Choices

 Michael - Alternate Thursdays

Governments don’t do things, people do things. I don’t know who said this, but I’m sure someone did. Unless it’s too obvious to be worth saying. Government may set policy, even provide guidelines and money, but eventually someone has to act on those. The success or otherwise of an initiative depends very much on how competent that person is and how committed they are to the initiative.

Let’s take two examples from South Africa. Up until a few months before the elections in May this year, South Africa was suffering from fifteen years of electric power problems culminating in rolling scheduled daily blackouts called loadshedding.

Eventually, with the national elections looming and the government watching its support shrink at pretty much the same rate as the electricity, the president set up a new ministry and appointed a new minister. Bypassing party structures, loyalties, and even financial considerations, the president appointed an extremely competent person and gave him a free hand. Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa is a civil engineer with two MBA-type degrees and a doctorate, and he has serious experience to boot. 

Dr Ramokgopa

Bypassing party structures, loyalties, and even financial considerations, the president appointed an extremely competent person and gave him a free hand. He rapidly made it clear that inefficiencies, corruption, and straightforward theft would not be tolerated whereas competence and success (as in keeping the lights on) would be rewarded. A couple of months before the election, the load shedding stopped. Cynics raised their eybrows, saying that the government was burning megagallons of diesel in emergency generators to look good for the election. “Just wait till the day after the election,” they said laughing. There has not been a single day of load shedding since then.

Queues at Home Affairs

After the election, the ANC had to take other parties on board to build a majority. That required handing over some ministries. It was the first time the erstwhile official opposition had been in the national government, and they were given the important Home Affairs ministry among others. Home Affairs deals with matters like citizenship, residence permits etc. It was a poisoned chalice of inefficiency. It had a backlog of about 250,000 cases open cases. However, the new minister was competent and motivated. This was a make or break assignment. He looked at the system and changed it, stepped hard on corruption, and expected everyone to work as hard as he did. After three months there was no backlog.

By contrast, the previous president Jacob Zuma was only interested in what he could personally get out of the job. Ministries were filled with yes-people who were rewarded with riches. He demanded absolute loyalty for the money and generally got it. The civil service took their lead from the top. The center could not hold.

The moral of all this is that the choice of the person heading an important instrumentality is crucial to its success. Competent governors appoint competent and respected people with expertise in the operation that they are required to guide. Despots, however, don't do that. Their interest is to stay in power so the key requirement they have of their ministers is loyalty. Competence may even be a disadvantage because the incumbent may be diverted to achieving the aims of his portfolio at the expense of the required absolute loyalty. We saw a suite of examples in the previous Trump administration when he tried to appoint some competent people to important portfolios. They didn’t last very long.

I think Trump 2.0 has learned the lesson that loyalty is critical; the rest is optional. For example, Matt Gaetz is a perfect choice for Attorney General. He’s a lawyer, available since he was forced to resign his seat in the House ahead of the bipartisan report on his "extramural" activities, and clearly has no other possibilities of employment. There’s no doubt that he’ll be completely loyal and focus on getting rid of any residual cases directed at the president elect by getting rid of the people concerned. Another appointment along the same lines is Linda McMahon as Education Secretary. The president elect wants the department gone. What better person than a specialist in TV wrestling for a wrecking ball?

The Treasury Secretary post is still open. The requirements are enthusiasm for tariffs and the false belief that the exporting country pays the tariffs. Some experience with money (preferably legal) will be helpful, but one mustn’t be too picky. Loyalty is the big thing. We await developments.

Abroad, and especially in Israel, Taiwan, and Ukraine, the question is how the new US administration will affect them. For mineral producers like South Africa and Australia, the threat to the world economy posed by punitive tariffs is a huge concern. In addition, South Africa has aligned itself with the BRICS group, which includes such players as Russia, China, Iran. It has also aligned itself with the Palestinian refugees. That amounts to disloyalty…

My Morning Shift

Sujata Massey 

A few weeks ago, I had the fun of interviewing a literary lion in Washington DC—and I received a gift that went far beyond the signed copy of a book.

