Musical Wanderer

Kylon Ren:  You made me play second base!

Recently the Republicans in the Senate blocked passage of a bill that would have banned sales of weapons to people on the No-Fly List.  My first response was incredulity:  how can they condone sales of weapons to people considered a threat to commit acts of mass murder?  But an arch-right friend, Ed, thought the constitutional right superseded it.  Well, apart from our difference of opinion on what constitutes the right to bear arms in a militia, though a thorough reading of the second amendment would justify owning all weapons, not just rifles and pistols , it got me thinking of the concept of rights and due process. The no-fly list is part of the delightful assortment of laws that the Patriot Act gave us, where we gave up liberties in the pursuit of security in the aftermath of the suicide bombings of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.  Benjamin Franklin was probably not pleased.  A person can be placed on the list on suspicion of being a threat ...

Though many folks revel in the fourth of May's rechristening as the May the Fourth be With You Day , complete with Star Wars costumes and movie marathons, for me it will always resonate with  the shootings at Kent State University, 45 years ago in 1970. In 1991, I was a returning student at Kent State University, studying music.  Being a history buff, I was curious about the shootings twenty years before, and it turned out I walked past the site of the shootings every day on my way from the house I was living in off-campus to the School of Music.  I thought it sad that the spots where young people needlessly died had cars parked on them with engine oil leaking on them (since I graduated, the spots where they died have been blocked off to cars). The view of the parking lot from where the National Guard opened fire. The sculpture on the left still has a bullet hole. I regularly attended the annual commemorations, usually dry affairs of speakers saying "Never again,"...

Leonard Nimoy, Spock, is dead. The deaths of celebrities don't usually make a dent in my life.  I'm surprised when people get worked up about the passing of a movie star or performer.  But Spock hit me.  And, though twitter usually holds no interest for me, his last tweet was powerful to me: A life is like a garden.  Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory Those words brought tears to my eyes.  Partially for his passing.  Partially for the simple truth the sentence carried.   My earliest memories, apart from times with my family and some instances at school that have been recounted by my parents, are of Star Trek reruns.  I planned my life at home around watching the reruns, to the frustration of my parents, who would shake their heads muttering Spock, Klink, and 99 (I also loved Hogan's Heroes and Get Smart reruns).  I created an Auxiliary Control Room in my bedroom, cutting out communicators, phasers, and co...

One of the current viral hits on the internet is Dana McLendon's ”Universal Hot Crazy Matrix: A Man's Guide to Women.”  It's popular with guys.  My sister-in-law sent a link to me, thinking I'd find it funny.  It was mildly funny, especially if you saw it in the 60s.  He sells t-shirts with his graph printed on it, the wearing of which is an effective form of birth control as no woman would let a man wearing it anywhere near her. His presentation, though pithy, is a poor substitute for science or statistics for a number of reasons: it's based upon McLendon's 40-something years in Tennessee, not very exhaustive research.  I spent several years in the state, where I found not a lot of hot but lots of crazy, so his sample size is restricted and distorted. it includes unicorns on the graph, and despite their appearances in Harry Potter novels and tacky gift shops, they have no basis in fact. it includes trannies on a graph of w...

"Whew, dodged that bullet," thought Elaine as the bus pulled away from the bus stop.  "Carl was handsome but I'm glad I didn't go down the aisle with a frat boy lawyer like mom.  It was hilarious with everyone cursing and Ben pulling us out of there.  Especially when Ben jammed the cross in the door." "That was great," thought Ben.  "I can't believe I body-checked Carl like that.  It was fun swinging the cross about like Excalibur.  Funny trapping everyone in the church with a cross.  Good thing I had change for the bus." "I can't wait to get out of this damn dress, it's too small," thought Elaine, "I didn't want to get married but my parents rushed us down here.  I want to go back to Berkeley and finish the semester.  'Not gonna drop out like mom.  But dang, I have an exam Monday and I didn't bring my books or notes.  Maybe Ben can drive us back.  Wait, where is his convertible?" ...