Peering into the Pond

Tags

blogging, Internet, narcissism, psychology, sociology, Twitter, work ethic

I’ve been feeling a bit embarrassed lately. I have said one thing and rather done another. If you don’t know, and there is no reason you should, I’ve made quite a thing of of bashing Twitter.

It seemed simplistic and self indulgent somehow. I was watching The View, the other day, actually listening to it as I computered. Elizabeth H. was talking about how she twittered, and Joy and Whoopie were pretty sarcastic. “Why would I care what you’re watching on TV?” And I was forced to agree.

Much of Twitter is just that, mundane, silly crap about our personal lives that are of no interest to anyone, not even our loved ones half of the time. So why am I there? Well, let’s say I have some reasons that make sense to me at least. And that is not the point of this post, so I’ll move on.

What came to mind from the discussion at least, was a question of just how narcissistic are we? Is this an American trait, or a human one? I frankly don’t know the answers but I have some observations.

One would have to conclude that we are narcissistic. You cannot blame it solely on those that dream up the devices and programs. We are the ones using them after all. And the more they dream up, the more we buy.

Whether it be Iphones, Twitter, Facebook, blogging, or any of the myriad of keeping in  touch programs such as IM, we are all thinking that somehow, we must keep in touch, and others must have instant access to us. That suggests a serious belief in self-importance. We can’t afford to miss anything, and people will wilt should they not have the ability to get our wisdom instantly. We must be able to be found!

I am old enough to remember when there were no portable phones at all, (gasp), and hours, yes hours might go by where someone might not reach me. Horror of horrors, I remember when there was no answering machine!

The need to be available 24/7 is hardly the worst of it of course. We are also quite sure that what we think and feel are so important that a significant number of people wait every day for us to “publish.” We (at least I) worry about who is visiting, how often, how many, and what they find interesting. I’ll deliver more of that! Some of us are addicted to it, some of us search for ways to grow our readership, some of us spend real money to do so.

I’m not sure what all this means. It certainly speaks to a need on our part to be heard, to be relevant and to be thought significant. We all blog for various reasons. Some of us do so as therapy, some for making friendships, some of us to display and offer our creative talents, some of us just because we are opinionated in the extreme. No reason is wrong, or trivial I would suggest.

Does it suggest that we feel that we are special or that we want to feel special? Is the world so interconnected and thus so large that we feel insignificant and this is our way of crying out, “pay attention to me. I’m somebody.” Like James Cagney, do we stand upon the tower, about to die, but at least dying in the knowledge that we are the center of attention at last–“look at me Ma, I’m on top of the world.”

Part of this is no doubt tied to our Americanization of the terms “pulling oneself up by one’s bootstraps,” and “work ethic.” We are told, and have been since this country’s inception, that anybody with the will to work can make it. Thus, we began to define self worth on just that standard. Were we making it? Were we successful in comparison with X?

That became the rub, and I think caused the development of what I think is thoroughly American, the idea that the worst thing in the world is to be at the bottom of any category. We need to point to someone, anyone, (group really) as less than we are. We cannot be failures as long as we aren’t at the bottom of the heap.

It has resulted in some of the ugliest racism, sexism, ethnocentrism, and other isms known to humanity. We seem to move from one to another as needed. Since it is no longer acceptable to exhibit our racism against African Americans, we now turn to Mexicans, and Muslims. We no doubt will turn to another group when those become socially unacceptable.

Perhaps them, the opportunities offered on the Internet for anyone to express themselves works to end these “ism” methods of feeling okay about oneself, in favor of the opportunity, no matter how silly, to feel that somebody cares what we think.

I think these devices also serve another purpose as well, and one that makes them very valuable indeed.

We need travel little to see all manner of nut cases. Of course, to a degree, that is subjective. Your nut case might not be mine. But you’re reading this, so I can assume that to some extent we share philosophies. I’m talking about the wacko religious right, the Limbaughs, the Hannitys, the border patrol vigilantes, the creationists, and young earth proponents, the homophobes, the Palin backers. The list is long.

There are times, when we can conclude that, given these folks, the planet is doomed, society is dying, hope is gone. How can we overcome this much dry rot? Human genetics must be on a downward slide turning back to the slime pond.