 

Sir Alexander McCall Smith was touring the United States in support of one of his newest novels, The Great Hippopotamus Hotel, and organizers at the Hill Center, a Capitol Hill landmark building, invited me to ask him about a quarter century of writing all kinds of books.

 

I’ve mentioned McCall Smith’s newest novels in plural. In 2024, he’s released three other books: The Perfect Passion Company, a comic novel about matchmaking set in Edinburgh; The Conditions of Unconditional Love, the fifteenth book about philosopher Isabel Dalhousie; and The Stellar Debut of Galactica MacFee, another epistle in the Scotland Street social satire series. 

 

The lecture room at the Hill Center was packed with almost 100 rapt fans who’d all properly reserved seats ahead of time, with some waitlist members crowding the edges while standing on foot. Everyone was all smiles. Sir Alexander is a true Scottish gentleman and an excellent joker. He’s not one to toot his own horn, but he did come forward and answer my questions about his work, including the fact he doesn’t know the total number of books he’s written: just that it’s over one hundred, and that he averages the publication of three or four books every year. 

 

Writers who have joyful careers running at high productive speed are often asked for advice about how they manage. Alexander McCall Smith shared that he doesn’t have to revise much because his brain delivers sentences to him in a stream-of-consciousness fashion—they come to him just as they appear in print to us months later. He described being in a mild dissociative state when he works, writing about 1000 words (or four pages) per hour. 

 

People’s eyes widened when he described beginning his workday very early—sometimes as early as three in the morning, which he described as a melancholic time also known as “the hour of the wolf.” Instead of lying in bed feeling frustrated at having the interrupted sleep, he gets up to write. And generally, he is done with all of the day’s writing before lunchtime. 

 

I’ve been an early riser for a long time—but my habit has been to go through a lengthy morning routine before starting to write. This looks like coffee, journaling, dog feeding and walking, tidying some rooms and putting in a load of laundry, and cooking a real breakfast. Oh, and perhaps a glance at the papers and five minutes watching Stephen Colbert reruns online with my husband. You can quickly see that writing gets shifted to the end and sometimes I’m lucky to have an hour and a half for writing before heading out to lunch or an 11:30 gym class. 

 

That was BEFORE talking with Alexander McCall Smith. In the last few weeks I’ve risen when I wake, usually between four and six am. I have the first half of my coffee in front of the fire, and then I take the cup upstairs to my study and turn on the laptop. I work for a solid hour before thinking of breakfast and anything else. And I must say: I’m writing faster and better, and I still have the interest to write more in the morning, even after breakfast and the dog walk. If I wake way too early—say 3:30 a.m.—I will find myself rising if I can’t return to sleep within 30 minutes. And I read or write then for an hour, and I go back to sleep. My brain is fine with this routine, as long as I give it space for  a cozy afternoon nap (early afternoon, so as not to screw up falling asleep later).

 

 

I’m also reading a productivity book called Hyper-Efficent by a researcher named Mithu Storoni. Dr. Storoni has pulled together many research studies on brain performance to develop her original framework of three gears for the brain, ranging from highly focused to scattered, and also a flexible stage in which one can flip from different focus areas. You can’t change the gear your brain is in at the moment; but you can recognize what’s going on internally by planning tasks and relaxation around your own clock. 

 

In gear theory, early morning is the time the brain can most easily sink into a creative well.  For most of us, though, this prime time is spent eating, helping others start their day, and traveling to work. As the day goes on, our brains will always become fatigued—it’s not a personal fault. Yet our brains can regain focus and happy strength following 15-minute breaks with different kinds of activities. For instance, writers who’s had their eyes locked on a screen would probably recharge best by taking a short walk that brings their eyes to rest on trees and sky and nature. Someone working with very difficult information or tense, unpleasant personal interactions (say at a hospital or a tollbooth) might recover their emotional reserve taking Instagram break scrolling cute animal videos. 

