Drinking and Other Addictions

Do Americans realize how much drinking alcohol has increased over the last decade? As much as the reliance on opioids, pain killers, and other addictive behaviors. Games and gaming, (and soon) virtual reality, exercise, diet changes, sex, porn, and even simpler things like shopping, travel, and social media use -- all of these, in their extreme, could be classified as addictions.

The results are also clear -- all the addictions, which are deviations and excesses that pull us away from a balanced life style, result in damage to our overall health. Sometimes that damage is psychological (we pretend we are doing what's best for us); sometimes the damage is physical (organs, blood pressure, brain health, and cellular health) can all be damaged by excess. And yet we continue.

I am no crazed apostle of balance and long life. By simple observation I perceive that Americans are increasingly harming themselves. Why? Perhaps to compensate for what's happening around us: crime, gangs, drugs, immorality, character lapses, and even the collapse of old institutions and mores like: government, the legal and ministerial professions, and our own standards of good behavior.

Take a look at your own life  -- are you living the best life you can. Are you happy, or just medicated. Are you willing to do the work to achieve what you want?

In any case you must: RESIST!

Life is...

Finding ways to help others. Giving love and receiving love. Hoping for tomorrow. Honoring yesterday. Listening to other people. Listening to your own heart and mind. Helping all children to thrive. Realizing that not everyone is like you. Hugging others without hidden agendas. Being unafraid to speak the truth.

Life is also...all about time and energy. Working for the greater good. Helping understanding spread throughout the universe. Respecting time passing. Honoring all generations. Smiling at the sun. Surviving the extremes in life, love, and the weather.

Being yourself. Living up to...your own expectations.  Loving yourself first.  Expecting and honoring beings greater than yourself. Kissing the world ... on all its levels. Touching what needs to be touched. Rendering to caesar what is caesar's, and to God what is God's. Opening up your mind and keeping it open.

 Continuing to "resist."

The Dangers of War ... For Everyone

Suffice it to say -- a nuclear "exchange" in war, even a tactical one; would open up the gates to the eventual annihilation of millions upon millions of innocent people. Whether the war is between North Korea and the US, or Russia and the US, or China and the US, the outcome -- eventually -- would be disastrous for all.

We all hope that Trump understands this and doesn't do anything "stupid" to back up his ridiculous tweets, We also hope that Putin understands that "war is death" not political longevity, even in the economically challenged Soviet Union. We need "cooler heads" and "intelligent generals and politicians" everywhere to understand that "war is DEATH" -- not the beginning of empire, or political power, or capitalist advantage, or anything else.

In America we loathe the self-righteous, pompous, and self-serving (for the Trump empire) policies of Donald Trump. In the Soviet Union we see the struggle to avoid another Stalin, or another Trump.
The search for a new Soviet supremacy has been compromised by both the oligarchs and the corrupt communist/capitalist establishment. Greed for power is coequal to greed for cash. Both are immoral and should be avoided in a just and peaceful world.

Remember to hold onto your minds, your mores, your morals, your conscience, your character, and the civilization they support.

And for Americans and everyone who can think --- resist, resist, resist!

When Paperwork is More Than Perfunctory

The great bureaucracies of the world are not necessarily countries -- they are actually the banks, hospitals, credit card companies, and telecom providers. They have "rules" as to how an account or an application for an account has to be done. Recently my sister and I tried to set up a checking account (with a large initial deposit mind you) and as the paperwork/information period wore on it became evident that my sister had not brought the paperwork necessary to complete the deal. She did not have 2 documents from the "approved list" -- only one. Actually she had 2 but one of them was expired (due to a hospital stay last year she was unable to renew her driver's license).

Now since she did have other documents at home -- a second trip to this bank was required.  As of this moment we are not sure whether these additional documents will be enough. Yikes.

Resist, resist, resist!!!

Blessings of Christmas -- Human and Divine

On this Christmas Day -- many of us are moved to charity, compassion, and love for one another. I do wonder (as you do) why those wondrous elements are not there throughout the year: every day, every situation, every relationship. Is it somehow not chic to love one's co-workers; or not politically correct to truly love one's neighbors, or even uncool to love those you consider enemies?  Love all -- and wish the best for all, according to the principles you own of right and wrong, and real conscience.

