I'm with the kids....

Peace-William Strutt 1896  

In the public domain

Family Print brought from England

     I've been thinking about this William Strutt work, Peace.

    The framed print above is one of my earliest memories. It hung in the entrance hall of the three story house shared by my widowed grandmother and her sisters; a widowed aunt, and two additional aunts and their husbands. The women were English, and the two uncles were Scots. As the lone child in the lively hub, I found fascination and retreat in the print. Peace was a psychological icon and it is a lodestone.
      Seeing the Parkland kids with their direct and honest confrontation of "business as normal" has been a catharsis. A dread that our current low information, bully populism was a trap door to bad getting worse is now tempered by our children calling our BS. 
     Children mobilized, because of the slaughter of their friends, is not the back story we'd expect but it leads now to a hope. The Strutt is therapeutic. 

     Peace hypnotized me. I remember standing on a stool, staring at it, endlessly. 

     It is frequently called "And A Child Shall Lead Them" and that leads back to the kids. 

    I presume I am one of millions who hope children are  leading us now, the children of Parkland Florida and the school children of America who are walking out, marching, protesting and challenging the hypocrisy and prostitution of elected officials. They lead in naming names of house and senate members who are on the payroll of the NRA, calling out trump for rescinding an Obama administration regulation that made it more difficult for people with mental illness to get guns.

     A theological note; Strutt's painting is based on words from Isaiah, "the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them."

     People have diverse interpretations of its meaning. Strutt had his own of course, depicting the verse and calling it Peace. I like that.

     But I've always favored the idea of the innocence of a child as being a model for how to live and believe. An important pronouncement for followers of Christ is to protect and revere children and to adopt a child like purity of mind and belief, "for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." 

     After each mass slaughter there is a public outcry. There was a moment when it appeared members of the House and Senate were listening. Congress was poised to tighten laws and do something constructive, but then, as always, Wayne La Pierre and his cultural terrorists go to work. Big money gets pumped into PACs and politicians, who are threatened with "primarying" if they don't do the NRA's bidding. There is an abundance of spineless, cowardly weasels to tumble to the NRA once again.

     Once more the NRA and La Pierres's finger prints are on the mass shooting. They've distorted and propagandized the Second Amendment. The NRA is really only a marketing force and lobby for the gun makers and sellers. They are a big reason why 17 more victims have been claimed and while we will likely see another Parkland, Columbine, Sandy Hook, Marysville, Rancho Tehama, Santa Monica, Virginia Tech, Red Lake, West Nickel, Northern Illinois, Umpqua Community College, Oikos University in Oakland, and this is only a partial list of just school shootings. If you wish you can compute your own list of mass shootings in total. 
      Mr. LaPierre, how many of these victims do you take responsibility for? How many more bodies do you and the NRA desire to see?
     The child in the Strutt, and the children who lost friends tell us there is a better way. We should listen and get out of their way and let them lead.

      

a pause for beauty

   See you down the trail.

LAS VEGAS WAS TERRORISM

    A horrified and heart broken nation must endure more needless pain as the NRA whores for more of their gun industry pimps.

    The NRA, more than anything else, has twisted and distorted the constitution. They've done it for money.

     Legislation is now pending that would make suppressors more readily available in the US.

Photo by Niki Chan Wylie for NPR

      They are also called "silencers." What you need to know about silencers is what you've seen in film, television or have read about in fiction.

      The gun industry is now trying to say silencers will protect the hearing of hunters. That is Wayne LaPierre style bull shit at it's million dollar best. There are other ways hunters can protect their ears.

     Suppressors also suppress flash, meaning in a situation like Las Vegas a silencer would have made it more difficult for law enforcement to sight where the shooter was. 

     The only people who "need" silencers are assassins or criminals, or the agents of government trying to combat them.

      The NRA may once have provided an important role in American culture. That ended when they became shills for the gun industry. They lie and they distort and they help kill.

