I Try Not to Believe It, Really

. . but I've become almost totally convinced the only way to save humanity, to save ourselves, is to kill off every hard-right conservative, and I do mean kill. I may feel differently tomorrow, but they are not changeable, or they would have done so. Unthinking, unfeeling, inhuman. No loss to Mankind, really, and wiping them out would be of great benefit. We're goint to have to act, and soon.

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August 1

NO.  NOT GOING TO DO IT.  I WROTE THE WORDS, I'LL APOLOGIZE FOR THEM.  KILLING WON'T SOLVE ANYTHING, AND I WON'T, WON'T, WON'T BETRAY MY OWN INTEGRITY JUST BECAUSE I'M AFRAID AND DESPAIRING. 

THERE HAS TO BE ANOTHER WAY TO KEEP THEM FROM BEING A THREAT.  HUMANS - FULL HUMANS - USE THEIR BRAINS AND THEIR COMPASSION TO OVERCOME.

Video Resume

Socialist Capitalism

For capitalism to survive, it must have socialism.  The purpose of capitalism is to accumulate and concentrate wealth in the hands of individuals.  This, carried to its logical conclusion, means that, eventually, that wealth will be so superconcentrated that it no longer has any worth, the great majority of individuals having too little to be useful for exchange.  In addition, before that point is reached, the lack of that wealth in the hands of great swathes of the population mean that consumption will drop, causing prices to rise, and consumption to drop further.  All along the way of this suicidal path, public services will be cut, leading to rise in disease, illiteracy, homelessness, child mortality and a decline in the quality of the workforce and the general culture of the society. 

I've had people tell me that I'm an idealist - I'm not;  I believe human nature is so steeped in selfishness, apathy, and greed that no one can be trusted to do right by other individuals.  Until such a time as we have evolved beyond these vices - and the fact that many are embracing a more altruistic ideal demonstrates that evolution - we must regulate, firmly and heavily and with real consequences, those individuals who take the reigns of our economy and employ the average consumer - all employers.  Yes, the government is absolutely necessary to take care of those who are not in the seats of power, particularly the poor and elderly, the unemployed and ill, because only strengthening individuals strengthens the whole society.  For the reasons listed above, we cannot leave such care to churches and private institutions, which have failed and continue to fail spectacularly.  Medicine and technology need, particularly, to be removed from a private sector, as being fantastically important to the general well-being.  The protests against this are based purely on a spoiled society which has grown used to acquiring unnecessary luxuries, aided by a capitalist outlook which has made many necessary advancements and pastimes (play is a psychological necessity) luxuries by being allowed to overcharge.  The enormous profits are not, as claimed, fed back into overhead or research - we know this - but into the personal profits of individuals.  In no other state of mind would we allow someone who had an idea once to continue to take money off of us for that idea, nor would we consider it a privilege to do work that someone else needs us to do to make any money themselves. 

It is time the vast majority of America woke up from the American dream, which is a lie, and grew up from the selfish idea that a minor portion of the wealth that they produce goes to help others - especially those who call themselves Christian.  Why do we not demand regulations on corporations, on personal wealth, on politicians' pay and perks?  Because of the mindless ignorance that sells the idea that, somehow, it may one day be you, and the greed and childishness that makes that a good dream, and the ridiculous notion that only vicious, darwinian "competition" drives improvement and striving - if it doesn't, it's a lie, if it does, it's a fault that needs correcting, by regulatory force if necessary. 

In the end, the greatest realization will have to be that scarcity is not an objective reality, but a state arising from a greedy mentality.  Redistribution of wealth acknowledges that a community is the basis of success, not a single human, fallible and mortal like the rest of us.

Haka

For all who doubt that there is a certain beautiful, joyous bloodthirst in all children, regardless of race.

One of My Favorite Places

Rose Hill Cemetery in Macon, GA

The Gate

View from one of many hills

The Bond Tomb

Civil War graves

Unusual tombs

Two Typical Views

Most tourists come to visit Duane Allman's and Berry Oakley's graves.  There are much better reasons;  it's beautiful, restful, historic, dramatic, creepy - and all at the same time.  You can go from the efficiency and symmetry of a Southern military memorial field, to the vine-wrapped, leaf-dark ornateness of a Victorian cemetery, complete with mausolea, cracked hillside crypts, evocative of the vampires of Highgate in a short walk.   The place covers 65 acres, includes Catholic and Jewish sections, a Civil War cemetery, and various notables - but the loveliness of it is enough.

For James

This Sort of Thing is Why

NOAA had to issue an official denial of the existence of mermaids.

This, because Animal Planet TV ran a mockumentary called Mermaids:The Body Found.   During "Monster Week" on Animal Planet.

The CDC, if you follow the link to the article, has also had to deny the existence of zombies. 

Now, maybe, if it weren't during something called "Monster Week," and maybe, if there weren't computer-generated graphics in pretty much every popular film made these days, and maybe, if Orson Welles hadn't issued an apology and denial in a similar incident  .  . . on radio . . . 72 YEARS AGO, I might believe humanity had a chance, and we could make the world better without exterminating large numbers of people who haven't quite mastered "human," yet.