Tipping the Scales

The constellation

Between Virgo

and Scorpio,

is the inspiration

for the modern

depiction

of Lady Justice.

The righteous

sign,

(also mine),

Libra,

is said

to have

an astrological

formula,

but 

by my

calculation,

the classification

is less 

standardization

and more

realization

that our parents

had a celebration-

New Year’s Eve-

or Winter’s hibernation

whose

manifestation

was the creation

of a little 

Libra.

The only sign

of the zodiac

represented

by an inanimate

object,

the scales.

Balance,

said to be

among

our talents,

we Libras

emphasize

cooperation,

fairness,

and partnership,

harmony

and a love

of beauty

and art.

Without

a chart

I know

I show

such disposition,

but also

the celestial

position

right

next to

Lupus.

Coincidence

for me,

of course,

but the significance

of the beast

adjacent

should remind

us not

to be 

at all

complacent.

So 

for what

it’s worth,

October

birth

instructs us

to stand

for justice

for all

with a 

robustness

at scale.

Arts and Crafts

The Kennedy 

Center

is long 

gone-

I mean,

politically

speaking.

And performing

arts

losing a home

to the world’s

greatest

is the latest

version

of Trump’s 

subversion,

and submersion

into 

the absurd.

By now

you’ve heard

the drip,

drip, 

drip

as he tightens

his grip

on what 

we thought

was a blip,

while he tries

to flip

The Center.

Bulldozers

seen

on the scene

make it seem

like he’s

demolishing

anyway,

regardless

of what

any court

might

say.

He’ll have

his day

someday,

maybe.

Meanwhile,

a pile

of rubble

causing

all sorts 

of trouble,

may seem

minor

compared

to the war

against Iran,

but he does

what he can

because 

he can.

He’s a 

crafty

guy.

Why are

the arts

so dangerous

that history’s

most outrageous

autocrats

limited

or suppressed

what was

creatively

expressed,

and then

they professed

how useless

the arts are?

We’ve been

convinced

that the arts

are superfluous,

and despite

the gifted

and talented

artists

who live

among us,

we allow

them

to starve.

Robert Frost

recited

“The Gift

Outright”

at JFK’s

inauguration.

Later, Kennedy

remarked,

“When power

corrupts,

poetry

cleanses,

for art 

establishes

the basic

human truths

which must

serve

as the touchstones

of our judgement.”

No wonder

Trump

wants

to destroy

The Kennedy

Center-

both figuratively

and literally.

He will

never have

the honor

of The Kennedy

Center,

just

obedience

for each 

grievance.

He wants

to put

the cult

in culture,

but he’s

merely

a vulture,

feeding on

decay.

I ask you

today

to support

your local

arts community.

The arts

build

communities.

We

can be

the real

builders.

The Big Bang/Genesis

Before

war,

or

even

peace,

there was

release

of energy

and matter-

The Great

Begatter,

the Big

Bang.

They weaponized

travel;

terrorized

to unravel

not just

emblems

and totems,

but systems

to sow

problems,

creating 

chaos

for all 

of us

in the US

and the rest

of the West.

This test

of resolve

would not

solve

anything,

other than

destroying

and toying

with security

and authority.

September 11th

this year,

a date 

we hold 

dear,

conjures

fear

and awe.

Tomorrow 

is both

a celebration

of Creation

for Jewish 

people

of each

denomination,

and a commemoration

of the unfathomable

nightmare

that united 

us

before tearing

us

apart.

25 years

on,

and tears

mostly gone,

but fears

have

merely

shifted to

a new

enemy,

us.

Wars

have existed

forever,

and forever

wars

predated

Afganistan

and Iraq

and

the 9/11

attack,

as our 

culture

war

started

decades before

this century.

The memory

of that gorgeous-

turned treacherous

September day,

magnificent

blue skies

turned

to hideous

grey

from the ash

of the buildings

and planes

and thousands

of people

in the beginning

of the workday,

brought on

more than

a crisis.

It was

the genesis

of a new

US.

From

America

the Beautiful

to the Big

Beautiful

Bill,

we’re still

in mourning

in this 26th

year,

living

in fear

since

the Big Bang.

