Sunday, June 30, 2013
Sunday Reflection: The Widow's Mite
[Jesus] looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.”
Is it easier for the poor to be close to God, and to understand Jesus? Maybe it is-- Jesus seemed to think so. There is a bare truth that one must accept before coming into a true relation with God, and it is this: I am not God. That is, it starts with acknowledging that there is someone more powerful and intelligent and important than I am. It's the simplest form of humility, but the most important, too. The poor, humbled by the world, perhaps have an easier time of that.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
You know what doesn't work?
Baylor students being Gangsta. They just end up being cute.
Friday, June 28, 2013
In Today's Minneapolis Star-Tribune...
A piece on narcotics and incarceration I wrote with the remarkable Judge Mark W. Bennett, who has visited over 250 of the people he sentenced at their prisons.
Haiku Friday: Summer foods
It's now summer, and what we eat changes in the summer. What is it you love? I'll go first:
A simple pasta,
Eaten outside with laughter...
The true fruit ripens.
Now it is your turn! Just make it 5 syllables/7 syllables/5 syllables, and bring it on!
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Supreme Court Mayhem Thursday!
So... It all happened this week. Here is the rundown:
1) In two cases on same-sex marriage, both decisions favored proponents of such unions. In one, the Court struck down the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) as a violation of equal protection. According to the NY Times Justice Kennedy concluded that “The federal statute is invalid, for no legitimate purpose overcomes the purpose and effect to disparage and injure those whom the state, by its marriage laws, sought to protect in personhood and dignity,” Justice Kennedy wrote. “By seeking to displace this protection and treating those persons as living in marriages less respected than others, the federal statute is in violation of the Fifth Amendment.”
1) In two cases on same-sex marriage, both decisions favored proponents of such unions. In one, the Court struck down the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) as a violation of equal protection. According to the NY Times Justice Kennedy concluded that “The federal statute is invalid, for no legitimate purpose overcomes the purpose and effect to disparage and injure those whom the state, by its marriage laws, sought to protect in personhood and dignity,” Justice Kennedy wrote. “By seeking to displace this protection and treating those persons as living in marriages less respected than others, the federal statute is in violation of the Fifth Amendment.”
He said the law was motivated by a desire to harm gay and lesbian couples and their families, demeaning the “moral and sexual choices” of such couples and humiliating “tens of thousands of children now being raised by same-sex couples.”
In a separate case, the Court let stand a California trial court ruling which struck down Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage there. It wasn't really on the merits, though-- instead, the Court found that once the State dropped its appeals (which it did after losing the first round) others did not have standing to press it further.
2) Voting Rights Act
The Court struck down the part of the Voting Rights Act which required federal approval of any changes to state voting rules in several states (along with some municipalities, including Manhattan).
3) Affirmative Action
On affirmative action, the Court held that the highest level of scrutiny applies to such cases, and sent it back to the Court of Appeals for further consideration. Again, as per the NY Times:
Colleges and universities, Justice Kennedy wrote for the majority, must demonstrate that “available, workable race-neutral alternatives do not suffice” before taking account of race in admissions decisions.
That requirement could endanger the Texas program when it is reconsidered by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, in New Orleans. The university’s program admits most undergraduates under race-neutral criteria,accepting all Texas students who graduate near the top of their high school classes. But the university also uses a race-conscious system to choose the remaining students.
So, what do people think? Good outcomes?
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Downsizing the US Army
The Army has announced that in the next few years it is eliminating 12 brigades containing about 80,000 soldiers (out of a total of 570,000). It makes sense-- with the end of two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (or at least our involvement in them), we simply don't need so many soldiers.
Further cuts might occur, as the federal cuts under the sequester continue to be employed. I'm ok with that, too. In general, I think our military is too large and too expensive-- as are many other parts of our federal government. No one has yet convinced me that the Iraq war benefited this nation, much less benefited us in any proportion to the taxpayer dollars spent for it.
Is it a mistake to cut the military?
Further cuts might occur, as the federal cuts under the sequester continue to be employed. I'm ok with that, too. In general, I think our military is too large and too expensive-- as are many other parts of our federal government. No one has yet convinced me that the Iraq war benefited this nation, much less benefited us in any proportion to the taxpayer dollars spent for it.
