A Tour of the Countryside

John took is for an auto tour of the countryside. While his home is but 7 miles from Dublin center, we were in rural Ireland within minutes. Wide expanses of bog land and rolling hills. After many miles of climbing ever higher into the Hills, John pulled over to show us the most spectacular private residence I have ever seen or heard of. Looking over a cliff deep into a valley, there stood a magnificent country mansion, fronted by a vast expanse of green lawn leading to a mountain lake. The little specks on the lawn were wild deer grazing. And the sound was of an unseen rushing waterfall. The house is owned by an heir to the Guinness fortune. Unfortunately, it was impossible to capture this view in one picture, so here's three. You make out the mansion just over the grass with the roads leading to it in the first photo. The next picture shows the lawn leading to the lake. And, finally, the view of the whole lake. Nice crib, huh?

The View from Farnham Hill

Pictured is John Saunders, my wife Rita and my daughter Bridget. They are standing on a porch just off John's second floor bedroom. You can see the wrought iron fence opening to the property and just to the left of that, the little patch of white is the empty guardhouse. While the day is overcast and it doesn't show in the photo, you can see the city of Dublin over the top of the tree line. Just beyond the city, you can even see Dublin harbor.

Farnam Hill Revealed

Here's a view of John's home that doesn't nearly do it justice. The inside is spectacular, full of large windows that bathe the interior in light and, of course, green.

At Farnham Hill

Arrived at Farnham Hill, the home of John Saunders, Regional President for Continental Europe for Fleishman Hill. He has a beautiful home, very modern on an expanse of green, as befits its Irish location. I will post a picture once I get past some technical difficulties.

The house was previously owned by a British businessman who was kidnapped by the IRA only steps from the front gate. It turned into an international incident. And, while the businessman was eventually freed, two Irish police officers were killed in the rescue.

As a consequence of this history, there is a guardhouse at the gate and a very large security camera. These now lay dormant, relics of a previously violent time.

John, his wife Jean and his daughter Caroline are the warmest of hosts. They gave us some sustenance and sent us off to bed for a nap to recover from the trip across the ocean.

Off to Dublin in the green in the green...

Heading off to Ireland for our family "graduation celebration." My wife, Rita, Danny (just graduated from high school) and Bridget (just graduated from grammar school) are setting out for our second international family trip.

While I'm 100% Irish descent, I've never been to the Old Sod. I'm struggling with conflicting feelings. On the one I've listened my whole life to stories of Ireland. All the counties and even the towns have names that are very familiar. Ireland is built into both my DNA and my psyche.

On the other hand, I have no idea what to expect. We've had one foreign family trip to Florence, which was magical. On this trip, we will have the benefit of some friends and family who will help guide us along. So, while it does not seem quite the adventure of previous foreign trips, I still feel like we are entering the unknown. I hope to be able to post comments, pictures and even videos throughout the week. So, feel free to check back.

Barack on Fatherhood

The man is amazing. He continues to impress and move me. His sermon on father's yesterday was remarkable.

Here's a passage I really liked:

I say this knowing that I have been an imperfect father – knowing that I have made mistakes and will continue to make more; wishing that I could be home for my girls and my wife more than I am right now. I say this knowing all of these things because even as we are imperfect, even as we face difficult circumstances, there are still certain lessons we must strive to live and learn as fathers – whether we are black or white; rich or poor; from the South Side or the wealthiest suburb.

What impresses me most about him is his humility. But I've struggled to identify that humility, because he's clearly got an ego and he knows how smart he is. But I think I've finally figured out the kind of humility that so impresses me, it's his moral humility. He's always acknowledging his own "imperfections." I believe that's genuine. He knows he's smarter than most people and he knows he is one of the great communicators of our time. But he doesn't believe that makes him a better human being.

Here's the whole speech:

Campaign Panel - Live blog (part 13)

Bloomberg running as an independent?

Kantor - What a noxious concept!! Only in New York would anybody consider Bloomberg a viable candidate. He agrees with Obama on 90% He has no running room.

Margolis - people are fed up with party labels. It drives a lot of what Obama is doing. We've brought a million new people into the process and we couldn't have won without them. These are people who want to change the game.

Campaign Panel - Live blog (part 12)

question from audience:

Where do I get a refund for a contribution for the Guiliani campaign?

Sandlin - That's called a "stupidity tax."

Well, there's a lot of stupid people in this room.

Campaign Panel - Live blog (part 11)

Question from the audience:

Who will be McCain's VP?

Kondracke - won't be Lieberman. He's pro-choice, the right wing would go bananas. I think he should offer it to Colin Powell. If he takes it, he wins. But he even gets credit for asking. Could be former Rep. Rob Portman (R-OH).

Campaign Panel - Live blog (part 10)

Mahoney - I believe that Obama governs from the center he will establish a Democratic governing majority for a generation. But nothing in his past suggests he'll do it. I've talked to Republicans who say you can deal with Obama, but he's been constrained by his party. But he has a great opportunity.

Campaign Panel - Live blog (part 9)

What about our business? PR used to be the "canary in the mineshaft?" We feel the recession before it comes because PR budgets get cut early. Doesn't seem to be happening this time. Are we in a recession?

Talent - I think so. But the public dissatisfaction is based, not on personal situations, but rather a fear of the future, the direction we're going in and the unresponsiveness in Washington.

Back to the new media, I think it's great, a new vibrant marketplace of ideas.

Country's problems transcend politics, energy, entitlement programs, baby boom retirement, post cold war foreign policy. Lot's of big things. They have to be solved on a bipartisan basis. Would a President Obama enlist Republicans, even if he didn't have to?

Sandlin - This new bi-partisan from Republicans comes now after they've lost the House, lost the Senate and are about to lose the Presidency. That's not how they governed when they were in charge. They didn't want Democratic votes.

This is going to be a personal election. People want someone like Obama who says "I'm going listen to you and try to solve your problems."

Campaign Panel - Live blog (part 8)

What is the impact of new media?

Kondracke - I grew up in the fifties and I don't recognize campaigns today. As a journalist, I would file twice a day. Now, reporters have to file all the time, for the paper, for the web site. It is constant. When do they have time to do reporting? As a consumer, you can't keep up with it.

My favorite site is Real Clear Politics. Can't even keep up with that!

Readership of newpapers is collapsing. Kids don't even watch TV, they get everything on the Internet.

Media creates a new consciousness and I don't know what effect this is having. People are only going to places to find info they agree with. What impact is that going to have?

Obama claims he's going to bring people together. He's never done that in the U.S. Congress...ever. My guess is that he won't have to. The Democratic wave is so great, he will work with the new enlarged Democratic majority to pass a liberal agenda and will lose his mandate.

Campaign Panel - Live blog

McCain VP?

Mahoney - Don't be surprised if it's a Democrat. Lieberman.

Kondracke - Rush Limbaugh will commit hari kari.

Campaign Panel - Live blog

Who would be McCain's VP? To Kieran Mahoney:

I'd love Mel Martinez, could offset Obama demographically. But probably ineligible.

But Mahoney wants to talk broader. Amazing energy in the Democratic Party. Will pick up seats that would otherwise not be able to win.

It will come down to "who represents the center in the electorate?" The fact that Democrats have all these advantages and its a one point race at the presidential level says a lot.

