Basilbaker.com Blog

EGYPT HAS LEFT THE BUILDING

2011-02-11T10:57:00.000-08:00

Egyptians are breathing fresh air for the first time in thirty years today. The youth, the overwhelmingly not to be denied youth twenty five and under, pulled off a social networked revolution - a first of its kind - that brought together all ages in eighteen days that changed a nation. One dictator is gone; the others are watching, terrified. Peaceful protest hasn't seen this fine an example, or produced such fruitful results, since the American Civil Rights Struggle of the last century. We have seen us at our best and we rejoice. For today, at least, we are all Egyptians.

"Venice Under Glass"

2010-09-27T13:33:00.000-07:00

I finally found some downtime to check on things unrelated to work and - lo and behold! - what do I find? Seems that my author friend is in high gear. He even asked me to pen an introduction to his upcoming book about my Venice case (the e-book has over 190 pages posted on-line already). Here's what I wrote:

Hello! My name is Basil Baker and I am a sleuth - a private detective - and a searcher of truth. It's good to meet you and tell you a little about myself.
But first: You are about to read my new book, Venice Under Glass, on-line and FREE! The illustrated novel is for mystery afficianados and teddy bear lovers of all ages. The story is very nearly finished: the case, you see, was some time ago and the details (being what details are) proved to be, on reflection, rather complicated. So, the authors (see below) have decided to take this unique opportunity to give you an insider's look at how this mystery novel is being written (or rather, finished). Venice Under Glass currently has 43,410 words posted (193 pages, if printed) together with over 120 story illustrations. The official Publication Date is December 11, 2010 (mark your calendars :) The completed book should come in at about 60,000 words (260+ pages) with 160+ illustrations - and Venice Under Glass will be free and on-line then as well!
Stephan J. Harper is the author of two bestselling hardcover picture books for children: One Christmas Story and The Black Sheep. For his third book, he teamed with Peggy Anne Harper (co-creator of www.basilbaker.com) to create Venice Under Glass.
"Going Green"
Venice Under Glass would be over 260 pages if printed. But web publishing makes such a dramatic contribution to "Green Initiatives" sprouting up all over Planet Earth that to not do this one small thing would be unthinkable. A growing, worldwide concern for our environment has reached the tipping point and around the globe, "going green" is fast becoming the only way to the future - our future - together. Beautifully green! You can read Venice Under Glass at no charge, anytime, from any web browser. We hope you enjoy the story (it's my e-book introduction - for a more complete bio see www.basilbaker.com)! So please, read the story - because every now and then we all need a trip to Venezia. Do let us know what you think: basilbaker@basilbaker.com

I am so pleased!

Send Teddy Bears to Haiti Immediately

2010-01-14T15:05:00.000-08:00

Amidst the devastation and the all too imaginable horror of tens of thousands of Haitian lives lost in the earthquake that struck that impoverished country in recent days, there remain thousands and thousands of children traumatized by a force of nature so horrific as to be beyond the comprehension of their young minds. The Haitian children are the vulnerable innocents who need our help most of all. Some have lost family and all are in need of medical attention,
nourishment and shelter. But beyond that, these children will also need the psychological counseling to begin to make their lives whole again. And, they need our help now.

That is where teddy bears can make an important contribution to the future well being of the Haitian children. Although this might sound trivial to some, believe me it is not. I know personally all too well the remarkable healing power my friends have brought children all over the globe, especially in times of desperation and need. There will certainly not be enough psychological counselors to comfort the children - at least in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake; and the lines to receive that psychological counseling will be long indeed. A teddy bear, by contrast, offers a child immediate consolation. And you should send one - or encourage a friend to send one - right away. The human spirit is indeed remarkably resilient. And if you have ever seen a child confide in his or her teddy (when communications with adults can often fail in such harsh circumstances), you will know instantly what I mean. And if you haven't seen that tender interchange, well, take my word for it, children form a natural bond with their teddies that gives comfort, and yes, courage to face the unimaginable. And as night falls and the dark can oftentimes be very frightful, the Haitian children will have a special friend they can share their troubles and cuddle with - and cry with, too - as their country rebuilds with the outpouring of the world's generosity.

This is a modest proposal but one that will work. And the Haitian children will remember.

On "Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White

2009-10-07T10:40:00.000-07:00

I just finished re-reading "Charlotte's Web" (again!) by E. B. White and each new reading reveals such a remarkable depth and sophistication of words and meaning (though the writing is clear as an unmuddied lake) that I'm not so sure this book, originally published in 1952, could be published today. I don't mean to be cynical, but we have dumbed down education (c'mon admit it) to the point where we can be sure that Jill and Johnny won't be too taxed. You see, too much educatin' and homework and such stuff might prove so stressful and harmful to schoolchildren that the prescription drugs they take with breakfast might no longer produce obedient, relaxed and non-disruptive little adults the big adults need so they won't get so annoyed and stressed out. But the jist of my post is best illustrated by the following excerpt from "Charlotte's Web" itself.

In the chapter entitled Loneliness, Wilbur, our porcine protagonist prone to histrionics, doesn't seem to have a friend on the farm whose willing to have some fun and play with him. He tries several farm animals, all with their own thin excuses. Next, in an attempt to enlist one of the lambs for some play, here's the ensuing conversation:

"Will you please play with me?" he asked.
"Certainly not," said the lamb. "In the first place, I cannot get into your pen, as I am not old enough to jump over the fence. In the second place, I am not interested in pigs. Pigs mean less than nothing to me."
"What do you mean less than nothing?" replied Wilbur. "I don't think there is any such thing as less than nothing. Nothing is the absolute limit of nothingness. It's the lowest you can go. It's the end of the line. How can something be less than nothing? If there were something that was less than nothing, than nothing would not be nothing, it would be something - even though it's just a very little bit of something. But if nothing is nothing, then nothing has nothing that is less than it is."
"Oh, be quiet!" said the lamb. "Go play by yourself! I don't play with pigs."

See what I mean? I had a hard time with that myself - which required a few re-readings. Of course, I'm stuffed - not that I'm making any excuses.

Charlotte's Web is a wonderful book that explores important themes: friendship, loyalty, cooperation, fear, pain, disillusionment - even death - and finally, hope. It's a book to be read by children and adults. Major book selling websites such as Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com recommend "Charlotte's Web" for the the 9-12 year old reading set. However, considering the language of the story, the fact that the principal human protagonist, Fern, is only eight years old, and, lastly, the fact that "Charlotte's Web" had historically (that is, until 1990) been taught to and read by eight and nine year olds in in schoolrooms across America...well, you see where I'm headed with this DumbDown thing). The overall sentence structure in the book itself suggests a primary audience of 8-to-9 year olds and the under eight read-to-me-as-well crowd (the fact that adults enjoy reading this immensely entertaining book is testament to the power of the simple, straightforward - yet highly communicative and beautiful - prose.

But the fact that so many academics deem the language and concepts in "Charlotte's Web" beyond an eight or nine year old (in other words, a third or fourth grader) is the main reason I think that this great book would never see the newly-minted light of day in 2009 America. Thank goodness we will always have the consolation that "Charlotte's Web" has sold hundreds of millions of copies and will never be out of print. It has earned the title of 'best-selling children's paperback of all time.' Perhaps there's hope for the young ones afterall? For as Charlotte herself would put it: I don't tolerate ignorance in my own family and I certainly won't tolerate it in yours.

On Roman Polanski

2009-10-04T12:09:00.000-07:00

Thirteen year old girls are just a few years ahead of sleeping with their teddies. Perhaps she still was when she was a "guest" at Jack Nicholson's house in 1977 on that infamous day when Roman Polanski ignored the child's pleas of "NO!" and had his way anyway. Justice, to deserve the name, cannot make exceptions for the rich, talented or famous. This article presents the facts but is, nonetheless, graphic and disturbing (so, please be forewarned); but it is a must read for teddy bear lovers of all ages who still believe children are children and NO! means NO!, no matter at what age you are.

