Joy in Dark Times

It's not often I talk about political stuff here, but I want to make a tangential exception today. The touchstone of this is the Heller decision from last week. If you're reading this, you almost certainly know what it is - if not, it's the little blip from the news last week whereby the Supreme Court said that the Second Amendment really did mean what it said, and that DC couldn't disarm the people there.

The first response to come to mind when I heard the news that morning?

"Oh good... that means Civil War II has been put off a few more years."

For all the flippancy I said it with... the core sentiment was absolutely serious. I do fully expect another Civil War in this country within the next three generations - and that's a fairly conservative estimate I think. Depending on how things play out over the next few election cycles, it could be as early as 2010 or as late as generations down the line.

Whenever it happens though, I've never been able to shake the feeling that we're about due for another internal rumpus, probably along the lines of the old Irish Troubles. It could have happened in the 90's, but ironically I think Oklahoma City served as enough of an "oh my God... this is for real and people die in this kind of thing" to stave it off - so I think McVeigh served to forestall exactly what he hoped to trigger.

Thank God.

That said, I believe he only forestalled the inevitable. Most of the fuel for the fire has already been laid and has been drying in the sun for decades now - there's been too many promises both public and private that have been made to the boomer generation to be realistically kept, and absent an act of God or brilliant innovation of man, there's going to be an awful lot of hungry angry disappointed people over the next twenty years.

Robbing Peter to pay Paul won't be enough - the Pauls will be angry they aren't getting what they were promised and were counting on, and the Peters will protest at the crushing burden of the taxes that will be required to pay even that fraction Paul will see. So that's the fuel for the fire.

Add to that a culture increasingly fragmented from any sense of common national identity. Forget who's president at any given time - how many people these days in this country have "American" as a fundamental part of their identity? More to the point, you can now get all your news and most of your social contact from such an isolated and self-referential clique all perspective of the greater whole is lost. Think about that for a moment... you can find people who get their news from Daily Kos walking the street alongside those who look to (for instance) Michael Savage - and both would consider themselves and their beliefs "mainstream," the other a radical outlier in American politics. Whatever bias our national media had, I do believe its fading stranglehold on public information has had a fairly significant effect.

For a few years after 9/11 I thought that vengeful split in our identity was at least on the way to being healed... naive me. Now a significant portion of our population actually believes the whole affair was engineered at home for private gain, and the split is as bad as ever - perhaps worse.

So then.. the spark. All this tension building, until at some point, sometime - something will set it off. It could be an election, and resistance to one side or the other claiming dominance - as the federal government gets more powerful, the stakes do get higher. It could be a tax protest, or a Social Security or other social payment "Bonus March." Personally though, I still think the spark that turns arguing into killing is going to be arms confiscation - a "Concord Green" all over again.

When gun rights activists say "Molon Labe" (or the somewhat older "Cold Dead Hands" speech) - they mean it. That's a fact I think a goodly portion of those in Washington simply doesn't truly believe. Nor do they appreciate how truly prolific fighting rifles have become amongst the citizenry. AR-15 pattern rifles aren't the province of a few toothless homeschoolers on compounds here and there across flyover country - ownership grew increasingly common through (and since) the 90's, and these days you'd be hard pressed to find a recreational range without at least a couple of 'em in use at any given time. Cheaper imports of foreign (mostly old Warsaw Pact) patterns are even more common.

Let me put that in more simple terms - most of those are just people having fun. Hobbyists. But at the same time... hundreds of thousands of people every year in this country are to a greater or lesser degree subconsciously preparing for war.

That's not a good sign.

Nor is it something easily stopped - trying to stop it through force will only serve to spur it on - Concord Green is a lasting testament to that.

So here we are.

At least two fundamentally different views of what our country is and should become exist in our culture, and as they both grasp for the federal reins they become increasingly incompatible.

So.. that's why I to this day think we're on a dreadful road, that will lead us to some mighty dark places in the coming decades.



And yet, I remember discussing this very thing with the daughter of a friend once upon a time. "Gosh, you're depressing Jenny" she said.... but later "so why are you always so happy?"

The answer to that one's based in something deeper I think, and is the core of what I meant to write about before getting all distracted with exposition.


Sic Transit Gloria Mundi goes the saying... "so passes the glory of the world."

Nothing human is forever - not our bodies, not our families, not our homes, not our times, not our neighborhoods, and not our nation. It took losing my brother to finally learn that lesson... that to place one's happiness and peace in the mortal realm alone is to court disappointment and sorrow - the best we can thus hope for is to die before all we love decays, dies, or changes unrecognizably before our eyes.

