Instead of funerals and memorials, ...

We could change the whole culture around death, reintegrate death into living. A person either decides it's time or gets a terminal diagnosis or … and before they are weak and in bed, well before, a ceremony is held, all the good things that are said at funerals, the praise, the fond memories, etc etc. Then the person dies and is very quietly buried.

Technology and travel

In the 80's, I used to travel for a few months at a time, to places a bit out of the mainstream. I had a careful packing list - the biggest challenge was taking/finding enough in English to read. Today, posters on slashdot are chatting about being in a remote Himalayan village for a year. One writes: "I'm downloading wikipedia on a usb drive." Another is filling up his Kindle. So much change. I'm a bit speechless, a bit numb with the differences.

Jabir Puar describes Gaza as a laboratory for Israeli maiming, reminding me of how Jews were experimented on by Nazis. Equating Israeli policies to Nazi policies, and Gazans to Jews?

Hobbies

Reading was often noted by my college classmates as a hobby. Hobbies seem to me extras, in addition to. Reading however seems as much a necessity for me as air and water; I would never have considered it as a hobby. I'm pretty purposeful, don't have hobbies, didn't know how to respond to that question. Until yesterday, as I chatted with my sister about turmeric and pain and realized that health is my hobby, alternatives for personal well-being, body work, herbs, meridians, stretches, stillness ...

Jews

The post-colonial territorial divisions in the middle-east woke Arab nationalism which rallied around herding the Jews into the sea. Israel opened its arms to Jews and prospered. Palestinians sheltered in place and were shunned by other Arabs. People with different allegiances butted for dominance or resolution. Today there is stalemate and much death. Tomorrow is unclear.

race underpins

It's not culturally acceptable to name these motives explicitly but, just as the war on drugs is a war on race, as is making people without homes criminals, so is the outrage in support of Palestinians part of hating Jews – race, all of it, the other …

Occupy National Gathering

I am not going to Sacramento. The Occupy national gathering next month is in a familiar place. Attending would renew my interest in the movement I say I mourn for. I know the route, well, most of it and I can look up the directions where the signage isn't clear and twice or thrice I went way out of my way. I know the every-hour rest stops. I think I can drive that far. There's an Embassy Suites within walking distance of the meeting park. I have reward points. There is availability. I can visit with Jennifer and Catherine. Well, maybe I can't drive. I can take Amtrak. I can take the over-the-hill bus and Amtrak. I can wheel my suitcase. I can walk to the Santa Cruz stop and I can walk from the Sacramento stop. But it will be 100 in the daytime. I will need my cart for water and what not. I can FedEx my stuff and only take the cart on the bus and train. Meetings will be in the evenings. I will be in bed and miss out. Meetings will be loud and jostling. I will not be heard. Meetings will be recriminatory. I will be sad. There will be oppression. Maybe danger. Will there be vision? Will there be hope? I will punish myself for caring and organizing to go with the disappointment if there are not results and connections. The hardships outweigh the maybes. I am not going to Sacramento.