Socially Posting Reality

First up, Vote!

This is the process I try to follow for posting\sharing information on social media. It is important that we post the best and most accurate information possible. We need to pollinate social media with reality and accuracy. We have got to get a handle on it, somehow. It's not just all up to the government or the platforms and companies who own, support and run social media.

"Post Reality."

Whose Reality? As objective a reality as is possible to divine from current and available information. I don't see a lot of that today.

Not to mention by one expert's account to the Congressional Intelligence Committee: "1 in 25" partisan memes\postings are actual American human beings, the rest are bots. Mostly if not all, Russian bots. Which means, we not as partisan as it appears. Well, that's SOME good news anyway.

That being said, EVERYONE screws up sometimes.

Whenever I do I try to be gracious about it if someone points it out, typically posting in public, sometimes to embarrass.

IF it is something extremely obvious, and I am correct, and the person is being outright stupid, I deal with them appropriately. That can be anything from pointing out their mistake with supporting evidence to cutting them down to an appropriate size in their mind (that takes a degree of skill or talent and I see many screw that up and embarrass both parties). Mostly it's best to be compassionate and polite.

But some just need a kick because others need to see that on their side and feel some catharsis on my side. I say that because there are too many bullies out and about, trolling for fun not to educate, not to be accurate. Like children.

Just be aware that nowadays they may simply be a waste of your time in trying to educate them. If they are obviously not interested in actual education, in better and more accurate information, they are just being stupid, and by definition (my definition).

As hard as I try, and I'm a university trained researcher but, I make mistakes too, I may act too fast. I'm human. I may be tired, nor feeling well, distracted, maybe I really shouldn't be posting, etc.

These here are my gold standard points however for how I do try to act in trying to be helpful to others and to be as accurate (and mature) as I can be. Consider that when you read some things online that people post.

IF trained researchers can make these same mistakes, what kind of information do you think is being passed about by those who have no idea what they are sharing or how to go about it? What percentage of information do you think is accurate? Because today one really needs to ask instead, what percentage of information do you think is inaccurate?

When you have other nations like Russia trying to subvert our path, to add chaos to our nation, with national leaders like the POTUS Trump constantly being incorrect and constantly outright lying, constantly escalating the numbers of already inaccurate or irrelevant information. along with people with vested interests in dis- and misinformation, just how much bad information do you think is out there?

Information you may pick up and inadvertently become a part of sharing incorrect information.

Traditionally all through history, we have had incorrect information simply because of an overabundance of poor information, and a lack of available accurate information. Either by accident and simple human fallibility.

Today we have it because people want it there for questionable purposes, vested interests, greed, espionage and political purposes. There is also the allegation that many people actually do like and prefer wrong information ("Study Finds People Like the Wrong Stuff on Social Media Better").

Weird, right?

We simply have to be more careful and do our best to flood social media with the most correct information available that we can access. So....

