My World of Religion, Politics, Entertainment and Social Issues

  Whenever I want to get away from the ugliness of today's politics, I retreat to my favorite endeavor, which is classical music. Both Brenda and I were trained musicians. She was a church organist for many years, and I played trumpet in several ensembles, in addition to studying piano, violin, viola, voice, and conducting. Most recently, Brenda and I have been spending many nights with Lenny. I am speaking of Leonard Bernstein. In my list of most respected persons of stature, Bernstein tops the list. We are fortunate to have a treasure trove of concerts he conducted, most with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. His concerts were recently remastered and are available for streaming on the Carnegie Hall+ channel. What I admired most about Leonard Bernstein was his conducting style and his ability to compose music of multi genres. He was admittedly frustrated during much of his long career, which was a consequence of his genius. Quite often, when he was on conducting tours, he...

  I am convinced there should be a time limit on State of the Union speeches. I didn't watch last night's speech. However, I tuned in for the local news at 11:00. Donald Trump had just completed his speech, and I couldn't help noticing that the chamber emptied very quickly. I have no doubt that after two hours, many members of Congress had to make a mad dash to the bathroom. Concerning a time limit for State of the Union Speeches, I don't think it is unreasonable for the House Speaker to impose a 45-minute time limit. When I was in college, I took a public speaking course. As part of my theological studies in graduate school, I took a preaching course. Both courses emphasized content over length. In the preaching course, the professor held up a stop watch after ten minutes. The rationale was that if you were unable to stress your important points in the allotted time, the sermon/homily was not worth delivering. The same rule should apply to presidents giving th...

  Having posted my New Year's resolution for 2026 (living life to the fullest as long as possible), I also have a prediction I would like to share. Concerning my frequent criticisms of Donald Trump over the past few years, I am seeing light at the end of the tunnel. So, my prediction for this year is that we will begin to see the end of Trump's autocracy and the demise of MAGA as a major political force. I base this on the fact that we have midterm elections in November. I not only predict Democratic victories in House and Senate races. I also envision MAGA folks growing increasingly frustrated over broken promises from the Trump Administration. From what I have analyzed, most adherents to MAGA are low to middle-class Americans, with a few wealthy individuals stirring the pot. I have to believe that MAGA folks are feeling the economic pinch at grocery stores, and they are seeing their health insurance rates skyrocket. In consideration of these factors, in addition to Trum...

  As the ball dropped in Times Square at midnight, I was heartened by the multitudes of young people caught on camera. The first thought that came to mind is these are our future voters, and I asked myself what type of country will they envision as they grow older. The general atmosphere in the U.S. and throughout the world is rather dark right now, but perhaps 2026 will spur the imaginations of people who will be responsible for what occurs within the next two generations. It is sad to think that some young people will follow JD Vance, since he has picked up the mantle from the late Charlie Kirk. Yet, there is hope. Perhaps once Trump is gone, young people will develop an interest in the good things politics can produce under the right conditions, as opposed to following the path of MAGA. It is perhaps too late for people in my generation to change direction in the United States, with the exception of seniors showing up in force to vote in the 2026 midterms. However, young p...

  It was sad to learn today that one of my good friends, Chuck Brucato, died. Chuck was a well-known musician/singer in the Rochester, NY area and beyond. He achieved prominence in the 1960's with his popular group, The Rustix. They recorded albums on the Rare Earth label, which was part of Motown. Following the breakup of the Rustix, Chuck went on to a lucrative career as a producer, writer, and singer for TV and radio commercials. Much of his work was in collaboration with Jay, Inc. In recent years, he often sang with his well-known musician son, Joe Brucato. Chuck and I stayed in touch over the years. It was a delight for me to attend the Rochester Music Hall of Fame presentations a few years ago, during which The Rustix was one of the inductees. It was also a pleasure for me to attend a reunion for members of the Rustix and friends at the home of one of the musicians. I am posting a photo of Chuck Brucato receiving his award during the Rochester Music Hall of Fame pres...

  The Day The Earth Stood Still is a movie that stands the test of time. I am referring to the original version that was made in 1951, as opposed to the remake. The film is especially relevant for today's world. I have seen The Day The Earth Stood Still several times. While it is classified in the science fiction genre, there is much in it that reflects the accuracy of both the cold war era and our present situation in the U.S. and throughout the world. If you have never seen the film, I highly recommend it. Michael Rennie portrayed Klaatu, a visitor from outer space who came to Washington D.C. with a message of peace. The immediate response of the U.S. military was to fire on Klaatu. This action was thwarted by Gort, a highly intelligent robot capable of much harm, but restrained when given instructions by Klaatu. Klaatu came to the U.S. to speak first with the world's leading scientists, and then to political leaders. His primary mission was to urge our nations to live ...

