What? Can't Hear You!

On this day in 1976

The Who played at the Charlton Athletic Grounds in England and make the Guinness Book of World Records as the loudest rock band ever. Their set measured 76,000 watts and 120 decibels.

A 45-Year Memory: Graduation

The Class of 1966.

It seems like...

okay- it seems like a long time ago.

An Ongoing Memory: Memorial Day

I've used this picture before, but it is one that continues to strike me as emblematic for Memorial Day.

A flag on a veteran's grave.

Memories and a memorial.

A 50-Year Memory: At Last- An End

May 30 – Rafael Leónidas Trujillo, totalitarian despot of the Dominican Republic since 1930, is killed in an ambush, putting an end to the second longest-running dictatorship in Latin American history.

As May Comes To An End

Some quotes and quips to carry us into June:

"The sun was warm but the wind was chill.
You know how it is with an April day.
When the sun is out and the wind is still,
You're one month on in the middle of May.
But if you so much as dare to speak,
a cloud come over the sunlit arch,
And wind comes off a frozen peak,
And you're two months back in the middle of March."
- Robert Frost

"Spring is God's way of saying, 'One more time!' "
- Robert Orben

"An optimist is the human personification of spring."
- Susan J. Bissonette

"Never yet was a springtime, when the buds forgot to bloom."
- Margaret Elizabeth Sangster

Nothing Like a Day (or Evening) At The Ballpark

"I cherish a theory I once heard propounded by G.Q. Durham that professional baseball is inherently antiwar. The most overlooked cause of war, his theory runs, is that it’s so damned interesting. It takes hard effort, skill, love and a little luck to make times of peace consistently interesting. About all it takes to make war interesting is a life. The appeal of trying to kill others without being killed yourself, according to Gale, is that it brings suspense, terror, honor, disgrace, rage, tragedy, treachery and occasionally even heroism within range of guys who, in times of peace, might lead lives of unmitigated blandness. But baseball, he says, is one activity that is able to generate suspense and excitement on a national scale, just like war. And baseball can only be played in peace. Hence G.Q.’s thesis that pro ball-players—little as some of them may want to hear it—are basically just a bunch of unusually well-coordinated guys working hard and artfully to prevent wars, by making peace more interesting."
— David James Duncan

Happy 100 to Happy Hubie

Hubert Horatio Humphrey, Jr. (May 27, 1911 – January 13, 1978), served under President Lyndon B. Johnson as the 38th Vice President of the United States. Humphrey twice served as a United States Senator from Minnesota, and served as Democratic Majority Whip. He was a founder of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and Americans for Democratic Action. He also served as Mayor of Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1945–1949. In 1968, Humphrey was the nominee of the Democratic Party in the 1968 presidential election but lost to the Republican nominee, Richard Nixon.--Wikipedia

Many people only know his name from a domed stadium in Minneapolis, the Metrodome, aka Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, aka Mall of America Field. He was far more than that. He was the consummate mid-20th Century Liberal. The final heir, perhaps, to the FDR New Deal legacy.

Sadly, his legacy was tainted by his connections with the Johnson Presidency, Vietnam, and the police riot in Chicago during his 1968 nominating convention. Many have said that with an extra week added to that year's campaign, he might very well have defeated Richard Nixon. Others would point out that he probably wouldn't even have been nominated if Robert Kennedy hadn't been assassinated.

But today all we have is history. And today would have been Humphrey's 100th birthday. A fighter and true Liberal in the best sense of the word, we sure could use a few like him today.

How Very Sad...

...and delusional.

I have waited a few days since the end of the world to make any more posts. In that time Mr. Camping has come out with his explanation. Sadly it was not an, "Ooops. Made a mistake." Not really. Instead he rambles and makes new predictions. He says he was off by five months. The end will come on Oct. 21. Here are some quotes as reported by AP on Yahoo! News:

"worked [it] out as accurately as I could have."

"We've always said May 21 was the day, but we didn't understand altogether the spiritual meaning. The fact is there is only one kind of people who will ascend into heaven ... if God has saved them they're going to be caught up."

[May 21 was] a "spiritual" Judgment Day, which places the entire world under Christ's judgment.

I feel sorry for people like Jeff Hopkins who spent a great deal of money driving around with a sign on his car in order to publicize the end of the world...

