Daily Blues & Views

 Ken Burns and Lynn Novick have a new film.  This latest collaboration is more a biography than a sweeping concept.  It concerns the life of Ernest Hemingway.  Apparently, according to the filmmakers, the Hemingway most people know is not the real person.  The toxic masculinity often associated with the great American author was more an image rather than the reality.  There are some questions, too, about some of the more sensational stories connected with Hemingway's life.   Today, that is not all that surprising.  We live in a time of revision, so anything that is suddenly revealed to contradict conventional wisdom is generally taken as less astonishing than one might expect.  I expect no change in the position taken on Hemingway's writing.  His work stands alone and remains strong.  To be sure, Hemingway has his fans and his detractors, but he is, arguably one of the greatest American authors of the 20th century. I taught a f...

 It's everywhere. Mostly unwanted, but often the cause of much pleasure.  Graffiti.  I prefer the written kind, though I must admit some of the artwork out there is nothing short of stunning.  It's on walls, railroad cars, and often over road signs or freeway overpasses.  It's political with little regard to correctness.  It's often lewd, immensely humorous, disrespectful, if not sexist, racist, misogynist, or a prime example of vandalism.   My first recollections involve public restrooms, especially public school restrooms.   "Here is sit broken-hearted, tried to shit and only farted."  This was hysterical in the 7th  grade.  It was soon followed by someone's phone number, with one of the myriad versions of "for a good time, call... I suppose we all remember our favorite piece of graffiti.  I certainly do.  Sometimes, depending on the circumstances, they hit just right.  Like the time I was driving a truckl...

 He said it might be child abuse.  The doctor, an infectious disease expert, was angry and incredulous because the news story centered on children burning their masks in front of the Idaho state capitol.  The doctor thought these kids were being manipulated into believing that wearing a mask was more an infringement on their rights as Americans than on the health of their fellow citizens. Our country is COVID weary these days.  College students in Boulder, Colorado gathered by the hundreds and unmasked,  partied like there was no tomorrow.  Hopefully, for many of them, there will be many more tomorrows.  Their arrogance and stupidity will soon be forgotten, but when the next uptick in infections correlates with these actions, they will have to pay the band for all their liberated dancing. They may want the pandemic to end, but their behavior says otherwise. It's not enough to be tired of wearing a mask and washing your hands, and social distancing....