We Are All On The Precipice

Egypt is in the middle of a revolution, and things aren't much better on the home front. There are those who are sympathetic to what is happening there and want to do what they can to help. To that end, many Twitter and Facebook users have proven that social media is the modern-day Pony Express and each person has the power to be a mini-Paul Revere.


Why is this so important? Because America is headed in the same direction as Egypt. We are sleepwalking towards the point of no return, where we will reach the boiling point before we even realize we are in the pot and on the stove, because the temperature is being increased so gradually that few of us even notice the difference until it is too late, just like a pot of slowly boiling frogs.


The media controls where most people look, and if you aren't looking anywhere but where they point, you'll miss what's happening all around you. Whether you believe the mainstream media is but a tool used by the true power wielders or whether you believe the media is itself the beast, you are a fool if you don't question everything you see, read, and hear.


Speaking of which, here is another interesting fact regarding the Wikileaks situation: 


Yesterday, the feds knocked down 40 doors in order to raid the homes of those who participated in the denial of service attacks on the companies (Visa, Mastercard, PayPal) who cut access to Wikileaks. The program used was called "LOIC" or "Low Orbit Ion Cannon", which joined the computers of those participating to the group attack on the target. Interestingly, the tool did NOTHING to hide a user's IP address, making them sitting ducks for the FBI once the target company handed over its server logs to the authorities to track users of the program by their IP addresses.


The question becomes: Who organized these attacks and encouraged others to participate? Surely they had to know the consequences to those would-be participants, but I seriously doubt they bothered to warn them. Of course, this gives rise to the question: is the whole Wikileaks situation being used by our government in order to create entrapment situations and "pre-emptively" arrest and prosecute those who might have anti-government and pro-truth sentiment?


I don't think it's as simple as the entire Wikileaks operation being a shell game, but certainly it appears as though aspects of it are being used to manipulate us into becoming confused about who we can trust.


If nothing else, consider this: If you were the U.S. Government, and you wanted to find a way to get a LOT of people to violate federal law so you could pick and choose who you prosecuted, what better way to do it than to get a company like Wikileaks to "leak" a bunch of documents and then track who reads them, since reading the leaked documents is technically punishable under espionage laws. A LOT of very powerful people could be tracked via IP address and prosecuted, should the need arise. (Something I have personally experienced.) The "need", of course, being defined by political agendas and/or the feds inability to gather LEGITIMATE evidence on those suspected of other crimes. Food for thought.


On a personal note:


Sadly, our own personal challenges don't get any easier even when compared to the challenges of those who are afflicted with much more than we are. At times things can seem so overwhelming that we're paralyzed with indecision and a general feeling of being lost.


The apparent suicide of a friend last week has me realizing that despair can take us hostage to the point where we feel the only way to escape is - well - you know.


I hope I never reach that point. I don't think I ever will. But if I ever did, I would find comfort in knowing that I had left some final words for others to ponder... words that might help them understand and not leave so many questions.


Of course, there would be many who would assume they already knew what MY problems were, but few would be right. Most would miss the mark and go for the obvious, while those who know me know there is much more to my story than the obvious could ever provide.


So, whether I die in battle in Egypt, or somewhere never to be found, I thought it would be a comfort, if only to me, if I wrote a farewell letter "just in case" I get killed in a traffic accident tomorrow or a coup next week.


I'm too tired to do it now, but look for it soon.


A.

A Note Left For One Whose Eyes Shall Open No More

Last night, I woke up around 4:30 a.m. after what I can only call a stress dream - I was hot and short of breath when I awoke and just sobbing uncontrollably. I couldn't stop crying. Gut-wrenching sobs escaping my body seemed almost involuntary. No. Not seemed. They WERE involuntary.


One of my FaceBook acquaintances had posted that his 10-year old cockatiel had died, and its mate, named Ella, was looking very sad. My grandfather's new bride's first name is Ella, and it made me think of them. I suppose it was on my mind as I went to sleep that I know nobody lives forever, and how I dread the inevitable news of when those in my life who I cherish so dearly are no longer walking on the earth. Of course, it's natural that we think of the elders in our lives at such times.


I finally got myself settled down enough to sleep for another hour or so, and shortly after I got up, the phone rang with some shocking news. A dear friend - someone my roommate has worked with at the mall for years - killed himself last night. He was 27 years old.


My grandfather, 60 years older than 27, is preparing to go down to Florida for a couple of months with his new bride. They are happy and full of life as always, and I'm once again reminded how foolish it is to assume that our elders are more likely to die than anyone else. Sure, logic dictates that the older someone is, the less time they have left, but I think of my father dying at 38, my cousin killed in a shooting accident at 15, other dear friends I've lost over the years my age or younger, and I realize that not one of us is guaranteed even one more day of life just because we are younger.


