WHEN TYRANNY BECOMES INTOLERABLE, and is overthrown violently, it is often replaced by chaos, because those who rose up in violence have nothing with which to replace tyranny. And out of the chaos, tyranny once again arises.
The french revolution removed the bourbon dynasty from power, and tried to replace it with a "directory", a bizarre form of democracy by committee. it descended into chaos, and along came the savior, napoleon, and once again france was subjected to tyranny, with the added bonus of empire.
After world war one the german monarchy was replaced by the weak weimar republic, which collapsed, and from the chaos emerged the third reich. more tyranny. The romanov dynasty in russia was overthrown violently, the kerensky government was utterly ineffective, and from the chaos arose the era of soviet communism. Again, a return to tyranny.
And today, the ancient land of egypt, which only months ago overthrew the tyrannt mubarak, has now risen from the chaos and resumed tyranny, in the person of president morsi. The pattern seems written into the laws of human behavior and politics.
President obama expresses "deep concerns" about the ongoing violence in egypt, and admonishes both tyrannt and opposition to negotiate peacefully, without preconditions. How generous of the united states government to insert itself into egyptian affairs of state, and attempt to dictate terms and expectations.
If only the nations of the world had been so generous during the american revolutionary war, or during the second american revolutionary war, which we americans call the "civil war".
And precisely why does the united states bother to comment at all on internal egyptian political affairs, as if it matters what comments the american president makes about the situation? Because, dear reader, in the world of humanity, might makes right. If you have the most powerful military in the world, more powerful than all other national military on the planet combined, you dictate terms to the world, because you can.
Tyranny assumes many guises.
Friday, December 7, 2012
Progress, Perhaps
DECEMBER SEVENTH is a day of momentous events. Two in particular come to mind. Pearl Harbor, of course, and then, thirty one years later, in 1972, apollo seventeen left earth for mankind's most recent visit to the moon.
There are still people alive who remember both events, and to those people, the world must seem an amazing place. It is difficult to imagine anyone in 1941 envisionsing humans walking on the moon thirty years later. For that matter, on pearl harbor day, most people might not have imagined any future at all.
Yet another major occurance took place on december 7. In a smll town in northwest arkansas, prairie grove, a battle was fought between union and confederate forces which weakened the confederate hold on the western part of the country, and portended that the united states, the "north", would be able to slice up the rebellious south, and eventually claim victory.
In the small town of prairie grove arkansas there are streets named after civil war generals, notably grant and custer, as well as commanders at the battle of prairie grove, hindman and herron. Among these, only hindman was a confederate commander. The other three were union.
The streets are new, in a new subdivision. They beg the question; at what point in recent american history did it become possible to get a street named in arkansas after a yankee general? And the answer, surely, is: only rather recently. Surely not in the nineteen sixties, a decade during which confederate flags still flew from many southern flagpoles.
So who is to say which of the events of december 7 had the most lasting impact? sometimes the least remembered is the most important. We have avoided any further use of atomic weapons, and we have avoided any further world wars. We have failed to stay on the moon, but still have hope for further space exploration.
And in america, a once bitterly divided country now allows old adversaries to name streets after each other. Perhaps that is progress.
There are still people alive who remember both events, and to those people, the world must seem an amazing place. It is difficult to imagine anyone in 1941 envisionsing humans walking on the moon thirty years later. For that matter, on pearl harbor day, most people might not have imagined any future at all.
Yet another major occurance took place on december 7. In a smll town in northwest arkansas, prairie grove, a battle was fought between union and confederate forces which weakened the confederate hold on the western part of the country, and portended that the united states, the "north", would be able to slice up the rebellious south, and eventually claim victory.
In the small town of prairie grove arkansas there are streets named after civil war generals, notably grant and custer, as well as commanders at the battle of prairie grove, hindman and herron. Among these, only hindman was a confederate commander. The other three were union.
The streets are new, in a new subdivision. They beg the question; at what point in recent american history did it become possible to get a street named in arkansas after a yankee general? And the answer, surely, is: only rather recently. Surely not in the nineteen sixties, a decade during which confederate flags still flew from many southern flagpoles.
So who is to say which of the events of december 7 had the most lasting impact? sometimes the least remembered is the most important. We have avoided any further use of atomic weapons, and we have avoided any further world wars. We have failed to stay on the moon, but still have hope for further space exploration.
And in america, a once bitterly divided country now allows old adversaries to name streets after each other. Perhaps that is progress.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Lucky
A GOOD FRIEND of my mother, another elderly lady, decided she was ready to have a good time. Her children and grandchildren were grown and successful, and her husband was dead; it was time to step out a bit.
So she hopped on a plane and flew to vegas. Sparing no expense, she got a nice hotel room attached to a nice casino, stuck her luggage in her room, and went downstairs to hit the tables. She decided to start with a few slot machines.
Several quarters later, she pulled a lever, and the machine suddenly went berserk, making al kindsa noises, and started belching up mountains of change. It kept coming and coming. A huge amount of money.
