WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?

 

Dear George, 

 The top news story of the past week, of course, was Kevin McCarthy’s ouster as Speaker of the House. The Speakership is one of the most important positions in the U.S. government, responsible for conducting House proceedings, setting its agenda, deciding which bills come up for debate, appointing members to committees, and representing the House in dealings with the President and the Senate. (2) The vote to oust McCarthy was not accompanied by any plan regarding his successor, and no consensus is apparent among Republican House members. Currently there are two declared candidates for the job: Steve Scalise (R-LA) and Jim Jordan (R-OH). In addition, the New York Times identifies other potential candidates including Tom Emmer (R-MN), Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Kevin Hern (R-OK), Tom Cole (R-OK), and Patrick McHenry (R-NC). (7) Here is a bit of info about each. 

 As House Majority Leader, Steve Scalise is seen by many as the frontrunner for the Speaker position. A staunch conservative, Scalise receives a rating of 95% by the American Conservative Union. He has repeatedly voted to appeal the Affordable Care Act, has supported tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations, opposed same-sex marriage, opposed gun control, and supported voter suppression. Scalise has been criticized for his past associations with white supremacy and anti-Semitic groups. A Louisiana political reporter quoted him as describing himself as “like David Duke (the former KKK leader) without the baggage.” While a leading candidate, Scalise’s chances are diminished by opposition from far-right House Republicans who think that he is not sufficiently conservative. He is also receiving intensive treatment for blood cancer. (7) 

 Ohio representative Jim Jordan, the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, is the other declared candidate for the Speaker position, and Donald Trump has endorsed him for the job (which may or may not have any impact). Receiving a rating of 100% from the American Conservative Union, Jordan is one of the most conservative House members. He was the founding chairman of the far-right Freedom Caucus in the House. Known as a conservative bomb thrower (4), Jordan is one of Trump’s top allies and a leader in the impeachment inquiry into President Biden. While Jordan has strong support from the extreme wing of the Republican party, the New York Times concluded that, because of his divisiveness, he “is not likely to muster a majority of the House Republican conference.” (9) 

 As House Majority Whip, Tom Emmer’s profile is similar to Scalise’s. Emmer (82%, ACU) has actively supported tax cuts for the wealthy, opposed abortion rights even when the mother’s life is in danger, strongly supported gun rights, opposed environmental regulation. Critics argue that his record in Congress reflects inaction and gridlock. Because he voted to certify Biden’s election and advised Republican candidates to distance themselves from Trump, Emmer is actively opposed by Trump allies and is deemed unlikely to win sufficient support for the Speaker position. (3, 11) 

 Elise Stefanik (98%, ACU) is the third-ranking Republican in the House, serving as Majority Whip. Despite being regarded as a moderate Republican before Trump’s election, she became one of Trump’s most enthusiastic allies in the House, having defended him on numerous occasions, including during his impeachment trials. Stefanik objected to certification of Biden’s victory, has voted against legislation that would protect LGBTQ people from discrimination, and has spoken at events hosted by white supremacist organizations. Stefanik is seen as a rising star in the Republican Party, but it’s unclear if she has the experience or the support to become Speaker. (10) 

 Kevin Hern (98%, ACU) is chair of the Republican Study Committee, the largest caucus of conservative Republicans in the House, and he is popular among the Republican base. Like most of the prospective candidates he has been a vocal supporter of Trump, voted to overturn the 2020 election, supported tax cuts for the wealthy, opposed environmental regulations, supported gun rights, opposed expanded access to voting, and called for President Biden’s impeachment. Hart may be a viable candidate, but he faces challenges because of his lack of experience and his polarizing views. (7) 

 Tom Cole (92%, ACU) is Chair of the House Rules Committee. Like his colleagues mentioned above, Cole has opposed the Affordable Care Act, supported tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations, opposed gun control measures, opposed abortion rights, denied climate change, and supported voter suppression legislation. Cole is a respected member of the Republican Party, but he is not as well-known as Scalise or Emmer. 

 (1) Patrick McHenry (89%, ACU), selected by McCarthy to be the interim Speaker of the House, is also Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee. While McHenry is well-liked, he is distrusted by hard-liners because of his role in the recent deal with Democrats to avoid a government shutdown. McHenry hasn’t yet expressed interest in the permanent Speaker job. (6) 

