CAN THEY FIND THE WAY BACK?

REPUBLICAN CONTEMPT

   The setting is the great beyond. The card players are Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan.

    "Say fellows, did you read what David Brooks said about the Grand Old Party?" Reagan reaches for a jellybean.

     "Well, I've got to say even though he works for that liberal Jew New York Times, he's a good man!" Nixon wipes sweat from his upper lip.

      "I couldn't agree with him more," Ike says.

      "How's that Mr. President?"

      "I'll tell you how Ronnie. Ever since that gas bag Rush Limbaugh got the holy, holy treatment from Republicans our old party has, as Brooks said, become 'bombastic, hyperbolic and imbalanced.' They remind me of the old John Birch society."

      "Let me just say I stand four square for Republican values, but these people are radicals. They're as destructive as the yippies and SDS. All they want to do is tear down government," Nixon pokes himself in the eye as he gestures.

      "Well, you know boys, Old Tip and I didn't see eye to eye on things but we still took time to visit and you know we got things done." Reagan eats another jellybean.

      "These damned fools who call themselves the Freedom Caucus don't know the first thing about freedom or the price so many have paid. It's like Brooks said, 'Self-expression is more valued than self-restraint and coalition building.' Think we could have won the peace if we didn't build coalitions or I couldn't find a way to work with Mongomery for crying out loud?" General Eisenhower stands and straightens his tie.

     Nixon stands and almost salutes Ike. "I just want to put it out there, put it on the record so to speak, that I believe in the practice of politics, the whole enchilada. Politics is America and as American as the flag. These people are anti political. They don't know how to make a deal."

      "Dick I've never doubted your ability to be a wheeler-dealer, so I'll give you credit on that.  Brooks says this have it their own way "anti political ethos produced elected leaders of jaw dropping incompetence." He's right-jaw dropping incompetence. Hell, all you have to do is turn on C-SPAN and watch some of these damned fools. Brooks is right, the Freedom Caucus and the tea party are "insurgents, incompetent at governing and unwilling to be governed. If I could I'd bust them all to buck privates and make em spend the rest of their life cleaning latrines."

       "Mr. President I want it clear that I am not in favor of these people being called Republican." Nixon mops his brow.

       "Leave it to these people and everything we worked for will disappear. None of the three of us could pass their litmus test. They are not the Republicans we used to be. They should be thrown out on their asses."

        The door of the card parlor opens and Tip ONeill enters,

"Hey Gents. I've been listening and all I can say is thank God that orange haired carnival barker is now calling himself a Republican. Dick, hand those cards to the General so he can cut the deck."

        Meanwhile back here-Eisenhower, Nixon and Reagan campaigned on and worked for ideas the Freedom Caucus and Tea Party right wing fringe now reject. Ideas like rebuilding slums, "eradicating racism," attacking poverty, income inequality, low cost housing, expansion of social security, equal pay regardless of sex, support for the UN, closer federal scrutiny of mergers, better anti trust enforcement, better SEC policies, protection of employment benefit programs, federal funds to train doctors and scientists, low rent programs, environmental protection, fair immigration and citizenship programs and occasionally even a tax increase. 

        Surprised? Either memory fails you or more than likely the restricted and partisan atmosphere of the last few years has made old fashioned Republican and conservative ideas look liberal. The same is true for Democrats as they, with the exception of Bernie Sanders, have become more centrist and business friendly. Conservatism has been drubbed and so has liberalism.  

         In old fashioned "politics" the nation has been moving right under corporate sponsorship. Sociologically the US has been fragmenting by income, education, gender and sexual identity, ethnicity and aspirations.  It is harder to find the "old center" of the commonweal and as an aging democratic republic with a dysfunctional government and towering maintenance issues, we should find our way back to consensus, negotiation, pragmatic solutions and survival.

The first who get tossed out of my ship of state are the ideologues, zealots, numb skull egoists and narcissists.

EATING IN THE BARN

   See you down the trail.