"I've been mocked and scoffed and cursed at and I've been through a lot with this lighted sign on top of my car. I was doing what I've been instructed to do through the Bible, but now I've been stymied. It's like getting slapped in the face."

Oh, Camping won't be doing any more warning. He insists that May 21 was the day when judgment and salvation were completed. No more warnings. We are on our own now.

Why is it that we spend so much time and energy on publicizing the extremes who clearly have little of substance to offer our faith? Why is it that the people who are doing their faith, living at the edges of their spirituality's hope, and making a real difference for the Kingdom of God are ignored?  Is it any wonder that the non-faithful people think we religious people are nothing but kooks?

God must get very tired of all of us in our human weakness.

No, thank God that God DOESN't get tired of us in our human weakness!

A 50-Year Memory: An Even Newer Frontier

May 25 – Apollo program: President Kennedy announces before a special joint session of Congress his goal to put a man on the Moon before the end of the decade.

Happy Birthday, Bob

Yes, Robert Allen Zimmerman is 70. Bob Dylan.

He's 70!

Oh, how things have changed.

Lot of water under the bridge, Lot of other stuff too
Don't get up gentlemen, I'm only passing through

People are crazy and times are strange
I'm locked in tight, I'm out of range
I used to care, but things have changed

A 50-Year Memory: More Trouble

May 24 – American civil rights movement: Freedom Riders are arrested in Jackson, Mississippi for "disturbing the peace" after disembarking from their bus.

Not Always Outside

Not all flowers bloom outside.....

Like my African Violets sitting in my north-facing window.

The blooms are awesome this spring.

Heroes Fail

That's what I kept thinking through my sadness while watching 60 Minutes earlier this evening. I listened with pain as Tyler Hamilton talked about his years of using performance enhancing drugs and procedures. I was disturbed as he talked about Lance Armstrong being part of this in spite of years and years of serious denial on Armstrong's part of any involvement in such things.

Why did Hamilton use the drugs? He felt he had to in order to compete with athletes who, in some cases, were less talented than Hamilton. If he didn't cheat, he wouldn't be able to beat them since they WERE using. Hamilton showed a mixture of disgust (at the questions and himself) as well as sadness and pain at what he was doing. Last Wednesday, after the information began to come out, Hamilton had returned his Olympic Gold Medal. He said he couldn't bear to look at it anymore anyway.

The pain and sadness in the story has many elements, but at the heart is Lance Armstrong. If this is true he has been lying and cheating for a long time. Perhaps he would say the same as Hamilton that he needed to do what he did in order to maintain his position as one of the world's greatest athletes. Perhaps, if he ever admits to any such use and gives us an explanation, it will ease the pain for many of us who have looked up to him for his courage and endurance.

Does this take away from that? I am not sure. He has been a great athlete who worked far beyond himself to accomplish greatness. He has inspired and challenged and encouraged many who may have felt like giving up. He was also, I am sure, overwhelmed by his own greatness. This is not uncommon among the elite of any field. In spite of their heroism and greatness and achievements, they feel that they are justified, different, entitled.

Congressmen, presidential candidates, and governors have done the same. Wall Street bankers, TV preachers and Hollywood stars act this way. Barry Bonds, Brett Favre, Pete Rose, Mark McGwire have become fallen heroes. They lie or manipulate or blur their stories in order to maintain for themselves the semblance of honor. We may find it hard to believe that even the elite and great ones among us could be as tempted and fallible as we are.

But they are. They are human. They will fail. Themselves and us. That perhaps should give us pause to be cautious about our tendency toward hero worship. We should not place others on any pedestal that is higher than it should be. They cannot and will not be able to vicariously pull us out of our daily lives.

Respect their abilities and what they can do. But don't put that heroes mantle on them too soon. We may be disappointed.

Are We Still Here?

Minnesota Council of Churches Executive Director Peg Chamberlin had a good post yesterday at the Star-Tribune. She "shows", through meticulous calculations how yesterday's date was discovered hidden in the Bible. She then adds this:

Theo Gill, senior editor at the World Council of Churches, says: You can see why people look for hidden messages in the Bible: The stuff that appears on the surface - like "Love one another", "Let justice roll down like a river" and "My peace I give you" - is so clearly outlandish.

Yes and Amen!!

