Surrounded by Knaves & Fools...

Folk #1: St. Patrick's Day 2026. It doesn't have much meaning beyond an excuse to drink to excess, & then puke on your shoes. Beer & vomit. And for a certain class of Humans, that is just typical behavior. Some of us left all that behind in our mis-spent youth. Now it's about observing your fellow humans acting badly and thinking "glad it's not me." Unleash yourself from the drinking class, and, suddenly you are a bit of an outsider. Choose to be a vegetarian too, and, well, you find yourself on the far shore of existence. Oh yeah, admit you like to read poetry, and poetic novels?  Ok. You are an outlier, no doubt. Yes.  Being on the outside looking in gets to be quite comfortable & comforing. Dave Davies of the Kinks once put it well: "I'm not like everybody else." And that's ok. It kind of inverts the old idea of being a "rebel," no cigarettes, no booze, no BBQ, no junk food, early to bed, early to rise, leaning to the Light,  you know, just for kicks? "Straight Edge," vs."Broken Arrow." I was once told by a "psychic," that my mission in this life was to "heal my male ancestral line."  Seems a bit of a heady, mad, impossible quest & task, the kind of mission & theme you can take into the core of your being and guard with your life. I look back at my own line, a  long string of "working stiffs," folks just trying to get through, and, yes, well, there is continuity in the line. I find myself trying my best to do what I can with what I have, which isn't all that much, but just enough. I can choose to be happy, as an act of flinty discipline. Surely, I am arbitrary, temporary, making it all up as I go along. Often I have no clue what it's all about. I look around at the world and I see difficult dire, deadly, times, bounded by tragedy, and cruelty; surrounded by a world overstuffed with knaves & fools. I am in it, but not of it. That's my code. I tell myself: "It must be enough."

Clearing the Head-Space...

 

Folk #1: I write about the madness, often, here, in this little blog. Reading my posts you might think I am overly-occupied with the doings of terrible people doing terrible things. It is not so. Or, ok, it is so, but only to a certain extent. Sure, there is a battle going on in my head-space (one battle after another), sure, the hurly-burly of furious action is front & center in my head, but I am always trying to clear my head, my space, to open to a new clarity, to locate, & to retreat to, the calm center of consciousness. It can be done in short bursts, and, surprisingly, sometimes, I can do it all day long. I turn to meditation, music, laughter, love, joy. I try to fill up my days by doing those things that I love to do. Much of yesterday I spent my time in a recording studio working on new music. It was glorious. No one was shooting missiles at me. If I stick close to the ground, wander the streets of my little neighborhood, I can lose myself in a world of wonder. Really. It's true. I imagine myself as a little Golden Buddha. letting go the troubles, the worries, the doubts, of a crazy-ass existence, and focus on the Light,  Light in the Darkness, leaning into the "path of enlightenment." Yes. Be like the Golden Buddha. That is a noble path. No blood for oil. No war. Fuck the evil-doers. I let all the shite go. Damn the torpedoes.

The New World Disorder...

Folk #1: Intentionally lighting the Middle East on fire? Not smart. Gladly blundering into a War? Pretty damn stupid. And terribly immoral. Not realizing that other folks have "theory of mind;" not understanding & taking into account that  other Human Beings have their own thoughts, ideas, dreams, plans, motives? Infantile, stunted, a sign of a malfunctioning brain. Talk about "self-sabotage." No surprise this man is a multiple Felon, a serial sexual abuser, a bully & a clown with a long record of failures & bankruptcies. Did I mention the Lies? Never-ending. How could such a Human Being be elected, elevated to such a position of weight & power by a free populace? Unfathomable. This lawless President, and his boot-licking toadies are on a path of world-wide chaos & destruction. Welcome to the New World Disorder. It is true, and it is our small glimmer of Hope, there is still reality, gravity & hard consequences: "The harder they come, the harder they fall, one & all." Afterwards, the healing will commence, and the picking up the pieces and putting back together again will be a major enterprise of renewal. Other, vastly better equipped Humans will be required for the difficult tasks ahead.

The Psychopaths Amongst Us...

