For reasons that probably deserve several books we within our culture are gaga for pirates. While in fact its a nasty business, dirty, violent, often ending badly, there is something about the idea of, well, something, likely several somethings that pulls at our imaginations. And so, for all those complex reasons, usually scrubbed up a bit, we tell ourselves tales of pirates, and pirate romance with books, and movies, and songs. Lots of songs. And, so… It is generally believed... Read more

Yesterday Jan & I saw Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, Tina Fey’s war comedy based on journalist Kim Barker’s memoir Taliban Shuffle. The short review is we liked it. A lot. The slightly longer review is a bit messier. The Rotten Tomatoes summary tells us “While WTF is far from FUBAR, Tina Fey and Martin Freeman are just barely enough to overcome the picture’s glib predictability and limited worldview.” Aggregating one hundred, fifteen professional reviews Rotten gives WTF (military slang for What... Read more

A LAWYER ASKED JESUS, WHO IS MY NEIGHOR? A Buddhist Meditation on A Christian Parable James Ishmael Ford 6 March 2016 Pacific Unitarian Church Rancho Palos Verdes, California Text A lawyer asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” In reply Jesus told a story.“ Once there was a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho who was set upon by thieves, who beat him severely, stripped him of his money and even his clothing, and left him lying in the road, half-dead.... Read more

In contemporary Chinese culture today is Lei Feng Day. Lei Feng appears to have been a real person, who following his premature death at twenty-one was selected by Chairman Mao and others to be the exemplar of selflessness, modesty, energy, and, well of course, devotion to Mao. And interestingly his cult seems to have survived throughout all the vicissitudes of Chinese political culture over the years. While he has suffered some in popularity, and it is hard to say how... Read more

I really would like to indulge in a little schadenfreude in the wake of last night’s Republican debate. There was Mr Trump in all his orange glory. The various non Trump candidates (the theocrat, the boy with the memorized speech, and the reactionary who only looks like a grown up while standing among that crowd) explained in gory detail why the businessman/reality television show character is unqualified to be president, fraud, con man, liar, among those reasons, and where among... Read more

Arthel Lane “Doc” Watson was born on this day in 1923. He would have been ninety-three today. Certainly one of the great gifts to our culture… Read more

And so it happens. It was on this day in 1931, after years during which it had gradually wormed its way into American hearts, that President Herbert Hoover signed a congressional resolution proclaiming the Star Spangled Banner the national anthem. Read more

As it happens it was on this day in 1933 that the film King Kong opened in New York City at the Radio City Music Hall. It would provide a veritable cornucopia of cultural references… Read more

The mainstream Indian conviction was that each person has a single, permanent soul. The Chinese were inclined to allow that we are each a gathering of several kinds of “spirit” or subtle forms of energy that leave the body at death and return to their separate and proper places in the cosmos. The truth of a person is not, however, given in any one of these departing spirits or in their shared essence. Indeed, they can be seen as natural... Read more

Winston Rodney was born on this day in 1945. He’s better known as Burning Spear. A Rastafarian as well as world acclaimed Jamaican roots reggae musician. Wikipedia tells us “Burning Spear has won two Grammy Awards for Best Reggae Album; one at the 42nd Grammy Awards in 2000 for Calling Rastafari, and one for 2009’s Jah Is Real. He has been nominated for a total of 12 Grammy Awards.” Glad to join those celebrating his 71st birthday! Read more