 My personal opinion is that all of these candidates are nightmares and likely to have have negative consequences upon Congress and American society. Most are to the right of Kevin McCarthy, who is himself a staunch conservative. However, I do recognize that they’re typical of the current Republican Party and its leadership, as well as enjoying the approval of roughly half the country. According to Newsweek, recent bookmaker odds have Scalise the favorite (odds of 8/11, meaning if you bet $11 you would win $8), followed by Hern (9/2) Jordan (8/1), Stefanik (10/1), Emmer (14/1), and McHenry (14/1). (5) It’s surprising to me that there are no moderate Republicans who are mentioned as viable candidates for Speaker. However, moderate Republicanism is a vanishing breed in the House, and, because the party conference is controlled by the far right, it’s unlikely that any moderate could be voted into the position. Election as Speaker requires 218 votes in the 435-seat House. How any of these candidates are going to reach this magic number is an unknown. Election as Speaker is going to require voting support from hard-liners, moderate Republicans, and even some Democrats, and, with the far right in control of the House, it isn’t clear that any of the potential candidates can pull that off. With decisions about government funding and Ukraine support looming for House action in the next month or so, the outlook is scary. 

Love, 

Dave 

 SOURCES: (1) cole.house.gov; (2) housegov; (3) huffpost.com, Sept. 4, 2022; (4) nbcnews.com, Oct. 4, 2023; (5) newsweek.com, Oct. 7, 2023; (6) npr.com, Oct. 4, 2023; (7) nytimes.com, Oct. 4, 2023; (8) nytimes.com, Oct. 4, 2023; (9) nytimes.com, Oct. 2, 2023; (10) time.com, May 8, 2021; (11) time.com, Oct. 4, 2023.

BEST CINCINNATI NEWS STORIES OF 2021

 

Dear George, 

While I grew up in a town of ten thousand, Greater Cincinnati’s population is over 200 times greater, and consequently there are 200 times as many newsworthy events each year. Many of these border on the weird, silly, or perplexing. Here are my favorites for 2021 (note: pseudonyms used throughout). 

Love, 

Dave 

 ANTI-VALENTINE’S DAY 

 In support of people who plan to hold an anti-Valentine’s Day celebration to purge themselves of past relationships, Cincinnati’s Junk King company is sponsoring a “Dump Truck” in suburban Blue Ash. People are invited to dump all reminders of their ex-lovers, from photos and stuffed animals to clothes and jewelry. For each item dumped, Junk King will donate $1 to the American Heart Association. (local12.com, 2-3-21). 

 BAD WIFE 

Linda Cretch, 67, has a parole hearing next month for her life sentence for murdering her husband. Cretch shot her husband, Walter, in the head, then wrapped his body in a rug and kept him in the basement before finally burying him in their backyard. She enlisted the help of her three young children, a neighbor, and her father-in-law with digging the hole on the pretense of fixing drainage issues and planting grass seed. Cretch then went on a spending spree. Her father became suspicious about the backyard hole, dug it up, and found Walter’s body a week later. (cincinnati.com, 2-5-21) 

 FOLLIES OF YOUTH 

A 15-year-old boy is facing criminal charges, accused of secretly recording video footage in a girls’ locker room at his high school. Two girls found the boy’s phone on a pipe in the rafters during a swim meet, and it was recording video. Minutes later the boy came to the locker room and asked if anyone had seen his phone. The girls gave the phone to the authorities, and the boy now faces three counts of attempted voyeurism. He was not successful in capturing any illicit images. (cincinnati.com, 2-18-21) 

CORN FLAKES WITH A KICK 

U.S. Customs officers in Cincinnati reported finding 44 pounds of cocaine-coated cornflakes that had been shipped from Peru to a Hong Kong home. A narcotics detection dog named Bico alerted officers to the package. The corn flakes had an estimated street value of $2,922,400. (wlwt.com, 2-19-21) 

 SALES SURGE 

Cincinnati’s Gorilla Glue company has been in the news a lot, even making Saturday Night Live, ever since Tessie Brawn tried catastrophically to straighten her hair with Gorilla Glue. Local fans worried that the bad publicity would harm the company. Quite to the contrary, Google searches of “Gorilla Glue” are up 50%, and national sales have more than doubled. It’s not clear whether recent buyers are using the product on their hair. (wcpo.com, 2-19-21) 

 BAD MAN UNDER THE BED 

A Cincinnati mother of a teenage girl discovered that a 20-year-old man had been living under her daughter’s bed for three weeks. Jared Wight from Barberton met the girl on instagram. He came out during the night to have sex, take nude photos, and then return to his hideaway. Authorities charged him with three counts of rape and child pornography. (cincinnati.com, 3-18-21) 

 GUN COUNTRY 

According to federal authorities, Addyston police chief Darian LeCour, 65, procured hundreds of machine guns under the guise of testing them for police use, then sold them to two Indiana gun dealers who resold them for a profit. One of the guns with a vehicle-mounted M2 .50 caliber machine gun designed to be used against armored vehicles and low-flying aircraft. Chief LaCour faces 5-10 years in prison on each of 17 counts. (cincinnati.com, 3-26-21)