If you nominate a liberal, it's hard to run to the center and win. The last one who did was Harry Truman.

Sixty percent of the public wants small government and for everyone to get along. Change in government generally reflect the will of the American public.

The middle of the electorate is the dominant factor.

Campaign Panel - Live blog

Paul asks Jim what Obama is really like?

Jim says he is singularly the most impressive candidate I've ever worked with. I'm more passionate about him today that I was a year ago when I joined his campaign. He is brilliant. Prof. Larry Tribe said, "In my thirty years teaching at Harvard Law, this is the smartest guy I've ever taught."

What do you want in a president? Someone who listens, someone who is brilliant and a steadiness. Obama has that and you get all this bonus stuff, he inspires.

Campaign Panel - Live blog

The split in the Democratic party is wildly exaggerated. It's the Reagan Democrats that Obama has to concentrate on winning. Still the Democrats have huge advantates. But the presidential vote is the most personal any ever casts. Obama has to work to make voters comfortable with him. I believe he can do that.

Campaign Panel - Live blog

Kondracke gives the two schools of thought within the Clinton campaign. 1) fight to the end; 2) go out gracefully.

Points to polls showing she's stronger against McCain. Cites Karl Rove's analysis of all polls that suggest she's ahead in states representing 251 electoral votes. With Obama, McCain gets 240.

Paul asks Mickey what he thinks. "It's up to Hillary Clinton." He says it takes 96 hours to really absorb a situation like Clinton is in. Watch the weekend.

Campaign Panel - Live blog

Paul asks for a show of hands voting for the most effective of the three ads. No votes for McCain, four or five for Clinton, overwhelming majority for Obama.

Campaign Panel - Live blog

Talent agrees generally with Sandlin. "Let's talk about what we know."

American people are dissatisfied. Identify Republicans with the problems, but don't necessarily like Democrats. Double digit gap of people who say they would rather have Democrats win. Republicans are not doing the "blocking and tackling" necessary to diminish their disadvantages.

Republicans will be on defense, protecting incumbents.

Campaign Panel - Live blog

The panel begins. Introductions all around. Sandlin and Talent set the stage on the campaign, focusing on congressional races.

Kantor corrects Paul's introduction of him as "vice chair" of the Clinton campaign. "At my age, they don't give you a title. They're worried that, if you die, they'll have to come to the funeral."

Sandlin starts off. Predicts higher margins in both the House and Senate for Democrats. Points to the Democrats winning special elections for Republican Speaker Hastert's seat in Illinois and Rep. Baker's seat in Louisiana. Forcasts a pickup for Democrats of about 18 seats in the House. Also, predicts more Dems in the Senate, but not enough to get to the magic number of 60 seats that would allow Dems to block fillibusters.

Also says there will be great uncertainty and "more government."

Campaign Panel

I'm sitting right now next to Mickey Kantor. He's a bundle of energy. Talk about a multi-tasker. He's got someone on hold on his cell phone, while he's emailing off his blackberry, while he's carrying on a conversation with Jim Talent. A whirling dervish.

The panel begins with campaign commercials from each of the campaigns. All positive stuff. Hillary starts off "I will stand for you every day in the White House."

McCain, emotional ad with background video of the POW scenes. "John McCain, the American president Americans are waiting for."

Obama, clips from his speech to the Democratic convention. "America, our moment is now!"

Campaign Panel - In the Green Room

Fascinating discussion in the green room. Mickey Kantor and Jim Margolis deep in mumbled conversation, presumably negotiating the terms of the end of the Democratic primary.

Lots of war stories about past campaigns. It's interesting to listen to the conversation with hardcore politicos get together. It's very convivial, despite profound philosophical difference, there is enormous mutual respect and even affection. It's real community.

Live Blogging a Panel on Campaign 2008

Today, I will be live blogging a panel on Campaign 2008 being held at the Council on Foriegn Relations in New York. Paul Johnson, Vice Chairman of Fleishman Hillard will be moderating the event whose participants will include, Mickey Kantor, Vice Chair of the Clinton Campaign, Jim Margolis of GMMB, a chief strategist for the Obama campaign and Kieran Mahoney, principle of Mercury Public Affairs which consults for the McCain Campaign. Also on the panel will be former Senator Jim Talent (R-MO) and former Representative Max Sandlin (D-TX).

The panel will commence sometime afternoon, so be sure to check back then to get real-time posts.

It promises to be a lively event.

Basketball Jones

What Really Happened in Tuzla

My Son's Basketball Game

A little video clip of my son's tournament basketball game last night. Danny's number is 24. He get's his temper from his old man.

View from my Hotel

In the video post below, I refer to the view from my hotel room in Hong Kong. For the curious, here it is:

On Japanese Politics

My impressions of Japanese politics after a series of meetings in Tokyo with Japanese legislators from both the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the Democratic Party of Japan.

From Tokyo

I had a nice dinner with colleagues from the FH Tokyo office. Delightful evening. Went to an "out of the way" little restaurant that is the favorite of our general manager, Shin Tanaka (seated next to me). Stick to your ribs, homemade Japanese food, many courses.

The work ethic here is astounding. The two men pictured below at the ends (Hiro on left and Ko on the right), left the dinner at 10 pm, went back to the office and worked all night, rejoining us for meetings the next morning. Explains why I didn't get much sympathy over my whining about my jet lag and restless sleep.

View from my window - Tokyo

Here's the view from my hotel room in Tokyo. The wooded area is the Imperial Gardens.

Reasonably pleasant flight, but my body clock is all screwed up. Landed at 3:30 pm, got to the hotel and 5 and dinnner at 7.

Tomorrow, Beijing.

She's done and she knows it

All the Hillary haters that I know are convinced that she will refuse to concede defeat in the primary until, to coin a phrase used by her husband, "the last dog dies." I am convinced otherwise. She simply cannnot win enough delegates to beat Obama in pledged delegates won in the primaries and caucuses. And, if she tries to steal the nomination with superdelegates and/or the "ghost delegates" from Michigan and Florida, she will wreck the party, ensure our defeat in November and permanently alienate the new voters that Barack as attracted. She may be ambitious, but she's not that stupid or destructive.

Today's Washington Post has a story that, I believe, conclusive demonstrates that both she and her campaign are fully aware that they are about to lose. It only remains to find a respectable way out. If you weren't convinced by her gracious gesture at the end of the Texas debate, read this Post story, will multiple leaks from inside the campaign.

It's over.

Obama and "Substance"

Rick Pearstein had an excellent piece in yesterday's Washington Post debunking the accusation that Obama is all style and no substance.

Check it out.

No We Can't

Obama at UMD

I went to the Obama rally at the University of Maryland today. It's become so commonplace to expect thousands and thousands of people at his rallies that we sometimes forget how remarkable it is. The Comcast Arena was packed, 20,000 people, after waiting for hours on the coldest day of the year, so far.

He rocked the house.

Here are some scenes.

Colin Powell for Obama?

Could be.

Delegate Count

Here's where we're at. I'm sensing panic in the Clinton campaign.

We're Doomed

The New York Times has a devastating front page expose' that is going to destroy Obama. It seems he exaggerated the extent of his cocaine use as a youth. In his book, Dreams From My Father," he claimed that he used drugs, including cocaine in his early 20's. The headline says it all:

Friends Say Drugs Played Only Bit Part for Obama

Highlighting a serious contradiction from what Obama says in his book, the article reveals,

"Mr. Obama’s account of his younger self and drugs, though, significantly differs from the recollections of others who do not recall his drug use."

