A Document of Intolerance and Hate

The Texas GOP has released their 2012 platform; I encourage you read it by downloading it here:    http://www.texasgop.org/about-the-party.  It’s an astonishing document, filled with ignorance, intolerance, and outright hate.  And the national GOP Platform promises to be very similar, especially since the GOP has been highjacked by the radical Right.

John T. Harvey, writing for Forbes about the Texas GOP platform, in an article entitled “The Terrifying Texas GOP Platform” writes, “[I]t is difficult to believe that what the Republicans put together during their convention in Fort Worth was even written in the 21st century.”*  And Forbes is generally a conservative publication.  But he’s right--sadly so.  Here are a few quotes I pulled from the document; you can decide for yourself:

From the “Preamble”:  “We STILL hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, . . .”  All “men”?  Still ignoring half the population?  Continuing: “The embodiment of the conservative dream in America is Texas.”  As you will see, that’s just scary.

From the “Principles” section:
“The sanctity of human life, created in the image of God, which should be protected from fertilization to natural death.
”Self-sufficient families, founded on the traditional marriage of a natural man and a natural 
woman.”
It’s not hard to see where this is going.

“Affirmative Action - Inasmuch as the Civil Rights Movement argued against using race as a factor in American life, affirmative action reintroduces race as a divisive force in American life. The Republican Party of Texas believes in equal opportunity for all citizens without regard to race or gender. To that end, we oppose affirmative action.”  Notice the build-in contradiction.

“Protection from Extreme Environmentalists – We strongly oppose all efforts of the extreme environmental groups that stymie legitimate business interests. We strongly oppose those efforts that attempt to use the environmental causes to purposefully disrupt and stop those interests within the oil and gas industry. We strongly support the immediate repeal of the Endangered Species Act. We strongly oppose the listing of the dune sage brush lizard either as a threatened or an endangered species. We believe the Environmental Protection Agency should be abolished.” You can just imagine who was responsible for putting in this plank!  And the dune sage brush lizard?  Well, note this from a West Texas TV web site:  “But some local oil consultants say conserving these habitats could come at the cost of jobs.  Especially with the ground, the lizards reportedly live on oil hot spots, where double the oil can be drilled.”**

“Free Speech for the Clergy - We urge amendment of the Internal Revenue Code to allow a religious organization to address issues without fear of losing its tax-exempt status. We call for repeal of requirements that religious organizations send the government any personal information about their contributors.”  They are apparently unaware of the concept of separation of church and state.

“Voting Rights - We support equal suffrage for all U.S. Citizens of voting age who are not felons. We oppose any identification of citizens by race, origin, or creed and oppose use of any such identification for purposes of creating voting districts.  Voter Rights Act – We urge that the Voter Rights Act of 1965 codified and updated in 1973 be repealed and not reauthorized.”  Again, notice the contradiction.***

You will obey:  “Enforcing the Platform - Every Republican is responsible for implementing this platform. Party candidates should indicate their positions on platform planks before their acceptance on the ticket and such information should be available on the Party website.”

“Religious Symbols - We oppose any governmental action to restrict, prohibit, or remove public display of the Decalogue or other religious symbols.” See earlier remark about separation of church and state.

“Family Values ― We support the affirmation of traditional Judeo-Christian family values and oppose the continued assault on those values.”  Judeo-Christian?  There are other belief systems out there, but not for Texas Republicans.