Is it a mistake to cut the military?
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Tiny Cars!
I'll admit a certain affection for tiny cars, something I seem to have inherited from my Grandfather, who later in life took a break from Buicks and bought a little yellow Fiat. It was a blast to ride in, and now I know why. Little cars are light and tossable, and usually come with the control you get with a manual transmission.
Especially in the summer, it is hard to resist, since it seems like a waste to drive some big car or SUV. I've had a few small cars-- a VW Fox (1989-91), a Honda Del Sol (1991-94), a Mazda 3 (2007-2010), and a Miata (1996-present)-- and there is something wonderful about it. I have my limits, though... when you get something as little as a Smart car or the Toyota IQ, I start to wonder if there is enough there to be safe. I'm curious about the new Volkswagen UP!, which is sold in other countries but not the US. It looks like this:
Don't you just want to jump into that and take off?
Monday, June 24, 2013
Haiku and Weldon Angelos
First off, did everyone else love this haiku by Christine as much as I did?
Dappled, sunlit, trees,
hayfields, rolling hills, horses,
wildflower meadows
Buzzards on thermals
Fog hangs on the horizon
The one that leads home
Next, Tall Tenor tipped me off about the great editorial today in the NY Times about mandatory minimum sentences. It describes the case of Weldon Angelos-- whose commutation petition I submitted, and which is pending now.
Dappled, sunlit, trees,
hayfields, rolling hills, horses,
wildflower meadows
Buzzards on thermals
Fog hangs on the horizon
The one that leads home
Next, Tall Tenor tipped me off about the great editorial today in the NY Times about mandatory minimum sentences. It describes the case of Weldon Angelos-- whose commutation petition I submitted, and which is pending now.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Sunday Reflection: Detroit, Dad, and Determination
A few weeks ago, I was in Detroit, visiting my parents. It's hard to go back, in some ways, because
every time I go to that city it seems to have slipped a little in some
way. Right now, it is slipping into
bankruptcy, which now appears to be inevitable. Even with each stuttering step backwards,
though, there is something good that blooms.
I remember once driving through the East Side with my Mom and Dad, near
the social service agency where my mom was working. There was block after block of... well,
nothing, just empty fields where there used to be stores and houses and a
thriving community. We fell silent, because
there was nothing to say, until my mom pointed and said "look at the wildflowers!" She was right, of course. There was an explosion of color hidden among
the ruins.
In the past few years, my dad has gotten into a wonderful
routine at a new place, the Dirty Dog Jazz Cafe. It's a bar and restaurant that is a real
labor of love for the owner, a longtime jazz fan and supporter. My dad's role is something like house artist;
he paints or photographs the musicians, and those portraits line the walls.
We went out to dinner there when I was back home. The band was sitting around in a back room,
and we popped in on them to say hello.
Really, my dad did; he is gregarious in a way I will never be, and he
knew them. Or maybe he didn't-- it's
hard to tell because he has that rare gift of treating strangers like old
friends. They talked about the music,
and the place, and art. When we sat down,
it was beneath a great painting my dad did of James Moody. In the picture, Moody is smiling, warm,
content. There is no darkness in it, no
brooding; he looks like someone who can't believe he has such a great job.
So, now that is who James Moody is to me. That's what art, and an artist, does. I see him do it and it all seems like a magic
trick, like conjuring a dove out of nothing.
He stares at the canvas, squints, and draws the character out, seemingly
by force of will. Then... there it is,
looking back at you, smiling, warm, content.
Not all moments are equal, and I loved that one.
Saturday, June 22, 2013
The Miami Heat....
I know it was different in San Antonio, but I was really not caring much about the NBA finals this year. There is something about the Miami Heat that makes me... not care.
And then there is this weird thing that happens... once I stop caring at all what happens in one pro sport or another, the entire enterprise starts to seem stupid-- I begin wondering why anyone would care much about such an obviously artificial construct.
That is, until the Red Wings are in the Cup finals. Then it all makes sense again.
