Stating the Obvious?

In a story about public transportation in downtown Norfolk, Mayor Paul Fraim is quoted as saying, "It seems we need to be smart about it."

I should hope so.  It seems the other option would be to do the dumb thing, or, perhaps doing something that is only a smidgeon smart.

Photo by Archie R. Whitehill

This quote by Mayor Fraim tickled me in two separate ways. 

First, I was tickled that he stated something so obvious, that we need to do the smart thing.  I would hope and direct that my government always do the smart thing, or at least try to, on any issue.

Second, I was tickled that the reporter reported such a statement.  The reporting of that statement may easily imply that the Mayor, and his council, rarely do the smart thing, so this is really newsworthy, that we will now do the smart thing.

In light of this deeply philosophical truth uttered by Norfolk's mayor, I would like to make a proposal, one that will have far-reaching effects on us all, our families, our neeighborhoods, our cities, our states, our nation, yea, even the entire world.  That proposal is that we always need to be smart about what we do.

There.  All the world problems are solved, easily and with no complex rules, just the need to do the smart thing. 

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Obama's Military Math

Promises, promises.  We need to listen to our politicians more closely prior to elections.

A story in the newspaper, The Virginian-Pilot, this morning stated that troop strength in Afghanistan will soon increast to over 130,000 troops and likely twice that many will be needed in the future.

So, President Obama is pulling our troops out of Iraq and sending them home, just as he promised. How nice.  Then he will turn them around to send them to fight in Afghanistan.  But he kept his promise, you betcha!  I don't think that's what your supporters had in mind, Mr. President.  That's kind of like promising my wife I won't buy the $35,000 Chevy we'd been discussing, and then I go out and buy a $35,000 Ford.  Isn't presidential math wonderful.  It enables an administration to lie and to tell the truth simultaneously. 

We continue to be duped; we continue to follow flawed party lines, and until we, the people, start really thinking and investigating and demanding more from our leaders, we will contine along this long, slow, steady trail to disaster.  We are a nation of apathetic, pathetic people who revel in being duped; we love to listen to what politicians know we want to hear.  We know it's streams of continuing lies, irrespective of party affiliations, yet we revel in the lies pretending they are true.  It feels good to do so.  We will kill our nation in absolute comfort.

Guess I'll research some Chinese language courses.  They may come in handy soon.  I could become a translator for our new political lords.

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Pleasing the Gods That (may) Be

There are rules and there are stipulations and their are measurements of who you are and then there is the pure wonderment of just being alive.

As this blog writes itself into the computer, I hear the joyful noises of others working, of helicopters, of passing cars.  The birds add to the symphony of discordance.  Yet, the universe continues on, rewarding me for merely being alive.  I need do nothing to draw each breath, other than draw the breat.  Life's functions are automatic, and I need not even pay attention.

Sure, there be rules, but they be not mine nor of any other creature.  They be the rules that nature instituted at the beginning of the universe, extrapolated as time advanced, as the universe advanced, as life evolved on this pebble called earth.  No gods required.  The laws of the universe were created at the beginning of the universe, before there was even a concept of gods.  The rules of the universe did not require such mythologies.

Then there are rules that are not natural laws, those set up by creatures called mankind.  In the beginning, such were necessary, since we knew so little of the pebble we inhabited.  There were rules of survival, planting, hunting, preparing food, coupling, and every aspect of mundane daily life.  These rules had to come from somewhere; they needed authority.  So Man created God.

We still need rules to be a civilized society.  There is still much we do not understand about our little pebble, yet we have reached beyond that pebble toward the stars.  Rules we need to continue to progress.  Gods are obsolete, articles of faith and comfort when needed, but not to rule our daily lives.  We know more and need not attribute nautral cause and effect, natural stucture or natural evolution to creatures of the far-gone mists of antiquity.

This blog seems to have gone forth by itself through these fingertips onto the screen, ultimately to your eyes, yet, did it?  Was there some mysterious force that propelled it from mind to screen to server to screen?  No.  It was me.  Some part of me let loose this morning and freely expressed thoughts created by grey matter with the added decision of that grey matter to share those thoughts with others.  No gods required.

