That is a phrase I learned since embarking on the Tour west. It often applies to the justification for inhabiting the desert. There seem to be all kinds of variations when it comes to desert. I haven't learned all of it. I know I am not far from there, but this is not the desert. It is technically in the middle of national forest. The trees are just extremely short. Shorter than the rocks and boulders in most, but not all, cases.
I worry about mentioning record breaking heat because those so inclined may decide this is the result of evil humans inhabiting the planet and building machines. I'm not in that camp. I think the evil humans are only responsible for record breaking cold temperatures when they occur. And for record breaking snowfall. That is all the fault of those arrogant interlopers who just landed on the planet and decided they had a right to make it their home.
Until recently the love and blind adoration for earth was hardly mentioned. Once they got organized all they wanted to do was have sex and beg for a good growing season and kids who weren't idiots. The good old days...
Fortunately much of the time today involved the teak cleaning and brightening process which requires that you spray the stuff with water, a lot. That may have kept things cooler. It was breezy enough anyway. The temp was at least 95F. It was the one time I checked what my car had to say, and it was in the shade.
I think when people have enough money they can bribe the weather gods and get little concessions like a pleasant breeze. Another of the reasons I like the environment in which I do this menial, maniacal, obsessive compulsive project. It's like boot camp, preparing me for things to come, and getting me back in the mood to attack life, one the menial level or for a billion dollars. Most likely my attack will remain in the low few figure range, but I see no reason to rule out possibility.
Project J appears almost done. It's a friggin work of art. There is still the chance I may be the only one who knows that although I was told in spanish by a housekeeper that my work is is very beautiful. I think that's what we were discussing. It was amiable at any rate, and I conversed without hemming and hawing. I surprised myself. No sentences like, "Si, el worko is mucho and los teakos no hay la easy".
Ideas are still cooking. I'd like to see if I can get some of the things rolling when I can get the time. It's a three or four pronged attack, with none of the prongs closely related.
You have no idea how hard it is not to comment on the recent conference with Obama, Hugo, and Larry Curly and Moe. Among other things in the zany world of hope and change.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Teak Tip # X(y+2)420 and Artistic Happiness
If you find that the wood is sort of split with gaps in places you can't glue with clear epoxy and clamp together, so you settle for sort of filling them in, take some wood glue, squirt some into the crack (sounds racy but this is technical) get some sanding dust from the same project--empty out the dust bag from the sander--- squirt some more glue on the discarded cardboard container that once held the sand paper, mix in some dust, tear a strip of that cardboard off to use as a paddle to mix it up into a fairly thick paste.
Then take that and work it into the crevice being healed. The one you already put some glue in. Keep adding and working it in with the cardboard stick you tore off earlier. It has a glossy finish which helps. Keep doing that, using the finesse and touch which comes from experience and years of sobriety, until you have built up the surface so that the actual crack is no longer visible.
Later you can sand it down and curse the fact that it doesn't look exactly like the other wood around it. It's better than the alternative, and if you were going to paint it, no one would know. If you are going to do teak oil, you can sand it in such a way that it just looks like some weirdness in the wood. It will be marvelous and you'll be glad you did it.
Otherwise you risk clothing or body parts catching on the errant splitting pieces of wood. It could result in gigantic splinters greeting the other side of your belly, instead of the warm caress most teak sitters crave.
----------------------------------------------------
Is it just me or does there seem to be a dearth of humor in modern society lately? I don't completely mean the jokester stuff but just a general cheerfulness. The carefree art and such of happier times is tougher to come by. It could just be me.
The TV comedians have taken to tired political jokes, almost as if they all have the same writers. I mentioned that before. But they aren't funny. Most radio talk is devoid of much cheer. Of course that is understandable given the subject matter.
Somehow it used to be that one could lampoon politics and make it funny, even if you disagreed with the underlying sentiment. I think there is one exception; Dennis Miller of all people. I've caught his radio show a few times lately, parts of it anyway, and he seems to have the ability to make a point and not lose the humor. I was always kind of lukewarm about Dennis but now I find myself becoming a fan. Dennis and the Padres. What's next?
Anyway, I keep hoping for an artistic revolution of sorts. Sort of like a modern day Peter Max, but not a knock off, some direction we never considered.
I may be imagining all this. How does one know when he is delusional? Lots of people find their thrills in video games, but that seems a little lacking in humanity, and other than the skills acquired manipulating the gadget, the games appear to lack redeeming values of any kind. Maybe it is fun. But it misses the mark on what I think is due. These are the times which are ripe for a cultural revolution and twist of thinking. It is hard to explain what I am thinking but I am thinking something.
Then take that and work it into the crevice being healed. The one you already put some glue in. Keep adding and working it in with the cardboard stick you tore off earlier. It has a glossy finish which helps. Keep doing that, using the finesse and touch which comes from experience and years of sobriety, until you have built up the surface so that the actual crack is no longer visible.
Later you can sand it down and curse the fact that it doesn't look exactly like the other wood around it. It's better than the alternative, and if you were going to paint it, no one would know. If you are going to do teak oil, you can sand it in such a way that it just looks like some weirdness in the wood. It will be marvelous and you'll be glad you did it.
