Monday, January 31, 2011

Politics, Forum, and a Movie

Good morning!

I said to myself that I would not bother with politics on this blog, first because I don't know anything about it really, and second because it is a frustrating subject. But I must mention that I do read James Howard Kunstler's blog every Monday when he puts it out, and he is concerned  about what's going on in Egypt. (Not to mention Yemen, etc.)  His big point today: possible closure of the Suez Canal, whence  all our oil passes on its way to the neighborhood gas pump.

"We lose ten percent of our oil and that's all she wrote around here," says he, and he is referring to our "kingdom of freeways" entire, not just the Saratoga, NY region.

I hope I am not breaking any laws by quoting that out of today's blog. Think about it, folks. We are living in a precarious state, that is for certain, when our whole American way of life depends so closely on the behavior in some countries far around the world. 

And now, on a related topic, the Governor of California has sadly said that he is probably going to have to close the State Parks of California.  Padlock the gates. I only hope they don't get sold off for resorts for the very wealthy.  They could be; it happens, doesn't it?  California is broke, and it is essential that great cuts are made in our expenditures....Well, I would rather that the mentally ill receive the care that they  need, I guess.  But guess what, their care will be cut too. 

Yesterday at church, the Forum was about unexpected change in our lives.  The I Ching would say, I told you so.  We split into little groups, which I always hate, though the little groups are always so valuable that I am never sorry I was in on one.  The changes we heard about were all just common life situations: separation, loneliness, sudden severe illness.  All touching, all involving suffering humanity. There were five of us in our little group,  and we went around the circle. Guess who didn't have to say anything, because time ran out?  Right. Good.

I was zonked at church yesterday because we went out on Saturday night to a movie. I am not used to the night life any more. The movie we saw was The Way Back,  which title reminds me, sadly, of the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show. This movie is a National Geographic Movie, they told us, but they did not have to tell us that. That's what it is.  It's about some men who escape from a gulag in Siberia during WW II, and walk over Siberia, Manchuria, China, and India...along the way being joined by a very young woman who is also an escapee from the Soviets. I loved the scenery. I hated it at the beginning when the hero realizes he has been ratted out by his wife (as she was tortured), and I shut my eyes and ears and missed that part. I hated it when some of them had to die.  I liked the Russian crook best of all, and also loved Ed Harris who has grown remarkably old in a short time.  I did not like how healthy they all looked in the Gulag as they played cards at night.  Not the way they would have been, with loose bloody teeth, sores, and shedding hair. On the trek, I liked the walking, as they did a lot of it and you had a good sense of how many actual steps men had to take before we had cars. (Back to Kunstler.)  Would I recommend you go see it?  Yes.  Nothing to fear. YAZZYBEL

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