2020 Miscellany #1

Teddy bear toe pads of Karma the Greyhound

 

Sometime in the recent past, Sims Park Euclid became enlightened and stopped the prohibition of dogs. Duke here is pulling his man on a one wheeled skateboard. 2/2/2020

An idiot with a business, and a sign, wants to broadcast his petty stupidity. Spelling is often suspect. Repukes hate Pelosi because she is effective (she also is right), and the cultists repeat the mantra. What about Trump has anything to do with your father's Democratic Party [ok, the racism before the 1960s: and perhaps your grandfather's party, if he was in Italy or Germany in the 1930s]?  [foto 10 February]

Suburban Symphony Orchestra, Beachwood 16 February 2020

cultural appropriation, or Oscars too white

Other than Othello, there should only be white actors in Shakespeare plays. How ridiculous is there to have a black Romeo, or Juliet in Verona? Why does not someone complain about "cultural appropriation"? In truth, the profession of acting is to display yourself as someone else. Many historians believe there were no female actors in Shakespeare's plays, in his lifetime. Since then, there has been Shakespeare performances with all female casts. That is acting.

To-day is Oscars night. Some of the arguments used are not honest. I have read, a new Macbeth is to be filmed with Denzel Washington. Washington is a fine actor, he has played some great rôles, and he has won two Academy Award Oscars. Why should he not play the mediæval Scot?

When Kevin Kostner played Robin Hood, Morgan Freeman had a major rôle in the movie. His character escaped from a Moslem prison in Jerusalem with Robin. That was stretching the legend.

Hollywood is run for the desire of profits. Unsavory business has a long history. Only so many good movies are made each year, and their subjects are not evenly distributed. Fair practices are not universal, but to expect a certain number of nomination, and award picks is demanding a quota. There may be a year which has three black women nominated for leading actress, and they may all have given great performances, but black population of the United States is not 60%, it is not even 20%.

In recent years, many American films with American rôles have been played by non-American actors. When the actor is interviewed, people are surprised with the accent they speak with. Ruth Negga played a Virginian woman in Loving, and was nominated in 2016; she is Ethiopian and Irish. Lupita Nyong'o is a Kenyan, and acted in 12 Years a Slave, and was nominated in 2013. Naomie Harris was born in Jamaica, and grew up in London and was nominated in 2016 for Moonlight. Chiwetel Umeadi Ejiofor was born in London to Nigerians, he was also nominated for 12 Years a Slave. Cynthia Erivo, another black Londoner, is nominated for to-night's Oscar as Harriet. Then there is Marianne Jean-Baptiste, another black actress born of émigré parents in London nominated for Secrets & Lies in 1996 playing a Londoner. Charlise Theron, a white South African, has been nominated for to-night, and twice before, winning once.

It is true that discrimination and favoritism has been rife to-day, and throughout American history, but every action and moment is not to be put to its account. The Oscars is not a good battleground for this argument.

Romney stands up

“I am profoundly religious. My faith is at the heart of who I am. [long pause gathering composure] The grave question the Constitution task senators to answer is whether the president committed an act so extreme, so egregious, that it rises to the level of a high crime and misdemeanor. Yes, he did.”

Well, i saw Romney’s speech yesterday. He was sincere. He was correct, that he would be attacked by the Republican cult. [teevee news cut to Washington, Caligula was speaking; i listened for 28 minutes, and then went to the kitchen to chop vegetables].

Back to Mitt:  Trump attacked him in the White House, and earlier in the day at a National Prayer breakfast. He attacked religion, and Romney, and Pelosi. Clearly, Trump does not understand religion, other than the worship of himself. Well Romney is a Mormon. The concept of  “God” in Mormonism is different from that of Christianity; but Romney fears and respects his God*. Romney also mentioned his conscience...Trump is guilty.

Now, i have a friend who calls commentary over the internet ‘chatter’. I read a little last night from Mormons displeased that Romney mentioned God. One listed the other Mormon senators, and asked whether Romney’s faith was different than theirs. Well, yes, surely. Another was worried that evangelical Protestants would attack Mormonism. If the worship of Trump is part of evangelical Protestantism, fie upon it.

