my mother is currently a professor of rhetoric at a small sectarian college in the Northeast, where she is proud of how she is able to stand her ground against the Liberals.

Oz on the Potomac

It has occurred to me that the way the Cheney/Bush years have been operated much like Oz. To enter Oz, one needed to wear unremovable emerald glasses. The alternative universe that Cheney and Bush have contrived necessitates accepting a world in which the rule of law is suspended (via signing statements) and everything else is SECRET. (Why are you asking? Why do you hate America?) And when they get caught it's OK, or made OK retroactively.

Most recently the Wizard has decreed that everyone will get a check from the Treasury to take and spend on the consumer good of their choices. Where does this money come from? The budget surplus that President Clinton left behind was given away long ago in the form of tax cuts. Similarly, far more than could ever be afforded has been borrowed so that they could buy munitions from grateful defense contractors to attack a country that might or might not have oil that can be exploited by other friends and relations, nevertheless Halliburton makes money coming and going.

Today is the 40th anniversary of Eddie Adams' photo of the South Vietnamese officer shooting a Viet Cong guy in the head. That was back when we had freedom of speech. Now we have embedded journalists whose work must be approved. So we'll never see any atrocities or disturbing images from the occupation.

So it goes.

Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain. Do you want the terrorists to win?

Election 2008: The Tickets

On this eve of the New Hampshire Primary 2008, I will make my ticket predictions.

D: Obama/Richardson
R: McCain/Huckabee

Unhealthy and Uneducated and for the GOP

As the Republican thieves continue driving wheelbarrows of cash out of the American treasury (and wherever the borrowed money comes from), fewer people have opportunities for good education or health care. That's just the way of the market, right?

Well, let's follow that to a logical conclusion. If the only way one can get health care for oneself and one's family (because one can't get a good job of one's lack of a good education) is to join the military, then get in line!

Cannon fodder typically comes from the ranks of the uneducated, and "Leave No Child a Dime" is delivering more and more undereducated Americans to the recruiting offices.

I, for one, would prefer a healthy, educated America. I think they would make better workers, and more thoughtful voters.

Vets, We Appreciate Your Pointless Sacrifice

When Republicans get power, it seems that one of their priorities is Meaningless Emotional Gestures. To wit: the "Defense of Marriage Act" and Ronald Reagan National Airport. Protecting Us from Them is a given, so keeping gay couples down is a softball pitch. Naming Rights also come with power, and the yahoos have had at it with a vengeance. I will never refer to National Airport as anything but its original name.

The kicker came yesterday as I drove on "Vietnam and Gulf War Veterans Memorial Highway" in New Hampshire. Now that's Supporting Our Troops! Even though both (now all three) adventures were dubious, it's important to make some sort of Statement to assuage the ambivalence felt about them. "And it's one, two, three, what are we fighting for?"

Other than transferring borrowed money to "Loyal Bushies" and continuing to frighten the soft headed electorate, I don't know what the unfortunate sons and daughters are doing over there. Well, now that we've been there for longer than World War II, the main objective seems to be "Not Losing." It might be easier if someone could define Victory.

Rallying behind the Pointless Sacrifice is difficult when the people start asking "Why." That's where Naming Rights come in!

Fujimori's Fate for Cheney & Bush?

They brought Alberto Fujimori back from Chile to face charges of human rights abuses and corruption. Hmmm. Let's think, warrentless wiretapping? Check. Chargeless detentions? Check.

We also have no-bid inflated contracts given to Republican loyalists (regardless of qualifications, many just "two guys and a laptop" shops) and the largest going to a company that continued payments to the Vice President after he took office and the administration began an invasion and occupation. (Halliburton's stock price has gone from $6.50 to over $40 in the last five years. No connection, I'm sure.)

It gives me hope. There's no real chance for their prosecution before they leave office, but maybe after!

End the Republican Occupation of Washington

Maybe not a "Permanent Democratic Majority," a la the "Permanent Republican Majority" that Karl Rove had in mind (we need some loonies around to remind us what silly ideas they can come up with--and keep us from getting silly, ourselves). I am talking about a fairly clean sweep, though. I know there are "safe seats" gerrymandered around the country, most egregiously in Texas, so there's no real risk of getting all 435 and 33 next year, but still...

Then, maybe, there can be action in addition to hearings. Let's prosecute!

Vacation: A Clarified Definition

We recently returned from a "vacation." Actually, it was a trip to a far away place to celebrate a graduation. We stayed in a resort. There was a bit of time to play. It was not, however, a vacation.

I posit a clarification to the definition of vacation. A vacation cannot include anything mandatory, however "fun." If there is any expectation or obligation, that day, at least, cannot be counted as a vacation day.

Maybe it is too much to ask, but someday I'd like to do nothing significant. Let me rise, eat, play, nap, eat, and sleep.

Could Somebody Please Tell Me Again Why I Should "Support Our Troops"?