Otherwise you risk clothing or body parts catching on the errant splitting pieces of wood. It could result in gigantic splinters greeting the other side of your belly, instead of the warm caress most teak sitters crave.
----------------------------------------------------
Is it just me or does there seem to be a dearth of humor in modern society lately? I don't completely mean the jokester stuff but just a general cheerfulness. The carefree art and such of happier times is tougher to come by. It could just be me.
The TV comedians have taken to tired political jokes, almost as if they all have the same writers. I mentioned that before. But they aren't funny. Most radio talk is devoid of much cheer. Of course that is understandable given the subject matter.
Somehow it used to be that one could lampoon politics and make it funny, even if you disagreed with the underlying sentiment. I think there is one exception; Dennis Miller of all people. I've caught his radio show a few times lately, parts of it anyway, and he seems to have the ability to make a point and not lose the humor. I was always kind of lukewarm about Dennis but now I find myself becoming a fan. Dennis and the Padres. What's next?
Anyway, I keep hoping for an artistic revolution of sorts. Sort of like a modern day Peter Max, but not a knock off, some direction we never considered.
I may be imagining all this. How does one know when he is delusional? Lots of people find their thrills in video games, but that seems a little lacking in humanity, and other than the skills acquired manipulating the gadget, the games appear to lack redeeming values of any kind. Maybe it is fun. But it misses the mark on what I think is due. These are the times which are ripe for a cultural revolution and twist of thinking. It is hard to explain what I am thinking but I am thinking something.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Now I'm A Baseball Fan
On the way home from work, I've been catching the end of ball games on the radio. It appears San Diego Padres are off to a great start. Isn't a Padre a Catholic priest? I knew Cubans could play baseball and box, but I never thought about priests being good players. Not sure what this has to do with Cubans. The mind is a many splintered thing.
Whatever the deal, I guess the Padres from this town can play. Maybe it is because their social life is limited. I know, the limited social life of a priest is a dubious stereotype. What do I know? I've only met a few priests. Most were witty characters. One was pure evil, and that's that. That was the one at immigration hearings, years ago in Miami, who wanted all the federal money sent down there for immigrants to go through him. Long story but the guy had nerve. He gave me the creeps like I've never experienced just from being in proximity to someone.
It does seem that everyone likes this city a lot. Some places are like that.
Latest road merchandise, let's see, a drive shaft, of course a ladder, landscape bags (?)--must be bags of dirt--seems like something else that would be useful but I can't remember it. Maybe it was a stove or something like that. Other than that all I have to report is a rash of people driving into buildings. Someone drove into the dentist's office, another crashed into a restaurant, and some else drove into some kind of business. It must be all the rage.
OK. No days off until I'm done with project J. If project O was free of people this week I would include it, too. They are likely to be in the way for a week or two so I guess I'll have to take time off when J is complete. I love the environment there. It is like going to work in the Garden of Eden every day. I'm one of the few workers there for which Spanish is not the first language.
They are hurting for cash in this state. As the rhetoric has increased on the subject, I noticed the prevalence of speed traps has too. I heard the city actually shortened the yellow lights so the cameras would catch more people, bring in more money. I believe they got caught and some group nailed them in court. The cams are a money loser and prevent no accidents. Nice piece of technology though, if you only consider intrinsic value and not what it is for.
Whatever the deal, I guess the Padres from this town can play. Maybe it is because their social life is limited. I know, the limited social life of a priest is a dubious stereotype. What do I know? I've only met a few priests. Most were witty characters. One was pure evil, and that's that. That was the one at immigration hearings, years ago in Miami, who wanted all the federal money sent down there for immigrants to go through him. Long story but the guy had nerve. He gave me the creeps like I've never experienced just from being in proximity to someone.
It does seem that everyone likes this city a lot. Some places are like that.
Latest road merchandise, let's see, a drive shaft, of course a ladder, landscape bags (?)--must be bags of dirt--seems like something else that would be useful but I can't remember it. Maybe it was a stove or something like that. Other than that all I have to report is a rash of people driving into buildings. Someone drove into the dentist's office, another crashed into a restaurant, and some else drove into some kind of business. It must be all the rage.
OK. No days off until I'm done with project J. If project O was free of people this week I would include it, too. They are likely to be in the way for a week or two so I guess I'll have to take time off when J is complete. I love the environment there. It is like going to work in the Garden of Eden every day. I'm one of the few workers there for which Spanish is not the first language.
They are hurting for cash in this state. As the rhetoric has increased on the subject, I noticed the prevalence of speed traps has too. I heard the city actually shortened the yellow lights so the cameras would catch more people, bring in more money. I believe they got caught and some group nailed them in court. The cams are a money loser and prevent no accidents. Nice piece of technology though, if you only consider intrinsic value and not what it is for.
Contempt Prior to Investigation
I forget who the guy was that listed that as a principle which is guaranteed to result in everlasting ignorance. A corollary to that would be acceptance prior to investigation. Many cases of contempt and acceptance prior to investigation are flooding the culture these days. Most of it is on purpose, and people, being human and not wanting to be odd man out spotlighted for ridicule, go along.
Have you noticed how mainstream comedians and people like Letterman pick up the political ball lately? He's become unwatchable, but I catch bits here and there that all sound as if scripted by the same hack. One example was when Rom said Rush Limbaugh was the new face of the Republican Party, implying that he pretty much called the shots.
