Illegal opportunities

I think since the 70's -- or earlier (when did the Miranda case happen...?) -- I've found our legal system very confusing. I'm sure it helps little having an attorney as a father. Dad is the original contradictory man. The greatest issue which bothers me is that a detctive's job has nothing to do with finding the actual guilty party, but rather finding someone -- anyone -- who fits the profile. So long as some individual had motive & opportunity, that person is considered guilty at lest till they are found "not-guilty" in court.

Then, of course, in a criminal case, one has to deal with a lawyer who may not be able to talk as good a game as the opposing attorney & a group of people who are intended to be -- but certainly aren't -- one's peers. Does this really make sense to anyone?

What prompts me to bring this subject up is what was once (although it may still be) referred to as "entrapment". We don't hear this term any longer, but rather what would lead to it. We hear the word "sting" -- which, as anyone who'd seen the movie of the same title knows, is a term used in grifting, or, the art of the con. Would this not imply that one is trying illegally to take something from another...?

Now, I certainly don't condone the act of sex with any minor, but I just saw part of one of these "stings" performed by the talking monkeys at 20/20. I suspect they've done this in past & found that their ratings were high, in turn they do it again.

What they'd done was hire an eighteen year old girl to pose as a thirteen year old girl. Why any man over the age of eighteen would really do more than experience a short fantasy -- whether a good thing or bad in itself -- of sex with a thirteen year old girl confuses me alone. But, then to actually seek to meet &, perhaps, have sex with the girl completely boggles my mind.

Apart from what I or anyone else thinks about such a coupling, what incredible stupidity would possess one to pursue such when there are countless stories in the news about this very thing? Do these people really think themselves special? Do they believe they could either get away or continue to get away with this when so much of society is driving arrests, convictions, & a life of being hounded by neighbours & the law for doing something clearly not acceptable by society's standards?

But my point -- & do not think that I am suggesting for an instant that I think those seeking sex with under-age kids should be left alone or are innocent of a crime -- is that such "stings" are wrong as well.

I don't care if we're talking about the sale of drugs, prostitution, insurance fraud, or child molestation. What we're talking about is fraudulently representing yourself. Forget the fact that in reality the young woman who was posing as a thirteen year old girl is actually eighteen & of legal age, forget the fact that while the police perform these fraudulent acts frequently for the purpose of getting someone to incriminate themselves, but that the eighteen year old girl & 20/20 bozos were working with the cops in an even greater sham than the original "sting". Worse -- those very cops were in hiding till after the 20/20 producer walked out, like Allen Funt from Candid Camera, to explain the situation.

If indeed this were truly legal, what are the cops hiding from?

Just another day

I've never really been anything like a fan of the 4^th of July. Ignoring the fact that our history appears to be a complete sham, the idea that we had become free of the "tyranny" of Britain is fine. Of course, we're still taxed heavily & continually find our rights being eroded -- what life, liberty, & pursuit of happiness? This day, apart from all the noise making & oohs & ahhs, is still just another excuse to get drunk.

But, as any other day, I start off with coffee, & the 'Net. While reading a Craig's List post about a guy who likes to masturbate with a room temperature cucumber in his ass, I noticed over the sound of my new $150.00 stereo which I'd picked up for $40.00, that there were no sounds outside. There wasn't the constant sound of diesel/hybrid/electric busses, countless cars, trucks & motorcycles, loud & obnoxious people passing my apartment, there was no sound of jet, prop planes or helicopters flying over my building. There wasn't even the sound of the few birds in the neighbourhood who often venture close to my dungeon apartment making their call to others of the opposite sex. There was nothing. And it was sweet.

Of course, I still have to deal with the annoyances of my modern life: The attorneys demanding payment for closed credit accounts, a couple of utilities still whining that I've not paid them, my land-lord claiming that he can raise my rent $150.00 a month before my lease is up because of the "going rate" when I've only now found a job paying a so-so wage. Worse, I can't even find a local source for Deadman's Reach coffee now my favourite cafe has closed its doors! But on this morning of all mornings, I have some semblance of peace.

