Catching Up With Readers

When Daniel Webster first produced his English Language Dictionary, a female member of one of America's early busy-body groups thanked him for not including bad words in his book,  In reply, he thanked her for looking.

And so it goes.  A lot of the reader responses I get around here are from folks convinced that I am either an idiot, a crank, or both, to which I reply, "Thanks for clicking!"

One reader sent a rather passionate note asking how I could support Marco Rubio in my "Random Thoughts On Politics."  I went back and reread the post and could not find a supporting comment anywhere.  I did, however, find a bit where I stated I thought he would win the nomination as a "dark horse" compromise candidate despite any success of the Trump campaign.  Hardly offering my support.

My statement was based simply on my project to track major world events as possible outcomes foreseen in Eastern and Western astrology, and outlined in my post called, "Get Your Yang Red Fire Monkey On!"  Perhaps the connection is not immediately obvious, leading the reader to misinterpret my hypothesis.

The connections are rather subtle, so follow along if you dare.

The name 'Marco' derives from the Latin name 'Marcus,' which itself derives from 'Mars,' the Roman god of war and the name of our fourth planet, which happens to be reddish.  The name 'Rubio' is quite simply the Latin word for "red."  This makes the name translate as "red Mars" (in Romance languages the adjective follows the noun).  Thus, "red," "war" (chaos/fire), and politicians being often characterized as "trained monkeys."

See the connections?  But wait...it gets better.

Mars opposition this year (month of May) will bring the Earth and Mars extremely close and Mars will be very prominent in the night sky for a month or so.  In Western astrology, this would imply a strong influence by Mars in Earthly events, bringing war and chaos in its wake.  It would, to follow this line of thought, imply also that someone named Marco Rubio (red Mars) could be heavily influenced by this alignment (for the better one assumes).

Thus, Marco Rubio seems fated by both Eastern and Western astrology to have a rather stunning rise in the next couple of months, since red, fire, war, chaos, and Mars all figure quite heavily in the stars.  I do not claim to believe any of this, nor do I endorse Rubio or predict his success.  I am simply watching events unfold with an eye to testing astrology.

By the way, Mars will be at very close oppositions with Earth until 2027, so we likely haven't seen the last of Rubio in any event, if there is any veracity in astrology, East or West.

The next set of comments came from several readers who couldn't wait to lambast me for attacking St. Albert in "Einstein Is STILL An Idiot."  Everything from mild chiding to outright hostility lit up the mailbox, which I love.  It means something I said stirred folks up, which is really the whole point of this exercise.  I like it when folks' weltanschauungs are challenged.  It may not change the entrenched and calcified minds, but it may just open others to new ideas and critical thinking.

At any rate, most of the mail and comments about the article were to remind me of what an idiot I am, and I don't deny it.  However, I can still see when someone mixes Wheaties with my Cheerios and tries to pass it off as Sugar Pops.

The point was this: there are four Big Bang Theories and three Black Hole Theories.  They are all mutually exclusive in that a Big Bang Universe cannot contain Black Holes, and vice versa.  Sorry if that pops your bubble, but it's true.

Therefore, to say that gravity waves caused by the merging of two Black Holes proves Einstein's Theory of General Relativity is probably the most idiotic, contradictory and numbnut/buckethead claim ever made.  In Black Hole theories, there can be no other mass in the Universe, much less two Black Holes, and thus, there can be no objective point from which to observe gravity waves, nor even additional space into which they can propagate.

One comment said that the photo of Einstein and the formula showed clearly the question mark at the end of the equation.  See?  Even Einstein was smart enough to know that a Black Hole negated the Big Bang, gravity waves, gravity lensing, and just about everything else you can think of, especially all the stuff his theory predicted.

I find it to be a cheap and dirty trick on the part of the "scientists" (whoever they are) to presume upon the ignorance of the average lay person by claiming that an obvious contradiction proves a hypothetical mathematical construct.  It is the height of contempt on the part of these "scientists" for the lay person to pull this sort of crap while claiming they need more of our tax money to continue finding more proof of a contradiction.

And we haven't even gotten to the part about space-time being a nonsensical thing and most certainly not a medium by which to propagate waves.  Posh and piffle, you say?  Fine, please point in the direction of "time."  I'll wait.  And while you are at it, please tell me why clocks "measure" time, yet I can have two of them together with different times displayed and both can be wrong?  After all, I can use two tape measures to discern the exact dimensions of the 2-by-4 about to hit you upside the head, and both will agree.

OK, so enough fun for now.  Thanks for reading and writing, regardless of why or what.  We enjoy stirring up a little shit once in a while.  Keeps life interesting.

