The Glass Room by Simon Mawer

Villa Tugenhat by Mies van der Rohe
Inspiration for The Glass Room

Having just finished reading Simon Mawer's novel, The Glass Room, I must enthusiastically recommend it to those who have not yet experienced this moving and captivating story which is set in Czechoslovakia in the years leading up to and through World War II. (I read the English versio, but those of you who read German might prefer Der Glasraum.)

The novel focuses on a real house, and although there may be references to real people (their names have been changed), the main characters are fictional and fascinating.

The creation of Czechoslovakia after World War I gives rise to to the hope that wars are a thing of the past and a new, rational, scientific, modern era is about to unfold. The fortresses and castles of the past will be replaced by architecture that is open, modern and democratic, and the people of Europe can foresee a society that looks beyond the cultural, religious, and ethnic divisions of the past. These hopes and aspirations were soon destroyed by Hitler and his invasion of Eastern Europe, only to be followed by the Communist Russian occupation.


The newlyweds, Viktor and Liesel Landauer, hire a famous modern architect, Ranier Von Abt to build a  modern, rational home on hillside overlooking Mesto, Czechoslovakia. The most striking feature of their new home is a large glass room which features an interior wall of solid onyx. The room serves as part living room, part study for the family, as well as the scene of cultural and political gatherings.


The glass room, in spite of its apparent openness, witnesses infidelity, mistrust,  and a variety of sexual encounters, but the strength of the novel is not architecture, but its unique array of characters.


Since Viktor is Jewish, his family, along with his mistress and her daughter, flee the country to avoid the Nazis and the ensuing ethnic cleansing. Liesel's closest friend and lover, Hana, chooses to stay behind with her Jewish husband. The chaos that follows gives the reader a sense of the tragedy that occurred for so many people in Europe during those years.


While some may find a series of contrived coincidences distracting, I saw them, just like the house itself, as necessary props to tell the very human story of those years.


And for those of you who own Kindles, the novel is available from Amazon for $1.99.

GOP's Plan for Continued Unemployment

Since Republican hypocrisy is nothing new, we should not be surprised that they are working hard to defeat President Obama's bill to create jobs, and then offering their own "jobs bill" which promotes tax cuts for the wealthiest and cuts jobs for public employees.


We should know the routine by now. In 2010 they flooded the airwaves telling us that unemployment was our biggest problem and that if elected they would create jobs. As soon as they were elected, politicians like Kasich (Ohio) and Walker (Wisconsin) immediately pushed legislation (written by a Koch brothers organization) attacking public employees and eliminating jobs.


And then there are the Republican presidential candidates, none of whom has had an original idea since graduating from the eighth grade. For a while we thought Herman Cain had an idea, albeit a stupid one, when he came up with 9-9-9, but then we learned he stole the idea from a computer game. As a group they have adopted the basic reactionary, obstructionist position: "If the President proposes, we oppose."


In the House and the Senate they have opposed every effort to create jobs and have been trying to lay off federal employees in the name of deficit reduction (something they never cared about in the Bush years). 


When it was pointed out the Republicans didn't really have a jobs plan, they put forward a "plan" that is simply a rehash of all their pet projects. It immediately becomes clear that they are really not interested in creating jobs.


As David Johnson wrote on October 15, 2011:

This plan (of the Republicans) will “create jobs” by: 

·        cutting government spending dramatically, laying off tens or hundreds of thousands of teachers, firefights, safety inspectors, etc.;

·        cutting taxes dramatically on the rich and corporations thereby cutting and possibly eliminating the budget deficit;

·        letting corporations “repatriate” the money they have been holding in overseas tax shelters, thereby encouraging even more offshoring of jobs out of the country;

·        repealing the health care reform act, shifting costs onto individuals thereby lowering their ability to participate in the economy;

·        further deregulating Wall Street, thereby allowing them to suck even more money from the rest of the economy while creating even worse financial crises that destroy millions of jobs;

·        getting rid of all kinds of regulations that protect kingthe environment, safety, food, etc., thereby making our country a more attractive place to live, breath and eat;

·        getting rid of the ability to unionize, thereby lowering wages across the board, and sucking even more of the benefits of our economy off to the top 1%;

·        letting oil companies dominate our energy policy, thereby removing millions of current jobs in alternatives and millions more future jobs, while burdening our economy with energy inefficiency, allowing competitors increasing advantages;

·        speeding up even more NAFTA-style trade agreements, guaranteeing the loss of the rest of our jobs, factories, companies, industries and wealth.