 

I was flat-out thrilled to have it confirmed that the most successful way to initiate intellectual activity later in the day is following a nap. Storoni found that late afternoon is the second most efficient period in the day for most brains. Because my day started at four today, and included a midmorning water aerobics session, I’d worried that I might lack the energy the to write this blogpost later in the day. However, after lunch I napped for an hour, and got up to have a cup of green tea and started writing without any kind of hesitation. 

 

I’ve been blogging for Murder is Everywhere on alternate Wednesdays for ten years. There are days I’ve regretfully missed posting because of writing deadlines and my inability to shift to a second project on the same day. I'm also very different from Alexander McCall-Smith in that I haven't got multiple publishers expecting me to write various novels and short stories in the same calendar year. I am satisfied researching, writing and revising a book every eighteen months (although the publishing cycle sometimes draws the book’s release a bit longer).  

 

My chance encounter with a veteran novelist, and the coincidences in his working style with brain's Circadian rhythms, have been illuminating. Now I’ve got a plan of how to make use of my chronic insomnia, and I can accept that I can’t force my brain to run when it wants to rest. Taken together, all of it goes a long way to make writing more enjoyable. 

Kulture, Kaya and Kindred Spirits

Ovidia--every other Tuesday

I've been feasting mind, soul and (unfortunately?) body over the last two weeks. There's been so much going on here... or maybe I only notice between book drafts!

First of all, though, I got to go back to our neighbourhood kopitiam for my traditional comfort breakfast,

Rolled oats may be healthy, but nothing beats a thick slab of butter and kaya inside crispy toast!

The Singapore Writers Festival (over two weekends, with evening events in the linking week) is just over. But even before that there was the DARE Festival, celebrating accessibility and diversity in dynamic performances by differently abled artists.

I really enjoyed the show, and the side benefit of meeting up with old friends on and off-stage!
(my only objection is how inaccessible the toilets at this accessible performance were--narrow dark steps--but all in all it was great.
This is the 3rd year (after the Covid lockdown) DARE had a live festival and I hope it continues!

What impressed me most at the Singapore Writers Festival was the youthful energy and sense of mission in the audience as well as the performers. In particular the Carnatic singer Sushma Soma and Isuru Wijesoma who accompanied her on his double-necked guitar that allowed him to switch between Western and Indian classical styles. Beautiful music aside, it was her commitment to recognising and sustaining our natural and social environments that impressed me.

Another young artist who impressed me was Sarah, a comic creator, who wove traditional wayang kulit into her graphics like a true dalang (puppeteer).

This is from her Bandar Rimau, which started as a school project and ended up winning an Eisner for Best Webcomic.

And then there was Anton Hur, Korean writer and translator, who was charmingly frank about how, even though we might feel passionate about our projects, we need to learn to pitch them as though we're used car salesmen...
I'm biased because I really loved this book he translated--I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokbokki: A Memoir.

And since I don't read Korean, it's thanks to his translation that I got to read it at all!

A small drawback of feeling overwhelmed by all the new and wonderful information coming at me is compensating by eating too much... after listening to Anton Hur I was craving Korean food.

This is Korean soft tofu stew... (because they didn't have Tteokbokki)

And it was totally delicious!

In between SWF events, I managed to catch Wild Rice’s production of The Wizard of Oz. The first time I stepped onstage (over 50 years ago!) was as a munchkin in this musical and I loved this localised version; from “Toto, I don’t think we’re in Yishun anymore,” to a Wicked Witch named Gentrification, it was brilliantly sly/wry and entertaining on multiple levels (though I don't envy any parents who might have to go home and explain why a pair of crocheted pom-poms signifies 'courage').

And speaking of localised versions of classics--I got a copy of Kaka Farm--a brilliant Singlish translation of Animal Farm!