Kanye, have you lost your mind?

2009-09-17T21:12:00.000-07:00

I do feel sorry for Taylor Swift, that sweet nineteen year old millionairess whose special award moment was so rudely interrupted at MTV's VMA show last Sunday by Mr. Kanye West. Kanye, as the world now knows, grabbed the microphone from a startled Taylor and screamed that Beyoncé Knowles' video, for Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It), was the "greatest music video ever made, the greatest music video ever made." Funny thing that - I had thought the jury was already in proclaiming Michael Jackson's Thriller the greatest music video ever made. As one blogger put it: "[Kanye's] ego has swelled to be roughly the size of the International Space Station." Kanye has proudly proclaimed himself a genius - a wildly overused accolade these days. Seems Kanye is also badly in need of a music history lesson. In her video, Beyoncé performs a dancing number with two other minimally clad ladies and the video does utilize some very clever cinematography (although, to this viewer, Beyoncé's 'grinding' was a bit tasteless - some might say vulgar - and overtly suggestive in an otherwise superb dance routine). Still, she won in the category "Best Music Video of the Year." But best music video of all time? Kanye, have you lost your mind?

Also in the news: Kanye's rude behavior made him look all the more the "Jackass" that President Obama proclaimed him to be in an off-the-cuff and off-the record comment about the whole affair. Yo, Kanye, you've been called out by the President of the United States! His penance should be: get thee to a monastery to learn some humility. You've already got the haircut for it.

UPDATE: Someone actually suggested that Kanye West write and produce a music video for Taylor Swift as part of his twelve step program to rid himself of some demons and work his way back into our good graces. Both Kanye and Taylor starring in the same video would be sweet to watch. Even sweeter would be if the video won an award. Is this the way for Kanye to redeem himself? You can do it, Kanye. You're a genius!

Dumb and Dumber

2009-09-14T08:37:00.000-07:00

Now comes the news that the producers of the Darwin biopic Creation find their film too controversial to be shown in America:

"A British film about Charles Darwin has failed to find a U.S. distributor because his theory of evolution is too controversial for American audiences."

Here's the really dumb part: apparently only 39% of Americans believe in evolution. You know, there was a time when American parents valued education above all else: they'd pray for Jane and Johnny to do well in school and maybe one day become, for example, respected scientists (you know, biologists or astronomers looking for life on other planets). Now, 61% of Americans - many who just love CSI and DNA evidence - refuse to believe what criminal experts rely on everyday to put all those nasty millions into the U.S. Penal Corpocracy. Alice herself, once extricated from her rabbit hole, would notice the contradiction: Americans love prisons and DNA evidence yet clearly do not understand that the understanding of what DNA is actually proves the case for evolution. Perhaps these good old souls would feel better just holding the Bible over a suspect's head and if it doesn't get too hot to hold, the suspect is guilty.

And here's the dumber part (which is even easier to understand): America is a country where movie DVDs are packaged inside cereal boxes and DVD players are given out when you open a checking account. American's love their movies so much that popcorn is now a $5 trillion dollar market and Orville Redenbacher shares closed last Friday at $64,583.19 each. American's will watch anything that's on a screen.

Except anything about evolution? And Americans wonder why the rest of the world is, according to the data, so much more educated than the average citizen in the United States. Two clues: facts and truth. The perks? Both of these guarantee a higher income. And after all, money is the preeminent value in American life now (proven in one short sentence: If you are poor in America, you are considered a failure). So what's wrong with this picture?

ACTION IS CHARACTER

2009-09-11T12:18:00.000-07:00

In this case, capitalization is appropriate to the title of this post as it is a verbatim transcription of the quote from the notes of F. Scott Fitzgerald for his last novel, The Last Tycoon. As in many of his observations about American culture, Fitzgerald was spot on.

And ACTION IS CHARACTER was on full display Wednesday night during President Barack Obama's speech on healthcare to the joint houses of Congress. One representative, Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), determined it was an appropriate forum to call the President of the United States a liar while untold millions watched on television (the shocked response of Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, was priceless - as was Vice-President Joe Biden's sad head shaking at Wilson's disrespectful behavior). Poor Joe Wilson will soon learn this is NOT a way to win friends or influence anyone. In fact, one immediate lesson he learned was in the 48 hours following his outburst, his Democratic opponent in the upcoming mid-term 2010 elections, one Rob Miller, a former Marine and Iraq war veteran, raised over $350,000.

Adding insult to a self-inflicted injury, Salon.com reports: "Besides [Wilson's] show of disrespect, and the fact that he was wrong (italics mine), the legislator's comments expose a virulent racism and paranoia against undocumented workers."

I just loved President Obama's line “[i]f you misrepresent what’s in the plan, we will call you out.” Let's hope the President's words will reinvigotate the Democratic members of Congress who, in the recent past, have demonstrated a knack for bringing knives to a gunfight. The Republicans will continue to mercilessly attack this President no matter what he says. They are true contrarians - to the detriment of the health of the American people.

Finally, back to Joe Wilson - another F. Scott Fitzgerald maxim was "[t]here are no second acts in American lives." We'll see what a defeated Joe Wilson will do on the rebound. A safe prediction: he'll probably become a lobbyist.

Kennedy in Memorium

2009-09-09T13:06:00.000-07:00

This 1957 photo of Robert, John and Teddy walking in the surf is sad and beautiful. Take a few minutes with it. To honor their legacy; ponder their tragedy. Think of what was and consider what we can still hope for.

Ponder Me This

2009-09-02T10:24:00.000-07:00

There is hard, scientific evidence that The Big Bang happened approximately 13.6 billion years ago. Brilliant minds over the past 100 years, culminating with Einstein and the Hubble Space Telescope, have verified that the universe continues to expand. The argument over whether it will expand indefinitely, or contract into another Big Bang, has been sidelined for the moment by another remarkable discovery: the expansion of the universe is actually accelerating! Exciting stuff all.

But let's go back to beginnings (if we can call them such) and speak in terms a person (or t-bear) can understand. In the beginning there was a singularity, a point with no dimension, but with infinite mass and energy. Mind boggling conundrums (except for Professor Einstein - maybe) present themselves. For example:

Q: Where did the singularity come from?

A: Nowhere: before The Big Bang, Space itself did not exist (wrap
your head around that one - take as long as you like).

Q: What about before The Big Bang?

A: There was no 'before' - Time itself did not exist (still with me?).

So, The Big Bang created both Space and Time. These surely must be the most counterintuitive things ever intuited. But scientists are comfortable that they are asking the right set of questions as they forge ahead for answers.

Of course, the answer to the Really Big Question: Why is there Something rather than Nothing?, is, at this time, unknowable to one and all.

And so, to one and all, have a good (and reflective) day.

Meet Me In St. Louis

2009-09-01T10:46:00.000-07:00

It's a truth universally acknowledged that if you ask any t-bear which historical person he or she would want to meet and, say, have dinner and a serious conversation with, you would receive the same answer from us all: "Teddy Roosevelt - for obvious reasons." Now a person might choose Napoleon, Julius Caesar, Abraham Lincoln, Buddha or Cleopatra - depending, of course, upon one's inclination and taste. The explanation is simple: people have a much longer history than we t-bears. John and Jane Doe could even wish to dine by caveman firelight and bite into some delicious mammoth steak prepared over blazing mesquite by a temperamental, uncomprehending chef all but ill-prepared to share his hard-fought-for meal. Or they may choose to discuss affairs of state with Cleopatra (before Julius and Marc kept her preoccupied and unfocused - a recluse with only her snakes to talk to). A conversation with Buddha could, of course, prove enlightening (sorry, I couldn't resist). Same with Abraham Lincoln, a brilliant thinker. Napoleon and Josephine would be charming dinner companions, 'til 1809 anyway. But for a t-bear, there can be only the one answer: Teddy Roosevelt is definitely our favorite human - again, for obvious reasons.

