IS IT BULLSHIT? WELL...

So, been sorta broke down for the past few days, hangin' around the house, completely non-productive.  Bluesy.  A Stationary Front, somewhere between the Top and the Bottom of a Depressive Swing--just ain't exactly sure of the direction, up or down.  (Odd.  The direction is usually pretty damn obvious.)  But, this afternoon, feelin' better (up?), I thought I'd kill a little time by diggin' up a few thought-provokin' (emphasis on "provokin'") historical quotes that I could drop out here on the Ol' Interweb.  (I call it "Stirrin' the Pot...")

With not a lot of time or effort, I soon gathered several bits that I found interestin', even topical.  You know--Venerable Statesmen, Foundin' Fathers, that kinda stuff.  Bona fide--or so some might have you believe...

Never intentionally wantin' to be the Purveyor of Bad Info (though I have been guilty in the past) I set about the task of vettin' my Chosen Slices of Flowery Dead Man Rhetoric.  However, the actual content of these particular Pearls of Wisdom ain't exactly what I've wound up feelin' like sharin'.  Nope, not exactly.

It ain't that tough to do a little fact-checkin'.  Just copy a relevant snippet of text, drop it in the tiny window, search, cross-reference and compare.  (With somethin' as specific as quotes, the results of a query are fairly free of irrelevant material.)   More often than you might expect, results may render strong evidence, or downright proof, that information peddled as Truth is, in reality, a Falsehood. Or, what is better know by it's more descriptive common name--"Bullshit".

So, I shifted gears and went lookin' for it.  (For Bullshit.)

Curious as to just how broad a swath this phenomenon cut, I began to pull up random quotes and claims and statements.  Even dumb stuff;  Stuff you wouldn'ta thought anybody would ever bother to lie about or have any reason to misrepresent.  (I suppose my original pursuit--quotes from historical figures--would be placed in the Dumb Stuff Column by some.)  I found that, with suprisin' frequency, after a little diggin' and the application of some Common Sense...  Yep, some Bullshit.  Sometimes, it's hard to question the validity of a statement or postulation, particularly when it's comin' from somethin' we may consider a "trusted source", or if it should happen to fit a particular pre-conceived notion we may personally hold in favor.  (This would be a polite way of sayin' "what we want to hear.")

"Where'd ya hear that?"

"Read it out there on that Internet."

"Oh.  Well Hell, then it must be true..."

If you can find additional reasonable points of proof, arrived at independently from one another, that either support the original information or contradict it, then you have attempted to do due dilligence when it comes to acceptin' somethin' as a point of fact.  (One nail in a board- not very secure and easy to spin.  A second nail--more secure, much harder to move.  Three nails--damn secure.  Ad infinitum...  A simple, succinct analogy.)

First, I started drillin' down on the really easy things, the kinda stuff saddled with histories rife with subterfuge and manipulation:  Partisan Politics;  the Media--Left, Right, and Center;  Big Business;  Advertisin';  Religion--all of it; the Obvious Bullshitters; Those with Agendas Clear as Chrystal.

Some things were blatantly suspect on the first read, quick and easy to refute.  Other Bullshit was more cleverly disguised.  Some deceits were so subtle, so camouflaged, they were virtually transparent, invisible.  Arguably, Works of Art.  I'm confident that, if confronted, many of the more adept Authors of Bullshit would refer to their "manipulation" of information (I'm bein' extremely gracious) as "Spin".

The more I looked, the more Bullshit I found.  Everywhere.  Absolutely dead up everywhere.  Did I learn anything?  Did I experience an epiphany?  Have a revelation?  Maybe feel just a tiny bit smarter...?

It would appear that the Internet has become the New Roost for all manners of Bullshit: Hate, Commercialism, Religious and Political Dogma, even a place for the promotion of an authoritarian and nationalistic system of government and social organization with a contempt for Democracy.  (Okay, that last one is Fascism.  Just felt like slippin' in a quick definition...)  

Perhaps, regardin' the Distillation of  Legitimate Fact from a Churnin' Sea of Bullshit, it may actually be better, simpler, smarter in this particular scenario, to view the information in question with the help of metaphoric blinders, or as through the center of a narrow philosophical tube.  Somethin' that would assist us in shuttin' out some of the Noise and Flashin' Lights, increasin' our capacity for Focus, intensify Concentration, assist in avoidin' the Intentional Distractions designed and constructed to Influence and Sway.

We have all become active, unknowing participants in a Global Exercise in Gullibility, deployed on the Grandest of Scales.  Suspicion?  Sure.  Paranoia...?  Maybe...

