That Bonzo Time

Today I’m having bonzo time as apposed to bozo time where everything is important or at least through a different filter and shadows and light become important and sounds take a different meaning and it is hard to focus on shapes but motion attracts attention and all the senses seem to be inflamed in excitement where thoughts of the past and the possible seem as real as amendments to the Bible because we could instead of forming another religion and instead of worrying about being bombed or bombing we get a leak from the scientist that we are about to be swallowed up by a black hole and there is nothing we can do to avoid it so you can stop payments on your car and put away your golf clubs unless you want to play through and that sound on the song you’ve played over and over again is brand new and thoughts wander to why some people can see the same vision but can make the words to describe the ordinary into extraordinary without a blink but the dishes are washed and the bills are paid and there are flies in the kitchen but it is trash day so they will be gone soon along with the recycled recycle bin awaiting for the party to start for there will be a party in the warm air but too lazy to deal except to lay in the shadows for the next day to come enjoying bonzo time.

Binge Watching

I don’t normally watch television. I just got tired of the nonsense and only turn it on for sports or special events. It is choice to get additional free time without wasting my time.

Well, it has been raining. That limits my outside duties but it was too cool and clammy to do my inside duties so I turned on the TV. I was going to watch fast cars turn left but it was raining there too, so I started to surf.

It is like unplugging my brain to be overcome by a series of pharmaceutical and junk food ads interspersed with young good-looking people saying regurgitated scripts. Luckily I only have a few channels to go through but it is the same on every click.

A few years ago, the rabbit ear networks wanted to compete with the overwhelming cable media, so they came out with these off-brand channels. No name stars in formulated cookie cutter cast that go on and on forever.

So I found this show called “White Collar” and sat back to watch. I didn’t have any expectations of fine acting and was not disappointed. The plot, as long as I could tell, was about the FBI getting some con man out of prison to help them solve cases. I can’t make this stuff up. If you want to know more, check it out on the web.

The cast is the usual handsome young chiseled chin lad wear finely pressed suit with a quirky fedora (nod to the youngsters). His nemesis was the leader of the FBI squad with glass offices as big as a house. Of course there was the weird little bald guy who stirred up trouble, the stern big strong token black guy with few lines, and the young tightly dressed female who was maybe oriental and a bit chunky but was not the love interest. A recurring criminal slinky redhead that kept it just slightly interesting caused the romantic angst.

The hour turned and the next episode came on and then another and then another. Wasted an entire afternoon following this cast of characters bumble their way thorough the plot with their constant banter and witty innuendos.

Binge watching does show the flaws of staging or perhaps limited budgets. Each scene was photographed at the same angle. The sets were one room apartment, the glass offices that doubled for offices, museums and hotels (be sure to get lots of outside shots as filler) and a loading dock from an old warehouse for all the action scenes. There were no car crashes or chase scenes and no explosions (again the budget?). The little bald guy was a drinker but no one ever eats on television. For that matter no one ever sits down and binges on television on television. Oh and there was this FBI truck disguised as a moving van or something with a plastic curtain like in a meat market where the FBI guys could cram into and listen to headphones at every cast members soliloquy without any background noise.

Now as interesting as I’ve made this program sound after four episodes I had to go back to staring at a blank screen. While it did have a few twist in the storyline I personally found it too formulated and have seen it all before with a different cast of characters.

My wife was a TV junkie. She started out with soap operas; mainly “General Hospital” so between 1PM to 5PM there was no disturbing her or keeping her from her shows. She spoke of them as if they were family and I even tried to be polite and watch along with her but a character would change at the blink of an eye without explanation or logical reasoning and she found that totally acceptable. After she died I continued the routine until one day had the ‘Ah Ha!’ moment.

Since then I’ve missed Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones, House of Cards, Breaking Bad, Walking Dead, and many more titles that just cannot hold my attention any longer. Now and again, like for a rain day, I’ll try to find some old classics to watch more out of memory and set details than plot interest.

Ah Ha!

When was your last ‘Ah Ha!’ moment? I don’t know about you but I seem to have one everyday.

Maybe with more time on my hands or time to spare for deep thoughtcus, I hear a word or a sentence or see a shadow or a flash of light or suddenly notice what was always there and go ‘Ah Ha!’ It somehow matches my present reality and psychological philosophy with a heavy dash of reflective madness.

That moment can be painful like the time you put your hand on the stove even though your caring parents told you not to and you did it anyway just to see if they were a bunch of liars and “Ouch” followed quickly by ‘Ah Ha!’ They were telling the truth this time.

