EffervescentIt is a joy to watch effervescent minds at work. I am reminded of a kitten I had seeing it’s first snowfall. He would try to catch the flakes, only to have them melt in his mouth. He would climb higher to get closer to the source, eventually getting to the top of the roof and jumping up. It is the seeking that is important, not the catching.
el Loco Gringo Rides Again
“Going sideways is a way of life” – el Loco Gringo
Going sideways is more than just a parlor trick to gain an entrance to the sub-conscious, It is a philosophy, a world view, a way of life. It is taking the path less traveled, pushing the envelope, reaching down inside yourself to pull out a greatness you didn’t know existed. To be more than you can be. To know that when you die the world will be a better place because you have lived in it. To witness the judges face when, after spending 3 days in jail for calling an asshole judge an asshole, you can say, “I wasn’t trying to insult you your honor, just informing you of a fact, no more, no less.”(one of the other inmates commented “Jesus, you called the judge an asshole? All I did was rob a convenience store. You bad, man.) Priceless! Knowing that I always tried to do the right thing, even when no-one was watching.
To know that no joke has been un-laughed at, no road un-traveled, no adventure un-taken, no joy un-celebrated, no sorrow un-mourned, no friend abandoned, no victim of injustice un-defended. To be proud of your children and doting on your grandchildren. To be able to pass on family traditions, like teaching him to write his name in the snow. He even crossed the t. I’m so proud. How to make that disgusting noise under his armpit with his palm that women hate. How to burp the first 12 notes of the “star spangled banner”. My daughter says I’m a bad influence on them, but she smiles when she says it. To hear her quote me to her kids, word for word, what I told her as a child.
Reading Ayn Rand opened my eyes to an explosion of opportunity. In my myopic male viewpoint on life I had been sniping assholes for years. With her female viewpoint a myriad of opportunities opened up. I can go after them all. In one swell foop.
So many assholes, so little time
Life is Good
elLocoGringo BipolarManicDepression Essence Menard Windows Spark Chariot Express Weird ThereIStood EndGame Revenge MyPlan Wizard of id Still Crazy I’ve always been crazy Satisfied Mind
“It was a dark and dreary night”
I like gothic, I mean I really like gothic. I recall Batman in the comic books. “He is additionally known as “The Caped Crusader”, “The Dark Knight”, and “The World’s Greatest Detective”. I was majorly into this guy as a kid, not the tv series, that outfit looked too much like baggy longjohns to suit me. 
I wondered if he wore the cape to hide the trapdoor. But the comic books were great. I liked the dark sinister side of the stories. Much more realistic that Beaver Cleaver. Dress for dinner? Come on, couldn’t get the old man to wear pants when the social services worker came over.
Lost in the fog one night, wandering around Picadilly Circus in London, I noticed a crowd of eclectic people waiting in line at the ticket booth of the Windmill theatre.. The show was “Rocky Horror Picture Show” They were wearing underwear, Elizebethan gowns, leather studded dominitrix rigs etc. Looks like fun. 
Got a seat in the front row. Later learned the front row was reserved for suckers. The play was later turned into a movie. The scene to the right is from the movie. At the windmill however the crowd was downright obnoxious, things flying through the air, squirt guns shooting everyone. For instance, in this scene, the guy at the table half rose and everyone in the theatre made the fart sound. In another scene, lurch, (the butler) looked out the window at a torential downpour. “It looks like it might rain” “No f******g shit” screamed the audience in unison, and the water started. The entire cast picked up buckets and flung water into the audience. 
Most of the audience protected themselves with plastic sheeting or unbrellas. The audience would go up on the stage push the actors off the stage and show them how the scene was supposed to be played. Later the fish and chips vender commented to me “been to see the show, eh, mate?” Maybe it was because I was soaking wet. It has since become a cult film. They were still showing it at five points in Raleigh when I left. That’s a 50 year run. Replay captures it pretty well. Replay HorrorNights The brits can bring class to any endevour. England swings Here’s the movie if you want it. RockyHorrorPictureShow I used to get lost in the fog a lot in london.
Continuing their grand tradition of mediocrity, american tv came out with the Adams family. Yechh! Morticia wasn’t too bad but the rest of it was hokey. There was even a spin off, the munsters. Both were hokey, I knew girls at school that were scarier than that. Sister Annunciata (3rd grade, St. Rita) was certainly scarier, I even found a picture of her on the internet. I still think fondly of her, must be the Stockholm Syndrome
I remember Elvira, Mistress of the dark hosted Movie Macabre, a tv show that came on early in the AM. She’d comment on really shoddy B movies and make them worth watching. One such movie was rocket ship XM. I noticed the light leaking past the hatch of the spaceship, but she rewound the film and pointed out the jeep tracks and beer can in the corner of the screen, as man first set foot on the moon. Here’s a clip from Dracula.
