Friday, December 20, 2024
Haiku Friday: Listening to Music (holiday or other)
For about 30 years (!) I made a Christmas CD (actually, at the start it was cassette tapes). I didn't do that this year after a bevy of complaints that no one has a CD player and some about content. If I can find a better format, I might try again next year, but I took a year off.
But let's haiku about listening to music this week. Bonus points if you can identify the man pictured above. Here, I will go first:
Christmas Eve service
The light is passed in dark
I sing with feelings.
Now it is your turn! Just use the 5/7/5 syllable pattern, and have some fun!
Thursday, December 19, 2024
PMT: Clemency is getting confusing
We are in a very strange time for clemency at the federal level. First President Biden gave an unprecedentedly broad pardon to his son Hunter. Then he gave pardons and commutation to hundreds of people, most of whom were out of prison but still under supervision. Now there is discussion of Biden giving preemptive pardons to people who may be subject to investigation after the administration changes. Next, President Trump is talking about pardoning January 6 defendants. By "Jan. 6," I mean this:
We will see how that plays out once Donald Trump takes office.
What all of this mess is doing is unmooring clemency from what it has traditionally been in this country: A means to give mercy to those who request it and can show a change in their lives. Certainly that was true of most of the CARES Act people released (a measure I support), but the rest of it is about other things.
This could get very strange very soon.
Wednesday, December 18, 2024
Another school shooting
The deadly school shooting this week in Madison, Wisconsin is one of over 400 since the Columbine shootings in 1999. It's a terrible record.
They all have one thing in common: guns in the hands of someone who wants to kill children. Often, those are guns owned by the shooter's parents or given to the shooter by the parents. This was actually litigated after the Oxford, Michigan shooting, where the parents were convicted and imprisoned, but that is a singular moment of responsibility.
There is a lot of discussion about limitations on gun purchases and the right to bear arms, but not much on parents making guns available to their children. Lots of parents hunt with their kids and teach them to shoot with the family's guns-- I don't think many people have a problem with that. But there is something more going on here, and over time it bears examination.
Tuesday, December 17, 2024
Here and Now
I've always loved NPR, probably from all those days driving with my dad listening to it. It's always a pleasure to be on their shows. I got that chance yesterday, on their show "Here and Now." You can hear the segment here.
Monday, December 16, 2024
Shopping poems
I heart haiku Friday. Really, I do. You all do some incredible things on here, and I really appreciate it!
This week we had nice poems from those who like this time of year, like IPLawGuy:
Hustle and bustle!
Stores full of people and goods
Makes me smile each year!
Stores full of people and goods
Makes me smile each year!
And Desiree:
So much fun to splurge
on lots of gifties! First stop:
neighborhood book store!
on lots of gifties! First stop:
neighborhood book store!
And this anonymous writer (who you might find in the same store as Desiree):
Lights in the windows
Treasures inside. All I need
Is a good bookstore!
Treasures inside. All I need
Is a good bookstore!
But other people are a little more grouchy about it all! Like the Medievalist:
Hating the big crowds,
Savage capitalism rules,
I have no words.
Savage capitalism rules,
I have no words.
And Christine:
It's mid December
Bought absolutely nothing
'Neath tree is empty
It's been a long year
Stressful, so many reasons,
Need a book and nap.
Bought absolutely nothing
'Neath tree is empty
It's been a long year
Stressful, so many reasons,
Need a book and nap.
And Tim:
Standing in long lines
To buy regular items
Because of the rush.
To buy regular items
Because of the rush.
But you all are cool with me.
Sunday, December 15, 2024
Sunday Reflection: Gabriel, Angel Reporter
As we prepare for Christmas, here is a story that is often told during Advent, from Luke 1:
29 When she saw the angel, she was troubled at his words. She thought about what had been said. 30 The angel said to her, “Mary, do not be afraid. You have found favor with God. 31 See! You are to become a mother and have a Son. You are to give Him the name Jesus. 32 He will be great. He will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the place where His early father David sat. 33 He will be King over the family of Jacob forever and His nation will have no end.”
I remember as a kid being taken by the way the Angel Gabriel (1) actually has a name, unlike most of the angels, and (2) speaks in such short, declarative sentences. I suppose that I imagined an angel speaking flowery prose, rather than the precise meter of a trained journalist.
But of course that is how an angel would provide information! This was confusing stuff, and there is no need to make it any more complicated, right?
Saturday, December 14, 2024
In today's Waco Trib...