Reader Rites

Our post the other day (Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression...) struck a chord with a number of readers, and the hit rate hit the ceiling.  I think I screwed up and said something profound, for which I sincerely apologize.  One regular reader and correspondent on the Far Side was moved to write an excellent note that got me to thinking (I know - stand back).  It was well worth sharing with the general audience and a little alliteration, I thought:

 

Bernard --

 

... Yet again, I am interrupting my comfortable daily routine to write out compliments for your latest blog post.

I need an automatic program that sends out emails saying, "Bernard -- Well done, again."

 

... But Ayn Rand instructed me to "reward the good for being good", so here is another email to you.

 

... The concepts of "suicide" and "insanity" in connection with America have been on my mind, also.

Not just connected to America, but all countries that are connected to America.

The farther away, the less the connection, the less the insanity.

You and I have escaped in the only way possible, to "the far side".

 

... Alas, here in Thailand, there is still some connection to the insanity machine of American media.

You understand that better than I do.

Here, I am seeing steady degeneration of the culture.

The Thais are exceeding good at imitating others, but they have no idea what or why:  a "cargo cult" on a national scale.

Examples:  women trying to act masculine, graffiti destruction of property, boom-boom cars and similar intentional annoyance of public peace, worship of Negros in advertising signs, movies, television, and massive adulation of homosexuals.

I call it inversion of values, all values.

There is not one that is right side up any more.

 

... I selected Thailand because this insanity was developing about 20 years behind the USA.

You probably chose Indonesia for a similar reason.

But no place I can see is immune.

 

... This is not going to end well, is it?

 

Cordially, A Faithful Reader

 

To which, in my customarily terse manner, I responded:

Dear Faithful Reader,

As always, I get excited when I see your name pop up in the email, since I know something juicy follows - and I don't refer to the kudos, though I deeply appreciate your time and effort to follow Rand's admonishment.

I think Thailand is somewhat more susceptible to the insipid cultural invasion from America because the Buddhist mentality is significantly more permissive than the Islamic.  If there is one saving grace here, it is that the muslims are fighting tooth and nail to resist the onslaught.  It is and ultimately will fail, but it may be a bit slower than the take-over of Thailand.

I do have a chance to put my money where my mouth is, though.  I recently accepted the position of General Manager of the Ciputra Arts Center here in Jakarta.  As such, I am in a position to filter the influence of degenerate Western culture in favor of more civilized fare from a by-gone era.  However, the ever increasing wealth and expansion of the middle class here means that millions are clamoring for the lifestyles that previously they could only lust after watching movies and TeeVee.  If I can do anything about it, I intend to foster a uniquely Indonesian solution.

It is a terrible shame.  Americans are so paranoid and xenophobic that they can only survive in areas where "home" has been cookie-cut for them.  Endlessly repeatable experiences like Holiday Inn and McDonald's are all the fragile American psyche can handle.  Until now, they have been able to demand and receive it because of their money, but that is rapidly changing.

I believe that the collapse of the US will be tragic for a great many people worldwide, but that Asia may have both an economic and physical buffer from the worst of it, which is the prime reason I moved here.  Furthermore, folks in these parts are still able to survive without modern amenities much more ably than Americans and Europeans.  Back home, I would be hard-pressed to find 10 people in a hundred that could build a decent shelter, whereas I think easily 75 out of a hundred here could...but that is quickly changing with the spoiled and overly-indulged generation coming up.  The rising epidemic of hyperactivity, spreading waistbands and hollow looks on young folks' faces around here tells me that soon, all will be lost.

The one thing I am counting on is the rapid and soon collapse of the Western hemisphere.  I am convinced that is all that will save humanity at this point.  Painful as it will be, the long term survival of the species demands it.  I see plenty of healthy saplings down in the forest floor that need only a good forest fire to release them to the sun's rays.

I don't look forward to the coming mess either way - West wins or West loses - but I honestly think the only viable solution is to encourage the suicide and be done with the family loony.  I think of it as a merciful act, both for the loony and for the rest of the family.

Sorry for the ramble, but you always encourage thought with your notes, for which I am deeply grateful.  Thanks for reading and continue to keep in touch.  While you're at it, check out the website http://ciputraartpreneur.com.  It's a very exciting project and one-of-a-kind in Indonesia at the moment.  If you make it this way at some point, of course I'll drag you to a show.