Yet, the Internet, blogging especially has proven to show us something quite different as well. An amazingly huge number of people who deliver mail, make cars, nurse in hospitals, troubleshoot electronics, edit books, raise hogs, and otherwise do all the mundane or not so mundane things in life, have another whole side to them.

They are artists, writers, poets, painters, quilters, knitters, theologians, and shocking of all things, just deep thinkers! They do this for fun, not money for the most part. They do it to express themselves, and to express often a deep and abiding care for the planet and those who live upon her. They are our salvation and the repository of our hope. And mostly we wouldn’t know about them, but for the Internet and its wondrous means of communication.

Are we narcissists? Most assuredly I would say yes. Is it bad? Partly yes, and partly no. Like most things, it’s uncertain. Hey, don’t look to me for answers, I just ask questions, and offer my two cents. And that said, I’m off to my twitter and see who new has just started following me! I must be somebody!

Negotiating the Loopholes

Tags

annulment, Catholicism, marriage, Newt Gingrich

We hear old Newt is about to become a card carrying member of the Roman Catholic Church soon. While normally that would not be newsworthy, it has become so, since Mr. Gingrich has been errr, divorced twice and once caught in adultery, which caused the second divorce and led to his current third wife.

Again, this would be no big deal, live and let live, forgiveness is a good thing, at least he’s now seen the light, right?

Except that the Roman Catholic church rather deeply frowns on divorce, and doesn’t agree with it at all. In fact it’s one of those things that it will not tolerate. Well, not quite. Faced with people quietly leaving their ranks for a place of acceptance, the Church has quietly allowed Americans (whose petitions far far top any other country in the world) to obtain “annulments” with ease.

It is always asserted of course, that it is a serious process, carefully examined, blah, blah, blah.  They point to the fact that not all are granted. But suspiciously, that seems not to be true if you are well, rich and famous. I think theirs are mostly granted. No doubt I’ll get some nasty comments if anyone can prove that not true.

I recall many a moon ago when Jackie Gleason was unable to get a divorce from his wife to marry his long time love. Catholics just weren’t able to do that. Sometime after Vatican II, it seems to have changed.

Christopher Buckley, son of the conservative William F., suggests that there is something unseemly about all this. The hypocrisy is well, obvious. It takes away from the Church’s credibility.

Not that I have a axe to grind about Mr. Gingrich and his marital issues or the Church he wishes to attend. I’m of the opinion that no church has the right to deny sacraments to a person. It smacks of thinking that one is God after all.

I’m just wondering how the extreme right wing of the Church will respond to this. I have an idea. Mostly they will claim that “we are all sinners, and Mr. Gingrich has ‘come home to the true Church’ and has taken all the steps required to bring himself into communion with Mother Church.” Still, it plays a bit thin don’t you think?

If you have rules, but then have a hole big enough to drive a truck through, I mean, is that really a rule? No doubt the church proudly can take you along a twisting road of logic that makes it all so properly arrived at, but again, it’s just a tad to hard to swallow. Logic is logic, but logic doesn’t always signify correct, ethical, moral, or anything else. Syllogisms are made for just that kind of insane result. Logic but stupid.

Again, I’d not mention it, but for the fact that these same holier than thou types are consistently demanding that Pelosi, Kennedy, Kerry, and a slew of other Democrats who are also Roman Catholic need to be thrown out on their ear. Old Archbishop  Burke, carried to Rome, apparently in some attempt to muzzle him,  has recently called again for refusing them communion, only to immediately retract his “interview.” Apparently the Vatican, while not wanting publicly to rebuke Burke, wants him to shaddup anyhow.

They are nearly hysterical that Notre Dame has invited the President to speak at commencement this year, an old tradition which has included every modern president. Horror of horrors, Barack will taint the hallowed Catholic halls of higher education with his moderate take on stem cell research and abortion rights. No mind that it is an institution of higher learning and learning means a fair exchange of ideas. No matter. To the wacko right religious, learning means only what is approved by Mother Church.

I’m just saying, that given all this, the Church would do well to be a bit more sympathetic in its pronouncements. Given the recent slew of gaffes by Benedict, and this liberal annulment policy, it seems they might be a little less sanctimonious and a bit more humble.

It’s nice to know, given my own Church’s difficulties at the moment, that another is facing it’s own moral issues. I’m just saying. . . .

