Wet

A drizzly, joyous day last week! We have been having drought for months...so finally, this rain is a serious blessing, especially for the wildfires raging out of control in the region. Also, most of Gatlinburg burnt to the ground (except for the main street, which is ironic because that was the ugliest part). A sad night for thousands.

People may have been happy about the rain, but the donkeys weren't:

They do have a barn to go in, and in fact today (more rain) I fed them the ration balancer left over from Angel's stint with her poor baby before she died and then I tossed a bale of hay down into the stall where they can freely come and go. They munched for a while and enjoyed dry hay, as opposed to the now wet round hay bale in the field. I guess I need to build something to keep the round bales out of the elements in the future. Right now they are just covered with a tarp, to the left on this picture: 

So glad to see everything drinking up the water. I hope we don't lose the berry bushes, strawberry plants, garlic, rubarb, and any trees....I'm pretty sure the Jerusalem Artichokes didn't make it, but I'm leaving the tubers (whatever might be left) in the ground, hoping they will grow next year. Same with the berry bushes. You never know!

A Writer Who Is Channeling Me; or Why I Call Phyllis Schlafly the Spawn Of Satan

The article that restored my belief in the perception and courage of others:  http://ordinary-gentlemen.com/2016/09/07/hannity-before-there-was-hannity/

As for my own view of Schlafly....a few years ago, a brief 2-hour education in college about Phyllis Schlafly's activism and after watching an interview with her, shortly after she squashed the Equal Rights Amendment, told me everything I needed to know about her actual motivation and desires, and evoked in me a heartfelt scorn and condemnation. Pursuing fame and power without regard for one's actions, solely for acquiring fame and power and influence is despicable. Of course Schlafly didn't really think women had no place in the world as educated, political, influential citizens. She craved those things far greater than most women of her time, running for congress twice, killing the ERA, and in the interview I referenced above she stated, so proudly: "I showed them we [conservatives] could actually win." THAT is what she was proud to have done - won a battle. Made her mark. Become a part of history. Yet she herself was a poster child for the potential possessed by the hitherto "weaker sex" when educated and provided a voice - a powerful force (albeit in this case, sorely misguided and fame-seeking) who could, just as a man could, achieve results and effect change.

It's the hypocrisy that I despise. She used her privileged status and hard-won education (one assumes she surely didn't cheat her way all the way to her doctorate law degree) to try to keep the rest of the women of the United States, and by example, the rest of the world, as appropriate only as homebound, reproductive slaves, mentally unchallenged and financially dependent, legally enforced submissives, and not worthy of contributions to and equal status in society. She used the status quo and public opinion and rather dated ideas of the differences in gender to further her own agenda - the goal of being a worthwhile contribution herself, of being powerful, of becoming a well known name. What hubris infects a soul so badly that they are unable to admit the value of other people but feel themselves to be worthy of fame and not required to assume the lower places in society that they proclaim others should and must adhere to? My previous psychology studies evoke in my brain a murmur of sociopath but that may be too strong a word...yet she shared some rather uncomfortable behaviors that align with historical figures such as Adolf Hitler, Pol Pot, and Kim Jong-un.

In her latter years Schlafly spent her time crafting Conservapedia in response to Wikipedia. An example of her work is demonstrated here:

Liberal
A liberal is someone who craves an increase in government spending, power, and control, such asObamaCare. All liberals also support the censorship and denial of Christianity.^[1] Liberals who are a part of the secular left prefer the atheist religion over the Christian faith, as atheism has no objective morality to hinder their big government plans. ^[2] Increasingly, liberals side with the homosexual agenda, including homosexual "marriage". Liberals favor a welfare state where people receive endless entitlements without working.^[3] The liberal ideology has degenerated into economically unsound views and intolerant ideology. All liberals support, in knee-jerk fashion, the opposite of conservative principles, while lacking an actual ideology or values of their own^[4].

Anyone who uses the format "All ....(insert your most disliked group here)" demonstrates a lack of critical thinking and a refusal to admit any respect for the truth. 'Nuff said.

The argument....