All the best!
B

The Unbounded Joy Of Blogging

Part of the fun of this blogging stuff is making a wide, diverse set of contacts throughout the world.  If I shut up too long, folks start writing to check on me.  If I go overboard, I get immediate chastisements.  And occasionally, when I do something right, I get great feedback.  And I'm not just talking about, "Yo dude!  Great stuff man," though there are a few of those.  Instead, I get these fantastic, thoughtful letters with real ideas in them.

That's what I like...real ideas.  Because in the world to come, that will be the new economy.  People will trade on their original thoughts and concepts derived from other thinkers.

But, I digress.  What I want to share is a very thought-filled letter I received overnight, to whit:

Hello Bernard Bearheart:

Just a note to praise your latest rant and to find out if you know about a brother living in Kalimantan named Imron Comey who recently wrote, "The Generosity Factor: A Message From Borneo."

http://www.amazon.com/2012-Generosity-Factor-Message-Borneo/dp/1463541082/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1334426711&sr=1-3

I knew Imron (from Subud) when he lived in the U.S. and my wife met him when when she was studying permaculture methods of gardening in Kalimantan about 12 years ago.

Do you remember Ayn Rand? I have already seen two glowing documentaries recently from Netflix about her life and a third one is on the way. There is also a new movie out, "Atlas Shrugged" in two installments, and the infamous Kock brothers along with an assortment of other multibillionaire "takers" are regurgitating her philosophy and force-feeding it down the throats of the new generation via the school systems through funding controls, and the mass distribution of her books. You can pretty much sum up her philosophy in her own words when she said she hates "altruism." According to her, altruism is the very root of all evil. Allen Greenspan and company, the Neocons, Zionists, neoBolsheviks, and oldMachiavellians, mostly adhere to the common thread of this idea.

If I read your latest blog correctly the aforementioned gang are in their death rattle and gasping for survival. And according to Imron Comey,  it seems just in the nick of time God is about to reprogram our DNA so that we aren't so greedy anymore.

My old English professor lived in Kalimantan with her husband during the Kennedy administration as Peace Corp workers. She once told me a story about when they asked a group of Penans ( true hunter/gathers)  what they considered the worst sin. The group went into a huddle for some time and finally emerged with their answer. The chief quietly said, "Not to share."  --RF

Wow!  A lot to digest there.  I suppose we should launch at the beginning...

Just to address the initial paragraph, I have heard of Imron Comey, but I have yet to come across him or his work.  However, based on this letter, I shall make a concerted effort to do both.

The next order of business is Ayn Rand.  Now, since I never met her, I can't say I remember her, but I am surely familiar with her work.  Among my crowd, "Atlas Shrugged" was required reading in 8th grade, along with "Lord of the Rings".  We were a somewhat advanced bunch, I suppose.  However, the book started a craze with us for a couple of years, and heavily influenced my thinking even until the present day.  We considered it a sort of response to "The Wasteland", in that it showed a way out of the cultural dead-end that had emerged at the dawn of the 20th century and culminated in the 60's cultural revolution (which I daresay is a misnomer).

At any rate, Ayn Rand preached anti-altruism as ultimately ending in communism, where there was no private property, industry or social life.  In other words, altruism ultimately led to Marxism, but to truly appreciate that statement, you must read Marx.  For those who think the Soviet Union or any other political entity has ever been Marxist, you are sadly mistaken.

Marx proposed unwinding the capitalist/bankster system and slowly returning control of everything back to the common man, so that when the revolution was complete, there would be no State, no corporations and no system of control above the immediate collective.  Marx' ideas were a direct threat to the so-called capitalist system, and has led to more than a century of ideological war between two diametrically opposed concepts.

Ayn Rand proposed a middle road.  If altruism led to Marxism, she reasoned, and capitalism led to totalitarianism, then there must be a happy medium.  This, she proposed, was 'enlightened self-interest'.  It is the central concept of true libertarianism and has aspects of both Marxism and capitalism woven into it, but which seeks a third outcome.

Enlightened self-interest (ESI) is a form of anarchy, which also has a bad name, but in its ideal form is rather appealing.  Like Marxism, ESI envisions the complete unwinding of the State and all its control mechanisms.  It would spell the end of borders and concepts like immigration and emigration.  Any system of governance would be strictly local without any form of centralized power.  Each community would set its own standards and then compete for economic growth based on the attractiveness of their system to other people.

Where Rand departs from Marx is in the concept of personal property.  This, she reasoned, was the prime motivator for people to innovate and create and to engage in commerce.  The ability to enrich one's self was the only reason to get out of bed in the morning.  Within the confines of one's property, one was an absolute dictator, able to set the law of the land and enforce it however necessary, as long as that law and its enforcement did not encroach on the next guy's fifedom.

