Spring Thoughts, Ides of March, An Election Year, Movie-- Lord of War

The Ides of March

March is named after Mars the Roman god of war. I have always associated March with the Ides of March, a time of trouble and uncertainty because of the fact that Julius Caesar was assassinated on the Ides of March—March15 -- an event which changed Roman history. This historical assassination is retained in our collective memory and made even more famous by the play “Julius Caesar” by William Shakespeare and the novel “The Ides of March” by Thornton Wilder. March is also a time of new beginnings. March 19^th is the vernal equinox--the first day of Spring with all the hope and excitement that the coming of Spring brings.

The Coming Election—

A Defining Moment in History

With the Iowa caucuses past, we are now in full swing toward the presidential election with super Tuesday on March 3^rd and on toward the Democratic nominating convention on July 13^th and the presidential election on November 3^rd. I have been through many elections, but none is as important to our country as this election because the future of our democracy is at stake. We will not only be choosing a president, but a way of life that ultimately will affect every citizen. Will we choose an autocratic leader who will dictate to us how we should live and think, or will be choose a leader who will allow freedom of choice-- a leader who will celebrate our diversity and make a better life for every citizen in our country. That choice is now the choice of every voter to make and if we make the wrong choice as the Germans did in electing Hitler (who promised Germany he would make Germany great again) any loss of our freedom will be ultimately our own fault. It will be the most important task this year of every freedom-loving citizen to put all their energy and effort into preserving our precious democracy for the present and for all of our future generations

Movie --Lord of War

This month I saw the movie “ Lord of War” with Nicolas Cage. This story is partly based on the real-life Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. It is a moving and interesting portrait of the type of man who will sell weapons to anyone in the world who will pay his price. Nicolas Cage gives an accomplished performance of a man who only cares about money and doesn't worry too much about the morality of what he is doing in selling death. It is also a portrait of the people in all countries who enable these weapon merchants to exist unchecked and unregulated. I had never before thought about all of the important leaders in our world who are complicit in the distribution of chaos and death.

This film was officially endorsed by the human rights group Amnesty International for highlighting arms trafficking by the international arms industry.

Free books by June Stepansky

A Different Voice—free self-help book

https://www.free-ebooks.net/self-improvement/A-Different-Voice

Kaleidoscope—free poetry book
https://www.free-ebook.net/poetry/kaleidoscope

Valentine's Day , The Impeachment Trial Begins. A Short Story by Leo Tolstoy

Valentine's Day

February mean's Valentine's Day and thoughts of love. My first experience with Valentine's Day was when I was six and in the first grade. I got a beautiful gold valentine from a boy in my class that I have never forgotten, although I have never seen him since elementary school. It made me realize how important are our early years in determining our feelings and our thoughts and ultimately our lives. I hope Valentine's Day will be a special one for you. If you don't have a special someone in your life than be sure to celebrate Valentine's day by giving yourself a Valentine's Day treat in honor of the universal power of love.

The Impeachment Trial Begins

Tuesday—January 21, 2020

Friedrich Neitzsche wrote--

“I'm not upset that you lied to me, I'm upset that from now on I can't believe you.”

“To recognize untruth as a condition of life--that certainly means resisting accustomed value feelings in a dangerous way; and a philosophy that risks this would by that token alone place itself beyond good and evil.” 

 

Neitzshe's words still are meaningful to us now. We are living at a time when truth itself is being manipulated so as to blur the lines between truth and lies. The disagreement between the Democrats and the Republicans about the rules of the coming impeachment trial is about suppressing truth itself. Will the members of one political party be successful in suppressing witnesses and documents that tell us the truth about what happened between President Trump and the Ukrainian President Selinsky and will the truth of this event be suppressed for political reasons and ultimately undermine our precious democracy? The way the senators vote at this trial will be very important both now and in the future and will certainly be remembered at the ballot box in November and in the history books for future generations to ultimately be our judges.