She got some shopping bags, and some help, and decided it might be best to take the heavily laden shopping bags straight up to her room, and lock them up, before returning for more action. Thank you, but she could carry the bags just fine, no help needed.
Nervously she headed for the elevator with her haul. You never know. Muggers and criminals might be anywhere, and everywhere. All that money, in plain sight, in her small frail hands. Onto the elevator she stepped, and up she started to go.
Suddenly the elevator stopped, and three large, very well dressed african american men joined her, all wearing sunglasses and business suits. Who were these people? Black mafia? Gangsters? Her anxiety increased, her fears dominating her mind. Just be quiet, and ignore them, and maybe they won't hurt her, or take her money.
Suddenly one of the men said "go ahead and hit your floor, ma'am". Panic stricken, she immediately belly flopped down on the elevator floor, and flat on her stomach, she pleaded "take the money, just please don't hurt me".
The three men were dumbfounded. Two of them turned their backs on her, and were evidently struggling with their self control, while the third helped her to her feet, and explained that they were trying to assist her, not mug her. They apologized for the misunderstanding, and helped her to her room, where they bade her farewell.
A few days later when she went to check out of the hotel, the clerk told her that all her bills had been paid by someone. She was puzzled, and insisted that this could not be. But the clerk reiterated, yes ma'am, truly, your bill has been paid, and the gentlemen who paid it left her a note.
The note read "thank you for the best laugh we have ever had in vegas" signed, eddie murhpy, will smith, and chris rock.
some people are just plain lucky.
So she hopped on a plane and flew to vegas. Sparing no expense, she got a nice hotel room attached to a nice casino, stuck her luggage in her room, and went downstairs to hit the tables. She decided to start with a few slot machines.
Several quarters later, she pulled a lever, and the machine suddenly went berserk, making al kindsa noises, and started belching up mountains of change. It kept coming and coming. A huge amount of money.
She got some shopping bags, and some help, and decided it might be best to take the heavily laden shopping bags straight up to her room, and lock them up, before returning for more action. Thank you, but she could carry the bags just fine, no help needed.
Nervously she headed for the elevator with her haul. You never know. Muggers and criminals might be anywhere, and everywhere. All that money, in plain sight, in her small frail hands. Onto the elevator she stepped, and up she started to go.
Suddenly the elevator stopped, and three large, very well dressed african american men joined her, all wearing sunglasses and business suits. Who were these people? Black mafia? Gangsters? Her anxiety increased, her fears dominating her mind. Just be quiet, and ignore them, and maybe they won't hurt her, or take her money.
Suddenly one of the men said "go ahead and hit your floor, ma'am". Panic stricken, she immediately belly flopped down on the elevator floor, and flat on her stomach, she pleaded "take the money, just please don't hurt me".
The three men were dumbfounded. Two of them turned their backs on her, and were evidently struggling with their self control, while the third helped her to her feet, and explained that they were trying to assist her, not mug her. They apologized for the misunderstanding, and helped her to her room, where they bade her farewell.
A few days later when she went to check out of the hotel, the clerk told her that all her bills had been paid by someone. She was puzzled, and insisted that this could not be. But the clerk reiterated, yes ma'am, truly, your bill has been paid, and the gentlemen who paid it left her a note.
The note read "thank you for the best laugh we have ever had in vegas" signed, eddie murhpy, will smith, and chris rock.
some people are just plain lucky.
The Politics of Pettiness
TIM GEITHNER, our secretary of the treasury who looks worried all the time and too young for the job, has made it perfectly clear; the obama administration is, absolutely, willing for the country to go over the "fiscal cliff", which means that as of the first of the new year, if an agreement is not reached, the terms of a previous agreement will kick in, we shall all have increased taxes to pay, and fewer services in return for them.
This "fiscal cliff" is nothing other than the product of a "I dare you" mentality. Both sides of the isle agreed to it, believing that they could back the other side down, and avoid the cliff, which entails spartan budget cuts to everything, when the time came. Now, the time has come.
Ironically, the republicans are quite willing to agree to a plan which would be much more to obama's liking than the fiscal cliff. But rather than compromise or surrender, and go with the republicans, the second term president, emboldened by his recent reelection, would rather play a game of stare down, and see who blinks first.
He is perfectly willing for nobody to blink, and to all go off the cliff together, because the president understands that most of the american people want to raise taxes on the wealthy and nobody else, and at the bottom of the cliff would lick wounds, rub bruises, and blame repoublicans.
Ther is a certaininherent pettiness to all politics, but this is going too far. But, come to think of it, don't we usually go too far with our political pettiness? Almost every american you meet is gonna tell you that he or she is a dog person, or a cat person. Rarely do you hear someone say that they love both equally. This is indicative (of narrow mindedness).
We americans stake out our ground, and we stand firm, come what may, the devil take the hindmost, as they used to say. To an extent, this is admirable. Beyond that, it becomes petty.