The pang

of grief

finds no

relief

when the

thief-in -chief

has the belief

in himself

alone

(with other

authoritarians).

25 years 

later, 

and the perpetrator

of chaos,

the one

who may cost

us

the most,

is the host

of a reality

show

that happens

to be

the American

presidency.

Obviously,

we are greater

than he,

but what

do you see 

in this

reflection?

One World Trade Center, NYC

Out of Style

Much 

has been

written

of two

famous

women,

each

style

unique,

who chose

to speak

through

their

clothes

and hair.

Accessorized,

so stylized,

many fantasized,

but their

looks

were beside

their gifts.

Out of style,

we fashion

sartorial

expression

to complement

that which

makes us

brilliant.

The way

in which

we choose

to stitch

together

our own

self portrait

so that

another

may interpret

is always

deliberate,

even when 

dressing 

down.

Iconic style

lasts a long 

while,

and suggests

more than

just dressing.

How and what

we choose

to use

to present

to the world

will herald

volumes.

Dolly and Gloria

in their own

ways,

were both 

celebrities

since the 70s;

super stars

of their 

respective 

domains,

whose names

conjure images

first.

The hair

and clothes,

along with 

Jackie O’s,

and

Marilyn’s

and Audrey’s

as well as

Elvis’s,

and more….

The drag queen’s

closet

may be a

composite

of celebrity

royalty,

but with

Dolly 

and 

Gloria

they were

known to be

much more 

than their

styles.

To suggest

their beauty

before 

their intellects

reflects

the culture

still.

Beauty

is not

a talent

or an 

achievement,

but they knew

it couldn’t

hurt.

To assert

themselves

in a world

not yet

theirs,

they knew

how to

maximize

and feminize

(even fetishize),

as they

strategized,

galvanized,

and ultimately 

epitomized

their worlds.

Maybe they 

did 

choose 

their looks

to be hooks

to their

greater

work.

It worked!

Not just 

for their

immense

successes

but for successive

generations

and iterations

of their

brilliance.

THE Influencer

She

was hers;

never his,

Ms.

Steinem.

Eloquent,

elegant,

fiercely

intelligent,

courageous,

bodacious,

ever current.

If Betty

was the mother,

then Gloria

was the cool

Aunt

of The Movement,

whose improvement

she embraced.

She

called out

bad behavior

as unacceptable

even though

it was considered

normal.

Sexual harassment,

with blame 

and shame

finally got

a name

that changed

the game.

I so admired

her ability

to speak

and write

with such

clarity

about true

equality

not based

on biology,

and the lack

of dignity

endured

by females.

Her bunny

tail tales

are infamous,

as she 

exposed

what was

supposed

to be

a fantasy,

that

as usual,

demeaned

women.

Ms. Steinem

was

THE Influencer

not just

for a single

gender.

I hope

we will

do more

than remember,

but achieve

what she

perceived

for all .

Say What?

The comments

of AOC


that early

Woke-ism

“was crazy”

may be

honest

reflection

or shrewd

correction

or a suggestion

that 

it failed.

Before

folks were

Woke,

if  others

spoke

in ways

that offended,

the Language

Police

condescended

and tended

to shame

and blame

in the name

of dignity

and identity.

This did not

happen

suddenly.

It’s really

how language

moves ideas

and ideas

move language

and how

cultures evolve.

To solve

one problem

for feminists,

the emphasis

on marital 

status

(or not)

begot

the term,

Ms.

Perhaps

ambivalent,

but it is

equivalent

to Mr.;

not Miss

or Mrs.,

as it 

dismisses

marriage

as relevant

to maturity

or identity,

as Mr.

does for

males.

The idea

of equality

needed

to be

addressed

in the way

in which 

we address

each other

politely.

It took

a while

for some

to

get used

to using

Ms.,

especially

without

thinking

about why.

And so

the outcry

and ridicule

became,

if not 

the rule,

then commonplace,

but many 

more

began to embrace

the concept

and the title

as vital.

Enlightenment.

