1.11.2026 – stand firm for the right

my hope this tragic
incident will strengthen the
determination

stand firm for the right
which exists in this country
of peaceful dissent

This should remind us all once again that when dissent turns to violence, it invites tragedy.

It is my hope that this tragic and unfortunate incident will strengthen the determination of all the Nation’s campuses-

-administrators, faculty, and students alike-

-to stand firmly for the right which exists in this country of peaceful dissent and just as strongly against the resort to violence as a means of such expression.

President Richard Nixon in a Statement on the Deaths of Four Students at Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, on May 4, 1970.

A two stanza haiku.

I have questioned in the past whether such a thing exists and the answer I got from my brother who teaches poetry, which you can under the heading, What is a Haiku?, and he said I could name anything I wanted to a name a haiku … not that it made a haiku.

Which is good enough for me so today’s haiku has two stanzas.

Some time ago I was talking with another one of my brothers, I have 8 so I guess I am always talking to a brother about something, and I worried about the state of affairs impacting our country.

I felt the country was teetering on the edge of the abyss.

He countered that when he was in college, the prevailing discussion was pretty much the soon.

Protests, riots and dissension were tearing the county apart in the 70’s.

Leaders from the President to Civil Rights icons and Senators were being gun downed in city streets.

And students had been shot and killed by the National Guard.

At that time, he put forward that the county came through that period of history.

And I shut up and pondered.

I was 9 years old when on May 4, 1970 when a troop of the Ohio National Guard opened fire on a crowd of Kent State University Students who were protesting the expansion of the war in Vietnam by US forces moving into Cambodia, killing 4 people and wounding 9.

I don’t remember it.

Two of my brothers were off in Ann Arbor (someone in my family was always off in Ann Arbor) and I don’t remember my parents talking about it.

It took a long time for the news and the information and the images to filter out from Ohio.

I recently read that to slow down the spread of information, Kent State asked Bell Telephone to turn off the phones in student dorms.

There were photographs that appeared on the TV news.

There were stories on the radio news.

But it really wasn’t until Life Magazine arrived in mail boxes and news stands across the Nation that story hit home.

Not in the split seconds of today but 11 days later.

And it wasn’t in a message on a phone or email, but in a magazine that demanded that you stop and take time in absorb the images and the story.

A question was asked by the father of one the student who was killed, “Is this dissent a crime? It it a reason for killing?”

We are asking that question again.

Bernard Miller, the father of Jeff Miller, the student lying dead in the famous Pulitzer prize winning photo, said in the Life Magazine article, “But shooting into a crowd of kids – THAT is violence. They say it could happen again if the Guard is threatened. They consider stones threat enough to kill children. I think the violence comes from the government.”

What do I remember about Kent State from back then?

I must have heard stories and such that come down to a 9 year old and I was inquisitive and at sometime I came across the Reader Digest magazine with an article about the shooting.

I read it and tried to understand but what stuck in brain was the story related by a Kent State student.

The student told how Kent State shut down for 6 weeks and all the students were sent home.

Traveling with his friends on the Ohio Turnpike he told how a toll booth operater leaned out to take their money, noticed their Kent State parking sticker and held up four fingers.

They asked why the four fingers?

And the toll booth operator said something along the lines of, “We got 4 of you this time.”

1.10.2026 – an attack on law

an attack on law,
order, puts officers at risk
every single day

“This was an attack on law and order. This was an attack on the American people,” said Vance, who maintained it has not been portrayed that way by many journalists.

“The way that the media, by and large, has reported this story has been an absolute disgrace,” he added. “And it puts our law enforcement officers at risk every single day.”

“What you see is what you get in this case,” Vance said, downplaying ambiguity about the circumstances that led to the shooting.

The officer was clearly acting in self-defense, Vance said. He framed Good as “a victim of left-wing ideology” who was spurred by an alleged network of politically motivated groups to interfere with law enforcement.

“I can believe that her death is a tragedy while also recognizing that it is a tragedy of her own making,” Vance said.

JD Vance as quoted describing recent events in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the article Vance blames victim of fatal ICE shooting at White House briefing (Associated Press 1/8/2026).

Taking a wide angle view of events and reactions, it’s lucky that the ICE officers of today were not on duty back on January 6th at the US Capital.

I am reminded of an exchange on the old tv show, Northern Exposure between Dr. Dr. Joel Fleischman and Morning DJ Chris Stevens.

Chris Stevens: “Joel, I think that you’re confusing the truth with facts.”
Dr. Joel Fleischman: “No, the facts change, Chris. The truth is constant.”
Chris Stevens: “Oh, on the contrary, my friend: The truth changes. The truth about Custer. Hero or villain? Civilizer or agent of genocide? The truth slips and turns. The facts remain the same.”
Dr. Joel Fleischman: “Yeah? What about light? Particle or wave? I mean, it exhibits qualities of both. When the truth is finally known, the facts will be made to accommodate the truth.”

