The Wild Reed

Friday, September 18, 2026

Dolly and Olivia

Something special this evening for “music night” at The Wild Reed . . .

It’s the 2023-released Olivia Newton-John and Dolly Parton duet of “Jolene,” one of Dolly’s most well-known songs. It was Olivia’s final official recording, being released posthumously in February 2023, following her passing in August 2022. The track is featured It is featured on Olivia’s final album, Just the Two of Us: The Duets Collection.

Although Dolly and Olivia weren’t in the same studio to make the track, ABC News reported at the time of the song’s release that “both artists expressed deep joy about finally working together, with Olivia noting she had always wanted to sing with Dolly.”

Although it’s sad that both of these music legends have now died (Dolly passed last month), I’m grateful that we have their many wonderful recordings – including this very special duet. Enjoy!

Related Off-site Link:
Olivia Newton-John’s Final Recording, a “Jolene” Duet with Dolly Parton, Released – Angeline Jane Bernabe (ABC News, February 17, 2023).

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• Olivia Newton-John’s Legacy of Healing
• Love’s the Only Dance
• “Rest in Peace, Dear Prophet Dolly”
• Remembering the Dolly Parton and Dionne Warwick Duet . . . and Celebrating Dolly as a “Kind of American Folk Saint”
• Memes of the Times – August 2026
• Memes of the Times – September 2026

Thursday, September 17, 2026

Quote of the Day

As Macklemore example shows, ACTUALLY opposing the Israeli occupation means NOT putting personal careers ahead of the fight. Why? The apartheid Israeli state and its genocidal policies exist at the behest of the billionaires and multimillionaires who want to maintain control over the Middle East and their political representatives. Which means that Palestinian solidarity REQUIRES pissing off extremely powerful and wealthy individuals.

Macklemore has shown that he's willing to do that. As have Kneecap and Bob Vylan. As have the Filton 4 and countless working and young people across the world, including tech workers.

Ed Sheeran, who has about $400 million in wealth, has decided to put his own money and career ahead of the need for Palestinian solidarity. Sheeran said: “I am not complicit. . . . Just because I choose not to speak publicly, . . . it doesn’t mean I don’t care.”

Yes, Ed Sheeran, you ARE complicit, as are any public figures with real influence and ability to build the movement against Israeli apartheid but who refuse to do so. This applies even more so to the leadership of the Democratic Socialists of America and their elected officials like Zohran Mamdani and AOC, who claim to be pro-Palestinian but whose many actions have shown otherwise.

Mamdani has endorsed arch Zionists Kathy Hochul and Hakeem Jeffries. AOC has also endorsed Jeffries, and voted against cutting funds for the Israeli military with the idea that Israel should get “defensive” weapons so it can carry out genocide with impunity. Such actions constitute a whitewashing of Zionism and are geared towards keeping cordial relations with powerful Zionists and building careers in the Democratic Party.

– Kshama Sawant
via social media
September 17, 2026

Wednesday, September 16, 2026

Remembering Ms. Bacall

Related Off-site Links:
This Day in History: Happy Heavenly Birthday, Lauren Bacall – Nourhan Sandouk (AOL.com, September 16, 2026).
Lauren Bacall at 100: A Hollywood Casualty Who Fought Back – Lily Ruth Hardman (Indie Wire, September 16, 2024).
How Lauren Bacall Faced and Overcame Antisemitism – Benjamin Ivry (Forward, September 16, 2024).
Lauren Bacall Talks Favorite Hollywood Memories and Career in Unpublished Interview – Sandy Stert Benjamin (Remind Magazine, August 12, 2024).
The 10 Best Lauren Bacall Movies, Ranked – Daniela Gama (Collider, June 6, 2024).
The Day Lauren Bacall Let Rip at Australian Reporters – The Sydney Morning Herald (August 14, 2014).
An Astonishing Portrait of Lauren Bacall at Age 88 – Kristin Hohenadel (Slate, August 13, 2014).