      I hold Wayne LaPierre partially responsible for the Las Vegas slaughter. I add to that those members of the US Congress who defeated gun tightening legislation that followed the Sandy Hook Elementary school massacre in Newtown. The majority of Americans wanted the legislation and it looked as though lawmakers got the message. That is until LaPierre and the NRA began spreading their favors. They enable terror. Their fingerprints are all over Las Vegas.

      See you down the trail. 

     

      

    

CHANGING HISTORY?

peace

     Gentle breeze, warming sun, resplendent nature. A quiet calm inviting deep breathing. 

    The timeless horizon of sea and sky is another good antidote to fatigue brought on by the furies of our day.

living by the gun

     As regrettable as the shooting in Alexandria is, it is an enactment of how a sizable portion of Americans think it should be. A "bad" man, in this case probably deranged by anger, is brought down by "good" forces. 
    The Alexandria shooting is a perfect axiom of the NRA advocacy that Americans should be armed. They are willing to accept the violence of Alexandria so good Americans can have unfettered, unrestricted full access to the Second Amendment-at least the way they spin it. They are wrong of course and they have manipulated the Second Amendment for cash, to further the mercenary aims of their sponsors, the gun industry. Still, the Alexandria incident is part of the NRA vision for America.
    We hope representative Scalise recovers and our thoughts are with his family. You should know Scalise has an A+ rating from the NRA. He has been active to make sure Americans are fully armed and he has worked to allow carry laws. He has fought every move to control the volume of weapons and the access Americans have to them. 

action-reaction

     In an NRA America their own lackeys including congressmen can be collateral damage, but that is how they would have it. 
     If Wayne Lapierre, the president of the NRA has a shred of decency he will be at the Scalise bedside and he will spend some of his nearly $1 million a year salary to help the Scalise family. Don't hold your breath.
     In an NRA America there could well be another angry gunman putting in a clip with Lapierre in mind. That's how it is in an NRA America where even their sycophants can be targets. Karma can be a bitch!

do we leave history alone?

    I was stopped the other night by something I heard on CSPAN and I still have not "unvexed" my mind.

    A group of historians were discussing how to regard Woodrow Wilson, a complex man, posing a multitude of issues. Reflecting the sensitivity of our age much of the discussion ran to his racism. One of the panel offered that a small aspect of a large and active life should not be the defining characteristic by which he or she is known.  

     The conversation digressed to how to regard our historic figures and the questions were many.

•  Should schools, buildings and especially dormitories be named for people possessed by "flaws"-at least "flaws" as seen by our generation? 
• Should statues to confederate officers, for example, be destroyed? 
• Is that revisionist? 
• Is it not a bit like what Isis has done? 
• Where do you draw the line?

      This area of inquiry is like a rabbit hole. There's much to be said about every aspect of the conversation. I watched to the end but the scholars reached no definitive consensus. 

open minded confusion

     While it is not wrong to entertain the questions and sensitivities of our time, it seems there must still be some way to mediate and tolerate history with truthfulness and full disclosure.  I'm not convinced contemporary American culture has found that method. A rabbit hole indeed and so I'm still vexed. 
     It proves once again, CSPAN may well be the most dangerous, and nutritional channel on TV. 

never has there been....

         The New York Times Frank Bruni said it well, "...to buoy his ego, they deface themselves..."

such a sickening seen    

     Watching the video of the Trump cabinet made me feel as I did when I watched the aberrant behavior of a criminal sexual psychopath in a day ward in a state hospital. He alternated between sucking his thumb, like a child, and grabbing and fondling his genitalia. It was disturbing, bizarre and I thought my role as a documentary journalist made be an observer of things too sick and too obscene to view.

      It was like that in seeing the Trump gang. Seeing the unprecedented ass kissing and weasel waltzing was nauseating. These people are sickos. They have no self respect. 

      When the President began with "Never has there been a President with few exceptions who has passed more legislation who has done more things than we've done...." any decent man or woman would have stood up and walked out or challenged him with reality or simply shut up.  

