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Friday, February 13, 2015

One With Friday the 13th

Black cats, omens, and that scary crap from the movies are all part of the lore that is Friday the 13th.  It's particularly funky when it falls before Valentine's Day like it does today.  There are plenty of people out there who are all freaked out about Valentine's Day this year, primarily because 50 Shades of Grey came out and it is just the most horrible thing since Pepsi Clear.  Fear of both Friday the 13th and fear of 50 Shades are equally goofy and should be laughed at.  The people freaking out about the two are more scary to me than any specter that the two may represent.

We're a superstitious lot, aren't we?

If we really want some things to be afraid of this Friday the 13th, here is a list.

1.  Stupid legislation coming from underneath the methane gas filled dome.  Representative Sally Kern (R- Ridiculous) pulled her frighteningly unconstitutional bills, but sure enough, the douchebaggery continued and someone else authored similar bills. When we don't conquer our fears, they begin to own us.  That's exactly what's happening with this new breed of moral police.  Their mindset is such that they believe theirs is the most important mission on earth and if you disagree, may you be anathema!  That's the kind of stuff Jim Jones and David Koresh were made of.  THAT should scare the hell out of you.

2.  The decrease of affordable housing in this country.  It's reached the point where the decline of affordable housing could become an epidemic.  Housing that was built 40 years ago using HUD loans are being paid off right now and since there are no tenancy requirements, the rent is being jacked up to rid them of the working poor.  It's like a housing genocide.  Pushing "those" people further and further away from the mainstream of society. 

3.  Health care.  It's expensive, owned and operated by insurance and pharmaceutical companies and there is no relief in sight.  The poor and working poor are largely screwed by the current system and that's just the way it's going to be.

4.  Islamic terror.  I don't care if you get offended or not, I'm here to tell you that Islamic terrorism is real and it is a real threat to the world.  If you don't believe that, do us all a favor and don't breed.  As a matter of fact, get a vasectomy or hysterectomy to make sure that your gene pool stays shallow.  Whether you watch the Fox News Channel or PBS, terrorism is a serious threat.

5.  Veteran suicide.  This is a problem that must be dealt with and not brushed under the carpet any longer.   The numbers are becoming ludicrous and so few are really paying attention, that the tragedy only expands.  The men and women who stand or stood a post so we could love and embrace the freedoms we enjoy deserve more than a cursory glance or platitude.

6.  Teen suicide.  Bullies are everywhere and our kids will experience bullying not only school, but in adulthood as well.  We have to prepare our children more effectively, helping to fully comprehend that they have value and a voice.  We have to toughen them up a little to deal with the asshat bullies.  On the other hands, the parents of bullies who allow it to happen should be dealt with quickly and severely.  No more children should die needlessly under our watch.

There are just a few things that truly should scare the shit out of us.  We can become one with Friday the 13th, just like every other day and make it subject to us.  We are not slaves to time and space, but rather we use it to fulfill ours and others' lives.

Of course, I could be wrong, but I seriously doubt it.

Gorilla
 


Thursday, February 12, 2015

I Can See Clearly Now

Sometimes, things just don't make sense.  A child is killed in an automobile accident by a drunk driver, but the drunk driver survives.  What the hell is that?  A legislator acts as though he was present when Moses received the tablets, but is caught hiring prostitutes.  Seriously?  Then, of course, there's the O.J. Simpson trial outcome.  What the hell happened to those jurors?  That kind of stuff just boggles the mind, or at least it gives me a headache trying to figure it out.

My zealous Christian friends will chalk it up to God's mysterious ways, or that He is not to be second-guessed.  They feel as though there is no reason to question these types of events for to do so would be tantamount to blasphemy.  That's just poppycock. Sure, the Scriptures teach that we're not to doubt, but at the same time, it's not like we can't ask legitimate questions about such shenanigans.  Even David, the man after God's own heart, asked the question in Psalm 94, "How long shall the wicked, O LORD, How long shall the wicked exult?"  See?  David asks, doesn't he?

For a long time, these types of questions, these scenarios blinded and baffled me.  But I think I can see now.  

There is good and evil in this world and each human being possesses a piece of both.  And I'm not talking about some bullshit duality of man psychobabble.  I'm talking about hardcore darkness and extreme light existing in the same creature.  Even the most pious struggle with that dark, frightening specter of evil that lurks between their ears.  The existence of that darkness in its entirety scares the hell out of people, so, their response is to become hyper-critical to those who aren't withing the tiny keyhole of there world view.  Conversely, for some who live in nothing but darkness, I'm convinced that it takes nothing short of the miraculous to break through that veil and let the light out.  

I've come to believe that for every unexplainable event, there was something that caused it.  Things don't
happen in a vacuum, I don't believe, and I don't believe in abject random chance anymore either.  I do, however, believe in miracles, but they are exceptionally rare.  If they do take place, we would never know about them.  I believe in angels and demons, God and the devil, but I've come to see that it is rare when divine intervention takes place. Prayers - real prayers - are also rarely answered.  The old axiom that "God answers prayer in three ways; yes, no, and wait a while," is balderdash.  God does answer prayers, but not all prayers.  Some prayers are so selfish, so incredibly asinine that God is just not going to pay attention.  

Now, in terms of the devil, I find it laughable how easy it is for people to attribute calamity to him when they themselves are responsible.  Another point is that the devil isn't omnipresent.  He can't be in two places at once, so when sister Betty from Detroit proclaims that the devil is terrorizing her at the same time as brother Bubba in Arkansas, one or both of them are full of malarkey.  Don't get me wrong; the devil is a powerful bugger, but he drags his chains with him wherever he goes.  

You see, even when things don't make sense, they kind of do.  Fear, joy, anger, and love are emotions felt by just about every human being on the planet and yes, sometimes we experience more than one emotion at the same time.  I look around and I see what I've done in my lifetime and the aggregate results were contingent upon which path I chose; that of light or that of darkness and to be honest, I've followed the dark path far too many times.

Of course, I could be wrong, but I seriously doubt it.

Gorilla