I find Rush a bit hard to take due to the back patting ego, but I do not find him mean or hateful as portrayed. Letterman and others took the hint and went to town trying to label him the same way Rom did. I'm no fan of either party because both got us to this place, hitting from different angles but heading to the same place. But I have listened enough to know that it was a purposeful bit of propaganda to say he is the face of the party.
Rev. Wright is not the face of the Democratic party. All these personalities get in the way of the truth. I've never seen this country so blindly splintered. I know people who absolutely go hostile at the mention of a Republican. Usually critics I know just shake their heads when someone is outed as a democrat. In today's environment, it is far safer to be a dem. It is less safe than ever to be a Libertarian or leaning that way. They got you on a list with terrorists. I blame republicans and democrats for that.
Back when the 911 report came out I could see both parties hard at work setting up things to undermine individual sovereignty, and of course by-passing state and local authority. To hell with any steenkeeng constitution. The whole purpose of that is to limit power of government.
The phrase "a nation of laws" was originally meant a government limited in scope by laws. Lines drawn to keep it in check. That flipflopped so that now "a nation of laws" means a nation with so many damned laws that a person can't sneeze without breaking one. The people are now limited and the ones who have to have permission to act. The plan was to have a government that needed permission.
Anyway. I've seen very blatant examples of dissent being twisted, mis-reported and painted as insanity lately. Further investigation paints another picture. People accept much of what is being done economically because we are told it is OK, and there are crises to avert. Maybe yes, maybe no. Investigation and following the dominos back to the point when they were all standing is not easy, but yields another view.
So many statistics get spouted without evidence or source. Often when the true numbers are obtainable, they vary greatly from those quoted by our elected officials and their sales puppets in the news. The actual influence of US guns in Mexico is one example. Apparently they've inflated that for some reason to become clear soon. It sounds like an excuse to once again inconvenience non-trouble makers.
I have to say, as one who is loathe to apologize for being a citizen or for much else internationally, I am a bit put off that Obama is taking the blame for Mexico's problems and those of the rest of the world, on behalf of the US. It is a bit laughable to be claiming we are arrogant with a great many Brits and French in the crowd. But even when I was furious at Bush, that bit about being ashamed to be American, and the guilt I was supposed to feel toward the gold diggers overseas never quite touched me.
I'm beyond the point of being mad at Obama or Bush or even Hilary. It's too sad. I'm wondering if some of the fiction I read was actually a vision sent by God. The people and events are jumping off of Orwell's, Huxley's and Rand's pages.
They can do or say what they like, and the people can find their religion in some unknown goal of the state (there are definitely religious overtones in all the mischief), as long as I have duct tape, WD-40, channel locks and my lucky Leatherman tool, I'm ahead of the game.
My first instinct many years ago about Arnold was correct. He is an ego maniac and a nincompoop. One of those people just smart enough to get by but not bright enough to know he is not that bright. He absolutely does not get it. For awhile I thought he understood the USA. Clearly he doesn't. He understands fascism and thinks it is OK because he considers his brand benevolent.
Who would have guessed that we'd come to a point at which "the Rich" are considered greedy devils, and the best security is not to own anything? OK. Maybe some us did guess it. Still, I really never believed they'd be compiling lists of enemies based not on substantial history but on whether you disagree with those in power. !!Bien Venidos a Habana!!
Have you noticed how mainstream comedians and people like Letterman pick up the political ball lately? He's become unwatchable, but I catch bits here and there that all sound as if scripted by the same hack. One example was when Rom said Rush Limbaugh was the new face of the Republican Party, implying that he pretty much called the shots.
I find Rush a bit hard to take due to the back patting ego, but I do not find him mean or hateful as portrayed. Letterman and others took the hint and went to town trying to label him the same way Rom did. I'm no fan of either party because both got us to this place, hitting from different angles but heading to the same place. But I have listened enough to know that it was a purposeful bit of propaganda to say he is the face of the party.
Rev. Wright is not the face of the Democratic party. All these personalities get in the way of the truth. I've never seen this country so blindly splintered. I know people who absolutely go hostile at the mention of a Republican. Usually critics I know just shake their heads when someone is outed as a democrat. In today's environment, it is far safer to be a dem. It is less safe than ever to be a Libertarian or leaning that way. They got you on a list with terrorists. I blame republicans and democrats for that.
Back when the 911 report came out I could see both parties hard at work setting up things to undermine individual sovereignty, and of course by-passing state and local authority. To hell with any steenkeeng constitution. The whole purpose of that is to limit power of government.
The phrase "a nation of laws" was originally meant a government limited in scope by laws. Lines drawn to keep it in check. That flipflopped so that now "a nation of laws" means a nation with so many damned laws that a person can't sneeze without breaking one. The people are now limited and the ones who have to have permission to act. The plan was to have a government that needed permission.
Anyway. I've seen very blatant examples of dissent being twisted, mis-reported and painted as insanity lately. Further investigation paints another picture. People accept much of what is being done economically because we are told it is OK, and there are crises to avert. Maybe yes, maybe no. Investigation and following the dominos back to the point when they were all standing is not easy, but yields another view.