I'm still processing all the talks and panels--too many to list here. But I think what stood out most for me was Cat Bohannon's keynote. She was clear eyed and realistic about where we are today, seen in context of how far we've come (too far for it all to be destroyed by one guy with a fake tan) and I know it wasn't just the young people in the audience who were inspired.

And of course, meeting other writers, readers, artists and all manner of creators as we came together as storytellers and book lovers was wonderful. Because we aren't just hiding from a world where the incoming US President is threatening publishers with $2 billion lawsuits; we're preparing ourselves--and others--to live in it.

A good dinner of Japanese noodles helps...

The Power of Small Acts of Love

Annamaria on Monday

More often than you might think, an act of love, even a seemingly small act of kindness will produce a marvelous outcome.  If all you do is unlock a door for someone, you might set them on a path to something wonderful.

My case in point today, is also my excuse for being late with my post.  I was too busy yesterday celebrating such an event.

All I did was give a stay in my apartment in Florence as a wedding gift to a couple I love and admire very much: Kate Hamill and Jason O'Connell.  Such an easy thing to do for two theater artists who have delivered so much joy to me.  Covid had messed with their wedding plans and temporarily brought to a halt their careers.  Who wouldn't want to give them something nice.

While Kate and Jason were in Florence, they visited the Uffizi Gallery, where Kate saw Artemisia Gentileschi's painting of Judith Slaying Holofernes:

That image grasped Kate's curiosity and her ensuing research inspired her to write a powerful play - The Light and the Dark.

The play was preformed in out-of-town trials at Chautauqua this past summer.  Here is what Chautauqua said about Gentileschi and Kate's play:

Artemisia Gentileschi, a trailblazing artist, was the most successful female painter of the 17th century. Her artistic legacy endures as one of the few Baroque-era female artists, with dozens of paintings exhibited globally alongside Rafael and Caravaggio. Artemisia, characterized by her irreverence and audacity, aspired to attain immortality through her groundbreaking work. However, her journey took an unexpected turn, marked by a series of brutal betrayals that forever altered her life and art. The resulting transformation kindled a fire within her, a flame that continues to astonish and resonate with audiences today. 

The Light and The Dark delves into the profound impact of art in assuaging trauma and explores the transformative power of female rage in reshaping societal paradigms. 

Yesterday I had the enormous pleasure of attending the New York opening performance.

Kate plays the role of Artemisia.  Jason plays supporting roles. If you are anywhere near New York, I urge you to see this riveting and powerful play.

 Kate and Jason give me far too much credit for "inspiring" the work of art that Kate has created.  My point is this: unlocking a door for someone is a pleasure in itself.  And you never know what wonders that first small step might lead to.   

A Word of Advice, Play to Your Strength

 

Jeff—Saturday

With all that's transpired over the last ten days, I fell to reminiscing about advice I've taken (and given) on how to navigate difficult times. That led me to reflect on why so many of us think that what comes easily to us, must come easily to everyone else. 

The natural corollary to that sort of thinking is that what comes so effortlessly cannot possibly be as meaningful as what does not.  For example, some know precisely what colors and patterns work well together, while others can’t even match black shoes with black socks.  Some can whistle a complex tune with perfect pitch, while others can barely blow their noses. Two unique skills, each too often taken for granted by its possessor.

Then there are writers who breeze through complex narrative portrayals, all the while dreading the eventual paragraphs of dialog to come.  And the artist genius with pen and ink that shrinks at the thought of touching oil to canvas. They, as well as those tortured by the opposite dilemmas, all thinking that what comes so easily to them is not as valued by society as that which does not.

I’m not meaning to suggest that one should not work hard toward mastering the more difficult aspects of one one’s chosen craft, but in seeking to master a skill set you find difficult, do not do so to the neglect of enhancing your natural gifts.  In other words, play to your strengths. 

Yes, we all admire and respect those who persevere and succeed in mastering the most challenging aspects of their work, but what of the many who lose patience in the struggle, become frustrated, and simply give up, sacrificing the potential of their natural gifts in the process.