Yet at some point in your miserable childhood you want to break the bonds of their domination for you have had an ‘Ah Ha!’ that you and only you are smart enough to make your own decisions.

So at first you start smoking where they can’t see you and as you get bolder you come home drunk, but your rebellion has consequences. ‘Ah Ha!’

You get grounded, lose television privileges, your phone is taken away and you must cut the grass and wash and dry and put away the dishes. Not so smart as you thought.

Puberty comes along and another ‘Ah Ha!’ moment. There is a difference. And that also has consequences when the babies start popping out. Why didn’t somebody tell me that?

So the decision to run to continue your wonted lustful ways you can continue to seek pleasure and pain but the phone requires recharging and the light bill must be paid and when the rent is due you are grounded in the harsh reality of life.

No amount of outrageous thoughts or spiritual awakenings can prepare you for a cold dark alley sleeping with the rodents. ‘Ah Ha!’

The decision to accept responsibility and find gameful employment as a respectable addition to the community is another ‘Ah Ha!’ moment.

To be an outstanding member of society requires conformity so this is a democracy and the masses rule. ‘Ah Ha!’

Some embrace this fact early and other skirt and resist it as long as possible. You’ll understand when you grow up. ‘Ah Ha!’

There may come a time in life when you wondered why your parents never talked about their feelings of politics or religion then you realize they probably were and you were not listening. ‘Ah Ha!’

You may remember her touch and taste and smell of her hair but you can’t remember her eye color. ‘Ah Ha!’

Was there a time when you spent all your efforts trying to impress a girl but she was interested in another all the while ignoring the stares from the girl in the shadows trying to get your attention? ‘Ah Ha!’

That terrible break up when you thought her world would end only to find she remarried (maybe several times) and had a grand old time without you? ‘Ah Ha!’

When you think you have your emotions under control only to cry like a baby at beer commercials? ‘Ah Ha!’

Logically realizing that your company is sliding downhill but feel you are indispensible until the pink slip comes. ‘Ah Ha!’

You feel great and think you are getting enough exercise and eating correctly until your doctor tells you pay for an expensive operation or die. ‘Ah Ha!’

When you realize that all the movements and foundations and goodwill of humanity is fodder for those in power who make the decisions. They represent those who pay for them lock, stock, and barrel and no ranting or raving or marching or sign painting will change the reality that this country is owned and run on oil and pharmacies with numbing entertainment to keep the masses subdued filling minds with nonsense and bodies with junk food and have the largest security force in the world to protects their actions with your tax money. ‘Ah Ha!’

If you don’t believe check the Gospel according to Samuel in the Good Book. What? There is no Samuel? Then write your own. ‘Ah Ha!’

[Editor's Note] There IS a book of Samuel, actually two in the Old Testament of the Good Book. Then check the book of Lance or Dirk or Chuck or Hank or Sally? Sally?

PuppywoodSpeak

Now that the spring season is coming on shaking off the winter blahs and bringing on the warm yellow snow, it is time to understand what is happening in your environment.

When you enter the kingdom of Puppywoods, as a tourist you should know what events occur here and the players who make this a special wilderness of constant joy and entertainment.

The cast of characters:

Grey Jay: Not actually a Perisoreus Canadensis but a Grey Catbird, Dumetella carolinensis, but the name has stuck. Migrates from Florida to Puppywoods then back again at the end of summer. Something mystical about this bird that is very familiar. 

Petie (aka Yard Monkey): Grey squirrels, the most populous of Puppywoods. 

Robben: Not to be confused with Mr. and Mrs. Robin, but a rouge Petie who brazenly walks into the studio to gather more grub when supplies are low outside. After some stern talking too he always gets his way and waddles off with his prize. I like Pirates. 

Beau-Beau (aka Scooter): Black striped brown ground squirrels, chipmunks. Descendents from the original Beau-Beau, the roommate of my first wife, who escaped his plastic palace and entered the wilderness that was to become Puppywoods. Several families live in different directions. Beware, they will run you over. 

The Ladies: Morning doves. They bring the song of the start of the day and provide a bit of properness to the rag-tag bunch that inhabit here. 

Mister and Misses Robin: The Commonwealth’s Official bird since 1950. Hangs around all year. Especially touching how he will get some seed and then take it to his mate. Colorful couple who hang tight and never cause any trouble. 

Bluejay: The warning system for the yard, peanut fancier. For such a large and loud bird, he is a big chicken and the first to run. 

Woody: Two different types of woodpeckers come around to keep the beat. 

Al: Barred Owl, very proper and can look right through you with those large eyes. Seems to be somewhat wise yet feels comfortable enough to rest here during the day. You will never hear him leave, but he announces when he arrives. He gets the respect he so deserves. 

