Tuesday, January 6, 2015
In my spare time, I like to compile list of biographies and one of the list I like to keep is a list of those whose lives are rather exemplary. Here is one I recently added to my list. Perhaps you can add it to yours as well.
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Joe Cocker, R.I.P.
Friday, January 2, 2015
Over the holy day season, there were a number of notable passings. One that caught my attention was the passing of Joe Cocker:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/23/arts/music/joe-cocker-is-dead-at-70.html?_r=0
Over the holy day season, there were a number of notable passings. One that caught my attention was the passing of Joe Cocker:
While I cannot claim to have been a big Joe Cocker fan, there was one memorable performance that stayed etched in my mind. The performance was Joe Cocker's duet with the histrionic Patti Labelle during the Motown Returns to the Apollo concert in 1985. The duet was introduced by a comedian of recent infamy and was accompanied by one of my favorite piano playing artists. I invite you to watch and listen ... and to smile.
The Case for Reparations: Part Four
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
"...while the people advocating reparations have changed over time, the response from the country has remained virtually the same. "They have been taught to labor," the Chicago Tribune editorialized in 1891. "They have been taught Christian civilization, and to speak the noble English language instead of some African gibberish. The account is square with the ex-slaves.
"Not exactly. Having been enslaved for 250 years, black people were not left to their own devices. They were terrorized. In the Deep South, a second slavery ruled. In the North, legislatures, mayors, civic associations, banks, and citizens all colluded to join black people into ghettos, where they were overcrowded, overcharged, and undereducated. Businesses discriminated against them, awarding them the worst jobs and the worst wages. Police brutalized them in the streets. And the notion that black lives, black bodies, and black wealth were rightful targets remained deeply rooted in the broader society."
***
"Broach the topic of reparations today and a barrage of questions inevitably follows. Who will be paid? How much will they be paid? Who will pay? But if the practicalities, not the justice, of reparations are the true sticking point, there has for some time been the beginnings of a solution. For the past 25 years, Congressman John Conyers, Jr., who represents the Detroit area, has marked every session of Congress by introducing a bill calling for a congressional study of slavery and its lingering effects as well as recommendations for "appropriate remedies."
"Broach the topic of reparations today and a barrage of questions inevitably follows. Who will be paid? How much will they be paid? Who will pay? But if the practicalities, not the justice, of reparations are the true sticking point, there has for some time been the beginnings of a solution. For the past 25 years, Congressman John Conyers, Jr., who represents the Detroit area, has marked every session of Congress by introducing a bill calling for a congressional study of slavery and its lingering effects as well as recommendations for "appropriate remedies."
***
As much as the arguments posited in the article may have great validity, the practicality of assessing reparations does appear to be the elephant in the room. Why begin an exercise, if the outcome will prove to be impractical? Is justice served if the "appropriate remedies" prove to be beyond the practical ability for anyone to pay?
Peace.
New Year's Resolutions
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Each year, I sit down at this time to review my New Year's Resolutions from the ending year and to write my New Year's Resolutions for the new year. For the year 2014, I had 11 resolutions (or goals) and I accomplished four of them. Undeterred by my abysmal rate of failure for 2014 [although in baseball terms four out of eleven ain't bad], for this coming year I have written 15 resolutions and in the spirit of the season I now share some of them with you.
Each year, I sit down at this time to review my New Year's Resolutions from the ending year and to write my New Year's Resolutions for the new year. For the year 2014, I had 11 resolutions (or goals) and I accomplished four of them. Undeterred by my abysmal rate of failure for 2014 [although in baseball terms four out of eleven ain't bad], for this coming year I have written 15 resolutions and in the spirit of the season I now share some of them with you.
(1) Lose the five pounds I seem to have "found" in the last month
(2) Walk 300 "exercise" miles
(3) Do 100,000 crunches on my AB Coaster
(5) Shoot 45 for a nine hole round of golf
(9) Attend the Amherst Black Alumni Reunion in April, play a round of golf with those similarly inclined, and perform Memorial Service
(10) Attend the Amherst Class of 1975 Reunion in May and play a round of golf with those similarly inclined
(15) Do what I can to make this a kinder more gentle world
If you too make resolutions, and if you too are not afraid to share, please do share them with us. I am curious to know what you too may have in store for the coming year.
