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While We Still Have Time

In spite of the grimness of the times in which we live, there is still hope. If you feel, like I do, that the usual discourse about matters of critical concern tends to be superficial, misguided, and false, then you might find some solace and inspiration here. I will try to offer insight and a holistic perspective on events and issues, and hopefully serve as a catalyst for raising the level of dialogue on this planet.

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Location: Madison, Wisconsin, United States

I was born in 1945, shortly before atom bombs were dropped on Japan. I served in the U.S. Army from 1968 to 1971. I earned master's degrees in Economics and Educational Psychology, and certificates in Web Page Design and as a Teacher of English as a Second Language. I followed an Indian guru for eight years, which immersed me in meditative practices and an attitude of reaching a higher level of being. A blog post listing the meditative practices I have pursued can be seen here.

Monday, August 28, 2023

The Hoax Of Climate Change Will See To That

The "Republicans" had their first "debate" of the 2024 campaign season last Wednesday. I didn't watch. I waste time, but I don't roll in it. Watching a group of "Republicans" one-upping each other would be akin to a dog rolling in excrement. Except dogs roll in excrement purposefully. No meaningful purpose would be served by watching "Republicans" posturing as leaders on TV. It would just be rolling in shit as a human, having nothing better to do. Many "Americans" have nothing better to do, and will roll in just about anything.

I did watch news reports, though, saw enough to see that it was indeed a big nothing, all posturing, little-to-no substance. It wasn't a debate anyway, where two sides argue a topic, present arguments, counterarguments, form conclusions and a winning argument is determined.

Instead, alternating politicians make rhetorical statements, disagree personally over minutiae, and "pundits" in the news media declare a "winner" based on ad-hoc criteria. It is all a show for TV ratings, in this case for Fox News, then other media in a descending order of credibility with the masses. 

As an example of the mass media worthiness of these "debates," regarding the most serious concern on the planet, climate change, the "Republican" debaters either called it a hoax, claimed it isn't caused by humans, or shifted blame to Joe Biden, India, China, and other countries. 

The "Republican" party, the Wile E. Coyotes of coups d'état, are only concerned with out-Wile E. Coyoteing each other, hoping to catch the electoral Road Runner, the U.S. presidency. They stand for nothing real, have no real beliefs, are narcissists and criminals, and are a danger to the planet. They don't care.

The "news" media are no better. They give these criminals all the forum they could ever want, propping them up as "the (absent) front-runner," the "new guy in town," the "Trump loyalist," the "Trump critic," the "leading fund raiser," the "candidate for Trump's running-mate," and the candidate "appealing to Trump's base."

No pundit would dare say that the absent Trump is a deranged and malevolent criminal sociopath and a continuing danger to both democracy and the future of life on this plant, should he "win" the 2024 "election." His unfitness for office is never mentioned. His unfitness as a human being is unmentionable, though all these "players" know it to be a fact. They have their careers to think of.

The TV media showed their true face in the coverage of the recent firestorm that destroyed the town of Lahaina in Hawaii. In addition to the town being destroyed, over 115 people died and hundreds are still missing. Whenever Hawaii's governor Josh Green, was interviewed, TV networks made sure his party affiliation was displayed. Josh Green (D) Hawaii.

Everyone who matters matters because of party affiliation, especially in the 2024 "election season," which began November 4, 2020. It is always election season when there is money to be made, hype to be generated, livings to be made feeding the frenzy. Over nothing. Criminals running for Don Corleone of American "democracy." Everyone plays their part. Except the planet, of course, which cares not who the president of the United States is. 

This won't last, of course. There was a time before the U.S. presidential elections. There will be a time after. There didn't used to be a "U.S." There will be a time when it is long forgotten. The hoax of climate change will see to that.

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Here's a synopsis of "Republican" candidate Vivek Ramaswamy's contention that climate change is a hoax. The name Vivek is derived from Sanskrit, and means wise, judicious and knowledgeable. It is short for Viveka, one part the fourfold sadhana of Jnana Yoga. Ramaswamy means to be like Lord Rama, an incarnation of Vishnu, the aspect of the ultimate being Brahman that is the sustainer in Hinduism. It's like calling yourself a "Republican" and think that you stand for the republic. Or that you won an election because you say you did. Vivek Ramaswamy also supports grifter Donald Trump, a strange stance to have when you are running for president.
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Presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis has some questionable history with torture at the Guantanamo Bay prison camp. It seems he had (has) a taste for watching people being tortured. As governor of the State of Florida he practices his proclivity on a variety of citizens, non-citizens, the planet, Disney, anyone who opposes him. With a record like this, how does Donald Trump stand a chance? Here's a song just for Governor DeSantis.
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This song describes the "Republican" debate pretty well. This too.

