Don't let it be forgot, that once there was a spot,
For one brief, shining moment
That was known as Camelot.
--Lerner and Lowe, "Camelot"
That time of year thou may'st in me behold
When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang
Upon those boughs which shake against the cold;
Bare ruin'd choirs where late the sweet birds sang.
--William Shakespeare, "Sonnet 73"
I find me still these days in the "nothing of political importance to speak" mode. I worry that this is the kiss of death for a blogger on a progressive blog. I might call it "pulling a Billmon", except I've never been Billmon, and never had his following or his acumen.
A few days ago at work, my boss, Evie, not the most aware of creatures on my Happy Planet, commented on her sadness at seeing human beings do what I call "Entering the Depreciation Machine". As my old dad would name it : the act of going into a dive of ever-decreasing circles at ever-increasing speeds. I answered: "It doesn't bode well for people on the Happy Planet." And Evie nodded with a sigh. This was an incredible moment to me. This is a woman who readily acknowledges her love of all things "American Idol" and Survivor", and even she is seeing it.
I have no links for you. You know where the links are. You see them daily. But there is much to discuss here. To start you may talk about a comparison between the Lerner and Lowe lyrics and the Shakespeare quote. Shakespeare was actually discussing the erroding of the church via the reformation... "bare ruin'd choirs", as least as I know it historically talks about priests. You can discuss the incredible faster-than-lightspeed "depreciation machine" and how it's munching up people and their endeavors. Heck. I don't care. You can talk about "Survivor" and "American Idol". Or you can just comfort Cassandra. Encouraging words are always welcome. I forget now who the psychologist was who said that above almost all else people needed encouragement, cheerleading -- my word not his. I think it was Erikson.
Have at it. ;-)
Note: Here is the larger version of the Bosch painting, Ship of Fools, above, and my nod to the SpinDentist for reminding me how much I love Hieronymous Bosch.
