Human Diversity

I recently commented to a friend the extraordinary fact that all dogs are descended from a single breed. That's right, from the smallest chihauhua to the great Dane. This speaks of an incredible genetic diversity. My friend wondered what would humans be like if we had the same kind of diversity.

We do. Not so much in physical appearance- although there is lots of that, but in our psychological make up. We range from the spirituality of the Hugging Saint to The Westboro Church ( I won't even call them Baptists) and everything in between.

It is this vast range of diversity that is our great strength and weakness. It keeps us from falling victim to universal hive mind mentality yet it also keeps us from forming a unifying ideology that would put an end to so much strife like war, indifference and religious/ tribal/ political disagreements.

Perhaps our evolution lies in finding a point somewhere in the middle. A harmonious balance between the extremes.

Just a thought.

Quantum Physics or Duh!

I love quantum physics, everyone thinks it strange, mysterious and confusing. Even physicists! But sometimes it seems pretty apparent what's going on. I came across this puzzling video. I was not aware of the wave function (whatever it is) until I saw this but the idea that it could be real makes complete sense to me.

Years ago when I worked at the YMCA and waited for the light bulb guys to come with a delivery I sat in the office reading an article in the Smithsonian Magazine. it was about the weird behavior of electrons, they don't go through a wall, they hit it and just appear on the other side of it. If you affect the spin ( not literally a spin, that's just what they call it -play along) of an electron in space A, the spin of an electron in space B - maybe somewhere on the moon will also be affected.

Wow, man the author opined, electrons and the world of quantum mechanics was very strange, like totally weird. I just shook my head. How this "spooky action at a distance" works was pretty obvious to me: the two electrons are in communication with each other as everything in the universe is connected, duh. When the light bulb guys arrived I showed them this article and they agreed with me, as if I explained to them that the earth revolves around the sun. So there we were, a bunch of non scientists who thought the weirdness these people were freaking out about made sense.

Now I'm sure my opinion is simplistic but I'm a big fan of metaphysics, and I'm beginning to see the shaman, mystic and zen Buddhists are talking about the same thing as physicists and mathematicians, they are merely using a different language to describe their observations. Even the average person like myself is capable of grasping these ideas.

The newest thing is the "string theory" that speculates about multiple dimensions and everything being composed of tiny little string of energy that vibrate. Well yeah. Admittedly there is a LOT about physics that completely eludes me and I have no illusions of understanding anything but sometimes I feel I get a glimpse behind the veil before the weight of logic and the voice of "what the hell do you know punk?" slams me down. But I continue to study physics, the universe and the "unfathomable mystery" of life as Carlos Castaneda's  Don Juan put it. That's OK, It gives me something to ponder while drinking my morning cup of tea.

It's The End of The World As We Know It.

People like to believe they are living in the end time. Why? Why would they want to live in a time of plagues, earth upheavals, nature in revolt and extreme weather culminating in the destruction of humanity? Because it makes people feel special, they will survive the destruction and damnation applies to other folks. The chosen few, the strongest, fittest, the most worthy will repopulate the earth the right way. Such anticipation feels the righteous with almost fatal glee while the rest of us are stuck with the suspicion that things really do suck.

The last two decades sure feel like the end time if the  rise of an indefinable yet palatable sense of fear is to be considered. Let's look at the symptoms:

The hoarding of wealth. There is tons of data on how the rich are getting richer- and not spreading the wealth around as they usually do in good times- and how the poor are getting poorer, heightening the the feeling of insecurity in the future. Like a poker player who feels his luck has run out nobody is making bets.

Turning on minorities. Ah the successful tactic (see Hitler and Germany) of turning on a minority to blame for all of society's problems. Just fill in the blank with whatever minority can be vilified,is no real threat to society or has little political power. Be it illegal immigrants,a different religion/ideology from the dominant majority or a group that is well, different. Fear of the unknown triggers a fear of anything outside of the status quo. Get rid of  those people and everything will return to normal.

Band aid fixes. The Earth is in trouble because of human activity. There's plenty of debate on that, but either way we are encountering environmental change and we better adapt or die. Reducing energy consumption and using resources more wisely are noble gestures but they are just that -gestures. Engaging in feel good, politically convenient band aid fixes that reduce complex interconnected problems to superficial behavior modification only deludes people into thinking they are changing the world without really changing the world How Decartesian. How pathetic. The partner in this delusion is the reliance on technology. 