A mystery
This week, I got to talk to people all over the world about clemency-- South Korea, Japan, Chile, Ireland, the UK and many other places. But now that I try to find the stories, I discover some mysteries, like this one from an Asian paper that apparently involves me, Steve Bannon, and Dinesh D'Souza:
A great discussion!
Earlier this week, I got to be part of a great discussion of clemency hosted by Doug Berman at Ohio State. You can see it here:
Friday, December 13, 2024
Haiku Friday: Shopping and Giving
It's the middle of December-- the heart of shopping season! I hope everyone is finding what they need. Let's haiku about that this week! Here, I will go first:
Shopping for me? Hard.
I have what I want and need!
Send me some firelight.
Now it is your turn! Just use the 5/7/5 syllable pattern and have some fun!
Thursday, December 12, 2024
NewsHour
Tonight I got to talk about this morning's clemency grants on PBS's NewsHour. You can see it here: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/what-bidens-historic-commutations-mean-for-non-violent-drug-offenders
PMT: China's cars are taking over world markets
I was absolutely floored when I saw this chart and the accompanying article in the New York Times.
After all, I grew up in the Detroit area among Ford, Chrysler and GM executives and engineers who were routinely cycling through assignments in Europe, Asia and Australia, reflecting the American manufacturers' role in the world auto economy, established in the days of Henry Ford. In my mind, we were still there. We aren't.
The truth is that Chinese companies increasingly control world markets where we don't even try anymore. In part, that is because American companies decided to focus on high-profit SUVs and trucks rather than smaller more affordable vehicles, and that precludes selling much to the developing world-- or even to Europe.
I'm baffled by the American strategy of building electric cars... but only huge, expensive ones. Why did they thing that what the world (or at least part of North America) needed was an electric Hummer? People who can afford and desire a tank-like $106,000 vehicle can probably pay for gas, and usually don't care so much about the environment. In October, 2024, the average price for an electric car in the US was over $56,000, which is shocking.
The car companies obviously decided that just selling vehicles with big profit margins is what they want to do (except for Chrysler, which has decided to sell almost no vehicles at all). That might be good for them in the short term, but it is terrible for consumers, and I wonder why their interests don't seem to matter when government subsidies are being handed out. In truth, if Chinese cars enter the American market, even with tariffs, the whole game may be over for US makers.
Wednesday, December 11, 2024
War
There is a lot of war going on in the world right now.
-- Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, with horrific losses
-- The civil war in Syria finally ended. Kind of . For the moment.
-- The War between Israel and Palestinians continues
-- In Mali, a civil war has been ongoing since 2012
-- In Yemen, a civil war still remains a hot conflict
-- Somalia's civil war has been going on since 2009
To check out the full list, check out the Conflict Tracker.
Tuesday, December 10, 2024
Just in Time for Christmas: Megan Willome's new book!
I've been a Megan Willome fan for a long time-- she's an actual poet who sometimes joins us here for Haiku Friday. I met her when she wrote the profile when I was the 2009 Wacoan of the Year (an award that came with this kooky video). She is a strong and elegant writer, and I have followed her work since.
Plus, the new book has this great blurb from Razor Hero of Writing Bob Darden:
"To read one of Megan Willome's jewel-like poems is to become Leeuwenhoek again, staring in gape-jawed wonder at the tiny "animalcules" swimming in the dish at the end of the first microscope. You're seeing things for the first time. Or maybe you're seeing old things with a new lens. This is elegant, insightful stuff, equally capable of delivering a quick gasp or a gentle chuckle. Yes, please."
So you can get the book anyplace, but I suggest Fabled in Waco (whose co-founder has also been profiled by Megan).
Monday, December 09, 2024
So much anonymity!
There were some great poems this week (on what we want from Santa), and a lot of them were anonymous. Like this one:
All I want is snow
A real white winter again
C'mon Minnesota!
A real white winter again
C'mon Minnesota!
And this:
Hey, Santa baby!
Bring me some comfort and joy
And holiday fun.
Bring me some comfort and joy
And holiday fun.
And this particularly poignant one (and I see you, David!):
Santa can't bring me
What I need the most: a brand
spanking new kidney.
What I need the most: a brand
spanking new kidney.
Or this one, from someone who knows IPLawGuy:
If I could really
Wish, would be for some comfort
For people in pain.
Like IP Law guy, missing his dog.:(
Wish, would be for some comfort
For people in pain.
Like IP Law guy, missing his dog.:(
But of course we have our reliable friends as well, like Des:
Santa, please bring a
bird feeder with a cam’ra.
Oh, and a new job.
bird feeder with a cam’ra.
Oh, and a new job.
And Christine:
Really don't need much
Pens are great stocking stuffers
Always a new book.
