California Dreamin': First Few Hours

Well, I'm here. Beverly Hills. 

Tried calling for an Uber ride for the first time in my life, but it felt unnecessarily complicated to find the specific place where they would pick me up. Before long, I scrapped that and simply took a standard taxi instead. The taxi driver, as it turns out, was from Azerbaijan. We talked about his country, which he seemed to enjoy. I enjoyed listening to him talk about his country. We also talked about other countries and places to visit. At one point, he pointed out that we were passing Fox Studios, in Century City.

Shortly, we reached the Beverly Hills Marriot, the hotel I was staying at. I checked in, and had the option of either taking a room with a double bed, or waiting an hour or more for one with a king-sized bed. Not seeing it as much of an inconvenience, I opted for the room with the double, not wanting to do still more sitting around and waiting, being by this point tired and travel-weary. Plus, this room had a view of downtown Los Angeles in the distance, which sounded good to me. As it turns out, I also had a view (albeit distantly) of the famed Hollywood sign.

Good stuff. 

After going in my room and doing some unpacking - and also taking pictures of both downtown Los Angeles and the Hollywood sign - I decided to go out, maybe find someplace to eat. So I walked along what I believe was, if memory serves correctly, Beverly Avenue. It felt good to be out on these sunny California streets, taking in the atmosphere and seeing the sites. 

Below are some of the pictures which I took and thought worth sharing:

A view of the infamous Los Angeles traffic on the highway:

Fox Studios in Century City (seen from the taxi):

This was the view from the hotel room, On top, downtown Los Angeles. On the bottom more or less at center, and to the left of the wall (did not try to crop this picture, or anything) is the Hollywood sign.

Walking around in Beverly Hills:

One of the most fascinating aspects of visiting someplace which is quite different climatically from anywhere I have ever lived, are the different kinds of plants and vegetation. Thought it was worth taking a picture or two:

Book Review: The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne by Elsa Hart

Last year, I read and then did a book review of my first Elsa Hart book.

Recently, I read my second book from her, having been quite impressed with the first one. Of course, there are similarities in the writing style, and even the stories. Both of them are murder mysteries which take place in the early 1700's, so there are bound to be similarities.

And yet, they each had a distinct feel to them. The setting for the one which I read last year was in Western China. And I really got a feeling almost of visiting China during that era, based on Hart's descriptions and writing style. Most of the events take place in a regional Chinese provincial court, which is hosting a major event. There are people from around the world set to attend. All of that made it very enjoyable to me.

By contrast, the setting in this book is London. The main setting in this book is the home of a wealthy collector of rare, mostly scientific artifacts by the name of Barnaby Maybe. although the characters do move around outside of the house. His collection is known to be second to none, and so many people from all over Europe show up when he is scheduled to give a tour of his collection.

Like with the first book that I read from here, Jade Dragon Mountain, Hart is able to bring the past to us and make it feel alive. Instead of rural western China, we are in London, when it still had a reputation as a dirty and foul-smelling city, as well as a dangerous one. And we also get the feeling that some within the intellectual community not only pride themselves on their knowledge and collections, but also inspire to a greater understanding of the world and how it works in an era still far more in the shadows of past superstitions than we tend to be in our modern world. 

Then, of course, there is a murder. And the mystery of the "who dunnit?" commences.

Now, I will not go into too much detail regarding the specifics of either the murder, or how Cecily Kay, the main character throughout this novel, ultimately manages to figure out who committed the murder, and why. 

However, I can say that this was a solid and enjoyable read. My second Elsa Hart book, but I intend to read other works by her in the future, and hopefully soon. Like with Jade Dragon Mountain, I really came to enjoy inhabiting her fictional world while reading this book. It took me away from my own life and own problems, at least for the short durations while reading this book.

Highly recommended. 

Side note: I realized when writing this that I had never quite gotten around to reviewing Jade Dragon Mountain. It came as a surprise, because up to this point, I had believed that there was a book review. But after reading it, I had wanted to get it for my mom as a Christmas gift, and wanted to wait until after that time to review the book. Glad that I did, because my mom had not yet read anything by Elsa Hart when I gave her the collection of three books by her. Unfortunately, though, I never did quite get around to actually writing, much less publishing, a book review of that fantastic book. This is something I intend to remedy soon, although at this point, it will simply have to wait until after the California trip. 