We have traded spirituality for technology to compensate for our short comings. We operate under the faulty assumption that technology advancement is the same as species advancement. After all, this is often the criteria for judging the intelligence of other animals. But what if we have reached the limits of technological skill and it's making things worse not better. What if we gave up questioning the moral, ethical long term consequences of our actions in favor of the clever sexy solutions tool making offers?

The rise of religious fundamentalism. Joining in the fight are the people who invented persecution. About twenty to twenty five years ago, a paradigm shift in spirituality began and  humans subconsciously figured out reality was changing. The entrenched ideology did not respond well to this. So people reacted the way most do when their world view is challenged: panic, retreat. When the skeptical agnostic is suddenly struck ill they fall back on their old religious upbringing- just in case.  There are no atheists in foxholes and when a big upheaval arrives it puts the fear of God in everyone. Just in case.Velikovsky's "Worlds in Collision."  has plenty of examples of human reactions to calamity.

So the orthodox demand everyone shape up or else. The media joins in with Chicken Little predictions designed to stir up the public because that's their job. The result is the 2012 Mayan  calendar. Except  it's just the end of a cycle not the end of time.. Meanwhile, zombies are coming- better stock up on food, guns/ammo, go into survival mode, pray to God.

Sound familiar?

Most metaphysics and spiritual devotees say everyone should calm down. The shift is about our next leap in spiritual maturity. We need to outgrow our adolescent tendencies to hyperbole emotions, physical violence as an answer to any provocation and generally acting like spoiled brats. 

Look how religion deals with the change that happens every 500 hundreds years or so. In the modern era the first big shift was the rise of christianity- a reaction to the wide economic, social and spiritual gap in society. The same for Islam about 600 years later. Then there was the split between Roman and Orthodox churches in 1054 C.E. The  Protestant Reformation occurred 500 years ago.  We are overdue for another revolution in thought to take hold. If the interesting times we live in are any indication- you better hold on to your hat cause it's going to be a bumpy ride.

A Poem to Ponder

there's a bluebird in my heart that

wants to get out

but I'm too tough for him,

I say, stay in there, I'm not going

to let anybody see you.

there's a bluebird in my heart that

wants to get out

but I pour whiskey on him and inhale

cigarette smoke

and the whores and the bartenders

and the grocery clerks

never know that

he's in there.

there's a bluebird in my heart that

wants to get out

but I'm too tough for him,

I say,

stay down, do you want to mess me up?

you want to screw up the works?

you want to blow my book sales in Europe?

there's a bluebird in my heart that

wants to get out

but I'm too clever, I only let him out

at night sometimes

when everybody's asleep.

I say, I know that you're there,

so don't be sad.

then I put him back,

but he's singing a little

in there, I haven't quite let him die

and we sleep together like that

with our secret pact

and it's nice enough to

make a man

weep, but I don't

weep, do you?

Charles Bukowski "The Last Night of the Earth Poems" c. 1992

What are You Afraid of?

The Chinese have a curse, “may you live in interesting times.” and these are interesting-meaning changing- times indeed. There is no doubt the world climate is changing along with the geopolitical landscape, the economy and rapidly shifting social morals but pinpointing the cause is harder. In order to regain a sense of control, our habit is to look at anything nearby as the cause of problems and put the blame on it.

Obama wasn’t born in America, the homosexuals are out to destroy marriage, Muslims are breeding home grown terrorist babies. Such fantasies are presented as substitutes for fact when finding a convenient scapegoat is easier than looking deeper for a cause. The media feeds this nebulas fear with predictions of the apocalypse- thanks to the Mayans- arriving on December 21 2012. Which is not going to happen. According to the Mayan calendar it is the end of a “long count” i.e. the end of one cycle and the start of another. More ignorance is heaped like dry tinder on a bonfire.

Adapt or die Darwin pointed out and we are at a critical point of choosing to adapt to the changes happening in the world or succumbing to fear and self destruction. The hysterical flailing by religions and politics don’t encourage the meditative state of mind required to bring about healthy soul searching. The next time your blood pressure begins to rise in response to a news story ask yourself is this a real problem or is it designed to generate a reaction? Getting riled up only hinders your ability to think clearly.

