bird cage blues

On Utopia.

There is nothing more difficult to plan, more doubtful of success, more dangerous to manage than the creation of a new system. The innovator has the enmity of all who profit by the preservation of the old system and only lukewarm defenders by those who would gain by the new system. (Machiavelli, 1513)

And though the philosopher may live remote from business, the genius of philosophy, if carefully cultivated by several, must gradually diffuse itself throughout the whole society, and bestow a similar correctness on every art and calling. (David Hume, 1737)

All of us who are concerned for peace and triumph of reason and justice must be keenly aware how small an influence reason and honest good will exert upon events in the political field.
(Albert Einstein, 1954)

Once again, the wheels in my head are spinning out of control. When trying to find Reason and Morality in the political structure around me, I'm led only to the conclusion that such things have been abandoned, as they neither generate mass consumption nor do they bind the individual to a lifelong dependency to society at large.

Wouldn't it be nice to wake up, eat a meal consisting of food produced directly by us and the direct community in which we dwell, practice hygeine in a manner that didn't require the purchase of FDA-approved goods manufactured and shipped in from God-knows-where, put on warm clothes designed, hemmed and stitched by ourselves and our children and go about our business doing only what is necessary to live well today?

Some may consider these ideas narrow-minded and impractical, and I would accuse those people of being Lazy Asses. There is no substitute for imagination, no matter how easy or how popular new & shiny and regardless of monetary benefits. Those who stand in the way of the progression of the Human Race, to which we all belong, believe it or not, are also the slaves of comfort and convenience. If one cannot properly realize that each life determines its own course, than such an individual has no right to be in a position of authority or influence.

What do you think, Bert?

"It is only a slight exaggeration to say that mankind constitutes even now a planetary community of production and consumption. I have now reached the point where I may indicate briefly what to me constitutes the essence of the crisis in our time. It concerns the relationship of the individual to society. The individual has become more conscious than ever of his dependence upon society. But he does not experience this dependence as a positive asset, as an organic tie, as a protective force, but rather as a threat to his natural rights, or even to his economic existence. Moreover, his position in society is such that the egotistical drives of his make-up are constantly being accentuated, while his social drives, which are by nature weaker, progressively deteriorate. All human beings, whatever their position in society, are suffering from this process of deterioration. Unknowingly prisoners of their own egotism, they feel insecure, lonely, and deprived of the naive, simple and unsophisticated enjoyment of life. Man can find meaning in life, short and perilous as it is, only through devoting himself to society. The economic anarchy of capitalist society as it exists today is, in my opinion, the real source of evil." (Albert Einstein, 1949)

I catch your drift.

HOOW LONG WILL THE MADNESS PREVAIL??!

"God in the safe, Ford on the shelves... All of the advantages of Christianity and alcohol; none of their defects"

bangarang.

just ludicrous

I suppose that I am doomed, judging from the constant flux of influence and persuasion from every direction. The more that I rely on what I feel is right and noble, as opposed to what is dominantly suggested throughout this society into which I have been born, the more my path seems destined for certain decadence.

I have no desire to make a six-figure income. What on Earth would I do with such a sum of money? The needs for resources around the world are great, no doubt, but luxurious temptations are far too vast and too powerful when it comes to accepting a wealth of that magnitude, as can be observed everywhere: from politicians to leaders in the church, from physicians (whose riches originated with a desire to heal) to uptown yuppies to the spoiled offspring of that particular class of world-wide society that just has more than they know what to do with. When considering the problems that exist internationally today, I cannot get past the Truth that there is “enough for everyone’s need, but not for everyone’s greed.”

It is the open pursuit of that beautiful simplicity of life that guides me to my seemingly perilous destiny. Such has led me to wisdom of old, demonstrated by a way of life that was abandoned in these parts of the world a century ago. I am aaaaamazed by accounts of Native Americans, the First People, as they describe what life was like before Whitey came across the water. In those days, a man’s image as a Man was determined by such virtues as Integrity, Honesty, Compassion, Selflessness, Honor and Bravery. Security was an entirely foreign concept. They feared the White race for a variety of reasons, but mainly for the selfish and heartless motives and methods used in the expansion of its “territory”. They were incapable of comprehending what it was about the “yellow metal that drives White Men crazy.”

It would be easy to go off on many tangents at this point, but what I want to focus on is how so many customs of the White race seemed completely unnecessary, overly complex and inhumane. Why take more than what is absolutely necessary to provide sustenance for today? Consumerism was unknown, and today it is mandatory. Only dead, fallen wood was collected on a daily basis for fires and building projects. The well-being of every living thing was considered equally, Mankind was only another extension of Wakan Tanka, or the “Mysterious Great/ Great Spirit”.

Yeah, so this is unrealistic in today’s society. Or is it? If I truly consider myself “in the world, but not of it,” then who is to say that this dream can’t lead me to that quality of life that makes life worth living?