 MISSING MONKEYS 

Sammy Trinch reported to the police that she saw at least five monkeys across from her home near St. Joseph’s Cemetery on West Eighth Street. Her neighbor Lucy Griffin recorded a video, although the quality is grainy. Trinch said the video shows three monkeys in a tree, but there were two more on the ground. Another woman said she saw one of the monkeys. “I was right here and it was standing over by the garbage can…Its arms were real skinny.” Police responded the next day but only found owls mating — a noise that could sound like monkeys. The Cincinnati Zoo said that none of their monkeys were missing, leaving the monkey mystery unsolved. (wlwt.com, 4-16-21) 

 WORST MOTHER EVER 

 Brittany Gorney, 29, and her boyfriend, James Hamil, 42, are charged with murder, kidnapping, endangering children, and abuse of a corpse. The couple hog-tied Gorney’s three kids, tying their hands and feet, and placing a cloth material in their mouths for a period of hours. Later they drove the three children to the Rapid Run Wildlife area in order to abandon them. Six-year-old James grabbed the door handle as Gorney sped off. When she returned 40 minutes later, she found James dead. They put the body in the car with the other children, kept it at home for 48 hours, then tied it to a concrete block and dumped it into the Ohio River. The body hasn’t yet been recovered. Brittany pled not guilty by reason of insanity. (wlwt.com, 4-26-21) 

 EIGHT ARRESTS THIS YEAR 

Cassandra Richards, 28, of nearby Blanchester was arrested for the eighth time in a year after at an incident at Gold Star Chili. Richards came to the store to demand a refund for food and was asked approximately 20 times to leave the premises. When employees called the police, Richards went outside, opened the drive-thru window, and tried to climb through. She resisted arrest and repeatedly banged her head against the interior of the police cruiser while being taken to jail. Richards already faced nine criminal trespassing charges, one aggravated menacing, one possession of drug paraphernalia, and six resisting arrest. (local12.com, 4-1-21) 

 CICADA CRASH 

Vince Bingram, 20, of New Richmond was driving his 2017 Chevy Cruze along Riverside Drive during the dinner hour when a cicada flew in through his open car window and struck him in the face. Bingram lost control and crashed into a pole, totalling the car. The cicada stayed in the back seat. Bingram was not alone. Cincinnati police reported responding to four different local crashes involving cicadas. (10tv.com, 6-9-21; wlwt.com, 6-11-21) 

 BB ATTACKS 

Sisters Brittany Hepper, 29, and Kelsy Hepper, 28, and driver David Wright, 30, were arrested for shooting at homeless people from their car in downtown Cincinnati and Over-the-Rhine with BB guns. The results were recorded by cameras on the scene which led police to the car. The Heppers had spray-painted the hood of the car to avoid detection, but their effort was unsuccessful. Both Hepper sisters face assault charges. (wcpo.com, 6-9-21) 

 GREAT CINCINNATI CICADA ROBBERY 

This month marks the 34th anniversary of the Great Cincinnati Cicada Robbery. According to police reports, two men walked into the Grand Slam Restaurant brandishing a cicada. They thrust the bug at the cashier Marquita Kellagg, 22, who then fled from her post. Later, after Ms. Kellagg had recovered and returned to the register, she found that it was missing $25. The cicada robbers were never found. (cincinnati.com, 6-19-21) 

 THE MAGNETIC VACCINE LADY 

Republican State Rep. Jennifer Grotch of West Chester helped spread the claims of Dr. Sherry Tenperry when she invited the doctor to testify before the Ohio House Committee in support of “Vaccine Choice”. Tenperry reiterated her claims that COVID-19 vaccines turn people magnetic and “interface” with 5G cell towers. The publicity promoted a slew of social media videos of vaccinated people trying to get spoons to stick to their noses. (citybeat.com, 7-15-21) 

 OUR NEW HIPPO 

Tucker, an 18-year-old Nile hippopotamus, arrived at the Cincinnati Zoo from the San Francisco. He will be the new boyfriend of 22-year-old Bibi, and they have begun to spend time by the pool bonding and sharing beets, squash, melons, and hay. Male hippos are typically 1,000 pounds larger than females. Also, when pooping, they spin their tails like a propeller and spray feces everywhere. A big mess for keepers in the hippo barn. (wlwt.com, 9-17-21) 

 NEEDS A HUG 

40-year-old Trenton Antonio Fortey of North College Hill was arrested after stabbing his mother multiple times with a kitchen knife while she laid in bed in an apartment. His mother, Vanessa Quarreles, was pronounced dead at the scene. Booked into the Hamilton County Justice Center, Fortey asked Sgt. Marc Drones for a hug. When Drones asked why, Fortey responded, “Because I stabbed my mother.” (cincinnati.com, 12-20-21)