🌎 🌲 Earth Day Week: Pope Francis Feels Combating Climate Change is Christian Duty 🌲 🌎

  

Photo courtesy of DonkeyHotey Flickr Page: https://www.flickr.com/photos/donkeyhotey/6143809369

Creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

The old button from the Environmental Club days which I just happened to find on Earth Day! It is a little beat up (particularly the ends of the ribbon), but no worse for the wear, I think. And it is one of the few items that I have left from those days, so it carries a lot of great memories for me! Nothing Changes Until You Do!

Here is a picture of a very similar logo, with the same message, that was on the t-shirt that I purchased from the BCC Environmental Club and, if memory serves me correctly, may even have helped to make. There were a few projects like that which club members, myself included, were regularly involved with. It has been so long, however, that I no longer recall specifically if I actually helped to make these or not, although I do believe so, since I remember seeing the process of the t-shirts being dyed. In any case, I loved this t-shirt, and have kept it ever since, even if I do not regularly wear it. Since it was part of my experience with the BCC Environmental Club days, as well as more generally having an environmental theme, it seemed appropriate to share it here. 

"Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed."

~Mahatma Gandhi

"Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future."

  

~John F. Kennedy  

"The earth does not belong to man. Man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites one family. Man did not weave the web of life. He is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web he does to himself."

- Native American Philosophy (most often attributed to Chief Seattle)

“Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.”

~ Chief Si’ahl (Seattle) 

“Now polluters are looked upon as ordinary Joes just doing their jobs. In the future, they will be looked upon as swine”  

~ Kurt Vonnegut 

Why does it seem that, for many, being a good Christian means specifically ignoring what is best for our planet, and voting against what is best for it? How charitable and spiritual is that?

Well, that might finally be changing.

Pope Francis I, who seems like a very cool Pope so far and, frankly, a breath of fresh air, seems to take a different tact when it comes to the environment then a lot of other Christian leaders, who seem almost to view the Earth as the property of mankind and, thus, subject to whatever the hell the owners want to do with their parcel of land, no matter how potentially detrimental this may be to the health of the planet.

Pope Francis took a decidedly, refreshingly different approach some years ago:

“Creation is not a property, which we can rule over at will; or, even less, is the property of only a few: Creation is a gift, it is a wonderful gift that God has given us, so that we care for it and we use it for the benefit of all, always with great respect and gratitude.” 

Now, that does not sound like so many Christian leaders here in the United States, who almost seem to feel that doing anything to preserve the natural Earth is tantamount to Godless communism and evil.

Francis went further, even. He likened the destruction of the Earth - of God's Creation - as a sin! Here is some more of what he said on the subject:

“But when we exploit Creation we destroy the sign of God’s love for us, in destroying Creation we are saying to God: ‘I don’t like it! This is not good!’ ‘So what do you like?’ ‘I like myself!’ – Here, this is sin! Do you see?”

He referred to Christians as "custodians of Creation" who needed to have a healthy admiration and sense of wonder for the “beauty of nature and the grandeur of the cosmos”.

Finally, we are seeing and hearing something quite different from the general indifference with which too many religious leaders in the past have ignored the subject of environmental degradation.

Now, let's see if this has a widespread impact among the world's over 1 billion Catholics!

One way or another, however, I do want to say how refreshing this is! Pope Francis seems to me to truly be a man of the strongest faith, and one who does not overlook any aspect of that faith, and who does not leave his faith open to many (if any) contradictions.

Here is the link to this story:

Pope Francis Makes Biblical Case For Addressing Climate Change: ‘If We Destroy Creation, Creation Will Destroy Us’

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/05/21/3440075/pope-francis-if-we-destroy-creation-creation-will-destroy-us/

Departing From Newark Airport

So despite the hassles and overall ordeal surrounding traveling, and specifically airports, my stay at Newark Liberty Airport was not all that bad. 

Luckily, I got there quite early, almost three hours before my flight was scheduled to take off. Plenty of time. So while it was annoying that my bag, once again, was pulled to the side, and then I waited for quite some time - probably around twenty minutes or so - before the guy even got to my bag, I at least did not feel the stress of the pull of time. It was annoying that he threw out my two tubes of toothpaste, both brand new and still in the box. But, you just shrug and move on with your life, don't you? What else can you do?

