January 2025 - Page 4 of 7 - Ramblin' with Roger

January rambling: Lebensraum

Monroe Doctrine

We’ll get to Lebensraum in a bit.

Global temperatures in 2024 shattered records, soaring past 1.5°C as extreme weather devastated millions. 26 Climate-Fueled Extreme Weather Events Killed at Least 3,700 People.

Big Agriculture Is Leading Us Into the Bird Flu Abyss: The federal government’s deference to agriculture industry interests has put the US at risk of a public health crisis.

How The Polio Vaccine Destroyed Trust In Healthcare (a bit of a misleading title, but not entirely wrong)

Bernie Sanders’ Prescription to ‘Make America Healthy Again’: “Our real problem is not so much a healthcare crisis as it is a political and economic one.”

A Disastrous Development in Our Response to Disasters

Veterans rights and discrimination: a guide

New VIP+ Special Report: Generative AI: Deepfakes & Digital Replicas

Aaron Brown, CNN Anchor During the Sept. 11 Attacks, Dies at 76

Ask Arthur 2024: Racism and change; Miscellany

The art of monotasking: “Being busy” doesn’t necessarily mean we’re doing what matters. Focusing your attention on only one task at a time is the secret to performing tasks correctly.

The Best Reviewed Broadway Shows of 2024

A book on Albany’s railroad history? Yes, please…

Embiggen – defined earlier than the Simpsons

“Explain a Movie Plot Badly” — A Fun Party Game

What era?

A real meditation on American greatness

When people would talk about MAGA, liberals wanted to know which era was the “great” one they wanted to go back to. Many thought they were talking about the 1950s before integration. Or the 1920s before the Great Depression and FDR regulations. Maybe they meant the 1880s and 90s during the Gilded Age.

I would have picked any of those. But I did not have on my bingo card the 1820s. We’re going back to the Monroe Doctrine era. The Daily Signal, a right-wing online publication, favorably suggested the same. The piece by Jarrett Stepman ends: “If Trump does revive some form of the Monroe Doctrine, it could represent a much-needed return to tradition and to a stronger foundation for U.S. security in an increasingly dangerous world.”

Suddenly, the January 7 press conference made sense. djt said he’d be renaming the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America.”

“The once and future president also doubled down on his aims to acquire Greenland, retake control of the Panama Canal, and put pressure on Canada to change its trade relations with the United States” which he voiced before Christmas.

Here’s former Trump national security adviser Robert O’Brien on Fox News:

It’s strategically very important to the Arctic which is going to be the critical battleground of the future because as the climate gets warmer, the Arctic is going to be a pathway that maybe cuts down on the usage of the Panama Canal.

Or MAYBE we’re going to become 1930s Germany. Lebensraum is “the policy of Nazi Germany that involved expanding German territories to the east to provide land and material resources for the German people while driving out Jewish and Slavic people.”

The Corporate Giants Bankrolling the Inauguration: PAY to play.

The President Can Self-Pardon, but It Would Be an Impeachable Offense (CATO Institute, Dec 2020)

MUSIC

Bemba Colorá-Sheila E. ft. Gloria Estefan on Jimmy Kimmel; I see Rebecca Jade!

Coronation Procession by Ruth Gipps

You Get What You Give – New Radicals

Love In Action – Utopia

Rocket 88 – Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats

Coverville 1516 and 1517: The 2024 Coverville Countdown

Down By The Riverside – Elvis Presley · Carl Perkins · Jerry Lee Lewis · Johnny Cash. I bought this CD after I saw the Million Dollar Quartet musical

The theme from the 1967 Spider-Man cartoon show – Midtown

Tomorrow – Julie Benko and Cantor Azi Schwartz

Weekend Diversion: 1984, Part 21: The final notes – all of the US pop #1s

Peter Yarrow Dies at 86. Leaving On A Jet Plane – Peter, Paul, and Mary

Sam Moore, who died at age 89, was more than a Soul Man – he was one of the 20th century’s great live performers. When Something Is Wrong With My Baby – Sam And Dave.

The CROWN Act

Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair

From the Crown Act website: “The CROWN Act was created in 2019 by Dove and the CROWN Coalition, in partnership with then State Senator Holly J. Mitchell of California, to ensure protection against discrimination based on race-based hairstyles by extending statutory protection to hair texture and protective styles such as braids, locs, twists, and knots in the workplace and public schools.”

Four years ago, John Oliver “discussed the discrimination faced by black people because of their hair.” He noted correctly, “White people really don’t need to have an opinion.”

While things have gotten better in recent years, “the 2023 CROWN Workplace Research Study notes, “race-based hair discrimination remains a systemic problem in the workplace – from hiring practices to daily workplace interactions – disproportionately impacting Black women’s employment opportunities and professional advancement.” And it applies to black men as well.