Best Cincinnati News Stories of 2020

Dear George, Having grown up in a small town of about 10,000 (and a “metro” area of 25,000), I now live in a place where there’s about 100 times as many people and, consequently, 100 times as many amazing, weird, horrible, and heartwarming news stories. I keep track of these during the year and select the “best” (i.e.,quirkiest) at year’s end. I think, because of the pandemic and most people sheltering in place, 2020 may not have been as newsworthy as most years. At least it wasn’t in our household. However, here are some stories that should tickle one’s fancy. Love, Dave

PCH SCAM Lavernia Jilson and her mom Anna Willcox were thrilled when they got a letter from Publisher’s Clearing House saying that Anna had won $3 million. The letter explained that she would receive the $3 million in the next few weeks. Till then PCH was sending a $6,000 check to cover her insurance and attorney fees. Following instructions, Williams deposited the $6,000 check in her PNC bank account and sent $5,000 of it to the “attorneys”. Days later the bank reported that the $6,000 PCH check was no good, that Williams had overdraft fees, and that she would have to return $5,000 to them before she could access her account. Since Williams has no money, she is praying that the bank can help her with the $5,000 she sent off. (wcpo.com, 1-3-20; note: pseudonyms used throughout )

TOILET PAPER ROBOT Procter & Gamble previewed new inventions at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show. The star of the show, created by the Charmin division, was a little robot called the RollBot. When you are sitting on the toilet and find yourself short of toilet paper, you can use your smartphone to activate RollBot, and he/she/it will roll in and bring you a fresh roll. (barrons.com, 1-5-20)

SEX OFFENDER BROUHAHA AT THE UNIVERSITY Former Title IX coordinator Andie Golderg has brought a sex discrimination suit against the university after she publicly addressed the university’s honoring a sex offender graduate with a “triumph cord” for overcoming adversity. According to Goldberg, her investigation “threatened to cause significant embarrassment” to the university and its upper level administrators. The student in question was convicted as a sex offender at a prior school and reportedly was accused by 11 victims. Students at the university wrote, “let’s not support rapists in 2019.” Goldblum’s supervisor said that she was asked to resign because of insubordination. (cincinnati.com, 1-8-20)

SILENT BOOK CLUB Cincinnati’s first silent book club, likely to appeal to introverts, has begun meeting at the Taste of Belgium in Over-the-Rhine. The idea was started by two friends in 2012 who didn’t like traditional book clubs and who met to read in companionable silence at a neighborhood bar. Book lovers are invited to the Cincinnati chapter to bring their own book and read in silence. Everyone is welcome. (wlwt.com, 1-11-20)

RUNNING MUSIC FESTIVAL The nation’s first running music festival will be held at Cincinnati’s Coney Island Amusement Park. The fun run includes a music-filled course with live DJs, light shows, bubble zones, and neon and black lights. It’s not a timed race, and participants can decide to run, walk, skip, or dance. Once they cross the finish line, there will be a party at the main stages which will include lights, fog, confetti, and giveaways. (wlwt.com, 1-22-20)

FIONA’S SUPER BOWL PREDICTION Our zoo arranged for its famous young hippo, three-year-old Fiona, to make a prediction for the Super Bowl. Presented with two enrichment items, one with a Kansas City Chiefs logo and one with a San Francisco Forty-Niners log, Fiona nuzzled the Chiefs item but then promptly vomited on it. The zoo concluded that her prediction is clear: Team San Francisco. (cincinnati.com, 1-31-20)

LOST HOODIE When Harvel Girdner, age 32 of Northside, lost his hoodie, he called police 25 times to get their help in finding it, using different locations for police to respond to. When the police arrived each time, Girdner asked them for a ride around town to try to locate his hoodie. Determining that he was intoxicated, police suggested that he go to bed, but he was arrested after the 25th call. (cincinnati.com, 2-3-20)

GOOD SEX Cincinnati ranked number four in the nation in Men’s Health Magazine’s list of most sexually satisfied cities, just behind neighboring Indianapolis. Columbus, and Fort Wayne. The rankings are based on birth rates, condom and sex toy sales, and STD rates. The news report doesn’t clarify whether high or low STD rates are counted toward sexual satisfaction. (local12.com, 2-15-20)

DRUNK WITH GUNS Greater Cincinnati resident, Furdie Webber, 50, of Clermont County brought a case to the Ohio Supreme Court to carry and shoot firearms when drunk. Weber’s wife called 911 when he was drunk with a shotgun, and police came and confiscated it. Weber said that is a violation of his 2nd amendment rights. His lawyer posted on Facebook that the Colonists were probably drunk when they faced the British in battle. (cincinnati.com, 2-20-20)

