Irrational Focus

We swing wildly between states of utter-selfishness and over-enthusiastic concern for our fellows. We do so because we cannot help ourselves, our background programmed us with a sense of self preservation, but our intellect forces us to realize on how much we actually depend on others. In exploiting our selfishness, some political parties weasel their way into our baser natures, offering us a chance at a better life by allowing us to be more inwardly focused. Less tax, less interference, and more luxuries. They sell to us, what was embedded deep in our consciousness so long ago. They're tapping into an old and dangerous meme, a set if ideas that are gradually dying out. Of course, every time we succumb, the world enters into another of these depressing periods, where hunger and strive seem to rule. Mankind retreats into their corners, allowing great works of evil to wash over the planet. In the interlude, quietly, many toil away at subverting, or gaining positions. This pattern...

I just read the following news excerpt: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080806/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/guantanamo_bin_laden_s_driver The driver? Really? How insane is that? So, if I understand the facts correctly: they invaded his country, caught him driving some one around as a job, shipped him to an illegal prison, violated every international prisoner of war agreement ever made, and now they think that by his doing his job in a foreign country that constitutes supporting terrorism, but not conspiracy? Does he at least get a pension? Hmmm, next they'll charge him with supporting terrorism for not breaking out of their illegal, immoral and despicable prisoner of war camp. History shows that things have crossed the line when you can't even bother making up good excuses for your evil deeds anymore. At least plant some evidence that he flew into the states and did something notable. Then it might at least seem plausible. Come on, put some effort into this sham. Nothing is worse than evil,...

The woman rolled towards me at full power. It was one of those electric chairs, often implying that they can walk, it just might be difficult. There was room for her to curve a bit to the left, a foot based pedestrian would have done so, but for whatever reason she choose the quickest, shortest route. I don't care to know why, I just know she rudely pinned me against the concrete planter, forcing me to dodge so quickly I just barely got out of the way. Afterwards I was a little short on empathy. With one hand on the wheel, the guy continued his screaming match over the cell phone while nearly running me and my dog over with his car. That little point about us having right of way, or being pedestrians, or something, was clearly not more important than his multi-tasking between an immediate rush to get somewhere and an argument. You could tell he was a real mover and shaker. You could just tell. If it's unobstructed, perhaps one and a half people could get through the doors o...

It rolls around my thoughts like an out-of-control ping-pong ball, popping up at different times throughout the day. That realization, vibrant at times, of just how shallow, how minuscule, how phenomenally un-deep we really are here in our expanding global culture. Like a hyperactive herd of minnows, we zig and weave, bouncing here and there, always chasing the next senseless wave. An endless sequence of pop-cultured hula-hoops, dressed up like they matter, like we should care. One moment we're all driving huge freaken cars because we think it's safer, the next it's dangerously unsafe mini-cars because we noticed that were killing lots of things, or that it's costing us more than just a few necessary cups of coffee per day. Purses, super-stars, stupid little dogs that might accidentally get crushed, we stare, gawk, and then swear we need one of those. There is, after all, some space left in our basements for more junk; they kindly build 'em bigger these days. One da...

The Blogosphere . A virtual void filled with an exponentially increasing multitude of numbered lists professing every possible combination of meaningless platitude possible. Why, it's darned easy to choke on all of those fuzzy, dripping, slobbering pre -chewed forms of pseudo-intelligence, isn't it? What is it in us that even after we've seen the first couple of bullet points, still makes us continue downwards knowing it is only going to get worse. It's like watching a car wreck in progress, we are drawn to it in some inhuman, and ugly way. Maybe it just makes us feel better that we're not the author? Thus, I give you seven truly uninspired platitudes about the types of uninspired platitudes that ineffective writing -- including this piece -- offer up to us on such a frequent basis that they are washing out all of our rational and real thinking: 1. It's a happy happy world. Let's face it. The world is not a happy place, it's all about pain and suffering,...

I saw this mildly interesting bit on TV the other day where a group of almost-influential people were discussing how to bring environmental reporting to corporations. At least that's what I think they were talking about. I had jumped in the middle, and was only partially paying attention. They seemed to think that with enough effort the world could be changed and made a better place. That if there was dialogue and everybody was honest, it would all work out somehow. When I stopped laughing, I figured I might as well dedicate a bit of thinking to trying to deal with the same underlying issue. From my quick glance at the tube, I figured they weren't going to get too far. So, it can't hurt. And I get some satisfaction for at least for trying to be a wee bit positive about the circumstances. My bet is still that we are tumbling towards the abyss, but just in case it's not a done deal yet, I can toss in my 2 cents. My first observation is easy: you can't get people to do...

Yikes. The first principle of a really gifted conspiracy theorist is always that there is some type of 'super' intelligence at work in the background -- ruthlessly plotting and scheming to bring about some great master plan. Hmmm . Given the state of our world, my only comeback is "we should be so lucky". Lucky? Yes, for if you're really objective about our current state of affairs you'll see that it is only by sheer luck that we haven't managed to blow ourselves into space, or crack the planet in half, or some other major species-ending calamity. Mankind, you see, having just recently found its way out of the trees, still acts with a pretty low collective intelligence. Pretty low indeed. If you've ever seen the TV drama West Wing -- a great show about what it is like to be running the USA from the Whitehouse -- you may well be impressed by the intelligence and understanding shown by the various characters. They come together frequently in various epi...