REFLECTIONS ..

Thanks to a new pal, I was reminded of the trend toward modal music that was spurred by Richard and Mimi Farina in the sixties.  I tease 'modern' mountain dulcimer players about their damned 'extra' frets because Richard never had them and certainly the inspiration for all of us, Jean Ritchie, never had them either.. The diatonic tuning of the traditional mountain dulcimer .. modified with extra strings.. of which I, of course, approve.. is an open chord that makes music making available to practically anyone.  

Being reminded of Richard and Mimi's Reflections in a Crystal Wind, combined with the deaths recently of Bud Ford II, sweet Ursula Voigt and Rod Gully.. all friends from important phases of my life.. I wanted to comfort Bud's wife, Donna and his daughter, Erin.. I sent them a note but did not include the lyrics of the song.  

Change is constant whether I like it or not.  Death is part of that.. and these terrible fires here in the LA area are a reminder of impermanence ..  We move on.. Hopefully..  We move. ...  on.

If you know the tune, this is a wonderful example of Richard's songwriting.. and his mountain dulcimer accompaniment .. 

REFLECTIONS IN A CRYSTAL WIND

If there's a way to say I'm sorry
Perhaps I'll stay another evening beside your door
And watch the moon rise inside your window
Where jewels are falling, and flowers weeping, and strangers laughing
Because you're grieving that I have gone.

And if I don't know why I am going
Perhaps I'll wait beside the pathway where no-one's coming
And count the questions I turned away from, or closed my eyes to
Or had no time for, or passed right over
Because the answers would shame my pride.

I've heard them say the word forever
But I don't know if words have meaning when they are promised
In fear of losing what can't be borrowed
Or lent in blindness, or blessed by pageantry, or sold by preachers
While you're still walking your separate way.

Sometimes we bind ourselves together
And seldom know the harm in binding 

the only feeling that cries for freedom
And needs unfolding and understanding
And time for holding a simple mirror
The one reflection to call your own.

If there's an end to all our dreaming
Perhaps I'll go while you're still standing beside your door
And I'll remember your hands encircling 

a bowl of moonstones
A lamp of childhood, a robe of roses
Because your sorrows were still unborn.

//////// 

and on the note of sad current affairs..

Thankfully, the news media is using the terms "inappropriate" and "unacceptable" behavior instead of 'harassemet' or 'abuse' in our ongoing #me too issues.  

michael sheehan

december 6, 2017

DECEMBER 3, 2017

12/3/17

I wish that these sad dark days would just vanish. 

I wish that the whole truth was available to us all.

I wish that I felt as though reasonable people were making reasonable statements about the state of our society.  

I've used the term 'circling the drain' in the past and I hope that I am wrong. It's so discouraging to read about all  of the stuff that may simply annihilate us: 
The human race.. 
The United States? 
Me and people whom I care about.. that's personal. 

The following is a letter to our Glendale, California Assembly Member, Laura Friedman.  It is a response to something I saw on Channel Four News with Conan Nolan earlier today.   It's a follow up.. of sorts.. to what I posted yesterday.  There may be some repetition. 

Bottom line?  Adults need to be responsible. 
//

Dear Laura..

I watched the last part of your interview with Conan Nolan on NBC News just now.  It is very troubling that we are painting with a broad brush when it comes to the terms describing sexual 'misconduct' to 'harassment' to 'assault'...

I support your efforts to get this issue into the open and to clear up the definitions of what may be an attack and what may not be.

A catcall is not a rape.

I watched the news segment following your articulate interview with Conan Nolan. It was appalling to hear the story from Pamela Lopez, a lobbyist you may know.   What Mr. Nolan did not hear was more about the story of her being "forced into a bathroom and a legislator masturbating in front of her." Her words.

What failed to be mentioned was that Ms Lopez was not 'attacked or assaulted' in the capitol offices, but in a bar. She didn't mention if she and the legislator had been drinking, nor if they had been together socially at the time.  The whole truth of this alleged behavior is now tainted by information that seems to have been deliberately withheld. 

Credibility, to me, has to do with adults taking responsibility for our actions.  If we are in a bar.. when? At lunch? 1:00 AM? Waiting for dinner? Having a drink? Or two?  All of these circumstances inform the situation.  In the interview with Mr. Nolan, Ms Lopez said she was "forced into a bathroom." Her words.  The NY Times reported that the man followed her into the ladies' room.  She told Mr. Nolan that he began to masturbate!  The NYTimes reports that she said that he asked her to touch him.  She does not mention if she was at the 'elegant' Ella (which you may know) or the after hours dive bar, Simon's Bar and Cafe on 15th Street (which I am sure you have never heard of! ).. 

You are quoted in this article.

