Wednesday, December 21, 2016
Tuesday, December 20, 2016
Monday, December 19, 2016
Thursday, December 15, 2016
Wednesday, December 14, 2016
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Friday, December 9, 2016
Thursday, December 8, 2016
A Pall is Descending
A pall is descending.
A magma bubbling to the surface spewing its noxious gas and black dust into human consciousness. Justice set aside, tolerance a bygone word.
Dreams and noble desires mired in the mud, sinking into the land of the forgotten.
Navigation upon the "sea of troubles" blinded by the blind.
Reason abandoned.
Voices silenced in ridicule.
Time for a change? Time for destruction.
Tear down, tear down because they can.
Leaves tumble to the ground. Oceans become seas of decay. Particles fill young lungs. The last chirp, the last roar, the last hoof beat, the last splash.
Lights dimmed, but not extinguished.
Wednesday, December 7, 2016
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
Monday, December 5, 2016
Friday, December 2, 2016
Thursday, December 1, 2016
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
Monday, November 28, 2016
Why I still love Christmas
Let me state at the outset that my love of Christmas has nothing to do with religion. My views on religion are clearly stated in my books, Waking God: The Trilogy. https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B00A1PVF80&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_88dpybB9GT2X8
This is not say that I don't like the "spirituality" that Christmas represents. In fact, that's a big part of what I like. Keep in mind that Christmas was really a pagan holiday celebrating the winter solstice and the returning of the light. It was co-opted by the Christians.
I grew up in a blue collar family and money was often an issue. However, my childhood was happy and somehow my Christmas' were great. Always got that one big present that that made the day despite family financial constraints. Guess being the youngest of five had its privileges.
I lived in a neighborhood that had lots of kids of varied ages. It was fun. The holidays brought snow forts and snowball ball fights, sledding, indoor game playing, and just an overall good time. Christmas day involved dinner at Nana's where all the aunts, uncles, and cousins converged for more presents, good food, and overall mayhem.
Colored lights and Santas where everywhere, shopping in Boston was usually an interesting experience, and Christmas music displays, and TV shows were in abundance. In the teen years there was the hunt for the "perfect" gift for the latest girlfriend, and there were also times of sadness if there was a breakup and the cold and darkness of the time of year seemed never ending. The trip home for the holidays from college was a welcomed respite from the rigors of finals and a time to re-connect with family and friends. Christmas was not always a time of comfort and joy, but it was always a time remembered.
Christmas in later years when the kids were young was a time to go broke, in a positive way, and we continued with old traditions of family gatherings. Sure, we bought into the consumer culture and bought the newest and latest for the kids. It was fun and it made me feel happy. And that's the bottom line: Christmas makes me happy, nostalgic, and I still get as excited as I did when younger.
All of the spiritual reasons aside, the joy and warmth of Christmas is simply a brief moment on the calendar that I will always cherish.
Blessing of Peace, Love, and Light to ALL people everywhere this holiday season-May the joy be with you.
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
Monday, November 21, 2016
Friday, November 18, 2016
Thursday, November 17, 2016
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Thursday, November 10, 2016
Wednesday, November 9, 2016
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
Trump is not to blame, however ...
It is clear that American have implicit biases.
"What is meant by implicit bias?
Unlike explicit bias (which reflects the attitudes or beliefs that one endorses at a conscious level), implicit bias is the bias in judgment and/or behavior that results from subtle cognitive processes (e.g., implicit attitudes and implicit stereotypes) that often operate at a level below conscious awareness and ..." (Google search). In other words, they are biases held secretly and usually not expressed openly.
From the moment we experience consciousness, parents, society, and the media begin to instill us with biases. If all three are in play, the biases become worse and may openly be expressed. This should be more obvious with respect to racism and anti-Muslim attitudes. It is the "us and them" attitude. They aren't like us so they must be bad, or suspect, or feared, or shunned. Religions are big on this. But when a mother pulls a child close when an African-American or a person in a headscarf passes by, the parent passes on a bias. Many biases stay hidden/latent and may never be openly verbalized.
However, when a major personality openly expresses and even endorses these biases and phobias, the door is open for such attitudes to become socially acceptable. Further, when said personality encourages action upon these biases, what was once socially suppressed behavior now becomes acceptable.
Perhaps it is good to know the extent and depth of these biases. Hidden fears and emotions can burst at the most inopportune times and can even be the cause of disease. Once exposed, maybe they can be discussed and and even dispelled.
What is sad is the extent of these implicit biases and what is scary is that an individual, even in America, can make these biases acceptable.
Monday, November 7, 2016
Thursday, November 3, 2016
Monday, October 31, 2016
Thursday, October 27, 2016
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
Tuesday, October 25, 2016
Monday, October 24, 2016
Thursday, October 20, 2016
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Tuesday, October 18, 2016
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
A new culture is inevitable for America
America is ushering in a new culture. This is very uncomfortable and stressful for many, some even violently resist, but resistance is futile. The change that is now in it's infancy will blossom rapidly and all must come to understand that the day of the WASP, even though it's existence is more fantasy than reality, is at its end.
In the past there were many migrations to America, some done freely and other by force. Look at the chart below taken from: http://www.prb.org/Publications/Articles/2014/us-migration-trends.aspx
I
It should be clear from the above that for the past 100+ years that most of the immigrants to the US were from Europe. Yes, different languages and traditions, but all sharing various aspects of a common history. While their were definite clashes, the melding pot notion ultimately worked.
