culture

Size Matters

Trump finally got

the biggest

crowds

ever

in US

history,

but will

it be 

enough?

The No Kings 3

demonstrations,

3000 

confirmations

of approximately

8 million

frustrations

with this administration

and demand

for democracy

to be

the rule,

not a cruel

fool,

infantile

and vile,

gauche,

louche,

driven

by money

and epic

fury,

proved 

that we

can unite

peacefully

for decency

and democracy.

A protest

alone

can’t dethrone

a would-be

king

or authoritarian

ring.

(See Tiananmen

Square, 1989).

But 

it’s a sign

nonetheless,

that 

in

nearly

every

municipality,

fearlessness

against

venality,

brutality,

criminality,

and more,

is growing.

Knowing

the size 

of the resistance

to the persistence

of this 

menace

should help 

us

flip the House

and Senate.

Let him

take credit

for ending

the war

soon.

It doesn’t

change

that he’s

still

a buffoon,

who will

soon

realize

that congress

must authorize

this “exercise”.

It’s the size 

that matters

most

to him,

whether

bright

or dim,

news

of multitudes

gets 

his attention.

Any mention 

of size

is a prize

to be had

or denied.

Regardless,

he’ll go on

attacking.

Your presence

is paramount

in order 

to dismount

this weak

yet pugnacious

anomaly.

Or is he?

Is he US?

Are we

just a  huge

country

that is obnoxious,

old,

fat,

ignorant,

and gluttonous?

Yesterday’s

No Kings Day

would suggest

otherwise,

based on

the size 

of the crowds

of those

who chose

to exercise

their

right to protest.

I hope

it’s a test

to show

that size 

matters.

Cesar Dressing

Many 

a school

and boulevard

is named

for the man

whose

reputation’s

now marred

by the revelations

in the NYT

investigations

into

sexual abuse

by the Latino

and Farm Workers

Union hero,

Cesar Chavez.

Dolores Huerta

the “abuela” 

of the same

movement,

chose silence

about being

raped by him

and his abuse

of girls

and other

women,

for the sake 

of the Farm 

Workers

Union

and Latino

rights.

Now 

at almost

96,

her admission

could help

fix

the trap

of hero

worship.

Leadership

is an ego

trip,

but the script

must be 

flipped

more immediately.

The fear 

and shame 

shouldn’t be

for the victims

of abuse,

but for those

who confuse

title

with entitlement.

Victims

of Chavez

were as young

as 9,

and Ms. Huerta,

whom he twice

raped

at the time,

each time

resulting

in children,

was so 

committed to

her work

with the UFW,

and the rights

of farm workers

and Latinos,

that she chose

silence

for what she

believed

was a greater

good;

but also

for what she

believed

she could

do.

In many ways

our culture

is now more

aware

of the reality

of the pervasiveness

of sexual

abuse.

But many

refuse

to accept

the concept

that women

and children

are actually

not objects.

Even other

humanitarian

projects

carve out

sex

as somehow

irrelevant.

The recent

revelations

show Chavez

was malevolent –

not just

the macho

hero.

And now

bro

culture-

the manosphere-

does appear

to embrace

misogyny.

Accountability

for irresponsibility

much less,

abuse,

finds

an excuse

among

the obtuse

and those

who have

something

to lose.

Of course,

everyone

has something

to lose,

and to choose

to ignore

abuse,

or deviance,

for the convenience

of political

expedience

is itself

an abdication

of responsibility.

Sure,

we give females

our blessing

and yet

insinuate

that dressing

a certain

way

causes

inappropriate

behavior

by invitation.

Only

such a notion

removes

responsibility

for action

and gives

agency

to spaghetti

straps

and mini

skirts.

It hurts

my heart

to learn

this news,

not for Chavez,

but for

Huerta.

She had

to endure

for 

sixty

years

for fears

of “greater”

pain.

But the greater

stain

will be 

on

all of us

who let

injustice

remain.

The Shows Tell

“One Battle

After

Another”

and

“Sinners”,

both

Oscar

winners,

neither

of which

excited me,

still 

invited me

to cheer

the resistance

to the various

nefarious

forces

that resurface

to undermine

from time 

to time.

That Hollywood

would

create

a spate

of movies,

and include

a Brazilian ,

after a million

and one

heinous

acts had

been done

by the current

administration,

is validation

that all

is not lost,

though the cost

increases

daily.

Movies

reflect

and inspire,

which

is why

the vampire

genre

won’t die.

White nationalism

and supremacism,

dystopian

and historic,

with the allegoric

vampire

never dying,

always

vying

to take 

over,

lives

among us

forever.

One battle

after

another

describes

reality,

not just

the movie.