In a nutshell, if you took one part Marx, one part Rand and one part Robber Baron, shook it thoroughly and strained into a glass, you'd have the perfect way of life.  No controlled markets, no authoritarian central governments and no communal ownership.

Here's the problem with Marx: you have a construction project at the house.  All the community hammers are crap.  The heads fall off and the handles break.  So you go an buy a fine Estwing.  While working on your project, you put the hammer down and go inside for a glass of iced tea.  You neighbor walks by, sees the great hammer lying there and takes it for his project.  The same thing happens, and in less than a day, your investment is gone without a trace.

Here's the problem with Rand: you buy a fine piece of land.  Good dirt, running water, rolling fields.  One day, your neighbor wants to build a nuclear waste dump.  You have no say in the matter because it's his land, and as long as you can't prove damages, he is free to do as he likes.  To prove damages, you need a judiciary of some sort.  The judiciary forms a syndicate, and the syndicate forms a centralized political body.  Then you're back to where you started.

Here's the problem with capitalism: I seel shares in a project to raise capital, but I retain just enough shares to have controlling interest, even though the shareholders put up the capital to do the project.  Since the shareholders' interest is to make a profit, they really don't care what you do, as long as you show a profit.  So now you are motivated to bend or break all the rules to produce a profit so all your shareholders keep their money in your project.

You can extend these examples ad nauseum.  In all cases, you come up with abuses and legal conundrums that are virtually impossible to solve without resorting to a system pretty much like what we have.

The problem is human nature.  Throughout all human history, and even among the ancient gods, behavior is the same.  Ultimately, greed and avarice seep in and take over.  Altruism is great until you are faced with having to enforce it.  Enlightened self-interest is great, but you are left with the same problem.

Ultimately, I've only been able to derive a handful of solutions that involve modifications to what we have now.

The first is remove all concept of the Corporate Veil.  Do not allow corporations to act in the collective as if they are individuals.  Mary Shelley's Frankenstein was a morality play about just this idea.  By stitching together bits and pieces of dead matter to create artificial life, you inevitably create monsters that are nearly impossible to kill.

Next, remove the power of governments to create legal entities, to tax anyone or anything, and to create systems of tracking and identification.  If people feel compelled to serve their communities, they should do so for altruistic reasons, not for self-enrichment.  Take away government's incentive to grow, and it will not grow.

Do away with all centralized currencies.  Let the markets decide how they will trade and allow people to offer competing systems, such as BitCoin, e-Gold and NotHaus' Liberty notes.  Open up barter to trading ideas and concepts.  Let people trade in anything they want.  The best systems will thrive, and the rest will fall away, but in no case will anyone be able to monopolize currencies.

Finally, do away with the current concept of policing.  Return to the elected sheriff system.  In all cases, the voting ballots must be marked and signed (whether by hand or by electronic means), stored for 10 years and open to public scrutiny.  If using e-voting, the code must be open source and viewable by the general public to ensure an above-board system.

This is not perfect, but it cleans up many of the current problems.  Unfortunately, there can be no perfect system when those who create and administer it are imperfect.  Until and unless there is some mass awakening, some fundamental change in the human condition, none of the ideal system will work.  All we can do is create systems that encourage people to grow and expand until such time that we are a species capable of much bigger thoughts than the extremes of personal or collective property.

If the markets and the systems are open to encourage the invention and dissemination of such things as zero-point energy and Star Trek replicators, and the basic needs of power and food and clothing are rendered mute, then we will have launched our species on a new and fantastic path.  But as long as we are scrambling around trying to get more than the next guy, we will never have the time to expand our consciousness to the point that mundane pursuits no longer interest us.

One of my favorite Bible Bits (Matt 6:28) holds, I believe, the key to true enlightenment: Look at the birds of the sky and the lilies of the field.  They do not sew, nor do they reap.  Yet in all his glory, Solomon was not arraigned such as these.  How much more precious in the eyes of God are you than these?

If altruism and self-interest were not mutually exclusive, we would be well on our way to something better.  The keystone of enlightenment is educating one's self.  The irony is that at the end of education, you come full circle to find that it is the child who is best able to see the world.

Reader Rites

Getting widespread distribution and having a provocative topic is both a blessing and a curse.  As a writer, it's always exciting when your work is read and even more exciting when it evokes immediate reaction from readers.  I know from many years in network television and marketing that when people take pen to hand, something has moved then deeply enough to put forth an effort.

The curse is a full inbox and I'm not the fastest responder in the East, at that.  But many of the email I received deserves to be heard, as much for what they say, as for what they don't say.

With that, I'd like to share some of them with readers.  Be forewarned that some of the language is adult in nature, so more sensitive readers are cautioned up front.