Oh crap! It's over. Wait until Rush (someone who knows about lying about drug use) and Drudge get a hold of this.

On a more serious note, I have not read Obama's book, but I have to say this passage describing Obama's account of his involvement in a campaign to promote divestiture from South Africa takes my breath away:

In his book, Mr. Obama said that his role in the divestment push started as kind of a lark, “part of the radical pose my friends and I sought to maintain.”

The self-awareness required to admit this motive, and to reveal it to the world, is extraordinary in any human being. Most of us who get involved in "good causes" congratulate ourselves on how morally superior we are. We don't spend a lot of time examining our own motives, particularly when such examination might find our motives something less than pure. Now, consider that idea of a politician admitting as much. Yes, I know the book was written a long time ago. Still, this quote reflects an honesty and depth that is truly remarkable.

The more I learn about this man, the more fervantly I believe his - and our - time has come. He is the perfect antidote to Bush.

Funniest YouTube I've Seen in a While

The Civil War in 4 Minutes

We interrupt this campaign hand-wringing to present the coolest video on the Civil War I've seen.

Ouch

This really hurts. Takes me back to 2004, lulled by faulty polls. I remain a passionate Obama supporter. I sent him another contribution as soon as I got out of bed this morning at 5 am in Manchester. There's nothing like three days trudging through the snow trying to persuade strangers to vote for your candidate as a means of increasing your commitment.

I rationalize that a primary struggle will make him a better candidate in the Fall. But I still would much rather have put it away in NH. I had a foreboding listening to the media burying Clinton over the last couple of days. I suppose it's also a good thing that the people of New Hampshire would not let the media talking heads railroad them into a pre-ordained result.

Still....

Sigh.

Dragging Out the Vote

I just came in from my second round of canvassing. My teammate is a young woman from St. Olaf College in Minnesota. She is, as my mother might say, "a little slip of a thing." But a very hard worker. We've got about 64 confirmed Obama households that we have to go back to, again and again, until we can confirm that they have voted. We put doorhangers on their doors between 5 and 7 am this morning. Then we went around again to actually knock on their doors. A good visit is one where the person on our list has voted because it means we don't have to go back. My most disheartening visit went like this:

"Hello, I'm Bill Black from the Obama campaign and we're visiting supporters to make sure they have voted. Have you voted today?"

"Oh yes, I voted this morning and I voted for Obama."

"Great, good job. Thank you!"

As I turned to go, thrilled to be crossing this house off my list, the woman said, "But I don't live here."

"D'OH!!!"

Obama Speaks

When I first arrived in New Hampshire, I called a reporter friend who tipped me off to an Obama rally not too far from the airport at Nashua North High School. So, I thought I'd get a dose of "Hope" before going to work.

Approaching the event was like arriving at Woodstock. As I got close there were more and more people walking toward the school as if on a pilgrimmage. Cars were parked everwhere, on snowbanks, sidewalks, etc. I got pretty close, but then encountered a huge line leading into the school. I despaired of getting in, but, while the main gym was full a half an hour before the event, they opened a overflow gym and piped in the sound. Then, the line moved quickly.

While I didn't see his main speech, he clearly had the house rockin'. Reports indicate that he had 2,000 people in the main gym. The overflow was about 1,000. At the end of his speech, he came into the overflow area for a brief greeting. As it happened, I got closer to him in the overflow than I ever would have at the main event.

Here are some video clips I took:

As goes Litchfield...

My team is working the town of Litchfield, about 10 miles outside of Manchester. In many ways, it is quintessential New Hampshire. A large number of "Undeclared, i.e. Independdent" voters who have voted Republican in the past, but more Democratic in recent years. It's a testament to the number of volunteers that Obama has that he can even send people to a town like this. Very little activity by the other candidate. We are a group of about 10 fanning out every day. None of our group had seen evidence of the other campaigns(some have been here for a week). Yesterday, there was some Clinton literature spotted and we did finally see one lonely Romney canvasser. He told us he envied the fact that we were canvassing with cars. He was apparently dropped in the morning and left to fend for himself.

The reception I got from my doorknocking varied. A good number of "not homes." Most people are polite, to varying degrees. "Thank you, but I haven't made up my mind yet." The smallest number are either terribly rude or thrilled to see me.

My two favorite rude comments were as follows:

"I would vote for my dog, before I'd vote for a Democrat!" Seems in the North, we have yellow dog Republicans.

To my question, any chance you'll vote for Obama? "Not a f(*&(^en chance in Hell!"

Fortunately, those comments were few. An most of the canvassers detected a shift toward Obama over the last few days. Many undecideds coming our way. This is totally unscientific, but, we'll be watching the returns from Litchfield closely.

Ron Paul, Save Us All!

The Ron Paul volunteers are the comedy relief of this campaign. They are a bunch of happy warriors who do nothing but demonstrate in support of their candidate. They all seem to be having a blast. Last night they assembled outside a storefront where Fox News was holding a focus group for the debate they hosted, a debate where Paul was disinvited. The chanted the entire night, "Ron Paul, save us all!" shouting this into the storefront. I can't imagine the focus group was able to function.

They also commandeered the intersection near the Renassaince hotel, which is the media center for the campaign. Here's some video of these wild and crazy guys and gals.

Gotta love'm.

In New Hampshire for Obama

I am in New Hampshire campaigning for Barack Obama. Not a whole lot of time to blog, but I will try to provide some dispatches when I can. My job is door to door canvasing, talking to voters, recording their preferences and make the case for Obama if they invite a converstion. You really get a sense of how people think. If all politics is local, this politics at its more pure. The way it's been done for time immemorial, face to face persuasion, probably like the Greeks did it at the dawn of small "d" democracy around 300 BC.

I hate it. Deeply.

I do it because every election I regret not having gone to New Hampshire. This time I decided to do it. And I really do beleive that Obama is a once in a generation candidate.

So, I was sent out to a somewhat rural suburb of Manchester. Didn't get started until about 5 pm. It was pitch dark, there was about 2 feet of snow on the ground and these houses are all on acre lots. So, you feel like you're the only person in the universe as you walk these deserted roads.

At the first house I visited, after steeling myself for 20 minutes, the woman came to the door visibly upset. I started my schpiel, "I'm Bill Black, a volunteer for Barack Obama, are you going to vote on Tuesday?" Recognizing her distress, I asked if she was OK? She blurted out that, "I just learned that my husband is in the Intensive Care Unit!" I immediately recoiled and assured her that that was way more important than the election and started to make my exit. But she insisted on talking about Obama, saying she thought he was a nice man, but thought maybe he'd be more appropriate as vice president.

I said, "No, no, he's ready to go, very impressive guy. I just saw him this morning. He's amazing. I think he's thte best man running, by far!"

She said, "Really? Do you really think so?"

I said, "Do you think I'd be out here in the middle of nowhere on this cold, dark, snowy night if I didn't think so?"

She said, "Good, good. I'll consider him."

I resisted the temptation to offer an absentee ballot for her husband in case he doesn't make it to Tuesday.

My Mother's 85th Birthday

The old girl's still got it!