• Think before posting.
• If possible, click on the post, following it. Does it exist? Check the date it was originally published.
• Do a quick search on the title or topic to see how recent (or valid) it is and what and if the source is reasonable. Especially if there is no publish date or if it is not obvious from content exactly when it was posted.
• The more important or controversial the information the more vetting (validating) is necessary.
• Post less assuredly from others you do not know or do not know well.
• Triangulate (see footnote1 below) research on a post prior to posting (find one or more other relevant, trusted and disparate sources to vet information). Typically cyber-vetting is used today as it can be highly effective and quick...and accurate when done properly. Highly inaccurate when done improperly, which we see a vast amount of from right-wing extremists. 
• As a general rule, if something agrees with your POV too much, it's probably a lie or Russian type disinformation attack on social media. So give it trust only once you've vetted the information.
• When friend or foe challenges your post, do not do an ignorant, or conservative "knee-jerk" type reaction. It's immature and counterproductive. Instead, although you can initially reply with something clever or snarky if entertaining to others in some way and especially to your challenger. But do then go and vet that information to be sure you are correct about it. Especially if challenged by someone you trust or is known to post valid information. There is nothing more foolish than to be caught in a mishap and then double down on what is then your stupidity. Do not be a Donald Trump. Best rule is after guessing it is correct and posting, always go vet that info at some point in the next hour to 24 hours and come back to correct it if you find issues with it, or to clarify it if you realize it may come across with options for being incorrect in part or whole.
• IF you post something incorrect, especially if it's gone viral before (or after your posting), leave it up online. Then, add to the initial post to indicate what is incorrect so as to allow others to read the updated post and attached thread below so they can understand WHY it's incorrect, along with links to associated vetted information. In that way, you help to decrease the incorrect information online. To simply remove it, typically so you are not embarrassed, leaves others who might have seen it, open to making the exact same mistake. 
• Never call something "fake news". It is immature and has too much Donald Trump, Republican, and conservative negative baggage. 
• Show don't tell. Telling is fine if accompanied with value-added information. But it's also all about the orientation and who your post is actually addressing. frequently we get emotional and address our side, not the other side and may even say things to force the other side to "dig in" and worse, "double down."
• When you vet information, research down through several levels or layers and over several sources of information. Use sources who should know, not just any source with that topic. Sites like InfoWars, typically do not know a damn thing. IF you find something on a site like that, you then have to vet THAT information several more times and it can go exponential, so best to leave them to the nut cases and ill-informed (you cannot help them, they are not interested in reality and really not interested in being correct, especially not by a member of their as they see it, ignoble opposition...ironically enough, they are typically the ignoble ones). Most incorrect postings on social media are not verified at all or sometimes worse, vetted only one level down, or out. I say worse because then they tend to incorrectly think that they DID do due diligence. Typically it takes two, three or more to finally know if something is true or not and that all the related and relative supportive information has been acquired.
• More questionable sources require ever more vetting.
• At times you may find something requires excessive vetting of never seeming to be enough sources, or you cannot seem to vet it. That's not hard to deal with. You simply admit it's merely your (maybe informed, maybe not so informed) opinion. Or that you tried and cannot fully vet it and/or that you got the information from some public figure who should know or whatever. The point is to state it in such a way so if you are later proved to be incorrect, it reflects not on you or your vetting process but on others. 
• That last part of the last point does NOT refer to "plausible deniability", a method used by national leaders and greatly abused by the Republican party. Don't stoop to their level. Though I do admit to using that at times for reasons that are hopefully overt, obvious and the biggest reason, humorous. 
• Truth. That is what is important. IF you should find you are wrong, and in vetting your information you learn something new and contrary to your beliefs, you have two choices. Absorb those beleifs, incorporate them into your overall beliefs. Update, reprocess and look at your understanding of things with this new updated information. Do no ignore it. Worst case,place it to the side and DO NOT FORGET about it. The other thing you can do if it really disturbs you is to start again and revet with this new information. You can try to prove your original beliefs right, or the new ones right. Just be careful of ending up with your beliefs being verified, when they shouldn't be. Because in the end if is not about you, not about your beliefs, but about what is really going on. Share the new information and help humanity. 
• Humor is almost always useful and one of the best ways to persuade or handle difficult information. Just be aware and careful, it can backfire. Joking about a mass shooting, typically will. 

In the end, we all want (or should want) ACCURATE information. Not Donald Trump type incorrect news and information, inaccurate and constantly changing information and faux facts and disinformation and misinformation all which benefits incorrectly one viewpoint over another.

There is a distraction involved in all this. One that has led to many new conspiracy theorists. Many new conservative Republicans who spook at a shadow in ever corner.

"How do you know what is true and accurate?" The ask.

That is for another article, this is for the foundational concept of sharing Truth. Next is the consideration for what is true or can be true or who to trust to disseminate what is true. But basically, a country has got to trust it's intelligence and law enforcement agencies over it's elected officials. See, for the most part, most of those people are like you or I. That is like most of us. We have a given job, we do our best to follow the mission set before us. To be honest, truthful. To do the best we cvan for our country.

Republicans and Donald Trump would have us distrust those people, until we distrust ourselves, until we have to trust only HIM. He wants us to believe we cannot trust our government, our judciary, our law enforcement, our intel agencies.

WHEN that is PROVEN untrue, then you act, you ignore, you refuse to believe. But at that point, you have far worse problems. Personally, AND socially.

But we are not there. Not by a long shot. Those whom extremists call the "deep state" or in some cases the "swamp", are just patriotic citizens, who remain in government from elected administration to elected administration. What conservatives have done in calling these people out is to sow fear into the basic fabric of America. Refuse them their fear mongering.

IF all information online were accurate and properly vetted, America would suddenly take a leap forward in education, politics and social interactions. Much of our bickering today is due to people either arguing the same point of view from different perspectives because one or both sides is lacking relevant information. Or one side is vastly incorrect and the other side has little or no grounds from which to debate the issues. It's like debating with a crazy person. Not to say the other is insane, but the dynamics are very similar.

In the end, we can help to alleviate this current situation by posting only the best information we can access. Also by focusing on the facts and not emotional reactions. Falling back to that old adage of "Hate the sin. Love the sinner." We have got to find a way to communicate, to see our opposition as noble opposition, and to help them find a way to become once again, noble. Just don't put yourself in that position where they have the same problem. Because then, we are all truly lost. Even though we have been seeing that effort pushed at this time by Donald Trump as POTUS. 

We find ourselves now at the point since Donald Trump became president, to truly need to make America great again.

We have got to get back to the basics, to pollinate reality into social media, politics, and culture. To get back to the facts, and back to...reality. 

Footnote 1:
Triangulation is three points, one being your POV. So one or two (usually at least two) other sources. A university professor of mine once explained this to our class saying to always get three other and disparate sources. Even better if you can find at least one on the opposition side who agrees with your POV. The other form is to go out to disprove your POV and if it proves true, you win. Either should be neutral in orientation so you don't involve personal information bias.