It feels 

like only

recently

the tragedy

of the strategy

of evil

and chaos

would be

possible.

We thought

we won

after WW2.

Humanity

was saved

and would

inevitably

evolve.

But humiliation

and fear

always

reappear

in the form

of aggression

and oppression.

We relaxed

and became

too confident,

never imagining

a modern president

like this one.

Hollywood

has finally

begun

to confront

white nationalism

and supremacy

as democracy

and the world

are now

in peril.

Interestingly,

the supremely

talented

Timothée 

Chalamet,

(who knows

a thing or two

about ballet),

was denied

his Marty

Supreme

Oscar

dream,

perhaps 

because

the theme

was 

him

being

a jerk.

It would

appear

the good 

guys

won

in Hollywood

this year.

In the face

of fear,

it’s clear

that the

real sinners

will reappear

to fight

one battle 

after another.

That Much

Learning how much 

is too much

is such 

an opportunity 

for discontinuity,

yet we continually

test

when

what would

obviously

be best 

would be 

much less.

But,

what 

if

there’s more

in store 

than we 

thought

before?

Enough

is a tough

sell.

Or even

tough

to tell.

We don’t

learn well

enough.

Fear

of missing

out,

FOMO,

is about

feeling

relevant

and as 

a participant

in whatever

is current.

It’s like 

living

as each

day

is the last.

Not like

the day

before,

or 

to store

more

for 

what’s ahead,

but 

for the moment

instead.

We want

connection

and protection

from 

loss.

Fear is boss.

Fear

drives

avoidance

and excess

and creates

a mess,

more or less.

It’s purpose,

is survival—

alerting

us to 

the arrival

of actual

threat.

But constant

acquisition

distorts

the position

of threat

to a bet

better met

with restraint.

But that ain’t

what the super-rich

and powerful

do—

especially 

you know

who.

Living exclusively

from 

much

to much

is a crutch.

With so much

winning

why

keep spinning;

missing

it by

that much?

Peace On Earth

When we

use

Chat GPT

for every

inquiry,

will we 

lose

the ability

to be

completely

human?

Currently,

when I see

a response

AI generated,

I’m fascinated

and disappointed.

It’s amazingly

quick

like some 

magic trick,

but it’s

slick

with questionable

depth

and accuracy.

Like the Tree

of Knowledge

with forbidden

fruit,

Apple

and Google

and each brand

of bot

will not

bring forth

some Eden.

Even

if the uses

for science

and each

new appliance

will allow

us to save

lives

and time,

what else

is lost?

And what’s

the true

cost

of being

bossed

by

AI?

Vince Gilligan’s

newest 

creation,

“Pluribus”

asks us

to imagine

a virus

that causes

kindness

and a singular

mind.

From many,

one;

except for 

one 

in New

Mexico,

and 11 more

scattered

around

the world.

The dozen

individuals,

ordinary

kinds,

possess

their own

minds.

The rest 

of the world

shares

one 

of a kind;

sharing

one mind

and emotion.

Life

on earth

feels flat

and lifeless,

despite

access

to all

and peace.

The inquiry

that is asked

of us

watching

“Pluribus”

is 

what is 

humanity?

Like the Garden

of Eden,

such paradise

may entice

at first

glance.

What would

make one

so averse

to a universe

of Peace

on Earth

and goodwill

to all men?

Well,

for one,

a woman.

The protagonist 

in this

limited series

wants

the world

the way 

it was.

Because

she desperately

wants 

to preserve

humanity,

she

rejects

the simplicity

of complicity

with these

nice zombies.

Interestingly,

we get to see

peace

on earth

without love.

And maybe

that’s the message.

Love 

is not 

essential

to peace,

but it is

essential

for the potential

of humanity.

I wish 

joy

to the world

and peace

on earth,

with love

All in the Family

* This piece was written before news of Nick Reiner’s arrest. The title is even more loaded now.

Meathead

is dead.

Found inside

his home

with his wife

alongside,

so far

it seems

a double

homicide.

I nearly cried

because

of the sense-

lessness

of the mess,

not just

because 

he was 

terrifically famous.

You know

Reiner’s 

bio,

though

I thought

there’d be 

more

to come

from 

the actor, 

director,

charitable, 

political

voice

of liberal

democracy

(Democratocracy?).

Just

what happened

has yet

been determined,

but another

moment

of violence

against

innocents

should 

test our

tolerance.

This happens

each day,

to the not

so famous,

without

the same

attention.

Shame 

on us

for acting

helpless;

for not

trying

to prioritize

ways to

minimize

crimes

of violence.

Like an

estranged

family,

we

disagree

grossly,

to such 

a degree

that we

no longer

see

commonality

or humanity.