The first one I want to share speaks volumes in so few words:

The problem with you is you have more brains and balls than the rest of us.

In my case I screwed around chasing money and pussy till I got too old to be worth a shit to anyone. Now, all I can do is distribute the work of better men than I ever was or will be, and it takes me 80+ hours a week to do even that. Then again at 71 what the fuck else is there left within my abilities to do in this totally unexpected clusterfuck?

I have determined to create enough noise so they come looking for me, and find an old man with a shit load of ammo. That beats the hell out of rotting in some cell.

 This letter is so indicative of our culture.  That anyone can believe they are lesser or useless means that we have failed as a society to find the value in every member of it.

There was an time when the older folks were revered for their experience alone.  This writer learned some valuable lessons from his life that would be excellent teachings for younger generations.  Yet he feels left out and rejected, unable to do more than 'forward' other peoples' work.

First off, getting the message out in any form to anyone is a valuable service in itself.  Those who have the time and inclination to educate and awaken others is a positive and worthwhile effort by any standard.

Second, in these few short words are clear examples of what we are doing wrong.  We have allowed a small group of evil elite to dangle sparklies in front of our eyes and tell us that the pursuit of these things is the meaning of life.  We;ve been snowed into thinking that having vast selections of sparklies is freedom, but it's nothing more than a gilded cage.  Teaching others about this is a fundamental necessity.  If we can't see the bars, we will never know we are in a cage.

My heart bleeds for the world today especially your homeland of the USA. I know if Scotland ever needed me I would be there in a second. But that too is awash with deceipt and corruption. I must make a stand from where I am.

I get so confused a lot of the time listening to people who profess to have the answer and nothing happens.

I believe in TRUTH and JUSTICE. Deep down in the heart of every human being lies the truth. It cannot be coerced by media, newspapers, governments, friends, schools and colleges etc. It is self evident.

I am just starting on my journey in trying to awaken people around me for make no mistake its coming to the UK too, albeit at a slower time frame. I see it happening with each passing day, and

i,m not having it without the fight of my life!!

Its time I feel for heroes to arise both in the USA and here in Europe. Heroes stand for TRUTH, JUSTICE and LIBERTY, not just for themselves but for every innocent human being that suffers anywhere.

This letter brings up some excellent points.  One, the battle isn't anywhere in particular, it's everywhere and nowhere.  Next, a lot of people feel the need to fight something, but they are confused.  This isn't two armies meeting on a field to duke it out.  It's shadow boxing.

I've mentioned before, and it bears repeating, there's nowhere to run and hide.  But it works both ways.  Both sides are stuck on a single globe and there are few frontiers left.  Some folks have suggested that I ran away by leaving the States.  Au contraire.  I simply changed position because the one I was in was drawing a lot of fire.  There is no place to run away.  No matter where you are, it will come if it isn't already there.

Many of the letters ask where's the target.  They want to fight back, which is a natural impulse when you first wake up to this mess, but they don't know from which direction the sorties are coming.

That's because the war is in our minds and spirits.  The enemy is trying to break us, trying to turn prize stallions into draft horses.  The battle is taking back your mind and your culture.  This makes it the worst kind of war, because so many of us are ill-prepared for it.  We can shoot, or throw a rock, but how do you fight a shadow?

The answer is begin with good information.  Educating yourself makes you less vulnerable to the siren songs of the media and consumerism that have replaced our true culture with the veneer of sophistication.  As our first writer found, it's all empty once you get it in your hands, like cotton candy.  It just melts away leaving hardly a residue behind.

This one from someone with parallel experiences to my own, it seems.  The poem mentioned is quite good and if I get permission, I would like to share it at a later time.  Also need to meet up with this guy!

Liked the article on Henry's site, I am an Australian who has come to the same conclusions, had huge life changes after 9/11. Now live in East Java with my newly married wife. I am currently in Australia but return in late Jan. I have found new direction and meaning in Indonesia and feel more productive with my time and energy.I am a cottage industry film maker and much of my work deals with personal freedom. I have experienced similar observations in Australia with the TV watching population. After years of bewilderment I sat up one night and wrote a poem about this terrible weapon . It's brutal and angry but i hope u like it. 

I can't stress enough the need to turn off the TeeVee.  Most folks are ill-prepared to grapple with the issues surrounding this one device.  With 40 years of experience in mass media, I can speak with authority when I say that TeeVee is the most dangerous, insidious and ubiquitous weapons in the War on Mind.

