Just My ‘Magination, Runnin’

Tags

conservatives, happiness, liberals, life in the meadow, psychology, social concerns

Those of us who live in the country, are very conscious of our fashion. You may have guessed this already from plenty of pictures which show us in fine farmer garb–the one piece denim bib is a great example. Functional and oh so elegant. Just a bow tie clip-on for the t-shirt and you are ready for any dinner party.

The other day, I was fashionably clad in my rubber muddies, walkin’ through the watery muck of the lane, when my brother-in-law caught up to me on his backhoe. He had been hauling some hay to the cattle who did  not have have benefit of the corn silage, since the fields were still not done due to crap weather.

As he shut off the motor and opened the cab, I saw that he too was clad in rubber muddies and but for the size, no doubt, they were identical to mine.

I mused on this fine sense of  the fashionista shared by us both, when I realized upon heading back down the hill into the timber that the trees were indeed nearly bare of leaves. “Damn, it seems he was right again!” This to mean, the Contrarian, who but a few short weeks ago had predicted in Nostradamus fashion, “I think we are going to lose our leaves this year.”

Not to be all depressed and such, since last early spring, he confidently predicted that we would have leaves this year, and of course, that too transpired.  The Contrarian is proving himself to be quite good at this prognostication business. One is tempted to say the same of many things in the bible, until one learns that often, the book in question with its “prediction” was written well after the event in question happened. At least the Contrarian announces his predictions well in advance.

Anyway, such thoughts give rise to still more ideas and sneaky partially worked out theories. I’m always happy when I see that I’m not alone in devising such philosophical questions of the month. This morning, Charlie Gibson, late of GMA and now nearly late of the Nightly News, was interviewing John Irving, the writer. Gibson in one of his better moments, asked, “Do you think one can find real happiness in one’s own imagination?”

What prompted this jaw dropping, stop in the street kind of question, is anyone’s guess. Yet it seemed to me, worthy of some thought. I think that you can, and in fact some people do. Then again, some can’t and some don’t.

Do you construct day-dreaming scenarios of lives unlived? I mean do you have a dream house/job/spouse/hobby/you name it, that you construct delicately and with precision, making it all just perfect? Is it your place to escape the cares and turmoils of the day? Is it a place where Johnny Depp falls in love with you, forgetting that you are nearly though not quite old enough to be his mother? Does Halle Berry hang on your every word while sipping Dom Perignon?

I can see how such worlds could be happy. Truly I can. I rather suspect that liberals engage in such mind play more so than Republicans. Just a guess. No polling or scientific evidence. But there is evidence that liberals are more unhappy than Republicans. We tend to take on the woes of the world and grouse about them. We have guilt as to what we have, given that so many have almost nothing. We can’t compartmentalize as well it seems as Republicans apparently can.

We probably drink more and drug more and sex more, though that last may truly be wrong. Republicans with their public stance on morality and their dirty little minds creating all kinds of kinky plays which they all too often cannot help but attempt to act out, may in fact engage in more sexual naughtiness than liberals. I dunno.

But escapism is escapism as they say, and so I suspect more liberals have a fantasy get away that allows them to unwind from the mean little world that we inhabit every day. And perhaps there, we do find the happiness we are so prone to deny ourselves in reality.

Someone the other day suggested that liberals “talk a good game” but that somehow we don’t live it. Actually, I think its the conservatives who act rather differently than they talk. The evidence seems on our side. I have a ton of liberal friends (Facebook proved that) and a huge number of them are very actively engaged in regular service to their communities through food pantries, homeless shelters, health care clinics, and such. They aren’t paid, they just do it, because they have to do something to help. Our unhappiness at the state of affairs in the world forces us to engage and make a difference, no matter how small that might be.

I’m not suggesting that conservatives don’t do charity work, but I suspect they see it somewhat differently than liberals do. I could be wrong on that. I’m wrong on a lot of things. But I feel comfortable in saying it. I hear way too much about how we “have to have  the poor” as a means by which the rest of us can perfect our salvation, to think any differently. And then there is the failure of most conservatives to agree to anything that smacks of redistributing wealth in this country to make life reasonable for ALL. They start raising words like, lazy, and pulling oneself up by one’s boot straps. (I checked, and my muddies don’t have any boot straps by the way.)