So I went to the gate, and then began the process of waiting. There was one moment, however, when I was tempted to do something different. An announcement came on that this flight was overbooked, and if anyone was willing to give their ticket up, they could get $1000 in cash and, on top of that, travel vouchers. A seat on a flight to LAX scheduled for 4:35 that afternoon would be guaranteed. It seemed that there was a murmur about how good of a deal this was, with some people smiling and wishing that they could do it.  

This hardly escaped me, as well. I grew nervous, thinking about whether I should do it or not. The thing of it was, I just kept imagining if that flight somehow got pushed back or delayed. After all, this was not a vacation trip, but a work-related trip. There were people whom I would have to report to upon arriving. Also, I guessed that the travel vouchers would go onto te credit card which had been used for the purchase of the original tickets, and that was the corporate card at work. So it was not guaranteed that I would even be able to use these. Then, one of the guys who had smiled and gotten up to capitalize on this deal himself ended up not doing it. It was at this point that I wondered if, perhaps, we had misheard or misunderstood, and instead of $1000 and travel vouchers, it was for $1000 in travel vouchers.

Big difference.

And so I killed off the temptation, and sat waiting for the original flight. Did a bit of reading, and then visited the facilities just before the flight, which was scheduled for 11:30, with the arrival at LAX expected at 2:30 later that afternoon. 

Ultimately, I boarded. It was a difficult flight. It sometimes felt like this was the young, screaming child section. The couple behind me had not one, but two young children, including one at least one boy. He kept kicking my seat. Somehow, this did not enhance my flight experience, although I remained patient. After all, as a parent, I knew the struggles of trying to do things like this with such a young child. Still, I occasionally turned in hopes that one of the parents might get the message and urge the boy to stop kicking, but this had mixed success, at best. Also, I had a middle seat, and the woman with the window seat immediately closed the window, depriving me of one of the real pleasures of flying. Personally, even after having taken dozens of flights in my life, I just never have tired of staring out the windows and admiring the heavenly view of the top of the clouds. Not this time, apparently. 

Nevertheless, I was excited. After all, this was only the third time that I would be traveling to California. And while this was for work more than anything else, I was scheduled to get at least one day off. Plus, it felt like there would be a good chance to see some other things worth seeing while out there. So there was an enthusiasm and sense of gratitude which helped to get me past any inconveniences or relatively minor annoyances endured during the flight. It lasted maybe about six hours, and we arrived at LAX on time.

More on the actual trip a bit later. 

🌎 🌲 Earth Day Week: More Quotes From Great Native American Thinkers 🌲 🌎

   

Photo courtesy of DonkeyHotey Flickr Page: https://www.flickr.com/photos/donkeyhotey/6143809369

Creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

The old button from the Environmental Club days which I just happened to find on Earth Day! It is a little beat up (particularly the ends of the ribbon), but no worse for the wear, I think. And it is one of the few items that I have left from those days, so it carries a lot of great memories for me! Nothing Changes Until You Do!

Here is a picture of a very similar logo, with the same message, that was on the t-shirt that I purchased from the BCC Environmental Club and, if memory serves me correctly, may even have helped to make. There were a few projects like that which club members, myself included, were regularly involved with. It has been so long, however, that I no longer recall specifically if I actually helped to make these or not, although I do believe so, since I remember seeing the process of the t-shirts being dyed. In any case, I loved this t-shirt, and have kept it ever since, even if I do not regularly wear it. Since it was part of my experience with the BCC Environmental Club days, as well as more generally having an environmental theme, it seemed appropriate to share it here. 

"Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed."

~Mahatma Gandhi

"Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future."

  

~John F. Kennedy  

"The earth does not belong to man. Man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites one family. Man did not weave the web of life. He is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web he does to himself."

- Native American Philosophy (most often attributed to Chief Seattle)

“Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.”

~ Chief Si’ahl (Seattle) 

“Now polluters are looked upon as ordinary Joes just doing their jobs. In the future, they will be looked upon as swine”  

~ Kurt Vonnegut

Here are some other sites with powerful quotes from Native Americans.

