Sunday, April 27, 2008

Worshipping at the Altar


The altar of Mississippi writers, that is. Eudora Welty and William Faulkner have occupied a lot of my time--and that of my Washington state guests--this past week. We've toured the famous writers' homes in Jackson and Oxford, MS, and have learned enough to want to read more and more of each person's work. Both won top international prizes and are thought of to this day as "great writers of the South." And both are known as well for their intellect and sense of humor. Two quick tales will illustrate:

Eudora, who never married or took lovers that anyone knows of, had a mischievous sense of humor. Mississippian Willie Morris, the youngest-ever editor of Harper's magazine when he took the helm in the late 1960's, told the story of the day he drove "Miss Eudora" up Highway 49 toward his hometown of Yazoo City. Eudora was well into her 90's by then. During the leisurely drive, Willie spotted a sign that read "Paradise Road." He asked Miss Eudora if she'd like to turn up that road and see where it led. "Oh, yes!" she said. "I've always wanted to go to 'Paradise' with a man!"

Then there's Faulkner, whose novels and short stories had made him a household name by the 1950's when he won a Nobel Prize for literature. Late in his career, he was enticed to Hollywood to do some screenwriting. Soon after his arrival, he was guest at a Hollywood party attended by Clark Gable. When the two were introduced, Gable said, "Hello, Mr. Faulkner, I understand you're a writer." "Yes,
Mr. Gable," said Faulkner. "And what do YOU do?"

The Welty home in Jackson and the Faulkner home in Oxford are well worth touring. Each reflects the writer and the writer's lifestyle, as well as exposes tourists to the endless yards of books the writers read. If you're in Jackson or Oxford soon, make time for one or both shrines. They're worth it, and then some.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

THE POPE'S VISIT

Good for Benedict XVI. He came, he saw, he conquered hearts and minds across America. No small task, given the affection many of us felt toward his predecessor.

It's amazing when you think about it: a stern Bavarian intellectual, with a bent toward orthodoxy and precision, shows up in red shoes, conducts mass on baseball fields and surprises everyone by meeting with "sexual abuse victims." And he does all of it while managing to steer a tight course in his homilies and his Popemobile.

The Popemobile--my favorite part of the visit. I'm still intrigued at the architecture of that vehicle. For one, it's a customized Mercedes Benz SUV. For another, it has a couple of levels inside the bullet-proofed, see-through glass interior. As I understand it, his bodyguards sit behind and one level below the Pope's chair and standing room. The driver, of course, is in the cab up front. Impressive construction that gets it right, given its mission.

OK, so I'm a secularist and not that keen on orthodox religion. But I do know a good story and good p.r. when I see it. Whether we agree with the Church or not, the Pope did well in reminding us that he's human--and even more, the Big Papa who knows what he's doing and why. What's not to admire about THAT?

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

The Harry Potter Case


If you're a Harry Potter fan (I've neither read the books nor seen the movies), please tell me why J.K. Rowling is suing the man who's compiled and plans to sell a "dictionary" of words, characters and meanings in the Harry Potter books.

Even after reading about Ms. Rowling's testimony in court yesterday--and catching bits of argument from defense lawyers who're representing the dictionary fellow--I admit to confusion. Check my grasp (or lack of), please:

The dictionary writer has a popular website devoted to the Harry Potter series. Ms. Rowling herself has even visited and complimented ("supported," I think she said on the stand yesterday) the site. But once she learned the host was going farther and publishing a book that would generate big sales of (essentially) his take on her plots, her characters and words she used to create them, she balked and sued him to stop the sales? or is it to stop the publication? Which?

If the latter, might this be a "prior censorship" case? Might it be that a Rowling win in court could be challenged on grounds of censorship before full-blown publication of material she's objecting to? Or is it that she's claiming her words, by virtue of having appeared in print, HAVE been published already? Is that it?

So far, the whole story seems muddled to me and amounts to wasted court time and talent--unless, as I suspect, the world-famous author has another agenda: more money from compiling and publishing her own encyclopedic dictionary.