GOODBYE COLUMBUS and HANGING A BOOK

GOODBYE COLUMBUS

      The dreary October morning heated up a bit when I started chipping about how Columbus Day was a fraud.

      I was part of an early morning radio team and in what I thought was harmless chat suggested that if we were going to observe Columbus we should also make accommodation for Leif Erikson or even nameless Chinese sailors who may also have reached the continent before Columbus. I also took offense to the idea that native Americans were "discovered" since they had been here a while.  The switchboard almost blew up. The program manager liked it.

      Years later when doing a couple of documentary programs for Discovery and TLC we profiled how the Taino people of Hispaniola were ultimately slaughtered and savaged by the "discovering" forces of Christopher "Christ on his Shoulders" Columbus. The Taino were good, trusting people who were exterminated by the representatives of the "advanced" European Court civilizations.

     I think Indigenous People Day is a marvelous idea and centuries over due.  It can't make up for historic offenses but it can begin to educate succeeding generations.

     But I think we should also have an "Explorers Day," celebrating the courage, daring, intelligence and effort of those who have pushed the boundaries.  For the sake of this discussion I nominate those who were Americans and those who's efforts touched or opened knowledge about our continent and our life. 

     Here's a partial list, a conversation starter.  Add your own nominees.

     Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, John Glen, Christopher Columbus, Leif Erikson, Magellan, Balboa, Jim Bridger, Richard Byrd, Lewis and Clark, Adriaen Block, Robert Ballard, Cabrillo, Jonas Salk, Watson and Crick, Bell, Edison, and

you get the idea. A day to celebrate the accomplishment of intellect and courage as well as exploration of the planet and life we inhabit.

HANGING A BOOK

   Dear friends John and Deanna Schleeter of Indianapolis

provide this next account.  The Indianapolis Museum of Art has opened an exhibition by British sculptor Richard Wentworth-False Ceiling. 

  It is a striking presence in the Efroymson entrance Pavillion.

Thanks to John and Deanna's efforts a copy of my first novel THE SANIBEL ARCANUM hangs there.

As most authors will tell you, there are always extra copies of your books someplace.  That someplace for me included John and Deanna's garage. Amongst their distribution efforts is the IMA. I am grateful.

   See you down the trail.

AFTER THE MEAL-A GOLD STAR

A STAR ON THE CHEEK

Archive Photo Courtesy of RMonseth

    It was a raw winter night, shortly after the first of the year in 1980 and New Orleans was in a post holiday slumber. We were there on assignment tracking drug smuggling and had checked into a hotel in the French Quarter. I asked the night manager if he could recommend a good local eating spot. He told us about a new place a few blocks away that he said was Cajun-Creole. That is when we found K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen, open for less than a year and not yet famous.

     Steve Starnes, one of the truly great photographers and I wondered in. There were only two other guests. We were greeted joyously. As the waitress-hostess explained the menu and the "special" quality of the food, the big man in the open kitchen asked if we'd like a Cajun martini, on the house. Hard offer to pass up. The big man brought us his concoction, pepper vodka, vermouth and a jalapeno pepper. He sat with us, sipped a drink and asked what we liked and what we knew about Cajun food. The big man was Paul Prudhomme, still unknown to the New York Times and the worlds food writers.

      We got a special creation, heaping plates full of everything he made. And we had another martini, which put a big smile on the big man's face.  We ate everything put before us including a couple of deserts. It was one of the great dining experiences in my life. The waitress-hostess, who it turned out was Kay Prudhomme, the K in K-Paul's, was actually stunned both plates were clean. She said "that never happens." She went to the hostess station and brought back two gold stars which she attached to our cheeks. "You boys keep these and remember us."

      About two years later I was back in New Orleans and for months had been thinking about getting back to K-Paul's. The hotel concierge said Prudhomme wasn't taking reservations since the Times and a few others had "discovered" the place.  He said you'll have to wait in line which could be up to two hours.  