So many statistics get spouted without evidence or source. Often when the true numbers are obtainable, they vary greatly from those quoted by our elected officials and their sales puppets in the news. The actual influence of US guns in Mexico is one example. Apparently they've inflated that for some reason to become clear soon. It sounds like an excuse to once again inconvenience non-trouble makers.
I have to say, as one who is loathe to apologize for being a citizen or for much else internationally, I am a bit put off that Obama is taking the blame for Mexico's problems and those of the rest of the world, on behalf of the US. It is a bit laughable to be claiming we are arrogant with a great many Brits and French in the crowd. But even when I was furious at Bush, that bit about being ashamed to be American, and the guilt I was supposed to feel toward the gold diggers overseas never quite touched me.
I'm beyond the point of being mad at Obama or Bush or even Hilary. It's too sad. I'm wondering if some of the fiction I read was actually a vision sent by God. The people and events are jumping off of Orwell's, Huxley's and Rand's pages.
They can do or say what they like, and the people can find their religion in some unknown goal of the state (there are definitely religious overtones in all the mischief), as long as I have duct tape, WD-40, channel locks and my lucky Leatherman tool, I'm ahead of the game.
My first instinct many years ago about Arnold was correct. He is an ego maniac and a nincompoop. One of those people just smart enough to get by but not bright enough to know he is not that bright. He absolutely does not get it. For awhile I thought he understood the USA. Clearly he doesn't. He understands fascism and thinks it is OK because he considers his brand benevolent.
Who would have guessed that we'd come to a point at which "the Rich" are considered greedy devils, and the best security is not to own anything? OK. Maybe some us did guess it. Still, I really never believed they'd be compiling lists of enemies based not on substantial history but on whether you disagree with those in power. !!Bien Venidos a Habana!!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Spirit of the Tour
It seems advisable to keep up with what's happening on the totalitarian front, but letting it mess with you too much is not the best approach. Real life is largely conducted apart from the life I see on the news that supposedly includes me or people I know.
This present assault on the culture of freedom has been coming for a long time, and I was aware of it so I'm not surprised. It is not encouraging but I know I will never ultimately go along. Every day it is easy to read Big Brother between the lines; always in the name of fighting drug cartels, illegal immigration or terrorists. In the case of drugs and illegals, the target of the measures gets missed. In all cases, people doing nothing wrong, minding their own business are increasingly the real target. Minor inconvenience and sacrifices of privacy are adding up rapidly.
That is what was cool about the Tour from the start. I was shot out into the unknown without any official anything. Oblivious to all but the experience for much of the time. It gave me a much greater appreciation for this country. There are a million very cool spots. The whole thing pulled me out of a pit I wasn't enjoying. Sometimes a wave of that enthusiasm and willingness to face the unknown washes over me.
It still feels like I am in the process of the Tour. I am, actually. Even though I'm in a place and doing things here, it hasn't lost the charm of feeling like a journey. I think that is what life is supposed to be, and lots of people have a handle on that from the start. Pity that I was waylaid a long time ago, and that the result was a bit less than storybook bliss, but letting that overshadow successful progress toward a change of everything makes no sense. I like the changes and direction of things. My mind occasionally rebels against the new and better, wanting to find comfort in the old hopeless place of defeated spirits. Forget that.
Things take awhile. Old habits and patterns don't just go away because the geography changes. This is an exercise in a type of discipline and perseverance. I know what that means in case it doesn't make sense to anyone else. When I am able to see the contrast between before and after, I am happy. The only way I know how to describe the main thing that makes it possible is to call it faith. Faith in what I can't or won't describe, except to say it is often blind faith. This is the right thing, and it will be OK. That's how it goes.
Whether by design or just because, it does seem like the media bombards the airwaves with things that would fuel anyone's discouragement. Way back when I used to say that the news is the government's sales force. Now I see that is being proven more than ever. They are also the sales force of pessimistic self appraisal and fatalistic view of the future.
It probably is not so bad for government workers, but anyone with a spirit of independent freedom is going to be discouraged by the volume of official complications and nonsense. I have enough of that from the detractor voice inside my mind. No need to feed it with the daily butchering of history, truth, and all that I hold holy, doled out by government's and their salesmen twenty fours hours a day.
Something addictive about it. Where do they get these news people? Are those TV anchors aware that they are like human cartoons? I think many viewers believe they are sincere and real. Maybe they just stare is disbelief like I do.
The Tour is the best defense. If I can treat this phase like the on the road part, then life will be OK. It makes me long for a road trip. Maybe I'll run up the coast if conditions permit sometime in the summer. I've got the tent and all that stuff. Plus I have places and people I might be able to see.
That is the one thing that bugs be about the police staters and cap and trade socialists; they are dead set on killing mobility. Maybe I'll end up with a bike and one of those little trailers. I can't picture myself in a bike get up though. Tights are an affront to the public on some people.
This present assault on the culture of freedom has been coming for a long time, and I was aware of it so I'm not surprised. It is not encouraging but I know I will never ultimately go along. Every day it is easy to read Big Brother between the lines; always in the name of fighting drug cartels, illegal immigration or terrorists. In the case of drugs and illegals, the target of the measures gets missed. In all cases, people doing nothing wrong, minding their own business are increasingly the real target. Minor inconvenience and sacrifices of privacy are adding up rapidly.