Folk #1: What is a Psychopath? Psychopathy, or psychopathic personality, is a personality construct characterized by impaired empathy and remorse, persistent antisocial behavior, along with bold, disinhibited, and egocentric traits. These traits are often masked by superficial charm and immunity to stress, which create an outward appearance of normality.

The latest news seems to beg the question: What happens when society rewards & elevates these broken, stunted, malformed personality types to the highest ranks in Government, Business, Show-biz, Pop Culture?

The obvious result: blind cruelty, pointless violence, raw brutality. Amplify this across countries and you get bloody wars of attrition. Unhinged, delusional, diseased, poorly functioning minds at war with each other.  The rest of us are left to watch the gory spectacle unfold & to pray that the pieces don't fall on our own heads...

Stupid & Corrupt Meets the Day...

Folk #1: It's funny to watch the really Corrupt & Stupid People find out that not every one else is quite as Corrupt & Stupid as they are. You know, "the shock of the real." Another hard reality, and a hard-learned lesson in humility. Of course, these Corrupt & Stupid People are so Corrupt & Stupid, all lessons, roll off their backs, they fall by the wayside. Nothing will deter these Corrupt & Stupid People from their mission of corruption & stupidity. So, anyway, yes, the Gates of Hell have been pushed open-wide, it is quite disturbing, but there is still a tiny flicker of satisfaction as we watch the Corrupt & Stupid People flail about in total stupefied incomprehension. They find themselves up against something totally mysterious: other folks with minds of their own, some actually armed with a smidgen of Intelligence, Integrity, Agency, Will, Intention, Resistance.  Sure, all this madness & fury may spell "curtains," for a certain way of life for all of us, it is a constant battle, between the dense & the enlightened, but it is sort of gratifying to watch the Corrupt & Stupid Ones find out that "the world," & reality itself, refuses to bend or bow to their deeply stupid & corrupt idiocies...

Morning Words...

Folk #1: Words & phrases that tumble off the top of my head this morning...

Hubris
Arrogance
Idiocy

Blind Stupidity

Clusterfuck

Fatal Embrace

Catastrophic Failure

2 Billion Dollars a Day

Oil Crisis

Vietnam

Iraq

Afghanistan

Iran

Straits of Hormuz

Quagmire

Forever War

FUBAR

Civilian Casualties

Murder

Mayhem

Dogs of War

Gates of Hell

Unintended Consequences

No Exit Strategy

War Crimes

Dishonorable Men

Cowards

Fools

Lies

Lies

Damned Lies

Release the Epstein Files

Fuck

"Girl, we gotta get out of this place, if it's the last thing we ever do..."

Yes, of course, the Idiot Plot...

Folk #1: Yes. Of course. "The Idiot Plot!" - an idiot plot is one which is "kept in motion solely by virtue of the fact that everybody involved is an idiot" and where the story would quickly end, or possibly not even happen, if this were not the case.

Sure, it can be mildly entertaining, if, & when, it's just entertainment; a movie, a series, or a show, in which you watch other folks, clearly, first-class, clueless Idiots, navigating thru the world, fucking up with total abandon and idiocy. Laughter and joy can ensue, watching folks clearly more fucked up than you, totally fucking up. There is a certain satisfaction in thinking: "At least I'm not that much of a fucking Idiot!"

In the real world? Not so funny. Every morning you wake up, worried, anxious, unsure, sipping your morning coffee asking yourself: "What fresh fuckery today? What have the Idiots done now?!" 

We are stuck in the Idiot Plot, with no clear escape hatch. Yikes.

Random Words from a Diseased Mind...

Actual Quote from Trump: "No other president can do some of this shit I'm doing."

Folk #1: Exactly! Yes. In my own mind, I have danced around with the idea that Will Stancil posted on Blue Sky (see above). Thinking about this lawless, rogue, President, a human being, who rarely seems to have a coherent, rational, logical thought in his head; attributing, any cogent motives or strategies to this poor example of a man, seems like pointless foolishness, & an obvious "category mistake."   

