While on vacation some weeks back, Blythe and I visited the Gamble House in Pasadena, a great example of the American arts and crafts movement and featuring influence from Japanese architecture. During the docent’s tour, I was struck by her references to a principle in the Japanese aesthetic called wabi-sabi that formed a basis for the house’s design, … Continue reading Impermanent, Imperfect, Incomplete
Where Is Our Empathizer-in-Chief?
By the time it gets to Thursday, I’m often hard-pressed to add a unique perspective on the week’s events—a personal objective, and one I don’t always achieve. I’m usually challenged as well not to talk about Donald Trump. From his perspective—that of a former reality TV personality—he is the most successful President ever, as he … Continue reading Where Is Our Empathizer-in-Chief?
Fear and Falsehoods
The midterms are quickly approaching. Campaign rhetoric has been noticeably turned up. The days of Willy Horton ads seem almost quaint compared to the volatility surrounding the discourse in this election season. The stakes are high, no doubt about that. But, the strategy of fear and falsehoods in the messaging of Republican office-seekers has left … Continue reading Fear and Falsehoods
How Are You, Christine, Really?
We have an incredibly short memory span in this country and a news cycle that is even shorter. Just three weeks ago we were mesmerized when a California professor, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, riveted the country with her testimony accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault. Her mesmerizing morning testimony was quickly eclipsed … Continue reading How Are You, Christine, Really?
Changing Climate
As if on cue, when the headlines shifted from the Kavanaugh controversy to the devastation on Florida’s panhandle caused by Hurricane Michael, The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its Fifth Assessment Report. The findings are categorical in their conclusion: climate change is real and human activities are the main cause. Further, the report … Continue reading Changing Climate