Note to Ms. Rowling: I said "muddled"--not "muggled." Please don't haul me into court over your precious arrangements of letters in the alphabet. And those of you who're just wild about Harry, forgive me. I'm blissfully unaware of his magic.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Power Politics: Bush and Big Business vs. The People


Years ago as a high school American history, government and political science teacher, I learned a ton of theories about how governments emerge, how they develop and how they fall or survive, depending on how they treat the people--and how the people must act to keep watch on their officials.

Later as a graduate student in journalism, I learned how governments court or eschew Big Business, the press and public opinion, depending on needs and goals of those who hold the government's key powers. And how the people must act to keep watch on the interplay between government and Big Business.

Still later, as a teacher lobbyist and union official, I learned up close and personal--in the halls of Congress and state legislatures-- how all these forces interact to produce what we see, hear, read and experience as citizens. And learned how the people must keep themselves informed and wary of manipulation by those players and those interactions.

But never--repeat never--in my days as an active teacher, lobbyist, unionist and tax-paying, law-abiding citizen did I expect to see the worst of those forces come together to undermine democracy in America. But that is precisely where we are with the Bush 2 Administration.

Not only are we spending billions on an unjust, unpopular war, but we're also NOT spending billions on problems here at home that are staggering the democracy. And why? Near as I can tell, for one reason more than any other: Big Business is running the show and cannot stand to see any shrinking of gigantic profits. Spending here at home would cut into their outrageous margins. Immoral margins. "Greed is good," a la Gordon Gekko.

For my money, there's an even worse, bigger problem in letting Big Business have all the power: it's THE INTENTIONAL USE OF GOVERNMENT TO UNDERMINE ITS OWN AUTHORITY.

Witness these: the Federal Aviation Authority's intentional use of its power so as NOT to regulate airline safety, thus saving money for the owners; the U.S. Labor Department's intentional turning away from labor and almost wholly siding with Big Business in any dispute involving their separate interests; the Education Dept.'s intentional overregulation/strangulation of public schools, so as to promote growth and development of private and chartered academies, thereby leaving whole segments of the nation's less privileged youth undereducated and underemployed in the future; the Environmental Protection Agency's wholesale shrinking of national parks and national wildnerness areas so as to encourage private developers to use pristine lands for use of/sale to the wealthy; the Defense Department's apparently purposeful weakening of the traditional military so as to give ever more lucrative management and prosecution of wars to private contractors, e.g., Haliburton, Blackwater, et al.

We could cite many other examples--chiefly the intentional failures of FEMA to come to the aid of Katrina victims, thereby weakening the local fabric and leaving it to monied developers for their own purposes.

But the most astonishing example of late is one not to be believed: the use of Census Bureau officials to undermine and perhaps even do away with the annual count of citizens every 10 years. The current Bureau is in shambles, for lack of money to operate sufficiently. So how does such a failure benefit Big Business? By leaving the national count to private contractors and doing away with tax-supported neutrality of figures.

Last but not least, there's this infuriating aspect of the Bush Administration's method: once Congress steps in and demands regulation, the Administration chiefs of all those business-friendly bureaus will act in ways aimed at creating maximum chaos and blaming it on regulatory exercise. "See? This is what happens when you want Big Business to be regulated" type thing.

The latest example is all the chaos around the nation's airports this week. It is NOT necessary to cancel thousands of flights to get inspections done. But you can be sure it's necessary to go to that extreme if you're wanting to shape public opinion against regulating Big Business.

We'd better wake up NOW if we want to have a country left come November. Write or call members in U.S. House and Senate and tell them to get busy with removing the chains of Big Business from the arms and ankles of Democracy. Tell them to do it now. We're dying out here!

Monday, April 7, 2008

Zeke and Zelda

Zucchinis, they are. A pair of plants that popped up almost immediately after seeds were in the ground. Spirited and talented, Z&Z got there last but came up faster and stronger than any of their competitors, e.g., corn, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, eggplants. Not to mention carrots. They're still hiding. Have to admit, though, lettuce and turnips are almost as eager to head the class. They arrived first, showed some green and started a slow but steady path to what I hope will be their debut in a salad or a honey stir fry come Memorial Day or mid-June. You're all invited!

