Magical memories of Marc Chagall

120 years ago today, Moishe Shagal, the artist who would become better known as Marc Chagall, was born in the town of Vitebsk in the then Russian Empire. His long life spanned years of revolution, world war, and great artistic movements. His art used vivid color and iconic imagery to evoke a deep spirituality. He painted in his own language of symbols and metaphor to portray a world filled with meaning. I have two small but personal connections to Chagall's work.

His ceramic mosaic "Four Seasons" graces downtown Chicago in what is now known as Chase Tower Plaza (once better known as First National Plaza, it's undergone a few name changes over the years due to various bank buyouts and mergers). I first saw and admired the large stone wall covered with small colored tiles at the age of 14, when I came as a tourist to the city that would eventually become my home. It was a special trip for me, because I was the solo accompanyist for my father on his business trip, having left my siblings and mother behind in Maryland. The memories from that visit will always hold a magical place in my heart, and whenever I am in the vicinity of Chagall's mosaic now, I make sure to pay homage.

My other personal encounter with the works of Chagall was on a visit to Nice in 2000. I had gotten a surprise last-minute invitation to a college friend's wedding taking place on the French Riviera. I don't get many excuses to fly off to that part of the world, so I accepted the chance invite. It was a fun adventure and a very happy time for me, embarking as I was on the start of my own personal partnership. Although there is much to see in the region, which is home to Cannes, Menton (site of the wedding) and Monaco, I was particularly drawn to the working class character of Nice. The city, it turned out, is also home to the Musée Nationale Message Biblique Marc Chagall, which focuses on his biblical paintings and stained glass. Viewing the art there was one of the highlights of the trip, and Chagall again became entwined with very pleasant memories.

Treating a cancer in the White House

Today is the 61st birthday of our dear leader King George W, so I thought I might give him a proper tribute. Things haven't gone so well lately for the Emperor with Closed Mind, but I'll do my best to cheer him up so he's not too crabby on this his special day.

First, he should know that there are others out there besides the neo-cons who are applauding his little maneuver to spring Scooter. Here's a very informative piece written by former Monty Pythoner Terry Jones congratulating our prez on his new found madness for mercy: A president transformed. I, like Mr. Jones, am brimming with positive expectation that this is the turning of a new leaf and the start of the compassionate conservative era that was promised once upon a time.

Second, there's some hopeful news in the stars. It turns out that it's not too late for this Chief Executioner to change his deadly ways. For George and all the other cancers out there in the world, here is an instructive little horoscope I found on the Los Angeles Times website:

Cancer (June 22-July 22). Education and tolerance go hand in hand. When you know more about the lives others are leading, you can respect their choices. By exploring the way others live, you gain sophistication of thought.

Education and tolerance, those are two magic words that could salvage Georgie's legacy yet. Picking up books and newspapers could be the start of a whole new Bush burning with optimism's flame. It's hard for a man to be so isolated from the folks he serves and gain that sought after sophistication of thought, so maybe George can walk a mile in our shoes before sending us all off to Guantanamo for choosing to fight for such crazy notions as freedom of speech.

George could spend some time in the fields, picking fruit with the immigrant workers he wants to extort before granting amnesty. He could spend some time in the inner cities breathing the particulate matter choked air that his friends in the fossil fuel industry want to continue polluting. He can take the long 3-bus ride from my neighborhood down to the only public hospital in Chicago serving the uninsured, to see what it's like for the tens of millions of Americans with no way to pay for quality health care.

Granted, that's a lot to do for a lame duck with only 18 months left in office, but real education isn't easy or quick. It's a birthday gift that will keep on giving, and you'll thank me George when you're finally able to sleep at night no longer tortured by the demons of your unforgiveable sins.

Night time is the rite time for jazz

Last night, I ventured out with a small group from the neighborhood to visit the Velvet Lounge on the south side of Chicago, where our friend Jimmy Bennington is playing two dates on drums with the Julian Priester Trio. We've been checking out Jimmy regularly at our local coffee haunt the Ennui Café, where he plays a couple sets of amazingly evocative rhythms every Sunday evening.

Seattle trombonist and Chicago native Julian Priester, who give his name to the combo, has played with such jazz and blues legends as Muddy Waters, Dinah Washington, Sun Ra, Lionel Hampton, Art Blakey, Herbie Hancock and McCoy Tyner, among others (check out the Wikipedia article on Mr. Priester for a more complete list of his accomplishments and some good links to more info). Rounding out the group, and making the trip up from Missouri, is bassist Eric Warren who blew away the audience with his mastery of every part of the instrument.