There I StoodWe all have a diamond in the head. I call it wisdom, call it what you will, it is precious. Some round, some square, some oval, in fact at present there are 6 billion and counting shapes of diamonds, each unique. Most people have allowed this diamond to be replaced by a lump of coal. Most of the rest are convinced that it isn’t a diamond but is a lump of coal. A few, a very few are aware that they have a diamond in their head. The many think that their lump of coal is a diamond, and kill others to reinforce that opinion. The less know that there is a diamond but pretend it is a lump of coal. The few know that it is a diamond and don’t pretend.
So I come across a high school student that knew and did not pretend, the Validectorian. She was a few. So rare, so very rare. She is asking the right questions. I was delighted. Then I think back to another of the few. A 15 year old boy who thought everyone was idiots, at least the ones that weren’t assholes. There I stood. But even among the few, they feel that if the diamond is round instead of square, it has no value, not understanding it is the difference that gives it value.
Instead of my god’s better than your god, it’s my diamond’s better than your diamond. A fractal effect. I should have known, I think I did but was hoping for the best. No matter what scale you use, the flaw replicates. Negentropy. I wish Mr. Erica well in her attempt to rear a pedagogic movement. I hope she does better than I did. It’s a shame, mankind had a glorious potential.
Hi Mr Ted
starting from the top.
>I can ‘see’ your categories; idiots, centereds, nexialists, …………….
Hmm! When we moved from Alec to LeCompte, I went from an environment where probably half the students were idiots, (I was already using the term by then) to one in which all were idiots, save one. He was a Chickasaw Indian. He was capable of musing. (not an idiot) As I recall the Chickasaw were renegade Choctaw. And some of what he said contrasts somewhat with what I saw on the Chickasaw nation website. The latter being glorified. You do the same thing. Of the aboriginal cultures that I have seen life tends to be “nasty, brutal and short” – Hobbes? I don’t buy into this “noble savage” idea, my experiences tell me that aboriginal life sucks. Although there is much to be learned, there is much that is forgotten. (probably for the best) I may do a post on this.
>the notion that the brain is the sole sourcer(or) of ourbehavior falls short.
That’s what I’m all about, big guy, we only think we’re thinking. (normally) An idiot is incapable of thought, instead reacting with non-surmised shortcuts. (top down, imprinting) + learning that fits within the imprint algorithm. A centered pre-surmises and may occasionally muse (think bottom up), a nexialist can flip on demand. (see above) I may do a post on this
>you seem to be referring to western ‘civilization’.
Nope, mankind, Lakota included.
>in practice education has never been an instrument to free the mind and the spirit of man, but to bind them
yup!
>my impression is that we are, before all, situational learners
It’s supposed to be that way, but it isn’t
>But these ‘adult ideas’ are ‘knowledge’ or ‘de-situationalized learning’.
But these ‘adult ideas’ are imprinting, overlaid by de-situationalized learning’. Knowledge is the sum of the two
>1. Idiots are those who accept their de-situationalized role-play lives
for the way the world works (they ‘become’ their role-plays).
2. Centered are those who understand that this stage play wherein
everyone is supposed to accept a role is ‘pure theatrics’ born of a
self-other splitting culture but who feel unable or unwilling to co-evolve
an alternative culture which could take over.
3. Nexialists are centereds who are compelled to NOT NECESSARILY ‘do
something’, … about this game of self-betrayal and self-deception, but to
EXPOSE IT AS A GAME so that belief in the game will dissolve and it will
just ‘go away’.
Eggzactly
as to zietgeist, ontgeist this happened with the beatles, on ontgeist, the world used to be different, not in a time sense but in a spacial sense. i.e. The world has been malled. Nairobi used to be different than Topeka. No more, go to nairobi and check into the ramada in, watch HBO maybe, grab a burger at McDonalds and maybe top it off with a latte at starbucks. Unseen are those at the periphery forced off their subsistence farming lifestyle and working at mega farms, subjected to strip searches as they leave to make sure they don’t have an avacado shoved up their ass to feed their family. Civilization spreads death, poverty and destruction and calls it “economic progress”
So as I shuffle into my dotage at the end of my 65 year quest to understand why people are dumb, I know, but I don’t know what to do about it. Dumb they are, and, apparantly, dumb they shall remain. But the journey has been fun. There’s much to be said for Hemingwaying as a lifestyle. So I have to content myself that there is no grail, there is only the quest, which is shared by a few eclectic kindred spirits. an amusement only. Ephiphany
opinions on my presentation style is none of my business.
When I started this post, I thought of Truth. Anybody seen the Crucible? The Salem Witch Trials? They’re still going on you know? 3500 cases nationwide. One was just finished about two months ago. The witch was acquited. eLG struck again and got revenge. The real story of Salem is interesting also. Much of it is untold. The proctors had tied the “witches” up behind a wagon and were dragging them around the township. The men in Salisbury challanged the proctors rescued the women, tied the proctors up behind the wagon and stampeded the horses. At this point the Governor sent a representative to find out WTF. The husbands of the “witches” went to Salisbury to get their wives and were told “Piss off, gentle persons, when thee can defend thy wives thee may retreive them, till then thee may jerk off, jerk offs. Come back and we’ll get meideval on your sorry arses” (something like that) Amish Paradise
Anyhow, back to the main point. What exactly is truth? Turns out it is different for each person. Each individual is unique, with his own triumphs and trageties. Dogma is TRUTH. But there are many truths. So what is my truth?
