As I have stated on several occasions previous, music that touches the soul and inspires the spirit forms a tapestry that serves as the backdrop of life. Few things arouse the senses as thoroughly as a live performance of by an artist and group that has been an integral part of one’s daily auditory escape…
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USS Pueblo Incident + 50: An unresolved issue with North Korea
The more things change the more they stay the same. That particular aphorism may be wearing pretty thin of late but it sure fits this particular anniversary. Members of the “below 50” demographic may remember reading or hearing about it in the Cold War chapter of a high school U.S. History course. Yours Truly was…
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Capturing progressive inertia
Is it ever too early to begin thinking about and planning for what may lie ahead? The future is upon us and the time to plan for it is the here and now. I have always been pretty hit-or-miss when endeavoring at matters involving what might happen on the timeline forward of the present. I…
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Endings, beginnings, aspirations and expectations
This week as I transitioned into living in 2018, I experienced a deep and visceral sensation that I am sitting stationary on a huge existential conveyor belt being slowly but forever pulled forward on a great master timeline. So many times in my life the month of January has been one of endings and beginnings,…
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Finishing Volume 43 and reflecting on 2017
As the current year’s final hours tick by, I wax nostalgic about the binder full of daily entries I have compiled since January 1st. The December 31st entry will bear the cataloged number of 43-365 and will mark the end of my 43rd volume of daily records, a personal activity which I began in the…
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Movie review: Darkest Hour
“Never, never, never give up!”—–Sir Winston Churchill I recall reading a fair amount about Winston Churchill in my secondary and post secondary history courses but most of the information contained in the required readings dealt more with his statesman’s acts as Britain’s Prime Minister and his dealings with Presidents Roosevelt and Truman. I do not…
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Redefining Republicanism
Oklahoma’s own Will Rogers made ample use of the Law of Holes adage “If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging!” There isn’t really a dearth of such common sense under that big dome on Capitol Hill. It has simply taken a back seat to political expedience or, more accurately, political survival. Republicans at…
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Assembling purveyors of better ideas
Organizing persons unified by common ideas can be a very tall order. Regular readers may recall my account from a few months ago of the 2017 Oklahoma Democratic Party Convention in . I’m fairly certain I could get a consensus that anyone willing to put up with such a tedious and often contentious process of…
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The Oklahoma Democratic Reclamation Project
Not all that long ago the Oklahoma Democratic Party held a majority statewide in voter registration. The latest high water mark for the Party in the Sooner State was achieved in 2006 when the voters elected or reelected Democrats to eight of nine state offices including Governor. The Democrats then also held a slim majority…
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Reeling under the scourge of insurance profiteering
A few years ago during a heated online exchange on a political discussion board, a rightwing Tea Party activist exuding a maximum degree of bravado made it clear to me that I along with everyone else of my ilk and even his was NOT, repeat NOT entitled to an income! I replied to the guy…
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