September 30th, 2016
Xeyírlí irte! (“Good Morning” in Tartar Russian)
San Diego’s weather is always so wonderful we only mention it when it varies from the typically perfect 70ish tempetkres with clear blue sky. This week we made up for last weeks 2 days of rain by having unseasonably hot temps.
Someone mentioned to me that I did’t actually provide the URL for Under the Jacaranda Tree on this weekly doodad that I send out so I have added it to my signature and provided this link, which I hope you will bookmark and save under your Strange Stuff bookmark folder.
This week I learned some stuff:
• I had long suspected that the Israelis had morphed into the bully of the middle east. Reading about Charlie Wilson’s transition from avid supporter to complete disenfranchisement reenforced my early suspicions. Their heavy handed treatment of the Palestinians over the Settlements. They lost a founder this week. Perez will always be remembered for his role in the Oslo Accords but I also hope people do not forget he was the father of the Israeli Nuclear bomb. numerous bloody military excursions that killed many Palestinian civilians and the creation of the Settlements that stifle any hope of peace in the Middle East still. So while he talked a good game, Perez’ actions throughout his very long career further the cause of war even more than his supposed commitment to peace.
• I learned the we all have implicit bias to varying degrees. I think of myself as a “what you see is what you get” kind of person, meaning I take all people at face value and let them enhance or erode this first impression by their actions and principles. Growing up in the deep south in the 1960s my biases have wandered a bit I think but I deeply respect that undefinable ability of our humanity to enjoy massive self delusion and denial. So I thought I would check. I found a test that using the voodoo of massive amounts of liberal arts, psychological and social science education (from Harvard no less) provides free testing of your personal biases. It was interesting to me. I just took the Sexual Bias test so far but the results were surprising in that I favor heterosexuals slightly more than homosexuals. Again, my person level of delusion indicated that I was Even-Steven. Each test takes about 10 minutes but it is a long 600 seconds. Check it out for yourself and se what you can learn: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/research/
• I learned you can have fun in Vegas with the right friends but I wouldn’t miss it if I never went back. The ride to and fro was nice:) I got to see vast solar energy farms gleaming in the desert .. an idea that I had back when I first crossed the US in the 1970s:)
Website Update
• Just the new music this week.
Writing and Painting Update:
• Still working sketches. At some point, I will have to actually get paint on the paper to meet some of my goals.
Weird-Stuff-O-Meter:
• I saw the debate and just got angry. Millions and millions of dollars will be spent on these to yahoos and they will have spent all our time reminding us of why we don’t recognize character in either of them and just how unworthy they both are of our respect or vote. I will vote but I think I will manage it with any further investment of my valuable time in watching the debates, unless they include someone interesting because frankly, these people just bore the hell out me and insult my intelligence.
Music Update:
This week I was face down in GPS edits so I didn’t get much musical time. But I hope you enjoy the selections.
• Alabama Shakes – Future People — This group is so fresh and different I hear something different and more appealing to me every time I listen.
• Neil Young – Cinnamon Girl – Everyone has a Cinnamon Girl somewhere in the past. Always loved this song.
• Tommy Emmanuel – Sanitarium Shuffle – Just sooooo good:) This one even features little scat on the side.
• Seal – Dreaming in Metaphors – This one reminds me of driving down the Autobahn north of Frankfurt on the way to Utreck to catch the train to Amsterdam. A light snow blowing across the almost empty lanes of early morning traffic with the Opel’s wonderful stereo turned up loud and singing along with this wonderful song.
• Leo Kottke – Cripple Creek — Leo has this amazing sound and is my very favorite 12 string player. Just fun to listen to.
• Paul Simon – Slip Slidin’ Away – Just Paul doing his thing. We are just so fortunate to be sharing the planet with his giant of such demure size.
• Jackson Browne – You Know the Night – I featured this one over a year ago but I just had to share it again. Back then I didn’t realize that this was an old unpublished Woody Guthrie letter. If you haven’t done it already, so yourself a favor and read the words as you listen: http://woodyguthrie.org/Lyrics/You_Know_The_Night.htm. I also love the guitar work on this tune them so much. Its just an amazing cut from his, “ Standing in the Breach” album.
• Eric Clapton – Little Man, You’ve Had A Busy Day — This one is just a sweet lullaby from his new album, “I Still Do”. As I get older, I find the sweetness of this kind of thing very special. I hope you can too.
That’s it… Do the best you can; Laugh every chance you get; And always remember … The best is yet to come!
As always, thank you for being my friend!
James
Under the Jacaranda Tree URL: http://www.jfmccann.com