The Internet, in so many ways, has become (relative to Conflict) a reflection of our Contemporary World.  On issues of Morality, Religion, Politics, All Things Devisive, it has become the Forum of Choice, where anyone (includin' Yours Truly) can inject their personal version of "Fact" and "Truth", in almost any style or form they choose, while enjoyin' near-total anonymity.  (Or, even more fun, under the cover of a fictitious personality purely of our own design.  How freakin' cool is that?!  Huh?  Whoa...)  

Yep.  The metaphysical Blunt Instrument of Propaganda.  The Information Highway:  our New Frontier--devoid of the Virtues of Honesty and Civility.  Unencumbered by the Rule of Law, Matters of Conscience, or the Burden of Fact.  Even the very Laws of Physics themselves fall before the Power of Bullshit.

Gotta say--this is startin' to get a little Crazy...

And, you know, a funny thing about Bullshit:  Whether well-intentioned or malicious, it's still Bullshit.  And, Bullshit is Dishonest, Dishonesty is Wrong.  Right?  Wrong ain't Right, right?  It can't be--it's wrong.  That's right, ain't it?  Ain't that a constant?  Wrong is wrong?  Anybody...?

Regretably, this has led me to what appears to be an Inevitable and Unavoidable Conclusion:  To blindly trust anything, anyone, is to do ourselves an injustice most grave.  Even dangerous. 

And yet, it seems that many of us consistently choose to embrace even the most suspect of statements, no matter how absurd or illogical.  Why?  Is it Intellectual Sloth?  Zealotry?  Plain Ol' Dumbass?  All these things, and more?  

Hell, I'll be honest--I ain't got a freakin' clue.  That's an admission of Ignorance and Confusion.  You ain't gotta vet that.

~Fish

Justice v. Law

Apparently, the Zimmerman verdict has been handed down.  Gonna try and keep this short-

Personally, I feel that the so-called "Stand Your Ground" laws that are in place in several states are, in their current forms, seriously flawed.  Flawed to the point of bein' extremely dangerous.  

Here is one hypothetical scenario that glaringly supports my opinion:

Let's keep it really simple.  

Say that someone, let's make 'em a man for the sake of our scenario today, goes through the appropriate process and obtains a concealed carry permit.

Then, one evenin', our guy (we'll call 'em George) is out alone, in, let's say Florida.  George encounters someone that angers him.  Whether George knows this person or not is irrelevant.  The reason for George's anger is also irrelevant.  George confronts and provokes this individual, and things escalate quickly into a physical altercation.  

Almost immediately, it becomes clear to George that he has, through his own actions and poor judgement, placed himself in a situation where he stands a good chance of gettin' his ass kicked.  George's solution?  Pull his piece and pump some hot lead into the chest of this other individual, killin' 'em on the spot.  

There are no eye witnesses.  (Well, none save for George.)  A trial takes place and, primarily due to the "Stand Your Ground" law on the books in his state, George is acquitted.  The other individual?  Still dead.  (Great line, huh?  "Still dead.")

Okay, that was fairly short.  Short for me, anyway.  But now, let's see if we can describe this exact same scenario, but apply an extreme economy of words.  Make our description of the events as short and concise as we possibly can.

Here goes-

Man picks fight with another man, then shoots and kills the other man when it appears that he is losin'.  No laws were broken.

How's that for short, huh?

So, based on either of the two descriptions of the events, do you feel that Florida is a safer place to live because of their "Stand Your Ground" law, or less safe than it was without it?

 

Here's my take-

With the law currently in place in Florida, it is now extremely easy to shoot and kill someone, anyone, at any time, and have an incredibly good chance of gettin' away with it.  Just make sure you do the deed in private.

Now, let's begin reverse-engineering our scenario, addin' more details.  I'm gonna go first person narrative on this.  More dramatic impact, I'm thinkin'-

I was out walkin', and met my sister's ex husband.  I called 'em a freakin' prick and a fight ensued.  He was a lot bigger than me and landed a couple good ones, so I shot and killed him.

Or,

I was out drivin', and some asshole cut me off on the exit ramp.  At the next stoplight, I gave 'em the finger, called 'em a freakin' prick and a fight ensued.  He was a lot bigger than me and landed a couple good ones, so I shot and killed him.

Or,

I was down at the beer joint, and some bigmouth wouldn't stop talkin' about how much money he made.  I knocked over his drink, stepped on his foot, called 'em a freakin' prick and a fight ensued.  He was a lot bigger than me and landed a couple good ones, so I shot and killed him.