GUNSHOTS IN BETHEL The police in Bethel, a small village in nearby Clermont County, received two reports of gunshots in Bethel. At 4:30 on Tuesday a man called from Skyline Chili, stating that four people in a white sedan had shot him. Police determined that he was “suffering some type of psychotic episode.” Six hours later a woman told dispatchers she had been shot in the shoulder. When police arrived they determined that she had been bitten by some type of insect. She was treated and released. (cincinnati.com, 2-20-20)

KILLED THE GOAT TOO Russell Hendly III, 49, of nearby Carlisle is accused of trespassing into his next door neighbor’s garage, stealing their truck, doing donuts on their front lawn, and strangling the family’s pet goat to death. When deputies found Henderson naked in the truck with the radio playing at full volume, he explained that he did it because God instructed him to do so. (wsmemory.com, 3-12-20)

SEX TOY BOOM With multiple states announcing stay-at-home orders because of the coronavirus, Cincinnati-based Pure Romance reports that its sex toy sales are up 88 percent this week compared to a year ago. What else are people to do when they’re stuck at home. Maybe we’ll see the baby boom that health officials have been talking about. (cincinnati.com, 3-27-20)

SORE LOSER After an undisclosed number of drinks, Carter Zimmerly, 55, of Florence, KY, challenged his juvenile son to an arm-wrestling contest. After multiple arm-wrestling losses, Zimmerly became agitated, got his gun, and fired two shots into the ceiling. The house was surrounded by several SWAT teams, but Zimmerly refused for eight hours to surrender. Finally he was taken to a local hospital for evaluation. (cincinnati.com, 7-6-20)

BAD STYLING JOB Alysia Jeckson, 20, of Winton Hills came to North College Hill to have her hair done by Danica Thomas, 20. Jackson became “extremely upset with how her hair had been styled,” left the house, got into her car, and drove into the yard, striking Thomas who “flew backwards into the air” and hit the ground, causing injuries to her back and legs. Jeckson fled the scene and was arrested two days later. Thomas has been released from the hospital, but she has trouble walking and will need physical therapy. (cincinnati.com, 9-1-20)

COWS ON THE LOOSE Three cows got loose from a farm in the area and wandered onto the highway, closing westbound Interstate 74 to northbound I-275. Area police spent a couple of hours trying to corral the cows who were eating on the highway median. A police officer commented, “Honestly, they probably would have been fine if we had kept going, but the last thing we want is someone to hit a cow.” (cincinnati.com, 12-2-20)

MONKEY SLAVE LABOR PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) dumped a truckload of cocoanuts at Kroger headquarters in downtown Cincinnati. They are asking Kroger to stop doing business with a Thai brand that uses chained monkey slave labor to pick coconuts used in its coconut milk products. A spokesperson said, “These monkeys are denied everything that makes their lives worth living.” (citybeat.com, 12-3-20)

WORLD’S WORST SITTER The FBI arrested 29-year-old Ryan McDonald for possessing and transporting child pornography. The FBI discovered McDonald through a messenger group called “Toddlers”, members of which exchanged hundreds of videos and images of child rape. McDonald has actively sought work as a babysitter over the last decade, posting ads n SitterCity.com, care.com, and craigslist.org. Currently he was communicating with a Louisville family to provide childcare. (cincinnati.com, 12-8-20)

TOGETHERNESS FOREVER Police arrested husband and wife Robert Rickson, 35, and Kanya Stalworthy, 39, on charges of abusing a corpse. Police found the corpse of a man in their apartment who had died about 10 weeks ago. The couple placed clothing over the body, sealed the room he was in, and used a spray to try to cover up the smells. Thus far the police have not identified who the man is, although Stalworthy’s son, Dominic, 19, has not been seen since the date of the death. (cincinnati.com, 12-8-20)

The Longest Week Ever

 Tuesday, Nov. 3

Glued to the tube on election eve

Trump’s winning more states than we thought 

The night wears on, we begin to grieve 

Glued to the tube on election eve

I worry the pundits have been naive

And our dreams will have gone for nought 

Glued to the tube on election eve

Trump’s winning more states than we thought 

Thursday, Nov. 5

They’ve been counting the ballots for days 

And the battleground states are still close

Trump in the Heartland is still a craze

They’ve been counting the ballots for days

I watch with a growing sense of malaise 

Ohio, Kentucky, so gross 

They’ve been counting the ballots for days

And the battleground states are still close 

Saturday, Nov. 7 

CNN has declared, “Joe Biden has won” 

It’s true but it’s hard to believe 

Trump is now working to get it undone 

CNN has declared, “Joe Biden has won” 

A moment of joy but not yet much fun   

The Prez has tricks up his sleeve 

CNN has declared, “Joe Biden has won” 