There never was a more rhetorically unassailable phrase. Of course we don't wish the volunteers ill; nevertheless, I have difficulty understanding how the ribbons and unceasing chant mean anything more than a validation of their mission and actions. And I can't do that.

It would be political suicide to question this evil turn of phrase, but that doesn't mean it should be forbidden to mention how pampered this gang (for whom the bar for enlistment continues to be lowered) has become.

"Some front-line units continue to operate out of spartan outposts where a hot meal is a luxury and flush toilets unknown. But growing numbers of troops live on giant installations complete with Wal-Mart-style post exchanges, movie theaters, swimming pools, gyms, fast-food eateries (Subway, Burger King, Cinnabon) and vast chow halls offering fresh-baked pies and multiple flavors of ice cream. Troops increasingly live in dorm-style quarters (called "chews," for "containerized housing units") complete with TVs, mini-refrigerators, air conditioning/heating units and other luxuries unimaginable to previous generations of GIs."

So when the administration begs for more borrowed money to "Support Our Troops" in the manner to which they have become accustomed, it may strike some as a bit disingenuous that the implication is that all the money is being spent to protect them. Well, a pointless and unnecessary "war" (in truth nothing more than invasion and occupation, complicated by a pandemonium of armed thugs intent on resistance and fratricide) is rather difficult to explain. The logic must be, by necessity as fluid as a bag of Jello®, and so it is.

Tell me, why are they there? Are we each getting our $4,000+ annually for their actions? I hope they're enjoying their perks, it sounds like more opportunities for fun than I have! Your tax dollars at work.

That's enough.

Leave No Defense Contractor Behind

I know now that I should have thrown all the little money I had into defense and oil stocks after the coup of 2000. Look at the new budget for validation.

RIP Molly Ivins

With this I mourn Molly Ivins.

The world has few enough smart people, and far too few of them come from Texas.

When my brain finally started growing in, her words helped me come to terms with politics.

Why her? Why Ann Richards? Why the good and not the evil?

Howl at the moon. Mourn the sharp-witted and brilliant.

In an age when and country where the President sounds like "Mater" from Pixar's "Cars" and the smart men he "defeated" sound like college professors, we needed brave voices like Molly's. Who will stand up and be the next H. L. Mencken heir?

Time

"And then one day you'll find
Ten years have gone behind you.
No one told you when to run,
You missed the starting gun.
So you run and you run to catch up with the sun, but it's sinking.
Racing around to come up behind you again.
The sun is the same in a relative way, but you're older.
Shorter of breath, and one day closer to death."

Roger Waters/Pink Floyd said that in 1973, and it resonates with me today. But it's 20 years, or more.

Where the FUCK did the time go? How the FUCK did I get here? Why the FUCK didn't I ... ?

Where's Chris Doty?

"Nobody said it was going to be fun. At least nobody said it to me."
- Richard (The Big Chill)

Washington Chess

Has anyone else made the connection between John Negroponte's move to #2 at State and Dick Cheney's forthcoming resignation?

Here's what I expect to happen:
1. Dark Lord Cheney resigns for "health reasons."
2. Bush preemptively pardons him.
3. Condi moves to VP, the third Bush "impeachment-protection Vice President" (including Quayle).
4. Negroponte gets Secretary of State.

Watch for it before too much longer.

Forks in the Road

Maybe it's because I'm sitting here at age 45 watching the kids in the tub, but while watching "The Devil Wears Prada" (with frequent pauses to deal with assorted domestic crises) this New Years Evening I had another epiphany regarding how things might be different. If I'd had the vision to follow my bliss to RIT and avoid being sent to Mount Vernon Nazarene College I might be shooting fashion in Paris instead. Or had I come back from Japan and sent a blind letter to the Smithsonian HR office... But either of those would have resulted in three fewer marriages and four fewer children. Hmmm.

Scruffy Inspiration

There may be some Derridian or Freudian or some other-ian explanation for this but I realized today that my two most significant television-derived inspirations have been, to be kind, "scruffy."

I bought my first serious camera in part because of "Animal" from the show "Lou Grant" in the 1970s. Photojournalism isn't my milieu.

I don't know what is.

Tonight, as I avoid putting the children to bed, we're watching "Northern Exposure" Season III; while these first aired a dozen or so years ago (before I even met the mother of these, my day job), the seed of inspiration may well have been received then. It may be that "Adam," the characterAdam Arkin played, was the first "chef" I ever encountered. Now I cook. Mostly for my own amusement and probably my equalibrium.

No time for photography.

In any case, I acknowledge my debt to Adam and Animal. My photos and food make people happy and keep me from being even grouchier. While I am fairly scruffy, it's more a function of time (can't always shave or dress well while trying to get the young folk rousted) than fashion.

Martin Picard is my current idol, just a chef, I think. His foie gras poutine may kill me. And that's OK.