Damn, y'all!  Do we really want this kinda shit goin' on?  Do we want to live in a country where a law is constructed so poorly that it can shield a murderin' bully from prosecution?

A great example of how, at times, the Law can be completely divorced from Justice.

Bullshit.

Fish

TALKIN' to GOD

When we talk to God

For whatever the cause

Does He turn toward the sound

Do our words give Him pause

Does delivery matter

When we feel we should call

A shout, or a whisper

Or no sound at all

When we talk to God

 

To pray from the bed

In a hospital room

And wait for release

From the pain and the gloom

Aware of our plight

Before we can call

Does He secretly listen

Ear pressed to the wall

When we talk to God

 

When the weight of the World

Presses down on our soul

Are our words like spun silver

Or black dirty coal

To cry out for comfort

From the end of our rope

Is it selfish of us

Our want for Hope

When we talk to God

 

The Man on the Brink

The Slight Starvin' Child

The Desperate Mother

The Planet Defiled

A plea, or a wish

Or a humble request

Will He shuffle and sort

Does He always know best

When we talk to God

 

Our witness and faith

And the praises we sing

Do these make us worthy

To ask for a thing

Great nations in Chaos

A dead baby bird

A moment distracted

Might our words go unheard

When we talk to God

 

The wait and the wonder

With nothing to show

Is it too much to ask

Just a yes or a no

Is He simply too busy

Should we brace for a fall

Are His hands to His ears

Is He listenin' at all

When we talk to God

Fish

 

 

 

 

 

 

"BLUE SKY IN A GLASS BOX"

"BLUE SKY IN A GLASS BOX"

"THE BONES OF FLOWERS"

PERSPECTIVE

The following entry began as a comment on a particular Facebook post.  It promptly outgrew that venue, so I did myself, and a buncha other folks, a favor and moved it here.  

Gonna be Upfront- It's a Downer, like Many Important Topics and Most Good Music.  But, I feel compelled to share with you (or subjugate you to) what I got rattlin' 'round in my head this  evenin'.

Bail now, or read it all and suffer the consequences, which may include Feelings of Guilt, Lack of Compassion, Selfishness, Sadness, Frustration.  Shame.

Boys and Girls:

You may not approve of the lifestyle of those that call themselves Gay- married or otherwise.  

You may not like the fact that over 11,000 Americans die from the discharge of firearms every year and, in response, a great number of Your Fellow Citizens are callin' for more comprehensive, common sense gun laws.

You may not care for people that are not Christian.  You might even disagree with some of Your Fellow Christians as to the interpretation of certain details- minutiae- in the Bible.

You may dislike people of a different race/color- perhaps, with the possible exception of those that you deem to be some "of the 'good' ones."  (How Progressive of You...)

But, consider this:

Globally, Undernutrition is a contributing factor in the deaths of approximately 2.6 Million Children every year.

Just short of 2 million Children on this Planet die every year (about 5 thousand a day) due to the lack of access to clean water and proper sanitation.

An estimated 850 million of Your Fellow Humans go to bed hungry each night. 300 million of those are Children.

16 million of those Starvin' Children are right here in our Great Country, these United States of America.

So, I reckon the point I am tryin' to make here would be one of Perspective.

Perspective: A sensible way of judging how good, bad, important, etc. something is in comparison with other things'.  (Source- Macmillan Dictionary)

"...in comparison with other things."

"...in comparison with other things."

"...other 'things'..."

Somethin' has happened to Us.

"What it is ain't exactly clear..."

It would seem (well, at least to me) that We- the Folks of this Great Country of Ours- have managed to develop some new form of, what's the best word... Laziness....?

(Note:  I suppose this, in of itself, would actually be a pretty damn impressive accomplishment.  Not necessarily one to be particularly proud of, but impressive, nonetheless.)  

Sorry.  Driftin'...

I consider myself to be a part of the Great Middle Class.  Most of the Folks in my Small Circle are considered by me, and by themselves, to be a part of that same large, diverse group of People.  But, due to some vague, yet extremely complicated mechanism, we seem to have Lost Our Collective Way. 

Many of Us have devolved into a Mass of "Over-infomed" Idiots.  We now find Ourselves subjected to an Incessant, Overwhelming Barrage of Deceit and Spin.  Every day, We awaken inside a House Afire, the halls thick with the chokin' Fumes of Greed, the Black Vapor that is the Breath of Liars.  Our Capacity for Objective Reasoning, Independent Thought, Original Conclusions based on the Preponderance of Fact- these things are no longer Shared Skills, Evidence of Strength and Solidarity.  Examples of Pride.  They now suffocate, scarcely conscious...