Jesus's message to humanity is to love. I am now, personally, both a Christian and a Buddhist. Have I added Buddhism to my own belief system because Christianity is lacking? Not so much. I have added Buddhism, specifically KoShinto Buddhism, because Christianity too often falls short of its own principles. Women are not treated fairly -- they are subjugated by the old laws of Old Testament Judaism. They are treated as the causes of sin -- in a male-dominated society, ethnicity, practice. That is not right. The ancient precepts of Judaism are passed on and picked up by the modern Christian church, especially Catholicism. Even with a wise and very holy Pope in place, modern Catholicism often fails in its beliefs and its mission. Why is the Catholic Church still treating women (nuns, laity, teachers) as they did in the 9th century?  Are women still somehow the "Eve of the 'apple' story" -- tempting righteous men to sin?

Why is Catholicism so against "gay sexuality" when an estimated 30% of the Catholic priesthood is gay? Is being gay really a sin -- or is it a biological and neurological condition of sexual preference?
Is "sex" the original sin? Is that why the Catholic Church (and so many other pseudo-Christian sects) hung up on sexuality?  We must continue to grow in wisdom and understanding -- not be strapped to the ancient grinding wheel of times past.

We are allowed to understand and respect sexual preferences in a new way -- as long as we continue to honor our own basic principles of love and respect for others.


Merry Christmas; RESPECT FOR ALL; and continue to Resist!

The State of Christmas

Christmas is "love" -- it truly depicts a story of love and redemption via the Christian story of Jesus. What Americans sometimes fail to see is that there are many such stories in the mythologies of every ethnicity, every religion, every set of tribal legends. Just because you believe in Jesus and his miraculous coming -- doesn't mean that it is the only truth.  Many "Native American" stories/myths tell of sacrifice and giving in times of pestilence and pain.

Ancient Celtic stories -- long before the introduction of Christianity to far Northern Europe tell of animal and human sacrifices: given to the main god of that region. In every part of the World there are religions that depict sacrifice. It is arrogant and small-minded to think that the story of Jesus' birth is the only such story. But we are always the victims of our own parochialism.

The God of Israel is a god who sacrificed other people to free the Jews -- at least according the the Biblical legends surrounding the story of Moses. Any religion/myth you can name will have an element of sacrifice. Believe in that -- that the "diversity" of the world as to ethnicity, religion, mores, and practises binds us into one human family. "Sacrifice" given for love's sake -- is the glue that holds civilization itself together.

And so, Merry Christmas; Happy Hanakkah: Blessed Kwanza; Holy Ramadan; Happy Winter Solstice; et al. If there is a God (and I acknowledge deep inside that there is), then all manners of love induced by sacrifice show his/her presence.  Even ---

RESISTANCE!

Curiosity......?

Just as one of the greatest elements of Christmas ... is waiting for the day to arrive: presents for kids, celebration for families, connections and conversation for all -- so too waiting for sengateCREATE is now all about the...anticipation!  What will it be; when will it start; how will it operate; what will it do?

Is it the kind of idea that can be "fleshed" into a winning and worthwhile something? Is it a "sham" or simply a cursory, not-well-thought-out idea? Is it a "trumpian  hoax?"  Is it "fake news?"  Who can say? I can.

At this point I will say that it is "real" and will do "real things" and will make a "real difference!"And it is coming...soon. February 1st all (or at least the the planning for "all" will be shown; all will be delineated; the shape and direction will be plotted and revealed. Wait for it -- wait for it...

And as always continue to resist!

sengateCREATE

"sengateCREATE" is a work in progress. It hasn't quite figured out what it will be yet, or how exactly it will operate. Nor has it put any limitations on the way it might view things -- and the way it might itself change to accommodate "things."

A zygote always has the genetic blueprint for its own growth. So too an idea has the blueprint of its own construction. And so there we have it. "sengateCREATE" is coming into being; and it is stirring open thoughts and plans into a unified and effective "modus operandi."

So, it is more than an idea -- and slightly less than a plan at this point. But it is "alive" and will continue to grown towards fruition. 