I had planned to go to the ribbon-cutting ceremony of a local GLBT counseling center this morning, but e-mailed my best wishes instead, as right now I'm feeling very dizzy and not well at all in any sense of the word. The loss of a friend and the knowledge that he was so miserable in his last moments is more than I can handle right now. Or, rather, it's all I can handle. Other things will have to wait.


I don't have any special philosophical insights to share or anything to make myself feel better. There is no comfort in this situation for anyone involved. I'm grieving not only for my suicidal friend, but for his wife, also a friend. They were such a cute couple.


My roommate had worked with Steve for years. He was captain of security at one of the local malls, and my roommate had just left him a note about some of their equipment that was not functioning properly. I guess it's still on his desk.


A piece of paper waiting to be read by someone whose eyes will open no more.


We love you, Steve. We will never forget you. Rest in peace.


A.

Just One More Reason Why Horoscopes Are Ridiculous

(New Developments In Pseudo-Science!)


I know several people who enjoy reading their horoscopes. I am often entertained by the word-smiths who write them, but as a skeptic I realize that they are worthless beyond entertainment value.

Never has that been more evident than over the past few days, when there was an "announcement" that there is a "new zodiac sign".

This has caused an uproar among the many superstitious folks who believe in zodiac as either a primary or secondary religion. (Truly, there are Christians who read their horoscopes daily, but rarely crack open "The Holy Bible" they profess to be so fond of.)

It has brought many opportunities for jokes in the comedy world (folks breaking up because they're no longer compatible according to the "new" zodiac), caused people who THINK they know something about astrology to send requests to the makers of iPhone apps that they "update" their horoscopes with the "new" sign, and has actually upset those who have tattoos of their zodiac sign on their body.

Wow.

If this isn't the media pulling our strings to distract us from what we SHOULD be paying attention to, I don't know what is.

But since there has been such a ruckus over it all, let me clear it up.

The zodiac system that every American newspaper and magazine (and most others in the west) follow is called the TROPICAL ZODIAC. It has NOT changed, and there is NO new sign under that zodiac system. Every tattoo is still valid (if you can call anything related to the zodiac "valid") and every sign remains the same for every person who has become devoted to reading the random (and often regurgitated) horoscope sentences associated with their sign on any given day (which will be re-used for different signs a few weeks later as the "wheel" turns).

The sign that has been written and reported on over the past few days is Ophiuchus (Say it out loud. It sounds a lot like "Oh, fuck us!") and is part of the SIDEREAL zodiac system, and has absolutely nothing to do with any of the horoscopes written under the tropical system which you may have read (and continue to read) in the newspapers, in magazines, online, and in horoscope books.

What is most disturbing to me about all of this, and what really makes a statement about how easily people can be misled, is that the people who are so upset about this and/or so eager to have their iPhone zodiac apps. "updated" are clearly devoted to a superstition that they believe has some scientific basis, yet they don't even understand the pseudo-scientific premise behind the zodiac system they claim is so accurate with daily horoscopes to begin with.

Sound familiar? Every religion, every superstition in existence, is based on something man-made and flawed, yet most people who "study" it fail to understand the origins of even the flawed premise itself.

Many Christians quote "an eye for an eye" when they are angry and seeking revenge, yet ignore the fact that the old testament was rendered obsolete when their Jesus-savior person was crucified and died for their sins. Every person uses bits and pieces taken out of context in their religious book to justify their own misguided beliefs and/or bad behavior, and occasionally they will use bits and pieces to encourage themselves to behave like decent human beings. The fact remains, it's all still based on something a human brain came up with and wrote down.

Why do people believe? Because occasionally, a horoscope will have a really wise statement or bit of advice that would speak to anyone on a personal level, and at times may even hit on details of a person's life when discussing something specific through the sheer law of averages. However, for every one person who finds theirs accurate, millions more are bewildered as to why their horoscope doesn't apply to anything in their lives that day, yet none seem to stop reading them, eager as a drug addict for their next fix of pseudo-magic.

We want someone to tell us the future will be bright, because we're terrified it won't be. We seek guidance and direction, when what we really need is initiative and SELF-directed goals and actions taken toward them.

We continue to allow ourselves to be distracted and manipulated into an emotional frenzy, arguing about irrelevant issues, while the important ones go un-addressed.

So there you have it. A skeptic has to explain to superstitious people why they can go on believing in their superstition unaffected by a "new" discovery they were terrified had shaken the foundations on which they have placed their trust and base daily decisions in their lives.