Joie de Vivre

Gotta love this guy. Hope he gets to be a general someday.

The Sin of Pride

Salon published a piece today that precisely captures my view of the war in Iraq even before it was launched. Written by Gary Kamiya, it describes the arrogance of launching a war and thinking you can control the events the war precipitates. Here's a key quote:

Making war is like playing dice with God -- using His dice. This is why war should always be a last resort. What's stunning about the Iraq war is that its architects not only ignored this obvious truth, but also ignored the consequences that could have been, and were, foreseeable. To start an unprovoked war on false pretenses and pie-in-the-sky promises of a vast regional transformation, besides being unethical, is an act of almost cosmic folly. To put it in Christian terms, it is the cardinal sin -- the sin of pride.

Even without knowing there were no weapons of mass destruction or the connection with Al Qaeda was a lie or the unbelievably incompetent way the war would be prosecuted, it was clear to me that Bush was oblivious to the real consequences of war to those real people in its vicinity. He arrogantly thought that because his motives were pure and that he was doing God's will, the decision to launch a war would be vindicated, even if not in his lifetime.

Here's another great quote that really captures Bush's version of religious faith:

He sees it as a form of humility, a poor sinner's acceptance of God's will. Bush believes that God is on the side of this war, and that everything will therefore come out all right in the end. He does not care about the real world -- because for him it isn't the true reality. The war in Iraq, that horror in which real human beings are dying, is merely a stage before good finally triumphs over evil. And if that victory does not take place in our lifetime, it doesn't matter: All that matters is that he fought the good fight. This is why he did not concern himself, and still doesn't, with details such as whether this war is winnable in any non-biblical time frame.

Really, really scary.

My Company's Annual Summer Event

Our Over 40 versus Under 40 Softball Game. Watch the video to see who won.

Doesn't this look like a great place to work?

Marx Brothers - At the Speakeasy

I am a fanatical fan of the Marx Brothers. I just stumbled across the clip below of one of the great scenes from their movies. It's from Horsefeathers, circa 1931, during the Paramount period, which was their best. While at Paramount, they were effectively in charge of their movies and focused totally on humor. The movies produced during this era were, in order of release, The Coconuts, Animal Crackers, Monkey Business, Horsefeathers and Duck Soup. Classics all, in their own way, but the best in my order of preference were Monkey Business, Horsefeathers and Duck Soup. Despite their ancient look and feel, the humor is thoroughly modern and stands up amazingly well. Duck Soup is particularly timely. Produced before World War II, it is a hilarious depiction of the insanity of war. Unfortunately, these movies were before their time and didn't attract large audiences. The Marx Brothers were essentially fired by Paramount and went to MGM, where later movies had to include the romantic subplots with th singing lovers and dance production numbers to attract a crowd. Still, there were some classics during that period, chief among them was A Night at the Opera.

This 6 minute scene includes non-sequitor, theater of the absurd, surrealism, slapstick, puns, irony, parody, nonsense, satire and some incredible wit. They were the best...ever. Gave me chills to watch again.

Check it out.

An Adirondack Camp Made of Plastic

Every August, I spend a week in the Adirondacks at Baekeland Camp. It is an idyllic place. The picture at the right is the dock outside our cabin.

It is a typical Adirondack Camp, with a large house and a number of small cabins scattered around the property. It can only be reached by boat and there's no phone, no TV and no cell phone service.

Our cabin is right on the lake, as you can see. I believe that it is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been to and feel fortunate I can go there every year.

The camp was bought from the proceeds obtained through the invention of plastic. The patriarch of the family that purchased the camp early in the 20th century was Leo Baekeland, the inventor of plastic.

Last Friday, July 13, 2007 was the 100th anniversary of the patent application that Leo filed for his invention. There was a fascinating piece on NPR about Leo and the impact plastic has had on the world.

The camp is still owned by the descendants of Leo Baekeland and the family lore stretches back decades and decades. Our family lore goes back only one decade, but it is rich nonetheless. This camp has become integral to our family history. We are already thinking fondly of summers past as we look forward to our next visit in August.

So, happy anniversary, Leo....and thank you, wherever you are.

Let's Go to the Videotape!

So, what are the odds? Andrew Sullivan posts on the inteview with Carole Coleman that I posted about this past Sunday. She's the Irish journalists that created an international incident by her aggressive interview.

The interview was two years ago, but Andrew helpfully posts the actual interview. Check it out. The woman makes me proud to be Irish.

Excusing Bush

Henry Kissinger has a very long piece on the op ed page of today's Washington Post. Oddly, it is not posted in the online version of the paper. He probably has some kind of copyright control, or something. His general point is that things are so bad in Iraq that the international community cannot afford to ignore it. So, the U.S. should call - and lead - an international meeting to try to solve the problem. In other words, Bush has made such a mess of things that we should essentially blackmail the rest of the world to try to get us out of the mess. I'm sure the world community will respond well.

But here's the quote that galls me:

"A democratic public eventually holds its leaders responsible for bring about disasters, even if the decisions that caused the disaster reflected the public's preferences of the moment."

Unbelievable. Bush and Cheney tell the American public that Hussein has weapons of mass destruction and was complicit in 9/11. In fact, we are warned that the "smoking gun could turn into a mushroom cloud. Then, having ginned up this war fever by suggesting we are directly threatened by Hussein, they demand a vote in Congress right before an election, suggesting that to vote no on this war would be to put the American public at risk of annihalation.

And, now, when the truth is known about their, at best, reckless disregard for the truth in the rush to war, we are supposed to have sympathy for Bush being the victim of a fickle American public. Poor Bush, he is being held responsible for a misguided public that forced him to go to war.

Boo hoo.

King George

In a blast from the past, the post below brought to mind an amazing article I read a long while ago about an interview conducted by an Irish journalist named Carole Coleman on the occasion of a visit to Ireland by George Bush. It got a lot of attention at the time because she challenged Bush pretty aggressively. She then wrote the article for the London Sunday Times describing the process dealing with the White House staff surrounding the interview. Her experience illustrated the belief within the Bush White House that the president was some kind of diety to whom everyone should pay obeisance. It describes the ritual she was to go through when the president entered the room. And the guidance she was given, like the following:

“'We don’t address the president unless he speaks first,' a member of the film crew had told me earlier. "

Being a good journalist and a better Irishman, she ignored the protocols and pinned Bush's ears back. The White House flack, in what she thought was chastisement but was actually a great compliment, said after the interview:

“You were more vicious than any of the White House press corps or even some of them up on Capitol Hill . . .The president leads the interview,” she said.

Imagine. "The President leads the interview." The arrogance. It was enlightening to read this piece again. In fact, the White House lodged a complaint with the Irish Embassy about the interview. Imagine the temerity of a journalist asking the president tough questions. I'm sure the Irish diplomats were quaking.

In fact, Ms. Coleman turned the experience into a book length rumination on Bush's America, entitled, Alleluia America.

It's on my Summer reading list.

Loyal Bushies

Josh Marshall has a great post referring to an Andrew Sullivan critique of the Republican messaging that the Libby prosecution was all political. The charge is ludicrous on its face. Everyone involved in moving this case forward was appointed by George W. Bush, most particularly the prosecutor and the judge. Everyone, of course, except for the jury. But I'm sure if they could have found a way to rig the jury, they would have. IRS audit, anyone?