Just so ya know, this is what you get when I’m sun deprived. It’s SAD isn’t it?

Book Giveaway #2

Tags

Bill Donohue, book giveaway, book review, Catholic League, Catholicism, culture, liberals, nihilism, religion, right wing activists, secularism

Today we have a new offering in our book giveaways. I think it behooves me to explain this event a bit. The Hatchette Book Group wrote offering me the opportunity to do book giveaways. They supply me with a short list of available titles. I’ve chosen three over a two month period.

That being said, it should be clear that these are not necessarily books I would choose to ask for or otherwise read. I neither endorse nor otherwise the selections presented. My “review” is intended to enlighten you, the reader, as to the general content of the book. It is not therefore, the usual review you would expect here.

This selection is from Bill Donohue, and is called Secular Sabotage: How Liberals are Destroying Religion and Culture in America.

Mr. Donohue is a “traditional” Catholic and is head of the right wing organization, Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights. He sees it as his job to ferret out anti-Catholic sentiment and protect the faithful in their pursuit of Catholic ideals.

Mr. Donohue’s book is an attempt to show how secularists and others are destroying all faith and culture in America, at least the faith he subscribes to and the culture he envisions as appropriate.

Two terms are bandied around and require definition.  The first is nihilism which Donohue calls all those who oppose his views. Nihilists deny or believe that all existing moral and religious beliefs are worthless and need to be destroyed. It can mean as well the destruction of all political and social norms.  The other term, from the title itself is “secularism.” This means quite simply that religious matters needs be excluded from civil affairs and public education.

Mr. Donohue spits out the word secularism as if it is equal to atheism. And he nowhere provides any case other than blatant assertions that nihilists are afoot trying to destroy religion. He makes an assertion that somehow the far left was distraught over the fall of the Berlin Wall, and thus they gave up and just now try to destroy everything. He gives no proof of this claim.

Mr. Donohue claims that Christianity is being destroyed by these groups, yet, in every case, he lauds the fact that through his efforts and the poor quality of their message, nobody cares anyway. This does belie his message a bit I would say.

All the usual suspects are assailed. Sometimes we go back forty and fifty years to find examples of the efforts various groups make to destroy religion. And, before long, Protestantism and other non-Christian faiths are left behind, and Donohue concentrates on the real point of his book: how Catholics are as ever, being discriminated against and mistreated.

The list of offending groups is as I say the usual. Anyone who believes in pluralism is wrong since in Bill’s view this is a Christian nation which he takes to mean that most everyone wants only Christian views expressed. Then we move to the sexual libertines, which includes just about everybody who is opposed to his agenda. We all want to have sex with everyone, everywhere, everyway and as often as possible.

Next are the gays, then Hollywood with their liberal Jewish bias. Then the lawyers, then the Democrats, and unbelievably, then the “other” Catholics who Bill claims are not really Catholics at all, but pretend ones whose agenda is to destroy the Church. Then, last but not least, the Protestants who are “lefties.” We don’t really matter, of course, because like all the rest, we are so minor and disappearing so fast that we are barely visible.

Which all goes to make one wonder what the point of the book is, since all are failing so badly. But there is a constant and never ending refrain from Bill about his own efforts. The book is just chock full of “my involvement, my interview, I threatened to sue, when I sued, I sent a letter, I criticized, I launched, I complained. No one can not notice that Bill is always in the forefront of never letting any possible slight to his Church go unchallenged.

What is perhaps the strangest part of the book, is where he discusses movies and art. He finds plenty of anti-Catholic material around and describes in utterly step by step detail the contents that he finds so hideous. I’m not sure why. At the end of each, he then assures the reader that in fact each art piece or movie offering was rejected by the public and hardly viewed. It begs the question why he is willing to give so much advertising.

If you are a fan of Bill’s by all means drop a comment. If you want to get inside the head of someone from the far right, by all means drop a comment. There are five available, under the same terms as the last. Leave an e-mail address in your comment.

I’m Better than THAT! No Really!

