Politics can often be an ugly thing, whether it’s business, entertainment, or on a university campus (which is almost as nasty as Hollywood). With government, it tends to be rather public, of course, because media types tend to think that elected officials are the only politicians. There’s a festering brew of ugliness seeping out of Frankfort now, as the Kentucky capital sheds decades of one-party rule. It’s hitting close to home, because we’ve learned that one of our friends and former clients—he left retirement to help the new governor clean up the mess in state government—is being pulled personally into a growing controversy that isn’t anywhere close to dying down. It’s already damn ugly—especially if you don’t like the appearance of maggots hard at work on something rotten—and it’s going to get worse before it gets better…
Archive for June, 2005
The stench of political decomposition
Thursday, June 30th, 2005A late start
Wednesday, June 29th, 2005Man, have I missed being on a bike!
A time of horror vs a shining moment of solidarity
Tuesday, June 28th, 2005Dana and I took time tonight to have a nice dinner at Two Roads Cafe in Danville, sharing a Cabernet from my favorite Washington State winery, Chateau Ste Michelle. I remember first learning of it during a riverboat cruise we attended for the wedding rehearsal dinner of a former Centre intern. It wasn’t long after September 11 and I was wearing my flag lapel pin, which attracted a New Yorker who was present. He expressed his thanks to me for the show of support (yes, he took my gesture as personally significant to him—you have to recall the mood of the times), and we enjoyed each other’s friendship as he kindly introduced me to a family of reliably fine wines before we said our farewells later that evening.
When I think back to experiences like that, I wish that it was easier for us humans to discern the core essentials of life at times other than peril, tragedy, or loss…
Côte obscur du force
Monday, June 27th, 2005Website Makeover™ Man has hardly shown himself in days, making a brief appearance at a wedding in his secret identity, but otherwise he’s kept to his upper sanctum.
Website Makeover™ Man is struggling. He doesn’t want to turn to the dark side…
Various & Sundry, part nineteen
Sunday, June 26th, 2005— Richard Benedetto’s recent column rests on that blurry line between news reporting and opinion, but it’s nevertheless a thought-provoking read. It’s title, “Turning old enemies into friends has long benefited the U.S.” makes me think about the other side of the coin: “Turning old enemies’ enemies into new enemies has long been the role of the U.S.” That’s the part of this issue most would agree on. And with the way things are, that’s probably the only part.
— The enormous virus/spam wave that’s going on right now is a huge problem. That’s why I get such a kick out of finding a sparkle of joy in the whole mess: Spam as Folk Art—the only silver lining out there. Last week my email service had 1.6 million mails hit their machines. Some 500,000 were rejected as viruses, and a bit over 800,000 rejected as spam, leaving some 200,000 or so to be delivered as legitimate mail (hopefully), but some crap does get through. I feel for all the “good guys” trying hard to stay on the back of this tiger. Somewhere out there is a young vigilante looking for his cause. A suggestion: 1) round up every spammer and virus writer, 2) make them swallow an overdose of viagra while getting an enema bag of liquified mortgage applications on the other end. (Uh-oh… I told Brendan’s mom that this would be a mom-friendly blog).
— Just in case you notice half a grand of spare cash sitting on your dresser top, and you don’t particularly care for shooting real handguns, add a Han Solo Blaster to your cart (or, for the more civilized, a nifty lightsaber).
— OK, it’s time to be serious. Good news from Bruce
personally; they talked to him about his eventual transfer to a rehabilitation center, which is a clear sign that his medical situation is improving in a positive and predictable way. See that light at the end of the tunnel, my son? I pray you’re there in no time!
— Best wishes to my brother Jay and his bride Glenda, who got hitched in Liberty this morning among a large contingent of our Clan. God bless you both, and may all our dreams meet to expand His glory.