Either way: "'...triangulation ’ originates in the field of navigation where a location is determined by using the angles from two known points. Triangulation in research is the use of more than one approach to researching a question. The objective is to increase confidence in the findings through the confirmation of a proposition using two or more independent measures.2 The combination of findings from two or more rigorous approaches provides a more comprehensive picture of the results than either approach could do alone.3"

Modern American Ignorance Defined

Pres. Trump and the Republican party today are spreading and seeding ignorance to further their own agendas and those of the Russian president Putin. Accidentally or on purpose, it damages America and their own base who are one or another kind of ignorant. But what exactly is ignorance and how many today are truly what we once understand ignorance to be?

A few of my personal quotes from the past on what we see so rampant in America today, especially from #Trump the oval office and the #gop, real or worse feigned #Ignorance. These were gleaned from my blog pages Quotes Along the Murdock I, II and III where you can see other quotes I've posted or published elsewhere over time.

Ignorance is the provenance of Anger.

If as has wisely been stated, travel is the antidote to ignorance, Donald Trump is most definitely going to need a starship. And he should take most of Congressional Republicans with him.

It's sad when you're talking to someone new and you realize, your own ignorance is still far more informed than their best "facts"

Ignorance is the greatest threat humanity faces.
Beware always those whose words may claim even to crave knowledge, but whose actions deny it.

Religion is the Art of using Guessing and Desire to explain Ignorance, rather than trying to find and use Reality based Explanations for that which we do not yet understand.

Ignorance is noble but as practiced today, it's disgusting.

Ignorance is noble. Everyone starts out ignorant.
Sustaining ignorance, however, especially in this day and age, is a cancer that is easy enough to fight against, with knowledge. But you have to want to fight against your own (and your group's) bias and agendas, which is another cancer.
Knowledge, by the way, is actual information, verified information; not just what sounds good to you or yours.

Beware of false ignorance, it is ignoble and more dangerous than knowledge.
[The opposite of false ignorance is not knowledge. To be falsely ignorant would be one who is being ignorant, but not really, so that they have chosen their ignorance. This presupposes a kind of agenda that actually propagates false knowledge. It is a kind of behavior that is both insidious and fundamentally, dangerous.
Example: "Monsanto was exhibiting false ignorance in their understanding that the chemicals could not give children deformities."]

"Ignorance is noble. Stupidity isn't."

"Ignorance is not a pursuit. Stupidity is."

Finally and most important:

"Everyone is ignorant, it's a normal state of being. Stupidity, however, is consciously choosing to remain ignorant."

Happy Halloween! Trump's Scary Mental State, the Media & Sci Fi

Happy Halloween! Be safe and have a great Halloween! It seems this one may be a pretty politically oriented for (too?) many.

Here's a short fun video (under two and a half minutes), I just made for your Halloween pleasure. It stars a character I've used before and may use again. He's quite a character.

Also, we recently had the first Gorst Underground Film Festival! Everyone had a great time! Ethan Minsker (the "Man in Camo") came all the way from New York and filmed there. He also showed his documentary about art and his life (thus, "Man in Camo" his art brand). And won! Here is Ethan's video on Facebook about our film festival. He is the nicest guy and quite inspiring. Check out his website and pick up a book or two and he has DVDs. We swamped books. I got two of his books and two of his DVDs. A really interesting guy!

By the way, neither GUFF or Ethan have anything to do with my political opinions here. These are the opinions of my own. And of most of the decent and respected people, you see on TV and I don't mean Fox News. Or the White House, sadly.

Cheers!

Donald Trump CARRY ME PRESIDENT Halloween Costume

Now...for the truly scary and disturbing, but not so much fun stuff! Before I get into it though, I want to say one thing. I really don't like going on about this kind of stuff. IF Republicans and Donald Trump had gone about all this in a democratic fashion, instead of in an underhanded, illiberal manner, and being such unpleasant people (mostly Trump) about things, I wouldn't be so motivated or upset about these things. But they insisted on voter suppression, lying, twisting things out of reality. And that's just not who I am. I'd rather lose admirably, than like the GOP, win despicably.

IF this is all how most of America wants to go, then that's one thing. But, that is not what is happening. Aside from that, the direction I see them going is to me, very anti-American, anti-freedom, definitely anti-democratic. At times inhumane and certainly uncompassionate. But then Republicans are basically all about numbers over humanity.

What I find amazing about all this, along with Republicans telling me I don't know what I'm talking about, all liberals and demcrats are wrong and stupid and yet...so many notable people, respected, and highly informed and intelligent, AROUND the world, agree with what I believe. Kind of telling, kind of nice.

As we are experiencing true horror in America now in seeing who we really are overall, through such volatile times, through a president who has serious personality issues bordering on mental illness. If not an actual full-blown mental illness. Recently through a partisan sycophantic supporter who has attempted to bomb Democrat opposition leaders...anyway....

That being said, let's take a look at this atmosphere today and another way to view it....