Tags

conservatism, fundamentalism, liberals, Politics, religion, religious right, the left

I’ve been through this scenario many a time. When we talk about religion, we talk about fundamentalism. You know the drill. It’s a deeply emotional psychological expression. Folks who are in need of surety in life, who need rules and assured outcomes, gravitate to religious expressions that give them a blueprint. Do it this way, believe this set of principles, all will be well. And for goodness sake don’t begin to entertain even the Possibility that someone else Might, Might, just MIGHT have a alternative that might be true. BLASPHEMY! Stop your ears, squeeze tight your eyes. If you even listen, God will consider that a defection!

I began to wonder, is this true of the fringe political landscape? Is this true of right and left at the extremes? I rather think so, yet, as in religion, I don’t think that the left suffers from the malady.

I consider myself to be a fearless liberal. I believe, as the Contrarian is wont to say, in the perfect world that someday will come. We will give up this silly notion of nation state, we will use our resources worldwide for all, yada yada yada. I truly do believe it, mind you, but you can envision it without me laying it all out.

But at the same time, I fully admit, that I may be wrong. We may not grow up as I envision, and we main remain locked in petty squabbles and our own insecurities and selfish behavior. And we may disappear as a species, having nearly destroyed the planet in the process.

Because of this, I can concede that there may be arguments on the right that are worthy of listening to, and they may actually have  a point here and there. I’m willing to listen. I’m not willing to listen to “death panel” crap, nor Glenn Beck nor most of Foxy Noise which is insane at this point in their desire to topple a president at any cost.

I am also convinced that the far right is not at all willing to listen to me. They are not able to concede that anything I believe or say could possibly be right. Not possible.

And that is why I conclude that those on the far right fringe are in fact political fundamentalists. They have developed a worldview in which they feel comfortable, in which they can operate, feeling whole and in charge of their destines. Nothing that might upset that is allowed. Racism, sexism, and all that stuff emanates from such people not because they can logically defend those positions, but because they NEED them to be true for their world to be livable.

We’ve been through racism and such before. Some folks cannot abide their own lives, and their failure to be rich and famous in any other way, than to say, “well at least I’m not _________. ” Fill in the blank. Black, Hispanic, gay, a woman, Muslim. Somebody is at the bottom, and it ain’t me. I don’t have to make excuses for my poor performance in life, I’m sorta average, because I can point to groups who are worse off than me.

We hear at the town hall meetings this rant, that “My America has been taken from me, I want it back.” We know the code. Your white power America is taken away, and thus your ability to associate with its power by association. Now I got to find my importance on my own. NO!

You see, it’s much as Martin Buber told us. Is it I-Thou or I-It? I’m a I-Thou kinda person. I have to be, because the moment I give in to the possibility that you may have a valuable contribution (no matter than I think it unlikely more often than not), I grant you equal status with me. You are equally human.

To the extreme right, it is heretical to consider the possibility that I have anything valuable to add, thus, I an not equal, I am simply wrong. Period. I am an it. I am an obstacle to your getting your vision of America installed.

No doubt many could see my stance as self-serving. I’m standing on the podium and pointing down at the those who are “unreasonable.” And I suppose that is true.  No doubt there are radical lefties who want the entire right machine-gunned tomorrow. But they are precious few I would contend. And I believe truly and honestly, that the psychological need of the extreme right to have the world constructed in a way that feels good, is compelling in the same way that an addict craves his drugs or booze. I think we have to realize that.

Nobody is totally and completely illogical for no reason. You can’t spout death panels and Kenyan citizenship because its rational to do so, it’s because you are absolutely sure that your world will collapse in a heap, everything good lost, and all sorts of satanic evils will ensue if the other side wins. They don’t believe they are racist, or unfair, or any of that. They believe they are right; that most people are poor for a reason, most people are drug addicts for a reason, and no amount of coddling will change that. Only hard talk and refusal to support such people is really helpful.

But since I can see that they may have valuable points to make, here and there, it behooves me to listen. And on blogs, we mostly don’t. We play with the group that agrees with us. You and I read blogs that agree with our mindset. I do way too much. I want to do better.

Give me the names of some of the conservative blogs you read. Ignoring them is not an answer I don’t think. I’m broadening my horizons again. Just no Glenn Beck or Sean for me please. That is going too far into “I only say it for my economic gain.” Who do you read that rankles your peace and pushes your buttons?