And then there is this weird thing that happens... once I stop caring at all what happens in one pro sport or another, the entire enterprise starts to seem stupid-- I begin wondering why anyone would care much about such an obviously artificial construct.
That is, until the Red Wings are in the Cup finals. Then it all makes sense again.
Friday, June 21, 2013
Just Up at HuffPo!
It's about summer... it's about the lake... it's The God of Summer!
Haiku Friday: Favorite road
I certainly hope you have a favorite road! Maybe you only traveled down it once, or maybe it is really just a path, or an idea, but you should have one.
My parents taught me to distrust the interstate, so I end up on small roads a lot, often slightly lost, and those roads leads to things like ferry boats, dead ends, and long, sloping downhills towards good light.
Let's write about favorite roads. Here is mine:
It was... Ohio?
Kind of lost, but not really
We never really were.
Now you go! Make it 5 syllables/7 syllables/5 syllables, and don't be shy!
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Political Mayhem Thursday: Stereotypes and TV
I was sad to hear that James Gandolfini died yesterday. He had a heart attack while traveling in Italy.
Gandolfini starred in my favorite TV show ever, The Sopranos. He played Tony Soprano, the conflicted, violent, sometimes lovable crime boss at the center of the show.
In playing a mobster, Gandolfini perpetuated a stereotype of Italian-Americans as swarthy mobsters. He was hardly the first to do so, of course, but was one of the more successful actors to play that type.
Is it wrong that television so often over-represents stereotypical archetypes of various ethnic groups?
Gandolfini starred in my favorite TV show ever, The Sopranos. He played Tony Soprano, the conflicted, violent, sometimes lovable crime boss at the center of the show.
In playing a mobster, Gandolfini perpetuated a stereotype of Italian-Americans as swarthy mobsters. He was hardly the first to do so, of course, but was one of the more successful actors to play that type.
Is it wrong that television so often over-represents stereotypical archetypes of various ethnic groups?
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Well, that's not going to help Detroit...
Sadly, the news for Detroit isn't getting much better. It has the second-worst violent crime rate in the country, and would be the worst but for it's neighbor, Flint, which came in first.
Meanwhile, I was shocked on a recent visit to see that people have managed to put graffiti on the highway signs posted over I-94, as shown above. How in the heck did they get up there???
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
My best idea ever!
One of the great things about my dad is that he every once in a while will have an incredible, brilliant great idea. (by the way, the post for Father's day is waiting until next Sunday, since I needed pictures to do it and could not download them in time for father's day). Anyways, I'm not sure that I inherited that trait, but I'm going to start trying.
Ok, how about this idea?
It's a superhero team composed only of female members of otherwise all-male groups. So far, here are the members I've come up with:
1) Kanga: Inexplicably, the only female in the entire 100-acre wood. Seriously, 100 acres, and one woman? Most prisons have higher percentages than that. She is shrewd, and packs a mean kick. Watch out for Crime-Fightin' Kanga!
Ok, how about this idea?
It's a superhero team composed only of female members of otherwise all-male groups. So far, here are the members I've come up with:
1) Kanga: Inexplicably, the only female in the entire 100-acre wood. Seriously, 100 acres, and one woman? Most prisons have higher percentages than that. She is shrewd, and packs a mean kick. Watch out for Crime-Fightin' Kanga!
2) Sandra Day O'Connor: People don't remember that it was Ronald Reagan who appointed the first woman to the Supreme Court. That woman made a huge impact on American law, and continues to play a major role in serious discussions of American law. Sandra Day O'Connor is one of the few people who could probably handle the serious eccentricities within the rest of this group.
3) The Black Widow: From what I gather from the movies, she pretty much just shoots at people with a gun. I'm not sure she has a lot more going on, but the other Avengers seem pretty scared of her, which tells you something.
4) Smurfette: I'll be honest with you-- I know nothing about the Smurfs other than the facts that they founded Smurfmore College and that there is only one female, named Smurfette. I'd imagine that Smurfette must have killed a bunch of other smurfs, though, to end up as one of the few survivors.
So, help me out here... what should this group be called? And who else should join Kanga, Sandra Day O'Connor, Black Widow, and Smurfette?