  For some reason, I was thinking about the Wizard of Oz yesterday. Let us assume that Donald Trump is the Wizard. His followers assume he is all-powerful and assume only he has solutions to their problems. I am waiting for the day when his minions in Washington proclaim, "Ignore the man behind the curtain." In the movie, the scarecrow, tin man, lion and Dorothy visit the Wizard in hopes of obtaining a brain, heart, courage and a return home. When the Wizard is exposed as not being able to deliver their wishes, they learn they have it within themselves to achieve their goals. As we fast forward to Washington, the curtain has been opened and Trump is being exposed as a fraud. Rather than admit his shortcomings, Trump has released the Wicked Witch, who in this case is Pam Bondi. She is going after anyone Trump perceives as a threat to his dictatorship. The flying monkeys, led by Stephen Miller in this case, are everyone Bondi sends after Trump's opponents. Unlike t...

  As I continue to advance in my senior years, I find I often reflect on my formative years and realize that I wish I had thanked a multitude of people who were important parts of my life. Most of these people have died, but whenever an opportunity presents itself, I like to reach back and extend gratitude to persons who helped to steer me on a proper path when I was headed in a wrong direction. Such an opportunity presented itself yesterday. My seventh grade teacher (1961 & 1962) at Rochester's #8 School, Bessie Fleetwood (nicknamed Betty), died in 2017 at age 95. I was able to reach out to her surviving family members yesterday and expressed how Mrs. Fleetwood was instrumental in helping me to become a better focused person. She was admittedly strict, but looking back, I must say that her discipline was well placed. Betty Fleetwood (maiden name Plummer) had a very distinguished life. She served with distinction in World War II, and then went on to earn her college and gr...

  David Fetler passed away yesterday afternoon at the age of 96. He was a prominent figure in the classical music world both locally and nationally. He, his siblings, and his parents were predecessors of the famous Von Trapp Family Singers. The Fetler Family Band began performing concerts in their native Latvia and later throughout Europe. The photos I am providing of the Fetlers are from 1934, where you can see David on the conducting podium at age 7 (one photo has been colorized). Locally, David Fetler was a legend. He spent many decades as a conductor and teacher. His teaching years were at the Eastman School of Music. He was most prominently known locally as long-time music director at St. Paul's Episcopal Church and as music director of the Rochester Chamber Orchestra for over fifty years. (I was privileged to serve as the orchestra's board president and treasurer during its final stretch.) In addition, David was music director of the Greece Symphony Orchestra for ...

  R.I.P. Bishop Matthew Clark. I paid tribute to him on Facebook a couple days ago, because I knew his death was imminent. I will simply add that in addition to having been a mentor and friend, I will always think of him as having been a humble servant. In both politics and religion, there are leaders who either draw attention to themselves via a quest for power, or leaders whose primary interest is being of service to those they serve. Bishop Clark was never drawn to the authority aspect of being a church leader. Instead, he represented a pastoral mode, whereby he provided encouragement to all he represented. In brief, Matthew Clark was a very kind man, and that is a good legacy to leave behind. Jesus warned against the excesses of power, and instead tried to model pastoral leadership to his disciples: healing the sick, welcoming the disenfranchised, and placing the value of serving others over being served. Bishop Clark was faithful to the pastoral model.   One of the...

  My New Year resolution for 2023 is to keep my promise of bowing out of political commentaries. These have taken up a lot of my time during the past few years, and life is short. I predict the immediate political future of our country will be dreary and bordering on a fine line between fascism and democracy. My hope is that younger generations will run for public office for the right reasons, and not for the purpose of fulfilling inflated egos. My political predictions for the next two years are as follows: 1.) Donald Trump will fade from the political landscape. We probably won't see him land in jail. However, he will be carrying too much baggage to become the GOP's presidential nominee in 2024. 2.) I predict Ron DeSantis will be the GOP's presidential nominee in 2024 if he decides to enter the race. On the Democratic side, I expect that despite his age, Joe Biden will run for reelection, even though I would like to see a younger candidate, especially if Ron DeSanti...