In the spirit of Earth Day, which is technically tomorrow, but which I will be honoring on "The Charbor Chronicles" all week, and which I believe we should recognize and celebrate every single day, here are more sites that offer great quotes and, hopefully, very different perspectives on life and our world than what we find available on television or newspapers. These are very different truths indeed, and we need to expose ourselves to these, and try to understand them:

10 Quotes From a Oglala Lakota Chief That Will Make You Question Everything About Our Society By Wisdom Pills / wisdompills.com:

http://www.filmsforaction.org/articles/10-quotes-from-a-oglala-lakota-chief-that-will-make-you-question-everything-about-our-society/


Luther Standing Bear Ota K’Te (Plenty Kill)  Oglala Lakota (1868-1939)

http://nativewarriors.net/chief-luther-standing-bear-photo-gallery-and-quotes.ht

Trump Described As a ‘Bit of a Sleazy Guy’

Don't want to get too much into politics right now. While I am not exactly on vacation, despite being on a trip, I nevertheless hope to take a little bit of a break from the normal routine while out here.

And that includes politics. 

Still, it seemed worth sharing this video, mostly without commentary from me.

All I will say is that I am glad to hear that I am not the only one suffering from Trump fatigue. Just really tired of hearing about this guy, frankly.

Anyway, here is the video:

‘Bit of a sleazy guy’: Political analyst says people are ‘worn down’ by all of Trump’s legal woes

Early Morning Smoggy Sunrise Over Los Angeles

This was the sun rising over Los Angeles  (well, sort of) early this morning. 

Took this just after 6am until about 6:25 PST. 

Album Review: Pearl Jam's Dark Matter

Okay, so Pearl Jam's 12th and latest album has officially been released.

Ideally, I would have loved to review this album either before it came out (if I had managed to obtain a copy of it before that date), or at least on the day it was released. However, I only picked up the album on the day it was released, making a trip to a record store in Princeton, New Jersey, in order to obtain my copy.

One somewhat bizarre aspect of being a long-time and committed fan of Pearl Jam is that I can remember many, if not most, of the times when I obtained each of their album for the first time. While I do not specifically remember the day or even the place when I first picked up "Ten," I do remember having heard about the song "Jeremy" before I knew it was Pearl Jam. So one night, when I was driving on Route 17 in Bergen County in New Jersey, I suddenly paid attention when I recognized that this was the song that I was told about. After listening to the song, I learned form the dj that it was Pearl Jam, and obtained my copy of the album shortly thereafter, within days, most likely. 

I got my copy of "Versus" from the Price Club, now better known as Costco, because it was cheap and my friend had a membership. Not sure when I obtained "Vitalogy," although I think it may have been at the old Tower Records store on Route 17 in Paramus, because I walked in there and got excited when I saw a very large poster of the album cover. However, I mostly remember listening to the album in it's entirety for the first time when that same friend and I were taking a road trip early in the morning to Philadelphia. 

In 1996, I got my copy of "No Code" while in Chicago, on the day it was released (August 27th). It almost felt (and still almost feels) like a de facto souvenir from that first ever trip to Chicago for me. But when I think of that particular album, I usually remember listening to it while driving very late at night - actually, more like the wee hours of the morning - when another friend and I went up to Québec province, and were driving between Montréal and Québec City. It was mid-October, a bit chilly, and I appreciated the seemingly more mature sound and feel of the album, in comparison to their earlier albums. 

For "Yield," I went with that first friend, and my then girlfriend (soon to be wife, and now my ex) to New York City at midnight to get our copy of the album. With each purchase, they gave away a limited edition lithograph. I still regret not having bought a copy of the album for my girlfriend (who was not a particularly big Pearl Jam fan) in order to obtain a second lithograph, but what can you do?

Don't remember when or where I got "Binaural." Nor do I specifically remember when I got "Riot Act," although I was quite excited at that time to hear from Pearl Jam again, and enjoyed that album more than most, since it feels like a generally overlooked album. Think I preordered both "Backspacer" and "Lightning Bolt," and I went to the Sound Exchange in Wayne, New Jersey, back in 2020 to get my copy of Binaural.  

Alright, enough of this cruising down Memory Lane to try and remember when and where I got each new Pearl Jam album. Let's talk about this album, specifically.

For quite some time, I had heard that this album marked a return to a harder, rawer sound by the band, marking a return to earlier form, if you will. Indeed, that feels true. This album reminded me a bit - quite a bit at times, even - of the self-title (or blue, or avocado) album. 

Lyrically, it feels like there are a few Easter eggs here and there. One song seems to address self-destructive tendencies, depression and suicide, much like tracks from early in the band's history, such as Jeremy and State of Love and Trust. Yet it feels and sounds very different, which is fitting. After all, many years have passed since then, and the band is older and wiser.