      I was stunned by the number of people in cue and was told you needed to put in your name.  As I got to the check in I had a flash of brilliance. As Kay asked for my name, I opened my billfold where I had stuck the gold star and put tape over it.  Crazy, I know, but what a memory. Anyway I asked Kay, do you remember this. "Oh my, the clean plate and you kept that star? Honey you stand right there and as soon as that tables clears you're going to sit down."  With that she padded off to kitchen area, now busy with others and said something to Paul. He looked at me smiled and gave me a thumbs up.  When I was seated a waitress brought me a Cajun Martini.

      Paul Prudhomme who gained fame for his Creole-Cajun fusion food died this week at 75.  He many a lot of us smile.  

AFTER THE ROSE'

   I'm fascinated by the shape of wine bottles and especially those of French Rose'.

GOOD NIGHT KITTIE KIDS

  This week Joy and Hemingway have decided to bunk on the top of the washing machine! 

    See you down the trail.  

       

CONVERSATIONS-

THE VIEW FROM HERE

JESUS AND THE DONALD

    It is one of the strangest political videos ever, at least from my view.  Donald Trump being "prayed over" by an ecumenical group.

   And so it prompted an imaginary conversation between Jesus and the Donald.

"Hey Donald?"

"That yew Jezus?"

"Yes Donald.  Follow me"

"What'cha mean?  I got this thing going on?"

"Follow me.  Become a fisher of men?"

"Whatcha talkin bout? Fishin' for men?"

"Follow me.  Give away your wealth.  Give it to the needy."

"Hey now, yer gettin' inta my expertise.  You see we can cut their taxes and then they can get jobs. Low paying' at first, but you know how that works"

"Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, give to the Lord what is the Lords?"

"You Crazy? I'm tryin to do something here about greatness. That aint giving the government anymore. We got these laws you can use. And who you talking about being the Lord. That's who I thought I was."

"The first will be last and the last will be first."

"Now you ain't makin no sense!  Didn't you read the art of the deal?"

"It is harder for a rich man to attain heaven than it is to drive a camel through the eye of a needle."

"You are one crazy bastard."

"Will you sacrifice yourself as an atonement?"

"Uh, hey, Security.  We got an issue here.  How'd this guy ever get into this room?"

TWILIGHT OF REASON 

   We are continuing to watch the old Pine in a neighboring field, hoping it will survive until rainy season.  So many of its forest mates have not.

    I am challenged to understand how those who argue that climate change is not real can explain away what is remarkable change by disputing data, arguing the government is fudging on technical data, or that it is a conspiracy. Intelligent people, even some who have science backgrounds dispute that change abounds.  

    Undeniable occurrences of "super storms" longest droughts in history, migration changes in wildlife, temperature variances, warmer oceans and more are real and not made up.  In the face of that how can one argue something is changing?

    There is a condition today that explains a lot, about this argument and in fact so much of political discourse today.

     CONFIRMATION BIAS-

     From Science Daily-in psychology and cognitive science, confirmation bias (confirmatory bias) is a tendency to search for or interpret information in a way that confirms one preconceptions, leading to statistical errors. Confirmation bias is a type of cognitive bias and represents an effort of inductive inference toward confirmation of the hypothesis under study.

    From Psychology Today  A Confirmation bias is a type of cognitive bias that involves favoring information that confirms previously existing beliefs or biases. 

     There is a lot of that going on today in many arenas.  There's another way to get to root issues, political alliances and economic agendas.  Who pays for "studies?"

     And there is observation, pure observation. When we see weather that is in fact historic-the breaking of records-the most, the first, the most severe of something and we see how rapidly and frequently these historic levels are coming at us and when we see data about repercussions that are dire, simply to err on the side of caution seems only wise. That is my bias-better safe than sorry.

     See you down the trail.

A MARVELOUS FRENZY and A FRIGHTFUL MEMORY

     Do you have triggers in your life? Something that turns a switch in your brain?

