Right. Part of the reason for starting this enterprise up again was to nail down what I feel as well as what I do. Time to start. I know I may lose some of you in the process. So be it.
Trump? I loath the man, and what he represents. He is stupid. He is dangerous. And he is an embarrassment. However. However. America has survived stupid presidents before, and will, no doubt, do so again. More important, I think that the checks and balances are, and will, work as they should. If that makes me a cockeyed optimist, again, so be it (although, lord knows, no one has ever called me that before). And, while we are being honest with ourselves, we brought it on ourselves in many ways. The Democratic party has been playing identity politics for decades, and, liberal intellectuals that we are, did not have time for our base, which, ultimately, is, at least partially, the same as Trump's base. We ignored their legitimate fears (and I am not talking racism and hatred here) of the working class. The world is changing, and they don't have the tools (so to speak) to deal with it.
And now we pay. And no, I don't have the answer for the jobs that are never going to come back. But at least we should be thinking about it.
Being Jewish? I have given up my Jewish card. Israel has created a Judaism which I can't be a part of. Liberal American Jews for decades have been able to "work around" the fact that women are and always have been second class Jews. (The prayer said every morning by men in shul is "Thank god for not making me a woman.) There is still a bride price. Only a man can grant a divorce. If her husband refuses to do so, the woman is out of luck. Now, in Israel, the whole country has been co-opted by the orthodox Jews. So, not only does all of the above apply, but there is no gay marriage. We wouldn't put up with that in America; why should Israel get a pass? And we haven't even talked about the Arabs.
Yes, I know, the world is a dangerous place for Jews. No one knows that better than I - I lost most of my family in the Holocaust. But if we are no longer righteous (let's skip for the moment the problem of whether we ever were), then what are we saving ourselves for. No, I am convinced that Judaism and nationalism are not compatible (read Stephan Zweig's writings to confirm, and he was friends with some of the early Zionists). I quit.
#MeToo. I am having trouble with this. We are denigrating the meaning of "victim", in my opinion: if everyone who received an unwanted feel, or, for that matter, agreed to unwanted sex because it was easier than saying no, is a victim, what do we call those who were raped, or those who didn't have the ability to say "no" when the boss wanted a blow job because they were single mothers and needed their jobs. Don't get me wrong, the men's behaviour being described is reprehensible. But what has happened to the women's movement I knew, that was teaching women not to be victims, to be empowered, to say no, or, as often was the case, to say yes, regret it, and to take responsibility for our own actions. Bah, humbug.
Okay, now that we have gotten that off our respective chests, here is the News of the Week in Review.
Bridge on Monday, as always...
Yes, I am happy, we came in third...
....And it was a big crowd, too.... (Back to the camera in the red shirt is my partner, Alex.)
Wednesday, I took part in a guided art walk on El Paseo. Those of you familiar with this part of the world know that El Paseo is known for its fashionable clothing boutiques and art galleries. However, Palm Desert, where El Paseo is located, also has a great public art program. Since 1986, every building erected, be it public or private, has to set aside a certain amount (depending on the value of the building) for public art. The art is chosen either by the developer (subject to approval) or by the committee. Each piece is up for two years, then taken down by the artist to be replaced by a new piece.
When I told someone about the program, he said "sounds like socialism to me". I never thought about it in that way; I just thought it sounded like a great way to fund public art - sculpture, murals, fountains, all of it. Hence, the tour, and the following....
Here was our docent, an employee of Palm Desert, an artist herself, and very knowledgeable...
...and our meeting place, The Daily Grill, a well known eatery on the strip....
(...even the sky in the desert is a work of art...)
......these are a but too whimsical for me, but hey...
.....I love these horses (and I don't particularly even like horses)...
.....Not to mention these guys....
.....One of the many water features (and yes, they recycle the water - there is a certain amount of evaporation of course, but....)
...the art work here is the representation of the smoke tree (those red triangles lower left). To my mind, though, the whole damn thing looks like a movie set....
And, to end the tour with a philosophical question, are we protecting nature, or caging it in (see above)? Anyway, it was a great tour (about 24 of us participated), and I will search out more of the public art on my own (map provided).
That afternoon, I was meant to meet friend Chaya at The Josyln Center in Palm Desert, to play bridge in a different venue.
...unfortunately, there was no bridge there that day. Oops. Well, we did some "broken field running" (as my friend Hank, fond of sports metaphors, would say), and decided to have a leisurely lunch at Thai Smile around the corner...
.....and call it a day (or, rather, go home for a nap)...
Thursday is zumba day......
...I wish I could capture the instructor's infectious smile, not to mention the music. Suffice it to say, we all have a great time. (And yes, there are some men in attendance, although the ratio is about 4:1 female to male. Average age is probably 75...)