The relationship between belief and knowledge is that a belief is knowledge if the belief is true and if the believer has a justification (reasonable and necessarily plausible assertions/evidence/guidance) for believing it is true. A myth, on the other hand is an unprovable or implausible belief. Thus a belief may be either a truth or a myth. For instance, England is to me a belief and a truth (been there, done that, bought the T-shirt) As is Germany, Chad, France, Singapore etc. On the other hand Gibralter, Columbia, Tasmania are beliefs (never been there) there is a remote possibility they are myths. Atlantis, Wu, Eldorado, Valhalla, are non-beliefs with a remote possibility that they are not myths. With this in mind, my belief system follows;
True – ANN, unANN,
Belief – Lattice, Taboo, Centering
Myth – psychology, sociology, capitalism, politics
The mind is not a mental abstract in isolation. It is a cork floating on a turbulent sea, buffeted by waves, undertows, high winds, doldrums, whirlpools. The mind’s job is to cope with this troubled sea in a timely manner. Man is just DNA’s way of making more man DNA. This “purpose” is evident in all life. IE the purpose of a chicken’s DNA is to make more chicken DNA. By extension the “purpose” of life is to make more life.
Wizardxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
There are smart people and there are dumb people.
Dumb people who think they’re smart 80%
Smart people who think they’re dumb 10%
Dumb people who know they’re dumb 5%
Smart people who know they’re smart 1%
Then there’s stupid, you can’t fix stupid 4%
Kleptocracy; Government run by thieves.
Truth to a lawyer is a variable.
Life’s a bitch, then you die.
Shit happens.
The Roots of Evil
Wealth without work,
Pleasure without conscience,
Knowledge without character,
Commerce without morality,
Science without humanity,
Worship without sacrifice,
Politics without principles.
The best extemporaneous statements are those carefully rehearsed.
Time is natures way of keeping everything from happening at once.
WeirdThe simplest way I can describe the difference between my mind and the majority, is that mine does not automatically reject data that does not meet preconceived criteria. For normal people this non-considered data is not just dismissed, it is violently rejected. A defense mechanism on steroids. They also cannot hear the dog that didn’t bark. Arthur Conan Doyle spoke of this in his Sherlock Holmes story “Silver Blaze”
Sherlock “then there was the curious incident of the dog in the nighttime”
Inspector”But there was no incident with the dog”
Sherlock”Yes, exactly, that was the curious incident”
(actually I like TS Elliot’s version better)
People do not seem to have trouble understanding this as a singular event. However they can not expand the concept. i.e. if A doesn’t happen then B is not true. Or correlate it with seemingly unrelated (to them) data.
Example; Men read the headlines, women read the small print. Headline in paper “Sadistic murderer savaging streets of Bessimer” a man will grab his gun, a woman will read on and say “hey, wait a minute, it says here that the Little Theater is staging a play on Jack the Ripper” This is as is should be, an an immediate response to imminent danger tempered by a targeted insight. This is the symbiotic relationship between the male and female viewpoints. This is the importance of coupling and why it is essential to civilization.
With a typical male reaction I have been attacking the abyss in a one on one fashion without seeing the
big picture. While I’ve been 100% successful in my battles, there are 6 billion people and only one of me. And I’m losing ground. I had two data points me, and the abyss. Reading the Fountainhead, gave me the third data point, the beast. I read the headlines, she read the fine print.
——————————————————————-
(before I forget, (my minds going) a good sideslip is;
Truth flies like an arrow
Love flies like a sparrow
Fruit flies like a banana
And enabled me to triangulate the problem. Had I told her about the abyss, she would have had the other half of her problem solved. She used to fall asleep crying after reading her reviews because no one understood. Although the reviews were, for the most part, glowing with praise, she’s right. No one understood, just a bunch of idiots and assholes pretending to be human. I can relate. I will write a review for her. She deserves a peer review.
The QD fix works. If you want to view it a a parlor trick that mysteriously works. Thats OK. If you want to call it the de-confabulator or the neo-fritifrail thats OK. Perhaps a new school of psychology will form. You’ll have thesis papers (Analysis of the termination of the flying fritifrail expressed in contra injudicated derivatives of the de-confabulator (this is what psychology sounds like to me, they haven’t got a clue, it’s hinky)) and Nobel prizes given. And they’ll all be full of shit. It is not necessary that you understand how the QD Fix works. It is only necessary that you know that it works. Maybe you can wrap it up in psychobabble that the idiots can understand. I can’t. How do you explain a Picasso to a blind person?
OK lets start with light, the sun emits photons
“what’s the sun, whats a photon?”
Just trust me for the moment,
“No hand me the sun so I can feel it”
Can’t do that
“OK, then hand me a photon”
Can’t do that either
”You’re crazy, get out of here with your metaphysical bullshit”
And we haven’t even gotten to the part about how the photons impact on the cones and rods in the eyes, which is converted into a wavelength by the mind, spread out in a spectrum for easy interpretation, and slid forward ½ second so the perception is real time.