Cover of audiobook - In Memory, Yet Crystal Clear

Science fiction is an excellent catalyst to view today's reality. That is what so many writers before me have done. Star Trek in the 1960s was good at this, reflecting who we are, what we're doing to one another, where we're headed. 

On my story In Memory, Yet Crystal Clear, one reader's brief but succinct review said of the story: 

"Fascinating and creepy - I found this book to be intriguing and unsettling all at the same time. The story was very original, the writing was solid, and the narrator was spot on. I would recommend it if you like dark, futuristic type short stories."

I've been saying this for a while now about this dystopian sci fi story of mine. In Memory, Yet Crystal Clear, (now an audiobook) is about what is going on today. This is exactly why I originally wrote it back in the 1980s. Back then, under Pres. Reagan. I saw a kind of cult of personality going on. I even liked the guy. But I wasn't then as aware of politics as I probably should have been. 

The story is about how a nationalistic leader can affect America with their own mental illness. First, let's parse nationalism and patriotism. One is not the other. Today nationalism reflects negative appeal and patriotism positive and that's really all you need to know about them. But many are confused about what they are celebrating. And too many, know and enjoy it, much to most people's consternation. 

"Patriotism is when love of your own people comes first; nationalism, when hate for people other than your own comes first." - Charles de Gaulle. One has to ask themself, is that how you see America? 

However, in my story, people come to love a brilliant media genius. Media changes our culture in the story through greatness in art and delusion. Today Pres. Trump hypersensitizes the media calling them our enemy and "fake news" all while he's the fakest and most divisive person today in American politics.

The media then is warped and ends up covering things they really shouldn't, far too much. Like "The Caravan", overburdened mostly with frightened women and children simply seeking safety. All while the media should be ignoring all that Mr. Trump says in his abusing facts, news and let's face it, America and the democratic process. Much like his overall extremist conservative Republican party.

So why IS a sci fi, horror and science fact author speaking out when it can hurt one's brand from the greatest amount of sales?

Because, science fiction, as well as speculative fiction authors, are quite typically aware of things coming down the road from that of the mainstream media or citizenry. That is in part, their job. To entertain, while warnings and awareness seep into the readers (or listeners).

But this has nothing to do with partisan politics. This merely has to do with an accurate observation of our current reality and they presenting it in a way most likely to be allowed in, so reflection can later take place in a more gentle process than open confrontation. Which, as we're seeing, isn't very productive and is leading to violence. Violence, over reasons of ignorance.

cover art by artist Marvin Hayes

First, I do have a specialized degree in psychology. Which led to my well-received audiobook \  ebook On Psychology where I discuss the history of psychology and give an example in my orientation through a filter of synesthesia and schizophrenia.

Second, I am speaking liberally about Pres. Trump, not clinically.

The concerns are still real, and quite relevant. If I am seeing problems with this man as president, I would argue that I have more veracity and education in this than many who also see problems with him from a more general perspective. And obviously more than those who do not see any problem.

Of that audiobook, one reader's review said:

"Brilliant and thought provoking! 'More knowledge is always better than less' - "I couldn't agree more. This intellectual piece is brilliantly written and thought provoking. I will be listening to it many times in order to grasp every thought and nuance of the paper. It is not only well written but well read and is a pleasure to ingest. Many of the topics and ideas covered can be applied to life, no matter who you are. I highly recommend taking some time to listen and ruminate on this delightfully intelligent work."

It is in the nature of the genres of science and speculative fiction to foresee and disseminate to the public. They need to be by their very nature, futurists. Seeing what is coming down the line. then sharing that in creative and entertaining ways. To not speak out what you are clearly seeing...well, is that wise, or responsible? Will that come back on you once everyone sees it, then wondering:

"Why didn't you warn us, speak up, if you saw it? Isn't that your job?"

Yes... it is.

As Mr. Trump's own mental aberrations now course through America's veins of news and partisan social media and therefore America's minds, there is only one way to stop it. Trump cannot handle being POTUS. He needs to be removed. Now, before it's too late.

But it won't happen fast enough...and so, then what? Well, we're seeing that now. Already.

Republicans being shot on a baseball field by a Bernie Sanders supporter in an overly partisan environment that exists in great part because of Congressional Republicans AND now with Trump pushing the limits of decency. Eventually, decent people become enraged by them, too. Back then Bernie came out the very next day to speak against this kind of thing.

Enraged by Trump's really foolish and simplistic rhetoric, which works so well on his supporters, which presidents do not do because THEY KNOW this kind of thing will happen. That it's dangerous to citizens, citizens they are responsible for protecting, even from themselves.

Of course finally a mentally ill conservative Trump supporter bombs people he doesn't agree with. It was some might argue, inevitable. We don't do that!. Then Trump came out and what? He takes no responsibility, but blames the mainstream media for his stupidity in not acting like an American president... and again...we DO NOT DO THAT kind of thing! And again, for a reason, we do not do it. It is irresponsible and dangerous. As we're seeing!

Why would Trump add more fuel to that fire? It benefits him, it pleases him.