I know some folks don't appreciate Jazz, especially when it branches into more abstract territory, but for me the experience of sitting in a darkened room listening to the primal rhythms and ethereal tones verges on the transcendental. As some might find the sacred in the intonations of religious texts, I encounter a very vibrant spirituality in these blues tinged notes.

Last night, I had a seat in the front and center of the room, and staring up at the commanding, spotlit figure of Mr. Priester, his trombone slide pushing out at me in mesmerizing jabs, I felt myself transported back to the church pew of my youth. Bathed in the liquid, thumping bass notes, the winding, pulsing brass melodies, and the shimmering, cascading drum beats, my mind was cleansed of everyday distractions and transported to a meditative calm that helped me appreciate life a little more.

Tonight, the Julian Priester Trio will work their magic for one more night. If you can make it down to the city's near south side, I highly recommend it.

Spongy take on Hyperion misses out on life

There is an interesting story from NASA today as their Cassini spacecraft has beamed back some new details about the surface of Saturn's moon Hyperion (see the story Hydrocarbons, Necessary For Life, Found On Saturn's Moon Hyperion from Science Daily). The images and analysis NASA got from Cassini reveal craters that contain hydrocarbons, which are the basic building blocks for life.

Under the right conditions, when mixed with ice and ultraviolet light, these molecules can take on biological significance, so it's one more little scientific tease in the search for extraterrestrial life. It's very heady stuff, but it's not the angle that most of today's headlines are taking with the story. Instead, if you peruse the Google News links on the story, you'll see that most trumpet the odd appearance of the moon, which is described as resembling a large sponge (see Saturnian Moon Looks Like Giant Bath Sponge from FOX-News as one example). Due to its extreme porousness, the moon's surface preserves a permanent record of the impacts it's had with space debris, leading to this visual comparison.

Maybe it's my penchant for looking beyond surface details, but the life-forming space dust discovery seems like the much more interesting story. Then again, I can see why news outlets such as FOX-News have an equally stong attraction for avoiding anything that delves beneath appearances — science, facts and details can be a bit messy and lead people to do some critical thinking, which always gets in the way of a good daily dose of info-tainment.

Click here to get the full report on Cassini from the NASA site

Musical takes on Independence Day ... Part III (reprise)

My final contribution to this series of musical July 4th posts is actually a revival of a song I blogged about to commemorate this past March's 4th anniversary of the start of the Iraq War. It's by local favorite and friends, Old No. 8.

On this date, many people try to remember the brave soldiers who have fought in our country's name. The fireworks we fire are in fact a less lethal representation of the rockets red glare from battles waged to forge an identity for this mixed bag of a nation.

The causes of some wars are more honorable than others, but that's not to diminish the courage and integrity of the men and women who have fought in the full belief that their efforts are safeguarding our most cherished ideals. Any and all shame that is to be directed in the aftermath of an unjust war, is most justly laid at the feet of the leaders who initiated the violence.

When we recall with partriotic fervor past wars, and spin their outcomes to our best use, let's never forget the lives lost and irreparable harm done by them. Let's always think of the personal costs paid and sacrifices made by our young soldiers and their families, so that it gives us pause before waging any more. This song, Take Your Ticket, aptly captures the breadth of the tragedy of a misbegotten war, both in physical life lost and the deep spiritual injury to our ideals.

(Detail from photo of Arlington National Cemetery courtesy of Andrew Bossi)

Musical takes on Independence Day ... Part II

The second song I use to commemorate this holiday is a fitting salute to the contradictory nature of ourselves and our country: Ashes of American Flags by Wilco. It perfectly touches upon the American psyche — torn between our ideals and our reality, the lies we tell ourselves that aren't meant to be hurtful but self-preserving.

Overwhelmed by rampant consumerism and apathy, we've lost our poetic voice that once moved the souls of nations. It's not too late to reclaim it and be reborn, but we'll need to get past our fears of change and aspire to things greater than keeping a nice lawn. Rebirth can be painful, but it's necessary in order to save ourselves.

Ashes Of American Flags
by Wilco

The cash machine is blue and green
For a bundle of twenties and a small service fee
I could spend three dollars and sixty-three cents
On Diet Coca-Cola and unlit cigarettes

I wonder why we listen to poets when nobody gives a fuck
How hot and sorrowful, this machine begs for luck
All my lies are always wishes
I know I would die if I could come back new

We want a good life with a nose for things
The fresh wind and bright sky to endure my suffering
I'm a hole without a key if I break my tongue
Oh, speaking of tomorrow, how will it ever come?