Oldenday X
Saturday, June 25th, 2005My family was never far from my mind during the seven months I lived in Europe during 1974. (In fact, I so turned off a pretty Flemish girlfriend by admitting I missed my family that she dumped me within hours for a Belgian doofus named Bruno.) One way I could feel connected to my brothers was to think about “The Legend,” and it was easy to be inspired, surrounded as I was by all the fascinating history of feudal conflicts, life on the manor, warring political factions, imperialistic ventures, and Napoleonic exploits. I was constantly encountering the art, architecture, accouterments, and weapons of the general time period we’d chosen to frame our imaginary world of swashbucklers and tyrants. When my brother James sent me a letter mentioning Hedda Keeh, one of our beloved characters (a native of the Western Plaines and Peace Chief of his nation), I plunged into the creation of a comprehensive map and sent it home along with our most ambitious document to date—a long letter from Joncules Dix to his half-brother Jimcus (otherwise known as Chaims-Dan, or Man-With-Flying-Feet, from his years among the outcast monks of Chap). Before long, the nonlinear structure of our narrative was firmly rooted in the idea of producing documents and artifacts that revealed only a portion of the totality, which would then lead to further discussion, attempts at integration, and ongoing creativity (often using dioramas built with the very type of plastic figures that influenced our imagination from the beginning). It became a perfect organizing principle—not original to us, I suspect—and reinforced the historicity of our approach, removing it forever from a strictly oral realm. An explosion of development followed, with numerous drawings, carvings, models, and written fragments. Spinning yarns within “The Legend” has never been the same since.
Baggin’ dee bunny gold
Friday, June 24th, 2005Since I’m trying to bolster a few spots in my yard with some quality organic fertilizer, I asked James about his stockpile of “bunny gold” under the rabbit pens. It made me think of when we were kids, and Mr. Wagner was shocked that we hadn’t jumped on the opportunity to earn pocket change by filling empty feed bags with manure at 50 cents a pop. As James aptly sums it up: “We just weren’t money driven, and not much has changed since then.”
An obviously self-evident no-brainer sure thing
Thursday, June 23rd, 2005I guess I was somewhat familiar with the actor Derek Jacobi, but it took listening to the audio version of “Gates of Fire” (Steven Pressfield’s riveting story of life among the Spartans), for me to recognize the supreme awesomeness of his abilities. Since I liked “The Islands of Unwisdom” so much, the time is right to finally partake of the 1976 mini-series I, Claudius, which brings Graves and Sir Derek together.
• “Derek Jacobi is brilliant—his soldiers are terrifyingly gruff, and his breathless account of the fighting is so vivid that one can almost smell blood. With a lesser reader, the novel’s structure might have been confusing, but Jacobi’s ability to subtly alter the timbre of his voice and the style of his delivery to differentiate narrators makes it perfectly clear.”
—AudioFile
Inner focus vs outer chaos
Wednesday, June 22nd, 2005As he bears down on 14 weeks in the Clarian system, Bruce is starting to get some physical therapy again, but it’s been a rough climb back out of the abyss since his setback over the Memorial Day weekend. Yesterday he was able to get on his feet for the first time in three or four weeks (I lost count), and that should help his mood, because he faces having to redo all the muscular progress he made during the month of May. Apparently the nephrologist told him it’s unlikely that his transplanted organ will wake up this time, but the specialists were wrong in April, so why not stay hopeful and keep praying? That kidney has been through a lot, it’s true, and Jerome was astonished when it kicked in the last time, declaring it a “medical miracle.” I wonder— what’s “Doc” thinking now? The situation isn’t any easier with people around Bruce dumping their personal problems on him instead of protecting the fragile alchemy of his vision for healing. He doesn’t need the added burden of worrying about extraneous ineptitude and financial disarray (and that should go without saying, but I said it).
Clan kiddoes at large
Tuesday, June 21st, 2005Just as I try to wrap my mind around the idea that Josh has been soldiering in Iraq for half a year, and that Alyx and Ian and Brendan are suitably credentialized and making their own way in the world, and that Clayton is going off to U.D., I’m forced to try another wild concept on for size: Seth is 17 years old!