Ollie: Al’s old lady. Interesting to hear them talk to each other. Don’t be messing with her or you get Al’s wrath. 

Mister Hawk: There is a large one and a small one who scan this area, neither are welcomed at Puppywoods and will be chased away. They don’t come around when Al is here. 

Mister Vole (aka Lil’ Dodger): one of our smallest residents. He doesn’t cause much chaos but pops up in darndest places. 

Black Cap:  A feisty Chickadee that loves sunflower seeds and will take on any opponent, no matter the size. 

Possee: The quiet slow opossum that wanders through now and then but is mostly a night visitor. 

Rocky: The masked striped tailed bandit who comes through in the dark rummaging through the shadows. 

Bun-Bun (Mama, Bun-Bun(s), baby Bun): All the white cotton tailed bunnies, various sizes. Mama is the Official Puppywoods Yard Boss. Sleeps in the sunshine and tall grass, hides in the ivy and stays dry under the studio when it rains. Are fond of blueberries. 

Ratboy (aka Ratzo Rizzo aka Ratty Mac Ratface): All critters with feathers and fuzzy tails are welcomed to Puppywoods, but not this guy. [Editor’s Note: I live in a city. I know that it is full of rats. At night and out of sight they can do what they do but during the day they are NOT invited to the buffet.] 

KAT: Also unwelcomed to Puppywoods. [Editor’s Note: There are fewer cats wandering the neighborhood but when one is sighted they are chased away to break the habit of their natural hunting instincts, at least in this spot of ground. Puppywoods is a designated park for wild creatures to run and play in the safety of its confines.] 

Clean-Up Crew: At dusk, a variety of wrens, chickadees and other assorted feathered visitors are invited to finish off the daily buffet. 

Frick & Frack: The two Peties who are constantly chasing each other around the grounds and up and down the trees.

Bike Buddy: A little rolly-polly nuthatch that between catching spiders rest on the bicycle handlebars. I think he’d ride off but his legs don’t reach the pedals. 

The Crows (aka The Holy Trinity): The three crows, Sheryl, Russell, and Counting, make a lot of noise and chase Mr. Hawk. They also clean up leftovers, like Possee and Ratboy. Always looking sharp in their black gloss undertaker coats. 

Eureka & Hoover: Two Beau-Beau partners who can clean an area quickly filling cheeks and scurrying off to unload and return for more vacuum duty. 

Flutterby: The colorful flowers on the wing.

 There are many, many more characters too varied to number each with their own activities, noticed or unnoticed, that make this a sanctuary wilderness for native life.

PuppywoodSpeak:

“There you go”: Approval of grabbing a peanut or seed or blueberry.

“Hello Ladies”: Formal welcome to the doves.

“Get A Peanut”: Instructions to the newly arrived Blue Jays.

“OK guys. Come and Get It. Soups On”: Announcing to the yard the buffet is open.

“Good job”: After a Bluejay warning of danger that gets me out in the yard to chase away any threat. Usually followed up by a treat of peanuts.

“Scoodly Doo”: The skipping patterns of critters playing.

“Zoom”: The sound of the scooters zipping about.

“Pisssssss”: Shoo cat noise. (ps. This really works)

“Tich-tich-tich”: Walk slowly through the yard with this sound to announce your movement without danger to those sheltered.

“Roll & Tumble”: The wrestling (or more amorous interaction) between critters. Some are moves by the alphas to establish their dominance while others are just good-natured play.

“Ooop!”: When one critter gooses another critter making them jump into the air.

“Stick”: A favorite Petie game of grabbing a stick and rolling and tumbling with it then running off only to return moments later and jumping on the stick again. Followed by the sound of “Grrrrr”.

“Hello”: The formal welcome acknowledgement to everyone from a moth to a spider to a butterfly to the moon. The proper society approved welcome as oppose the Carolina vernacular of  “Hey”.

“Mess Pots”: When the critters are acting silly.

“Raining Peanuts”: When the critters are munching down on seed and they see me and hear the rustle of paper their forecasters say, “It will be raining peanuts”.

“Blueberry Time”: Normally at 3PM and 5PM, fresh blueberries are placed in a constant spot and announced to all around “Blueberry Time”. Bun-Bun’s and Robin’s favorite, but a special treat to all.

“Put Up Your Umbrellas”: Informing the Peties it is raining and fold their tails over their heads.

“No, not that way, follow me”: When a bird flies into the studio and tries to fly out through the skylights. Stay calm. Open the door wide and walk out on the porch while talking quietly. After some panic and frustration they figure it out, fly to freedom and have a great story for the family that night.