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• Remembering Lauren Bacall on the 100th Anniversary of Her Birth
• Lauren Bacall’s Vow Following the Death of Humphrey Bogart
• An Appropriate Homage

Memes of the Times

Exposing the Apocalyptic Thinking of Today’s U.S. Far Right

A very timely and important book was released yesterday – End Times Fascism . . . And the Fight for the Living World by Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor.

Following is how the book is described by its publisher, Macmillan.

End Times Fascism is a scathing investigation into the apocalyptic thinking of the Christian nationalists, tech-bro reactionaries, and populist survivalists who increasingly define the contemporary right – and a recipe for how to fight them.

As the planet burns and shared reality melts, a new iteration of the far right is on the march. How can we understand this dangerous new development, and what resources can we draw on to resist it? In their scathing assessment of the contemporary scene, the celebrated activists and authors Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor explore how the religious fundamentalists, Silicon Valley technologists, and ethno-nationalists who make up this apocalyptic alliance share more than one might think: they are united in their belief that some kind of cleansing cataclysm is coming, whether through the manifestation of messianic prophecy, the rampages of a resource- and job-consuming artificial intelligence, or the purported existential threat of immigration and cultural replacement. Rather than avoiding this conflagration, they welcome it, convinced they will be among the saved on the other side.

“End times fascism” is the ideology of the actors who strive to make the world unlivable and then seek to protect themselves from the fallout — whether by repairing to luxurious private islands, rocketing off to Mars, or bunkering the nation to keep their enemies at bay. The new survivalists have accumulated power, but they are far from impregnable. As Klein and Taylor show via original reporting and analysis, their many internal conflicts and contradictions and their nihilistic inability to envision a shared future, even for their ostensible allies, leave them vulnerable to a new kind of “pro-life” politics – rooted in reverence for our shared existence and regard for the earth we inhabit and must protect.

Yesterday, Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor were interviewed by Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzále of Democracy Now!.

Here’s part of Goodman’s introduction to this hour-long segment, followed by the video of it.

Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor launch their new book, End Times Fascism: And the Fight for the Living World on Democracy Now! It examines how wealthy elites are preparing for “the end of the world,” even as they contribute to growing inequality, political instability and the climate crisis. The rise of modern-day fascism is “not simply a rerun,” explains Klein. “We don't believe that history repeats on a loop. We believe that we're in something more like a sequel, where the logics of fascism, which are the logics of dehumanization, of othering, of racial supremacy and hierarchy, are now being applied in a time of global existential crisis.” In response, says Taylor, the growing movement seeking to resist this fatalistic vision “fundamentally needs to be grounded in a desire to stay here on Earth, to commit to this place.”

Tuesday, September 15, 2026

Ed Sheeran Chooses the Side of the Oppressor

Mike Figueredo (right) begins his latest Humanist Report segment with the following:

Singer Ed Sheeran decided to boot Macklemore from his tour after weeks of relentless pressure by the media, billionaire venue owners, and even fellow singer Pink. Why did they want Macklemore removed, you ask? Because he had the audacity to say “free Palestine” on stage. In this video we’ll talk about Macklemore's (correct) comments about Israel, the manufactured outrage, and why history will judge Ed Sheeran harshly for his cowardice.

Indeed, this whole situation reminds me of Desmond Tutu’s words: “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”

Figueredo’s timely and insightful 18-minute video commentary can be viewed in its entirety below.

UPDATE:

Ed Sheeran's Band, Beoga,
Along With All Four Supporting Acts,
Quit Tour in Solidarity with
Macklemore and Palestine
– Far Out Magazine
September 15, 2026