Thursday night, it was back to culture. The National Theater Live performance was a play called the Young Marx. I was hesitant to go; somehow I got the idea that it was a farce - a cross between Karl and Groucho, I thought - and I loath farce. However, in the effort to broaden my horizons, I did go, and am very glad. It was a comedy all right, but not a farce, a comedy of words, lots of words. It was a wonderful play, well acted and well staged, and it gets two thumbs up from me. (Jack, have you seen this one? What did you think?)
No bridge at the club this Friday - partner Robin had company and couldn't play. However, Friday evening I was invited for dinner and bridge at friends Jim and John's place. They just got married this week, which thrilled me no end for several reasons. First, they are a great couple who truly care about each other. Secondly, it finally gave me the opportunity to use the gay marriage card I bought ages ago. On the front of the card is a pair of giraffes who are saying "congratulations on your gay marriage". Inside, they continue:"....let's hope the Mormons are wrong and you won't burn in hell for this..." And yes, they thought it was funny. It was a lovely evening.
Which brings us to today, when I went to a matinee at the theater, the Coachella Valley Rep, called Romance, Romance. It was actually two separate chamber musicals, the first based on a short story by Arthur Schnitzler, and taking place in Vienna at the turn of the 20th century, and the second based on a play by Jules Renard, taking place this year in the Hamptons. They were both light pieces of fluff with a common theme: it is never too late for love. Both were well staged and well sung, and, well, musicals are my guilty pleasure. So, I am glad I went, but I must say, I was left feeling a bit melancholy. It does feel too late for me, and, well, a bit of unconditional love would be nice.....
What else can I tell you? I am sad to see the gradual deterioration of some of the people around me. A lot of my neighbors are couples in their 80s. Up to now, they have all been vigorous, going for walks and swims and frequent golf games. This year, one part or the other of three couples is in visible decline. They are all suffering with good grace, but nonetheless, it is hard to watch.
What else? Okay, how's this? A new feature: word of the day. Today's word: jackanapes. It came out my current book (or one of them) - The Romanovs. Isn't it wonderful? (Oh, look it up yourself - I had to....)
And, finally, how did he know? Says Bismark, before the turn of the 20th century: The next world war will start over some damn foolish thing in the Balkans..... (True story.)
That's all for now, folks.
Trump? I loath the man, and what he represents. He is stupid. He is dangerous. And he is an embarrassment. However. However. America has survived stupid presidents before, and will, no doubt, do so again. More important, I think that the checks and balances are, and will, work as they should. If that makes me a cockeyed optimist, again, so be it (although, lord knows, no one has ever called me that before). And, while we are being honest with ourselves, we brought it on ourselves in many ways. The Democratic party has been playing identity politics for decades, and, liberal intellectuals that we are, did not have time for our base, which, ultimately, is, at least partially, the same as Trump's base. We ignored their legitimate fears (and I am not talking racism and hatred here) of the working class. The world is changing, and they don't have the tools (so to speak) to deal with it.
And now we pay. And no, I don't have the answer for the jobs that are never going to come back. But at least we should be thinking about it.
Being Jewish? I have given up my Jewish card. Israel has created a Judaism which I can't be a part of. Liberal American Jews for decades have been able to "work around" the fact that women are and always have been second class Jews. (The prayer said every morning by men in shul is "Thank god for not making me a woman.) There is still a bride price. Only a man can grant a divorce. If her husband refuses to do so, the woman is out of luck. Now, in Israel, the whole country has been co-opted by the orthodox Jews. So, not only does all of the above apply, but there is no gay marriage. We wouldn't put up with that in America; why should Israel get a pass? And we haven't even talked about the Arabs.
Yes, I know, the world is a dangerous place for Jews. No one knows that better than I - I lost most of my family in the Holocaust. But if we are no longer righteous (let's skip for the moment the problem of whether we ever were), then what are we saving ourselves for. No, I am convinced that Judaism and nationalism are not compatible (read Stephan Zweig's writings to confirm, and he was friends with some of the early Zionists). I quit.
#MeToo. I am having trouble with this. We are denigrating the meaning of "victim", in my opinion: if everyone who received an unwanted feel, or, for that matter, agreed to unwanted sex because it was easier than saying no, is a victim, what do we call those who were raped, or those who didn't have the ability to say "no" when the boss wanted a blow job because they were single mothers and needed their jobs. Don't get me wrong, the men's behaviour being described is reprehensible. But what has happened to the women's movement I knew, that was teaching women not to be victims, to be empowered, to say no, or, as often was the case, to say yes, regret it, and to take responsibility for our own actions. Bah, humbug.
