TEA LEAVES UNDER STONES
Sharing the Spirit of Christmas Where Can It Take Us in the New Year?
We are swamped in commercialism at Christmas time – even more so this year when Americans are spending more than ever since 2007. But, perhaps, like me, you have paused to ponder that this is a time for giving, sparing a thought for the needy. Also, in a time of goodwill and good cheer, it is a time for sharing – particularly with those we are seemingly much at odds with in the world. If we look around us far enough, we will see that surprising things often happen at this time of year. Continue reading
After Paris, the West Intensifies its War on ISIS As Syria Is Imploding
A few days after the terrible multiple terrorist attacks in Paris on Friday November 13 that claimed one hundred thirty lives, over lunch with friends, we happened to look through photos from their holiday to Syria in 2009, two years before the start of the calamitous civil war raging there now in its fifth year. Continue reading
Night Sky
Night sky of my mind
Like the Milky Way
Stretching infinitely back
In vast chains of trailing beacons –
A fiery synaptic symphony of spirit Continue reading
Facing Up to Climate Change : How Real Is It? How Bad Could It Get? What Should We do Now?
Today, perhaps as never before, our climate seems to be in trouble. Climate change coupled with population growth could drastically alter and deteriorate the environment and life prospects for our grand-children and later generations. Continue reading
Nights at the End of Days
The late night’s deep quiet is my last solace
I stay and wait in hope of meeting seeing you
To talk but a short while to feel your live presence
Your warmth your look upon me
After hours hours hours of inert silence and your deep
Absence while you sleep sleep sleep. Continue reading
Sea of Life!
I stepped out along miles of wave-ribbed strand
Striding strongly away from shore into the sea
Waves like a crowd of others long departed Continue reading
What Price Our Planet? Can We Grow the Economy and Reduce Poverty without Self-Destructing ?
After a few better years when trends seemed to be reversing and things were starting to improve somewhat, this year is looking a bit grim once more for our planet’s natural environment. Later this year the USA and other major nations will meet in Paris for UN Climate Change Conference with aim of agreeing actions to save our Planet for future generations by keeping global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius. Continue reading
Myopia, Misinformation, Suspicion and Spin Can The Nuclear Deal with Iran Survive Its Detractors? And What Are the Costs to Us If it Fails?
It has been barely ten days since the detailed framework of a proposed comprehensive nuclear agreement with Iran was made public by the Obama administration and its negotiating partners in the P5+1 Group (Russia, China, the UK, France and Germany) and by the Iranian government. Continue reading
Netanyahu, Iran and a Divided America: Perils of Division for America’s Future How Should We Respond to the Challenge?
I had watched with mounting dismay the rather unseemly spectacle leading up to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s much ballyhooed speech before the United States Congress early last week. Then yesterday (March 10) came the open letter sent directly to the leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran by 47 Republican United States Senators. For me – perhaps also for you ? – these raised deep concerns about the state of our politics and our nation’s foreign policy-making. Continue reading
Beyond Oratory and Exhortation – Gimmicks and Incrementalism ? Obama’s 2016 Budget : Compromise Or Break Through ?
As I listened to Pres Obama’s State of the Union address January 20, I wondered how much his soaring and at times visionary oratory would be reflected in a similar expansiveness in his 2016 Budget proposal. After four bruising years of bare knuckle, gridlock-inducing budget warfare with Republicans in the U.S. Congress Continue reading