Maybe the pettiness isn't as bad as it seems. After all, its been at least several years since anyone got into a fistfight on the floor of the house or senate. But don't throw away your popcorn machine. There's more to come.
This "fiscal cliff" is nothing other than the product of a "I dare you" mentality. Both sides of the isle agreed to it, believing that they could back the other side down, and avoid the cliff, which entails spartan budget cuts to everything, when the time came. Now, the time has come.
Ironically, the republicans are quite willing to agree to a plan which would be much more to obama's liking than the fiscal cliff. But rather than compromise or surrender, and go with the republicans, the second term president, emboldened by his recent reelection, would rather play a game of stare down, and see who blinks first.
He is perfectly willing for nobody to blink, and to all go off the cliff together, because the president understands that most of the american people want to raise taxes on the wealthy and nobody else, and at the bottom of the cliff would lick wounds, rub bruises, and blame repoublicans.
Ther is a certaininherent pettiness to all politics, but this is going too far. But, come to think of it, don't we usually go too far with our political pettiness? Almost every american you meet is gonna tell you that he or she is a dog person, or a cat person. Rarely do you hear someone say that they love both equally. This is indicative (of narrow mindedness).
We americans stake out our ground, and we stand firm, come what may, the devil take the hindmost, as they used to say. To an extent, this is admirable. Beyond that, it becomes petty.
Maybe the pettiness isn't as bad as it seems. After all, its been at least several years since anyone got into a fistfight on the floor of the house or senate. But don't throw away your popcorn machine. There's more to come.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Save the Lawless Internet
THERE IS A SINISTER movment afoot to chop up the internet into pieces, and place it under the control of sovereign nations; the U.S., China, Russia, Britain, the usual suspects. It is difficult to say who all advocates this. Favorable parties and interests doubtless lurk worldwide.
You never know, one of your own neighbors could be a proponent of sovereign internet control (sic)
The main problem with this idea is the obvious one: every sovereign national government on this planet is owned and controlled by the wealthy powerful few, to the exclusion of the masses, whom the powerful few often ludicrously and falsely claim to represent.
Traditionally, of course, and the way it is right now, the internet is controlled by nobody, and thus, by default, by everybody. Thus the internet is much like the wild wild west we americans so fondly love and misremember: lawless.
Aint it grand? Who would have it any other way? The powerful few who own and control the world's governments, that's who. The people who could and would take advantage of internet regulation to profit. Corporations, for example.
It is always difficult to precisely identify the world's masters. One theory has it that the world is owned and controlled by a small, super wealthy , shadowy group called "the illuminati", which consists primarily by a few elite european and american families, with possible assistance from unsavory extraterrestrials.
Another way of looking at it is that the world is owned and controlled by something called the "fortune five hundred". Indisputably, however, there are more than seven billion human beings on earth, and at least six point nine billion of them have nothing in the way of material wealth or political power.
The internet may well be mankind's last best hope for real democracy, precisely because it is controlled by nobody, and thus, by everybody.
The ninety nine percent have nothing to gain, and much to lose, by passively consenting, through inaction, to the seizing of control and regulation of the internet - by anybody. Workers of the world unite, the internet belongs to you!
You never know, one of your own neighbors could be a proponent of sovereign internet control (sic)
The main problem with this idea is the obvious one: every sovereign national government on this planet is owned and controlled by the wealthy powerful few, to the exclusion of the masses, whom the powerful few often ludicrously and falsely claim to represent.
Traditionally, of course, and the way it is right now, the internet is controlled by nobody, and thus, by default, by everybody. Thus the internet is much like the wild wild west we americans so fondly love and misremember: lawless.
Aint it grand? Who would have it any other way? The powerful few who own and control the world's governments, that's who. The people who could and would take advantage of internet regulation to profit. Corporations, for example.
It is always difficult to precisely identify the world's masters. One theory has it that the world is owned and controlled by a small, super wealthy , shadowy group called "the illuminati", which consists primarily by a few elite european and american families, with possible assistance from unsavory extraterrestrials.
Another way of looking at it is that the world is owned and controlled by something called the "fortune five hundred". Indisputably, however, there are more than seven billion human beings on earth, and at least six point nine billion of them have nothing in the way of material wealth or political power.
The internet may well be mankind's last best hope for real democracy, precisely because it is controlled by nobody, and thus, by everybody.
The ninety nine percent have nothing to gain, and much to lose, by passively consenting, through inaction, to the seizing of control and regulation of the internet - by anybody. Workers of the world unite, the internet belongs to you!
Upside Down World
HAAGEN DAZS, a subsidiary of general mills, scored a great victory in corporate capitalistic "red" china. a company had arisen in the recenly financially liberated ancient kingdom calling itself "haager dazs"; a clothing company. It had gotten permission from the chinese government to operate, similar to how permission must be gotten in america to start a business.
Haagen dazs was none too happy about the name of the chinese clothier, and was hoping for relief. Relief came when a chinese court ruled that the clothing company can not keep its name, because people might confuse the clothing with the ice cream.