Also, while they clearly do allude to the present world (and especially national) situation, they do so with a bit more nuance and even poetry this time. There is no lyrical smashing in the face of outright political figures like they have done in the past, such as in BU$HLEAGER (a song I had mixed feelings about, appreciating the lyrics but admittedly not caring much for the musical aspects) and a clear reference to Trump as our "fucked up president" in the last album. The politics are still there, but you have to work a bit harder to find the references and the meaning, which I kind of appreciate. 

Anyway, that is how I feel after having heard this album a few times now. So let's get on with the individual tracks. First, I will post the track list, and then review and even somewhat break down each song individually below that.

Just one note before I proceed. To the best of my ability, I tried not to read any of the reviews (although I published some links) and made a point of not reading and reviews of individual songs, and tried to avoid comments when I watched the videos of these songs with the lyrics on Youtube. Therefore, the following reactions to each song I arrived at independently, for better or for worse.

Let's begin:

Dark Matter Track List 

1. Scared of Fear   

2. React, Respond  

3. Wreckage  

4. Dark Matter 

5. Won’t Tell 

6. Upper Hand  

7. Waiting for Stevie 

8. Running  

9. Something Special  

10. Got to Give  

11. Setting Sun  

1. Scared of Fear - The opening track starts off silently and slowly for a few seconds, reminding me a bit of Dire Straits in Telegraph Road (one of my all-time favorite songs) before erupting into a raw sounding song which seems to raise the distinctive banner that this album does indeed seem to mark a return of sorts to the rawer, faster, heavier sound of the earlier era in this band's history. In terms of lyrical content, this one feels like it could be interpreted as one individual trying to grasp being in a relationship that has soured and turned abusive, although I suspect it may have a wider meaning, addressing the current situation that we find ourselves in the present day United States:

Oh, you're hurting yourself, it's plain to see 

I think you're hurting yourself just to hurt me 

Good stuff.

2. React, Respond  - The second song on the album feels reminiscent of some stuff from earlier eras in this band's history, almost a mesh. Another fast and raw track here. Lyrically, this one is somewhat nuanced, yet it feels like a pretty direct call for action against all of the utter nonsense that we seem to be drowning in today. A solid track.

3. Wreckage - The first slowed down track on this album, with thoughtful and thought-provoking lyrics complimenting the feel of the music. Vedder finds himself "combing through the wreckage" of whatever we have become today, trying to remember the warm sunshine of a yesterday that just won't return. 

4. Dark Matter - The title track has one of the rawest sounds of any song on the album. It feels a bit reminiscent of older Pearl Jam material. Lyrically, it seems to address the absurd and seemingly hopeless situation that we seem to find ourselves in these days, with a country unable to shake itself from a de facto cult leader promoting hatred and division. Solid track. 

5. Won’t Tell - A decent rock track, albeit a bit toned down from some of the other tracks. The narrator of the song, if you will, seems to be waiting for someone - a woman - to tell him something, or to play him a song. Ultimately, to feel. Then, he turns around and asks the listener how much you feel, which I believe is a reference to art, to music, to inspiration. Just my interpretation of it. 

6. Upper Hand - This one felt like it had a distinctly Pink Floyd kind of a feel to it, at least at certain parts of the song (particularly the first half). Certainly, it feels a bit influenced by Floyd. The lyrics are different than Floyd, although even here, they definitely have a more nuanced feel to them. Ultimately, this is one of my favorite tracks on this entire album.

7. Waiting for Stevie This one reminds me a bit of The Cure, at least musically. It just has a certain sound that really calls to mind The Cure, in any case. However, it reminds me a bit of Jeremy, back in the early days of this band, in terms of lyrical content. After all, this is the first time since those early days for the band that Eddie Vedder seems to sing about someone not just going through depression, but possibly contemplating suicide (at least that was my interpretation of it). One of the more memorable and instantly impactful songs on the album. 

8. Running - Another song with a harder edge to it. In fact, this one reminds me a little bit, vaguely really, of Lukin (off the No Code album). This one feels like the closest Vedder gets to a smashing you in the mouth, pointing the finger of blame political statement. Nothing poetic or even really nuanced in this one. But I like it. 

9. Something Special - This song is slowed down, with a kind of unplugged feel to it. In terms of lyrics, I believe we are hearing Vedder the parent, the proud father of two daughters. A moving track, especially if you are a parent thinking of your own kid. 

