Let’s damn the damned already, damnit!

If crime is a problem, then society is not applying a strong enough deterrent.  Prison is a deterrent, but clearly not strong enough to ward off the weaker amongst us.  Capital punishment is a deterrent, but less so with the possibility of appeal after appeal.  If people aren’t afraid (or enlightened) they tend to act with more disregard and / or complacency toward themselves, others, property, pretty much anything.

Here’s the kind of deterrent I’m talking about:

“If any one steal the property of a temple or of the court, he shall be put to death, and also the one who receives the stolen thing from him shall be put to death.  If any one bring an accusation of any crime before the elders, and does not prove what he has charged, he shall, if it be a capital offense charged, be put to death.  If a judge try a case, reach a decision, and present his judgment in writing; if later error shall appear in his decision, and it be through his own fault, then he shall pay twelve times the fine set by him in the case, and he shall be publicly removed from the judge’s bench, and never again shall he sit there to render judgement.”

These are but three of two-hundred eighty-two laws written in stone nearly four thousand years ago (roughly 1760 BCE) under the leadership of Hammurabi.  These three seemingly simple laws worked to establish fear in everyone – the offenders, accusers and judges.

Today, I think we need an expanded roster of potential punishments to suit the growing list of possible crimes.  I think this list should include death and bodily disfigurement as options.  For instance, if a man rapes (sexually assaults) someone, then his genitals should be removed.  If someone displays a wanton lack of humanity, then they should be treated in like kind.  If one murders, they should be murdered.  The government should try to be creative (here’s where this post ’jumps the shark’!!) in designing cruel and unusual punishments, maybe learn something from the writers of the movie ’Saw‘.

The more creative of these ’punishments’ should be public (televised) and frequent.  Everyone needs to be made aware.  I really think you’d reconsider some of your actions if it stood to chance you might appear on Monday night prime time television to be bled to death through a thousand small, but strategic incisions.

There is one obvious problem – the people we’ve empowered to enact laws such as this are, more often than not, the ones who have the most to fear from them.

“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.”

Yep.

Whatever

I’m having strange visions of my demise in my mind.  I am feeling as gloomy inside as it is out.  I’m whacked.  I went to bed just before midnight and awoke at six.  I am tired but not in the mood to sleep.  I am not in the mood for anything today.  I think I’m down because I have to go to the office today to catch up on crap.  I am so tired of catching up on crap.  So tired.

Chump Change

Yesterday was a monumental day with my job, which amuses me because I didn’t feel like working.  Today was a continuation.  Remarkable progress in a very little time – four months to be precise.  One morning in January, I woke up miserable and stressed out.  I was tired of my job, worried about my personal financial situation, stressed out about life and generally crappy. 

No one would help me.  No one could help me.  I am the only one who can change things for me.  So I made a decision.  I was going to make the most out of my situation.  I envisioned a plan and began execution immediately, but subtly.  I will not let up or give in.  I maintain my focus and am suddenly aware of opportunities where before there was only dreary work.  The dreary work still exists.  There aren’t many careers without it.  But now, there’s some excitement.  I am earning the company (and myself) extra money where before I wasn’t much more than a cost.

Even chumps can change.  Things are coming together…quickly. 

Chaos at Canada’s Wonderland

We went to Canada’s Wonderland on Victoria day.  Beautiful weather with sunshine and cool breeze.  Bad day to go to Wonderland, though.  It was busy as hell.  People everywhere. 

Positive things first.  Drop Zone is a great way to get your blood flowing.  I walk off that ride and I am shaking!  Exhaling on the way was the best way to maintain control and watch the scenery.  I held my breath the first time and it hurt the organs floating around in my belly!  Vortex for speed and Top Gun for maneuvering (& speed!).  You have to sit in the front of both of these roller-coasters for the full experience. 

We were there for eight hours and managed to get on five rides.  Thank goodness we bought seasons passes, otherwise it would have been a terrible waste of $52 (each) plus parking.

Here’s the frightening thing – the rides kept breaking down.  Top Gun was down for at least 10mins of every hour.  Vortex was stopped for about 20mins and then some empty trains were sent around the track…for testing I guess.  If you’re self-destructive, such as myself, this only adds to the thrill and excitement of the ride.  However, if you are among the more cautious folk, then watching this while you wait could be very disheartening.

Here’s the irritating thing – punk ass kids kept budding into the lines & no one would ever say anything.  Second last ride, my girlfriend and I snapped.  She mentioned something to one of the Wonderland Employees (WE), who promptly called security.  The security guards were reprimanded by the miscreants’ mother and the budders were allowed to stay in the park. 

Last ride (Drop Zone), same thing happened.  This time we were with my girlfriend’s mother, who is wonderful in these situations.  She spoke out loud and adamant.  She attracted everyone’s attention, including the WEs attending the ride.  It was hilarious.  They asked her to point out the offenders, but she was hesitant.  Someone else spoke up, “You mean the CHEATERS?  You looking for the CHEATERS?”  The WEs encouraged everyone in line to BOO until the two budders left the line.  Everyone did.  These two guys had to fight through the crowd and leave the ride.  When they did, everyone cheered.