Yes, your delusional belief system is still based on the same delusions. Those delusions have not changed in this system called the "tropical zodiac system". Only the delusions in the "sidereal zodiac system" have changed.

Carry on.

A.

And that's what I love about Ann Curry...

Just a few minutes ago Ann Curry of the Today Show (along with Al Roker) was interviewing Ted Williams, the (formerly) homeless man turned instant celebrity. Ann Curry clearly had a pre-defined set of questions she wanted to ask the man, and she set out to do just that. She was asking questions, he was answering. Al was chiming in, and the interview was going well.


In the midst of all the questions, Ted Williams, before drawing a breath to answer yet another question, expressed as a side note just how he couldn't believe this was really happening to him. Had he continued with his answer to whatever question had been asked, the interview would have continued on just fine and been very inspiring at its 50 m.p.h. pace. But Ann didn't let that happen.


Ann, in her instinctive wisdom, sensed there was a bigger story in bringing the questions to a screeching halt and going with the moment. No doubt, she had so many more questions for Ted Williams, but in that moment she became less of a reporter and member of the media and more of a caring, perceptive human being truly relating to the subject of her interview on a personal level. She encouraged him to just stop and talk about how he was feeling. She listened to him, her body language said she felt protective of him. THIS is what I'd like to see more of in the media. More actual human interest in the human interest stories and less canned Q.&A.


Suddenly, this went from a question and answer session that would merely have informed us of the facts surrounding Ted Williams' life (most of which we've all already heard by now) and turned into a really powerful conveyance of just what has happened in this man's life on a deep personal and emotional level. It's the difference between talking about peanut butter and tasting it.


He is overwhelmed. He, as a recovering alcoholic and addict, says that he "could sure use a sedative right about now". He talked about a counselor N.B.C. had put him in touch with who helped him with some breathing exercises and how he is learning to deal with the intense stress of what is happening to him (good stress is still stress) and doing his best to maintain his sobriety.


Yes, it's nice to hear details about what he hopes to accomplish in his life, how he became homeless, his struggle with addiction, blah blah blah. But it's SO much nicer to let the public realize just how REAL the stress is for anyone attempting to cope with an addiction or a compulsion, regardless of how devastating or how wonderful the circumstances of their lives may be. THAT is the real story here.


Ted Williams may end up with a wonderful job and a wonderful home and a wonderful life, but his struggle will continue. No matter how much love the public sends to this man, no matter how many job offers he gets, no matter how many people are rooting for him, he and he alone must take things step by step and hopefully manage to make the best of the good fortune that has befallen him, and it will not be easy.


I say this not to bring anyone down from the high a story such as this tends to give. I say it to remind everyone that if you are facing difficult circumstances in your life and you are NOT also struggling with an addiction or compulsion, understand that your struggles will always be easier than any one day in Ted Williams' life, regardless of how wonderful things may seem to be going for him.


The other side of this story is that, when you feel compelled to do something, whether it's to take a photo or write something down and share it, you need to DO it, because had Doral Chenoweth III not shot the video he did and put it on YouTube, none of this would have happened.


It's nice to see that America has reached out to this formerly homeless man and given him the opportunity to use his talents to change his life. There are many more like him out there in the cold who will not get such an opportunity, and some of them wouldn't be able to handle it even if they did. Some of them are so deeply entrenched in their lives as they are that they stand a better chance of surviving as homeless people than they would as instant celebrities or even as minimum wage workers living a status quo life. That is their reality.


Ann Curry has done a very good job of allowing Ted Williams to share his current reality with the world. Regardless of his past, and whatever the future may bring, Ted Williams is having a difficult time breathing right now, and that says more than any question and answer could ever convey.

Human interest stories don't always show genuine human interest beyond the story. Ann Curry broke the rules and changed all of that, even if only for a moment.

Thanks, Ann!


A.

Snow Day!

Is there anything more beautiful than freshly fallen snow in the backyard? Yes, there is!


Not having to get out and drive in it!


A.

Ahhhhh...

Today was much better than yesterday. It's amazing how a bit of writing can help blow off steam and bring perspective to everything.


There's so much to get done and I fear I will spend forever on the treadmill of "getting caught up" and never get to the important things. I guess I'm going to have to let some things go neglected and make time for the important things or they won't get done, and there are people waiting who don't even know they're waiting.


And miles to go before I sleep...


A.

The True Source Of Oppression In America (And Elsewhere)

It's not the Federal Reserve.
It's DEFINITELY not capitalism.
It isn't even socialism.


It's not the economy, stupid.
It's not public education.
It's not politics.


It's not even "The Man".


It isn't modern medicine.
It isn't alternative medicine.


