POLITICS | THE CIRCUS . . . . . . . . . AND THE ZOO

Rants. raves and ramblings from celestial circles . . .

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Snake Oil Cures for Little Men with Smaller Dreams

I heard your poem on the radio today.
Little children were crying and bleeding
bowing to your mighty power.
I pulled my glass eye out
and rolled it down a bubble-gum sidewalk.
Three flies were mystically immersed in conversation.
They were talking about you, of course.
How you fought off all the angry slaves
so we could all drink milk and hug when
the cheerios were no longer crunchy.

I stepped on a pile of you today.
But my new no-stick nuclear shoes
kept me balanced and poised
for your next question.
I had to answer honestly
as all the satellites were
joyously listening
and the quiet drone
of your newly found synthetic existence
filtered the last ounce of sincerity
in the world.

Now everything is happy blue
and darkness hides inside a solar flare.
My chain keeps rattling loudly
inside this cold locked chamber.
And all of our hammers and shovels
were worn down to splintered oak.
But I forgot what trees looked like.
And when I pulled your plastic vagina
from underneath the dusty glass dome
it wouldn’t talk to me anymore.
It dried out and shriveled away.
Now all I have left is a rusty nail
and two holes in my blood soaked hands.

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MUSINGS, PHILOSOPHY, POETRY, POLITICS, SOCIETY

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MORE DOORS TO OPEN

I have just experienced the most amazing collection of doors I have ever seen. If you love beautiful, unique and exotic doors as much as I do, you have to visit this blog site.

Which lead me to thinking about doors. So what is so special about a door? A door is a gateway. It is an opening where you leave a space, however confining or expansive, and enter another space . . . possibly confining, possibly liberating, or possibly just a passage from one reality to another. The first ‘door’ we ever pass through is the ‘door’ of our mothers womb. From then on our lives are spent passing from one door to another. Through gateways of opportunities and experience, hence ‘the door of opportunity knocks’. Jim Morrison highlighted the importance of doors by naming his band ‘The Doors’. His band title was based on Aldous Huxley’s ‘Doors of Perception’, a personal accounting of his experiences with the psychotropic drug mescaline.

‘Doors’ have long been used as an analogy for the passing of the mind from one plane of reality or thought to another. This from Neil Turnbull on his blog site:

The Doors of Philosophy
“Doors are the first threshold into life.
We are always between doors; either indoors or outdoors.
The Romans worshipped doors because they knew that, like life, they look both ways: to the past and to the future.
The philosopher is also in a sense a door: a door from the false to the true; from akrasia to sophia.
The door is the true symbol of philosophy.”

He reveals a clue of why doors are so significant in our lives. Doors are symbolic representations of our passage from ‘past to future’. We travel through doors to reach an objective or a goal. A place where we either want to go, or are forced to go. Doors can lead to euphoria, as in the discovery of a new and exciting location or space. Doors can lead to misery, as in the closing cell doors of the prison or jail. And doors can lead to immediate comfort, as in the welcome door to our homes. Doors can express an attitude, such as ‘an open door policy’. Or represent secrecy and deception, as in ‘behind closed doors’. Doors can also represent the process of decision making, ‘choose which door to open’.

But there is one more very important and symbolic representation of doors. Doors are so intricately woven into our psyche because they represent ‘mystery‘ and the ‘unknown‘. In the process of discovery we do not know exactly what lies beyond the door. The physical act of ‘opening a door’ means that we are an active participant in the ensuing discovery. To ‘open a door ‘means we are are open to something novel, a new experience, or a new adventure. There is an excitement to opening a new door. But the door can also be closed to represent an ending or an exclusion. To be ‘locked out’ or ‘close the door’ represents a finite termination. We open the door for new freedoms and we close the door for containment. This important duality of mental psychology is what makes doors akin to a switch that you can turn ‘on or ‘off’. But we can also leave the door halfway open or halfway closed. This represents a further level of mystery. Are we being enticed to enter? Or are we being warned not to enter?

Doors can also be symbolic in relationships. Do we leave our doors open for others to enter and experience our emotional depth and complexities? Or do we keep our doors shut tight and refuse others entry into our innermost fears, joys and emotions? Or are we one of those that keep the door halfway open/closed? Where the mistrust and the perception of a world that can be both cruel and kind has tainted us to be forever wary.