That is what was cool about the Tour from the start. I was shot out into the unknown without any official anything. Oblivious to all but the experience for much of the time. It gave me a much greater appreciation for this country. There are a million very cool spots. The whole thing pulled me out of a pit I wasn't enjoying. Sometimes a wave of that enthusiasm and willingness to face the unknown washes over me.
It still feels like I am in the process of the Tour. I am, actually. Even though I'm in a place and doing things here, it hasn't lost the charm of feeling like a journey. I think that is what life is supposed to be, and lots of people have a handle on that from the start. Pity that I was waylaid a long time ago, and that the result was a bit less than storybook bliss, but letting that overshadow successful progress toward a change of everything makes no sense. I like the changes and direction of things. My mind occasionally rebels against the new and better, wanting to find comfort in the old hopeless place of defeated spirits. Forget that.
Things take awhile. Old habits and patterns don't just go away because the geography changes. This is an exercise in a type of discipline and perseverance. I know what that means in case it doesn't make sense to anyone else. When I am able to see the contrast between before and after, I am happy. The only way I know how to describe the main thing that makes it possible is to call it faith. Faith in what I can't or won't describe, except to say it is often blind faith. This is the right thing, and it will be OK. That's how it goes.
Whether by design or just because, it does seem like the media bombards the airwaves with things that would fuel anyone's discouragement. Way back when I used to say that the news is the government's sales force. Now I see that is being proven more than ever. They are also the sales force of pessimistic self appraisal and fatalistic view of the future.
It probably is not so bad for government workers, but anyone with a spirit of independent freedom is going to be discouraged by the volume of official complications and nonsense. I have enough of that from the detractor voice inside my mind. No need to feed it with the daily butchering of history, truth, and all that I hold holy, doled out by government's and their salesmen twenty fours hours a day.
Something addictive about it. Where do they get these news people? Are those TV anchors aware that they are like human cartoons? I think many viewers believe they are sincere and real. Maybe they just stare is disbelief like I do.
The Tour is the best defense. If I can treat this phase like the on the road part, then life will be OK. It makes me long for a road trip. Maybe I'll run up the coast if conditions permit sometime in the summer. I've got the tent and all that stuff. Plus I have places and people I might be able to see.
That is the one thing that bugs be about the police staters and cap and trade socialists; they are dead set on killing mobility. Maybe I'll end up with a bike and one of those little trailers. I can't picture myself in a bike get up though. Tights are an affront to the public on some people.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
The Gods May Not Be Crazy but La Gente, hay un cosa loca
My Spanish is perfect. Anyone who speaks espanol and finds it otherwise is merely the victim of some popular dialect. So many things have been broadcast over the airways and written in news reports lately which I find utterly astounding, where would one begin to separate truth from fiction; right from wrong; sane from insane.
One thing for sure, misinformation and dishonest propaganda has swept the nation and the world like the British Invasion swept music in the 60's. It's everywhere and popular to the point of mass hysteria. Except it is not fun and upbeat like the early Beatles. Fun and upbeat is what is lacking these days. I am always fun and upbeat, but I may be nuts, so that may not count. Until now, I never considered myself a pathological liar. Well, that can be fun and upbeat if done with a high level of artistic integrity.
I'll try to get some stuff done at project O, as it pays as I go. However I am taking no days off until project J is complete because I'll at least get paid sooner and because I only have 2 weeks. At that time I am going to a southern Druid retreat located on a golf course. I will be erecting an alter to the god of the forest. It will look much like a patio or deck.
No telling what else will unfold on that adventure. I bet Homeland Security will be watching since southern druids are considered a potential security threat. They haven't actually done any violence or threatening mischief--YET. But HS thinks they could. It could happen. A bunch of neo southern druids in hoodies, like gangstas, could confuse people who don't know they aren't really a gang. They might hold mass fertility rites and upset the balance.
I think they should watch squirrels. I've noticed that in many areas they have become more brazen, and although they haven't organized and attacked people en masse, they could. It could happen. Better safe than sorry.
How did we ever survive before Homeland Security came on the scene? You may say they are there to protect against foreign fanatics on a mission from the peace be upon him guy, but they gave that up long ago. They figured out that the potential for domestic threats is huge. We have something like 350 million potential threats in this country, not counting coyotes, bears and squirrels.
Any one of your neighbors could go berzerk and pose a safety threat at any time. Watch them closely and report any unusual behavior; things like fertility rites in the back yard, independent thought, home remodeling, installing altars or patios.
So, before long I'm going underground. I'll infiltrate their ranks pretending to build the patio-like altar. Then I'll wait until they come show their subversive faces. Depending on various factors I may see about trapping them in some sort of fertility ceremonies. Then after a few such events, or more, I'll spring the trap and let Homeland Security take it from there.
One thing for sure, misinformation and dishonest propaganda has swept the nation and the world like the British Invasion swept music in the 60's. It's everywhere and popular to the point of mass hysteria. Except it is not fun and upbeat like the early Beatles. Fun and upbeat is what is lacking these days. I am always fun and upbeat, but I may be nuts, so that may not count. Until now, I never considered myself a pathological liar. Well, that can be fun and upbeat if done with a high level of artistic integrity.