Related Off-site Links:
Hey, Ed Sheeran, Palestine Is Dying in White Silence Like Yours – John Pavlovitz (The Beautiful Mess, September 15, 2026).
“Lowlife Coward”: Ed Sheeran Declaration of “I Am Not Complicit” Stirs Fresh Outrage Over Macklemore Ouster – Stephen Prager (Common Dreams, September 15, 2026).
Ed Sheeran Digs the Hole Even Deeper – David Doel (The Rational National, September 15, 2026).
Macklemore’s Tour Cancellation Shows Why Celebrities Don’t Criticize Israel – Caitlin Johnstone (Caitlin’s Newsletter, September 14, 2026).
Macklemore Responds After Removal From Ed Sheeran Tour: “The Victims Are the Palestinian People” – Ethan Millman (The Hollywood Reporter, September 14, 2026).
Robert Kraft, Associate of Jeffrey Epstein, Defends Banning Macklemore from Ed Sheeran Tour After ‘Free Palestine’ Comments: “We Do Not Provide a Platform for Hate Speech” – Jem Aswad (Variety, September 14, 2026).
Macklemore Exposes Robert Kraft in Explosive Ed Sheeran Tour Fallout After “Free Palestine” Controversy – Oindrila Chowdhury (Sportskeeda, September 15, 2026).
Ed Sheeran Says Dropping Macklemore From Tour Was “Promoter’s Decision, Not Mine,” Explains Why He’s Not Speaking Out on Israel and Palestine – Jem Aswad and Zack Sharf (Variety, September 15, 2026).
Ms. Rachel Calls Out Ed Sheeran for Being Politically Spineless . . . In the Nicest Way Possible – Elyse Wanshel (The Huffington Post, September 15, 2026).
Justice for Macklemore – Dave Zirin (The Nation, September 15, 2026).
Kneecap, Garbage, Bob Vylan and More Back Macklemore After Ed Sheeran Axing – Rachael Pimblett (Far Out Magazine, September 15, 2026).
Why White People’s Humanity Is “Just Humanity” But Yours Is “Politics” (The Sheeran Receipts) – The Conscious Lee (September 14, 2026).
Rapper Macklemore Says NFL Owners Got Him Kicked Off Concert Tour for Criticizing Israel – Stephen Prager (Common Dreams, September 14, 2026).
“Free Palestine”: Macklemore’s Courage and the Myth of Pink’s “Loneliness” – Romana Rubeo (The Palestine Chronicle, September 14, 2026).
Pink Says Standing Up for Jews Has Been “Lonelier” Than She Expected – The Times of Israel (September 12, 2026).
Pink Addresses Backlash Over Comments About Macklemore’s Pro-Palestine Stance – Mitchell Peters (Billboard, September 12, 2026).
“Imagine Being Threatened by Peace”: Singer Pink Lambasted for Criticising Macklemore’s Pro-Palestine Stance – The New Arab (September 12, 2026).
Three Major Revelations About the Gaza Holocaust in the Israeli Press – Caitlin Johnstone (Caitlin’s Newsletter, September 9, 2026).

UPDATES: Ed Sheeran’s Craven “Neutrality” Is a Watershed Moment for Mainstreaming Palestine Solidarity – Natasha Lennard (Common Dreams, September 16, 2026).
Ed Sheeran Openers Quit Tour as Boycott Begins Over “Silencing” of Macklemore’s Palestine Speech – Stephen Prager (Common Dreams, September 16, 2026).
Macklemore Donating Entire $1 Million Tour Earnings to Palestinian Aid, Challenges Robert Kraft to Match – Brett Meiselas (Meidas News, September 16, 2026).
Here Are All the Celebrities Who Have Sided with Macklemore or Called Out Ed Sheeran in the Past 48 Hours – Leyla Mohammed (BuzzFeed, September 16, 2026).
Ed Sheeran Wants to Stay Out of Politics. By Quitting His Tour, His Support Acts Have Exposed the Hollowness of Neutrality – Laura Snapes (The Guardian, September 16, 2026).

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• What Integrity Looks Like
• Caitlin Johnstone on the Need to Cultivate Integrity – As Both an Individual and a Society
• Truth-telling in the Face of Systemic Power That Is Silent on Genocide
• Genevieve Fraser: Quote of the Day – August 26, 2026
• Jonny Rashid: Quote of the Day – August 10, 2026
• “The Genocide in Gaza Is the Beginning. Welcome to the New World Order”
• Omid Safi: Quote of the Day – March 7, 2026
• Kym Staton: Quote of the Day – March 3, 2026
• The Architecture of Settler Colonialism
• “It Is Up to Us”
• No Justice, No Peace
• Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ “Same Love”

Something to Think About . . .