Peace.
The Case for Reparations: Part Three
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
"Locked out of the greatest mass-based opportunity for wealth accumulation in American history, African Americans who desired and were able to afford home ownership found themselves consigned to central-city communities where their investments were affected by "self-fulfilling prophecies" of the FHA appraisers cut off from sources of new investment[,] their homes and communities deteriorated and lost value in comparison to those homes and communities that FHA appraisers deemed desirable." ("The Case for Reparations", pg. 8 of 47, quoting fromBlack Wealth/White Wealth, the 1995 book by Melvin L. Oliver and Thomas M. Shapiro).
"Locked out of the greatest mass-based opportunity for wealth accumulation in American history, African Americans who desired and were able to afford home ownership found themselves consigned to central-city communities where their investments were affected by "self-fulfilling prophecies" of the FHA appraisers cut off from sources of new investment[,] their homes and communities deteriorated and lost value in comparison to those homes and communities that FHA appraisers deemed desirable." ("The Case for Reparations", pg. 8 of 47, quoting fromBlack Wealth/White Wealth, the 1995 book by Melvin L. Oliver and Thomas M. Shapiro).
***
Slavery is gone and the discrimination of 50 years ago is now 50 years ago, so what is the purpose of dredging up ancient history as a basis for reparations? In reading the article, the purpose seemed to me to be to lay the foundational basis not just for the reparations that may have been warranted 50 years ago but also to put into context the discrimination that continues to exist today. And, for a person who has worked in a community ostensibly affected by the so-called "self-fulfilling prophecies" of the FHA, when the article goes into the perceived causes of the deterioration of the community, -- the perceived causes of the deterioration of my community, -- I do tend to pay attention.
Peace.
***
"The lives of black Americans are better than they were half a century ago. The humiliation of WHITES ONLY signs are gone. Rates of black poverty have decreased. Black teen pregnancy rates are at record lows -- and the gap between black and white teen pregnancy rates has shrunk significantly. But such progress rests on a shaky foundation, and fault lines are everywhere. The income gap between black and white households is roughly the same today as it was in 1970. Patrick Sharkey, a sociologist at New York University, studied children born from 1955 through 1970 and found that 4 percent of whites and 62 percent of blacks across America had been raised in poor neighborhoods. A generation later, the same study showed, virtually nothing had changed. And whereas whites born into affluent neighborhoods tended to remain in affluent neighborhoods, blacks tended to fall out of them."
"The implications are chilling. As a rule, poor black people do not work their way out of the ghetto -- and those who do often face the horror of watching their children and grandchildren tumble back."
The Case for Reparations: Part Two
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Over the years, I have viewed the debate about monetary reparations for the African American descendants of slaves with a great deal of skepticism. After all, according to my math, with the year 2015, slavery ostensibly ended 150 years ago. So it seemed to me that there must be a statute of limitations that applies.
Over the years, I have viewed the debate about monetary reparations for the African American descendants of slaves with a great deal of skepticism. After all, according to my math, with the year 2015, slavery ostensibly ended 150 years ago. So it seemed to me that there must be a statute of limitations that applies.
However, over the weekend, I did read The Case for Reparations by Ta-Nehisi Coates and at the conclusion of the article, I was persuaded that a case had been made for a certain kind of reparations. This is no small triumph. But what I really became persuaded about is that The Case for Reparations is the best articulation of the post-slavery actions which warrant redress that I have ever read. Indeed, after having read it, I would recommend that every high school and college student be required to read and discuss this article.
Of course, that is not likely to happen anytime soon. So allow me to discuss it now.
Peace.
***
"When Clyde Ross was still a child, Mississippi authorities claimed his father owed $3,000 in back taxes. The elder Ross could not read. He did not have a lawyer. He did not know anyone at the local courthouse. He could not expect the police to be impartial. Effectively, the Ross family had no way to contest the claim and no protection under the law. The authorities seized the land. They seized the buggy. They took the cows, hogs, and mules. And so for the upkeep of separate but equal, the entire Ross family was reduced to sharecropping.