I'll try to get some stuff done at project O, as it pays as I go. However I am taking no days off until project J is complete because I'll at least get paid sooner and because I only have 2 weeks. At that time I am going to a southern Druid retreat located on a golf course. I will be erecting an alter to the god of the forest. It will look much like a patio or deck.
No telling what else will unfold on that adventure. I bet Homeland Security will be watching since southern druids are considered a potential security threat. They haven't actually done any violence or threatening mischief--YET. But HS thinks they could. It could happen. A bunch of neo southern druids in hoodies, like gangstas, could confuse people who don't know they aren't really a gang. They might hold mass fertility rites and upset the balance.
I think they should watch squirrels. I've noticed that in many areas they have become more brazen, and although they haven't organized and attacked people en masse, they could. It could happen. Better safe than sorry.
How did we ever survive before Homeland Security came on the scene? You may say they are there to protect against foreign fanatics on a mission from the peace be upon him guy, but they gave that up long ago. They figured out that the potential for domestic threats is huge. We have something like 350 million potential threats in this country, not counting coyotes, bears and squirrels.
Any one of your neighbors could go berzerk and pose a safety threat at any time. Watch them closely and report any unusual behavior; things like fertility rites in the back yard, independent thought, home remodeling, installing altars or patios.
So, before long I'm going underground. I'll infiltrate their ranks pretending to build the patio-like altar. Then I'll wait until they come show their subversive faces. Depending on various factors I may see about trapping them in some sort of fertility ceremonies. Then after a few such events, or more, I'll spring the trap and let Homeland Security take it from there.
Homeland Silencing
I read the Homeland Security memo which outlines the threats of "right wing extremists". It is too bad, but I doubt most people have either the courage or the wherewithal to see through the very clear agenda driven propaganda. It is very clear that the "report" states opinions more than facts, and has no data to back up most of it.
They continually harp on the fact that we have the first "African-American" president. That, in itself, is a troubling phrase. Because no one wants to upset the cart they don't say, "Is he African or American? I thought an American president had to be American." When you become the president it is time to drop the hyphens. It is far more inclusive to do so. But for whatever reason it pleases the sensibilities, I guess I'll roll with that one.
It was historic in that sense. First African appearing person to be elected. That has no bearing on my view of issues. But the Homeland Security report implies that anyone who disagrees with this administration's philosophy of government is likely to be racist, and probably recruiting others in order to blow things up.
They target returning veterans as potential threats, those who don't like job outsourcing, those who feel less power is due the national government in favor of power being more in the jurisdiction of state and local government, or even the individual.
The bottom line is that they are lumping all critics of the government and this administration in with the KKK and those like them. I can tell you now that I am in disagreement with the economic and foreign policy approach of this administration. I don't agree at all with their ideas regarding cap and trade or much else. It has nothing to do with skin color. I would have voted for Thomas Sowell had he been running, or Obama had he been a fan of Milton Freidman. Or a fan of individual freedom.
Just the way I see it. Socialism, by definition, flies in the face of freedom because someone is deciding where the fruits of your labors go, and it ain't you. That is theft. It is slavery. Just because the tyrant smiles and claims your forced sacrifice is for a good cause does not give him the right to run your life.
Painting dissenters as "right wing extremists" and racists is a very serious step toward a kind of oppression which will come back to bite everyone except those in power sooner or later. The precedent is not a good one and the trend is not benevolent. We Will still have to pay to fill our gas tanks, and we will still have to pay our rent or mortgage. Those who think otherwise will find they traded their right to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness for a spot on the chain gang. It is one case in which even ignorance is not bliss.
I guess I speak up because not to do so would further empower the social pressure in the air that makes it uncomfortable to admit you are not a democrat or a fan of Obama, Rom, Ted, Janet, Hilary, and the rest of those people who in my mind actually hate those they pretend to serve, and certainly they seem to hate my ancestors who were involved in fighting for free states and in the development of this country. Not to mention the world wars and such as that. Supposedly all that bllod was shed for freedom and protecting rights of the individual. Allegedly those wars were fought so future generations would be free of tyranny in this country; so they wouldn't have to fight such bloody wars. I doubt police actions and complicated rules of engagement would have made sense back then.
They continually harp on the fact that we have the first "African-American" president. That, in itself, is a troubling phrase. Because no one wants to upset the cart they don't say, "Is he African or American? I thought an American president had to be American." When you become the president it is time to drop the hyphens. It is far more inclusive to do so. But for whatever reason it pleases the sensibilities, I guess I'll roll with that one.
It was historic in that sense. First African appearing person to be elected. That has no bearing on my view of issues. But the Homeland Security report implies that anyone who disagrees with this administration's philosophy of government is likely to be racist, and probably recruiting others in order to blow things up.
They target returning veterans as potential threats, those who don't like job outsourcing, those who feel less power is due the national government in favor of power being more in the jurisdiction of state and local government, or even the individual.
The bottom line is that they are lumping all critics of the government and this administration in with the KKK and those like them. I can tell you now that I am in disagreement with the economic and foreign policy approach of this administration. I don't agree at all with their ideas regarding cap and trade or much else. It has nothing to do with skin color. I would have voted for Thomas Sowell had he been running, or Obama had he been a fan of Milton Freidman. Or a fan of individual freedom.