      This does it for me.  As far back as I recall, simply seeing a small boat switched on two circuits of emotion.  Adventure-the romanticized notion of going to sea as a fisherman struck me as a noble endeavor-man in the elements and nature, laboring earnestly for good purpose. Hard work, health, independence.

       And it awakens a deeply embedded dread-Davy Jones Locker.

     It started at "The House."  "The House" was a large two story turn of the century affair complete with root cellar, orchard, a barn like shed, massive garage, grape arbors and a front porch that spanned the big place. It was in all practicality a boarding house, in this case the residence of my widowed grandmother, her sisters, including husbands, and her eldest sister who was also widowed. Nana Cochrun, Aunt Sarah, Aunt Anna and Uncle Ed, Aunt Mat (Martha) and Uncle Pete and their daily tea and supper companion, their "kid" brother Uncle Bill. The sisters were English, emigres from Tinkers Green Farm by way of Warwick. Ed was a Scot, Pete was an Irishman. Bill, though born in the US, was the perfect English gentleman and always "dressed like the Duke," as the sisters said frequently. The accents were thick, the behavior prim and proper-the sisters never without their purses-and the culture was pure Brit.

      Being the eldest child of WW II vets I was often padded off to "The House" as my young parents enjoyed a post war social life and time with friends. It was in this context Davy Jones locker was embedded deep in my psyche.

      The books were from the UK and it seems an inordinate number of them contained harrowing stories of sailors lost to sea. A couple of the illustrations are so affixed in my memory they give me shivers still. 
      I don't know why I spent so much time on those stories, but I remember my stern English grandmother, very much a no nonsense woman, telling me if I didn't behave I'd end up in Davy Jones Locker.  Bad boys it seems were parceled off to the British Navy or merchant fleets and being the bad and inexperienced lads they were they ended up as fish food.

      Today I admire those boats and the sea but as a devoted landlubber. Sure going to try to avoid Davy Jones Locker.
       Is there anything from your childhood that frightens you today?

FOR THE BIRDS

 Driving south on Highway 1, I spotted a frenzy of birds feeding on a bait ball.  If you look to the left and lower third  in the above frame you will see a tell tale fin of another diner.

   Brown pelicans, western gulls, Heerman gulls, cormorants, sooty shearwaters, black vented shearwaters and terns all looking like an Escher print.

   Pelicans provided an aerial assault show.

   All the drama playing out under a morning quilt.

     Autumn on the central coast.

       See you down the trail.

ALL THE MARBLES

   Most days I'd rather trust these guys than the bozos ruining the House of Representatives. While John Boehner will be remembered for his shortcomings as Speaker, he is parting with a dash of honesty. The Hill is full of "false prophets" and Ted Cruz is a "jack ass." 

   I expect Cruz to begin channeling tail gunner Joe McCarthy. For the history challenged, he was the drunk demagogue who fueled the "red scare" hunting for communists in Hollywood, the State Department and under the bed. He did a lot of damage until common sense, decency and journalism exposed him for the gas bag fraud that he was. Oddly he is still a darling of some right wing Evangelical Christians, so Cruz may indeed reincarnate intolerance, ignorance and ignominy. 

FLASHES OF KID HOOD

   While a lot of folks in Washington have lost theirs, Lana still has hers. She's beginning work on some painting ideas and rolled out her kid hood prized marbles.

AND THESE ARE HISTORIC

   These clay marbles belonged to her mother and are well over a hundred years old.

A SKY MARBLE

    An appreciated cloud cover and fog occluded our view of the eclipse, but the night before the moon and clouds provided a dance of their own.

    See you down the trail.

A HOMELIST ON THE HILL----THE ODD CHILL AND CONSTANT HEAT

    September Sunrise in Cambria

     It's a new day in American politics. The buzz and passion of Pope Francis's sermon to congress and American politicians will fade, but not the significance of the address.

