Tag: Musings

BEGINNING TO FEEL SOME SYMPATHY FOR CHRISTIE?

~ Jnana Hodson ~ 3 Comments

There’s something pathetically tragic in New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s fall from good graces in the Donald Trump camp, and I hope the situation grows in public awareness.

As news stories surface regarding the reason Christie was knocked from the vice president spot on the ticket, it becomes obvious he won’t even be considered for the other top plum he desired, Attorney General.

The reason?

As the U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, Christie successfully prosecuted Charles Kushner, who pleaded guilty to 18 counts of illegal campaign contributions, tax evasion, and witness tampering in 2005. Kushner was sentenced to two years in prison. Oh, there were sordid details in what included a nasty family fight for the Democratic Party supporter. All of which might have given the Trump ticket some creds in its upcoming battle with the Clintons.

Alas, Kushner is the father of Trump’s son-in-law, Jared – the husband of Ivanka, a husband-wife team that makes up his two closest advisors. And Jared, by all accounts, adamantly opposed Christie, no matter what he might have brought to the race.

Think about it. Christie is denied a spot because he’s fought illegal campaign contributions, tax evasion, and witness tampering. What does this say about Trump himself? His values? His practices? Even, now, his family?

For months now, Christie has been the most prominent Republican official in Trump’s camp. And now he’s cast as a pariah? For acting in the public interest? For fighting corruption? What kind of Justice Department do you think Trump would permit? One based on retribution, no doubt. One-sided, at all costs. Makes me think of Nixon’s back in the Whitewater years. Makes me also see John Kasich as a successor to another Ohio Republican of personal integrity, Bill Saxbe, who had the courage to stand up to Nixon and in the end, helped take him down.

You might see it as a warning to others to stay away from this platform. Why would any other elected Republican want to rally around this ticket? It’s an ominous sign, indeed. Please stay tuned, as they say. To something other than Fox.

WHY I’M SKIPPING MY HIGH SCHOOL REUNION

~ Jnana Hodson ~ 3 Comments

With the 50th anniversary of my high school class graduation coming up next month, I’ve found myself debating whether to attend.

Some of the conflict is spurred by tight personal finances these days – the event’s 900 miles from where I now live, a 15-hour drive each way in an auto that already has 270,000 miles on its odometer. Flying and then renting a car would be more practical but also more expensive. And that’s before we get to the event admission and related costs. Frankly, I’d rather spend the money on a couple of weekend escapes with my wife.

Scheduling adds its own complication. The reunion’s set for shortly after the annual session of New England Yearly Meeting of Friends, where I’ll spend an intense week in Vermont attending to Quaker business. Add to that that my local Friends Meeting is planning its own retreat right the same time as the reunion. That’s a lot of time away from home just about the time the ocean here is finally warm enough for some brisk swimming. Why would I want to be in hot, humid Ohio when I could be at a refreshing seaside in nearby Maine?

When I broached the subject with a fellow choir member, he turned the focus slightly by asking if there was anyone I particularly wanted to see and talk with and then told of his own experience at his 10th anniversary class reunion where he found himself brushed off by those he wanted to speak with and was then stuck amid those with whom he had nothing in common. This had me realizing I’ve been out of touch with everyone for decades now, and when I tried to reconnect via email a decade ago – after the 40th reunion – there was no acknowledgement. My curiosity about what’s happened to many of the members has found answers online. More than anything, I’m sensing, is that any inclination to attend is being compelled by a perceived duty – I did hold some leadership roles as editor-in-chief of the newspaper and in a handful of clubs.

As I ponder the event, I’m also realizing my high school years were not particularly happy or even intellectually stimulating, apart from a few special teachers. Do I want to open those emotions, then?

Or would I want to go simply to brag, “Look how far I’ve come since!” I’m not sure that would be particularly welcome or rewarding.

Any advice? Or similar insights to share? Is this even a necessary rite of passage? Do tell!

THERE GOES THE SURPRISE, TRUMP

~ Jnana Hodson ~ 6 Comments

So it looks like Donald Trump is going with Indiana Governor Mike Pence as his running mate, rather than his hairstylist, as I previously predicted. For now, I’ll stick with “looks like” for the simple reason that Trump is known to flipflop endlessly and loves to cry out, “You’re fired!” Besides, nothing’s set until the convention votes.

More fascinating to watch in the short term is what happens with rumored bridesmaids New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Will Trump file suit against them on some pretext? The mere figure he’d name would be telling or at least amusing. Will they even stick with him in the coming campaign, or will they distance themselves in the name of preserving whatever political capital they assume they still possess? Yes, the glamor of being courted must have been intoxicating, but the rejection would seem to seal their careers as passe and outdated. Tarnished. Well, used merchandise, as folks used to say, back in the constipated era Trump keeps invoking.