My Mystical Life

Prompted by a misunderstood joke I'd made to my best friend who'd retaliated by indirectly accusing me of repeating past patterns, as well as my oldest friend having sent me an article by Isaac Bonewits -- a man who, like me, had read, perhaps, a great deal more than he should & whom I'd met on more than one occasion many years ago in San Francisco & who reminds me of my own failings -- has led to my thinking about the differences between my past life & this new one in which I find myself.

I was raised, at my dear grandmother's insistence, a good Catholic boy. That's right, your intrepid, wandering fool, was baptized into the Catholic Church. While my memories of this period are primarily of the fact that after catechism I got to spend the whole of the day with my beloved grandmother, I still remember a profound confusion over the whole study & worship of Jesus. He seemed nothing more -- even to my child's mind -- than a conglomeration, a fictionalization, of a number of prophets, so-called, of that period known as "biblical times". I have since, though, realized that while the Church stands behind a male figure, xianity is really worshiping the Mother, the Goddess figure, in their practice.

This realization had been a long time coming. While I bill myself as "the most pagan Zen Buddhist you'll ever meet", I really am referring to something entirely different than these words imply. But this would lead to my explaining the truth behind all mysticism, the Great Secret, & my Zen simply won't allow me to be so arrogant as to assume others either don't know this "secret", or to lead anyone "astray".

When I was approximately ten years old -- having been a lover of rather adult concepts (Shakespeare's tragedies & sonnets being my favourite works in print -- when I found myself fortunate enough to find the school library had an entire, very tall, book case dedicated to the subjects of Satanism, witchcraft & the history of witchcraft. All this year in school, every week, I would check out the maximum number of books one was allowed (I think that number was twenty) from this very book case. I would, in addition to my usual homework, pour over each & every word of these books.

Needless to say -- due to my inquisitiveness -- the next year at school, I'd found that this case had been cleaned of each title I'd previously checked out. Did this deter me? Certainly not. I was hungry for knowledge of things unacceptable, but I did have to satisfy my thirst with titles of a more religious, albeit comparative, nature.

Over the following years & after moving to San Jose California, I'd begun studying books particularly of a more mystical bent. One can only learn so much from the lay texts written about religious practice. It was some years later, in college, that I'd begun -- due to an acute attraction to Asian women -- studying the works of Buddhism. This started with titles claiming to be the words of Gautama Buddha.

I'd continued studying, following the Boddhisattva's paths, into China & the mingling of Buddhism with Taoism, all the way to a more modern approach by the various schools of Zen in Japan. After reading a number of books of the teachings of Japanese Zen Masters, I'd found a book by a Chinese Master who had taught in Japan. This was Master Huang Po. His teachings alone are those which got me to finally sit down & meditate.

Having accepted Huang Po's view of Zen, I still continued studying mysticism & magic. I had read many references to Aleister Crowley, but till acting in a short play written by my oldest friend mentioned above, & needing a set of Tarot cards as a prop, I'd not studied any Crowley. From the minute I'd cracked Crowley's Book of Thoth I was astounded at the clarity & command of English of this writer.

Naturally, whether Crowley really possessed any occult knowledge or not, I have been heavily influenced by his work & Thelemic -- Thelema being the philosophy he'd expounded -- thought, that the aspect of Godhead referred to as the Goddess is what drives me. As evidenced, I have read countless books on all forms of religion & mysticism, both good & bad. Like technical manuals, all too many of these authors had little idea how to actually write, & all too many pretended to possess the knowledge they claimed.

My point is that being influenced by the Goddess, or the feminine form of Godhead, rather forces one to be introspective, as opposed to forcing one's beliefs on others. I am no better than any one -- despite my supposed intelligence.

