Daily Blues & Views

On a dark, sub-freezing morning last week, I drove out to Gresham High School. Portland's little flirtation with snow was all but over, but there were some patches of black ice that could ruin your day in a hurry. I like the drive out there because it's due east from where I live and when I get about half of the 10 miles down the road, I often get a nice view of Mt. Hood. I allowed a bit more time on this day just in case the traffic was thicker because of the dicey streets. Black ice can be a killer because, unlike snow or rain, it's largely invisible. This morning was darker than usual, but when I neared my destination, a shadowy figure loomed up ahead just to my right. The mountain, in all it's stunning glory appeared more a black shade someone had pulled down to keep out the cold. Still the shape was discernible. Then a remarkable thing. The sun, milky and distant peaked over the mountain's shoulder. There they were, vaguely visible but definitely pair...

Dear Family and Friends, Given the momentous events of the past few weeks at home and abroad, I'm sure we're all watching with interest how these crucial situations are changing the face of democracy. As one of my treasured compatriots (if you are on this list, I treasure you, like it or not!) I trust that you keep up with world affairs and I suspect that the irony of democracy threatened here at home is not lost on you. That's why I want to share some thoughts with you and why I seek your comments on same. In short, the siege on public employees and teachers we're now experiencing is as serious a threat to our democracy as anything going on in the Middle East. In this age of instant communication, the costs and benefits can work in favor or against the dissemination of the truth. To be succinct, public schools and the teachers they employ are under attack. Both the profession and the hard fought rights that involve everything from due process to collective bargaini...

Looks like some of the fervor over democracy in the Middle East is spilling over into the state capitals of many states as governors scramble to slash budgets and exert the corporatizing of public education. In Wisconsin, neither side is willing to blink. But while the media emphasizes the attack on teacher benefits and salaries, (other public employees too) the real battle is over the right to bargain collectively. If ever my fellow Americans were showing their ignorance of their own history, it's in situations like this. Many have no concept of how the struggle to unionize workers yielded everything from minimum wage, to an 8 hour work day, paid vacations, and the entire structure to bargain collectively and grieve unfair practices. Right now, Capitalism is devouring Democracy. An old labor song says that "every generation got to win it all again." So true. At this writing, demonstrations in state capitals are being planned in California, Colorado, Oregon, and N...

This year's Grammy awards had something for any musical taste. Too bad we didn't get to see some of the more "esoteric" categories, or even hear the results. But with CBS at the helm, it was more an entertainment extravaganza than an awards show. I think the show was on for an hour before the second award of the night was presented. As expected, the dress code is wide open and many of the winners actually performed right before their names were called. For me it was all about the new and the old. I've been trying to help some folks my age explain to a genuinely curious young man, why Bob Dylan is so revered. You'll never get a clue from his voice today or even most of his performances. History lessons are required to deal with this subject. Fortunately Martin Scorsese's film No Direction Home will do the job well. One Facebook thread I've been following has whittled itself down to people from all over the country sharing their favorite Dylan ...

I finally saw the Secretariat film last week. I had been warned, so my disappointment wasn't as great as it might have been. A pleasant distortion of many of the facts, but still entertaining. Disney at its best, especially the undercurrent of "Oh Happy Day," the spiritual-inspired tune by the Edwin Hawkins singers running throughout. It soars during the big climax at the end too. Disney being Disney. So the question becomes, why can't Hollywood, or anyone for that matter, make an honest horse racing film? Seabiscuit was OK, but the documentaries are always better, in my view. I think it's a matter of will. Now I have no expectations from Disney. You're going to get happy endings and that's that. Even at the end of the film, when they show the real individuals on screen and do the where are they now? messages, Disney won out again. When Ron Turcotte's picture appeared, instead of mentioning that he was a paraplegic, the caption said he was i...