And quoted in full: “Family and Defense of Marriage ― We support the definition of marriage as a God-ordained, legal and moral commitment only between a natural man and a natural woman, which is the foundational unit of a healthy society, and we oppose the assault on marriage by judicial activists. We call on the President and Congress to take immediate action to defend the sanctity of marriage. We are resolute that Congress exercise authority under the United States Constitution, and pass legislation withholding jurisdiction from the Federal Courts in cases involving family law, especially any changes in the definition of marriage. We further call on Congress to pass and the state legislatures to ratify a marriage amendment declaring that marriage in the United States shall consist of and be recognized only as the union of a natural man and a natural woman. Neither the United States nor any state shall recognize or grant to any unmarried person the legal rights or status of a spouse. We oppose the recognition of and granting of benefits to people who represent themselves as domestic partners without being legally married. We advocate the repeal of laws that place an unfair tax burden on families. We call upon Congress to completely remove the marriage penalty in the tax code, whereby a married couple receives a smaller standard deduction than their unmarried counterparts living together. The primary family unit consists of those related by blood, heterosexual marriage, or adoption. The family is responsible for its own welfare, education, moral training, conduct, and property.”  I’m still trying to figure out what is meant by “a natural man and a natural woman.”

And finally: “Enforcement of the Defense of Marriage Act ― We support the enforcement of the State and Federal Defense of Marriage Act by state and federal officials respectively, and oppose creation, recognition and benefits for partnerships outside of marriage that are being provided by some political subdivisions.”

And this is just a sampling of this extraordinary--and extraordinarily hateful--document.  Please read it.  The national GOP Platform is likely to contain much of the same language, so the Texas Platform is relevant not just to Texas but to all of us.

*http://www.forbes.com/sites/johntharvey/2012/07/01/texas-gop-platform/
**http://www.newswest9.com/Global/story.asp?S=14030079
***http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voter_rights_act

Jake!

Now look at that photograph.  Is that a face that anyone could dislike?  It’s the very picture of innocence, of loving graciousness, of sweetness and light.  And yet no one likes Jake.  So it’s no wonder that Jake doesn’t like anyone else besides me.  Truly, it’s not her fault.

I inherited Jake when her previous owner had a severe asthma attach, which he had tried to avoid by bathing Jake several times a week and by having all of the feet declawed.  All four.  Poor Jake; that would put anyone off humans.  And he named her Jake after a dog he had had as a child; no matter that Jake is female.

And then once I got Jake, the abuse from visitors started immediately, most prominently from my brother, Ken.  Even though Jake never seemed to like people, she never missed the chance to circulate among my visitors and to let them know that she was the boss.  In those days I often had people over for breakfast--sometimes as many as twelve.  Jake always moved among my guests; but should any try to pet her, she would allow it for a few moments and then she would hiss and snarl and people would back off.  Except Ken.  He harassed her constantly when he was around; he paid for that on a number of occasions with bleeding hands: Jake has no claws but she can be very fast with her needle-sharp teeth.  But Jake truly had the last laugh with Ken: I was out of town and Ken was feeding her for me.  One afternoon he and his son, Travis, came by.  I had neglected to mention that sometimes Jake would await my arrival through the garage--by sitting atop the fridge.  Really, I did just forget to tell Ken; it was an honest mistake.  He and Travis entered only to be met by the loud hissing and snarling of Jake looking down at them from atop the fridge.  Oh I wish I could have seen it!  Apparently, they both came close to wetting themselves.  Jake, I have little doubt, was laughing and enjoying every minute of it.

I don’t entertain now that I’ve moved to Chicago.  One guest and my tiny apartment is too crowded.  Jake pretty much acts the same way with my few visitors.  My dear friend Roger is the most regular visitor; he and Jake stay away from one another, each keeping a wary eye out for the other.  Jake completely ignores Edwin, another visitor, by no longer even bothering to come into the living room.

But to me Jake is a complete sweetheart.  We have our rituals, including morning treats, evening canned food, and snuggling most of the night.  We play sometimes, and sometimes I bleed then, but that’s not meanness, that’s just romping around.  I never hold it against her nor punish her.  She gives me great joy, and as she ages and slows down--along with me--we are becoming even closer.  I can’t imagine not having Jake.  I’m sorry that others can’t see those aspects of her character.  Or that she won’t let them.

            Jake assisting me on the computer:         Jake sleeping on warm laundry:

Five Years Today!

