I am not an animal!
I am a human being!
I...am...a man!
Friday, November 21, 2008
debt consumes
Money makes (only) debt.
The economy defies explanation because . .
what needs to be done isn't rational . .
if you don't understand how
responsibility relates to rulers,
those pretending power over . .
that is over powered . .
owes the balance.
. . that suggestion depends on value appreciation . .
finding the credit that supports generously . .
to justify excess proving no need . .
the heart beats redistribution . .
The economy defies explanation because . .
what needs to be done isn't rational . .
if you don't understand how
responsibility relates to rulers,
those pretending power over . .
that is over powered . .
owes the balance.
. . that suggestion depends on value appreciation . .
finding the credit that supports generously . .
to justify excess proving no need . .
the heart beats redistribution . .
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
"He who makes a beast of himself Gets rid of the pain
Of being a man."
Dr. Johnson
Via
Hunter S Thompson
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Without conceptual conflict
Each man is like all other men;
Each man is like some other men;
No man is like any other man.
And yet, there is no paradox.
Each man is like some other men;
No man is like any other man.
And yet, there is no paradox.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
That Sinking Feeling
Anyone else losing sleep?There's no mistaking the steep cliff over which we may very well plunge in the world economy. With today's news of money denied to the US automakers, they stand in danger of bankruptcy and we stand on the brink of a national depression and then subsequent international depression. The financial markets remain frozen in spite of the commitment of $700 billion dollars of taxpayer money and as everyone holds their collective breath, the entire economy suffocates.
This is what philosophy has brought us: leaders too boxed in to make the bold decisions necessary to lead us out, people baffled by nightly news soundbites and, soon enough, skyrocketing unemployment as a result.
I find myself lying in bed awake at night thinking about all this. Where would one begin to clean up the mess?
The incoming Administration signaled strongly today that they're going to begin with healthcare by tapping Tom Daschle at HHS. That's a gutsy move, but gutsy moves, it seems to me, are what's called for now.
Either way, we're in for a load of hurt this holiday season. Not even Tom Daschle will manage to stave off that sinking feeling I've got.
Ho. Ho. Ho.
For the full blog, Visit Rants, Raves and Rethoughts.
This is what philosophy has brought us: leaders too boxed in to make the bold decisions necessary to lead us out, people baffled by nightly news soundbites and, soon enough, skyrocketing unemployment as a result.
I find myself lying in bed awake at night thinking about all this. Where would one begin to clean up the mess?
The incoming Administration signaled strongly today that they're going to begin with healthcare by tapping Tom Daschle at HHS. That's a gutsy move, but gutsy moves, it seems to me, are what's called for now.
Either way, we're in for a load of hurt this holiday season. Not even Tom Daschle will manage to stave off that sinking feeling I've got.
Ho. Ho. Ho.
For the full blog, Visit Rants, Raves and Rethoughts.
There Is No God
And no Santa Claus and no Tooth Fairy and no Easter Bunny. The agnostic has nowhere left to hide after the devastating logic on display in Dawkins is allowed a forum in your brain.
While I'm a spiritual person, I can no longer ignore the sound reasoning of Hitchens and Dawkins and must come out as an atheist. Should you disagree, I challenge you to give this book or Hitchens' God is Not Great a fair read and come to the same conclusion. If we are to take the next step as a human race towards the amicable resolution of the festering wounds religion has inflicted on the world, we must first confront the animal in us that still trusts in the myths of childhood.
Time to move on.
For more, visit Richard Dawkins here.
Read the full blog: Rants, Raves and Rethoughts.
While I'm a spiritual person, I can no longer ignore the sound reasoning of Hitchens and Dawkins and must come out as an atheist. Should you disagree, I challenge you to give this book or Hitchens' God is Not Great a fair read and come to the same conclusion. If we are to take the next step as a human race towards the amicable resolution of the festering wounds religion has inflicted on the world, we must first confront the animal in us that still trusts in the myths of childhood.
