Today’s mess was mostly done, save for the final section, which has a short bit to finish. It’s just as well, as yesterday’s events nearly put me in a world of trouble. A young security officer made the mistake of attempting to intimidate me when I showed some anger at a bureaucratic conundrum that had developed during my time out of the house; he is a very fortunate young man, in that I was able to refrain from sending him home in a box, with a massive effort of will. He simply had no clue as to how much danger he was in, so, I was compelled to let him go, and merely lashed him verbally. I then had to walk off the anger, and today, am paying for that in stiffness and pain…. SIGH…. So be it.

That’s probably enough whining for one day. In fact, it’s enough, period. Let’s get on with this mess before I fall into any more chatty, boring episodes, okay? Okay….. Besides, this isn’t as easy as it looks, when I have a very hormonal teenage cat, trying her best to call the neighborhood boy cats to come play, while alternately rubbing up against me for attention in her affectionate state…. It isn’t easy to type with claws in the leg, you know. But, I’m getting it done, with the help of this little Tardis Toy, which works very simply and efficiently. Watch this….

Shall we Pearl?

In keeping with my new cause, here is another video from Playing for change, with one of the best versions of an old Stones tune I’ve ever heard…. Enjoy, ffolkes; it just doesn’t get much better than this….

From 12/31/2012:

Forgiveness. How does a person without faith in a higher power obtain this boon? Certainly not from themselves…. I know, if I have done something for which I feel the need, or desire, to be forgiven, then I most likely don’t deserve it, and refuse to give in to self-indulgence. According to the preachers, God forgives all, but damn me if I can see any reason to do so, no matter how ‘merciful’ he/she/it might be. How can anyone expect moral behavior, if even our most grievous sins are forgiven? Because of the promise of reward for compliance, or threat of punishment for refusal to conform? I agree with Albert Einstein, that any such philosophy is not realistic, and certainly not moral…..

It’s a good deal, all in all, if one buys it. Myself, I’m a bit sanguine about it, since I only have the word of the preachers that it is so; there is no real evidence to be found that supports the theory, and the scientist in me wants at least a little bit of proof before accepting something as truth. I’m not going to buy anything just on someone else’s word, or assertion of truth; I’ve been alive long enough to know that doing things like that can only lead to losing something, if only the advantage of self-respect.

I’m not blind to the other evidence that many religionists claim as being proof of God and his will; I’ve burst into tears myself at the sight of a particularly vivid sunrise, without knowing why, other than the beauty of it was so arrestingly powerful. I’ve seen good things happen everywhere, in human interaction, and in Nature. I’ve witnessed what priests like to call “grace”, and will admit that such events are not explainable by ordinary means. I’ve also witnessed the other side of existence, where human nature turns dark and cruel, while Nature reveals its own complete indifference for human suffering, and cannot accept that the same entity would dare to assume, or want responsibility for such a wicked universe, even if the balance of good and evil is maintained by the presence of the other.

That assumption is purely human, and thus does not qualify, in my mind, as evidence of divinity in the form of God, by any of the visions held by any of the churches of Mankind. Unless, of course, one goes beyond doctrine, into philosophy, where the above contradictions do not apply, or can be explained by one further assumption. That assumption is a hard one for most humans, as it involves taking responsibility for EVERYTHING that they do, and for everything that happens to them. (Yep, that’s a paraphrase of the basic principle of Karma…) In other words, as Robert Heinlein put it so aptly in Stranger In a Strange Land, “Thou art God.”  I know, it’s blasphemous, but, hey, been there, done that, let’s get past it…. It is the only explanation that fits ALL the facts in evidence, and even if a bit grandiose, really isn’t, because we are, after all, just a bunch of bozos on the bus.

Being God, though, would be a really boring job, the way the job descriptions in all the churches read, and I don’t think I want to take that on, particularly. It may be the only way I can find any forgiveness for those things I’ve done in my long life of which I am not proud, but, since I don’t feel that I SHOULD be forgiven for them, I think I’ll just accept the responsibility, along with the consequence, a certain lessening of my self-esteem, and try to act in the future in ways that won’t make me feel that way…. It really isn’t hard to be good, in reality, as long as you care…. The problem is, not enough people care, or even think about stuff like this….. Me, I can’t help myself…… Caring, to me, is what being human is about; those who don’t care aren’t fully human, and won’t be until they do…..

“When you’re around it all the time, you don’t notice it so much.” — Garrison Keillor, “Lake Wobegon Days”

“When one loves, nothing is too much trouble, and there is always time.” — Abdu’l-Baha

“If you’re smoking after sex then you’re going *WAY* too fast!” — Thinks he’s humorous Bee

” Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.” — Instructions for life

“A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave.” — Mahatma Gandhi

“All I know of love is that Love is all there is.” — Emily Dickinson

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Well, I did it, in spite of the cat’s yowling for love, which we are NOT giving in to this year; no kittens for us. In looking back over what happened today, I have no explanations, or clues, so, I’ll just let it fly as it is, trusting once more to the process. Tomorrow, at this point, is still a question, so, we’ll see how it goes, eh? My plans are to post again tomorrow, but, y’all know how plans go. Regardless, y’all be chill, it’s strange out there….