Enjoy this day created by eons of natural history.  Events from the Big Bang to yesterday's weather and today's sunlight created this moment for kjust you to enjoy.  Take the day with you and help create tomorrow.

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Let's Be the Lead Fly Swatter

This morning I wrote about our need to wipe North Korea slick.

I got my brain to thinking of the concept of becoming an International flyswatter.  We do not want to be the world's policeman.  That is too costly and too involved and too immoral.  Instead, let's become the world's flyswatter using our own plus other allies resources.  The strategy would be to swat one fly at a time.  These nations are nothing but pests, insects on the world stage; they, with the exception of China, are no credible threat to us at all.  China, I think, would toe the line once they determined our seriousness.  China doesn't want war, as much as they could afford the losses, they would, I believe, "see the light" and help us with the rest of the list, then get back to making money.

Order of Swatting:

• North Korea
• Iran
• Cuba
• Pakistan, unless/until they line up directly and absolutely behind us
• China
• Various and Sundry insignificant African Nations, starting with those harboring pirates
• Any other nation with despotic rulers

No occupation, no long-term strategy.  Just all out, full-capability fly swatting, including our best, most awesome, and biggest weapons.  No holds barred, accepting no quarter.  The entire list, above, should be completed within two years, less if we really put forth our all. 

Let's get started.

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Are We Ignoring North Korean Trends Toward Overt Aggression?

Perhaps someone who can do something is observing.  The two recent stories out of the Korean Peninsula are disturbing.  First the missile testing of late; second the cyber attacks on government and commercial web sites. 

It appears to me that N. Korea is flexing muscles other than their obnoxious, ordinarily vile political rhetoric.  They are moving from words to actions.  Is this a foreshadowing of even more action detrimental to S. Korea and other U. S. allies in that part of the world?  Does it foreshadow more activites aimed directly at the United States?

We have a nasty habit of getting involved where we shouldn't, in local civil wars, in nations where our only motive is greed and added power.  Why not change our own trend and go after nations that are actual threats to us?   North Korea is obviously led by disfunctional leaders who care nothing of world opinion, peace or even their own citizens.  It is time to slap them to the ground and take away their nuclear toys and to cripple their cyber-toys.  And let's make it fast, good, lasting and memorable to the North Korean leadership.

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Living a Life of False Freedom

Today, July 4th, is an appropriate day to point out that we do not live in a free country.  Perhaps our government is not as draconian as some others, but it has taken from us a load of liberties.  Wait, let me rephrase that, we, the people, have given back a boat-load of liberties which were ours.

The deaths and destruction of 9/11/01 were terrible, but the un-Constitutional actions taken by our President and our Congress using 9/11 as an excuse were even more tragic, and it is still going on.  We are no longer a free nation when an armed government official can take you into indefinite custody merely because you were declared, without proof, a terrorist.  We are no longer a free nation when the government mandates that information be withheld from a defendant, information that may prove his or her innocence.  We are no longer a free nation when our own government continues to tax citizens to pay for the needs of the lazy.

Our freedoms are lost as eminent domain takes homes from us to give to developers so that they can build shopping malls and condominiums. 

Our freedoms are lost when entire groups of people are unable to serve openly in our armed forces, when the government curtails and defines personal and religious ceremonies' validity, and when one religion is promoted above all others by the President.

Forget about being free when a U. S. President maligns the religious beliefs of citizens, and publically denigrates people for their beliefs.

Forget about being free when the federal government usurps the rights and privileges of the state governments using taxes as weapons to blackmail us into submission.

Forget about rights and freedoms when government officials monitor what we read.

Forget about liberties when U. S. Represenatiative and Senators are more interested in personal gain and re-election than they are in what is good for their country, our country. 

Forget about liberties when the government regulates what is said or seen on the public airwaves.