Actually the Second Coming may have happened before this, or so thought poet William Butler Yeats....

Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
Surely some revelation is at hand;
Surely the Second Coming is at hand.
The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out
When a vast image out of Spritus Mundi
Troubles my sight: somewhere in the sands of the desert.

A shape with lion body and the head of a man,
A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,
Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it
Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds.
The darkness drops again; but now I know
That twenty centuries of stony sleep
were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

According to Wikipedia:

"The Second Coming" is a poem composed by Irish poet William Butler Yeats in 1919 and first printed in The Dial (November 1920) and afterwards included in his 1921 collection of verses titled Michael Robartes and the Dancer. The poem uses Christian imagery regarding the Apocalypse and second coming as allegory to describe the atmosphere in post-war Europe.

The Beauty of Spring....

when it finally appears....

Some pictures from my bike ride last Sunday......

Cascade Creek

Silver Lake in the late afternoon.

And last Tuesday at Cascade Lake by my apartment

and along the Douglas Trail.



What a great stretch of spring we had for three days or so.

Is It Today?

But note: It's already tomorrow in some of the world and many 6:00 p.m. local times have past.

And how many fractures have taken place at 6:00 pm local times around the world already. Those darn typos get you every time.

Still, I can't resist.



Or, for a more recent take on it... How about R.E.M.

One More Post About Tomorrow

As told by Tony Campolo in his book, Let Me tell You A Story (p. 162):

Pope John XXII was once asked what he would say to the church today if he knew that Jesus was going to return tomorrow. He smiled and answered:

Look Busy!

Three Little Birds

No, not the ones I posted yesterday. This is the song, now done by the Playing for Change people. They write:

We begin the journey in West Africa, in the ancient village of Kirina, Mali. The instruments begin to play, and we hear the familiar words "don't worry about a thing, every little thing is gonna be alright." This timeless message invites us on a musical journey through time and space. Together we continue to connect the world through music.

Enjoy.

Birds and More Birds

Oh the wonder of a nice spring day. We haven't had a lot of those around these parts yet. One here, another there. That's about it. Well, Sunday was one of them so I stopped by Whitewater State Park after church and sat out by the bird feeder for a good half-hour. I was not disappointed.

Oriole and a spring bud!

The spring migration is on, coming in a blast of birds. They were wonderfully loud and wonderfully active. Kind of how I felt getting over this outdoor-deficit spring.

Sorry it's out-of-focus. But the colors are great!

A Grosbeak just sitting there posing for me. I sat quietly and enjoyed the show. Quite a morning.

It was a truly colorful time. Everything seemed so rich and alive, reminding me of the wonders of the season and why I look forward to it.

Take a close-look. It's a triple-bill of an Oriole.

 



I don't know whether they intend to be friends or not, but they were sharing the space on the branch for at least a few minutes.


It's my first trip since snowshoeing in winter.

Winter Bird feeder

I'm looking forward to another great season of hiking and photography!

This Is More Like It!

Minnesota 11, Oakland 1 at Oakland Coliseum
Minnesota Record: (15-27)
Oakland Record: (22-22)

Winning pitcher - Nick Blackburn (3-4)
Losing pitcher - Tyson Ross (3-3)

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
MIN	1	1	0	0	2	0	0	6	1		11	16	3
OAK	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0		1	6	0

Maybe The End IS Near?

Floodgates open on the Mississippi submerging towns that are NOT on the Mississippi in order to save the cities that are.

The "world's most powerful banker" arrested in New York for assaulting a maid in a VERY HIGH CLASS hotel.

The worst allergy season EVER.

Jerry Lewis announces this will be his last year with the Labor Day MD Telethon.

The Minnesota Twins continue to be the worst team in baseball in 2011 with a 13-27 (.325) record.

Need any more proof that the end may be near?

In Memoriam: A Hall of Famer

1936 - 2011

Hall of Fame Plate at Target Field

Quote on wall outside Target Field

On Ethics, Pacifism and Bonhoeffer

Some of the discussions around the death of bin Laden last week got me to thinking about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian/pastor who during World War II participated in a plot to kill Hitler. Back in the early 70s when I was first introduced to Bonhoeffer's writing I was also struggling with the "practical" applications of my pacifist tendencies. At the time I was introduced to an example that a theology professor said Bonhoeffer used.

