… On A Lack of Inspiration or Just Plain Ole Procrastination!

I am always putting things off until the last minute. I think I have nailed it down to an exact science. Procrastination is the science (some say art) of putting things off until, well PANIC STATIONS! It is a willfully self inflicted injury, of which I do not think there is an easy remedy. It really doesn't take much effort to delay that start of a project. Procrastination is a self-perpetuating disease and those of us that suffer from it always have the best excuses. I am beginning to believe that procrastinators have the same genetic dysfunction as do inveterate gamblers, dipsomaniacs, and insomniacs. We know we have this malfunctioning aspect of our lives, but do either refuse to or simply do not take the necessary remedial actions to handle this aspect of our lives. No matter how many battle plans we draw up, we will always leave it to the last possible minute to act on it. I have known about writing this piece for the past day and despite all my best intentions to get an early jump and … well, yep, you guessed right: I have waited until the last minute to start. I am convinced there is a genetic misfiring in my mind that is extremely adept at finding excuses, situations, and things to distract me from actually starting this project.

So, I picked up the gauntlet, last night, to write one piece. To my credit, I scribbled a few notes on a pad – does that count as having started? I mean these were a few broad ideas that I could develop into this piece. I was making good progress until I decide to map out my battle plan for my day today. At the top of the list was to churn out this piece first thing in the morning – I mean, I had a few ideas scratched out on a pad, they would percolate overnight, and be ready for full development in the morning. Huh, I have this procrastination thing beaten. I was in good form and quickly went on listing the things that needed accomplishing during today. I was even feeling energized as I now had, in my mind, my day fully mapped out and come morning, I would start the day running. The developing strategy would remain fluid but would have definitive points to be hit by certain times. This post was to be written by lunchtime – see that, a fluid enough but definitive deadline. All I had to do was stick to that plan and I should not have to smack the panic stations button. These are the famous but foolish, final self deceiving thoughts of a procrastinator. The only fault in my planning was my failure to factor in the endless distractions, and detours that would be clamoring for my attention all morning … sigh, and all afternoon.

I believe there is in all procrastinators not only a confidence, but, really an ability to truly execute on any project. This is the procrastinator’s folly – most procrastinators know that they can execute and deliver on any project but always fail to consider their limited personal management skills. By the way, there is no such thing as time management: there will always be 24 hours in a day, 60 minutes to the hour, 60 seconds to the minute – you get the picture? There is only how a person manages themselves to fully utilize those 24 hours. That's a debate for another day. Anyway, back to this false sense of security that lulls procrastinators into believing they somehow possess an innate ability to stretch time regardless of all indications to the contrary.

So, I was set and in good form when I finished outlining my battle plan. I mean, this was a solid plan and well mapped out. too. That's the biggest load of poppycock as the plan started to unravel almost immediately when I made the fatal mistake to check if there was anything interesting on the idiot box. Stupid mistake – before I could even think discipline, I was engrossed in a rerun of an episode of Jerry Springer. I would only watch until Jerry's Final Thought and switch this thing off. Good enough – but these late night commercials are painful to watch … wonder what else is on? Ooh look, Ton and Jerry is on Cartoon Network – wonder which episode this is … before long and for the umpteenth time I'm rooting for Tom to finally get that little rat. Well, will you look at the clock. Damn, it's already 4:30am. Shit! I will definitely turn off the television at 5:00am. I will just watch the last half hour of Jerry and these three episodes of Tom and Jerry.

Soon, I roll over and try to fall asleep. I fail miserably as I lay there cogitating on not only what I am going to write, but also what I will accomplish by sticking to my laid out battle plan. This seems like a good strategy – foreshadowing the success of my day by playing it out in my day. This is a silly move as these calm thoughts soon turn into a raging internal debate whether I should start writing (since I am still wide awake :( and sleep later in the day or to stick to the battle plan. I could make some tea, start writing something and … this is when the laziness kicks in. I couldn't be bothered to get up, walk to the kitchen and start making the tea. I am already comfortable and warm in here – besides, I will be more productive in the morning when I am fully rested. Yeah right – it still takes me another hour to finally fall asleep. Another case of the self induced insomnia – which is always a good excuse to why I delayed finishing writing this piece. See, what I did there?

I wonder what time it is? Its still looks gray outside. How long have I been asleep? I roll over and look at the clock. It's just blinks at me. It takes a moment for my sleepy mind to register that the there must have been a power cut while I slept. Well, it's still early out so I can snooze for another few minutes … its another hour and a half before I wake up. I turn the idiot box on – shit its close to midday. What happened to my morning – I open the blinds, it's still gray out because its cloudy and overcast. Well, that battle plan is now definitely awash but not yet a total loss. The secret is not to panic, stay focused, make some minor adjustments to the battle plan and I can still recover this day and make my deadline. Well, first things first - let's get some coffee going while I brush my teeth.

