Freedom

 

"The most courageous act is still to think for yourself.  Aloud."

- Coco Chanel

 

 

Some recent events have compelled me to say a few things here, some things I might not have other wise said.  Yet when I see people being self-righteous and mean spirited it is time for me to speak up.

 

There was a photo I recently saw of a Valentine's Day party, and before the evening's festivities the national anthem was being sung.  In the photo some people stood with their hand on their heart, some people stood respectfully listening to the singer, and some people were milling about.  All quite normal.

 

One self-righteous busy body posted a mean spirited message on the photo. 

 

I have been taught to respect my elders, and I truly try to do so.  However, when Ms. KD makes a comment stating that people not standing with their hand over their heart should be "slapped to the ground" then she has lost any respect. 

 

When she makes nasty comments about immigrants to this country, then she has doubly lost all claim to respect due someone of her years.

 

How dare you tell me what I can and can't do?  In case you have forgotten, Ms. KD, this is a free country.

 

And before you get back on your self-appointed high horse be aware of a couple of facts.

 

Yes, I am an American citizen. Yes, I was born here.  Yes, I love my country.  Yes, I served in the military.  And yes, every person in that room that night loves this country.

 

Not only that, Ms. KD, but my family's history is in many ways the history of this country.  There are members of my family tree who came here only a couple of generations ago,  and there are some who founded this country.  My 9th Great Grandfather was one of the original grantees of the colony of Connecticut.  And my wife came to this country less than a year ago.

 

So Ms. KD, how dare you tell me I should be slapped to the ground because I chose to stand respectfully for the anthem?   How dare you tell me what to do?  What kind of fascist mentality do you have that you would "slap people to the ground" to force them to behave your way?

 

Be sure of one thing, Ms. KD.  America IS a free country.  Your bigoted, narrow minded, self-righteous, fascist thinking belongs in the trash heap. 

 

If your family has been in this country for generations, or you have been here only one day, you are free to express yourself how you see fit and proper.  And it is the place of NO ONE to tell you how to behave.  Especially not some self-appointed busy body.

 

Be sure of this.  I will show my respect during the national anthem in the manor of my choosing, not yours.  Do not presume to tell me, my wife, or my friends how to behave.  Obviously it is you who are in need of a civics lesson.  Or a dictionary with the entry for "freedom" marked.

 

Regular readers, all 2 of you, know I love a good quote.  So here's a good quote from Oscar Wilde for Ms. KD.  "I may not agree with you, but I will defend to the death your right to make an ass of yourself."

 

Until you try to tell me, my wife, my family, or my friends how to behave.





A Surprisng Place

“I ate apple pie and ice cream—it was getting better as I got deeper into Iowa, the pie bigger, the ice cream richer. There were the most beautiful bevies of girls everywhere I looked in Des Moines that afternoon—they were coming home from high school—but I had no time for thoughts like that…So I rushed past the pretty girls, and the prettiest girls in the world live in Des Moines.” - Jack Kerouac, "On The Road"

 

When my wife first came to Des Moines there was a long line of people asking her, "Why Des Moines?"  There are many people across the country who ask that question, or at least among those who don't get Iowa confused with Idaho or Ohio.

 

So why Des Moines, why Iowa?  What does Iowa have that's worth the trip, and worth putting up with the insane mid-west weather?

 

For starters Des Moines is home to the Iowa State Fair.  This annual 11 day event regularly attracts over 1 million visitors despite the August heat.  Fair goers expect and find the best food (on a stick), thrilling rides, and world class entertainment.  

 

Entertainers such as Olivia Newton-John, Chicago, and Lady Antebellum have all appeared on the stage.  And if the entertainment and food aren't enough you can check out the life size cow made from butter!

 

Of course the fair is only one attraction that central Iowa has to offer.  Are you into sports?  How about the Drake Relays, a world class track and field competition with national media coverage.  The Relays have hosted such Olympic greats as Bruce Jenner, Carl Lewis, and Jesse Owens.

 

The HyVee Triathlon is another event that attracts athletes from all over the globe to compete.  Des Moines is one of only four U.S. cities to hold such an event, which attracts 2,000 athletes from 25 countries, 10,000 spectators, and raises $250,000 for charity.

 

If the Arts are more your style Des Moines and central Iowa are still the place for you.  The Des Moines Arts Festival began in the 1970s as a small "Art in the Park" event hosted by the Des Moines Art Center, which attracted only a few hundred visitors, almost all local residents. 

 

By 2013 the Des Moines Arts Festival had grown to cover more than 3 city blocks in the downtown Western Gateway area.  The Festival boasts corporate sponsors such as the Meredith Corporation, and a wide range of attractions.  The full spectrum of art from around the world is represented, including painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media, film, and even craft beers!