The Reiners’

political activism

was party

driven

with the intention

of improving

the lives

of each American.

They believed

in an American 

family;

that

ALL

in the family

are worthy.

Our family

needs therapy.

Our family

needs policy

that reflects

reality,

not inspired

by conspiracy

theory.

The irony

is that

MAGA country

is a horrible

Archie,

and the real

Meathead

is the POTUS

instead.

Carr Alarm

The noise

around

silencing speech

may reach

a tipping

point.

The joint

astonishment

and grief

may be

brief

as the next

one to fall

will call

our attention.

While there’s

no comparison

between the firing

of a comedian,

or two,

and the firing

of a gun,

we can’t run

from this

crisis.

Opinion

has been

the dominion

of the comedian,

even mocking

the politician.

It’s free speech

in action

and a cultural

tradition.

But the addition

of retribution

to our polity-

once

the contribution

only

of the most

violently

disturbed-

comes from

the top guy,

perpetually

perturbed.

The Federal

Communications

Commision

is now

on a mission

to stifle.

Instead of

a rifle,

or other

violence,

the way

to silence

criticisms

is to fire

the guys

whose

wittisms

are bothersome

to some;

or maybe

just

to one.

Carr’s action-

Kimmel’s subtraction-

in reaction

to the comic’s

wit,

is every bit

a lack of

grit

and merely

a fit

of alarm

of the president

who sees

speech

as harm

and uses

it

to harm others.

Is this retribution

or fear?

Who can hear

over the alarm

over the act

of commission?

Cultured Pearls

We are 

the curators

of our own

exhibitions

of us;

musea

of individuals.

Communal

rituals

are much more

rare,

as virtual

signals,

like likes

and hearts,

keep the parts

we choose

for “friends”

to peruse

showcased

front

and center.

To enter

into 

someone’e

collection

requires little

to no

interjection.

Online detection

becomes

an addiction,

now an affliction

for most.

But as host

and curator

of our identities,

Big Tech

as aggregator

entities

provide hidden

strategies

so that any

inquiries

from our

curiosities

become

commodities.

We are more

connected 

to the

data

and to Google

and Meta

than to

the people 

we think

should matter.

What’s even

sadder

is 

that we give

permission

for our own

submission.

Meanwhile

we style

our images

as though

our personages

are accessible

and never

unacceptable.

It’s deceptively

easy

and imperceptibly

sleazy

though we 

believe

we exhibit

control.

Everyone’s

a content

creator;

a curator

of their own

identity.

But the work

of art

is inquiry,

discovery, and

thinking creatively;

not merely

self expression.

Through art

we get 

to see

and hear

differently

not just

what we 

wish to be.

I can curate

the gallery

of me,

but that’s just

an exhibition

or meaningless

display.

Meaningful curation

can be

its own

art form

creating new

iterations

and connections;

daring 

to ask

probing

questions

through communications

beyond 

our self-curated 

exhibitions.

These are

the essential

conditions

for cultural

and personal

growth.

Taking Dictation

I have no

capacity

for taking

dictation

or anything

else

like it.

I’ll never be

a secretary

or assistant

to 

an administrator

who listens to

a dictator.

Those compliant

with a tyrant

like those

who chose

to remain

silent,

may survive

and even 

thrive,

for 

at least

a while

or more.

But,

in time,

history’s 

rhyme

will seek

poetic

justice.

It’s not

just us

as never 

before

or ever

again.

When power

corrupts

and monopolizes,

taking dictation

finalizes

consolidation

of power.

Whether 

government

or corporation,

the excessive 

power

manifestation

somehow

gets justification

(and monetization )

while deterioration

ensues.

But…

You have agency

to disrupt

complacency 

and the responsibility

to do so.

Those who

take notes

in history

class

know the past

is more

than prologue.

It’s a dialogue

with the present

and future

that we must

nurture

without

taking

dictation.

Mass Murder. Literally. Moms Demand Action

Children.

Children.

Children attending

Mass.

Murdered.

At School.

In Church

there.

Thoughts

and prayers

instead of laws

by naysayers

when kids 

were literally

shot

while praying.

Alas,

this is mass

murder,

literally

at mass.

How much

more crass

can we be?

I saw a

photo

like no

other

of a 

mother

running 

down the

street

in bare

feet

holding 

her shoes,

sprinting

toward 

the school,

with mother’s

fuel

and fear.

I tear

up just

thinking of

this image;

this extraordinary,

yet insanely

ordinary

scene.

Just back

to school.

Nothing

more cruel,

than doing

nothing

about

mass 

murder.

especially

of children.

Don’t accept

this

unconscionableness.

We can’t remain

still,

hopeless.

Momentum

takes time.

You can take action now:

https://momsdemandaction.org/