No, no sir, you do not

BECAUSE Trump cannot even see his own mental illness or how it affects his sycophantic easily swayed followers. Or how he affects individuals who are by extension carrying out his political madness. And Donald Trump does not even seem to realize the madness his followers have absorbed from him...their bigoted narcissistic nationalistic Godhead.

About that...let's STOP calling Trump a "media genius". He is not a genius by any means.

Donald Trump to be fair and honest here is a fool who has no shame as a narcissist, authoritarian. End of story. He has merely effectively tried things others haven't that proved useful. He throws things out, drops what doesn't work, and picks up what does. THAT'S not genius. That's sloppy work anyone can do. That's someone who doesn' know what he's doing and is guessing, failing, trying again, guessing succeeding, and doubling down. Typically pushing the "button" too hard. Like a child.

If I walk up to you, try hugging you, slapping you, shaking your hand and you react best to shake hands, how exactly does that make me a genius by seeing how best I can manipulate you by shaking your hand? That's all he is doing in the media! It's why he's on Twitter.

When you are all those things that he is, even stupid people would tend to rise. He simply very simply did things no one else would do. Period.

That happened to resonate. With a vocal minority, his base. And so he's now president.

Which says more about his supporters than the man himself, about Republican, conservative types, and says MORE about them NOT being geniuses than it does about Trump being more than of average intelligence. Don't lower your intelligence by raising his. It does no one any real good. Not in the long run.

Too many actually highly intelligent people who have had direct contact with him denigrate his intellect. YOU HAVEN'T worked with him. Why not believe those who have? People I know and trust have told me what he's like. I wouldn't even want to be in the room with someone like that. yes, he'd be nice and congenial but that is the tact of a narcissist. And it won't end well, for you.

Those who know him and speak out, they must be on to SOME thing there.

That's why I wrote this dystopian sci fi story decades ago, seeing all this coming. That we were headed into something like this even back then. As a sci fi story first published in 1990 in a horror magazine THIS was what I was concerned about. Someone like Donald Trump arriving on the scene as a national leader. A terrifying situation. And it's here. Now.

One man's mental illness as a leader brings America into a state of social mental illness.

Only it's even more insidious in this story by attempting to show how invisible this can be, and in a way that seems utterly unreal. Kind of as we're seeing today. Speculating on its effect regardless of the transport of the mental illness. Be it a Pres. Trump, or some sci fi technology. The fact remains, it is transported through media by tapping into the fabric of our consciousness, directly into the societal veins of America and then into the hearts and minds of her citizens.

And that's exactly what we're living now, in an entirely other and more obtuse way. Through, a president such as, Donald Trump.

Take another look at today, through a lens of a sci fi story that might just help put perspective on what we could be experiencing in our lives if we don't get a handle on it...very, very soon.

Anyway...have a great Halloween! 

While the kids are eating their acquisitions, or even while they are walking the neighborhood acquiring, you can be creeping yourself out listening to a new audiobook and gaining an interesting perspective on our current reality. As frightening at times as it can be.

What better time than on Halloween! Just keep a close eye on the kids as you wander and get lost in the atmosphere of the night and the story.

In Memory, Yet Crystal Clear by JZ Murdock...is now on Amazon, iTunes, and Audible.com. Narrated by Tom Remick.

Choosing to Over Complicate Life

Literally...OMG! Really? Sinead O'Connor converts to Islam.

Is there something wrong with people who choose an overly complex way of living from what they have known all their lives? Or to switch to what is seemingly the opposite of who they always have been?

If it does them some good, if it makes their lives AND the lives of those around them better, well, that's what living in a free country is all about. They should be able to involve themselves in their choices as deeply or as superficially as they wish. Not to be murdered or even abused for "not doing it right." By whose judgment?

There is a concern today that some of us find it easier to change who we are, rather than do the difficult work on finding out why we can no longer be who we have been, and making that work. IS it better to destroy your history than to work with what is there?

It does sound very...Republican. Very, conservative. Lazy, even...childish. Counter-intuitive even, which conservatives seem to have a fundamental issue within their ideologies.

To destroy who one is for that which really isn't necessary or even, better? Doing what you have never done, sometimes does tend to sound better to immature, lazy or unsophisticated minds.

But that is separate from those who truly do have a reason and a need to do so. And they should be supported. There is a process, their are professionals whose job it is to help these indivdiuals and see they choose the right path...for them. Not you. Not me.

There is a curious thing about all that, however.

Because we are seeing some people especially on the conservative side of things, who have built up very complex mental structures within themselves, resulting in some very unsophisticated ways of thinking.

Essentially spinning their mental wheels, experiencing a massive amount of effort for rather simplistic ways of viewing life. Self-serving ways of viewing life. All at the expense of others who need help, while too many have rationalized their way out of offering that help.

We see it frequently anymore in the conservative mindset. It gives the illusion of one being better than, of being more knowledgeable than, of being more right than...even when reality correctly differs, and which to others, to outsiders, it is clearly seen to be incorrect.