If a truck were barreling out of control down a street toward a child or group of children and the only way to stop it from its deadly mission was to kill the driver, would you?

Bonhoeffer's ethic says yes. That's the way it was explained to me in 1971 as part of a discussion of pacifism and ethics at a church camp in the midst of the Vietnam War. I don't remember if the speaker was advocating a move away from peaceful protest or not, but it was a striking moment for this 20-something pacifist.

All that came back to me quite forcefully last week as I discovered Christians debating and responding to the death of bin Laden with ambivalence and concern. Not so much about his death, but the response to it. As I reflected on it myself I said that the apparent triumph of good over evil in bin Laden's death does not call for celebration, but relief. We had no choice; we are grateful that he is no longer a threat; but we need to be cautious that our sense of victory doesn't overcome our humanity.

We are also filled with sadness over the ongoing tragedies of wars of all kinds and violence of all styles. Even justified violence is still violence and makes us less than we can truly be. I am glad for Obama and the defeat of bin Laden. But I do not rejoice at death. Not that kind of death. Even when it is necessary.

So I wanted to figure out a little bit of where Bonhoeffer was. I went Googling and found some thoughts.

First, from the BBC:

In Ethics, Bonhoeffer wrestles with the essential problem: how can a Christian, essentially a pacifist, justify murder? His argument can be summarised thus:

• Responsible action is how Christians act in accordance with the will of God.
• The demand for responsible action - that is, acting in accordance with God's will - is one that no Christian can ignore.
• Christians are, therefore, faced with a dilemma: when assaulted by evil, they must oppose it through direct action. They have no other option. Any failure to act is simply to condone evil.

What a difficult position, but one that must be addressed. Is there a time and place when the failure to act against evil would in and of itself be evil? Is there a point when pacifism may actually be wrong?

Over at the blog Ten-Minute Theology, I found this bit of insight:

[Bonhoeffer] also takes on a famous example from another German intellectual titan, Kant. Imagine someone intends to kill the friend that you are hiding in your house. One day that person barges in and demands to know if the friend is hiding there. Kant had argued that in the interest of truthfulness, the ethical act is to answer in the honest affirmative. Bonhoeffer passionately disagrees, thinking this is a monstrous distortion of what it means to act ethically. The problem with the Kantian line of thinking, he argues, is that it reduces the ethical to an unchanging list of right and wrong behaviors, instead of recognizing that

Ethical discourse cannot be conducted in a vacuum, in the abstract, but only in a concrete context. Ethical discourse, therefore, is not a system of propositions which are correct in themselves, a system which is available for anyone to apply at any time and in any place, but it is inseparably linked with particular persons, times, and places.

The key word for Bonhoeffer, which he stresses repeatedly, is concrete. An action is not ethical according to some timeless principle, but only in a specific given situation. This is because life is lived in the here and now, in the world of given circumstances, and not in the ideal world of mental reflection. Life is lived, in other words, in human society, with all the messiness that that entails.

I came away from this brief research with an uneasy feeling. Perhaps at the heart of it is the question of how do we deal with real-world situations. Conscientious objectors were often asked the hypothetical question, not unlike Bonhoeffer's- "What would you do if your family was being attacked? Would you fight, even kill, the attacker?

None of us know what we would do. But here, with the death of bin Laden we have for us in the United States a real world example. Watching President Obama on TV it was abundantly clear that he believed, beyond any shadow of doubt, that he had done the right thing. It had to be done. Even with my pacifism I have to agree. Sometime we are left no option as Bonhoeffer so clearly argued.

Yes, I feel conflicted. Yes, it is much too much of a paradox for me to deal with in any rational way. 

There was massive evil that needed to be confronted because, as Bonhoeffer would have said, we want a safer and better world to leave our children. A last-resort situation may have left us no other concrete options.

**************************************************

Then as a PS to my wanderings and ramblings I came across this: The modern man of peace, the Dalai Lama was recently reported on NPR to have said:

As a human being, Bin Laden may have deserved compassion and even forgiveness, the Dalai Lama said in answer to a question about the assassination of the Al Qaeda leader. But, he said, "Forgiveness doesn't mean forget what happened. ... If something is serious and it is necessary to take counter-measures, you have to take counter-measures."
--NPR

More About Harmon

In the plaza outside Target Field in Minneapolis, there is a giant bronze glove. It is the same distance from home plate, 520 feet, as the longest home run Harmon Killebrew ever hit. Needless to say, it is a popular picture spot.