Awareness.

Woke.

Progress

then backlash

when politics

and linguistics

create

whiplash.

Who knew

that young

people

knew

what

pronouns

are?

And did 

#Me Too

go too far

or cut off

the conversation?

Excesses

and mistakes

should be

undertaken

not 

at the 

expense

of  good intentions

forsaken.

DEI 

is poison

now,

because

implementation

was absurd.

Diversity,

equity,

and inclusion

should

not be 

an intrusion

upon

merit

and excellence.

Will artificial

intelligence

neutralize

what

has become

ever more

politicized?

If language

serves

to emphasize

concepts

or dis or re-

enfranchise,

we must

share this

enterprise,

and exercise

free speech

judiciously.

Homer

I want 

to see

“The Odyssey”,

the latest

Nolan

dark knight

movie,

as I’m 

intrigued

by the

“Oppenheimer”

theory

that this is

relatively

similar

to the 

familiar

journeys

of Batman

and Oppie,

contemplating

devastating

a city,

whether

Gotham,

or Nagasaki,

or Troy.

Our coy

hero,

will go

far

to destroy

the enemy

and then

get lost

in his

head

after 

he lead

a successful

mission.

Racked

with guilt

over what

he built,

the damage

that followed

hollowed

him 

out.

And then

there’s

Joyce’s

choices

for 

Ulysses,

who does 

not sail

the high

seas,

but whose

sojourn

within

Dublin

is a modern

interpretation

of Homer’s

epic poem

of going

home.

Relationships,

wandering,

battles,

and pondering,

Odysseus,

the original

Homeric

heroic

individual,

is the prime

example

of what

Joseph Campbell

called,

“The Hero

With 

A Thousand

Faces”.

With Batman-

“The Dark Knight”,

“Oppenheimer”,

and now

“The Odyssey”,

Christopher Nolan

has provided

a sort of 

trilogy;

well, 3

movies

including

one biopic

that seems

to stick

to the script

about

a man who

makes us

ask,

“Who is

a hero?”

In the 

modern 

sensibility,

the one 

who questions

and takes

responsibility,

no matter

how many

homes

he’s got.

Your Friends and Neighbors

Watching

the show

of 

the title

above,

is frustrating

for me.

It should be

entertaining,

but it seems

like it’s

claiming

to be

more

than it is.

Another series 

streaming

about seemingly

endless

wealth

and beauty

in a particular

community

of exclusivity

where 

under

the surface

lurks

insecurity

and too many

jerks.

Did I mention

that it’s mostly

white,

but for

a few tokens:

a wealthy

Korean

family,

a black retired 

basketball player,

and a 

latina

maid?

The conceit

is the deceit

not only

of the “friends”

but of 

Jon Hamm’s

Andy Cooper-

“Coop”

who chooses

to stoop

to becoming

a thief

for relief

after being 

fired

from his

hedge fund.

While the rest

are mired

in superficiality

he knows

the reality-

that with such

abundance

their material

redundance

means

he can steal

Hermes

and Cartier

for a big

pay day,

while the friends’

and neighbors’

lives 

remain

extravagant.

The cast 

is good,

and Hamm

is great,

but the show

lacks

greatly.

Beyond

the obvious

obliviousness

of the wealthiest,

the least

pretentious

or contentious

one,

a loving father

and a loving

son,

(and ex-husband),

is still

a thief.

The implicit

social 

commentary

is as 

conspicuous

as the anxiety

and consumer

spending

consuming

our society,

but more

subtly,

is the sad

state

of our social

ties

and how

we’re all

being robbed

before 

our eyes.

He’s no

Mad Man,

or Landman,

and I’ll still 

watch

because…

Jon Hamm!

But the show

has to go

deeper

than its

gorgeous

face.

Not unlike

our politics,

a mix

of expensive,

incomprehensive,

and meh,

we’re uninspired

by the tired

grind,

while 

being 

robbed

blind

from behind

the scenes

of what seems

to be 

less and less

the land

of opportunity,

and less

and less

a community

of friends

and neighbors,

much less,

united

states.

