2025 Daily - 05/31/2025 - not skipped - ADDED to previous

 Today's early morning thought... relative to anti-semetism and academic freedom - and left vs right...

Two thoughts to add to previous day's list of topics:

How do you fight the beatable foe... etc.... from Man of La Mancha songs...

and

What are core values the right and left share - so they can stand together on common ground?

and...

???? How can that which seems horrible be defended? ... i.e. the Oct. 7th Massacare and the ensuing war in/on Gaza? Where is the end? How does it stop? How is real peace to be achieved?

SO MUCH to write about what I think... with some hope of influencing those who are ENTRENCHED... And that is THE problem... being Entrenched, having decided.. for all time... No Atonements/apologies possible!!!!

2025 Daily - 05/30/2025 - another skip..STORIES to write

 Another skipped day.... It is now about 6PM and I've remembered to write ... and the laptop was nearbye ... so here I am.. 

This morning on Today show.. Reverse Bucket List idea... What have I done that I am proud of... AND SO - I have a few stories... to list which should be written up;

story of hat in scandanavia - done... 5/31/25

Fisher - Norway and Finland - done 5/31/25

story of hitchiking in Florida ... w/Betsy

the library reopening for picnic day... my passion....

the first camping days at Emigrant Lake/Ashland, OR

Canada instances -- hitchiking, wedding, Calgary, daughters

first black people I become aware of... Brooklyn when I was about 5 years old

hitchiking to Binghamton... a few stories... - police in NJ, jail in city, girls along the way..

Miller Branch - holding it... !!!! - with dances and talent shows... and very good staff....

Taking Amy back to see Grandma Langer when she was only about two months old...

Another person's story... father talking me back into Harpur College....

Marriages .. proposals, ceremonies, parties... DIVORCES..., too....

Nude massage at Esalin

Singing in the subways ... before, after All City HS Chorus rehearsals... ALL THOSE black folks! Easy, nice, good, regular... normal... 

In car talk w/Ed?? - asexual guy who was homosexual... had a boyfriend problem... similar to me bringing home a non-Jewish fiance... perhaps???

Kol Nidre .. w/Libby.... once upon a time...

My cats ... Nonomme who stopped, Chase ..??, others....

DO ALL THE STORIES... have a point, a moral, a message???!!!!

2025 Daily - 05/28/2025

 Again... I have left days go by without writing... Well - maybe nothing much happening - of nothing new?

Today, I just watched: Mickey 17 

A wierd film. I had few expectations and where the film went and presented was WILD! Cool? Full of things to consider - life, death, leadership, expectations, oppression, slavery, extermination.... more!? Identity (the two Mickeys, love, ....

Thats all - it is late. SOON - maybe when I return from trip??? - back into both piano and writing....

2025 Daily - 05/25/2025

 SO I am writing today today! At least I am here online and getting something done.

Talked w/Cindy who was with my sister and then talked with my sister, too. Things ok... 

Later I expect to zoom/googleMeet with Marie, Holly, and Vic ... folks from the Portugal trip.

AND - I may go to a free Acme play production this evening which again has me thinking about the play: The Unknown Soldier and his wife.... 

It is about noon.. and I've paid a bill and made a contribution and read the newspapers that have piled up. David Brooks on the economy and something about so-called anti-semetic Jews... being called out by Christians.... Dangerous! 

And now -- off to workout - maybe walk over!!!!! Then something for lunch (OH... I made a brocolli salad!)... and some gardening, too, I hope.

Til later, maybe -----------------------------------------------------

2025 Daily - 05/24/2025 - a day later

 Well... it is really Sunday the 25th ... but let me write about yesterday. Went to shul. On way talked for quite a while with sister. She may be not so ok....  Real rollercoaster of pain. 

Shul was good as usual. Rabbi had some things to say about killings of Jewish diplomats this past week and I must say i think he was more upset at this time than is usual for him. SOOO much shit this past couple of years w/hostages and anti-semetism....