All my lies are always wishes
I know I would die if I could come back new

I'm down on my hands and knees
Every time a doorbell rings
I shake like a toothache
When I hear myself sing

All my lies are only wishes
I know I would die if I could come back new

I would like to salute
The ashes of American flags
And all the fallen leaves
Filling up shopping bags

Musical takes on Independence Day ... Part I

The Fourth of July holiday has always provoked a complexity of emotion and thought in me. It's symbolic of so much — personal, political, and philosophical — that's it's often hard to get a grasp on specific impressions. To help with that endeavor, I'm posting lyrics for songs that I think capture the various spirits of the day.

First, this song by Van Morrison, which for me is especially evocative of one side of the holiday. There are few more pleasant memories than of sitting with friends and family in a park mid-Summer, watching the night sky light up with color. Even now, in a city such as Chicago, we drink in our nice Summer days as one would savor a fine wine. There is also a sadness to the song, imparting a sense of imminent departure, which has also resonated with me.

Almost Independence Day
by Van Morrison

I can hear them calling way from Oregon
I can hear them calling way from Oregon
And it's almost Independence Day

Me and my lady, we go steppin' (we go steppin')
We go steppin' way out on China town
All to buy some Hong Kong silver
And the wadin' rushing river (we go steppin')
We go out on the, out on the town tonight

I can hear the fireworks
I can hear the fireworks
I can hear the fireworks
Up and down the, up and down the San Francisco bay
Up and down the, up and down the San Francisco bay
I can hear them echoing
I can hear, I can hear them echoing
Up and down the, up and down the San Francisco bay

I can see the boats in the harbor (way across the harbor)
Lights shining out (lights shining out)
And a cool, cool night
And a cool, cool night across the harbor
I can hear the fireworks
I can hear the people, people shouting out
I can hear the people shouting out (up and down the line)
And it's almost Independence Day

I can see the lights way out in the harbor
And the cool, and the cool, and the cool night
And the cool, and the cool, and the cool night breeze
And I feel the cool night breeze
And I feel, feel, feel the cool night breeze
And the boats go by
And it's almost Independence Day
And it's almost, and it's almost Independence Day

Way up and down the line

July Fourth: Commemorating Independence

On this date in 1776, the Second Continental Congress of the American Colonies adopted a document called the Declaration of Independence, which was mostly authored by Thomas Jefferson. It is in honour of that incendiary proclamation that today's eponymously named holiday, July Fourth, was created, but the true spirit of the document and our nation's birth has been lost among the incessant drone of false patriotism meant to preserve a system grown bloated with corruption.

I know many will interpret my words as rebellious, idealistic, hyperbolic and possibly seditious, but that's exactly how I want to commemorate this quintessential piece of political rhetoric and that is how Jefferson's taunting of the British monarchy was perceived when written 231 years ago. Atop a list of grievances against the laws and actions of King George III, Jefferson crafted a series of statements that inspired revolutions around the world.

It was an initial and mortal volley against imperialism. It shined a beacon across the globe that drew countries toward the principles of democratic, republican government. Unfortunately, that beacon has dimmed from our shores and been overtaken by quite a different signal beaming messages of corporate greed and exploitation in the service of a new kind of imperialism that seeks global economic hegemony. We as Americans need to hold up the looking glass, cast a penetrating gaze at ourselves, and determine if our government has lost its way. Are we becoming the tyrants we once expelled? Is it time for a new revolution?

Below, I include Jefferson's first paragraphs, which we should always keep in mind, but especially keep close on this day of celebration. Read the words with an open mind, not as some historical record to be archived and forgotten, but as a testament to human freedom and equality. and a call to action for those suffereing under the misrule of leaders trying to suppress those rights. Use this holiday as a day to question the prevailing social order, and as a day of reckoning for our wayward administration.

Ask yourselves what meaning the Declaration of Independence has in the context of the current xenophobic public debate over immigration, which tries to exalt native citizens as due more rights than those seeking to join us. Ask yourselves whose interests our current government, bought and sold by corporate lobbyists, is serving. Ask yourselves what right our leaders have to extend their reach into other sovreign nations, setting up puppet dictatorships that pursue a narrow agenda of pernicious profiteering. Exert your own personal independence by rising above the cacophony of propaganda to carry out your duty to establish "new guards" for our present and future security.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

An odd pair of literary birthdays

July 3rd marks the birthdates of two writers I admire: Franz Kafka (1883) and Tom Stoppard (1937). Each authored a personal favorite work of fiction, and there is an element of existentialism and absurdity in both pieces, which is what drew me to them.

Kafka's work is much darker, and reflects the more tragic nature of his life and early death at the hands of Tuberculosis. He is probably best known for The Metamorphosis, his very odd tale of Gregor Samsa who one morning finds himself transformed into a giant insect. Gregor futiley tries to adjust to his new reality, which becomes a burden to him and his family. There's no attempt to explain how or why Gregor has changed, and the absurdity and irreversibility of his condition are accepted by himself and those around him. It's an interesting but depressing meditation on the fragility of self and the weight of circumstance.