"This was hardly unusual. In 2001, the Associated Press published a three-part investigation into the theft of black-owned land stretching back to the antebellum period. The series documented some 406 victims and 24,000 acres of land valued at tens of millions of dollars. The land was taken through means ranging from legal chicanery to terrorism." (pg. 4 of 47)
***
"From the 1930s through the 1960s, black people across the country were largely cut out of the legitimate home - mortgage market through means both legal and extralegal. Chicago whites employed every measure, from "restrictive covenants" to bombings, to keep their neighborhoods segregated."
***
"The FHA had adopted a system of maps that rated neighborhoods according to their perceived stability. On the maps, green areas, rated "A", indicated "in demand" neighborhoods that, as one appraiser put it, lacked "a single foreigner or Negro." These neighborhoods were considered excellent prospects for insurance. Neighborhoods where black people lived were rated "D" and were usually considered ineligible for FHA backing. They were colored red. Neither the percentage of black people living there nor their social class mattered. Black people were viewed as a contagion. Redlining went beyond FHA-backed loans and spread to the entire mortgage industry, which was already rife with racism, excluding black people from most legitimate means of obtaining a mortgage."
Finding Emilie: Part One: The Bridge
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
On Saturdays, I typically run errands. Usually the first errand I run is a recycling run where I take all my bottles and cans to the local recycling redemption center. This past Saturday, I was on my recycling run when I happened to switch on NPR's Radio Lab program. I do not normally listen to NPR on the weekends, but for some reason I did at that time and I came upon the following story
On Saturdays, I typically run errands. Usually the first errand I run is a recycling run where I take all my bottles and cans to the local recycling redemption center. This past Saturday, I was on my recycling run when I happened to switch on NPR's Radio Lab program. I do not normally listen to NPR on the weekends, but for some reason I did at that time and I came upon the following story
This story stopped in my tracks. It was the most unusual story I had heard in a very long time. On so many different levels, this story grabbed me and gave me a great sense of hope. Perhaps, those of you who are inclined to listen to it, and who do so, will feel the same emotions that I felt. In any event, I thought that this story would be a good way to bridge the old year with the new.
Happy New Year!
Peace.
P.S. This is Part One because there is a Part Two to this story, but that can come later ... after the new year has begun.
The Case for Reparations, Part One
Saturday, December 27, 2014
Happy Holy Days Everyone,
I sincerely hope that everyone is enjoying these days with family and friends. I am happy to report that, so far, everything is going well. I got through Hanukkah and Christmas and just finished the first day of Kwanzaa. Now there are just six more days of Kwanzaa, New Years Day, Martin Luther King Day, and the Chinese New Year, and then the Holy Days season will be over.
I was listening to NPR today when this segment was aired:
In the segment, it notes that the best longform article for 2014 is "The Case for Reparations" by Ta-Nehisi Coates.
Now, I have not read this article and I may be mistaken but this was the first that I can recall being made aware of this article. However, the description of the article provided in the NPR segment has heightened my interest enough so that I am prepared to spend a bit of time this holiday weekend reading it. Perhaps it will peak your interest as well.
Peace.
"Selma" for Christmas and Kwanzaa
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Christmas is tomorrow and Kwanzaa follows. During this holiday season, many will be going to the movie theaters for entertainment. If you should do so, please consider watching "Selma". It appears to be critically acclaimed even though there are some historical blemishes. See
Christmas is tomorrow and Kwanzaa follows. During this holiday season, many will be going to the movie theaters for entertainment. If you should do so, please consider watching "Selma". It appears to be critically acclaimed even though there are some historical blemishes. See
Peace.
Painting Lesson
Friday, December 19, 2014
In this time of the celebration of the light, it bears repeating that teaching tolerance and understanding should be an integral component of celebrating the conquest of the light. Who knows perhaps by teaching tolerance and understanding we can also learn how to paint.
Happy Hanukkah Everyone!
Peace.
