Daily Blues & Views

There are some signs of good things ahead, A crow scolds trying to in habit last year's nest, Housing prices have increased everywhere and you Don't always get what you pay for. People still smile and say hello, That's huge in this economy, Everything you've ever subscribed to or given support To has come due at the end of this month, It's not even April 1st, so it can't be whisked away, Tough choices, But pre-schoolers still parade in front of your window, They continue to grab heartstrings, (Does the heart have strings?) There are no strings attached, no? My waistline remains the same, the Giants will play for keeps Next week and I get to buy a 2016 Fishing License, Afternoons lengthen, Rain will continue, for a bit, but some signs, linger and glow, good things ahead.

We met in the morning.  Almost 10 years now.  Most every morning.  10 years now.  It's the time before the day really begins.  The brief stop; the respite.  We share thoughts, ideas, concerns and minor victories and setbacks.  Sometimes we read.  But we share books too.  Movies, politics, religion (sparingly) and outrage. The old guy mostly writes alone in  corner.  Who reads his journal, I wonder?  It appears meticulous. Neatly drawn characters on expensive paper.  Personal, to be sure.  But created in public. There are families.  Children grow and romp inside this oasis.  They begin withdrawn but soon their conquests are shared experience.  They are seen and heard. Once a couple got engaged at one of the tables.  The stage was set, and the ring produced.  Photos, smiles, and coffee all around. The city planner who talks about his wife, though she never appears.  Teachers, retired an...

The current Presidential election season is affording us many new things.  Aside from the apparent hostility on the Republican side, there are a number of other firsts that have so many people on all sides of the political spectrum questioning how we got where we seem to be. In all the descriptions and proposed explanations we hear the word polarized. Yes we are quite polarized as a nation.  Nothing new.  If we know our history, we know the long story of our differences. We know the wars, battles, and tragedies that have resulted.  In fact, a peak at the conversation and costumes currently on display reveals that we haven't really made all that much progress. The candidacy of Donald Trump and his megalomaniac, narcissist, brash toying with the media and his followers has only revealed what was always there.  The racism, intolerance, and dumbed down analysis of the problems and challenges facing this country play perfectly into the hearts and minds of the ha...

I just found out my favorite coffee shop is closing.  I'm in shock.  I'm angry.  I'm disappointed.  I'm miserable.  But I'm not surprised.  My brand began in the Bay Area and like many solid businesses that valued quality, pioneered the spread and enlightenment of quality, politically viable, affordable (for most) products.  We're not talking Starbucks here.  Their coffee is vastly inferior to what I'm talking about. What hurts so much is that it's not just about the coffee.  In fact, it's hardly about the coffee.  I can still get and drink this brand in my home or at a few other spots in my town.  What is really happening here is the destruction of a community. Coffee shops are like watering holes.  They make relationships, friendships, and provide places to gather.  I often meet my student teachers at coffee shops because they are WiFi friendly, warm, accessible places.  They are conveniently located and always...

I'm not sure when I first noticed it.  But President Obama does say it often.  Still his tone is so very different than most of the current crop of candidates.  And I use the term candidates loosely. "Look, these politicos are the most immature, insecure, inept group in a good while."  Why the quotation marks?  That's the point.  Have you ever noticed how many times that politicians respond with a sentence that begins with "Look" or "Listen?"  I have.  Seems like this is a fairly recent occurrence. I submit that it is fairly significant as well. It's the attitude of using this imperative one-word sentence that bugs me.  Not only is it school yard rhetoric, it's definitely the language of power.  It's a commandment for you to stop what your doing and see things my way. If you were ever in an English class that went deep with parts of speech and types of sentences, you might remember the classic one word sentences that were usually ...

The film, "99 Homes"  has been out for awhile.  My guess is that it's audience dwindles when people find out that the subject matter is the recent real estate bust that accompanied the economic turn down of 2008.  Like the Academy Award winning "The Big Short," this is a film about the winners and losers.   But, with a twist.  A hard working single parent living with his son and his mother falls on hard times when construction work get cuts back and ultimately gets foreclosed upon.  The twist comes when he ends up going to work for the very real estate agent that gives him the bad news. What follows is a subtle portray and even more subtle discussion of the value conflict in this culture over property, the American Dream of owning a home, and ultimately playing the game fairly.  Our hero makes some bad decisions in his haste to regain his home.  In fact the definition of the difference between a house and a home lies in the balance. Similarly...

I've always wondered why some people are so intrigued with and ultimately seduced by groups that turn out to be nothing more than cults.  These organizations have authoritarian power structures and seem to be most appealing to people with a certain set of circumstances in their past. I've lost a few friends over the years to the likes of Scientology, EST and a few other lesser known organizations.  Many of those groups have fallen by the wayside, but some stubbornly go on luring new generations of privileged, disaffected, vulnerable folks. I was thinking the other day about specific instances in my past when I came into contact with these groups or their adherants. Back in 1970, in the Bay Area, just walking around in San Francisco or Berkeley would initiate all manner of inquiries from "recruiters."  Scientology used to give out a lengthy questionnaire inviting people to take home this handout and then come to a meeting later in the week.  There were gurus and me...