Unlike Kafka, Tom Stoppard has had a long, prolific and popular run writing for the stage and screen. His first play was Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, which had particular appeal for me due to its riff on Shakespeare's Hamlet. The play's universe can be as absurd as Kafka's, but the action is lighter in mood. It's a much more playful pondering on destiny. The action focuses on what happened to these two minor Shakespearean characters while off-stage behnind the Bard's curtain.

Their untimely demise is sealed by the foretold lines of the framing piece, and although they have an inkling that something is not quite right in this state of Denmark, they meet their unwitting fate with undying charm and wit. The play opens with the two wagering over coin tosses. Incredibly, the coin keeps coming up heads, a fact that Guildenstern finds disturbing but that Rosencrantz sees as a mere coincidence. Sometimes Fate deals you a strange hand, but it's always best to make the most of what we're given. Even if it seems we don't have much say in the way things are playing out, we are always free to choose just how we'll face up to those sometimes daunting circumstances.

Life imitates art: Big birds and little men

Recently, the science-related headlines seem to be plucked from our favorite fictional titles. Whether it's the discovery of new planets and solar systems, Martian oceans and caverns, giant penguin bones, or hobbit-like fossils, the mind reels at the echoes with our favorite stories and fables. It's ripe material for me to speculate on the nature of myth and the power of the human imagination.

The news story du jour is of an ancient bird species called Argentavis magnificens that 6 million years ago glided over the pampas of present-day Argentina. Weighing over 150 pounds with a 23-foot wingspan, it's fun to imagine the great birds wheeling through the sky in search of prey (see Ancient American bird was glider from BBC News). It also puts all of us Lord of The Rings geeks into a reverie recalling the giant eagles J.R.R. Tolkien described coming to his heroes' rescue.

This comes on the heels of the discovery of the remains of a hobbit-like hominid that lived in Indonesia as recently as 18,000 years ago. Homo floresiensis was described as small, big-footed, and inhabiting caves, and the story put all hobbit-o-philes into a hopeful tizzy that their favorite fictional creatures might have a basis in fact. There is a new book on the discovery that is reviewed at American Scientist Online (see Choosing One's Relatives); and if you think I'm exaggerating how seriously some take such news, in my online wanderings to research this post I found out about a book called Quest for Middle Earth that treats Tolkien as history (see the press release Is the Lord of the Rings Real History?).

So, what's going on here? Are these discoveries really proving that Tolkien was writing about real-world events? Was there a Middle Earth inhabited by supernatural elves, orcs, hobbits and wizards? Did the author's creative subconscious tap into a lost history of our world that informed his mythical account? Did Frodo Baggins exist? Of course not, but asking such questions illustrates an important point. It's in the realm of myth that these stories have their true power, and trying to re-interpret them within the context of science actually diminishes them to the point of absurdity.

The story Tolkien created in the Lord of The Rings series has captured the imaginations of generations of readers, leaving a lasting impression. There are important cultural lessons in its fictive universe, warning us of the corrupting influence of greed and the dangerous grip of the lust for power. Written as the implications of Industrialization began to manifest themselves more clearly, and describing the Faustian bargain of apparent social progress coming at the expense of our natural environment and spiritual well-being, the novels can be seen as an urgent call to action on many levels. Tolkien's story has the power of truth on a cultural and moral level, but that doesn't mean it is a scientific account of physical reality.

If you couldn't tell, my rambling post is meant to reveal parallels to the current controversy over Intelligent Design. Creationists get very angry with folks who describe the Bible as myth, as if that depiction relegates it to insignificance. These literalists like to argue that Genesis is a historical record of the Earth's creation, proving our planet to be a mere 6,000 years old. In the face of the overwhelming scientific evidence to the contrary, such claims actually undermine the Bible's relevance. The real power of the Garden of Eden story is as metaphor, and all of its readers should appreciate the artfulness of its imagery, which emotionally and spiritually captures the moment humanity gained consciousness.

As much as devotees may want to believe in a real hobbits and talking serpents, the characters of both Tolkien and Genesis only make sense within the bounds of our imagination. It's fun to mix fable with fact, literature with science, but each has its own separate and critically important role.

Changing the world, spreading the love

Over at the new and improved Climate of Our Future (COOF) blog, my co-author Deborah and I have started a new award meme that is meant to recognize blogs we think are making a difference. It's called Bloggers for Positive Global Change, and it's intentionally a pretty broad description of what we and those around us are trying to do in our little corner of the blogosphere.