It’s true but it’s hard to believe 

A Coronavirus I Ching Reading

Dear George, 

Having drifted into a state of total lethargy,  I haven’t checked the I Ching even once since the pandemic began.  That’s ridiculous.  The I Ching, of course, is the ancient Chinese Book of Changes.  Drawing from Confucianism and Buddhism, it provides guidance for moral decision-making and action.  One typically consults the I Ching by asking a question and then tossing three coins six times in a row.  The pattern of heads and tails for each coin toss results in either a solid or broken line (see citations at the end for details), and the six lines are arranged vertically in a stacked hexagram as in this example:   

Hexagram 43: Kuai - Breakthrough (Resoluteness)

Each possible hexagram, subdivided into an upper trigram and a lower trigram, represents a  specific life situation.  With six coin tosses, there are 8 trigrams possible and 64 (8 x 8) hexagrams possible.  The 8 trigrams represent heaven, lake, fire, thunder, wind, water, mountain, and earth.  The I Ching provides an interpretation for each of the 64 hexagrams.  Each interpretation includes an Image (the state of mind a superior man would adapt under the circumstances) and a Judgement (the best strategy for action under the circumstances). 

I asked the I Ching, “How can I best cope with the pandemic?”  Like Michelle Obama, I find myself increasingly experiencing “low-grade depression”.   Most of our major pleasures in life have been closed off, and I wake each morning with a sense of dread and an expectation that there is nothing to look forward to.  I tossed the coins six times and recorded each solid and broken line.  My hexagram (shown above) is titled Kuai (Breakthrough [Resoluteness]).  The upper trigram is Tui (The Joyous, The Lake), and the lower trigram is Ch’ien (The Creative, Heaven).  The hexagram suggests that the lake has evaporated and ascended to the sky where it will discharge itself as a cloudburst, hence the imagery of a breakthrough.    

Richard Wilhelm’s commentary.  In the most highly regarded rendition of the I Ching, translator Richard Wilhelm writes:  “This hexagram signifies on the one hand a break-through after a long accumulation of tension, as a swollen river breaks through its dikes, or in the manner of a cloudburst. On the other hand, applied to human conditions, it refers to the time when inferior people gradually begin to disappear. Their influence is on the wane; as a result of resolute action, a change in conditions occurs, a break-through. The hexagram is linked with the third month (April-May).”

My comments.   As usual, the I Ching is uncannily on target.  April-May, of course, is when the coronavirus’s major surge began in the U.S., including a sharp increase in hospitalizations and  deaths, shelter in place mandates, the prohibition of large public gatherings, and the closing of restaurants, bars, and many retail establishments.  Like most people, I’ve experienced more and more tension since that time, and my mode of coping, frankly, has been that of an “inferior person”.  Morose, passive, self-pitying, hopeless. 

How can one break through the paralyzing funk that the pandemic produces?  First, it’s helpful to recognize that there are wide differences in how people respond to the situation and that depression isn’t an inevitable alternative.  Many people, of course, experience catastrophic personal losses — of loved ones, of jobs and income, of their businesses or families.  People in our age group are likely to feel particularly vulnerable to the virus and may fear the prospect of an imminent death.  At the opposite extreme, some regard the pandemic as a complete hoax and adopt a far more cavalier attitude.  Or persons may not let themselves be overwhelmed by the situation.  In occasional instances, the pandemic provides a desirable opportunity for financial profit (e.g., pharmaceutical companies).  Likewise, there are divergent ways of viewing the pandemic.  Probably a majority dwell on the fact that 1 of 60 Americans have been infected by the virus, while others are reassured that 59 of 60 haven’t been.  Experts estimate that 1% or fewer of infected persons are likely to die (though, on the other hand, 99% or more will not).  

It seems to me that two things are required for a breakthrough.  The first is to adopt a less exaggerated and more realistic view of the pandemic.  I spend endless hours soaking in frightening information from the media (which concentrates almost entirely on death rates and largely ignores rates of recovery).  In looking at relevant statistics, our odds, in fact, are pretty good.  Second, I think a breakthrough occurs which one engages in meaningful, rewarding activities that provide a renewed sense of mission.  Something beyond watching Netflix and taking naps.   A lot of my own gloomy state is linked to the loss of so many activities in our community.  I have lost my poetry classes, but I can still write tons of poems.  The gym has been shut down, but I can do a challenging exercise program at home.  The same for blogging, reading, art, music, photography, and playing cards and Trivial Pursuit with Katja.  I’ve been a slug-a-bed for much too long.  Hopefully finishing this blog post will be the first step in a personal breakthrough.  Time will tell. 