We need to re learn how to look inward and unplug from all the noise to understand what’s going on and what to do about it. Only then can we overcome the fear that paralyses the world.

The Butterfly revisited

Over the years I have a reoccurring dream where I am back in San Francisco in the old house my family lived in. Various family members are there but it’s always in the present tense because I always recall thinking (in the dream) about how I moved back from Eugene, or reconfiguring stuff into my old room. I even mentioned these semi lucid dreams to my mom during one of these semi lucid dreams. The reality of theses dreams is patently impossible as the house has been remodeled since we lived there and my mother and younger sister have died.

I wake up feeling very frustrated yet oddly knowing something is being worked out. Unfortunately in all these years my subconscious has not let my waking self in on the meaning. After the last one I began to wonder if the dream world of SF is real (they are so vivid) is real and the life here in Eugene is illusion. Like the philosopher in the classic Chinese story I ask myself- am I a butterfly dreaming I am a person or am I a person dreaming that I am a butterfly? This existential dilemma comes up more than I expect. It is entirely conceivable that my present life could be a figment of my imagination in ways I can not possibly explain. Is it possible to change the dream? Considering my poor track record I’m not so sure.

Being and Nothingness

What is your earliest memeory of being? Not the memory as a child in a crib, or going off to kindergarten. I mean the moment when you recognized being part of something bigger than yourself. I was five, hurrying home at sunset because I was afraid of the dark of night. I rememebr thinking about good and evil. If the devil was the personifcation of evil I reasonsed, then there had to be a God who was the personifcation of good. Goodness preotected you, kept you safe. Looking at the colors of sunset, it gave me comfort knowing there was something to counter the fear of darkness and the unknown. Even now when I go outside-no longer afraid of the dark- and look up at the sky at all those stars there is a feeling of being part of something beyond my little ego.

Only now I’m not so sure that I’m a needed part of that something bigger. I’ve been questioning my purpose in life as I pass fifty and I’m not finding any answers. Maybe I’m just one of the too many physically broken, non functioning people existing in an overpopulated world. It’s tragic line of thinking but that’s what goes on in inside my head day after day as I try to figure out what I’m doing here besides taking up room.

I’m not alone, look at any support group for people who are chronically depressed, suicidal or have simply given up and you will see a mass of quiet desperation. Is it fair to ask the stronger to support the weaker? Major religions and such tell us we should help those in need but Darwin’s survival of the fittest does not bode well for those of us who can barely manage living from day to day.

The heartache of poverty adds to the whole dismal business of survival. It limits opportunity, it drains you of energy, it’s stressful, it’s humilitaing. It’s galling to ask for financial aid of one sort or another. People say forget your pride and ask for help but everyone wants to be productive, to be capable of supporting themselves, to contribute to society. When you can’t for any number of reasons it seems perfectly reasonable to be judged as worthless.

Maybe that’s the way it should be. If I have nothing of value, if I require the assistance of others to live, then why am I still here? What purpose do I have if I'm not contributing to the world? Survival is questionable.

When you get to an age where you can’t produce children, aren’t fit for manual labor or have anything to contribute to society what good are you anymore? I have been told relentlessly that you must be productive and useful, pull yourself up by your bootstraps, work hard, contribute to society. That Puritan work ethic is what built this country. I believe in earning one’s pay with honest labor but I have come to realize, despite years of effort I have gained little of it. Any financial support I had was largely through the generosity of others, inheritance mostly.

I’m a rusty car sitting in the backyard with weeds growing up around me and the sense of loss is unbearable. I’ve done nothing that counts and that’s right up there with being loved, as important. So the bank of despair accumulates each day as I flail about trying to matter. My friends and family assure me I do, but I look at their lives and see them rich with achievement. Mine looks small and self indulgent. Children, family, relationships, industry, wealth, a diploma on the wall, a trophy on the shelf; these are things we value as worthy.

I got a degree in art but found no vocation in it. I got a black belt in martial arts but don’t teach. I write but it all goes in a drawer unread. I have a mind rich with ideas, but it has no outlet.

So I beg social services to support me because of my inability to make my way in the world. I stare at the walls and wonder what I’m doing here. I hate being a burden to anyone. I am caught between the endless struggle of being worthy or trying to short circuit the survival instinct and undo the weight of nothingness.

