We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.
I think power can act like a drug, and promote the most self-indulgent or sociopathic character traits. Not so, however, in those determined to be on best behavior. What sorts of people seek power over others?
Unfinished artwork is great fun to look at. It's as much fun as watching a Youtube of craftsmen or chefs at work - or the late lamented Bob Ross' painting show.
Often, a finished product reveals little of what went into its production. It is concealed.
Mrs. BD and I saw the show at the Met's new satellite gallery a few weeks ago. Worth a trip. You can travel the world, but olde NYC right here in little olde USA remains the premier fine art venue in the world. The tourists know that.
Expecting everyone to "reason" like a moral philosopher is based upon the assumption that everyone can. This of course is a rehash of the radical equality principle of all men and fails to recognise that some men are limited in reaching this level of cognition. (Note, it's one of the ways mainstream Christianity inadvertently laid the groundwork for Liberalism.) So anyone pushing this agenda is, in a way, furthering the intellectual supposition that all men are cognitively equal.
But suppose you do accept the fact that there is an inherent intellectual inequality amongst men, how then do you regulate public morality in such an environment, especially when asking men to act in a strongly counter-intuitive way? The only way to do so is by having a strong external apparatus, i.e. Church or State threatening to punish wayward behaviour. i.e. Big Brother. Furthermore, with the collapse of "cultural constraints" the void for regulating behviour needs to be assumed by the state, thus, radical liberalism necessitates a powerful state regulatory apparatus to provide a check against the intuitive tendencies of the masses.
With Springtime finally upon us up here, the skis are put away and the hiking boots come out.
When people get out of town, they want and need to get off the sofa and hiking in the woods and mountains. Here are a few ideas for tougher, and easier, hikes:
All of New York City - not just Manhattan - is a patchwork of neighborhoods. If somebody asks you where you live, you name a neighborhood, not a street. The neighborhoods, with their mostly fuzzy edges, are distinctive in character and more like towns with invisible boundaries.
During this Maggie's Hike on the past Saturday I figure we explored, or at least passed through, these Manhattan neighborhoods: Lower East Side and Alphabet City, the East Village, Gramercy Park, Murray Hill, a bit of Midtown, a slice of the Upper East Side, most of Central Park, the Upper West Side, and Morningside Heights to the edge of Harlem. Not bad for a day's stroll.
That was 12 miles in all and 7 hours total, including pit stops, lunch break, visits into some places of interest, etc. Heck, Advil works!
Pic above is not our starting DD on Delancey St. - that pic is on Houston St.
Our team included friends, relatives, friends of Maggie's (new friends) from all over.
We also had with us celebrities like Stuart of Had Enough Therapy, Francis of Manhattan Contrarian, Dave of Assistant Village Idiot, Donald Trump and Bob Dylan - Fine fellows all and engaging, entertaining companions. Delighted to meet them.
Pic documentary below the fold to see what you missed -
A good narrator, or orator, can make anything sound interesting. Vin Scully, long time voice of the Dodgers, is a great one. I'm not a fan of the Dodgers, and my exposure to Scully is limited to his coverage of nationally televised games, but his skill is evident. So much so, he once deigned (a strong word, by most accounts he has a great sense of humor) read a grocery list on air. The results were, not surprisingly, intriguing and entertaining. Or, as my Dodger fan friend who sent this to me said, "enthralling." As he begins his 67th and final year as the voice of the Dodgers, it seems a fitting tribute.
No other announcer can boast Scully's experience, beginning in Brooklyn in 1950, following the Dodgers to Los Angeles, there are few team voices as unique and recognizable as Scully's.
It's not just the terror that Johnny might break his arm in the playground. It's not a "sticks and stones" country any more, at least among the coastal elites.
Freud waxed creative on the topic of cultural taboos, identifying them as unconsciously or consciously interesting, but forbidden, fruits. He never, to my knowledge advocated violating cultural rules and taboos.
Homosexual temptation has been around forever, but sometimes illegal and sometimes it has been impolite to mention the topic so the taboo in that case had more to do with conversation than with behavior. In many cultures, adultery, fratricide, patricide, and matricide are basic taboos. Judaism and Christianity have abundant taboos.
Psychiatric organizations are challenged by the gradual cultural acceptance - to some extent, anyway - of behaviors once considered taboo or debauched by the culture, and perversions by Psychiatry. Despite media attention, most people still regard much behavior with revulsion. To turn the tables, often those with discomfort or revulsion are now labeled neurotic "phobics." Thus a gradual normalization of fantasy translated into real behavior.
I suppose parts of our culture have arrived there, even without Communism.
Here is a run-down of some of the outlandish things going on these days, often reminiscent of Nero and the Roman Empire. As the narrator says, nothing "sweet and innocent" here. Or loving, either. The entire "I identify as..." trend is a curious turn of phrase. I think it means "I like to pretend...". The unbound human imagination at work:
Singer, actress. "The American Beauty." She was a 200-pounder in this photo.
One of her husbands was Diamond Jim Brady. Diamond Jim liked jewels and food. Probably had Binge Eating Disorder, but all prosperous guys over-ate in those days.
This past weekend, Springsteen canceled a concert in North Carolina, on 2 days notice, to protest the passage of law requiring people to use bathrooms based on the gender of birth. PayPal, similarly, canceled plans to expand operations in Charlotte.
I understand how tightly politics has become intertwined with business. Making a statement seems to be the most important thing anyone can do, these days. So I'll make a small one of my own. I don't agree with the North Carolina law, but I don't live there. I think it is over-the-top and excessive control of society by imposing a law where common sense should suffice to reign. The passage of law doesn't make an idea 'correct' or morally justified. Even so, I'm still planning to visit my family in North Carolina, spend money there, and enjoy the state's many natural wonders. I'm not going to boycott a state because I disagree with a law. If I did that, I'd have problems living in the state I currently reside.
Paypal and Bruce both have the right to make whatever statements they choose, just as I do. I'm not sure how what they are doing impacts the law, however. In fact, they both hurt many people in an attempt to 'show solidarity' with...some group or another (I can never tell which special interest groups are getting the attention these days).
On the occasion of what would have been her 100th birthday,
Look at Mark Rothko. 
Singer, actress.