What a bummer, to take the fam out for a sundae, and to return with underwear.
And so, has the chinese government, and or its court system, joined the american corporate bandwagon? In previous eras one would have expected only defiance from the chinese concerning american corporate "rights".
Hell, in the past one never would have expected a clothing company to have emerged in china which not only is not ownd by the government, but suffered a ruling by the chinese government concerning infringing on the copyrighted name of an american company. The world turned upside down.
Keen observers of international geo-politico-economo-militaro trends have noted that the united states is much in debt to chinese interests, that china is economically on the ascent with its neo mercantilistic government controlled capitalism, that the U.S. seems in decline, and that therefore the twenty first century might very well become the chinese century, just as the twentieth was the american century.
Well, we'll see. If the chinese government keeps making rulings favorable to american businesses, maybe we're looking instead at the "century of cartel capitalism", beholden to no nation nor authority.
Haagen dazs was none too happy about the name of the chinese clothier, and was hoping for relief. Relief came when a chinese court ruled that the clothing company can not keep its name, because people might confuse the clothing with the ice cream.
What a bummer, to take the fam out for a sundae, and to return with underwear.
And so, has the chinese government, and or its court system, joined the american corporate bandwagon? In previous eras one would have expected only defiance from the chinese concerning american corporate "rights".
Hell, in the past one never would have expected a clothing company to have emerged in china which not only is not ownd by the government, but suffered a ruling by the chinese government concerning infringing on the copyrighted name of an american company. The world turned upside down.
Keen observers of international geo-politico-economo-militaro trends have noted that the united states is much in debt to chinese interests, that china is economically on the ascent with its neo mercantilistic government controlled capitalism, that the U.S. seems in decline, and that therefore the twenty first century might very well become the chinese century, just as the twentieth was the american century.
Well, we'll see. If the chinese government keeps making rulings favorable to american businesses, maybe we're looking instead at the "century of cartel capitalism", beholden to no nation nor authority.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Making Mistakes, Getting Addicted
THE LADY AT THE DRIVE THRU liquor store handed me my beer, and a paperback book. She said "this is good". Apparently we had been talking about books. I took one look at it, noted that it was written by john grisham, threw it in the back seat, and ignored it for several weeks.
Then one day i got desperate for entertainment, so, as a last resort i dug out the paperback grisham book from beneath the back seat, wiped off the dust, and noticed the title "The Street Lawyer" What the hell, thought i, i got nothing better to do, nothing at all to do, so here goes...
page one motivated me to read page two, then page three, and the rest is history, as they say. since that fateful day at the liquor store i have become a thoroughly addicted reader of john grisham, having read about twelve or so of the forty or so he has written, looking forward to the other thirty like a crack addict waiting for the pipe to come back around.
I'm reading "A Time To Kill", and the first sentence in chapter fifteen has jake sitting in his office, drinking coffee. Grisham then spends a long paragraph talking about what is on jake's mind. Then, the next paragraph begins with the waitress/owner of the coffee shop walking up to jake, and asking him if he wants more coffee.
Evidenly, somewhere during tht long, introspective paragraph, the great john grisham forgot where jake was. he moved him instantaneously, like in a bad science fiction novel. i wonder whether later, recent editions of this book contain a correction. It would only take changing a single sentence, the first one of chapter fifteen, and grisham could do it in a flash. Surely he found out aut this funny situation, and laughed about it. I hope so.
we all make mistakes. Today's books all seem to contain a lot of typos too. Where have all the proof readers gone? Authors proofing own books as publishers cut costs, perchance?
I might file a lawsuit against john grisham for deliberate literary addiction, or something like that.
Malicious Addiction to Novels (M.A.N)
Then one day i got desperate for entertainment, so, as a last resort i dug out the paperback grisham book from beneath the back seat, wiped off the dust, and noticed the title "The Street Lawyer" What the hell, thought i, i got nothing better to do, nothing at all to do, so here goes...
page one motivated me to read page two, then page three, and the rest is history, as they say. since that fateful day at the liquor store i have become a thoroughly addicted reader of john grisham, having read about twelve or so of the forty or so he has written, looking forward to the other thirty like a crack addict waiting for the pipe to come back around.
I'm reading "A Time To Kill", and the first sentence in chapter fifteen has jake sitting in his office, drinking coffee. Grisham then spends a long paragraph talking about what is on jake's mind. Then, the next paragraph begins with the waitress/owner of the coffee shop walking up to jake, and asking him if he wants more coffee.
Evidenly, somewhere during tht long, introspective paragraph, the great john grisham forgot where jake was. he moved him instantaneously, like in a bad science fiction novel. i wonder whether later, recent editions of this book contain a correction. It would only take changing a single sentence, the first one of chapter fifteen, and grisham could do it in a flash. Surely he found out aut this funny situation, and laughed about it. I hope so.
we all make mistakes. Today's books all seem to contain a lot of typos too. Where have all the proof readers gone? Authors proofing own books as publishers cut costs, perchance?