Will I fulfill my potential if I never buy a new car? What if I tried mending old clothes or making my own before buying the latest Abercrombie and Fitch? Would that make me an outcast? I’m in the business of making Grace evident, not diluting it with a price tag.

This is what I believe, this is what I desire for myself and for my family, and I’m sticking to it, completely unafraid. Future, here I come.

gold-star homeboy

I look thus within, seeking verses to satisfy frustration.

Listening, waiting, dreaming, waiting, wondering

Not of necessity, but rather to appease this bubbling sense of dominion,

All to prove a point that needs not to be proven.

I find that words are lost that are spent on speakers unable to listen,

And the lessons they tell could be told back, only to be denied,

As it did not come from their own lips.

Further analyzing my situation leads only to the understanding

That such delegations, as have been passed to me, exist without the luxury of Reason,

As the thirst of one is not deeply considered by He who is not thirsty.

However, if the one without thirst wishes to win favor with the thirsty,

Quenching such thirst thus takes priority, though not quite for the sake of good health,

But instead for the image of the keeper of the precious Water.

The subordinate of such a keeper has many lessons to learn,

The first, of course, being the open acknowledgement of subordination.

The mind is a wonderful tool for carrying out orders,

But a robot is better.

The lesson of acquiring skills comparable to the superior takes more time,

And carries the likelihood of a decreasing sense of authority,

Which rarely plays out well for the submissive party.

The most helpful hint that can be remembered,

Which will carry those under the authority of others in the most trying of times,

Is that the existence of the subordinate, as such, is only valuable so long as it improves the

Image of Him whom is being submitted to.

The lesser, however, can and will remain the victor, so long

As he keeps his wit about him, and never forsakes

The capacity for thought, which the appointed leader

Will most likely have dismissed, striving to be what someone else desires he be.

The motivating factor behind the business of each submissive party        

Must be a sense of duty, and steadfast devotion to such, and never for personal recognition of

Achievement, as the overseer of such accomplishments will most always lay claim

To whatever glory exists therein.

Dignity will forever be sustained so long as the power of the Mind does not go unused;

For smiling leads to victory, complaining to defeat;

Integrity is the path to self-respect and honor, but laziness is a burden to all;

The conscious use of eye-contact will cut like a knife the pride

Of whomsoever wishes to keep his hands clean.

But lo! there is always that one simple Truth,

Guiding each soul tasked with submitting to the ego of another,

Shining like the brightest star in the darkest night,

Bound to an endless knowledge of hope and forever restoring peace of mind:

Karma, is a bitch.

 

bangarang.

What it is.

Yea so I started a blog. Why not? Some people seem to be into the things that pop into my head, so yea dude, dig it. So now where to start? These ain't the first thoughts to emerge from the depths of my madness, but whatev man here I go.

If there's anything that I've learned in my days, it's that every which way you look, there is something to be seen. What's more is that the closer you look, the more the mystery of life reveals how little you actually understand. If one so chooses to explore this mystery with their eyes closed, they'd better be prepared to wake up. or fall asleep.

Spending too much time indoors makes you dull. That's a fact. What a crazy idea it is, but so very true, that climbing a tree can be the very best part of your day. If you happen to be reading this, and you are paraplegic, I'm sorry. Don't mean to tease, maybe you could go find a bonsai tree? Those look like fun?

I don't care who you are or how much weight you've lost with Wii Fit, but television and video games are a WASTE OF YOUR DAMN LIFE. Your imagination exists for a reason, even if you try rearry hard to pretend like you don't have one. Letting someone else decide where your mind wanders makes you less human and more boring. Reading is not a waste of time. No, it's not. I have found that a good book can be anything that causes you to see life from some other perspective than your own, and still allows you to decide the sounds, colors and feelings through which you perceive it.

Every human encounter has the potential to be a beautiful experience for all parties involved. Just use your imagination. Dwelling on how best to seek revenge or exactly what to say to make someone feel like an ass only has negative effects on everyone, but mainly the schemer of such things. The crazy thing about Love is, it works every time.

Jesus is where it's at. Remember that and life will be blessed in every way. It definitely won't be easy, but it will be exceptionally remarkable and magnificent, every day. That's not to say that Buddha didn't know what he was doing, because his true followers demonstrate the most beautiful fruits of the Spirit imaginable. There is Truth to be found in all walks of Life, and building walls because of simple misunderstandings or unusual practices is ignorance and is detrimental to any Spiritual Journey or Pursuit of Holiness. If you don't take the time to try to understand someone, then you're just another pharisee. You can be the first to throw your stone.

I don't pretend to be any more holy than anyone else, I'm just a bum who got picked up by the U.S. Coast Guard a year ago. Shoot man, I'm still in the Coast Guard. I remember that like once a day when I realize I'm not kickin it with some endangered species of goats in the Himalayas. Damn. Whatev dude at least I have a blog now.

More to come.

Peace, love, bangarang.