The COOF post is pretty focused on fellow authors of environmental sites, so I wanted to use this Caught In The Stream blog to single out some folks who are working for change in a little different way. Blogs that create positive change can come in many different forms, and they pop up in some unexpected places — like flowers pushing up through the cracks of drab city sidewalks.

These difference-making blogs may simply offer a sharing of knowledge that empowers readers to contribute to this little Web 2.0 experiment of ours. They may be a more personal sharing of a perspective or an experience that gives readers a view to the world they didn't have before. Most basically, the award is about acknowledging those who have touched us in some way to make our lives a little richer.

Below are 5 of my favorite blogs to visit, in alphabetical order. I hope they will likewise tag 5 of their faves and this meme will perpetuate through the blogosphere in a positive rippling.

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• Binding Ink — Jeane, nom de plume the Poetress, is a writer who treats us to poems and stories that blend fiction and reality. She gives us an interesting and enlightening perspective on life and its lessons. Here's how she describes her site:
  
  

  Creative Writings for the Soul! Covering all the Humanities from poetry, literature, philosophy, even humor!

• Goodness Graciousness — I was first introduced to Jennifer's site through her Hold the Vision meme where she challenged her readers to write about the world they wanted to create. She has a wonderfully postiive outlook on life. Here's how she describers herself:
  

  I'm in awe of the wonders of the universe, curious about pretty much everything, and passionate about life, relationships, and creativity. In my non-cyber life I play many roles including a ... mental health therapist, yoga instructor, and musician.

• It's a Woman's World — Deborah pointed me to Lynda's site, so I could get a much needed alternative perspective. Here is the author's description of this well-written blog that delves into the complexities of being a woman:
  

  Women are the backbone of the world! We carry the weight of the world on our perfectly sculpted shoulders, we carry the waters of birth, we carry on the family tradition, plus, we are gorgeous, sexy, sassy, and may be domesticated, or NOT!!!! Many men have reminded me that it IS a man's world, and, that is fine... I was not being literal when I named this blog, when I designed this blog, I was thinking that within this blog, lies a woman's world...

• Odlum Online — This is a great site for all web geek wannabes. Andrew has a real knack for explaining web design very simply and clearly. His goal is to give readers the tools to contribute to the online world, and that's a very powerful gift. Here's how he describes his site:
  

  Odlum Online is devoted to exploring the internet and explaining all of the elements of web page design in an easy to understand way. Come learn along with me as I try to make web page design accessible to everyone.

• The Thinking Blog — If you're a member of the Social blogging network MyBloglog, than I'm sure you've encountered Ilker Yoldas' site. It is just as its name indicates, a blog meant to provoke its readers to think, and critical thinking is an attribute that we all neeed to develop more if we're going to change the world for the better. The wide ranging topics certainly capture the diversity of subject matter that I personally favor. I also proudly display the Thinking Blogger Award conceived by Ilker. Here's the author's apt description of the site:
  

  The Thinking Blog is more than just a frequently-updated source of amusing facts and interesting information. It is a stream of consciousness intended to be succinct and thought provoking. A cornucopia of eclectic topics aiming to examine a range of exciting ideas, inspirational technologies and cultural curiosities. There is something for everyone; from serious to humorous, for deep and light-hearted thinkers alike.

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Meme Rules

It's easy to participate in this meme. At minimum, you can proudly display the BPGC badge (it's available in two varieties: Transparent GIF and JPEG with white background) on your blog and bask in the glow of our collective good will. If you are sharing the kudos, however, please make sure you pass this list of rules to the blogs you are tagging.

The participation rules are simple:

1. When you get tagged, write a post with links to up to 5 blogs that you think are trying to change the world in a positive way.
2. In your post, make sure you link back to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme.
3. Leave a comment or message for the bloggers you're tagging, so they know they're now part of the meme.
4. Optional: Proudly display the "Bloggers For Positive Global Change" award badge with a link to the post that you write up.

History lesson: You can't put the lid back on Pandora's box

39 years ago on July 1st, 62 nations put pen to paper and promised that the nuclear haves would not spread the lethal wealth to the have-nots. A couple major power players didn't sign on to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty until well after 1968 (France and China finally played nice in 1992), and some never have (Israel, India and Pakistan, for example).

Unfortunately, the lure of joining the nuclear club was too great for a few "rogue" nations, and the clique has gotten a little less exclusive in the intervening years. Recently, we've seen two more prospective members knocking on the clubhouse door, hoping to add more menace to their reputation as evildoers. There are also the non-state agents trolling the blackmarket in search of some filth to add to their dirty bombs. Technology isn't an easy thing to keep a lid on, especially when the possession of it gives the owners a distinct advantage in the global political arena.