Without adult supervision

Bullies are in the news again. Bad ones who drove 5 gay teens in the last 3 weeks to commit suicide. But they were gay so it’s no big deal right? And you’re not surprised they were bullied right? Of course the school administrations swear up and down that they had NO IDEA it was going on. Meanwhile the guilty parties, the ones actually involved in name calling, harassment and even physical assault will remain unknown. As usual.

There are also a lot of people really upset with the current rash of tragedies. Dan Savage, never a man to mince words or be gentle in his critique is seriously pissed. He also has a project to let these neglected kids know that someone does care and life does get better . The mainstream media has picked up on his campaign. The same media that loves to give air time to the bigots spewing hatred. The people who think gays are evil. The same people who don’t want anti bullying campaigns to include protection of gays because that would allow gays to pervert their children.

Gosh I wonder where the teens got the idea that gays were a good target of ridicule. I wonder who taught them to harass kids with words like faggot and queer. I wonder why teens think they can get away with this kind of behavior.

Because they see adults doing it but unlike adults, don’t have the emotional skills to deal with abuse or understand where to draw the line. Most adults understand there are legal and moral consequences to their actions, teens don’t. Making matters worse is that the virtol adults are enagging in now is devoid of any restraint.

An adult gets mad at work, gets a gun and shoots people they are pissed off at, then shoots themselves because they know what they are doing is wrong. A teen gets a gun and shoots people at school they don’t like but don’t always die in the process. When investigators call on them years later in prison and ask them why they did it and they shrug- they don’t know. They were just imitating adults after all.


When we educate teens about bullying, we need to understand that teens think differently than adults, as if that isn’t obvious. Teens look to adults as role models. We shouldn’t be shocked when they act like the worst of us. So when kids are picked on and the adults look the other way, they think it’s acceptable. They deserve it for being gay, a minority, or different etc. it’s survival of the fittest and they have to get through it on their own as a sadistic rite of passage.

Mind you, this social dynamic doesn’t end at school. Even as a grown up you will find the bully, the jock, the clever girl who gets by on her looks and the principal who does nothing in the work place. Until one day the resentful guy has had it and shoots everyone. Surely we can be better examples to teenagers?

How to Save the World

The problem

“In the punditry business, it's considered bad form to question the essential wisdom of the American people. But at this point, it's impossible to ignore the obvious: The American people are acting like a bunch of spoiled brats. . . . The nation demands the impossible: quick, painless solutions to long-term, structural problems. While they're running for office, politicians of both parties encourage this kind of magical thinking. When they get into office, they're forced to try to explain that things aren't quite so simple -- that restructuring our economy, renewing the nation's increasingly rickety infrastructure, reforming an unsustainable system of entitlements, redefining America's position in the world and all the other massive challenges that face the country are going to require years of effort. But the American people don't want to hear any of this. They want somebody to make it all better. Now.”

The columnist points out something that is more and more obvious to many: stop waiting for the media, social science, and most importantly- the government to fix things. Stop struggling with hug, complex problems that seem insurmountable because they seem to require equally complex solutions. We need to fix them ourselves.

The solutions range from micro farming, to being self sufficient to simply learning to recycle. The popular slow food movement which encourages buying and eating local produce was a reaction to corporate food production which has proven to be dubious and un trustworthy in quality.

We can change our lives in so many little ways that have far reaching effect in ways we could ever imagine. As these sources point out, the best way to deal with the big scary world is to reduce it to a manageable level.

Reduce, reuse and recycle is not just a clever slogan it’s a lifestyle we can all embrace.

Big Brother Doesn't Want to You to Think

"Speak up for yourself or you'll end up a rug". -Mae West.

Man people are so polarized. I am constantly astounded and amazed at the vitriol being spewed these days under the guise of political discussion. Like this fellow let’s get to the business of what to do about it. Let’s have a debate not an argument. There is a long history and methodology to debate where one presents a point with facts to back it up, then a counterpoint is offered in a thoughtful, intelligent manner. Arguing is “You’re wrong, I’m right go to hell ”. Not productive. There are ways to enter into debate that are civilized and useful.

One, always be polite, no shouting or ranting it tunes out any effective listening. Speak in a calm, conversational tone and stay on topic.

Two, acknowledge the other point of view, even that old sexist gas bag St. Paul ( oops personal insults are a no-no ) would comment positively on the locals religious habits them suggest a new improved God, the Christian God in his patter. He would have been a great car salesman.