Love,

Dave 

SOURCES: 

Wilhelm, Richard.  (1950). The I Ching or Book of Changes. Cary Baynes, trans. Bollingen Series 19. Introduction by Carl G. Jung. New York: Pantheon Books. 3rd edition (1967), Princeton: Princeton University Press.

mindsports.ni, “Interpreting the I Ching” 

taopage.org, “Content of the I-ching” 

the-iching.com, “43. Parting (guài). Breakthrough”

 

Will This Actually Happen?

Dear George,

We have “sheltered in place” for four months, and that arrangement appears likely to continue indefinitely.  Our lives, while less damaged than most, remain pretty bleak.  No outings, no social gatherings, no events, no sports, no music, no art, no restaurants, not much except TV and red wine.  Recently, however, it’s been dawning on me that something stupendous and wonderful is likely to happen in the foreseeable future.  I’m referring, of course, to the November elections.  Every day more evidence becomes available that Trump has little or no possibility of being re-elected.  In my mind, the inauguration of a new president in six months.  I’m sure you’ve see the news reports.  Here is a sampling:    

87% of Americans are dissatisfied with how things are going in the country, and only 17% are proud of the country’s condition.  (late June Pew survey; brookings.edu) 

As of the end of June, only 39% approve of how Trump is handling his job as president.  (Pew survey; brookings.edu)

Younger white working class voters (ages 18-39), a major Trump constituency, tend to view Trump’s presidency as “poor” or “terrible” (46%) and are unlikely to think that he handles race relations well (35%) or brings the country together (35%).  (Pew survey; brookings.edu) 

Trump has received severe criticism for mishandling the pandemic crisis and for his responses to protests over the death of George Floyd.  (theguardian.com)

According to CNN analysts, “the toll the coronavirus will have taken on the American economy and people will be too great for him to overcome.”  (cnn.com) 

Though seniors (65 and over) favored Trump by 8 points in 2016, most surveys in June 2020 found Biden leading Trump by 2 to 8 points among seniors.  (nbcnews.com) 

A recent NY Times poll found Biden leading white women with college degrees by 39 points (compared to Hillary Clinton’s 7 point margin in 2016).  (slate.com)

In 2016 Trump won white women without college degrees by 37%.  Recent polls have found that number shrinking to single digits.  (slate.com) 

According to a June 2020 NYT poll, Biden is leading by 6 to 11 points in six battleground states that Trump carried in 2016 and that were crucial to his election: Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Florida, Arizona, North Carolina.  (nytimes.com)  

A late June Pew Center survey found Biden leading Trump nationally by 10 points, 54%-44%.  (brookingsedu)

It sounds almost too good to be true, and I’m immediately reminded how we celebrated Hillary Clinton’s “landslide victory” up until the polls closed on election day.  Momentous things could happen in coming months with the pandemic, the economy, race relations.  And/or Joe Biden could mess up.  Right now, however, there’s lots of reasons for anti-Trumpers to feel optimistic.  I’m determined not to die from the coronavirus while Trump is in office.  I plan to avoid all germs until 2021.  (But in the worst circumstance, if need be, I’ll hide out at home till 2025).

Love,

Dave

Skipping the Fourth

Dear George,

Thanks to the coronavirus, this may be the most un-Fourth of July since 1776.  No fireworks extravaganza on the riverfront, no band concerts or parades or community-wide picnics.  You don’t even see that many flags.  Just a lot of firecrackers that have been going off late at night for the past two weeks and terrifying neighborhood dogs.  It’s just as well.  Between Trump, the country’s failure to control the pandemic, George Floyd, the uproar over monuments to white supremacy, and economic collapse, it’s hard to dredge up any feeling of patriotism.  Here is my optimistic, if somewhat delusional thought.  Six months from now we’ll be inaugurating a new president, they’ll be distributing a vaccine to hundreds of millions, police reforms will be in place in many U.S. cities, racist monuments removed, and an increasingly successful reopening of business and industry worldwide.  Probably too much to hope for, but some of it could actually happen.

This is pretty much a lost year so far since virtually everything pleasurable has been put on hold.  On top of it all, I woke up on June first with every muscle in my body aching.  Thinking it due to the statin I take for high cholesterol, I emailed my doctor’s office and asked if I could stop the statin.  During these perilous times it’s difficult to see or talk to a doctor, so the nurse-practitioner said by return email it was o.k. though she thought it more likely to be arthritis.  My son and daughter-in-law, the two doctors in our family, tentatively diagnosed my condition as Polymyalgia Rheumatica, a mysterious but not uncommon ailment apparently linked to being older than one should be.  I relayed this to the nurse-practitioner, and she started me on a low dose of steroids (prednisone).  That helped quite a bit for the first two days, then seemed to reach a plateau.  The pain is tolerable, gets better in the course of the day, and I’m patiently waiting for it to go away altogether during my three-month steroid treatment.  