A person who can see looks at the picture reads the sign under it and that’s it. Nothing needs to be said. Even if he’s illiterate you can point at it and say “that’s a Picasso”. It is obvious and self evident.
People do not understand how profound a simple concept can be. E=MC squared for instance unfolds into 2 blackboards full of equations which describe the basic relationship of mass and energy in the universe. People plug in the numbers (do the math) come out with some answers and think they understand the physical universe. They do not. The math is not the physics. The math only describes the physics. The genius is in the concept, not in the math. The genius used math to demonstrate to the idiots how his concept could be viewed. When asked “It is said that only three people understand your theories.” He answered “Hmmm… and who might that third person be?” Since Einstein the concept of physics has gone seriously awry. There are people who are proclaimed to be giants in the field of advancing on Einsteins theories. They are not. They are idiots. In one of my dreams (I used to dream occasionally until I started taking atenenol, then I started dreaming a lot. So I turned them off, they’re mostly boring.) Which brings up another point, if people are bothered by nightmares, why don’t they just turn them off? Sorry if I’m rambling, I need to write things down as I think of them. In any case in one of my dreams I came up with a poem of the failings of post-Einstein physics.
The time has come Dreamweaver said,
To speak of many things
Of whereness and whenness and gravity wells
Of white holes, lifts and strings
(purloined from Alice, there is a lot of profundity in Alice)
for instance Humpty Dumpty said,
“A word means exactly what I intend it to mean, no more, no less”
When I say “You are not an idiot” I mean exactly that no more, no less. It is not a compliment. It is a fact.
When I told the judge he was an asshole. It was not an insult, it was a fact.
Back to About
Nice pictures here> Golden Muses
GaneshXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
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I ran into this guy in Singapore. I lived in S’pore for several years, traveling the far east in the oil industry. Hemingwaying if you will. As I had high blood pressure, I had a severe problem with customs of the various countries confiscating my medication.
I had heard that meditation would help control my blood pressure. OK, worth a shot. (I call yoga zen, yoga sounds kinda effete, like souffle or yogurt. “a real man doesn’t do yoga, he does zen”) I settled on this guy, kind of warm and fuzzy looking, most of the hindu gods are kind of scary. (notice he has woman’s eyes? Ain’t that weird) That’s the only way the masters will do it. “It helps to have a god to meditate on, it doesn’t matter which one” – Patel Once I got past the silliness of Lord Ganesha sprinkling lotus petals of tranquillity on me i found IT WORKS. Om Gam Gamapataye Namaha (don’t know what the chant means, it didn’t seem to matter) I can still give the triage nurse at the VA fits checking my blood pressure and pulse rate, I can run it up and down at will. I no longer need the mysticism, I guess they were only a neuron trellis and once the pathways were “burned” into my neurons it wasn’t needed. The image at the left is the dome of the Chetier (pronounced shitier) temple in S’pore. Click on it to enlarge, very impressive. Here’s the Ganesha home page. 
And the Ganesh float in the Thaipusam parade. Singapore is where Bill Bailey wouldn’t come home from if you’re curious. He ran the Coconut Grove. Montgomery Flaherty Armstrong TravelGuide
Ganesha (Sanskrit: गणेश; IAST: Gaṇeśa; 
listen (help·info)), also spelled Ganesa or Ganesh, also known as Ganapati(Sanskrit: गणपति; IAST: gaṇapati), Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the deities best-known and most widely worshipped in theHindu pantheon.[5] His image is found throughout India andNepal.[6] Hindu sects worship him regardless of affiliations.[7]Devotion to Ganesha is widely diffused and extends to Jains, Buddhists, and beyond India.[8] Although he is known by many other attributes, Ganesha’s elephant head makes him easy to identify.[9] Ganesha is widely revered as the Remover of Obstacles[10] and more generally as Lord of Beginnings and Lord of Obstacles (Vighnesha,Vighneshvara),[11] patron of arts and sciences, and the deva of intellect and wisdom.[12] He is honoured at the beginning of rituals and ceremonies and invoked as Patron of Letters during writing sessions.[13] Several texts relate mythological anecdotes associated with his birth and exploits and explain his distinct iconography.
Menard XX
In answer to your query on how I kept my “spark”, As I mentioned I was educated by Brothers of the Sacred Heart. Monks, an order dedicated to education. Catholics believe that religion doesn’t belong in education, it’s a seperate issue. Religion is between the individual and God. And a church is only a place for the individual to have a quiet place where he can commune with God. Probably half the students at Menard were non-catholic, with blacks, jews and others. As a result my education was secular. It was heavy on “lab” in chemistry we would spend half an hour talking about an experiment, then a half hour doing it. Instruction was held in the lab. In language (Latin for me), we would learn in the first half, then speak it in the second half. In the second semister Latin was taught in Latin.
