Heard it on a commercial - You don't need just a car, you need a car company.

This would seem to preclude american car companies, and since this commercial was not about one, I found it interesting to note the emphasis.  If this is to be the selling point in the future, that a car is only as good as the company that stands behind it, then the American car industry should close tomorrow to cut their loses.

More thoughts on this later.  The shock of the viewed commercial was enough to instigate initial thoughts,

We attended the baby's funeral this past Saturday morning.  It was the right thing to do, to attend this ceremony.  I knew it in my soul, despite the fact that these were former co-workers of mine.  The bit of discomfort at seeing those I had been close to, however briefly, was overshadowed by the simple reality of why we had gathered.  And we did gather.  It was impressive, that crowd of mourners.  It was cohesive in emotion, of the very human act that allows tragedy to be lifted upon the shoulders of those willing to share it.  For that brief moment, we were a community of mourners, sharing that sorrow.

I must admit that I was also impressed by the community of those of the Mormon faith.  I've known a few of that faith, and despite their beliefs, and the source, history, details of those beliefs, those raised in that faith are devoted to their families.  In a time of familial dissolution, it is phenomenal to see that devotion.  And that was a large family, lending strength to those young parents.  Each spoke, as witnesses, and I know from recent experience that this can bring closure. It brought the family together, supported by the community of their church, and positioned those mourning in context with their religion:  this family believes that they will be united in heaven.

I have no such belief.  I do not need a heaven to place my good deeds, my sorrows or mistakes in context.  I try to "do the good" for no other reason that it is the right thing to do, but it is a singular path of choice.  It is not a communal path, or one served by belief.  My belief was that  children were raised in a religion so that they would have something to rebel against, not to use it unthinkingly.  This assumes that they would continue to question everything, and use this principle as a core, defining element.  Unfortunately, life can be cruel at times.  Cruel enough to require anesthesia, and at those times, the opiates of the masses look extremely attractive.

This was indeed one of those times.  I watched the strength of that young, grieving mother, and nearly embarrassed myself with an audible sob when she stood at the pulpit to witness her son's chubby cheeks, and laughing demeanor.  I was helpless to the flashback of those moments of horror in the emergency room, holding my one week old son, his identical brother in his father's arms, as they poked, prodded and jabbed him, proceeding those nights of sleepless terror, watching him breathe as he lay in that steel crib.  I was equally helpless to the thought that should one of my beloved die, would that funeral be as well attended? 

I am forced to confess, that I would like to have a well attended funeral.  But then, wouldn't it be nice to outlive them all?

I was listening to NPR driving into work yesterday, and heard an analyst saying that political parties are not inherited as eye color is inherited.

Is he kidding?  Goodness.  Of course your political party is inherited.  My husband is registered Republican, and would never have dreamed of registering anything else.  His father could be trusted for lengthy diatribes on Roosevelt, and the errors engendered by the Great Society.  He attributed the evil financial practices of the "other party" to his family's financial woes.  My own parents came from KC, MO, from the area that brought us Truman and many other muckracking heroes of that era.  No prejudice for political party here.  Ha.

Now I've been listening to the RNC.  I've heard several accounts of the suffering McCain endured as a POW and how this must engender special qualities.  I'm wondering about those special qualities - I remember the 'gook' comments by McCain.  I have no doubt of the the man's bravery.  But I've read a few books on the subject, and one of these is Profiles in Courage.  It is a political study, one that John McCain could have participated in, had he not succumbed to his own party in his run for the presidency.  In this, we see the failings of a brave man - his desire for power, and his unmitigated hatred of his captors merged into a horrific picture of what is in store for America should he become Commander in Chief. 

This is a man who is unrepentant at calling his former captors a demeaning epithet - remember, these are the people who are in legitimate power in their country.  NPR interviews this morning from Hanoi gloss over his "gook" comments, as if this is not important in the character of a man who could be king.  If this is not a enough to shock a reconsidering of party affiliation, then it must take more than what G.W Bush has done to America.

On this issue, I've noticed the special qualities of the inherited nature of political affiliation.  Genetically affiliated republicans are absolutely convinced that history will prove that W was right all along.  I am one who felt betrayed immediately, especially after lending him credence after 9/11.  I am still angry that the press allowed this presidency to float along, despite the injuries inflicted upon the American society, and moral damage that is not  being attributed to this administration.