Time to move on.
For more, visit Richard Dawkins here.
Read the full blog: Rants, Raves and Rethoughts.
One's fellow men
For while religion prescribes brotherly love in the relations among the individuals and groups, the actual spectacle more resembles a battlefield than an orchestra. Everywhere, in economic as well as in political life, the guiding principle is one of ruthless striving for success at the expense of one's fellow men.......Albert Einstein.
Words can hurt
You're stupid.
Loser.
Chink.
Jackass.
You're a bitch.
Freak.
Prick.
Redneck.
I don't need you.
Faggot.
Jerk.
Wetback.
Fuckin' retard.
Ugly.
Cracker.
You're fat.
Asshole.
Heeb.
I hate you.
Go fuck yourself.
Towelhead.
Whore.
Dickhead.
Wop.
Go to hell.
Nigger.
You motherfucker.
Cunt.
Kraut.
Shithead.
Lazy.
Hillbilly.
Eat shit.
Queer.
Shut the fuck up.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Good Thoughts For Lee
I just wanted to mention that one of our members lives in an area where the fires have been, in California... he made one small posting with a video, to which I responded, briefly... then he edited that same post, with more info... so, I assumed all was ok and responded again... yet, he hasn't responded back, while he usually responds, quickly... so, just wanted to ask for positive vibes towards our friend, Lee. Thanks!
Put on the Brakes
I've written previously about my stance on these government bailouts and how they're being handled, and I see no reason to revise those earlier positions.
But I do see a need to stop all this now before we waste anymore money on this Administration and it's utter incompetence.
While we continue to stress the importance of immediate action to save various industries around the country (believe me, the auto industry is the tip of a rather large and looming iceberg), and while many rightly call for sufficient oversight and regulation for those taxpayer dollars, we seem to be missing a central problem in all this mess: we're asking it of the Bush Administration.
The next perilous two months will be a waste of money if we're asking this government to do it. Ironically, we demand that the auto industry fire its upper management in order to get this money, but we fail to realize that the people replacing those management folks, or at least overseeing them, are the same people who allowed Katrina to devolve, who turned the Iraq War from a mess to a catastrophe and the same people who've bungled everything from education to economics to torture. How can we possibly justify that?
There's no doubt that we're headed off a steep cliff, but I'd at least like to be driven by someone with their eyes pointing forward...
For more, visit Rants, Raves and Rethoughts
But I do see a need to stop all this now before we waste anymore money on this Administration and it's utter incompetence.
While we continue to stress the importance of immediate action to save various industries around the country (believe me, the auto industry is the tip of a rather large and looming iceberg), and while many rightly call for sufficient oversight and regulation for those taxpayer dollars, we seem to be missing a central problem in all this mess: we're asking it of the Bush Administration.
The next perilous two months will be a waste of money if we're asking this government to do it. Ironically, we demand that the auto industry fire its upper management in order to get this money, but we fail to realize that the people replacing those management folks, or at least overseeing them, are the same people who allowed Katrina to devolve, who turned the Iraq War from a mess to a catastrophe and the same people who've bungled everything from education to economics to torture. How can we possibly justify that?
There's no doubt that we're headed off a steep cliff, but I'd at least like to be driven by someone with their eyes pointing forward...
For more, visit Rants, Raves and Rethoughts
Focus on money
On November 22, 2008 there will be a nation wide rally to show our disgust for the Federal Reserve. They sit printing money with no backing, simply arbitrary numbers on papers, then charge our government in the United States interest for these monies they are making up.
These rallies have support from Ron Paul and other political and radio personalities. We are also including local news stations in each area of peaceful dissent. To find out if your city is supporting the downfall of a tyrannical system visit Endthefed.us. The issues we have with our Federal Reserve affect everyone on a global level, which is why it is so important to bring down the Fed - think globally, act locally.