Here’s the thing – I don’t think anyone would have done anything about it.  No one spoke up until my girlfriend’s mother made a stink and the WEs proved they would do something about it.  Then people joined in.  If no one had spoken out, everyone would have taken it on the chin and walked away upset.  I don’t understand why people don’t stand up for themselves (when they are not in their cars!).

I’ve seen this so many times before.  People are agitated about some situation at work or school.  If their complaints are legitimate & justified, I will take a stand with them.  I will do this whether I stand to benefit directly or not.  I do it for the principle of fairness and the sake of a potentially good fight, plus I am not a huge fan of the status quo.  I approach the boss, the professor, or whoever and present the case.  The others are inevitably called out to stand with me, usually by the boss, professor, or whoever, and no one makes a peep.  I’m left looking like an agitator with my foot in my mouth. 

The lesson I learned from these experiences (and there are many in my past!) is to look out for myself and leave people to wage their own wars.  I pick, fight and win my own.  I’m good at it, lots of practice.

Separate the Spirit from the Skin

Do not fault someone’s race for a flaw in a their character.

The New Dark Ages

On July 1, the estimated population of Earth will be 6,605,046,992 (according to US Census Bureau).

When I was born, the population was approximately 4.16 billion.  In thirty-three years, we have out-birthed the mortality rate to the tune of 2.5 billion people.  On my 40th birthday, the population will be 7.4 billion.  At 50 years of age, 8.56 billion.  Just before I turn 61, we will break the 10 billion mark.

Whoa…wait a minute.  It will take less than 50 years the population of the planet to double.  Last fact is mentioned in Al Gore’s Inconvenient Truth, so I shouldn’t pretend to be so surprised.  Quantity does not always equate to quality.  I think this is apt when considering the population boom.

How do we feed and clothe 10 billion people?  We can barely handle 6.5 billion.  How do we educate 10 billion people?  I don’t know much about the literacy rate, but I suspect it’s not on the rise.  Technology is widening the gap between rich & poor, first & third world.  How do we pacify the large percentage of 10 billion people who are naked, hungry, dumb and really pissed off about being so disadvantaged?  We don’t, quite simply put.

We are on the verge of a new dark age, where the controlling element of society will be largely uneducated and the masses, controlled through violence, will follow without question.  It will be catastrophic.

I am convinced that we are the pebble which started an avalanche about 100 years ago with the Industrial Revolution.  We’re approaching peak velocity, collecting mass ever quicker and plummetting toward the grandest crash of all time.  There’s no stopping now.  We’re sucked in and set.  This is all we’ve ever known, so it’s no wonder not many people seem to be aware of the danger. 

There will be a catastrophe of epic proportions on this planet and it will occur within my lifetime.

As king

There’s one thing I think the most maniacal among us have in common is that they believe they are here for some great (divine) purpose.  Hitler believed he was destined for greatness and whatever thought arose in his mind was divine and must be carried out.  When he survived the assassination attempt in July 1944, this only confirmed his belief in his divine ’mission’.  He would not die until his purpose had been fulfilled.  Idi Amin…same thing.  I’m sure the same thoughts exist(ed) in the minds of Stalin, Mussolini, Mao, Pot, Castro, Bush, and any other dictator of note.  This over reinforced belief in the righteousness of one’s mission is to compensate for self-doubt and it is dangerous.

Be weary of the strong man who claims to have no fear, for only fools fear nothing. 

A Caffeinated Episode in the Home Office

I spilt a full mug of coffee on my desk this morning.  Well, spill is a little bit of a misnomer.  I actually slammed the coffee, not the mug, off my desk.  The liquid mass of the coffee maintained the shape of the mug as it flew the inches to the desk top, before splashing as high as two feet up and three feet away.  Surprisingly, not much of the coffee stayed on the desk.  My computer took a little & this is very upsetting.  I’d be really pissed if I screwed it up spilling coffee on it.  But shit, the coffee went everywhere!

I don’t know what happened to the hand which caused the incident.  It stopped working.

I am destroying my office.  First the shelf falls off the wall causing a substantial amount of damage, not to mention, I don’t have a shelf on the wall anymore.  The fromaldehyde from inside the broken Galileo thermometer screwed up the finish on the wood flooring.  The whole room has been generally untidy since then.  And now I’ve given it a nice sticky clear coat of coffee.  Yeah, I cleaned it up!  The room still feels sullied though.

I think I am unconsciously destroying this room to prevent myself from being comfortable whilst working at home.  It could even be possible that I am trying to sabotage working at home entirely.  Why?!

No Single State.

Early in the morning, the lake is very calm.  The glassy surface of the water reflecting the rays of the rising sun into my eyes.  A cool breeze rolls off the lake and over my scalp.  I stand still and watch.  Birds up in the sky, I know how you feel.  Peaceful.

