Elizabeth Alexander read her poem at Barack Obama’s inaugural. I’ve tracked down a written version and put it at the end of this article for you… so you can see her line breaks… Remember, for those who are poetry-phobic from creepy experiences with non-understandable poetry forced onto them in highschool… though you can measure most poetic metre with an electronic slide rule, the heart of most poetry is far more simple… Poetry is most often a glimpsing through...

It was actually done by two presidents before, shocking that the reporter on Fox News doesn’t know that. As of tonight, apparently Prez Obama re-did the recitation without the flub-up put forth by the Chief Justice, who put the oath’s words in the wrong order at the inaugural oath proper yesterday. Frankly, though some want to take a thin thing and turn it into a big fat Jabba-the-Hut thing, this is minor. I’m sure both President-Elect and Chief Justice were overwhelmed with the...

According to the NY Post, Miss Kennedy has withdrawn her name from the running to be appointed to fill former Senator Hillary Clinton’s seat. Some speculate this may have to do with Senator Ted Kennedy’s being taken to the hospital during the inauguration ceremonies yesterday. Others claimed she would be the best choice because of her fund-raising abilities for Governor Paterson’s re-election campaign yet to come, and other Democrats’ campaigns. I know Caroline, and knew...

Old School I’m Old School in most ways, with, I hope, mostly clear vision for the present and future, as you may, like me, be striving to master too…. It’s a winding road of trackbacks and do-overs and the occasional brilliant en puentes, right on the head visions, that’s for sure. Yet there are time-tested ways and means to rely on, many which create rather than stifle; make room for growth, rather than poison. In Old School, the inauguration would be seen as someone else’s...

Perhaps you have your bests and worsts, etc., of inauguration day too? Worst: hearing people boo Cheney and President Bush. Low, low class act. Best of the worst: other people near the booing people, shushing the boo-ers Best hat: Aretha Franklin was wearing a gigantic rhinestone studded hat in the shape of a gigantic bow that made her look like a beautiful be-ribboned gift. Best overcoats: the secret service guys; full length 1950′s ‘cool guy’ stylin’ Biggest oopsie: Bush...

In respect, Rev. Warren, here is one of the most perfect prayers I know… I hope you will use it for the inauguration of our new President, Obama. Really the inauguration prayer needs no other words than these… for this prayer I believe is in some way already written, in millions of languages, into the souls of human beings who made it to earth. It is a prayer attributed to gentle St. Francis of Assisi, the man whom they say spoke for the true and un-politicized human heart… a saint...

I don’t want to start anything negative, or crazy-rumorish, especially after the debacle of non-news shuttle-cocking all over the place regarding Governor Palin’s newborn child supposedly not having been born from her own body. (Leaving further commentary and analysis on that news-ganglia for another time when I’ve had too many Turkish coffees thick as mud.) But, tonight I watched some films of Michelle inside the train today, (film taken from outside the train,) and another, an...

This is a picture of Kinderdijk canal in the Nederlands with thousands of joyous ice skaters who descended on the frozen canal …which last froze over more than twelve years ago. Long ago, in the time of the story of Hans Brinker and The Silver Skates, that is in Holland circa 1865, the canals in the Netherlands froze over every year. But gradually, with more and more water pollution changing the temperature of the water, the canals stopped freezing over. But now, as one grandfather put it:...

We received today at National Catholic Reporter where I write a weekly column, the communiqué I’ve quoted from below. There are many things to say about Hamas and Israel and the Palestinians, but there are also untold stories about many good people in the Gaza region. This is only one such story: There are Catholic churches in Gaza. Gaza is a far more patchwork of peoples than media traditionally explains. Catholic Masses for resolution and peace are being held round the clock in Gaza and...

Writing today about Kathy Griffin and other comedians in the USA, I thought for the millionth time about dear Zarganar; the great comedic heart of Burma who just two months ago was insanely punished by the bloated multi-millionaire dictator of Burma, Than Shwe… Than Shwe, surely the lost twin brother of Mugabe in Zimbabwe… Than Shwe, the walking talking roasted pig with his rotten teeth stuffed with diamonds from loot taken from his organized cocaine trade … Than Shwe, it is said,...

Kathy Griffin and the lower-case ‘d-word’ Joe Gandelman, our editor-in-chief, put up the video clip of Kathy Griffin fire-bombing back at a verbal sniper on the streets of Times Square during New Year’s Eve broadcast with Anderson Cooper. I had to listen to the video to learn what the ‘d’ word was that the MSM news have been carrying on like a bunch of chickens in a hen-house sighting a fox. How dense is that of me? Ok, alot. But the word Griffin actually used, the...

There’s a story told in my Old Country family, a type of ‘the old man and the sea…’ tale… about learning how to say No instead of continuing to make soulful responses to those who conduct themselves soullessly. In the case of the most recent ‘wish’ by a Connecticut lawmaker for the state’s government to bail out a newspaper… being able to form the word no, and mean it, may serve so much… like the already over burdened taxpayers for instance… The...