Each of us has gifts meant for us to develop, nurture, and exploit.  If we pursue what we think is more valued by society, to the neglect of what we’re blessed with, we’re playing into the strengths of those who possess the very gifts we lack.  Our energies should be directed toward successfully competing through our strengths.

It’s like a five-foot-tall natural born jockey who, instead of racing, chooses to compete against seven-foot giants in basketball.  The outcome will assuredly be as unsatisfying for the jockey, as it would be for a seven-footer who decides charging for the finish line astride thoroughbreds is a better choice than heading for the hoop in a pair of Air Jordans.

Bottom Line: “Play the cards you’re dealt.”  But play them well.

That’s all for this week’s sermon.

–—Jeff

Some patients need a little more patience.

There are some patients that require a little more patience. And here's a list that started off as a small paragraph on the internet and has gained some traction.....

Little Miss Its nothing to do with me;  Yes, I’m very overweight. I don’t do any exercise. I don’t take my medication. I won't follow any of your advice. Can you sort me out please?

Little Miss Rude; Those patients that treat the reception staff abominably but are charm personified towards the therapist. Never think that receptionists will go out their way to get them an appointment in a busy clinic. Receptionists are all powerful.

Mr Liar Liar pants on fire; So what’s your alcohol intake for the week? How many cigarettes do you smoke a day? So, you’re following a strict diet and your weight is going up. One lettuce leaf in a burger does not equate to salad. And you reek of tobacco. And you have a half eaten bar of chocolate in your pocket.

Mrs Anne Tibiotic; Can I have an anti biotic. No, you have a viral infection. Yeah but it needs an anti biotic...

The Columbo patient; Appointment is over, notes written up, patient has his hand on the doorhandle to leave the room and turns round and says, "just one more thing". Then announces something really significant like 'Does that explain why my foot has gone black?'

Mr Miracle Seeker; I’ve been in constant agony for 3 months but I’m going on holiday tomorrow.

                                                          

Hello darlin, how you doing sweetheart; To which the answer is 'I’m a healthcare professional and I have a very sharp pointy needle.'

Little Miss Pure Agony; "Can you just see me please, I’m desperate, I’m in pure agony."  "We can give you an emergency appointment at 3.30."   "I can’t make that, I’ve got my pole dancing class."

Mr Secretive;  "Are you sure that’s all the medication you’re on, you seem to be bleeding quite a lot." "Well the anti coagulants are nothing to do with my knee, are they?"

Little Miss Shower Dodger; She'll ask why I’m wearing a mask. Answer is always followed by the line "Your muscles are very tight. Why don’t you have a long hot shower before you come and see me the next time?"

                                             

Little Mr Sociable; "Oh that was great I feel a lot better. I’ve got 500 pictures of my cruise on my phone, do you want to see them."

Mr I Need a Referral patient:  This is every second patient with our NHS. They are closely followed by Miss Can I have a letter.

Mr Spreadsheet: "I’ve made a small spreadsheet of my pain, coloured coded with intensity, distribution, duration going up to 12 different factors."

Miss Phone Syndrome: Those patients who will happily answer the phone in the middle of the consultation just to have a chat with their pals despite visible signage to switch all phones to silent. Patients who say "can I leave my phone on as I’m expecting a call from the hospital/care home/ doctor" are perfectly welcome to do so.

                                                  

Mr I’ve looked it up on google: Congratulations but you still don’t get sciatica in your arm.

Mr Missing in Action; Constant repeat non attendee sometimes accompanied by his friend "too late to be seen". This begs a philosophical question. How can somebody constantly be 13 minutes late?  Surely after the first time being 13 minutes late you leave the house 13 minutes earlier.

Mr Two for the price of one: "Can you just have a look at the wife while I’m here?" Also followed by "Can I bring the whole family?" Using the reception as a creche facility. To be fair most patients phone up and say "I’m really sorry I’m going to have to bring the kids with me."

