In the Present

In these fraught times, one side is promising something wonderful about the future while the other, something horrible. Or one side is blaming the other for something in the past and and the other in turn, finding something new to blame the first for. One side magnifies past sins of the other, while the other heaps blame upon the first. Both make grandiose promises about the future.

Past or future; we need to stop for a moment and call out something uplifting from the present that we all can share, especially this semiquincentennial weekend (who came up with that!) Let me suggest:                 

    Oh beautiful, for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain.

    For purple mountains' majesties above the fruited plains. 

    America, America, God shed his grace on thee

    and crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea.

Words by Katherine Lee Bates in 1895 and set to the music Materna, composed by Samuel A. Ward in 1892. 

America the Beautiful says it all to me, plus I can sing it. And it isn't rooted in conflict, in bloody Fort McHenry or any other conflict. No having to extol courage under fire. We've had enough of bombs bursting in air. 

Of course there are many who have doubts about that brotherhood stuff; I can think of a couple whose initials are SM and JDV. Invariably, such patriots consider themselves good Christians, i.e., good Catholics or good Protestants -- or good Buddhists or good Hindus or good Muslims or good whatevers, despite that their creeds endorse universal brotherhood. These folks have been steeped in suspicion of the other, in dislikes of strange names or odd (to them) hats or foods or worship. (We're suspicious of their foods until one of them opens a hot restaurant in town.) 

Well, I've wandered away from something many of us should be able to agree on here in the present: America has beauty inherent in her. 

Let's work together to make it manifest once again.

        PS Ann points out to me that over half of the USMNT are immigrants.

Underdogs

I watched my first World Cup game of this year’s tourney: Germany vs Cote d’ivoire. For a period and a half little Cd’I led one nil. Then Germany got their tying goal, and in stoppage time, their go-ahead score. It was a lovely and well-played game despite some German defensive sloppiness.

I looked up the two: Cote d'Ivoire isn't so little after all: 33 million folks. I had no idea. Germany, of course, the largest in Europe at 84 million.

I rooted for Cote d’Ivoire. I have an urge to add ‘of course.’  I suppose there are people who favor the favorite, but I would guess most favor the underdog. Consider that phrase, create an image of an under-dog: chilling isn’t it? A small dog on his back, a larger dog lying on top with a grip on the underdog’s throat. I know many cheer for the expected winner; many for the competitor given less of a chance by the bettors. Americans supposedly support the underdog out of a sense of fairness, of equalizing the match with their enthusiasm and cheers. The bettors usually know better.  Unless ‘you’ve got a dog in that fight,’ the American will cheer for the underdog. Good on us.

Germany got two goals from Deniz Undav, a Stuttgart sub born in Bremen whose family is Kurdish‑Yazidi, father from southeastern Turkey and mother, northern Syria. Thus, those hateful immigrants brought Germany its advantage. My bet is that most of Germany’s soccer fans are MGGA’s, perhaps members of AfD, folks who are intolerant of immigration just as are our MAGAs who stupidly don't connect dots.

(While the boom of my neighbor's practice shots-on-goal echo in my ears.) 

 

I

What Do You Know About SYSO?

Seattle is known for Microsoft, for its persistent growth, for Grunge and Kurt Cobain, for its suffocating traffic, for its Seahawks and dearly departed Sonics, for Starbucks coffee, for Dr. Frasier Crane – but not for SYSO. Would that the world’s attention be somewhat more encompassing . . .

. . .  for SYSO is one of Seattle's cultural gems.

The Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra Program is the largest youth orchestra program in the world, renowned for feeding conservatories and music schools with a steady stream of students. Symphonies the world over have SYSO alum as players, principals, concertmasters, conductors and even composers. SYSO also is known for its traditional affinity for and recordings of the music of Gustav Mahler, something no other youth orchestra has tackled. SYSO has five performing orchestras, each with its own conductor, seven if training orchestras are included, more than any other youth symphony program.