All the media coverage of this man's mutterings are truly off-target.  Yes. "... asking a poodle to change a flat tire." So perfect. He's just "doing shit." Shit no one else would do. 

There may be some raw "thoughts" swimming around in this President's head, probably up front & center in his head: "stay out of jail," but beyond that, think way more basic; reptilian, lower-function, all-reaction/all the time. Pure survival shit; rage, blind stupidity, gutter racism, incoherent ramblings & random poorly-formulated words from a truly diseased mind.

It's pathology, baby! We are stuck with this sickness, until, well, not sure how this ends. Yikes...

Monday Morning Hot Take...

Folk #1: I am an Excitable Boy. Just like Warren Zevon. But this morning, trying my best not to be excited or anxious. I am sipping my coffee, doing my best to stay cool, calm, collected. You know, clear-eyed, grounded, level-headed, looking for Intelligent Life on the Planet. Surprised by the on-going "idiocy & barbarity of my fellow Human Beings." So my hot take isn't all that hot. Maybe this new war in the Middle East is just one grand social experiment, meant to trigger a Global Meltdown? You know, popping the balloon just to make noise? Intiated by one foolish, man, criminal in nature, well beyond the pale of any sensibility or rationality. "This imbecile doesn't know what he's doing..." Let's step back for a minute and remind ourselves of one good rule for better living: "Don't mess with shit you don't know." But, in order live by that code, you have to be smart enough to know what you don't know, and disicplined enough to know when to shut up and sit down. Our present dire cirmcumstance, this vast moment of uncertainty & chaos, is the result you get when one man refuses to shut up & sit down. Think of this Presidency as a deadly experiment that asks the loaded question: "What happens when we break everything, all at once?"

Cognitive Dissonance in Action...

Folk #1: Latest events in the world confirm that yes, we are the bad guys now. When I say "we," I mean the USA. We, our leadership & military forces, are now acting like a lawless, rogue nation. We are the source, the generator of chaos, death & destruction. In retrospect, I suppose, it was inevitable. Life & Death decisions & actions are being made and implemented by a very unwell, cruel, heartless & clueless President. Elect a criminal, expect criminal policies & actions.

We spent yesterday afternoon with a group of creative, dynamic, beautiful American citizens, musicians all, playing music together in a small room, with all our heads & hearts aligned. It was a powerful experience. Even though all of us are very woke & engaged citizens, not one word was spoken about the horror unleashed in our names. It's fair to say, everyone was stunned into silence on the state of the state, desperate to lose themselves in something close to home, something good, nourishing, and soul-affirming. 

We know that we are lucky to have each other, and that we have a project to work on together. It's an alternative, an antidote, to the latest USA Suicide Cult. This Hell on Earth newly unleashed is unspeakable. Really my thoughts this morning about it all can be summed in a string of curses & obscenities. 

Where is all this going? I have no idea, and I can't imagine these folks in charge have any clue either. Let's just be clear, we have taken a deadly, very wrong turn, I don't think it's gonna be a happy ending any time soon. We can Hope for a better day, maybe it's out there on the horizon? In the meantime, filling ourselves up with music, laughter, love. Not an abdication of repsonsiblity, but an act of healing & affirmation of a better way. Fuck the Warmongers & Evil-Doers. Damn the Torpedoes.

We Really Don't Need It All...

Folk #1: We live in a perpetual motion machine. Let's call it Civilization or maybe better, Pop Culture. Everything is in it: Business, Politics, Media, the Arts, etc. Like a Waring Blender all the elements are blurred & pulverized into a big, inglorious mush. How to navigate this shite, and keep from losing your head? It's an on-going project. We are told that "You Can Have It All," and, well, you just know that is a lie. I mean a deadly "Fucking Lie." We are all so over-amped, hopped with an always-unfolding, never being satisfied, "Needing, Wanting, Grasping." It is so easy to get sucked into the swirling vortex of unhappiness. We are always stuck in the "Winter of our Discontent." How to counter it all? Simplify. Go back to basics. Try to remind your self of what is important, what is essential, and what is just superfulous baggage. Most of the best things in a Life are Free. It's funny, and counter to the bigger narrative, but it is true. Sure, it is nice to have nice things, we are all very capable shoppers here in USA; Citizens & Consumers.  But really the best way forward: Quality over Quantity. Living with Less. Enjoying it more. It's Ok to be satisfied with the things you can own & do. The Power of Yes, and the Power of No. The Power not to Need, Want, Grasp. Sort of a Super-Power.