People have withdrawl symptoms when they cut it out of their lives.  They feel empty and restless, and will actually stare at a blank screen for hours.  Folks are faced with nearly a third or more of their lives that they didn't know existed, once they turn the evil thing off, and it's scary to a lot of people.

There's a proven hypnotic effect from TeeVee that leaves viewers susceptible to suggestion and sub-conscious manipulation.  Even with my considerable experience in producing mass media, and a degree in the subject, I still find myself occasionally being taken in by it.  That's why the TeeVee in my house is rarely on more than two hours a month.

The reader's letter shows that there are many experts who are aware of this problem, and it should give pause to anyone before clicking the ON button.  Trust me when I say that this one act of turning off the TeeVee is revolutionary in itself.

There are many more fine letters waiting for me in the in-box.  It will take a considerable amount of my weekend to answer them all adequately.  I must say, though, that I am humbled and edified by the responses, and deeply grateful to the many websites that have picked up this and other articles.

We are faced with a War of Ideas, and getting good ones out there is half the battle.  It's the classic ripple effect.  When something you do or say sparks action in others, then we are on the road to victory.  We must be very cautious, though, to avoid violence and destructive acts.  They only serve to feed the Beast, which thrives on such things.  Self-education and teaching are our most effective weapons, and they require nothing more than genuine human contact.

The key concept I was trying to get across in previous articles is something we all learned in grade school.  Whenever the teacher turned her back is when the mayhem broke out.  In many ways, that is how we fight this enemy.  Wear them out.  Overtax their tools of control.  Keep them running in so many directions trying to stop us that they give up.

In Texas, we call it herding cats.  The Chinese call it the death of a thousand cuts.  Whatever you call it, the important part is to do anything in your power to confound the enemy.  The best part is that groups of one are impossible to infiltrate.

Be creative.  THEY hate that!

Holi-daze Of The Buddha

Today is the anniversary of the moment that the Buddha awoke from a long sleep to find he had gained True Understanding, what we commonly call Enlightenment.  The day is called Vesak here, and starts the new year of 2555.  That's neither here nor there, except that in Indonesia, it's a national holiday.  So it's a good time to do a little housekeeping here at Life on the Far Side World Headquarters (LFSWHQ).

In less than a year, this blog has gone from 0 to 5,000 readers a month.  Never ceases to surprise me, but it's obvious that there are a lot of folks out there who are craving real information and a bit more thought behind the headlines.  When I took up keypad and mouse to begin this column, I posted the Far Side Manifesto, in which I promised to take a look at life from different perspectives.  I try not to pull any punches, and use my many years in media and entertainment, as well as a lifetime of travel around the world, to try and pull back the veil that hides truth from us, the unwashed masses.  Ultimately, my goal is to give folks tools to desensitize them to the steady stream of rubbish pouring out of the so-called MainStreamMedia.

That being said, what's equally pleasing is that the readers here are a smart bunch.  I get a lot of email, which I try to keep up with, but forgive me if I'm a bit slow sometimes (I just got married over the weekend, so the past couple of weeks have been slim on the interactive side).  Because my mailbox is full of insightful and appreciative responses, I thought this would be a good time to share some.  It also gives me some time to work up new articles (I have about 20 of them in various stages of completion).

Here now are some of the interesting emails I get:

I am starting to see what Clif thinks about the lizards on the moon. What I really find hard to take is that the whole western world doesn't seem to have a problem with the pres sending a hit squad to kill off binLaden. To me it is like seeing "Godfather IV" Same thing, isn't it? I have always been fascinated the way the mafia would have hit men killing enemies while they were in "Catholic Church" getting their chidren baptised.  Do you read "What does it mean"? Sorcha really comes out with a lot of stuff. I am trying to find out more about what happened in Texas, I am hoping that Ure will write something about it.  Also, the US is having agrand jury to see if they can bring Julian Assange to trial, and I want to know how they think they can do that, and if they can, tehn noone in the world is safe from them.  Scary as hell, isn't it.  Maine is fighting the govment to grow their own food and that is not looking good either, pretty damn sad if you can't grow your own food anymore.

 Yup, scary as hell, all right.  Clif, of course, is the Master Bot Maker, over at HalfPastHuman.com.  Ure is the Master People's Economist at UrbanSurvival.com.  Both those folks provide a wealth of information, and it has been my privilege to have helped them in some small way.

This reader really 'gets it,' but like so many who do, is battling the anger and frustration that come with seeing the Big Picture.  It's a lot like being Charlton Heston in 'Soylent Green.'