Three, as pointed out always call the person on the source of the information they are repeating. Make it personal. Where did you hear this? What is the motive behind such claims? Where is the proof? Have you been directly affected?

When the dictator of Romania was arrested ( I can't spell his name, sorry) people told stories of the secret police. A western reporter promptly asked if anyone in the crowd had ever been arrested or recall anyone taken away by the police and surprise! none of them could. They were brainwashed to believe it just like other people believe what they hear.

Consider these suggestions in your own internal dialogue. Are you in control of your response and understanding of what is being said? If what you hear triggers a highly charged emotional response in you, you can bet that was the intention. Calm down and question whether that response is valid or not. Stay informed, listen to different points of view in politics, news, etc. and always consider what you hear with a healthy dose of skepticism.

There is more value in someone engaging in critical thinking than converting them. What is important here is getting people to think for themselves, otherwise they are just sheep. We got enough of them.

Now go forth and educate.

Food Glorious Food

I was watching a rerun of 60 minutes and their profile of the revolutionary chef Jose Andreas who stated he wanted people to know that food is fun he wants to change the way Americans eat.
Good luck.

Jamie Oliver tried with his "Food Revolution" only to discover that children will eat chicken nuggets even after they know how horrible the ingredients are and that 7 year olds in this country are not taught how to eat using cutlery ( the incredulous look on his face is priceless). It's official, we are barbarians. If that doesn't convince you how about the numerous studies about obesity, the dangers of corn syrup and how American fast food restaurants are detested in the foreign countries they dare to invade. But this, this is the ultimate in poor taste I give you - pop tart sushi. I kid you not.

Bon appetit.

Through the Looking Glass

I read the news every day, why I don't know, most of it is utterly depressing and demoralizing but I try to keep in in touch. One of the things I've noticed is how increasingly fictionalized people's thinking has become. Whether the issue is the environment, religion, or politics the opinions being expressed bare little resemblance to reality. It seems institutions like the Tea Party, the Catholic Church or the average radio talk show host are looking at the world through a weirdly distorted lens that only sees the past and refuses the present.

Argentina just legalized same-sex marriage. As Glenn Greenwald at Salon noted:

"It's worthwhile now and then to take stock of the vast disparity between how we like to think of ourselves and reality. When a country with Argentina's history and background becomes but the latest country to legally recognize same-sex marriage -- largely as the result of a population which demanded it -- that disparity becomes quite clear."

Like the other countries that have recognized this small minority, they don't view the issue as a threat to their cosmology but as a matter of social equality. By contrast, the current US policy is wildly outdated. In some Middle Eastern and African countries with their rabid homophobia makes one wonder what is in the water to make these people so paranoid.

It's not that this is a big issue it's merely focused on as a symbol of the change in reality fundamentalists can't tolerate.

The meaning of life

“The right to be heard does not automatically include the right to be taken seriously.” Hubert Humphrey.

When Obama was elected I didn’t think things would change dramatically. After all we still have The Patriot Act, Homeland Security continuously fucking up, an economic depress- excuse me recession, DADT, two wars we should have never started and so on. I did think things would calm down politically. We would all return to quiet desperation while the powerful played out their games. The neocons would go off and sulk at losing. The defeated would bide their time planning how to win the next election. There would be a respite after 8 years of strident rhetoric and excessiveness that drove away our foreign allies.

Oh no. The arguing on both sides is louder, the sound bites are more angry, hateful and doom laden than ever. Everyone is demanding they are right Goddamn it and you pathetic naive people better wise up! The distrust of government, corporations and the law has reached new hysterical heights. Nothing gets done because no one can be heard over all the shouting.

I despair.

Will there ever be intelligent discourse on social issues? Will the media reach for fairness and balance in news again? Will America ever recover it’s former prestige and respect with the rest of the world?

I read the news and opinions and wonder what has become of the world. Maybe it’s the alignment of the stars or a change in the magnetic field or the food we eat but I can’t help notice how intense everyone is. There is so much fear, so much ignorance, so much cynicism.

There was time when someone or some group launched an attack against an enemy they claimed some worn out manifesto for their actions. Now their explanations make no sense at all like they’re from schizophrenic Martians.