“You Got Your Hungries On”: When the critters stand around the feeding ground before the buffet is open.

“Cutie Pies”: They can’t help themselves from being adorable.

“Cool The Tummy”: Critters way to cool off. Lie flat on a cool shady slate or some mulch to chill from all the antics of running around on a hot day.

Now you know the cast of critters and the script, walk softly as not to disturb for this is their territory and we are just visitors. Keep your hands behind you and no sudden movements or noises. Stop occasionally and just look up. Stand still a few minutes and listen to the activity going on around you. You can’t see it but it is always going. Take time to observe an area and suddenly you will find camouflaged nature provides a social network no Internet can compare to.

As caretaker I will try to provide the basics so nature can have the freedom to continue. In the meantime I get unlimited entertainment and unexpected antics from this cast of characters.

Thank you for the privilege of providing you with space and necessities to allow me what people take vacations to national parks for.

Cynical

I’ve been accused of being cynical? Let’s see if that is true.

Cynicism is defined as an attitude or state of mind characterized by a general distrust of others’ motives. 

“Sounds sort of paranoia but I can agree with that so far.”

A cynic may have a general lack of faith or hope in the human species or people motivated by ambition, desire, greed, gratification, materialism, and goals. This opinion that a cynic perceives as vain are therefore deserving of ridicule or admonishment. 

“Yes, I suppose what others hold as valuable or amenable I demolish as trash and unworthy of acclaim.”

A common misapplication of this cynical attitude involves its attribution to individuals who emote well-thought-out expressions of skepticism. 

“Hummm? Go on.”

Such miscategorization may occur as the result of either inexperience and/or a belief system in which the innate goodness of man is considered an important tenet or even an irrefutable fact. 

“Who said that ‘man’ (human) was inherently good?”

Thus, contemporary usage incorporates both a form of jaded prudence and (when misapplied) realistic criticism or skepticism. 

“Jaded? Is that now our bias built upon life’s experiences?”

The term originally derives from the ancient Greek philosophers, the Cynics (“I saw them at the Fillmore in ’70”), who rejected all conventions, whether of religion, manners, housing, dress, or decency, instead advocating the pursuit of virtue in accordance with a simple and idealistic way of life.  

“Is this not anarchy more than thumbing your nose to conformity?”

By the 19th century, emphasis on the ascetic ideals and the critique of current civilization based on how it might fall short of an ideal civilization or negativistic aspects of Cynic philosophy led the modern understanding of cynicism to mean a disposition of disbelief in the sincerity or goodness of human motives and actions. “What is your flavor today? Saving puppies? What happened to the seals and whales?”

Modern cynicism is distrust toward professed ethical and social values, especially when there are high expectations concerning society, institutions, and authorities that are unfulfilled. 

“Do we all not question in our rebellious youth the rules and regulations handed us without our input?”

It can manifest itself as a result of frustration, disillusionment, and distrust perceived as owing to organizations, authorities, and other aspects of society. 

“I do not sign petitions or walk on protest marches or even donate time or money to causes for I don’t believe they are making a different either.”

Cynicism can appear more active in depression. Cynics are sometimes accused to be “borderline melancholic’s”, which can keep their symptoms of depression under control and yet retain the ability to work, whatever might happen. 

“Melancholia? I can understand that. Most of us are distracted from our own wants, dreams and desires by the rudeness of life so I understand melancholia and maybe have experienced depression.”

One active aspect of cynicism involves the desire to expose hypocrisy and to point out gaps between ideals and practices.  

“I’m onboard with that so that must be me.”

George Bernard Shaw allegedly expressed this succinctly: “The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who don't have it”.  

“Why quote a playwright here?”

A study published in Neurology journal in 2014 found a link between “cynical distrust” (defined as the belief that others are mainly motivated by selfish concerns) and dementia. The survey included 622 people who were tested for dementia for a period of 8 years. In that period, 46 people were diagnosed with dementia . “Once researchers adjusted for other factors that could affect dementia risk, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking, people with high levels of cynical distrust were three times more likely to develop dementia than people with low levels of cynicism. Of the 164 people with high levels of cynicism, 14 people developed dementia , compared to nine of the 212 people with low levels of cynicism.”

Skeptical means having reservations. Someone who is Skeptical will not easily be convinced or will be hard to persuade. “Show me the proof. Confirmed disbeliever.”

The main meaning of cynical is believing the worst of people, or as NOAD (New Oxford American Dictionary) says, “distrustful of human sincerity or integrity”. 