 

If history is more your thing Des Moines certainly has what you're looking for.  Living History Farms offers you the chance to step back in time.  The town of Walnut Hill takes you to 1875, the pioneer farm shows you life in 1850, while the Ioway Indian Farm takes you to the time of the Native Americans in 1700.

 

The town is also the location of the Church of the Land, marking the spot where Pope John Paul II visited Des Moines in 1979.  The small country church is a beautiful spot for quiet reflection and a popular place for weddings.

 

Looking for something a little further back in time?  The Des Moines Renaissance Fair is probably more your speed.  Spanning 3 weekends in September the fair transports you to the age of kings and queens, knights and ladies, and even the occasional mermaid. 

 

Dress up like a pirate or wear your grand kilt to truly get in the mood.  Watch demonstrations on various crafts, take belly dancing lessons, or watch a jousting competition. 

 

And when you've worked up an appetite feed your hungry belly with turkey legs, beer, and hot dogs!

 

Des Moines has undergone many changes over the years.  Today it's a place where you can enjoy fine art and fine dining, then get a pork chop on a stick.  It's a place for shopping for the latest fashion, and shopping for the latest work boots.  It's a place for those who work in the insurance industry, in manufacturing, in the arts, or even at your neighborhood pub.

 

It's a suprising place, and my home.

Keeping the Faith

"I wear the chain I forged in life ... I made it link by link, and yard by yard; I girded it on of my own free will, and of my own free will I wore it."

- Charles Dickens, "A Christmas Carol"

In a recent post there was a brief mention of the debate between free will and determinism.  There was some discussion off line, so I thought it would be worth while to expand on the subject a bit more.

This debate has continued for millennia.  Do I, a human being, make the choices in my life freely?  Or are my actions, even my thoughts, pre-determined by the laws of the universe, or by decree from God?

The idea that our actions may be pre-determined in some way is related to the idea of the universe as the ultimate machine.  Many of these ideas were influenced by the laws of motion developed primarily by Isaac Newton.  It was believed that, in theory, if one could discover the exact “state of the universe” then the state of the universe in any moment in time, past or future, could be mathematically predicted.

Of course, the “state of the universe” would include the exact position, direction of movement, and speed of every object in the universe.  From the tiny particles that make up the atoms and molecules of our bodies to the stars and galaxies that fill the night sky.  Everything. 

The mathematics would be daunting, they would almost assuredly be well beyond the ability of humanity to ever actually master.  Even to begin, to gather all the information needed about the current state of the universe, would be beyond mortal capability.  But, in theory, it could be done.

It could be done by God, of course.  For the omnipotent creator of the universe it would be a way to pass the time on a slow Sunday afternoon.  You know, between church and when the cousins stop by for dinner.

That was a fashionable view during the age of enlightenment, the clockwork universe.  In that view the universe was thought of as a kind of machine, like a clock, with springs and gears and counter weights. 

This clock had been designed by God, who wound the main spring and then let it go.  According to this view of the universe the clock is still ticking away, without need of further intervention by the creating clock maker.

What an interesting feat of intellectual juggling!  In one neat little package the existence of God is "proven," and then removed from the picture.  Wondering why there is such a lack of miracles in the world?  No prophets around proclaiming the coming of the chosen one?  Don’t you hear the ticking of the clock?  At least in the metaphysical sense.  

It is one small step from the clockwork universe to one in which the actions of each man, woman, and child are not the result of choice, but predetermined by that most inescapable of the powers of God: Fate.

There is a bit of a bug in the system of the clockwork universe.  If a man’s fate, if his very thoughts and actions are pre-determined, where does that leave original sin? 

If someone does evil deeds not because he chooses them, but because Fate (God) has pre-ordained it to be, shouldn’t he then be blameless?  Then even original sin is not the fault of man, but the fault of the creator who made the machine of the universe. 

In the novel "A Clockwork Orange" author Anthony Burgess explores the idea further.  If a man is compelled to do good deeds, from psychological conditioning, is he good?  Is someone who is forced to do good any better than a man who chooses to do evil from free will?   

Burgess writes, “Goodness is something chosen.  When a man cannot choose he ceases to be a man."

And further, "The important thing is moral choice.  Evil has to exist along with good, in order that moral choice may operate.  Life is sustained by the grinding opposition of moral entities.”

Evil must exist so that man has free will to choose good.

Wow, did not see that coming, although I'm sure many of you are rolling your eyes and praying for my soul by now. 

And yet, if there was no free will, given that God created the universe, then it must be filled only with good.  If we had no choice, then a just and loving God could only allow goodness.

That is a pivotal point in my argument, but is my argument proof?