So you see, this time is really is different. Really. This time it blatantly destroys millions of jobs, while further enriching the top 1% a the expense of the rest of us, because they understand the media will call it a “jobs plan” and help them blame the President for the job loss, which will help them win the next election.

·        cutting government spending dramatically, laying off tens or hundreds of thousands of teachers, firefights, safety inspectors, etc.;

·        cutting taxes dramatically on the rich and corporations thereby cutting and possibly eliminating the budget deficit;

·        letting corporations “repatriate” the money they have been holding in overseas tax shelters, thereby encouraging even more offshoring of jobs out of the country;

·        repealing the health care reform act, shifting costs onto individuals thereby lowering their ability to participate in the economy;

·        further deregulating Wall Street, thereby allowing them to suck even more money from the rest of the economy while creating even worse financial crises that destroy millions of jobs;

·        getting rid of all kinds of regulations that protect the environment, safety, food, etc., thereby making our country a more attractive place to live, breath and eat;

·        getting rid of the ability to unionize, thereby lowering wages across the board, and sucking even more of the benefits of our economy off to the top 1%;

·        letting oil companies dominate our energy policy, thereby removing millions of current jobs in alternatives and millions more future jobs, while burdening our economy with energy inefficiency, allowing competitors increasing advantages;

·        speeding up even more NAFTA-style trade agreements, guaranteeing the loss of the rest of our jobs, factories, companies, industries and wealth.

So you see, this time is really is different. Really. This time it blatantly destroys millions of jobs, while further enriching the top 1% a the expense of the rest of us, because they understand the media will call it a “jobs plan” and help them blame the President for the job loss, which will help them win the next election.  (David Johnson, Campaign for America's Future, 10/15/2011)

GOP Needs a New Candidate

"Is there no one else?"

After last night's GOP presidential debate at Dartmouth, NH, it became obvious the Grand Old Party needs  new blood and in particular a candidate capable of leading the country. The debate not only lacked substance, but without Sarah Palin was downright boring.


While the country is suffering from lack of jobs and the erosion of the middle class. Rick Santorum's and Mitt Romney's solution is to beat up on China. That's good, try to find a foreign villain in order to keep the spotlight off of Wall Street and the American plutocrats. Romney does have a 150 page proposal for the country, but it is a rehash of the failed policies of George Bush and friends.


And then there's Newt Gingrich who wants to arrest and imprison Democratic congressmen and senators. Now that's a solution! Is there anyone who thinks this guy could lead our country?


Herman Cain is the only one who  has offered a somewhat simple and specific plan -- the 9-9-9 plan. He would institute a flat rate of 9 per cent for the federal income taxes, a 9  per cent national sales tax, and a 9 percent corporate tax. This, he says without explanation, would solve our deficit problems and create jobs. Despite its simplistic appeal, this plan would punish the low income citizens and reward the high income folks. An all-too typical GOP proposal.


Michele Bachmann who really doesn't have a plan suggests that Cain's 9-9-9 plan is devilish because 999 turned upside down is "666." Good one, Michele! Jon Huntsman attacks and ridicules Cain's plan by saying he thought it referred to 'the price of pizza" -- apparently a reference to the fact that Herman Cain was the CEO of the Godfather Pizza company. We can be thankful he didn't ask, "Where's the beef?"


Since Ron Paul is not worried about unemployment and the middle class, he was rambling on about the wisdom of some Austrian economists.


Rick Perry was a confused bystander throughout the debate. I think he was dreaming about "shootin" critters at his West Texas hunting camp.


The evening was not too encouraging either for the GOP or the country.