Friday, December 19, 2014
Gaza in America
Friday, December 19, 2014
I suppose it is my background, but I have long been troubled by the things that seem to keep us apart. Race is obviously one of the things that separate us. Religion is another. In my professional life, I have observed that training and education are the keys to addressing the race issue. And, in the 33 years of my professional career, I have also observed that the need for training and education never ends. Based on my professional experiences, I would love to see ethnic studies be incorporated into the curriculum of every school at every level. Likewise, in recognition of the growing religious diversity in this country, it probably would be a good idea to begin a comparative religion regimen as well. Being a realist, I know that my academic desires are not likely to ever be met. Today, I am told that there is not any room for a high school civics classes, let alone a class on ethnic studies or comparative religions.
But, on the other hand, if there is no effort made to understand each other, how can we really peacefully co-exist? Today, there is a Ferguson, Missouri. Will there be a Gaza in America tomorrow?
Peace.
Monday, December 15, 2014
Hanukkah, Simon Schama and the Myths (Mysteries) of Faith
Monday, December 15, 2014
Tomorrow is the beginning of Hanukkah, the eight day Jewish festival of lights that normally occurs during the month of December. You can read about Hanukkah at
Tomorrow is the beginning of Hanukkah, the eight day Jewish festival of lights that normally occurs during the month of December. You can read about Hanukkah at
http://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/article_cdo/aid/102911/jewish/What-Is-Hanukkah.htm
and at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah
Central to the celebration of Hanukkah, at least in my understanding, is its association with a miracle. As the chabad.org article notes,
Central to the celebration of Hanukkah, at least in my understanding, is its association with a miracle. As the chabad.org article notes,
"More than twenty-one centuries ago, the Holy Land was ruled by the Seleucids (Syrian-Greeks), who sought to forcefully Hellenize the people of Israel. Against all odds, a small band of faithful Jews defeated one of the mightiest armies on earth, drove the Greeks from the land, reclaimed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and rededicated it to the service of G-d.
When they sought to light the Temple's menorah (the seven branched candelabrum), they found only a single cruse of olive oil that had escaped contamination by the Greeks; miraculously, the one-day supply burned for eight days, until new oil could be prepared under conditions of ritual purity.
To commemorate and publicize these miracles, the sages instituted the festival of Chanukah. At the heart of the festival is the nightly menorah (candelabrum) lighting: a single flame on the first night, two on the second evening, and so on till the eighth night of Chanukah, when all eight lights are kindled."
Now for the the past forty years, for my entire adult life, I have always accepted this as being true. Indeed, I have always looked forward to the Hanukkah celebration not so much because of the Jews triumph against the Seleucids but because of the celebration's association with the miracle of the lights -- the divine conquest of darkness by the light. But then on Friday, I listened to NPR and I heard the highly esteemed Simon Schama say what he says in the following:
Now for the the past forty years, for my entire adult life, I have always accepted this as being true. Indeed, I have always looked forward to the Hanukkah celebration not so much because of the Jews triumph against the Seleucids but because of the celebration's association with the miracle of the lights -- the divine conquest of darkness by the light. But then on Friday, I listened to NPR and I heard the highly esteemed Simon Schama say what he says in the following:
Now, in one of the "coincidences" that seem to happen in this life, I happened to have watched part of The Story of the Jews when it was shown on PBS a few months ago. The program seemed to me to be the best portrayal of Jewish history since Abba Eban's Heritage: Civilization and the Jews, a book (which I read) and a PBS series (which I watched) from the mid-1980s. Since it was pledge afternoon, I called my local PBS station to make my pledge in the amount requested to receive both a DVD of the series and a copy of the book. So this past weekend, I looked up Hanukkah in Simon Schama's book and, lo and behold, I found this
"Though they are radically dissimilar, the Maccabees 1 and 2 together constitute the liberty-epic of the Jews, in their way every bit as stupendous, fantasy-filled and thrilling as the foundation story of the Mosaic exodus. The miracle of the oil for the rededicated Temple lamp, sufficient for one day yet burning for eight, is not among those wonders recorded by either book. That legend, understood by all modern Jews to be the central meaning of Hanukkah, is a purely rabbinic invention, added at least three centuries later." The Story of the Jews, page 115.