But the point Marshall makes is a good one. To the extent anyone, in this case New Republic publisher Marty Peretz, can claim the case was political, it was because the Republicans pushing it were not "loyal Bushies." This point made something clear to me; that George W. Bush has divided the Republican Party in to two camps, Bush loyalists and all others. The Bush loyalists believe in the Divine Right of Bush. The others, not so much. So you have a category in the spreadsheet evaluating the U.S. attorneys as to their "loyal Bushiness." Anything short of that is suspect. Think of some of the Republicans who fail this test; John Ashcroft, Paul O'Neill, the old John McCain, Colin Powell, etc., etc. If you are not willing to subject your personal will to that of George Bush (really Dick Cheney), your resistance becomes "political."

The problem is these "loyal Bushies" are both ignorant and passionate. They are what's left of the base of the Republican Party. They are now completely divorced from reality, but can't be ignored by Republican presidential candidates. So, you have the spectacle of people like Mitt Romney, who prides himself on never granting a pardon and commutation as governor, defended the Libby commutation. Tough luck for the Iraq War veterans whose conviction at age 14 for a bb gun incident prevents him from achieving his dream of becoming a police officer. For Romney, it's all black and white....except for the Libby case. He can't risk alienating "loyal Bushies."

At what point does it matter that the principle of being a "loyal Bushie" above all else disqualifies a candidate being president.

Soon, I hope.

You Don't Know Dick!

I love Stewart's imitation of as Sen. Leahy as mafioso. Being half Italian, I'm sure the Senator was amused.

Stewart will be so sad when Cheney leaves office. He will have to start working again, since Cheney's endless supply of material will cease.

Folklife Festival 2007

As noted last year about this time, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival is my favorite annual event in Washington. Today, I made my annual pilgrimmage and had that moment of grace I described in last year's post. This year, the cultures presented were the Mekong Delta, the Commonwealth of Virginia and Northern Ireland. As one might expect, the highlight was the music performed in the Northern Ireland performance tent.

The genius of this festival is the way the Smithsonian Folklife Center plucks local musicians out of their natural habitat, in this case presumably a circuit of Irish pubs, and brings them to Washington to delight and surprise us. This year, it was a band called Four Men and a Dog that brought down the house. I'm not sure which of the players is considered the dog, but they had the performance tent rocking.

What I love best about the festival is the spontaneous dancing that occurs. People strolling along the Mall hear music and are drawn to it. Next thing you know, they are on the dance floor, sometimes dancing with strangers. I truly consider those moments of grace and it happens every year.

Check it out in this longish (3 minutes) and somewhat poor quality video I took and edited. Hang in there for the shots of the dancers. As you can see, inhibitions are left at the door. There's the old guy who leaped from the crowd and did a poor imitation of Irish step dancing right in front of the bandstand, a younger guy with similar pretentions, a very smooth couple who clearly know how it's done and the children scampering in betweent the larger dancers.

Beautiful.

Impeach Cheney

Conservative legal scholar Bruce Fein of the conservative American Enterprise Institute, makes a powerful case for impeaching Dick Cheney in Slate, the online magazine. Here's my favorite quote:

"The legal precedent set by Cheney would justify a decision by Russian President Vladimir Putin to kidnap American tourists in Paris and to dispatch them to dungeons in Belarus if they were suspected of Chechen sympathies."

And he concludes with this:

"In the end, President Bush regularly is unable to explain or defend the policies of his own administration, and that is because the heavy intellectual labor has been performed in the office of the vice president. Cheney is impeachable for his overweening power and his sneering contempt of the Constitution and the rule of law."

It is genuinely scary the things that this administration has done to the country. And the precedents they set will be enshrined in our government if Congress doesn't act.

Let's hope they have the courage to do so.

In Defense of PR Experts

I am proud to work for what I consider the premier public relations firm in the world. We are an extremely ethical firm and are the best in the business at any comminications challege an organization might face. One of the best parts of my job is that I get to dabble in other people's business, professions and avocations. But I am always acutely aware that what we do is explain what they do. We don't do what they do. But it sure is fun learning what they do.

One of my all-time favorite clients was the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. I believe we provided great communications services and came to understand the enormous complexity involved in keeping planes from bumping into one another on the ground or in the air. But after four years working with the association, I had no illusions that I was qualified to manage air traffic. That is why I take no offense that my friend John Carr uses the term "PR expert" as an epithet in his current post on the Main Bang.

Which brings me to the current administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration. Like me, she's a PR person. But unlike me, she thinks she can run our nation's air traffic control system. After almost five years on the job, we have impirical evidence that I'm right and she's wrong. On the other hand, I actually had more experience with air traffic control than she did going into her job. I even visited the tower at Dulles Airport. And, more importantly, I really like all the air traffic controllers I've met and many of them like me. That certainly distinquishes me from the current administrator.

So, maybe I am more qualified that I thought. In fact, maybe I'm just the guy for the job of FAA Administrator. Yeah, that's the ticket, Bill Black, FAA Administrator! I like the sound of that. So, stand aside John Carr, what this country needs is a qualified PR expert to be FAA Administrator and, therefore, I'm throwing my hat into the ring.

Click here to vote for me! While you won't find my name, just click on "OTHER." We'll fill in my name later.

Welcome Main Bangers!

It's been pretty quiet here at the Preferential Option. While I do admit to giving John Carr the idea of starting a blog, I have preferred to blog away in obscurity. John has taken his blog to places I could not have imagined when I suggested he start one. He has actually had an impact on peoples' lives. I stand in awe of his accomplishments.

For me, I mainly use this blog as an opportunity to vent my rage at the Bush Administration, for which my loathing knows no bounds. But I've also tried various and sundry new blogging techiques. You'll see in the previous post that I've figured out how to create and post little music videos. I'm so excited about that, it even distracted me from Bush bashing, albeit temporarily.

So, feel free to look around. While I wasn't expecting company, you are certainly welcome. And now I will feel an obligation to post more frequently, in case you choose to come back.

For those of my readers not coming from the Main Bang (Hi, Mom!), here's a link to the post I'm responding to here.

Thanks, John.

Gettysburg Part 2

God, I love Macs. Here's a music video I created of my trip to Gettysburg on Tuesday of this week. Done in less than a day.

Gettysburg

Just came back from a business meeting in Gettysburg that included a tour of the battlefield. Part of the meeting was "Leadership Lessons from the Battle of Gettysburg." Very cool and informative. Here's some video I took out the window of the bus as we traveled along the line that the Union held on the third day, looking across the field where Pickett's Charge took place. Watch and listen:

Rock Creek After the Rain

Took this on a bike ride today through Rock Creek Park in Washington. This mostly a test post, to see if I can still do the video thing with my new camera. But it is a nice nature shot.

Spear chucker???

I was watching Fox News' Sunday morning news show. Brit Hume was commending on Fred Thompson for President. He described the campaign finance reform hearings that Thompson chaired and was bemoaning the fact that he was buffaloed by Sen. John Glenn who he described as "not your typical spearchucker for the Democratic Party." He obviously meant "spear carrier." But the word rolled off his tongue in a way that suggested it was not the first time he'd used the racist term.

Wonder of Juan Williams had a sidebar conversation with him after the show?