Sarah Palin is not Running - The Whole Story

In Wasilla, Alaska, on October 5, 2011 Sarah Palin announced the she would not seek the GOP nomination for President of the United States. Her statement, although vague, suggested that her reason for not running was based on family concerns. Although we can all appreciate that running for President can create problems for the candidate's family, I am suggesting there may have been some other reasons:


1. Someone informed her that being President involves more work than being Governor of Alaska.
2. And to make matters worse, she learned that the President's salary is only $400,000. She can make that much giving three or four speeches to Tea Party faithful.
3.In exchange for not running, Rick Perry invited her to do "some shootin"at his West Texas hunting camp, and perhaps an opportunity to rub the "Niggerhead" rock.
4. Not to be outdone, Mitt Romney offered to arrange a guest appearance for her with the Morman Tabernacle Choir.
5. As President she would have to live in Washington D.C. and give up her backyard view of Russia.
6. If elected President, at Thanksgiving, she would be expected to pardon the White House turkey instead of "shootin the critter."
7. If elected, she was looking forward to being the chair of the "Death Panel" until she was informed there is no such panel and that she was the one who fabricated the idea.
8. By not running, Sarah avoids the whole hassle of quitting after getting elected. She didn't want to go through that "Alaska thing" again.
9. She heard rumors that the TV networks do not pay the President for news conferences and the State of the Union address.
10. She would rather continue working for Rupert Murdoch because then she can tap phones without court approval.
11.She was informed that as President she would have to read a daily stack of security briefings. No way! She doesn't even read newspapers.
12. And a real shocker was that she learned the President does not have the power to "refudiate" the rulings of the U.S Supreme Court. Damn, I can't refudiate Roe v. Wade?
13.The military would look askance at attacking Katie Couric with a drone aircraft.
14. She was surprised to learn that she might encounter a problem in appointing Charles Koch chairman of the Energy Department and his brother, David, head of the Environmental Protection Agency. I owe those boys!
15. But the real deal-killer: she could not market her brand by renaming Air Force One "Lady Grizzly."

By way of a disclaimer, I must admit Sarah Palin has not discussed this topic with me. If the truth be known, we are not close. On the other hand, I am disheartened that she is not running. Without her,  the GOP presidential race is not going to be as much fun.

Unemployment Solution?

Thankfully the recent Great Recession did not develop into a second Great Depression, but the country is still suffering from the effects of unemployment. In addition to the readily apparent ill effects of high unemployment, there are also long-range effects. A Brookings Institute study projects a wage loss of $112,000 over 25 years for those who lose their job during a recession. Since nearly 9 million jobs were lost, this amounts to $1 trillion in lost wages. ("Recessions and the Cost of Job Loss" Brookings Institute)


As history has demonstrated, government jobs programs and prolonged government spending are effective in counteracting unemployment, but such an approach is becoming politically quite difficult to achieve. On the other hand, there are other options we can pursue.


Having just returned from France, I have been considering their approach to employment. They seem to function quite well with a four-day work week while also enjoying vacations/holidays of four to five weeks. As a result French workers spend more time with their families in non-work related activities and are presumably more stress-free. Employment-wise, the result is that over a five-week period  2 workers are required to accomplish the same amount of work that 1 worker would accomplish on a five-day work week. In the course of a year 10 more workers would be employed and that is not taking into account the long vacation periods.


The first reaction of some Americans is to suggest that either the French are lazy or that such a system is inefficient and lowers the country's  level of productivity. The suggestion of laziness is absurd, but the concern over productivity needs to be considered.


As Americans, we take pride in our level of productivity and corporations are delighted that it continually increases. Fewer people doing more work! Perhaps it is time to question that paradigm. Why not have more
people doing more work? or God forbid, more people doing the same work?


Every American adult has at some time in his/her life come to the realization that  the quality of one's life often depends on balancing time vs. money. How well we balance the two often determines our opportunity for happiness.  The French, I submit, have chosen to sacrifice a little of the money in exchange for time. After all, the amount of time we have is a limited and precious commodity. We can't put time in a bank somewhere and expect it to gain interest. It is what it is. Money, on the other hand, may not be as precious. How much are we willing to sacrifice one for the other?