Down in the Dumps

Tags

baby animals, Photography

It’s Sunday, and I didn’t go to church. Woke up to a couple of inches of snow, but it blew quite hard during the night, and I could see some drifts. I just wasn’t up to starting down the lane 0nly to have to return, or worse, getting stuck. So I opted to stay home.

I’m depressed enough by the snow itself. That started last evening, when the Contrarian wakened me from the computer reverie to say, “Well, we are getting snow now.” I looked up to see the earth covered in white. My heart sank, and I’m not recovered yet. It should be melted in a day or two.

Anyway, I figured that given my mood, I might look up so pictures of cute baby animals. Who can resist that? Not me for sure. So, enjoy. If I find anything to post about later, I will.

What is Wrong with Texas?

Tags

2nd Amendment, creationism, Darwin, death penalty, Discovery Institute, education, environment, evolution, murder, science, Texas

Okay, before we get started, I am not bashing Texans! At least not most of ’em, or at least a good many of ’em, or at least two who are presently residing there, Jan from “Yearning for God,” and BE otherwise known as “Border Explorer,” living there until it’s warm enough to return to Iowa.

Okay, so don’t throw stuff!

But seriously what in the hell is wrong with ya’ll?

The Contrarian and I plan to leave Iowa one day, exactly when I can draw SS . That is in a few years, which is okay, since hopefully that will give some time for my 401K to return to something more than the $3.32 it’s presently worth.

We want to re-retire some place warm, where owning a snow shovel would be say a “conversation” piece instead of a necessity. We have other basic requirements, like it can’t be about to fall off into the ocean–that eliminates California. It can’t be subject to being blown into Massachusetts. That eliminates Florida and most of the gulf states.

We ain’t into rafting for survival, so most of the coastal areas are a nope. Global warming will mean the coastlines will be under water, and so far we haven’t seen any nice condo’s ala Twenty Leagues Under the Sea.

But our final requirement, is that the state can’t be downright, unarguably, certifiably, CRAZY. And that brings up Texas. Well, maybe Alaska too, but it’s too cold there for consideration anyhow.

Being SANE people, we tend to not want to have blood on our hands via the state we live in, so we rather object to the idea of state sponsored murder, aka “execution.” No place in Amerika is more prone to pulling the level or pushing the plunger than Texas is. Everybody knows that.

I mean do you guys run a lottery for the right to do the deed? Is it broadcast on closed circuit or pay per view?

I can’t figure it out, why one state is so down right blood thirsty. I mean its not as if your state coppers and prosecutors haven’t been caught fiddling with evidence. Last time I heard, a number of folks were being released because there was no frickin’ reliability as to the evidence used to put ’em in the slammer. (Other states of course have had the same problem, but they ain’t killing folks either much.)

Anyway, there are plenty of papers and studies all showing that it is a lousy deterent, there is just too much room for error, and it falls disproportionately on the poor and ethnically non-white population. That should give reason to pause. Obviously it doesn’t seem to bother a majority of Texans cuz, as I said, they keep on keepin’ on.

I guess it stands to reason that said state would place a premium on toting shootin’ irons as well. Although, if you think murder is worth murdering for, one might come to the opposite conclusion.

We understand that Texans have a pretty liberal right to carry concealed weapons, and even more so if you sport a holster and show the world you’re a manly man or womanly woman. I guess they also passed a law that said that you could carry your sweet six shooter to work as well. There was a provisio that an employer could object and bar that idea, worrying as he/she might about workplace massacres.

I think they have TV in Texas, so they should have heard about those things happening around the country, wherein some “disgruntled” employee or ex travels to said workplace with arsenal in hand and shoots up the place, leaving a lot of bodies to bury before offing his (almost always male) self. Pity of course that the suicide couldn’t be first instead of last.

At least, it seems somewhat sane that employers could object and keep people from toting to work. But alas, we hear that is about to fall, and the whole dang bunch of ya can bring your AK-47 to work. More fun, no doubt than bringing your daughter to work.

I have no idea what the age requirement is. For all I know, little Johnny in Bush Elementary can bring his easy to operate 25 calibur automatic to show ‘n tell.

But this takes the cake. Texans have been flirting around with creationism and intelligent design lately, and the scientific community–every sane person outside the state lines–has been trying to convince Texans that science is more reliable in the work place than voodoo religious metaphysics. (The experiments tend to have actual results that can be verified and all.)