Is it more responsible to use handkerchiefs or a kleenex-type tissue? And what about the disgust factor? It took me a while to get over the thought that using handkerchief was rubbing your face in a palmful of previously snorted germs. But now that I have been using them for years, I like them better. A lot better. I have a slightly runny nose for only a few hours most mornings, then it usually clears up. I could go through a great many boxes of tissue that way over a year. Instead, I have a stash of handkerchiefs ready for use that are softer yet more durable, and I can carry one in my purse without it disintegrating if I haven't needed to use if for a few weeks, unlike a small package of tissues. I can use 1 for a week with minimal, normal stuffiness, or 1 in an hour, if I'm sick. Then in the washbin it goes and I get a fresh, clean one. My nose doesn't get all red and scratchy and I don't have to put out the money to buy the increasingly expensive boxes that still manage to run out just when you REALLY need them. I originally switched because I thought it was more environmentally friendly, but according to this recent article, the effect might be minimal. But I'm a handkerchief user for life, now, no matter what!

Digging Our Own Grave

If not, then digging the graves of our 100x great-grandchildren's grandchildren, or some descendants betwixt.

The problems stemming from tsunami damage to Fukushima Dachii reactor plant appear to be nonstop and growing regularly, and also consuming immense amounts of water while global droughts are becoming pandemic. Although one hopes they use undrinkable saltwater to cool all that nuclear fuel, I suspect they may not. Regardless, the water is undeniably unusable in ANY form once applied to spent or melting fuel rods. For many, many generations . Aside from the morality of generating material that is still going to be radioactive so many generations in the future I don't even want to do the math, we do not have the knowledge, capability, or apparently even the incentive to properly solve nuclear mishaps on this scale. All of which means, to a sane and responsible person, we should not be utilizing this technology.

SHUT THEM ALL DOWN NOW. 

Looking Back

What did I accomplish in 2013?

Rode a motorcycle by myself, for the first time. Which turned out to be the only time. LOL!
Broke my leg, got a cast, walked with crutches for a while, all also firsts.
Got addicted to World of Warcraft and leveled a warlock to 90.
Sadly said goodbye to the coolest cat ever, Hector.
Except when laid up with injury or illness, kept working out regularly throughout the year, even got jogging up to over a mile without a walking break and pushed my time down.
I got to play some fun games that won't be discussed on a G-rated blog ;).
Drank too much wine.
Finally stopped smoking, although sometimes I still want one. Briefly. Then a few minutes later it goes away. Eight years it took to say this with confidence.
Hiked lots of mountains and went to lots of Tennessee places I've never been to, or even heard about.
Didn't have enough to put up, but did enjoy some homegrown, organic fruits and veggies.
Learned a lot about egg bound chickens and dog allergies.
Watched my son become more grown up and teach himself how to script (code).
Failed to pass my organic chemistry class, but certainly learned a lot about organic chemistry.
Learned a great many low carb recipes.
Entered a 5K but didn't run in it. Sick!
Almost paid off my credit card then ran it way back up again. Sigh.

Made some new friends....but also lost a few, as well.

Realized and accepted the fact that our species will not stop drilling for oil, burning coal, and trashing our habitat. We seem to be much like the pest infections that eat all the available food and then die in vast numbers. Inevitable? Because I do believe that by now, the global effects of these actions are irrevocable. Consequences.....will most likely be rather dire. I wonder if I will live to see the worst, or if my son will have to face that alone, with his peers.

My Statement

It seems I do not know how to embed a video AND create text in the same post, so here is my commentary:



What is this "greatest country" thing...is it a contest? Who decides what 'greatest' means anyway? Don't all countries have some good things, and some things that perhaps aren't so good? Don't nations, like people, change as they grow? Patriotism goes way overboard in the United States. It's irrational and unrealistic and it's also extremely arrogant to say "This is the greatest country in the world" and especially to believe it just because you hear it so much, or because you feel we are superior to everyone else in the world. Why this is touted so often by those who call themselves Christians, I don't know. This idea in no way is a tenet of the teachings of Jesus.