"In 2014, Mexican immigrants accounted for approximately 28 percent of the 42.4 million foreign born in the United States, making them by far the largest immigrant group in the country. India, closely trailed by China (including Hong Kong but not Taiwan), and the Philippines were the next largest countries of origin, accounting for about 5 percent each. El Salvador, Vietnam, Cuba, and Korea (3 percent each), as well as the Dominican Republic and Guatemala (2 percent each), rounded out the top ten. Together, immigrants from these ten countries represented close to 60 percent of the U.S. immigrant population in 2014." (http://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/frequently-requested-statistics-immigrants-and-immigration-united-states)
Things are changing and totally different cultures (India, Middle east, etc.) are taking root in America. This is not cause for concern or fear. In fact, it should be celebrated and embraced . As we know from biology, the greater the biodiversity, the healthier and more vibrant the environment.
A generation or two down the road, assuming we're all still here, there will be confusion as to what the fuss was all about.
Tuesday, October 11, 2016
Thursday, October 6, 2016
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
Tuesday, October 4, 2016
Monday, October 3, 2016
We'd all like to pay less taxes, but ...
... all tax policies are not equal. Clearly, there are special tax provisions for the wealthy. If you can figure out how to lose millions, you can avoid paying millions in taxes. Certainly, no one is going to voluntarily pay extra taxes. I get that.
However, if you are wealthy and claim to be for the average middle/lower class worker and if you find tax policies that create income inequalities, should you not expose such inequalities in the tax codes?
I would think that a person running for high office would, using their own experience, expose the tax policies that favor wealth, at the expense of us all, and put forward a platform that shows how such codes should be revised. But, if such a person tries to hide, gloss over, or even deny that they played the system, then it is easy to question their ethics and pro-small guy statements as being cow dung.
Thursday, September 29, 2016
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Crude, rude, offensive debate: Bad Donald
Couldn't even watch the whole debate. The GOP nominee was rude, crude, and offensive. He kept interrupting, didn't answer questions, was hot headed, and, frankly, scary.
I mean, I'll release my tax returns when you release deleted emails is like saying I'll tell you if a I robbed a bank if you tell me when you last had sex. What does one have to do with the other?
Q.How do you bring the jobs back? A. Don't let them go.
But hey have left already ... still no answer. And on, and on, and on.
Hubris defeats many.
I've said this before, but I have never seen such rudeness in a debate for president of the US. Shameful
Monday, September 26, 2016
Friday, September 23, 2016
Thursday, September 22, 2016
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
Tuesday, September 20, 2016
Monday, September 19, 2016
Thursday, September 15, 2016
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
Monday, September 12, 2016
Friday, September 9, 2016
The Vulgarization of America and most other places.
We used to live in a polite society.
Regardless of economic class, we said please and thank you.
Swearing was reserved to behind closed doors or bars.
We had at least some respect for our elders.
Debates were conducted with a degree of professionalism and politeness.
People cleaned up if they made a mess.
Doors were open.
There were few lewd displays ....
It's not that things were perfect by any stretch of the imagination. But there was at least some structure, order to the way people lived, and a code of public conduct. There was a sense of what was acceptable and not acceptable.
Yeah, times change ... that's to be expected. But it doesn't mean that people need to be vulgar, crude, impolite, or downright rude. Certainly, we do not need that from public leaders here or abroad. And you wonder why our youth act the way they do?
You can read more: https://www.google.com/search?q=vulgarity+in+politics&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8
Regardless of economic class, we said please and thank you.
Swearing was reserved to behind closed doors or bars.
We had at least some respect for our elders.
Debates were conducted with a degree of professionalism and politeness.
People cleaned up if they made a mess.
Doors were open.
There were few lewd displays ....
It's not that things were perfect by any stretch of the imagination. But there was at least some structure, order to the way people lived, and a code of public conduct. There was a sense of what was acceptable and not acceptable.
Yeah, times change ... that's to be expected. But it doesn't mean that people need to be vulgar, crude, impolite, or downright rude. Certainly, we do not need that from public leaders here or abroad. And you wonder why our youth act the way they do?
You can read more: https://www.google.com/search?q=vulgarity+in+politics&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8
Thursday, September 8, 2016
Wednesday, September 7, 2016
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
Friday, September 2, 2016
Thursday, September 1, 2016
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Monday, June 20, 2016
Friday, June 17, 2016
Thursday, June 16, 2016
Monday, June 13, 2016
Radical ...
RADICAL ISLAM
RADICAL CHRISTIANS
RADICAL BLACK
RADICAL WHITES
RADICAL WOMEN
RADICAL MEN
RADICAL STUDENTS
RADICAL WEATHER
RADICAL COLONISTS
RADICAL CHILDREN
RADICAL SENIORS
RADICAL IDEAS
RADICAL CHRISTIANS
RADICAL BLACK
RADICAL WHITES
RADICAL WOMEN
RADICAL MEN
RADICAL STUDENTS
RADICAL WEATHER
RADICAL COLONISTS
RADICAL CHILDREN
RADICAL SENIORS
RADICAL IDEAS
Is everything Radical wrong?
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