Monday, June 17, 2013
Meta-haiku
On politics, who could resist this poem from OsoGrande, which is mostly borrowed from a wonderful writer?
Ivins: "I ne'er saw
anything funnier than
Texas politics"
anything funnier than
Texas politics"
On the meta level, though, I had to reprint this poem about haiku-ing from my once and future student, David Best:
A blue collar kid
with a spotty education.
Whats a haiku?
And whats a haiku
to do with a prof like this?
O’ That does make sense.
(He had us looking up artwork for our first day of Crim Law)
Had to google it
the first time, still do to spell.
First attempts? So so.
Repeat and try again.
Read, listen hard, catch on to
what is really said.
Rhyme and punctuate. (as you see fit)
Close the law books and enjoy,
a brief reprieve, joy.
Thank you, all of you,
for giving me, something new.
Appreciation.
with a spotty education.
Whats a haiku?
And whats a haiku
to do with a prof like this?
O’ That does make sense.
(He had us looking up artwork for our first day of Crim Law)
Had to google it
the first time, still do to spell.
First attempts? So so.
Repeat and try again.
Read, listen hard, catch on to
what is really said.
Rhyme and punctuate. (as you see fit)
Close the law books and enjoy,
a brief reprieve, joy.
Thank you, all of you,
for giving me, something new.
Appreciation.
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Sunday Reflection: The Youngest Brother
This week I saw something wonderful.
There was a plaza in the city full of families. In the middle were three kids-- an older
girl, a boy who looked to be a little younger, and the smallest. The little boy was in a wheelchair.
As I watched, they arranged themselves in a set
pattern. The two older kids were about
50 feet apart. The kid in the wheelchair
came over to the sister. She grabbed the
handles of his chair and shoved him off fast and true across the plaza to the
other kid, who caught him, turned around, and sent him back. The kid in the wheelchair was going amazingly
fast, and loved it. Soon other kids came
over; they wanted to take a trip like that.
What great siblings!
They made their brother into the guy the other kids wanted to be.
I suppose that is what we should all be doing.
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Math and Science
Here is a strange regret:
At this point in my life, I want to know more about science. Math and science lost me early in life, largely due to a single math teacher who approached the subject with disdain and emphasized how boring it was. Teachers send important messages, for good or bad, and I got that message loud and clear.
There is a certain elegance to the sciences; I've noticed that their graphs and diagrams are not the harsh straight lines I imagined, but curves that intersect and move. Even calculus, dreaded calculus, is largely about the trajectory of one such gentle slope. Moreover, there is meaning and reason in that slope, answers to real questions.
I like answers, you know.
At this point in my life, I want to know more about science. Math and science lost me early in life, largely due to a single math teacher who approached the subject with disdain and emphasized how boring it was. Teachers send important messages, for good or bad, and I got that message loud and clear.
There is a certain elegance to the sciences; I've noticed that their graphs and diagrams are not the harsh straight lines I imagined, but curves that intersect and move. Even calculus, dreaded calculus, is largely about the trajectory of one such gentle slope. Moreover, there is meaning and reason in that slope, answers to real questions.
I like answers, you know.
Friday, June 14, 2013
Haiku Friday: Politics!
We've had some good political discussions here of late, but we never haiku about that. Interpret the subject freely-- you can write about a political event, and election, the institution as a whole, the kind of discussions we have, whatever. It's all good.
Here is mine:
Some care a lot, and
Others not at all, but still...
What we choose matters.
Now it is your turn. Make it 5 syllables/7 syllables/5 syllables, and have some fun with it!
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Political Mayhem Thursday: Fisher v. UT
Some pundits are predicting that today will see the announcement of an opinion in Fisher v. University of Texas, a case in which UT's affirmative action practices are being challenged.
Is affirmative action a good thing or now? Let's debate that today.
To my mind, there are mixed results.
First, I do think it is important that a college education include being exposed to a range of ideas and people from a diversity of backgrounds. It is also important that all parts of society have access to quality college education. Diversity programs serve these important goals. The success of these programs is reflected in the number of minority students at many elite schools, particularly private ones.
