AVOIDING THE WAR PATH

CAUTION

     Being engaged in another intractable war is madness, thus the United States and our disparate political factions need to think deeply, expansively and move very slowly.

     The latest threat of course is the civil war in Syria. Hawkish voices, many of them from the American right, are foolishly looking to force the Obama administration into an action of some sort.  That is not a step we want to take.

John Kerry's attempt to counsel with Russia's Putin is the right action for now.  

     The Bush invasion of Iraq, and the Obama escalation of Afghanistan validate the lessons of history.  It does not go well for a western power to step into the insane slipstream of middle eastern ancient hatreds.  Iraq is worse off post American invasion.  The US will retreat from Afghanistan as the Russians did before us, confounded by the dark age reality of tribalism, war lords, and a nation that is stuck in a world of ignorance, superstition and a religion of death.

     I have never understood the penchant of politicians who want to rush to war.  Just look at our own history.  How many times have we leaped into the fire, based on emotion, hot air and rhetoric? 

     All of the options for Syria are bad.  Assad is probably worthy of a daily flogging for the rest of his miserable and evil life, but the post Assad Syria is absolutely problematic for the world.  The further disintegration of a civil society is an almost certain outcome.  Just look at Iraq post Saddam.

Any American move into that hellish stew will hurt and cost us in ways we can not afford.  My concern is that we are seeing the early signs of what could be a catastrophic regional war fare between Shias and Sunnis.  

     Thus far Israel has shown it can and will protect its interests.  In the meantime we should not be goaded or talked into an engagement in Syria. If indeed the regime has ordered the use of chemical weapons on civilians, the United Nations must respond.  We can not let American windbag politicians talk us into something we should not do.  The president can find more appropriate language than the discussion of "red lines" and the ankle biters in the House and Senate need to realize the world is more serious than all their blather and political gamesmanship.  

      There is suffering, ignorance, disease, and hurting in this world where we could or should be.  Syria seems bound for a war amongst themselves, and I can't see that this nation has a player in that game.  Post Assad Syria could be the next step to a Muslim war.  Let them fight it. In the meantime we can be part of a team to deal with humanitarian relief and aid.

GLIMPSES OF SPRING

   See you down the trail.

THE WEEKENDER-PRINCELY WORK & SHADOW PLAY

TIS APPRECIATED

     Well, I didn't expect it.  Thanks to those of you have responded publicly, or by email or like my friend and fellow tennis warrior Janos, in person.

      I noted that my old pal Griff, chided me about the number of flowers captured in these posts.  It was nice to hear that you have taken the time to look at my snaps.  I'm simply dazzled by the beauty and as the old saying goes

"can't help myself!"  So, more pics of floral color still to come. Sorry Griff!

A PRINCE OF A FORECAST

     The Weekender fun video comes from YouTube and is an unusual take on a local weather report.  

      Having hired, coached and managed television "talent" I think the Prince is a natural! Apparently I'm not alone. Here's a quick behind the scenes evaluation of his royalness in tv land.

WHO DO YOU THINK LIVES HERE?

WARM DAY SHADOW PLAY

    Enjoy your Weekend.  See you down the trail.

MAY DAY

REMEMBERING THE MAY POLE

     Our old elementary school sat at the edge of a large and heavily wooded city park, thick with wild flowers.  It was a custom to make a small construction paper basket, take it into the park to fill with wild flowers to take home.  My mother always expressed joy at the crudely made basket and wilting bouquet. I may never have really noticed the flowers, were it not for these annual May Day drills, which also included watching the girls dance around a May Pole while we boys were just waiting to be released to the baseball diamond for our game against the teachers. I was usually more focused on the diamond, or the basketball court than the flowers.  

      My buddy Griff has observed there are too many flower shots on my posts.  Well, I'm making up for all of those kid years of not taking the time to smell the......

      By High School, the old format of 30 days in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway began on May Day. Since the statute of limitation has run, I can confess there were some May days when we'd show up at home room for the roll call, skip out to the Speedway, and get back in time for journalism class or track team practice, and were hardly missed. 

      Happy May Day and pleasant childhood memories to you.

READY FOR YOUR CLOSE UP?

   See you down the trail.

JUST CAUSE

STANDING UP TO HATRED

    It was a coincidence of human rights and history and it hit me with an emotional wallop.  
    We saw 42, the Jackie Robinson story and the next day saw a well staged production of the classic, Fiddler On The Roof.

    I don't need to dwell on Fiddler as it has passed into the realm of theatre icons.  It's crossing lines of change, challenge, and a running argument with the Divine on matters of fairness and justice, coming less than 24 hours after being pummeled by the brilliant 42, delivered a kind of knock out punch.

