Debacle shall be the word of the day.. The synonyms practically sing:
the Watergate break-in became a debacle of the highest order: fiasco, failure, catastrophe, disaster, mess, ruin; downfall, collapse, defeat; informal foul-up, screw-up, hash, botch, washout, snafu.
The wisdom is not mine but used with permission on the understanding that the individual is promised anonymity. “So, Kavanaugh has been confirmed. Both Kavanaugh and Ford are probably telling the truth as they each perceive it. There probably was an assault, and if it was Kavanaugh he probably does not remember – all in a regular weekend ; as loathsome as it is, it is far from the systematic abuse within the Catholic Church. I certainly don’t remember every party and drinking session through university – not in that league through high school – and it was 36 years ago. Who among us …? He has changed and it is rather unfortunate, in my opinion, that he will sit as such a right wing judge. Obviously Ford was traumatized, and I wonder if she came forward in an effort to exorcise her demons as well as to show his unfitness for such a high office. Or was it revenge at a high cost? Death threats on both sides are horrifying.”
Me: My goodness you are so wise. Particularly your comments comparing the ‘wrong’ with that of the systemic assault within the Catholic Church. I would like to place your wisdom on my blog but will only do so with your permission. Kavanaugh is a man with no empathy – as are most men in a power position. That is his real sin and it is reflected in his right wing philosophy and the decisions he renders, never placing himself in the shoes of the oppressed, the poor, or any people worthy of protection. . These shining qualities form the reason why he was selected by a man without a shred of empathy or any quality resembling humanness. (Trump, of course) My January 6,2018 blog contains the best description of the role of empathy with the input of friends. It is definitely worth reading and is a companion to this blog. But all of my thoughts on empathy can be found by merely typing empathy into the search engine. I do love my blog but take no credit for it (well, except for the writing).
As promised I did go to the Contemporary Art Gallery to get the low down on the recent exhibit that features the Uppity Uuterus signage. The artist is Kameelah Janan Rasheed who is a Brooklyn-based interdisciplinary artist and writer. The exhibit is titled: An Alphabetical Accumulation of Appropriate Observations. (now that is a mouthful). She uses language: “Within these modes, she uses expressions of everyday vernaculars and experimental poetics to consider Black subjectivity and the relationships we craft between disputed pasts, a set of sprawling present conditions and contingent futures.” (I do think CAG should hire me to do their writing as this, taken from their brochure, is not clear and rather awkward. More of Rasheed’s work can also be found at Yaletown-Roundhouse Station. The photo attached to this blog is another CAG window.
An upcoming blog will feature the poetry of Demi C, a young woman I met while gazing at art, a previous exhibit at CAG.
An early morning email to the UK described the day – Thanksgiving in Canada.
Me: Today is Thanksgiving here. It is so tiny compared to Thanksgiving in the US – I am not celebrating it although I did make a big deal of it all last year with a ‘family’ dinner on the Sunday and then a turkey of my own on Monday. Those days are over.” Today I will go to Dunn’s, my home away from home and have the hot turkey sandwich. Most of the staff are from Mexico with no tradition of Thanksgiving. It makes so much sense for Mexican young people to come to Canada as they can enter legally – impossible in the US. The staff are so friendly, so hardworking and congenial – it is a joy to be around them. I joke that they are my kids – I am the Mom to about eight. For a woman who chose not to have children, I am truly blessed.