Thus, children–those short folks who will one day work in labs trying to create things–need to learn real science, and not religion in their science classes. And well, it seems that Texans have decided uhuh, nope, nada, not for us. They want to remain true to God as they have defined him.

The Texas Board of Education, in its infinite wisdom  stupidity (let’s call it as it is) did vote to disallow outright creationism to be taught, but then by amendment, added most of the objected to material back in by allowing students to “analyze and evaluate scientific explanations concerning the complexity of the cell, phrasing that rings of intelligent design arguments.”

Anti-evolutionist Don McLeroy, a dentist and chair of the Texas State Board of Education, testified at Friday’s hearing: “I disagree with these experts. Someone has got to stand up to experts.”

Yes, by all means, let dentists decide. And, when it comes to getting your car fixed, you can take it to my hairdresser.

Students, via their  now brain dead teachers, are allowed to evaluate global warming as to it’s truth, and get this, different theories about the age of the universe are now open to debate, since the standard age of the universe at 14 billion years will be removed.

The real kicker here is all this will require changes in textbooks to reflect this new state of “everything is up in the air scientifically” attitude. Since Texas is such a big market, this puts the onus on publishers to either publish separately for Texas, a huge cost, or to distribute “watered” down science to other states as well.

The problem increases if other states object, and mainstream publishers just decide to cut Texas out. That leaves Texan children the unfortunate option of getting their science from places like the Discovery Institute, that bastion of scientific crackpotism, which was set up to promote “intelligent design” in the first place.

Movement is also at hand to pass an “education” freedom act which would allow students to espouse bizarre scientific theories and not be penalized by a teacher who is teaching legitimate science. Such has already passed in that other enlightened state, Louisiana.

All of which means that there won’t be any Peytons moving to Texas any time soon.  My suggestion is this: I figure all the nuts in Texas can safely be shoved together in about 1/100th of the state. You pick the place, and then confine them. Let them call themself the STATE of DENIAL. All they need is a bible, a syringe, and guns, and they should be happy!

Twitter

Just a short note to tell you that we are wired for Twitter now. You can find undates on the sidebar a ways down, and direct link to my updates. Join and be a follower, and be sure I’ll be joining yours if you are on. I’ll hopefully add bits and pieces of interest that don’t generate a full blog. You can locate me independently as “afeatheradrift.”

Ya Can’t Keep a Good Woman Down

Tags

brain, cabbage, cocktail sauce, Condiments, mind, orangutans, primates, Salads, Zoology

I’ve spent the last two hours skimming and reading blogs. I been very commenty as well. I’ve perused a good three hundred in total, most of ’em as you might expect, political, religious, scientific, etc.

Haven’t seen a thing that has fired up the old neurons with a good idea to blog about.

Mostly I blame you, since clearly you all have sucked up all the good ideas floating around, leaving none for little ole me.

That of course, won’t deter me one second, as you can see. I’m more than willing to tap away, mindlessly if need be, producing, no doubt a work worthy of reading. Well, you are reading aren’t you?

The pic today, is as you might know, an orangutan, pronounced orang-oo-tahn, not orang-a-tang. It represents “Bonnie” who was unavailable for a sitting today. She is the first known human mimicker among her primate species. She can whistle, something that is, I guess, unknown in her type. But she can, and does.

Just another of those fine examples of how we are all so much more alike than different. So there ya go. Now you can wow ’em at the church coffee hour or Monday at the water cooler.

I believe, you can watch a video of same here!

While you are at it, slip over to Elizabeth Kaeton’s blog, Telling Secrets and read the post “Wild Air.” It’s about hawks, but not really. Just go read it and you will be glad I sent you.  I’m a fool, a joker, a fiddler of words. Elizabeth is wise, plain and simple, and it’s good to be exposed to that as frequently as possible.

I’m always fascinated by my brain, mostly because it often fails to do what I want it to. I forget things I want to remember, and can’t forget things I want to forget. It fails to shut up when I want it to a lot, and that really pisses me off cuz I can see God at the back of the room waving his hand like mad, and I can’t hear him most of the time for the din in my head over “how does a worm know when it’s rolled over?” Crap like that can drive you nuts.

Well, it seems that there is something to my concerns. Brain researches (now they must be a crazed bunch no doubt) claim that our brains live on the edge of chaos. Yes, on the edge. Now, I can worry about falling off the cliff even more often!