One thing that was hammered home was “WE CAN’T TEACH YOU, WE CAN ONLY SHOW YOU HOW TO LEARN”. It was up to us to learn. The student’s job was to learn, the instructors job was to present the data. Tests were mostly composition, The understood question on every test was “why”. An explanation of our answer was to be appended at the end of every paper. Many of the maxims I learned, I still use. For instance, on writing a paper “Tell them what you’re going to tell them, then tell them, then tell them what you told them”. and “A word means what it means, no more, no less”. We were free to explore the topic in any direction we chose. The more creative, the better. We chose the course (direction) for our education. Targeted (dis-ambiguated) words were encouraged “Lore” for instance, or heraldic. When a word has multiple meanings, I append the definition I intend. I still do it. I learned this in HS. I still proof my writing for ambiguation. 
This is where words fail me, there are no words in English that accurately describe the concepts in my head. I’ve included a of couple links on a modern Benedictine Monk, check his bonifides, it may supprise you. What a unique education, how at odds with public education. A new avenue of exploration. I shall contact Bro Hicks with a question on Benedictine Educational Philosophy. The rest of my education was bullshit. The above picture is of Bro/Dr Boniface. His web page is most interesting. Poke around his publications and bonifides. He will suprise you.
This is where I figured out that the universe was of a wave nature. In my case it ‘took’
This is a picture of the intreped cadet.
SingleStory Old School New School
Virgos tend to take on some of the qualities of a Virgin, things like modesty and humanity. Some might consider them repressed, although Virgins would argue that it’s a noble quality. Dunno. Consider Jaws; …………………………………………………………………………………
Quint:
Here lies the body of Mary Lee;
died at the age of a hundred and three.
For fifteen years she kept her virginity;
not a bad record for this vicinity.
You may wonder where I’m going with this. On May 5, 1989, 6:55 PM, I was driving down the highway when I heard a loud “thwack”. Figuring I got hit by a bullet, (there’s a lot of deer hunting in the area) I got out to check my car. No holes. Good. Continued on my journey. On the way home I noticed a headlight was out. While changing the headlight, I noticed an entry and exit hole, and a dent in the headlight bracket. It rattled also. Whatever hit me came from up. a quick figuring gave me 15 feet per second speed. Hmm! I put it back in drove back to where I heard the “thwack” and got a fix. Sticking a 1/2 in dowel in the hole showed me it came from 5 degrees north, 10 degrees east. A half second earlier it would have entered around my clavicle and exited my ass, piercing my heart in the process. I took it to LSU where I was informed that it was indeed a meteorite probably from the alpha virginid cluster. I still have it, and pull it out once in awhile. I’ve scaled the picture down to about the right size. What does it mean? Dunno. Try to avoid virgins, maybe? Not much danger there.
MrM’s comment on luck caused me to ponder luck. Luck is really a strange concept if you stop to think about it. Think about what happened. Millions of years ago, an asteroid had a gravitational encounter with another body disrupting it’s orbit to end up shattering when entering the atmosphere, one of the fragments came within 6 feet of killing me. If the universe is purpose driven, it missed. Still a quite impressive feat of calculation of orbital dynamics just to scare the shit out of me. That would seem to be a somewhat hubristic view of my relationship with the cosmos.
“Yup! I think of that every time I look at it, killed by a virgin. It reminds me that we can die at any moment, at the hand of something totally out of our control. Yesterday is memories only, and the future is speculation, there is only now”
“Revenge is a dish best served cold” – unk
Cosmic kharma? ex post facto revenge? devine retribution? who gives a shit?
Feels good, doesn’t it? knowing that my nemisis, the former governor of NC is going to get cavity searched for the rest of his life warms the cockles of my heart every time I think about it. To envision him being cell mate with a sex offender named “Slam Dunk”. The prison bitch comes to mind. In a bizzare twist of fate, Mike Easley signed into law the repeal of the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse. Is that karma, or what? What goes around, comes around. I’m lovin it.
Burn, baby, burn
The following is from the Raleigh newspaper, the clown picture is theirs, not mine.> “Mike Easley- Clown, Crook, Liar”, “Corruption is bred in Raleigh like mosquitoes breed on swamp water, and yet our esteemed AG has done nothing about it. Where are you Roy? Roy Cooper as the AG who was surrounded by a bunch of corrupt assholes who went to jail or ought to.” found here>Carolina Politics
*Note Those who follow me will know that I am not capable of such acerbic comments. These are direct quotes. I accept no responsible for the boorish dialogue. I am, after all, a gentleman, modest and soft spoken, not the “full on battle tank, in all it’s brutal glory, seeking out and destroying bullshit” I have been maligned with. I am shocked, shocked that such allegations can be made.
The following is exerpted from Religious Tolerance > “1980 to 1995: Two types of trials were held in North America, which repeated many of the same features of earlier Witch trials: Staff at some pre-schools, day care facilities and Sunday schools were accused of ritual abuse of children. Evidence was based on faulty medical diagnoses and memories of non-existent abuse implanted in the minds of very young children.