Master and Man

A Short story by Leo Tolstoy

This is a story about a man who is obsessed with money and power and who has little compassion or understanding for those less fortunate and who “attains a spiritual/moral revelation.when his life is endangered. This story once again repeats one of Tolstoy's famous themes: That the only true happiness in life is found in living for others.” Wikipedia )

This story, which was written in 1895, still resonates in our troubled times when so many powerful, educated and influential people are choosing personal and political gain over truth and morality. Money and power are a powerful incentive which many people in the past and unfortunately in the present have not been able to resist and who still are willing to deny truth, and compromise their life values to attain. We are now seeing this drama being enacted in front of our eyes every day on our television screens.

A New Beginning

I have always thought about the beginning of the new year as filled with hope and possibilities. We can put behind us the mistakes of the past year and can start to build a year filled with the hope that we can accomplish whatever we feel will give us more happiness.

I and my friend, Genesis, ( whose name appropriately means birth or beginnings) were talking about how to put some relaxation in our lives to help us cope better with daily responsibilities. The next time I saw her I asked her what she had decided to do and her answer really surprised me. She said that since she was a child, she had always wanted to see a sunrise, and that she and a friend got up at 3:00 AM and did just that. She really looked happy when she showed me pictures of her beautiful sunrise. What I realized then is that what makes each of us happy is very individual and something that only we ourselves can know. I hope this new year all of you will also try to discover whatever it is that you have always wanted to do and plan to make your dream a reality.

A Continuing Political Drama

On December,18th we saw the impeachment of the president. The articles of impeachment will soon be sent to the Senate for trial. The Senate will then decide if President Trump is guilty or innocent, It will be important for all citizens and our country that the Senate trial be fair and impartial. A political trial which doesn't have witnesses who must tell the truth under oath is not a trial at all. This is a sad and historic time for our country which has only impeached a president 3 times in our long history. The process is moving in a logical and eminently fair way to hold the president accountable for his questionable actions against the rule of law. The founders of our republic were very wise when they devised the 3 equal branches of government to rule our democracy. When the executive branch of government takes unreasonable power away from the other branches, then it must be held accountable through the power of impeachment. That is what ultimately will continue to keep our democracy safe from dictatorship.

Cultural Explorations
  Movie—Puncture

A movie that I watched this month reminded me that many corporations do not care about the human beings who buy their products, but are only concerned with the profits that they can show to their investors.

Puncture tells a true story about a flawed and self-destructive lawyer, Michael David Weiss, who in spite of the downward spiral of his life, makes a courageous moral decision to fight, against all odds to take on the medical establishment and and medical manufacturers to force them use a new invention which can save many thousands of lives and which they don't want to use because of the added cost and kickbacks which they currently practice. The story of this difficult fight against impossible odds and the ultimate outcome show what one morally principled man can ultimately achieve to make the world a safer and more just place. The movie is a loving memorial by the family and friends who loved him to a man who ultimately made a difference in all of our lives.

Free e-books by June Stepansky

https://www.free-ebooks.net/search/June+Stepansky 

A Different Voice

Kaleidoscope

  

  

 

 December Holidays,

The holidays are here and they bring excitement, expectations and unfortunately more stress. We can do much to minimize that stress. We must strive to make our holidays good, but we don't have make them perfect. If we try to compete to make our holiday better than our neighbors, we set ourselves up for added stress.

I didn't realize that there are many holidays which are celebrated in December. Of course there is Christmas, December 25^th with it's emphasis on faith, childhood magic and family and the important focus on “ Peace on earth, good will toward men. ”There is the holiday Hanukkah on December 22^nd , "The festival of lights" which is about miracles and freedom. There is Kwanzaa December 26^th,  a celebration of family, community and culture. These December holidays by different religions all share in the joys of family and the best impulses and hopes of all human beings. Happy Holidays to all!

 Public Impeachment Hearings

The public hearings of the impeachment of the president have started. We are hearing testimony from many courageous public servants of high integrity who value our country and are testifying in spite of the risk to their careers. On Nov 20^th we heard from Ambassador Sondland, who testified that the president was ultimately responsible for the illegal policy that was implemented by his personal lawyer Rudy Guiliani and others that President Zelensy investigate the Bidens and make a public statement to that effect or they would not receive the military aid that was passed by the congress. We are fortunate to be witnesses to how our democracy works and how no one in our country is above the law, not even a president. I hope every citizen who cares about our country's future will be watching and holding accountable anyone, no matter high up in government or how important they may be, who has broken our laws and put our security in danger. 

