Gay Pride. Can You Feel It?

In all the turmoil of the daily events in the world, don’t forget to participate or support gay pride events. The tide of hatred is slowly turning and the GLBT community is gaining acceptance around the world, albeit slowly in some places. I wouldn’t want to be gay in some parts of Africa for example. But Israel would be OK.

So take a minute to reflect on how you feel, to see if your views have changed, or to consider changing them. After all, some of your best friends are gay.

Image: http://www.nighttours.com/gaypride/

Hypocrites Lead Us

Hypocrites and liars abound. Point in case: the world attacks Gadhafi for killing his people but looks the other way when Assad kills his people.
There are mixed messages coming out of Syria today about helicopter gunships firing on crowds for hours, but no wounded people reported. Now either those gunners weren’t very serious, were shooting blanks, or maybe the story got distorted. I don’t know. I wasn’t there, thank the FSM. But somebody was, and as my father said more than once “five will get you ten” that somebody had a cellphone. Video or photos should be out shortly.
Doesn’t really matter though. The good old USofA and the rest of the world don’t seem to have the interest to get involved. So what is the difference? Why one and not the other?
Hmmmmm. Both arabish states; both Middle East; both ruled by lifetime despots; both have lots of oil; both are- - - - Wait a Minute!!! Only Libya has oil. Not Syria. You don’t think that could have anything to do with it, do you?
Naaaaaaaah.
Image: www. imperfectwomen.com

A Bit of Fun at the Expense of Baucus

Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said Social Security is not in crisis.
"It is a long-term issue," Baucus said. "It is an issue that should be addressed sooner, rather than later, to give workers time to plan for any changes. But the current situation does not necessitate rushed or severe action."
Not in Crisis. Huh? What planet is this guy from? The SS trust fund has been systematically looted for decades by every conceivable party and has been in crisis for at least 2 decades.
Ah. I get it. You have to re-define the term “Crisis” to get to his point. Here we turn for help to an unusual source. There is a small university in Alabama that has an interesting School. It is called the School of Scientific Interpretation. This School specializes in uncovering the real meaning of words, phrases and symbols on request. They defined crisis in the following way:
Cr – element number 24 is known for an unusual property called Passivation. This term derives from the Latin ‘passivus’ and relates to suffering. Since chromium resists “suffering” in that it doesn’t oxidize more than a few atoms deep, the term is being used in the negative. In this case SSI interprets it to mean the exact opposite: ‘not suffering’ or resisting oxidation’
Isis – Egyptian goddess known specifically for nature and magic.
Putting the two roots of ‘crisis’ together as used by Baucus, the SSI concluded that the word actually means “as a result of magic, no suffering is or will occur” and therefore concludes that when Baucus says something is “not in crisis” what he actually means is that it is. Crisis by the SSI definition means no suffering, so “not no suffering” means suffering. See? This is how politicians think. To cover his butt, he is saying ‘no crisis’ but can later argue that he actually meant it was in crisis by the conventional definition. Typical political BS.
This resource of alternative definitions is widely used by politicians and administrators of all kinds to clarify and support unpopular positions.
No, Baucus. We are only in crap up to our chins, not our noses, so no need to pump out the old tank, is there?
Image: from the film “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence”

A Flower and a Dead Snake

As I look out my window I see a frangipani in bloom, many orchids in bloom, a Tabasco pepper plant covered with yellow-going-to-red tiny peppers, some ferns, a day lily blooming (but going fast) and some woods, beginning to droop a bit.
I water all the things that are blooming or growing, but not the woods. And I fear for the woods and all woods everywhere. Massive droughts bring on fires or disease. Massive amounts of greenhouse gasses cause the weather shifts we are experiencing. No lie. Just science. You know, like the “E” word or the “U” word.
When I drove home this afternoon there was a dead black racer on the road just down from my house. Run over. I moved it off the pavement and apologized for the driver that couldn’t or wouldn’t stop in time. The first is unfortunate, the second unconscionable. I hope it was the first, but either way the snake is dead. Same for the Earth.
If we are inadvertently ruining it, that is unfortunate, but if we are aware of the ruination and not stopping in time, unconscionable. But either way it is in deep, deep trouble.
What do you think?
Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lindatreichphotos/3616889839/
Image: http://www/.flowerzone.org

Go Take A Hike!!

