Happy Valentine’s Day from the Old Pueblo
Bob Schwartz
Month: February, 2025
February 14, 2025
February 11, 2025
They’ve got a secret: Trump’s friends on the Supreme Court are scared
Trump has friends or at least sympathizers on the Supreme Court. He is hoping to appoint more.
Already in the first few weeks, Trump has taken executive actions that are clearly unconstitutional. Then yesterday, Vance said that judges don’t have the right to control presidential power. Vance and other Republican lawyers know better. The Trump Justices of the Supreme Court know better.
Those Justices are scared.
Knowing that Trump will continue to act in unconstitutional ways that threaten the core concept of separation of powers and checks and balances, and knowing history, they are concerned about the trajectory of the republic.
As the constitutional challenges work their way through the judiciary, they know that the challenges—and ultimately interpretation of the Constitution—will end up on their bench. Whether or not they want to take on Trump, his Republican supporters, and tens of millions of Americans who believe that Trump should be able to do whatever he wants, they are going to have to.
Maybe they decide that centuries of precedent in interpreting the Constitution should stand, and these executive actions must stop. Or maybe they decide that these are extraordinary times, and under these circumstances, the constitutional structure must give way to the president.
Either way, as students of history, the Justices would rather not have to face that crossroad, since whatever they decide, they know the last time the Constitution itself was so deeply contested, the result was the literal division of America. They—at least one Justice—would rather be touring America in a luxury RV, rather than deciding the fate of the republic.
But they are not going to have that option.
© 2025 by Bob Schwartz
February 10, 2025
The black grouper (The Financier)
“You cannot look at it long without feeling that you are witnessing something spectral and unnatural, so brilliant is its power to deceive.”
From The Financier (1912) by Theodore Dreiser:
Concerning Mycteroperca Bonaci
There is a certain fish, the scientific name of which is Mycteroperca bonaci, its common name Black Grouper, which is of considerable value as an afterthought in this connection, and which deserves to be better known. It is a healthy creature, growing quite regularly to a weight of two hundred and fifty pounds, and lives a comfortable, lengthy existence because of its very remarkable ability to adapt itself to conditions. That very subtle thing which we call the creative power, and which we endow with the spirit of the beatitudes, is supposed to build this mortal life in such fashion that only honesty and virtue shall prevail. Witness, then, the significant manner in which it has fashioned the black grouper. One might go far afield and gather less forceful indictments—the horrific spider spinning his trap for the unthinking fly; the lovely Drosera (Sundew) using its crimson calyx for a smothering-pit in which to seal and devour the victim of its beauty; the rainbow-colored jellyfish that spreads its prismed tentacles like streamers of great beauty, only to sting and torture all that falls within their radiant folds. Man himself is busy digging the pit and fashioning the snare, but he will not believe it. His feet are in the trap of circumstance; his eyes are on an illusion.
Mycteroperca moving in its dark world of green waters is as fine an illustration of the constructive genius of nature, which is not beatific, as any which the mind of man may discover. Its great superiority lies in an almost unbelievable power of simulation, which relates solely to the pigmentation of its skin. In electrical mechanics we pride ourselves on our ability to make over one brilliant scene into another in the twinkling of an eye, and flash before the gaze of an onlooker picture after picture, which appear and disappear as we look. The directive control of Mycteroperca over its appearance is much more significant. You cannot look at it long without feeling that you are witnessing something spectral and unnatural, so brilliant is its power to deceive. From being black it can become instantly white; from being an earth-colored brown it can fade into a delightful water-colored green. Its markings change as the clouds of the sky. One marvels at the variety and subtlety of its power.
Lying at the bottom of a bay, it can simulate the mud by which it is surrounded. Hidden in the folds of glorious leaves, it is of the same markings. Lurking in a flaw of light, it is like the light itself shining dimly in water. Its power to elude or strike unseen is of the greatest.
What would you say was the intention of the overruling, intelligent, constructive force which gives to Mycteroperca this ability? To fit it to be truthful? To permit it to present an unvarying appearance which all honest life-seeking fish may know? Or would you say that subtlety, chicanery, trickery, were here at work? An implement of illusion one might readily suspect it to be, a living lie, a creature whose business it is to appear what it is not, to simulate that with which it has nothing in common, to get its living by great subtlety, the power of its enemies to forefend against which is little. The indictment is fair.
Would you say, in the face of this, that a beatific, beneficent creative, overruling power never wills that which is either tricky or deceptive? Or would you say that this material seeming in which we dwell is itself an illusion? If not, whence then the Ten Commandments and the illusion of justice? Why were the Beatitudes dreamed of and how do they avail?
February 6, 2025
Guaranteed uplift: Breakout by Swing Out Sister
In general, there are many pop music tracks from the 80s that are uplifting.
In particular, this track from Swing Out Sister is one of them.