Not Politics. Madness.

Folk #1: Madness. These fuckers are crazy. Deeply unwell Human Beings, capable of pretty much anything. Egos blown up to massive proportions. At the same time super sensitive, deep in their heart of hearts they know that they are weak, needy, creepy, frauds. They suspect we know it too. And every word & action betrays their hollow, soul-less state. Their reptilian brains work fine. Pure survival. Pure need. Voracious. Never satisfied. They seek to be revered, but the vast majority of the human population, near & far, are horrified & appalled. It would all be sort of cynically funny, if it wasn't so deeply tragic. This all looks like an over-amped, suicide cult of stupidity & cruelty. No real purpose, except death & chaos. Fuck these madmen.

Reassured? Nope...

Folk #1: Sure, these folks wield immense power,  they possess and command, weapons of mass destruction which they can unleash instantly on Human Beings near & far. They can destroy vast populations of Humans in an instant. It is almost "god-like," power, the power of Life & Death, Chaos, Destruction, Tragedy and Suffering. Forever Life Altering & Life Ending events. Unleashed on a whim "a feeling." Destroy a school? Instantly kill 168 school children? Yes. Ok. Well, maybe that was a mis-fire? The fog of war? Blame it on the AI? But, you know, at least we can be reassured that these War-Mongers, our present Overlords, are honest, disciplined, honorable, courageous, intelligent, accountable & responsible Human Beings. You know, only the best of the best, the finest humans amongst us. The shining examples, the folks we can look up to, and admire.

Oh... Wait...Oops... Fuck... Nevermind... Oh God... Oh No... We are all doomed to live beneath the thumbs of these corrupt, dishonorable imbeciles... Yikes...

Paradise Lost, Hellscape Found...

Folk #1: Crazy folks who carry around Bibles vs Korans, as well as weapons of mass destruction. They are now engaged in a Holy War. Freaking insane. And the rest of us watch in horror. Funny. We Human Beings were born into Paradise. A life-supporting Blue Planet of amazing abundance. A perfect atmosphere and landscape of wonder, with the ability and bounty to support multitudes of ever-evoling life-forms. What do we do with our time on the planet? Many of us turn to barbarity. Human Beings are expert at devising ways of killing other Human Beings. We are ambitious and creative in our murderous ways. We are relentless, ravenous in our blood-lust. So, yes, one comes to the insight: Paradise Lost, Hellscape Found. We don't need any old, musty, dusty books to tell us that we have royally fucked up. And one Human, a fat, clueless, corrupt disgusting example of a Human, oh so enamoured with his own over-amped, Hinderburg of an Ego, blindly opened the Gates of Hell in his little vanity War of Choice. Fuck. What is that sound in the distance? The Sound & Fury of Unintended Consequences...

The Bully Vs Truth & Consequences...

Folk #1: The Bully wants to be feared & loved. Turns out he is actually laughed at and hated. The Bully can do much damage, really, he can unleash Hell on Earth. He has power, troops, bombs, and a total lack of common sense, humility or restraint. The Bully thinks he is the center of the action, the main character of the story, but of  course, he isn't. He is just another bit player, he gets to strut around on stage, for a little while, just like the rest of us, but then he walks off, or is carted off, well before he believes he's done. Sure he is upfront & prominent now, but his days are numbered, and there any many billions of people, and forces, beyond his control. Sure, he has his devoted cult, but if, for some reason, he suddenly up and died, well, no doubt, many billions of humans around the world would rejoice, dance in the streets in joy. Brutal, I know. That's the fate of world-class Bullies. What is funny, in a tragic, & not so funny way, is that the Bully thinks it's all about him, he thinks he is in control, but of course, he isn't. We have skidded into the Truth & Consequences Era of our time. Push-back, Blow-back, Unintended Consequences, Dogs of War, Dogs of Hell Unleashed. This idiot Bully and his minions didn't count on the reaction to their action. Total fucking madness & stupidity. Turns out Americans don't like to be murdered on the streets of our own cities, and folks in other countries don't like to be bombed, murdered, and dismemebered by drones & military jets. The Bully finds himself isolated, surrounded only by lackeys, boot-lickers, toadies, wanna-be-bullies. Yes. The Bully is probably surprised by being punched in the nose, in reaction to his actions. Not everyone is bowing down & applauding him. Most of us are appalled and digusted. Truth & Consequences, turns out they are like guided missiles aimed at each & every one us. No one is spared when the shit gets real.