1.9.2026 – folly to assume

folly to assume
the demands of his ego
will be satisfied

Trump is a vain and petty man, and it is easy to impute psychological motives to his actions. But it is folly to assume the demands of his ego will be satisfied by symbolic victories. Revulsion and desire are two sides of the same coin, and it is clear that Trump covets the kind of unaccountable power Maduro enjoyed — to enrich his family and cronies, to intimidate political opponents, to muzzle the press, to flood the streets of his country with armed men who do his bidding. Trump has managed to do a measure of all of these things. No doubt he intends to do more.

From the New York Times Opinion piece, This Is Trump’s Small Trick to Destroy American Democracy by Lydia Polgreen.

I am reminded of the bully in the movie, A Christmas Story.

The movie, A Christmas Story was based on the book, But In god we trust all others pay cash by Jean Shepherd.

It is interesting to point out that the evil bully, Scut Farkus is not the bully in the book.

Grover Dill is.

Of Grover Dill, Jean Shephard writes, “Dill was a Running Nose type of Bully. His nose was always running, even when it wasn’t. He was a yelling, wiry, malevolent, sneevily snively Bully who had quelled all insurgents for miles around. I did not know one kid ‘who was not afraid of Dill, mainly because Dill was truly aggressive. This kind of aggression later in life is often called “Talent” or “Drive,” but to the great formless herd of kids it just meant a lot of running, getting belted, and continually feeling ashamed.“

Farkus shows up in Jean Shephard’s second book of growing up in Indiana memories titled, “Wanda Hickies Night of Golden Memories and Other Disasters.”

Again and again, something a supporter of the current feller in the Oval Office said.

“He fights my battles for me.”

Dill or Farkus, the movie, Ralphie says, “In our world, you were either a bully, a toady or one of the nameless rabble of victims.”

I was part of the nameless rabble of victims.

Difficult for me to imagine being a Grover Dill or Scut Farkus fan.

I mean, really?

I support the Scut Farkus and the Grover Dill people of this world.

They fight my battles for me.

Really?

1.8.2026 – movement of the waves

movement of the waves
wind, sand, distant horizon
sky meeting water

I walked toward the water, as if pulled to it.

The ocean stops me in a way few things do.

I watched the movement of the waves,

the wind over the sand, the distant horizon,

sky meeting water,

the teals and shades of blue,

washed-out watercolors that were changing by the minute as the sun moved higher,

shining light over the waves,

over the sand,

the world waking up again.

From I See You’ve Called in Dead: A Novel by John Kenney (New York: Zibby Publishing, 2025).

The world waking up again.

Got my coffee and my tablet and opened to the news.

The headline that caught my eye is in the New York Times that stated, “Video of ICE Shooting Becomes a Political Rorschach Test.”

A rorschach test according to Wikipedia is: “The Rorschach test is a projective psychological test in which subjects’ perceptions of inkblots are recorded and then analyzed using psychological interpretation, complex algorithms, or both. Some psychologists use this test to examine a person’s personality characteristics and emotional functioning. It has been employed to detect underlying thought disorder, especially in cases where patients are reluctant to describe their thinking processes openly.”

This is the classic ink blot and what do you see?

The headline refers to a video of an altercation between an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer and a woman in a mini van.

The headline pre-supposes that when watching the video, a person’s perceptions and reactions can be analyzed using psychological interpretation, complex algorithms, or both to examine a person’s personality characteristics and emotional functioning.

It might even be employed to detect a person’s underlying thought disorder, especially in cases where patients are reluctant to describe their thinking processes openly.

Usually a Rorschach test uses an image of an inkblot and some folks see one thing and other folks see other things.

For example, this is Card IV of the 10 card test, sometimes subjectively called the “Father Card” (without empirical verification), is noted for its imposing image and thematic emphasis on authority, strength, and male figures.

For today, the Rorschach test uses this image.

Some folks on viewing this photo see Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers afraid for their lives in a situation where the decision of last resort has become the first response. An officer, seeing his life pass before his eyes as certain death approaches in the form of a weaponized car, makes the only decision left and in the split second of time to make a life or death decision, chooses death and fires his weapon into the driver of the car, some three feet away.

Other folks on viewing this photo see an overaction of deadly force made with malice aforethought and little regard for life or consequences of action. An action that caused the death of a human being with premeditation and with intent to effect the death of the person.*

I put it to you that this isn’t a Rorschach test at all.

A Rorschach test, to me, involves someone being open to look at the image and interpret on its merits.