     My brother was the psychologist and therapist, but I tell you Trump is a mentally disturbed man. This goes beyond political revulsion. Yes he is a bloated, narcissist and either so ignorant or stupid as to be unqualified and contemptible, but he is a sick man who needs treatment. For these men and women who serve in the cabinet to have said what they did, in the manner they did, after his insane and/or lie filled preamble is nauseating. A low point. It is as if they encountered a poor soul undergoing a schizophrenic break and simply left him in the middle of traffic.

a troubled thought

      As troubling as it is to say this, I'm beginning to hope the Russians did in fact screw with the vote totals. That may be easier to accept than to know that, even though they are only a minority, millions of Americans voted for trump.

parting in scenic peace

Jacaranda trees in San Luis Obispo

linear order in rural Cambria

      See you down the trail.

"ASHAMED AND SORRY" UPDATING THE POST--CLEARING YOUR HEAD & GETTING IT SAID-- WITH A SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT

RESNICKS "ASHAMED AND SORRY"
Make restitution in Paso Wine Region

    The Tribune reporter Lindsey Holden reports Stewart and Lynda Resnick, owners of Justin Vineyards say "they were asleep at the wheel" when their company cut thousands of oak trees, denuded a large hill side and began work on an illegal holding pond that would have sucked 6 million gallons of water, frightening nearby neighbors and farmers worried about their wells. Holden quotes them as saying they are "ashamed and sorry."

     The good news is they plan to give the 380 acre parcel to a local nonprofit group and say they are looking for conservation opportunities. They promise to plant 5 thousand new oaks.  

      As we have noted previously neighbors and other growers were worried by the Resnick actions. Since our original posts the LA Times and the San Luis Obispo Tribune and other media have given the growing story a lot of attention. Major restaurants have dropped Justin Wine from their menus and boycotts of the Resnick products Fiji Water, Pom Wonderful and Justin wine have begun. All of these products are produced by Wonderful Company. 

      The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors issued stop work orders and is investigating potential violations.  

       Holden reports Wonderful reported income of $3.8 billion 

  in 2014.  Since the Resnick purchase of the prestigious Justin label from Justin Baldwin they've experienced staff turnover, loss of a premier winemaker, have increased production levels and begun a mass marketing campaign.

Long time fans have dropped membership in the wine club and complained about the drop in quality of the product. The Justin operation is "corporate" while the majority of Paso Robles appellation winemakers are smaller, independent, boutique, mom and pop and artisan.

Fresh

Moonstone Beach, Cambria Ca     

    It is always a good place to clear your head. Politics, discord, warm temperatures and whatever disappear in the breeze and lullaby of the surf.

the intersection 

 the solo walker

 the mystery of where rocks land-why here?

 closer looks

 the world awaits

In a Council Chamber not far away

   The once revered Justin Winery took a verbal beating before the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors investigating land use irregularities and tree cutting on Justin property.

    Lindsey Holden of the San Luis Obispo Tribune reports dozens of farmers, residents and environmentalists decried practises by the winery owned by Stewart Resnick and his Wonderful Company.

     The county is considering penalties for trying to build a water storage pond and grading violations that neighbors say threaten their wells.

      Supervisor Bruce Gibson is quoted as saying "it is the most appalling demonstration of corporate greed I've seen in a very long time."

       Holden reports Chairwoman Lynn Compton told of how growers talk about how they grew up respecting the land and caring for it  "And then you have some out of town corporation....and they really come in and spoil it for everyone."

      As we posted previously, when Justin Baldwin owned the winery his product was highly regarded. Since sale to the Resnick group the wine appears to be just another commodity in a business that sells Fiji Water, Pom Wonderful and other products. Several fine dining establishments have dropped Justin and many former fans talk about a cheapening of the product. The ethos of Justin seems entirely out of place and character in the Paso Robles appellation which is gaining reputation for quality and a friendly and accessible counterpoint to Napa, a corporate wine region. 