Okay, now that we have gotten that off our respective chests, here is the News of the Week in Review.
Bridge on Monday, as always...
Yes, I am happy, we came in third...
....And it was a big crowd, too.... (Back to the camera in the red shirt is my partner, Alex.)
Wednesday, I took part in a guided art walk on El Paseo. Those of you familiar with this part of the world know that El Paseo is known for its fashionable clothing boutiques and art galleries. However, Palm Desert, where El Paseo is located, also has a great public art program. Since 1986, every building erected, be it public or private, has to set aside a certain amount (depending on the value of the building) for public art. The art is chosen either by the developer (subject to approval) or by the committee. Each piece is up for two years, then taken down by the artist to be replaced by a new piece.
When I told someone about the program, he said "sounds like socialism to me". I never thought about it in that way; I just thought it sounded like a great way to fund public art - sculpture, murals, fountains, all of it. Hence, the tour, and the following....
Here was our docent, an employee of Palm Desert, an artist herself, and very knowledgeable...
...and our meeting place, The Daily Grill, a well known eatery on the strip....
(...even the sky in the desert is a work of art...)
......these are a but too whimsical for me, but hey...
.....I love these horses (and I don't particularly even like horses)...
.....Not to mention these guys....
.....One of the many water features (and yes, they recycle the water - there is a certain amount of evaporation of course, but....)
...the art work here is the representation of the smoke tree (those red triangles lower left). To my mind, though, the whole damn thing looks like a movie set....
And, to end the tour with a philosophical question, are we protecting nature, or caging it in (see above)? Anyway, it was a great tour (about 24 of us participated), and I will search out more of the public art on my own (map provided).
That afternoon, I was meant to meet friend Chaya at The Josyln Center in Palm Desert, to play bridge in a different venue.
...unfortunately, there was no bridge there that day. Oops. Well, we did some "broken field running" (as my friend Hank, fond of sports metaphors, would say), and decided to have a leisurely lunch at Thai Smile around the corner...
.....and call it a day (or, rather, go home for a nap)...
Thursday is zumba day......
...I wish I could capture the instructor's infectious smile, not to mention the music. Suffice it to say, we all have a great time. (And yes, there are some men in attendance, although the ratio is about 4:1 female to male. Average age is probably 75...)
Thursday night, it was back to culture. The National Theater Live performance was a play called the Young Marx. I was hesitant to go; somehow I got the idea that it was a farce - a cross between Karl and Groucho, I thought - and I loath farce. However, in the effort to broaden my horizons, I did go, and am very glad. It was a comedy all right, but not a farce, a comedy of words, lots of words. It was a wonderful play, well acted and well staged, and it gets two thumbs up from me. (Jack, have you seen this one? What did you think?)
No bridge at the club this Friday - partner Robin had company and couldn't play. However, Friday evening I was invited for dinner and bridge at friends Jim and John's place. They just got married this week, which thrilled me no end for several reasons. First, they are a great couple who truly care about each other. Secondly, it finally gave me the opportunity to use the gay marriage card I bought ages ago. On the front of the card is a pair of giraffes who are saying "congratulations on your gay marriage". Inside, they continue:"....let's hope the Mormons are wrong and you won't burn in hell for this..." And yes, they thought it was funny. It was a lovely evening.
Which brings us to today, when I went to a matinee at the theater, the Coachella Valley Rep, called Romance, Romance. It was actually two separate chamber musicals, the first based on a short story by Arthur Schnitzler, and taking place in Vienna at the turn of the 20th century, and the second based on a play by Jules Renard, taking place this year in the Hamptons. They were both light pieces of fluff with a common theme: it is never too late for love. Both were well staged and well sung, and, well, musicals are my guilty pleasure. So, I am glad I went, but I must say, I was left feeling a bit melancholy. It does feel too late for me, and, well, a bit of unconditional love would be nice.....
What else can I tell you? I am sad to see the gradual deterioration of some of the people around me. A lot of my neighbors are couples in their 80s. Up to now, they have all been vigorous, going for walks and swims and frequent golf games. This year, one part or the other of three couples is in visible decline. They are all suffering with good grace, but nonetheless, it is hard to watch.
What else? Okay, how's this? A new feature: word of the day. Today's word: jackanapes. It came out my current book (or one of them) - The Romanovs. Isn't it wonderful? (Oh, look it up yourself - I had to....)
And, finally, how did he know? Says Bismark, before the turn of the 20th century: The next world war will start over some damn foolish thing in the Balkans..... (True story.)
That's all for now, folks.
I don't know whether you will get this, because I am new to reading blogs, much less posting on them, but I LOVED this blog! Mickey
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