Tens of thousands of adults, victimized by Recovered Memory Therapy, developed false memories of having been abused during childhood. In about 17% of the cases, these memories escalated to recollections of Satanic Ritual Abuse. Hundreds of parents were charged with criminal acts. Almost all of them were innocent. Most of the charges involved acts that never actually happened.” LittleRascals Edenton 7 “In the Little Rascals day-care-abuse case in North Carolina, one mother told reporters that it took 10 months before her child was able to “reveal” the molestation. No one at the time considered the idea that the child might have been remarkably courageous to persist in telling the truth for so long.” Carol Tavris
Sanity has since prevailed. Most of the accused have been released from jail. Those held in the state of Massachusetts are an exception.
McMartin is the most famous of these cases although an even more bizzare one was in Asheville, NC . A man in a single wide trailor was accused of satanic ritual abuse. Inside of said trailor was a castle surrounded by a moat filled with alligators and sharks. He would lure children into the dungeon where he would take the them into outer space in a flying saucer and melt them down into baby candles to be used in satanic rituals. This is the evidence presented, and he was convicted. As his defense attorney commented, “If this were true the landscape would be littered with dead babies.” The charges have since been dropped.
As in the previous witch trials wherever the inquisitors went is where the witches were found. A self proclaimed “expert” on interviewing child victims of sexual abuse she used narcotherapy and hypnosis. (In the military we called that brainwashing) She was a member of Believe the children a christian fundamentalist group sponsored by Eric Prince, (he also founded blackwater) a fundamentalist christian who believed his mission in life was to rid the world of heathens. (Isn’t he a charming fellow?)
Ofra Bikel, who at the time was a reporter for Swedish public television, was on vacation in the US touring the east coast when she came to the small NC town of Edenton. She was shocked. She produced a series (innocence lost) which received widespread coverage in Europe. She received the Pulitzer for the series. Ofra Bikel’s work has freed more innocent prisoners than many professionals in the criminal justice system. She is obviously a sheepdog.
Consider the English Sheepdog, the pseudo sheep
“This animal I find fascinating. Unique among the drovers, it bonds with the sheep not the shepherd. It even looks like a sheep and waits in line to be sheared. A heavy muscular dog it can dispatch a wolf with ease. When the flock is threatened it rushes to defend his flock. Surprise! But he frightens the sheep, like the wolf he has teeth and knows how to use them, and they can’t tell the difference. Yet He is the one the sheep huddle behind when the wolf comes to the door.” – el Loco Gringo
The Woman and the starfish
I recall the story of the woman, walking down a beach littered with starfish which had been swept ashore after a storm. occasionally she would bend over, pick one up and fling it back into the ocean. An onlooker berated her “you can’t save them all lady”. She bent over, picked up another and gave it a fling. “I saved that one” she replied, and continued on her journey.
To know I had a big part the making of his misery fills me with pride. I love it, god help me, I love it. Sometimes, just sometimes, the windmills do topple. Don Quixote warrior
First a little taxonomy. Many people confuse the eastern and western dragon. The western dragon (Chiroptera) lives in the mountains, has wings and eats people. The eastern dragon (Squamata) lives in the swamps, has no wings and is noted for it’s wisdom. It is unlikely that they will ever meet, and if they do they could not breed, they are of different genus categories. The eastern dragon is to the left, the western above. Dragons
The western dragon (Chiroptera) has two sub-species Dracos, in the nordic lands, and Capricorn in the southern lands. Dracos lives in the mountains, has bat wings and eats people.
Capricorn is the pagan dragon. The church changed the dragon to the goat symbol in order to break with paganism. Even a cursory examination will show, however, that this is not a goat. They did the same thing with Christmas. as it has no wings it may be a cross between Dracos and the eastern dragon, although geneticists will say that is impossible.
And then there is the American dragon (Thunderbird)(Avian) it has feathered wings. the Quetzalcoatl is described as a white god with pale skin and blue eyes. Quetzalcoatl was known by several names. The Toltecs and Aztecs refer him as Quetzalcoatl. The people of the Incas called him Viracocha. The Mayans called him Kukulcan. The Chibchas called him Bochica. The Aymara from Peru called him Hyustus.
And then there is the Komodo. This is another of those things it’s nice to watch through a fence. They eat people and other large animals. The have a toxi c bite, are 10 ft long and can weigh 300 lbs. Like the western and eastern dragons they are quite rare and on the endangered species list. Singapore zoo x
chit chak This is my favorite. I’ll admit he’s not very impressive at 6 inches. The common Singapore house gecko. These things are death on insects. They hide behind pictures during the day and come out at night to wreak havoc on the insect population. They are named after the sound they make (yup, they bark) “tchak tchak tchak”. They are so effective that you can’t buy screen in Singapore. I needed some to repair a processor filter. I took awhile for the merchant to understand what I meant, then he asked me what you could use it for. They’re actually cuter than the picture shows, kinda like a cocker spaniel without ears. In the 2 1/2 years I spent in Singapore I didn’t see one mosquito or fly. Love ’em ChitChakx
Here be dragons. Sadly, many species went extinct when the earth suddenly went from flat to a sphere in the 15th century not giving them time to adapt to the new world order. Many maps of the era actually showed where these marvelous beasts could be found. Unfortunately tectonic plate movement has subsumed all fossils so we only know of thrir existence from the pre-spherical era as shown on maps.