Blundering into War, Death & Destruction...

Folk #1: Yes. The headlines are bad. Trump blundering into in a war, like the flailing, failing, corrupt, criminal he has always been. US bombing a school and killing a bunch of kids (war-crime!). US soldiers are dying too (stupid self-sabotage!). None of this was legal or smart. Pretty much corrupt, criminal & immoral all around. Never went to Congress. Never made the case. All blundering, bully, wannbe-dictator-shite. Nothing coherent, or logical about creating another new Hellscape in the Middle East. This man acts as if there are never any consequences for his bad actions, somehow he always skates. The long list of the man's crimes accumulates. Will there be a day of reckoning & Justice? One can only hope...

This headline captures it in a nutshell...

Terrible People Doing Terrible Things...

Folk #1: Are we still the good guys? It is hard to tell. Our government is run by terrible people doing terrible things. Terrible things both near & far. Seems this administration is only good at one thing, terrorizing & killing people. They are doing it in the streets of America, and in the streets of foreign lands too. "How long can this be going on?" Our beloved Ocasio released an eloquent statement. We agree with her wholeheartedly...

Distance...

Folk #1: Distance yourself from the madness.

Empty to the Wonder...

Folk #1: We've reached Friday over here. It is sort of a "fiction." Time; is it an illusion, fungible, relative, circular? We have made up these days of the week, and count them down, mark them off the calendar. Since we all do it, these days have their own reality. Earth rotating around the sun (365 days), sunrise/sunset. So, yes, anyway, a busy week, lots of trudging & slogging, happy it's Friday, looking forward to the weekend. Where is my head at this morning? That's my own personal question submitted to my own personal self. It's probably not your question. I am in the "I don't know and I don't have a clue," mode. My head is swirling with sentences like: "I know nothing." "What is it all about?" "What is going on?" "Who the fuck knows?" I suppose it's a way to clear my head. Empty it of any & all preconceived notions, expectations, predictions, judgements, lofty ideas, worries, concerns. Not exactly a blank page or a naked canvas, but maybe leaning towards that state. I wonder. I am filled with wonder. That's about it. Funny, it actually feels good.

The Pointlessness is Overwhelming...

Folk #1: Maybe the pointlessness is the point? Following the "doings" of my fellow Human Beings, means being swamped by the Bullshit. Man, oh, man. This internet/social media/AI Frenzy/MAGA Suicide-Cult-Shite is totally fricking dizzying. Tracking with this shite is gob-smackingly, stupefying. Whole sectors of our society, politics, business, culture have devolved into dazzling, hyper, over-amped bullshit. A weird feeding frenzy and feedback loop. It is easy to plunge in and get lost in the swamp of shite. If somehow you are able to extricate yourself, step back, take a breath, watch the madness unfold, you will be amazed by how willing Human Beings are with gladly fluffing themselves and others with bullshit, for profit, power and kicks. What's the alternative? "Surrender Dorothy!" Let go. I think of that great Firesign Theater line: "Everything you know is wrong." Start there. Go back to basics. Live in the real moment to moment. Fuck these grifters, conmen, hucksters & bullshitters. "A mind is a terrible thing to waste." No reason to give it all up to the worst fools amongst us. There is intellignet life in the Universe, somewhere, I do believe, although, I could be wrong...

State of the Union? The Coverup Continues...