In addition to the music, the video shows off lead singer Corrine Drewery, who along with singing is also a fashion designer and model, something included in the video.
There are no guarantees in life or music. Beautiful song, beautiful woman. If you have 3 minutes and 48 seconds (you know you do), what have you got to lose?
February 6, 2025
TV: Magic mushrooms in 1961
It is January 24, 1961. Just a few days earlier, John F. Kennedy was sworn in as President of the United States, marking a change of era from the days of President Eisenhower.
You look inside your TV Guide to see what’s on that evening.
You might stay up until 11:10 to watch Citizen Kane. But there at 10:00 is an odd-sounding program:
Alcoa Presents
“The Sacred Mushroom” is a variety said to give the power of extrasensory perception to those who eat it. Filmed on location are religious rites of the Chatino Indians in Oaxaca, Mexico, who use the mushroom as part of their ritual. Host John Newland also samples the mushroom and, afterward, undergoes clinical tests.
Sacred Mushroom? Extrasensory perception? Chatino Indians in Oaxaca, Mexico? Okay, let’s have a look:
February 4, 2025
Transforming adversity into the path of awakening
“We can’t tailor the world to suit ourselves, or force it to fit into our vision of things. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t aspire to make things better.”
Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche
The 59 slogans of lojong mind training are divided into Seven Points.
Point Three: Transforming Adversity into the Path of Awakening
We now come to the instructions on how to train our minds amid the unfavorable and unwanted circumstances of our lives. We have been born into an imperfect world, characterized by unpredictability and adversity, as finite human beings that have foibles, make mistakes, get confused, and think irrationally. There is much to contend with, and our ability to prevent or circumvent difficulty is quite limited. We aren’t omnipotent beings, and while we try to protect ourselves and maintain order in our lives, we simply don’t have the ability to safeguard ourselves from its disasters….
We can’t tailor the world to suit ourselves, or force it to fit into our vision of things. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t aspire to make things better. The bodhisattva ideal specifically recommends trying to improve our world to the best of our ability, but that ideal is based on a realistic recognition that the world is imperfect and likely to remain that way. Things may sometimes work a little better, sometimes a little worse, but so long as there is ignorance, hatred, jealousy, pride, and selfishness, we will all be living in a world that is socially and politically imperfect….
Sometimes things just happen, and there may be nothing we can do to change that, but we can control our responses to events. We don’t have to despair in the face of disaster. We can either continue to respond in the way we’ve always done and get progressively worse, or we can turn things around and use our misfortune to aid our spiritual growth. For example, if we suffer from illness, we should not allow despondency to get the better of us if our recovery is slow. Despite seeing the best doctors and receiving the best medication, we should accept our situation with courage and fortitude and use it to train our minds to be more accommodating and understanding. No matter what situation we encounter, we can strengthen our minds by incorporating it into our spiritual journey.
Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche, The Practice of Lojong: Cultivating Compassion through Training the Mind
February 2, 2025
Democrats needed and still need their own Project 2025
When Democrats brought attention to the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 (officially Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise) the reaction from many was horror and revulsion. “Not this, NEVER”. Democrats used this call for rejection as a loud talking point in the unsuccessful 2024 presidential election.
One way to look at Project 2025 is to compare it to the Democratic Platform of 2024.
The Democratic Platform is 92 pages long, a comprehensive length, identifying important areas, with praise for what the Biden administration had accomplished in these areas, and a promise that the next Democratic administration would build on that. It represented what establishment Democrats could agree on, but is not particularly inspiring.
Project 2025 is 922 pages long—ten times the Democratic Platform. More than that, it is a detailed plan for an American revolution, step by step. Which is why the reaction from Democrats was so extreme. As unlikely as it seemed that Republicans would have the opportunity to actually execute the plan—Trump would very likely lose the election—just the possibility was frightening.
For those who haven’t seen or read Project 2025, here is the Table of Contents:
It is a little late for Democrats to inspire the hearts and minds of enough Americans to win the 2024 election. However, right now is the time to inspire the hearts and minds of Americans—Democrats and others—to believe in the Democrats, with a detailed plan starting now, that isn’t just “not those bad guys” or “choose more of the same”. A detailed plan that is a step-by-step exciting and even risky path to a new future that doesn’t look like the past—either of the party or of America. A detailed actionable vision that goes beyond “put us back in office in 2026 and 2028 and everything will be fine again”.
February 1, 2025
The Mothers of Inventions Freak Out: Trouble Every Day and It Can’t Happen Here
Don’t you know that this could start
On any street in any town
In any state if any clown
Decides that now’s the time to fight
For some ideal he thinks is right
And if a million more agree
There ain’t no Great Society
As it applies to you and me
Trouble Every Day
But I’m telling you
It can’t happen here
Oh darling, it’s important that you believe me
That it can’t happen here
It Can’t Happen Here
Frank Zappa was a genius. The Mothers of Invention, the first group he founded and led, was breakthrough significant (still is). Both should be heard.