I’ve previously noted that my straight friend and ally Iggy is dedicated to facilitating mind and body transformation – within his own life and the lives of others who are similarly interested in holistic personal growth and change. To this end, Iggy’s professional/vocational life focuses on providing a range of services, including mindset mentoring, naprapathic massage, and personal training in boxing, kickboxing, and Muay Thai strength building and conditioning.

Iggy also regularly posts videos, reflections, and memes via social media that convey his understanding of the need for – and ways of cultivating – lasting postive change in our lives. His recent posting of the above caught my attention.

I especially appreciate the question – What if it all works out? – and the invitation and challenge it offers: Let go. Allow all to fall into place.

Indeed, I like it so much that I thought I’d share it here at The Wild Reed. Thanks, Iggy!

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• “Your Perception Is a Choice”
• Australian Sojourn – April-May 2026: Gulmarrad, Maclean, and Brooms Head
• A Fresh Take on Masculinity
• Home to Myself
• Opening to Love
• Surrendering in Sacred Trust
• Trusting the Sacred Flow of Life
• Love’s the Only Dance
• Active Waiting: A Radical Attitude Toward Life
• Jesus and the Art of Letting Go

Image 1: Iggy.
Image 2: Michael J. Bayly (May 2026).

Monday, September 14, 2026

What Integrity Looks Like

I (mostly) agree with Qasim Rashid who said the following when sharing earlier today what I’m sharing this evening.

You absolutely should read Macklemore’s response to Robert Kraft forcing Ed Sheeran to cancel him. This is what integrity looks like. This is how you use your platform to stand up against Israel’s genocide in Palestine.

Here’s were I disagree with Rashid: Sheeran wasn’t forced to cancel Macklemore (pictured at right). He was pressured, and he caved.

Following (with added images and links) is Macklemore’s response to Robert Kraft, the billionaire and former Jeffrey Epstein associate who pressured Sheeran to dump Macklemore from his tour.

________________

I’m not sure how to start this. So I’m going to speak from the heart and share the truth. Ed Sheeran and his team have made the decision to remove me from The Loop tour.

But before I get into it, I want to say something that should be obvious. In this moment I think it matters. I am not a victim. Ed Sheeran is not a victim. Pink is not a victim. We have careers, money, opportunities, safety and audiences around the world. Whatever consequences any of us face for what we say, we get to go home to our families.

The victims are the Palestinian people. The men, women and children who have been killed, starved, displaced and forced to live through unimaginable violence. More than 20,000 children have been killed in Gaza alone. People are being killed today, and people will be killed tomorrow. I want to make sure that as I tell this story, we don’t lose sight of that.

Ed is my friend. I’ve known him for 13 years. We’ve shared late nights, studio sessions and stages. He has this infectious magic about him that I’ve grown to love. I consider him a brother. And because of that, we’ve had some difficult conversations this past week. The type of talks rooted in love and respect for one another that still end in a place of fundamental disagreement. Nothing I’m writing here is out of spite or because I want to tear down his character. But as I told Ed multiple times on the phone, our friendship can’t change my responsibility to tell the truth about what happened.

Last Monday, in the middle of all the media attention surrounding Pink and what I said at MetLife, Ed told me that Robert Kraft [right] called him. We were scheduled to play Gillette Stadium later this month, which is owned by the Kraft Group. Ed told me that Kraft said I would not be allowed to perform in his stadium. Ed also told me that Kraft had rallied some of the other stadium owners and collectively they gave him an ultimatum: if Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues.

Ed was in a fucked up position. He knew it. His typical apolitical stance was being challenged in a way it never had been before. He told me that the words “Free Palestine” and the image of the Palestinian flag were hurtful to a lot of people he spoke with. I told him that if those words were more offensive than tens of thousands of Palestinian children being killed by Israel, then there was a fundamental disconnect between where those people stood and where I stood. But he couldn’t get past his public facing, “I don’t take sides.”