One difficulty is the definition of proof.  To the layperson once you prove something then that’s the end of it.  It’s proven, it’s fact, move on.  I can prove a shovel is hard by hitting you in the face with one, and there you are.  In the world of science and philosophy things are not so clear cut.  Based on that definition of proof you can never prove anything. 

You can disprove a theory by doing something in an experiment that the theory says is impossible.  You can do an experiment where what happens is predicted by the theory, in which case you confirm a theory.

When it comes to proof there is always something waiting in the wings, in some cases referred to as “hidden variables.”  There may be laws of nature that make it look like your theory is correct, but if that hidden variable is removed your theory falls flat on it’s smug little face.

You can disprove.  You can confirm, and if you find enough confirmation then the theory is accepted, but always conditionally, always with the caveat that some other law of nature is out there, and that other law is the real cause.

So do we have free will?  It can’t be proven in the conventional sense.  In the technical sense we can confirm it, but not prove it.  And there is always that hidden variable, and that variable is God.

If God is omnipotent then He can create a universe that is totally pre-determined, yet appears to us as if we have free will.  If God is omnipotent then any knowledge we have about the nature of the universe will always require a certain amount of Faith.

The argument that God can "make it look like" whatever He wanted was used by Pope Urban VIII.  In response to the "proof" Galileo offered to confirm the Copernican idea of a Sun centered universe, Urban argued that God could construct the universe so that it looked like the Sun was in the center,  while in fact the Earth was at the center.

Galileo then wrote a book called the Dialogue in which a character named Simplicio ("The Simpleton") championed the same argument as Pope Urban.  In short, Galileo called Pope Urban VIII a "simpleton."

Galileo was arrested for heresy soon after.

This same argument has also been used by Creationist movements to dismiss archeological evidence.  God created the fossil records to fool us, to make it look like the Earth was much older than the biblical chronology.

Einstein once said, "The most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is at all comprehensible."   To which I would say, if the world isn't comprehensible let's all just go home.  If you don't start by assuming the world can be understood without resorting to the "God can do anything" argument there is no point.
 

Can you prove free will?  No.  Can you prove the existence of God?  To that I also say no, but that’s another post. 

Now, here is my final point.  You can’t prove the existence of God, or that mankind has free will. You don’t need to.  One could even make the case that you shouldn’t prove it.  What you really need is something else altogether.

You gotta have faith.

What's the Buzz?

"Ideas on Earth were badges of friendship or enmity. Their content did not matter.  Friends agreed with friends in order to express friendliness.  Enemies disagreed with enemies, in order to express enmity."

- Kurt Vonnegut, 'Breakfast of Champions'

It seems every year there is a new crop of buzz words, the phrases that all the cool kids know and love to repeat.  You've heard them, you love them, but do you really know them?

Much of the power of the buzz word lies in our willingness to  suspend logic and accept the phrase as it is given to us.  Because if you look too closely you'll see the buzzword of the day doesn't really mean anything.  Or it's meaning is so obscure as to effectively block communicating any idea. 
 

I'll admit some buzzwords are useful.  There are terms that have been developed to express certain ideas more precisely.  

In the business world there are so many different ways to communicate. You can send a fax, an email, a text, an instant message.  If you're really old fashioned you can call them on the phone, or even send a letter.  But to let someone know you will make contact you "reach out" to them.  The form of the communication doesn't matter much, it's the reaching.

You can reach out to someone, reach a conclusion, or reach for the stars!  But don't reach for your assistant's assets.  

One buzzword that has always seemed a little, dare I say it, stupid, is "thinking outside the box."  What's "outside the box?"  For that matter, what is the box?

The box is the assumptions we hold, our beliefs about the limits of what is workable and acceptable.  What's outside the box is every idea, no matter how impractacle or just plain stupid.

In the world of science it is understood that progress is made by challenging the assumptions, not by throwing them away.  Without understanding why we do things the way we do any attempt to move forward will result in wallowing around with no direction.

Some buzzwords are actually euphemisms, words meant to disguise unpleasant truths. De-layering is laying off staff, people losing their jobs.  Anytime you hear "off shore" think "my job is going to a call center in India."  

There are no employees any more.  Everyone is either an associate or a team member.  Associates makes it sound like you're somehow an outsider, a consultant, and therefor not deserving of benefits.  Team members are there to enjoy the game.  Either way, if they change your title watch your paycheck.

Some buzzwords come about because people stick two words together in a hap hazard way, probably because they don't know what a thesaurus is.  Like "ginormous" (gigantic + enormous).  Auto-magically (automatically + magic).  My contribution, numbiot (numb skull + idiot).