The only things worth defending in this country are the magnificent land and the people themselves. The governmental system does not deserve to be defended or preserved. It's bloated, corrupted, greedy, grasping, over-centralized and bullying, and has sold out to corporations and special interest groups. It does not represent the will of the people who live here. It does not function in the best interests of the people who live here. It does not accurately reflect the limits of responsibility and balance of powers laid out in the constitution. It fosters fear, resource greed and wastefulness, imperialism, xenophobia, arrogance, selfishness, divisiveness, inequality, and entitlement.

It is broken. Inevitably, it will fail.

 WOW! I do know am I inviting a rain of hell to fall upon me with this comment.

Guts to Speak the Truth

The Degradation of Freedom

When did these cultural gains, carved out over thousands of years of human governing mistakes, become negotiable?

• Freedom of religion, which would preclude any form of religious government.
• Access to equal health care, regardless of your personal income.
• The right to vote for all citizens, regardless of the color of your skin, male or female, homosexual or heterosexual, property owner or not, wealthy enough to afford a state-issued ID card or not.
• The right to not by spied upon by your own the government with drones or electronically taped conversations.
• The right to a speedy trial, legal counsel, and to face your accusers.
• The right to be safe from "cruel and unusual punishment."
• The right to use birth control and, as is currently a right in this country, to have an abortion. 
• A free press and the rights of reporters to do their job without being arrested or forced to lie or keep quiet or to maintain the status quo. 
• The right to negotiate a fair wage for a fair day's work, or have someone do it for you. 
• The right to demand safe working conditions.
• The right to have sex, however yuo like, with any person or sex of person you choose, in private, if  you both agree and are consenting adults.
• The right to be safe from penalty when you blow the whistle on lawbreakers.
• Freedom of speech and no censorship by the government, or anybody else. This would include propaganda, which these days goes by the name of "spin."
• The right to grow your own food. 
• The right to grow plants from your own seeds without worrying about a lawsuit because of contamination and corruption by GMO seeds. 
• The right to be informed about the nature of your food, from the manner of its inception and manufacture to factory-added additives, and the right to choose if you want to eat it or not, raw or not. 

These freedoms are under attack or already gone in America. So what's next? Against the law to criticize the government? Concentration camps? Don't forget, it wasn't just the Nazi regimen who used camps to detain portions of their nation's population. The US has done it, too. Who among the citizens of this country are closing their eyes so they don't see where this could be headed? It's true that those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.

You will notice I did not include the right to bear arms....although in this country, the cat is already out of the bag. Since the criminal element can and will chose to be armed, it is only fair to allow the populace to arm themselves, not only for self defense but also, as intended, to protect themselves from tyrannical government. That being said, in the wake of horrifying killing sprees that are significantly increasing in number, I personally have no problem with stricter guns laws. A collector, a hunter, someone who just appreciates quality....these persons surely should have no problem with a reasonable waiting time and background check before being allowed to purchase. But the problem is that if somebody really wants to get their hands on a gun., they will find a way inevitably. As far as assault rifles go, I honestly see no reason for those guns to be in the hands of any person. On the other hand, I do acknowledge the danger inherent in regulation. Once there is a path for restriction, more rights can be taken away much more easily later on down the road. What is the best answer? I don't know. Even in Star Trek they had weapons, albeit rarely used to kill. "Set phasers to stun...."

Line In The Sand

This story at the Indieregister is much to valid to not post: (click on the original post for working links in the article)