I suppose it is part of my Amherst education, but in my scholarly exploration over the years, I have read many such disputations of miracles.
At this point, I am quite intellectually persuaded that just as with the miracle associated with Hanukkah, Moses did not part the Red Sea, Jesus was not born on December 25, Jesus did not walk on water, Muhammad was not teleported from Mecca to Jerusalem on the Night Journey, Joseph Smith did not find the Golden Plates, and L. Ron Hubbard's Xenu did not ever exist.
And yet having said this, over the next few days, I fully expect to watch a Hanukkah lighting ceremony with reverence and joy. I am quite likely to go and see the movie Exodus: Gods and Kings that dominated the movie theaters this past weekend. I am also likely to celebrate Christmas by watching Jesus of Nazareth, the Franco Zeffirelli mini-series masterpiece from 1977, for the thirtieth time, and I most definitely will continue to write about the historical personalities and events that make Islam such a remarkable religion. As for Joseph Smith, well, I did visit his birthplace in Sharon, Vermont, after the Amherst Black Alumni Reunion in 2011 and found the story of Mormonism to be amazing. Finally, as for L. Ron Hubbard, well it may be that I simply have not reached the "level" of understanding to comprehend.
Ultimately, my point is that perhaps we should not expect our faiths to be filled with historical accuracy or to match scientific reality. Perhaps it is best just to appreciate the positives of what our religious experiences provide us -- the belief in something greater than ourselves that calls us to be better than what we are.
Peace.
Friday, December 12, 2014
Fields of Gold
Friday, December 12, 2014
As this year comes to end, it suddenly dawned on me that 2014 was an Olympic year. The Sochi Olympics was a big deal, and yet now only 10 months later, they seem so far away. Indeed, the Sochi Olympics seem so far away, that I can hardly recall any of the performances. I am certain that there were many memorable performances, but none seem to come to mind. Oddly enough, the one great Winter Olympic performance that does come to my mind was not from Sochi, but from 12 years ago at Salt Lake City. You can view it yourself at
What made the performance so memorable for me is that it was not about winning a medal, it was about winning at life. And with the haunting rendition of Fields of Gold by Eva Cassidy, it was truly one of the most beautiful and memorable performances I have seen.
For all of you, may you too be able to glide through life's troubles with grace.
Peace.
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Torture and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Thursday, December 11, 2014
I noticed today that the current and past directors of the CIA have gone full court press asserting that enhanced interrogation techniques -- aka torture -- did indeed lead to the termination of Bin Laden. There appears to be growing concern that somewhere soon, or in the future, an international tribunal may be convened to look into the American use of such enhanced interrogation techniques, and that those who participated or authorized such activities will be subject to apprehension whenever they travel internationally and then tried for human rights violations. I wonder, should those who did use such techniques be subject to prosecution? And if they are, and if they are found guilty, what should their punishment be?
I noticed today that the current and past directors of the CIA have gone full court press asserting that enhanced interrogation techniques -- aka torture -- did indeed lead to the termination of Bin Laden. There appears to be growing concern that somewhere soon, or in the future, an international tribunal may be convened to look into the American use of such enhanced interrogation techniques, and that those who participated or authorized such activities will be subject to apprehension whenever they travel internationally and then tried for human rights violations. I wonder, should those who did use such techniques be subject to prosecution? And if they are, and if they are found guilty, what should their punishment be?
What about those who actually killed Bin Laden? Based on what the movie Zero Dark Thirty depicted and from what I have heard reported about the raid, it appears that Bin Laden was unarmed when the raid occurred. Was it necessary to have summarily killed him? Would the capture and subsequent trial of Bin Laden been a more preferable outcome? Why?
Similarly, since 2009, more than 2400 people have been reported killed under the Obama drone campaign. Most of those killed have not had a trial but have nevertheless been summarily killed based upon information I assume was provided by the CIA. Have their human rights been violated? Should those responsible for their summary executions be held accountable for violating their human rights?
Does the absence of ethics with regards to torture also apply to the absence of ethics with regards to the summary termination of a human life?