A few years ago, I had extricated myself from an eight-year relationship with a woman whom I had, for many of the years we were together, loved quite dearly. This relationship had taken each of us in many directions -- in the end, entirely different ones. I had known for some time that I was entering a new life, of sorts. A direction I would never have guessed or previously considered seeking. She too had somewhere to go, but that was not my concern, let alone business.

Like a newborn, I was cast forth into a harsh & unfamiliar world. While I still hold on to some old friendships -- friendships I cherish -- I have met & made connections to some few incredibly fantastic people -- people I will either remember or hold on to, should they allow me to do so, for as long as I can take breath. I am now, I think -- by way of comparison -- in the teen years of my Path to catch up, if you will. A new life of love I've never known, yet still learning & growing. It is all so foreign to me. I only hope these old & new friends can stand me long enough.

And now, after having returned to an old "stomping ground" & found it, like NYC, to not be the city I'd once known -- just as I am no longer who I once was -- I seek to move on. One of the long loved, & one of the new loves in my life & I have been discussing life in a place I had never -- would never in past have -- considered. I have lived in such an environment, the desert, before, & I had grown up not too very far from this new city. The first had lived there before, the latter lives there now. Even my eldest sister, who also had lived there, tells me that this is where I should be.

I feel the Goddess is on the verge, regardless of the present difficulties, of drawing me to my new life. I certainly intend to yield to Her call & take up my new life & self in this place, but ever the doubter, I continue searching within myself for meaning to all life's twists.

Non-Profit? My Ass.

What, exactly, is meant by non-profit? Is a non-profit really any different than any other corporation? Perhaps. But in my experience, these companies are just as concerned with the bottom line to the extent that the people who work for them are nothing more than after thoughts, necessary evils that there really is no distinguishing them from one another.

I also find the ads for street activism rather annoyingly like any other business job ads. They make the job appear to be a fantastic way to meet people, make lots of money, while doing good for your planet, country, etc. But, from a conversation with a few of these "activists" & having read some rants on Craig's List from others, these jobs require one not only fulfill a quota each day, endure heavy pressure from higher-ups that if they cannot produce, they will be fired, & one can have all this for an actual sub-standard wage.

Of course, you're not supposed to be in it for the money, are you? But with your non-profit employer contradicting themselves by implying that they're in it for the cause, yet repeatedly proving themselves to be, in reality, so concerned with the money, you have to wonder. Many years ago, I'd read an article showing how much money collected by the Christian Children's Fund was going to upper management salary. Out of every dollar collected, some incredibly huge percentage went toward management salary, while less than a cent went to the children they claim to be "providing for".

Now, in my own experience working for a non-profit organization, we were encouraged to push memberships, as well as sales -- I worked in retail. One of the selling points of these memberships was that it was tax deductible. So, I wonder, who's really paying for these memberships, as well as all the contributions made to that -- or any -- organization, by the rich? We know that the rich write off anything they can, as the tax laws are written in their favor. In turn, these memberships & contributions are a scam.

Don't you see? The rich -- & anyone purchasing a membership or making a contribution -- write these things off. Then, it is the tax payers who foot the bill for their special events with silly catered foods & an open bar. OK. Fine. I have no great problem with paying less in taxes which inevitably wind up paying a totally unrealistic salary to some moron who talked a good enough game to get into political office, but then these non-profits insult us by requiring we pay for entrance when we'd already done so by paying our taxes -- without all the wondrous write-offs which really only cater to the rich.

Would I be so crass as to suggest we boycott non-profits? Would I go so far as to suggest we band together & protest this abuse? Certainly not. I will suggest that people open their eyes. We're being duped everywhere we turn by marketing people & the wealthy. Naturally, we aren't going to get something for nothing, but why go looking for it if we're just being manipulated? Stop being fooled.

Yet again, I'm left with only one final thing to say:

Question everything.

Quote This!