    Perhaps I'm just an overly sensitive boomer made a little more so by 4 decades of journalism. I've seen too much human misery delivered by injustice, prejudice, hatred, bigotry, narrow-mindedness, ignorance and mean spiritedness. 42 moves you from rage to tears to heart pumping pride. History has validated that courageous passage of breaking the color barrier in major league baseball, but the hatred and ignorance of those depicted there are alive elsewhere.

     The battle for full human rights is as current as the latest headline. Slavery, integration and women's rights were not only predecessor fights, they are still battles on this planet as now we also fight intolerance against people for how they were born or who they love. The same poisoned evil that would discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, spiritual or faith practice, gender or birthright continues as a tireless enemy of evolution of the human race. It is a hard evil to change and vigilance is important.  
      Seeing two remarkable creative efforts simply reminded me how fortunate we are to have courageous writers, film makers, photographers, artists and activists. 

HEMINGWAY AND THE BROOM
easily amused in California
Oh, that feels good-

and finally, the big yawn and stretch.

    See you down the trail.

THE WEEKENDER-THE BEST AND THE WAY WE WERE

AS FRESH AS IT GETS

     The spring growing season has been good up here on the Pine ridge.  Our upper raised bed, on the back hill,  has yielded an abundance of great lettuce. 

      We call this upper raised bed "Indiana," because it is flat, tillable and produces well. I know the same can be said for the central valley, but we are paying tribute to some of our great gardens in years past.

FLYING ULTRA FIRST CLASS

   The Weekender Video was spotted by Beverly.  You've got to see this to believe it.

REEL NOTES

    THE COMPANY YOU KEEP

    If you were politically active, motivated or interested during the turbulent 70's, Robert Redford's THE COMPANY YOU KEEP, will register with you and may even ring a few bells.

    A former Weather Underground activist goes off the grid as a reporter pursues a story, the dimension of which he does not understand.  It is a superb reprise of the dilemma, how far do you go to stop a government that is doing wrong? That question ripped the peace movement, mobilized to stop the war in Viet Nam, when more radical elements amped up the fight to include bombings and violence.

    Susan Sarandon's monologue, shortly after she is arrested for an old crime, is a brilliant restatement of just that. You may wonder if much has changed at all?

    A thrilling intrigue, the film is smart, some of the dialogue plays back like history and is star laden. Robert Redford acts and directs. Great performance from Shia LaBeouf and superb smaller role performances from Chris Cooper, Terrence Howard, Stanley Tucci, Richard Jenkins, Sam Elliot, Julie Christie, Nick Nolte, Brendan Gleeson and Sarandon. 

    I took a personal interest in the side bar story of the role of the reporter. Back in the day I was assigned to cover the anti war movement which included New Mobe, Student Non Violent Coordinating Committee, SDS, Draft Resistance, the Black Panthers and more. Some of the questions and emotions Redford surfaces are flashbacks for some of us, and just old history to younger viewers.
    It came as an odd reminder that bombings in that era were done by Americans angry at the Viet Nam war. Deadly, disruptive and dangerous though they were, they seemed less sinister than those by modern terrorists. But America in the 60's and 70's was a vastly different place than America today. Redford draws that in a stoic way. It's a film that will make you think.

    See you down the trail.

POST BOSTON

POST BOSTON SKETCHES AND THOUGHTS

  --The issue of Miranda Rights is important.  It is one of those lines in the sand.  The ruling must be abided by, even in special circumstances.  Violation of rights for one can be a dangerous slope endangering all of us.
  --The eldest of the bombers grew up in Chechnya and Kyrgyzstan, where violence and bombings were a daily reality. Some of us believe that social reality at specific times in a youth's life are formative and foundational.  Case in point.  Emigres, relatively isolated and estranged and with grudges are "high profile" prone to such acting out.
  --It is worrisome to consider how many Arab youth grow up in similar environments that have a destructive impact on attitude and value formation.
  --In 5 decades of journalism and analysis you develop a "gut" or sense of trend.  It is not hard to see a coming regional battle in the middle east between Sunni and Shia Muslims.  Syria, and the resolution there, could be a huge factor in what could  become a kind of regional conflict between the two.
     Enough of that.  Now a celebration of beauty on this day dedicated to our blue marble world.

 IMAGINATION

IN LIGHT AND DARK

NIGHT LIGHTS

AN EVENING CROWN

     Happy Earth Day.  Now there is a concept huh, a happy earth?

     See you down the trail.

THE WEEKENDER-IT FEELS BETTER

OK TO RELAX

   You're not alone if the events of the week left you wanting to curl up like this.

   Many questions to be answered, and lots of healing to be done, but this nation breaths easier now. Boston especially can relax.

So this weekend, this just feels right.

Even if you've seen an earlier version, The Weekender
prescribes this tonic, this weekend, for sure.

RELAX

See you down the trail.