As our Defense department pursues cutting-edge research through its DARPA arm to gain military advantage over potential adversaries, we should keep in mind how hard it was to put the nuclear genie back in the bottle. Once we open a new Pandora's box of laser wielding drones or killer nanobots or morphing chembots (see DARPA Seeks Shape-Shifting War Robots), there will be bad guys out there who want to get their hands on the technology. A piece of paper signed by international diplomats isn't going to do much to stop them.

Back in the 1970s, the Weirdos wrote a lovely little punk ditty about the joys of weapons ownership. Sometimes you just can't keep a good (or bad) thing to yourself.

We Got The Neutron Bomb
by The Weirdos

We got the neutron bomb,
We got the neutron bomb
We got the neutron,
Gonna drop it all over the place
Yer gonna get it on yer face
Foreign aid from the land of the free
But don't blame me

We got the neutron bomb,
We got the neutron bomb
We got the neutron,
Don't understand, you don't know what you mean
We don't want you we want your machines
United Nations and NATO won't do
It's just the red, white and blue

We got the neutron bomb,
We got the neutron bomb
We got the neutron,
That's the way it's gotta be
Survivial of the fittest is the way it's gonna be
We don't want it, we don't want it,
Don't blame me
We don't want it, we don't want it,
Don't blame me

Behold what we have wrought ...

... a new website for the other blog I contribute to: Climate of Our Future.

I've been working hard with COOF driving force Deborah to move the site to its own domain with a new spiffy layout. Today was the great unveiling, so stop on by to get the latest news on climate change and the environment.

Getting a head start on Bush's legacy

Historians usually wait until a president has passed on before settling on a legacy he's left behind from his term in office. Considering how early we're jumpstarting the 2008 Election, I thought I'd take the opportunity now to review a few leavings from George W's years of misrule.

My main provocation for the effort is today's news that the Supremely Reactionary Court has taken the country back another step toward its golden years of repression and discrimination (see Across U.S., a New Look at School Integration Efforts from the New York Times).

This follows the absurd ruling from earlier in the year where the conservative block, anchored by Bush's appointments (Alito and Roberts, the titular supreme supreme), sided with the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Corporation, which openly discriminated against a female employee by giving her smaller raises than her male counterparts (see US supreme court v women from the Guardian Unlimited).

The make-up of the court, and the damage that they do to civil rights and constitutional law going forward will certainly be one of Georgie's most lasting legacies, but it's not the only detrimental detritus that has fallen from his office. The Iraq War and its prosecution will certainly rank among the greatest US boondoggles, sapping the strength of our economy as it consumes the lives of our young soldiers. The trickle down affect from this little piece of neo-conservative pocket-lining has already begun, siphoning off funding from our city, county and state governments and costing us needed social services.

The legacy doesn't end there of course. Let's not forget the Prez's environmental track record, with his refusal to sign on to Kyoto and his Dick Cheney conspired energy policy that handsomely rewarded a fossil fuel industry that is churning the carbon into our atmosphere and charring our earth with drought and the other deleterious byproducts of an unstable climate.

Speaking of the Vice Lord, the news has been filled with outrage over his his recent refusal to disclose documents that could reveal just how illegal and unethical the tenure of this administration has been (see Cheney, master of stealth, readies himself for the final act of 'imperial' vice-presidency from the Independent). The Bushies have shown an amazing ability to circumvent the most time-honored and sacrosanct provisions of our Constitution. Whether it's creating extra-judicial procedures for enemy combatants, using signing statements to infringe on the legislative branch, abrogating habeus corpus, or illegally executing wiretaps, their sins have been great and their penetance lacking.

So after a literally torturous 8 years in office, these fine exploiters of people and resources will depart back to their darkened corporate boardrooms to count their winnings and revel in the waste to which our country and its founding principles have been laid. As they pack up their belongings and vacate the White House, the decimated Nation should join together with requisite venom and sing the last verse of Bob Dylan's Masters of War:

And I hope that you die
And your death'll come soon
I will follow your casket
In the pale afternoon
And I'll watch while you're lowered
Down to your deathbed
And I'll stand o'er your grave
'Til I'm sure that you're dead

Wishing a happy birthday to a prince of a man

Author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was born in Lyons, France on this date in 1900. He wrote and illustrated one of the most popular children's books: The Little Prince.

It's been many years since I read Saint-Exupéry's work, but the images of it are still strongly set in my mind. The young boy Prince caring for his rose on the small asteroid he inhabits. The grown narrator trying to make sense of the boy he meets in the desert.