In the past if you broke the law you paid your debt. Now you go on a reality show. Lawyers in the Department of Justice flout the constitution and aren’t disbarred. Priests abuse children and are protected by the hierarchy instead of being defrocked. Rather than take responsibility for their actions, perpetrators blame the victim instead. It’s their fault I have no conscience.

Where is our sense of social fairness? What ever happened to altruism? What ever happened to the idea that there are things bigger than our little selves? It’s time for some serious reflection on why we are here.

I am reminded of a teaching story- I can’t remember where I read it- where a fellow dies to goes to heaven. He’s walking around and sees Jesus and goes up to him to ask about the meaning of life. Jesus thinks for a moment then shows him a vision of a room where a group of people are sitting around a huge pot of stew holding long spoons in their hands. They all look emaciated and desperate as they gaze on the delicious pot before them. The man is puzzled. Jesus shows him another room with the same situation except everyone is healthy and laughing as they ladle out spoonfuls of stew and feed each other.

“When you only think of yourself, you will starve but when you help each other you will thrive.”

We have met the enemy and he is us part 2

Once we find a group to vilify we must resist all attempts to include said group into our society. They can not be allowed to soften or change our hearts. Hmmpf so there. I'm not the only one who realizes this, it's old news as Columnist Neil Steinberg points out:

In the 1960s, as federal courts ordered racial integration, communities in Mississippi and other Southern states closed their municipal swimming pools, filling them with dirt rather than allow black children to share the water with white children.

You have to marvel at the determination of that kind of prejudice -- so strong that you would deny your own children the pleasure of a swimming pool during hot summers in the Deep South rather than risk the intermingling that so horrifies you.

Hold onto your out dated prejudices as long as possible, even if it's hateful and self destructive. I mean, we can't allow them to be a part of us. Right?

We have met the enemy and he is us

Watching all the hysteria against this group or that group got me to thinking about what's really going on here. Journalist Tom Jacobs may be on something.

"We have seen the enemy, and he is powerful. That’s a recurring motif of contemporary political discourse, as generalized fear mutates for many into a fixation on a ferocious foe. . .According to one school of thought, this tendency to exaggerate the strength of our adversaries serves a specific psychological function. It is less scary to place all our fears on a single, strong enemy than to accept the fact our well-being is largely based on factors beyond our control. An enemy, after all, can be defined, analyzed and perhaps even defeated."

Amen. Take for example rampant homophobia. The already bigoted country of Uganda which has experienced hyper inflation and a ruinious economy and corrupt government now turns it's sights on a bill that would allow homosexuals to be executed. They don't really think gays are a threat- this is more about cultural feat and anger at feeling powerless. Read "the lottery " by Shirley jackson and you'll see where this will end up.

If Congress had to behave like the rest of us.

I got the following as a forwarded message in my e-mail. The idea is popular if the vast number of people forwarding it is any indication. There is more to this proposal than just handing it around the net though.


Preface:
For too long we have been too complacent about the workings of Congress. Many citizens had no idea that Congressmembers could retire with the same pay after only one term, that they didn't pay into Social Security, that they specifically exempted themselves from many of the laws they have passed (such as being exempt from any fear of prosecution for sexual harassment) while ordinary citizens must live under those laws. The latest is to exempt themselves from the Healthcare Reform that is being considered...in all of its' forms. Somehow, that doesn't seem logical. We do not have an elite that is above the law. I truly don't care if they are Democrat, Republican, Independent or whatever. The self-serving must stop. This is a good way to do that. It is an idea whose time has come.


Proposed 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution:

"Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators and Representatives; and, Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators and Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States ".

The downside to this idea would require the involvement of Congress, you know the people this would directly affect. It's very hard to get people to curtail their power and privledge on their own. This idea needs real power behind it to make Congress take notice. A campaign that used the threat of a public tax strike, revealing congress members finances and the biggest of all with holding votes are some suggestions.

I encourage everyone who believes in this idea to take real action. Don't just complain about inequality DO something about it. What the three branches of government don't realize is that there is a fourth branch - the people they rule over. We have the power to refuse them and we need to make it clear that our needs are not being met.

As in many cultures the rewards of power is that you don't have to live like the rest. Whether it's communism, democracy, socialism, republicanism, many political ideologies contain the concept of egalitarianism- that everyone is treated equal. Not anymore. What this amendment purposes is to return the balance of power to all. Remember, we entrust these people with our country, government and our lives, they owe us some respect for the gift.