Ellen and I went to a movie (Thunderbolts - a newish Marvel Universe thing). Then at her home had some wine and cheese and a pasta dish she put together -- very tasty and quickly made ... NICE. Then we watched a little of The Brutalist... had our first two kisses... and I went home. AOK. Will see her again next Saturday!

2025 Daily - 05/23/2025

Well - quite a hiatus from writing... but here I am back.... After a morning Rotary meeting which I will discuss below... BUT first - What Are My PASSIONS... or PASSION? Long ago I felt CONSERVATION was THE THING... Conserve land, conserve plants and animals, conserve RITUALS and relate things to rituals and ways of thinking and behaving .. that were GOOD... ALSO - the idea of ZPG appealed to me over the years as Zero Population Growth would/could mean easier paths to varietes of conservation. TODAY I feel the same, generally, with a big difference and that difference is - how do we contract population while improving the quality of life for all???!!!

We always seem to want to INCREASE everything. Grow production, grow energy resources, grow worker numbers - i.e. grow population ... And this morning -- grow the number of children entering our schools in Davis, CA.... From this mornings program... some notes/thoughts? 

===================

so -- I have heard calls in past years for subsidies for teachers and other city workers so they can live in the locals they serve...

NOW - would we like to have subsidies for households to have children... etc...

What about The Population Explosion -- which has been contained but will it be for ever sustainable?

What specifically do we lose if Enrollment goes down?

library programs

music programs

robotic programs

sports programs

=======================

So - what will we do? What can we do? How could all the good things about our school system continue while enrollment drops!?

AND at the meeting I think I heard it said -- we were losing Six MILLION dollars a year due to truancy. How could that be recovered? How many truant officers needed to bring back how many absentee students and what would be the cost/benefit?

AND 

What about busing students... in other words consolidating some schools from around the county and maybe from other counties... to shore up enrollment and school revenue? 

Efficiencies that come with size are questionable... yet increasing enrollments are addressing SIZE... ALSO - what cuts could be made to the DJUSD that would not impact instruction? 

Wouldn't smaller classroom size, i.e. fewer students in each class ... be advantageous to learning?

The issue at some point is: QUANTITY vs QUALITY....

Finally - what models of experience are there around the country, world... where declining enrollments proved to be positive?

MY PASSION... Reverse Population Growth... RPG!!! How can that be done with good economics!!! By good economics I mean many paths for all/most people to a good quality of life! Turn away from economics as The Dismal Science and instead ... economics as The Balancing Science... balancing Needs with Wants relative to Abilities.

2025 Daily - 05/16/2025

 Slow day... awoke early and was tired a lot during day.

Went to Rotary and announced my concert on June 5th... as happy bucks

Got together w/Steve ... wide ranging subjects.

Refilled hummingbird feeders and put up two new ones just purchased.

Talked w/Sarah ... and offered her a hummingbird feeder or two.

Now it is about 5:30 and I'm off to Friday night dinner... w/Neal. Tonight - Mexican at: Tres Hermanas. (three sisters)

2025 Daily - 05/15/2025 - stuff and being together...?? and libraries....

 About to prepare for audition... It should/will happen today...!

Also - in thinking about Northern Lights trip -- they are charging a full fare additional as I consider traveling alone ... I think,... so - that is on hold....

Looking at OAT for Morocco ... followed by Northern Lights, perhaps... if I find a travel partner!!!! Maybe ???? ....????

Work around house will progress soon... Nate due here on Monday for BBQ and maybe fence and then if I get home and he is still here... Kitchen stuff and maybe back AND front irrigation fixes. AND consider him doing a pergola/thingy on back of house, too!!!

YES -- on my mind --- more comfort at home. Fact is -- backyard needs to be fixed!!!!