Folk #1: My partner & I are all about mental well-being, positive energy, taking care of our bodies, spirits, leaning into the light, exploring the wonder & the beauty of a creative existence. You know, we are on a long-form improvisational, creative journey. We must carefully & wisely tend to our gardens, not let the b.s. & the bad action from all the bad actors swamp over us.

So, we skipped the State of the Union address last night. The only way we would have watched it, is if we had been kidnapped, strapped to chairs, and had our heads and eyes pinned open like Alex in A Clockwork Orange. Luckily none of that happened. Instead we occupied ourselves with other diversions.

But, really, fuck the State of Union, at least according to this criminal President. This is the big story of the moment:  Justice Department withheld and removed some Epstein files related to Trump

The coverup continues...

Hard Teachers, No Curve...

Folk #1: I am reminded, again, that Nature & Reality are hard teachers. They don't grade on a curve. They don't bend to one's whims, pleadings, excuses, hopes, dreams, wishes. Ignore these teachers at your own peril. Your job as Human Being is to listen, to observe, to experience, to adjust, evolve, reorient yourself based on the lessons of Nature & Reality. One learns very quickly, if one is paying attention at all, that you are connected to everything, a tiny, microscopic being in a vast sea, an infinite, always expanding ocean of beings, phenomena, & experiences. Yes. Humility. Attention to detail. Being open, alive, aware, awake. This is a Universe of wonder, beauty, & joy, mixed with chaos, disorder, destruction. You are "in it, and of it." You, your being, is part of it all & embodies it all. Being in sync, in tune with Nature & Reality; it's a job, a discipline, even if, and as, your conception of your self & life, are subject to radical change. The changes can come in a blink of an eye. Your every thought, belief, & idea can & will be challenged, often smashed to bits. One breath, one moment, and everything is suddenly different. Oh well. It's that kind of Universe, that kind of life. We are here to live it, fully, with eyes wide open. Damn the torpedoes.

The "All at Once Phase..."

Folk #1: Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha...

Something is in the air: "Good news, just not for them."  Think: "The Harder They Come, The Harder They Fall." Just reading the signs, taking in the vibes. Evidence is accumlating: a Fall, a Crash, a Collapse, a shifting balance, a new landscape, a new day.

Stupidity,  Corruption, Racism, Cruelty, Murder, Kidnapping, Concentration Camps. That shite will only get you so far. Reality Bites. Neil Young: "Sooner or later, it all gets real..."

"Try Harder: Actualize Collapse." 

Just pray the pieces don't fall on you or your loved ones. Take care, stay close to ground. It doesn't take "a Weatherman to know which way the wind blows." 

In the battle between the forces of Dark & Light, Fortunes seem to be slowly turning. As they say: "slowly at first, then all at once." Ptetty sure we are nearing the "all at once phase" of this era. I am no longer a betting man, but if I were, I'd be betting on the forces of Light, and the Glorious Days of Reckoning.

Random Phrases...

Folk #1: This early morning, still deep dark, a few random phrases are stirring around in my head. They seem sort of "relevant?"

"Things are not as they seem..."

"Looks deceive..."

"Everything is connected..."

"People are so damn disappointing..."

"I have issues..."

"WTF!"

The Glimmering Glimpse...

Folk #1: There's the slog, the mud, the muck, the mire, the hurly-burly of a life, well-lived, but then there are those moments of sweet transcendence, glimmering glimpses of "cosmic consciousness" - "the sacred aliveness of the world." Sure. I have had a few of those moments, fleeting, immediately retreating back into the murky void,  still, just the simple glimpse, the hint, the shimmering moment of enlightenment stays with you. You realize that higher consciousness is always there, hovering over and around your being, dancing above you.  Tantalizing, inviting, comforting. There are some simple paths one can take to open up the doors of transcendence. Getting lost in the moment, dropping your Ego, embodying the Silence, connecting with Nature, letting yourself go, losing your self into the vast interconnected web of Life. Riding the vibe of connection. Experience that once, and you really are transformed. I mean, not talking God here, instead it's about experiencing a connection to all things. Taking it in, sinking into that. A small thing, and everything...

Soul Searching...