One of my other duties with the City of Richmond has involved the creation of the Human Rights and Human Relations Commission, In that role, I have become extremely aware of and sensitive to the violation of human rights in so many places in the world. Indeed, in another of those coincidences that happen in this life, it was yesterday December 10 that marked the 66th anniversary of the adoption by the United Nations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
I am sure those in power here in the United States are aware of the tenets of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Unfortunately, although the United States voted in favor of the Declaration, its actions in recent years and today do not appear to abide by the Declaration the United States approved. Somewhere, in the intervening 66 years, the United States seems to have lost its way, or may be we just no longer care. I do not know. Maybe others can tell us.
Nevertheless, it seems that there really is no debate to be had on the ethics of torture. Based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, torture is unethical and a violation of human rights. But ultimately, the discussion will need to be broadened. The discussion should also look at the ethical foundation for the ongoing War on Terror and wonder how history will judge it.
As always,
Peace.
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
A Partial Antidote to Ferguson
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
I am taking some time today to provide some insights as to what can be done about the perceived use of excessive force by police. The following is a link to a thirty year old news article. It is indicative of a time when violence was quite pervasive in the City of Richmond and when the police response to the pervasive violence was deemed to be inappropriate. In response to the in custody deaths of a number of African American males, a couple of multi-million dollar federal lawsuit judgments against the City, and the 60 Minutes expose mentioned in the article, the City created a Police Commission comprised of local citizens, and appointed an independent Investigative Officer, to receive complaints about police officers. Additionally, internally, efforts were made to monitor the actions of officers to make sure that the actions of officers were not excessive. As the attorney assigned to produce police officer personnel records for twenty years (1983-2003), I was always cognizant of what had happened in 1983 and I was always determined that 1983 not be repeated. To the best of my knowledge, during that time, it never was.
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2002&dat=19840315&id=SlsuAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZNoFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4394,2687453
For me, two of the keys to minimizing in custody deaths is vigilant civilian oversight of the police complaint process and a vigilant administrative commitment to making sure such actions are not repeated.
For me, two of the keys to minimizing in custody deaths is vigilant civilian oversight of the police complaint process and a vigilant administrative commitment to making sure such actions are not repeated.
Peace.
P. S. As a post-script to the post above, please see the following
The Ethics of Torture
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
http://www.intelligence.senate.gov/study2014/sscistudy3.pdf
In one of the many coincidences that occurs in this life, on Monday, I was home with some terrible cold bug. While being confined to the family room couch, my mind decided that it wanted to be entertained. Being blessed with Xfinity on Demand, I was able to access the Starz Movie roster. Scrolling down to the very end, I found a movie that I had been meaning to see but never had. The movie was entitled Zero Dark Thirty and it was about the hunt for Usama Bin Laden. In the movie, there are graphic depictions of what the CIA terms "enhanced interrogation techniques" and, as portrayed in the movie, the enhanced interrogation techniques proved to be a valuable tool that directly led to the discovery of Bin Laden's courier and ultimately to the discovery of Bin Laden himself.
As fate would have it, the next day, California's Senator, Dianne Feinstein, gave an hour long presentation on the immorality and ineffectiveness of the enhanced interrogation techniques that had been displayed in the movie Zero Dark Thirty and which had actually been utilized by the CIA. The Senate's Majority Report openly criticized and condemned the use of the "enhanced interrogation techniques" as torture and clearly aired the CIA's "dirty linen" as being something that runs counter to the values of America.
And yet, while listening to Senator Feinstein's remarks, I could not relinquish the images from the movie Zero Dark Thirty. Those images led me today to take a look at the Senate Minority Report which appears to support the images from the movie Zero Dark Thirty and the notion that the use of enhance interrogation techniques -- the use of torture -- did in fact lead to the discovery, and elimination, of Usama Bin Laden.
Perhaps, I am being misled. But by whom?
Peace.
