On lust and greed

I’m 68 years old. I may get a few more turns on this cosmic merry-go-round before the ride is over, but you young folks, and men in particular, need to pay close attention to how you participate in this world if you want it to be livable until you are my age.

The big “we” have become obsessed with lust, greed, and creating the illusion of safety. There ain’t no safety, guys, and I’ve never seen men less prepared for challenges than in 2016.

I have watched the deterioration of pornography during my adult lifetime. Men have, it seems, not monitored it for any level of respect for women. It’s all about greed and haste, much like the current state of the business world, and the world of political office. Porn, in these days, seems a lot like Donald Trump, as far as I can see. Give me your best, do it right now, and expect nothing in return. That’s pornographic.

Guys, in my opinion, have essentially copped out. It’s equally disturbing to me that women have adjusted to this situation. A definition: cop out noun. An excuse designed to shirk responsibility.

I think the New York Times said it well:

The battle to be the Republican choice for president has been nasty, brutish and anything but short. The hope among some Republicans is that the Iowa caucuses on Monday and the New Hampshire primary on Feb. 9 will promote a candidate who can appeal to the half of their electorate that doesn’t support the two current front-runners.

Those two, Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, are equally objectionable for different reasons. Mr. Trump has neither experience in nor interest in learning about national security, defense or global trade. Even unemployment figures, which he’s pegged at 23 or 42 percent (the correct number is 5 percent) don’t merit his attention.

I don’t think threats like this worry young men these days. You ladies should choose your mate with great care. You are going to need your Get Out of Hell Free cards. Trust me.

If we want a happy new year…

Stormy Leigh at The Domes

If we want a happy new year we are going to have to work for it.

Consider a few titles from the book section on Amazon:

• The Party is Over
• It’s Even Worse Than It Looks
• Idiot America, How Stupid Became a Virtue in the Land of the Free
• Beyond Outrage
• Who Stole the American Dream?

George Packer published this in The New Yorker to describe The Party is Over:

Lofgren’s ideas are trenchant and far-reaching. . . . With the feel of a long-repressed confession and the authority of an insider’s testimony, like the anti-war views of a decorated infantry officer. . . he writes about how the Republican party took advantage of a profoundly ignorant electorate, an easily conned and distracted media, and a cowed Democratic Party to press the ideological struggle in spite of the deep unpopularity of many of its positions.

There are some potent criticisms in this short quotation. I am particularly struck by “an easily conned and distracted media.”

If you want to dive into the softening of the male spirit that leaves groups vulnerable to being “cowed” just Google “soft male,” or you can read The Rise of the Soft Man, a rather lengthy look at the subject.

Martin Daubney wrote about the decline of do-it-yourself projects because men lack the skills. He said in The Telegraph:

The result is that many modern men are more like our mothers than our fathers, while the opposite is true for women, who are increasingly wearing the trousers.

All of us who want a good 2016 would do well to declare our intentions to make it happen.

Your thoughts?

Condolences to the weather victims

The giant tornado hit Garland, and Goliath continues to batter a large area in the northeast.

Add to that severe flooding in Missouri that swamped homes, businesses and roads.

I am so sad for all the people who are suffering such losses.

 

A new level of weird

Jade and Wayne, two dear people from Tucson, are currently on the Greek island of Lesbos that accommodates, so to speak, a camp for Syrian refugees. They are taking photographs of the people there. I say so to speak because conditions in both Greek camps are primitive, crude, and hostile. They are better than dying, which is the price of not being there. I invite you to read what the BBC says about the camps.

These are the shocking conditions in which terrified refugees are forced to live on a Greek holiday island having fled some of the world’s most dangerous regions.

Thousands of Syrian, Iraqi and Afghan refugees have left the crumbled remains of their homes in their fractured countries behind them after fearing they could be killed.

Facebook provides a window of sorts into crises and the suffering they cause. This is especially the case when friends are attending the crisis and photographing it.

Add to this the self-righteous behavior of public figures who show their disdain for the Syrians.

More than a dozen US states have declared a ban on any Syrian refugees entering after one of the Paris terrorists appeared to be carrying a Syrian passport.

Thirteen states have put a halt on letting in people from the war-torn country following the attacks on Friday in the French capital.—Mirror

And we are the land of the free and the home of the brave?

In praise of peace

A very sad day

Tragedies such as the violence in Paris create feelings in me that I cannot confine. The sadness fills me. It overflows.

One  way to put healing ointment on the wound is to witness kindness and courage. You can do that in this video of Bill Maher interviewing Asra Nomani. I had not heard of her.

We must, I believe, fully dedicate ourselves to not creating more antagonistic relationships. We might begin with the presidential candidates. Let us show no patience with attacks on each other. Let us express our dismay.

We can all begin where we are to follow advice from Martin Luther King: only light can drive out darkness.

I recommend reading Reverend King’s letter from a Birmingham jail. It includes this:

Moreover, I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham.

