All posts by Rondi Adamson

Armistice Day 100

So many truly moving ceremonies this morning, in so many countries. I thought the service at the Arc de Triomphe was particularly lovely. I am from the generation that read The Guns of August in school, and while it is an excellent book, I think a much better book for anyone who wants to understand (in as much as one can) the origins of World War I is The Sleepwalkers.

I think this article is worth a read, though it is painful. It is about animals who die in war. I know my uncle wrote frequently about animals during his training period in the UK, and also fondly about the dogs “adopted” by his regiment. Please do continue to visit this website, where I am posting my uncle’s letters home from World War II (as well as his poems and family photographs and documents).

Kentucky

I have no idea whether this woman will win or lose tonight (and unlike many of my friends and acquaintances, I am not particularly invested in these mid-term elections), but this is one fantastic, utterly inspiring campaign ad.

Pittsburgh

It might seem strange to say this, given what happened, but I love America. I love America because I know this horror is not all of what America is. America is so much more. I love America because it is also this:
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And this:


And it is so, so much more that is good and kind and brave.

Six Years

My brother died six years ago today. I never have sufficient — or original — words for this anniversary, so I’ll leave it to John Ford. Alan was a big fan of Ford’s films (as am I), and Ford was fond of one hymn in particular. Enjoy these scenes from Tobacco Road, My Darling Clemetine, Wagon Master, Seven Women, Stagecoach, The Searchers and Three Godfathers.

Alan adored The Searchers, in particular.

Seventy-Five Years Ago Today

The round-up and deportation of the Jews of Rome to death camps happened on this day in 1943. Three plaques from my recent visit to the city.
The first is a street named after the date, with ‘the deportation of the Jews of Rome’ written underneath.
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Here, a commemoration of all who were taken away and murdered.
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And this is in memory of the very young – newborns killed before they had a chance to live.
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Marty Balin

Marty Balin died. My regular readers know the contempt in which I hold hippies, but I can forgive certain hippies a lot if they write and sing songs like this. Marty Balin, Signe Anderson and Paul Kantner are all singing on this track – and all three of them are gone. RIP.