A C. T U. A L. L Y

We can argue about whether and to what extent this February's freeze in Texas or last year’s wildfires in Australia and the U.S. were influenced by climate change.   But we cannot argue that these events have had a devastating impact on animals, some of them species already in peril.   Here is the data: Volunteers rescued more than 4,000 “cold-stunned” sea turtles, an endangered species, from San Padre Island.   When water temperatures drop below about 50° F, these animals become lethargic and do not swim or feed, causing them to wash up on shore.   Euronews Twelve primates have died so far at Primate Rescue, a non-profit sanctuary for monkeys, chimpanzees, and lemurs in Bexar County, Texas. ABC Home to 13 million cattle, Texas ranchers have scrambled to keep newborn calves, lambs, and chicks alive.   The cold will also kill oats recently planted for grazing, further threatening the animals’ survival and increasing consumer prices. Yahoo News The World Wildl...

  As I was in the shower this morning, Muellering over high crimes and misdemeanors, it occurred to me that January 6, 2021, was the day of the high coup that almost was.   The phrase “high coup” triggered the word “haiku,” and suddenly it was off to the races on a Proustian madeleine.   When I was still a member of Facebook, I joined a private group dedicated to writing haiku for/about Trump.   You remember haiku-- a three-line, beautifully descriptive form of Japanese poetry intended to be read in one breath.   The traditional structure of a haiku is always the same: There are only three lines, totaling 17 syllables. The first line has five syllables, the second seven, and the last five. Punctuation and capitalization are up to the writer. There is no rigid sentence structure. A haiku needn’t rhyme and usually doesn’t, but it may repeat sounds and words. Traditional subjects are animals, nature, seasons, or something completely different. Th...

“Art is like a bright star up ahead in the darkness of the world. It can lead peoples through the darkness and help them from being afraid of the darkness. Art is a guide for every person who is looking for something.” –Thornton Dial My friend and docent at the De Young Museum in San Francisco recently emailed me about an important new acquisition by the museum—a 60-piece collection of Black art from the Souls Grown Deep Foundation , whose most recognizable artist is Thornton Dial.   If you don’t know Dial’s work, as I didn’t, this art obituary in the online magazine, Culture Type , which reported his death on January 25, 2016, describes it well: Dial created densely structured wall reliefs and mixed-media works exploring a range of subjects from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and race and social justice issues, to more mundane matters of everyday rural life. Drawing on his own experiences and also referencing broader global issues, his diverse practice spanned assemblage wor...