Keep RESISTING -- for the sake of morality, humanity, and intelligence itself.

On the Cusp of Growth

Thinking about thinking requires the most concise kind of mindset. Not only does one have to blind oneself to distractions, but one also must see past fantasies, and concentrate instead on the single-minded edge that will accomplish the goal.  This kind of approach rules out all self-awareness and instead employs the problem itself as the whip,  and the carrot.

There are goals to be reached. How and where these goals can even be accessed is a changing kaleidoscope of generated and regenerated possibilities. Being ready to pivot  -- and try a new path -- goes well beyond "two roads diverging in a yellow wood." It actually defines the "yellow wood" itself, as well as the direction of the roads, and the speed on which they are traveled. There is no way to say this crisply and distinctly.

Embarking on an adventure -- into unknown areas, with only the simple means at our disposal: the mind, the energy, the time -- is daunting but thrilling.  From my youth I desired my epitaph to be -- "he used himself up'' --doing everything he could -- to become better, and to do better.

Continue to resist, as well.

Feminine Beauty

Today was a day of goodbyes at Savannah Technical College.  All my "best" students came by -- some groups of them had gotten or rigged small gifts for me, little remembrances, little things -- but they all meant a lot. Many kind words were exchanged. Once again I was often told how much they had  learned; how they never thought that they would love public speaking; and how they thought I was the key to that process.

I am used to those kind words -- but I have not become jaded to their honesty nor their real truth. What I would have liked to have said to each of them -- is how much they meant and will mean to me. How much --- frankly -- that I loved them; each and every one of them. It seems foolish to say such things -- but it is of course the honest "feminine" in me, something my long departed wife loved in me; something my friends recognize in me as "my creative side."

I do love my students -- always have, always will. And so it goes -- the last full semester is done except for the grading, and the bureaucracy.

Resist still!

Too Pooped to Participate

In my youth -- the title of this piece often indicated the "end of the semester" at school when all the work was almost done, all the exams were "taken," and the outcome of everything was still in doubt but you took to your bed nonetheless.

This term was the last time I really have felt this way -- using the "tired" excuse to justify all kinds of laziness. This malaise is not that uncommon -- and has many different names: waiting until the last minute, fatigue, stress avoidance, procrastination, hysterical paralysis, and just plain laziness. Use whichever phrase you prefer --- but take that nap!!!

And continue to RESIST!!!

The Delicate Process of Being

Having a lively attitude towards life, not being afraid of making mistakes (even gigantic ones), trying not to lead a life of "devastation" for those around you, understanding that morality is not absolute but human, realizing that those people around you may not agree with you, and finally being "open" to all experiences and people---- those elements are in balance in a true human being.

Resist Trump!!!

On Relationships Big and Small

As a person, I cherish and work to maintain friendships. These are "relationships" that for me are pure, with no strings attached of any kind. Sometimes these "relationships" can turn into something more, but in most cases they do not.

I have maintained a number of friendships with former students and faculty  at the various places I have taught. Many of them are still my "friends" -- a small (very small) number of them became closer than friends. One became my "surrogate daughter" --- very long story there. And one, before I was married -- so pre-1986, became my lover. That wonderful relationship became a lifelong friendship maintained even until today. One former friend even "saved my life" -- another very long story.

My younger students and former students have nothing to fear from me. I would always be honest with them -- supportive, not self-seeking, not controlling. I am not a pervert nor am I a "user" of any kind. I have employed former students for a variety of jobs -- packing, moving, helping to give away or sell furniture, researching, cleaning,  and other tasks. I always am honest with them; pay well; and seek no extra benefits.

I have given away money to those who need it (just for fun) -- or sometimes because a friend just needs a "lift." I don't seek becoming a "sugar daddy" nor an abuser. I am, in the current age of users and abusers (see all the stories about #metoo) an outlier for sure.   

On Trump Diminishing America

As an autocrat and a wouldbe tyrant -- Trump is also a failure. He has engaged the legal machinery of the United States Constitution on many fronts to "rise up" and defeat him.