That coffee smells so good. Tastes good too – let me check my email while I drink my coffee. This will give me a chance to fully wake up. I wonder what's going on in the world – so, I turn on the idiot box. It will serve as a good backdrop to my writing. I am a little hungry. I will need something to munch on as I write. Leftovers will be the quickest option – I shove some in the microwave. I wonder what it feels like outside. So, I walk out and immediately feel the humidity. I look up and it looks like there is a storm rolling in – that should help the creative juices. I walk back in and decide to see what the folks at the Weather channel are saying about the weather. The microwave beeps to inform me that my food is ready. I grab it and sit in front of the idiot box. As soon as I finish eating I will be ready to start writing in earnest. After I checked on the weather, I change channels to check on the Business headlines. That keeps me entertained for a while and, shit, that's the closing bell. Dang, its already mid afternoon and am yet to start writing. So, I jump up and am now resolved to get this done in the quickest time possible. I head to the kitchen to wash my hands and when I come back … what are they talking about on the idiot box. I missed the introduction to this story – fine, I will check it out on the Wires before I start writing. So, I head over to Reuters and quickly scan the headlines. Hhhmm, that's interesting so I start reading the article … needless to say before I realize it another hour has flown by. I could always ask for an extension to the deadline … PANIC STATIONS!

I have a little time to the deadline and if I start writing NOW!! I should be able to beat the … I need to pee. Ok, as soon as I handle my business I start writing and will not stop until I finish the post. I could always take the easy route out and just list issues that I have honed down to make my form of procrastination an exact science. The list is:

1. False sense of security based on personal ability
2. Laziness – do I need to explain this trait?
3. Excuses – Did I really need to check the Weather Channel?
4. Denial – I really do not think I have a problem. Do you?
5. PANIC STATIONS – Repeat for the next project.

As I said, I have this procrastination thing down to an exact science. Accept your foibles, learn to live with them, and Have fun always!!

Today's thought: Teaching a child not to step on a caterpillar is as valuable to the child as it is to the caterpillar. Bradley Miller, activist (b. 1956)

Have fun always!!

… of Strategies to Overcome 'Writer's Block'.

To be a good writer – you have to write. Just write. Sounds trite. Just write … a simple enough instruction to any aspiring writer. But when the words are not coalescing into coherent thoughts and refusing to transition from your noggin … one ends up sitting in front of a blank screen for hours on end, just staring at that stupid blinking cursor. That fucking cursor is mocking me. Daring my fingers to start poking away at the keyboard so that little fucker can dance across the page. It becomes a battle of wills – fingers versus thoughts! The fingers hover, ready to peck away but the thoughts refuse to form into some coherent stream. But that cursor remains relentless, persistently mocking me and the longer I stare at it … shit how long has it been? Three minutes of a mushy thought process and it still feels like I am wading through muddy waters. This could be just plain, old, run of the mill procrastination. I am in the middle of a full blown discussion, in my head, on why no firm ideas are quickly coming to mind. I really should concentrate on the writing rather than giving more life to this internal debate. I need to focus on that rather dim idea beginning to form on the periphery of my imagination. This is a good idea,  as every time I turn my attention towards those ideas, the closer I reach to getting this piece writing.

It is always a toss up between action and procrastination. There is hope, yet, as I start taking these baby steps towards starting to actually write this piece. Each small step towards settling on a specific idea is some progress towards getting this piece writing. I mean, the longer I sit here cogitating and not actually writing – the more frustrated I get. The more frustrated I get, the fuzzier the ideas get, and the longer I just stare at that cursor. Its an infinite loop and, if I am not careful, I will no sooner find myself up to my neck in the murky waters of self doubt and most certainly being silted to the gills. That image really encapsulates the whole writing process, does it not? That is the whole process - from ideation to proofing the final draft. It starts with the simple choosing of one idea from the many buzzing around your noggin and running with it to its natural death. One idea – even if half baked - will spawn other ideas and before long pages will be filling with ideas. A good writer should be comfortable and free enough, while developing a specific idea, to head off at a tangent and chase another idea. However, the secret to good writing, just as in a good conversation, lays in the ability to smoothly return to the original idea. So, be bold and never hesitate to wade into the murky recesses of your mind. Make that little blinker run across the screen. Type one word, type another, then the next, then a fourth, before long it seems like you are playing a game of word associations but the page is filling with words. Eventually these words coalesce into groups and become ideas that will form and organize into the semblance of a comprehensible line of thinking. You, as a writer, will have to tinker with that semblance to ensure that it flows and makes sense to your reader.

