November 18th, 2016
ಶುಭೋದಯ (shubhodaya) (A fine“Good Morning” in the southern Indian state of Karnataka -144 million earthlings say good morning this way!)
The hits keep coming since the election. Trump has named a renowned and infamous Breitbart neo-nazi to be his chief strategist. With most of the popular vote tallied, Trump only lost the popular vote by over a million people. Legally, Trump could still be denied the office he is completely ill suited for if the actual members of the electoral college deny their instructions and vote their consciences. But they won’t. The fringe elements from “sane” side of this horrible election demonstrated that they are capable of violent behavior as well. Hate crimes have picked up significantly since the election results were published. The Trump transition team does not seem to be uniting very well to this point.
Its hard to get happy after a week like this one. The best news I heard all week is that Pence is planning to stay on as Indiana’s governor until the inauguration and will run the transition on a part time basis. So his special kind of stupid may be diluted for a bit longer. Meanwhile, all over planet Earth good people are quietly searching for the personal character reserves needed against the rising tide of hate. For many of us who genuinely love our fellow humans more than the need to be wealthy or to be “right” or the way it used to be, there is a coldness that is seeping into the fabric of our existence. We must stand fast to our principles and hope that mom was right when she told us that in the end good always triumps.
This week I learned some stuff:
• I learned one of the greatest minds of all time estimates humans will face an extinction event in the next 1000 years. Stephen Hawking says that we will need to find another planet to ruin by then. https://www.yahoo.com/news/stephen-hawking-puts-expiry-date-103124525.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=ma
• I learned that PBS has two new (to me at least) wonderful shows that I got to watch. One is called, “Produced by George Martin”. I found it very interesting to learn some of the back stories about the production of some of the most important music in my lifetime. The other one was called, “Soundbreaking” and this episode ( there are eight!learn more at http://soundbreaking.com/ ) was about the transition from acoustic to electric music- guitars synthesizers, etc. Both of these programs are good ways to learn stuff, see and hear all kinds of clips and songs from the past and enjoy yourself in the process.
Website Update
• Week 2 for the “new” vocabulary list!
Writing and Painting Update:
• Continued to wade through the exhaustive edits on GPS. I promised myself to be done by Christmas. I know but I mean it this time!! I just have to do the Christmas present project too.
Weird-Stuff-O-Meter:
• Lots of cities and counties in California are publicly declaring their intention to reject federal austerity or service denial towards their immigrant populations. I remember thinking how weird that it was when I was a boy, when then Governor Wallace defied the order to integrate the University of Alabama and President Kennedy ordered federal troops in to protect the black students trying to get to class. Trump could legally do the same to deport Mexicans and Muslims. at least until the military refuses to engage. We don’t want to pull that string too hard or far because that is a level of strange no one has signed up for yet.
• Watching the news at the folks protesting the new President-elect is a very strange experience for me. I feel their frustration that our system has been horribly and terribly perverted by a small group of very clever self possessed individuals. I also must at admit that it was far more successful than I even I thought was possible. I feel betrayed by smart principled people who must have known this was possible. On the other hand, seeing yahoos out in the street with signs that say, and I quote, “Fight for Peace” does not fill me with pride nor does it inspire me with confidence. We need an opposition leader who will intelligently and effectively make some lemonade out of the crappy lemons that we, the people, have handed her. We need a principled centered leader who is just as frustrated with this outcome as we are to chart a path to correction. We need someone to identify the root causes and target those things that would perpetuate this terrible imbalance of power and associated corruption beyond the incoming administration.
Music Update:
UJT radio this week provides another eclectic mix that I hope you enjoy:
• Andy Grammer – Fresh Eyes — Another one form this fresh new (to me anyway) player.
• Stevie Wonder – He’s Misstra Know-It-All – This is a deep cut off his Innervisions album. This is supposed to be about Richard Nixon and it would seem to fit but somehow it seems to work better these days. Oh yeah and its a great song 🙂
• Leon Russel – Song for You – This one is for our old friend, Leon Russel who we lost this week. Never a big star but always a big spirit, Leon has graced us with his gentle collaboration all over the spectrum of music in his life time. His unique vocals and piano has made me smile all my life. I always thought that this song was one of the sweetest love songs every played. This one is for Leon.
• Little Feat – Rad Gumbo – From the vinyl!!!! This is a wonderful little Cajun ditty to shake your old ass to. If you don’t have a nice big smile by this end of this song, you have your money back:)
• Shawn Mullins – Soul Child — I know. I know. I featured this one not too long ago but when it came up today, I just had to do it again..I just love this song. ‘… you can’t kill the pain… and you wonder why…. “ Don’t you let them bring you down Soul Child. You never know till you try…
• Teitur – Let the Dog Drive Home – Another tune by this other “new” guy. Even the title makes me smile.
• Taylor Swift – State of Grace – From the Vinyl !!! Singer/Songwriter Taylor Swift steps out of her folk country boots and channels her inner Bono as she sings this powerful ode to falling in love.
• The Droge and Summers Blend – Two of the Lucky Ones — A strange little song from a strange little band. I have featured these guys back in April of 2015. This songs features a really cool plucky little banjo working against a deep slide guitar. It just works for me.
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