10. Got to Give - The opening lines for this one really hit me:

Stormy seas behind your eyes 

The dark moon is setting on your cheap disguise

It continues:

Castle falling turning into sand 

The high tide is crumbling all the rocks we sit

Indeed, this song seems to be talking about impermanence at first. Then, it seems to be addressing the divisions that seem to be both defining and drowning us. Yet already talking about being the last one standing, and forgiving others their trespasses to break our current impasse. Again, just my interpretation.

11. Setting Sun  - A fitting title, given that this is the last track on the album. It also is another very reflective song, questioning the passage of time, and time itself, which seems to have passed by without anyone quite noticing. At points, it seems to have a lonely feel to it. Yet in the end, Vedder turns around and gives this song a hopeful feel towards the end, reaching out and hoping that "our days be long until kingdom come." A solid and fittingly thought-provoking track to end this album on. 

🌎 🌲 Earth Day Week: Some Nuggets Of Wisdom & Provocative Quotes From Native Americans 🌲 🌎

   

Photo courtesy of DonkeyHotey Flickr Page: https://www.flickr.com/photos/donkeyhotey/6143809369

Creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

The old button from the Environmental Club days which I just happened to find on Earth Day! It is a little beat up (particularly the ends of the ribbon), but no worse for the wear, I think. And it is one of the few items that I have left from those days, so it carries a lot of great memories for me! Nothing Changes Until You Do!

Here is a picture of a very similar logo, with the same message, that was on the t-shirt that I purchased from the BCC Environmental Club and, if memory serves me correctly, may even have helped to make. There were a few projects like that which club members, myself included, were regularly involved with. It has been so long, however, that I no longer recall specifically if I actually helped to make these or not, although I do believe so, since I remember seeing the process of the t-shirts being dyed. In any case, I loved this t-shirt, and have kept it ever since, even if I do not regularly wear it. Since it was part of my experience with the BCC Environmental Club days, as well as more generally having an environmental theme, it seemed appropriate to share it here. 

"Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed."

~Mahatma Gandhi

"Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future."

  

~John F. Kennedy  

"The earth does not belong to man. Man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites one family. Man did not weave the web of life. He is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web he does to himself."

- Native American Philosophy (most often attributed to Chief Seattle)

“Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.”

~ Chief Si’ahl (Seattle) 

“Now polluters are looked upon as ordinary Joes just doing their jobs. In the future, they will be looked upon as swine”  

~ Kurt Vonnegut

When I began college at Bergen Community College in the spring of 1993, everything felt new. While high school had been a time of conformity, where I never seemed to fit in and, thus, was kind of cast out and always on the outside, college was a place with new and far more interesting young people (although they were almost all older than me, and thus seemed worldly to me in a way that felt inaccessible to someone so simple as me). One girl in particular, who I had a massive crush on (but was too much of a coward to tell her that much) embodied all of that. Everything just seemed so promising. There was an energy and freedom that I was not accustomed to, and it was all exciting!

One of the first things that I did was join the Environmental Club, where I met many like-minded people. For the first time, really, it felt like there actually was a youth movement of sorts. People here were willing to try new things, to dress very differently than what had been deemed acceptable at the high school.

It felt like a time of new possibilities. The nation had a new president in Bill Clinton, and he was the first Democrat in the White House in a dozen years! There was an exciting new music scene that was not just emerging, but taking over. Nirvana was on top, although Pearl Jam was clearly on the rise, as were other Seattle bands. There were other great musicians, with a different image and sound, such as the 4 Non-Blonds, the Spin Doctors and Blind Melon. There were great albums emerging in the early nineties from a whole bunch of different bands. Yes, it was a great time to be a young man, full of energy, and I had a lot of hope that a better world was indeed possible.

Of course, I was young and naive. The world was not going to get better because a few young people at one particular college were relative environmental activists, or because a new, activist music scene was emerging in the public light, or because a Democrat had finally been elected president. The world did not shift on it's axis. Many of the young people that I saw elsewhere remained largely unmoved by the surprising activism that I witnessed at Bergen. They may have liked the Seattle scene, but only for the music, and likely because it was popular at the time. The anti-corporate, anti-commercial approach was lost on them.

In short, I wanted to convince myself that all of the exciting things that seemed to be happening at Bergen represented a new norm for youth, a sign of the changing world. It did not take long for reality to set in. Within a few years, the Seattle scene itself was copied, and alternative music became a parody of itself, with numerous copy cat bands just in it for the money. And President Bill Clinton did not look anywhere near as idealistic as he had seemed as a candidate, or as he has seemed since leaving office. In fact, some people referred to him as "Republican light".