I also remember being especially captivated by the exotic nature of his name — just the sound of it seemed to indicate to my young mind some special, almost mystical weightiness.

There are certainly lessons in the book that we can only appreciate after having lived a number of years and made the usual adult mistakes. We all have roses we've tamed and become responsible for, and it takes time for us to realize how important in our lives they've become. Taking a step back to look at the world anew with child-like eyes, can certainly impart some much needed and deceptively simple wisdom.

Hold the vision: We are the one!

In the course of my daily promenade through the blogosphere, I happened upon an interesting meme that's going around courtesy of Jennifer Jones' Goodness Graciousness site (thanks to Jeane at Binding Ink for bringing it to my attention). Jennifer's seemingly simple request: "Blog about your vision of what is possible" (see Hold the Vision - You are officially tagged for her much more eloquent description of the meme).

I've always been a believer in the power of vision and the ability of the creative imagination to positively influence the world, so this is an idea I whole heartedly embrace. I could probably write pages on the subject, but I'll limit myself to a single notion that I think will help move us forward.

Today we find ourselves entering an epoch of human history that demands we set aside the constraining ideologies of the past and pull together to solve the daunting challenges that confront each of us equally. The threats are many and inter-related; ranging from our environment, to our physical and mental well-being, to our economic stability.

Our society is increasing characterized by polarization along political, theological and philosophical lines. In almost every case, the belief systems that inform these debates have become outdated, and make little sense in the context of modern times. Unfortunately, its their connection to the past that cements adherents' resolve not to relinquish them. Nostalgia is gaining an ever greater hold on people's imaginations, and fearing the uknowable future they try to move society backward to an idyllic time that never existed.

In contrast, just as subjectively we're isolating ourselves into warring camps, technological advances are creating the conditions to erase old boundaries and dividing lines. Information is flowing freely across the fiber that wires the continents together, and our collective consciousness is growing more aware of the possibility for united action. The strength we'll find in our common causes can overcome any individual self-limiting doubts. Opening ourselves up to this new paradigm, exposing our inner selves to the world in a Garden of Eden nakendness, and freely transmitting our talents and labors to all that can use them are the first steps toward building a new world.

The operative motivator right now has to be universal compassion. Our choices have to be informed by an understanding of what the least fortunate among us face in life, and that empathy can't be limited to any specific racial, ethnic, sexual, religious or national identity group. It's only by ensuring the well-being of the worst off around the globe that we can safeguard our own.

That is my vision for the world; one that truly embraces the best characteristics of the various spiritual traditions from around the globe and moves beyond the petty desire to prove the supremacy of a particular ideology. The punk band The Avengers described this idea much less prosaically in their song "we are the one." (Check out Penelope Houston's website devoted to the band and her solo music.)

we are the one
lyrics and music by Penelope Houston, G. Ingraham, D. O'Brien, J. Wilsey

we are the leaders of tomorrow
we are the one to have the fun
we want control we want the power
not gonna stop until it comes

we are not Jesus Christ
we are not fascist pigs
we are not capitalist industrialists
we are not communists
we are the one

we will build a better tomorrow
the youth of today will be the tool
american children built for survival
fate is our destiny and we shall rule

we are not Jesus Christ
we are not fascist pigs
we are not capitalist industrialists
we are not communists
we are the one

I am the one who shows you the future
I am the one who buries the past
a new species rise up from the ruins
I am the one that was made to last

we are not Jesus Christ
we are not fascist pigs
we are not capitalist industrialists
we are not communists
we are the one

IBM supercomputer: Next step HAL?

Technology giant IBM has created the "fastest commercial" supercomputer capable of performing an astronomical number of calculations in one second. That kind of supercomputing power will allow scientists to carry on some pretty mind boggling work, and in all likelihood lead to some important technological advances.

Whether the real-world application of this work will be to the greater benefit is an open question that will depend on who is in control of the technology. Unfortunately, under the current social and political conditions, it's hard to be optimistic.

IBM's machine outstrips another supercomputer just debuted by Sun Microsystems. Here's an excerpt from the Guardian Unlimited's coverage:

Blue Gene/P is expected to be almost three times more powerful than its predecessor, and will run continuously at speeds of around 1 petaflop - one quadrillion calculations a second. It is also claimed to be more energy efficient than its rivals.
(see Scientists battle to build biggest supercomputer for the full story)

It brings to mind Stanley Kubrik's 2001: A Space Odyssey and its existentially challenged computer run amok. As you may recall, that computer was named HAL as an inside joke referring to the very same IBM, being a sequence one letter removed from the corporate moniker.