A 50-Year Memory: Trouble

May 14 – American civil rights movement: A Freedom Riders bus is fire-bombed near Anniston, Alabama and the civil rights protestors are beaten by an angry mob.

Brave- But Still Sad

Display in Target Field.

(AP) MINNEAPOLIS – Harmon Killebrew announced Friday that he no longer plans to fight his esophageal cancer and has settled in for the final days of his life, saddening friends and fans of the 74-year-old Hall of Fame slugger.

In a statement released jointly by the Minnesota Twins and the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Killebrew said "it is with profound sadness" that he will no longer receive treatment for the "awful disease."

He said the cancer has been deemed incurable by his doctors and he will enter hospice care.

A 30-Year Memory: A Moment of Fear

May 13 – Pope John Paul II is shot and nearly killed by Mehmet Ali Ağca, a Turkish gunman, as he enters St. Peter's Square in Vatican City to address a general audience.

Saying the Same Thing

“It takes courage to grow up and turn out to be who you really are.”
- E.E. Cummings

A young Pablo Picasso is at home with his mother, sitting maturely on a stool with a paintbrush in his hand and a contemplative look on his face. His mother proudly says, "If you become a soldier, you'll be a general. If you become a monk, you'll end up as the Pope." Years later, a much older, confident Picasso responded, "I wanted to become a painter, and wound up as Picasso."
- Link

Fun Cooking

Ever wonder what a kernel of corn looks like popping? Well, neither did I until I fond this video:



Thanks to the Awesomer for the link and Modernist Cuisine for doing it.

In case you were wondering about the science behind it, they tell us this at the Modernist Cuisine:

The key to why pop­corn pops is its unusual moisture-proof hull. As the ker­nel is heated beyond the boil­ing point, the water inside begins to turn into steam and expand. Since the hull will not let steam out, the pres­sure inside the ker­nel begins to rise. The hull can han­dle a pres­sure of around 135 psi before burst­ing open. At this point, the pres­sure inside the ker­nel is released very rapidly, expand­ing the starch and pro­teins into a dense foam that sets quickly.

Don't say this isn't an educational blog.

Bluebells of Rochester.....

The Trusty Trek 7000 along the S. Zumbro trail with bluebells blooming.

Last evening was gorgeous around here. We hit summer (90 degrees F on my front balcony). After supper I took a 15-mile bike ride up and around town and found the bluebells in bloom.

Spring can't be beat now!!!!

The Beginning and the End?

It just could be coming. Starting tomorrow:

ROME (Reuters) – If tourists find Rome unusually quiet next Wednesday, the reason will probably be that thousands of locals have left town in fear of a devastating earthquake allegedly forecast for that day by a long-dead seismologist.

For months Italian internet sites, blogs and social networks have been debating the work of Raffaele Bendandi, who claimed to have forecast numerous earthquakes and, according to internet rumours, predicted a "big one" in Rome on May 11.

It could very well be the beginning of the end....

Which I am told is now scheduled for May 21.

Harold Camping, 88, has scrutinized the Bible for almost 70 years and says he has developed a mathematical system to interpret prophecies hidden within the Good Book. One night a few years ago, Camping, a civil engineer by trade, crunched the numbers and was stunned at what he'd found: The world will end May 21, 2011.
--Link

To celebrate a pastor friend of mine has scheduled a service for Sunday May 22 with the theme: "Why the Rapture Didn't Happen Yesterday."

Of course if it does (did??) won't that be a surprise.

Of course I wonder what the big deal is. If you aren't ready, you won't be and no amount of hype will get you ready. Oh, wait a minute, I think I get it. If you believe it IS going to happen, then you are ready. If you DON'T, then you are not.

So, did anyone tell Jesus about all this?

This, then, made me wonder about a previous date-setter in the "prophecy" field- Hal Lindsey. He was the author of the wildly popular 1970s-80s book- The Late Great Planet Earth- in which he said it would all come to an end in 1988- the 40th anniversary of the establishment of Israel. Which of course was an incorrect prediction. So I went looking for about 5 seconds on Google and found his website where he promotes his TV show:

“The Hal Lindsey Report” is a weekly half-hour news and commentary series. It is hosted by popular Bible prophecy teacher Hal Lindsey, author of The Late Great Planet Earth. This informative program covers current events and national and international issues from a Biblical and prophecy-based perspective.

