Subtract Attract and You've Got What?

     The closer I get, the farther away I sometimes feel.  It's all a matter of nuances, ongoing perplexities and a realm of complexities.   Then there are my own assumptions about the way I would want things to be.  In the end things all work out as they are meant to be.



Is Love the Drug?

A scene from Kennywood, an amusement park located in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania on the Monongahela River. This is a view of the Grand Carousel (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

         If love or affinity does not exist between people then what is there?  We could be strangers known to each other, but each having a tacit refusal to recognize the other.   Like on a busy street we pass faces we see often, regularly avoiding eye contact, walking on.  There is our world and then there is the rest of the world that we don't know. 

       Perhaps in some deeply ingrained stubborn anger--an anger that understands not from where it came--or perhaps resentment rooted in events or words that have lost any actual impact on our lives other than the burden we carry in our memory--if we remember.   Facing days with fists clenched and steely expressions, we might wonder where our hate (even the smallest traces of hate), where we developed it and why we love who we do.

         But forgive my pondering.  Some of the greatest philosophers of this age are the writers and singers of song.  Sometimes when I hear songs, my mind wanders to places where the songwriters may have intended or maybe I take a side track.

           Love as a drug makes for good metaphor.  I can see how there are times in peoples' lives where it really does seem like love makes the world go 'round.  And I believe it does.  Sadly though, on this merry-go-round of life, there are other horses with names like Hurt, Hate, Sadness. and Loneliness.   Keep riding and reaching for the brass ring.  We all ride more than one of those horses in our lifetime.

           If your life was part of an amusement park, which ride would you be on most often?   As you get to know someone better do you ever find them to be more mystifying as time goes by?   What is your best cure for overcoming disappointment? 



Battle of the Bands Results

Love Is the Drug

        My recent Battle was between two versions of the Roxy Music hit "Love Is the Drug".    I presented a remake by the songwriter Bryan Ferry and a version by the rock group Divinyls.

        For me it started out to be a tough choice--I think both are very good, each for its own special reason.  I dug the horns--especially the saxophones--in the Bryan Ferry version.  After repeated listening I became more inclined to liking the Divinyls version and that's where my vote went.

         The Battle was a true horse race from the start, but in the end Bryan Ferry won by a nose. 


Final Vote Tally

Bryan Ferry       11

Divinyls              10



Happy Thanksgiving!

       A lot of readers will likely be celebrating a special dinner on Thursday of this week, but no matter what:  Always make your dinners special!  After all life is pretty special.  If you don't agree then I would recommend looking for the special things wherever you are.  If you can't seem to find anything special then take it upon yourself to make something or someone special.  That's one reason we have imagination.

Let's Do It For Our Children!

George Orwell - Author series (Photo credit: New Chemical History)

“It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.”
— George Orwell, 1984

           Since we've reached the year 2013 is it time for the clocks to start striking thirteen?   Sure, things have been strange for several decades, but are they about to become even stranger?

            I'm not going to dissect the words spoken by the President of the United States on Wednesday January 16, 2013 or the nonsensical babble of his buddy Joe.  I think I may have incensed enough readers with a few of my more recent posts and I don't need to make things worse by pointing out the code words and diversionary tactics of this speech, but I do want to declaim the tactic of using "the children" to sway an argument or tug at heartstrings to get what we want.

           It's a purely emotional appeal that is used as a propaganda strategy.  Advertisers use it all the time.  No parent wants to deprive their children of their safety, health, comfort, or pleasure in life.  Nearly all parents want the absolute best for their children whenever possible.  They want their children to have the best toys, clothes, food, and experiences.  They rarely want their children to face deprivation or danger.  It's the normal way to be.

          The provision and well-being of our children affects every single one of us.  After all, we are all parents or know someone who is a parent.   Children are a part of our daily lives and most of us have the desire to save every child and give them the best opportunity for a quality life that our society can provide them.   We sacrifice much for our children and it is well that we should.

           However, doesn't using the children to propagandize and promote a political agenda seem a bit underhanded?   Is it right to use children as a device to manipulate emotions to overrule rational thinking to get what we want?

            I've been guilty of this myself.  In my nearly twenty years working in a business affiliated with fund-raising, we evoked the name of  "the children" to encourage people to dig deeper to give more money to whatever cause we were promoting at the time.  After all, "It's for the kids".  Make the audience feel bad.  Make them feel like they must do something even though that something may not necessarily be the right thing when put into place in the bigger picture.

            Showcasing the children is not always a bad thing.   "Jerry's Kids", the young cancer patients at St. Jude Hospital, or "Save the Children" seem to be fine causes over all that have a decent long range mission in mind that will benefit many children in the future.  If the intent is righteous then I don't mind.

             It's the politicizing of the children that annoys me the most.   I can deal with politicians giving their speeches before a background of union members, interest groups, or their own supporters.   It's a common cliche that's rather stupid looking in my opinion, but it's a great photo op for the politicos.  If a bunch of sheep-faced people want to stand behind some blithering politician, then more power to them.  Maybe they'll even get shown on television.

           But please, political agendists, don't use "the children" as props for your cause.  Creating a reactionary movement because of some sensational incident by invoking all children as the cause du jour is merely a cheap appeal to the feelings of those who are not thinking out the entire issue.  

            I love my kids and my grandkids and I want everyone's kids to be alright.  I also want to protect children from the dangers of the future just as much as the immediate dangers.  I want to protect the children against things we are talking about now, but I think it might be even more important to protect them from the things that many of us are not talking about.   We are holding the future in our hands--so what do we plan to do with it?

          Stop the agenda driven rhetoric that is driven by emotions.  See the absolute logic if you can.  Today it may be 23 executive actions, tomorrow it might be 33 executive orders, by the end of the year we might be looking at who knows how many legislative actions costing more money than is worth spending.   Thousands of words.   And we know the danger of words.   Words can be far more dangerous than weapons and have a far more lasting effect.

          Maybe I need to dig up my copy of George Orwell's 1984 and reread it.  

           

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