      The Board of Supervisors is considering new Oak protection ordinances for that rural area, similar to those in place elsewhere.

The Gun Fight

    It appears the next battle ground for gun control, safety and regulation will be in state legislatures. The Supreme Court has permitted state regulation, consistent with their rulings on the Second Amendment. Further the US Congress is impotent and under the control of the NRA and their fellow gun industry lobbyists.  

    The state level fight worked for previous social issues, including marriage. In addition former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg vows to fight the NRA perversion of Congress. He's probably got deeper pockets and is a lot tougher than LaPierre.

    Interesting times we inhabit eh?

    Remember to take a walk once in a while.

    See you down the trail.

JUST-WHAT IS IT? & SWEET ENDINGS

Flag Day in Cambria

"The best way to predict the future is to create it."

Abraham Lincoln

THE BLOODY NRA

     In a parallel world where the morality of the NRA rules human hearts instead of Judeo-Christian values or those of other faith systems and beliefs, Wayne Lapierre would be gunned down by an AR 15.  In this world Lapierre has been an accomplice in the gunning down of innocent men, women and children. 

     The NRA and every member of Congress or a state legislature who has not advocated or voted to ban or restrict sales of the AR 15 have the blood of Orlando, Newtown, Auora and San Bernadino on their hands. The bullshit machine of the gun manufacturing and sales industry and the NRA has tried to sell this nation on the "sporting, hunting and self defense" qualities of the AR 15, a civilian model of the M 16 military rifle. The truth behind the fraud is greed, the sales of a gun.

     With federal trainers, ATF and FBI agents, local and state law enforcement personnel and US Army weapons instructors I have used AR 15s and many other weapons and handguns and with proficiency. There is no sound reason the AR 15 should be in civilian hands. AR 15s are designed to kill and the semi automatic nature of such weapons can be easily turned into rapid fire purveyors of death. Anyone who tells you anything else is either a liar, coward or someone who needs to prove masculinity or feminine macho with a gun.

     There are better hunting weapons. There are other weapons that require greater skill and mastery for sport and competitive shooting. There are plenty of other weapons that could be used for self defense-but God help us if we descend to the absurd theory being advocated that if more people are armed there would be fewer victims of mass shootings.

      The issues of gun safety, registration, control and all the peripheral arguments aside, the sale of assault weapons to the public is simply stupid and dangerous. Not to do something about it only moves us closer to that parallel world.

BOYCOTT JUSTIN?  

       When Justin Baldwin owned and managed the Justin Winery it was a place of quality, sustainability and a prestige label in the Paso Robles appellation. The flag ship Isosceles was an expensive wine but award winning and well respected. How far Justin has tumbled since Mr. Baldwin sold the operation to the Wonderful group owned by Stewart and Lynda Resnick the people behind POM Wonderful and Fiji Water and other enterprises.

        Presently San Luis Obispo County is investigating the practices of Justin winery. After a couple of years of complaints from the family-like Paso Robles wine industry, Justin is being seen in an interesting light.  A couple of years ago people complained that Justin had begun cutting revered California Live Oak trees, in droves. During the height of the drought Justin began clearing land and planting new vines. And they were said to be over irrigating. Many shook their heads.

        Aside from staff departures, the destruction of a beloved rose garden, they increased the volume of wine made. Under Baldwin the label found a level of case production that assured the quality people expected. That changed. Californians, familiar with Justin, found the wine on shelves and restaurants as far as Florida, where the once vaunted wine tasted nothing like the old limited quality product. 

      I pass this along and label it as gossip-I cannot prove the  veracity though anecdotally this has gained wide circulation in the local wine industry-where Baldwin produced something like 200 thousand cases a year, the Resnick regime is trying to push it to 1 million or more. They do sell a lot of pomegranate juice and bottled water, but a high quality wine is different. Baldwin loved wine and winemaking as do most of the Paso winemakers. It appears the new Justin is simply the manufacture of a commodity in pursuit of more sales.