At the same thing, I see some projects that trouble me. At some of the most selective colleges, the admissions process has become almost completely segregated. If you look at a group of people touring such a college, you will see one of two things, probably: Either a group of Asian and white prospective students, or a group of Hispanic and African-American prospectives. Because schools recruit students of color (except Asians) through special programs, they are often segregated from the other groups not only for tours but for other aspects of the process. To my mind this establishes a troubling precedent before students even enter school-- one of segregation by race which defeats a core purpose of diversity itself.
What do you all think?
Is affirmative action a good thing or now? Let's debate that today.
To my mind, there are mixed results.
First, I do think it is important that a college education include being exposed to a range of ideas and people from a diversity of backgrounds. It is also important that all parts of society have access to quality college education. Diversity programs serve these important goals. The success of these programs is reflected in the number of minority students at many elite schools, particularly private ones.
At the same thing, I see some projects that trouble me. At some of the most selective colleges, the admissions process has become almost completely segregated. If you look at a group of people touring such a college, you will see one of two things, probably: Either a group of Asian and white prospective students, or a group of Hispanic and African-American prospectives. Because schools recruit students of color (except Asians) through special programs, they are often segregated from the other groups not only for tours but for other aspects of the process. To my mind this establishes a troubling precedent before students even enter school-- one of segregation by race which defeats a core purpose of diversity itself.
What do you all think?
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
The Snowden files
In what will be a continuing story, former NSA contractor Edward Snowden has been revealing the way that agency operates. Among the revelations so far:
-- That the phone logs relating to millions of Americans have been collected.
-- The NSA sweeps up Facebook and Google information.
-- An analyst at the NSA has the ability to examine this data relating to any American without higher authorization.
I can't say any of this surprises me, but I am both cynical and know a little about the NSA. Here is the fact that might bother me just as much as the rest: That contractors are doing this work, rather than direct NSA employees. I suspect the reason for this is the same as for the burgeoning business in other areas of hiring people out to the government for essential operations: It allows the government to employ people who cost more that government scale will allow, such as computer experts. It also, of course, allows for profits for the companies that sub-let the workers to the government.
It's troubling, though, for two reasons. First, the process inflates the cost of government operations. Second, it puts people who are not directly responsible to the government in positions of great importance, such as providing security to our diplomats and analyzing the kind of information Snowden had access to as a part of his work.
Am I right or wrong?
-- That the phone logs relating to millions of Americans have been collected.
-- The NSA sweeps up Facebook and Google information.
-- An analyst at the NSA has the ability to examine this data relating to any American without higher authorization.
I can't say any of this surprises me, but I am both cynical and know a little about the NSA. Here is the fact that might bother me just as much as the rest: That contractors are doing this work, rather than direct NSA employees. I suspect the reason for this is the same as for the burgeoning business in other areas of hiring people out to the government for essential operations: It allows the government to employ people who cost more that government scale will allow, such as computer experts. It also, of course, allows for profits for the companies that sub-let the workers to the government.
It's troubling, though, for two reasons. First, the process inflates the cost of government operations. Second, it puts people who are not directly responsible to the government in positions of great importance, such as providing security to our diplomats and analyzing the kind of information Snowden had access to as a part of his work.
Am I right or wrong?
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
The circle
About six and a half years ago, I wrote this post about a great class in which I got some help from a few remarkable members of the Baylor theater department.
Last night I had dinner with one of them (John-Michael Marrs), and two others (the Wards) live only blocks from me in Minnesota now.
So many times, it turns out that good-bye does not really mean good-bye, and that is in large part how leaving Texas has been. There are still these strong links to so many people there, and something about that makes me very happy.
Last night I had dinner with one of them (John-Michael Marrs), and two others (the Wards) live only blocks from me in Minnesota now.
So many times, it turns out that good-bye does not really mean good-bye, and that is in large part how leaving Texas has been. There are still these strong links to so many people there, and something about that makes me very happy.