I wonder if he's doing any better with his predictions. (Sorry but I don't think what he does fits under any interpretation of "prophecy" from a biblical perspective.)

After tomorrow we will know whether Rome has been felled by a quake. If it happens, maybe there's something to this.

Back On the Addiction Front

Two addiction related items have caught my attention in the apst few weeks. First is one idea that I think I have blogged about before, but science, in its single-minded purpose, keeps missing an underlying problem.

Frustrated by the high relapse rate of traditional addiction treatments, scientists are working on a strategy that recruits the body's own defenses to help addicts kick drug habits.

The new approach uses injected vaccines to block some addictive substances from reaching the brain. If a vaccinated addict on the path to recovery slips and indulges in a drug, such as tobacco or cocaine, no pleasure will result.--WSJ

Much of what this article is talking about centers on nicotine addiction where there is some indication that a vaccine can be developed. Nicotine works in different ways and we respond as nicotine addicts in some different ways behaviorally. There is little hope for the same thing for alcohol. Or even other drugs of abuse. The reason is simple. There is a habitual awareness of...

Hey! If I keep using this SOMETHING is going to happen. I'm going to feel SOMETHING. I just need MORE!!!!

Intellectually, i.e. in the advanced thinking part of the brain, we know that because we are taking this medication to stop the effects (or have had the vaccination) we will not have the effects. But that deep reptilian brain doesn't know- or care. "Give me more. It's supposed to work," is what happens. We obey. The danger is obvious.Overdose as we try to satisfy the reptilian pleasure center.

The second item a couple weeks ago prompted me to go, "Well, yeah...."

Only 1.2 percent of the 7.4 million American adults whose alcohol abuse is untreated think they need help, a new report shows. The results were released by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

The survey also found that only 7.8 percent of the nearly 6 million American adults with untreated alcohol dependence, which is more serious than alcohol abuse, realize they need treatment.
--Join Together

The results provide "striking evidence that millions of Americans are in serious denial regarding problem drinking," Pamela S. Hyde, administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, said in a statement.
--Live Science

Anyone who knows an alcoholic (or addict) knows that denial is at the heart of the drugs' bio-psycho-social heart. It is not that they are lying when they say they don't need or want treatment or wouldn't find treatment able to help them. It is a cunning, baffling, powerful mixture of believing what we want to believe. It is the misunderstood misconception that is at work- I am okay. I don't need any help.

Sometimes that is a misdirected sense of power. Sometimes it is hopelessness. Sometimes it is just blaming others. But in the end it is deadly.

Because addiction and alcoholism have so many aspects and factors that grow and "metastasize" in our neurochemistry no one thing alone will break through this. Which is where these two articles come together. A vaccine alone won't do it if we are prone to relapse because of seemingly intractable denial. Breaking denial alone won't work if the internal, neurochemistry has us prone to severe cravings and self-destructive habits.

As the treatment field broadens and deepens we will find more and more integration of these aspects. Hopefully, we will then see relapse rates drop and an increased perception that treatment in many different forms can and will help.

Article first published as On The Addiction Front on Blogcritics.

Happy Mother's Day

Dora and her boys in New York City.

Rockefeller Center

1954 or '55

Dona Nobis Pacem

The wonder of modern technology and post-modern thinking...

Friday, April 29th, 6PM
Union Station, New Haven

Dona nobis pacem - The final movement of J S Bach's Mass in B minor performed by members of the Yale Institute of Sacred Music community.

Timpani and all....

Surprise?

I caught this headline a little earlier today...

Stocks rally as job growth surprises Wall Street

Whether such a "rally" holds is still to be seen, but in reinforced something I've noticed and posted about before. The gnomes of the business world are no more aware of what is going on than anyone else. One day stocks will jump because of a bit of news. The next day they drop because another bit of news. Sometimes they are "surprised" by better than expected news or by worse than expected news or simply by news that they figured would happen. if it's good- up goes the Dow. If it's bad- sorry- you lose money.

