Hamlet

Happy Saturday morning, and a Recognition of a ‘successful’ (mostly except for the fringes) DNC week –

If memory serves, the time has come to (as was so fervently chanted throughout the halls) “toss away those picture IDs”.
If memory serves, the time has come to (as President Reagan so famously could have said) “break down those walls ‘fences’”.
If memory serves, the time has come to (as Pink Floyd once sang) “Leaving just a memory, A snapshot in the family album”.
If memory serves, the time has come to (as Hilary Klug, “the Arkansas traveler”, could have said) “pack up your bags and head for your promised lands”.
If memory serves, the time has come to (as Tennessee Ernie would be wont to sing) “let your hearts swell in song.”

Safe travels to the delegates (may much of what was spoken sink quickly into oblivion)

So yes, a wee bit of a sweat this week. While watching the happenings in Chicago it had me wringing my hands. The most salient thing being that it dawned on me that much of what I saw as being akin to characters from high school years who were now busily at work trying to run a country. I wasn’t quite sure if we were watching a Ferris Bueller, The Big Lebowski, Clockwork Orange, Arrested Development, or a compilation of all.

All culminating with a wild and unnerving speech last Thursday evening.

But hey, ‘C’est la vie’ (loosely translated into English as; “Sh– happens”)

Hamlet – Thursday evening was the grand finale of the ‘clown show’ in Chicago. As an 180° opposite to that, I discovered that I had the perfect antidote! It just so happened that Thursday evening I could attend a Cincinnati Shakespeare Company staged a performance of the Bard’s classic; “Hamlet”. A pretty dark drama. Perfect!

A number of lines jumped out. Example; “The lady doth protest too much, methinks.“ – Gertrude, Hamlet act 3 scene 2).
Or, “That one may smile and smile and be a villain.” – Hamlet, act 1 scene 5).
Or, “My words fly up, my thoughts remain below: Words without thoughts never to heaven go.” – Claudius (act 3 scene 3).

But in the thick of drama, there was humor. This from the clowns (the play’s gravediggers)

First Grave Digger — “What is he that builds stronger than either the mason, the shipwright, or the carpenter?”
Second Grave Digger — “The gallows-maker; for that frame outlives a thousand tenants.”

Dirk?, you ask. Again, what’s with all this Shakespeare drama? The answer, again is simple. Thursday evening, I was on the grounds of our Spring Grove Cemetery. There to enjoy our area’s esteemed Cincinnati Shakespeare Company as they staged an outdoor performance of the Bard’s classic; “Hamlet”. This made it impossible but to sit back and just enjoy. I had a blast!

“Alas Poor Yorick! I knew him well”

Roy Beck – Decades ago Roy and I were acquainted through children, church, and his background. At the time Roy was an editor at the Cincinnati Enquirer – then a major well-respected newspaper, but prior to that he’d been an editor at the Grand Rapids Press especially on environmental issues; we had stuff in common.

Then he moved to the DC area and Booth Newspapers. In 1996 he founded NumbersUSA. NumbersUSA was started to bring common sense to the immigration issue – both legal and illegal.

It didn’t take long until NumbersUSA was designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center; awkwardly, the SPLC itself was not immune to its own designations.

To counter, Beck ‘hooked’ a quote by the liberal Texas Democrat, Representative Barbara Jordan, who became a “spiritual godmother” to NumbersUSA (wiki) after she chaired the bipartisan U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform committee. They used this quotation from her:

“We decry hostility and discrimination towards immigrants as antithetical to the traditions and interests of the country. At the same time, we disagree with those who would label efforts to control immigration as being inherently anti-immigrant. Rather, it is both a right and a responsibility of a democratic society to manage immigration so that it serves the national interest.”

All this leads to the reason for all of this. Recently I came across a long-forgotten video Roy made. For a period, it was a very popular visual on immigration and its results. It brought back memories from years ago and thought I’d share. Especially considering what has been happening on our southern border these last years and continuing to this day.

Mom ‘n em – mid-week it was the place Marin, and I met up. Great coffees and wonderful sandwiches and therefore the perfect place. It occurred to me that the only time I ever saw Marin was in the presence of family or his girlfriend. It also dawned on me that there needed to be a better way to ‘catch up’, a one on one.

Catch up we did, and it was the best hour+ I had spent in a long time. He starts school next week and this was my seeing him before he begins a new school year. Thanks for joining Marin!

Normalcy – After all the massive hubbub of this week it’s back to normalcy. This morning starting at 10-am our energy company, Duke Energy, has its annual; “Touch a Truck”. It’s a golden opportunity for an “interactive experience” for those who love service vehicles.

If there is any stress remaining it might just slink away with “Touch a Truck”.

Lastly – our baby, Adrianne, is celebrating a birthday today. Time does fly, but for Marcia and me she’s making the aging thing both a great experience and super fun.

Last evening we had a celebratory dinner at the new “Factory 52” complex. Built on the former home of US Playing Cards it’s now been “reimagined as a lifestyle destination, a city within the city”. The developers hit ‘bullseye’.

Happy Birthday kiddo – LOVE you!

Life is AMAZING!

May Peace prevail! Shalom.

Dirk

BONUS POINTS:

Which two of the following words do not describe a “maelstrom”?

1) system
2) bedlam
3) flap
4) fuss
5) method