Archive for September, 2008
love is stronger than death - in memory of Petar
Another friend has left this earth for what must be a better place, for there can be no other reason for the loss of someone taken in his prime, who cared so deeply and worked so tirelessly to make our world a better place. Fair winds, following seas and Godspeed, dear Petar. You are missed by many already.
I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge, that myth is more potent than history. I believe that dreams are more powerful than facts - that hope always triumphs over experience - that laughter is the only cure for grief. And I believe that love is stronger than death.
- Robert Fulghum
Love is Stronger Than Death
Me & my friend were walking
In the cold light of mourning.
Tears may blind the eyes but the soul is not deceived
In this world even winter aint what it seems.
Here come the blue skies here comes springtime.
When the rivers run high & the tears run dry.
When everything that dies.
Shall rise.
Love is stronger than death.
In our lives we hunger for those we cannot touch.
All the thoughts unuttered & all the feelings unexpressed
Play upon our hearts like the mist upon our breath.
But, awoken by grief, our spirits speak
How could you believe that the life within the seed
That grew arms that reached
And a heart that beat.
And lips that smiled
And eyes that cried.
Could ever die?
Here come the blue skies here comes springtime.
When the rivers run high & the tears run dry.
When everything that dies.
Shall rise.
Matt Johnson
spiralling
I’ve been under the weather since my return from my too-short vacation. Not sick-in-the-bed-head-under-the-covers sick, just a little scratchy-throated-and-tired sick, maybe a little sick and tired, too. It takes very little of my precious energy to edit myself, and so editing I am… there are enough pundits and issues out there to wax on (and on and on) about the state of the nation, the economy, the impracticality of Palin (God bless Tina Fey and Amy Poehler for making us laugh and others rethink through the Palin ‘gags’ (literal and figurative), the war (oops - edit Leslee, edit!) and everything else that should make all of us sick and tired. All that said, and on this day of a record 777.68 point drop of the Dow Jones industrials, the biggest one-day fall ever, here’s the remarkably appropriate, and yet still upbeat “Spiralling”, off the new release by Keane. Enjoy and let’s remain hopeful in spite of the events of the day, month, years… watch the VP debate, if it actually occurs Thursday night (laughter is great medicine… although on second thought, cringing ain’t so comfy…). Lastly I leave you with a thought shared last week by my friend Michael, now even more frighteningly plausible; that is, that our money may just be safer in a mattress.
Okay, I hafta - Palin’s got a (parody) problem, and her name is Fey. The funniest thing is that they don’t even have to stretch it that much to be funny. If all were right in our world and we weren’t facing the challenges as a nation that we are, I might feel a little sorry for her…
Just in case you missed them, or have turned off the TV in an effort to maintain your sanity:
The real thing:
Classic: click here
sit and wonder
And here we are… seven long, war-laden, bin Laden still-at-large years later.
It’s been a coincidentally long 9/11 week, and I’m too wrung out to go into one of my tirades, but not to tired to sit and wonder what the light of a new administration will feel like… give us some light.
From The Verve’s first new release since “Urban Hymms” like, 11 years ago. This one’s called “Forth” and worth the wait. So then, onward we go.
Hope you enjoy. Much peace, love and light to you.
Here’s another, Love is Noise. Couldn’t resist.
harmony
I’ve elected (forgive the pun) to post an Elton John song today; Harmony, a nice cover of the Rocket Man by Jesse Malin. I do so that you may listen as I share just some of the disconcerting facts about the GOP’s vice-Presidential candidate, Sarah Palin. It’s all meant to offset the political anxiety and support the visualization of recovery, the sense of peace and hope and yes, even the pride (haven’t said that in awhile) that the thought of change brings. We must remember though, that things are so very screwy that nothing is going to come fast and easy, and that even in the face of these… situations, we cannot assume anything (and now that we’ve had one, we can never discount (wow, a 2-for-1) the possibility of another chad debacle, but lets not go there). We must simply get out and rock that vote. Speak your peace. Feel the pride. Visualize change. Let’s make it all a reality - do we really have a choice?