The more powerful our computers become and the wider their reach grows, the closer we get to realizing the kind of artificial intelligence that science fiction writers have depicted over the past few decades. In many cases those tale tellers have imagined worst case scenarios in which the technology comes back to haunt mankind, fulfilling the tragically necessary repayment of our hubris at mimicking the role of supreme being.

Getting beyond such doom and gloom, I instead like to ponder the ontological consequences of a truly artifical human intelligence. One possibility is that such a development could lead to the obsolescence of our very own mental powers, as we rely on computers to handle the intellectual chores necessary to take our civilization further, relegating ourselves to a simulated environment where our minds can float off into nothingness.

Yet again, maybe it will lead to a new evolutionary step for the human race, expanding the breadth of our own consciousness, connecting us all together in a way that we can harness our limited individual perspectives to achieve a greater, fully faceted awareness.

Digging into the CIA's past: When is a mobster a good guy?

We get few opportunities to peek behind the curtain of our government and see all the cloak and dagger activity that's carried out in our name. Today, just such a rare opportunity was granted to us as almost 700 pages of documents were released by the CIA detailing activities in the 60s and 70s that its own agents deemed questionable. The report was made available through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and is creatively nicknamed "Family Jewels." It contains a littany of misconduct, even by Cold War spy standards.

The incident that will get the most coverage in the media is the 1960 attempt to arrange the assassination of Fidel Castro using a Chicago mob boss upset at the foreign leader's negative impact on the Cosa Nostra's Cuban operations. It turns out that the mafia and feds do sometimes have common interests. In case you thought the cozy relationship between anti-terror operatives and Tony Soprano in the HBO series was unrealistic, here's some validation.

That's just the tip of the iceberg, however, as the report includes incidents such as domestic surveillance of student groups, drug-testing on armed service volunteers, and wiretapping of journalists. If you've got a lot of free time on your hands, you can check out the full details, which are available online at: http://www.foia.cia.gov/

If you've got a life and just want to read a good summary of what's in it, check out the article Some examples of CIA misconduct in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

All the talk of whacking Fidel brings to mind an old punk classic from the band 999. Sometimes, when you get carried away with an ideology, no matter how well-intentioned, you can justify the most criminal of acts. Politics can be murder.

Homicide by 999

I believe its Homicide
I rest my case don't cast aside
You better believe it
That's the truth of it
Take it or leave it
Resign to it

Homicide Homicide
Homicide Homicide

You tried to tell me it's his fault because he's down
And letting loose this Homicide all over the town
I'll take your number I'll write it down
What's your address I'll write it down
I'll be in touch so don't leave town in a big black car

Homicide Homicide
Homicide Homicide

I believe its Homicide
I rest my case don't cast aside
You better believe it
That's the truth of it
Take it or leave it
Resign to it

Homicide Homicide
Homicide Homicide

Not quite Monty Python, but a giant penguin nonetheless

When I heard the news today that scientists have discovered a new species of giant penguin that roamed Equatorial Peru 36 million years ago, of course the first thing that came to my video-age polluted mind was the silly Monty Python Hollywood-movie spoof "Scott of the Antarctic" (watch a clip of the skit on YouTube, and now for something completely different check out the much more tragic tale of the real Robert Falcon Scott).

The new discovery isn't 20 foot tall, electric or tentacled, but it's still pretty cool. Icadyptes salasi, the extinct 5-foot tall species, did have a potentially scary, extra large, pointy beak — the better to stab you or fish with — but that's as close to the realm of "Attack of the Giant Penguins" style monster movies as we're going to get. Even imagining them over-sized and running amok in the streets of Chicago, as in my photo mock-up, doesn't elicit much fear of these cute, flightless birds.

Here's an excerpt of the story from Science Daily:

March Of The Giant Penguins: Prehistoric Equatorial Penguins Reached 5 Feet In Height

Science Daily — Giant prehistoric penguins? In Peru? It sounds more like something out of Hollywood than science, but a researcher from North Carolina State University along with U.S., Peruvian and Argentine collaborators has shown that two heretofore undiscovered penguin species reached equatorial regions tens of millions of years earlier than expected and during a period when the earth was much warmer than it is now.

Read the full article

Blogging in the moonlight

Because one blog can't contain my out-sized thoughts, I've begun moonlighting as a regular contributor to the Climate of Our Future blog (COOF).

I'll still be posting my wide-ranging, twisted takes on the news, politics, philosophy, art, literature and music (etc., etc.) here at Caught in the Stream, but you can also see my more narrowly focused views on the environment and climate change over at COOF.

In fact, my first specifically targeted COOF piece is up now, with all the irreverence to our dear leader Geoge W and his energy policy that you've come to expect. Check it out here:

Bush goes nuclear: what a waste