What's Going On?

Sing it Marvin.

Whenever I see a film about Nazi Germany or one of these countries in Africa where up is down and everyone is behaving like they live in a loony bin, it brings into focus what really counts on a macro level.

And that is one of the things we look at here (sometimes).

Germany's workings in the 1930's is a wonder in itself. It's easy to look back and pronounce Hitler insane, but remember, this is a whole modern country that embraced lies and distortions (and lived them out) for years.

These little nations in Africa, where neighbors are wiping out neighbors on a regular basis (in between starvation from droughts, etc.); we can rationalize this insanity all we want, smug that nothing like that can happen here.

Right?

I want to talk about levels of functionality. Sorry for sounding clinical, but that is the best word for it.

We like to interact with people who have it together, know what they want, care about fairness, and can guide their canoe down the middle of the river. These people don't get much attention in general, but god love 'em, they are the backbone of any family, community, or nation.

This is what I've liked about Obama, he gives thought-out answers to hard questions and not just some doctorinal spew. People that are attracted to that sort of being need to become the wave of change, not the wingnuts on T.V.

Let's look at the current state of our country. Who are the people getting the attention, making millions on their opinions, selling the books, etc? - Just the sort who might succeed at steering a quorum in a direction that could lead to a national insanity similar to what we've seen in the past.

I feel like I got a dose of that at the beginning of the Iraq invasion. Sorry, but I was very vocal and upset that my country was invading some small dictatorship on the other side of the world. This does not fit MY paradigm for what the United States is.

In a fit of patriotism, my fellow citizens fell right in line and the flag waving began.

Uttering descent in mixed company could lead to heated arguments, people withdrawing their children from your music school, or just a general avoidance of your company.

As a child, I remember this in the 60's when all the hoopla around our good work in Viet Nam began to fade. Anybody talking about peace was a dirty rotten traitor. Makes you wonder if there ever is any learning, or are we to just keep repeating the past?

We're All Celebrities

Years ago I had this great ah-ha that everyone is a celebrity in their own right. That's right, each of us is famous or well-know for something.
So, I began making a picture of each person I knew personally that was very good at something or known for a particular incident, etc.
When you get these made into 8X10 glossy photos, they DO begin to take on a level of self-importance. Hmm, maybe I AM on to something!?

At a customers home today, I noticed he had a wall FULL of autographed 8X10 photos. I asked Mr. S about it, his father in-law managed a music theater in the mid-west for several years, and made a point to get these autographed photos. I'm guessing these are probably worth some money, besides being a cool thing to have on the wall.

'wonder what my celebrity photos will bring?

50 Years From Now

We were talking at dinner tonight about the TV show Mad Men and how it serves as a reminder of how the "good old days" REALLY were. (The G.O.D. being the early 60's).

Every now and then you get our all-American family casually doing something we now find offensive or rude. For example, the Draper family is on an afternoon picnic in the park, they are about to leave, so Don drinks down his can of beer almost to the bottom, then heaves the can into the bushes. Mrs Draper takes the blanket off the ground, shakes it so the wax paper, and wrappers are off it (and on the ground), folds it neatly and carries it into the car.

And that is EXACTLY how it was in the 1960's.

I was there, I am an eye witness.

This small example does not touch on things like the treatment of women, and minorities by those in power (white men). By today's standards, the standard operating procedure of 1960 is unfathomable.

It brought to mind a question: What common behavior do you see in our society now that will likely be just as unbelievable to people in 2060?

Here is one that comes to mind; tens of thousands of cars, clogging city highways day and night, mostly with one person in them. I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest there will be a far better way for people to get around in the future.

D I V E R S I T Y

Short post just to let you know I'm here and I'm looking and listening.

For instance, I noticed the other day in Details... that there is a pretty good mix of followers. Several humans, a dog, a bird, as well as a cat.

I don't know about you, but I feel pretty good about that.

What is True and Good?

I wanted to call this piece "It's all Bullshit" but realized it might turn off a few people.