I’ll start with the eastern dragon. those born in the “year of the dragon” are considered to be blessed. There is a big spike in births when the “year of the dragon” comes around. Chinese Zodiac Dragon Dance
In the west the dragon is represented by Capricorn in the zodiac. Here’s a link if you’re curious. Different readings seem to have little relation to each other.
This is the Merlion. A cross between a lion and a mermaid. How unlikely is that? It sits at the entrance to the harbor in Singapore. Kind of like a statue of liberty. 
When they put the water recycling plant online, someone dumped a bunch of yellow dye in the fountain so it looked like the merlion was spitting out piss. I thought it was funny, but the officials were pissed (in both senses of the word).
Fu dogs are all over the place in Singapore. They’re really supposed to be lions but they call them dogs and they look weird. Blue lion with pink polka dots and green hair? They are always in pairs. These people are nothing if not fun. Lion Dance
chiropterophily
And then there’s the “Flower of death”. It blossoms once a year and smells like, well, death. The aroma could gag a maggot. It’s pollinated by a bat. Isn’t that lovely?
While I’m talking about critters, has anybody ever seen a tiger? I don’t mean those wimpy little things you see in the zoo. I mean a TIGER. Living in Singapore you tend to forget that right across jahore bahru is tropical jungle. My wife and I would go into Malaya for the beach. On one of these outings I saw a tiger strolling down the beach, and decided to take a swim. My original plan was to swim to the Philipines, but then I remembered that these waters were notorious for sharks. So, as I wait waist deep, I make a mental note to myself “in the future, if there is one, try to maintain better situational awareness”. For some reason, these things seem bigger when there are no bars between you. This thing could walk out to where I’m waiting without getting it’s belly wet.
Yet another critter I ran into in Singapore. This is the Singapura, found nowhere else. Called the Singapore love cat because of their affectionate nature. Smaller than a domestic cat they are quite rare outside of Singapore where they are considered a national treasure. Affectionate little beggers. Singapura
chit chak This is my favorite. The common Singapore house gecko. These things are death on insects. They hide behind pictures during the day and come out at night to wreak havoc on the insect population. They are named after the sound they make (yup, they bark) “tchak tchak tchak”. They are so effective that you can’t buy screen in Singapore. I needed some to repair a processor filter. I took awhile for the merchant to understand what I meant, then he asked me what you could use it for. They’re actually cuter than the picture shows, kinda like a cocker spaniel without ears. In the 2 1/2 years I spent in Singapore I didn’t see one mosquito or fly. Love ’em ChitChak
The Chinese dragon is power particularly control over water, rainfall, and floods. It is the male yang that wears away the rock in the stream.
The Chinese phoenix is finesse It is the female yin that eases around the rock in the stream.
In North America the dragon evolved into four distinct species of the order Thunderbird. Only one photograph is known to exist. Tentatively identified as an air dragon. Quite an impressive critter.
Power Dragons – Transformation, infinity, wisdom
Fire Dragon a symbol of transmutation, energy and mastery, it lends enthusiasm, courage and vitality. It will help you overcome obsticles. You will be given the qualities of leadership and mastery.
Air Dragon gives insight, inspiration and vitality. It must be handled with respect. Illumination in intellect and psyche are possible. Insight and clarity will be given for all problems. As always – trust your inner voice.
Earth Dragon brings potential, power and riches. What you are capable of will be revealed. You may discover the beauty and power that lies within you, within us all. The earth dragon resides deep within. When you call on him for help, think of a slowly paced heavy dragon pulling himself toward you. Feel his weight surrounding you. He will nurture you.
Water Dragon brings connection, depth and passion. The water dragon as power animal brings memories and wishes, perhaps long forgotten yet hidden, to the fore. A sense of peace and balance can be achieved in our lives. The water dragon will give you the courage and compassion in this challenge.
And then there is the Komodo. This is another of those things it’s nice to watch through a fence. They eat people and other large animals. The have a toxi c bite, are 10 ft long and can weith 300 lbs. Like the western and eastern dragons they are quite rare and on the endangered species list. Singapore zoo
And of Course I am the humble, wise and sagatious red dragon, shape shifting to the modest, eloquent and erudite omniscient maharishi emeritus el Loco Gringo when the situation demands, much beloved by all, especially myself. Amaeur Cryptozoologist on occasion.
“I am blessed/cursed with the gift/burden of the we inside of me”
And this little thingie on the left is a cane I bought in Singapore. Not just a cane, it’s a weapon with a solid brass handle/head. The other end has a grip. You could really snatch a knot in someone’s gulliver with this thing. They took my sword cane away. Thailand, I think. This is a long post but the only thing I enjoy talking about more than dragons is me.
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As I again come face to face with the inevitably of my own mortality, I am forced to ponder. eLG keeps throwing an ace out. You’ve got to play the hand you’re dealt. I first think of Kenny Rogers – The gambler.
“You’ve got to know when to hold em, know when to fold em,
know when to walk away know when to run”
That’s kind of it, but I don’t want to “break even”, I want to win. Then there is the Epiphany Express The journey home. That’s some of it too. It is the journey that is important, not the destination.
