Apolitical

Those of you who know me should realize that I am, for the most part, apolitical; at least in the sense that I stay away from politics. But...that being said...you should read James Carroll's piece in Monday's Boston Globe. Moving forward, if you do know me, then you know that I am always right...and way ahead of my time...and there is nothing in his article that I didn't state eloquently 20 or 30 years ago (except for some analytical shit about the Balkans). But he does use one interesting fact in support of his premise (which, by the way, is that in American foreign policy...talk is cheap, and might makes right, and not only is it an illusion, but it is wrong). Anyway, back to the fact. There are more personnel employed in a single US carrier group (and we have eleven of them) than there are in the entire diplomatic corps. Personally, this astounds me. I would have surmised that there must be more overvalued Harvard and Yale graduates than that; more men and women in blue blazers and plaid pants than in the entire US military. But there is a first time for everything. I guess in this supposition I was wrong. Also, the United States military expenditures are ten times that of our nearest competitor. Carroll is right. We are ruled by the military.

In an adjacent editorial, John Sununu contends that the press is overlooking the natural tragedy in Japan, and overemphasizing the nuclear disaster, in favor of the more fear mongering and newsworthy spectacle. And he may be right, except for the fact that the nuclear disaster in Japan is merely another example of people killing people (in the name of corporate profit). I can accept natural disasters. Nature is, despite our haughtiness, beyond our control. Killing other people is something we do, and is completely avoidable.

In a third article, somewhere else in the paper, it is illustrated that babies have an innate understanding of the laws of probabilities. Babies are born as natural quantum physicists, fully capable of intuiting the serendipity the universe throws our way. Yet we, as if we know anything, continue to believe that the best course of action is to educate their natural creativity and intuition right out of them. The sooner the better. Go read Orbiting the Giant Hairball.

Anyway, in some convoluted way, all three of these articles tie together in my mind. And I am left with a few clear thoughts (highly unusual for me). The first? That most people, in every country, never even imagine killing another person. Yet we, in America, insist on believing that if there is a problem elsewhere in the world, whether it is our 'business' or not, the best way to handle it is to blast em with military might. We don't negotiate with anyone. Second? It is time to revamp all public and private educational systems. What we know will in no way benefit our children, given the misunderstood world that is pending on their horizon. Computers are smarter than they are, and all the knowledge we possess now will be obsolete by the time we teach it to them. Third, and perhaps most important? That I would rather be creative and intuitive than credentialed and profitable. All our paradigms need to shift. We owe it to the future. We've already fully desecrated the past. And we all know it. Even Barack Obama.

Discovery

Homelessness isn't all it's cracked up to be, but it does offer opportunities to discover things that were previously unlikely. For instance, I discovered that I am reluctant to apologize for things that have nothing to do with me; except that I have inadvertently burdened someone close to me with a lifelong regret. The question that arose from the experience? Am I responsible for others' perceptions of my actions or inactions? The answer is yes...although I do need to be made aware of it. It would appear that somone else's dream was affected deeply by their perception that I didn't do the right thing. Honestly, it is my recollection that I did do the right thing, but perhaps, at age 15, I wasn't sure what the right thing was, or maybe, I didn't sufficiently offer a full explanation of my actions. Bottom line--I'm not sure--my long term memory is not detailed enough. Not sure my brain is.

But more importantly, I discovered that the State of Vermont finds it necessary to dye its public toilet water, at least in the rest areas on their highways. I found a great deal of comfort from their explanation, which I read while peeing. It read, and I paraphrase..."Why is the water in this toilet dyed?(a lovely deep blue, the color of glacial lakes fresh after the onset of spring thaw). It is to let you know that the water in this toilet is non-potable." Now I may not have a place to live, but due to the kindness of family and friend alike, I do at least have a roof over my head. And certainly, I have not been reduced to drinking water from toilets. In fact, I don't need to use toilet water for anything...cooking soft boiled eggs...washing up...brushing my teeth...and, even if I did, I do believe that I would seek out toilet water in warmer climes. Three feet of snow and single digit temperatures simply conflict with the act of drinking from commodes, at least in my humble opinion.

There are other benefits to being homeless. For instance, if it indeed is true that ejaculation saps the body and spirit of vital energy (the life force, so to speak), then clearly I am more energetically charged, as my access to both flesh and porn have been severely reduced. And, jeezum crow, the coffee has been much better, and I even learned how to brew it in a french press. All in all, things are ok.

So, as spring approaches, I do hope it brings you all refreshing moist and warm, and all the colors of blooms. It is the perfect time of year for starting fresh.