And I get why people don’t. Taking a side can cost you. Money, brand deals, sponsorships, festivals, private shows, relationships and access. I’ve lost all of those things. But there is no neutral position between the oppressor and the oppressed. When one side has the bombs and bottomless financial and military support from America, refusing to take a side doesn’t leave you in the middle.

What I said at MetLife I have been saying on stages around the world for almost three years. So why is it an issue now? Because now I’m sharing a stage with one of the biggest artists in the world, in some of the biggest stadiums in America. At a certain level of exposure, “Free Palestine” becomes too much of a risk. If I kept doing the shows, saying Free Palestine, with Ed implicitly supporting it, the crowd getting loud and showing undeniable support for Palestinian liberation, what artist might speak out next? The stage becomes resistance. Maybe that’s why this time it became so important to silence me.

And one of the most effective ways to enforce that silence has been to weaponize the accusation of antisemitism. Antisemitism is real. And that is exactly why the word matters too much to be used as a shield against criticism of the Israeli state. When criticizing Israel, opposing Zionism or saying “Free Palestine” gets conflated with hatred of Jewish people, it doesn’t protect Jewish people. It protects Israel from accountability.

I hope this isn’t the end of my relationship with Ed. Thirteen years of friendship doesn’t disappear because of one painful disagreement. I hope we both continue listening, studying what is happening in Palestine and wrestling with what neutrality means in a moment like this. My door will always be open to continuing that conversation.

When my brother Omar was doing the subtitles for the video I posted from MetLife, I thanked him. He told me there’s a phrase in Arabic:

لا شكر على واج – “La shukra ala wajeb.” There is no thanks for a duty.

That stayed with me. Because that’s what this has become for me and millions of others around the world. A duty. Not something deserving of praise or gratitude. Not brave. Human.

Who is winning the internet, who is getting canceled, who gets to play the stadium and who doesn’t, all of it becomes so small when held against what we are actually witnessing in Gaza and the West Bank. An entire people being displaced, starved and killed while the world debates which words we are allowed to use to describe it, how those words make us feel, and whether our discomfort matters more than the people living through a genocide.

I didn’t need 10 shows from Ed. I needed 2. Two chances to stand in front of 90,000 people and say the words that somehow became too dangerous to say.

Free Palestine.

But if those words cost me the stage, while turning the conversation back to Palestine, then it was the most successful tour I’ve ever been on.

– Macklemore
via social media
September 14, 2026

Following is David Doel’s 20-minute Rational National video commentary on Macklemore’s canceling by Robert Kraft and Ed Sheeran.

NEXT:
Ed Sheeran Chooses the
Side of the Oppressor

Related Off-site Links:
Macklemore’s Tour Cancellation Shows Why Celebrities Don’t Criticize Israel – Caitlin Johnstone (Caitlin’s Newsletter, September 14, 2026).
Macklemore Responds After Removal From Ed Sheeran Tour: “The Victims Are the Palestinian People” – Ethan Millman (The Hollywood Reporter, September 14, 2026).
Robert Kraft, Associate of Jeffrey Epstein, Defends Banning Macklemore from Ed Sheeran Tour After ‘Free Palestine’ Comments: “We Do Not Provide a Platform for Hate Speech” – Jem Aswad (Variety, September 14, 2026).
Why White People’s Humanity Is “Just Humanity” But Yours Is “Politics” (The Sheeran Receipts) – The Conscious Lee (September 14, 2026).
Rapper Macklemore Says NFL Owners Got Him Kicked Off Concert Tour for Criticizing Israel – Stephen Prager (Common Dreams, September 14, 2026).
“Free Palestine”: Macklemore’s Courage and the Myth of Pink’s “Loneliness” – Romana Rubeo (The Palestine Chronicle, September 14, 2026).
Pink Says Standing Up for Jews Has Been “Lonelier” Than She Expected – The Times of Israel (September 12, 2026).
Pink Addresses Backlash Over Comments About Macklemore’s Pro-Palestine Stance – Mitchell Peters (Billboard, September 12, 2026).
“Imagine Being Threatened by Peace”: Singer Pink Lambasted for Criticising Macklemore’s Pro-Palestine Stance – The New Arab (September 12, 2026).
Three Major Revelations About the Gaza Holocaust in the Israeli Press – Caitlin Johnstone (Caitlin’s Newsletter, September 9, 2026).

