"Breathes There the Man" by Sir Water Scott

“Despite those titles, power, and pelf,
The wretch, concentred all in self,
Living, shall forfeit fair renown,
And, doubly dying, shall go down
To the vile dust, from whence he sprung,
Unwept, unhonored, and unsung”

How fitting it was! What coincidence?
Why come across Sir Scott’s verse
In the midst of the longest shutdown
Under the tyrannical yellow clown?

Let the people suffer! Who are they anyway?
They who believed in economic miracles?
Miracles that bite and hurt
Through tariffs and job cuts.

Let the people suffer! Who are they anyway?
They who believed in economic miracles?
Miracles through tax credits, subsidies, contracts
For those whose backs the clown needs to scratch.

Let the people suffer! Who are they anyway?
They who believed in economic miracles?
Miracles for Argentina. For billionaire allies.
Sorry... Not for American farmers? So vile!

Let the people suffer! Who are they anyway?
They who believed in economic miracles?
Miracles in the East Wing. A new ballroom?
A Great Gatsby dance? For common people?

Let the people suffer! Who are they anyway??
They who believed in economic miracles?
Miracles for tech, cryptocurrency, AI giants
With whom the clown invests and connives.

Voters were blinded. Some are blind still.
“Conflict of interest” they know not until
All’s empty: Fridge. Gas tank. Mind and body.
While the clown plays golf. Isn’t that funny?

You’re welcome to dance in the new ballroom.
Just be careful not to trip and hurt yourself
For you have no health insurance coverage!
MLJ10112025WhySoBlind?

Are you kidding me (again and again)?

 

COP30 climate summit in Belém, Brazil

 

Let Children Grow

 I don't understand why some parents look at me like I'm out of my mind when I tell them to give their children responsibilities like helping at home. Montessori children start cleaning up after themselves, organizing their cubbies, etc. in daycares as soon as they can walk and use their hands at around 3 years old. It doesn't have to be perfect. Some parents still baby their teens, letting them ride the shopping cart while playing games, instead of having them help get the food they're going to eat!!!

How Kids Can Help in the Kitchen

Why are authors and libraries under attack?

Have children died from reading?
What about being online with ChatGPT and other AI bots?
Where are we putting our energies?

TV used to be the babysitters, now it's bots.

 

How did we get here?

Swipe Those Cards

Hurry! Buy now! Last day sale!
How gullible can we be
To fall for everything fake?
To entertain ourselves,
Something we deserve
After a 40-hour work week?

A roof antenna was all we needed before.
Now it’s a subscription. And what? Pay per view?
A landline with a long cord was all we needed before.
Now there’s a plan. And lots of apps. Something new?
We line up for the latest phones. Why?
There’s just one new feature! Oh, my!

Why do we always want what’s new?
Shiny, slim, fast, automatic... What’s your point of view?
Dad’s car, TV set, piano, typewriter lasted forever.
Mom’s gas stove, sewing machine, washing machine,
Floor polisher, fridge, radio, camera lasted forever,
So we could afford birthdays, holidays and picnics.

Why are we so restless? Why the need for speed?
Why push buttons, voice or motion activated,
Keyless, driverless? No need for skills and muscles?
Fashionable, trendy, up-to-date? Go right ahead.
Swipe as many cards. Drown in debt.
The billionaires are wildly entertained.
MLJ31102025WhyAreWeSoGullible?

Whatever happened to natural intelligence?

 

“Why are you a billionaire?”

 Billie Eilish CALLS OUT billionaires during innovator awards speech

Honestly, why are you a billionaire?
As Billie Eilish asked. Yeah. What do you care?
Why are you the 10% who own global wealth?
Because you profit from every cent?
Because you pay workers loose change?
Because you don’t know honest taxation?
And think you’re forgiven with your donations?
MLJ31102025BillieEilishCallsOutBillionaires

Never Enough

"Never Enough" is my theme song. Why? Because each day is never enough – never enough time, never enough practice, never enough learning… Today’s wish is we’ll accomplish more tomorrow. Maybe there’ll be less disruption from needy students.

Never enough students either! No cap on class size! I get new students every now and then, until the end of every school year. Glad to have all these precious children of God under my wing, but my feathers have shriveled. I'm not sure how much further they can last. MLJ02112025NearingRetirement

Dodgers vs Blue Jays

As the gladiators battled it out on the field
I sat in my room with Laurence Perrine’s
Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense
And came across The Old-Fashioned Pitcher
By George E. Phair. I thought old-fashioned
Players indeed! Heroes they were on that field
As long as they played for their team,
For their name and not for any wager.
MLJ02112025DodgersVsBlueJays

Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven Song by Albert King

 Everybody wants to laugh

but nobody wants to cry
I say everybody wants to laugh but nobody wants to cry
Everybody wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to die

Albert King - Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven

Suffer the People

 How did we choose these leaders?

Mixed Media Practice

Red Cracker

Owl Butterfly

Mixed Media: And then you're out of ink!

 

Where the Falcon Flies by Adam Shoalts

 For the adventurer in all of us: geography, history, perseverance, appreciation of the wild, and belief in humanity. 

I SUPPORT CUPW

 

What kind of society do we live in? Ticket gouging should be punishable by law.

 

More practice with watercolor pencils

 

Monarch

Orange Tiger

Beggarsticks

A pregnant deer in Carburn Park

Support Alberta Teachers

 STOP THE EXCUSES

Support local businesses instead

 What are governments doing to protect their people and the environment with the increased use of AI and robotics? Are we still shopping til we drop? How about a Buy Nothing Day? Multinationals won't stop their speedy production and will keep on feeding their insatiable thirst for profit as long as we keep on shopping at their behest. Buy now! Shop now! Get it now!