The Worst

I often try to think back to Vietnam and ask myself whether today's situation is really worse than Vietnam. It feels a lot worse, but that may just be because it is now and memories fade. Many of the atrocities, both real and mataphorical, that outrage us today, also occurred during Vietnam. Bad or deceptive intelligence, threats against consitutional rights and torture were part of the bill of particulars against Johnson and then Nixon. Of course, in Vietnam, there were 55,000 dead and we're only up to 3,500 now. But still, why does this feel so much worse.

Well, one reason is that it was so predictable, which makes it even more tragic. You would think that the experience of Vietnam would have educated us at least enough to avoid the same mistakes again. Of course, Bush learned nothing from Vietnam, except maybe how to use connections to avoid any inconvenience visited upon himself.

But the real reason this is worse is because the misbehavior during Vietnam was wrong and those doing it knew it was wrong. They truly believed that the constitutional violations, the torture and the skewing of intelligence was necessary for some great good. But they also knew that, if it came out, they'd be screwed.

On the other hand, this crowd is actively trying to institutionalize the misbehavior. They are advancing consitutional theories that justify Presidential authority beyond all precedent. While they have tried to hide their activities, when caught, they seek to justify them under the unitary executive, which is another name for fascism.

That's why it's worse. Past "crimes" were always pretty much understood to be crimes. These crimes are portrayed as patriotic duty. In this way, they are trying to change the country into something different than what it was. As I read recently somewhere, Bush and Cheney gave an oath not to proect the American people or the physical boundaries of the United States. Their oath was to protect the Constitution. An oath they have violated repeatedly and continue to do so.

God Save the United States of America. That's what it will take, I fear, for us to survive the next 18 months.

Bye, bye Bill

Bill Richardson is toast. I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. He has an earthy appeal, a regular guy candor that makes him seem like a straight shooter. I know people who've worked for him and one of his closest advisors is a guy I know well and respect.

Then he appeared on Meet the Press. John Dickerson of Slate magazine takes him apart for his performance and he makes a good case. But, for me, it was the question at the end where Russert referenced the fact that he had claimed to be both a Red Sox fan and a Yankees fan. And he had the quotes to prove it. Here's the end of a tortured explanation:

GOV. RICHARDSON: I, my favorite team has always been the Red Sox.
MR. RUSSERT: You’re a Red Sox fan.
GOV. RICHARDSON: I’m a Red Sox fan.
MR. RUSSERT: End of subject.
GOV. RICHARDSON: End of subject.
MR. RUSSERT: You better get rid of this book.
GOV. RICHARDSON: Oh, no! I’m also a Yankee fan. I also like...

Forget it! He's dead to me.

Rep. Artur Davis

Rep. Artur Davis (D-AL) is my new hero. He participated in a debate on the Lehrer News Hour last night with Rep. Dan Lundgren (R-CA) focused on Monica Goodling's testimony on the DOJ issues before the House Judiciary Committee. Davis was awesome, articulate, knowledeable and reasoned. Lundgren was his typical, toady self. Lundgren dismissed her admission that she used political criteria in hiring attorneys at Justice as some kind of minor infracation that should be forgiven because she admitted it. Can you imagine what Lundgren would be saying if the same set of facts applied to Janet Reno's Justice Department?

But Davis nailed the issue and it's worthing reviewing the entire session. But I found this to be the killer quote:


"Another quick point. If Monica Goodling acknowledged that she used political considerations with respect to the hiring of career AUSAs, then how can we not believe that political considerations were probably used to select the U.S. attorneys? It's a state of mind. And if you've got that state of mind and your administration has that state of mind, I don't think it just fades out."

She said she might have applied politics to hiring at the Department more than 50 times. And we're supposed to believe that politics played no part in the US Attorney firings??

Come on!

Einstein and Religion

Andrew Sullivan posts a great quote from Einstein on the relationship between science and religion that is very insightful and very comforting, in a way. It gives religion the respect I think it deserves when considered in the cosmic magnitude in which it is properly placed. In other words, it characterizes religion as something vastly larger than abject devotion to some old guy with a long, white beard. God is beyond comprehension, but also necessary to understand "what it all means." Why is there anything? The God that is discussed in popular religion is dramatically inadequate to what we ascribe his/her role in existence.

This is my favorite sentence in the longer quote:

[I]t seems to me that science not only purifies the religious impulse of
the dross of its anthropomorphism but also contributes to a religious
spiritualization of our understanding of life.

Immigration

The immigration issue leaves me cold. I just can't get emotional involved. I'm struck by the intense emotional exhibited by both sides, but particularly those most vehement against illegal immigration. I think I've just figured out why they are so intense. I think they view American citizenship as some kind of precious possession and the illegal immigrants are stealing it, which enrages them.

I differ with them in that I look at American citizenship as a lucky break, an accident of birth. So, when someone unlucky enough to be born poor in Mexico comes over the border, I don't take it personally. And I don't consider them evil.

I know there are practical reasons for seeking a way to control immigration. And I recognize the resentment felt by those whose jobs are threatened by illegal immigration (these, of course, are the people desperatey trying to protect the ability of Americans to pick fruit and vegetables, bus tables in restaurants and clean hotel rooms).

But I do think the anti-immigrant forces are in some ways un-American. But I also think George Bush is generally un-American, except, oddly, on this one issue.

Go figure.

The Godfather

I concluded my issues management course at the George Washington Graduate School of Political Management with class entitled "Issues Management and the Godfather.

Oh, I wish I had this video for the course. It is priceless.

Hillary

Hillary Clinton had a great come back on the Today Show today. Matt Lauer was trying to get her denounce Jimmy Carter for his entirely justified critique of George W. Bush. To paraphrase:

"Doesn't President Carter's comments cross a line in criticizing a successor?" Lauer said.

"Well, I've said some pretty critical things myself," says Hillary.

"Yeah, but you're not a former President," Lauer said.

"Not yet," say Hillary with a smile. Laughter could be heard among the crew.

Nice one.

When you're hot, you're hot

Amazing how, when things are going good, the media finds all kinds of ways to validate that premise. A year ago, the Democrats, according to the media, couldn't get out of their own way. Even with the multiple disasters plaguing the Republicans, there was not way the Dems could win the House and the Senate was totally out of reach. Our own incompetence and infighting would preclude our ability to take advantage of the problems facing the Republicans. Of course, we were also told that Republican juggernaut would protect them from electoral disaster.

What a difference an election makes. Case in point is today's front page story in the Washington Post on how the Democrats are way ahead of the Republicans on the Internet.

I guess we now benefit from the media's pack mentality. I'll take it.

Heroes

One of the amazing things about George W. Bush is how he has revealed as heroes people for whom I've had nothing but contempt over the years. That's the real dividing line in this Administration. People who subordinate their will to King George and prosper (or get the Medal of Freedom) and people who have an independent will and are destroyed (the list is too long to show here, but some examples, Paul O'Neil, Colin Powell, John Dellulio, etc., etc.) Who'd have thought that Ashcroft could be a hero, but you've got to admire the guy for his sickbed repudiation of Gonzalez and Card.

Well, here's another. Ron Paul. It's a testament to the decline of the Republican Party that Guiliani apparently got the boost from his exchange with Paul at the debate. But, the fact is, Paul was right. And click the video below to see him elaborate.