We, the Giant Chunk of Majority from the Middle, both Left and Right, have chosen to abandon the Cultivation of Our Power to Discern Legitimate, Searing Fact from Dogma and Propaganda.  We have traded our Bullshit Filters for Slick, Gaping Bullshit Funnels, and have tilted back our heads and allowed these to be fitted nicely down our Throats.  

No longer do We turn to a thoughtful delivery of the day's Current Events from the likes of Murrow and Cronkite.  Instead, We, through our Lackadaisical Attitudes, are content to be spoon-fed the "News" from sources rangin' from the Weak-Kneed and their Genuine, but Futile Attempts at maintainin' some scrap of Integrity with a "fair and balanced" approach, to the Shameless  Regurgitation of Devicive Sputum, virtually Devoid of Truth, the only goal to Irritate, Agitate, and Inflame.

We continue Our Downward Slide, past Legitimate Disagreement met with Reasonable Discourse, beyond Simple Pigheadedness.  Always toward a Destination that none of us would consciously choose.

An image pushes forward in my head...

A silent, grainy, black-and-white reel:

It's a Nailbiter of a Fistfight between Two Protagonists, perched upon a runaway rail handcar.  At the bottom of the Grade- Dead Man's Curve.  

The Two continue their Brutal Struggle,  appearing to be oblivious to the Far Greater Peril that looms before them.  Their Primary Objective- the Absolute Destruction of their Adversaries.  The Elimination of All Adversaries, with Total Disregard for anyone or anything that may fall under the heading of Collateral Damage.... Including Themselves.

It is so easy to see only Our Own Hurdles and Obstacles.  A weakness mastered by most all Human Children before the age of three.  And, it is every bit as easy to allow Our Own Problems to become the Biggest Thing on the Planet.  But, looked at through the eyes of the Everyman, You scarcely have a complaint.

And, as we continue to view the Problems of the World in Our Narrow-Minded, Blinders On Fashion, it's as if we've lost one eye and no longer have the ability to see things in three dimensions.  We can no longer change where we stand and see things in a new way.  Everything is flat- paper doll cutouts, layin' overlappin', but still flat, two-dimensional.  Illegitimate.  More simple than their actual reality.

Too many of Us no longer have Causes.  Now, we have something more akin to Grievances.  Our Fear of not Belonging, not being on the Winning Team, drives us to select from a Short List of Faux Injustices that have been gathered or fabricated to inflict Maximum Stress and Fear, while supplin' very little in way of Truth and Comfort.  The worst part of this is that we have been intentionally steered toward these things.   Harangued and badgered by the Talking Heads through every media outlet possible until, due to confusion or exhaustion, we give in.  We cave and accept our lot: step up, choose a side, then begin fulfillin' Our Social Obligation to parrot the Lies, Innuendo, and Fabrications that we have been so lovingly fed.

We choose to assist only if it comes with Praise, Adulation.  Why toil in the shadows if Our endeavors are to go unrecognized.  Unappreciated.  Wasted time?  When we set aside Our precious time, are we not, by default, deservin' of grand praise for our sacrifices?

All the while, the Children of Man are starving and dying.  By the tens of thousands.

Through no fault of their own.

It may well be time.  Time to consider the Dead and the Dyin'.  Each time, before we open our mouths to speak.

Perspective: The ability to perceive things in their actual interrelations or comparative importance.  (Source- Macmillan Dictionary)

Fish

FINITY?

Nearly midnight.  Dad turned in a couple hours ago, and I'm standin' on a pile of gravel in the drive.  The lightnin' bugs have all but completed their upward migration from Grass into Black.  

Stars.  

The air is cool, damp, sweet.  Tree frogs send their high-pitched trills ringin' into the Void.  I am engulfed by the Sound and the Darkness.  Both seem to press right up against me from all directions.  It's nearly overwhelmin'.  

Been drinkin'.  I reckon I'd put myself just a fraction short of drunk.  I expect others would consider my estimate to be flawed.

Nice.  Close to perfect...

I catch myself wonderin' "What if...?"  At least a thousand things wash over me all at once.  A True Flood.  

Right this second, no one knows exactly where I am, what I'm doin', or what I'm thinkin'.

I am fast comin' to accept the fact that my time here is finite.  And I was never one of those people.  

At least, I never thought I was.

~Fish