Imagine the excitement when Howard Carter first opened the door to King Tut’s tomb. Or when Neil Armstrong first opened the door of his capsule to step onto the moon. While some are excited at the thought of opening a new door, many fear the thought of having to open or walk through a door. After reviewing a long list of phobias and fears (I had no idea there was such a long list of phobias), I found no technical term for fear of walking through doors, opening doors, or closing doors. Yet I know for a fact many people suffer from an extreme fear of walking through or opening doors. They fear the thought of what they might find when they open a door. If we fear opening doors, we are unlikely to experience anything new in our lives. We are less likely to succeed and advance in life. And we are highly unlikely to find meaningful relationships in our lives.

Always remember there are sometimes two doors, the fornt door and the back door. ‘Back door’ has taken on a derogatory sexual connotation. But there are also ‘back door deals’. Do you enter proudly through the front door? Or are you consistently trying to sneak in through the back door?

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If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is, infinite.
William Blake

“The man who comes back through the Door in the Wall will never be quite the same as the man who went out. He will be wiser but less sure, happier but less self-satisfied, humbler in acknowledging his ignorance yet better equipped to understand the relationship of words to things, of systematic reasoning to the unfathomable mystery which it tries, forever vainly, to comprehend”
– Aldous Huxley

“Be an opener of doors”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Every wall is a door.
– Ralph Waldo emerson

“A very little key will open a very heavy door.”
– Charles Dickens, Hunted Down

Men shut their doors against a setting sun.
– William Shakespeare

When one door closes, another one opens. But we often look so regretfully on the closed door that we don’t see the one that has opened for us.
– Helen Keller

We often get in quicker by the back door than by the front.
– Napoleon Bonaparte

There are things known and things unknown and in between are the doors.
– Jim Morrison

The courage of the poet is to keep ajar the door that leads to madness.
– Christopher Morley

Listen, real poetry doesn’t say anything; it just ticks off the possibilities. Opens all doors. You can walk through anyone that suits you.
– Jim Morrison

The story of my life is about back entrances, side doors, secret elevators and other ways of getting in and out of places so that people won’t bother me.
– Greta Garbo

I feel very adventurous. There are so many doors to be opened, and I’m not afraid to look behind them.
– Elizabeth Taylor

A small key opens big doors.
– Turkish Proverb

It is often the last key on the ring that opens the door.
– Proverb

The greatest step is out the door.
– German proverb

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MUSINGS, PHILOSOPHY, POETRY, POLITICS, SOCIETY

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OPENING THE DOOR IN BETWEEN THE LINES

From the time we are born, we begin to be influenced and molded by our environment. We imitate behavior. We follow role models. We are influenced by what we hear, what we see, what we smell, what we feel and taste. Our senses begin the long road of programming which continues throughout our lives. We are born innocent. Gradually we are tarnished, hardened, and molded into the character we become. At first we are helpless. We depend on our nurturers to feed us, change us, bath us, and provide a time to sleep and rest. When we reach the age of 3 or 4 years old, we begin to understand how our actions can effect our surrounding environment. Crying might get food. Smiling will elicit a laugh. Tantrums can sometimes get results.

Our first ventures in learning are very basic human behaviors: laughing, crying, anger, joy, surprise. Soon we begin the social indoctrination of the educational system. We are taught things that are not necessarily true or right. We are taught things we later find are insignificant. We are taught things that are certainly wrong. Along the way we learn to think. We learn how to gather information with our senses and process the information to develop a conclusion based on the information. But along the way our processing also becomes distorted. And in todays world, we are often deluged with so much information, our processing capabilities break down or become tainted. We tend to follow without questioning. We seek acceptance and strive to be inclusive within the greater social fabric. All of these factors will often blind us to the reality of the world we live in.

Some of us were born as males, others as females. We clearly see the dividing line between each. But a s select few were born between the lines. They did not choose this slight of nature. Yet they must modify their behaviors because of it, for the rest of their lives. The physical properties were a product of science, not of the environment. Society explains these unique individuals through many different terms. Among them hermaphrodites, intersex, DSD (disorder of sexual development), ambiguous genitalia, he-she’s, freaks. Now at this point is where I must make a very important differentiation that has continually confused our society and undermined the struggle of these very human co-inhabitants of our planet. In my opinion, they are not a product of a disorder. They are not freaks. They are only freaks in the respect that we are all freaks on this planet.