For capitalistic corporations, the time/money dilemma does not exist. As they are wont to say: it's all about the bottom line. Therefore they need to be convinced that they can make money by hiring more employees. In fact, there is some evidence that employees accomplish as much in a four-day week as they do in a five-day week. Granted, there will be additional administrative costs in having more employees,  but the benefits for the country and the over-all economy will off-set those costs. The company will have more workers who can then purchase their products.


 In a recent paper, "Work Sharing: The Quick Route Back to Full Employment", Dean Baker argued that "dividing up the existing work among more workers" appeared to be the only politically feasible way to increase employment more rapidly. Baker cited the example of Germany, whose aggressive work-sharing policy actually helped it to reduce its unemployment 0.4 per cent since the start of the downturn, in sharp contrast to a 4.4 per cent increase in the US.


Mr. Baker also points out that workers spend hours a day commuting. In the big picture, a four-day work week would be a 20 per cent time savings-- a benefit on so many levels. The time saved  could then be used as the worker chooses.


Obviously the 4-day work week is not a new idea. It has been proposed frequently in the US,  but has never been widely embraced. Perhaps now, at a time when unemployment is strangling our country, some visionary leaders will seriously examine it. 


If the Europeans can successfully balance the time/income equation, I suspect that Americans could do so as well.  

Franco Zeffirelli's "Brother Sun, Sister Moon"...

October 4th was the feast of St. Francis of Assisi.


In honor of  his feast, please enjoy a few clips from the Franco Zeffirelli film, Brother Sun, Sister Moon (1972). Music: Donovan






Thanks for the clips and the reminder, "Perspective."

September in Paris

Young Lovers in Paris
on September Evening

Having recently spent 15 days in Paris, I can share the following observations:


1. As  billed, Paris is a beautiful, elegant, cosmopolitan city with fine food and wine.
2. Contrary to some reports, the people of Paris are gracious and accommodating.
3. As for language problems, many Parisians speak English and are quite helpful to tourists who speak little or no French.
4. Paris has more than its fair share of attractive women.
5. Parisians are always well-dressed, even if they are grocery shopping.
6. The "Metro" (subway) system is first class. With minimal walking, one can travel from any part of the city to any other part. 
7. Paris is expensive. Sandy and I each had a cup of coffee at a cafe near St. Sulpice and the bill was 11 euros ($15.40), tip included. We presumed we were paying for the location and atmosphere. Although this experience was an isolated incident, prices are generally quite high.
8. The striking architecture is so omnipresent that eventually even tourists begin to take it for granted.
9. Although excellent French wine is available everywhere, most cafes, bistros, and restaurants have a wide variety of  good European beers. Many locals as well as tourists will have a beer or two at lunch and maybe even at dinner.
10. Paris does not need any more museums, particularly art museums. The existing art museums cover every possible genre including erotic art.
11. The above applies as well to churches, cathedrals, and basilicas. Although an overabundance of Gothic, Romanesque,  and Byzantine  churches, all old and frequently beautiful, are scattered throughout the city, not many Parisians attend Mass.
12. If one wants to live in Paris as a street beggar, he/she will need a dog,  or better yet,  two dogs. Apparently it is an unwritten rule of the street.
13. And speaking of  animals, to my great delight, I never saw a cat in the whole city.
14. The French speak softly. Even when two are engaged in a heated discussion, neither raises his voice. Conversations are quiet and private.
15.The French are not shy about combining the ultra modern with the very old. Considerer the Louvre or the Orsay Museums as examples. Hotels rooms in very old chateaus will feature the latest design in bathroom furnishings.
16. Paris has a fine selection of Cuban cigars -- a treat for deprived Americans.
17. Although they may look the same, the "French Fries" in Paris are much better than any I have had in the US.
18. Ham and cheese sandwiches (croques) are ubiquitous.
19. Young adults (teenagers) do not travel in packs as they do in the US.
20. Quasimodo no longer inhabits the bell tower of Notre Dame. I checked.


I have to add two more observations:
 I did not see any work-out facilities in Paris. Apparently Parisians do not need them because they do so much walking and climb so many steps as part of their daily life. I did see many runners in the parks, and many people use bicycles both for transportation and sport.
Eye glass frames are a fashion item in Paris and there are "optical shops" everywhere.