One buzzword that I've always found a tad distasteful is referring to people as a "resource."  While it may be somewhat accurate, it does strike me as slightly dehumanizing.  You're not a person any more, with your own strengths and weaknesses, your own  desires and dislikes.  You're a resource, you belong to the company.

The truly unfortunate thing about buzzwords is when they corrupt the language.  Words have meaning, they have power, they can move us.  Or they should.  As an example I offer the word guru.

A guru once meant a wise man.  A guru was someone who had a long lifetime of experience to draw on, and the intelligence and insight to offer us deep spiritual truths about our lives.  A lifetime of suffering, denial, and communion with God brings a guru wisdom that he can share with his fellow humans to bring them peace.

Now, if you can install software in your computer without calling tech support you're a guru.  If you can ride a skateboard without falling down and skinning your knee you're a guru.  If you can pass wind and not mess yourself you're a guru.   

Then there are prefixes or suffixes that can make any word into a buzzword quickly and easily. Although not painlessly.  If you're not too old you may recall the advent of the fashionista.  A handy label for the elitist fashion snobs, or fashion fascists.  Now anyone can become an elite fascist. 

Words are about communication.  They carry meaning and emotional impact.  They carry ideas and inspiration.  If words hinder that process then discard those words and find words that can do the job.
 

And you know you can trust me on this.  I'm a blogista!

Hello, God. Me again.

  

"Why is it that when we talk to God we're said to be praying,

but when God talks to us we're schizophrenic?"

- Lily Tomlin

 

My post for today was inspired by the words of the priest in church today. Thanks, Father Frank!

 

His words got me to thinking about prayer.  What is prayer?  Is it really a good idea?  Does it work?  If not, why bother?

 

So let us begin with the simplest(?) question first.  What then is prayer?

 

For the cynical response we could turn to the writings of Ambrose Bierce, "PRAY, v., To ask that  the laws of the universe be annulled in behalf of a single petitioner confessedly unworthy."   There was certainly a time in my life when this was my view of prayer.  And to some degree perhaps this definition fits what many people think of as prayer.

 

To understand what something is, we also need to decide what it is not.  So in that spirit I will put forward this definition of something that is not prayer.  Any prayer, any invocation of the intervention of a deity, that is intended to cause harm to any person or living thing is in actual fact a curse. 

 

This may offend some people, but that category would include such generic  prayers as "God, please strike down my enemies."  That's a curse, not a prayer. 

 

Asking God to save you from your enemies is okay, but asking him to strike them down?  Nope.  Remember all that 'turn the other cheek' and 'forgiveness' stuff you learned in Sunday school?  It still applies.  All of it.

 

One thing that has always seemed troubling is the propensity for some people, especially sports figures, to pray to God for an advantage in what is essentially a trivial matter.  It's almost amusing to think some people have the arrogance to believe the creator of the universe should favor one university football team over another, or the Detroit Pistons over the Chicago Cubs, just because they asked. 

 

If God can be thought of in anthropomorphic terms then I would imagine him listening to such prayers, shaking his head, and making a clucking sound like a parent listening to a child asking for sprinkles on their ice cream when they're already getting chocolate syrup.  And I mean the kind of syrup that turns crunchy, no less!

 

If you must pray over sports then pray that no one gets injured.  Pray that everyone plays the game to the best of their abilities, doesn't cheat, and has fun. 

 

The same admonition goes to those who pray for any material gain.  Perhaps the words of Mother Teresa will best guide you, "Prayer is not asking.  Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God, at His disposition., and listening to His voice in the depth of our hearts." 

 

Many people would probably disagree, at least in part, with her words.  They might argue that prayer can also be asking for wisdom, or for the benefit of others.  Surely there is nothing wrong with such prayers?

 

Consider also the words of philosopher Soren Kierkegaard, "The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays." 

 

This quote brings together many of my thoughts on prayer and confession.

 

God knows what you want, what you need, and what you've done.  When you are praying do you think God doesn't already know?  He knows your words before they even form in your mind. 

 

In confession, we don't so much admit to God what we have done, we admit to ourselves that what we have done is wrong.  And, hopefully, we resolve to change.

 

We pray not to have God change the world, but to change ourselves.  It is, as Kierkegaard said, "to change the nature" of ourselves.  In proper prayer we do not ask God for anything, we open our hearts and our minds to what he says to us. 

 

For those who choose to pray for the benefit of others, perhaps another quote will say it best.  The labor pioneer Mary Harris "Mother" Jones, "Pray for the dead and fight like hell for the living."  It's one thing to pray for the hungry to be fed, it's another to feed someone. 