It isn't crack or pot or meth or alcohol.
It's not fat. It's not carbs.


It's not corn syrup, sucrose, gluten or lactose.


It's not vaccines.
It's not genetically engineered food or seeds.
It's not even weeds.


It isn't racism.
It isn't terrorism.
It isn't religion. It's not atheism. It isn't agnosticism.


It's not even astigmatism.


What the hell holds us back?
What has us constantly under attack?


Who's stealing your sanity,
Your time,
Your dime?


Who makes you scream?
Who makes you cry?
Who makes you look at yourself in the mirror and ask WHY???


You must be blind
If you can't see!


It's you, my friend.
And it's me.


When you're driving down the road
As though you're the only one
When I take your place
Knowing you were waiting on that parking space


When you won't listen on the phone
As he's explaining why he can't pay on that car loan


When you insulted them
Because of your huge ego
Riding a $5,000 bike
In your Speedo


When we fail to ask
Because we're not up to the task
When we say we're okay,
But we're just wearing a mask.


When you said you'd be there
But you were a no show
Pretending you don't know
That your old friend has nowhere to go


The customer service rep. on the phone
Getting paid to be there
Not doing his job
Making you pull out all of your hair.


The old lady you didn't offer a chair.
The one you saw crying,
But all you did was stare.


This insidious force
So hidden, yet real
It brings on divorce
Your life and mine it will steal.


It starts with an "A"
So small, like a "P"
It repeats itself, it's "A" force
To a "T"
When you've "H"ad it with this world
This is the "Y"


It's APATHY, my friend.
And it kills those who don't care
As well as the one
Who's easy to scare.


So take up your pen
And pick up that phone
Let's kick apathy's ass
And remind folks, they're not alone.




A.


#TooDisgustedToTalkAboutItSoIJustVomitedSomeWordsFromMyFingertips

I'll bet $50,000 my Booger is prettier than yours!

According to the January 2011 issue of Real Simple magazine, Miss Wyoming (Bernann McKinney) paid a cloning lab $50,000 to clone her beloved pit bull, Booger. In 2008, five Booger clones were born, which is apparently the first successful canine cloning. (To learn more about the subject of cloning since the days of Dolly the sheep, you might want to read Dog, Inc. by John Woestendiek.)


It's uncanny (un-canine-y?) to me that my dog, less than a year old, is also named Booger and is also part pit bull. I guess Booger isn't such an unusual name for a dog after all. Of course, I didn't pay anything for Booger, so I got a much better deal. That, and I'll bet Miss Wyoming's Booger isn't nearly as cute as MY Booger is! :-)

"My Booger's prettier than your Booger! Nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah!"


A.

A Science Text on Weights and Measures: Time Defined

Since we're all celebrating the illusion of a "New Year" and marking the change in one of the digits we use to record the number of rotations the earth makes, I thought I'd share some information from a book I received as a "New Year's" gift from a physicist friend of mine.

From the reference book "Weights and Measures", chapter defining "Time":

"Time is", it states "a dimension in which events occur in sequence".

In other words, it doesn't speed up or slow down. The events contained within the dimension of time may speed up or slow down, but time itself is merely the dimension in which these events occur.

It goes on to say:

"The only definition possible is an operational one in which time is defined by the process of measurement and by the units chosen."

And later states:

"Similar to definitions of other fundamental quantities (like [in measurements of] space and mass), time is defined by the units used to measure it and the method of its measurement. This definition defines time itself which otherwise is left undefined."

In other words, time is not the movement itself, it is the measurement of the quantity of that movement. The measurement itself, by definition, doesn't have the ability to change its quantity, or speed, but rather, that which it measures (movement of matter through space or of the caesium 133 atom) is what moves.

All movement must be measured relative to other objects (whether the earth or the caesium 133 atom) and the movement of those objects (the earth rotating on its axis or the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium 133 atom), otherwise it is meaningless. So sure, measure the speed of transition of the caesium 133 atom and call that time, and time can speed up, but the secondary (or primary, whichever you prefer) definition of time as a dimension in which events occur in a sequential manner has not changed.


Furthermore, I have discovered that if I measure how fast I blink my eyelids and call that time, I can make time speed up by blinking my eyelids faster. DAMN I'M GOOD! I just figured out how to control time by blinking my eyelids! Wheee!

By the way, you're traveling through the dimension of time into the future as you read this, no time machine required.

(Happy New Nano-Second! Oh wow! Happy New Nano-Second Again! Oh damn. I can't keep up. Well, Happy New Nano-Second from now to infinity! Please don't try to drink champagne each time it's a new one or you'll keep a terrible headache!)


That is all.

A.