Sound of Music

I was sent this link to a cool video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UE3CNu_rtY. It fits in abstractly with a great idea the just floated into my mind shortly before I viewed this.

When the movie, Sound of Music, came out I avoided seeing it, thinking it wasn't cool or sexy. At that age I was a bit stupid. When I finally saw it, I loved it. It was about freedom, and the clear cut difference between the human spirit as it should be, and the spirit of tyranny which always emerges when the philosophy of "the greater good" becomes dominate and inevitably bastardized. The MAN vs the free individual. What is most significant about the movie is the deeper meaning behind the dynamics of the story. Some people don't get it, and some do.

Of course the phrase, "sound of music", is a metaphor for the spirit of freedom. It makes so much sense, whether one considers it corny or not. Nothing corny about escaping the conformity and control and murderous authority of a Hitler, Castro, or possibly some in our own country I could mention. None of these forces gain momentum without it looking like a good cause in the early stages. People always give up their rights in the name of what they think is a good cause. Then they find out it is not as they thought and that the boot comes down on them as well as those they were willing to sacrifice in pursuit of that nebulous "greater good". Usually sanctioned villains emerge. People and classes which become fair game for hate and harassment. We are seeing that here in the USA, where such things are not supposed to happen. It plays, like many local car ads, to the lowest, basest aspects of human nature, and to the ignorance of the lowest common denominator. That tactic works. It sells cars.

Speaking of cars. I was in that business, and the most appalling aspect of it was that the most money was made off of those with the least. The real shocker was that they generally refused to hear the truth if you tried to talk them out of sinking themselves in a bad loan for more car than was reasonable. I hated to deal with those customers. That may explain why I bailed from that job. I did well with people of means and sense. It was always good when someone actually trusted my suggestions and didn't sink themselves in some stupid obligation just because they could.

Anyway, it was a study in how easily people can be influenced by what they see on TV. And how their greed for the shiny object clouded their judgement like a drowning man. You try to help and they lash out at you as if you are the enemy.

All that aside, sort of, I had an idea that might work if I can get the cooperation I need to pull it off. What is ironic is that it might be a hit with groups whose philosophy and reason for liking it would be completely different from my own motivation. It's all about the sound of music. Wouldn't it be bizarre to enlist those who haven't a clue what that means?

Just a minor scheme. Nothing earth shattering, but I don't need earth shattering, only projects which can provide some lasting satisfaction and benefit for myself and those who trade with me or work with me. This one may be crazy enough to work. I know it could work. If the idea floated into my mind, it has to be out there for anyone to grab. That's how I think these things work. I can't believe no one has done this. Those who would be most motivated are unlikely to actually do anything. They are too busy making noise and being hateful. My scheme has no hate involved, just music.

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TWO THUMBS UP FOR NAVY SEALS!!!!!

I confess, I figured Obama would never give them the latitude to do what they felt they had to do. Now they will need to do some real trickery to shut the rest of these bastards down. Taking hostages is a very low business and those who trade that way deserve whatever it takes to stop them. The world is a much poorer, more violent place than it has to be. Between superstition and pure stupidity it seems a condition which won't change much anytime soon.

Easter is the big time of rebirth. Nice time for fertility rites. I'm quite happy that ship's captain was rescued.

This has been one of the best Easter Sundays I've experienced in years. I've got some good leftovers I brought home to prove it. What an unusual day when I consider an unexpected card or two I've fallen into a place where the people I know just won't let me give up and fade away. Then on the way home the great Idea jumped into my thoughts. Perfect.

Sleep Is Almost All I Crave

It's another world and lately my brain is really pushing for it. Except that actually sleeping at the right times is difficult, and at the wrong times it is not. The result is that I'm not quite all here in my waking hours. Or less all here than usual. A matter of degree I suppose. It's one of those phases in which I am often confused between things that really occurred and those that were dreamt. I keep it to myself. Nothing of great importance is in that mix.

I caught the old movie, The In-Laws, with Peter Falk and Alan Arkin on a local station. It seems a remake was made, but hard to imagine anyone equalling the original.

What struck me was that since the dictatorships of Latin America could never pay off their debts, they were stealing plate to print money. It was feared the economy would go into chaos due to all the additional money in circulation. Some very curious parallels with today's world, right down to the crazy generalisimo with the talking hand and fabulous art collection of black velevet master pieces.

I'm wondering what the remake must have been like. I suspect they did a more sensitive politically correct version. Who would have thought a movie like that could hold so many strange elements of prophesy if you don't look too literally at the comparisons.

The similarities, such as spend your way out of debt, print worthless money to fund it, and then sweat out the problems with the world's monetary systems or just ignore that part. And plenty of crooks and corrupt officials popping up every step of the way. Not so far from the way it is going in the US. Whoever said we were becoming a banana republic probably watched that movie.

I'm even wondering if some of the engineers of current policy didn't get their ideas from that classic flick. They certainly didn't pull the plan from "The Wealth of Nations", or anything by Milton Friedman.