 

I don't mean to be cynical here.  If you see wrongs in the world try to make them right, and if you choose to pray to God to make the world a better place for others, be prepared to accept that there will always be hungry people in the world.  If your friend is suffering bring them medicine and companionship, and if you choose to pray to God to make them healthy, be prepared to accept their passing. 

 

My message on this last point is not that we should not pray, but if we do not get what we wanted, don't blame God.  That pesky old "free will vs. determinism" thing rears it's ugly/pretty head here, yet we could say perhaps the "blame" is in you wanting what you can not have.

 

And always keep in mind, the act of praying is meant to bring you strength, to bring God into your heart.  It is not meant to change the universe, but to bring you into alignment with the universe.

 

God will answer your prayers.  Sometimes the answer is yes, sometimes it is no.  Sometimes the answer will come as a complete surprise, because you didn't know what the real question was. 

 

Is there a "pure" kind of prayer?  Yes, as German theologian and philosopher Meister Eckhart wrote, "If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough." 

 

Sometimes our prayers are answered by events, in either the positive or the negative.  You actually do win the lottery, or your friend dies.  Don't let the events in your life keep you from seeing the real answer, the answer that can't be photographed, or touched, or pointed to on a calendar.

 

Peace in your heart. 

 

 

 

 

Elmer Fudd and the Future of Civilization

"We must capture a live earth creature, K-9, and take it back with us to Mars.  Isn't that a nice assignment?  Hmm?"

- Marvin the Martian, 'The Hasty Hare' (1952)

Just about everyone from my age group was raised on a diet of the Warner Brother's Merrie Melodies and Looney Tunes cartoons.  Elmer Fudd and Bugs Bunny, Wile E. Coyote and The Roadrunner, Daffy Duck and Foghorn Leghorn entertained and instructed us.

One of the most surprising things is that kids loved them so much.  Not many people are aware that the cartoons started out life written for adults, not children.  After all, how many 5 year olds in 1965 understood a joke about war bonds? 

They were intended to be shown prior to Warner Brothers feature films, and the Looney Tunes shows were even required to have a song from the soundtrack of the movie they were preceding. (Merrie Melodies were not).

But what lessons did my generation learn from the rascally rabbit and his companions? 

The charge has often been leveled that the cartoons were far too violent.  Were the cartoons violent? Quite often, yes.  Yet I would argue the point that, although violent, it was the character who initiated the violence who usually suffered. 

It was Wile E. Coyote who was flattened by the Acme Anvil, not the Roadrunner.  It was Elmer Fudd who somehow always managed to end up looking like an exploding cigar when his own hunting rifle blew up in his face.

And it was rarely a matter of Bugs being more violent than Elmer, or the Roadrunner having a bigger anvil on order from Acme.  The way in which the protagonist would side step the danger, or the finesse with which he would fool his adversary, was often a wonder to behold.

Who can forget the great "duck season/rabbit season" debate?  Elmer, holding his gun and as befuddled as ever, has both Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny at gun point.  Is it duck season, or rabbit season?

"It's rabbit season!" declares Daffy as he nudges the gun barrel at Bugs.
"Duck season." replies Bugs, as he nudges the gun barrel back towards Daffy.
"Rabbit season!", proclaims Daffy, again pointing the rifle toward Bugs.
"Rabbit season.", advises Bugs as he moves the gun in a circle back towards himself.
"Duck season!  FIRE!", exclaims Daffy as he moves the barrel back to himself, and "Blam!"  Elmer shoots Daffy.

One of my personal favorites involves Bugs being chased by a large, hairy monster.  The monster appears to be a large mass of hair shaped somewhat like a Valentine.  At one point Bugs leaves the room and re-appears a second later with a manicurist's table.  He then sits the monster down, does his nails, and starts to do his hair, using dynamite sticks as curlers. 

You can guess the rest.  Although a little more on the violent side than Bugs' usual repertoire, what's admirable is the way he can suck his victim into the fantasy that Bugs weaves with his voice and mannerisms.

And that was really why Bugs Bunny was so admired.  He has an easy going nature, and simply defends himself as needed, using his enemies weaknesses to get them to defeat themselves.  But push him too far, and "Of course you know, this means war!"

Any discussion of the Warner Brother's cartoons should include a nod to Mel Blanc, the voice of so many different characters.  Every voice from Bugs Bunny to Elmer Fudd, from Foghorn Leghorn to Henery Hawk.  A vocal genius who entertained many generations, and whose voice will live on to entertain many more.

In the end what did my generation learn from Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies?  

1. Those who practice violence shall suffer the consequences. 
2. Being flattened by a falling piano is not fatal.
3. Sticking your finger in a gun will cause it to explode in the face of the person holding the gun, but oddly enough will leave the finger totally undamaged.
4. Gravity only works if you look down.
5. When it's really cold your tears fall as ice cubes.
6. You can stop a plane from crashing into the ground 5 feet up if you put on the air brakes.
7. It doesn't matter what you look like, if you put on a blond wig and bright red lipstick all men will do whatever you say.