Now here is the important differentiation. I will refer to folks that have been born with gender variations as ‘intersex’. Even among their own community, the terminology they prefer is ambiguous. Some prefer to refer to themselves as males or females, whichever gender they most relate to. Others use a variety of different terms. `The Science and Medical community now refer to them as ‘DSD’ or ‘disorder of sexual development’. I don’t like this term at all, it is denigrating. If you require a medical term, I prefer to refer to it as ‘VSD’ or ‘variation in sexual development’. The Intersex community may not like this one either, I don’t know. But I don’t like ‘disorder’.

And I know what many of you are thinking right now, so I’m going to explain. Sexual preference is NOT gender. ‘Sexual preference’ is based on the gender you choose to actively participate in sexual acts with. ‘Gender variation’ is the biological science of variations in physical attributes both external and internal to the human body. Please read these last two sentences very carefully. The misunderstanding between the two has created an injustice that has been promulgated for thousands of years. It is time it STOPPED! Before I explain the distinct differences these two concepts, I would like to explain a little bit about the biological science and the spectrum of gender variations.

It begins the same way this essay began; in the womb. Various factors contribute to the development of a fetus in the womb. All of us begin our lives in the fetus with pre-development female genitalia. Fact. Several biological processes determine the ultimate gender, these include chromosomes (xx, xy or variants), hormone excretions (androgens for male development), physical development of gonads or genitalia (sometimes the process get caught in various phases between the development of female genitalia to male genitalia), and finally a recent discovery, a small section of the brain that is different sizes in males and females. When these individuals are born they do not make a decision on gender preference. At this point, parents and doctors make the decision based on several factors (that’s another story). Sexual preference on the other hand, may be a result of several factors including the size of the area of the brain that determines male/female, hormones, and possibly environmental factors. We’re not certain. And this is not what I am discussing here. But the fact is that many born intersex may be attracted to the opposite gender of the sex that dominates their bodies (or not). Some people with intersex conditions exhibit characteristics of both sexes (androgyny, he/she). And some may even physiologically revert gender at puberty, just like flipping a light switch, because biologically certain androgens do not activate in the body until the late teens or the mid twenties.

To categorize intersex individuals as one size fits all into the Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual community is an injustice to each every one these people that were born with this biological condition. This is the dark shadow of ignorance our society has promoted. Even the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans) community has been guilty of this. It is an in-service and an injustice. I am not close to anyone that I know for certain is intersex. And although I do have many friends that are gay, I am comfortable with my hetero identity and 28 of marriage with tow grown children. But I do know many that may be intersex because they exhibit either strong characteristics of both sexes, or exhibit characteristics of the opposite sex their outward appearance exhibits. They may be intersex or it may be hormonal or it may be neither of these.

This is the line of research I have been obsessed with in the recent past. This is the tragic human condition and social ignorance that has inspired me to initiate a project to enlighten others on scientific facts we are not told or are kept from us. I will do this in the way I know best, through storytelling. I will do it in the way I feel I can tell the story and present the facts accurately to the largest international audience, through documentary storytelling. I will be discouraged and maybe even suppressed by traditionalists, religious fanatics, those that prefer to keep the social status quo intact, or others who just don’t want me to succeed in my goals. But I will promise them this right here in writing today. I WILL NOT desist not will I be silenced. I will light the torch and I will let others light their torches from it to shed light for all of these innocent fellow human beings once and for all. They should not be required to live in slavery by our society because of the biological cards they were dealt at birth from Nature. Nature is God and God is Nature. And they deserve the same joys in life all others enjoy.

So I am asking you to please share this essay/link with others. Help me open people’s eyes that sex determination is science. And those caught in the middle of both sides deserve our respect. But don’t take my word for it. Do the research. Visit Wiki or Google or the Facebook page I created. Because I think if you do the research for yourself and once you know the facts, you will understand people in a whole new light. And you will be able to provide respect and compassion where you may not have considered it before.

‘Sex Is Science’ Facebook page click here.

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IN A TOWN ON A FARM

dedicated to G. O.

In a town on a farm
not too long ago
a farmer told his livestock
‘this is how it is,
this is how it should be’
and all was well
the chickens were fed
the cows had hay
and all the pigs were happy
in the mud.

One cold December day
the farmers dog went rabid
he told the farmer
‘I don’t care.
it doesn’t matter
we can all do
what ever we want.’
The dog bit the farmer
who later died.
The chickens had no feed
the cows had no hay
and the pigs lost weight
while rolling in the mud
they were not happy.
They all died.