From the NAACP Legal Defense Fund page: “The impact of hair discrimination cannot be overstated. Schools and workplaces across the country often have dress codes and grooming policies in place prohibiting natural hairstyles, like afros, braids, Bantu knots, and locs. These policies that criminalize natural hair have been used to justify the removal of Black children from classrooms and adults from their employment…

“The CROWN Act would change that. The legislation demands protection against race-based hair discrimination in the workplace and in K-12 public and charter schools based on hair texture and protective styles. As of 2024, the CROWN Act has been enacted in 24 states.” CROWN stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair.

The NIH also has a useful 2023 article about Hair Discrimination, Health, and Well-Being.

Give me a head with hair

I thought about this because the John Oliver piece reminded me of my sisters growing up and remembering the straightening comb our grandma Williams would apply to their hair. She heated the comb over the coal stove and applied it to their hair. I gathered that it hurt a lot because the comb got close to the scalp. And the process smelled; I still have an olfactory recollection of burning hair, which was awful.

When our daughter was a kid, neither her mother nor I were particularly adept at styling her hair. Let me be honest: we sucked at it. While we tried to comb it out, it was not sufficient. One of our daughter’s preschool teachers, a black woman, took it upon herself to work on our daughter’s hair, much to our mortification and appreciation in equal measure.

As a result, our daughter has learned a lot, and her hairstyle will change weekly, sometimes even daily. I’m awed by her adeptness at changing her style.

On New Year’s Day, she wore extensive braids, which she spent several hours assembling. We went out to a party at the house of a relative of my wife’s and had a reasonably good time. But she told us afterward that two folks at the party touched her hair unbidden. People, Keep Your Hands Off the Hair! It is, among many other things, an “othering” action that is unsettling.

It’s for her sake, as well as others, that I hope she does not have to deal with the hair discrimination that too many people have to address.

Grocery shopping using the bus

portable shopping cart

Some time ago, I wrote about the intracity bus culture. People who ride the bus understand the limitations of doing chores while riding the bus. A case in point is grocery shopping using the bus.

In November, I was on the 910 Western Avenue bus heading downtown. A woman with one of those foldable shopping carts was already aboard. She was getting off the bus at State and Pearl, my stop. The cart was full of food, and she had two canvas bags overflowing with groceries.

She was trying to get from the 910 to the 22 bus to Troy. The 910 bus driver successfully beeped to get the attention of the 22 bus driver. The woman struggled to get her cart and two bags off the bus. Running to catch the Troy bus, she abandoned her cart and ran down the hill to get on to the next bus, dropping from her bags these four big stalks of some greenery I’d never seen before.

So I pushed her cart to the 22 bus, snatching up the mysterious greenery. She had put her two bags just inside the 22 bus entrance, but there was no way to put the cart up there. I suggested that she put the bags on a bus seat. She moved one bag further inside, which provided enough room to get the cart onto the landing; it was a bit heavy.

Been there

I related to her. I’ve carried a cart full of food onto the bus, with one additional bag. It’s a pain in the neck. You’re trying not to be in other people’s way, allowing them to pass while at the same time making sure you keep all your food secure. It got me wondering where she was coming from. Why did she have to buy all that food in Albany? Does she live in a food desert?

Bus-riding people are generally pretty understanding. Since this incident, I’ve seen people offer bus fare when others didn’t have any. It’s a community born of common stress.

A sliver of hope

Dvořák’s Ninth Symphony in E minor

Some days, I must hold on to a sliver of hope to get by. Oddly, some of it comes from seeing rainbows in my house. I’ve mentioned how wonderful they are and have even shown a picture. But the effect depends on the direction and intensity of the sun’s peeping through.

Sometimes, a sliver is just enough. The color is often muted, as in the second picture. But it’s still there, and I need to hold on and see it.

Right before Christmas, I was listening to Dvořák’s Ninth Symphony in E minor, “From the New World. ” As indicated here, I love this piece, but I can’t always identify it. However, it always brings me joy, not just because of the music but also the backstory.

From here: “At the time, the work represented a departure from traditional American concert music. American classical music (then, and still today) largely adhered to the traditions of European composers. But in his ninth symphony, Dvorak incorporated themes from African American spirituals and roots music.”

The Wikipedia piece on the Czech composer: “From 1892 to 1895, Dvořák was the director of the National Conservatory of Music in New York City… Emanuel Rubin describes the Conservatory and Dvořák’s time there. [Jeanette] Thurber, a wealthy and philanthropic woman, made it open to women and black students as well as white men, which was unusual for the times… Dvořák’s main goal in America was to discover ‘American Music’ and engage in it, much as he had used Czech folk idioms within his music.”

What is American music?

“Shortly after his arrival in America in 1892, Dvořák wrote a series of newspaper articles reflecting on the state of American music… He felt that through the music of Native Americans and African-Americans, Americans would find their own national style of music. Here Dvořák met Harry Burleigh, who later became one of the earliest African-American composers. Burleigh introduced Dvořák to traditional African-American spirituals.