And of course, last but certainly not least:

"Don't take life too seriously.  You'll never get out alive."

The Examined Life

"When I'm good, I'm very good, but when I'm bad, I'm better."

- Mae West

 



The philosopher Socrates is credited with saying, “An unexamined life is not worth living.”  A statement which in itself deserves to be examined.

In order to examine anything we need to first ask ourselves what we are looking for.  Is this to be a trip down memory lane, revisiting those moments and places that had an impact on who we are?  Or is this to be a session of honest, soul searching, self-examination?

Yes. 

When Socrates uttered those words he was concerned with living a virtuous life.  He recognized that no one can truly live a life of virtue without frequent and regular self assessment. 

Being a good person is like walking a straight line in more ways than one.  You can't start walking a straight line, close your eyes, and expect to continue to walk in a straight line, it's just not possible.  In order to keep to that straight and narrow it takes constant feed back.  You need to keep looking around, and making adjustments as needed.

The other thing we need to ask ourselves, and this may seem too obvious, but what does it mean to live a virtuous life?

To some people it means following the 10 commandments.  There are those who believe showing up in church once a week is sufficient to be a virtuous person in God's eyes.  As Amy in 'The Big Bang Theory' proclaims, "I don't object to the concept of a deity, but I'm baffled by the notion of one that takes attendance."

Is there a simple test that one can apply that says "this is moral" and "this is immoral?"

This is not a question I can answer for anyone but myself.  I do believe that most if not all religions say the same things about what is moral, that anyone living a virtuous life would have a life in agreement with all religions.  But is ethical or moral behavior necessarily synonymous with righteous behavior? 

So what about my life?  Has my life been a virtuous life?  Is my past full of just and upright actions?  Or is my personal history one that is tainted with personal failings?

Have I always lived a virtuous life? Of course not.  Yet I think I can safely say that I never tried to intentionally hurt other people.  In my heart I have tried to do the right thing.  If I can be faulted for anything it's not trying hard enough to learn what the right thing was.

Live and learn.  Can  I honestly say I'm a better person today then I was yesterday?  Yes, I think I can.  I'm not always the best I can be, but I do try.  And hopefully tomorrow I can try harder and do better. 

If I do, it will only happen by honestly looking at my life today.  It can only come about by an honest examination of my beliefs as well as my actions.

Have I lived a totally virtuous, or moral, life?  Who has?  If everyone lived a perfectly moral and ethical life there would be no religion, there would be no need for laws, there would be no Weight Watchers.  Think about it.

Here is the thing.  Can you honestly say you take the time to look at your life, think about your actions, think about how you treat your fellow man and woman?  Living a virtuous life really comes down to how you treat others around you, human and otherwise.  Do you honestly try to be a better person tomorrow than you were yesterday?

Then you have a life worth living.

Macho, macho man!

"Art is based on emotion, but being macho is based on ego; the wall protecting that emotion." - Miguel

Macho Man.  He’s part of the culture. The disco group The Village People sang about him.  He’s been portrayed in endless movies.  But what is he?

In the recent animated movie “Despicable Me 2” the hero, Gru, must battle the super villain “El Macho.”  The subtext is rather obvious.  Gru, a former super villian who recently adopted 3 small girls grew as a person, becoming a caring and compassionate father.  To further grow as a father Gru must defeat the villain “El Macho,” a former peer from his past who he admired.

Sub-textual psycho-babble aside, we’re still lacking a good understanding, or even definition, of what macho is.  To make our task a little easier, let’s agree that the macho we’re concerned with is the stereotypical macho from the disco era. 

El Macho fits the character to a “t”.  Loose shirt open to nearly the waist to show off his hairy chest and gold medallions.  Slicked back hair.  A smooth talking womanizer with a flashy smile.  He concerns himself with shows of his physical prowess, usually involving violence.  He is overly concerned with making himself look good as a “physical” specimen, and totally unconcerned about anyone or anything else.  To call him “self-absorbed” is to call the oceans “wet”.

And so we come to my definition of “macho”, circa 1980s:    

m  men

a  acting

c  childish,

h  hopelessly

o  oblivious

The Macho Man of the 1980’s fancied himself the perfect male, the pinnacle of evolutionary perfection.  In truth he was a child playing grownup, too immature to understand how inappropriate his behavior is.  He was a Neanderthal in a museum, proud of himself for pooping in a Ming Vase because his feeble brain thought it was a chamber pot.