BY INDIEREGISTER | OCTOBER 24, 2012 · 11:30 PM

Where is your ‘line in the sand’?By Eric VolivaI have a question for you; it’s not meant to be answered, nor is its purpose to cause angry discourse. It’s a question that I ask solely for your serious–and internal–consideration; and I sincerely hope you do take the time to reflect on it.Where do you draw the line in the sand with the government taking away your rights and freedoms?
Do you stand up to them once they come break down your door in the middle of the night, “mistaking” your home for a known “drug den”?
Do you wait until they raise taxes to the point where you can no longer afford to pay it and your house payments, so they evict you from your home, and thus become homeless or living on welfare?
Do you wait until they arrest a friend or family member or a child because they collected rainwater or sold raw milk or gave a meal to a starving member of the homeless community without a permit?
Do you wait until someone you love is “accidentally” murdered or maimed by an “accidental” drug raid (which is becoming insanely commonplace in the U.S.)?
Do you wait until you’re locked up for participating in “terrorist activities” for simply walking into your bank and closing your account on the same day there’s a protest of that bank occurring?
Do you wait until a friend is raped by a cop, and then the cop is never even charged and allowed to continue to harm others because they’re in a brotherhood ruled by the “blue code of silence“?
Or, do you go along with the crowd and wait until everyone else takes a stand?
Then, once you have waited as long as you possibly can under the hand of tyranny and can no longer tolerate the status quo of oppression, how is it that you actually take your stand? Do you raise your voice and shout your anger to the world? What would that accomplish? Do you refuse to no longer be part of their structure of control and by way of passive resistance refuse to pay tribute in the form of taxes in hopes of de-funding their treasury? Do you allow yourself to go to prison for your passive resistance? Or do you speak out in defiance and try to educate your fellow citizen-slaves, knowing that because of your protests you can be legally labeled a “terrorist” under the NDAA and face the bloody situation of men in swat gear raiding your home in the middle of the night and detaining you as a “threat to our national security” (oh, the irony)?
Whatever your line in the sand may be, this is a reality we all face. The situation with our freedoms will continue to get worse until we decide how far is too far, and stand united in our defiance to their continued criminalizing of our rights.
So, once again, I ask you: When do you make your stand? Where is it that you will draw that line?
Just know that the longer you wait, the harder it will be.

 Martin Luther King Jr. - "One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws." Indeed. It's also a matter of survival and self-defense.

Open letter to Mr. Romney

Dear Mr. Romney:
I am 42 years old and a single mom. I pay no federal income tax as Head of Household with a child tax credit and earned income credit. I make $14 an hour. I work 40 hours a week and attend classes (currently 10 credit hours) at the local university. Please tell me how much tax you feel I should fairly pay. Also, tell me what luxury I should cut from my personal budget to pay the tax.
WAGES FOR 1 MONTH…………………………   $2240
Health insurance for me and my son……..     -130
Dental insurance for me and my son  ……       -30
FICA SS payments ….……………………………..    -85
FICA Medicaid………………………………………      -30
Employee savings plan…………………………       -23
GROSS TAKE HOME MONTHLY…………………….……… $1942
MONTHLY EXPENDITURES:
Mortgage payment……………………......…………………….626
Water and electricity…….....….......…around (it varies) 125
Car insurance ……………………………...................……....31
Fire insurance on home………………………….……………….26
Cellphone……………………………………………..……….………66
Internet connection w/landline phone (I work at home)..68
Gas for car……………………………………………………….…….80
Life insurance for me…………………………………………….. 10
Life insurance for my son………………………………………….6 Allowance for my son………………………………………………20
Car repairs and maintenance (Honda Civic, 1996)…….…100
Groceries ( $3/meal, 3 meals a day x 2 people)………min 540
Medical bills ( immunosuppressant therapy bimonthly)…min 50
Entertainment (online video game site)………………………….6
Flea treatment and heartworm meds for 2 rescued dogs……3
Clothing budget,  son ( I don’t need new clothes)…….….…20
Cc payment (I had to get a new heat pump). …..Whatever is left. Looks like this month about $130. Hope those tires last a few more months. Oh wait, I probably need to stash a few bucks away for Christmas and my son’s birthday approaching.

Oddly, Mr. Romney, I do not feel like a victim…I feel proud that I’m working, raising my boy, and providing for both of our needs. I’m hopeful someday I’ll be in a better place financially. Any time I can, I am glad to help others when I have something to give. I am so grateful for all of that which I have – a mind, a soul, and love in my heart. To be able to work, provide, laugh, and see all the beauty in the world. I am content I am doing the right thing, even if you feel I’m a lazy and calculating freeloader. I must admit I feel your choices in life have caused pain and suffering and the crushing of dreams to many, all so you could line your pockets. I guess we will just have to agree to disagree. But don't call me a victim when I actually think that I understand what is really important better than you do.