I'm not saying Sinead is wrong in her choices. But it is interesting to note, as well as something we are seeing a lot of lately in Trump supporters and within the conservative and Republican bubbles.

It is indeed so much harder to change for the better what you have than to tear down and rebuild with the mentality, so often incorrect, that the "grass is always greener on the other side." It is often a misperception. Often the mindset that leads to marital affairs. Or to Republicans voting for someone like Trump, because "he's not the same old politician." Utterly disregarding the damage Trump could and has done. Or apparently, his entire business history.

The unfamiliar always seems different than, better than, the reality of being a part of it.

To many it is fearful. To some it is attractive.

Either way, its consideration does indeed add to the flavor of life. Certainly, for those who can accept themselves and better who they are, in starting from their foundation of a lifetime of experience and history, they are ahead of the game. Over that of always beginning again in a kind of ongoing dissociative state of mind and lifestyle. We all know those people who it seems every time you meet them, they are trying to be something they've never before been.

Am I against it? No, not really. As I said, we live in a free country. And that is incredible, awesome, we are the envy of much of the world because of it. We are also hated for it by some, mostly religious elements. ISIS comes to mind.

It's so much better than living in a restrictive country. To have the freedom to live however you wish to. To change as you like, when and as frequently as you like. Although we do live now in an America where one political party wishes to force all others to live how they see things are best. Which the rest of us see as truly defective and at times destructive.

But there is also something to be said for sticking with what you have, who you are, and making that better. Living as an example for those who cannot change. And to make better your culture, your way of life, over abandoning it to others to do the heavy lifting. That is a basic tenant of many if not all religions. So there may be something to it.

Of course either way, one must first make oneself functional and productive. Because if you cannot first achieve that, you will continue to flop around and spin your wheels going in circles and repeating the same questionable behaviors over and over again. Which we see in the conservative mindset so very often.

We need productive people who can add to humankind, to our country. So that whatever it takes, we need to become whole. To add to all our lives. And to our own.

Only you know what is best for you, or you should. Just be sure that you do, and that you are not simply taking, not just the path less taken, but the path best suited, for yourself.

As for Sinead? Well, don't be surprised if we find her changing yet again someday. Some of us just never can be satisified. And that, is our main goal in life. Because the journay really is the destination, and the destination, is inevitable. Whatever it may turn out to be.

I Am Not Anti ANY Americans, However....

I say this every so often and now in the face of apparently partisan and ill mental health bombings and mass shootings, it really seems a good time to repeat it.

Conservative or Republican, I am not against any Americans (or those of other nations and where I am it's usually their government, not citizens).

I have only recently voted Democrat because of #Republican illiberal abuse of our elections and government... bordering on if not at times surpassing being criminal. Their actions have damaged America, unbalanced us and today you see the results.

Usually, I've been as independent as I can be, not wishing either to align with independents for various reasons. My family whom I grew up with was Democrat and Union.

What I am against is conservatism as currently practiced in America. It's not historical conservatism at all. It's a bastardized form, frequently disgusting to well-educated people who haven't been educated in a modern American conservative bubble.

Regardless of how you perceive conservatism, especially if you consider yourself one, it IS what is practiced and how it is applied in Congress and SCOTUS. What we see, it supports old style, anachronistic beliefs.

Today the 45th President Donald Trump came out to say we need to use the death penalty on people like the Pittsburgh Synogague shooter. We do not need the State murdering citizens. Issues on abortion, prisons, the economy and trickle down economics as defective agendas...are failed, incorrect and downright wrong. Conservatives continue to take the wrong direction time and again.

I AM against people who are abusive to others. Speak, don't hit. Vote, don't kill. Get involved in politics if you're that passionate. We need you. On both sides, because that's where balance is.

Love the sinner not the sin, essentially in my post-Catholic upbringing, pro-Buddha Dharma mentality. No, I don't even follow common Buddhism, but an originalist form as I have discovered it.

Conservatism is a retrograde form of political thought.

You always have to move forward in a changing world. To maintain a (frequently defective or broken) status quo is counterproductive. Conservatism is not a form to be adhered to as a primary principle. As a governing factor of a political principle (conservative Republican, Conservative Democrat), sure. But to claim to be "conservative" is to cut oneself off at the knees to be able to see clearly what is really needed. Add partisanship and here we are.

Same in a way for a progressive or liberal. But not as much a serious concern as the conservative form by a long shot, as it can lead to thinking as we see now. Isolationism. Or abuse of others we have no right to abuse. Or kill. it is too akin to the religion it spawned from it. both being severely problematic in government and diverse social concerns. The Christian evangelical movement has also been culpable in all this. Evangelicalism itself has been acquired by politicians to subvert and pollute our government.

Prime example is the defectiveness inherent within it...it leads to a Domad #Trump (I should say, Donald $Trump, but that doesn't carry as far, albeit it's far more accurate).

So... we are all Americans who are American. We NEED to disagree, then to moderate, to compromise. Republicans want only their point of view because apparently, God is on their side. That is backed up by their actions in Gerrymandering, in abusing our electoral system, in voter suppression, in too many underhanded undemocratic actions.

