Yesterday, I listened to the opera “Innocence” by Kaija Saariaho – her last opera before she died in 2023. I’m not even going to try to describe or explain it – instead, I’ll give you a link to the Wikipedia article – and I encourage you to go there, scroll almost down to the bottom, and open (click on “[show]”) the list “School shootings outside of the United States”. If you live in the US as I do, you may well be under the impression, as I was, that the US is the only country on earth which experiences school shootings. In reality, there have been school shootings in every continent in the world, and in some islands which are not associated with continents – beginning in 1910 in Germany. And, starting in 1990,, there are only four years in which there has not been a school shooting outside the US – 1993, 1995, 2001, and 2010. But 2022, 2023, and especially 2026 made up for them. You will be astounded. Granted that there is certainly no country which comes close to matching our record – but we are certainly not unique, as we have been led to believe. But – on to better news. I am off to see Virgil now and will check in upon return.
I don’t remember saying, but I do remember thinking – when Barbara Lee became mayor – that Oakland is going to have a golden age. No, she didn’t accomplish this personally, nor even personally inspire it – but you can bet any important body part that she supported it and maybe even created the climate in which it was born.
As a general rule, I’m not a big fan of home schooling. But – when it works – it really works. And especially when it has quality like this to work with.
You may have to start this video – but once started, it’s on loop. So you won’t need to miss anything.
An extra because my introduction is more depressing than I want for Sundays. It’s maybe less consequential than the first three – but still sweet.