Telling Stories Saves the Species?

2009-08-20T08:17:00.000-07:00

"The evolutionary argument for Dr. Seuss" is a review by Laura Miller (Salon.com) of Brian Boyd's new book "On the Origin of Stories: Evolution, Cognition and Fiction." The title of Boyd's book is a serious one befitting a five hundred and sixty page academic work whose jacket cover boldly states:

"Now a distinguished scholar offers the first comprehensive account of the evolutionary origins of art and storytelling. Brian Boyd explains why we tell stories, how our minds are shaped to understand them, and what difference an evolutionary understanding of human nature makes to stories we love."

Turns out, according to Boyd, people love stories because it gives humans an evolutionary advantage. What advantage could that be? you may ask. Well, scientists believe humans are the most social of all animals on Earth and it is this social cohesion that forms societies and civilization, enabling humans to efficiently propagate their species. How efficiently? Two thousand years ago world population was about 200,000 humans. Today there are over six billion humans on planet Earth, with population projections reaching nine billion by 2050. That's some advantage! So how does literature play into all this? Vicariously, it turns out. Humans enjoy stories because they identify with characters who remind them of their real life counterparts and thus foster a vital human trait: Empathy. Not being a psychologist, I'm not all that sure how Empathy and Anger are able to coexist so easily in humans; but I digress... Simply put, it is this EMPATHY that enables humans to - with apologies to Mark Twain - "get some civilizin'."

So, is President Bush a war criminal yet?

2009-04-20T13:23:00.000-07:00

I deeply regret having to interrupt consideration of David Mitchell's "Black Swan Green" (I do hope you are, and will, enjoy my observations about this exceptional book). But the world's attention is drawn once again to the mal-administration of George W. Bush.

Betraying Geneva Conventions is no small matter. In reports today (e.g. here and here and here and here) reveal that the Bush C.I.A. unapologetically used the waterboarding torture technique many times (as one former C.I.A. operative and now CNN contributor noted, waterboarding is not simulated drowning, it is drowning to the very brink of death and anyone who has ever witnessed the technique being used would have no other word for it but torture). The great irony, of course, is that this torture technique produced no new information from avowed terrorist Abu Zubaydah after being waterboarded 83 times:

"The Times article, based on information from former intelligence officers who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Abu Zubaydah had revealed a great deal of information before harsh methods were used and after his captors stripped him of clothes, kept him in a cold cell and kept him awake at night. The article said interrogators at the secret prison in Thailand believed he had given up all the information he had, but officials at headquarters ordered them to use waterboarding.
He revealed no new information after being waterboarded, the article said, a conclusion that appears to be supported by a footnote to a 2005 Justice Department memo saying the use of the harshest methods appeared to have been “unnecessary” in his case."

The case of admitted mastermind of 9/11, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, is even more egregious. He was waterboarded a total of 183 times (Bill Maher was right: these guys are tough). The result: he gave up a single name of an Al-Qaeda 'captain.' Meanwhile, where the HELL is Osama Bin Laden and that crazed doctor he travels around with, Ayman al-Zawahiri?

Fortunately, waterboarding and secret C.I.A. prisons were among the first things prohibited by our forethoughtful President Obama through his Executive Order privileges. Good for him. Let's hope the image of the U.S. worldwide greatly improves.

Like I said, betraying the Geneva Conventions is no small matter. Many a dictator has been before the court in the Hague. If invading a sovereign country that had nothing to do with 9/11, had no Weapons of Mass Destruction or the ability to attack the United States doesn't qualify as a war crime, then something is seriously wrong here, folks.

On "Black Swan Green"

2009-04-16T11:21:00.000-07:00

I'm re-reading David Mitchell's "Black Swan Green" - slowly this third time 'round. My dear friend (the writer who's favorite living writer happens to be Mitchell), has assured me that I will come across particularly beautiful passages about the most mundane things that happen in our narrator's (thirteen year old Jason Taylor's) life.

The chapter "Solarium" (in which Jason has serious, aesthetic conversations with the now old Madame Eva Crommelynck, the same young suicide-inducing beauty incarnate who appears as an eighteen year-old in Mitchell's magnum opus "Cloud Atlas"), deserves re-reading while re-reading!

Event: Jason is shoved off the school bus by one of his school mates/mortal enemies. Jason narrates the following sentence:

I arse flopped into this ankle-deep puddle where the gutter'd flooded.

That beautiful sentence, my writer friend assures me, didn't just happen: it was carefully crafted. In a dozen words (and seventeen syllables), David Mitchell paints such a clear action picture that it's easy to miss the six instances of alliteration (on a, r, s, l, p, and d). Only a master craftsman could construct such a seemingly simple - yet complex - sentence while making it sound so natural. Perhaps that's why it sounds so natural. Talk about showing not telling...

Gabriel García Márquez will write no more.

2009-04-02T09:52:00.000-07:00

Sad news in The Guardian of London today. Gabriel García Márquez, author of seven novels, three novellas, three short story collections and ten non-fiction books will lay down his mighty pen and retire from writing altogether. Marquez (who turned 82 this month), is a Colombian writer in the postmodernism vein, styled with extensive use of magical realism. Gabriel García Márquez is perhaps best known for his critically acclaimed One Hundred Years of Solitude, published in 1967. Márquez was awarded the Nobel prize for literature in 1982. At least The Laureate can comfort himself with the company he keeps, whether awake or in his fantastic dreamings: Ernest Hemingway, Jean-Paul Sartre, John Steinbeck, William Faulkner, Octavio Paz, Albert Camus, T.S. Eliot, Pearl Buck, Eugene O'Neill, Sinclair Lewis and Thomas Mann - exalted company, indeed - to name a few of the Nobel Laureates for Literature of the 20th century.

Bailout or Overhaul for Automakers?

2009-04-01T23:47:00.000-07:00

So much debate in the past few days about President Obama's proposal for General Motors and Chrysler (we assume Ford is okay, for the moment). The U.S. Government has lent billions of dollars already to both GM and Chrysler, who face certain bankruptcy if they cannot internally restructure (GM) or merge (Chrysler and Fiat). There is, however, a third option that is an incredible opportunity far too good to miss: a U.S. short term takeover (i.e. intense oversight) of these two auto giants. Imagine, if you will, that GM and Chrysler started making only electric cars. Thinks about it for at least a few moments. Think about the ramifications of an industry that was totally re-tooled for the future. Cars and trucks and their batteries manufactured in the United States. We can revitalize a vital industry.

The majority of Americans alive now were not around when the auto giants re-tooled for the Second World War effort. They stopped making cars completely and churned out tanks, jeeps, and a sundry list of other military vehicles. Without those efforts, the war would have certainly been prolonged. And had we not had those auto giants to turn to, we may have lost the war in Europe altogether (or won it only by using more atomic bombs).

So, now's the time not to quibble. We're in a global economic war of our own making that has seen millions of manufacturing jobs leave the United States. Now's the time for bold action to solve these problems both short term and long term. The future will be here before you know it.

Victory Gardens across America?

2009-03-22T13:12:00.001-07:00

The New York Times had an article about The First Lady's planned organic vegetable garden on a patch of White House lawn not far from Malia and Sasha's swingset. No beets, however. The President of the United States doesn't like beets (neither do I). From the article:

While the organic garden will provide food for the first family’s meals and formal dinners, its most important role, Mrs. Obama said, will be to educate children about healthful, locally grown fruit and vegetables at a time when obesity and diabetes have become a national concern.
“My hope,” the first lady said in an interview in her East Wing office, “is that through children, they will begin to educate their families and that will, in turn, begin to educate our communities.”
Twenty-three fifth graders from Bancroft Elementary School in Washington will help her dig up the soil for the 1,100-square-foot plot, in a spot visible to passers-by on E Street.

Sweet.