Life is Short: Hike while you can still Walk.
I saw an old guy with a walker the other day, struggling to get around. Old guy? Well, as old as me or maybe a bit older, but yes, and old guy. I don’t know why the guy couldn’t navigate well. Maybe a stroke or broken hip or maybe just too little exercise. Maybe just bad luck.
The thought that came first was something like “Gads, I’m glad I can still get up from a chair without using my arms, and I can still walk 10 miles if I want to.” Sal and I have passed and been passed by lots of, er, older hikers over the years. And we wondered if hiking kept them hiking or just good luck kept them on the trails. I think probably luck has a part to play, but I am convinced that hiking and walking beget more of the same. Kind of a momentum.
My advice has always been centered around living life now and to the fullest possible. Best wine first; take the trip while you can; take the hike; laugh, and cry too. I believe to my core that this is the best way to go. So what are You waiting for? Go take a hike.
And by the way, don’t tell Sarah Doherty she can’t hike any more. Read more about Sarah at http://sidestix.com/about/ .
Image of Sarah Doherty: www.hollandbloorview.ca

Palo Duro Canyon: Beauty and Heartbreak

Palo duro means “hard wood”. Hard wood canyon? Yes, and in the middle of the Texas panhandle.
We traveled to Amarillo from Lubbock through country about as interesting as Kansas and Nebraska. Flat, flat and flat. Grain elevators and the town of Happy are only moderately interesting. Then a few small canyons appear and then Amarillo. On the way in we passed a sign to “Palo Duro Canyon State Park” and wondered. Well, 3 hours later we were deep in the canyon on the way to the “Lighthous", pictured above. The thermometers at the parking area gave the temperature at 110 degrees f, and it was dry as a dry bone. Really dry. No breeze in most places. Snake country we were warned. (We didn’t see any, which is a pity really.)
So we hiked about 1.7 miles up the trail to the Lighthouse, to the point where you got a good view but a mile and a half short of the formation itself. We were already down 3 liters of fluid with no wet clothes. Sweat evaporates as soon as it forms. We were passed by lots of bikers and a few runners, and my god, we thought, how do they do it?
The canyon is a wonder of geology, with layer after layer of sediment exposed by erosion. History before your eyes. Native Americans first, then Spanish, then white Europeans, then the US army to clean out the Comanche and Kiowa people so cattle ranchers could take over. The CCC worked extensively in the 30’s, and today the canyon is a state park. The history is typical of the shameful treatment of native peoples by invaders and the canyon stands as a monument to the inhumanity of man to man. But that aside, it is a beautiful and worthy place to see.
It oozes spirituality. And silently mourns the heartaches suffered within its wall.
Image: http://www.palodurocanyon.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palo_Duro_Canyon

BEWARE THE FRIDGE MONSTER!!!

Breakfast. Some caraway rye, toasted, with butter and Vegemite. Yummm. (Now don’t you British types go on about Marmite. Vegemite is wonderful, Marmite is disgusting.) Vegemite may be the near-perfect breakfast spread. Salty. Creamy. Chocked full of B vitamins. (And made from the residue of beer brewing.) Yummmm.
But that isn’t the point. The point is the mysterious nearly empty jar. I know I bought a full jar, but for as long as I can remember, not only this one, but every Vegemite jar is always nearly empty. Either the jars empty themselves, or the stuff grows in the bottom of the jars. Very suspicious.
Prompted by this observation, I had a fossick in the ‘fridge. BLIMY!!! All the jam jars were nearly empty. The pickle relish was nearly empty. The mayo and mustard were nearly empty. Two curry paste jars were nearly empty. The orange juice jug has only a mil or two. How can this be?
The only possible answer is the mysterious and seldom seen ‘fridge monster. The same monster that makes leftovers invisible until they grow a green coating or white fuzz. The same monster that makes ice cream evaporate leaving only traces of the Moose Tracks, and ice fuzz. I tell you this: be damn careful when you open the door to the fridge next time. Give a “Marie Laveau” knock to warn that you are going to intrude. You could end up nearly empty yourself. Or worse.
www.myconfinedspace.com

Oregon!!! Oh Boy!!!