Worse yet, it appears that the brain can see a mistake coming about a split second before it occurs. How’s that for being johnny not on the spot? It seems it would make freakin’ sense if we had a bit more lead time wouldn’t ya think? May then WE COULD STOP THE MISTAKE?????? Some kind of humor there God!

It just seems that everything is working against me here. And to beat all, we’re looking for a freakin’ SNOW STORM???? What fresh hell is this as Dorothy would say. No not Dorothy of OZ, Dorothy of Parker. Duh.  Course, I’m not in Fargo, and that is a blessing. What kinda nutzy is that? Flooding and blizzards and ice? I mean this is a planet on drugs or something.

So, it’s Friday, and not the 13th and that means that I can’t fob off any of this silliness on that.  It’s March Madness, yeah, I can blame that maybe. But UConn won and MSU plays tonight. So I haven’t lost my marbles over basketball yet.

Oh, and a good coleslaw recipe here, and a good cocktail sauce here or there, where it’s highlighted. Don’t put them together,that wouldn’t be wise or tasty.

So thanks for reading, and have a good day, and come back again if you think it’s safe. But don’t go in the water, if you get my drift.

Who Knows?

Tags

bible, India, Jesus, Magi, Movies

I’m not big on conspiracy theories, or other “out” there stuff.

I don’t deny the possibility that we have been visited by an alien race from afar, but I don’t think that near space is crawling with alien spies all gathering up random humans to probe and poke them.

I watched the Divinci Code, but didn’t read the book. I thought it was an okay movie, never got it confused with reality, and still have no clue what all the hoopla was about. All I know is that certain religious groups sure helped make it a cinematic success by all their boycotting and wringing of hands. I would say that I have bothered to look around a little bit to find out about Opus Dei, and well, frankly, I find them a bit creepy, but certainly not masterminds of some conspiracy.

So, anyway, I ran across this report about a new movie coming out I guess soon. It’s called Jesus in India, and purports to explain the “hidden years” of Jesus’ life, those between the years of 12-30. It purports to be a well researched documentation of Jesus travels to India and what happened while he was there.

This is not new to me. I’ve read of this before, oddly enough in my foray into “New Thought” spirituality commonly referred to wrongly as “New Age.” Some NT philosophies believe that Jesus was not divine, at least any more so that we all are, but that he had achieved an extraordinary oneness with God, and that as such, he is a prophet to be emulated.

I recall reading in some book or other that there was some evidence at least that suggested that he might have traveled East and resided for some time in a monastery of either Buddhist or Hindu origin. There are claims of writings in India that support this idea that a very wise man came from the Middle East during the appropriate time frame, and lived with them for a time.

This seems to be essentially along the same lines. I haven’t a clue how good the evidence is. But it has always been  a mystery, why none of the Gospels speaks to Jesus’ whereabouts all those years. It’s as if he dropped off the face of the earth, disappearing after being found at the Temple at  age 12, and then suddenly reappearing at the Jordon to be baptized by John at age 30.

For some reason, this raises the ire and of course fear in the hearts of the religious right. I have no clue why this would be so, but you can expect the usual renting of clothes and flinging of ashes when this movie hits the screen. Somehow the “secularists” will be trying to do something evil and grotesque, though what that will be will never quite be explained. Just be sure it is awful, mostly because it doesn’t come from them, or apparently the only reliable Hollywood type, Mel Gibson, that Jew hating but very loyal orthodox Christian.

I think that if Jesus were determined to have spent some time in the East, it might explain a few things. The lost time of course would be one. Why the Magi (all considered to be Eastern astrologers) came to the Middle East to see him, why some of the gnostic Gospels sound oh so Eastern in their viewpoints at times. Things like that.

Like I said, I haven’t a clue whether any of this is tenable or not. The Shroud of Turin seemed so for hundreds of years, yet now is mostly  considered to be something created centuries after Christ. If there turns up any actual writing, it too will be subjected to a plethora of scientific examinations to determine its age and authenticity. And of course, as science progresses in its capabilities to determine age and that sort of thing, no doubt the controversy would continue.

It remains an interesting theory, one that I can see generating a lot of discussion. Read the article and see what you think. And if you have heard of this before and have other information, please do tell!