What Road Less Traveled?

I wasn’t always able to travel. I did have to work regularly to support a family. I helped my wife raise three daughters, both with a paycheck and as a care giving Father. We had a couple of dogs and cats and we built our own solar heated house in the early 1980’s. In those days, there was no traveling. Only the trip to Chicago to my Father’s funeral in 1983. That trip was sponsored by an older man who was a friend and neighbor. He gave me some cash in folded bills and let me use his late model car to drive my family down to Chicago, from East Central Minnesota, to be with my Brother, Sister and Mother when Dad walked on. Most folks know that you can’t have this life of a vagabond, being on the road, while also being a family man. I did have many jobs as a truck driver over the road. It paid good wages and that is what was needed to support the family. When I could, I’d get off the road to be closer to home, but invariably got back into the cab of a semi when we needed to make a better paycheck. Traveling for money is a lot different than living the life of a traveler.

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happy winter solstice

The winter solstice is here! That’s right- the ancient celebration that morphed into the biggest consumeristic experience of the year! It is the ancient celebration that cmas is based on- as the ancient roman powers that be assimilated pagan customs into their version of Christianity (much like the borg.) so what exactly is the winter solstice?

A solstice occurs twice a year, whenever Earth’s axis tilts the most toward or away from the Sun, causing the Sun to be farthest north or south at noon. The name is derived from Latin sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still), because at the solstice, the Sun stands still in declination, that is, its movement north or south is minimal. The term solstice can also be used in a wider sense as the date (day) that such a passage happens. The solstices, together with the equinoxes, are related to the seasons.

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Why we should care?

Today’s post is short and I hope sweet, sweet with truth and meaning. This is the third “anniversary” of my son, Kelsey’s death and this is all I have in me….

Why we should care? A race related post on another blog resulted in a heated exchange, as they so often do. The question was asked in relation to “whites” caring about the “plight of the blacks”… if they cared nothing about helping themselves, in the posters view, why should we?

I caught an excellent documentary on Tony Kushner, the great American playwright. One of his colleague’s comments sparked this reply.

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I love this cartoon!

Another Fractured Christmas Carol

From our friends at Coalition for a Democratic America-another great one!-Dusty

OLD KING CHENEY

Based on “Good King Wenceslas”

By SweetPea and BibleBelted

Old King Cheney looked about, wanting so much power

Did not gripe he did not pout, said “now it is my hour.”

Quickly was a plan conceived, though it was not legal

Screw the Congress, damn the courts, raise the fascist eagle

Found a puppet, called him George, had the perfect fool

Kind of dense and not so bright, it’s really kindah cool

Make the dummy president, operate the fool

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Crystals bigger than humans?

I read about this several years ago in Smithsonian and it gave me the chills. Please follow the site for the story of how these massive underground caves were found . I dispaired of ever seeing them,yet some brave professional photographers did the near impossible.I added a “preview” photo to inspire those of you who do not click links…this one will be worth it. I was worried about protection of these natural wonders,but the story explains why we have more to fear than “they” do.

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Huckleberry Finn banned in CT. High School

Damn..if I hadn’t of seen this with my own eyes..I would of called someone a freaking liar! Its short, so let me print it here for you:

Connecticut High School Bans “Huckleberry Finn

“Huckleberry Finn” is regarded as one of the first great American novels.It’s often taught in high schools, and often criticized for what some say is it’s frequent use of racist language.

Now a Connecticut school has temporarily banned the book while the school board reviews a parent’s complaint over use of the “n-word” in the literary classic.

Manchester High School’s principal wouldn’t comment on the ban, other than to say that a review is underway, but most parents said the book should be taught.

When will the book burnings start up? I realize how racist the language is in Huck Finn, but frankly I see this as a good example of what used to be acceptable in America and no longer is. A good discussion could ensue..but these asshats would rather just ban it than discuss it. Jackasses extraordinare.

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Lewis Black on Homeland Security

I remember the air raid drills in school and those god-forsaken movies..Lewis gets it right on all counts.

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I love this man!