“Now after all that nonsense, I must confess. I am cynical. I’m probably a card-carrying cynic. Maybe I’m the poster child for cynicism?  In the seven decades I’ve been aware of my surroundings I have not seen any reason that human goodness is not just a facade. There has always been a war massacring our fellow travelers. We preach of welcoming while building walls. We hold holy vigils and then murder our friends and family. We hold festivals to heavenly ideals that turn into drunken debauchery. We overpopulate due to wanton lust depriving our offspring the opportunities of health, knowledge and freedom to explore thoughts, visions and live dreams.

Being an old codger (which I’ve also been accused) I may not adapt as quickly to the latest fade or folly but I will watch on the sidelines hoping against hope that our species will change. We have created varieties of religions trying to show the rest of society the way, but it has all become another form of politics.

Does that sound cynical?”

Transition

The word ‘transition’ has been used profusely in the news recently.

The translation of ‘transition’ is the process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another.

Isn’t that is what life is all about?

We change our hair color, we seek the passage toward the meaning of live, we move from place to place, we transform to whatever mood we are in, we make the reality check between school and work and make the conversion, we metamorphosis during puberty, we have our clothes tailored in alteration, we segue through television serials, we shift our gears, we switch our lovers, we jump the shark, we have leaps of faith, we progress through life experiences, we are appraised or disdained for our development,  and we evolve

So what is this ‘trans’ all about?

We translate words, thoughts and meanings to better understand, we make transactions of our life’s savings into a joint account, we fake transparency but are as hidden as ever, we seen transmissions hoping for the answer and not a reply, we transform our wishes and dreams to comply, we yield yet are translucent, we indulge in our many forms of transportation hoping to get away and possibly come back, we check to see what has transpired but it is only life.

Is ‘trans’ a prefix?

Transgender people are folks who have a ‘gender identity’ or ‘gender expression’ that differs from their assigned sex. Transgender people are sometimes called transsexual if they desire medical assistance to transition from one sex to another.

Transgender is also an umbrella term: in addition to including people whose gender identity is the opposite of their assigned sex (trans men and trans women), it may include people who are not exclusively masculine or feminine (people who are genderqueer, e.g. bigender, pangender, genderfluid, or agender). Other definitions of transgender also include people who belong to a third gender, or conceptualize transgender people as a third gender. Infrequently, the term transgender is defined very broadly to include cross-dressers, regardless of their gender identity.

Being transgender is independent of sexual orientation: transgender people may identify as heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, asexual, etc., or may consider conventional sexual orientation labels inadequate or inapplicable. The term transgender can also be distinguished from intersex, a term that describes people born with physical sex characteristics “that do not fit typical binary notions of male or female bodies”.

The degree to which individuals feel genuine, authentic, and comfortable within their external appearance and accept their genuine identity has been called transgender congruence. Many transgender people experience gender dysphoria, and some seek medical treatments such as hormone replacement therapy, sex reassignment surgery, or psychotherapy. Not all transgender people desire these treatments, and some cannot undergo them for financial or medical reasons.

Most transgender people face discrimination at and in accessing work, public accommodations, and healthcare. They are not legally protected from discrimination in many places.

Gender / genderless, Androgyne, Bigender, Genderqueer / Non-binary, Gender bender, Hijra, Pangender, Queer heterosexuality, Third gender, Trans man, Trans woman, Transmasculine, Transfeminine, Trigender, Two-Spirit and etc.

A transvestite is a person who cross-dresses, or dresses in clothes typically associated with the gender opposite the one they were assigned at birth. The term transvestite is used as a synonym for the term cross-dresser, although cross-dresser is generally considered the preferred term. The term cross-dresser is not exactly defined in the relevant literature. This definition excludes people “who wear opposite sex clothing for other reasons,” such as “those female impersonators who look upon dressing as solely connected to their livelihood, actors undertaking roles, individual males and females enjoying a masquerade, and so on. These individuals are cross dressing but are not cross dressers.” Cross-dressers may not identify with, or want to be the opposite gender, nor adopt the behaviors or practices of the opposite gender, and generally do not want to change their bodies medically. The majority of cross-dressers identify as heterosexual. People who cross-dress in public can have a desire to pass as the opposite gender, so as not to be detected as a cross-dresser, or may be indifferent.

The term transvestite and the associated outdated term transvestism are conceptually different from the term transvestic fetishism, as transvestic fetishist describes those who intermittently use clothing of the opposite gender for fetishistic purposes.