The Macho Man of the 1980’s impressed no one but the other children, mostly drug addled teenagers in heart and soul if not in actual years and chemistry.

And he does not impress today.  He is in fact a child, a clown, a pathetic joke.

How then do we redefine “Macho” so that he is a “fit specimen” for the world today? 

“M”, male.  The macho man of the real world is male.  He simply recognizes himself for what he is, whatever that is.  His sexuality is not something he is afraid of nor does he feel a need to flaunt it. 

“A”, accepting.  He simply is what he is, and he does not expect or insist that other people conform to his ways.  He’s a human, you’re a human, he accepts you and respects you for what you are.

“C”, compassionate.  Compassion is the natural result from having the ability to see beyond yourself.  We all exist in this world together, and we can only survive and flourish if we recognize this fact.    

“H”, humility.  A true Macho Man knows he doesn’t need to take all the credit for who and what he is.  Whatever positive physical features he may have are more blessings from God than his own handiwork.  And it can all go away in the blink of an eye.  Humility is not only about recognizing where your gifts come from, it is also about knowing they can all go away in an instant, and appreciating what you’ve been given. 

“O”, originality.  Each of us is a unique expression of the human spirit.  Perhaps one of the most laughable things about the 1980’s Macho Man is his cookie-cutter personality.  Every one of them doing the same things, dressing the same way, saying the same tired catch phrases.  Each of them claiming they are “doing their own thing” while the only real difference between them is the color of their shirt.

So for me, I’ll continue trying to be a macho man circa 2014.  You know, the kind of man that thinks it’s okay if his mother is proud of him, goes “aww” when he sees photos of kittens, and believes he should be judged by his character.

You can best believe that ... I’m a macho man! 

California Dreamin'

"California is a garden of Eden, 

A paradise to live in or see,

But believe it or not,

You won't find it so hot,

If you ain't got that do re mi."

- Woody Guthrie

 

I’ve done a lot of travelling in the last 12 months, more than I would have imagined a few years ago.  Now that things have settled down a bit perhaps it is time to reflect on some of the things I’ve learned.

Before my trip oversees last March I had done a little traveling for work.  Once to Billings, Montana and once to Houston, Texas. They sent me to Los Angeles, California twice.   All wonderful places, and I think I could learn to like living in each of them if need be.

Of those three places I would have to admit to liking Los Angeles the most. 

It may be the ocean that draws me.  There is something wistful and poetic about standing on the shore of the Pacific Ocean at sunset, looking out towards the great forever, wondering about all the places “out there.”

There is a scene in the novel Moby Dick.  The main character of the story has boarded a whaling ship to sign up.  Captain Peleg, one of the owners of the ship, asks him why he wants to sign up for such a perilous job, and the young man tells the old salt he wants to see the world. 

The captain bids the young man to go and look over the bow of the ship, which he dutifully does.  When he returns to the captain's side the captain asks, "What did ye see?"  The young man reports "Not much, nothing but water; considerable horizon though." 

The captain then tells the young man, "Well, what dost thou think then of seeing the world?  Do you wish to go round Cape Horn to see any more of it, eh?  Can't ye see the world where you stand?"

So now that I’ve been to the end of the Santa Monica Pier I could say I’ve seen the world.

Another thing that attracts me to "La-La Land" would be the art and culture.  Never mind "Hollyweird," keep in mind that Los Angeles is also home to many first class museums, including the Getty Center for the Visual Arts. 

If you are ever in southern California and love the arts at all The Getty is a must see.  One could easily spend the whole day exploring the extensive grounds.

If you do, bring a big fat wallet.  The art is world class, and so are the prices at the cafeteria.

One of the nicest attractions at the Getty are the grounds themselves.  The formal gardens beckon one to relax and enjoy the atmosphere, while the stunning architecture inspires, and the views are sure to captivate.
 

Access to nature is also important to me.  Before my trips to California there was a lot of online searching and using Google Earth to find places to go, explore, and photograph.  It really is a shame I had so little time to see those places in person. 

On my last trip there I had planned a cruise to The Channel Islands National Park, a nature preserve offshore.  The trip had to be cancelled due to “June Gloom”.  The foggy weather normally experienced in June lasted well in to July that year.

At least I was able to do some hiking into the infamous Hollywood hills.  Even on a gloomy, cloudy day the views from the hills between Hollywood and Burbank were magnificent.   And I have a list of other hills and trails I hope to explore some day.

To be sure there could be a down side to living in Los Angeles, just as there is in any large metropolitan area. 

Crime can be an issue, yet I think as bad as the crime statistics may be most of it isn't random.  Don't hang out with gangsters and you won't get shot.  The worst crimes the average person is likely to see are the prices at the Circle-K, and just what is in the hot dogs?

