I just wanted to call attention to Karen's post about about the potential development of wetlands in Redwood City, California. The land is presently designated as open space, but Cargill wants to build 12,000 housing units and 1 million square feet of office space on a salt marsh.
As it turns out, I am going back to Reagan Country in north-central Illinois for a long weekend. We were there last weekend, after the Pumpkin Fiasco, and now I'm returning for a volleyball match, but also to visit some additional historic sites. Here's a guide:
I tried to watch the new ABC show "V" (apparently a remake of an earlier series) for two reasons: (a) it is science fiction, which I like, and (b) watching the promos for it, I had a definite feeling that the show is making an anti-Obama statement, and possibly was even designed for that purpose. The attractive-appearing aliens from space come offering "hope" and speaking other Obama-like messages, offering benefits like greatly improved health care--when, of course, they are really up to evil. And of course in the mind of the far right, Obama is an "alien," not an American. So I wanted to see how the show played out.
I lead a "personal poetry sharing circle" at a nearby Senior Center. Consequently, in my capacity as "leader," I felt I had better write a poem as an "example." The following is what I came up with.
It isn't polished, and perhaps isn't even complete. And it is kind of depressed, don't you think? Probably showing the frustration of being very retired.
But anyhow, it is what I wrote, as of this morning. The group meets this afternoon. I am going to take it.
It used to be that
life for me was
a big snow plow
astride the front of
a huge dump truck
Barreling along
Cleaning out, clearing away
Getting things done!
Aimed at accomplishments
and having some, too.
I was the driver.
Strongly, skillfully
I made a path
I blazed a trail
I won awards
I followed some others, true, but also
Some others followed me
Slowly, the path widened up, straightened out
Quite a good job, and
Quite a bit of hoopla!
Kids came to watch in their scarves and thick coats
they threw snowballs, and constructed
snow men
Overall, it was quite a show
But now, life for me is more like a west-bound train
passing silently in the night
over empty prairies and
past small towns
with no lights left on
and few residents left, either
A place to turn back, perhaps
to the buffalo
A place where just a drink of cool water
Causes excitement for many from many, many miles away
No one to wave to
Nothing to whistle at
And no reason to stop
Before the end of the line
I got to drive my new car (a Subaru Forester) this past weekend out "into the country"--yes, there really is quite a bit still left, west of Chicago, if you go out far enough, to the middle of Illinois-- and noted the gas mileage. On a 300 mile trip, I clocked in at 26 miles per gallon.
We will go this weekend out to the Sycamore IL Pumpkin Festival. That's where my (first) wife and I were married, where our son was born, and where she is buried (and I will be one day, too: the marker is in place). I want to put a few miles on my new Subaru, and also check its gas mileage.
"Let us be lovers we'll marry our fortunes together."
"I've got some real estate here in my bag."
So we bought a pack of cigarettes and Mrs. Wagner pies
And we walked off to look for America.
"Kathy," I said as we boarded a Greyhound in Pittsburgh
"Michigan seems like a dream to me now
It took me four days to hitchhike from Saginaw
I've come to look for America."
Laughing on the bus;
Playing games with the faces;
She said the man in the gabardine suit was a spy;
I said "Be careful his bowtie is really a camera."
"Toss me a cigarette, I think there's one in my raincoat."
"We smoked the last one an hour ago."
So I looked at the scenery, she read her magazine
And the moon rose over an open field.
"Kathy, I'm lost," I said, though I knew she was sleeping.
"I'm empty and aching and I don't know why."
Counting the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike:
They've all come to look for America
All come to look for America
All come to look for America
I am aware that there are people "out there" (including amazingly a couple on Vox, which as a whole is such nice bunch) who think that our President, Barack Obama--probably the smartest man to hold the office since Thomas Jefferson, and certainly the one of best character in recent memory--is nonetheless somehow The Devil.
My retirement portfolio, which hit its nadir in 12/08, has recovered about 20% of its diminished value since Obama took office. (That's nearly $140 in enhanced retirement savings--enough for a couple years in a retirement home, according to the figures I have seen).
Hi people There also is a problem of knowing when "the evidence" is in. A reasonable argument could have been... read more
on The Good Old Dark Ages?