Calling Benton Quest, calling Benton Quest
Monday, June 20th, 2005After the Y2K doomsday scenario dissolved and then the family was unable to put together a comprehensive emergency action plan in the wake of September 11, I guess I’d had enough of preparing for potential calamity. But a recent warning from Frank Gaffney about the EMP threat almost makes me think I should become a card-carrying Crashologist again. G-bo used to talk about EMP as a clear and present danger, but never suggested what could be done about it at the personal level beyond the fundamentals. Maybe I need to look into this more deeply, although it probably comes back to the basics of surviving any catastrophe—clean water, nutrition, shelter, power, communications, medical care, and self defense.
I understand, dear reader, that you might see a name like Gaffney and think, “He’s one of those right-wing think tankers who’s actively helping Rumsfeld and Cheney reshape the entire U.S. power structure.” Just keep in mind that when I check out the Websites that work to expose all these scary conservatives, I usually say, “Wow, these guys are great!”
Report from Camp Hourglass
Sunday, June 19th, 2005It was a refreshing, worthwhile, and really fun weekend in the woods with Marty (thanks, James, it was a good idea). Out of the one fearful episode came a name for the place—Widow’s Knob—after we encountered the black widow spider at our campsite. No black bear were sighted, however, although they must certainly be in the area by now. I underestimated how much effort it would require to lug our provisions up to the heights, so we’ll rethink how much gear is actually necessary for the next expedition. A tent might be a good idea, since spiders clearly rule the darkness there, especially the long-leggers, who consider a mere facial landscape no deterrent to their nightly mission.
Operation Oak Leaf Cluster
Saturday, June 18th, 2005Marty and I are setting off to spend two days in the wooded heights of Casey County. May we overcome every challenge and achieve mission success…
— Bruce — Wayne — hmm… that does hit close to home
Friday, June 17th, 2005It seems a shame to enter a dark theater on such a glorious day, but, on the other hand, I’ve been waiting since childhood to see a Batman movie that did justice to my favorite comic book hero (who, along with Tarzan, possessed no superhuman powers). And then we’ll make up for it by spending the weekend camping on one of our knobs at the Blue Bank Farm (but we’re not saying which one!).
To Gotham and a true diversion
Thursday, June 16th, 2005On our way back from Indy, Dana and I needed a modest escape, so we had a glass of vino and saw Cinderella Man at the Baxter. Howard may not be one of our cinematic innovators, but he’ll usually exhibit some virtuosity with the tools available to him; he’s quite a storyteller (I liked The Missing enormously). It’s also clear he’s a fine collaborator—lots of other outstanding work done under his generalship in this picture: Oscar-level performances, convincing period ambiance, superb editing. There are some distracting flaws, however—like the fake-o winter-set details (he needed the guy who handled the snow on Gangs of New York). I didn’t think I’d respond well to another boxing flick after Million Dollar Baby (I personally wanted to see the new Batman movie, but…), so my positive reaction was a surprise. Now that my first choice has been endorsed, it’s only a matter of time before MartyMan and I leap into the GrandyJohnMobile and deal decisively with this unresolved matter.
Our Comeback Kid
Wednesday, June 15th, 2005For somebody who just had his belly split open and rinsed, Bruce is doing remarkably well. His spirits are good and he’s more talkative than he’s been in weeks.
At the nursing station I saw a stack of papers, with rubber banks around chunks of it. Since I saw the top section had Bruce’s name on it, I asked if that one was his. “Oh no,” was the reply, “This whole stack is his chart, from the time he was admitted.”
All eleven inches of it.
The prince of perseverance vs the king of irrelevance
Tuesday, June 14th, 2005With another successful surgery behind him, Bruce is back in a critical care room until he’s stable enough to return to his “home away from home” on the seventh floor (Solid Organ Transplant unit). When they “hosed him out” this time around, a major section of large intestine had to be removed, along with his gall bladder. As he faces down the pain with his characteristic stoicism, he’s optimistic that this is the turning point that will put him on a firm path to recovery.
ps — Meanwhile, I don’t care about Michael Jackson or his brothers. I don’t care about the jurors. I’m not interested in their private circumstances. I don’t want to know speculative opinions about their motivations. I couldn’t give a rat’s ass if they decided to exonerate him, admonish him, coronate him, or personally administer a lethal injection. (I just wanted to make that clear.)
