Category Archives: Culture

Literature, art, music, performances, and people who do these things.

Reclaiming “Redneck” From History

Blogging again after a busy year off. :) The term redneck is usually an insult these days, used by urban, hip, coastal people who went to college for at least four years, vote for Democrats, and work at high-paying high-status … Continue reading

Posted in Culture, Politics | Tagged , | Leave a comment

The Oroville Dam, California, and the US

As of Thursday night, Lake Oroville stands at 32 ft (9 M) below the emergency spillway intake. The California Department of Water & Power (DWP) has managed to do this despite additional rain/snow in the last 24 hours because the … Continue reading

Posted in Culture, Politics | Leave a comment

The Oroville Dam Flood Plain Evacuation: Resources

I have many things to say to California State government officials about the current crisis with the Oroville Dam spillways. Because many of you failed to heed explicit warnings twelve years ago, 200,000 people were forced out of their homes … Continue reading

Posted in Charity, Culture | Leave a comment

It’s Time to Quit Taking the Bait

Donald Trump’s first ten days in office have made it clear that he plans to govern as he has run his businesses and show: create chaos and let the “winners” claw their way to the top. It was probably unrealistic … Continue reading

Posted in Culture, Politics | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

A LOONNNNGGG Six Months

It’s been a very long last six months. The US election was a disheartening drag for reasons I won’t bother to repeat. Health issues raised their ugly heads. I’m diabetic, which complicates any health issue. Four days after the election, … Continue reading

Posted in Culture, Personal, Politics | Leave a comment

Rethinking Racism in America

This month The Atlantic published an article titled “The Racist History of Portland, the Whitest City in America”. I react badly to race-baiting, and the title of this article sounded like race baiting to me. However, I went to college … Continue reading

Posted in Culture, Human Rights, Politics | Leave a comment

On “Cultural Appropriation”: Sanity at Last!

As an undergraduate in the early 1980s, I studied German and Russian literature in college. Over my adult lifetime, however, I’ve felt increasingly out of place in the humanities. I’m not leftist. I don’t think capitalism is a bad word, … Continue reading

Posted in Anthropology, Culture, Human Rights, Politics | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Robin McLaurin Williams (1951-2014)

Good Morning, Vietnam. The Dead Poets Society. The Fisher King. Mrs. Doubtfire. Jumanji. And this. Good Night, Robin. Rest in peace.

Posted in Culture | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Pete Seeger: 1919-2014

To everything (turn, turn, turn)      There is a season (turn, turn, turn), And a time to every purpose, under heaven.

Posted in Culture, Human Rights, Religion | Leave a comment

Nelson Mandela (1918-2013)

As everybody and his brother has said today, Nelson Mandela was a great man, one of the greatest of the 20th century. I’d like to point out that, unlike many great men, Nelson Mandela was also by almost any measure … Continue reading

Posted in Culture, Human Rights, Politics | Tagged , | Leave a comment