I might file a lawsuit against john grisham for deliberate literary addiction, or something like that.
Malicious Addiction to Novels (M.A.N)
Keep Seeking
WHAT WE NEED around here is a good solid infusion of extraterrestrial intelligence, aint it? It would be great to believe that the human species is going to fix all the things it has broken, save itself, and continue to exist independently of last minute outside help...
but its really hard to believe that nowadays. It almost seems as if we are doomed without miracle external help. We seem to be doing nothing, or not enough, about environmental destruction, atomic bombs are getting scattered all over the planet, and international cooperation is at low ebb.
Hell, intranational cooperation aint all that spiffy right about now neither.
I recall once having a conversation with my father, in nineteen seventy five or so, about just this topic. Since childhood I've been thinking that it would be nice to have contact, and help, from benevolent extraterrestrials.
My father asserted that what I was really talking about is not advanced aliens, but rather, god. I was expressing my god wish, dad said. And maybe he was right.
The internet is heavily sprinkled with people channeling extraterrestrials, and they're all very popular. Makes you wonder why the extraterrestrials don't simply speak to us all, directly, face to face. The obvious answer is that they do not want to freak us out too bad, and they know it would.
This here online publication is currently seeking an axtraterrestrial and an extraterrestrial channeler for contributions to this here online publication. One can apparently not have one without the other. Results, if any, will be reported here.
Whatever you're seeking,whatever we're seeking, let's keep on seeking it. Might as well. Never know, sometimes a blind old squirrel finds an acorn.
but its really hard to believe that nowadays. It almost seems as if we are doomed without miracle external help. We seem to be doing nothing, or not enough, about environmental destruction, atomic bombs are getting scattered all over the planet, and international cooperation is at low ebb.
Hell, intranational cooperation aint all that spiffy right about now neither.
I recall once having a conversation with my father, in nineteen seventy five or so, about just this topic. Since childhood I've been thinking that it would be nice to have contact, and help, from benevolent extraterrestrials.
My father asserted that what I was really talking about is not advanced aliens, but rather, god. I was expressing my god wish, dad said. And maybe he was right.
The internet is heavily sprinkled with people channeling extraterrestrials, and they're all very popular. Makes you wonder why the extraterrestrials don't simply speak to us all, directly, face to face. The obvious answer is that they do not want to freak us out too bad, and they know it would.
This here online publication is currently seeking an axtraterrestrial and an extraterrestrial channeler for contributions to this here online publication. One can apparently not have one without the other. Results, if any, will be reported here.
Whatever you're seeking,whatever we're seeking, let's keep on seeking it. Might as well. Never know, sometimes a blind old squirrel finds an acorn.
Monday, December 3, 2012
Our Petty Humanity
SOONER OR LATER we're gonna have to come to terms with the fact that perpetual economic growth is not sustainable, not on a planet with limitations, such as earth. More people, more economic prosperity, more manufactured goods - what's the limit?
Much higher than what we have now, probably, if we would just manage it right. But how much more growth? The human race will eventually have to expand into space, and start creating habitats in places other than the surface of this planet; in orbit around this planet, under the oceans on this planet, on the moon, mars, or beyond.
resources, for all practical purposes, are unlimited in the universe. The basie building blocks, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, are either found everywhere or can be manufactured, and the heavier elements are found wherever stars and solar systems are.
Our descendants will marvel and laugh at us for having had what we thought was an energy problem. For verily, energy is everywhere, all around us, all over us, falling on us constantly, drowning us in it.
But there is only so much land on a single planet, especially is it is used unwisely.
Soon, if not already, there will be enough cars, VCRs, TVs, in on planet earth, and the problem will become not how to produce enough material wealth for humanity, but how to distribute it. We really don't want any single human being "owning" too much land, do we? We humans only think we own this planet.
Our extraterrestrial observers laugh at us for this petty conceit. And for all our other petty conceits, such as individualism.
Much higher than what we have now, probably, if we would just manage it right. But how much more growth? The human race will eventually have to expand into space, and start creating habitats in places other than the surface of this planet; in orbit around this planet, under the oceans on this planet, on the moon, mars, or beyond.
resources, for all practical purposes, are unlimited in the universe. The basie building blocks, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, are either found everywhere or can be manufactured, and the heavier elements are found wherever stars and solar systems are.
Our descendants will marvel and laugh at us for having had what we thought was an energy problem. For verily, energy is everywhere, all around us, all over us, falling on us constantly, drowning us in it.
But there is only so much land on a single planet, especially is it is used unwisely.
Soon, if not already, there will be enough cars, VCRs, TVs, in on planet earth, and the problem will become not how to produce enough material wealth for humanity, but how to distribute it. We really don't want any single human being "owning" too much land, do we? We humans only think we own this planet.
Our extraterrestrial observers laugh at us for this petty conceit. And for all our other petty conceits, such as individualism.