Perhaps, this was Romney’s “white horse” moment. There is a supposed prophecy, that when the Constitution hangs by a thread, a Mormon will save the country. There is a belief that the Constitution is divinely inspired.

Adam Schiff, in his closing arguments, Monday asked, “Is there one among you who will say: ‘Enough’?”  Willard ‘Mitt’ Romney did vote ‘guilty’ on the first of two articles of impeachment, Wednesday. Earlier in the day, in his senate office, he was interviewed, “They will note merely that I was among the senators who determined that what the president did was wrong, grievously wrong.”.

“I have found, in business in particular but also in politics, that when something is in your personal best interests, the ability of the mind to rationalize that that’s the right thing is really quite extraordinary. I have seen it in others, and I have seen it in myself.”. He is already being vilified by his party, and their followers. Romney had been the Republican candidate for president in 2012.

Trump junior, who is as quick as his sire to use twitter for grievance and threat, did so within the hour. Sometimes the apple does not fall far, but it soon rots. His father, attacked Romney at a National Prayer Breakfast [sic] to-day [as i wrote above]. Later in the East Room of the Executive Mansion, he did a reprise. He pointed at how great the other Utah senator was. Listening to Caligula ramble, lie, self-aggrandise, self-pity, insult...It became, again, readily apparent that Section IV of the 25th Amendment on presidential succession should be invoked. It would have half of the cabinet to declare Trump as unable to complete the duties of the office. It will not, since thy are all sycophants.
 _______________________________
*Last night, Stephen Colbert spoke on Romney; about faith in God, and oath taking. Colbert quoted from Robert Bolt's, “A Man for all Seasons”, a play about St. Thomas More. Thomas is speaking to his daughter:
“When a man takes an oath, Meg, he's holding his own self in his own hands. Like water. And if he opens his fingers then — he needn't hope to find himself again.” — Sir Thomas More, Act II

Schadenfreude

„Freude! Freude!”, Beethoven's words before he brings on Schiller's,‘Ode to Joy’.  The Germans gave us the word, ‘Schadenfreude’; the glee in the suffering of another. Sometimes this is cruelty, or envy; other times it is karmic justice, «what goes around, comes around.» I remember hearing, and reading, old men saying i want to live long enough to see my enemies die; or wishing that their enemies suffer greatly

Paul in his Epistle to the Galatians wrote, «Be not deceived, God is not mocked.  For what things a man shall sow, those also shall he reap. For he that soweth in his flesh, of the flesh also shall reap corruption. But he that soweth in the spirit, of the spirit shall reap life everlasting.   And in doing good, let us not fail. For in due time we shall reap, not failing.»

The Roman historian, Cornelius Tacitus wrote, «This I hold to be the chief office of history, to rescue virtuous actions from the oblivion to which a want of records would consign them, and that men should feel a dread of being considered infamous in the opinions of posterity, from their depraved expressions and base actions.»

Here in America, for a long generation, we have had a coalition of evil men poison the nation. They have poisoned it by the worship and pursuit of mammon. They have poisoned the nation politically, and socially. They have poisoned the world physically, and the people in it. 

Yesterday, news came that lung cancer has Rush Limbaugh — Karma struck. He was the first radio mouthfoamer, and from that foamy spew more scum grew. That scum poisoned the nation, it was on top of the swamps. That poisoned Petri dish allowed Sarah Palin, Ted Cruz, Donald Trump to gain political prominence. The poison was part hate, but mostly lies, lies in all formations.

From his filthy lungs, fœtid wind hit the airwaves poisoning America. He attacked science, like cigarette lawyers did about smoking not causing lung cancer. He mocked the genocide American Indians endured, by equating the deaths caused by the tobacco they gave to society. He did this while sucking on phallic cigars. O, the poetic irony, the karma of lung cancer.