Long before the use of generic ‘he’ was condemned as sexist, the pronouns ‘they’, ‘their’, and ‘them’ were used in educated speech and in all but the most formal writing to refer to singular indefinite pronouns or singular nouns of general personal reference (which are often not felt to be exclusively singular).

Shakespeare, Swift, Shelley, Scott, and Dickens, as well as many other English and American writers, have used ‘they’ and its related case forms to refer to singular antecedents.  This increased use is at least partly impelled by the desire to avoid generic ‘he’ or the awkward ‘he/she’ and ‘he or she’ when the antecedent’s gender is not known or when the referent is of mixed gender.

However, while use of ‘they’ and its forms after singular indefinite pronouns or singular noun of general personal reference or indefinite gender is common and generally acceptable, their use to refer to a single clearly specified, known, or named person is uncommon and likely to be noticed and criticized.

Even so, use of ‘they’, ‘their’, and ‘them’ is increasingly found in contexts where the antecedent is a gender-nonconforming individual or one who does not identify as male or female.
And although ‘they’ may be used as a singular pronoun, ‘they’ still take a plural verb, analogous to the use of “you are” to refer to one person.

From what I’ve read, there is a ‘transition’ period before ‘he’ or ‘she’ becomes ‘they’.

Personally I’ve transitioned enough and don’t really concern whatever the latest flavor for the month is and myself with the LBGTQXYZ community. A person is a human being, a fellow companion on this spinning ball we all call home and it doesn’t matter.

The person who decides they want to be responsible or perhaps greedy will take the acceptable clothing and walk the walk and talk the talk to achieve their monetary goals. Those who do not want to conform to the norm can migrate to another area hoping for realization of their beliefs, or become strong enough to create a NEW norm, or hide away in the shadows in fear of retribution.

Being from the ‘arts’ community I’ve always had interactions with those who do not conform to the norm. Partly due to the display of creativity and particularly to getting monetary reward from the world for their art, these individuals are flamboyant enough to draw attention to themselves.

Think of the dancers and writers and musicians and painters who had to become celebrities through being flamboyant. Think of the rock and roll musicians you can name without any knowledge of symphony musicians. Who was that bassoon player in the third row?

Sorry parents but you are to blame. You have rewarded your kids for performing wildly to entertain guest and family alike. Home movies bare this out.

But we all want to be acknowledged. From the person who tattoos their face to the shade of lipstick, each is an individual.

Gender doesn’t matter into you have to be separated by the authorities that define you as a ‘boy’ or a ‘girl’. Different teams, different life preparations, different sides of the dance floor are engrained into our psyche. Similar to politics and religion, are you ‘pink’ or are you ‘blue’?

Or are you black or brown or Muslin or Hindu or Southern Baptist or a farmer or a stockbroker or a pipe fitter or an airline pilot, does it matter? We are all here in this big pot of stew called humanity. Why should all the labels matter?

I might be somewhat shocked (or surprised) by a purple Mohawk hairdo or a military uniform or a Hijab or whatever other fashion statement one wants to be described by. It is just vision our of the usual and I get the same reaction by seeing a baby bunny sleeping in the tall grass or morning glories in full bloom. It is the diversity of life and as long as we don’t fear the other, after a transition we can all get along.

It is not the clothing or makeup or the house or car or title that makes the person who they are.

As I transition into old age there is more thought about comfort than ideality impression or even want for acceptance. Different isn’t bad, it makes us individuals.

Just don’t stick it in my face and expect me to accept it or any variation of it. One must take time to transition.

Until we expire.

Anti-Life

There is lots of talk about the idea of ‘Life’ and I wonder: “What is all this talk about?”

I think in my own naïveté philosophy is that this ‘life’ that we wake up to every morning and experience everyday is just that?

We didn’t ask for it. We just arrived and there it was.  

Then there is Pro-Life

Anti-abortion movements, also referred to as ‘pro-life’ movements, are involved in the abortion debate advocating against the practice of abortion and its legality. Many anti-abortion movements began as countermovement in response to the legalization of elective abortions.

Abortion is the intentional termination of a human pregnancy. Life?

By some the terms used in the debate are seen as political framing. The terms used to validate one stance while invalidating the opposition’s. For example, the labels “pro-choice” and “pro-life” imply endorsement of widely held values such as liberty and freedom, while suggesting that the opposition must be “anti-choice” or “anti-life” (alternatively ‘pro-coercion’ or ‘pro-death’).

The Associated Press favors the terms “abortion rights” and "anti-abortion" instead.