About epithets.  Liberal.  I heard Mitt Romney equate Liberal with un-American tonight.  I heard attacks on volunteerism and community organization, one of the foundations of social re-engineering which has proven itself.   I heard Huckabee, who was the mildest of the speakers at the RNC tonight, talking of the press as smearing the VP choice.  Heck, I would really like some facts at this point, and I blame the press for not providing these facts, getting bogged by the name-slinging.  I watch Sarah Palin talk, and watch her 'first gentleman', a Yu'pik, snow mobile racing, oil man, and wonder when we will not have oil men in the white house.  Is this a liberal concept? or a fear that 8 years ago, we had a chance to go a different route, and here we are at the end of an empire.

In Byzantium, in the city known as New Rome, about the year 560, under Justinian, after he had reconquered the Roman empire, the local rule was divided between two parties - the greens and the blues.  These two parties,  with familial ties and histories, were at war in the capital city, and in the NIka riots, nearly destroyed the city.  Justinian's solution:  lethal suppression.  In the wake of this destruction, Justinian was able to build on the ruins as evidenced by Hagia Sofia.

We need to consider Justinian's solution, without the genocide and rampant devastation, as the way to reconstruct the American society.  One concept would be to obliterate the difference between the red and the blues.  Possible? 

Barely conceivable.

Stairway by ~sfevers on deviantART

Extremely edifying experience today -- one of those proverbial ones that "I would not wish on my best friend".

A friend called, desperate last night, literally begging for anyone she knew to appear in court as a character witness. Without prior notice to her daughter's biological father, she had taken her daughter home to Arkansas. She had planned to live with her parents for a while, take over her mother's daycare, and settle in. She had tried this before, and had returned to this area. This time, she only left a note, and not performed the obligatory arguments leading up to her flight across state lines.

Her ex-boyfriend, now married to another, was furious and hauled her into court to battle for custody. As her former boss, and now friend, I found myself obliged to show support with my feet -- I had to be there. So, with my mapquest directions, I drove the 1.5 hours to the county seat of Franklinton, in a 4 cornered township, with the courthouse on South Main Street.

We gathered in the pews and awaited her summons while the lawyers shuttled back and forth with drafted copy after copy of negotiated settlement attempts. It was the show of force, 5 character witnesses showing up with one day notice, that forced the father to initiate negotiations. That's fine, that's why I was there. I got a lesson while sitting in that pew.

After listening to custody case after case, I came to one conclusion -- it's always about a car. The mom gets custody; if he's been beating on her, then his first visitation is next Friday from 6pm to Sunday at 6pm, and he has to pick up the kids at the police station; but he can pick up the car from the police station, too. The guy who drowned cats in bleach will be picking up his daughter next week for unmonitored visitation, but gets the keys to the car tomorrow. It's not only the custody battles that are actually about cars -- it's the contested divorse cases. The majority of cases today were battered husbands seeking injunctions against their soon-to-be ex-wives. These women, looking no different from any other you meet in a supermarket, speaking meekly and politely, were accused of attacking their men. There was always a car involved.

So, at the point where my friend's negotiations stalled -- he demanded $8500, down from the $10K originally demanded for damages, and she had begun to suffer from claustrophobia in the conference room -- those of us who had been listening in the courtroom finally got the solution. Offer the car. The blue book on her Cherokee was probably right at the fee. Buy her daughter back.

Of course, the lawyer, unphased, stuck the course -- the case will go to arbitration. He will get visitation, she will pay for the counselling sessions for her daugher, and she'll even stay in-state to make it convenient. She gets to keep her car.

She also gets to keep her daughter, and that's why I showed up today.

This Land - Sung by Bush and Kerry

Very funny cartoon heard about from a friend.

First week of the Summer Alumni Program - Bandalier Trip and Plein Aire Seminar Photos

Good, fast work on the part of the Alumni Office!

Worth noting -- www.guysread.com -- a list of why and what boys read.

Please note that the guys have read books 1-7 of the list, and most of the Dahl books, but the website author is right about the interest levels.