Monday, June 10, 2013
Good trees, and strong
Last week we got hilarity from Mustang's Former Sally and her (ex) beau, and also this from David Best, which I love:
by the side of the
sea she stood, broken, leafless,
surviving what had come.
while to her left lay
what was left, the house failed to
survive--junk--garbage.
her trunk, her arm, both
pointed to the north not a
leaf or branch in sight.
she alone had stood
katrina's awesome might
mississippi shore.
sea she stood, broken, leafless,
surviving what had come.
while to her left lay
what was left, the house failed to
survive--junk--garbage.
her trunk, her arm, both
pointed to the north not a
leaf or branch in sight.
she alone had stood
katrina's awesome might
mississippi shore.
And then, also, this pearl from Lily of the Valley, who is deep into wedding season:
Lily of the Valley said...
They were guardian oaks
Brothers who lifted their limbs
To bless her as married.
They saw the bride,a
Baby girl in her walker
Try to escape auntie
Saw her grow lively
Play her violin,walk in
House of joy and tiptoes.
She went to New York
Without them and the oaks prayed.
She met a man from Trinidad
They were black and white
And fit together yin and yang
They stumbled,then righted.
Today they pledged,to
Never do without the other.
Oaks themselves watched by God.
Brothers who lifted their limbs
To bless her as married.
They saw the bride,a
Baby girl in her walker
Try to escape auntie
Saw her grow lively
Play her violin,walk in
House of joy and tiptoes.
She went to New York
Without them and the oaks prayed.
She met a man from Trinidad
They were black and white
And fit together yin and yang
They stumbled,then righted.
Today they pledged,to
Never do without the other.
Oaks themselves watched by God.
So may others, too! Go back and check them all out...
Sunday, June 09, 2013
Sunday Reflection: Faith and Abortion
This morning, I have a piece in the Waco Tribune Herald (see it here) on abortion. Specifically, it addresses late term abortions and follows on an earlier CNN piece and a presentation I gave in February at Stanford.
Abortion is such a hard topic, and passions run deep, but people who know me realize that I find that kind of topic hard to avoid. In part, I think there is an imperative to think hard about the toughest issues, even when people will strongly oppose you (and they will). Often, it is faith that drives me there-- because Christ stopped an execution and was a capital defendant, I care about the death penalty. Because he was born poor, I care about poverty (though not enough). Because he loved all who were despised by society, I try to see the world that way.
Abortion, as rooted as it has become in religion, does not fit in that way. Jesus did not teach about it. Still, it is a matter that involves the most vulnerable among us (both the pregnant women and the unborn children), and Jesus always did care about them.
Even at that, I will admit that it isn't religion that shapes my views on this one. There are two key questions relating to abortion, and neither has a distinctive answer clearly provided by the Protestant faith. The first question is "can it be right to take an innocent life?" The second question is "should be consider a child in the womb an innocent life?"
The first question receives the same answer from people of all faiths, or outside of a faith-- no one favors the taking of innocent life.
The second question isn't resolved clearly by Christ's teachings. Even the idea that God knew us when we were in the womb isn't determinative, given that God knew us before we were conceived, as well, given his omniscience. If I were part of a faith like Catholicism that has specific church teachings on this, that would be different of course.
While, at least to Anabaptist Osler, Christianity does not resolve the issue politically, our faith does compel us to care about the least among us. It is an issue that must be engaged, because it is important, and part of the problem with abortion is the toxicity of the debate, which has driven so many people away. I want to be a part of the solution to that problem.
Saturday, June 08, 2013
Jazz
Last night I went to hear Ralph Armstrong, a great bassist. My dad described his style before the show, complete with facial expressions, and was right on.
Afterwards, I wondered about the trajectory of jazz, which is still vibrant in corners of places like Detroit, through the efforts of some dedicated people. It used to be easy though.
Part of it, I think, is that in the 1920's through the 50's, popular music (pop) was a variant of jazz. The most popular big bands and later the smaller groups used the language of jazz in a variety of ways, often sanitizing it. Then, in the 1950's and 60's, pop became a variant of rock, later morphing into a variant of electronic/dance music and hip-hop, again largely sanitized.
Might it be that the purer form thrives when pop music serves as an entree to the form?