Psst
CONSPIRACY THEORIES abound in today's america, and for a paranoid fella like me, that means a fair amount of time living in nagging, undefined fear. Websites which feature conspiracy theories are extremely popular, as if american culture is wanting a conspiracy rich environment.
The presidential elections of 2000, and 2004 , for instance, were stolen by the republicans, possibly with extraterrestrial assistance. But now, come to think of it, the aliens are democrats.
In 200 it was the U.S. supreme court which stole the election for the republicans; pardon the momentary confusion. You can see how it would happen.
In 2004, the electronic voting system in ohio mysteriously shut down in the middle of the election with the democrat ahead, but later when it came back online george bush had won the state, the theory goes, and that was a deliberate election heist by some shady wealthy group.
Then, in two thousand twelve, just a month ago, the system in ohio once again shut down, again with the democrat, obama, ahead, and the plan was for it to come back online and show mitt romney winning the state, and the perhaps the election.
But alas this time the plot was foiled, and you guessed it, it was foil'd be benevolent extraterrestrials, working on the side of justice, thwarting the evil intentions of carl rove and the super wealthy corpporate conservative republican establishment.
The sheer amount of precise cooperation and secrecy required among thousands of people for some of these conspiracies to actually manifest is staggering to even contemplate.
Websites which feature this sort of thing, are, as mentioned above, very popular with the american people, who evidently have had it up to here with the economic and political system in which they are forced to trudge along in their lives, and are desperate to explain it, and deal with it...somehow.
Just because a conspiracy theory sounds crazy, doesn't mean it is.
The presidential elections of 2000, and 2004 , for instance, were stolen by the republicans, possibly with extraterrestrial assistance. But now, come to think of it, the aliens are democrats.
In 200 it was the U.S. supreme court which stole the election for the republicans; pardon the momentary confusion. You can see how it would happen.
In 2004, the electronic voting system in ohio mysteriously shut down in the middle of the election with the democrat ahead, but later when it came back online george bush had won the state, the theory goes, and that was a deliberate election heist by some shady wealthy group.
Then, in two thousand twelve, just a month ago, the system in ohio once again shut down, again with the democrat, obama, ahead, and the plan was for it to come back online and show mitt romney winning the state, and the perhaps the election.
But alas this time the plot was foiled, and you guessed it, it was foil'd be benevolent extraterrestrials, working on the side of justice, thwarting the evil intentions of carl rove and the super wealthy corpporate conservative republican establishment.
The sheer amount of precise cooperation and secrecy required among thousands of people for some of these conspiracies to actually manifest is staggering to even contemplate.
Websites which feature this sort of thing, are, as mentioned above, very popular with the american people, who evidently have had it up to here with the economic and political system in which they are forced to trudge along in their lives, and are desperate to explain it, and deal with it...somehow.
Just because a conspiracy theory sounds crazy, doesn't mean it is.
Be Always sure
WE HAD THE ARGUMENT while living as roommates in a trailor in the colorado mountains, which, looking back on it, seems appropiate. Younger,wilder days. The subject was the american flag, and whether it should be illegal to burn it.
My friend and roommate took the part of the staunchly patriotic conservative, insisting that not only should flag burning be illegal, there should be a constitutional amendment against it.
My case was simple: the right to burn the american flag is perhaps the most important right which the flag itself symbolizes. If it becomes illegal to burn it as an act of self expression, then the flag itself loses its strength, and stands for far less freedom than it was meant to.
Burn one american flag, and the rest of us will manufacture more copies, and fly them proudly. Burn an american flag, and the rest of us will ignore you, and fly our own flags proudly. Burn an american flag, and you have done nothing.
We almost got into a fight about it, but i was uninterested in resolving the question violently. that tells me my argument was stronger than his, or at least my self control. Twenty five years later, although I have only seen him a time or two since, we both probably maintain the same attitude we did back then.
A couple years after that charming incident, I got into it with another friend, who wanted to use my dining room table as a place to paint anti war slogans on his copy of the flag during the first persian gulf war, (1991) which we were both protesting.
My argument at the time was; do what you want with your own property, but do not desicrate the flag on m property. He backed down, because I was definitaly right this time; not on my property.
I like the fact, looking back on it, that my positions in the two incidents seem contradictory, but aren't. Like Davy Crockett said, Be always sure you are tight, then go ahead.
Ah, the good old days, the days of youth, when we all think we have cornered the market on wisdom. Later, we learn better, we hope.
My friend and roommate took the part of the staunchly patriotic conservative, insisting that not only should flag burning be illegal, there should be a constitutional amendment against it.
My case was simple: the right to burn the american flag is perhaps the most important right which the flag itself symbolizes. If it becomes illegal to burn it as an act of self expression, then the flag itself loses its strength, and stands for far less freedom than it was meant to.
Burn one american flag, and the rest of us will manufacture more copies, and fly them proudly. Burn an american flag, and the rest of us will ignore you, and fly our own flags proudly. Burn an american flag, and you have done nothing.