And then in house -- paint and fix bathroom - floor and/or shower. At least bathroom is functioning! And house painting can wait... but it would be nice to pick colorS and get painting done for FRESHNESS.

AS FOR PERSONAL STUFF....

I really wonder about partnering in future. Living together? Marriage? Traveling together? PASSION!? Feelings!! AHHHH.... feelings - I have feelings but as noted yesterday I generally rountinely and with a minimum of feelings proceed through my day. Just doing the regular day to day with not a lot of sadness or joy... Just in NEUTRAL. And that brings up point made: The Content Go To Hell.... IF TRUE - I'd better stop being relatively content... If in fact I am content? Maybe just muddling through and basically keeping IT together. 

=========================================

books, ideas. -- 

books -- a ticket for you freedom ...FOR ME - SciFi -- and futures that are utopian and dystopian ... and really real... with technologies and social ways... etc etc... YES - what are my books? Pebble in the sky; heinlein books... - stranger in a stange land; Day after tomorrow (aka as The 6th Column)....and others... though his right wing leanings/militarism - near? fascism ...is not for me...

BIG DIVIDE in AMERICA--- literacy vs illiteracy ... and of course... what can be read? 

Banned books... controversial ... disturbing... revolutionay!!!!

Women's rights.. racial equality... etc etc... BUT Women First... in the show -- Independent Len's -- "Free for all: The Public Library".

Mary Ann Shaw -- donated her inheritance to Queens Pubic Library... after she founded it...   A black women...!!!

A thought... Bibliotherapy --- at its most basic, original, early use ... to help people overcome ISOLATION... connect with the stories of others - here, there, now, then... etc. For me - remember -- Sci Fi -- the future!!!!

First bookmobile... Lutie .. Stearns

AND the FIRST QUESTION -- why is questioning good? Does it bring good in all areas? What are the problems w/questioning?

In the south ... The Faith Cabin Libraries....

What were the schools that were like that???? There were the Rosenwald School Project... maybe that is what I am recalling...

an important perosn: Ernestine Rose....

2025 Daily - 05/14/2025 - w/self-philosophy/awareness note

 Good morning ... about to call Hurtigruten and consider a trip to Arctic for Northern Lights.

I've pretty much completed constructing the trellis -- all except for netting which may or may not be necessary or may yet go on ... 

Surfed Facebook ... sent some recipes to me and other posts to friends. Political posts. These days are hard, dangerous, confusing, worrisome, bad.... YET the Stock Market continues to go up this week. Rather dramatically. Will the other shoe fall?

Big afternoon coming up ... lunch w/Andrew, seeing Jim, a call with hospice coordinator, and then... a elliptical workout (unless I do that in morning, might). And practice for chorus audition (Yesterday was not audition day... tomorrow is...). And then ?? a talk w/new person as per April/jdate???

BTW - sister is having good feelings relative to wig and stuff.

And got work about change/end of yolo care Companion program. But I will continue.

As for Hurtigruten -- seems like there is no currently available NoSingleSuppliment for what I want. I will wait to later in year. And/or find another place and time for some travel.

===================================

At visit w/Jim... I came to the idea... most people live each day without reference to joy or suffering. (I guess suffering gets more attention since pain is more noticeable)... THE POINT.. each of us have a joyful CHARACTER to use the language of Stanley McCristol... ret. General .. and I would say then each of us may then live in the lovely bubble we imagine.... I NOTED ... for myself - that each day I personally do NOT feel joy or suffering... I am just a regular person living a regular/regulated life ... and if I think about it... I find myself FINE, OK, good..... And free and able to come and go pretty much where and when I want.... What I often call ROUTINE... is my REGULATED life. I have made some choices about that and at the moment - AOK... or is it? 