UPDATES: Ed Sheeran Says Dropping Macklemore From Tour Was “Promoter’s Decision, Not Mine,” Explains Why He’s Not Speaking Out on Israel and Palestine – Jem Aswad and Zack Sharf (Variety, September 15, 2026).
Hey, Ed Sheeran, Palestine Is Dying in White Silence Like Yours – John Pavlovitz (The Beautiful Mess, September 15, 2026).
Ed Sheeran Digs the Hole Even Deeper – David Doel (The Rational National, September 15, 2026).
Ed Sheeran Wants to Stay Out of Politics. By Quitting His Tour, His Support Acts Have Exposed the Hollowness of Neutrality – Laura Snapes (The Guardian, September 16, 2026).

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• Caitlin Johnstone on the Need to Cultivate Integrity – As Both an Individual and a Society
• Truth-telling in the Face of Systemic Power That Is Silent on Genocide
• Genevieve Fraser: Quote of the Day – August 26, 2026
• Jonny Rashid: Quote of the Day – August 10, 2026
• “The Genocide in Gaza Is the Beginning. Welcome to the New World Order”
• Omid Safi: Quote of the Day – March 7, 2026
• Kym Staton: Quote of the Day – March 3, 2026
• The Architecture of Settler Colonialism
• “It Is Up to Us”
• No Justice, No Peace
• Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ “Same Love”

Caitlin Johnstone on the Need to Cultivate Integrity – As Both an Individual and a Society

In her latest piece on her substack, Caitlin Johnsone responds to “pop star” Pink’s denouncement of fellow singer Macklemore’s call (right) for an end to Israel’s genocide of Palentinians in Gaza by calling on both individuals and society to “cultivate integrity.”

________________

Western liberal democracies are like a narcissistic wife beater who postures as a sensitive he/him feminist on social media. Like a pop star who makes a show of fighting the power and defending the marginalized while supporting Israel.

Our society isn’t what it pretends to be.

Our entire civilization sustains itself through an endless river of blood, sweat and tears from the global south while making movies about fighting for justice and saving the world.

Our pundits wag their fingers at the “tyrannical regimes” in empire-targeted nations while our own rulers murder, starve and terrorize disobedient populations in order to dominate the planet.

In school they teach us that we are lucky to live in a free society where the people command the government with their votes and we have the right to express ourselves in whatever way we choose, when in reality wealthy oligarchs control the entire electoral process and our expression is aggressively manipulated through a complex system of censorship and propaganda.

We have no integrity.

To have integrity as an individual is to be the same sort of person you are at home as when you’re in public. To treat everyone with the same amount of kindness and respect regardless of whether they’re your boss, your child, your subordinate, or your friend. When all your thoughts align fully with all your words, and all your words fully align with all your actions, whether nobody’s watching or everyone’s watching. When the values you claim to hold are the same as the values people see you embodying in the life you actually live.

To cultivate integrity as an individual is to bring all of these factors into alignment, and eliminate all conflicts and contradictions between them in the way you live your life. To cultivate integrity as a society is no different.

And as denizens of the western empire we’ve got a long, hard journey ahead of us if we are to eliminate all the conflicts and contradictions between the type of society we claim to be and the type of society we actually have. In practice we’re about as incongruent with our theoretical values as any civilization could possibly be. We are an empire of frauds.

The fight for a healthy world is largely a fight to move us from fraudulence to integrity. To create a society in which our most noble aspirations and most deeply cherished values are reflected in the way our civilization is actually organized. That is the cause toward which we all strive, when all is said and done.

Gaining integrity as an individual means getting uncompromisingly real with yourself about what you’re actually like as a person. Gaining integrity as a society means opening as many western eyes as possible to the reality that everything we’ve been told about our civilization and about our world is a complete sham. Only then can we begin striking at the true roots of our problems and move into health and harmony.