When do the Hunger Games begin?

As a reward for intensive help during a project, I traveled to the grocery store for a specifically requested ice cream for my son. As I walked the length of the immense freezer aisle I was floored by the hundreds of ice cream varieties available ( I don't shop that aisle much ever). Having just finished the Hunger Games trilogy, I already had on my mind how close my nearly middle class life and the lives of those citizens who live in the Capitol of Panem is. Even years ago, I was starting to feel that our society here in the USA was frighteningly beginning to resemble the latter days of the Roman Empire, when the wealthiest citizens continued to empty the empire of the resources needed to maintain the vast conglomeration until said resources vanished, eventually crumbling the entire empire to pieces from within and ushering in centuries of violence and danger, at least for what later became Europe. Our decadent lifestyles and mindless entertainment for years have been vastly different from how the majority of the global population, particularly poorer and emerging nations, scrape by with their mostly subsistence surviving. The Hunger Games have uncomfortably demonstrated to me the way our lives here are so remarkably similar to the Capitol:

• So many kinds and so much food available, much of which is wasted, even when we have people going hungry in this country, in your neighborhood, every day.  
• The children of low income parents as human fodder in the wars we wage for our continued access to foreign oil, as this demographic comprises the biggest portion of noncommisioned soldiers. If they don't die overseas, they might be one of the 38 veterans every DAY who try to commit suicide. 
• Obsession by many of mindless entertainment such as Dancing With the Stars, the best of the fall lineup, and sporting events, among others.
• Wasting of resources.
• Corporate-fostered callous indifference or obliviousness of the global effects of our consumption levels. 
• Passive acquiescence to civil authority, even when it's not in our best interests.
• Feelings of righteousness about our indulgent lives celebrating self-gratification.

We already live in the Capitol of Panem. Ouch.

Broken

Examples of how our political system is irrevocably broken:

• Money buys elections and legislature. Lobbyists wine and dine our lawmakers for special interest groups, which have incredible financial advantages over the needs or wishes of most citizens. Elections are determined by fundraising while millionaires and billionaires (a tiny portion of the US population) have the legal right to fund these elections. Why should somebody's vote be more effective because they can direct more money to it than someone who has little or no disposable income? That's not a democracy or a republic, that's an oligarchy. 
• Corporations have the rights of individuals, but not the responsibilities or obligations. The only obligation a corporation "feels" is to provide the shareholders with as much profit as possible at any cost, even the lives of people, and also to provide the upper administration with substantial paychecks and benefits under the guise of hiring and keeping the best people for the job. 
• The checks and balances put in place by the creators of our government have slowly but relentlessly been undermined. War is fought overseas without approval by Congress.  The Chief Executive lies to citizens without penalty, kills people labeled as a threat to the nation without a trial, and tortures suspected enemies without due process or public proof of wrongdoing. 
• Private companies are gifted with taxpayer cash when in financial trouble, without sharing the immense profits they report later. This is privatizing profits and socializing losses, carried on the back of the middle class. 
• Social safety nets are called "socialism" but subsidies to high-earning companies and agribusiness are touted as necessary. Isn't the first job of the government to protect it's citizens? If that's not the job of government, what is? And if a company needs a government subsidy to afford to stay in business, that's not free market capitalism. 
• A revolving door between government officials and legislation makers with the lobbyists and upper echelon positions in certain big businesses, such as oil, finance, and agribusiness. 
• Both parties, regardless of their election promises and platforms, are entirely committed to maintaining the status quo once they are installed in office. 
• The electoral college. How does a candidate win the popular vote but not the election? 
• Lawmakers and elected officials have forgotten their job description: To serve and address the needs and desires of their constituents, the PEOPLE. 

I'm sure there are more I either don't know or have overlooked. 

Just for the Record:

This poignant essay exemplifies how I feel about it, also. I hope my family will honor those wishes if the situation arises for me.