 

 Books and Movies by Somerset Maugham,

The book I read this month was a little know book by the successful author Somerset Maugham. --Lisa of Lambeth which I found on free Kindle classics. It is a simple story of a vivacious young girl who is born into the poorest class of English society and how that event ultimately affects her life and her fate. It made me realize that our birth, over which we have no control, often determines so much of our lives.

Many of Maugham's best selling books have been made into interesting and successful movies--"The Razor's Edge." ( a book about the search for life's meaning.) "The Moon and Sixpence (the life story of artist Paul Gauguin.) and "Of Human Bondage" (a story that explores the mysteries of human sexual attraction and obsession.)  Maugham was a masterful writer who was able to explore the deepest and most complex emotions of the human experience

Happy New Year
 

On December31st we will be celebrating New Year's Eve, another important December holiday-- a time for parties and fun and also a time of reflecting on the past and planning for the future. I hope it will be a time of looking forward with hope for all of us.

Free books by June Stepansky
https://www.free-ebooks.net/search/June+Stepansky  

A Different Voice

Kaleidoscope

                          A Different Voice

                      
 

Thanksgiving

November, of course, makes us think about Thanksgiving and the coming holiday season with all the mixed feelings that come with that realization. Thanksgiving is about family and gratitude. Many of us will be together with our families for the holidays and will experience all the joys and perhaps the stresses that this brings. Thanksgiving also reminds us of the positive things that we have in our lives. Although all during the year we may be thinking about how to make our lives more productive and happier, at Thanksgiving our thoughts also go to the many things in our lives that we already have for which we should be thankful, In America, many of us have much for which we can be grateful. Gratitude is an important and empowering emotion that helps us to appreciate the things in our lives that we already have that enrich our lives. I wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving full of family joys and gratitude. 

Books 

This month I read an adventure book “Once Night Falls by Merullo Roland about the German occupation in Italy during World War 11. What impresses me most about these kinds of true historical novels is the enormous courage that ordinary people show when their democracy and their lives are in danger. When we see and hear everyday on the news so many acts of cowardice and greed by people in our country and the world who strive to protect their careers and financial interests at the expense of others, and we experience the many acts of cruelty that uncaring groups inflict upon their vulnerable neighbors, we can always take courage from the fact that there are still people in our country and in the world who care about each other and are willing to risk their lives for justice. 

 

Public Impeachment Hearings Begin Soon
The public hearings in the president's impeachment will begin on Wednesday Nov. 13^th. Earl Frederic Landgrebe, a politician and business man during the Watergate hearings is remembered for saying “Don't confuse me with the facts”. but the most important truth that we all must remember is that facts do matter and are the only things that can help to clarify our thinking and keep us from ultimately losing our democracy. I hope all Americans will be listening to the facts on Nov 13. 

Movies 

I am a movie addict and I am fortunate to have Amazon Prime which means I have access to many wonderful movies. One of the movies I watched this month was an award-winning movie called Cross Creek. It is the life story of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings the author of the best seller “The Yearling”, who dreamed of becoming an author and writing novels. She decided to change her life so she could pursue her dream. She divorced her husband and went to live in the small rural community of Cross Creek in Florida. This is the story of her challenges and difficulties and joys and her victory over adversity The novel that she wrote there which became a best seller for 2 years is the ultimate American success story. It shows us the comforting truth that if we want something enough and work hard to get it, we do have a good chance of achieving our goals.

If you love movies as much as I do and you have a library card or can get one, you are eligible for wonderful free movies at kanopy.com

Free books by June Stepansky

A Different Voice—free self-help book

https://www.free-ebooks.net/self-improvement/A-Different-Voice

Kaleidoscope—free poetry book
https://www.free-ebook.net/poetry/kaleidoscope