We’ve watched KO KO the Bush in ever increasingly relevant rants. So KO is a leader in opinion makers. Jon Stewart and Colbert have been leaders in political comedy and Bill Maher is back. Pelosi is trying her wings with her 100 hour manifesto. Who else do you think is making the grade? And I am thinking – not just politics – whose music do you love? Whose books do you read? Whose art do you follow? Whose psychic or spiritual outlook turns you on? I think it is acceptable to think that Booman is a leader in kinder and gentler blogging and that his manifesto: “Don’t be a prick!” could be a motto for the whole country.
The poll below may be difficult for some of us who like all kinds of areas, but what other area do you look to most lately.
How do some of these relate to the others in your life? For instance, my granddaughter was in a concert. I had no idea what would be played. That afternoon I was hearing in my head “What do you do with a drunken sailer early in the morning!” And sure nough they played a medley with that in it.
All of the above Grandma Jo. I don’t know much about anything, but I know a leader when I see one. They’re all around us, some in government, some on television, definitely none in the executive branch of our government. Some have been there, but are no more.
I’ve always been interested in psychology and what we can learn from animal behavior. Now I’m reading dog whisperer Cesar Millan’s book about living with dogs. It is an amazingly insightful window into the state of our present human society. Ours is similar to the world of dogs – the need for a pack leader, the emotional response to events, etc. He has a show on the National Geographic channel. Highly recommended to anyone who knows and lives with dogs.
I just love this guy – he came here as an illegal immigrant, and is now a real asset to our community. I’ve learned a lot from him.
Isn’t America supposed to be about people reaching their best potential and becoming pack leaders in their chosen areas? I’ve got some knowledge and skills that I’ll gladly share, am happy to be a follower in most areas, but will not bow down to a ridiculous boy king. How many of us can suffer fools?
“boy king” I have felt that our society has imploded, not in a violent way here at home but in a continuous compression rather like a black hole. It has felt like, to me, that all joy all light and all knowledge has been slowly leeched out of our atmosphere. I am glad when somebody finds a mind that has not died and can bring it home to the community. Tell me more about the book please.
Cesar started life on a farm, fascinated with watching the dogs who lived freely with his family. Inspired by what he saw in movies and tv, he came to the US to be a dog trainer. With the help of many people who noticed his skills with the animals, his success spread by word-of mouth. He has no degrees or titles, but is completely self-taught. He describes the world of dogs as packs consisting of leaders and followers and believes that problem dogs are created by humans. He keeps a pack of problem dogs that he has rehabilitated and will often introduce a client’s dog to them because the power of the pack will teach an unbalanced dog how to live with his own kind in peace. He calls the followers’ a calm-submissive state of mind, the leaders’ calm-assertive. I am inspired by his gentle manner with people, no matter how messed up they appear to be.
Thanks for asking, I tend to get extremely evangelical about whatever is turning me on at the time, and like a true geezer will be virtually impossible to shut up. Sorry for the excess, I don’t want to drown anyone out.
We have descended into a darkness, so has the world. Think about what 1968 was like – the whole world was cataclysmic. For some reason our species seems to go through waves of changes, some very painful spasms. I do think we’ve learned enough not to go as low as possible. There are many good people who will do what they must to prevent that.
No way can you drown anybody out, especially on this thread. Where do you think this current spasm is taking us? For me I see a lot of folks refighting the vietnam war. It feels as if wars never really finish, we just keep rehashing and rehasing. Like the civil war has not ended yet!
The civil war is over for most of us. Most would be ashamed to be considered racist – of course the idea of slavery will be hard to get rid of. There are men who feel ashamed about defeat and carry wars around with them. Dick and Rummy are still feeling defeated and trying to prove themselves. No need to mention george’s problem. We’re always going to have maniacs but if we can just get them out of power I think the world will move toward peace. I think public shame is the best weapon to use against these people – the media have already progressed on their build-up, tear-down process, which is encouraging.
I’m going to link to another book that I liked. This one made me feel like I knew what was coming. I’m thinking about rereading it now. But I can’t stop reading on the internet. At least here it’s more of a conversation. Where do you think we’re heading?
living with the American Constitution. During that time, we’ve had robber barons galore. We have had wars galore. We have been beligerent. We have been the ugly Americans thinking that we are the best and the only. We have been isolationists, not even looking beyond our border for ideas or understanding.
Maybe we cannot rest on our laurels. Maybe we have to create the America anew and that is where we are. Bush is certainly trying to impose on America his Unitary ideas during signing statements. And we have not confronted him on this. We have not stood up and said NO. So he can impose his creation on the US for now. Will it be a lasting legacy? To some extent in that he has imposed judges on the SCOTUS infected with his ideas and other judges around the nation as well. Nobody from the repub led Senate and Congress has opposed his Unitary government ideas either. Even though it means remarkably less power for the legislative body. Our American body politic is remarkable uneducated in history and in civics. They are easily manipulated in this bipolar political environment. And education is remarkably lacking in the skillsets that children will need to survive in a media saturated society.
Besides the drift into monarchy, our health infrastructure is crumbling. Emergency wards are fast becoming obsolete. We have instead emergency care located in malls without the close connections to hospitals. So if you can make it to one of these facilities you will also have to make your way back home, probably. Drug costs are soaring and drugs are wholesale prescribed to a public that just wants a quick fix to their problems, never mind the problems that are caused by drugs themselves and their interaction with each other.
Insurance is something that we buy but now can never use.
We do not manufacture here, but we process the hell out of foods. So much so that we have to have vitamins in pill form to make up what we miss. We used to be the “information technology” country, but now we are outsourcing even that. We have lived on the equity in our homes for the last 5 years and now the housing market is scheduled to collapse, leaving us with debts that we will never be able to pay just by selling off our homes.
The war comes at a huge cost, but we have never acknowledged those costs. We have never been told we will have to sacrifice for these wars. And yet somehow the piper will have to be paid.
We have gone from a can-do nation to one that cannot care for its own.
I think we are like one of those apples that looks good on the inside and you take a bite and find that inside it is rotten.
So where from here? Unless we begin dredging up some honest about where we are and unless we begin having some communal dreams about where we want to go, I can’t see anything but more implosion, more rotting.
That is why I like the blogging community. I think we have the power to speak truth and the creativity to dream dreams. And the technology to make both of those viral. And that might be our saving grace.
You are so right, Jo. We probably do have to perpetually recreate the ‘liberty and justice for all’ society. The communal dreams are the same everywhere, I think we’re getting somewhere good by going through all this hell – that’s how we learn.
I expect the fools will try to steal another election and there will be blood in the streets. I try to think it won’t be this year, but probably 08. Anyway, change will come. We’ve all internalized the heroic tales, even the neocons believe they are saving the world.
Just grateful that I get to be an old woman when this generation’s battle comes around. We can be Madame Defarge using the web to keep the record rather than by knitting.