Limbaugh mocked and rejoiced over others' maladies, diseases, cancers, and deaths. The ugly buzzards have come home to roost, and feed over his bloated carcass. Now, there are many on the ‘left’ , and those with tender spiritual, and religious, and moral scruples that in this moment say, ‘nothing ill’. But remember, acknowledge what he said of others.

Cancer is horrible and painful. He should not rush off and die, but savor the exquisite pain as long as possible, including the use of every technical and medical procedure and device. Since he believes that medical care is not a right, but a purchase, let him choose to spend his money.

Schiff of the United States

Adam Schiff. Senate floor. 24 January 2020.

Hearing Schiff speak, i was reminded about Georges Danton, and Atticus Finch. Adam Schiff spoke a lot during the first four days of Trump's impeachment trial, as he is the chief house manager. At one point he quoted Atticus Finch, the hero lawyer in "To Kill a Mockingbird". Finch was brilliant, and moral, but he was fated to lose in the story.

Some years ago, i saw a French/Polish movie about Danton and Robespierre, the 1982 "Danton". Danton was an early leader of the French Revolution, and a most eloquent speaker. Historical interpretation varies from author to author on him. In France the commentaries on their revolution are still current. Danton was put on trial for his life, during the Reign of Terror under Robespierre. Danton thought his great gift of persuasive speech would save him (he was blasé to his fate). He was guillotined, but so was Robespierre later, and then the revolution went in other directions.

The movie was based on the 1929 play, "Sprawa Dantona [The Danton Case]", by Stanislawa Przybyszewska. She was very much in the Robespierre camp. She had mixed with communists and wrote in the Free City of Danzig. She rehabilitated Maximilien Robespierre. The film's director, Andrzej Wajda, was in Solidarity's circle and differed from her script. All the Robespierre group were Polish actors, who spoke their lines in Polish, and then were dubbed in French. All the Dantonists were French actors speaking French. Danton was played by Gérard Depardieu.

The House managers (prosecutors) gave a very able presentation, Schiff best of all. Two-thirds of the senators (judges) would have to declare Trump's guilt for Trump's removal from office, but there are fifty-three Republican senators. The evidence, publicly available, and logic dictates guilt. The Republicans control this trial, and do not want witnesses and documents and other evidence to come to light; for all would, assuredly, confirm and magnify the guilty deeds. There have been several amendment votes, and all were on party lines: 53 to 47. The Republicans are all in a conspiracy to cover up wrong doing, avoid responsibility, and create diversions and blame elsewhere.

___________________

postscriptum 10.45 p.m. 21 June 2023: Schiff was censured to-day by the Repukes in the House. He also in committee hearing made John Durham look like an ass, so did a few other Democratic congressmen, because Durham is a partisan apparatchik.  The Repukes and their orange skinned false god wanted revenge. It was the second attempt this censure, the first wanted to fine him $16 million. Remember the Republican Party is a criminal cult.

French Street

French Street in Cleveland has the Cuyahoga River to its east, and to its west; it is the crooked river. It is in the flats, more in the former industrial flats, than the new strip of expensive saloons; but there are some non-yuppie saloons, including the racy kind. A gym has some art on its outside walls, to featuring Cleveland and sports.
 

 

 There is a view of skyscrapers by Public Square.

 part of a mural of remembrance

  'Major League' was a movie about the Cleveland Indians. Charlie Sheen was 'Wild Thing'. The baseball logo from the movie is on State Road, miles away.

Confederate holidays

Robert Edward Lee, chief military leader of the Insurrection against the United States of America

 

   Well, some of you may be northerners [damyankees]. It may be difficult for sum ya'll to recognise Confederate holidays. I give ya'll the point, dat dere has been some calendar dancin', from time to time, and place to place. The internets may not be much he'p, it is in dusty books where ya have to gather the individual facts. To-day, is Robt. E. Lee's birthday, the commander of all southern armies. He surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant on Good Friday 1865. The war was lost on July 4th 1863, on that day Grant took Vicksburg, and the day before, Lee had lost at Gettysburg. The war was continued, so as to continue the war. Yet, the traitor Lee is celebrated, and Grant is not.