I was having a conversation with a dear female friend of mine a year or two ago. This gal is a few years older than me, that makes her early 60's. Working, and viable, but not a spring chicken.

She has done well for herself in making a rewarding life, self-realized, etc. But she does not have a partner sharing it with her.

My friend, (we'll call her "Happy") explained she would be glad to have a man around to share it but there just has not been anyone the caliber she would want.

I understand that.

I replied "as we get older, our bullshit detector gets honed very fine, and unfortunately, BS is what makes the world go 'round." I realize I am suggesting that many guys are full of it, so let me make it clear: I'm suggestion many guys are full of it.

I wish this were not true, but it is.

Did you ever wonder why there is no radio station for older adults? It is because they don't respond to the advertising radio stations do for the consumer goods. Younger audiences however, do. So Boomers, be prepared; you're next. Classic Rock? Next on the chopping block!

Take your pick from our cultural buffet:

• Reality TV


• Virtual Reality


• Google ads suggesting you can shop for your reality

Enough of the negative. Let's talk about what is real.

I'm sitting out on the back deck, being bitten by bugs, and THAT is real. If I were to make a fire in the chiminara, THAT would be real. I have yet to have a fire take a break for a commercial interruption.

I would love to hear from YOU. What is REAL in your life? It requires filtering out a great deal of what is being offered out there. What do you rely on? How do you get it? What happens when you go without it?

Sharing the REAL You

After reading an article about the Extreme Honesty movement (I think that's what it was called), I want to celebrate the concept, by introducing one of those silly quizzes that cuts past the crap and gets to the things people REALLY want to know. Join with me gentle reader, liberate yourself with TOTAL HONESTY. (Sorry, I'll quite shouting now).

1. What is your full, real honest name?

2. How much money do you make?

3. How much did you weigh at your largest?

4. How much do you weigh now?

5. Who would you secretly like to ravish?

6. Who would you like to have flirt with you so you could shut him/her down?

7. Are you on anyone's enemies list?

8. Who's on yours?

9. What is the most embarrassing moment of your life? (give full details)

10. Do you keep a hoard of cash at your home?

11. What is your shoe size?

12. What is your address?

13. Has anyone ever hit you in the face with a cream pie?

Don't send this to 10 friends, just forward them to me for a comprehensive study. The findings will be published later this year, from my hideout in The Bahamas.

The New Revolution

(cue Rod Serling)

Meet Fred Cubil, being an old guy, and having lived through many a trend, fad, and/or evolution, he can't help being amazed at the way things change, but don't really. Case in Point:

In the 60's there was the counter-culture. This was made up of young people who were really paranoid of the government. There was a fellow named Richard Nixon in the White House, and it was widely believed (by the fear mongers) he was illegally spying on his "enemies", and generally up to no good.

The no good stuff centered around fear that storm troopers would be rounding up dissenters and placing them in "camps" in the middle of nowhere. The fact was that leading radical hippies WERE rounded up, booked on charges of possession (of a small amount of cannabis) and given long jail sentences. Counter-Culture leaders would call for "Revolution!"

Thankfully, this did not happen.

As you may know, through legal means, and really dedicated journalists, it was discovered that President Richard Nixon WAS illegally spying on his enemies, and was often up to no good.

Now, 40 years later, we have another movement, (headed by a different demographic,) that seems to be going in the same direction as the movement of 40 years ago. It will be interesting to see if that word comes up in regards to the paranoid feelings toward the government.

Revolution.

A quick observation on radical politics: Like the see-saws we played on as children, the further you get from the center, the less balance you possess (or offer).

The argument: "If (insert hated government official here) does (insert greatest fear here), then that will open the door to more (insert feared catastrophe here). This, in turn, will lead to (paint visual picture of Earth spinning off it's axes here). They must be STOPPED at any cost!"

These "If/Than" arguments only serve to inflame people that are on the brink anyway. I've been laughing at the foolishness of it, but it may be time to challenge pretzel logic.