Les Miserables

I saw Les Miserables. I may be one of the last people to see the play. Don't have time for a full review. It's a spectacular work of art. Every word is sung and since I barely got there in time to take my seat, I didn't get a chance to read the plot digest, which would have helped. It's a little complex and confusing at the beginning.

The most powerful moment in the entire performance is when Jean sings "Bring Him Home" to a sleeping soldier. What a killer! I first heard this song at the Memorial Day Concert on the Capitol lawn by the guy to created the role on Broadway. It is a gut wrenching prayer asking God to ensure the safe return of the soldier. You couldn't help but think of soldiers currently in Iraq. While the actor was singing, you could hear sniffling all throughout the theater and many people daubing their eyes.

A great play.

The Parthenon

A couple of years ago, I visited the Parthenon in Athens, Greece. It was a thrilling experience to be standing on the Acropolis, the huge elevated rock on which the Parthenon was built. I was struck by how poorly the Greeks preserved their historic artifacts. I think they were trying to improve the site, but much of it was simply piles of rocks. The Parthenon itself was basically a shell. Nothing inside, just rows of columns and some roof-type structures perched precariously on top. But there was nothing inside. Now I know why.

The interior of the Parthenon is in the Britsh Museum. There is a huge room with wall sculputures running down either side. At either end, there are a number of very impressive statues from the historic site.

If I was the Greeks, I'd be pretty pissed. I made this comment to a number of my British colleagues and one said, "Yeah, but if it wasn't for us the whole thing would have been burned down."

Rosetta Stone

The British Museum is the oldest museum in the world. The sheer number of artifacts is stunning. And they go back as far as you can go in human history, thousands and thousands of years.

The first thing you encounter coming in one door of the museum is the Rosetta Stone. In my ignorance, I didn't know it was a real thing. Here it is. Created in 196 BC, it's got Greek and Egyptian versions of the same text, which allowed researchers to beging to translate hieroglyphics for the first time. Discovered in 1799, it took 20 years to translate it.

St. Paul's Cathedral

I have had a recurring nightmare all my life that I am ascending a very narrow, steep flight of stairs to some very high place, getting more and more anxious as I go up. By the time I reach the top, I am literally on my stomach, clutching the stairs and the floor at the top landing. The fear of heights is paralyzing. I have not had the dream in a long time, but it remains in my psyche.



Which brings me to St. Paul's Cathedral. An amazing structure, which I believe provded the model for the dome of the U.S. Capitol. One of the coolest features is that you can go up to the dome of the cathedral, which provides the best available view of all of London.



Needing to get that picture I went up and the dream came back to me in force. There are 197 steps to get to the balcony inside the dome that overlooks the sacristy. I could not get near the railing to look down. But you have to walk along the balcony to continue the climb to the outside peak of the dome. I hugged the wall around the balcony.



The stairs to the top get narrower and narrower and at one point, both shoulders are touching walls. So, you get to combine your claustrophobia with your acrophobia. Then, you get to a wrought iron spiral staircase that provides a helpful view downward, way downward. Then, out you come for a stunning view. A few snaps and back down you go. quickly.


I expect that dream will be returning.

Spamalot

I saw Spamalot last night. As a devoted Monty Python fan, I knew I would enjoy it. I only hoped my expectations were not too high. They weren't. It delivered. It provided the appropriate evocations of the source material and built from there. I particularly liked the thowaway line, "It's got lovely plumage," which harkens to my favorite skit, the "Dead Parrot."

What struck me was how effective the show was at providing the best Broadway emotional manipulation, all the while ridiculing the Broadway conventions. The soaring showtunes about how silly showtunes are. I also felt uneasy about the gay and Jew jokes. Can the gays and Jews out there give me post hoc permission to laugh at those? Of course, similarly, I always feel a little uneasy about enjoying the song, "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life," since the original was sung by Jesus hanging on the cross, compete with leg kicks. Still, it was a real high point of the show. And the entire audience sang along.

It was a great show and fun to see it in its natural habitat, here in London.

St. Martin in the Fields

I attended "Choral Evensong" at the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, next door to the hotel. I have found that, when I travel to cities with a high proportion of tourists, I gravitate to churches. It's the one place when authenticity reigns. Such was the case this evening. It was actually a special event in that it was the last service at the Church until at least September, when the renovation is scheduled to be completed. There was a bittersweet feel to the proceedings, but the music was very beautiful. See the following clip for a little taste.



At the clonclusion of the service the choir led the congregation out of the Church for the last time. The choir sang as people exited and gathered in a semi-circle around the door. Then the pastor very deliberately closed the door, locked it and turned and embraced a colleague. All but the embraces is show next.

Global warming

I plan to show this picture to any Europeans who lecture me on global warming.

Me and Big Ben

Alison Lapper Pregnant

This is thte statue referenced below. Very striking.

London

OK, Im back, after 6 months away. My last post was in Berlin. Today's post is from London. So, I've straddle the two major WW II capitols. I'm typing this on the banks of the Thames.

I arrived in London this morning and the weather is, well, like London. Cold and overcast. I'm staying at the St. Martins Lane Hotel, a very "new wavey" kind of place, with spare furnishing and wierd videos playing in the elevators. The staff is very accommodating, but I did run across the dimmest clerk I think I've ever seen. When I first arrived, the concierge told me that Trafalgar Square was close by. So, I dropped my luggage and came back down and, since the concierge was not at his desk, I asked the clerk at the reception desk where Trafalgar Square was. She seemed very puzzled, pulled out a map and scanned it very closely for a few minutes, scouring both sides of the Thames River and finally, uncertainly, sent me to the right going out of the hotel and directed me to an intersection and down a main street. I proceded with great suspicion.

At the intersection, there was a sign for Trafalgar Square pointing in the opposite direction, back from whence I came. Turns out that the Square was to the left, within sight of the front door of the hotel. I don't know how this woman finds her way to work in the morning.

The Square was filled with people, but the most striking feature in the statue of Alison Lapper, which presides prominently over everything except the towerring stature of Trafalgar himself. It is a massive shite statue of a pregnant, handicapped woman. I remember seeing a news report about this stature some years ago, but was taken aback when I saw it, given its size and pronience. My picture is posted, but you should click here to learn more about it.

Another amazing discovery is the fact that the hotel is next door to St. Martin in the Fields. It is currently being renovated, so its covered with scaffolding. I've got quite a few classical CDs of music by Neville Mariner at St. Martin in the Fields. I'd always pictured some buccolic setting for this church, not plopped in the middle of London's major intersection with cars, trucks and busses barreling by. Another bubble burst.

There is a fantastic concert being held tonight with Mozart, Back and Vivaldi. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of buying a ticket to the theater before leaving the hotel. Bummer! But they do have choir music on Sunday, so I will catch that.

As for the theater, it won't be so bad. Front row balcony for Spamalot.

Mozart

OK, I've always believed that Bach had it over Mozart because Back was more spiritual and emotionally deep. Well, on Sunday I attended Mass at St. Hedwig's Cathedral, a very German Catholic Church near the hotel in what was East Berlin. To say the Cathedral was "spare" is an understatement. It had the decor of a Quaker Meetinghouse. No statues, no artwork. Just a simple alter and had wood and wrought iron pews. There wasn't even any cushions on the kneelers. These Germans are tough. Other other hand, the choir was magnificent, probably the richest, most beautiful choir I've ever heard in a church.