I must admit that had it not been for our grandson, Max Janes, being Principal Trumpet in SYSO's senior Youth Orchestra, I might not have known of SYSO either. SYSO is a cultural gem hiding its brilliance under a bushel.

You might naturally assume, as did I, that SYSO is a division within the Seatle Symphony and run by them. Not so: SYSO is an independent not-for-profit organization, with its own board and management, its own staff, and its own fund raising. SYSO’s mission is “Empowering youth through excellence in orchestral education.” And it delivered this past year:

• 1300 students were enrolled
• from 256 Pacific Northwest schools.
• 32 concerts were given
• before 12,500 attendees.
• In addition, 270 more students received over 400 hours of instruction in schools.
• the senior orchestra toured Portugal, playing with orchestras and ensembles in four major cities.
• SYSO's total budget is over $2.6mm.

SYSO and its supporters (which includes our family) believe that participation is transformative. Students and graduates speak of developing leadership skills, confidence, improved school performance, discipline, collaboration, community, and joy.

Recently, Ann and I attended the spring concert at UW’s Meany Hall. It was packed not just with doting parents and grand-parents, but with folks who were there simply to enjoy classical, orchestral music. The sound, even from the “Debut” orchestra, the youngest kids, was incredibly polished and mature.

Watch Completion of a Brancusi-inspired Sculpture

This past week I brought to completion The Cellist project. The three bronze castings of the marble bas relief have been distributed; I had a very satisfying auction (now actually having sold a piece, does that make me a professional artist?) and seeing folks genuinely enjoy the work, 

Over the next few blog posts I will let you watch step-by-step completion of my next piece, already begun, in the style of Constantine Brancusi whom I consider the 20thC and so far the 21st greatest sculptor and stone carver. I also revere Giacometti and Barbara Hepworth, though theirs were an additive rather than reductive sculpture. They are the three greats, and a fourth, Henry Moore, might also be added to the set.

My new piece is not a precise copy, but very much in the Brancusi style à la Flight, Birds in Space, and Golden Bird. I will be working under the guidance of Sabah al-Dhaher and invite you to watch step by step the completion, of the piece. When done, it will be about 7 and 1/2 feet tall, a construction of oak timber salvaged from my brother-in-law's warehouse, granite or marble, and basalt. You can watch it formed and grow here.

Here is The Cellist in bronze, the copy Ann and I have kept. 

Assassination and the Great Man Theory of History

 Posted Saturday, April 26th

Saturday was a glorious spring day but only when we got home in later afternoon did we learn of the 

spoiler: the attempted assassination at the Correspondents’ Dinner.

Assassination: 

That attempt to alter history and derail governance comes from acceptance of the Great Man theory of 

history: remove the Great Man and change the future. 

Has it ever worked? Did the assassination of Julius Caesar change the dissolution of the Republic, or 

only hurry it onward? It certainly did not restore the Republic which Caesar had already undermined. 

And Lincoln? The American Democratic-Republic form of governance only became stronger as 

Congress ruled the roost throughout the rest of the 19^th C., especially after the 13^th and 

14^th Constitutional Amendments were ratified.  

 

“Great Man” did not emerge again until Roosevelt, the Depression, and WWII. The Executive Branch, 

especially the Pentagon, became the center of policy and initiative. 

So, knock off the Great Man and you derail governance? Most often only the most deranged 

romantic believes strongly enough to become an assassin. Failed assassination strengthens the 

Great Man. Successful assassination most often puts the system into the hands of a new, would-be 

Great Man.  

 

Much as I want Trump gone, assassination is worse than he, an aberration, a lazy man’s answer. We 

need to do the hard intellectual work of understanding process, cause and the forces bending our future. 

We must reject the Great Man theory of history. It is a simpleton’s myth.

 

The simpleton now in the Oval Office must be removed but only through a Democratic-Republican 

process.    

What the hell are we doing?