For what do I YEARN???? Really? WHAT DO I WANT??? I could say Love. I could say a Hug. I could say someone to touch and be touched by... Someone to talk to/with... Someone lie next to me and hold me and allow me to hold them.... Even as such holding has seemed difficult to me... after some time I want/need to move my arm! Perhaps I should have cared enough to stay up all night in a personally uncomfortable position so as not to disturb my partner???? Truly I am sure I could have loved and been loved and felt love and loved... better than I did. Hard to know for sure.... Did I fail to give and get and reciprocate appropriately or did I not notice the love or lack of love that came my way? I must say that is seems to me if both parties -- or even just one ... agreed to love and accept love... wouldn't that be loverly! It's all I want.... in a room somewhere.. far away from the cold night air ...  AAaaaaaaa - to be taken care of... AND to take care of someone else!!!! (Which was a think denied to me once)

The words, completely are:

from My Fair Lady"

Wouldn’t It Be Loverly

Song by Julie Andrews ‧ 1956

• Lyrics
• Listen

… It's rather dull in town,
I think I'll take me to Paree.
Mmmmmm.
The mistress wants to open up
The castle in Capri.
Me doctor recommends a quiet summer by the sea!
Mmmm, Mmmm, wouldn't it be loverly?

… All I want is a room somewhere,
Far away from the cold night air.
With one enormous chair,
Aow, wouldn't it be loverly?
Lots of choc'lates for me to eat,
Lots of coal makin' lots of 'eat.
Warm face, warm 'ands, warm feet,
Aow, wouldn't it be loverly?
Aow, so loverly sittin' abso-bloomin'-lutely still.
I would never budge 'till spring
Crept over me windowsill.
Someone's 'ead restin' on my knee,
Warm an' tender as 'e can be.
'ho takes good care of me,
Aow, wouldn't it be loverly?
Loverly, loverly, loverly, loverly

2025 Daily - 05/13/2025

 Prepped house for houscleaning. Had a nice 35-40 minute walk with Ava.... the talker. Visited w/Rachel and went to banks and Save Mart. Saw Andrew while at bank, got check, and made plans for lunch tomorrow... at Ethiopian restaurant. Heard from jdate matchmaker and await hearing when I might converse with her suggestion. 

AND - still practicing for audition ... later today. 

A workout is yet to be done... maybe very very soon. It is now about noon. Will go around 1pm...  

I must say -- stock market is soaring since some "peace" made w/China. My body weight went down ... I hope it continues to drop! Cardiology consult set. AND thinking about Norway 

(above was written on the 13th -- posted later since I forgot to publish - and now onto the 14th)

2025 Daily - 05/12/2025

 ahhhh..... it is "early" in the day -- abvout 9am now. Services were short and they are now done. A good start to my day! 

I have had one cup of coffee and will have another. 

Rain today?!!!! surprising.  Earlier in morning ... patches of blue sky now developing!

Stock market soaring on news of trade deal w/China. Nice... but is this secured? Certain? Or subject to whimsical changes from a unstable leader?

The times they are (too constantly) changing...!

In my plans for June travel.... I wonder - should I adjust them again and try to see Priscilla and Robin? And Diane? Probably not Diane. And if I do not see the N.Carolinaians ... should I finally make a visit to Miller Branch in Jersey City? IDEAS.....

2025 Daily - 05/11/2025

 it is sunday at about 8:30pm.... Nice day. Worked out, did some gardening - specifically began constructing the grape arbor/support/pergola.... Going well. Looked at some irrigation issues in front -- that still needs work and the back system needs consideration and discussion w/Gil .. maybe not using him for that... etc. etc.. Also refilled hummingbird feeders and ordered some new ones to expand my setup for them. 

About to talk w/Sherry who lives in Walnut Creek area - goes to Temple Isaiah which I think is in Livermore and is where Roy went/goes... AND -- talked w/Sherry and the plan is to meet and take a walk... at about 1pm... Saturday.. She is a  Rossmore Resident...! And was born in Brooklyn - in Williamsburg area...