As for Pence? All eyes are watching. Well, maybe not at the convention. That part of the story suspense has already been spoiled. There go the ratings. Maybe the networks will interrupt with some big announcement from Hillary Clinton or, better yet, President Obama. Just what was Trump thinking, anyway? Maybe he wasn’t such a great television genius after all. Or does he have some “reality” shtick still up his sleeve?

Pence, uh? Like Trump-Pence? Well, I have been running this year with a political theme of “Trumpets of the Coming Storm,” based on a line by John Greenleaf Whittier. Maybe now it morphs into “Trump-Pence of the Coming Storm.” Or “two pence,” as in cheap.

NO ROOM FOR DEBATE WITH IDEOLOGUES LIKE THIS

~ Jnana Hodson ~ 4 Comments

The other day, as we returned to our car in the supermarket parking lot, my wife noticed a small magnetic tag stuck to the back fender. It said:

~*~

So you support a Socialist. This means you …

  1. Are stupid. (Which can’t be cured.)
  2. Have been duped, indoctrinated or brainwashed (curable!)
  3. Actually believe in class warfare, entitlement mentality or the failed concepts of Collectivism, Marxism, etc. (which makes you a domestic enemy of the Constitution & the USA)
  4. Are ignorant of the facts – which are readily available. …

~*~

Others were amused by this reaction to my Bernie sticker, but I find myself quietly enraged on so many fronts it’s hard to know where to begin.

The utter ignorance and arrogance of this SOB are the first things to fuel my fire. How dare he call me stupid? How dare he assume any of my beliefs, actually? How dare he try to silence my right of free speech and, I’ll add, religion! How dare he call me an enemy of the Constitution?

I’m deeply bothered by the way he smears one word into other concepts with no room for clarity of definition or precise thinking. Supporting a democratic-socialist does not make me one, any more than supporting a reasonable Republican candidate would make me a racist, gun-totin’ warmonger or right-wing nut job. I see through both Marxism, on one side, and the multinational corporate conglomerates now ruling the world, on the other. (I could claim a college minor in economics, by the way. How about him?) (Oh, my, why do I assume the offender’s male?) And, yes, I do support some collective action – the way politically conservative apple growers in Washington state long ago banded together for united marketing and quality control, as well as the federal water system they realize is essential for their precious irrigation.

As for his “facts,” he could use a class about the perils of propaganda. If anyone’s been brainwashed, duped, or indoctrinated, he should look himself in the mirror. Which leads to an even bigger issue.

There’s no room for discussion in his limited, fear-driven, ideological mindset. He’s cornered in a box. There’s no way to admit error or correct a course of action or even see whose pawn he’s become.

There are times I fear for the Republic, where threats to liberty keep rising from his side of the spectrum.

That’s why I have the Bernie sticker.

~*~

By the way, I’ve read my Bible, complete. Leviticus 25:10 (inscribed on the Liberty Bell) is guilty of all of his charges regarding the redistribution of wealth. (Jubilee is the redistribution of all wealth every 50 years.) Or leap ahead to Jesus telling the rich young man to sell all he has and give it away (Matthew 19: 16-24 and Mark 10: 17-31). Argue with God, if you can. But watch what you accuse the Holy One of being. Good luck.

 

ANYONE LIKE BEING SPIED ON?

~ Jnana Hodson ~ 6 Comments

The other afternoon we were sitting with friends in our Smoking Garden when a fast-moving object caught my eye. Shaped like a small airplane, it dashed across a span of sky visible between the limbs of a maple overhead and then halted. What we heard sounded like a large mosquito and was about just as welcome.

We presume it carried a camera and was spying on the neighborhood. When we edged outward for a closer look at the offending intruder, it scooted away, only to return several times later. Maybe it didn’t like being observed. For that matter, neither did we.

“If we had a gun, could we shoot it down?”

Well, how far does our airspace extend? And what rights do we have versus theirs? Whoever they are. Potential burglars looking for easy prey? Perverts? Even police?

The fact is, the experience is disconcerting, even before we get to the notorious role of drones in Afghanistan and other military – and not so military – zones.

Who’s responsible for this one? What’s it doing there, above us? And why?

Some of us cherish privacy as an essential American right embedded in the First Amendment. And then there’s that matter of my home is my castle, arising in English Common Law.

Besides, a mechanical drone has none of the freedom birds enjoy. The lower reaches of the sky should belong to natural aviators, not an artificial intruder.

Anyone else care to “chirp” in?

DO I NEED TO BRING THE BIRD FEEDER IN?