Friday, December 5, 2014
Mutaz Barshim
Friday, December 5, 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDsSuvnwt2U
For most folks, for most non-track and field fans, the high jump is an obscure field event that receives relatively little attention compared to such sprints as the Usain Bolt dominated 100 and 200 meters. There is something about the title, "The World's Fastest Man" that gets all the notoriety. However, for the track and field fan (and former high jumper) such as myself, the high jump is a beautiful event where for a brief moment a human being using only the power of his legs and the will of his heart defies gravity and literally flies. This past year 2014 was a particularly good year for the high jump. In this year, five different men achieved heights that placed them in the top ten of all time. To be placed in the top ten meant jumping 2.40 meters or about 7' 10.5". That is an astounding height. However, this year, in one single competition two of the competitors actually cleared 2.42 meters or about 7' 11.25". To have two individuals clear that height in the same meet was fantastic. However, topping off this greatest year in the history of the high jump was the clearance of 2.43 meters or about 7' 11.75" by an African Arab from Qatar by the name of Mutaz Barshim. You can hear the excitement caused by Barshim's leap at
and an English version can be found at
and a more condensed version can be found at
In listening to these broadcasts, please do pay attention to the jump itself. Barshim's jump is aesthetically a leap of great beauty. It is as though his body floats over the incredibly high bar. In watching this jump over and over again, for me, Barshim's jump reinforced the metaphor that can be applied when approaching life's barriers. In the high jump, we were always taught that with the right preparation and the right frame of mind, no barrier could not be overcome. We were instructed to visualize jumping higher than the bar itself and to visualize the clearance we would achieve. Indeed, we were taught that by visualizing the dream, it could become reality.
Thus, for me and perhaps for others, Barshim's remarkable leap served to reinforce the heights that the human spirit can achieve. It seems that in approaching life's barriers, whether they be professional or personal, with the right preparation and the right attitude there is no obstacle that cannot be overcome. Indeed, if we are truly blessed, we can all learn to fly over life's barriers like Mutaz Barshim.
Have a great weekend.
Peace.
Monday, December 1, 2014
Travel Photos and Bora Bora
Monday, December 1, 2014
http://search.aol.com/aol/image?q=bora+bora+photos
Someone asked me to share photos of my trip. I think my girlfriend and I must have taken a thousand snapshots on our cellphones during our trip. I am currently in discussion with my IT Department (aka my kids) as to how best to transfer the photos to the internet. However, while the IT Department is taking this under consideration, I think the following will give some idea as to the beauty that we experienced at our first true destination.
One of my favorite authors is James Michener and he quite aptly proclaimed Bora Bora to be the most beautiful island in the world. It is also, in his book Hawaii, the land of origin for the native Hawaiians that exist today. For me, going to Bora Bora was not simply to enjoy the beautiful scenery. It was also to experience the land that served as motivation for the man who wrote not only Hawaii but also Tales of the South Pacific, Sayonara, and The Bridges at Toko-ri.
Thus, an hour after arriving a Papeete, Tahiti, we boarded another plane to Bora Bora. And after a few hours of rest at our bungalow, I arranged to have a local take us on a tour of Bora Bora. I shall discuss the tour later, but for now I would like to point out one interesting aspect of the following Wikipedia article on Bora Bora.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bora_Bora
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bora_Bora
In the article, we learn:
In World War II the United States chose Bora Bora as a South Pacific military supply base, and an oil depot, airstrip, seaplane base, and defensive fortifications were constructed. Known as "Operation Bobcat", it maintained a supply force of nine ships, 20,000 tons of equipment and nearly 7,000 men. Seven artillery guns were set up at strategic points around the island to protect it against potential military attack.
However, the island saw no combat as the American presence on Bora Bora went uncontested over the course of the war. The base was officially closed on June 2, 1946. Only one former US serviceman, Fred Giles, returned to the island. The World War II airstrip, which was never able to accommodate large aircraft, was French Polynesia's only international airport until Faa'a International Airport was opened in Papeete, Tahiti, in 1960.
***
What struck me as being odd was the statement "Only one former US serviceman, Fred Giles, returned to the island." As I later learned, this is a sore point for many Bora Borans because, with 7,000 service men being the red blooded Americans that they were, there were relationships that arose with the Bora Boran women. It is reported that over 150 babies were born during the World War II years that were attributable to the servicemen stationed on Bora Bora. Of these 150 or so babies, a third of them died. I am not certain as to all the circumstances behind such a large number of infant deaths, but it obviously made an impression on the Bora Borans and is certainly a dubious legacy for the American military. Thus, the notation that "only one former US serviceman... returned to the island", if true, is one that I find to be sad.