Dismiss the notion that we are a free people when armed police officers are allowed to kick in a citizen's door in the middle of the night on mere police suspicion of a minor offense. 

And the list could go on and on, listing the demise of our nation's freedoms, individual liberties, every time one of our legislative bodies meets, representing not their constituency, but their own greed and misguided quest for safety.  True safety is grounded in true freedom of the individual, and that has been eroded to virtually nil.

Let me end with a Thomas Jefferson quote:

I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than those attending too small a degree of it. Thomas Jefferson

And let me ask a question.  Are we approaching the time for another revolution?

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Do-It-Yourself Sermons

It's been awhile, but I've gone to church on occasion.  Sometimes I get a sermon inadvertently when I go to a funeral or to a wedding, when the preacherman sneaks in a sermon as a part of the ceremony.  Some are okay, as those offering words to live by in the form of advice and example, but the theolgical sermons touting that preacherman's beliefs are too much.

My favorite sermons are those I serve up to myself or accept as gifts from friends, co-workers and various and sundry others I meet in the course of a day.  Note that I use the word sermon to mean, "any serious speech, discourse, or exhortation, especially on a moral issue."  Thus, a sermon may take various and sundry forms; they may be planned or they may be spontaneous.  They are most always meaningful; they are most often not related to gods or mankind's wobbly construct of superstitious religious rantings.

Have you ever consorted with the great minds of history, those who were original thinkers who drove our civilization forward?  The great philosophers, mathematicians, scientists, teachers all, who give us meaning to our existance, to life, to the universe, to everything?  You need not agree with those minds as you explore them, minds such as Kant, Francis Bacon, Albert Einstein, Bertrand Russell, Kurt Vonnegut, Ayn Rand, and Susan Haack, to name but a few of thousands.

One of my favorite ways of receiving wisdom is through reading thought-provoking fiction, such as a recent book completed by me, "The Electric Church," by Jeff Somers, or a book I just started last night, "Inferno," by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle.  Both address spiritual issues in an unusual and imaginative way.  Both cause the reader to think about life and existance, much more so, I think, than the run-of-the-mill evangelical cacophony of words that merely aggrandize a set of beliefs, thelogical beliefs with little foundation.

The daily news may serve as impromptu sermons, such as the amazing story of South Carolina's morally decrepit governor.  Was I happy to see that his wife did not do the "dutiful, forgining wife" routine by standing next to him as he confessed and asked for forgiveness and understanding.  Her behaviour told more than any normal sermon in her absence from his side.  If only the wives of other philandering men would learn from her sermon of absence.  Here in her behavior we had a lesson in strength and independence.  We have an example of a truly strong women for our girls and young ladies and other wives to emulate.

Looking at nature, the great outdoors and the cosmos surrounding our puny planet is a warehouse full of sermons from which we may learn.  We need no explanation to take in the wonder of it all; we read and discuss the facts surrounding the cosmos, and we discuss, think and create within ourselves beautiful sermons regarding creation and existence.  One of the great sermons on life, the universe and everything is discovererd by watching the BBC version of "HItchiker's Guide to the Universe."

Of course there are the sermonizing sessions given us in love and generosity by parents, teachers and friends.  Thbose are tailored closer to our needs, or, at least our needs as defined by the sermonizer.

The most intimate personal sermons are those occuring within my brain after reading or listening to the words of intelligence, or throughtful fellow humans.  Such sermons are triggered within my brain by reading, listening and experiencing the wisdom of my fellow humankind.

So, go to church, temple, mosque, or synagogue regularly if you must limit yourself.  But consider skipping out once in a while and get some real wisdom, unencumbered by theology.  Alternately, visit the houses of worship of those who believe differently from your normal place of worship.  That will lead to some intense inner sermons if you do this with an open mind.  When it comes to religion, all are equally wrong; all are equally right.  Learn from life using your own mind rather than the mind of a "holy" representative preaching from behind a pulpit.

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Gay and Loving It!

Recently, my family and I celebrated my 60th birthday.  And that makes me a gay man.  I have a right to be gay; always have been gay, and intend to stay that way.