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BRIEF ESSAY ON ECONOMICS

A BRIEF ESSAY ON ECONOMICS

What is an economy? An economy is people. People trading goods and services with people. Pretty simple, huh? It really is. It’s not as complicated as some might have us think. In fact, making things ‘complicated’ is often the best way undermine an economy. Another way to undermine an economy is secrecy. More on that later, but first, let’s define ‘economy’.

You have an orange orchard and I have an apple orchard. At the end of the week we both had a good crop. So we get together and decide to trade. You trade six of your oranges for six of my apples. We have created an economy. This can go on with our friend who has a strawberry patch or our friend that repairs and makes shoes. We have built an economy. We decide the ‘quality’ and ‘value’ of our products. And based on these two factors, we decide what is ‘fair’ when we trade our beautiful apples for beautiful oranges and vice versa. As long as you continue producing fine oranges and I continue producing fine apples, we are both happy at the end of every week because our families get to sample the best of both worlds. No government intervention, no taxes, no brokers fees, no licensing or permits, no reports or recordkeeping, no stockholders or shares to keep tabs on. Life is simple.

Now one week, a nasty bug gets into your crop (and I didn’t plant it there). But what results is that you’re crop that week is looking somewhat skimpy, while mine is still beautiful and fine. Hence, ‘supply and demand’. Well now this week, six apples for six oranges just will not do. This is not ‘fair’. So we negotiate and decide for this week you will give me two of your skimpy oranges for every one of my apples. We’re both still happy because at least you got a few good apples and for the week, I got quite a few oranges skimpy as they might be. Life is still simple. We are still a strong economy and we still trade fairly and we are all still happy (although you will be much happier when you get rid of those darn bugs).

Life is good. Now here comes the complication part along with the extortion. John Carpetbagger shows up in town one day and tells you he can get rid of your bugs for you, but you have to give him one of every six of your oranges every week he treats your crops. Now you only have five oranges to trade with me. I get less orange’s and you get less apples, but your oranges look better, even though now they may be tainted with a toxic pesticide. Soon the mayor of the town realizes John Carpetbagger is picking up a bundle of oranges every week for treating your crops with a chemical. In his unselfish intent to protect all the growers, he passes a law that requires both of us to give him at least one of our apples or oranges every week so he can protect us and certify John Carpetbagger’s shady treatment methods. At the same time he requires John Carpetbagger to provide him with at least one orange a week so he can be certified and licensed, assuring all the growers that everything is safe.

Now John Carpetbagger asks you for two oranges a week instead of one so he can pay the mayor. So now you give the mayor one orange a week and you give John Carpetbagger two oranges a week and we only end up trading three oranges for three apples every week. Did John Carpetbagger plant that harmful insect in your orchard? We don’t know. But suddenly the following week the nasty insects show up in my orchard, too. The mayor is happy though, because all he has to do is print out a few pieces of paper and sign them and he gets three oranges and three apples every week. John Carpetbagger is happy because all he has to do is spray our crops and give the mayor one apple and one orange every week, but he gets to keep two for himself. After all, John Carpetbagger has to give his manufacturer either one apple or orange every week to get his toxic insect killer. Eventually if we’re smart, we’ll figure out who the manufacturer is, cut a deal and cut John Carpetbagger completely out of the picture. But the mayor still wants his extra apple and orange every week. So the mayor tells us we still have to give him an extra apple or orange for buying it directly from the manufacturer and using it on our crops. He still gets two apples and two oranges every week, even though he only has to print up a few forms and sign them once.

But the mayor is still not happy. He now has a growing family and has to expand his storage facility to store all of the apples, oranges, and strawberries he gets every week. So he creates a new law. He tells us we cannot directly trade apples and oranges with each other and we cannot trade directly with the manufacturer. In order for him to keep track of how many apples and oranges we have, and how many we trade with the manufacturer, he tell us we can now only use his new paper money that he is printing just for us to make things easier. So now the mayor gets to decide how many of his paper ‘notes’ we get for each apple and orange. So we begin trading with the mayor’s new paper ‘notes’. He was giving us one paper note for each apple or orange.

But now he has grandkids, and has a fruit distribution company on the side, and he tells us he will only give us one paper ‘note’ that he prints for every two apples or oranges. That is an example of an economy now complicated and extorted. You have less oranges. I have less apples. John Carpetbagger now runs the mayor’s fruit business and the mayor will soon become governor.

I hope I’ve answered the question ‘what is an economy’ for you in terms anyone can understand. Next time I’ll explain how stocks and bonds work. It’s all just apples and oranges!

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