Lil Bits of Rancor or Not 8/22/08

Tags

abortion, Barack Obama, contraception, crocheting, Election 2008, ethics, farming, food, foreign affairs, GOP, groceries, Iowa, Iraq, John McCain, knitting, liberals, Media, Military, Neo-cons, Recipes, religion, Reproductive Rights, Rick Shenkman, salad, salad dressing, Women's history

A very interesting post at AlterNet. While we grouse about the McCain tactic of slash and burn Obama as his vehicle for success, the desire of the neo-cons is much more serious and permanent. Nothing less than full scale destruction of the liberal as an philisophical alternative is actually contemplated.They echo Maggie Thatcher in this. They are seriously about the business of transforming America into a land where there is no place for liberalism, in reality it will be an oligarchical state wherein business and the market place rule. Read this fascinating look at the dark side. It’s another article that will chill your soul and wonder if you live in America any more.

I haven’t watched the “debate” between McShame and Obama at the Saddleback Church yet, but I thought you might like to review this piece. Apparently John, told a story about a “cross in the dirt.” These are always stories about his POW days, days he insists he hates to talk about, before he again starts to talk about them. Anyway, apparently it is another of his made up stories. According to An Adequate Level of Plausible Deniability, anyway.  I followed his link and found this. Apparently, he likely lifted the story from Alexander Solzhenitsyn and his Gulag Archipelago. Hardly new news, Johnny seems to lift  information and alter stories quite a bit these days. He’s old what can you say? Those trying to track this story have found no mention of it on either of two occasions when you would have expected McCain to have mentioned this “deeply moving” story. I think that rat is roaming around my house again!

Copycat Restaurant Recipes has a Bennigans recipe for “Hot Bacon Dressing.” So utterly perfect for spinach it’s dangerously criminal to eat. Take a look, it’s easy to make and can be stored as well. So next Sunday, after cooking that bacon, make up some and enjoy some fresh spinach salad later!

Watch out the wingnuts in Dubya’s administration of horrors are at it again. They are trying to redefine abortion to include an contraceptive means that has the possible result of causing the termination of a pregnancy. This could include morning after pills, and IUD devices among others. This all has to do with federal funding and insurance companies, and attempts to thwart state laws that give equal access to all women to reproductive assistance. In Iowa, Gov. Culver opposes the change in definition as do Harkin, Boswell, Braley, and Loebsack. Read the full report from Essential Estrogen. This attack of course is by no means limited to Iowa, but effects some 34 states who have legislation in place that would be effected. Check what you state is doing to stop this under the table attack on a woman’s right to choose.

Go read Garrison Keillor today. Why? Well because it’s like Church, because you should. Today, it’s worth the effort to do so. I’d never steer you wrong. And have a steam bath on me!

Mike Tomasky’s Blog has an excellent post on why Republican attack ads always work better than Democratic ones. Democrats would do well to learn the sordid means by which the GOP dopes do it. And you can pick up a few character flaws about John McBush along the way, so it’s worth the linkage!

Iowans should know that according to Senator Tom Harkin, John McCain is no friend of the farmer. He says that, ” McCain voted against the 2002 farm bill and has said that if he were president today he would veto the current farm bill — one which all seven of Iowa’s federal elected officials, including three Republicans, supported.” As an embarrassed Iowa, embarrassed because we are still considered up for grabs this November, I call McCain’s position good news for Obama, and that’s good news for me. I rather suspected that the $500 shoe man with his 7-10 homes is more the elitist than Obama, and wouldn’t really know which end of a pitchfork is the business end.

On Tuesday of this week, I reviewed Rich Shenkman’s book, “Just How Stupid are We?'” Here’s a link to his blog. It appears he does his part to debunk the usual lies of the candidates and their campaigns in an attempt to keep up informed. You might want to bookmark it and check it every so often and learn the truth from the lies.

Oh, before I forget, those of you struggling with grocery prices or just fumed that it costs an arm and leg these days to shop for food period, may want to stop by this site: http://budget101.com. It has a long list of stuff you can make at home for pennies compared to buying them at the store. Mayo of course, and Bisquick substitutes. There is also a feature wherein you put in your zip and it gives you all the stores in your area and you can pick the ones you use, and then it will give you the weekly sale items. Worth a stop, there’s more stuff, but go see yourself if so interested. Coupons too!