Folk #1: Yes. "Grasping at straws." Trying to explain things to myself. And well, my self isn't buying it. I am a gnarly, recalcitrant, argumentative motherfucker. I can really annoy myself sometimes. Reflecting on my previous post, I realize, I have burned lots of my brain cells in the many decades of my time on the planet trying to understand Life, trying to figure out my place in the grand scheme of things, trying to take in, & do my best, to understand the grand scheme itself. Trying to figure out what can't really be figured, solving a puzzle that is ultimately unsolvable. But then again, I think, maybe understanding things is overrated, and besides the point? You know, finally, maybe I just have to get on with living, get on with experiencing the moment to moment, don't judge it,  just make it through day to day, without totally losing my shit, without becoming a callous, fucking, asshole, without lying to my self or others, without getting high on my own supply, without bullshitting myself and every last person in my orbit. Trying to be a "good person."  "A man of my word." Maybe too simple?  Not ambitious enough? But, you know, really, doing my best to not fuck up, not to hurt myself or other people, maybe that is the best this sometimes humble and sometimes not so humble pilgrim can hope to achieve in my own little lifetime? I mean, what the fuck?! And still, I wrestle with questions like: How do I get my head around living with all these cruel, stupid, soul-killing, energy-sucking creeps who live amongst us, and want to rule over us? I mean, it's a major fucking slog and vibe-killer watching, listening to & dealing with those zombie-ass, creeps. What to do with that burden? I don't rightly know. Tuning the assholes out, turning away from the carnage & mayhem, seems like a sensible & healthy thing, good for my mental health and well-being, but, then again, ignoring the over-amped, prodigiously ignorant, ravenous beast at the door doesn't seem all that smart either. It is a fucking, hairy, conundrum. How to tolerate the intolerable? How to co-exist with folks who don't give a flying fuck about anyone but themselves, folks who gladly harass, torture and kill other folks, often just for the living fuck of it?  A difficult question, no doubt about it.

Questions & Answers...

Folk #1: Asking questions. Looking for answers. Trying to figure things out. Trying to solve the Riddles, large & small, of Existence. It's a life-long quest. I have spent so much of my time on the planet occupied with this Don Quixote-like quest. Questioning everything. Battling windmills, battling the wind. What engages me? Whatever engages me.  Pretty much anything. Still, fairly quickly, I have learned there are hard limits to knowledge, the searching is endless, and any sense of "understanding," is often fruitless. I find myself lost in a cul de sac, or in a hall of mirrors; a confounding zone where the questions multiply, they bounce around, they collide with each other; bits & bites of knowledge slowly accumulate, but solid & clear answers refuse to offer themselves up. Life; it's complicated. Seems that the more you look, the more see, often, the less you know, there is the uncertainty principle, the more you explore a subject, any subject, the murkier things get when you delve deep enough into the dark nougat center. You end up with lots of knowledge, data, facts, kernels of truth, often contadictory, partial, arbitary. Understanding is a fleeting chimera, an always vanishing unicorn. Of course, silly me, I am not the greatest questioner. My limits are oh so obvious. Even, & especially, to me. Being fully Human demands a disciplined self-awareness & a hard-won humility. Mystery is everywhere. Yes. We are bound by Mystery. Or maybe bound & gagged by Mystery. I suppose that's ok, or, you know, it has to be ok, one learns to live with the limits of knowledge, the limits of understanding, the limits of reason, and the all-pervading reality of a nebulous Mystery at the heart of everything. Making sense of not making sense. There is a vast Cloud of Unknowing looming over us all. When you are at your wit's end, grasping, grappling, fumbling for answers, an all-purpose, very handy response comes to mind. Take a question, any question, one that starts with a simple, "Why...?" Ha.  Aye. Right?  Tricky. The Belfast Cowboy might say: "There is no why, it just is..." There's the rub. You may come up with million plausible-sounding reasons for certain phenomena. You do you best trying to be reasonable. Still, the cold, hard, funny & obvious response would be, could be, & often is: "Who knows? I mean, you know, shit happens."

Through Someone Else's Eyes...