However, some in the “pro-life” movement view the term “anti-abortion” as an inaccurate media label as well. For example, not all who would describe themselves as “pro-life” are opposed to abortion if the life of the mother is in certain danger? Also, for many in the “pro-life” movement, the word “life” reflects the core value and truth for which they sincerely believe their causes represents. According to some beliefs, human ‘life’ begins before birth (i.e., at fertilization, when the genetic material which will develop into a fetus first assumes zygote form and acquires unique DNA), and many feel that human ‘life’ is valuable and worthy of protection at all stages. This view is heavily influenced by religious belief in many, but not all cases.

There is significant philosophical debate regarding whether human embryos acquire personhood and human rights upon genetic formation or upon fetal viability.

The ‘right to life’ is a moral principle based on the belief that a human being has the right to live and, in particular, should not be killed by another human being. The concept of a ‘right to life’ arises in debates on issues of capital punishment, war, abortion, euthanasia, and justifiable homicide and, by extension, public health care.

In human history, there has not been a general acceptance of the concept of a ‘right to life’ that is innate to individuals rather than granted as a privilege by those holding social and political power. The evolution of human rights as a concept took place slowly in multiple areas in many different ways, with the ‘right to life’ being no exception to this trend, and the past millennia in particular has seen a large set of national and international legal documents (examples being the Magna Carta and the UN Declaration of Human Rights) codifying the general ideal into specifically worded principles.

Opponents of capital punishment argue that it is a violation of the ‘right to life’ while its supporters argue that the death penalty is not a violation of the ‘right to life’ because the ‘right to life’ should apply with deference to a sense of justice. The opponents believe that capital punishment is the worst violation of human rights, because the ‘right to life’ is the most important, and capital punishment violates it without necessity and inflicts to the condemned a psychological torture.

Human rights activists oppose the death penalty, calling it “cruel, inhuman, and degrading punishment”, and Amnesty International considers it to be “the ultimate, irreversible denial of Human Rights”.

The United Nations General Assembly has adopted, in 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014 non-binding resolutions calling for a global moratorium on executions, with a view to eventual abolition.

International law only allows law enforcement officers to deliberately take life (“shooting to kill”) where absolutely necessary to defend themselves and others against an imminent threat to life.

The entitlement of a person to make the decision to end their own life through euthanasia is commonly called a ‘right to choose’, while people who oppose the legalization of euthanasia are commonly referred to as the ‘right-to-lifers’.

The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law guidebook (2000) listing of abortion specifies the publication use of “anti-abortion” instead of “pro-life” and “abortion rights” instead of “pro-abortion” or “pro-choice”, and advises avoiding the use of “abortionist” which “connotes a person who performs clandestine abortions”, in favor of using a term such as “abortion doctor” or “abortion practitioner”.

The term ‘right to life’ is used in the abortion debate by those who wish to reduce the use of abortions and in the context of pregnancy; the term ‘right to life’ was advanced by Pope Pius XII during a 1951 papal encyclical:

“Every human being, even the child in the womb, has the ‘right to life’ directly from God and not from his parents, not from any society or human authority. Therefore, there is no man, no society, no human authority, no science, no “indication” at all whether it be medical, eugenic, social, economic, or moral that may offer or give a valid judicial title for a direct deliberate disposal of an innocent human life…”

--- Pope Pius XII,

Address to Midwives on the Nature of Their Profession Papal Encyclical,

October 29, 1951.

Life must really be precious. It is the only one we have (as far as we know) and it is not easy. We have thoughts of living forever and not only that; we want to stay young in the process.

We take concoctions and potions and pills and lotions to sward off aging all the while not exercising and abusing ourselves with substances to ease our pains and woes. Institutions are fueled with the promise of extending life but it is inevitable. No one gets out alive.

Fathers and mothers give life to their children and vicariously relive their lives through their offspring hoping for a better life and they do the same and the cycle continues. In the end, life is taken away and only the date of birth and the date of death remember the final chapter.

If life is to be cherished shouldn’t we respect ALL LIFE in all species that inhabit this planet with us? If life is so redeemed why do we constantly murder each other for a myriad of reasons?

Are we so hypocritical to preach ‘pro-life’ one minute then barrage ourselves with books, movies, video games, television shows, news reports of maiming, destroying and otherwise removing life from all living species? Does the Good Book not tell us to respect this gift of life and then we crucify the prophet who we worship? Is our ‘pro-life’ philosophy flawed in the creation of our Gods and then taking their lives?

If all our laws and beliefs and rules have exceptions then are they not just a waste of time and paper for another law or belief or rule will come along while we continue to live our lives doing the best we can and hoping for a safe landing.