                                                 

Mr Chronic Complainer; Never ever dare to get these patients better. They really only exist to complain about their pain. However its usually ok to play golf but they are too sore to load the dishwasher.

Little Miss Vague; There’s a long story. It's  not really about anything and that can lead to the conversation. "So where does it hurt exactly?" To which they answer "At the bus stop."  Vagueness of pain can be part of the symptom picture, however there is precisely vague and then vaguely vague.

The Frequent Flyer: What is known in the trade as the Martini patient – anytime, anyplace anywhere.

After reading who has been selected for the position with responsibility for health in the US, I think the issues above are relatively mild. Maybe we’ll see in the upturn in the numbers of Little Miss Conspiracy Theorist attending we all know all doctors are trying to kill off the population or injecting them with brain controlling nanobots. If the patients above had their brain controlled by a nanobot, it might make the job easier. And as I live in close proximity to Glasgow Airport, I could be affected by the mind altering vapour trails from the jets so the madness is not mine.

                                        

Caro






 

Rock and Write

Wendall -- every other Thursday

When I was little, there were two things that I lived for—books and the radio. 

 

One of my early favorites with a great cover shot by Henry Diltz.

 

Stevie! Never lower than #2 on my annual "15 Reasons to Live" list.

Whenever we were in the car, I would beg my father to stay on any radio station that was playing Stevie Wonder, The Guess Who, or  “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes,” no matter how static-y it might get.

 

My most prized possession was the transistor radio I received in second grade. 

 

Remember these? Just small enough to hide under my pillow.

 

As a pre-teen and teenager, singles and albums were my currency. 

 

One of my first singles--Marvin Gaye's "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby."

A blouse worth four albums was usually a no. If it came down to the newest Linda Rondstadt or a pizza, the choice was easy. I often based my purchase of new artists like Valerie Carter or Warren Zevon on the session players listed on the back cover. 

 

Practically every artist I loved, from Earth Wind & Fire to Little Feat, to Linda Ronstadt appears on Valerie Carter's debut record.

 

This record was a who's who of 70s stars and session players, from Zevon's roommates Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham to Jackson Browne, Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Bonnie Raitt, and J.D. Souther, etc.

 

During college I worked at The Record Bar (RIP!) in Chapel Hill, NC and bought three albums a week (they were five dollars then), adding significantly to my collection.

 

Bangles record signed during an "in store" at The Record Bar.

 

I schlepped all my albums to my first job in Massachusetts, to graduate school, cross country in my 1965 Ford Galaxie 500 to California, and to four of my five apartments in LA.

 

Five years ago, with a “media closet” full of not only almost 2000 albums, but just as many CDs and even more VHS tapes and DVDs, my husband requested a consolidation/cleanout. Fair enough, but it still killed me.

 

I had plenty of albums which, in perfect condition, were valuable. Mine were far from mint. I was one of those people who dropped the needle over and over on my favorite song and the constant moves had left the covers less than pristine.

 

 

 

At the time I was going through my albums, this wasn't available on CD and, in mint condition, was going for $195. I still have it.

I promised to donate at least a large stack of records as long as I had backups on CD and MP3. 

 

One of my donation stacks.

 

 

Another one.  Of course I have Randy Newman in all formats.

As I went through them, I kept seeing tracks that hadn’t necessarily been hits, but that I had loved. As a tribute, I posted one of them, Robert Palmer’s “Mean Old World” on Facebook. 

 

The next day I posted “Runs in the Family” by The Roches.

 

Five years later, I have posted a new “album cut of the day” pretty much every day on my Facebook page. So, for this anniversary, I offer up a few covers of albums I adore.

 

 

I’ll keep going with my "album cuts of the day," hoping music and books get us through, as they always have.

And if you want to hear me talk about how my love for music factors into the Cyd Redondo series, here’s an interview on the Aural Mess podcast about it.

 

The creation of Cyd Redondo’s musical taste: https://www.instagram.com/p/C9UhuV9uXJI/

 

Full interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcZgSUGehcw

 --Wendall