Pollution can also be an issue.  On one trip I had to change my hiking plans because the trail I had planned to take was closed due to "toxic soil."  And, so I've been told, if you go shopping for a house in some areas take a Geiger counter with you to check for left over radiation from the war industries.

As a Midwesterner perhaps what makes me most nervous are the earth quakes. 
No matter where you are in the world there is some way that nature will try to kill you from time to time, or at least make sure you're paying attention. 

In the Midwest severe storms, especially tornadoes, are a very real threat.  But at least you can see those coming, you know when the weather is turning threatening.  With earth quakes they're just suddenly there.  No warning, no funny looking clouds in a green sky.  Just there.

In the end, no matter where you live, there is one thing that is pretty constant.  The people.  While there are some characters in L.A. there are also some characters in Iowa City.  And even in a small town like Winterset, home of movie legend and legendary character John Wayne.  The movie industry has it's share of unique people, but many of those people come from the small towns all around the country. 

So the most important thing about where you live, is having the people you love living there to.

The Agony of Defeat

"Happiness is a risk.  If you're not a little scared, then you're not doing it right."

- Sarah Addison Allen, "The Peach Keeper"

 

With the Winter Olympics on television this week I can't help but think of the opening scene from the "Wide World of Sports."  Every Saturday the weekly sports program would start with rousing Olympic music and the tag line, "The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat."

 

Everyone from my age group that had a TV probably remembers the image of the "agony of defeat."  The skier who comes of the end of the ramp and immediately crashes in what had to be one of the worst skiing accidents of his life.

 

Does anyone remember the "thrill of victory" person?  I've been searching my memory.  The agony of defeat is forever etched into my mind, but the thrill of victory?  To be honest I can't even remember what sport it was.

 

It really isn't surprising.  Being able to quickly identify a dangerous situation was more important from a survival perspective than the ability to quickly identify an advantageous one.

 

After all it takes just a few seconds for a tiger to eat you.  If you find some ripe apples on the tree it's still going to take time to climb the tree and get the apples.  And they will probably be there tomorrow.

 

Perhaps that is the source of our natural reluctance to take risks.  We are hard wired to be more responsive to danger than to reward.  The key then becomes how do we think about risk?  How do we use these big brains of ours to overcome our natural reluctance (avoid the tiger) and gain the maximum reward (get the apple)?

 

In today's world risk is usually not the immediate danger our ancestors faced.  To be sure an auto accident can ruin your life in the blink of an eye.  Yet the real risks in today's world take much longer to manifest themselves.  Cancer, heart disease, a bad hair day. 

 

We also need to recognize that we may fail and accept that.  In high school my drama teacher taught that successful actors have one thing in common, the willingness to make fools of themselves. In "Summertime" Australian author J. M. Coetzee writes, "Well, that is what you risk when you fall in love.  You risk losing your dignity."

 

Accept that you may fail, recognize that the tiger is out there and he is never going to completely disappear.  At the same time you need to be smart about how you take the risk.  Before you go after the apples take the meat out of your pockets.  Have a friend keeping an eye out for the tiger while you climb the tree.  If the tiger comes around run like heck and worry about the apples tomorrow.

 

Taking a risk doesn't mean being stupid.  It means accepting that you may fail, do what you can to improve your odds, and pressing forward.  Railroad pioneer Charles M. Hays said "'Safety first' is 'safety always.'"  But then, he perished on the Titanic.  That's the definition of irony.

 

You could decide to live the safe life. If you think that's going to work perhaps you're just fooling yourself.  You may stay in your little cave and feel safe, thinking the tiger can't get you.  You're forgetting some caves have a back entrance.  Or perhaps the bear in the back of the cave is about to wake up.

 

Life is full of risk.  Thinking you are safe is worse than taking foolish chances.  Going into any situation blind to the dangers is a sure way to get eaten by lions, tigers, and bears.  And tax collectors.  And predatory lenders.  And the common cold.  And bad drivers.  And politics.

 

Oh, and if you're wondering, the thrill of victory scene was changed frequently, there was no single image associated with it. 

 

The agony of defeat was Yugoslavian skier Vinko Bogataj.  His infamous fall was at the World Ski Flying Championship in Oberstdorf West Germany on March 21, 1970.  As bad as the fall looked on television, and Vinko admitted it was very painful, there were no serious injuries.

 

Although he is remembered for his spectacular fall, keep this in mind.  He was a world class athlete.  To get to that level he had to be one of the best.  He took risks and he had both failure and success. 

 

As the American theologian William G.T. Shedd wrote, "A ship is safe in harbor, but that's not what ships are for."

 

The safe life, an oxymoron if ever there was one.