Michele Obama is awesome. Her breezy, unselfconscious demeanor wins people over immediately. She's a natural. She's bright, buff and beautiful and unbending in her advocacy on behalf of children. That combination makes her a winning role model for millions of American kids. I hope her seemingly boundless energy will be part of our national insurance policy that is the Obama administration and will not ebb, but shall only rise higher as we bring ourselves out of our "big troubles.' I know that's a lot to ask of a First Lady; but she'll be the first to say that's what she signed up for, too.

Oh, and Maureen Down (our favorite outspoken female reporter and columnist) had a great take on all this in yesterday's column. Her deftness is actually breathless to behold as she compares Michelle's efforts to the creeps on Wall Street who ripped us off and continue to spend taxpayer bailout money on ridiculous perks (as well as foreign banks). It's a must read, too. Mighty is the pen.

A Book Deal for The Worst President Ever?

2009-03-19T09:26:00.000-07:00

So, after the AIG bonus mess has captured the nation's fascination (and short-term attention span), and after citizenry fatigue has set in for real from what can only be described as Those Wall Street Shenanigans (sounds like a Broadway play about to open), we now hear of a $7M book deal for George W. Bush. Hope springs eternal, of course, but I doubt his publishers will title the tome "The Life of the Worst President of the United States."

We shall not belabor; now we will sweep. But we shall remember lest we forget.

Anyone who doubts that the Presidency of George W. Bush wasn't the absolute worst American Presidency is either unknowledgeable about U.S. history since April 20, 1789 (when George Washington was sworn into office) or is an unrepentant Republican. Ignorance of the Constitution is no excuse. And I can't help thinking that when those who self-identified themselves as churchgoers (and who supported Bush - twice!) prayed for protection from evil, their subconscious (a wonderfully honest, if mysterious and frightening corrective mechanism) wasn't substituting GWB + Cheney & Co. for Beelzebub.

Beelzebub, meanwhile, was dutifully recording the sins: torture; suspension of the Geneva Convention (as well as a violation of a host of other basic human rights); duplicity (i.e. lying and more lying to the American people and the rest of the world); traitorous actions and calumny (see Valerie Plame); political sabotage (swiftboating has actually become a new verb); NSA warrantless surveillance of American citizens; a draconian suppression of science; criminally negligent responses to Americans in need (see Hurricane Katrina, our brave, injured soldiers returning home from war , and naturally, the tens of millions of Americans who don't have health insurance); ah, Ebenezer, the list is a long one. A very long one that only history will clarify.

So, while we sweep, let the clarification begin in earnest.

The First Lady and Inspiration

2009-03-11T11:31:00.000-07:00

In the title of her New York Times op-ed column last Saturday, Maureen Dowd asked "Should Michelle Cover Up?" She was referring to, well, Michelle Obama's biceps and the shallow, ridiculous criticisms she has received from some prominent Republicans for, of all things, showing a little skin. Seems Republicans never learn the really important lessons. Their so-called "Conservative" agenda of the past was revealed to be but a cheap and cynical political ploy, a plot to dupe aproximately half the population of the United States into believing they were the party of virtue. Bill Bennet, indeed! (Mark Twain's "[t]here is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress." comes immediately to mind). But Republicans particularly haven't yet learned that a major ground shift really occurred last November and it's finally a brand new day in America. "These are serious times and we need serious..." But, no, we shall not belabor; now we shall sweep. And leave the shallow-dwellers (whose political relevancy is deep under water) for Ms. Dowd to skewer with her mighty pen.

Here's Maureen Dowd:

"Michelle Obama, like her husband, is hugely popular with American voters, an inspiring woman who's likely to make a profound impact on America's self-conception. Volunteering, visiting schools, traveling to government agencies to help remoralize employees, raising her adorable daughters; she's an incredible asset to Obama at a perilous time."
"During the campaign, there was talk in the Obama ranks that Michelle should stop wearing sleeveless dresses, because her muscles, combined with her potent personality, made her daunting. She ignored that talk, thank heavens. I love the designer-to-J. Crew glamour. Combined with her workaday visits to soup kitchens, inner-city schools and meetings with military families, Michelle’s flair is our depression’s answer to Ginger Rogers gliding around in feathers and lamé."

"As blue chips turn into penny stocks, Wall Street seems less like a symbol of America’s macho capitalism and more like that famous Jane Austen character Mrs. Bennet, a flibbertigibbet always anxious about getting richer and her “poor nerves.” The president tried to urge Americans to man-up and buy stocks. In a Times interview on Friday, he further advised us not to “suddenly stuff money” in our mattresses."
"Let’s face it: The only bracing symbol of American strength right now is the image of Michelle Obama’s sculpted biceps. Her husband urges bold action, but it is Michelle who looks as though she could easily wind up and punch out Rush Limbaugh, Bernie Madoff and all the corporate creeps who ripped off America. Her arms, and her complete confidence in her skin, are a reminder that Americans can do anything if they put their minds to it...Michelle has soared every day, expanding the job to show us what can be accomplished by a generous spirit, a confident nature and a well-disciplined body."

Inspiration.

We have to start with facts on the ground: perfection, unfortunately, does not exist. But I would say that now, amidst our uncertainty and hardship - and a very new president determined to sweep things very clean - we have a perfect opportunity to correct the ills of the past eight years - very serious ills. True story: A Brit friend told me recently, "Only in America can one endure paying 50% of one's income in all the varied taxes, yet somehow still allow Republicans to convince taxpayers they don't deserve healthcare. Imagine that! And from a government these taxpayers, theoretically, run." Ouch!

Yet, while we sweep we shall not belabor. Not now, with Inspiration in the wings. Inspiration is not a slightful thing: it has moved nations, and will again. Not too long ago, the U.S. mobilized the scientific community in a massive effort that landed men on the moon. Our takeaway shall not just be our satellite subscription options. Not this time. This time real, enduring changes will come. Just when we most need them. Perhaps the United States of America will lead the world again.

Inspiration. J.I.T.

25 Random Things About Me

2009-02-08T21:32:00.000-08:00

1. I've spent the last several months encouraging my writer friend to get off his butt and finish the story about my case in Venice.

2. I'm from England, the land of freezing-cold winters.

3. I have over three hundred close friends.

4. I'm stuffed and that's fine with me.

5. I'm an amateur sleuth living and "working" in sunny Carmel, California.

6. I have deep, deep brown glass eyes.

7. I play on a beach badminton team.

8. I once solved a "missing-bear" case in a single day.

9. I drive a 1967 Austin-Healey convertible.

10. My uncle is Lord Henry Houndsworth.

11. I love children - including the grownup ones.

12. I like reading poetry and 'literary' fiction.

13. My favorite poets are John Keats, Shakespeare and Lawrence Ferlinghetti.

14. My favorite authors are F. Scott Fitzgerald, George Orwell and David Mitchell.

15. My favorite books are The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald), On the Road (Kerouac), Catcher in the Rye (Salinger), Down and Out in Paris and London (Orwell), Charlotte's Web (E.B. White), Cloud Atlas and Black Swan Green (both by David Mitchell).

16. My favorite movies are Titanic (I have a big crush on K.W.), The American President, Holiday Inn (Fred Astaire - what more can one say?), A Clockwork Orange, Alien & Aliens, My Favorite Year and The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.

17. I like flying kites on the beach while listening to my iPod (Vivaldi, Mendelssohn - and Led Zeppelin!).

18. I rescued long-time Carmel resident and former mayor Flint Westfield when he was lost in Big Sur National Forest.

19. I've met Princess Madeleine of Sweden (nice girl).

20. I had dinner with Caroline Kennedy's second cousin, Roberta.

21. I am a 'champion' Scrabble player.

22. I've never won the lottery.

23. Carrot cake is my favorite dessert after chocolate mouse.

24. I enjoy escargot.

25. I've been in outer space.

London Bridge is Falling Down

2008-04-16T09:25:00.000-07:00

Just when you think a substantive conversation (like lowering taxes) has finally taken the presidential candidates' debate up a notch, John McCain comes up with a pander to voters - that actually hurts voters.