Pens are great stocking stuffers
Always a new book.
And Jill Scoggins:
Seeking a life change
guided by prayer and by
meditation, love.
guided by prayer and by
meditation, love.
Sunday, December 08, 2024
Sunday Reflection: Pardon and mercy
Most of you know that my work on clemency is because it is that rare point where my faith and the Constitution overlap. Mercy is an important thing.
People are divided about the Hunter Biden pardon, and so am I. It's not the purpose of the pardon power to use it to favor friends and family, which now both Trump and Biden have done.
But in the end there is this: Even at its worst, clemency is still mercy. Some will argue that some of these recipients don't deserve it, but mercy can't be just about justice-- it must be something separate and distinct. Micah 6:8 makes that clear by listing them separately.
What I want is MORE of it. For more than just those who are especially close to a president. The justice system impacts so many from all over our nation, and there is so much need for that leavening mercy. Will we get it?
Saturday, December 07, 2024
All My Love
Friday, December 06, 2024
Haiku Friday: What do you want from Santa?
So it's that time of year-- to start making lists. It's something I find hard to do, since there is not much I need. But perhaps on some of our lists can be things to give others, or things to do or say. Let's haiku about any and all of that this week. Here, I will go first:
While making my list
I realize one thing I need:
A new pen that works!
Now it is your turn! Just use the 5/7/5 syllable pattern and have some fun!
Thursday, December 05, 2024
PMT: More words on Hunter Biden
Yesterday, Rachel Barlow and I had a piece in The Nation about the Hunter Biden pardon and what comes next. You can read it here. Here is how it begins:
President Joe Biden’s December 1 pardon to his son Hunter was singular and startling. It stands alone among modern clemency grants because of the family relationship involved, the breadth of the grant, the broken promise not to do it, and the isolation of the grant from other clemency decisions. Much as Bill Clinton is still remembered for his pardon of Marc Rich, decades from now Joe Biden will carry the unfortunate weight of this single moment. He can mitigate the damage, though, by using his remaining weeks to employ the pardon power in a principled and assertive way to make thousands of grants in a wave of deserved forgiveness.
I hope you will read the whole thing!
Wednesday, December 04, 2024
Season's end
So, after an unfortunate final week for highly-ranked academic schools (except for Michigan), I fell to 5th place overall in the Yahoo national college football pick-em contest. I was still #1 among fans of Baylor and fans from Minnesota, which is better than I have ever done.
But, what's really important... Michigan beat Ohio State! And even better, I got to watch the game with some of my family from Michigan, who take the game pretty seriously...
Tuesday, December 03, 2024
The Hunter Biden Pardon
I have some thoughts about the pardon of Hunter Biden. And yesterday I got to talk about it a lot: to the BBC, ABC, PBS, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, a radio show in Ireland and Jana Shortal here at KARE 11.
It was a very unusual grant, in four ways:
-- First, modern presidents have pardoned family members, but not a child. And Biden is particularly close to his only surviving son.
-- Second, the grant was extraordinarily broad. It covered any federal crime, known or unknown between 2014 and now. The only thing close I know of is Ford's pardon of Nixon, but that was for a shorter period of time.
-- Third, Biden denied he would do so several times, personally and through his press secretary.
-- Finally, and this really bugs me, the pardon stood alone. Biden could have included Hunter with hundreds of others who are deserving.
There are still several weeks to do the right thing....
Monday, December 02, 2024
Leftovers!
That turkey hit people hard! We only had three haiku, but they were excellent. We had this from Desiree:
Movie time! Wicked
or Gladiator? A split
wide as red and blue.
or Gladiator? A split
wide as red and blue.
And an anonymous entry I loved:
Oh, mashed potatoes!
I could eat you morn and night
Warm creamy goodness.
I could eat you morn and night
Warm creamy goodness.
And another:
What to do with Mashed
Potatoes? Mountains of them.
Think Close Encounters.
Potatoes? Mountains of them.
Think Close Encounters.
Sunday, December 01, 2024
Sunday Reflection: Advent Begins
Today is the first Sunday of Advent, my favorite liturgical season-- and perhaps the one we are worst at celebrating. It's supposed to be a time of quiet anticipation, but December for many people is anything but that! Rushing from place to place, trying to get things done, arranging stuff for gatherings, etc. etc. etc.
So, perhaps it is a time for intentionality (something I am not very good at). A time to build in some quiet, for choosing a place that is secluded and saving some time for it. Even amid the busiest day, I'm going to try to do some Advent-ing.
So, let's see how this goes...