From my 21stC Journal of a 20thC  Man: 

I awoke thinking about the war. What the hell are we doing? We should be focusing on ending our war, our illegal, unjustifiable American/Iranian war of choice, using our time and energy, using our best people, to find a settlement to end this horror. Instead, we are using our time and energy seeking settlement of someone else’s war, one between Israel and Lebanon. We are not in that war. We have no troops on the ground (I hope!) We are not bombing either Lebanon or Israel. Theirs is not our war. We ought to be gone, to deny support and provision of our precious arms to either combatant. To unlink negotiations.

I know, as always, easier said than done. In America, strong voices call out support Israel; other strong voices yell support Lebanon, few say to hell with both of you. In Iran, the strong voices say Lebanon is also a victim of the USA for Israel is but America’s agent. Others say America is Israel’s agent. The Israeli/Lebanese war, Iran says, must be included in whatever cease fire or suspension is to be reached with America.

This makes it impossible for us. We should simply stop. Shift the world’s attention to Lebanon and Israel. Humiliation of not “winning” is better than escalation of death and destruction, loss of face better than loss of blood. And if done deftly, by accomplished diplomats of which we have a few and explained by glib and gifted spokesmen of which we have many, we might come to be seen by some as one of the peacemakers of whom Christians, Jews, and Muslims speak so highly.

“Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!”

Among the ten writers who contributed to the screenplay of The Wizard of Oz, Noel Langley is the most likely author of the famous line Frank Morgan, who played the Wizard, delivered when TOTO pulled back the green curtain to reveal an old charlatan frantically trying to manipulate the smoke and noise machine which created his fearsome image. Remind you of anything or anyone haunting our dreams today? And how about those flying monkey ICE agents? Remember Judy Garlands' remonstrance: "You’re a very bad man!” Langley had Morgan reply with genuine humility, "Oh, no my dear,  I'm just a very bad Wizard."

We're unlikely to hear such humility from our charlatan. TOTO raises a fundamental question for us: who are the folks behind the curtain? Who are these folks guiding, animating, managing the would-be wizard and his executive orders? What is their stake?

Do I believe Trump studies or even cares about issues like (today's NYT) who picks the art that appears in our overseas embassies? Does he know how the American artist representing us at the Venice Bienniel is selected? Does he care that that artist is an ex-pat who emigrated to Mexico years ago? Appointed by a luxury pet food dealer from Tampa? Who behind the curtain does?

Who behind the curtain has an interest in psychedelic drug deregulation and accelerated FDA clearance, particularly of Ibogaine, the leading psychedelic of interest? Ibogaine World, a Cameroon-based company whose corporate structure, finances, officers, and ownership are unknown is also the leading supplier of Ibogaine and will play a primary role in Trump-ordered accelerated FDA testing and clearance. Such exploration of psychedelics and mental health appears a promising avenue of research, but who behind the curtain is pushing it and why?

Is it likely that Trump really cares about professional baseball regulation and operation of the college football transfer portal? Judging from his Executive Order somebody behind the curtain does. What is their stake in this? 

A recent order deals with the definition of Made in America. Did he really concern himself in that or did someone behind the curtain manage that one? Those folks behind the curtain have discovered a powerful tool for effecting their agendas. Other March and April ExecOrders deal with elections, DEI, housing, fraud, FEMA oversight, sports, manufacturing, and consumer protection. Who initiated these? Who is behind these revisions to our economy, our social structure, how we raise and educate our kids? And what's in it for them -- ideological purity? Insider advantage? Reduced regulatory obstacles? Or just power for powers sake?

You don't need to use Executive Orders to gain admittance behind the curtain. Who is pushing reductions in air and water emission standards? Reduction in renewable energy commitments? Reduction of incentives for adoption of EVs? The list is endless; the damage senseless -- except to those who put their self-interest ahead of the nation's.

We'd better start paying attention to those folks behind the curtain before they restructure America to a new set of values and priorities through their control over the aging charlatan dozing in his gilded, oval office.