Okay, before I really get going, let’s get some music going:
I’m going to preface the following list with a few of my own observations… a) shouldn’t the mother of a four-month-old child with Down Syndrome be… not necessarily home with her child every waking moment - but not necessarily on the campaign trail every waking moment, giving her every attention (one would hope) to learning everything she possibly can about foreign policy, domestic policy and everything else that her lack of experience would command that she learn asap via the hard core cram? b) shouldn’t the mother of a pregnant, unwed 17-year-old child be rethinking her priorities, even if the 4-month-old with special needs hasn’t managed to spur that on? c) Thanks for the bone, Mr. McCain, but we don’t need your token puppy smashing our glass-ceilings, anymore. If the Hilary supporters that were going to vote for you just because they were mad that Hil didn’t get the Democratic nod still haven’t heard Mr. Obama, then there priorities are as effed up as Mrs. Palin’s, and finally d) McCain sure has a penchant for beauty queens!
Lastly, and in follow up to my last (Radiohead) post, I have to say that last week coincidentally contained two (back-to-back) of the most inspiring occasions on my personal recent record. They were very different, but both brilliant. The first was the Radiohead show. Pure genius. Mesmerizing. Stunning. The next night was Barack Obama’s already historic acceptance speech of the Democratic nomination for President of the United States of America, delivered to an audience of 38 million plus. I got chills. I got misty. I got conviction.
Okay, back to business; courtesy of MoveOn.org, a few of the cold, hard Palin facts:
- She was elected Alaska’s governor a little over a year and a half ago. Her previous office was mayor of Wasilla, a small town outside Anchorage. She has no foreign policy experience. 1
- Palin is strongly anti-choice, opposing abortion even in the case of rape or incest. 2
- She supported right-wing extremist Pat Buchanan for president in 2000. 3
- Palin thinks creationism should be taught in public schools. 4
- She’s doesn’t think humans are the cause of climate change. 5
- She’s solidly in line with John McCain’s “Big Oil first” energy policy. She’s pushed hard for more oil drilling and says renewables won’t be ready for years. She also sued the Bush administration for listing polar bears as an endangered species—she was worried it would interfere with more oil drilling in Alaska. 6
- How closely did John McCain vet this choice? He met Sarah Palin once at a meeting. They spoke a second time, last Sunday, when he called her about being vice-president. Then he offered her the position. 7
1. “Sarah Palin,” Wikipedia, Accessed August 29, 2008
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Palin
2. “McCain Selects Anti-Choice Sarah Palin as Running Mate,” NARAL Pro-Choice America, August 29, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17515&id=13661-8065754-X4T89Ox&t=1
3. “Sarah Palin, Buchananite,” The Nation, August 29, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17736&id=13661-8065754-X4T89Ox&t=2
4. “‘Creation science’ enters the race,” Anchorage Daily News, October 27, 2006
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17737&id=13661-8065754-X4T89Ox&t=3
5. “Palin buys climate denial PR spin—ignores science,” Huffington Post, August 29, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17517&id=13661-8065754-X4T89Ox&t=4
6. “McCain VP Pick Completes Shift to Bush Energy Policy,” Sierra Club, August 29, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17518&id=13661-8065754-X4T89Ox&t=5
“Choice of Palin Promises Failed Energy Policies of the Past,” League of Conservation Voters, August 29, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17519&id=13661-8065754-X4T89Ox&t=6
“Protecting polar bears gets in way of drilling for oil, says governor,” The Times of London, May 23, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17520&id=13661-8065754-X4T89Ox&t=7
7 “McCain met Palin once before yesterday,” MSNBC, August 29, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=21119&id=13661-8065754-X4T89Ox&t=8
In case you missed it, I’m proud to offer you (through YouTube, of course) the opportunity to witness for yourself this stirring, celebrated speech. It’s the stuff of which history is made. Do have a harmonious day, and do be prepared to fight for your rights, and to then say hello to a new nation and a new administration.
-
Tee of the Month