One can (easily) see just how ridiculous that all is. If we just look.

Dumping the Draft Registration

Maybe? Maybe we need compulsory service? Wouldn't that change things in this country, in various ways? My family wasn't rich. There was no consideration or drive for me to go to college. When I graduated high school, I had no plans, other than to get out of school as K-12 sucked for me.

Though I kind of liked the social aspects of high school. Once I shot up a few inches to 6'2", having been rather short, lost a few pounds and suddenly in 10th grade wasn't sure what was going on when girls started to pay me a lot of attention.

Doesn't every country need to know where their young men are (and possibly women) in case of national war or disaster, to call upon our strongest citizens in case of ultimate need? And let's not forget war is a young person, especially male's situation. Women aren't so testosterone based and older males are smarter and less testosterone based. So young men are the mainstream of wars.

I've always hated the draft because I grew up as a child with the Vietnam war. I watched older guys go through it. Friends of the family, eighteen, nineteen years old. Maybe going away to the war and never coming back. How that affected their other male friends and family and the country at large.

I finally went into the military at twenty, because I couldn't get a decent job. Full disclosure... I discovered my heritage late in junior high. I'd grown up knowing I was Czechloslovakian, Slovak really because I lived with my mother and step-father and mom and her mom and dad were Slovak (not Slavic as one is a people, the other is a language that includes various nationalities and not just Slovaks).

However, my father was Irish and I took to that like I was full blooded Irish for some reason. Perhaps because familiarity breeding contempt and all that and Slovak was boring to me, Irish was fresh and new. And, it's Irish, so...not to mention, I idealized a father I never saw or seldom so. So, I was Irish with a touch of Czech (Slovak but I thought of myself as Czech until I was an adult).

I can remember in high school in 10th grade going around to friends at lunch in the school cafeteria and educating them on the Irish "Troubles" that were going on (this was 1970). I wanted to go fight for the IRA and tried to recruit for them. My friends looked at me like I was nuts.

But I had been in martial arts (Okinawan Isshinryu Karate) starting in fifth grade and fought in tournaments. Then I was a Flight Commander in Civil Air Patrol (auxiliary of the US Air Force mostly doing training on search and rescue for small downed local aircraft); I was on a private kid's rifle team in eighth grade sanctioned by Tacoma Police Department and I "lettered" in riflery on the HS rifle team for three years.

I was primed for the military from childhood. Or something more covert. But that's another story and in part leads into my screenplay I'm prepping hopefully for production, "The Teenage Bodyguard". I'm scheduled to begin working with screenplay consultant Jen Grisanti in November 2018. That after I keep hearing it has to see production. From those at The Blacklist, the Bluecat Screenplay Contest and even a famous entertainment lawyer in Hollywood says it's time for my story. So hopefully, at a screen near you someday soon.

Considering all this, I wasn't very happy in the military in having to live the redundant lifestyle day in and day our, follow sometimes stupid orders, put up with some ridiculous (not all) officers, to hear every single day in the morning how we were all there to be cannon fodder, to die for our country and citizens, if and whenever we are called to. Personally, I found that a little disturbing. Not the fighting and dying part, the being cannon fodder part. I just believed that I had more value than that.

After a year or so of it, I finally asked my shop supervisor and Tech Sgt. one day why he had to do that every damn morning, to remind us of our as I saw it, lack of value. He said it was: "because we all have to remember what we're doing here as it's a time of peace and it's easy to forget. It's important, especially for you younger guys, to remember that."

A lot of those older Sgt.s (not even that old really, remember I was in my early twenties) had been in the Vietnam war. So I heard a lot of war stories that were still fresh in their minds. In the end I came out with a much greater respect of the military and for our country. And I thought I had that going in. But I was a sign of the times, of the 1960s and 70s, hippies, punk rock, individuality, and rebellion

I hated it, the military. But I also appreciated it. The whole thing was a pain in the ass but I later realized that I appreciated what they tried to teach me in basic training (in order to keep us alive in war) and just how much benefit I got out of tightening up myself and my attitude toward life.

Which wasn't that bad to begin with really, but I hadn't fully gotten the whole world out there clearly till then. It hasn't been perfect by a long shot, but I'm not now living under a bridge somewhere and I have achieved a decent and respectable position in life. And I made more money than I ever foresaw happening. In part because the military made me realize I could actually do anything I wanted to.

Still, I'd had a lot of that when I was younger, too. Which was probably why I excelled over others when I was in the military. So I later got through college when previously it had never been a desire or a consideration. Not to mention, I doubt I could have done it if I hadn't first gone into the military.

As for the draft, one thing a draft does is maintain a real connection between certainly male citizens and the existence of the government and an awareness of the rest of the world. When you consider how few young voters don't get it or care enough to even vote, the military makes a visceral connection that forces you to realize there is a government and a real world out there. And that you really need to pay attention to both.

