JUDICIAL WRATH. Judge Marilyn Milian, a former Florida state circuit court judge who now presides over TV's The People's Court, is normally the soul of composure, respectful congeniality, and fair play. On one episode, however, when a young defense attorney (a second-year law school) got cocky and sassed her in court, Milian's blood rose, and she spent the next scathing minute and a half putting the attorney in his place. Here is the video, which delighted me. I hope it does you, too.
WINGNUTS. It seems that the radical right is spinning out of control. At the federal, state, and local levels, neo-cons and Tea Party sociopaths are determined to (a) erase all semblance of humanity and dignity from their discourse, (b) destroy democratic government and the services it provides, while offering nothing in its place but empty jingoistic/misogynist rhetoric, and (c) completely humiliate the U.S. before the other nations of the world.
Here's an example. Georgia State Representative Bobby Franklin has introduced a bill that would criminalize miscarriages, making abortion and miscarriage -- or "prenatal murder" in the language of the bill -- potentially punishable by death. Dubbed the craziest wingnut in America, Franklin is merely the tip of the radical Republican iceberg in its war on women. Thankfully, a few sane voices are pushing back. New York Democratic Representative Anthony Weiner went on the record in opposition to the G.O.P.'s retrogressive policies -- his speech was timely, and one hopes that Democrats and moderate Republicans will grow a pair and start declaring their support for social programs and human rights.
SYMPHONY. Not your usual orchestral work, the Symphony of Science - We Are All Connected features the images and voices of Carl Sagan, Richard Feynmann, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and Bill Nye, digitally adapted from speaking to singing, in an ingenious challenge to our imaginations and our common humanity. We are all starstuff.
"We are stardust
We are golden
And we've got to get ourselves back to the garden ... "
~ Joni Mitchell, Woodstock
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