The holy Fraternity

The Catholic Church is in big trouble. They have violated the trust of Christians with their attempt to cover up evidence of decades of molestation and protect the perpetrators.

Covering up is not new. Police, military, gangs, sport teams and other groups have engaged in protection of what I call “the holy fraternity”. What ever group they belong to, the most important rule, above all others, is the protection of the fraternity.

I’m sure there are many studies describing the reasons and dynamics of such social behavior but suffice to point out that the church is doing the same in this matter. The rule assures it’s members that self protection is more important than the protection of the people it serves.

If you are in the police force, it doesn’t matter if your fellow officer has committed some heinous crime. Even if it were something the force would do everything in it’s power to enforce if it were someone, the brother hood must stick together. Too often defenders of the holy fraternity insist that policy and procedures were followed or a thorough investigation has showed no fault. The rest of us know this is a lie.

The problem with this code is that it holds the ego above altruistic duty. It needs to hold its own accountable to the standards it expects from others. If a holy fraternity wishes to maintain trust with those it serves, it must yield to the same laws.

So the church needs to atone for the sins, punish those who committed them and change the culture that allowed such actions to happen.

Vitriol

Welcome to the age of bombast and vitriol. Where anyone can post scathing, mean spirited vitriol on any subject without ever having to defend ones self. Imagine a pedestal in the local park with “I am right and you are inferior” inscribed in stone. Everyone is welcome to stand on the pedestal as a monument to their own ego- with their head covered in a paper bag.

Ranting and raving is what every blogger does in one way or another. I used to think the internet chat rooms were vicious- I stopped visiting them, but comments left on blogs, YouTube and news sites make them tame by comparison. The worse part is that no one is saying anything of value.

Words have enormous power. The poet Thomas Paine wrote "These are the times that try men's souls" that was the rallying cry for the American Revolution. Emile Zola wrote “J'accuse” pointing the finger of blame at the French government in the Dreyfus Affair. Both offerings changed the course of history.

I look at the impact all this verbiage with growing concern. So much of it is judgmental blather after the fact rather than critical analysis. Someone posts a video on Youtube of say, kids getting splashed by a car going through a puddle and everyone is ready to charge the person with a crime. Someone makes a unsavory remark about women, Jews, blacks or gays and everyone expresses outrage even if they have the same thoughts in private.

We no longer burn people in a public auto de fe, we incinerate their reputations instead. We no longer place a person in stocks to be ridiculed in the town square, we vilify them in the media.

In this time of instant news and armchair punditry perhaps we should all step back and reflect before putting in our two cents worth and that's exactly what it’s worth, two cents.
Remember, what goes around comes around and the golden rule- treat others as you would be treated.

randomness defined

In lieu of something exciting I offer a picture of the elusive Oregon fire hydrant caught in it's native habitat near Crater Lake. I kid you not.

Year in Review-it's short entry

2009 didn’t start off real well. I spent the first six months really depressed while I slaved away at the tea house construction. The summer was a string of Saturdays at the Market doing tarot readings ( $5 for a quickie and $12 for a long one, and get your mind out of the gutter.)

July saw the completion -more or less of the tea house with a fabulous blessing by a Buddhist monk and friends who gathered to ooh an aah the little treasure which I escape to whenever I can. Thanks Steve Parrish for your help raising the roof.

I thought I had hit rock bottom as a writer because nothing I mean NOTHING was happening in the inspiration department , Man I was ready to kill that creative muse if I could find the bitch. Then something amazing happened- I entered the National Novel Writing Month (web link) contest and wrote a novel I had been wanting to write for 25 years. I finished it in 51,000 plus words and 27 days. Yes!!

For a month I was happy. I woke up every day excited about putting words down on paper - in long hand and loving every fucking stressed out- “got to get it down “rock and roll moment. The hell with anti-depressents I found my bliss baby. I end the year with the promise of working on the 2nd draft of “Private Audience” in time for the screenplay contest in April.

The next year is already filling up with promises of another aikido demonstration at the Asian Celebration in February and competition in April. I will be planning a party for my big 50 birthday in March and bracing myself to get a tattoo to mark the occasion.

The summer will be spent doing tarot at the Saturday Market again. And writing, lots of writing. Give me ideas folks I’m ready to dive in.Whew!