The next reader is from Canada, and unfortunately, the information we get is that Canada is pretty much in the same quagmire of lemmings as the States.

fear + smear ben laden appeared on cue to terrify canada voters sun night the night before voters were just about to elect left wing govt(NDP)- instead, they unexpectedly "chose" harper. Bin laden was a fear cover to obfuscate the actual fixing of canada election- to give a "reason" for the sudden fix switch in votes. http://aangirfan.blogspot.com/2011/05/it-was-pak-forces-who-attacked-compound.html http://presscore.ca/2011/?p=2433 - Usual right wing politics

I thought the whole bin Laden affair was the most cynical and crass use of blatant propaganda I had ever witnessed.  Nothing saddened me more than to read about flag-waving, chanting vidiots who are so unthinking and uncritical of anything a/the government spouts.

From yesterday's piece on the IMF head Strauss-Kahn getting tagged, a fellow Texan writes in:

re the imf head arrest, i was thinking the same thing about this event.  way too easily taken down.
anyways, i basically just wanted to tell you that i enjoy your posts and to encourage (great word, huh?) you to keep up the good work.
thanks,
(b&r texan)

It's responses like this that make coming up with ideas (almost) every day worth every minute of the effort.  I like that I can express something that others are also thinking, but haven't formulated into expression.  I especially enjoy when someone tells me something I said helped them achieve an insight.  That's when I know I'm doing something right, if I can help strip away the cloud of unknowing that has been pulled over our collective eyes.

I get many emails from readers who want to open my eyes to new information, as well.  These I enjoy immensely, as I read anything and never dismiss others' thinking out of hand.

Geocentrism - The World is MOTIONLESS!!

 

The Sun, Moon and Stars are going around a STATIONARY Spherical Earth!!

Have you seen my website
Moving-Earth DECEPTION!!

http://sites.google.com/site/earthdeception

Having been a straight-A student in astrophysics at university, I am no stranger to geo-centric and other mathematical proofs that literally turn our Universe inside out.  The one problem that geo-centrism could never adequately handle, and indeed the is the reason the theory collapsed, is the retrograde motion of the planets.  You see, all planets outside the Earth's orbit appear at some point to move backwards against the sky, while the inner planets do not.  There were elaborate proofs and elegant constructs to try and explain this phenomenon, but in fact, only a helio-centric Solar System with Earth in third position can explain this motion. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed the read.

This is but a small sample of the great email I've been getting.  I am most grateful to folks who are sufficiently moved, and take the time, to send notes to me.  It is quite edifying to see that so many good people have taken an interest in my musings.  I hope that I can continue to inform and entertain on a regular basis, as we cast a wary eye from over here on the Far Side.

In closing, I would like to encourage readers to take a look at the links I have up in the right-hand column, especially UrbanSurvival and HalfPastHuman.  You can also find an archive of past articles over the past year covering a range of topics.  Also, one of these days, I'm actually going to bring the eBay store on-line, where you will be able to buy Indonesian arts and crafts, as well as gold and silver produced locally.  My wife and I are slowly setting up go and reputable suppliers for everything.

From all of us here at LFSWHQ, a heart-felt thanks for your letters, your readership and your support.  Happy Enlightenment Day and hati-hati di jalan.  And always remember, sayap-sayap patah terbang kembali.

Stirring Up Hornets

Well, seems I stirred the hornet's nest with the Cheesehead article.  Can't say that makes me unhappy.  I always like a good debate.  We got a few responses from it, with most running along the lines of this fellow:

Interesting little rant on public service employees.
You are, however, quite wrong.
Obviously there are problems with all government bureaucracies.
Would you have been one arguing against public water projects in the 1860's and public education of children at the turn of the century?
Not totally sure if you ever benefitted from public education, getting a fire put out or checked out a library book.
Few of the Texans I live among who are still in the country know where the library is.

Before I start picking a fight about the educational level of Texans, will point out that you mentioned the few who still live in the States, which tells me most of them are pretty smart and have bugged out. I suppose a little background is in order.

I received a private Catholic education from kindergarten through my first college degree. The second I received from a very fine public institution called the University of Houston.

My father was a state legislator for 14 years, and as such, I spent my formative years meeting some of the giants of 20th century American politics, as well as being a political prop. My father's political protege was Ron Paul, whom you may have heard of.

My father was also a history teacher and had a Master's in American history from the above-mentioned University of Houston.

I had American history pounded into my head from the moment I could sit up. I have also spent 40 years of my 50, working in film, TV and theater, so I have seen unions from the inside out.

In addition, I spent 15 years in the Texas independence movement, and consequently spent many hours in libraries learning the law and studying Texas history. So I know a little about libraries, archives and the Dewey Decimal System.

