I’ve stumbled into a mini-rant again, it seems, and once again have usurped the intro section for concepts better fitted for a pearl. Oh well…. that’s life here at Exploring Consensual Reality; we never know ahead of time where this whole thing may lead us. That’s why we dress for any type of weather and/or terrain, and always have a towel and an umbrella close at hand. (Not to mention a flask of adult beverage, for emergencies…..) It also explains the odd expressions on the folks who are observing from the shadows, a good thing, in my estimation….. Shadow people should never be catered to, in any fashion, so confusing them suits me just fine….

Now that the ambient confusion level has risen to a satisfactory number, I think it is time to gather up our equipment, such as it is, and dive in…. Shall we Pearl?…..
__________________________________

Say NOPE (Not On Planet Earth) to NIMBY — Smart Bee

As acronyms go, both of these are pretty typical, but I’ve included them here to make a point about the power of words…. NIMBY, of course, stands for Not In My Back Yard, the cry of the modern suburbanite when confronted with any of the less than savory aspects of society. Prisons, hospitals, government buildings, schools, businesses, churches, anything at all becomes intrusive in their eyes, when it is suggested it be built near where these people want to live. They read the Constitution, back in school, and are firmly convinced of their right to not be bothered by anything they don’t like….. and they certainly don’t want to have to think about any of the issues that necessitate the unwanted neighbors’ moving to their area.

This selfishness is prevalent in many segments of society, and there are a large number of people who think it is perfectly acceptable to make laws that discriminate against certain parts of society, as long as it isn’t their part. These are the people who have embraced the rights that are given by the Constitution, but are not willing to take the responsibility for maintaining those rights for anyone but themselves. They go beyond the intent of the Constitution, in that they assume that the rules therein are written ONLY for their benefit, and not for the benefit of anyone else. They do not, in other words, accept the basic premise of the Declaration of Independence, to wit: ALL men are created with equal rights…..

“Words are, in my not so humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic, capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it.” — Albus Dumbledore, in The Deathly Hallows, the movie based on the novel written by J.K. Rowling

The magic that is in the words of the Declaration, in the Bill of Rights, and the Constitution lies in their universal application to human experience. These rules, that we have, by dint of our living here, adopted as our legacy of rights, are only powerful when they are used for all. Every modification of one of these laws, every new law, that lessens that universal validity decreases their power, and their magic, and will ultimately lead to the loss of those rights we now enjoy. And, it will happen because people don’t understand, or are not able to deal with, the power of language and words….

You see, the BRC, and the people in society who are behind the scenes, controlling the media, and the banks, and the news outlets, are very adept at using words for their own purposes. They can lie without a qualm, masking their lies behind attractive phrases that create belief, never letting on that the new words will have the effect of perverting whatever the subject matter is, to a point where any advantage to be gained is gained by those who made the alterations to the original statement.

There are a myriad of techniques to twist words into whatever shape and meaning one desires, as any writer can tell you…. Hell, that’s our gig…. and the BRC knows every one of those techniques, having been responsible for creating most of them. To put it most simply, they lie, and they lie so well that they have been able to control society to their satisfaction for several thousand years now….. This is fact, not supposition, and is demonstrated daily in clear signs, if one is able to interpret those signs…. One of the signs to look for is to wonder what isn’t there…. We see the news that is put out each day, and it can be a very good thing to look at what ISN”T there…. Sometimes the music is made clearer by the silence between the notes, you know?…..

“I finally got it altogether, and found out that rental space for it was far more expensive than anticipated.” — Smart Bee

So, I can’t really chastise so much as commiserate, and hope that talking about this kind of stuff will stimulate at least a few ffolkes to look around the bunches of stuff they see each day, and try to pick out the lies and perversions to which we are regularly subjected, on so many levels of communication. It’s not like they try to hide it or anything; it’s all right out there, if you know what to look for….. If they say, “Trust me..”, or, “Studies show…”, or, almost anything, you can bet they’re about to tell you a lie…. Hell, with most politicians, just opening their mouths pretty much guarantees one will be lied to…. that isn’t a joke, or an accusation, that’s a matter of public record, checkable by anyone….

I guess all this makes the hardest part of modern life the process of trying to decide who is telling us the truth, and who is lying to us…. and we all have to make those decisions for ourselves. It would probably be a good thing to at least think about how to go about doing that, as it may just end up saving your ass….

Dare to be true: nothing can need a lie;
A fault which needs it most, grows two thereby.
— George Herbert (1593-1633) — The Church Porch
__________________________________

I’ve wanted to include some of Ms. Plath’s poems for some time, but couldn’t find a site that published them, due to copyright issues, until yesterday….Now that I have, you’ll be seeing more of her work in the months ahead…. She was brilliant!….

Morning Song

Love set you going like a fat gold watch.
The midwife slapped your footsoles, and your bald cry
Took its place among the elements.

Our voices echo, magnifying your arrival.  New statue.
In a drafty museum, your nakedness
Shadows our safety.  We stand round blankly as walls.

I’m no more your mother
Than the cloud that distills a mirror to reflect its own slow
Effacement at the wind’s hand.

All night your moth-breath
Flickers among the flat pink roses.  I wake to listen:
A far sea moves in my ear.

One cry, and I stumble from bed, cow-heavy and floral
In my Victorian nightgown.
Your mouth opens clean as a cat’s.  The window square

Whitens and swallows its dull stars.  And now you try
Your handful of notes;
The clear vowels rise like balloons.

~~ Sylvia Plath
__________________________________

“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” — T. S. Eliot

T.S. has put his finger right on an issue that I see as a large factor in the state of affairs in society today, the issue of courage. He recognizes that only having the courage to face the unknown can eliminate the fear that comes with ignorance, and how showing courage is essential to making any progress in life. One cannot enjoy the sunlight and still be afraid of the dark…. I think I said that right…. Regardless, I think you know what I mean…. it takes some strength of will, and a willingness to endure risk, in order to gain the experience needed to come to terms with Reality…. which, as we all know, can be pretty scary….

But, the Genie is out of the bottle, and I don’t think they’ll ever be able to get it back in as completely as before. The world now has access to more knowledge, on a wider basis than ever before in history, and that spread of knowledge is going to have an effect. It may not be obvious yet, but, it will happen, and the world will become a different place, with different rules, none of which can be guessed at now.

“We can lie in the language of dress or try to tell the truth; but unless we are naked and bald, it is impossible to be silent.” — Alison Lurie
__________________________________

I’m really not sure how to look at today’s effort…. While writing it, it felt fragmented, and it seemed to be a struggle to keep on track. After proofing and polishing, I can see it didn’t come out too badly, and managed to make a good point or two… If nothing else, the Morning Song is worth sitting through the rest of it, I’m sure…. Besides, where else could you find so many confident assertions, totally unsupported by facts and figures, but here?… Oh, right, just about anywhere…. Oh, well..

I’m going to go see if I can cause some trouble out in the Big Blue Room. (Don’t fret, to me, trouble = twisting reality’s tail, not anything immoral, or cruel…. just fooling with folk’s minds whenever possible, & inviting them to join me in either thinking, or laughing….Harmless fun, that’s all….)  Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..