Considering

If one assumes this is true:


Look beneath the colorful differences in cultural expression and you find at the core everyone wants to breathe clean air and drink clean water. They want tasty, nutritious food uncontaminated with toxins. They want meaningful work, a living wage, success and happiness for their children, and security in their old age. They want a say in the decisions their governments make and they want to live in peace.— David Korten
Then one must assume those who deny climate change or finite resources, the causes of poverty or the ravages of inequality, or insist that opportunity for all is available (in the developed countries, at least) are only uneducated, illogical, or afraid to clearly see and comprehend.  So which is it, and how do you change that? 
Let's look at things in a more narrow view - say, those who live in the United States. The media pap fed to the masses - is it a consequence or cause of the disinterest and ignorance routinely displayed by the general US population? This article demonstrates the actuality of American disjunction with the rest of the world, but I want to know the reason why US markets don't respond to the same offerings that attract knowledge-seeking, globally informed citizens from anywhere else. Are the majority of us too stupid to care about anybody else? Or too egocentric to consider the views and events of other people or countries worth our time? Or are we so stuffed with inanities from popular culture and the mass marketing tricks used to brainwash us into consuming without thought of consequence that we have developed a mind-numbing complacency about the true state of our global crises? 
To reduce even further, I quite seriously wonder about people I know personally, let's just say friends or family, who I believe are good people and also well-intentioned people, who even have a rudimentary grasp of the value of ecological awareness in small ways such as recycling or using less poisonous chemicals for cleaning or feeding their family, yet still won't or can't realize the bigger picture of resource scarcity, either on a personal or global scale.  I'm not sure how emphatic  I should be to try to share my knowledge about global issues that quite likely will sooner or late become personal issues for all of us. Just sharing that frightening information (which I do believe I have tried to do on a very minor scale, and it has never been taken seriously or well received) could very well create rifts between them and I...not what I want to accomplish at all. Is there a way to bring enlightenment without alienating those whom you basically need to scare silly?  

Get With the Program!

Why do so many people hand out Almond Joy candy bars for Halloween? I don't even know anybody who actually likes those. Especially kids. And this holiday is for the kids, isn't it? Hello?

Mage Wisdom

My favorite quote of the week (er, last week) courtesy of John Michael Greer:

Thus we’ve arrived as a society, and at a very late stage in the game, at the same point that classical philosophy reached after the execution of Socrates, when it became uncomfortably clear that having a small minority of people passionately interested in asking and answering the right questions was no guarantee against catastrophic levels of collective stupidity.

I think he may be a medievalist...castastrophic levels of collective stupidity. Such prose!

The Men in White Coats Are Not Coming For Me After All

Today my biology professor lectured - with a straight face - about global warming and the nearness of depleted oil resources. In our lifetime, he said, oil would be so expensive it would be unthinkable to use it for something so inefficient as transportation. It was incredibly gratifying.

Did the mostly freshman students comprehend or believe? Doubtful, for the most part, I think. Regardless, it's refreshing to know that I'm not insane, after all, along with all the rest of the peak oil community. Now if only the rest of the world would listen to all these students graduating from universities...

I think I know how the Christians felt when the Roman emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan.

INNOCENT!

Apparently the black rats have been exonerated in the Case of the Black Plague (1348-49), at least in the view of these interviewed archeologists. Do all agree? I don't know but would like to. I'm sure the rats would like to know, too.

10 years ago, this book suggested the Black Plague was actually a virus.....now THAT is what I call pandemic. Let's hope the authors are wrong that it will probably happen again, and soon.

Just a little cheer for Saturday!!

Continuation...

