People
RIP Donna Jean
The Grateful Dead lost another band member this week. Donna Jean Godchaux joined the band in the early 70s when her husband Keith became their piano player and left the group in 1979. Her contribution to the band was her singing and it was polarizing. I think most fans would agree that she added some beautiful vocals to some of the great tunes from the 70s (Scarlet Begonia and The Music Never Stopped come to mind), but her performances live could often be a major buzz kill. More than one Playin' in the Band was tanked due to her wailing. Nevertheless, she was in the band and is tied karmically to all the world’s Deadheads.
RIP Donna
Some Thoughts from Retired General Stanley McChrystal
General Stanley McChrystal is a fascinating dude. I first learned about him when he was forced to resign by Obama in 2010 because of comments attributed to him and his staff members that were published in Rolling Stone. Leading up to that, I have learned that he was a top rate soldier, which explains why he was in charge of Allied forces in Afghanistan at the start of Obama’s presidency. His military career is undoubtedly honorable and exemplary.
He is also known for the fact that for many years while in the military he only ate one meal a day. Combined with his daily exercise regimen he developed a reputation, even amongst those in the military, as a Spartan.
I am currently reading his book On Character and enjoying it very much. McChrystal is clearly a thoughful guy and not easily pigeonholed. I find myself agreeing with most of his takes on the big issues he discusses in the book. Below are some of his thinking, which I found insightful and wise. The quotes are about religion (1), race (2 & 3), and the Constitution (4).
JFK was Overrated
President Kennedy often gets a lot of props from the American public. There are elements of his presidency that I admire, most notably the fact that his rhetoric was often inspirational. However, I believe he is one of the most overrated presidents in modern history. The obvious arguments have to do with his escalation of our involvement in Vietnam and his slowness to support civil rights. In recent years I have come across other examples that call into question his leadership. Some of these have to do with his behavior towards women (see p. 109 of Brian Lamb’s book The Presidents (where today’s quote is from). Another example is the one mentioned below. During the attempt by the Kennedy team to pass civil rights legislation, when they had LBJ at their disposal–the ‘Master of the Senate'-they preferred not to seek his help. Of course, after Kennedy was assassinated, LBJ got both the Civil Rights Act passed in 1964 and the Voting Rights Act passed a year later, proving that Kennedy was foolish in failing to enlist his help.
A Great, Idea-Rich Sentence by Ralph Waldo Emerson
I read some Emerson in college, but nothing since. I came across this great sentence reading Mark Edmundson’s book Why Write? I appreciate Emerson’s message that we must tune out the noise to see reality clearly. I also agree that as independent thinkers, we must be willing to earn reproach from others. Our own truth is not a popularity contest. Finally, I agree with the notion that the ultimate reward for seeing clearly is our own satisfaction, not something external such a public recognition. Our time, like Emerson’s, rewards conformity. Thinking independently is challenging, yet worth the struggle.
Links to Two of my Favorite Poems
I am not a huge poetry fan, but I do love Gary Snyder’s work. Snyder went to Reed College here in Portland and for many years taught at my alma mater in Northern California. His poetry blends nature mysticism, Zen Buddhism, and the vast landscapes of North America. As of this post, he is 95 years old and still kicking. Snyder’s poetry came to mind because the biography on Jerry Garcia that I am reading explains the influence of the Beats on San Francisco and Jerry. Snyder was one of the OG Beats. Indeed, he is the inspiration for the character Japhy Ryder in Jack Kerouac’s book Dharma Bums.
Below are links to two of my favorite Snyder poems. Enjoy!