It’s hard to believe but as of today I have lived in Chicago for five years.  Five years ago I pulled into the parking lot and entered this apartment for the first time; the movers arrived the next day.  After three days on the road--I took that long since I was traveling with a very unhappy Jake--I was exhausted and full of doubts about whether I had made the right decision.  Chicago?!  Lordy, that’s a big step from Harker Heights, Texas.  And even though I had lived in a number of big cities before, Houston, Dallas, and San Diego, Chicago was a hugely intimidating place.

But the decision to move here was a great one.  I have fallen in love with this remarkable city.  I constantly look around me in wonder: “This is my city?”  I’ve explored many parts of it, but there is much more to know.  But it is indeed my city.

I won’t list everything I love about Chicago; that would be too long and be too tedious for those not lucky enough to live here.  But I will name the top two things: 1. is my friendship with Roger, who encouraged me to move here, for which I’ll always be grateful, and who has remained a dear friend in spite of my irascible character, and 2. the cultural events here, most notably opera.  But then there’s the Art Institute and the Lily Pool and . . .  Damn: I’m listing again.  I could go on and on, but, as promised, won’t.

Five years!  And a great five years it’s been.  I’m ready for five more.

On Becoming a Zombie

On October 24, 2011, I wrote a decidedly unkind blog about Starbucks and those that go there.  I sniped at the baristas (silly term), the monikers for size (“venti”? even sillier) and, especially, the customers.  I called them “Starbucks Zombies” and suggested that all concerned had low intelligence and no taste whatsoever.  I find, almost a year later, that I’m having to eat those words--like a zombie eating a brain. 

My beloved independent coffee shop, Savor the Flavor, has closed (see my July 1 blog), and my friends and I have been set adrift in search of a new morning coffee stop.  The choices?  Starbucks at Sheffield and Diversey, Starbucks at Wrightwood and Racine, Starbucks at Racine and Fullerton, and Starbucks at Wrightwood and Clark.  There are a few independents around, but they are not convenient and involve walking long distances.  We tried Heritage General Store, which has a nice patio area, compliments of the city, but at $3.29 for a cup of coffee and $3.29 for a refill, that’s not much of an option for me; it’s a long walk, too, and once winter returns and the outside areas close, there is hardly any room inside, perhaps because it is also a custom bike shop.  A what?  My thought exactly.  The only other independent coffee shops are simply too far away to walk to conveniently, at least for an old man with bad knees.

So I’m left with Starbucks.  I actually rather like the one at Wrightwood and Racine.  They are friendly, which is rare for Starbucks, and it’s a neighborhood shop away from a busy intersection.  Unfortunately, it’s very small, and once the patio closes this winter, there will be little room for me and my friends to congregate.  And one good friend, Gary J., drives to coffee and has to be concerned with parking, not always easy in this neighborhood. 

The one at Diversey and Sheffield is close--half a block--but is always jammed packed and there are always lines, sometimes out the door.  They’ve remodeled recently, especially the patio, and that’s very nice, but again, once winter comes, all those yuppies are going to be jammed inside.  Parking for Gary J. is good, though.  Maybe if they speed up their service . . .

Parking is not good at the location on Wrightwood and Clark, although Jen likes it there as it’s quite large (I haven’t been yet).  I also haven’t tried the one at Fullerton and Racine, which is close to being too far to walk.

So, every few days we try a different location, including sometimes the The Patio, which is making a very half-hearted effort at a coffee shop where Savor the Flavor used to be.  Good coffee and friendly service, but hardly anything else, and it was always going to be temporary as the space is being converted into a bar at the end of August--or so the rumor goes.

So, like little lost children we wander the neighborhood in search of a decent place to have a good cup of coffee in comfort and in ease.  And it appears that Starbucks will be the winner.  And I’ll be just another Starbucks zombie.  “Well, they are consistent,” says Gary J.  Yes, there is that, but not much else.

New York City!

I love going to New York City!  I suppose if I had all the money in the world I would go much more often.  Until my lottery win comes in, I’ll have to settle for these occasional--but great!--visits.