This video has some hints on how to debunk climate change myths.

Iz (H).  Gabby (Also H). Don Ho (H, a pretty good guy, in happier times). This interview may play.

R.I.P. Tony Bennett. He was known as "the singer's singer" - the singer other singers would go to see him perform. A pretty good guy. Here are some of his best songs.

R.I.P. Sinéad O’Connor. Irisher. Banned for life from "SNL," for doing something that needed to be done. There was a time before "SNL." There will be a time after. A nice duet with Willie Nelson. With Roger Waters and remaining members of The Band. With Roger Daltrey and the Chieftans.

R.I.P. Robbie Robertson. I listened to this song many times during my indenture in the U.S. Army. Great version of the Band's best-known song.

R.I.P. Bob Barker, animal rights activist. He had the perfect name.
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I send things to other publications from time-to-time. The presence of F-35 jets at the Wisconsin Air National Guard facility in Madison is an ongoing issue. They are incredibly loud. There is no good reason for them to be flying over Madison. Except, of course, as a gift to the plane's manufacturer, Lockheed Martin. Earlier this month I sent a letter about a strafing by F-35 pilots over my neighborhood to the Wisconsin State Journal and the Capital Times, Madison's established newspapers. Neither of them printed it, but I can post it here:

My neighborhood got strafed by an F-35 a few days ago. This used to happen with the F-16s, but it was merely an annoyance, something to put up with, the same as loud Harleys blasting by. The F-35 noise is on a much more threatening level, louder by far than any thunder or fireworks.

We can expect more of this. With the new "Top Gun" movie out, hotdog piloting will proliferate. Male pilots especially are prone to making a bother of themselves, and there likely is some peer competition in who can scare people the most. As an added bonus they can "own the libs."

It was political corruption that brought the F-35 to Madison. It is a flawed, dangerous and needless weapon that its manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, needs customers for in order to stay in business. It took a massive amount of money to plan, design and build this white elephant, and absent of need or usefulness, customers had to be found in other ways.

Enter the military-industrial-political complex, with an emphasis on the political. The F-35 was foisted on Madison by Donald Trump, but our "progressive" senator Tammy Baldwin supports its continuing presence here. Politics makes strange bedfellows, or, in today’s parlance, bedpersons.

I have a solution. Move the Air Force base to some other location, somewhere more appropriate to defending the nation. Wisconsin, and especially Madison, does not need an air force. Maybe at the Canadian border the country could be adequately defended with a base, but not here.

I wrote about this before. I used to live in Hawaii, and worked at Hickam Air Force Base, one of the nation's largest. Planes flying in and out were loud on the base, but not anywhere else. They were never heard in Honolulu or the rest of Oahu. Not once. There were likely some hotdog pilots, but they did their hotdogging over the ocean. Sadly, Madison’s lakes are not large enough to accommodate the hotdog F-35 pilots at Truax Field, which should find a new home.
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PBS's NewsHour has a Monday segment called "Politics Monday." It is usually just political Pablum, superficial light-hearted chatter. This past Monday one of the usual 2-person panelists was not there, so a substitute took her place. It went off-script, the sub host not playing the game by the usual rules of emptiness. I responded thusly:

To: viewermail@newshour.org 
Wed, Aug 30 at 6:04 PM 

Tamara Keith reveals her true colors, or color. Oh, for the good old days when talking about politics, on Monday of course, was nothing but fun, laughs, entertainment. It was cha-ching Monday until a guest, er, team member, panelist, commentator, pundit showed up. This heresy of moving beyond superficiality might spread. Maybe even to other presenters of periphery. 

I have an idea. How about exploring the notion that Donald J. Trump is a deranged and malevolent criminal sociopath, is unfit to hold public office, and would be a danger to the planet if he is again "elected" president of the United States? He might also be the "front runner" of nothing. You could present this as a topic on "Politics Monday." 