Actually, I don’t know The Worried Shrimp..but I love the hell out of his artwork. I believe he paid us a visitation this morning on one of Jolly Roger’s posts! I would like to encourage anyone that loves good political art to visit his site and page through his magnificent works.. Its worth your time my dear reader. Now, a couple of my favorites:

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THE FAHRENHEIT 451 SOCIETY

By ABE and BIBLE BELTED

Does anyone remember a science fiction book titled Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury? We do. When some of us were growing up we read a lot of Bradbury and we feel that this particular book is especially prophetic.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the plot line, it takes place in a futuristic society in which books have been banned, the written word has virtually been stamped out. So we’re talking about a society in which not only offensive or controversial literature has been eradicated, but a totalitarian regime in which ALL written material has been effectively banned. In this regime, the individuals responsible for “maintaining order” as it were are the firemen, who hunt down and burn surviving books from the past. That’s right. You read us correctly. The firemen in this society, often operating on anonymous tips, are the preservers of repression as they go about burning books to preserve the stability of their insane world.

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Black women in art-Where for art thou?

When I put up the new template, I was damn proud of myself. I had finally integrated gravatar’s for the authors into the posts, something most of the original writers had asked for. I was hunting around the internets, looking for old art that contained Sirens, or for the males..men that looked noble. Then I realized I couldn’t find a BLACK siren.

This highly pissed me off.. I know that black women have existed as long as white women have. Dez needed a wonderful piece of artwork for her gravatar and I got an excedrin headache staring at my computer screen for hours trying everything I could to find ancient paintings with black women in them. Then, when that didn’t offer up anything..I tried to just find artwork which contained black females..still nothing except modern works. I wanted something beautiful and life-like, just like the John William Waterhouse pictures I found for the white women and even the few males we have on the Sirens staff of writers.

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Spiritual Journey

Since the writers are on strike, I will honor it and not cross the picket line. After all, I am a long time Union man. I worked as a teamster for most of my working career. My father was a teamster as well as my brother. My spouse’s father was an AFL-CIO pipe fitter, and she herself served as a Union President for the non-certified employees of the Pine City, MN school district. It is with this heritage in mind that I repost a story I wrote in April of 2007.

Today is April 3rd and the weather outside is like a January day here in the Northland. We have the howling wind, dropping temperatures, snow mixed with rain right now, but in a few hours, it will be all snow. There is already a good two inch coating of slush on everything. I guess I shouldn’t complain. In fact, moisture is needed badly. Lake levels are down and fields are in dire need of moisture for the upcoming growing season. We didn’t have any precipitation before February this year. Besides, complaining doesn’t change anything. Mother nature will do what it must do. It just gets to be April and there are many signs of Spring and the warmer season ahead and here we are putting it on hold while this latest storm blows through. There is a lot to be said for nature and what it does. It could be said that it is a spiritual teaching every time nature does anything that it does. Every wind that blows, from any direction, cannot be controlled. The rain or moisture in any form, falling from the sky. The clouds, or lack of the clouds that make a day gray or make it bright with sun. All these things, even the daylight and darkness are out of our control all together.

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Amaragosa:Dancing on the Sands

~ A ballet company dancer goes to a cocktail party,and on a lark has her fortune told. The woman, holding her ring and a bracelet ,looks into her face and tells her a unimaginable story. She will leave the mecca for dancers,New York,and go to a very rural place and do the best work of her life there, and the letter A ,very large A the fortuneteller says, is hanging over all.

. The couple buy a travel trailer and find themselves in Death Valley Junction(pop.10),while her husband buys gas she explores the street~ and finds the Opera house,deserted and in disrepair but it speaks to her. They find they can rent the place for $45.00 a month plus repairs and that the Spanish called this place Amargosa. So begins the story of a woman dedicated to her art,dedicated to expressing herself,dedicated to beauty.

As the story of Marta Becket unfolds,one thinks what a nut this woman must be,by the time the film ends one wishes it would never stop. At 81 she dances,even if no audience is there. Yet as she has painted a opera house on all four walls,and ceiling she is never alone.