[Note:  When previously posted elsewhere, one statement in this blahg entry had angered & offended at least one European.   Think a minute.  I hold Europeans in, perhaps, the highest esteem.  The statement in question is more in relation to questioning IQ tests than it is in the intelligence of people of a favored region.]

People have told me that I'm very intelligent all my life. There was a time I would thank people for saying this, as it seemed nice of them to say so. But, sadly, this praise (so called) tends to grate on the nerves. I got over my vast intelligence shortly after I first found myself being totally misunderstood & not knowing how to better explain myself.

Recently, I'd taken a number of IQ tests. This wasn't because I necessarily wanted to know how much smarter I am than others, but rather because of my complete confusion of  other's reactions to things I say. Needless to say, I was shocked & dismayed at what I'd found.

Now, before I reveal these wondrous results of my level of intelligence, let me first point out that I have little trust in IQ tests. I'm certain each one is biased not just in the actual level of one's intelligence, but also based on the bent of the "governing body" in question. Everyone has an agenda. So, as I've pointed out before, question everything.

In addition, while most will tell us that an IQ of 130 is the low-end of genius, the average IQ is approximately 100. I won't cite any of the sources for this, as this is a generous approximation based on a number of sources. The actual numbers appear to be even lower.

I was given an IQ test as a child, but I really don't remember what results I'd got. I've a vague memory of two numbers -- 130 & 151 -- but I seriously don't know if either of these is really in reference to my IQ. But to my delight, or degradation -- you be the judge -- of the tests I'd taken, I now possess an IQ of something between 147 & 153 (one test resulted in a number of 162, but with such a leap of 9 points from the highest of the others, I seriously question this one).

It's also interesting to note that one Web site I'd seen listed a number of European countries average scores as all being below 100. This really makes me wonder about humans as a whole. How is it possible that anyone with an IQ below 100 is even able to survive in this world, let alone, in many cases, thrive, when countless (apparently only 2% of Americans) people with IQ's of 130 or higher continually fall into the pits of financial or emotional disaster?

My point is that intelligence doesn't appear, from my perspective, to be a good thing. Perhaps it's just being intelligent in the US, but I really do think that ignorance must be bliss.

My best friend Trudy -- also possessing a genius-level IQ -- has been living in Rapid City SD for the purpose of obtaining a nursing degree. Now she has this in hand, she's is looking into moving to Reno Nv. We've been discussing how very much we & many of our mutual friends (I know that some of them -- if not many -- also possess high IQ's) are in similar, difficult situations. Trudy & I are considering the possibility of a communal living situation of the like-minded. Sure, I'm still moving to Chile, but Reno's looking better all the time. It may be an artificial sense of community, being surrounded in our house of "sharing" -- not being able to step beyond the property without being surrounded by the typical bull shit of existence -- but it sounds like a very positive experience.

Who among us couldn't use that right about now?

Hit & Run 5

Sanjaya who?

It appears that poor University of Washington is at a loss for a decent commencement speaker this year. As Bill Gates & Bill Clinton (the latter, fine -- the former?) are booked elsewhere, UW has turned to some momentary pop icon from a show few readers can stand for more than a minute, American Idol, named Sanjaya.

So, you get a flash singer to give a speech. She's a singer, & you decide she can manage to motivate students to study hard. Interesting.

USYT

Ignore that the US military is running videos on YouTube -- no doubt it's more for recruiting, than anything else. What interests me is the quote from Brent Walker, one of two mentioned in the article in the Seattle Times from Thursday, a US military Web master & former marine:

"I think these clips humanize the war for a lot of people who only see statistics."

Really? Do people think humans aren't involved in war unless they see it on TV or YouTube?

OK.

Kiddie porn

This is just too stupid: 

"Children in Middletown NJ got more than they bargained for when they tuned into "Handy Manny" on the Disney Channel this week: Hardcore pornography. Cable giant Comcast is investigating how the porn was broadcast during the popular cartoon, which is about a bilingual handyman, Manny Garcia, and his talking tools

Comcast spokesman Fred DeAndrea described it as an "isolated issue in a local New Jersey facility." 