The world went on as normal. Most of those exciting young people were gone within a year. Suddenly, I was no longer the youngest guy in the Environmental Club, and no longer a newcomer, either. I was elected Secretary for the fall semester, then Vice-President for the following spring, on my way to becoming President for the 1994-95 academic year. I had wanted to be among the leaders when I first joined, but it proved anti-climatic. There was so much that it seemed I needed to learn to catch up, if you will, with those others, who had seemed impressive and knowledgeable in ways that I could never be. Once it was just me, it was anti-climatic. As I mentioned in a blog entry a few days ago, I was just scared to fail, and basically retired from the Environmental Club after the big Earth Day celebrations.

There are some things, however, the stuck with me. That girl that I mentioned a little earlier? Well, she got involved with the Walden Pond Project. She was quite taken by Don Henley, and he was involved in an effort to save Walden Woods, where Henry David Thoreau spent two years, and wrote the brilliant book, "Walden", which he is most famous for. Many consider him the father of the environmental movement, and I began to gain a strong appreciation of him at that time, mostly through her. Since then, i myself have had some opportunities to visit Walden Woods, and have taken my son there once, even. I intend to do so again, once he is old enough to perhaps appreciate the significance of the place, and the history involved.

Another thing that stuck was a deeper appreciation for Native Americans. My parents, to their credit, had always tried to teach us of a different history than the one in school books or on television. To that end, they had taken us to some pow wows, and other things pertaining to Native American culture. That certainly would not score me popularity points in my high school filled with kids from either a redneck or yuppie upbringing, but it made me feel like I could relate to the young activists at Bergen. There was one quote in particular that was on some bumper sticker or other in the Environmental Club office at some point which resonated with me. It was from Chief Seattle, and although I tried to put it up on top of this post, it did not specifically suggest that he was the one behind this saying. But it was essentially this: “Earth does not belong to man; man belongs to earth.”

It was an impressive and thought-provoking quote. Certainly, it sounded good, and I believed in it, although in retrospect, I probably did not understand it all that well.

Years later, however, I think I understand it a bit better. Of course, that also comes after I took my own, independent interest in native culture, which was sparked again when another girl (this time, it was a girlfriend) introduced me to a writer who I now count as among my very favorites - Daniel Quinn. After reading him, I took a renewed interest in Native American culture and writing, and read one book that blew my mind away - Touch the Earth.

I began to read more and more Native American stuff, and by now, I had a more adult (some might say more mature) grasp of reality. Since those early days in 1993, there had been some personal growth, and of course, the world had changed. There was the 9/11 attacks, and there had been the Iraq war, and the obsession with oil. Bush even admitted that the country was addicted to oil. There were huge natural disasters, from the tsunami in Asia in 2004, to Katrina in 2005, to Japan in 2011, to Sandy (which I personally was in New Jersey for) in 2012. We still see extremes, with a record drought in California, and seemingly annual record flooding by the Mississippi. Even President Bush admitted that global warming appeared to be real, something that too many other Republicans have conveniently forgotten. Also, let us not forget the not so natural disasters, including some huge oil spills, particularly the one in the Gulf of Mexico, which just reached the five year anniversary. Also, the Fukushima disaster, where officials admitted that they could not contain the radiation, and even though it receded into the background and is no longer in the news, there is still nonetheless radioactive waste leaking unchecked into the Pacific. Also, there was a near economic collapse globally in 2008, and the same practices are back in place, almost assuring that there will be another economic disaster.

To sum up, the world seems to be getting worse, not better. That old idealism and hope for a better world has yielded to a grimmer worldview, one where it seems that our situation is hopeless and always getting worse.

Whether that is true or not, many of the dire prognostications and warnings by Native Americans of the excesses of our global culture seem to have largely come true. We should have known. We should have taken them seriously, instead of regarding them as savages and treating them like children.

Now, however, we can learn. There is a more balanced way of looking at our history, our culture. One in which we can actually admit to making mistakes (gasp!) and, even more shockingly, where we learn enough from them not to repeat them (double GASP!!).