The refusal to surrender is part of it. The keeping of one’s integrity at whatever price. Do not go gentle into that good night
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And the resoluteness of the Maori.
“be strong, be brave, be forthright and sure”
and the timing of the Klingon, we must make everyday “a good day to die”. Never losing the wonder of the universe and the understanding that we are an integral part of it.
“When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life so that when you die the earth cries and you rejoice” – White Elk Herein lies the understanding that life has no beginning and no end. There is only now. The past is memories only and the future is speculation. One must end one’s life in the present, ensuring that when one leaves the world becomes a lesser place, and where one goes becomes greater. That is the only way to win. Life can end at any moment, always could, always will. That is my ace in the hole. That is the only way to carry chips away from the table when the lights are dimmed. There is only now.
“Ode to Entropy”, by John Updike: Death exists nowhere in nature, not in the minds of birds or the consciousness of flowers, not even in the numb brain of the wildebeest calf gone under to the grinning crocodile, nowhere in the mesh of woods or the tons of the sea, only in our forebodings…
Waters Of March Music Surrender
Anger
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I have spent a lifetime trying to figure out why people are dumb, intelligent maybe, but dumb nonetheless. The final (so far) data point has matched and the colossal stupidity of mankind has hit home. I am FURIOUS. The squggly lines are back. (I set a trigger point, good thing too ) 30 years ago it was frustration. This time it is anger. It is a righteous anger. It is mine. I own it. I have to let it burn out to avoid spinning out. Extinguishing it would probably lead to a collapse. For now I must revel in it, enjoy it, marvel at it’s pervasive nature, be aware of how it permeates every corner of my psyche, rejoice in the intensity of the emotion, It is glorious. That part is under control, I just have to keep it damped. I know what I’m doing, I am, after all, the worlds foremost, (and only) authority on the mind. Once it burns out, I will be back to the old sweet cuddly fuzzball beloved by all, specially me.
“Perhaps the reason people think my concepts are strange is not because I am crazy, but that they are stupid” – el Loco Gringo
I had a gift to give mankind, and was dismissed as crazy. A gift that would have opened mans eyes to his potential glory. It was rejected as naive and un-nuanced. It would have freed man from the drudgery of a meaningless life, mindlessly wandering the ant warrens of the empty society he has created. In a strange twist the cosmic finger of fate threw the dice and a mind was created/evolved that was un-locked, centered, intelligent, constructivist and without taboo. It may never have happened before, it may never happen again. I was the joker in the deck, the card that matches everything. I was never played. I wish Einstein were still alive. I could tell him he’s wrong. God does, indeed, play dice with the universe.
I know why Ayn Rand cried. The angst is overwhelming.
It would have been simpler to just dismiss it as “people are dumb” as my daughter does and let it go at that. But that is not my nature. I am, after all, a sheepdog.
The key “The human mind is elegant in it’s simplicity, incomprehensible in it’s scale and glorious in it’s implementation” – el Loco Gringo
In our hubris we think that we can understand the human mind by comparing it to that of a chimp, but we are as far evolved above the chimp as the chimp is above the earthworm. An evolutionary miracle has occurred, the greatest leap since the first few neurons gathered into a clump to form the proto-brain. However, as the chimp evolved from the earthworm, we evolved from our simian ancestors with the same behavior patterns. The taboo against pride has been retained in our psyche. This has left a hole in our soul, an aching painful overwhelming need, that we seek to fill with religion, ideology, spirituality, greed, career and other false gods. I wish to give mankind a gift, a key to unlock themselves from the chains of this vestige of the past and to marvel at the wonder that man is.
We are that god.
This simple and beautiful truth unfolds to reveal man’s place in the universe. All is laid bare. Ethics, philosophy, sociology, psychology, spirituality, politics, economy, justice become revealed with all their virtues and faults.
“You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars, you have a right to be here”
The Essence of me
“What is this thing that el Loco Gringo so fiercely defends? It is a tiny vortex that has formed in the temporal river. It exists for the briefest of moments, then is reabsorbed. It strives to balance the forces of the ripples within and the ripples without, maintaining an ethereal form that allows connectedness with the universe and the individual me. It defends me from those who seek to remove this individuation and connectedness. Sometimes doldrums, sometimes rapids. Under the tree limbs and around the rocks. The river has no purpose. It just flows from high ground to low, with no whence or whither, only anon. it obeys the law of the universe, negentropy, time’s arrow. And in the end, this vortex loses form. “The moving finger writes, and having writ, moves on” – Omar Khayyam. Throughout it all, el Loco Gringo never lost the wonder. It is the essence of me. In the end, there is only the river. All is as it should be.” – walt
“This is my mind, and mine alone. I like it just as it is. It has guided and protected me through a turbulent life. It has shown me the beauty and the ugliness of the world in all it’s glory and depravity. I have marveled at the richness of the world and the people in it. It has given me a most rewarding journey. It is a fine mind indeed. And I am proud of it, so very proud. It has served me well.” – el Loco Gringo
I have been blessed/cursed with the gift/burden of the “We inside of me” – WALTER
The Ann 