   Virginia, the home state of Lee and Stonewall Jackson, had Lee Day(1889) in Lee-Jackson Day(1904), then Lee-Jackson-King Day(1983/6) after Martin L. King Jr. Day became a federal holiday; after 2000, the Lee-Jackson Day was on Friday, and the King Day on Monday. And that is how one state rewrote the calendar (and history).

   Now, there are several Confederate Memorial Days, a Confederate Flag Day, a Jefferson Davis Birthday, a Confederate History Month, a Nathan Bedford Forrest Day (Grand Wizard KKK, and Confederate General). These different 'days', are not all on the same dates in the states that celebrate them. Robt. E. Lee's birthday is, now, on the day after Thanksgiving in Georgia, and listed as "State Holiday".

   How this activity? MLK Day was catalyst for some changes. There had been a Black History Month, so...
___________________
postscriptum: Abraham Lincoln's birthday is a holiday in eight states.

about Lorain Avenue

Ohio City was a separate municipality from Cleveland, with the Cuyahoga taking the role of the Danube for Buda and Pest. When the highways cut through neighbourhoods, and social discontent, economic shocks, and ethnographic change all hit to create an amalgam of decay in Cleveland, Ohio City was impacted heavily. In recent years there has been an element of gentrification, and rebuilding, alongside continued poverty.

Skipping past the food and beverage popularity on West 25th between Lorain and Bridge, the campus of St. Ignatius Jesuit High School has increased. A couple of Catholic charity endeavors operate on Lorain. A few artsy places exist because of low rent and slightly bohemian callings.

Beyond that, there are failing businesses and resale shops (euphemistically calling themselves antique stores), and institutional buildings on the street. Some demolition is occurring to produce expensive apartment living, and entertainment outlets (beer, squash, shuffleboard) for younger adults.

July 14, 2016

This building is abandoned and boarded up on the corner of West 44th & Lorain.

December 3, 2016
For a short time, this mural was painted on the 44th Street side.

December 11, 2019

The building owner had the mural painted over (as well as one on the opposite side facing a small parking lot, which had a rat riding a motorcycle, a part of the building sold motorcycle equipment). Since then a series of worthless graffiti has come (and gone), like dog piss on telephone poles.

late December fotos

Kangaroo mascot of University of Akron joins over 650 tubas for Akron's 40th Tuba Christmas.

Musicians are encouraged to come in costume, and to add colour to their instruments.

wrought iron on closed doors of Holy Trinity Lutheran Akron

sunlight hitting Advent decorated pulpit at St. Colman Cleveland

2019 Miscellany #12 — music, art, movies

Emeka Ogboh. Ámà: the Gathering Place. 30 November 2019. Atrium of Cleveland Art Museum. 

In the distance is a fabricated iroku tree with akwétè cloth, substituting for bark. The sculpture is better in fuller sunlight. Closer to the camera, is a miniature forest of bamboo. Foto is taken from an escalator. The next day, was the last of the installation.

December is a time for Christmas music concerts.  Early Tuba Christmas, on December 1st, at First Baptist Shaker Heights. Much smaller than Lorain's, and very much smaller than Akron's (both this upcoming weekend); more classical composers, playing to an older audience with older performers.

Edsel, Ford, Ford Falcon van, Dodge, Chrysler Imperial, Mercury, Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, Chrysler Newport

Sunday,  December 15th. W. 65th by St. Colman's.

The two days prior, a movie was being filled about the "extrajudicial" killing of Fred Hampton in Chicago, December 4th 1969. Hampton was chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, and deputy chairman of the national party. He was being monitored by the FBI, Chicago Police, and Cook County police.  In a pre-dawn armed attack, he was shot in his bed, and then shot point blank in the head twice,

Do you like the prototype of the new Cleveland streetlights? An earlier film, A Christmas Story, was filmed on W. 11th. In the last few years, it has become a tourist stop.

Burning River Brass had its first concert (1996) at Pilgrim Congregational on West 14th Cleveland. Since then, they have played annual Christmas concerts. They also add humour, Trumpeter down.