Afterwards, I wondered about the trajectory of jazz, which is still vibrant in corners of places like Detroit, through the efforts of some dedicated people. It used to be easy though.
Part of it, I think, is that in the 1920's through the 50's, popular music (pop) was a variant of jazz. The most popular big bands and later the smaller groups used the language of jazz in a variety of ways, often sanitizing it. Then, in the 1950's and 60's, pop became a variant of rock, later morphing into a variant of electronic/dance music and hip-hop, again largely sanitized.
Might it be that the purer form thrives when pop music serves as an entree to the form?
Friday, June 07, 2013
Haiku Friday: The Tree
Let's haiku about a favorite tree today. That may seem silly, but reflections on nature are a traditional haiku focus, and we all have a favorite tree if we think about it. One that you climbed, or that impressed you, or mattered in a moment you remember well.
Here is mine:
Craig A. drew the pine
Then called our place "The Refuge"
I learned from that.
Now it is your turn-- follow the 5/7/5 syllable rule (more or less), and have some fun!
Thursday, June 06, 2013
Political Mayhem Thursday: Court Packin'!
The Republicans in DC, led by Sen. Grassley, seem intent on expressing extreme umbrage at the fact that President Obama has done what the Constitution requires and nominated people to serve as judges of the Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit, which has three vacancies. The ridiculousness of this is compounded by silly talking points which lead Grassley and others to accuse the President of "court packing."
The problem with this odd charge is that "court packing" has a specific meaning based on a historical event. FDR, frustrated with the Supreme Court blocking New Deal initiatives, tried to enlarge the size of that court in order to get his policies approved. Contemporaries and history condemned this effort, properly. That's what court packing is. It's not appointing people to vacancies.
Much of my writing has been critical of President Obama (ie, my critique of his pardon policies and this recent piece about the President's use of drones). However, I'm pretty tired of Republican leaders right now. They seem to have a lot of complaints and no policies. What, exactly, are the principles being expressed by Republicans (other than Baylor's own Rand Paul, who does at times seem to act on principle) other than "oppose Obama?"
Meanwhile, I like the fire in Ron Fournier's piece today about the continuity between the Bush and Obama administrations in relation to national security...
Wednesday, June 05, 2013
A worthwhile discussion at St. Thomas
Yesterday, the faculty at St. Thomas had our annual retreat. There were speeches and presentations and so forth, but the heart of it really was groups of people talking about what it is we do in class and with our scholarship. It was fascinating... as usual, I was struck by how many worthwhile projects my colleagues have going on right now.
In one session, several profs talked about the same thing happening in their third year classes-- that when they talked about the most practical things, it ended up coming back to faith, principle, and theory. In my own classes I see this very thing. In criminal practice, for example, I try my best to make it a practicum-- we work through realistic problems and the nuts and bolts of how a case proceeds in the criminal system. However, once we crack that open, something emerges, something important: The big ball of prosecutorial discretion that fills the room when those proceedings happen. Prosecutors have to make important, definitive decisions in discrete cases about what to charge, what plea to offer, and what sentence to seek.
So... when we talk about the practical side of criminal law, we end up looking at this orb of discretion at the center of the system, raising the inevitable and crucial question of how a prosecutor decides to use all that discretion. That, in turn, takes us all the way back to faith, principle, and theory.
Practical skills and faith/principle/theory are not an either/or proposition. When taught well, the first reveals the second. I'm proud to be at a school where we acknowledge and embrace that raw, true thing.
In one session, several profs talked about the same thing happening in their third year classes-- that when they talked about the most practical things, it ended up coming back to faith, principle, and theory. In my own classes I see this very thing. In criminal practice, for example, I try my best to make it a practicum-- we work through realistic problems and the nuts and bolts of how a case proceeds in the criminal system. However, once we crack that open, something emerges, something important: The big ball of prosecutorial discretion that fills the room when those proceedings happen. Prosecutors have to make important, definitive decisions in discrete cases about what to charge, what plea to offer, and what sentence to seek.
So... when we talk about the practical side of criminal law, we end up looking at this orb of discretion at the center of the system, raising the inevitable and crucial question of how a prosecutor decides to use all that discretion. That, in turn, takes us all the way back to faith, principle, and theory.