Sr. Joan Chittister has a thoughtful post on our lying ways in our political lives and how they threaten to destroy us. No confession is good for the soul any more. We just continue the lies, believing them in the end ourselves. Many of us are bemoaning the abject absurdity of what politics has become. Voters haven’t a clue what they are doing, and one branch of government spends all its time campaigning while another imperially runs things without answering to anybody, using the big lie as a shield. Read this and well, I don’t know, get mad enough to get off your duff and write your congressman, learn what’s happening, but don’t take it any more!

Knitters and crocheters hearken! Vicki at Knitting Dragonflies linked to a wonderful site called Simple Knits. It has the most wonderful array of patterns, all grouped by amount of yarn you might have. Many of the patterns are free, and those that aren’t, are linked to where you can buy them. It looks like a huge place. So indulge and find a great pattern for that next project!

Anyone who is a regular knows that I adore Scandalous Women blog run by  Elizabeth. Today, I’m linking you to the general site, because she has two magnificent entries, one on Princess Michael of Britainand the other on one of my favorite women the notorious literary giant, Lillian Hellman. Please go read these wonderful biographies. The first is from Aug 20 and the Hellman piece is from Aug 13 I believe.

If you are interested in the people behind the Obama campaign, American Prospect has an great article that examines the “big 15” and gives you a mini biography of each. Very interesting stuff, I found.

If you are like me, you are probably just about crazed with the polls these days. All over the board and some late ones have McCain started to pull up to Obama. It can make you want to cry. Paul Hogarth in a piece at the Huffington Post, tells you not to worry, and shows you why. It’s all about money, position, and which polls to rely on. From his lips to God’s ears as they say.

Another terrific article at The Nation, this one by Robert Scheer. He wonders just how it is that Republicans and John McCain manage to get voters to vote against their own interests time and again. He explains the fallacy of McShame’s worldview and why it is so out of step with today’s reality.

If you are interested in a bit of the history of Cindy Hensley-McCain’s life and how she brought the Mac to prominence with her family’s dough, read a nice long piece at The New Republic. It’s not a muckraking piece, but is actually a fair portrait of her life and how she and Johnny came to be. A little bootlegging never hurt anyone!

Hold the presses! The Quaker Agitatorseems to have caught a little remark of McDope’s that suggest he might be willing to re-institute the draft. I would guess that might be of some interest to a few folks around the old US of A. Read more at his blog post.

You have heard about the legendary McCain temper? Well he went a bit too far the other day in calling Obama “testy.” And the DNC has hit him hard, asking “Do you really want to go down that road?” Answering with remarks from fellow Republicans, I’d guess McBush better shut up fast. I’ve read a number of these things too over the last few months. Reports of his threatening other senators on the floor, wanting to duke it out “outside.” The worst was a statement by a fellow congressman who said McCain on a negotiation in I believe Latin America, literally grabbed a foreign negotiator by the collar. I don’t think he’s stable myself but who am I to play doctor. His colleagues however, well they have a good idea wouldn’t you think? And some are quite plainly worried.

And it seems that “horizons” in Iraq have turned into “aspirational timetables” which really means that Bush is doing what Obama suggested and the Iraqis want which is SET A TIMETABLE. Wonder what oh McCain will have to say to that?

In what can only be termed as another outrageous bid for attention, McCain sincophants are running the name of General David Petraeus as a possible GOP VEEP. Petraeus to his credit said he would reject such an offer should it be made. This is after McShame had to apologize for circulating photos of himself with the general some time ago. It is considered a no-no to involve the military in any way in a political campaign. Shame on ya John–as usual your fishing for votes.

And that Angry guy from Africa is beginning to be a regular swan song here on Friday. Not his next weeks news today though. Today he takes on the huge task of making fun of us Americans!Imagine the cheek as the British would say. Link up and have a giggle as he roasts us on our own petard. Well deserved in most cases I might ad. And the bit about the medal race in the Olympics was a surprise. I din’t know dat one! Oh and the court cases–worth the price of admission alone. Oh free, I forgot. Get over there!

Okay, that finishes up all the stuff you must read if you want to be in the know this week. See ya next week with another round of tantalizing stories. I have the smartest readership in the world, cuz I said so!