Sunday, April 6, 2008

Old Stories, New Facts


Following up on earlier posts, here are some stories from the recent past:

CLASSMATES. Mini-reunion was fun. BOB, sans pocket protector, was an older version of the classic intellectual we always admired. Clearly struggling over whether to retire here (where wife has but he no longer has family) or to remain in the Boston area. Living close to MIT and Harvard, while not essential, is still important, his remarks suggest. BILL, the insurance executive, is a widower of two years and speaks lovingly and cheerfully of his talented late wife. Early death from breast cancer. Bill gave full and cautionary details for the three of us women present. His deafness is aided by a cochlear implant and lip-reading abilities that are impressive. Good man, and instantly recognizable from the past. All of us were, we said.

YANKEES IN NATCHEZ. Great trip with Pennsylvania guests. Weather nice. Toured two old mansions, had a couple of great meals and oohed and ah'ed at hanging moss and brilliantly hued flowers--plus pleasurable gaping at elaborate costumes in Natchez Pilgrimage Pageant. Unexpected highlight: freebie tour we took without knowing we weren't welcome. Sunny day, doors open, no one about, so we toured the roped-off areas inside "Ellicott Hill," one of the earliest mansions. Great view of Mississippi River. Attendant came late, shocked to find us there. We assured him we weren't packing off the silver. Fortunately, we had seen the place by then, so it was roger, over and out. Memorable 32 hours in Natchez.

WREN IN WREATH. Nuthatch, actually. Still on nest she created in rim of artificial wreath at front door. Tolerates our comings and goings amazingly well. No eggs have we seen, but we dare not investigate. Trusting her to tell us when or if some babies hatch. As to the roosting pair of dark brown ??'s, they, too, are reliable. There last night--both of them--with heads in the eave and tails extended for the public eye. There at dusk, gone at dawn; we never see them in open daylight.

BEAGLE HUNT. Following a friend's invitation, I went to meet the formerly neglected, mature beagle female named "Chelsey." She was older, quieter and more laid back than I'd like. I've since learned I need a fenced-in area, lest any typically active beagle chase off into Nowhere and Everywhere. Bottom line: no dog yet.

OLE MISS IN MANHATTAN. The Big Apple took a toll on our Rebels. Ohio State beat them handily before going on to win the entire National Invitational Tourney at Madison Square Garden this weekend. Best of the earlier game for a Rebel fan was to see the team fight back to within 10 after being 27 down earlier in the contest.

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Old Friends, New Looks?


I expect to be startled today. A couple of male friends from high school are stopping by--one at his invitation, another at mine. The former lives in Concord, MA and is in town only for short while. The latter is 30 miles away and is willing to drive to see his old classmates. My pal Ethel will join us. Others whom I asked can't make it; too busy with storm repairs. A severe boomer blew through and knocked power out and trees down yesterday.

So why do I expect a shock? The Massachusetts visitor--Bob--was the class physics and chemistry major. Classic nerd with rimmed eyeglasses and pocket protector. Vanderbilt engineering, if I remember correctly. He and his wife wound up some years later developing a huge day lily operation near Concord, MA--fields and fields, from which the owners fill orders internationally. Haven't seen Bob since high school, so I'm wondering if crisp white shirts and ironed trousers have given way to t-shirts, jeans and rich-black fingernails.

The other fellow--a big insurance guy--was an annual competitor for class president. For some reason, our classmates saw to it that the two Bills (the insurance one, and the nearby town lawyer who's too busy with tree limbs) and I always traded the offices around. The insurance Bill is now hard of hearing to the point that screaming is required. I expect it will be fun AND challenging.

Bottom line: will I know which mid-60's aged fellow is which when I see him? Stand by for news--perhaps mercifully, no film--at 11!