Deep Thought

I will address the gross oversimplification of that statement, after interested readers follow me to the viewing room for a fascinating presentation.

On April 01, 2010, I attended the funeral for USMC Lance Corporal Jacob Allen Ross, 19 years old, married just 6 months, killed in action in Afghanistan... the son of one of our FSW members.

Thousands, all across Wyoming, had come out to the route to honor this young man on Wednesday as he was brought from the airport to Gillette. Every possible FSW member was there in Gillette (along with many hundreds of others).

I ask the question with solemn seriousness. No, I haven’t been smoking or otherwise ingesting anything to make my brain go wonky. I have actually been thinking about the issue—from a very different context—for some time now, and trying to find a way to gather my thoughts for presentation here. I’ve not yet accomplished that, but a news article I just read crystallized the above question out of my mind.

What a fitting set of ideas to contemplate now—well, for those who are attached to the Gregorian calendar, anyway. Be warned: this isn’t a typical “bucket list” or similar set of externally–driven “achievements”—the short essay Joshua Zader posted may have most individuals squirming uncomfortably a few times. But it brims with the stuff that is most important in living a conscious life.

I have a lot of conversations with folks who understand the growing problems and potential for disaster. Many of them are already well down the road to preparations for survival, many have just started, and most are somewhere between. Unfortunately, a few still cling to the idea that - if "we" ALL just would pay attention and DO SOMETHING - the old US Constitution could be resurrected, we could elect the "right people," and the police state would be gone.

I saw this article this morning and thought we might continue our discussion of the agora and its importance in our struggle for liberty. Kyle is a good friend, and a member of my FSW family - as well as a contributor to The Price of Liberty.

Joss Whedon addresses that question at the end of this talk. Most of what leads up to it is pretty good, as well.

(Direct link to vid on YouTube)

He’s reminded me why I used to think of myself as a humanist in my undergrad days ...

The deeper I get into Barzun’s biography, titled A Stroll With William James, the more tempted I am to come to that conclusion. For those uncertain as to what I mean by ecological psychology, it is a radical departure from the information processing theories that currently dominate the field. Too many—both layperson and academic alike—have let the brain–as–computer metaphor become the only way they can conceptualize what goes on in our wetware (see?); but of course, before computers (and even earlier, before machines), there were other ways of approaching this most intriguing set of questions. William James apparently did so in a way that presaged much of the ecological approach.

... along comes William James.

Finally getting to the long promised story of my trip to California. You were warned. [grin]

It all started months ago when my sister sent me tickets for the airfare. She'd always wanted to do that, but I'd never before agreed to fly... but I had a 2 1/2 year old grandson I'd never seen, and wanted badly to reconnect with my two sons, so I bit the proverbial bullet and accepted.

My friend Peter and I have discussed the speculation surrounding what may lie ahead for this country, and those who live here, a fair bit. Being a much better multi–tasker than I, he has offered a stimulating perspective in a new essay, American Winter. It’s fairly long, full of cogent observations and asides, and I barely finished skimming it before starting to tell you nine about it—so I don’t have any deep thoughts of my own to offer at present.

Books are marvelous wonders. They can take one places one never even knew one wanted to explore, subtly or boldly challenge one’s thinking, or offer fresh perspectives on any number of subjects or ideas. The Power of Premonitions unexpectedly did all these things, and more, for me. And I thought I knew what I was in for when I accepted an offer of a review copy ...

It does seem to be a popular question these days, no doubt encouraged by Wendy McElroy’s essay Leave the Police State That Is America, which has been followed up with an excellent series of So ... You Are Staying in the States posts. Part V is the most recent installment, and includes links to its predecessors.

She offers good information, but I’d like to back up and consider Wendy’s advice to leave the USSA. As one who has done so, and returned (after much deep thought regarding that choice), I offer some of my perspective, based on our experiences.

Music. Music. Music. We are blessed, it seems, with the ability to hear and create music. Most of my life has been filled with the stuff. My parents loved it and so I grew up in a house filled with music and the love of it. I was taken to concerts on occasion and educated further in the magic rhythms. I have an extensive music collection, on vinyl, 1/4 inch reel to reel, cassette, CD and now on my computer's hard drives. My mother even has some of hers on lacquer 78 R.P.M. disks, wherein resides one of my favorite recordings of all, "Love Me or Leave Me," by a very young Sammi Davis, Jr.

But lately I've found that I don't listen to music as I used to. I don't have it on all the time, selecting the mood I want to be in and then programing myself through the disks or tracks that I inject into my consciousness stream modulation channels.

Some time ago I explored the workings of brains, and therein as well as in the discussion that followed, I hinted that I would take up related matters at some point. That day has arrived for one of them. It seems to me we each operate under a tyranny that is inescapable—at least permanently and meaningfully inescapable. But then, I am probably showing my ignorance with that statement.