Good Looking

Looking 

for the good

should

be obviously

easy,

but seeing 

clearly

comes

with difficulty.

Looking good

could

be

a secondary

priority

in this society,

if only

we

were true

to

individuality

without

ego.

I know

it’s ridiculous,

but our

conspicuous

show

of identity,

like a human

theory

of relativity

except

compulsively,

aggressively,

competitively

being showy

of one’s

type

through

affinity

is definitely

not a good

look.

Take a good 

look

at how we’ve

devolved

from a society

prizing

individuality,

(Did we

really?

Or were we

always

just about

hyper individualism?)

to the ME

Generation,

and beyond

Gens XYZ-

all 

identity

driven.

We continue

to merge

church

and state,

and at this

rate,

the bible

will 

determine

which

tribal

affiliation

will drive

each state

of the republic.

Looking good

has been

the way 

society

created

bonds

and tensions,

but the extensions

have 

made a blame

game

of shaming

shame,

and fame

for anyone

who became

a name

in a video

frame

regardless

of content.

To a great

extent

we have

advanced

in this

enhanced

reality

of super

easy

access,

unless

you don’t

have success,

and therefore

are without

tools

sufficient

for the efficient

search

of artificial

intelligence;

hence,

your irrelevance

seems of great

importance

(which makes

no sense).

So we align

as a sign

of our

beliefs

and

commitments,

feigning

community.

Ideology

trumps

individuality

as currency

to looking

good.

Of course,

the eruption

of the disruption

era

is criteria

for progress;

that is,

unless

you’re

in Congress

in which 

case,

less is less.

But I digress….

You know

you’re

“good looking”—

I mean

looking

for the good,

not just

the sexy

novelty,

when

individuality

not tribal

affinity,

takes priority.

And individuality

is not

code

for disruptor

mode,

but for

that which

is unique-

even discreet-

our personhood

as a single,

capable

mammal

born

with inalienable

rights.

Be a good

looking

person

no matter

your 

physique 

or facial

structure.

Our vulture

culture

of devouring

is souring

and

narrowing.

America,

the beautiful,

good looking

one,

has run

from

facing

the truth.

Our destiny

should manifest

in our best

not the

easiest

or loudest,

as this test

has shown.

We have known

all along,

being good

looking—

should

be our priority,

even if it

isn’t sexy.

Final Exam

This isn’t

the apocalypse

now.

From crisis

to crisis,

it’s obvious

that the matrix

of destructive

forces

forces

us

to confront

the unimaginable,

uninhabitable

once-impossible-

except 

in the bible-

series

of conditions

that some

claim

to be 

premonitions

in the name 

of “The Lord”.

If this

is the end,

it sure is 

slow moving,

and improving

is still

within reach.

It’s our 

judgement

and reckoning,

not super-natural

beckoning

that alters

reality,

really.

The broken

covenant

between

government

and constituent

has us

almost drowning

in the flood

of mud

slung

at the innocent,

guilty

of being

a participant

in

the American

experiment.

The fear

that the end

is near,

if not

already here,

is not

unreasonable.

It’s not 

infeasible

with the 

Artificial

Intelligence

emergence

and the

resurgence

of the popularity

of populism

and faux

democracy-

or democracy

practically

in name 

only.

And the changing

climate

for the worse

only adds

the worst

verse

to this

curse

of bad poetry

where

history

rhymes.

Crimes

are normal

for the dictatorial

and other

abusers

with greed.

But their

end days

are near,

despite

the fear

they impose

upon us. 

I suppose

any crisis

could be

a catastrophe

like you see

in a movie,

but the apocalypse

is a partial,

if not

total,

eclipse

of the good

that still

exists.

Horror

insists;

but good

persists

in spite

of it.

And there

are more

of us

than

there are

of them.

So,

sure,

condemn

the mayhem,

but be part

of a solution

to this pollution

that makes

it so hard

to breathe

freely.

This test

is really

challenging,

and managing

is arduous.

But I believe

the best

of us

is not

past,

but passed

generationally

intentionally,

representationally,

changing

from an ending

to finally

remembering

the right

questions.