Yet, from my simple position watching headlines from the economic sector (Fortune 500 profits, etc.) I am not surprised. The problem seems to me to be that the news media- and the Opposition Party- have an investment in keeping the news "bad" or "poor" in order to keep our attention. Every time I hear a positive economic report, the reporter/anchor will add- "Yes, but things are still bad."

Even in bad economies, someone will continue to make money.

It's just usually not the average person on the street.

A 30-Year Memory: Split Items

May 6-
* Jerry Seinfeld makes his first appearance on The Tonight Show.
* A jury of architects and sculptors unanimously selects Maya Lin's design for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial from 1,421 other entries.

Two Items That Caught My Attention

With all the news coverage in the past few days, a lot can get lost. Two of these in relation to the BIG story came across Yahoo! News yesterday.

First, it appears that even terrorists can inspire. Well, at least inspire Internet terrorism (AKA- Scammers)

(AP) NEW YORK – Online thieves and spammers are using the killing of Osama bin Laden to send out malicious software and spam to unwitting Internet users.

In what's become common practice among the Internet's less savory citizens, these scammers are sending out emails and spreading Facebook posts that purport to be videos or photos of the dead bin Laden.

But more significantly is this item about the use of the code name "Geronimo"...

(AP) Jeff Houser, chairman of Geronimo's Fort Sill Apache Tribe, noted in his letter to Obama that the decision behind the code name stemmed from an ongoing cultural disconnect, not malice. But the damage is the same.

"We are quite certain that the use of the name Geronimo as a code for Osama bin Laden was based on misunderstood and misconceived historical perspectives of Geronimo and his armed struggle against the United States and Mexican governments," Houser wrote.

"However, to equate Geronimo or any other Native American figure with Osama bin Laden, a mass murderer and cowardly terrorist, is painful and offensive to our Tribe and to all Native Americans."

The White House referred questions on the matter to the U.S. Defense Department, which said no disrespect was meant to Native Americans.

Most of us, even some of the more sensitive among us, including even myself, never caught that. When I saw it pop up last night I did one of those "Doh!" actions hitting my forehead with the palm of my hand. No matter how much we of the "majority" try to sensitize ourselves, some of our historic racial training can still find its way in. I am more aware of stereotypes and inappropriate interpretations of others that I used to be. But even after over half a century of my personal journey with it, I am still amazed- and humbled- by how much further I still have to go.

A 50-Year Memory: A New Frontier

May 5 – Mercury program: Alan Shepard becomes the first American in space aboard Mercury-Redstone 3.

I remember standing in the boys locker room at my Jr. High listening to this over the PA system at the end of gym class. It was an amazing day.

A 40-Year Memory: Against a War

(Note: I missed this yesterday. I must be getting old. I never even thought about it until today.)

May 3- Anti-war militants attempt to disrupt government business in Washington, D.C.; police and military units arrest as many as 12,000, most of whom are later released.

I could tell you a story or two.. but I don't think I will today. Maybe someday I can bring it back. Sleeping in my car, listening to the Beach Boys (I think) and then waking up to the riot troops.

I left quickly.

Some radical I was.

A 50-Year Memory: A New Beginning

May 4 – U.S. Freedom Riders begin interstate bus rides to test the new U.S. Supreme Court integration decision.

Spring Sunset

When the sun FINALLY gave us a true spring day yesterday, I just had to get out to the lake by our apartment and get some sunset pictures. It was a beautiful evening and didn't have to go more than 50 yards from our building to find spring in the sunset.

Above and right- the buds are slower than last year but, in reality, are not all that far behind what would be considered the norm for Minnesota. The cool and dreariness has probably had more of an impact on the human species than most others.

The red-winged blackbird was enjoying the evening. It was tough getting a good picture- 

the old bird didn't want to make it too easy on the old guy with the camera.

In the end, what can one say but a prayer of gratitude for the wonders found around us that we could miss if we didn't take the time to go looking!


Now- if this holds maybe I can get some real bicycling in soon.

I Almost Posted it

The pace of news and information in this age is enough to make one breathless. Over at The Atlantic, Megan McArdle posted on the Anatomy of a Fake Quotation. Here is the quote as it got propagated:

"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."
--Martin Luther King, Jr.

It turns out that the first quotation mark you see above was misplaced. It was originally posted by a Penn State grad now teaching in Kobe, Japan. Here is where that punctuation belongs:

I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. "Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."