Sexual Misconduct in California’s Capitol Is Difficult to Escape

Sexual Misconduct in California’s Capitol Is Difficult to Escape By Jess Bidgood, Miriam Jordan and Adam Nagourney Women in Sacramento complain of a culture of rampant sexual misconduct and of a system that does not seriously a...

  "No! Means NO!!" Of course, but the circumstances color every situation.  Ms Lopez doesn't name the legislator whom she accuses of doing this. The demeanor of this woman was such that one google search to see for whom she is a lobbyist turned up published information that changes the story enough to make me question her credibility.  It's not black and white. Blaming the 'victim' is not the goal.  Getting more of the entire picture makes a difference, however. 

We must find a reasonable 'tone' of attitude and even of our voices, when moving forward to find out what is really happening.   I hope that your committee will consider my suggestion of using a graph to chart the nature of any 'inappropriate behavior'.. and that we use the term 'alleged' victim and 'alleged' perpetrator when discussing these matters.  The 'tone' of women ... and men?  coming forward with stories and Gloria Allred's tearfully coaxing an 'alleged victim' through a prepared speech being haltingly read are all part of a situation that must be addressed. However, adult responsibility must be taken into consideration ... and.. especially the circumstances that are factual to whole story.

I was impressed with this short segment on NPR's All Things Considered yesterday. 

All Things Considered for Saturday, December 2, 2017 | 89.3 KPCC

All Things Considered for Saturday, December 2, 2017 | 89.3 KPCC By Southern California Public Radio Member-supported public radio for Southern California. Award-winning local news and cultural programming alongsi...

It's short and may help to inform your business in calculating these damages and how to mitigate them.

I remain your strong supporter and will be happy to discuss this on or off the record with you.  Thank you for your kind words on my behalf in the past and being a responsive representative.

This letter will be published on my onehundred days site.

michael sheehan

December 3, 2017

Buck Up!

December 2, 2017

I had to title this with some hope.  Not only has our country been slip sliding into the toidy, now there's this big fat tax bill that may deep six zillions of Americans.  But.. somehow.. like that line by Geoffrey Rush in Shakespeare in Love, it all works out.  We hope!  I don't have the answer, but cannot allow myself to think that these guys really want to ruin the USA. 

Tonight on NPR, coming back to Glendale from a gorgeous day with gorgeous women and great foodies in San Pedro.. I heard a discussion regarding the ongoing sexual misconduct issue.  At last, intelligent folks.. during the "Barbershop" segment of All Things Considered, discuss this ongoing hew and cry of 'sexual harassment.'  What is brought to light turns on something that I've been trying to get people to get a handle on.. what ..exactly.. is 'misconduct' "harassment' .. ? Abuse, etc.. This discussion gets to the point with both a man and a woman finding a way to some better understanding. I found it refreshing.

"Legal analyst Paul Butler, New York Times correspondent Susan Chira and ethicist Jack Marshall join NPR's Michel Martin to discuss harassment in Congress and how to know if you've crossed a line."

https://www.scpr.org/programs/all-things-considered/2017/12/02/52153/

Copy and paste that into your browser and spend a few minutes listening to a reasonable discussion. The essence has to do with past 'misconduct' bubbling to the surfce under the current coming out of stories by women who have kept silent ..sometimes for decades.  

The discussion says it better than I can.. so.. for some reasonable ideas and insights into our current situation, give it a listen. Of course, if you are a republican, it will all probably sound like pinko, commie, nazi, lefty jargon.. but.. it sounded reasonable to me.. a pinko.. etc.. 

It all comes back to feeling powerless, of course. And, it's time for women to not feel compelled to keep silent about being taken advantage of.. The part of this program that discusses George Clooney and Steve Buscemi is really interesting to me.  And.. it's pointed out that all someone has to do is to make an accusation.  No need for verification or such.  What? The accusation is enough?  No.  It is not. And, it is the 'victim' who calls the shots about whether something that might have been.. shall we say.. maybe okay.. years ago? Might be remembered in the current light of what's going on as not okay? 

This is why I've been asking for a graph that will delineate the type of the offense and the severity of it.  A leer is not a rape.. as examples of type.. and 'sneering leering' not as severe and a rape and a murder.  "Every bad act does not deserve a 'nuclear option!'"  Due Process!?

This is NOT to demean any victim. It's just a step back to examine what's going on. I think that a majority of Americans are compromised by the severity of the political climate that has most folks I know in a major tizzy! Angst!   We are tizzified by the incredible happenstance of what is going on in our country that seems antithetical to good health: physical and financial and even aesthetic.  Scary.. but.. buck up and do something good for someone else.. That, at least, we can control. 
michaelsheehan