~ Jnana Hodson ~ 2 Comments

Maybe I’ve been too involved watching the surreal political scene that’s unfolding in America, but that hasn’t precluded us from enjoying the usual sequence of developments in the garden — things I’ve blogged about in previous years. We’ve enjoyed waves of (wild) dandelions followed by crops of asparagus, lettuce, and spinach, and now the sugar snap peas and raspberries. Maybe I’ve been too busy trying to stay ahead of the weeds, repairing some of our raised beds, even tackling a small patio space between the kitchen and driveway to report on any of it, but in general things are looking good and tasting even better.

One thing that always amazes us is the popularity of the bird feeder in summer. You’d think with all of the natural, wild food sources, the birds would ignore the feeder. Instead, they become voracious, going through as much of my grain and seed in a couple of days as they do in nearly a month of deep cold and snow. Yes, there are those babies to feed, but this still has us shaking our heads in wonderment. OK, we do live in a city, and anything we can do to enhance the avian population has its pluses. Still, we’d like them to remain independent and turn to our supply when things are tough rather than bountiful.

Feeders, I should note, fuel their own band of human supporters — along with topics of conversations. Squirrels are only one of the menaces.

Each spring, when I was editing the newspaper, I’d have to chuckle when the state Fish and Game Department issued its annual bring-your-feeders-in alert. We had enough friends who lived in the country to tell us — and sometimes show us the damage — of what could happen when the bears come out of hibernation and start roaming. The bruins will rip a feeder to shreds, sometimes a half-mile from the scene of the crime. (Well, our dentist had photos of the hairy ones at work — five days in a row of bears visiting the feeders on his deck right outside the kitchen overlooking the lake.) Living in town, though, I’ve never considered us at risk.

But now? A neighbor saw a bear yesterday just four or five blocks from us as it crossed a busy street just north of downtown. I know it’s a rare though not unknown phenomenon, but it’s still news. For now, I’m shaking my head and hoping the neighborhood dogs are on guard. Their barking should do the trick, if need be. So I’m told.

ABOUT THOSE INCOME-TAX FILINGS

~ Jnana Hodson ~ 2 Comments

Donald Trump’s refusal to release his income-tax filings naturally spurs suspicions. What’s he trying to hide? What’s he afraid they’ll show?

What, you think he’s squeaky clean? Please! The fact-checkers have found little in his outrageous claims that’s really true. We don’t need a liar-in-chief, we need someone we can trust.

So Trump’s financial dealings are bound to be fair game as the campaign spirals on.

For one thing, they give us a clearer view of how a candidate handles money. The Obamas, as we discovered, are really quite frugal, even conservative. Trump, on the other hand, seems to employ a lot of sleight-of-hand, as his loans-to-donations-to-himself demonstrate. (How many times can you count the same dollar, anyway?)

Well, we can assume the accountant-types will have a feast with whatever is there, as will the tax experts and financial gurus and businessmen large and small.

In the meantime, it’s fodder for the pundits.

Among the possible reasons Trump won’t release his income-tax filings? Are there clues to indicate:

  • He’s not worth nearly as much as he claims …
  • The Clintons have more liquidity than he does …
  • Bernie’s right about billionaires as welfare queens … and right about how to fix that …
  • He’s dependent on government subsidies. Or even, that’s all he paid …
  • He’s hoping campaign contributions would provide sufficient cash-flow for him to avoid personal bankruptcy …
  • Just how much are his lawsuits costing him, anyway …
  • Just how low are the returns on his enterprises …
  • What’s he writing off as charity …
  • He says these are deductible expenses …
  • He’s playing the Wizard of Oz.

Well, right or wrong, it’s a start. The facts will either support his claims or knock them flat.

Any other wags want to weigh in?

NOT WHAT YOU’D EXPECT IN NEW ENGLAND

~ Jnana Hodson ~ Leave a comment

As the title of my poetry collection about gardening goes, There Is No Statuary in Our Garden Except for the Plastic Spacemen Occasionally Surfacing, working the soil here turns up many surprises. Bits of broken glass and metal, definitely, and endless rocks.

A few weeks ago I came across a wiggly something I first thought might have been a petrified snake or, a bit later, a skink. As I extracted its clay-encrusted fullness and pulled bits away, I slowly realized what I had was a three-inch-long tail to a plastic ‘gator or croc’, the body and snout adding about two more inches.

Forget trying to take a photo. Even cleaned up, it’s hard to make out.

I’m sure this was never one of our kids’ toys, which leaves a question of just how long since there were other children living on the property and then just what use they made of this stretch of the side of the house we call the Swamp.

Maybe they knew something after all.