Practical skills and faith/principle/theory are not an either/or proposition. When taught well, the first reveals the second. I'm proud to be at a school where we acknowledge and embrace that raw, true thing.
Tuesday, June 04, 2013
Can someone explain this to me?
What is going on with this?
First, we see Rebecca Black asking "Which seat can I take?" Then, 50 Cent is looking at her skeptically from his convertible. Finally, he drives off, revealing Bert in the back seat of the car.
Given that Rebecca Black, 50 Cent, and Bert have all been discussed at length here on the Razor, it's good to see them all together, but.... what the heck is going on?
Monday, June 03, 2013
Places we're from
I was so intrigued by this haiku last week from Rebecca K.:
Chokio
Sioux word for half-way --
"Show-ki-oh." From where to where?
A prairie daughter.
Lived ten miles from
Cho-ki-o, last two miles down
A rough gravel road.
Sign at the mailbox
Said “Dead End Road.” Made her feel
Forlorn each trip home.
Sioux word for half-way --
"Show-ki-oh." From where to where?
A prairie daughter.
Lived ten miles from
Cho-ki-o, last two miles down
A rough gravel road.
Sign at the mailbox
Said “Dead End Road.” Made her feel
Forlorn each trip home.
What good writing! There were others, of course, great ones, but there was something about this story that I kept thinking about... and I love writing that sticks with you.
Sunday, June 02, 2013
The Death of a Boy-- just up at MSNBC
As many of you know, one of the issues I care about is the treatment of juvenile offenders. I was very happy in 2005 when the Supreme Court ruled that the death penalty is unconstitutional when used against those who committed their crimes as children, and even happier when the Court more recently restricted the use of life without parole against juveniles. There is an ethic that underlays both: A differentiated level of concern for children, even those guilty of terrible crimes.
Given that public debate and outcome, I'm surprised there was not more of an outcry when the Obama administration announced that they had used a drone to kill 16-year-old US citizen Abdulrahmen al-Awlaki, who is pictured above. As the Atlantic reports, officials have been ambivalent about whether the killing was accidental or intentional.
That's the topic of my new piece, which is just up at MSNBC-- check it out here.
Also, I realized that I forgot to post here my most recent piece over at the Huffington Post: Our Dangerously Safe Jesus.
Sunday Reflection: With the few or the many
Once, my dad and I went to a football game at the University of Michigan. It was just the two of us together, but there were over 100,000 people there at the game. Michigan was playing Purdue, and the Boilermaker quarterback was a phenom named Drew Brees.
It was a day I will never forget. For the first time, my dad told me a remarkable story that he mentioned again recently. He went to Cornell, which was a little unusual for a guy from Michigan. He said that he based his decision on another game (maybe the only other one) he had seem at Michigan Stadium. On that day, the Wolverines were playing Cornell, which at that time was a genuine rivalry. My dad, a junior in high school, surveyed the crowd. The Michigan fans were intent, focused. The Cornell fans, though, were having more fun. There was a sense among those in red that there might be something bigger in life than football, even on game day.
Yes, we were surrounded by 100,000 people all singing the same song, but there was a grace and beauty and intimacy to that moment. I learned to watch people's eyes and laughter to know where truth may lay.
One week ago, I stood beside my dad again. We had gone to the 5 o'clock service at St. Stephens, which was dedicated to the blessing of the creek. There were few people there; perhaps ten of us followed Neil Alan Willard down to the fast-flowing water. Behind us, above us, before us, was the Holy Spirit. It was a very short service. We prayed, we sang, and Father Willard talked about the creek and what it does. There was a profound gentleness to it. I will remember it in the same way I remember that game and Drew Brees and the rest. It was a moment that mattered.
It is hard to tell when those will come along, and they don't depend on a ticket or a spectacle or 100,000 people singing the same song. But they come, like the fog in the morning, not of our bidding but of something greater that is suffused with a love we have not earned.
Saturday, June 01, 2013
Ironing... made easy.
Most of the stuff I know, I learned from Goldy Gopher: