As we close out 2023 here are some posts from throughout the year that I thought might be good to re-post for the docket today.
And again he thought the thought we already know: human life occurs only once, and the reason we cannot determine which of our decisions are good and which bad is that in a given situation we can only make one decision; we are not granted a second, third, or fourth life in which to compare various decisions. —“The Unbearable Lightness of Being” Milan Kundera
1.
We lost Milo in February this year. A week before his last breath, a mighty gust of wind caught his tail in a door followed by horrendous screaming from the both of us. It happened about a minute before Connie got home from an errand so then all three of us had a little meltdown. We called our vet who said to call one of the emergency services in town. We ended up at Pima Pet Emergency Services on Speedway for the long wait.
After a few hours we were seen and the doc hauled him away to get stitched up…we went home in the meantime, crashed for an hour or so, and went back about 6pm. All in all, a good prognosis, a few stitches, a new temporary tail-do.
Published this on February 17th: We knew the time was coming. He was diagnosed with kidney disease late in the summer of 2022 and his doc said he might not see the new year. He had been really lethargic early in the week and barely ate on Tuesday. No appetite at all on Wednesday—several vomits during the previous night along with bloody diarrhea—so we knew it was time. The last shot below is him in his favorite bed where he could look out at the world and get some sun on his sweet face. RIP, Milo the reading cat. Best boy. You were one of a kind.
2.
First published on March 14th, here’s a post of some of my favorite news sources:
Tired of the same old news outlets? Huff Post make you scream? Fox Snooze killing ya? CBS/ABC/NBC news putting you to sleep? Here are some alternate sources for what’s happening across the nation and also locally.
Lion Publishers is all about local independent online news. There are over 450 members under the Lion banner, probably one or two near you. Check them out and support them if possible. Here are just a few in Arizona I like to peruse.
The Arizona Agenda is a substack that is geared toward outing the bullshit in state politics and government. Arizona journalists Rachel Leingang and Hank Stephenson use in-depth pieces that cut through the smoke and mirrors politicians use, watchdog stories about how the government is failing or screwing its citizens, and provide facts and point fingers — and hopefully inspire more people to get involved. (Since this was published its sister Substack, the Tucson Agenda, has been added)
The Border Chronicle is a substack newsletter that focuses on the big issues challenging border regions, such as climate change, economic inequality, government surveillance, and the rapid growth of the border security industrial complex. Instead of using the ‘crisis’ narrative popular in mainstream media, longtime journalists Melissa del Bosque and Todd Miller, based in Tucson, strive to challenge preconceived notions about the borderlands, even their own.
The Tucson Sentinel has been publishing for over a decade. Their goal is to create a more informed community that is making wiser choices, to dampen rhetoric, and foster a respectful dialogue about local and regional issues through solid, reliable accountability journalism.
The AZ Luminaria is another Tucson-based online news outlet founded by Irene McKisson, Dianna Náñez, and Becky Pallac, who together have more than 50 years of experience in Arizona newsrooms as reporters, editors, mentors, community organizers, business-side experts and digital innovators.
And in Kansas, check out the Lawrence Times (as opposed to the Lawrence Journal World). It’s an independent grassroots online news publication with the goal of maintaining open news access for all members of the community regardless of income. It began publishing March of 2021 and it exists thanks to your generous donations.
Here are a couple other independent online news outlets not associated with Lion I think do great work:
Prescott (AZ) Indivisible…yes, there are progressives in this red town. This online news source promotes social justice and political accountability through advocacy and activism while advancing humanitarian, inclusive and progressive values at all levels of civic engagement.
The Kansas Reflector launched in 2020 and is a nonprofit news operation providing in-depth reporting, diverse opinions and daily coverage of state government and politics. This public service is free to readers and other news outlets.
Damn. I’m slightly gobsmacked that Susie Bright, from her Substack journal, has endorsed my Tales from the Homestead. She is an American feminist, author, journalist, critic, editor, publisher, producer, and performer, often on the subject of politics and sexuality, and is the recipient of the 2017 Humanist Feminist Award. Check out her writings…
And I cannot recommended enough Heather Cox Richardson’s almost daily posts on Substack called Letters from an American. She cuts through the BS in politics with smooth precision.
For folks living in the Ol’ Pueblo, retired columnist and cartoonist for the Arizona Daily Star David Fitzsimmons Substack is a good read. He calls it a blog on southwestern life, politics and culture with a side of salsa and satire.
3.
Connie and I had some travel adventures this year that included Chicago, Oxford, and London…but one of our very favorites was in June when we stayed at Sea Ranch with our friends Michael and Kathy for a few days. The contrast from the desert heat to the moist air of the Pacific was heavenly.
And we certainly enjoyed Chicago. Here’s the view of the skyline from our hotel room looking north across the river.
And in Oxford, here’s a view from our 3rd story lodging at Keble Hall.
4.
And this from a post last January 4th:
I’ve unoriginally been giving some thought to the idea of Original Thought. Say that five times backwards. I’m not sure I’ve ever had one. Are our minds just filled with what we’ve read in books, magazines, and newspapers, what we’ve heard on the Teevee and online, TED talks, Fox News, friends gossiping, and the day-to-day noise of ‘things-that-need-to-get-done?’ I do know that when I’ve stumbled upon an idea for a song or for a direction to go with the materials I use for artwork, it derives from chance, only because I’ve managed to focus enough time to let ideas bounce around in my head without distraction for a sliver of a given day. And maybe that’s what it takes in the realm of writing. I have the urge to write a novel or even a short story (I will say many of my songs are just that)…but the idea is so daunting, and I’ve always thought of AUTHORS as some special creatures who are able to just pull completed works out of thin air. I know that’s not the case but I still experience trauma from my school days when it was difficult for me to even string two sentences together. As it is with music and art, it comes down to doing the work, making mistakes, putting the proverbial pen to paper and seeing what happens.
It was a lovely goal or rather orientation when it was far away throughout my childhood and teens and collage years, but when it came time to do it—well, the mountain is beautiful in the distance and steep when you’re on it. Becoming a writer formalizes something essential about becoming a human: the task of figuring out what stories to tell and how to tell them and who you are in relation to them, which you choose or which choose you, and what the people around you desire and how much to listen to them and how much to listen to other things, deeper and farther away. But also, you have to write. I had published a lot of essays and reviews by that time, but a book—it was like going from building toolsheds to a palace. —Rebecca Solnit, Recollections of My Nonexistence
Thanks for reading and I hope for a peaceful 2024 for all of us. If you are looking for a music and social event to bring in the new year, Kevin Pakulis will be holding court at Borderlands this Sunday from 6-9pm. Along with Karl Hoffmann and I as rhythm section, special guests will be Heather Hardy and Frank Filipo. No cover but taking Tucson Community Food Bank donations!
And now…
Thank you for all the work you do everywhere all at once.
Love and good stuff to you and Con and Milo in the wind.
I'm ready for a planar shift, myself! xoC
Thanks for all, and I do mean all, You do. Stay strong my friend. kw