He is in violation of the emoluments clause -- because he is a self-proclaimed "successful businessman" he claims that he can still make lots of money off of his position with his hotels, golf courses, and branding exercises. His private business portfolio is not distinct from his office. Even giving nominal control of Trump Enterprises to his children, he further crosses the line(s) on the emoluments clause because "his children" are all a part of his administration at the highest level. He is complicit to "cheating on the emoluments clause" in more than one way -- first on his own (peddling favors or influence for future or current business deals); second by forcing foreign governments and our own government to "meet and greet" and "negotiate" issues of state at Trump's own hotels, resorts, or golf clubs; third he holds the security forces of the US "hostage" by forcing the government to "rent" space from his properties to secure safety for Trump, his family, and for all their lavish travel and vacationing. On the emoluments clause --- Trump is a crooked businessman.

Now as to his "stealing the election" of 2016 -- that will never be proven conclusively. But what is obvious is that there was "collusion" to steal the election, and then a ridiculous and amateur attempt to cover up or "obstruct" the Mueller, Senate, and House investigations of the Trump campaign's, transition's, and early days of his Presidency (just before and after his inauguration) contacts with the Russians. Who was he colluding with? Was it Putin himself, or Russian hackers spreading disinformation and lies (which continue now through Trump himself) about Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and everyone and everything that casts doubts of Trump, his policies, his lifestyle, or what-have-you.

Trump is also in violation of basic decency. He has attacked Gold Star Parents, "heroes" within his own party, women, other Republicans, his own staff, his former wives, his former partners, and everyone else. He is still attacking Hillary Clinton, trying to claim that while she got all the breaks from the FBI -- he is getting unequal and unfair scrutiny. Leaving out the fact that Trump is amoral,
guilty of many cultural and moral failings, and probably a sociopathic criminal as well -- he is also a spoiled little bully with no discernible moral compass. For him -- lies are truth, and truth is always up to his own interpretation. In most every way Trump is a "total loser" as a human being -- to coin a phrase.

And so -- all of you, must continue without ceasing, to RESIST! 

Quantum Computing

Let me put a new "worrisome" idea into your Trump-addled brains! Quantum computing. If you can imagine a computing world in which computers can literally work at indefinable speeds, doubling and redoubling the amount of  "qubit" power it uses -- and still come to coherent answers, you begin to sense and understand the promise of quantum computing.

I only vaguely understand the "science" involved -- computer languages no longer consisting of  x's and o's but now x's and o's at the same time and in dizzying combinations. It's akin, in my brain at least, to the many applications that will occur as we get used to 4D technology over 3D. The concept of AI (artificial intelligence of course) now becomes an onrushing certainty. And many experts are worried that all this speech, movement, and applied physics within AI could put even the human brain at a disadvantage.

What could be the result? Perhaps a "factory" that could completely run by itself, self-autonomous and even self-aware. Humans would be forced to create relationships with self-aware robots or they might be forced to serve them (or try to destroy them). What else is possible? Living with robots as equals; perhaps adopting robot replacement parts to extend human life beyond the genome; perhaps learning and teaching humanity to our own creations as they teach robotic essence to us. If you can imagine it now -- changes wrought by quantum computing and even faster computing in the future, can make it happen.


Right now however, our job is to resist!!!

Trump is a Lying Crooked Businessman

Donald J. Trump has lied so often during his presidential campaign, and now while in office, that his words are meaningless in terms of truth. He has distorted, hyperbolized, made up things to suit the moment, covered up, obstructed, and pinioned the truth in a web of innuendo and self-righteous intrigue. He is a liar. He may be a psychopath at times. He may cause a nuclear war while pretending to be the leader of a great nation. He has no soul to show the American people -- because he has covered it up with lies.

The GOP "majority" in Congress who have gone along with him, and enabled him --- are complicit in his corruption. His family who have encouraged him, used him, and then backed off from him --- are complicit by their lack of moral standing. Like the neighbors and friends of mass murderers -- who stood by and did nothing -- Trump's family and "friends" are complicit in his crimes. History will judge them as it did the German people under Hitler, or the Russian oligarchs under Stalin, or the "blackshirts" under "Il Duce." They were and are all complicit. 

You and I are not yet complicit -- but we must continue to:

RESIST!