I do hope that my nation survives the coming fires, and maybe even learn anew the purpose of many our forgotten traditions. Perhaps even rise again better than before. I'd like to see that - an American Renaissance would indeed be a delight for us and a great beacon to the world at large.

But if that's not to be, and the light goes out again for a time - well... thus passes the world. The hope and comfort of my life remains in the Divine - that whatever happens here, we are ultimately all in His embrace.

So... give your loved ones an extra hug, admire the sunshine and flowers in the lane, maybe have an ice cream cone. Treasure these times. You never know when they'll end.

Peace and joy be with you all.

Full Skies

Hearing the crack and rumble of fighters overhead this morning, I thought it would be a waste if I didn't go down to the airbase to watch the Arctic Thunder exhibition. Not wanting to spend the gas driving, I just walked the distance there - and brought home a couple blisters to show for the choice. But it was worth it.

I'd never been to an airshow before and had no idea what to expect.. the neatest thing was just how friendly the servicemen were - it was like they got to play "show and tell" for the public and show off a bit, and oh did they take the chance. And gosh are they amazing!

Incidentally, as the Mustang flew overhead to the calls of the announcer, it struck me how peculiarly American events like this were. Oh sure, you've seen military displays like the parades of missiles and the like from the old Soviets, but this was of an utterly different character. Partly for the sense of humor and "all in good fun" that prevailed, and partly because of just how plain inclusive it was. The best analogy I can think is that rather than the bully of the neighborhood saying "look how tough I am," it was the happy-go-lucky jock kid saying "dude, I just got this most amazing airplane - come on over and let's play!"

And boy, did they play. The military stuff was all on display of course - the F22 Raptor was putting on a show you'd have to see to believe. Heck, I saw it, and there are parts I'm still not sure I believe, so many "an airplane can do... that?" maneuvers did the pilot show off. One of the coolest parts though was seeing the thing fly wingtip to wingtip with an old Mustang - there is nothing like seeing history unfold before your eyes.

It wasn't just the military stuff on display either - a local gentleman was showing off his skills in a little supercub it looked like, doing aerobatics that boggled the mind... and at frightfully low altitude.

As an aside, it's amazing how much a little flying time can affect your appreciation for what they're doing. See, given the amount of computer animated fantastic scenes we've all seen in movies and the like, just about any real maneuver can look almost humdrum to a jaded audience. Once you've actually climbed into an airplane and got a feel for what makes 'em move around the sky however - it's impossible not to be absolutely agog at some of the sheer artistry and precision those pilots showed.

So, that was the day. Amazing, this place up here.

Eagle River Highland Games 2008

If it's nae Scottish... well, you know the rest.. :)

So anyhows, today was the Highland Games up in Eagle River.

Like so many things up here, it's kind on the small side if you're used to events down in the 48, but being in a bowl of a meadow with snow-covered mountains rising high all around sure contributed to the atmosphere! It was a beautiful, cool, FUN day!

The good: First, lets be honest. As enticing as seeing all the muscles ripple on burly men tossing telephone poles can be, fact is a good Highlands event is as much atmosphere as games. And just sports can be dull.

SO... Most entertaining I think was the historical guild giving a brief overview of the '45, explaining battle tactics of Scots and English. Quite entertaining really, though in retrospect I think I'd like to see more context, even if it's just a couple posters with "this was the layout of the field" and "this is the timeline leading up to the battle and the events that followed." You know, just enough to give an inkling for why men were killing each other so gruesomely then and there.

Nonetheless, it was quite the show. I just wish I had the chance to see them a couple years ago, when they had a whole village laid out. Nice as watching soldierly men go through their paces is, a taste of daily not-murdering-people-life was sorely missing I thought. All in all though, an excellent living history presentation - they were better equipped, more knowledgeable, and better presented in fact than I've seen anywhere outside of the likes of Colonial Williamsburg. Yes, they're that good.

The not so good - I admit, I'm spoiled. I was hoping to see lots of clan tents, tartan by the yard, and more variety of music. As it was there were only half a dozen clans with a presence there. Aside from the competing pipe bands, only a single music act was brought up, an okay Celtic Rock group. Don't get me wrong, they weren't bad at all... not in the league of say Tempest c. 1996, but alright. No trad performers though, and that was very disappointing, especially given the variety of excellent musicians right in town.

Booking a local group or two would have gone a long way to help the atmosphere. If that budget was too tight even for that, take a page from the Grandfather Mountain games and throw up competitions in fiddle, harp, and whatallelse. Cheap on the budget, and it fills the air with quite a bit of atmosphere at the same time.