The other painful thing is that my close friend Jennifer and her partner Brian moved this week from Cincinnati to Virginia where she’s taken a high level position in the state university system.  Jennifer came here twenty years ago, and, because she lived right down the street, we walked home from work together practically every day.  That’s a lot of walks and talks, maybe 3 or 4 thousand.  This is the second time in a couple of years that one of my closest friends has moved away, and these are losses that are pretty much impossible to overcome. 

A bright spot is that our son J and grandkids V and L will be coming to visit in about a week, and they’ll stay with us for two weeks, the longest get-together we’ve ever had.  I think it’s a great opportunity.  I worried that with so many things shut down it will be hard to keep the kids entertained, but J reassured me that they are very content to spend the whole day playing video games.  I myself have never played a video game, so I’m going to ask them to give me some lessons.  At the end of their stay they’ll drive back to New Orleans, taking one or both of their dogs with them.  J asked if we might want to keep Iko in Cincinnati.  Katja’s been wishing for that for some time, but then she changed her mind, thinking back to a childhood trauma when her veterinarian dad said she couldn’t keep the new puppy he gave her because its original family wanted it back.  Dog arrangements will work out one way or the other.   This three and a half month visit from Iko and Lil Paws has been a great treat and has reminded us how much we are dog people.  

Katja sent me off to Clifton Market yesterday with a grocery list that included some challenging items, e.g., unsweetened cocoanut, cider vinegar, two avocados.  A staff person stocking shelves found the cocoanut for me, and I actually found the vinegar myself, though I had to call home to see if apple cider vinegar was correct.  Another staff person pointed to the end of the aisle where the avocados were, but unfortunately the labels were missing from the various fruit and vegetable boxes.  I picked up two dark green lumpy items shaped like small footballs and took them back to the staffer, asking her if these were avocados.  She looked at me strangely and nodded yes.  Then she asked if I would like her help in picking out which avocados would be best to choose.  I declined but sincerely thanked her for her offer.    

So we are muddling along.  Cincinnati is one of the worst places in Ohio for spread of the virus right now, so we’re trying to be as careful as possible.  Take care, wash frequently. 

Love,

Dave     

Shadormas For Our Times

Dear George,

I don’t intend to make this a coronavirus blog, but it’s all that’s on my mind these days.   Mostly I’ve been working on a series of shadormas about the pandemic.  A shadorma is allegedly a medieval Spanish poetic form that consists of 6 lines with 3/5/3/3/7/5 syllables per line.  One shadorma can be a short poem, or you can string a series together as I’ve done here.  I say allegedly Spanish because “shadorma” is not a Spanish word, and no one has ever discovered a Spanish poem from the Middle Ages that was written in this form.  One skeptic speculates that shadormas were invented in recent years by a postal clerk who had too much time on his or her hands.  Anyway, they are enjoyable to work on.  Usually I prefer to write light, airy poems, but the dark side prevailed this time.  It is what it is.  I wonder if this is how others feel.   

Love,

Dave 

Shadormas For Our Times 

Nasty beast

This COVID-19

Satan’s spawn

Spread by wind  

Racing through the populace

Hunting you and me 

Wuhan first

And then Seattle

World on fire 

Lethal scourge 

A lucky few will escape

A roll of the dice   

Job losses

Businesses kaput

Store meltdowns

Bankruptcy

Recovery takes ten years 

Most will not survive 

Stick to rules

We’ll flatten the curve

Hospitals

In distress

Doctors, nurses lacking gear

Medical war zones 

The elders

Nursing home patrons

Prisoners

Hispanics

African-Americans

COVID’s after them 

Stay at home

The world is closed down  

Malls shuttered

No pro sports

Large gatherings illegal 

Cities are ghost towns

  

Keep apart

Six feet, maybe twelve

Handshakes out

No more hugs 

In this disconnected age

Friends cannot be friends

Don our masks 

Cover up the smiles 

Faces veiled

Muffled breath

Neighbors look like terrorists 

I avert my eyes 

    

Will we die? 

Maybe, we’ll know soon    

Eighty-two 

Weakened lungs 

A profile the virus craves

Hide in the bedroom 

At the store

Peril from all sides 

Crowded aisles 

Few wear masks  

Surfaces are festering

Illness resting there 

Flawed leaders

Failure at the top 

Denial

Nonstop lies

No regard for human life

Politics, that’s it 

Drink Chlorox 

Bleach will kill the germs 

Shrinks them up 

Roasts their skin 

Covid Nineteen turns to ash 

Sadly so will you

This lockdown

My spouse won’t have it

Rambunctious

Unrestrained 

Off she goes to Fresh Market

Picking out new germs  

Years to go 

For this pandemic 

Dastardly

Worse than SARS 

Worst of all for folks like us 

Will our lives come back?