At a time when America's basic transportation infrastructure (roads, bridges and tunnels) are in critical need of repair, John McCain wants to take away billions from the states to make those repairs. All so he can save you eighteen cents a gallon on gas this summer. But he's not really saving you anything: like a street hustler, he's just playing the shell game of costs. There are more expenses to operating a motor vehicle than just fuel. There's maintenance. Wear and tear on a motor vehicle costs the average voter hundreds of dollars a year. Potholes alone cause tire damage and front-end misalignment (not to mention accidents) that voters will have to pay for down the road.

Pander never had a finer (nor given the current economic situation, a more timely) political definition.

Charlton Heston - An American Life

2008-04-07T15:12:00.000-07:00

A few words about Charlton Heston who died on April 5, 2008 at age 84 at home in Beverly Hills, with his wife of 64 years, Lydia, by his bedside. By all accounts, Mr. Heston lived a good, honorable life - and seemed to enjoy it.

Mr. Heston campaigned for John F. Kennedy, marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., spoke out against racism in America and was a civil rights activist, as well. He lived in exciting times. But he was also a complicated man who changed some of his political views in later life (his stance on gun control and his leadership of the NRA from 1998 until 2003 never did sit well with me - but you can't have everything, right?).

Charlton Heston was one of my favorite actors and while he had many more famous roles, I will always remember him best in El Cid (his on-screen chemistry with Sophia Loren smoked, btw - but I digress). Mr. Heston was in some of the most epic moments on film: parting the Red Sea as Moses in The Ten Commandments (how often do you get to do that?); the chariot race in Ben-Hur (edge of the seat stuff); and, of course, his tour de force performance as the corrupt cop in Orson Wells' masterpiece, A Touch of Evil. In 1960, Mr. Heston won the Oscar for Best Actor for his role in Ben-Hur. He was also the recipient of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1977. Charlton Heston was also honored with the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 1972; the Kennedy Center Honors: Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997; the Martin Luther King, Jr. Award: Congress of Racial Equality in 2001 and The Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2003.

Healthcare 101

2008-04-03T22:08:00.000-07:00

Healthcare is the single most important subject we should all be thinking about. NOW. 47 million Americans are without it. If my dear friend (see this post and this one, too) wasn't covered under his wife's plan, he would be dead by now. Do I have your attention?

You know, I never understood that between State and Federal taxes taking nearly 50% of our wages, somehow, we Americans have allowed our representatives to convince us that we don't all deserve healthcare. DO NOT be fooled by the argument that we can't allow the federal government to control our healthcare. For starters, there's Medicare (which everyone receives when they reach 65). Medicare is one of the most successfully run federal government programs of all time (and getting better with plenty of choice). For the rest of us, we can indeed have universal healthcare NOW and let the government pay for it (with the taxes we already pay). We will still have choice. We will still have our own doctors and specialists. But the bill is picked up by the federal government (at the risk of repeating myself: with the taxes we already pay.) Is that really too much to ask? So ask. No, demand. From your Representatives. From your Presidential candidate.

Once you've lost your health, well, nothing else much matters does it?

Btw, if you are a John McCain fan, here's and interesting article worth reading.

Truth in Publishing

2008-04-01T17:03:00.000-07:00

Although they've been with us for a while, apparently we have a category of writers badly in need of a name. I shall call them the Literary Fabricators.

Recently, there was James Frey. His four-million copy best selling bogus 2003 memoir A Million Little Pieces (purportedly pitched originally as a novel by Frey to his agent and several publishers, including Nan A. Talese, who leads the imprint at Random House’s Doubleday division and who subsequently published A Million Little Pieces). Initially rejected as a novel, someone at Random House supposedly made the suggestion that Mr. Frey's work would sell better as a memoir.

Sean M cDonald, the Random House editor ultimately assigned to the project, assured Nan Talese and Oprah Winfrey (the single most powerful - and important - name in publishing) that he was confident the events in A Million Little Pieces did, in fact, occur because he had personally checked them out. "I made sure that everything actually happened," he said as the book was being edited.

Of course, Oprah was subsequently embarrassed (a big no-no in that universe) for being so very much taken in by Frey's fabrication of 'his' sordid tale of drug addiction and rehabilitation. Frey endured a humiliating public spanking by Winfrey on her show (the same show that weeks before presented James Frey as the latest writer to win the coveted "Oprah Loves This Book More Than You Can Possibly Imagine" prize.

Now we have a new Fabricator: [from The New York Times]

In “Love and Consequences,” a critically acclaimed memoir published last week, Margaret B. Jones [a pseudonym for Margaret Seltzer] wrote about her life as a half-white, half-Native American girl growing up in South-Central Los Angeles as a foster child among gang-bangers, running drugs for the Bloods.

Turns out it was all a lie. And what an unnecessary one, too: if the book is critically acclaimed, a fictional approach often possesses a much more powerful 'truth' to tell (Sinclair Lewis' Mainstreet and George Orwell's Down and Out in Paris and London come to mind).

But a publisher's nimbleness should never be underestimated:

Sarah McGrath, the editor at Riverhead who worked with Ms. Seltzer for three years on the book, said she was stunned to discover that the author had lied. “There’s a huge personal betrayal here as well as a professional one,” she said.

Riverhead Books, a unit of Penguin Group USA, is recalling all copies of the book and has canceled Ms. Seltzer’s book tour. Ms. Jones/Seltzer was about to embark on a nationwide book tour. Could Oprah have been far behind? I suppose that's the breaks: she has little left but her infamy while Frey has his millions, a penthouse in Manhattan, a house in The Hamptons and, of course, the infamy as the garnish on that particular cocktail.

We wonder why talented writers just don't do it the old fashioned way: a writer writes a great story that gets published as is. Sure, it's harder to get published today; but isn't that the reason you've got your thesaurus earmarked and the entry "perseverance" highlighted in yellow? There are many, many success story each year. And if you don't by now understand that "the Internet has changed everything" then your chances of getting noticed will be straight-jacketed from the start. The author has never had so many tools at his or her disposal.

But, the Literary Fabricator succumbs to the curse of the mendacity of the modern age (or what one well-known publishing personality revealed at 3:00 in the morning over her eighth Cosmopolitan as "my livelihood, dear.") Indeed. And who can deny the appeal of center ring in the circus?

But somehow, despite this allure, I simply can not imagine Fitzgerald, Hemingway or Faulkner (who's debut novels were This Side of Paradise, in 1920, The Torrents of Spring in 1925 and Soldier's Pay in 1926 respectively) producing anything fake. Their 'reality' was intense enough for us all.

And if immortality is the goal, well, you can't really fake that. And if money and fifteen minutes of fame is the goal, what a sad waste of talent.

Healthcare Professionals Extraordinaire!

2008-03-30T19:34:00.000-07:00

My blogging has taken a back seat - again - to watch over the recovery of my dear friend whom I wrote about on February 25th. Turned out there was a serious, life-threatening complication that developed after the original cervical laminoplasty: a complication that the surgeon in all of his of 33 years practicing had never seen before. Two words: cervical kyphosis. And if you want to look it up, it's as bad as bad can be. Fortunately because the severe curvature of the cervical spine (neck area) developed so rapidly (five weeks after surgery) it was not the type of deformity termed 'fixed' and the Gardner-Wells tong traction technique in hospital straightened the spine after 24 hours; this fact alone was very encouraging to the surgeon, enough so because my dear friend's head was no longer so severely pushed downward on his chest (kyphosis can eventually sever the spinal cord causing total paralysis or even death - yes, it can get as bad as that). So, the surgeon placed my dear friend in the Halo mobile traction device, a serious, state-of-the-art contraption held in place by four ultra-sharp pins that are screwed one-eighth of an inch directly into the skull (quadruple ouch!). Now, he'll be in traction at home for two months, after which - if all goes well - the neck muscles will adhere to the spine and heal properly.

But that's not the main point of this post.