The flight to Oregon went well, with a prop plane finishing it off. Then a drive to Klamath Falls. We had a great time with Matt and John, and we went to some really cool places. One really cold place: Crater Lake. Still 20 or so feet of snow in some places, but oh! the view. Mirror effect that day, where the sky and rim reflect almost a perfect image of the reality. Spectacular.
Next day to the lava beds in Lava Beds National Monument, a national treasure. In addition to the geology we actually saw up close and personal 2 costal rubber boas, a western diamondback rattle snake, a couple of deer, scrub jays and many interesting and strange plants. The tubes were really interesting. Natural faults where lava once flowed and melted out tubular tunnels. Not hard caving if you stay on the path, but very interesting. The landscape outside the tunnels is like karst; collapsed tubes forming hills and dips with lots of holes. But unlike limestone, this is all volcanic material. We could see hundreds of cauldera from any point we looked. Mesas left behind by the continuous erosion of wind and water.
And on the bottom of one mesa, petroglyphs. What more could you ask? Good IPA? Yes, we had that too, in plenty. Oh boy, what a holiday.
www.3dparks.wr.usgs.gov
www.rock-art.com

Otherism: Obama isn't "One of US". Racism Pure an SImple.

Now that the birthers have lost the battle to discredit the President for not being an American, the GOP is on the attack again. Now the call is "He isn't one of Us". Not a true American. Eurocentric or Afrocentric. Not one of Us.

How much more of Us can someone be? Born in the USA. Grew up in the USA. Educated in the USA. Lived in Chicago. Community activist. Elected to the Senate of the USA. Elected President of the USA.

Just more crap by the conservative Republicans to discredit the guy. And the mindless morons that will vote for who ever they party nominates will yell and scream about the guy that just isn't "One of Us". These powerful GOP controllers parade out the hot-button issues: "No Climate Change", "Gay marriage is a THREAT to us all", "The Democrats are WEAK on terror" , "He wasn't even BORN in America". You know all these have been discredited themselves, don't you? Doesn't matter. The rank and file salivate and hoot on cue. Pavlovian morons.

Now a new lie: "He isn't one of Us".

I think it is fear, loathing and racism pure and simple.

Image: http://www.fawstin.blogspot.com/

Content: http://www.motherjones.com/

Don't Stop Bitching: It is Good for You.

A couple I know have set up an interesting rule: Bitching only between 4:30 and 5:00, with steep fines for violations. Hmm. This is an intriguing situation. A lot of people I know, myself included, spend a lot of time and energy bitching about the world and its problems.
With the state of affairs as it is today there is no lack of things to analyze and worry about: Religion, politics, climate change, weather, food quantity and quantity, wars, drugs. The list goes on and on. And people that think about these things usually have strong opinions about them. I do and so do my friends and most of my acquaintances. Conversations often begin with something like “I heard on NPR this morning” or “T read on the NY Times page this morning”. What follows is usually a dissection with opinions, which can be thought of as bitching in some sense or another.
So when this couple, the wife in fact, got tired of the more or less constant stream of “analysis” the rule got discussed and implemented. My wife heard about it and passed it on. A hint? My initial reaction was positive: “Good idea. Wanna try it?” My next reaction was not so positive: “Wait a minute. If I can’t “analyze” I’ll be mute.”
I have been thinking about this for a few days and realize I really would be mute if I confined my conversation to non-controversial things and left out my opinions and ideas. My world these days revolves around the greater community of the world itself, which I see as going in spectacularly wrong directions. I see it being driven to the brink or indeed possibly over the brink, of disaster in almost every instance.
I rail about the lack of intelligence of many people that are easily led to feed the selfish desires of despotic creeps. The overreliance of many on the “deus ex machina” of religion to solve or remove problems of nearly or very possibly completely, insurmountable problems. Or just the ignorant ignoring (same root?) of the facts. The truth.
I decided that I couldn’t in good conscience keep silent. So I rant and rave and point out problems and worry about everything, and by doing this keep somewhat sane.
Hell, even this is a rant of some kind. See, just can’t keep quiet.

Image: www. cheezburger.com