Practicing for audition for the Mathew Shepard piece. I guess I am hoping .. though anxious and well... not sure my voice is good enough... BUT - I will let conductor decide if I am good enough and then I will try.. .try... try... to do it right!!!

Watched a few NCIS's.... 

AND ABOUT FORTUNOFFS...

1922

Warren G. Harding was President. The Lincoln Memorial was dedicated and King Tut's tomb was discovered. The N.Y. Giants defeated the N.Y. Yankees to win the World Series.... 
And in Brooklyn, Max and Clara Fortunoff opened the doors of their neighborhood housewares store. Here was a store with a real difference: a vast selection of quality merchandise, attentive sales clerks, and remarkably low prices. These attributes, which have become hallmarks of the company, not only turned the store into a Brooklyn landmark, but soon led to eight Fortunoff shops, all located under the elevated subway on Livonia Avenue. Max and Clara were joined in business by their children, Alan, Marjorie, and Lester.

2025 Daily - 05/10/2025

 had a date... w/Ellen and went to movie: The Amateur. Nice time and pretty good movie. Ellen is pretty nice.

This after services, conversation w/sister, etc..

Sister also sent chat pictures of herself with the wig.. Looked good.

2025 Daily - 05/9/2025

well - looks like i missed writing yesterday.

today - here i am - late and tired

i did begin rehearsing for solo---movement 7 ... I'm The Fence!!!

yesterday, last night - went to a movie about homeless in west sac... interesting ... a short movie - with lots of filler time before and an unprepared panel after

today - a bit of a workou

AND -- gardening... built the tomato cages... and checked into some watering issues in front. More for Sunday -- as well as putting together the support system for grape vines.

also - cleaned in the garage a little... 

A good day... with some productivity.

Had dinner w/Neal, lit candles for Shabbat...

watched film - Israelism -- which was disturbing, to say the least.

OH YES ... and changed travel plans to add in a trip to NYC.

2025 Daily - 05/7/2025 - certainty, love, democracy

 IF I were a country considering a deal on tariffs or anything... with the USA - I wouldn't trust the deal would be honored for more than moments. Moments go by and things change and the reasons for change are currently in only one mind...at least relative to tariffs and various agreements. There is NO STABILITY OR CERTAINTY under the current president who changes his mind as often if not more often than he changes his socks. HE cannot be trusted and at this time Congress has delegated to him powers that they should exercise with due diligence. Treaties, agreements, deals... are impossible under such a situation.

AND relative to the coming end to our democracy ... we are a democracy that has been based on shared powers and a balancing of those powers. As Congress has given away its significant power of the purse they have stopped doing their jobs and should be ashamed and blamed for the consequences. To Be Sure - it is the Republican Congress that is to blame and who is to be ashamed. There is now a Tyranny of the Majority and that majority is only of those who voted. 

A thought: Our currency's motto is: "In G-d we trust". It is not trustworth in the current climate ruled by one person who is clearly not trustworth personally or professionally.

The issue is why people didn't vote! I, for one, have not viewed my choices as between two bad options. The 2024 election was on one level a choice between hate, retribution and selfishness on one hand and on the other hand love, peace, and generosity. Unfortunately hate is so often stronger as it is also intimidatingly scary. Also unfortunately love is costly and also since unrequited love hurts, love is difficult. It is easier to hate than to love, imho. Hate is often simply directed at narrow issues while love has many broad complicated options - or so it seems.

We can hate with certainty or we can love with hope. And hopes are often not fully achieved while hate can certainly harm and kill.

2025 Daily - 05/6/2025

 Ah.... Tuesday and its early evening. I'm watching basketball... Warriors vs Minn.... Near the end of the second period and things going pretty well though Curry may be hurt. Green is doing terrifically - lots of 3's!!!

Went to an anti-semitism program which during the short time I was there... it was very unbalanced. I hope to get a tape of the full talks... to see. 

Rehearsal was good.. Good workout earlier. Bookclub was interesting and a short visit w/Rachel. 

