Empathy. Now It’s a Bad Thing. Sorry, Judge Sotomayor

June 4, 2009

Guest author, Jim Terr (www.JimTerr.com),  presented the following on June 2, 2009 on KUNM in Albuquerque.  He said what I’ve been thinking throughout this nomination of Sonia Sotomayor and the negative turn of the word empathy.    Empathy By Jim Terr   Click for mp-3 audio You can also hear the live version at http://kunm.org/audiohurl.php?s0=060209TERREMPATHY.mp3&t=Y      I’ll bet you didn’t know “empathy” was a bad word. In fact, in my book, it’s one of the best words, one of the best qualities, a person […]

Adam Lambert: The Geezers’ Fave

May 26, 2009

It was a geezer fest at casa Coimbra over Memorial Day Weekend.  While I’m wont to reveal spouse’s and my closet secret–emotional American Idol fans–after some excellent Central Coast zins and syrahs, the secret slipped out.  While railing against the political machine, our guests, whose nomdeplume shall be  Melvin Fox and Patty Cake, opened the door with, “Our political system is as screwed up as American Idol. Lambert should have won.” “You guys watch American Idol?” I gingerly solicited, thinking that people like Fox and […]

Do I Watch the Farrah Fawcett Documentary?

May 15, 2009

 June 25, 2009 update:  Editor’s Note: We are sorry to hear of  Farrah Fawcett’s passing.  We pray that she rests in comfort now, and we wish her family and friends peace in her passing. To watch or not to watch, that is the question.  Do I allow myself to wallow down  the depths of celebrity culture?  Do I watch my usual TCM classic movie instead?  Do I continue plowing through a very boring classic novel? I’m wondering about tonight’s Farrah Fawcett documentary.  Other […]

A Cemetery Hunt Brings Me To The Table

May 10, 2009

 “It would be a good idea to find your mother’s grave,” spouse gently suggested.  “Sure, someday we’ll do that,” was my oft-repeated and irritated response. The inevitable visit took place on Sunday. All I knew was that Jean Haley, my mother, was in section H of Los Angeles’s historical Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery.  Also in this cemetery are my matrilineal great-grandparents, grandparents, and an aunt and uncle.  All people I barely knew in life.  We never sat around a dinner table together. Section H […]

Lt. Choi, Call Ted Haggard

May 8, 2009

U.S. Army Lt. Dan Choi, a West Point grad and Iraq linguist, told, and then received a letter from the Army: You’re fired, gay guy! So, Lt. Choi serves his country fighting for alleged democracy in Iraq, comes home to America, breaks the law by telling, and gets fired.  Maybe it was discrimination???????? May I suggest that Lt. Choi call formerly gay preacher Ted Haggard and see if he can get into that intensive counseling that undoes the gay.  I did the […]