Dr. King did not say the first line, but he did the rest. Jessica Dovey, the teacher, posted a thoughtful reflection on the day's news and then added the King quote. The rest is history thanks to Penn Jillette, of Penn and Teller fame. He tweeted it to his 1.6 million followers. From there is went viral.

Not a surprise since it is a powerful quote, with or without the opening statement. It expressed what many were feeling. When I posted my blog post yesterday to my Facebook page, I doubled my daily hits on this blog- and got a number of positive comments. We have all been touched by the news of bin Laden's demise. We also struggle in many different ways with its meaning.

When someone like Ms. Dovey  puts together a helpful way of understanding it, we respond. There was nothing malicious or suspicoius about what happened. But, like the way the news itself spread on Sunday night,  it does show the new age of information that we have come to live in.

A Strange and Ambivalent Day

As I went to work this morning the American flag flying by the front door seemed brighter, lighter, more free. It was not just the westerly breeze. There was a sense of relief and closure that in the end, Osama bin Laden could not escape the "justice" of his own deeds.

We were just getting into bed last evening when our daughter called to tell us that there was going to be a news statement from Obama that bin Laden was dead. We got up and sat and watched. I was impressed by his fortitude and strength of conviction. He was highly presidential as he told us and the world that bin Laden had finally met his match.

An ending in so many ways to what began on 9/11/01. The mastermind of that horrific day is gone. Good riddance. No one else will suffer as a result of his actions. There was a sense of accomplishment in that. It has not been easy. He has become an icon of evil right there with Hitler and Stalin and Idi Amin. In the end good has triumphed over evil. Again.

But again the ambivalence. The celebration of someone's death- even with the sense of relief that it brought- somehow seemed out-of-focus. Mourning may have been appropriate- first in memory of those who lost their lives 10 years ago thanks to him and second for what his actions have led us to have to do. Did we have a choice? As a nation, I don't think so. Even as a pacifist I recognize that times and situations can cause us to HAVE to go against our morals and values and do things like this.

But that doesn't mean we have to like it and celebrate it as if it was a good thing. Bin Laden is gone- yes. But again our innocence has been trapped in the vortex of violence. A winner of the Nobel Peace Prize is announcing his decision to attack and kill bin Laden. No, I don't believe he had a choice. Not as President. Pacifists don't (and won't) get elected President. But I am still saddened by it, even as I am relieved that bin Laden is gone.

No, I will not celebrate. I will react with sadness over the ongoing tragedies of wars of all kinds and violence of all styles. Even justified violence is still violence and makes us less than we can truly be. I am glad for Obama and the defeat of bin Laden. But I do not rejoice at death. Not that kind of death. Even when it is necessary.

Lord have mercy on us that we do not become more violent in our reactions but learn the ways of peace as best we can. When we fail- or are forced by circumstances to react in non-peace-filled ways- forgive us our sins as we forgive the sins of others.

God, bless us in our humanness and failings as much as in our love and care. Show us a better way- and bring your peace.

Spring? When?

This is getting downright frustrating. It is now 2:45 pm on May 1. The first day of MAY for goodness sakes.

The sky is overcast.

The air temperature is 39 degrees (F) with wind gusts to the low 30s and a wind chill of 28 degrees (F).

I refuse to go back to my winter coat. I refuse to wear sweaters to work in May.

Mayday...Mayday...Mayday

Huh? Is it...

May Day occurs on May 1 and refers to several public holidays. In many countries, May Day is synonymous with International Workers' Day, or Labour Day, a day of political demonstrations and celebrations organised by unions, communists, anarchists, socialists, and activist groups. May Day is also a traditional holiday in many cultures. (Wikipedia)?

Nope.

How about...

Mayday is an emergency code word used internationally as a distress signal in voice procedure radio communications. It derives from the French venez m'aider, meaning 'come help me'. (Wikipedia)

Yep.

The Twins April record is dismal.

They have played 26 games in the past 30 days.

They have won 9.

Have scored only 80 runs.

They are at the bottom of the Central Division...

AND the American League.

Just barely NOT quite the worst record in Major League Baseball.

Injuries... poor offense... struggling pitching.

Mayday!  Mayday!  Mayday!

(And it has been a seemingly endless winter dreariness.)

Is there any hope in May?