The Lost Story About What The Old Man and the New Baby Used to Mean for Human Action at New Year’s We’re led to believe that New Year’s images are about the Old Year going out as a bent over old man… and the New Year toddling in as a grinning infant. That’s what the buycandy buywine buybeer folks would have us believe. But those are degraded images. Long ago, there were far brighter symbols for this ending of one revolution and beginning a new revolution of earth around sun… Long...

May you be blessed in the New Year, May you always find your way back to warmth, May you be given blessings you can see and remember aloud, May you find some meaningful part of the mystery that you cherish, … that cherishes you in return, May you have entertainments that delight you, May others be good to you, forgive you, ask your forgiveness, May you touch someone else’s heart now and then, May you always find your way back to true home, even in the cold, even in the dark… true...

Perhaps the layoff of this one person, Nat Hentoff, more than most others does indeed signal the end of an era….that newspapers are, like the day the whales with confused sonar beached themselves and lay on the shores, not dead, but gasping for air, yet being unable to back up and return to their home places where they could thrive. Look for more layoffs of prominent and long-enthroned writers, critics and journalists at other major media. The nut-cutter does not cut by kindness nor by fame,...

These photo montages are to wish all OUR TMV READERS and COMMENTERS the warmest of the holiday season. We treasure you. As we say ‘back to home’: You’re good people. And, for all persons, no matter their knowings and beliefs… May every soul in some way be made happy everywhere in this ever fissioning, ever challenging, ever horrible, ever deeply humane world. Picasso said, it took him decades to figure out the answer to the key to wild art: Be/see as a child. Therefore, I...

The eagle… uncanny symbol of our nation …flying strong, with intent, knowing the ancient migration paths, having wild instinct fully intact; how to feast, hunt, rest, care for the young, soar… both symbolically and literally… this spirit remains strong in the greater culture, as well as in individuals…. Viz: a story-cito… There is a tough guy who lives down the road from me. He packs more heat than ten acres of chile peppers. You know the kind of guy, gruff, battle-scarred,...

A suggested list of your recommendations on books to give as gifts this Holiday? First thought, right thought. Just do it fast? You can see my and other commenters’ recommendations here 1. Books for Strength 2. Books of Humor and/or Creativity 3. Books of /for Thinking, Depth, Sanity 4. Books for Males in your life 5. Books of your Guilty Pleasures 6. Bestsellers, Backlist, Midlist books 7. Poetry books 8. Books you loved as a child 9. Books you love as an adult 10. Category of your choice —————————– CODA re...

1. STRENGTH BOOKS You know, most everyone has read at least one book they believe saved their lives. Purchase some copies and give that book to others this Christmas. For me, one of the water-wings books in the midst of trying to row away from the sinking ship in my tea-cup lifeboat, was Avroham (Abraham Joshua) Heschel’s I Asked for Wonder. I take this book to every critical incident site, every disaster site. It helps me remain sane in the midst of hell. I give this book to any and everyone...

The call of duty sometimes has a strange and unforeseen spellbinding effect…. _______ CODA h/t GreenDreams I found this cartoon at several sites, but without citation. I believe the toon may have been drawn by an artist named Randall Monroe, but am not certain. If anyone can verify, pls let me know and I will cite it properly. UPDATE: TMV Commenters tell me artist’s name is in fact, Randall Monroe or Randall Munroe, (one or the other correct spelling of last name).

From The Times December 12, 2008 Look up tonight for a spectacular treat in the sky Biggest full moon for years enhanced by shooting stars Paul Simons If the full moon tonight looks unusually large, it is not your imagination – it is the biggest and brightest full moon to be seen for 15 years. Each month the Moon makes a full orbit around the Earth in a slightly oval-shaped path, and tonight it will swing by the Earth at its closest distance, or perigee. It will pass by 356,613km (221,595 miles)...

There’s an apocryphal story told in our neck of the woods… When the men came shuffling home after the auto plant closed suddenly that day– without prior notice to the workers– many of the factory men had left their cars at the plant… They were in the midst of purchasing a family sedan, but now, suddenly without jobs, with not even a remote prospect of a job in auto manufacturing ever again, the naturalized USA citizens who’d escaped Poland, Hungary, Lithuania,...

Most persons are not Democrats or Republicans. They’re more like a car engine: cylinders made in the USA, valves made offshore in the Marquesas, rotors made in Mexico… in other words a mix. And somehow, it all works pretty well together. Much of the time. Take this mini political quiz and find out your mix. Brought to you in the interests of taking a semi-rational break from our daily psychosis of pursuing breaking-news politics. P.S. according to this quiz I seem to be a centrist with...

There is story told by the old people about the wages of lusting for gold… Regarding the Conquest of Mexico: The conquistadores, were not as many think, Spanish only, but rather a group of mercenaries from Greece, Spain and Italy with quite a few mongrel types thrown in… all sailing under the flags of the Spanish king and queen with one mission only: get gold, get slaves, loot property, murder whoever resists, and what you do otherwise to please yourself with women, men and children,...