Friday, June 22, 2012

untidy transition


Century @ 21


Change, hard change, swift change, too much air to breathe change
is happening
now, and surrounding now, growing beyond our
frenzied adaptations
The old stolid traditions, the way it’s always been
Myths to depend on
crumble in the quakes, the shiftings
Of course we rabidly react
dripping fear, convulsed in rage, scattered
rants and orgasmic desperation
Yes, in the burning off fog of tomorrow
we may be the better world to come
I can feel it humming,
dancing into anticipation’s view,
feel the drumbeat, the hurrahs of the tribe
Change, a jubilation, gift of beneficent deities
wisdom of ages inexorably gaining speed
once we learn to jump on board
to play
under the light of expanding space


June 23, 2012

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

other side of Solstice


season of change


Kind wind, scent of Spring
travels still extending
Tingle of choice
bound up in change
Colors mingle, edge into
mauves and teals, wisps of shade
and Sun, moody, descending
Eyes alert beneath flirtatious
flutter,
puppy-beg for Summer,
whining to get out to play,
to burn kinetic
With thrust of flame,
to weld
a tight, unyielding hinge
Swinging door
to untested vistas
carries with its motion
changing definitions of out and in


June 20, 2012

Sunday, June 17, 2012

season of change


season of change


Kind wind, scent of Spring
travels still extending
Tingle of choice
bound up in change
Colors mingle, edge into
mauves and teals, wisps of shade
and Sun lazily descending
long, happy days
Eyes alert beneath flirtatious
flutter,
puppy-beg for Summer,
whining to get out to play,
to burn kinetic, thrusting flame
for welding
a tight, unyielding hinge
Swinging door
to untested vistas
carries with its motion
unmapped definitions of out and in

June 17, 2012

Saturday, June 9, 2012

a nuanced relationship with truth


obvious cognitive dissonance among fundies who as Conservatives tout the holiness of personal responsibility while assuming that we are helpless against our human sinner natures



the normative thought seems to be "these criteria define appropriate ways of being human -- reality need not apply."




When you judge a group by the most egregiously extreme of their members, of course you will judge that group poorly.




Fighting to survive, responding to threats with aggressive action, does not jump to wars of convenience or even necessarily war at all. Of course the living will violently DEFEND themselves from perceived attack, or kill for food. We think through enough to build weapons, strategize, create armies. We could, with a better will, use that energy to strategize for peace. Certainly, thinking,communicating beings can develop
more useful strategies for dispute negotiations. That is once we get over this silly notion that armed conflict is honorable, or inevitable.


Everyone can be as successful as they want, if they define success as the stretch they get from reaching for personal goals.





science is a creature of culture; we see what we have the vision to see

economic thought and therefore policy is too dependent on unproven 
theory




It can be argued that more equitable distribution of access to resources is both more democratic as the majority of people can vote with their dollars for the kinds of goods and services we want, and better for economic growth and the optimal functioning of market economy.




Nobody is getting free stuff. This idea is a shared illusion. Everyone is getting paid. Those who produce and sell the products, those who work and pay taxes, those who are paid to contribute economically as consumers while keeping their dysfunctions out of the workplace, are all being paid. No one is losing. It's a win/win/win.
Many of the people reviled with concerned that they get "free stuff" are working very hard; and not getting sufficient compensation to pay for basic needs. Others are seriously disabled, requiring major accommodations to be effective employees. Most employers prefer not to make such accommodations (quite understandably), so these people can not be employed. Government or private concerns could develop special training and projects to employ those who could work, but rarely do.Others, though not traditionally disabled have such chaotic lives (for any of many possible reasons) that they are unemployable.
Others will be employed and able to make their own contributions to the general revenue; but for right now that has not happened.
Yet, these people are all actively contributing to the overall economy while their lives are sorting out. Fewer people are actively sick and destitute on the streets, and thus not bringing down property values, causing problems for local businesses, presenting disincentives for people of means to shop or enjoy public space, or presenting even greater problems for health care and crime industries.





There appears to be a spell long cast upon the people to integrate into our basic understanding of the world this idea of market based economy as a given. Economics, money, even mathematics, are human constructs, ideas, not reality. When economic systems, ideas we have joined in promoting, do not well serve human enterprise and needs, the people ought not feel it is we who must adjust to serve the economy. Rather, it is those ideas that need adjustment to better fit our purpose.


However, as the logical progression of market thinking dictates, those who have benefited, who have bases of power that serve them well by their lights, want the rest to live and die in thrall to the system that these powerful command. A useful subterfuge is to convince the bulk of us that the system is not only inevitable, but in our best interest if only they will work hard enough and cast our doubts and blame into burning hatred for the designated losers.




At this time business and social enterprises of all kinds are going through revolutionary changes thus that business experience of the past into the present will be irrelevant to enterprises of even the near future.


Until we get somebody born in space, we are all tied to Earth.


when most of us are complacent, or too busy trying to tread water to notice much beyond our immediate sea, those with ugly axes needing grinding or with excellent profit projections on destruction are going to set the scene.


If they were listening, I would say:
figure it out
but first, think about your precepts
and, most importantly,
where you want to be
(not where you should; or where you could)
on the other side.

So envious of the unwanted? Quit your lousy job, too taxed, too overworked, too ignored.
Surely you deserve better those under. Enjoy your natural bounty, and all that our country offers.
Taxes? Ever it has been so in our culture. Jesus was born, so the story goes, when his mortal parents
were on the road to pay required tithes of their livelihoods. For the privilege of doing business, trading
our time and skills for pay, the top takes their cut. We pay our homage and percentage to our lord,
and hope his armies will protect us from invading hordes.
If you don’t like the system developed over eons for the benefit of those who have forced their way
to be in charge, create a better one. Then (here’s the trick) sell it to a majority; and make them care enough
to follow through.
Money will never be out of politics. It’s too attractive a game. The only way around that is to make money
irrelevant. The people would need to understand and agree on better leadership, better policies, that are
personally meaningful to them. They need to feel a real stake, real reason to believe it’s not all fixed
beyond their ability to make a difference. And, it’s got to be easy to begin.


take the time to feel the music and dance where no one is watching

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Venus


Venus Guide Us to Peace
a meditative poem



Not just sweetness and light
There is a strength; there is conviction --
there is a vibrant dedication to true worth.
If we can but believe again
in all the humane virtues --
Love is sharing,
in kindness, understanding, supportive regard.
Love is forgiving and being forgiven,
when it is clear that malice was not intended
or malice has been exorcised
-- an acceptance of the positive power
of change, of growth in spirit.
Love is the assumption of "we."
We are doing being going having creating
We are able to exchange our labor, knowledge,
possessions, positions
We are able to take in more than I -- to synergize
our fortunes into wealth and integral well being.
Love is not just a song -- a pretty set of symbols
Love is a power and a glory
and an all encompassing truth.
Love is addition and multiplication,
not division or subtraction.
Love enriches and inspires us.
Love is not blind, not foolish.
Love is not denying the self or self interest.
Love is seeing clearly, knowing wisely,
understanding and expanding the self --
expanding outward to take in the universe
of interconnected, interdependent being.
Love sees the ugliness; and loves sees the beauty.
The ugliness saddens; the beauty invigorates.
Love is to peace as music is to harmony.
But how are we to love in a discordant world?
It is within us to pick out the true,
enduring melody
to which our essential selves are tuned --
If we but look to, listen to, open our selves to
Venus, the Goddess of Love,
Peace, Justice, Harmony
as she manifests within us all.