Archive for the ‘Culture and Values’ Category

The United States of America

Wednesday, March 12th, 2008

Ah yes. The greatest country in the history of the world.

Built on freedom, tolerance and self governing through agitation and opposition to tyranny.

How far we have come.

As we tenuously cling to all of the above and the people are lulled ever deeper into a sense of helplessness the cycle prepares to repeat. Will the US survive? Absolutely.

The very core of our identity (I am a natural born US Citizen, literally not just constitutionally) gives us the tools, the power, to renew ourselves, our country, our identity and wash ourselves clean of corruption and plutocracy.

Why mobilize?

Why not?

What Do You Do For A Living?

Sunday, February 24th, 2008

Well let’s see. Eat. Breath. Sleep.

Create. Recreate. Okay, those don’t necessarily make a living depending on your point of view but hey, we’re philosophical here.

The reality and the perception are two different things as insanity and nived seem to have grasped.

Just another example. Shall I reiterate?

Humans make a living in the most fundamental way, yet believe a profession or job or career is how they make a living. This is out of touch with reality, the way of things.

Get in touch.

A Defining Moment

Tuesday, February 19th, 2008

Define defining. Something that sets a trend? Something that indicates a paradigm shift?

Here in the US we are on our way.

Check it.

Hope Springs Eternal

Saturday, February 16th, 2008

Yes indeed.

The thought of many things is not necessarily the way of things, in fact, rarely. The way of things is what one comes to grip with or not. When one does get a grip on the way of things, then, one can move in other directions and change the way of things, albeit slowly, but surely, or not.

Is this contradictory? Does achievement as identified by the individual come at the expense of the way of things? Or is achievement the way of things?

Still, hope springs eternal, that one will become what one is not, or do what one does not, until the day when one can let it all go.

You have to let it all go, Neo.

What is Being?

Wednesday, September 26th, 2007

Well, promised to address this.

Be whatever you want to be.

Now really, defining oneself is not as simple as it seems. If I were a mechanic, or carpenter, or musician, or beautician, no wait, I am, well, suspend that for a second, if I were a physicist, is that what I am?

No, literally I am whatever I, or the group defines. Say, human being. Take it out of the biologically literal and we usually wind up at craft, or career, or work of choice, or work of force as the victims would proclaim, so we are Doctors and Lawyers and so on.

Be whatever you want to be? Another touchstone of the insane, we measure ourselves by our daily work, and yet, any given meaning (where there is none inherently of course) usually has an underpinning of emotional, ethical, values, love, joy, contentment, peace. So what am I?

I am honest.

The Blame Game Versus Responsibility

Tuesday, August 14th, 2007

“Oh, if there’s an original thought out there I could sure use it now” Bob Dylan’s Knocked Out Loaded Album

Ever feel that way? Ever feel that your thoughts are endlessly repeating? Girl, girl, rock and roll, bike, gun, girl, the meaning of the universe, girl, soil health, girl, math, girl, responsibility, girl, music, rock and roll, girl, rock and roll, girl, rock and roll, rock and roll, rock and roll, rock and roll, girl, you get it, rock and roll.

So it goes with my brain. (Love “and so it goes” by Kenneth Patchen. Judy is a big fan. I never have read much but what I have is all that and more. . . and so it goes. Gotta read that junk soon.)

Now that I realize that my readers need really concise language that cuts right to the point, with no brain exercise required, no thought, no effort, instant comprehension. . instant comprehension’s gonna get you. . . gonna knock you off your feet, I will make no effort whatsoever to accommodate that ridiculous request or implication or contradiction or criticism.

What does it mean? It means a lot. Keith Richards – funny tune about. . girls, rock and roll, girls, rock and roll

So lets stop pointing fingers for a second and talk a little bit about responsibility.

What is that? What is taking responsibility. I just read a Carol Burnett quote, of all people, Carol the great philosopher, in Ecological Home Ideas, along the lines that only she can change herself, no one else can. Just thought of it. It didn’t inspire this post, Insanity did, of course, but now that I am off and running on the responsibility gig again I remembered the quote. Somebody out there likes me – David Bowie

Taking responsibility is to realize the truth that all our thoughts and actions derive from us, intentionally, by us and due to us. I know, I know, who wants that? How can I go on if I can’t say “it’s not my fault”. Easy, actually. No subconscious, no unintentional, no accidental.

If you accept that for a moment, think about it, reflect upon it, there comes the idea of freedom from manipulation and pain, by recognizing control of us is ours.

We can control ourselves if but we would. Manipulation, derivation, obfuscation, lazination, crazy Nation, will cause reactions, but, we can also learn to act, only act, never react. Each movement carefully and instantly produced from a life time of disciplined study and inward visits.

Yuck.

Means To An End

Thursday, July 12th, 2007

The idea of reaching an end while still adhering to principle and law, is the opposite of the common usage of this slogan itself. Typically means to an end refers either to a convenient mean, or an unethical mean, but rarely to a valid common mean, like a hammer for instance, a mean to driving a nail. 6/29/07.

That is the idea I present here. The means to an end does not literally have to mean (pun intended) a bad method, unscrupulous method or immoral method though we do usually reserve the phrase for at least a sort of blasé nonchalant attitude toward the means if not when considering the means to be unscrupulous.

So what I am floating here is a means to an end literally, nothing groundbreaking or original of course, but simply food for thought regarding the “what” versus the “how” and how (pun again intended) we get hung up on the means or how and base the what or end on ridiculous limitations.

Well, the means to an end is a necessary evil, or in this case normal every day occurrence, the end however is ours to make.

Happy Birthday United States!

Wednesday, July 4th, 2007

This is the day for all of us to really think about what the United States was founded upon, is and will be into the future. This is the day to read and reread the Declaration of Independence, a document heard round the world, and an excellent guideline for all citizens to take responsibility for their governing. Reading the works of John Locke can shed even more light on why and how the United States of America came into being.

Today is the day to be reminded and to educate ourselves.

And to think about freedom.

What make this country great is its birth from an inherent opposition to imperialism.
What makes this country great is tolerance and understanding.
What makes this country great is its ownership by the people.
What makes this country great is a balance between social policy and free markets.
What makes this country great is personal responsibility to our country and ourselves.
What makes this country great is the opportunity to grow, or not grow.

What makes this country great is remembering what makes this country great.

Let’s make sure our United States stays true to itself.

I Blame Us

Tuesday, July 3rd, 2007

You know, we all talk about problems, issues, challenges and so on, and usually there is someone or something at fault in our descriptions and tirades. Almost without fail this blame goes to an external force. Much like the blame game of life played on a personal level, the blame game of politics extends to society and governments. We the people point our fingers and continue our apathetic bloated lives. I don’t extend this globally, just to our so called first world. (Get ready to revisit the Declaration of Independence tomorrow.)

As I insist on personal responsibility so do I insist on cultural responsibility.

Anything human and human affected you see in this world you don’t like, don’t value, don’t believe to be healthy, blame on yourself, blame on us. Personally and as a group. And the blame extends way beyond what most of us can see. For example, most of us value clean fresh water while at the same time destroying such sources on a global level.

This idea of blaming ourselves reminds me a bit of the famous Walt Kelly quote from Pogo.

We Have Met the Enemy and He Is Us

Diluted

Monday, July 2nd, 2007

This is a play on the word deluded. If your integrity is diluted do you become deluded? Or is being deluded a sign of a diluted morality? A diluted sense of reality?

Or would deluded be an enriched sense of reality?

Mass delusion is a sign of religion. Mass dilution is a sign of moral decay.