Notes From A Bear's Journey

        The celebration of the 4th passed by once again, seemingly a bit more muted despite the many parks and city centers blasting away celebratory fireworks.  Our state now leads the nation in drought so things are rather dry here and the personal setting off of fireworks are banned in most parts of my city (that said, our state allows five days of fireworks around each summer holiday).  But a stray firecracker, apparently thrown from a car (according to police), started a small field on fire just four houses from us.  It's a rather eerie feeling to be getting ready for bed and looking out to see the sky bright orange yellow outside your window, with increasing waves of smoke drifting by.  Two doors down from us, a recently sold house had been gutted by the new owners, gutted as in it was now a skeleton of a house with decking and drywall gone and only framing visible through the front windows.  Can you see flames from that house, asked th...

Photo: Diego Floravanti      --Note the highlighted update at the end of the post, regarding the newly-signed reconciliation bill--       Call it what you will but there seems to be an upswell in testosterone as displays of male-ness (vs. manhood) seems pervasive in the never-smiling commenters on Fox & NewsMax (contrary to their promo page ) to the White House and its proud "boys" cabinet.  And not just here in the US but in other areas of the world as well as "tough guys" and power-hungry male bullies seem to take pleasure in muscling their way to power.  Or so it would seem.  Throw in the masses peacefully protesting the developing monarchies (the next mass protest happens July 17th ) and you have to wonder, why does the press devote so much time to such a small minority, whichever side you may view as being "the" minority?  But this testosteroned blob doesn't seem to be totally age-related, despite all the aging Congress men pa...

     Surf's up, someone would yell; but it meant little to my ears since I wasn't a surfer.  A body surfer, for sure, but not really good enough to be called that since back in the day, foam boards and "fins" were unheard of.  When a wave came, you just swam, bare footed, and hoped that you would catch the wave.  But more importantly, "surf's up" made me think of the late Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys.  Their album of the same name still had the tight harmonies the group was known for, but gone were the boppity sounds of reckless youth (I Get Around) and blossoming love (God Only Knows).  This was an album about what was happening to our planet.  And it was a song from that album that came to mind as I watched yet another neighbor take down his trees, baring his yard to the sun.  Sang part of A Day in the Life of a Tree : For years my limbs stretched to the sky, a nest for birds to sit and sing.   But now my branches ...

     There was a film the other night, The Golden Voice , which starred a weathered 84-year old Nick Nolte.  He convincingly played a homeless veteran, riddled with different shades of guilt that had churned into not anger or despair, but acceptance and wisdom.  It was simply done, and left a good message that no matter what we may think of a person, we should remember that we actually know next to nothing about them.  As Arrested Development sang:  No one ever knew his name cause he's a no-one.  Never thought twice about spending on a ol' bum until I had the chance to really get to know one.   So it puzzled me to read a comment by Esquire 's editor that said: A recent study showed that two-thirds of men aged eighteen to twenty-three say they feel that nobody really knows them well .  Two thirds!  The co-creator of Adolescence , (mentioned in an earlier post ) Jack Thorne, told Business Week : I think it’s really central, this...

     As difficult as it was to leave the almost-comical but deadly serious world of politics, it was time for a pause.  And why not since the time had come for my annual physical, a time when you're checked (or should be checked) for the health of your colon, nerve reflexes, cognitive function, internal organs, skin, and more.  And no matter how many pundits (and your mind) tell you that 60 is the new 40, or that 70 is the new 50, such a check of your body quickly snaps you back to reality.  70 years of wear is 70 years of wear, much like when someone tells you about their old car saying, "this baby runs like new."  Uh, no.  And it's the same when you look up something on Dr. Google, or make a doctor's appointment...when the result turns out to be "no big deal," you tend to leave thinking, "well I could have figured that out."  But again, no.  Here's just one example...      There was a nursing prep book (the NCLEX-RN ) at...