    If you are of a certain age you will recall that a knock on John Kennedy was that he was a Roman Catholic. In 1960 there were some who worried that he might be a "Papist" more loyal to the church than American principals-however that might have been defined by the worriers. Absurd by contemporary thought and now buried with other American ignorance on the trash heap, buried even deeper by the historic appearance of the Pope before congress.

    One need not be a Christian to understand the pointed message. Nor does one need to delve into the uniquely Catholic skewed topics. There is nothing uniquely religious in telling the most powerful nation on earth it needs to end polarization, tend to the needy, work as hard at peace as selling weapons and engaging in wars, take better care of the planet and not to let money be more important that people.

    In a world that pulses with the speed and frenetic energy of trending, it was arresting to see the Bishop of Rome preaching to the United States Congress. Historic, profound and difficult to ignore.

A SOLITARY WALK

FEEDING FRENZY

    Happy hour off the Cambria coast.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN

Image Courtesy of NOAA and The Washington Post

   Even a casual glance at this latest data will lead us to conclude adaptive as well as remedial action is needed, critically.  

     A new concern is the cold blob and its implications. A continuing worry is the fact the hottest years on record have been the last two.

     See you down the trail.

POPE FRANCIS, BEN CARSON, BUDDY GUY, GEORGE THOROGOOD, WINE COOL

HARD CHOICE

     Before we jump into high energy personality and wine country cool a couple of ironies that define the complexity of your world.
      How long before American political and military leaders have to address our compliance in pederasty.  American troops have complained they have been told to "look the other way" as Afghani police and military men sexually abuse young boys. The New York Times, among others, reports American troops have been told it is part of the Afghani culture.
       My colleagues and I learned of this cultural practice when we were reporting on the Mujaheddin, the US supported Afghanis fighting the Russians. I was repelled. This is not consensual same gender sex. It's called bacha bazi "boy play" and in truth is tantamount to rape. 
       How long do we look the other way for the sake of cultural respect and political alliances? Is looking the other way immoral? Do we condone child sexual abuse by acting as though it's their culture and we should stay out of it? How many other "blind eyes" and trade offs must we engage in and to what end?
         What brings "boy play" to the front page is the growing number of US Marines and others who are sick of condoning the often violent assaults.

Another Trick Bag

     Pope Francis and Ben Carson, two men who profess faith as Christians. The Pope embraces the outcast and in an act simulating Jesus, he washes their feet. Carson who speaks of his belief says on the political stump no Muslim should be President.Carson is a Seventh Day Adventist, a Christian denomination that believes in the imminent second coming of Christ. 

       Makes you wonder what Jesus would think, huh?

       It's a hard world and our choices are complex.

A BLUES GUY AND ROCK HARD

coming up-but first

PICK UP DEFINED

   You're looking at a pick up-actually a multiple pick up party.

   After we moved to California our mid western friends would say "What?" when we told them we were going to a pick up party.  

   Wineries stage parties for wine club members to "pick up" their wine.

 Though the temperature was near 90 in the Paso Robles West Side wine region, the old barn was cool and provided a breeze.

 The new public tasting room at Halter Ranch is almost ready to open.

  The Members Tasting room and offices were closed on this pick day as harvesting and processing is underway in the work area and acres of underground caves.

    Storage barns were makeshift check out lines and still
offered a gorgeous view.

       Harvest is underway in Paso. Members pick up and harvesters pick.

FACES OF BUDDY GUY

   It's always a thrill to see the great blues guitarist Buddy Guy.

 The six time Grammy winner and member of the Rock and Roll hall of fame lit it up at Vina Robles Amphitheatre. 

   The 79 year old virtuoso is a beloved legend.

BOOGIE BLUES DESTROYER

  George Thorogood and the Destroyers may be the ultimate bar band. 

 The Wilmington Delaware native is 65 and still kicks it up as much as he did back in the early 80's when he burst onto the scene, touring with the Rolling Stones.

 High Velocity Impressions

  He electrified the audience.  

   See you down the trail.