For every happy moment, a sense of sadness.  For every victory, a sense of loss.  For every misery, a sense of gladness.  For everything free, a sense of cost.  For all lucidity, a sense of madness.  For all loneliness, a sense of connection.  For every star, a sense of wonder.  Beneath my aimlessness, a sense of direction.  For every blue sky, a dark cloud with thunder.  For every confidence, a sense of weakness.  For all peace, a sense of turmoil.

No single state.  The happy times will not last, nor will the miserable ones.  Everything is temporarily momentary. 

Given that I understand this, I do not know why I am so reactionary and emotional.  Why can’t I balance my emotions?  Am I afraid of something?  Insecure?  The answer to the last two questions is a resounding ‘YES’!  I’m afraid of failure.  I’m afraid of not being better than  my previous self.  I’m afraid of not being recognized.  I’m afraid of being hurt by someone close to me.  I can do some pretty irrational things as a result of these fears.  After all, fear is irrational.

Do I understand me?  Well, not really.  For instance, I started writing this morning in a completely relaxed, happy and peaceful state of mind.  I just wanted to flow along and think as I typed.  And this is the kind of stuff I think about when I am happy!

Last night I was thinking about how all my grand parents have passed away.  Naturally, I started thinking about the mortality of generations and was overcome with a profound sadness.  I am again, just thinking about it.  The birds chirping outside are comforting.

Job v. Dream v. Me

Today is one of those where I don’t feel like working on my job, but on my dream.  My job sustains me.  My dream lifts me up.  One does not exist without the other.  I do not exist without either.  They conflict with each, fighting for my time, my attention.  I give too much to the job and not enough to the dream.  I am going to change this.  Life is too hectic, too screwed up and ever changing.  I love it some days.  I want to be set free from the confines of what I need to do for sustenance.  I want to feed & live on the dream.

I am not happy when I am not writing.  The crap I throw on here is temporary relief of the pressure, but does nothing to help in a larger sense.  I have developed a physical imperative to tell stories, to teach, to entertain, to provoke – to write.  When I do not satisfy this imperative, I become dark, dreary, moody, head-achy, and generally unpleasant to be around.  I don’t like myself when I am not writing.  I feel like shit.  If nothing is ever read, published, produced.  Well, that’s life.  I won’t ever stop.  I can’t.

Now I have to go and do what I need to do to get paid.  My back hurts when I think about it.

Two Suites

I punched a hole in the glass curtain.  Needed air to cool my thoughts.  Blood soaked hand was left hurtin’.  Free flowing forget-me-nots.  Into the deep stinking puddle, misery wades too deep to wallow.  The bitter thoughts I abhor and the happy ones are too sweet to swallow.

For Wont of Woeful Words

Close your eyes and write.  Open your eyes and right.  No one makes sense.  Interpretation of the interrogation of the interested parties cornered in the interoffice politics of policies of supply demands to be filed just after Shiite in the cabinet of defence.  I am tired of being wired for reaction, not proaction with a proclivity for proclamations to produce a profound proposal to prostruct a new provision for progressional professional standing.  Pompous ass, devoid of class, destroying destiny whilst declaring a devout detour to devour delights of a delicious declivity into decomposition amongst derogatory Devils’ delegates who advocate the advantages of additional additives for the advancement of adverbs and adversarial advise upon the adventure of the advert for the adept admission of adoptive adulthood set adrift in the admirable ad-mire adduced addiction to addendums.  Please pleasure the pleasant pluckings of plush plumes from the plentiful pledges of the plebeian.  Take a triangular trip through a tribal tributary to be tried for trickery and tribulation before the tribune of the triumphant trigger.

(Our) Flagrant Vagrant Frangrance

We’re all foreign to somebody.  We’re all strangers to some other’s friend.  We all have a weird accent.  We all smell funny to someone.

We’re all afraid.  We’re all alone.  We’re all unsure of the future.  We’re all the same.  We’re all together in this.

We’re all seemingly unaware of the bond which unifies us.

Millions of Peaches

If black widows didn’t cry and you didn’t wonder why, didn’t someone really die?

The diamond peach is out of reach, so I teach and beseech, but the leech will breach the covenant of each and reach for that peach, stretching the skin, wearing it thin, is that anguish or a grin?

I can see within, there’s nothing within, no spirit to speak of, no soul to sell.  You’re not invited to heaven, not welcome in hell.  You need something in the coffer to make an offer the devil could not refuse.  The scandalous scoffer with nothing to proffer is not in a position to choose.  Fulfill your every desire, pretend your soul’s on fire, say you’re alive and you’re nothing but a liar.

Bad Gratitude

Sunrise, sunset, lift me up out of this place.  I don’t want to live in debt, don’t want to run the race.  For every loss I can’t forget, every memory I can’t replace.  There’s a swallow of deep regret and a mask to save my face.