I certainly have no answers to ‘pro-life’ vs ‘anti-life’ question than the man who seeds a woman in unfavorable circumstances or conclusions or the one that fires the bullet at a brother or sister or the one who cannot coop with the pain and confusion or the one who sticks the needle in while a selected few are chosen to watch. My life is different than your life and his life and her life. We are dealt a hand and have to make our decisions on how to play this game.

Our best imaginative theories no nothing of what came before or what happens after so all we got is a this time in the sunshine and rain to enjoy every breathe and every step and appreciate what goes on around us. LFPHDY.

The ‘Anti-Life Equation’ is a fictional mathematical equation appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics.

In Jack Kirby's Fourth World setting, the Anti-Life Equation is a formula for total control over the minds of sentient beings, which is sought by Darkseid, who, for this reason, sends his forces to Earth, as he believes part of the equation exists in the subconscious.

Various comics have defined the equation in different ways, but a common interpretation is that the equation is a mathematical proof of the futility of living.

The formula is:

Loneliness + alienation + fear + despair + self-worth ÷ mockery ÷ condemnation ÷ misunderstanding × guilt × shame × failure × judgment n=y where y=hope and n=folly, love=lies, life=death, self=dark side

Think I’ll Get Drunk Tonight

No, you don’t plan these things; you just wind up doing it. There was wine in the frig and there was time on my hands. I won’t be the first time. I assume it won’t be the last.

There have been many nights with parties as accuse to party hardy and then wake up the next day paying the piper. Praying to the porcelain God is not unknown.

So tonight after the usual amount of alcohol delivered in tin cans I will reopen the wine provided for a friend during a porch talk and finish it off.

Now wine is just grape juice with a kick and I’ve had the best and the worst. I’ve had the finest and the emptied the boxes.

So tonight with full knowledge I will empty the bottle.

Will this make me be a stumble and a surlier and relive my young life? Not really for experience knows its limits. I’ll probably just go to sleep if I can get back to the house without falling.

Tomorrow I will wake up (maybe somewhat foggy) but I’m a experienced expert on getting wasted.

So tonight might be a new wonder or the same old trip.

See you tomorrow.

What Are You Afraid Of?

Seems like we are moving back to the 50s. You know the time when everyone was working building cars and refrigerators and houses and raising families and cutting the grass and watching the new fangled television with rabbit ears, but the news reported that the commies had bombs and we had bombs and someone might just get upset and set off these bombs and we would no longer exist.

So our fear kept us sending boys and girls overseas to retain the red menace but we were not really into that. Besides the Nazis and Japs had been defeated and we wanted to know about Lucy and Lawrence Welk and cowboys and somewhat steamy detective paperbacks. The most we had to fear were the black and white rubber monsters on the big screen until the popcorn ran out.

Yet there is always some fear in our lives to make us check the lock on the door twice and look around the corner at the sound of footsteps.

We fear that we will be passed over for the next raise or our taxes will be audited. We fear that we will lose our love to another or the doctor will say he found a fiendish thingy that is not good for our long life expectancy. 

We fear death but know nothing about it. No one has ever come back to tell us what happens so we’ve written these tall tales of wings and harps and pits of eternal fire and misery but there is no science. There is somewhat proof that we all will die because we all do. Why can’t we just face the facts and make the most of it until the end?

Do we fear that boys might be girls and girls might be boys but they both have to pee? Do we fear that someone who doesn’t look like us or talk like us or believe the same as us are our enemy? Do we fear our God? Do we fear ourselves?

We fear the unknown and if the propaganda on the airwaves tells us constantly there is a spooky monster out there and we all should fear it, do we listen. If the message is clear of what the monster is and is repeated enough (check the book) we believe the fear is true.

As we shelter into our mundane lives of locks and guns and laws and regulators and propagators and defenders of our limited knowledge the fear may become real. If we group together to oppose the fear or react without the rational understanding of reality vs. fiction really bad things can happen.

There are some who view fear as an adrenaline rush and climb mountains and bungee jump and drive fast and jump out of airplanes to conquer their obsession against what would terrorize most of the sane folks. Glorification of warfare has those who feel invincible to move from video games to the battlefield until the real bullet hits.

So listening and watching the world events on your big screen smart devices while eating your pizza delivered by perhaps a subversive agent or a member of an organization mapping the neighborhood while your kids are playing video games being streamed to others through their online cameras and your security system is being hacked by your neighbors who wants to borrow your lawnmower forever and your dog’s collar is being bugged by the nice mailman who petted him when you were not looking and the ancient pipes dripping lead particles onto your toothpaste without thinking what is the chemical makeup of your cheese.

Just do like everyone else and it will all be all right.