AOK... otherwise.. I have begun an essay ... A hope for peace... Will get back to that soon/later.

Now -- wondering about something to do w/Ellen in Clayton.... this weekend. Movie? Walk? Dinner?

2025 Daily - 05/5/2025

 5/5 - Cinqo de Mayo... - I think I will be missing the food thing today. OH WELL... tomorrow maybe...  I am over lunch this afternoon and by the time my chorus rehearsal is done all places in town that serve Mexican food appear to be closing at 8:30. 

Today has bee nice... morning services, a zoom workshop, a good workout, Jim at Carlson, some reading and then soon the bereavement program and then Davis Chorale. Tomorrow - bookclub discussion of Transatlantic. A good book about Irish lives.  And finally - call to Ellen and see what we might do in future.

and ... Sherry ??? And ....!!!??

2025 Daily - 05/4/2025

 star wars day..... worked out, went to orangevale for concert by cantor bernstein.. that's all.... 

2025 Daily - 05/3/2025

well today was funky.... got up and didn't feel great but went to walnut creek and then felt hot and icky and went home. Had to cancel a date... Ellen was quite gracious. Donated tickets back to SF Jazz Center. Spent time in afternoon watching some tv, reading, sleeping. Resting. Feeling a bit better. There is the continuing pain in hip area which I attribute to the long standing at the rehearsal last Friday night. Will not subject myself to that again! It seems to be getting a bit better. I hope!

Spoke to my sister as usual on drive to services. She sounded very good!

It is almost 6pm ... I am going to watch some tv, then read... Will have dinner sometime this evening. I wish I had a real plan for a road trip! Do I need a new car? Or must new tires? To be continued!

================and a HOLD------------------

Dueling Dualities

War and Peace == can’t have one without the other.. Love and Marriage…

Yin and Yang…

And an existential view… much more than just two ways in opposition. More like a Great Continuum...

2025 Daily - 05/2/2025 - tariffs, resources... reliability

 

So -- went to Rotary on zoom this morning -- ok.... a ecology quiz and thanks from Ukraine students for scholarships... THEN: onto a yolo reliance morning/afternoon program -- did some meditation, tapping, and art... and breathing and a sound thing... ALL good for SELF-CARE...

Then - listened to economic news on radio and was reminded of my thought/question about tariffs and about foreign resources....

SO - about tariffs - the problems with the Trump Tariffs (TT's) are two fold. One is their effect on consumer prices and the other is the effect of his action whims make us unreliable partners. NO agreement is sure. No treaties are certain. The question is: does he have the constitutional power OR has he been delegated that power by Congress? IF so -- can Congress take that back and would that restore our credibility now and in the future?

About foreign resources... the general thought about cheap inports is that they are based on poor working conditions and poorly paid workers. However another/additional factor is that raw materials are being imported and their costs are lower that ours because of labor costs and maybe also because that is what certain countries can export and pricing is competitive as well as based on labor costs. A point is... take lumber for an example: we import lumber at a good price while supposedly/HOPEFULLY - growing our own lumber for some future when foreign(imported) lumber is exhausted!!! Good for us .. right? Oil is similar. Our reserves are in the ground while we take/buy oil from other countries until theirs is exhausted... Good for us... right? OUR exports are somewhat renewable...?? - maybe -- i.e. crops grown each year and while they may exhaust our soil ... maybe we are able to maintain soil quality with fertilizers and crop rotations, etc.. 

Back to reliability ... we really must restore our honor and reputation! A good name... is primary!

2025 Daily - 05/1/2025 - build or destroy?

 May Day - May Day.... and it is the 100 day point (or yesterday was) of the 2nd term of the Great Deal Maker... who has found it easy - as all do - to tear down... It is always hard to build up... Especially in politics where there are committees and compromises and consensi... which need to work together. The common good is in need of some common sense, I'd say.