Michael Pollan gives his answer to the question “Why Bother?” with regard to climate change. Specifically, when everything’s going down the toilet, what good is changing my light bulbs really going to do? Will it really stop the ice caps from melting?
The brief answer is no, of course not, not by itself. He says that changes like this, when they become habit and expected in human society, are what will cause the bigger changes we need. If people “on the ground” don’t genuinely care about this stuff and act on it, there’s no reason for the people in power to care about it either. Large change, especially in the absence of progressive leadership, has to start from the bottom and move up. This is not a new message by any means, but I like hearing it again.
Pollan recommends that everyone who is able to do so (and that’s most people, even apartment dwellers like me) grow some portion of their own food, no matter how small. An option for urbanites without any outdoor growing space is to get a share in a community garden. The city I live in has a community garden, but it’s full up for the year. I will explore other options.
My great grandmother, Mabel Davis, passed away in the early afternoon today, just 9 days before her 93rd birthday. She was the last of my great-grandparents, and a wonderful and loving person. She had been in poor bodily health for a few years, but was generally still able to get around, socialize and even go candlepin bowling until a year or so ago. I’m not sure when the last time she went bowling was, but I know she told me this about regular bowling such as we have outside of New England: “Oh honey, you can’t help but get a strike with those big balls!” Even at her advanced age, she had a very sharp mind, and always worked through the word puzzles in the newspaper (I think she avoided the crosswords) and really liked watching Jeopardy.
She was featured toward the end of an episode of This American Life back in 2001, which is wonderful because it means I can just go back to the recording and hear her voice. If you’ve never heard it (or even if you have), take a listen. It’s a good story, and in my unbiased and highly objective opinion, my great-grandmother is the star.
She gave me the photograph above just a couple years ago. I had never seen it before finding it in her apartment while visiting her, and I love it. She looks very happy in that photograph (in the middle), and that’s how she was just about whenever I saw her. She was full of love, and I miss her.
One of my favorite drummers released a new CD today, and I didn’t even know it was in the works. Bill Stewart doesn’t have a website of his own, probably because he’s too busy being one of the world’s foremost drummers. He’s played funk with Maceo Parker and James Brown, but has spent the lion’s share of the past 15 years playing with Larry Goldings, John Scofield, Pat Metheny, and a bunch of other people. His drumming is tasteful, inventive, and very musical; it’s always a supreme pleasure to hear.
He also composes and occasionally leads bands. As of today, he has five records as a leader, at least two of which are sadly out of print (come on, Blue Note, give me a break). This new one, Incandesence, features the same band as his previous Keynote Speakers: Kevin Hays and Larry Goldings on keyboards and accordian. Yes, this is a two keyboard and drums trio, and it’s great. I haven’t heard Keynote Speakers yet, because it goes in and out of stock at CD Baby and I just haven’t bought it, but the new one is available from my good friend eMusic. I’m listening to it now, and eating it up. This is vastly superior to lame April Fools jokes.