I grew up, grew older. I am not the same dumb kid I was back then. If I could go back in time, I would do some things differently. But one thing that I am glad that I did do was hold on to some of that old idealism. Enough, at least, to get more acclimated with Thoreau and Native Americans, who warned us so long ago of what we were facing if we did not change our ways. I have spoken to and heard from many people who truly are idealistic activists, and now, I know that they are out there, and growing in numbers. Not all of my idealism and hope for the future is gone, even though much of it was buried under an avalanche of reality checks.

Ultimately, there is a better way of doing things, and we cannot afford to lose sight of that. So long as we are here, there is hope. I just enjoyed a beautiful weekend, soaking in the sun of a lovely spring, breathing the fresh air. Enjoying that time with my girlfriend and my son.

For his sake, and for the sake of all children, and our children's children, we had best not lose hope that a better way, a brighter future, is still possible.

In order to remind us of that, we should remember the lessons from the past, and accept that mistakes were made. Let us at least begin to undo some of the damage of the past, and learn more about Native Americans in particular. Let us grant them the respect that they were denied in their own day, and let us read their words and understand their lessons and warnings about our all-consuming culture.They understood something back then that we still do not understand presently, as the news headlines suggest each and every day.

What better time than now, on the eve of Earth Day?

Here is one place to start, by clicking on the links below:

10 Pieces Of Wisdom and Quotes From Native American Elders January 8, 2015 by Alanna Ketler.

http://www.collective-evolution.com/2015/01/08/10-pieces-of-wisdom-quotes-from-native-american-elders/

10 Quotes From a Sioux Indian Chief That Will Make You Question Everything About Our Society

http://themindunleashed.org/2015/01/10-quotes-sioux-indian-chief-will-make-question-everything-society.html



Top 15 Chief Seattle Quotes NORTH AMERICA, TOP 10 | APRIL 17, 2011 BY SEATTLE DREDGE:

http://seattlestravels.com/chief-seattle-quotes/

Heading to California

These are pictures which I took back in 2016, when my son and I went on what likely was our biggest trip out to see the West. We had just crossed over from Nevada somewhere in the desert, and were on our way to the Yosemite Valley and the national park there. 

Okay, well, it's time for another trip.

This one is a bit different, because it is work-related. Not a vacation, really. In fact, there is only one day where I am scheduled to have fully off, although I do hope to visit some things in between work shifts. Not sure if it will work out like that.

We shall see. 

In any case, it should offer a bit of a respite from the normal, mind-numbing routine. I will have off entirely on Sunday, the 28th (at least that is my scheduled day off), so I am looking forward to that, at the very least. Plus, it's not often that I have gotten the opportunity to travel to California. In fact, this is only the third time in my life when I managed to get to the Golden State, and the first time that I will get to visit Los Angeles and the surrounding area. The closest that I came before was in 2016, when my son and I visited California. We made it to Yosemite National Park, Sacramento, San Francisco and Oakland, and the Redwoods. On the way further south, we drove a bit through Napa Valley, which really felt like a privilege. And we went as far south as Bakersfield, which I believe is only a couple of hours or so drive from Los Angeles. 

Originally, I had planned to visit Los Angeles, if only for a day or so. But our Western trip got cut short by one day. There were adjustments that I made before that trip, and that was one of the things that needed to be sacrificed, unfortunately. A couple of others that I had originally thought we could visit, but ultimately couldn't, were Mount Shasta and Crater Lake. 

Some day, hopefully, we will make it there.

This work-related trip, however, will offer me a chance to finally visit Los Angeles and the area. So I will apparently make it there just months before reaching 50.

Ironically, I realized not long ago that out of the three times (including this trip) when I visited California, two of the three were all expenses paid (or at least the airline ticket, hotel, and food). This one is being paid for by my job at Tiffany and Company. The first time I went to California was back in February of 1996 in San Francisco. As a precondition to go to this journalism conference, I agreed to become the Sports Editor for The Torch, the school newspaper at Bergen Community College. Both were an honor to accept. And as it turned out, I had one almost entire day off in addition to the Sunday, when we all had off and took a bus tour of the city. I was a young man more or less in the peak of my health, and a trip to San Francisco, a city which I had long wanted to visit, felt like such an enormous privilege! That trip was a lot of fun, and I still have very pleasant memories from that trip, and that general time in my life (1996 was particularly sweet for me, generally). Indeed, I am still quite grateful for having gone on that visit to the City by the Bay. 

Right now, I am hopeful that this trip to another California city will go nearly as well as that trip went, well over 28 years ago now! 

Hard to believe. 

That one was just such a blast. Hopefully, this one will be, as well!