ENERGY: I thought my aversion to coal-produced energy would be obvious and not need to be stated...so with nuclear power out of the question (in my mind), coal being environmentally unfriendly, and solar so far quite unrealized but also being very energy-intensive to initiate, the answer is use less. Do with less. Many do. We can, too. Of course, I am aware that such a statement would be political suicide for any candidate except in a nation populated by Roz and Roz clones! ENERGY EFFICIENCY: Ok, so after some thought I realize having "less energy waste" is not a political platform. It IS an issue in our world, but needs to be chosen, not forced. Kind of like democracy. You have to want it and you have to choose to do it. But I maintain my position that our current political leaders - almost exclusively - do NOT promote efficiency in either lip service or their actual lives. However, it seems the vast majority of our populace also either doesn't think being frugal or thrifty with energy usage (or anything else, for that matter) is desirable or sexy. Or even worth considering. I'm not sure how that mindset evolved. It must take generations to shift from one end to the other. Developed nations, and in particular ours, seem to find profligate consumption a badge of pride. I can't help but wonder if this is the end result of decades of insidious marketing. How else would citizens acquire such drastically different views in the span of roughly 60 years? I quite sure waste of any kind was not tolerated or especially encouraged during the years following the great depression.... So in answer to William's comment from the last post, no, that kind of thing can't be enforced. I guess a lot of people currently are wasteful because they want to be. A sad statement of our citizenry. Not very smart, either. A more prudent mindset would be conservation....not gonzo energy expenditure! SECULAR GOVERNMENT: Yes, the Christian Right does whine louder than the rest of us...and apathy OR a charismatic leader may put us all under the reign of a religious dictator. Let us pray that won't be the case! I LOVE the shorter term limits idea. Agreed, the sheeple are contributing to the problem. I'm starting to see a thread of similarity running through these issues here.... EMPATHY: I don't think everybody is entirely self-absorbed. We might not all empathize about the same things, but I like to think (i.e., I don't want to live in a world where this isn't true!) all of us have the capacity for different aspects of empathy, given our priorities. It's the priority part that I think we are missing the boat on. That being said, we ARE spending too much time handing out the fish instead of teaching to fish. Also, some don't WANT to learn how to fish. That would be too much like work! And also, unfortunately, there are always those who just aren't any good at fishing, no matter how hard they try. Certainly, I want to live in a world where their IS something these people are good at...but finding that thing is definitely a challenge, and cost and labor intensive. But wouldn't that be worth it, in the end? Surely, if even some of us are concerned about future generations, that means we care about people who AREN'T EVEN BORN YET! That demonstrates a capacity for empathy...I think it's a part of human nature. Just not a particularly nurtured or rewarded one. That's what makes it special, maybe? OVERPOPULATION: Of course it will inevitably correct. But the sadness involved...well, that's part of the motivation of my previous post, few readers though it had. I don't have any illusions that it will be heard by many or understood by any or accepted by the majority...far from it! But at least I made my position clear. Now, I'll work on my skills so that if I'm around, I can help clean up the mess. But again, we all choose how many children to have...at least, in my experience. But I realize my life doesn't encompass all situations. For some, having children is a way to guarantee survival later in life. I can't really argue with that desire! But I do despise the situation that makes that the only apparent answer. So let me amend that - in the USA, in my socioeconomic bracket, we choose how many children to have. And even this number, to me, seems over-optimistically large, of late. Unfortunately, it's starting to seem that the problem isn't so much with our government (although I'm not saying there aren't problems there) but is with the general populace at least as much. There seems to be a similarity running through these issues...that of denial of a problem, or maybe a refusal to face fact. Or maybe, everybody just thinks that everybody ELSE should do the dirty conserving deeds...but not themselves. Or conversely, the thinking that if everybody else is living the high life, well fuck it! So will I.... I certainly can't deny the suggestion of this line of thinking appearing in my mindset occasionally, as well. It's depressing as hell. Seriously, though - the emphasis these days seems to be on consuming, convenient, cheap, disposable, dumbing down, getting more than the next guy in line, mindless distractions, loss of the concept of honor, loss of a work ethic (or even ethics in your personal life, too, but I'm no saint there), technology overload or at least over-reliance (again, guilty myself!), and I'm sure I'll add more to that list once I sleep on it. In other words, all the wrong things. Obviously, this whole post, and really the previous post, is really just a pipe dream, no one in their right mind could run with this kind of platform. Does that mean I'm a seriously small minority? I really kinda doubt that. Or that politics are insane and increasingly out of touch with the reality of day to day living for those of us non-elites? Or both...??

Manifesto

I don't feel my beliefs are represented in Congress pretty much at all. Here is a small list of a few suggestions, although I reserve the right to add to these subjects at any time. I suspect this will not be popular with many, if any. Am I really the only one who thinks this way?