I say amen.

My recent posts

I am sad, and my recent posts have revealed that. I have deleted a few of them, but now I think it is time for me to talk about my state of being.

I have close friends who have been treated very, very badly, and by people who know better. These harmful people  bring home regular paychecks. They are paid to be bad.

My Marine Corps buddy, Rod, was recently diagnosed with throat cancer. He smoked for many years. My other buddy from those days, Ron, is experiencing declining health in other ways.

On the other end of the spectrum we have the problems that afflict us on the national level. I can face the problems inflicted on us by the one percent, but I am deeply disturbed by our inability to rally our forces against these bad guys and in support of the good guys—us.

The amount of public support for President Obama is not my problem, but the way opinions are expressed is. The Huffington Post made a reference to the “ranters” who lash out at the president.

Consider this excerpt from The Huffington Post:

See, Max Lenington, who is the treasurer, assessor and superintendent of public schools in Yellowstone County, Mont., hates Barack and Michelle Obama. And so he sent around a letter to the editor titled “Why I hate Barack and Michelle Obama,” and the Gazette printed it.

To aggravate matters a little more, Mr. Lenington did not write the letter. It belongs to Mychal Massie. My concern for the nation is the widespread decline in our ability to engage in civil dialog.

Me, Ron, and Rod. 1966.

Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders called the invasion of Iraq the worst foreign relations blunder in history. That is the reason I consider George W. Bush the worst president in my lifetime. The Vietnam fiasco was the work of five U.S. presidents.

I am publishing my business card with this post as a statement that organizational excellence is one of my primary driving forces. I have two college degrees to support it, and a long history of being turned away when I offer those services. I have been laid off by two large companies while working in that capacity.

Excellence is losing its cachet. It has already happened in many places. I wonder at the silence of my readers. I wonder at the lack of response when I request a penny a post—a penny a day, the price of a modest sized Starbucks coffee—from readers once they decide this blog delivers value.

In any case, I have explained my sadness.

A call for impudence

Albert Einstein, according to Walter Isaacson’s biography of him, enjoyed being impudent and showing his contempt for convention (page 67). Being impudent includes some virtuous qualities such being bold and audacious. One online dictionary includes cheeky as one of the characteristics.

Isaacson wrote, “The squabbles show that Einstein had no qualms about challenging those in power. In fact, it seemed to infuse him with glee.”

Blind respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth.—Albert Einstein

We have examples of blind respect for authority. Consider this message from Bernie Sanders that he posted on Facebook. He names two families that warrant more impudence than they are presently getting sent their way.

I have never shopped in a Wal-Mart, and I will continue my perfect record of abstinence. This post is a statement of impudence. Writing it brings me a certain glee.

Another eloquent appeal for men to show more initiative is contained in Elizabeth Nyamayaro’s TED Talk on gender equality. She says a lot in 12 minutes.

How about you?

The need for mercy

The Northern California fires have been devastating. I sent a small donation to Harbin Hot Springs through Pay Pal. I have not been there, but I have fond memories of one of their service providers, Alaya, who gave me a treatment at a retreat I attended.

There are people who lost their home and their employment to the fires. I shudder at such thoughts. Every season calls to us to be compassionate, and this one more than most.

Our friends and the fire

Northern California is on fire. A news item in the Los Angeles Times includes this description:

Middletown suffered a devastating blow from the Valley fire. Entire blocks of homes and structures were burned to the ground. Images of the devastation show the town’s main street in flames, along with an apartment complex and part of a school.

Sharon Woita’s Middletown home is gone.

“A neighbor said there are only three houses left on our block,” she said.

Harbin Hot Springs, according to the story, has burned down, as have other tourist facilities. One of the service providers who work at Harbin, a lovely lady named Alaya, gave me a watsu treatment during a retreat I attended some years ago. Watsu involves guiding a person through the water in a large pool. It was sublime in spite of appearing to be utterly simple. This fire has destroyed many homes and many jobs. Animals are also at risk, of course.

The Valley Fire has consumed more than 50,000 acres (20,200 hectares) since igniting Saturday in rural Lake County, California, about 50 miles (80 kms) west of Sacramento, the state capital, fire officials said on Sunday.—Newsweek

News like this is yet another reminder to appreciate what is, and that nothing is permanent. It also reminds us to be alert to opportunities to support, assist, and encourage others.

Sheriff Brian Martin described the fire as “the worst tragedy Lake County has ever seen.”—Los Angeles Times

I write this at 6 a.m., and the news is reporting the ongoing challenges of the fires blazing in and around the famous wine country.

“I lost my business — it’s all burned up — my shop, my house, 28 years of living,” Joe Thomas, who lives near the community of Mountain Ranch, told The Associated Press. “I got to start all over. It’s depressing.”—Newsweek (includes photos and video)

This is a lesson in gratitude for me.