Peace.
Happy Homecoming Day
Monday, December 1, 2014
In 1964, my family returned to our pink house in Victorville, California, after spending two years in El Paso, Texas, and another two years in Glasgow, Montana. Soon after our return to Victorville, my Dad shipped out for a two year stay in Germany, leaving my Mom in Victorville with five kids. That year back in Victorville was a particularly hard time. Money was short and social adjustments were difficult. This time of year, Christmastime, was particularly difficult. Mom was very stoic about all that was going on. Aside from once threatening to move us all to Bakersfield to pick cotton, she managed to scrape enough money together to get us through. However, what I remember so well from the time, was Mom playing Charles Brown's Christmas Album over and over again. I especially remember this tune:
In 1964, my family returned to our pink house in Victorville, California, after spending two years in El Paso, Texas, and another two years in Glasgow, Montana. Soon after our return to Victorville, my Dad shipped out for a two year stay in Germany, leaving my Mom in Victorville with five kids. That year back in Victorville was a particularly hard time. Money was short and social adjustments were difficult. This time of year, Christmastime, was particularly difficult. Mom was very stoic about all that was going on. Aside from once threatening to move us all to Bakersfield to pick cotton, she managed to scrape enough money together to get us through. However, what I remember so well from the time, was Mom playing Charles Brown's Christmas Album over and over again. I especially remember this tune:
Thinking back on the Christmastime of a half century ago, I can now surmise that Mom may not have been as composed as I may have thought. I suppose, upon reflection, even our vaunted parents had their frailties ... just as today, we, as parents, have ours.
If any of you have a favorite Song of the Season, please feel free to share it with us and tell us why.
Peace.
P. S. Happy Homecoming Day, Mom.
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
The Mutiny on the Bounty and the Myth of the Hero
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
On the red eye flight to Tahiti, I did indeed watch parts of The Wolf of Wall Street, but I did not finish it. It was, after all, the red eye, and I fell asleep. When I awoke from my slumber the movie was over. Being unable to resume my sleep, I then cast my attention to some of the informational videos about Tahiti itself. As chance would have it, one of the videos was about the Mutiny on the Bounty and I proceeded to watch it.
For those who do not recall the details about the Mutiny on the Bounty, please see
In reading the Wikipedia article, one will find the following two sentences:
The part of the informational video that was shown on the plane actually focused on these two sentences. However, the perspective presented was from the Tahitian perspective and was not quite as straightforward as the second sentence implies. As depicted in the informational video, the mutineers who sailed for the island of Tubuai were a rowdy, lazy, and undisciplined bunch. They were overly aggressive in pursuing the Tahitian women for sexual favors; they were ignorant of and insensitive to Tahitian customs; and they lacked integrity in their words and deeds. These failings in the character of the mutineers led to a tumultuous existence on Tubuai. Blood was spilled and a long term existence on the island was destined for continued hostility and ultimate failure.
Also as depicted in the movie, Fletcher Christian, the leader of the mutineers is a weak and compromised leader. His desire to return to England to present the case against Bligh ran counter to the belief held by the other mutineers that a return to England meant only certain imprisonment and possible death. So slowly, but surely, the authority assumed by Christian began to be undermined.
Being on the red eye, I again fell asleep before the video ended. However, by the time I did fall asleep, the notion that Fletcher Christian was a hero had begun to wane. In the end, it seemed that by leading the mutiny, Christian had lost legitimacy. And, in later reading about the fate of the Bounty on Pitcairn Island, it seemed to me that Fletcher Christian not only lost his ship, his country, and his life but, to a certain extent, he also lost his soul.
I suppose the moral for me in learning this latest bit about the Bounty is that we can never be fully certain about those we consider to be our heroes. There is often a hidden history and a hidden persona that does not make the history books and is not publicly portrayed. Ultimately, the safest route is not to idolize others as our heroes but rather to make ourselves our own heroes and to our selves -- to our own inner heroes -- be true.
Peace.
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