This time, however, the five days in hospital were as different as night and day from before, during the initial operation in January '08. This time, my dear friend had 'round the clock care; aggressive pain management; a private room; and more doctors and nurses in and out that it was dizzying. The staff even allowed me to sleep in the room for three of the five nights.

While my previous post (below) stands I would like to gratefully acknowledge the many superlative health-care professionals who made such a profound difference during my dear friend's second hospital stay.

While I cannot name the hospital or the doctors' and nurses' full names (for all the obvious legal reasons), here are some of the wonderful professionals that turned my dear friend's life around.

Michael, the lead ortho-technician, made us feel from the start that we were the center of attention and insisted we maintain that attitude. His was a take charge personality that filtered down to his entire team.

The Registered Nurses: Margaret, Don, Brenda, Jeff, Tori, et al (I wish I could remember even the nurses aides' names) were in the room within minutes when called upon). And, of course, they kept up a schedule of regular 'round the clock medicine and pain management administration that would make any MBA dean proud.

The doctors: Dr. R. you know who you are! Dr. Y's second opinion proved most informative - but we went with Dr. R. this time.

Sonny, the physical therapist, convinced my dear friend he could actually overcome the pain as well as the top-heavy Halo-vest to get out of bed and walk (sounds easy until it's your turn!).

I know that I will update this post as the memories of those five days become even clearer. Suffice it to say that we shall never forget the compassion and care received.

And my dear friend is on his way to recovery...

Missing in Action

2008-02-25T15:27:00.000-08:00

I don't know if there is a better, more polite way to put what can only be described as a soul shaking, life changing experience: For the past month I've been in hospital and home-care, helping a dear friend recuperate from spinal surgery and the Healthcare Industry.

As so many of these stories begin, the medical gods (surgeons to the non-believers) performed their miraculous skills that most of us find incomprehensible as they are explained in those intense pre-operative surgical consultations. But the problems with my friend began during the post-operative period when he was moved from intensive care, (where the pain was treated with care and compassion) to the general ward where neither attitude nor care prevailed. Logically I know I am overreacting somewhat here as there are doubtless many fine, caring Registered Nurses devoted to their patients. But watching my friend go through his searing agony overwhelms my sense of logic and enrages one to tears. Unfortunately all it takes is a few 'bad apples' combined with a serious national labor shortage that exposes the uncaring for who and what they are. And this problem isn't going away. In fact, quite the opposite: the U.S. alone will be short some 340,000 Registered Nursing positions by 2020 when most of the 'baby boomers' will begin to enter their seventies.

Here's a modest proposal: free nursing education to anyone who agrees to work at a hospital in their community for four years. The incentive? The national average annual base salary after four years on the job is $54,000! And this rate increases considerably in the ten largest U.S. markets. Talk about writing your own ticket! But - and this is a big but - psychological testing MUST be an important part of the process. Society deserves to know for certain that these folks have a real vocation for such an important job. Vocation may be an old fashion term, but in this context it means just one thing (beyond aptitude) - and that one word would be Compassion.

Joint Chiefs Chairman: Close Guantanamo

2008-01-14T16:21:00.000-08:00

The Associated Press has quite a story on the wire. Seems that at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base today "[t]he chief of the U.S. military said he favors closing the prison here as soon as possible because he believes negative publicity worldwide about treatment of terrorist suspects has been 'pretty damaging' to the image of the United States."

Well, duh! That and extraordinary rendition (i.e. torture by the homefolk) is certain to consign some in the administration to the seventh circle of hell (the eighth circle has long held a special section in reserve for those at the top).

"I'd like to see it [Guantanamo Bay prison] shut down," Adm. Mike Mullen said Sunday in an interview with three reporters who toured the detention center with him on his first visit since becoming chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff last October.

Good for him! I like this guy!

And to think that Mitt Romney is still considered a viable candidate for the office of President of the United States of America! What was the Mitt thinking when he publicly stated he would double the size of Guantanamo Bay prison were he to win the election? Apparently, this Mormon isn't out to win any hearts or minds around the world, precisely when America needs to do just that. The phrase What would Jesus do? comes to mind.

Romney (an avid pro-war candidate) avoided military service in Vietnam. But now, apparently, he knows better than those in the military how to protect us. Oh, and true to form, not one of his five sons (current ages 26, 29, 32, 36 and 37) has served in Iraq, though they are vociferously campaigning for dad and supporting dad's views. George Orwell, prescient as ever, hit the mark when he said "all the war-propaganda, all the screaming and lies and hatred, comes invariably from people who are not fighting."

But kudos to Admiral Michael Mullen.

Surf Was Up at Mavericks!

2008-01-13T11:50:00.000-08:00

I admit to an unhealthy fear of the water: the one time I did try swimming (after being pushed into a canal in Venice), I sank like a waterlogged bolt of fine wool gabardine. However, I discovered an utter fascination with surfing (watching, that is) on a long-ago vacation in O'Hawaii. The big wave riders at the North Shore breaks such as Waimea Bay, Sunset Beach and the Bonzai Pipeline are amazing athletes in what many professional commentators consider the most dangerous sport on the planet.

Living in Carmel, California for the past eighteen years, I regularly walk down to the beach and sit for an hour or so to watch the locals rip. But yesterday, I motored up Coastal Route 1 to Half Moon Bay to see this year's Mavericks Surf Contest at Pillar Point. The magnitude of what these intrepid acquamariners face is documented below.

The Green Room

Mavericks Surf

Mercury News event coverage

New York Times article

A Doctor in the Mouse?

2008-01-10T08:53:00.000-08:00

There's a really interesting article in Salon today about patient access to medical information on the web. It's written by an M.D. and is a counter to the horrid little petulance (I almost said flatulence) that appeared in Time magazine (and online) titled "When the Patient Is a Googler." The Time article is also by an M.D. I never thought I'd hear an intelligent, educated person (a scientist, no less) turn 'Googler' into a dirty word.

I have a close friend who goes in for a four-level cervical laminoplasty next week. Since this is spinal surgery, he wanted to learn as much as possible about the procedure and the recovery and the success rates and all the, you know, really pertinent stuff. So he turned to the Web. Now he feels much better (though he did have a tough time seeing an actual operation on YouTube).

So, raspberries to you, Time medicine man.

Perspicacious Persians - Not!

2008-01-08T16:28:00.000-08:00

Just viewed the excellent 1964 film Fail-Safe on DVD again today and the parallels with the international incident in the Persian Gulf over the weekend were very disconcerting. Accidents, after all, will happen. America spends $623 Billion on defense (out of the world total of $1,100 Billion). That's a lot of hardware ready to be used. Now, imagine you're a sailor onboard one the the US warships and five Iranian gunboats approach your vessel at high speed and threaten you by dropping mysterious boxes near your ship accompanied by the radioed message: “I am coming at you. You will explode in a couple of minutes.” The London Times headline gives the antiseptic view: Iran speedboats threatened suicide attack on US in Strait of Hormuz. But what must those American sailors been thinking, feeling? How fast were their hearts thumping as they watched those floating white boxes coming at their ships? Considering the recent history of suicide bombers and IEDs, could we really have blamed the Americans for opening fire in the face of such deliberate, naked provocation and potentially catastrophic danger? I think their reserve - and steely nerve - were admirable.

Of course, there's only one reason why the Iranians acted in such a manner: pump up the price of oil by reinforcing the precarious nature and potential destabilization in the region that's been hanging over our heads, oh, for about forever. The Iranian political leaders' despicable calculation was that the lives of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards onboard their own gunboats were expendable. I sometimes wish there was a much stronger word than "despicable." I have exchanged a few e-mails with an Iranian teddy bear friend (a student), Muhammad Muhammad, and he concurs.

Imagine - another war over oil? Consider that question. Please. America (and the West) has always invented its way into the future. And that's what's sustained us and is so urgently needed now. I like my iPod as much as the next bear. But, honestly, we need to get cracking on inventing the next energy source. Oil is so twentieth century.