When I see that the Mothers have only 205,000 monthly listeners and that Zappa has only 962,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, I shouldn’t be surprised, but I am disappointed. Plenty of worthy artists, contemporary and throwback, struggle to get big numbers, compared to the latest fave. But in this case, those missing listeners could really benefit from it, cause they’re missing something.
Freak Out (1966) is the first Mothers album. Artists, musical and otherwise, like to shake things up and break things. Zappa saw things in 1960s culture and society that need shaking and breaking, and being a true artist, he set out to do that. And did that for decades to come.
The two tracks from Freak Out featured here are Trouble Every Day and It Can’t Happen Here, lyrics and videos below. If this is your first taste of the Mothers and Zappa, explore.
Trouble Every Day
Well I’m about to get sick
From watchin’ my TV
Been checkin’ out the news
Until my eyeballs fail to see
I mean to say that every day
Is just another rotten mess
And when it’s gonna change, my friend
Is anybody’s guess
Wednesday I watched the riot
I seen the cops out on the street
Watched ’em throwin’ rocks and stuff
And chokin’ in the heat
Listened to reports
About the whisky passin’ ’round
Seen the smoke and fire
And the market burnin’ down
Watched while everybody
On his street would take a turn
To stomp and smash and bash and crash
And slash and bust and burn
Well, you can cool it, you can heat it
‘Cause, baby, I don’t need it
Take your TV tube and eat it
‘N all that phony stuff on sports
‘N all the unconfirmed reports
You know I watched that rotten box
Until my head begin to hurt
From checkin’ out the way
The newsman say they get the dirt
Before the guys on channel so-and-so
And further they assert
That any show they’ll interrupt
To bring you news if it comes up
They say that if the place blows up
They will be the first to tell
Because the boys they got downtown
Are workin’ hard and doin’ swell
And if anybody gets the news
Before it hits the street
They say that no one blabs it faster
Their coverage can’t be beat
And if another woman driver
Gets machine-gunned from her seat
They’ll send some joker with a Brownie
And you’ll see it all complete
So I’m watchin’ and I’m waitin’
Hopin’ for the best
Even think I’ll go to prayin’
Every time I hear ’em sayin’
That there’s no way to delay
That trouble comin’ every day
No way to delay
That trouble comin’ every day
Hey, you know something, people?
I’m not black but there’s a whole lots a times I wish I could say I’m not white
Well, I seen the fires burnin’
And the local people turnin’
On the merchants and the shops
Who used to sell their brooms and mops
And every other household item
Watched a mob just turn and bite ’em
And they say it served ’em right
Because a few of them were white
And it’s the same across the nation
Black and white discrimination
Yellin’ “You can’t understand me!”
‘N all that other jazz they hand me
In the papers and TV
And all that mass stupidity
That seems to grow more every day
Each time you hear some nitwit say
He wants to go and do you in
Because the color of your skin
Just don’t appeal to him
No matter if it’s black or white
Because he’s out for blood tonight
You know we got to sit around at home
And watch this thing begin
But I bet there won’t be many
Live to see it really end
‘Cause the fire in the street
Ain’t like the fire in the heart
And in the eyes of all these people
Don’t you know that this could start
On any street in any town
In any state if any clown
Decides that now’s the time to fight
For some ideal he thinks is right
And if a million more agree
There ain’t no Great Society
As it applies to you and me
Our country isn’t free
And the law refuses to see
If all that you can ever be
Is just a lousy janitor
Unless your uncle owns a store
You know that five in every four
Just won’t amount to nothin’ more
Gonna watch the rats go across the floor
And make up songs about being poor
Blow your harmonica, son!
It Can’t Happen Here
It can’t happen here
I’m telling you, my dear
That it can’t happen here
Because I been checkin’ it out, baby
I checked it out a couple a times
But I’m telling you
It can’t happen here
Oh darling, it’s important that you believe me
That it can’t happen here
Who could imagine that they would freak out somewhere
in Kansas…
Who could imagine that they would freak out in Minnesota…
Who could imagine…
Who could imagine
That they would freak out in Washington, D.C.
But it can’t happen here
Oh baby, it can’t happen here
Everybody’s safe and it can’t happen here
No freaks for us
Everybody’s clean and it can’t happen here
No, no, it won’t happen here
Plastic folks, you know
It won’t happen here
You’re safe, mama
You’re safe, baby
You just cook a tv dinner
And you make it
Oh, we’re gonna get a tv dinner and cook it up
Oh, and it won’t happen here
Who could imagine
That they would freak out in the suburbs!
Man you guys are really safe
Everything’s cool
I remember
They had a swimming pool
And they thought it couldn’t happen here
They knew it couldn’t happen here
They were so sure it couldn’t happen here
But…
Bob Schwartz 