Well, that explains everything satisfactorily. But I'm confused what Manny's "tools" have to say, & how realistic it is that he has more than one tool...?

No toilet paper for you

Get this:

"Walkersville Md is advising visitors to its four parks to bring their own toilet paper. All paper products were removed from the park restrooms after vandals set paper on fire in a men's bathroom, Town Manager Gloria Long Rollins said Monday. Hand dryers will be installed, but visitors will have to bring their own toilet paper, she said.

Rollins hopes the changes will help combat vandalism, graffiti and drug use in the parks. 

It's a well known fact that vandals, graffiti artists & drug users never go anywhere they can's wipe their asses on the city's dime. I'm sure many tax dollars were wasted on numerous studies proving this to be the case.

Suicidal tendencies

"Experts" again prove themselves worthless:

The Food and Drug Administration Wednesday approved at the strongest possible warning for antidepressants to alert doctors and patients that the drugs could increase the risk of suicidal thinking and behavior in adults 18 to 24. 

-from an article by Denise Gellene, LA Times 

Who'da thought that antidepressants could possibly depress anyone?

Leaded bibs?!

Huh? I thought we'd addressed this issue of lead years ago. But now:

LITTLE ROCK, ark -- Wal-Mart pulled sets of baby bibs Wednesday from its stores nation-wide after the bibs tested positive for high levels of lead, a store official said. 

-from an article by Jon Gambrell, AP 

Why-why-why would lead be in baby bibs...?

You're no fun any more

I'm on a nostalgia kick again. Me? Sure. I'm remembering a time -- &, perhaps a place -- when a man could compliment a woman's dress or look in a very simple manner, & it would either be accepted or politely rejected for what it is -- a simple compliment. But, apparently, today, a simple compliment -- void of any seething intent -- is perceived as a sexually potent & lurid remark. Yes. I have now graduated from the woman repellent, to the creepy old man.

A statement to any woman under, perhaps, thirty to the effect of, "Hey, I like your dress" or "That's a nice skirt", has become intimidating. Somehow, women now expect such statements to be followed by a regimen of stalking resulting in some rape scene. For the record, I have never wondered how a woman would look from the bushes outside her home.

Of course, if any woman whom I'd complimented found me even remotely attractive -- guess what? I wouldn't be a threat, I'd be considered possible bed fodder or even -- if I had money & was generous -- a possible boy friend. One cannot even so much as scan a room & meet the eyes of a woman scanning the same room without being judged abusive.

I'm sure that any woman who has judged me such would deny these statements. I'm sure their ill perceived judgment of me would become more surreal simply because I accuse them of thinking entirely too highly of themselves & being conditioned either by breakfast cereal commercials or made-for-tv movies. But I hardly think my reaction to their reactionary minds bad powers of observation -- I've a rather strong ability to see beyond the surface.

I also know that I'm generalizing. There are certainly women in their twenties & later who know better. Sadly, I know a very small number of them -- & I expect that number to continue to diminish.

Apart from the fact I have never so much as expected, let alone forced anything of a woman -- "no" had meant "no" long before television told us so, & I had even made it a conscious  point of respect before I'd ever had the opportunity to get to know a girl (when I was but a boy) slightly -- not even intimately -- to do only as they made clear I could. Sex, as wonderful as it can be, may be on my mind, but isn't something I've ever expected. Frankly, frequently in my life, I find sex so silly it's practically pointless.

So, have your sugar-coated lives; find your princes (or goth-punk-wanna-be-artist) & live your passionless, humourless, surface lives. Obscurity calls to me, the freedom to be & think & dream -- with or without the physicality sex -- grows ever more appealing to me than the phony life we must live now.

Misanthropy is the result of even a dolt who stops to think about it.