To be sure there are other forms available to young people to serve in nonviolent and productive ways and are carried out in other countries. Peace Corps and other NGOs (non-government organizations). So perhaps a war draft isn't so much needed as a requirement to do SOME thing. Something to make us all as citizens more cohesive, to see what's out there and to have a real-world connection with it.

There is too much delusion in this country's citizens about what the real world is and in what they tend to believe in. Which especially of late, leads too many to vote in ridiculous ways that are up against the reality of the world as it really is and not just as political diatribe and partisan politices. Some that are simply delusional in practice. Living in the world is not about political beliefs and ideologies, but about what is actually happening all around us and not just what some say is happening.

The "me" from those younger years would never have believed that I would even hesitate at ending draft registration entirely. But I can say only one thing about it at this point.

Maybe? Maybe everyone, male and female SHOULD be required to do something for others and not just for themselves. It would quash the ridiculous political nonsense we hear so much of lately. And we need that bridge again to reality.

I would suggest we do not need such a massive military. A functionl and productive one, to be sure. But we've gotten addicted to easy answers that all too often really are not answers to anything. We do need a more educated population, however.

Free education was decided upon around the turn of the 20th century and instituted. K-12 was offered free and it was a boon to this nation. And now conservatives seem to think that's a waste of money as they block and damage our educational system time and again. When we really now need to open up education to be free beyond into higher education.

We in these modern times require at least a free two year community college or vocational-technical education. And I would push beyond that to where a four-year degree is the new end of the K-12 educational years. We would benefit greatly from it. Instead of giving all our money through tax breaks to corporations and funding the military even when they don't want it as a jobs programs for the military industrial/corporate complex, we need to enhance our thinking capabilities.

In the end and before it's too late we need to bring America back to Americans. And at his point with social media and so many avenues for Americans to wander off from the primary orientation that has made us so great, we need to pull that all back in and become one again. One in our great diversity. That diversity that has made us so great and so strong.

Because anyone educated in animal husbandry will tell you, diversity is strength. Purity is a path to inbred monstrosities. Just as we are now turning into one in thinking we don't need minorities.

America has changed. We need to change with it, to maintain just who we are, have been and want to be. Education and cohesion in all our vast differences is the way. Celebrate your history, your ancestry, your "tribe" to be sure.

Just remember what tribe you are in as an American citizen and ask yourself, how can we make that our new and even better reality?

Magazines Are Not The Only Thing Today Lacking Substance

I was at the store a while back, before the 2016 election. I was standing in line for the register and there was a bank of magazines nearby so I glanced over them and something came to be obvious to me. They were all small. Smaller than traditionally standard sized magazines. This didn't so much surprise me but was a sign of the times.

Scientific American used to be a big magazine. Thick too. One I was addicted to. As a young male I also liked Playboy, though I was never addicted to it quite like I was SA. Yet it too used to be a bigger magazine. But no longer. It just was not the mag I used to know and love so much and it was sad. The articles in comparison to its older version, I found a bit lame. I took a look at Psychology Today and wondered, "When did it turn into a glossary pop psychology form of Cosmo?"

Not unlike Popular Mechanics magazine. The quality just wasn't there anymore. These may still be good magazines, but they simply aren't great any longer. Not what they once were.

It was depressing. I learned my style of writing from SA and once years ago nearly got a software manual published world wide with Digital Press using that style of starting simple and then going deeper than anyone might want to go, or even know about. It was an amazing format I became addicted to back in the late 70s.

That manual was still being used at two of our biggest Seattle medical centers many years later, at University of Washington Medical Center and our regional Which I found humorous not just because of its earned moniker due to receiving all kinds of trauma patients, but because when I was in the military we called our on base barracks, "The Zoo".

I can understand cutting down the size of these magazines but... the quality? SA had always stood for quality and excellence. Now I guess it may be just pretty, and pretty small. I haven't read a recent copy so maybe they've gotten some of it back. Though I doubt it because that's just not the climate of the times. Today it is all about the superficial. the easy to grasp, the outrageous, the click bait.

We even have a superficial definitely non-SA type", clickbait president" in Donald Trump. Our first in that manner and our worst. Elected by a click bait electorate while all the rest stood by in shock, wondering how that could happen.

Click bat does damage. It gathers superficial attention, but it wastes time and resources and even angers some once anyone of intellectual substance finds they have once again been conned. But it gathers wealth for the click baiter because that is all they care about. Substance anymore, is irrelevant.

All those things are something those superficial Trump followers and supporters are about to find out about. Once he is abandoned and out of the public limelight that he is so very much addicted to... and pleasured by. All at our expense. Always, at our expense. One has to wonder in considering how the Republican party has devolved from George HW Bush, to George W Bush to Trump...just what the hell is next in that ever declining succession of qualitatively ever decreasing and ever more questionable "politicians".

Still, I'm open minded, believe it or not. I will have to open the cover of one of those diminished magazines the next time I am at the store. Just to check out the direction they are now headed in.

Now that being superficial is our nationalistic pastime.