      In the meantime they are being investigated for killing many prized California Live Oak-something you can not do-scraping hillsides and lying to the county about their intentions. They display the arrogance of a "one percenter" in a community known for friendly, cooperative, environmentally sensitive practices where there is a devotion to quality wine. We know people who are dropping their membership. Others are talking about a boycott. And the local government may have sanctions in store for a bad neighbor. It's my take the Resnick operation would be more at home in Napa.

A BETTER TASTE

    An apple rosette made by my daughter Katherine.

    A Zuccotto made by Chef Giovanni of the Harmony Cafe at the Pewter Plough Playhouse in Cambria.

GREAT PERFORMANCES

    Bryan Cranston as LBJ in the HBO adaptation of the stage production All The Way. Melissa Leo as Ladybird, Bradley Whitford as Senator Hubert Humphrey, Frank Langella as Senator Richard Russell.

    Also first class Ian McKellen and Anthony Hopkins in the teledrama The Dresser.  Good work too from Emily Watson and Edward Fox.

    See you down the trail.

WHY NOT?

THE PRODUCT OF GOOD WOMEN

    Being a bit vague here so as to respect privacy and embarrass no one, but wanted to share gratitude and admiration for some wonderful Cambria women who recently hosted a baby shower for my daughter and her mother. 

    The nickname for the little person in gestation, as suggested by these creative folks, is Strawberry. Thus the motif. I was not there of course, but Lana was overwhelmed by the class and loving spirit of it all. Daughter is in Florida but made an appearance via phone video.

    I thought something charming with a warm back story might be a nice placement.

 WHY NOT ALTERNATIVE IDEAS
or
A PRAGMATIST'S SANTA WISH LIST

    Decades of political reporting has more than likely tooled a warp to my sense of things. Years ago I heard the late John Chancellor of NBC news say it well; a lot of us (reporters) have a bias toward problem solving and pragmatism. It makes sense.

     Many of us start-or at least our generation started, on the police beat, seeing the Charles Dickens underbelly of the American dream. We covered school boards, zoning hearings, council meetings, legislatures and saw the anguish of decision making and compromise. In political campaigns we often saw the difference between promise and performance. So many of us skew toward practicality and are skeptical about ideologues and demagogues. Sadly this is a season for that in a kind of perverted populism.
     So with political shills in the background here are a few notions that are not likely to end up in a candidates platform, but they are least pragmatic and deserve our attention.
      No civilian needs an assault weapon. Those are tools for  professionals. Shot guns, hunting rifles, pistols are another matter. Being lethal, weapons should be licensed, users should be trained and tested. There are places where guns should be off limits, like in the old west stories, check your gun at the door.
      The Supreme Court, not the NRA should interpret the Second Amendment. Frankly too many are simply wrong, unstudied and lack an historical perspective when they start spouting Second amendment arguments.
      A basic component of all public education should be teaching the value of human life.
      As a follow up, this is especially so in an age when so many children grow up gaming where death, dismemberment, combat and other violence is part of "play." This affects judgment and sensitivities. 
      Education should begin in the first two years of life. The brain is ready and their are more neurons to be trained. Human potential and fulfillment can be nurtured by a holistic approach to learning. Parents should be trained as to how to enable their children's learning and development at an earlier stage. This would include intellectual, physical, nutritional and emotional development.  Yea, I know it's radical but in the last two thousand years how much have we advanced? When did warfare, starvation, crime, brutality, and other such human behavior go out of fashion? We know more now about brain function than at any time in history and to ignore it is, well, stupid. Stupid is as stupid does. Learning in the 21st Century could/should contribute to advancement. 
       In the extraordinary air time and media space given political talk, couldn't we benefit by a little more pragmatism? And just maybe there would be fewer mass shootings.

    

      The "World's tallest Christmas Tree" 

Monument Circle, Indianapolis

     See you down the trail.