Just the way I see it. Socialism, by definition, flies in the face of freedom because someone is deciding where the fruits of your labors go, and it ain't you. That is theft. It is slavery. Just because the tyrant smiles and claims your forced sacrifice is for a good cause does not give him the right to run your life.
Painting dissenters as "right wing extremists" and racists is a very serious step toward a kind of oppression which will come back to bite everyone except those in power sooner or later. The precedent is not a good one and the trend is not benevolent. We Will still have to pay to fill our gas tanks, and we will still have to pay our rent or mortgage. Those who think otherwise will find they traded their right to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness for a spot on the chain gang. It is one case in which even ignorance is not bliss.
I guess I speak up because not to do so would further empower the social pressure in the air that makes it uncomfortable to admit you are not a democrat or a fan of Obama, Rom, Ted, Janet, Hilary, and the rest of those people who in my mind actually hate those they pretend to serve, and certainly they seem to hate my ancestors who were involved in fighting for free states and in the development of this country. Not to mention the world wars and such as that. Supposedly all that bllod was shed for freedom and protecting rights of the individual. Allegedly those wars were fought so future generations would be free of tyranny in this country; so they wouldn't have to fight such bloody wars. I doubt police actions and complicated rules of engagement would have made sense back then.
Not Again--Good Ideas out in the ether
Darn, dagnabbit, horse hockey and double dangnaminous!!! I had some good topic and poof. By the time I wrestled with passwords and all this garbage I suddenly had to use, couldn't remember and don't know if it was just the system being raided by Homeland Security, I forget why I am here.
I think it was something that sidestepped my complaints about overbearing insane ruling classes and all that come with them. That is hard for me when it comes to writing. I am passionate about the meanings of "democracy in a republic" and freedom of the individual. But people don't care about that sort of abstract thinking as they fill out forms written by sadistic second grade teachers addressing a class of helpless children they don't kill only because they find torture to be sublimely fulfilling. I speak of the IRS here, of course. Hey, it was on the news--they're hiring. I may apply. An incompetent employee can save taxpayers a bundle. I have experience in another state's tax dept,--- long ago. And my views then were similar to what they are now. Many people in that state owe me a big thank you.
To be a serious IRS employee who really believes it is his duty to hound the productive and, curses on them, The Rich, is to be a person who has no business in even a semi free country. It is like legalized pettiness, theft, sadism, envy and thuggery. I cannot believe so few elected officials ever suggest the abolishment of that scum bag agency. Ron Paul did, which is what has endeared him to me.
I understand various agencies, state and federal, keep creating check lists of possible home grown terrorists or militia members. You can count yourself on that list if you disagree with the present administration and any number of policies and agencies. Many of those policies may have been put in place by previous administrations. Mostly if you are not democrat or republican and you think limiting national powers to those enumerated in the Constitution then they paint you as all kinds of ugly.
Somehow they try to tie that thinking in with racist groups and much else which is far off the mark. It is a creeping type of neo-McCarthyism and not any different than the tactics and methods of all the ugliest dictatorships and totalitarian regimes which rose and mostly fell in the twentieth century. Free speech as it was intended when guaranteed as a right has become a dangerous practice. Maybe I'm paranoid but I don't send letters and sign petitions. After the HS exercises in the Memphis area when random people were pulled over and businesses harassed, I opt out. They put all the stuff they gathered in some anti-terror database.
They can have it. I'll settle for life as a drop out. Or a rogue IRS agent. The brush I had with weaselly auditors in that other tax department turned my stomach enough. I doubt I could take ten seconds with the hard core version. Our version of the KGB or SS. I think that is why so many, even in Congress, don't move to abolish it. They get on the wrong side of whoever is in power and the IRS dogs are sent after them. That lawless agency can make trouble whether it is warranted or not. And they all use it. Dems and Repubs.
Got to be a better way.
I think it was something that sidestepped my complaints about overbearing insane ruling classes and all that come with them. That is hard for me when it comes to writing. I am passionate about the meanings of "democracy in a republic" and freedom of the individual. But people don't care about that sort of abstract thinking as they fill out forms written by sadistic second grade teachers addressing a class of helpless children they don't kill only because they find torture to be sublimely fulfilling. I speak of the IRS here, of course. Hey, it was on the news--they're hiring. I may apply. An incompetent employee can save taxpayers a bundle. I have experience in another state's tax dept,--- long ago. And my views then were similar to what they are now. Many people in that state owe me a big thank you.
To be a serious IRS employee who really believes it is his duty to hound the productive and, curses on them, The Rich, is to be a person who has no business in even a semi free country. It is like legalized pettiness, theft, sadism, envy and thuggery. I cannot believe so few elected officials ever suggest the abolishment of that scum bag agency. Ron Paul did, which is what has endeared him to me.
I understand various agencies, state and federal, keep creating check lists of possible home grown terrorists or militia members. You can count yourself on that list if you disagree with the present administration and any number of policies and agencies. Many of those policies may have been put in place by previous administrations. Mostly if you are not democrat or republican and you think limiting national powers to those enumerated in the Constitution then they paint you as all kinds of ugly.
