The Basics

Although I was quite young, I think living today is becoming a lot like it was during World War II. And, by that, I mean that life then was just getting through the day without screwing anything up badly ... keeping body and soul together..

During those tough times we struggled to keep our houses warm in the winter without too much concern about all that coal smoke we produced. In the summer, air conditioning was accomplished with lots of ice and a fan. Movies were simpler yet more wistful. Racial tensions and gender politics were not top of mind. Life was just the basics ... food, clothing, shelter, religion.

Oh yes, we now have the internet to replace the morning paper ... and can watch Joe Scarborough froth at the mouth while we sip our coffee. But lots of diversions have now disappeared out of our lives ... at least for a while. No sports ... no going to the movies ... or out to dinner ... more complications in grocery shopping.

I have a feeling that, once this Wuhan virus thing has gone away, our lives will be completely different. We will be far less dependent on China for our manufacturing. Much more of our lives will be on-line. We will have a closer relation with Canada, Mexico, Great Britain ... maybe even Russia. We will have much more effective virus treatments. Unfortunately, many businesses will have disappeared. A lot of people will have new jobs. Carbon dioxide won’t be quite the bugaboo it recently was ... even if our climate actually changes a bit.

We, as a nation, might even start getting behind our president.

Religion

Religion is too often just superstition dressed up in flowing robes. — Anon.

Obvious Truth

No religion, no government, no other societal construct has yet been devised that can keep its members maintaining untarnished morality. Sinning is as natural to the human condition as sleeping and breathing (or eating an apple).

Religion

Every religion is founded on a basic human hunger for absolute truth in a world where all truth is unfortunately forever relative. — Anon.

Loyalty

We all have our loyalties ... to the world, to our country, our state, our community, to our family, our ancestors, our mate, our friends, the poor, to our school, our political party, our social organizations, our religion, the environment, to our stomach, to our libido, our ego. Mostly we have mixed localities but, there is usually one or two localities that dominate ... and this can you be judged. And you cannot depend on what people say their loyalty priorities are ... you need to watch their actions.

Think about it. What dominated Bill Clinton's and JFK's lives? Their libidos. (JFK said he would get a headache if he didn't have sex every day.) FDR, his family and his country. Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter kept their religion and the poor foremost in their minds, To Ronald Reagan, our country was the "shining city on the hill" that was his  primary motivation. Truman and Eisenhower, their country. Obama, the environment or his ego. The Bushes, their family. Nixon, the world. Hillary, herself.

What about Trump? He says, and I believe him, he is a nationalist ... which means he puts his country first. And, if you think about things, it is those presidents who put their country at the top of their loyalty pyramids who we now consider great.

Perhaps?

Obvious Truth #4

Because faith trumps logic, religion is more easily corrupted than other social institution. -- Anon.

Reality

Science is all about discovering reality, whereas religion is all about creating reality. -- Anon.

Opiates

Opiates are now the religion of the masses. -- Anon.

Quotable Quote

Religion is based on comforting thoughts ... like evil is punished in the afterlife -- Anon.

European Suicide

Perplexing question: Why have Merkel and many other Europeans opened their borders and often their hearts to hoards of Muslim invaders?

Perplexing answer: Methinks they would rather have Muslim babies than no babies and the Muslim religion rather than no religion.

Carrie Fisher Quotes

"Being happy is not getting what you want. It's wanting what you have."

"You know how they say religion is the opiate of the masses? Well I took masses of opiates religiously."

"As you get older, the pickings get slimmer, but the people don't,"

"Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die."

"Instant gratification takes too long."

"I was street smart, but unfortunately the street was Rodeo Drive."

"I feel I'm very sane about how crazy I am."

"How tragic would it be to be runner-up for Bipolar Woman of the Year?"

Afterward: I was listening to Carrie Fisher's one-woman show and this line of hers needs to be added here: "My parents were very close to Elizabeth Taylor and Muke Todd. When Mike Todd was killed in a plane crash, my father was right there by Elizabeth Taylor's side. Then he moved around to her front ... "

Discrimination

Discrimination has become a dirty word. Once, if one had discriminating tastes, it was a good thing. Now, no more. If one favors something over another ... no matter what ... one is ironically discriminated against. Our founding fathers recognized religion and creed as discrimination no-nos. (Add race, color and gender later by Constitutional amendment.) Now, these taboo categories are inflated and virtually endless. If I paid attention to all these strictures, I could not shun convicted felons, lewd-lyric rappers, new Black Panthers, Scientologists, pedophiles, radical Islamists, Communists, those with "fluid genders," satanists, and Lena Dunham (whatever she is).

Hellery Clinton recently twisted things with a short list of those whom I am now allowed to hate ... the deplorables ... sexists, racists, homophobes, xenophobes and Islamophobes. And all of the myriad of the discriminated-against groups I was required not just to tolerate, but to embrace.

But now that Hellery is relegated to walking the woods, can I go back to not discriminating against just race, color, religion, gender and creed? No?

Stupid Assumptions

In order to get through the day, we make a plethora of assumptions ... some smart, some stupid. Here is my list of some of the more asinine ones (yes, Bill, another list):

- All Hollywood actors are smart
- Socialism/Communism insures equal outcomes
- All American blacks are descendants of slaves
- TV ads tell the truth
- The media is unbiased
- America is a male-dominated society
- All politicians are patriotic
- Man never walked on the moon
- All natural foods are healthier for you
- CO2 causes global warming
- The gay agenda is totally benign
- Marijuana does not alter one's judgement
- 9/11 was an inside job
- Capitalism is spawned out of greed
- Liberals are not prejudiced
- Ronald Reagan was a dunce
- Religions are always a force for good

Remember that when you assume, you are thinking I am going to say "You make an "ass" out of "u" and "me." But then again, I might not ...

Afterward: My wife who tends towards P.C.ness questioned my statement about the stupidity of assuming that the gay agenda is totally benign. May I offer two examples supporting this assertion? #1 The gay tendency toward flaunting public lewdness ... see: Gay Pride-Exposed (and follow the link.) The #2 example is the lesbian couple who have put an Oregon bakery out of business for not supplying them a wedding cake.... see: Fox News Story. It would seem this punishment is a little harsh for a principled religious stand. But this lesbian couple seems far from acting in a benign and forgiving manner. There are many other examples of such vindictiveness.