  I recently wrote a lengthy review of the movie, TAR. My focus was primarily on the performances, the narrative of the story, and my expectation that there will be Oscar nominations for best film and best actress (Cate Blanchett). Since I have studied the art of conducting in the past, in addition to the fact that I continue to follow the careers of conductors I admire (wanted to be one once-upon-time), a musician friend asked me what I thought of Cate Blanchett's character and how I felt about the manner in which classical music is treated in this film. So, I will address these issues now. It is important to state that Lydia Tar is a fictitious conductor. Cate Blanchett carries the role very well, and I guarantee she will send chills up and down the spines of viewers. That said, from a musical standpoint, I felt that the movie did an injustice to conductors in general, especially women conductors. The best conductors know how to collaborate well with orchestra musicians. I...

I won't be making any political comments after election results are finalized. My hope is that younger generations will build a better future for themselves, beginning with preparations for 2024. This does not mean becoming Trumpers and tearing down all the democratic values our country stood for before he entered the political stage. It rather means ensuring that our country returns to its reputation as a beacon of hope for those who worry that our good standing in the world is slipping away. I am somewhat comforted by the fact that the far-right represents only perhaps one-third of the GOP. Hopefully, the other two-thirds won't engage themselves in supporting revenge tactics being planned the far-right, such as impeaching Democrats, investigating the current Congressional January 6 Committee, and overturning election results they don't like. I am finding that I want to enjoy whatever time I have left in this world. The political climate has become too toxic for me to...

  As we celebrate Independence Day, it is not unreasonable to question whether or not our independence is being eroded. Would our founding fathers be pleased with our republic today? Most likely NOT. I watched some Sunday talk shows yesterday, because of what is occurring politically, economically, and socially in the United States, in addition to world affairs we are currently engaged in. Much of yesterday's panel discussions eventually turned to the 2024 presidential election, because that could prove to be a consequential year for the future of our country. Liz Cheney was interviewed on ABC yesterday morning. I continue to admire her courage for exposing Donald Trump for who is really is, and she rightly believes he should never be allowed to run for public office again. In fact, she hasn't ruled out running in the Republican presidential primary in 2024, even though radical wings of the GOP are attempting to punish her for her role in the January 6 investigative commit...

  As I reflected on last Friday's Supreme Court decision, I thought about the year I was one of the website moderators for a national organization called 'Catholics for Kerry.' At the time, John Kerry, a Catholic, was running for the presidency. His critics often referred to him as being "pro-abortion." I repeatedly stated at the time there is a distinct difference between pro-abortion and pro-choice. (Kerry was pro-choice, as am I.) I don't personally know anyone who can properly be referred to as pro-abortion. The whole matter is rather about allowing a woman to have a choice, and I am 100% for that. I don't know where the Supreme Court is headed next. Clarence Thomas suggested the court could tackle such issues as contraception and same-sex marriage. Hopefully, the justices will leave these matters alone. Enough damage was done last Friday, which now permits individual states to administer draconian laws that in some cases won't even allow a...

Performing arts organizations are facing tough decisions when it comes to Russian conductors, soloists, composers, etc. I personally don't feel their performances should be canceled in the U.S., unless they are openly supporting Vladimir Putin's actions in Ukraine. I have noticed that a few symphony orchestras have canceled or postponed the appearances of Russian guest conductors. The latest such decision was made by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. My sense is that if Russian performers were allowed to speak openly, most would condemn Putin's actions. They are often placed in difficult situations when they travel, especially when they leave family members behind. When I was an Eastman student in the 1960's, famous composer and conductor Khachaturian came to the school for a week to work with students. He was accompanied by Soviet security, which prevented him from either defecting or speaking politically. When Dmitri Shostakovich composed, he was under extre...

Unlike the past couple years, I don't expect to comment on much politically in 2022. Sadly, the political environment around the country is expected to be sharply divided and perhaps violent in some areas. I would simply urge both Democrats and Republicans to vote for candidates with good character and with the intent of serving the best interests of their constituents, rather than the type of self-serving behavior we witnessed with Donald Trump and elected officials who supported his big election lie. I am hoping Congress will pass a voting rights bill that would potentially override some of the draconian laws that were passed in a few red states. Currently, Republicans have an edge in the 2022 House and Senate races, due to redistricting in red states, and highly restrictive voting laws that will make it difficult for voters in those states who voted for Joe Biden in 2020. Fair and safe elections must be normative in all states. This is why a voting rights bill is needed at ...

Over the years, I have worn many hats: classical music, broadcasting, banking, government, politics, serving on non-profit boards, ministry, etc. I have made a decision to retire from ministry this year. It has been a privilege to be an officiant at multiple weddings, funerals and baptisms over the past 15 years. I now look forward to a quiet life, with the exception of my presence on social media.