Somehow they try to tie that thinking in with racist groups and much else which is far off the mark. It is a creeping type of neo-McCarthyism and not any different than the tactics and methods of all the ugliest dictatorships and totalitarian regimes which rose and mostly fell in the twentieth century. Free speech as it was intended when guaranteed as a right has become a dangerous practice. Maybe I'm paranoid but I don't send letters and sign petitions. After the HS exercises in the Memphis area when random people were pulled over and businesses harassed, I opt out. They put all the stuff they gathered in some anti-terror database.
They can have it. I'll settle for life as a drop out. Or a rogue IRS agent. The brush I had with weaselly auditors in that other tax department turned my stomach enough. I doubt I could take ten seconds with the hard core version. Our version of the KGB or SS. I think that is why so many, even in Congress, don't move to abolish it. They get on the wrong side of whoever is in power and the IRS dogs are sent after them. That lawless agency can make trouble whether it is warranted or not. And they all use it. Dems and Repubs.
Got to be a better way.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Ups and Downs and the Art of Mental Maintenance
It must be a function of nature. The weight of nature vs nurture has come to my attention lately in other contexts, but it has caused me to wonder where each applies in my own case. I don't think there is a clear delineation as the two often work with synergistic effectiveness for good or ill. In my case, I suppose there has been more ill result than I'd choose. The element of choice based on conscience, logic, and possibly mystical belief can temper the effect of a spirit that follows a sine wave.
Practice and perseverance actually do work when it comes to leveling off yoyo emotions. The trick of recognizing the highs and being careful is probably an advanced level of the art. After periods of being down, a high is always a welcome relief. Neither condition is very useful. I haven't had too much trouble with this stuff for awhile, but it is only because of the habit of constantly curbing the out of bounds thoughts which lead to the blues. Anyone can come up with a thousand things abut himself that are deficient, defective and no good. They are generally not even legitimate, but that doesn't matter. That's where nurture and nature take hold.
One might be somehow wired to flipflop into a depressed state, and if early learning included some kind of shock for minor mistakes or just differing opinion, he will beat "them" to the punch, berating himself and indulging in self loathing.
The real key is to discover that thoughts can be controlled. Many people think they can't but they are wrong. There is a difference in saying "be positive, be cheerful" and stopping when a thought like "you're an idiot and everyone hates you" comes up, then asking where did that come from. For one thing, you don't even know everyone, so that is obviously an unproven statement. The internal dialog that uses words like always, should, never, worthless, etc. can be inspected under a lens of cold logic. It is pretty rare that one always screws everything up, always says the wrong thing or never does anything right. The chemicals released by full blown funk become somewhat addictive even though they are no fun. That's why the mind resists shooting down the things that fuel the blues.
That was one of the most astonishing things I ever learned; that the mind will actually play tricks on otherwise intelligent people. It still amazes me, and I think it is a thing that takes a long time to learn to combat. Why the mind would try to defeat itself is a complicated proposition but it does. The why is less important than taking the power away from things which don't enhance enjoyment and meaning in life. So much is up to how a thing is viewed. One person is thrilled to have a meal, while another is bummed because the meal is not better.
OK. That's my pep talk to myself for now. Speaking of meals, I got to bring home a bunch of Easter leftovers so I not only have a meal, but I have as good a meal as I could ever want. No problemo there.
Practice and perseverance actually do work when it comes to leveling off yoyo emotions. The trick of recognizing the highs and being careful is probably an advanced level of the art. After periods of being down, a high is always a welcome relief. Neither condition is very useful. I haven't had too much trouble with this stuff for awhile, but it is only because of the habit of constantly curbing the out of bounds thoughts which lead to the blues. Anyone can come up with a thousand things abut himself that are deficient, defective and no good. They are generally not even legitimate, but that doesn't matter. That's where nurture and nature take hold.
One might be somehow wired to flipflop into a depressed state, and if early learning included some kind of shock for minor mistakes or just differing opinion, he will beat "them" to the punch, berating himself and indulging in self loathing.
The real key is to discover that thoughts can be controlled. Many people think they can't but they are wrong. There is a difference in saying "be positive, be cheerful" and stopping when a thought like "you're an idiot and everyone hates you" comes up, then asking where did that come from. For one thing, you don't even know everyone, so that is obviously an unproven statement. The internal dialog that uses words like always, should, never, worthless, etc. can be inspected under a lens of cold logic. It is pretty rare that one always screws everything up, always says the wrong thing or never does anything right. The chemicals released by full blown funk become somewhat addictive even though they are no fun. That's why the mind resists shooting down the things that fuel the blues.
That was one of the most astonishing things I ever learned; that the mind will actually play tricks on otherwise intelligent people. It still amazes me, and I think it is a thing that takes a long time to learn to combat. Why the mind would try to defeat itself is a complicated proposition but it does. The why is less important than taking the power away from things which don't enhance enjoyment and meaning in life. So much is up to how a thing is viewed. One person is thrilled to have a meal, while another is bummed because the meal is not better.
OK. That's my pep talk to myself for now. Speaking of meals, I got to bring home a bunch of Easter leftovers so I not only have a meal, but I have as good a meal as I could ever want. No problemo there.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
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.
-----------
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.
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.
-----------
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.
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About Me
- John0 Juanderlust
- Ballistic Mountain, CA, United States
- Like spring on a summer's day