A summary of this trip:  arrived in NYC to pouring rain and hail!  The shuttle let me out and the driver said the hotel was right around the corner; which it was if you count half a block as around the corner.  I arrived soaked through and through.  And they had Roger and I in a king room; while I'm very fond of Roger, I do not want to share a bed with him.  They had no more doubles, so we ended up in a queen room (don't say it!) with a cot; that actually worked out nicely as the cot was very comfortable--and Roger slept on it.  Mostly relaxing and wandering around that evening--once we dried off.  Roger's flight from Amsterdam was late.

The next day were the beautiful fountains at the 9/11 Memorial; very moving, too.  Then the ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.  The statue was closed as the pedestal is being remodeled and cleaned, but it was nice to walk around it.  Then to Ellis Island where we just took in one exhibit.  Each leg of the journey required standing in line for 30 to 45 minutes--three times standing in huge lines and there was no choice as that's the only way on and off the two islands; by the time we got to Ellis I was in a lot of pain.  Still, I did enjoy the cruise, but I was glad to be back at Battery Park.

That night off to see Ricky Martin and Elena Rogers in Evita.  Both called in sick and their parts were played by understudies!  Just my luck.  Of course understudies on Broadway are hugely accomplished performers, so we loved the show anyway.  But we had gone to see Ricky Martin perform.

Next day was the stunning visit to the terri-cotta warriors exhibit at the Discovery Museum.  These magnificent statues take one's breath away.  They stand about 7 feet tall.  Each face of the 2,000 or so statues is different (only five of the complete statues and a horse were on exhibit, though) is different.  It was truly awe-inspiring to stand in front of these statues.  And there were lots of other items exhibited from the site--including ancient Chinese sex toys.  Oh my!  Who knew?  Anyway, a great, great exhibit and I am so glad I had a chance to see these rarely exported items.

That night was the musical Newsies, probably the best of the three shows we saw.  Predictable plot, good, although not great, music, but I have never seen such dancing in all my life!  Wonderfully exciting.  Here is a sample--and this is the cast we saw (everyone showed up): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3vtPAFA6sY.  Just now seeing it again I found it moving; such a talented bunch of young men.  Imagine two and a half hours of this kind of dancing!  Truly a great evening and that alone would have been worth the trip.

The next day was rain all day, so we mostly stayed in and rested.  My knees and legs were really hurting by now.  Then that night was Peter and the Starcatcher.  What a theatrical experience that was.  It's a total slapstick fantasy.  The premise is an explanation of how Peter Pan came to be Peter Pan and how he ended up in Never Never Land.  I haven't laughed so much in the theater for years.  You can see a pastiche here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZj5yj8SDBA.  The guy who plays Black Stash won the Tony--and he was a delight.  It's not technically a musical, but there are some musical numbers.

The last partial day we loafed and packed and relaxed--much needed.

All told I loved the trip.  The only part that I hated was the standing in line at the ferry and the islands.  Liked to done me in.

And on a side note:  today is the anniversary of New York State granting marriage to same sex couples.  Congratulations, New York.  And those fundamentalist naysayers must just be beside themselves to see it working out so well--and lighting not destroying the whole state.  Nor Massachusetts, nor the other states granting this simple civil right.  Now, when will it come to the other states--and when will the federal government recognize such marriages--and eliminate that dreadful DOMA.  Somehow, I remain hopeful.

Undisturbed Memories

Yesterday, I was downtown at the library looking for a book I had just read a review of, Spider Silk, and glancing around the shelves, as I tend to do in libraries, I saw several volumes by Jean-Henri Fabre; I immediately had a flash back to the past.  Somehow, in elementary school I first ran across the works of this great French naturalist, and fell in love with his writing--enough that I decided to become a naturalist.  That didn’t happen, for reasons I’ll leave for another blog, but I was totally captivated by his books and read all I could find.  So yesterday I pulled one of Fabre’s books from the stacks, a dusty, rebound volume called Fabre’s Book of Insects, translated and published after his death in 1915.  From the look of the pages, I suspect this book has been in the library from its beginning.  I decided, with some hesitation, to check it out.