John Hamilton 
Sometime viewer 
Madison, Wisconsin
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A recent Country song that makes not-so-implied threats against, hmm, liberals, should they do things the singer doesn't like has caused a bit of furor in the "progressive" community. The song, "Try That In A Small Town," is supposed to scare people who, er, question authority, especially the self appointed kind. I responded:

@truegangsteroflove

Hmm. A music performer wearing a cowboy hat. I wonder if he is a cowboy, or that he just needs the cowboy hat to create an impression. I also wonder if he wears it when he picks up nic-nacs at his small town drugstore. That would be appropriate. Drug store cowboy.

I grew up in a small town. People tried all kinds of things there, still do. Sometimes they get away with it, just like in big towns, cities, megalopolises, villages, hamlets, podunks and don't blinkers.

I also grew up in an era when the best country musicians, such as Johnny Cash, wore no hat at all. Merle Haggard wore a variety of hats. My favorite is the fedora. Willie Nelson wore a derby in a movie to rile the cowboy hat poseurs.

C'est la vie. This will pass. Country music has taken a creative dive in recent decades, and this song is a perfect example of how far it has fallen. Anything for money, and the rubes line up for it.


I have known a few Klansmen. One picked me up hitchhiking many years ago. I asked him how he joined. He said "In prison." I asked him what he was in for. He said "Burglary. But I didn't to it!" Of course. Another, far worse, had just gotten out of prison. Huntsville, Texas. He likely went right back, died in prison. I didn't stick around to find out. He was a career criminal, tied for the worst human being I have ever known. There were others. They didn't like me. They likely are no longer with us.

So, I wonder what this drugstore cowboy will come up with next, but I don't wonder much. There is plenty of good music out there, and some of it alt-country, some Americana, some Bluergass, and some made in towns, cities and on farms, ranches, and even out to sea.

I see he will be performing in his cowboy hat in Tinley Park in a renamed venue. It used to be the World Music Theater. I went there once, with an emphasis on once. It is a suitable place for a drugstore cowboy in full regalia. Yee hah!

Some people think I'm a cowboy. Or at least they call me a cowboy. The space cowboy. Some call me the truegangster of love. It must be because I speak of the pompatus of love. I don't mind. They don't call me a drugstore cowboy. That kind of cowboy comes a dime a dozen.
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Here's a cowboy song. Leadbelly, a cowboy, among other things. A cowboy without a hat. Some cowboys are in the jungle. R.I.P. Jimmy Buffet. Cowboys can get in trouble gambling and fooling around. Some cowboys ride in the sky.
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The Cap Times is promoting its "Ideas Fest," a conclave-of-sorts of "liberals," "progressives," leftists" and maybe a few "centrists" and "conservatives." It takes place September 17-23, spread around town, with guests like Bernie Sanders and Adam Kinzinger. I have never gone to it in previous incarnations, and won't be at this one either. I haven't heard of any meaningful ideas emanating from it, and past experiences with "leftists" and fellow travelers have proven to be ego-fests and clique posturing events. I wrote a letter to the Cap Times editor over a month ago, expressing my doubts. Needless to say, it didn't get posted, and I heard nothing back. 

To: CN TCT Voice
Thu, Jul 20 at 5:38 PM

I read Paul Fanlund's article entreating people to attend the Cap Times Idea Fest to see keynote speaker Adam Kinzinger. Kinzinger was one of two "Republcans" to participate in the House select committee that investigated the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. He was an inspiration for the country, showing courage, intelligence, forthrightness and dignity. For me there was the bonus that he represented the district near where I grew up in Illinois.

These factors are not enough for me to attend the Ideas Fest. It has been going since 2017, but I haven't heard of any ideas that are worthy of note or memorable. I don't expect there will be any this time either.

Paul Fanlund writes that "Madison's left would disagree with Knzinger on most traditional left-right issues." I have an idea. How about moving beyond the hackneyed, undefined, shallow and lazy metaphor of "left" versus "right?" The "spectrum" is an imaginary model of reality, not reality itself, and doesn't exist. Does this metaphor represent cohorts, belief systems, methodologies, or just, well, you know what I mean?

Knowers of truth describe the spectrum as existing from "extreme left" to "left" to "center left" to "center" to "center right" to "right" to "extreme right" without defining what any of them mean. Are the extremes characterized by belief or practice? Could someone be "extreme center?" How about "moderate right?" Maybe someone at the Ideas Fest could come up with a delineation. While fest-goers are at it, maybe they can come come up with an idea of how we are going to survive as a civilization as the planet heats up. Will there be a "left" and "right" when the polar ice caps have melted?

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