Finally, I have lived in Indonesia for three years, and before that I lived in Ireland, Germany and Spain, so I have a pretty broad view of socio-political issues and experience in how other countries do things.

All that by way of saying, I know what I'm talking about and I speak from experience, not just blowing hot air, though I do so love to spout off once in a while.

With that said, I would like to address the good reader's points individually, if I may.

Would I have argued against public water projects in the 1860s?

I'll side-step the War of Northern Agression issue, which would normally get tied up in the argument at this point, and jump directly to my answer, "Yes." Why?

Thumbing through my pocket-sized copy of the Constitution of the United States of America, annotated, which I keep in my private library here in my home office, I find not a single mention of 'public water works.' Therefore, they were/are illegal.

The next point is, I fully support the neighbors getting together and deciding to pitch in to pay for the community water system. I even support their right to join together and issue bonds to help with the project, if they so choose. Even more, I urge folks to hire a drilling truck to come out and poke a hole in the backyard. Think of the peace of mind that brings, and the fluoride it doesn't bring.

Oh, I forgot. That's illegal and there's an army of paper-pushers and goons to kill you, should you decide to take responsibility for your own water.

Final point. I live in one of the largest cities, by population, in the world. My neighbors have goats and chickens for their private food supplies. I also have a connection to the public water supply, but just outside my office door is a trap door in the floor that provides access to the house's private well. Should the city water supply prove unreliable, as it does quite often, I can flip a lever and turn on the pump to get water from directly beneath my feet.

I have indeed benefitted from a public education. I get paid by one daily. I also received a subsidized university degree from a fine public institution, which I paid for myself, working 30-40 hours a week while carrying a full load. Greatest decision I ever made.

Have I ever had a fire put out? Yes. I lost everything in an apartment fire some years ago, then promptly received a bill from the city for the service. The corporation that owned the complex filed for bankruptcy that same month and sold itself to another division to avoid being sued. Thankfully, my private insurance pulled my bacon out of the fire, literally and figuratively, when two government-sanctioned entities (fire department and corporation) tried to screw me seven ways from Sunday, after I had just lost everything and very nearly my family, as well.

Have I ever checked out a book from a public library? In addition to being one of my favorite destinations on a Saturday afternoon when I was a kid, I wore out several library cards and did hours worth of research in the stacks and archives of the central public library in Houston, Texas (along with hundreds, if not thousands of my fellow Texans). I have written and produced documentaries that were quite successful using materials that I discovered languishing in the bowels of libraries. In fact, one of my fortes is research and archival parsing. I've made quite a bit of money off of libraries over the years.

I also have a rather extensive private library. My mother, being an English teacher, has literally thousands of books stacked around her house. I personally have maybe two thousand books both here in Indonesia and back in Texas. The titles and authors span all of Western civilization and many are in the original languages, since I speak roughly 16 or 17 whence last I checked (my father forced me to take Latin in high school, too).

Some of the richest grounds for research and study that I have found are private libraries and archives. I do support the public libraries, and I donated my father's papers to the excellent library at the Univeristy of Houston, which is a public library. I think the public should freely donate and support the libaries, but they shouldn't be robbed at the point of a gun to pay for them. And with the advent of the internet, it seems that brick-and-mortar libraries are becoming extinct, once every last document is scanned and published.

I am sorry that you, dear reader, know some uneducated Texans. I suggest that they are probably Yankee transplants, like the Bush family. The Texans I know are some of the most well-traveled and well-read people I have ever met. They also happen to be some of the best teachers in my acquaintance. Indonesia would greatly benefit from having more of us around, I think.

You made some very good points, dear reader, and I am grateful that you took the time to both read and respond, as I am to all who wrote in with their concerns. In my experience and education, there is nothing that government can do, that private interests can't do better, cheaper, faster, and which adds to the overall economy, rather than drags it into the dirt.

Furthermore, if a private interest came to me and demanded money while pointing a gun at my head, I would be justified in shooting first. So, it works out better all around.

In the end, I remain unconvinced. The best government is virtually non-existant. It is one of the big attractions for me living here in Indonesia. The discussion brings to mind the old oxymoron:

"Hi! I'm with the government and I'm here to help!"

When you hear that, you should grab your wallet and run as fast as you can in the opposite direction.

By the way, did I mention that Houston has one of the best arts scenes that I've found anywhere in the world. Whether you want live theater, symphony orchestra, ballet, opera, contemporary music, or any other fine arts, Houston offers a world-class selection. In fact, in Hollywood, there is a significant representation from Texas, both in front of and behind the camera. We're a rather creative lot, which is a key factor in determining IQ.