This photo, a moment in time is nothing but a mirror and folks see exactly what they bring to the mirror and see what they want to see.

How did we get here?

I walked toward the water, as if pulled to it.

The ocean stops me in a way few things do.

Wording taking from the State of Minnesota Statute 609.185 (Murder in the First Degree).

1.7.2026 – if not enjoying

if not enjoying
a volume, put it down and
move on to the next

Don’t force it: If you’re not enjoying a volume, put it down and move on to the next. “I am a huge advocate for not finishing a book,” says Menzies. “If you don’t like a book, no one’s judging you. You’re not failing.”

In a reading rut? How to get back into reading for fun by Madeleine Aggeler

Ms. Aggler is quoting a Morgan Menzies, who is a literary curator and social media influencer.

I am not sure exactly what a literary curator and social media influencer is or does but there you are.

Ms. Aggler closes with Make it fun Finally, make sure you’re having a good time.

And again quotes literary curator and social media influencer Menzies who says, “Reading is something that should bring you joy. There’s a lot you can gain from it.”

Make it fun?

Far be it from me to differ or question a literary curator and social media influencer, but how does one MAKE something FUN for someone else.

I recall a passage in the biography of Justice Oliver Wendall Holmes, Jr., where the author states:

The men who came to the Holmes house to tea, to dinner — Emerson, Dr. James Freeman Clarke, Mr. Lowell, Mr. Appleton — never read a book because it was the thing to do. They read with passionate interest and with passionate interest discussed what they had read.

Passionate interest.

I put it to you that if you are passionately interested in something, reading about it, be it fishing, football or how coffee was brought to the US Army on France in World War 2 (and a history of the US ARMY Coffee Service in WW2 is fascinating), will be FUN.

I started reading right off.

I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t passionately interested in EVERYTHING and I wanted to read everything.

My parents bought the 1st and 2nd grade readers (real Dick and Jane books) when I was in kindergarten.

When I got to 1st grade, I asked the teacher, what else you got?

I remember in 8th grade I had to take a reading comprehension test and got called into the hall to be asked if I cheated as I scored higher on the test than mathematically anyone should have been able to score.

I will say that early on I also learned to start a book and say NOPE.

Sometimes it’s the opening language.

Sometimes the story doesn’t make it to the land of suspension of disbelief.

Sometimes it’s factual. I recently picked up a new book on the Nuremburg Trials after WW2 ( a book maybe prompted by the recent film) and on page two the author pointed out that the United States would be represented by Chief Justice Robert Jackson.

Well folks, it was Associate Justice Robert Jackson in Nuremburg and Chief Justice Harlon Fiske Stone stayed happily in Washington during the trial and that was as far as I got into the book.

So it was with some wonder when back in sixth grade I got my report card from Grand Rapids Crestview Elementary school.

The report cards at that time had three rows for marks.

Above expectation was row one.

Satisfactory was row two.

Unsatisfactory was row three.

We just used the short hand of saying did we get row 1 or row 2 or the dreaded row 3.

My Mom came home from Parent / Teacher conferences and handed me my card from Mr. Vanderwheel.

Behavior and all that was pretty much row three but the classroom work, English, Social Studies and Math were all Row 1 and Row 2.

At the bottom was one heading that was circled in red.

Reading.

I got a third row.

Mom let me look at at for a bit.

Then she said, “Mr. Vanderwheel says you spend most of the day with you nose in a book.”

I held out the card with my face one big question mark,

“But,” she said, “You have yet to turn in any book reports.”

Book reports?

We had to turn in two book reports a marking period.

One pagers with title, author, short synopsis and what you learned.

Well, what did that I have to do with reading I wanted to know.

It wasn’t my first time my lack of devotion to just-do-the-work and my outlook on education came into conflict.

All a book report, a REQUIRED Book report, did was rob my reading of all passion and made it work and took all the fun out it.

By this time I had read Tom Sawyer and when Tom whitewashes the fence and Mr. Twain wrote, ” … he would now have comprehended that Work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do, and that Play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do,” I knew exactly what Mr. Twain was saying.

If the point was reading, what more did Mr. Vanderwheel want?

I mean, boy howdy.

From then on, once a month, I would grab the first book I found in the library, get a piece of paper and as fast I could, write the title, author, a paragraph about what the book looked like it might be about and what I liked about it.

Meet George Washington by Joan Heilbroner – this book was about George Washington and the many things he learned while growing up in Virginia and building his home at Mount Vernon that helped him as he fought in the Revolutionary war and was the 1st President. My favorite part was when he took his army in boats across the river to attack the Hessians at Trenton and Princeton. It is a good book and we should all read it.

I got 1st rows in reading.

There was something to be learned from this and I learned a lot in school but often the lessons I learned weren’t in any lesson planner.