Folk #1: Funny. I always knew I was an Excitable Boy (hat-tip to Warren Zevon). I bumped into an acquaintence yesterday on the path. I hadn't seen him for a few months, he had had an existential health crisis, and had been sidelined for awhile. I had no idea of the drama he had gone through, nor the impression I have made on this person over a number of random conversations on the lakefront. Sure. We've had some deep, philosophical exchanges, engaged in loopy dialogue about pretty much anything that happened to float into our heads. Some cool insights, book recommendations & laughter too. I was surprised to find that I touched this person deeply to the core. I seem to have inspired him, and challenged him, and our conversations were often on his mind, even when he was in hospital recovering from heart surgery. It was wild to hear him describe my character, to see myself through his eyes, his consciousness, & his very unique sensibility. He described me as person on "a mission," passionate, engaged, firey and energetic, maybe a bit of a creative evangelist. Ha. I thought some of that rang true, and some of that was illusion. Just so happens I was reeling yesterday, on the ropes, barely going through the motions of the day. questioning everything; my purpose, my being,  I mean I was reeling a bit, "Faking it to make it," through the day in one piece. We walked togeter, taking in the beautiful day. Our conversation brought me back to the moment, and I could feel energy flowing back into my body. Funny how that happens. We finally reached a point on the path where we were to go seperate ways, we hugged each other, two grown men, showing true emotion and comradery. It was a touching moment. Then, it was onto the next big thing, I knew it was out there somewhere, just around the next corner... I mean, you know, maybe...

Disassociate...

Yes. The smart play? Disassociate yourself from the Epstein/Asshole class that is permeating our culture. There is only one solution: vote all the assholes out. A total house-cleaning. The same with the out of touch elites trying to "overlord" us all.  Shame & shun them. Banish them from polite society. No mercy. Be bold & brave. Take to the streets. Stand up and be counted. Our day will come. No doubt. Then a thorough, merciless reckoning.

Multiculturalism is Good...

Folk #1: - Multiculturalism. Of course it is good. Go to any major American City (for instance: Chicago, New York, LA, San Fransciso, San Antonio, Atlanta, etc) and see the benefits of people from all corners of the planet co-existing.  Why are these cities such fabulous places to visit & to live in? Multiculturalism. Enjoy the food, the music, the vibrancy of humanity in all it's many forms and flavors. Cruise the streets of Chicago, a rainbow of peoples from everywhere: Latin American, South & North American, Thai, Indian, Polish, Irish, German, African, Russian, Ukrainian, Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, British, French, Native Americans, I mean, everything, all at once, you name it, you will find it here. If you are looking to get an education about the benefits, joys & wonders of multiculturalism, check out Anthony Bourdain's old series Parts Unknown. It's a fabulous glimpse of the splendiferous wonderment of humanity around the planet. Surprises everywhere. Anyone railing against multiculturalism is a fool, a creep, a white supremacist, a racist, a fascist, a cretin, an anti-humnanist sicko. Oh yeah, you know, prominent creeps like Rubio, Trump, Musk, Miller, Etc. Retrograde assholes all. They should be shamed, shunned & banished from society. Fuck them all.

People in the Streets Demanding a Better Way & Day...

 

Folk #1: Well the above chart is quite encouraging. Protests against the Trump Administration, and his policies of cruel and unusual punishment against the Citizens of the USA continue to grow in number. "Could be well over 15 million" Americans in over 40,000 protests across USA.

We are are supposed to be the fat & sassy ones, bored out of our skulls, stupid, unconcerned, snorting opioids and betting on sports on our smartphones, but, no, well ok, yes, there are lots of folks occupying their time like that, but still a sizable portion of us are also outraged, very deeply unhappy and concerned about the state of state. And willing to take to the streets to demonstrate our feelings.

Over here, my partner & I have participated in a few of these protest ourselves. It has been a very gratifying thing to do. A declaration that this is not acceptable, not the America we know & love. Our fellow common ones are showing  us all a better way. Fuck Trump. Fuck ICE. We need a reboot. Resistance in all it's many splendored forms is a beautiful thing indeed.