A poster announced that there would be a performance of Mozart's Requiem that evening. So, I trekked back to the church that evening through an appropriately gloomy, rainy evening. The performance was breathtaking. This is a piece that Mozart composed as he was dying at the age of 35. While it was commissioned by a mysterious figure who visited Mozart dressed in grey, the story is that Mozart was very aware of his own mortality while he wrote. So, the spiritual depth was every bit as present as in Bach's music. The piece alternately violent and sombre, but stunning throughout.

So, as we reached the conclusion of the piece, I was anticipating the rapurous applause that would ensure, of which I would be an enthusiastic participant. After the last note was played, you could hear a pin drop in the church. I had the sense that everyone was holding his or her breath. The conductor stood still facing the orchestra and choir for an extended period. Then, he turned and bowed slightly to the audience. Audience members quietly shuffled to the feet and exited the church quietly. I was amazed. Not one errant hand clap. Apparently, Germans don't clap in church. It was wierd.

Johann Sebastian Bach

J.S. Bach is my favorite composer. I discovered the breadth and depth of his music with the help of Prof. Robert Greenberg through his Teaching Company audio lectures. Bach's music is intensely spiritual and moving. His St. Matthew Passion can bring you to tears. The Goldberg Variations sound very modern, almost jazz-like. And the Brandenberg Concertos are among the most familiar classical pieces in existence, but they always sound fresh. And this is just a tiny piece of his life's work. During the time he was the capellmeister at St. Thomas Church in Leipzig, he had to produce a new classical piece every week for that Sunday's services over the course of three years, a stunning accomplishment. I recently heard advertised a CD collection of all his work. It consists of 140 disks.

So, one benefit of the misguided advice found in the guidebook referenced in the previous post is that I frantically searched for something outside of Berlin to visit before I left the U.S. I discovered that Leipzig is only an hour train ride from Berlin. Moreover, St. Thomas Church continues to hold services and there was one at 3 pm on the Saturday of my arrival. So, I landed in Berlin, dropped my luggage at the hotel and immediately set off for the train station to travel to Leipzig.

In Leipzig, my taxi driver spoke no English, so I took out my biography of Bach and pointed to the picture on the cover. He quickly delivered me to St. Thomas Church where there was a small line for the service. I paid two dollars for a program and found a seat in the middle of the church, which was filling up fast.

What followed was a full Lutheran service with a short reading, a moderate length homily of which I understood not a word and lots and lots of music. Much of which was composed right on that very site.

I have pictures of the visit but the blog is not letting me post them. Hope to be able to in the future.

An American in Berlin

In preparation for a business trip to Berlin, I consulted a travel guide called The Rough Guide to Berlin. Here's how the book described the city:

"No one would come to Berlin for light-hearted sightseeing: this is a profoundly scarred city... Berlin isn't a city where you can simply stroll and absorb the atmosphere...[P]oints of interest are, almost without exeption, sombre."

Well....

And here I'd actually extended my visit to allow for light-hearted sightseeing. Guess I'm going to have to stock up on the anti-depressants.

So, here I am, on the ground for two days, and my first advice is to never, ever buy a guidebook of the "Rough Guide" genre. Boy do they have it wrong. Berlin is a fascinating city, rich in culture. The architecture is breath-taking and the history runs very, very deep. To the extent there are "scars," they are the kind of scars that are consciously preserved for the amazing stories they tell. These stories are the fundamental stories of the 20th Century. The Kaiser Wilhelm Church, with everything but the steeple bombed away in WWII, preserved as an anti-war memorial. The remnants of the Berlin Wall, the guardhouse at Checkpoint Charlie. Amazing stuff. It's not for nothing that John Kennedy declared, "Ich bin ein Berliner!"
So rather than figure out what to do with myself in this "sombre" city, I find myself concerned that I do not have enough time to fully appreciate it. Sure will give it a try, though. Details to follow.

Marshall Nails It

The best thing about blogs is that, every once and a while, you find some writing that perfectly articulates feelings or opinions you have that you can quite find the words to express. Josh Marshall did that for me today in his blog in describing a disheartening reality check that weighs down my optimistic anticipation of a good day for Democrats next Tuesday. Here's the key paragraph:

"I hope that when the political history of the last half century is written it will show, as it should, that the Republicans engaged in a brand of divisive electoral politics that pitted Americans against each other: white against black, men against women, rich against poor, native born against immigrant, straight against gay. Republicans deserve to be tarred by history for exploiting our weaknesses, our prejudices, and our lesser selves for their own political gain. But those are still our weaknesses and our prejudices. We own them. And it is our lesser selves that have succumbed to the Republican political pitch and been willing to be exploited. Removing the Republicans from power will only be a temporary fix unless we fundamentally fix ourselves so that no one, no party, no movement can exploit those same weaknesses again."

I have been saying that my fondest wish in life, beside all the personal stuff about kids and family and stuff, is to live long enough to see the judgment of history on the Bush Presidency. Can there possibly have been a worse President?

Another Divine Rumination

It is fascinating how many bloggers found, like me, divine implications in the Foley scandal. Here's one that goes beyond the Republicans and conservatives, as per my post below and indicts, appropriately I think, the entire American populous. Very insightful....and sad.

Divine Intervention

It's amazing that someone besides me thinks the Foley scandal is the work of a benevolent diety. In my case, it just seems like divine justice. To Glenn Greenwald, another blogger, believes it's just too perfect to be anything but ordained by God. He quotes another blogger as saying it's been executed way too perfectly to be the work of the Democrats. But here's some relevant quotes from Greenwald:

Does the Foley scandal prove the existence of a God?
(Updated below)The Foley scandal is so perfectly tailored -- one could even say artistically designed -- to expose every character flaw of this country's Republican leaders (and their followers), and it has evolved so flawlessly (like the most brilliantly coordinated symphony), that one is almost inclined to believe that it was divinely inspired....

It is as though Republicans are being punished for all of their serious political sins at once, in one perfectly constructed, humiliating scandal designed to highlight their crimes and exact just retribution for them. The Foley scandal is shining a very bright light on their conduct, not just in this one incident but with regard to how they have been governing the country generally over the last five years.

Hyprocrisy Quotient

Here' s my theory on what's going on with Republicans and conservatives. God is putting them to the test to find out just how hypocritical they are prepared to be to hang on to power.

First, they have to accept the worst fiscal mismanagement in the history of the country, turning a $5 trillion surplus into an $8 trillion national debt.

Then, they have to accept "nation-building" on a scale unknown in human history.

Then, they have to accept an imperial president who can unilaterally tap your phones, arrest you without charge, throw you in jail for life, torture you or even kill you without recourse, just by declaring you an "enemy combant."

Then, they have to tolerate governmental incompetence in a disaster that results in the deaths of hundreds, maybe thousands, of Americans.

Then, finally, after all this, one thing after another, totally under siege, they get hit with the Big One, the nuclear bomb. Pedophelia! The have to make excuses for leaders who ignore evidence of a sexual predator in their midst in order to protect their majority in the House.

Amazingly, for some conservatives and Republicans, we still haven't hit the deal breaker. The mind reels when you try to think what it would take.