The hesitation comes from the few times I have tried to read books from my early youth: I have inevitably been disappointed, both with the quality of the writing and my lack of enthusiasm.  There has been, I fear, too many books under the bridge, to wildly mix my metaphors.  I tried The Wind in the Willows, and couldn’t get through it.  Some of the SF novels I devoured in those days have held up better, but many have not.

And some I have been too afraid to try.  If I had to pick the most influential author of those very early years it would without a doubt be Richard Halliburton.  I poured over the works of this mostly forgotten adventurer and writer, reading each volume multiple times.  I wanted to be him and follow him on his travels and, no doubt about it, I was more than a little bit in love with him, too.  So a few years ago I had a chance to purchase an autographed copy of  The Royal Road to Romance.  But I’ve never had the courage to reread it.  My memories of these books are . . . well, sacred, in a way, and I can’t bear the thought of reading them again after all these years and finding, perhaps, that he wasn’t as good a writer as I remember, or the adventures are not as exciting.  I like to think I’m not hooked on the past, but in this case, at least, I want the past to remain unsullied.  I don’t see myself reading The Royal Road to Romance any time soon.

Thus I picked up the Fabre with great misgivings.  And I am delighted to report that the book is just as wonderful as I remember!  Fabre was a self-taught naturalist, and he always wrote from an autobiographical point of view--he is always a part of his reporting with no attempt at objectivity.  And his writing is as rich and personal and inventive as any modern naturalist.  What a pleasure to read this book again and be delighted just as much as I was 60 years ago.

Here’s a quote from Fabre’s Book of Insects, one that captures what I’m talking about; this is the closing of the chapter on cicadas:  “Four years of hard work in the darkness, and a month of delight in the sun--such is the Cicada’s life.  We must not blame him for the noisy triumph of his song.  For four years he has dug the earth with his feet, and then suddenly he is dressed in exquisite raiment, provided with wings that rival the bird’s, and bathed in heat and light!  What cymbals can be loud enough to celebrate his happiness, so hardly earned, and so very, very short?”  Wow!

So, maybe I’ll open up The Royal Road to Romance soon.  Or maybe not.  I want Richard Halliburton enshrined in my memory as he was then, untarnished by the passage of my time.

All Good Things . . .

Today was the last day for Savor the Flavor, the local coffee house that has made such a huge difference in my life.  I am terribly sad to see it close, but I am heartened by two things: one is my friendship with the amazing owner of Flavor, Geri; and second is that I am excited for Geri as she moves on to a new adventure in her life.

Geri has had Savor open for eight years; I’ve been going about four.  In the last three or so I’ve become a regular--as in every day except Sunday, sitting in the same corner, drinking the same coffee.  “The Old Man in the Corner,” as Geri affectionately calls me.  Going to Savor every morning has become a ritual I delight in.  And I’ve met some wonderful people there, too, most I hope to continue to see semi-regularly, wherever we end up having our morning coffee; others have become close friends, and we’ll stay in regular touch.

But besides having a great coffee shop, Geri has had a greater impact: she has changed the community.  Many of the regulars have lived near each other for some time, but through Geri, and Savor, they have become friends.  Geri has made a difference in the community of Lincoln Park.  And we are all grateful.

Geri’s approach to customers was unique for a business.  She introduced herself to every customer and asked his or her name.  After two or three visits, she would remember your name.  She always had a smile and made everyone feel like they were special.  So many businesses could learn from Geri.

Today was the last day.  I made it by twice.  I had intended to stay to the bitter end, but my lousy knee was in terrific pain today--I could barely walk.  So I hobbled home before she closed for the last time.  That’s probably just as well.  I’m a sentimental old fool, and I would have been in tears, no doubt.
 

I wish you luck Geri.  And I know that wherever you go and whatever you do, you’ll continue to make a change in the world--a change for the better.

Love you, Kiddo!