According to Dictionary.com's definition of gay, it is not until definition #5 that it means homosexual.  I am gay with respect to definitions one through four and definition six.  Always have been and always will be.  That is the adjective use of the word gay.  The noun usage is an entirely different matter

It is because of definition six of the adjective gay that I write this blog.  Gay can also mean, according to that definition, supportive of gay issues, and I fully support Representative Bobby Scott in his endeavor to get our President to change away from the highly discriminatory "Don't Ask; Don't Tell" policy in the military.  (Read the Story)

Why would a self-described nation of freedom and personal liberty want to enslave an entire group of people?  I know, been there, done that, and we are still suffering the injustices of that dark period of our history.  By a loud and obnoxious, and insecure, minority of mostly conservative Christians, the gay and lesbian community suffers the verbal and all too often physical abuse of men trying to prove their manhood by ganging up on homosexuals.  Right, it takes 6 "men" to beat up a gay man!  Think about what that tells you about relative manhood, straight vs. gay!

Back to the military.  Let me tell you a secret: they are there!  The gays and lesbians are there, in our ranks, serving proudly and bravely as soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines.  They bleed, they miss their families, they serve in hostile environments, and they deserve the same respect and liberty that their fellow service members do.  There is no rational reason to imprison their words and behavior beyond the restrictions placed on straight service members' constraints on their words and behavior.

During my service in the Navy from 1972 through 1982, I knew and served with a number of gay shipmates who woke up with fear every day, hoping no one would discover their sexual preferences.  These gay and lesbian officers and enlisted deserved better; they were serving their country; they were serving us in the quest for freedom, yet, they lacked that very same freedom to be themselves.  Like the rest of us. That is unnecessary, totally unnecessary.  That is ugly discrimination.  They, the gay and lesbian service members with whom I proudly served, were, with few exceptions, top performers, consummate professionals.  

So, it is about time one of our Representatives takes action to rectify a wrong.  I thank Bobby Scott for being one of those leading in the righting of a wrong.  We should all get behind him and give him our full support, demanding that President Obama erase the shameful, discriminatory policy of the military toward gays and lesbians.

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PETA: Getting Comical

In a mighty show of U. S. Power, President Obama swatted and killed a fly that was "bugging" him at a recent television interview.  This act of war against the flies was performed on television in view of millions.  Well, it was seen by at least thousands on CNBC.  PETA complained and sent him a humane bug trap.  I'd like to see that!  How does the fly know that he or she is supposed to get into the trap to avoid being swatted?  And when one releases the fly into the wild skies of a backyard, what keeps the fly from re-entering the home?

See the video now and tell us what you think:

Kill the fly is my decision.  Swat him good and throw the corpse outside.

Anyway, the story was good for a laugh and, if you have not read it, see it at the following link:

PETA wishes Obama hadn't swatted that fly

People

Eternally

Titillating

Americans

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Driving Mr. Archie

My wife's car is in the shop, so I am riding the bus to and from work for the next couple days, maybe couple3 of weeks. 

No problem.  HRT has Wi-Fi on their Max buses; I am on the route number 961 bus from Newport News to Norfolk, via Hampton as I write this blog. 

Of course, we could get stuck in the tunnel, but that would happen to me in my car as well, so what's the difference?  One difference is that I can ride the web as I ride the bus, using their Wi-Fi

What's the cost?  A pass costing $5.50 will last the day, until 2 AM tomorrow morning, and it will work on all the buses, regular and Max express buses.  Everything but Handiride, which is an entirely different story all around.

My major decision as I arrive in NOrfolk will be whether to get off at Wards Corner to take the HRT # 1 down Granby, or continue to Waterside where I can sget off and have a cool one or two, then catch the # 11 hoime, or just ride this out to Cedar Grove and catch the # 11 to within a couple blocks of my house.  Either way, this ride is going to get me home at less cost and less hassel than my car.  The only thing I give up is a little time, and I can spend that blogging!

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