The description from the site is as follows:
As the Fed induced financial collapse unfolds, We the People face both the greatest dangers to our Freedom, Sovereignty and Prosperity as well as the greatest opportunity to reveal the true nature of the Federal Reserve System and organize to bring about its End. Thank you for being one of those who choose to take up the challenge of these difficult and dangerous times.
These rallies have support from Ron Paul and other political and radio personalities. We are also including local news stations in each area of peaceful dissent. To find out if your city is supporting the downfall of a tyrannical system visit Endthefed.us. The issues we have with our Federal Reserve affect everyone on a global level, which is why it is so important to bring down the Fed - think globally, act locally.
The description from the site is as follows:
As the Fed induced financial collapse unfolds, We the People face both the greatest dangers to our Freedom, Sovereignty and Prosperity as well as the greatest opportunity to reveal the true nature of the Federal Reserve System and organize to bring about its End. Thank you for being one of those who choose to take up the challenge of these difficult and dangerous times.
On The Journey
What a beautiful piece on the journey. It reminds me of a recent conversation I had with a friend about past, present and future.
We spend so much of our time planning and grasping at the future. We spend so much time reveling and regretting the past. We forget this moment. I love how the graphic art shows the present in the mind of the main focus of the piece. We are here, in the now, and we know we can change the future, but we must start in the present and work our way forward, if done correctly and slowly, to be sure of accuracy, we have the future in our hands. Let us not allow it to slip through like water.
We spend so much of our time planning and grasping at the future. We spend so much time reveling and regretting the past. We forget this moment. I love how the graphic art shows the present in the mind of the main focus of the piece. We are here, in the now, and we know we can change the future, but we must start in the present and work our way forward, if done correctly and slowly, to be sure of accuracy, we have the future in our hands. Let us not allow it to slip through like water.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
What's my motivation?
Oberon, thanks for the invite! I'm impressed to see the response so far, and high quality stuff.
Hey kids!
How about leaders who don't need no stinkin' handlers?
How about leaders who can function without a script and can host events without a script?
Course, we have to p i c k these people...I think in 2008 we've started on the right track.
Speaking of scripts, I think that theatre should be a compulsory subject in high school. That way we would learn to recognize theatrical devices, cutting through the caca, and figure out what's really meant by the monologues of candidates and their various functionaries.
Think of it...any given schoolday, millions of our youth strutting around on stage crying 'what's my motivation?' We used to have Civics class but it hasn't worked so well; so give theatre a chance, I say!
The photos posted so far are all food for thought, though some would threaten contented dining! My 'faves' have got to be those of the Phelps family funeral pickets (they were here a few years ago in support of a Straight Power protester who was censored in his high school). Did it occur to anyone, seeing the photos, putting the children and the words on the signs together, that this was sexual abuse and exploitation of minors, and these folks could have gone right to the slammer? Adults have been sent up on those charges with far less evidence than that.
On with the show!
Hey kids!
How about leaders who don't need no stinkin' handlers?
How about leaders who can function without a script and can host events without a script?
Course, we have to p i c k these people...I think in 2008 we've started on the right track.
Speaking of scripts, I think that theatre should be a compulsory subject in high school. That way we would learn to recognize theatrical devices, cutting through the caca, and figure out what's really meant by the monologues of candidates and their various functionaries.
Think of it...any given schoolday, millions of our youth strutting around on stage crying 'what's my motivation?' We used to have Civics class but it hasn't worked so well; so give theatre a chance, I say!
The photos posted so far are all food for thought, though some would threaten contented dining! My 'faves' have got to be those of the Phelps family funeral pickets (they were here a few years ago in support of a Straight Power protester who was censored in his high school). Did it occur to anyone, seeing the photos, putting the children and the words on the signs together, that this was sexual abuse and exploitation of minors, and these folks could have gone right to the slammer? Adults have been sent up on those charges with far less evidence than that.
On with the show!