Bozo the Clown

2008-01-05T12:06:00.000-08:00

Ok, not that clown. The real Bozo the Clown made his televison debut in the United States today in 1959. This beloved circus character entertained and educated children (ok, and adults) for over forty years. What fond memories! And he's still very much in our collective consciousness: Bozo has been named in several US presidential elections as a write-in candidate when people felt they were choosing between the lesser of two evils.

Barack Obama's Victory in Iowa

2008-01-04T09:55:00.000-08:00

The big (no, make that gigantic) news this morning is that Barack Obama is officially a serious contender for the office of the President of the United States. What a glorious moment for America.

Barack Obama has won the Iowa caucuses. You’d have to have a heart of stone not to feel moved by this. An African-American man wins a closely fought campaign in a pivotal state. He beats two strong opponents, including the mighty Clinton machine. He does it in a system that favors rural voters. He does it by getting young voters to come out to the caucuses. This is a huge moment. It’s one of those times when a movement that seemed ethereal and idealistic became a reality and took on political substance. Iowa won’t settle the race, but the rest of the primary season is going to be colored by the glow of this result. Whatever their political affiliations, Americans are going to feel good about the Obama victory, which is a story of youth, possibility and unity through diversity — the primordial themes of the American experience. And Americans are not going to want to see this stopped. When an African-American man is leading a juggernaut to the White House, do you want to be the one to stand up and say No? - David Brooks

64% of eligible voters participated in the 2004 Presidential election. That leaves 36% of eligible voters needing only someone to inspire them to get in the game. Of course, it's no great sociological observation that those most responsive to inspirational political messages are the young. And that's great news for Barack Obama, who apparently mobilized lots of new young voters to participate in the Iowa's caucuses, leading to his victory there. Barack Obama is all about inspiration and in many respects, that inspiration, unconnected as it is to any political machine, is of a purer quality than his rivals. And when it comes to inspiration, purity of intention is not to be discounted lightly. Consider, in 2004, eligible voters between the ages of 18 and 24 had the lowest voter turnout as a group, with 47 percent reported going to the polls. That leaves a whopping 53% of 18-to-24 year old voters up for grabs.

America needs a change. Ok, a big change. The rest of the world loves Americans while the majority either fears or hates America itself. That's the first time in over 200 years of history the world hasn't thought of the United States as the paragon of democracy and freedom and decency (i.e. respect for the rest of humanity). But history has its ups and downs (remember Joe McCarthy, Watergate, Vietnam?) and America will win hearts and minds and the world's confidence again. President Barack Obama will be a good start.

Quadrophenia (and other great music)

2008-01-03T11:05:00.000-08:00

Finally got around to ripping one of my holiday presents: Quadrophenia, The Who's second rock opera. And I thought Tommy was great with its with amazing musicianship and tight thematic orchestrations that made that album one of the sixties classic rock set pieces. Quadrophenia though is, I believe, The Who's crowning achievement. This is immortal music and a must listen. Definitely something I would take if stranded on a desert isle (and still able to play my iPod).

Here are my music (re)discoveries in 2007:

1. Led Zeppelin (all of it)

2. The Who (Tommy, Quadrophenia)

3. The Beatles (anything and everything)

4. Schubert (the piano sonatas)

5. Bach (the cello suites - Rostropovich, naturally)

6. Jan Klemmer (Touch - the most romantic jazz album ever)

7. Al Di Meola (Kiss My Axe - no explanation required)

8. Lee Ritenour (Stolen Moments is a jazz classic)

9. Dave Brubeck (Time Out)

10. Jane Monheit (the best of the young jazz singers)

Oil Hits $100 a Barrel for the First Time

2008-01-02T10:32:00.000-08:00

I see in today's news that crude oil has now reached $100/barrel. Well, I guess that's one item sure to be on the Rational Romantic's Ten Best Things to Happen in 2008 list. He e-mailed back this response a few minutes ago:

Maybe the conversation about alternative, clean energy can now rise above petty concerns like politics and which countries deserve the highest standard of living (imagine the extreme, uncharitable gall that takes).

As always, we know where he stands.

Btw, here's a conciousness-raising article called What’s Your Consumption Factor? I was particularly struck by this paragraph:

Real sacrifice wouldn’t be required, however, because living standards are not tightly coupled to consumption rates. Much American consumption is wasteful and contributes little or nothing to quality of life. For example, per capita oil consumption in Western Europe is about half of ours, yet Western Europe’s standard of living is higher by any reasonable criterion, including life expectancy, health, infant mortality, access to medical care, financial security after retirement, vacation time, quality of public schools and support for the arts. Ask yourself whether Americans’ wasteful use of gasoline contributes positively to any of those measures.

So, does that mean we really can have our cake and eat it, too?

---

My sincerest congratulations on the 27th wedding annniversary of The Creators. Without them...well...

Ten Best Things to Happen in 2007

2007-12-31T10:48:00.000-08:00

The Rational Romantic's Ten Best Things to Happen in 2007 (and what they mean):

1. Al Gore awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (elevating environmental concerns straight to the top)

2. Alberto Gonzales resigns as Attorney General (making mendacity, duplicitousness and obfuscation no longer resume builders)

3. China outed as the worst polluter on the planet (19 out of 20 most polluted cities are in China)

4. China outed as the worst producer of toys for children (one word: LEAD)

5. Oil closes in on $100 a barrel (finally, alternative clean energy looks cost-effective)

6. California passes most aggressive ever environmental regulation for automobiles (forcing George Bush to 'veto' clean air)

7. Publication of God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything by Christopher Hitchens ("an unrelenting enumeration of religion's sins and wickedness")

8. Barack Obama for President (that he could happen at all says we're ready to move onward and upward)

9. Hillary Clinton for President (finally, a serious and viable candidate of the opposite gender. Can you say Madam President?)

10. George Clooney/Nicole Kidman (you need an explanation?)

Why Giving Makes You Happy

2007-12-30T12:46:00.000-08:00

Turns out compassion is good for your health. Who knew (other than saints, contemplatives and social workers)? But now it's being confirmed by science. Apparently, it is an established fact that 'givers are happier people than non-givers.'

A number of studies have researched exactly why charity leads to happiness. The surprising conclusion is that giving affects our brain chemistry...Charity also lowers the stress hormones that cause unhappiness...The bottom line from all the research on giving is that it is not just good for your favorite cause; it's good for you, too. For relief from stress and depression, it's probably more cost-effective than whatever your doctor might prescribe. - excerpted from the above cited article

Now, if you're one of those cynical Scrooge types who doubt that you can ever clear away the mental black clouds you've made friends with all these years, consider the just-emerging discoveries in neural plasticity: among these, not only can you grow new brain cells, but how you think affects brain structure! It's fascinating stuff (I'm immersed in Train your Mind, Change Your Brain: How a New Science Reveals Our Extraordinary Potential to Transform Ourselves).

Of course, if you're motivated purely by economics, consider that you still have time to make a tax-deductible charitable contribution for 2007. That way you can also reap the health benefits in 2008 (we all have at least one health related New Year's resolution each January 1st). So, write that check today...be happier tomorrow!

Brothers Extraordinaire

2007-12-28T11:16:00.000-08:00

Let us celebrate two pioneer contributors to the birth of film, French filmmakers, and twin brothers, Auguste and Louis Lumière. Today in 1895, the Lumière brothers held the first public screening of moving pictures, in Paris, France. The showing of ten short films lasted only twenty minutes. Their work consisted mainly of moving images from scenes of everyday life. But their famous film sequence of a train pulling into the station reportedly had audiences screaming and ducking for cover as they believed that the train itself was about to crash into the theater.

Of course, the art form the Lumière brothers pioneered has spawned the sublime as well as the ridiculous. On the sublime side are films by Ingmar Bergman, Orson Welles, Alfred Hitchcock, Guillermo del Toro and any film featuring Laurel and Hardy or Fred Astaire. On the ridiculous side are movies starring Dolph Lundgren.

Here's a list from Wikipedia of the "films considered the greatest ever."

Benazir Bhutto

2007-12-27T10:28:00.000-08:00

The sad news from Pakistan today is a reminder that the world we live in is not an ideal one. Our poets have long known this. Lawrence Ferlinghetti's 1955 poem on the subject (from his Coney Island of the Mind) still evokes the painful moral ambivalence that so strains our 'modern' life. I urge you to read the entire poem from the link above; here are a few lines:

THE world is a beautiful place

to be born into

if you don't mind happiness

not always being

so very much fun

if you don't mind a touch of hell

now and then

Just when everything is fine...

Oh the world is a beautiful place

to be born into

if you don't much mind

a few dead minds

in the higher places

or a bomb or two

now and then

in your upturned faces...

If you're in the mood, here's a related poem worth reading.

Maureen Dowd

2007-12-26T11:44:00.000-08:00

Maureen Dowd has a lovely column in today's New York Times. It's a take on Caroline Kennedy’s best-selling A Family Christmas, "a holiday anthology of songs, poetry, prose, letters and a list of the questions most frequently asked of Macy’s Santa."

In one piece, Henry van Dyke writes: “Are you willing ... to own, that probably the only good reason for your existence is not what you are going to get out of life, but what you are going to give to life; to close your book of complaints against the management of the universe and look around you for a place where you can sow a few seeds of happiness ... to make a grave for your ugly thoughts and a garden for your kindly feelings ...? Then you can keep Christmas.”

Caroline Kennedy reprints a charming letter from her father to a little girl in Michigan, one Michelle Rochon, who was very concerned about Santa. The President wrote back an assuring “[y]ou must not worry about Santa Claus. I talked with him yesterday, and he is fine.”

If you don't yet own A Family Christmas, you might consider buying it for your loved ones next year.

A Christmas Stuffing

2007-12-25T17:05:00.000-08:00

Boy, am I stuffed! Wonderful Christmas food and great Christmas company (and a really funny movie: A Christmas Story). But that's all the energy I have available for this post. Oh, I almost forgot to mention: had a nice spell of inspiration early this morning after Santa had come and gone: got in a solid two hours of writing on my latest case. At 25,000 words, I am 'officially' half done :-)

Christmas Eve at The Bakers

2007-12-24T10:46:00.000-08:00

All the presents are bought and wrapped and donations made (WWF, Doctors Without Borders, Second Harvest Food Bank, Embracing the Child); all the decorations are up and the tree (recycled from hemp) decorated, angel on top; food and spirits ready for tomorrow's feast; "A Christmas Carol" (Alastair Sim as Scrooge) in the DVD player; and candles, candles, candles everywhere. The most glorious night of the year is here - Christmas Eve!

Tonight we'll each open one present (a brilliant tradition invented by some avid celebrant keen to 'get things started'). Since the giver gets to select the gift given, for my dearest it will be this Steiff bear (but, please, don't tell anyone).

My Christmas wish is for all of you - and everyone, everywhere - to be blessed with the gift of kindness. Merry Christmas!

A No-Show on The Polar Express

2007-12-23T11:52:00.000-08:00

For twenty-one Christmas seasons, Chris Van Allsburg's Caldecott Medal winning The Polar Express has been a favorite holiday gift to young readers and the nostalgic among us. It's been the perennial Christmas bestseller: 250,000+ copies per year. Originally published in 1985 (with a complete makeover in 2005, re-mastering Allsburg's original oil-pastel paintings), the children's picture book even spawned an animated movie in 2004, boosting sales of the hardcover that year to over one million copies. But this year, The Polar Express was a no-show on the bestseller lists. For the first time in memory, there was no listing of the title on The New York Times Children's Bestseller List in the months and weeks leading up to Christmas. Of course, hundreds of children's picture books celebrating Christmas (including this one) are in competition with each other; so it's no surprise when any single title falls off the list. But lament not. Consider: there are reportedly eight million copies of The Polar Express in print, making the title the best-selling Christmas themed children's picture book of all time (not including, of course, the many pictoral interpretations of Clement Moore's poem Twas the Night Before Christmas). A great legacy for Chris Van Allsburg.

MOMA Malaise

2007-12-22T13:40:00.000-08:00

"I see the eight-foot long, white stick (entitled Stick, Hanging, #43) on the wall. But is it Art?"

Contemporary art has its critics. That's true enough of any age. Van Gogh had his detractors even as he produced what were to become some of the most valued paintings in the history of art.

"Yes, but today's art is different," some say. Ok, a lot say.

Yesterday, Carol Strickland, art correspondent for The Christian Science Monitor and the author of The Annotated Mona Lisa: A Crash Course in Art History from Prehistoric to Post-Modern concluded her three part series on modern art.

Unlike, say this Van Gogh painting, much of today's art leaves us cold, unable to appeal simultaneously to the head and the heart (just try having no reaction to the Van Gogh). Current museum-of-modern-art gallery-goers are leaving exhibits undernourished with the 'thin-gruel' of flash and hype - a glaze of modernity that often leaves them alienated and confused. One example Ms. Strickland has us consider: "In 2001, Martin Creed won the prestigious Turner Prize in London. His work, The Lights Going On and Off, consists of - yes - light bulbs going on and off in an empty gallery every five seconds."

Ms. Strickland's informative and entertaining essays can be read as stand-alone pieces:

All three thousand words are a joy to read. Are there signs of hope? Most assuredly. Read why.

Environment News Service

2007-12-20T13:18:00.000-08:00

Knowledge is power - power to act. But with so much bewildering, and often contradictory, information and prescriptive advice about the environment out there, what's a bear to do? I've discovered a fantastic source of accurate and timely environmental news that makes acting on information much easier. The Environment News Service (ENS) presents late-breaking environmental news "in a fair and balanced manner." I like the 'fair and balanced' part! Check it out for yourself.

One recent Press Release leads with "NEW BOOK TEACHES CHILDREN HOW TO POSITIVELY IMPACT THE ENVIRONMENT" and it sounds like an interesting read - perhaps even a last minute holiday present for the family.

Author as Philanthropist

2007-12-19T09:44:00.000-08:00

Known to most Potterites are J.K. Rowling's generous charitable contributions to a variety of worthy causes around the planet. What's newsworthy today, however, is Amazon.com's open letter to Ms. Rowling thanking her for the opportunity to purchase The Tales of Beedle the Bard at a Sotheby’s auction in London. The book contains five wizarding tales that had been referenced in Harry Potter VII (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows). According to Amazon.com, "The Tales of Beedle the Bard is extensively illustrated and handwritten by the bard herself--all 157 pages of it. It's bound in brown Moroccan leather and embellished with five hand-chased hallmarked sterling silver ornaments and mounted moonstones." Moreover, the Amazon acquisition is one of only seven handmade copies in existence. Amazon paid handsomely: £1,950,000 (US$2,800,000) BUT - and here's the great part - "Ms. Rowling is donating the proceeds to The Children's Voice campaign, a charity she co-founded to help improve the lives of institutionalized children across Europe."

We live in exciting times.

2007-12-18T11:31:00.000-08:00

Came across this very interesting take on what we know - or even can know - about the universe. It's all about what science has shown us over the past 2000 years; but it's not too deep for we layfolk. The questions posed are profound and great exercise for the grey matter.

Yes, indeed, it's wonderful to be alive!

Greetings from Basil Baker

2007-12-17T10:19:00.000-08:00

Hello blogworld!

My name is Basil Baker. Although I've been online for over nine years now - and even 'blogged' a bit about one of my cases - this is the start of my blog (in earnest) for the tens of thousands of visitors to our "literate site for bear lovers" as well as all the new visitors we hope to reach. Take a quick surf over to www.basilbaker.com and sample the broad diversity of our interests from art to music to literature to life on our beautiful planet. I hope to hear your comments.