Simple Bear Necessities

To follow bliss: healthy food, enthusiastic exercise, interesting books, soulful music, glowing nature, scintillating conversation, lovable people

Remember, My Fellow Worthy Individuals

Know there is goodness, creativity, intellect, bravery, kindness in people

Chick Returns to Forever

 Until this year, I'd been slowly exploring Chick Corea's discography.  He was one of Hiromi Uehara's influences and mentors, so a year ago I began exploring his fusion supergroup Return to Forever as part of a larger exploration of 1970s jazz fusion groups (including The Weather Report and Mahavishnu Orchestra).  I stepped it up in the New Year and spent more mornings than not listening to one of his albums while I showered, made breakfast and got ready before class.  Some of them were very long, and I continued them while making lunch.  His works spanned traditional jazz classics, far out fusion, and expert covers of classical pieces.  I got up to 2006, The Ultimate Adventure, but was saving it for a special session.  Yesterday morning I listened to his most recent record, "Plays," which covers an eclectic variety of classical and jazz.  Unbeknownst to the public, he had left the day before. I hope his spirit is soaring through the universe as I write.

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 Congratulations!  You are a living breathing human being

Inspiration

Rarely do I watch movies, not because I'm not interested, but because they tend to jump in my psyche and swirl in my soul long after the credits, so I choose carefully.

I just watched that new Pixar movie, and I'm all stirred up inside, heart and soul.... that line about finding purpose in "sky watching and walking, I'm really good at walking!" hit home.  I was nervous about the arc of the story, but they got the right idea, and reminded me why I do all these things I do.

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 Glad you're safe

In the long run...

Today was a very beautiful day.  Democrats have the Executive and Legislative branches, and can actually do SOMETHING about climate change, the pandemic, human rights, etcetera.

As for those who claim today is the most shameful in American history because lawmakers got a taste of what high schools practice for regularly as part of their new normal and fools with the Stars and Bars stormed the Capitol building... you know we actually had a Civil War, right?  That the White House was once burned down by the British?  A congressman once beat another congressman half to death on the floor of Congress with a cane, and afterwards his supporters mailed him canes in support of his assault?

Obviously today's ridiculous attempts at an insurgency are distressing, but at least now middle-of-the-road Americans can finally have mental images of white nationalists and radical conservatives creating chaos and battling with law and order to balance their diet of seeing liberal protests getting crazy.

Congress is back doing what it's supposed to.  Trust me, it could have been more extreme, given the track record of white supremacists in this country.

We will have a new president.  We will have a new Majority leader.  We will have new chances to improve our world.