The Fair and Sustainable Platform:

• All people deserve access to health care. Coverage should not be determined by profit-making companies. In fact, making money from a pool designed to assist with medical bills is amoral. It means somebody is getting charged too much or paid to little, or not enough people are getting the medical care they need.


• Different wages for different jobs, yes. A difference in salaries greater than 300 percent, such as the typical janitor and the CEO of the company he works for? No. Income inequality, especially to that degree, is just asking for trouble for everyone in that society. Look it up.


• Access to higher education should be within reach for anyone who is motivated to succeed. I think that the freedom and resources for learning to read and write is an intrinsic human right. I feel this is a true human right, unlike reproductive freedom.


• No pork-laden bill passing in Congress. The bill, and that's it. I suspect lobbying was originally designed to bring matters to the attention of lawmakers, so they could have appropriate information before voting on a bill. Today, the lobbyists for too many industries are more like party hosts, supplying extraneous fripperies instead of facts and information of substance. Maybe the whole idea needs to be scrapped and reworked.


• Accountability. Yes, this is difficult to police. Without it, corruption will rule the day. That's even harder to live with, isn't it?


• Defense spending more in line with global standards. All countries live on the globe, and all countries should share in watchdog activities, within their financial means. Our pro bono UN policeman job is bankrupting the US. Are they going to rescue us when we can't pay the bills? That's a foolish expectation.


• Stop sending jobs for Americans to other countries - this should be more expensive to do, not less. Since it's not...we are exploiting people less fortunate than us.


• Corporations do NOT deserve the same rights as individuals, who are real people. Actually, maybe they should have less rights than illegal immigrants, who are, in fact, human beings.

• No tax cuts for gas and oil companies, among others. Spend that money to help citizens pay for heating costs, since there aren't enough jobs to go around.

• We are stewards of the earth, not rapists. Let's preserve a little for future generations, otherwise known as our children and their children, et cetera.

• Resources also need to be preserved for the sake of preparedness. Since when was having a back-up plan for survival foolish?

• Our infrastructure in this country is old, and getting older all the time. How many jobs could be provided for by turning our attention to aging bridges and such? Oh, right...this isn't MY idea. It was done before.

• Separation of church and state (i.e., government) was a pillar for the establishment of this country, which gave residence to many who fled religious persecution. A theocracy was not developed by the crafters of the constitution. A democracy was the plan.

• It's irresponsible and arrogant to assume we can control the containment of radioactive waste thousands of years into the future. Basically, we are creating energy we feel entitled to at the expense of future generations, to whom will fall the responsibility to oversee the safety of these radioactive by-products from our reactors. I firmly believe that our ingenious, adaptable minds can come up with a cleaner, more fair way to generate energy. Please shut it all down. Today.

• Also, it's environmentally responsible to keep a tight check on energy waste itself, and show a little restraint. Our ancestors certainly didn't need the amount of energy the citizens of our country seems to demand these days. A little reduction in the consumption on everybody's part could actually be better for us. It makes you think of others. Is that a bad thing?

• One thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to empathize and bury our dead. Does that mean we actually care about other people? If so, then shouldn't we make sure the folks in our midst who can't take care of themselves are assisted by those who can? I'm speaking of older people who don't have family left, children, and people with disease or defects that prevent them from being as functional as the rest of us. Are we still people if we just cast them to the side, not helping provide them with food, shelter, and a little human kindness? Programs that help people in dire straits are not entitlement programs, they are social safety nets. These need to stay funded, not get cut first when bloated budgets need to be trimmed down.

• Finally, the big bad wolf. Stop reproducing so much. How is infinite growth in a finite space sustainable? IT'S NOT. IT WON'T WORK INDEFINITELY. The whole population, at some time, will be paying the piper on this one. Guaranteed. The problem is, I guess we all have to decide to not be the fecund beings we are, since involuntary sterilization would cause a riot bigger than the Civil War. Of course, a massive die-off due to overpopulation may also cause a riot. Which path will we choose?

Okay! Time to start throwing the tomatoes! I'm ready to duck or debate!