Runnin’ back to Saskatoon (I mean Indianapolis)
Monday, June 13th, 2005About ready to hit the road one more time, and I wish I could see Bruce without having to go into that hospital environment again. If I’ve had enough of that place, I can only imagine what my son is going through, now that he’s been there for over twelve weeks. The idea that it could be another twelve (according to one of his docs) is too much to process right now. But here’s something encouraging that I learned from Uncle Bob this past weekend: His before-the-England-trip stress test results were very good. So that means if we eat smart, don’t smoke and get regular exercise, we can overcome our family history of predisposition to cardio-vascular disease. That’s a message not just to me, but to my whole Clan!
Because the sky is blue, it makes me cry
Sunday, June 12th, 2005After seeing my fitness chum from Japan (Yu Saito of Denyo) for the first time in over three years, at the old cabin where we meditate, we spent the afternoon on campus, soaking up more world-class music at the Festival. I did another study with the Karat medium and then got a satisfying close-up shot of soloist Vizzutti. On the other hand, it was hard for both of us to comprehend why we could be having such a wonderful time while Bruce was still going through his extended ordeal… and then we found out that he needs emergency surgery tomorrow. We’ll leave in the morning to be there.
At the Great American Brass Band Festival
Saturday, June 11th, 2005Because I’m not in 5k shape, I decided to lend a helping hand at the early “Run for the Brass” event, and we had a wild scene at our water stop. The unusual 2005 course had people lapping walkers while the leaders were moving in the opposite direction. A bit complicated, especially with participants crossing in front of each other to grab cups of water. So I had everyone yelling instructions in both directions, but the guys with headsets couldn’t hear us and just did their own thing—crazy! The rest of the day was ripe with superb music and the best of family and friends. The parade was fun, I got to meet the entire Helmers caboodle (Holly, Hayley, Halle, Hannah and Henry!), Bob got a new pair of Brooks at DBF, Marty and I grilled lamb kabobs, and then we all set up at our picnic tables (perfectly located on campus, thanks to Pat) in time for a delightful evening that included Mombo, the Simpsons, plus Joan and her chums. To top it off, Gov Ernie was there to smooze the crowd, we managed to sneak a little Mondavi Zin, some digital close-ups at the foot of the stage came together nicely, and I had an opportunity to straighten everything out with Chuck (we’ll be able to pick up our bronze bowl soon, consummating that long-standing barter deal that desperately needed to be resolved). BrassRoots and Rhythm & Brass were outstanding, so we want to go back to the Festival on Sunday to hear them again, along with the DiMartino/Osland Jazz Orchestra (DOJO).
I’d better stop rambling!
At the hop
Friday, June 10th, 2005Carol and Bob arrived for Band Fest weekend, and we had some time to make a few Gallery Hop stops. All the posters from the 16-year history of the Festival were on display, including the four that I designed. Sheldon signed 50 copies of the 2005 edition, and half of them were already gone at $35 a pop. Thanks to Aunt Carol, I found the courage to approach Chuck about his unreciprocal mode (in our long-standing barter deal). I hung out at Paul’s and wondered why I was getting myself into another trade, since I’m the unresponsive party in my similar agreement with Ginny.
Hope for the dawn
Thursday, June 9th, 2005I saw Dr L at the Whitehouse opening, and he told me that he’s seen patients with two normal kidneys lose all renal function dealing with hemorrhagic pancreatitis. So I guess I can’t be too discouraged about
Bruce’s ongoing struggle. Tomorrow adds up to 12 weeks, and that’s enough to test anyone to their core. Danny D loaned me his copy of Dark Night of the Soul. If he thinks I need to better understand this level of suffering, he’s right.