While the US markets guffaw and rejoice over marginal gains at the expense of Greek sovereignty and nascent, crippled good news that's masked by more immediate situations and pressing realities--too fragile to stand up outside of the virtual marketplace, a major environmental tradegy is lapping at US shores and threatens to undo and destabilize, not just this shell-game propped up by shared illusions, contagious histeria of wealth and termity. What is most serious and most repulsive is difficult to say: the environmental impact on the Gulf of Mexico and the death of a delicate ecosystem, the loss of livelihood for locals that will linger like the spectre of Katrina, the continued ill-preparedness of the US government in mitigating catastrophies, the oil companies' exculpability, the mean-spirited blame-game on ostensibly arguments of political ideology that demeans all other consequences. At least the groomers and hair-dressers, along with locals who face the mothballing of their business in the meantime and for the foreseen future, are running a drive for down (feathers), hair and trimmings since these leavings are pretty good at sopping up oil.Tuesday, 4 May 2010
disastrophy
While the US markets guffaw and rejoice over marginal gains at the expense of Greek sovereignty and nascent, crippled good news that's masked by more immediate situations and pressing realities--too fragile to stand up outside of the virtual marketplace, a major environmental tradegy is lapping at US shores and threatens to undo and destabilize, not just this shell-game propped up by shared illusions, contagious histeria of wealth and termity. What is most serious and most repulsive is difficult to say: the environmental impact on the Gulf of Mexico and the death of a delicate ecosystem, the loss of livelihood for locals that will linger like the spectre of Katrina, the continued ill-preparedness of the US government in mitigating catastrophies, the oil companies' exculpability, the mean-spirited blame-game on ostensibly arguments of political ideology that demeans all other consequences. At least the groomers and hair-dressers, along with locals who face the mothballing of their business in the meantime and for the foreseen future, are running a drive for down (feathers), hair and trimmings since these leavings are pretty good at sopping up oil.Sunday, 2 May 2010
strange blooms
How does your garden grow? The geraniums on the balcony and all the greenery survived in our absense, and even the more unusual plants are starting to blossom. There are two cactuses in the window, one that has these bright red drooping flowers alternating years and this other who sends out bizarre alien feeler antennae. This other plant lives in a glass Bier Maร and leaves under the soil where daylight can get in. Also every other year, it sprouts weird, little and sticky white flowers.
Saturday, 1 May 2010
even old New York was once New Amsterdam
I am just freshly returned from vacation with the whole weekend to recuperate and relax and let the thoughts and memories settle and sort.
Seeing Istanbul was probably the most exotic exposure I have had, and while I am glad to come back to our little house in a city founded by Charlemagne himself, it amazes me that one can be in the capital of the Ottoman Empire, the capital of the Roman Empire, the seat of the Eastern Orthodox church at lunch time and then back in Unterfranken by mid-afternoon.
