The Experience Driven Life

Capital punishment (CP) is not worthy of a civilized state, any more than murder is in a civil society. It is a barbaric and medieval practice. It does little more than satisfy the base instinct of revenge in the victims' advocates/relatives and an hyped-up, rubber-necking, second-hand public. An "eye for an eye" logic is not justice, but simply the production of an unending cycle of violence. CP sends the message to society that death is a proper bookend for some criminal trial proceedings, i.e. that violence puts and end to violence. On the contrary, CP complements and augments violence within an already violent society. And, moreover, a society that embraces capital punishment is usually one that condones violence and warfare as a means to solving political disputes, internal and international. I also question whether CP is a sound deterrent, not in the least because a of tangled judicial system which delays executions for so long and thus the process to convict ...

Music Music is the language of the spirit; nature speaks to us through a succession of notes which is the symphony of the universe. Yet the loveliest of moments are silent, filing the space that separates us from others, enjoining us to love and knowledge, and guiding us to what cannot be spoken. All aspects of human nature find their expression and unity in a melody. With music, the most sacred moments of joy and sadness have been painted and the most treasured memories preserved. Without music, the emotions would pale and the imagination would still. Music is a true friend in need, fortifying the weak, soothing the wretched, the whole world and humanity in one; for there is nothing beyond its scope, and we are comforted by its presence in knowing we are never alone in suffering. Music is always on the brink of the future, yet it brings us closest to the past; it is the trumpet call of history and the march of ages. As the margin between order and chaos, musi...

This fav film list is dedicated to the memory of Joanne Collings -- friend, constant reader, and dedicated movie reviewer. https://www.imdb.com/list/ls007560455/

The Assignment :  reproduce to scale a photograph of a master painting The Tools :  scissors, glue The Materials :  magazines, paper The Instructions :  recreate the image of the assigned painting (8 ½" x 11") using only solid colored cut-out pieces of magazine print and glue Orchestrate tr.v. 1.      To compose or arrange (music) for performance by an orchestra. 2.      To arrange or control the elements of, as to achieve a desired overall effect: orchestrated a successful political campaign. John Almquist was a fine artist and a gifted teacher, as a consequence of being both genuinely artistic and dedicated to teaching. But that was hardly transparent to his students, because John was neither flamboyant nor noticeably pedagogical in style. He “blended in,” worked hard, and was admired in a quiet but nevertheless profound way by many a teenager, including me. John was also quite innovative in the clas...

A critique of President Obama's acceptance speech of the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo. America should not be fighting a war in Afghanistan. In partial defense of this view, the following are my comments on U.S. President Obama's acceptance speech of the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo. In brief: The U.S. cannot win the war in Afghanistan. Indeed it is very hard to imagine a military strategy that would prevail. The nature of the terrain, the heroic pertinacity of its people, and the absence of a legitimate central government in Kabul all contribute to the futility of fighting another day there. In addition the U.S. has undermined its reputation in the region to such an extent during the past eight years by bombing, imprisoning, and torturing civilians, as well as propping up dubious governments, that it has no firm hold on the hearts and minds of the average Afghan as to the purpose, sincerity and integrity of its mission. Furthermore, I don't see how it is going to gar...