A Day of Reckoning
The term Gay Pride always struck me as nebulous.I'm a relatively young man (25) and having spent much of my adult life in Pennsylvania, Gay Pride was a quiet pride; one shared in safety among friends and (selected) relatives.
No longer.
Today, amidst the thousands who turned up at City Hall in San Francisco, I came to fully understand the nature of Gay Pride. It's resurfaced and is resurgent in an entirely new generation. All over the country, thanks to the rebirth of democracy through the internet, people took to the streets chanting, demanding change be made real and refusing to be relegated to the bottom of the heap. It was inspiring and moving.
The dramatic irony of the day came as the "organizers" of the protest, with a pathetic sound system and noble effort, attempted to address the crowd at the rally which far exceeded the reach of the speakers. It was clear they hadn't anticipated the turnout and it spoke to me of the failure of the No On 8 Campaign, a traditionally run, mainstream campaign for gay rights where we avoid confronting people with the reality of our existence and instead attempt to circumvent actually talking to people about our issues. But this time we would not be deterred. This time, at our finger tips we have social networks that've allowed us to take control of the narrative, that've allowed us to outgrow any management system that would attempt to control our anger, our pain and our pride. We would not be denied.
The rally became a spontaneous march up to the Castro, the heart of the GLBTQ Community in the world, and as we chanted, held signs high (my "Don't Mess With Dumbledore's Rights" / "W.W.A.D.? - What Would Albus Do?" sign went over particularly well...) I was overwhelmed with the justice of our cause. We will win this because we are right.
Sorry, Mormon Church. No amount of money in the world is going to stop this train...
We're on our way.
For more, visit Rants, Raves and Rethoughts
No longer.
Today, amidst the thousands who turned up at City Hall in San Francisco, I came to fully understand the nature of Gay Pride. It's resurfaced and is resurgent in an entirely new generation. All over the country, thanks to the rebirth of democracy through the internet, people took to the streets chanting, demanding change be made real and refusing to be relegated to the bottom of the heap. It was inspiring and moving.
The dramatic irony of the day came as the "organizers" of the protest, with a pathetic sound system and noble effort, attempted to address the crowd at the rally which far exceeded the reach of the speakers. It was clear they hadn't anticipated the turnout and it spoke to me of the failure of the No On 8 Campaign, a traditionally run, mainstream campaign for gay rights where we avoid confronting people with the reality of our existence and instead attempt to circumvent actually talking to people about our issues. But this time we would not be deterred. This time, at our finger tips we have social networks that've allowed us to take control of the narrative, that've allowed us to outgrow any management system that would attempt to control our anger, our pain and our pride. We would not be denied.
The rally became a spontaneous march up to the Castro, the heart of the GLBTQ Community in the world, and as we chanted, held signs high (my "Don't Mess With Dumbledore's Rights" / "W.W.A.D.? - What Would Albus Do?" sign went over particularly well...) I was overwhelmed with the justice of our cause. We will win this because we are right.
Sorry, Mormon Church. No amount of money in the world is going to stop this train...
We're on our way.
For more, visit Rants, Raves and Rethoughts
Friday, November 14, 2008
The Evil That Lives In The Heart Of Man...
FROM A LETTER TO MARTIN LUTHER KING, Jr.— June 1, 1965
I believe with all my heart that the monks who burned themselves
did not aim at the death of the oppressors but only at a change
in their policies. Their enemies are not man. They are intolerance,
fanaticism, dictatorship, cupidity, hatred, and discrimination
which lie within the heart of man. These are real enemies of humans,— not humans themselves. In our unfortunate fatherland we are trying to plead desperately: do not kill man, even in man's name. Please kill the real enemies of man which are present everywhere in our very hearts and minds... You cannot be silent since you have already been in action and you are in action because, in you, God is in action.
Thich Nhat Hanh,
Director of the School of Youth for Social Service
of the Buddhist University in Saigon, Viet Nam.
There is no spoon
......there is no past
......there is no future
......there is only the eternal now.
......there is no future
......there is only the eternal now.
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