We almost got into a fight about it, but i was uninterested in resolving the question violently. that tells me my argument was stronger than his, or at least my self control. Twenty five years later, although I have only seen him a time or two since, we both probably maintain the same attitude we did back then.
A couple years after that charming incident, I got into it with another friend, who wanted to use my dining room table as a place to paint anti war slogans on his copy of the flag during the first persian gulf war, (1991) which we were both protesting.
My argument at the time was; do what you want with your own property, but do not desicrate the flag on m property. He backed down, because I was definitaly right this time; not on my property.
I like the fact, looking back on it, that my positions in the two incidents seem contradictory, but aren't. Like Davy Crockett said, Be always sure you are tight, then go ahead.
Ah, the good old days, the days of youth, when we all think we have cornered the market on wisdom. Later, we learn better, we hope.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Hello?
RECENTLY, at some public school in the united states, a student, with permission from the teacher, got up in front of the class and sang a song titled "Same Love", which reportedly advocated gay rights.
The name of the school, the student, the teacher, all of that isn't the point here. The point is that the teacher was punished for letting this happen. Fired, suspended, where and for how long, is not the point here, the point is, the teacher was punished for allowing a student to sing a song about gay rights.
Looking for trouble by engaging in controversial bahavior, or some such malarky, is probably the reason given by the infinitely wise administrators who decided on the punishment, who probably never spent ten minutes as a teacher.
If memory serves, the song was sung by a student who plays guitar, writes songs, and sings them very well, and was part of a social studies lesson of some sort. Social studies, of course, is the study of society, and is still widely, or least occasionally considered one of the four basic food groups, along with science, math, and english.
Social studies is the study of large numbers of people doing things, trying to solve problems. Is it even remotely possible to properly study our society, america 2012, without at least making mention of the issue of gay rights? Not in the least.
I smell christian conservatism here, and self righteous parental pressure, and its stifling effect on free and relevant inquiry. And to think, our public schools in america are supposedily being run by a bunch of wild eyed radical fanatical liberals.
Earth to christian conservatives: the issue of gay rights is not gonna magically vanish.
The name of the school, the student, the teacher, all of that isn't the point here. The point is that the teacher was punished for letting this happen. Fired, suspended, where and for how long, is not the point here, the point is, the teacher was punished for allowing a student to sing a song about gay rights.
Looking for trouble by engaging in controversial bahavior, or some such malarky, is probably the reason given by the infinitely wise administrators who decided on the punishment, who probably never spent ten minutes as a teacher.
If memory serves, the song was sung by a student who plays guitar, writes songs, and sings them very well, and was part of a social studies lesson of some sort. Social studies, of course, is the study of society, and is still widely, or least occasionally considered one of the four basic food groups, along with science, math, and english.
Social studies is the study of large numbers of people doing things, trying to solve problems. Is it even remotely possible to properly study our society, america 2012, without at least making mention of the issue of gay rights? Not in the least.
I smell christian conservatism here, and self righteous parental pressure, and its stifling effect on free and relevant inquiry. And to think, our public schools in america are supposedily being run by a bunch of wild eyed radical fanatical liberals.
Earth to christian conservatives: the issue of gay rights is not gonna magically vanish.
Summer in December
MY MOTHER, who is a lovely lady, set me off today. We were talking on the phone, like we do twice a day, and she was talking about the weather, which she does with great frequency, and i was listening as usual.
Suddenly she said, "its going to be so warm today, in the seventies, that it makes you want to get out and work in your yard". She said this in a very positive, appreciative manner, as if she wanted to hug the weatherman. And i was about to agree, until i suddenly remembered that it's december in middle america.
so i lashed out at my mother, at the world, really, replying: "this weather makes you want to get out in your yard, and plant trees, to try to slow down global warming, before we start having ninety degree days in december".
I thought that was a pretty clever response. mom agreed. she's ninety two, and grew up on a farm, and has seen the weather change.
If we were taking all this seriously, addressing it realistically instead of languishing in denial, we'd all be out planting trees on these balmy december days, moving people inland from the coastal areas, especially places below sea level like new orleans, and/or building massive water control pumping systems to stem the rising tide.
but, far as i can tell, we aint doin' none o that. maybe by the time public pools are open in december in minnesota we'll decide something.
Suddenly she said, "its going to be so warm today, in the seventies, that it makes you want to get out and work in your yard". She said this in a very positive, appreciative manner, as if she wanted to hug the weatherman. And i was about to agree, until i suddenly remembered that it's december in middle america.
so i lashed out at my mother, at the world, really, replying: "this weather makes you want to get out in your yard, and plant trees, to try to slow down global warming, before we start having ninety degree days in december".
I thought that was a pretty clever response. mom agreed. she's ninety two, and grew up on a farm, and has seen the weather change.
If we were taking all this seriously, addressing it realistically instead of languishing in denial, we'd all be out planting trees on these balmy december days, moving people inland from the coastal areas, especially places below sea level like new orleans, and/or building massive water control pumping systems to stem the rising tide.
but, far as i can tell, we aint doin' none o that. maybe by the time public pools are open in december in minnesota we'll decide something.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Let's Go Over the Cliff Holding Hands!
'TIS THE SEASON to be jolly, 'tis the season for reconciliation, for coming together, so why don't we all come together and fix our most urgent problems? First, of course, is the fiscal problem, the financial problem, you know, the one wherein our (american) government is something like sixteen trillion dollars in debt, and counting?
Let's all solve it together, but acceptint every idea both the republicans and ehte democrats (obama) are putting forth. 'every tax increase, every spending cut. All of it. Kinda like going over the cliff, except by agreement.
Let's raise taxes on the wealthy, let's raise taxes on the middle class, let's raise 'em on teh poor. Let's cut entitlements, and let's cut the military, and reduce fudning for the NEA, PBS, NPR, CIA, FBI, anda whole lotta other alphabet agencies. Legalize drugs, and tax 'em...
The problem is, this will probably result in a recession. But at least it will be a start back towards fiscal sanity, back towards reality. The united states of america is simply not wealthy enough, in real terms, to support all the money it thinks it can and does print and put into circulation.
We all need to stop treating our american currency as if it were monopoly money. The government, at all levels, and the citizenry, all of us. We have been living beyond our means, both as a nation an as individuals, for far too long.
One of the reasons why our estraterrestrial observers have not directly contacted us and begun participatin in our (human) affairs is that they simply can't believe how stupid we are, how willing to allow minor differences and distinctions keep us apart, and from achieving our goals.
When we start working together, instead of fighting over everything, maybe they'll decide to help us.
Until we do, though, they're likely to just continue observing us, invisibly, much to their amusement and amazement.
Let's all solve it together, but acceptint every idea both the republicans and ehte democrats (obama) are putting forth. 'every tax increase, every spending cut. All of it. Kinda like going over the cliff, except by agreement.
Let's raise taxes on the wealthy, let's raise taxes on the middle class, let's raise 'em on teh poor. Let's cut entitlements, and let's cut the military, and reduce fudning for the NEA, PBS, NPR, CIA, FBI, anda whole lotta other alphabet agencies. Legalize drugs, and tax 'em...
The problem is, this will probably result in a recession. But at least it will be a start back towards fiscal sanity, back towards reality. The united states of america is simply not wealthy enough, in real terms, to support all the money it thinks it can and does print and put into circulation.
We all need to stop treating our american currency as if it were monopoly money. The government, at all levels, and the citizenry, all of us. We have been living beyond our means, both as a nation an as individuals, for far too long.
One of the reasons why our estraterrestrial observers have not directly contacted us and begun participatin in our (human) affairs is that they simply can't believe how stupid we are, how willing to allow minor differences and distinctions keep us apart, and from achieving our goals.
When we start working together, instead of fighting over everything, maybe they'll decide to help us.
Until we do, though, they're likely to just continue observing us, invisibly, much to their amusement and amazement.
Boasting
DUNKIN' DONUTS has the best coffee anywhere around, according to dunkin' donuts, and that claim seems to've aroused a ibt of antipathy from competitors and scnsumers alike, strangely enough.
What happened is, people at Starbuck's, among other coffee dealers, screamed bloody murder, as if by claiming to have the best coffee in the lower forty eight dunkin' donuts has committed some serious breach of advertising etequitte, some violation of the principles of honesty. Really?
There was a survey online in which a high percentage of people, presumably americans, expressed dissatisfaction with DD for having made this seemingly meaningless and innocuous claim. What gives?
In a country in which everyone claims to be the best at everything, in which most citizens proudly proclaim their country to be the greatest in the world, its suddenly a sin to claim that your company sells the best coffee on the continent?
It would be another matter if they were claiming that it cures cancer or enhances one's stock portfolio, but to merely say that your product is the best - how does this depart in any way, shape, fashion, or form from everything else that everyone else says in this culture about themselves, their country, or their product?
It just may be that there are a few folks runnin' around who have a little too much caffeine now and then.
What happened is, people at Starbuck's, among other coffee dealers, screamed bloody murder, as if by claiming to have the best coffee in the lower forty eight dunkin' donuts has committed some serious breach of advertising etequitte, some violation of the principles of honesty. Really?
There was a survey online in which a high percentage of people, presumably americans, expressed dissatisfaction with DD for having made this seemingly meaningless and innocuous claim. What gives?
In a country in which everyone claims to be the best at everything, in which most citizens proudly proclaim their country to be the greatest in the world, its suddenly a sin to claim that your company sells the best coffee on the continent?
It would be another matter if they were claiming that it cures cancer or enhances one's stock portfolio, but to merely say that your product is the best - how does this depart in any way, shape, fashion, or form from everything else that everyone else says in this culture about themselves, their country, or their product?
It just may be that there are a few folks runnin' around who have a little too much caffeine now and then.
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