Vendorwise, I suppose it was about as well as can be expected. There's just two shops in town, and they were both incredibly friendly and helpful, so no blame at all on their part. It's just that in retrospect, there's simply not nearly enough business to support the racks and racks of different tartans and clan badges I'm used to seeing at such events, nor the veritable libraries of books and CDs. Then again, it was easy to walk the aisles without being crushed on all sides, and the slower pace is nice.

All in all.. a most excellent day. Room to grow certainly, but fun nonetheless.

fun!

Well, today at The Airplane Fixing Shop, a couple of us got a chance to ride in one of the C-172s that just got the once over. It was kind of cool to be up in the air in something I'd had a chance to tinker on - and especially nice to not be concerned the control cables might be crossed or something wasn't screwed on right or the like. I really am starting to get at least a basic feel for what does what, at least airframe wise. Kinda neat!

I got to go hands-on myself for a bit there, including up a canyon northeast of town. That... was spooky. I've been out that way before with CAP so I knew the area, but when the yoke is actually in your hands those mountains look a whoooooole lot closer. Eek! Still, we got back down in one piece and the PIC didn't yank the yoke back from me, so I suppose I couldn't have done too badly. Wheee!

In other news... we had a SPECTACULAR success at the last fiddle lesson! I am SO proud of my student - first time at all with "eyes closed" call and response practice, and she nailed just about every note! She's got a great ear, and did spectacularly!

The sound of freedom...

So there's apparently some kind of airshow at the base this weekend. This means Our Finest are practicing like crazy lately, I assume... because my little cottage is getting buzzed time and again by all manner of fighters flying fairly low.

You know what it sounds like in one of those high-tech super duper theatres when the air battle is on? Yeah, it's pretty much exactly like that in my living room now. Excepting for the not being shot at part.

Pretty cool to have a front row seat for the knights of our generation, I'll say that much.

zooooooom!!!

sometimes...

my bright ideas don't work out so well.

See, it's right near the Solstice, right? And well, I admit not every paganish bone in my body's died out. So I thought it would be a fine idea to walk out in midnight sun in the patch of woods across the road and fiddle a bit to celebrate high summer.

Yeah, well you know that other thing Alaska summers are famous for, besides the sunshine in the middle of the night?

Right in one!

And we thought the mosquitoes in Illinois were bad - I probably donated enough blood in the last half an hour to keep a vampire happy for a week. Not only that, but I couldn't even play well.. it's kinda hard to concentrate on what you're doing when you're constantly getting bit at all over the place.

Oh well, lesson learned.

On a broader note, a friend of mine here says every winter she questions why she lives up here, and every summer she remembers. Oddly, I'm so far finding the reverse. The cold and snow is a pain, don't get me wrong.. but Lord above I miss seeing the stars. If and when something pulls me away from here, that's likely to be it - the long stretches without night.

But.. first things first. Work, and flying, and ...we'll see after that.

updates

Let's see, the news...

1. Fiddle lessons proceed apace - and great fun! That hardest part is that our wonderful student hasn't much in the way of theory, which presents a greater barrier than I'd expected. Even outside a classical setting, it's hard to explain why some things work the way they do without that common understanding. So while we're not doing the whole "this is what all the funny dots mean" theory classes, we are sticking bits in here and there.

The most interesting part I'm finding is lesson planning - and how it makes me reflect on how *I* learned, and how much cross-pollenization I had between different instruments and styles. Much of my fiddle playing is strongly influenced by the years of recorder and tinwhistle I had before, for instance - especially in ornamentation.

More generally, being forced to condense all those years of "I learned this here, and that there, and this over here" into a simple lesson plan is an amazing focusing experience, both in my own playing now and how to get better myself.

This whole teaching thing is all kinds of amazing. The responsibility is a little scary, but it's a wonderful experience!



Other news....
* signup for trad camp in August is done. Yay! A whole week up in the Alaska mountains, learning and playing and a little exploring. Cool! I'll be going for fiddle as primary, then harp, bodhran, and keyless flute as extras, if there's time and room. Which means I'l have to find another bodhran tween now and then, but that shouldn't be a problem.

* wierd dreams of late. Last night in my dreams my best friend from late high school shot me. I never have bled out in a dream before - that was a weird feeling. Okay, time to have my fragments of beef and underdone potatoes a little earlier in the evening I think. :)

* Airplane mechanic work is still going well - it is cool seeing all that goes on inside there. I'll be upping my hours if something doesn't pop in the computer field soon. Which is fine. In the meantime, I'm REALLY coming to appreciate military cargo planes and stripped down Alaska bush planes - all those fuel lines and control surface wires right out where you can get to them, not buried behind lots of pretty-up panels. Makes it easy to see what's going on. The downside is they're more exposed to damage in the first place I suppose. No free lunch, eh?

And that's the news from the now blossoming northlands. Y'all take care down there, hear?