“In the winter and spring of 1893, Dvořák was commissioned by the New York Philharmonic to write Symphony No. 9, From the New World, which was premiered under the baton of Anton Seidl to tumultuous applause. Clapham writes that ‘without question, this was one of the greatest triumphs, and very possibly the greatest triumph of all that Dvořák experienced’ in his life, and when the Symphony was published, it was ‘seized on by conductors and orchestras’ all over the world.” It took this guy from out of the country to point out the untapped strength of underrepresented elements of classical music. Here’s a recording.

I note this story from the Census Bureau: “Net International Migration Drives Highest U.S. Population Growth in Decades. “As the nation’s population surpasses 340 million, this is the fastest annual population growth the nation has seen since 2001 — a notable increase from the record low growth rate of 0.2% in 2021. The growth was primarily driven by rising net international migration.”

So, I am pained by this CBS News story about promises of mass deportations. “He’s pledged to deport millions of immigrants — including some who are living in the United States legally. In Springfield, Ohio, the city whose Haitian immigrant community became the epicenter of hateful rhetoric and misinformation during the campaign, many fear what this could mean for them.”

My sliver of hope is that mass deportation does not occur, not just because of humanity, but because it will make America poorer again.

Sunday stealing: March 2018

perfect circle?

Sometimes, you just need a Sunday Stealing to free-associate. Bev said it’s coming back in January, but not yet. I took these from March 2018 because I don’t believe I did them before. I’ll only complete the questions I feel like answering.

1. You can flip a switch that will wipe any band or musical artist out of existence. Which one will it be?

Nope. Just because it’s not my taste, it doesn’t mean I should deprive others of an artist.

2. You seem to be having an excellent day because you just came across a hundred-dollar bill on the sidewalk. Holy crap, a hundred bucks! How are you gonna spend it.

I’m taking myself out to lunch, and then give away the rest to people who ask for money, probably $10 at a time.

3. What is your favorite curse word

@$$4013, which is my frend Karen’s fave.

5. You accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow you with the super-power of your choice! What’s it gonna be?

Flying. It’s always flying, about twenty meters off the ground. I’ve had dozens or maybe hundreds of dreams involving flying.

9. Give us a word that gets you excited.

Onomatopoeia

11. What word makes you smile?

It’s usually my intentional malaprops, such as refrigagator.

Another quiz

1. Do you tend to have a guilty conscious?

Oh, yes.

2. Do you still have your wisdom teeth?

None of them. They went in my 20s, emoved by a dentist who was a family friend.

3. Peanut Butter – creamy or crunchy?

Neither. I don’t like peanut butter. As I’ve likely mentioned, this has been useful. Since my daughter is allergic to peanuts, I have eaten unlabeled cookies. I can often taste the peanut butter.

4. Get up off your butt. Take 5 steps. Which leg did you start out on?

Right. My left knee is worse.

5. What color is your favorite kitchen utensil?

Black

6. Did you watch the Michael Jackson memorial/funeral?

No. But I remembered when he died.

7. Do you know anyone who graduated from high school this year? Were you invited to their graduation party? Did you go?

Probably. Probably. No.

8. White with black stripes or black with white stripes?

The latter.

9. If we were to call your 6th grade teacher, what would they say about you?

He would not say much, since Mr. Peca is deceased. But he LOVED our class.

More oblong

10. Can you draw a perfect circle?

Absolutely not. There’s an exercise my doctor’s office makes me do every year. I draw a circle, put on the clock numbers, and they give you a particular time of day to display. My circle is terrible and it’s always been thus.

13. How many light switches and electrical outlets are in the room that you are in right now?

One switch, two outlets

14. Do you know sign language?

Alas, no. I’m not great with languages

15. Do you step on cracks in the sidewalk?

Yes, usually intentionally in an attempt to lengthen my stride.

17. What is something that everyone else has, but you don’t?

A liking for coffee, beer, and peanut butter.

And another

4. What is the one meal recipe you think you’ve mastered?

Lasagna

6. Would you describe yourself as spiritual, religious, or something else?

I don’t get all definitional about this. I’m a Christian and attend a Presbyterian Church. That’s always a dodgy proposition because a lot of Christians make Christianity look stupid, venal, and, frankly, unchristian.

7. Did you ever receive detention in school? What sort of kid were you in school – bookworm, smart kid, troublemaker, quiet … etc.

No. Probably all of the above at different times.

8. When’s the last time you ran a mile? How often do you exercise?

Not this century. Most of my exercise is walking.

9. What would you say to your 16-year-old self, and why?

Nothing. He was pretty pigheaded so he wouldn’t lisrten to anything I had to say anyway.

11. Describe a “Hah! I told you so” moment you had recently.

I have them internally all the time but I don’t say them aloud to prove how right I was.

14. Paper or plastic? Do you prefer to pack your own groceries?

Pack my own groceries in a returnable bag. I’m generally better at it than the grocery clerks.

15. Do you have a shoe fetish? How often do you buy new shoes? Do you ever get rid of a pair of shoes no?

No. Only when necessary. When they wear out.