The quirks,the whole story of this amazing creature I leave to you to discover. I highly recommend this Todd Robinson documentary.

http://www.pahrumpvalleytimes.com/2005/11/11/news/becket.html a short article about Marta and http://www.todanceonsands.com/author.html a link for her book

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“Saint of 9/11″

“Lord take me where you want me to go

Lord have me meet who You want me to meet

Lord let me know what You want me to say

And Lord?

Keep me out of your way”

Saint of 9/11~ is a beautiful tribute to a Franciscan Priest~ Father Mychal Judge remembered by most as the Firemen’s Priest who was killed as the first tower fell. Others can never forget the achingly beautiful photograph ,almost Pieta like, of the grieving firemen carrying his lifeless body away from the carnage. A life, among many others ,was taken that day. It was the life of a complicated human being~ a gay man, an alcoholic, a deeply spiritual man, a Priest, a son, a brother, an tireless benefactor of the poor and sick~ a good life. A life now reduced to pictures, sentences and memory.

He was born may 11,1933 into a immigrant Irish family. His father died when he was only six, and at 15 he began the formation process to enter the Franciscan Community. He tells the story of being at a seminary with one particular young priest, his roommate who he felt a special connection with. As the snow fell outside his window he got up to watch, as did his roommate. They stood there, so close Mychal said he could feel the hot breath on his neck, for two hours lost in the joy of creation and a longing for something else. The next morning at breakfast Father Mychal noticed his friend was late~ returning to their room he found his friends robes folded on his bed. His friend left the order. Father Mychal did not remained a celibate gay man for his entire life, taking that longing for something else and becoming the “peoples priest”.

The documentary ,narrated by Sir Ian McKellen, takes you through his life using stories from his family, fellow Priests ,the gay community he served, the alcoholics he helped(he became sober in 1978) and the street people he inspired, the families he ministered to both here and in Northern Ireland. He longed to become Cardinal, yet knew he danced to a different drummer ,that his path would led him at times to conflict with his Church . He refused to judge others, as he had judged himself enough and finally found freedom. “My all powerful wondrous God has not made the future yet, so for you to worry about tomorrow that God has not made yet is folly~ stay in today” Good advise no matter your spiritual leanings .

It is a beautiful filmed tribute to a Franciscan Father who walked his talk, a truly humble man~ one who knew the power of love. If there is a heaven he got there, dying that day doing what he loved. He was last seen alive with his lips moving in prayer. Blessed Be. May he rest in Peace.

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tv- american style

i am happy to introduce dawn as our newest contributor. she hails from the mean streets of new york city and has the arduous task of raising 3 sons, 2 dogs and a husband. but she handles that and more- and blogs about it at ‘my crazy life.’ welcome dawn! — betmo

This is my first post so please bear with me; I thought I’d write on the subject of great television.

Recently, I have been watching reruns of a crime show called “Homicide: Life on The Streets”. After seeing this show again, I decided it was a pioneer of all crime shows to follow. The intense cases, realistic settings and characters made this a must watch show. You may ask, “how can she say that?”- well, one original character from Homicide is still on TV to this day. The character of Detective Munch started on this show and is now on Law and Order SVU due to his popularity. The character has also crossed over to the Law and Order series and appeared on the X files.

The writer David Chase and the producer Tom Fontana were visionaries and they have written and produced some of the greatest series ever to run. Homicide is only one- most recently, they developed “The Corner”, “The Wire, “ and “Oz.” Now, I know Oz is not everyone’s cup of tea, with the over-the-top violence and realism, but it is sooo good!

The Wire (which on a side note is the most well written, intense and suspenseful show ever) started out about a drug cartel in Baltimore; switched to Union Politics, and then a year in the life of 5 children and how they may or may not overcome their environment. All of the seasons tie to each other and it’s just fascinating. The new season is starting soon and it will be the last. It is on HBO but reruns of the old seasons are on The USA network and definitely worth the watch.

I love crime dramas, especially when they are intelligent and well written- and Homicide and The Wire are the 2 best show to make you think!!!

tags:television crime dramas, culture

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