However, the question remains is there a surefire way of curing instances of 'writer's block'? There will be times when your mind just stubbornly refuses to engage. This is always a quandary for an otherwise eloquent, loquacious, logophile with a tendency to be sesquipedalian (that just means a well-spoken lover of words who enjoys using long words). There is a myriad of advice and college courses on how to become a competent writer but never on how to overcome the debilitating malaise of 'writer's block'. What strategies or techniques are available to a writer of any skill level to defeat the mental hesitancy or reticence to quickly formulate a concept to write around. It usually strikes at the top of the writing process – what should be the rather simple task of ideation becomes an arduous process until you are stuck counting how many times that cursor is going to blink before you peck out that first word ( 237 times :) It goes without saying that a good writer should not only have a broad and well developed vocabulary, but an awareness of some basic writing conventions. You know little things like noun and verb agreement; and knowing the definitions and proper use of small words. It's always the meaning and use of small words that causes the most confusion! My personal pet peeves are writers that do not know the difference between the contraction “you're” and the possessive “your”; and, seem to be unaware that “there, they're, and their” are three distinct words with different meanings and uses. Let me obviate that silly question – a dictionary is a good starting point and it goes without saying that a good writer will undoubtedly be also a voracious reader, too. A good writer should invest the time and effort to become competent in the minutiae of the mechanics of the language. A simple trick is to read your writing out loud – if it does not read out smoothly, that is usually a very good indicator that either your ideas are still half baked or your mechanics are off. These issues are easy to correct with practice and the help of a (friendly) proofreader.

However, there remains a fundamental difference amongst the major stops, to the creative process, of laziness, procrastination, and 'writer's block'. These are three of the worst stumbling blocks to the writing process. The most enervating remains the 'writer's block', as it is the most difficult to overcome. The first two are easy to define and can easily be overcome by sheer bloody mindedness, dogged determination, and by establishing firm deadlines. However, the third – writer's block – is always not only difficult to define, but is a tough cookie to crack. Some writers set aside a definitive period and time to write – an hour every morning, an hour every night, or every morning until I write a certain number of words. Or, you could just write whenever an idea hits you with the stipulation of writing a certain number of words each day, or every couple of days. Remember to choose the strategy that works best for you as this it might be enough to keep the creative juices flowing regularly. A scheduled time to write is a technique that works for some. If the muse refuses to be fed, are there any other ways to start the writing process?

A story is told (usually at graduations) of a sign post at the start of a gravel road. The sign warns travelers to carefully choose a specific rut as they will be stuck in it for the next 20 miles until they reach the next town. It is a neat metaphor that succinctly illustrates the importance of carefully selecting one's career as it will be the focus of most of the rest of one's life. It is also applicable to the writing process as you do not want to start writing about pixies only to lose interest a hundred words into your piece. Unfortunately, if one has identified writing as a chosen pursuit and runs into a mental stop or a simple 'stuck' in their creative process – navigating out of that rut can be even more mentally taxing. The following are various strategies to kick-start the creative process to writing: the word association strategy; the steam of consciousness writing; the observational technique; and the delayed observational technique in which an idea or issue is allowed to bubble and fester in a writer's subconscious for a few days before it is finally, fully formulated and given voice on a page. I usually reserve the last technique for issues that really piss me off and need me to calm down before I put pen to paper (so to speak). Ok, fine - before fingers start tapping keyboard.

The word association strategy is basically to write about the first fully formed idea that comes to mind. It starts by simply typing words onto the screen. As described earlier – one just starts typing the words that come to mind. The very mechanical act of typing words on the page should be sufficient to get the creative juices flowing and for writing to begin. The words should point to an idea or an issue which will be the impetus for a full treatment. This technique works best for writers that either have read or have been exposed to a wide variety of subjects.

The stream of consciousness writing can either be fun or disastrous. This is usually a fun approach to writing as it allows a writer to explore ideas that they enjoy and things with which they are also intimately familiar. This is a personal observation, but this strategy has the palpable downside in that its success could be dependent on the writer's emotional state. If a writer is in a dark or funky mood, then, stream of consciousness could be a disastrous - if not futile exercise. If the writer is incapable of navigating past the source of the bad mood. This style of writing could also be affected by a writer's comfort in exploring the ideas that might emanate from the obscure corners of one's mind. If one is so inclined, it is possible to find and wallow in a dark mood if it helps ignite the writing process. The use of a dark mood as a creative force can be a good source of inspiration if a writer is capable of easily confronting their demons. (Think Lewis Black.) This is an easy technique to employ, usually with pleasant results. It's even more fun when used during emotionally high or emotionally intense times, and could lead to some surprising results. Fall in love – go write a few thousand words. Use that post coital euphoria to write a few thousand words as the creative juices flow easier and faster when there is no energy being expended on trying to straighten outpoints in one's outlook and reality.

If, both the word association and stream of consciousness techniques fail to sufficiently motivate the writing of a piece (post?:)); then, the observational strategies seem to be the best ways to start the juices flowing. The observational technique is just as it implies – one observes occurrences in one's universe and simply writes about them. A writer has two choices in writing observational pieces: either to simply fill the page by answering the journalistic five Ws (What, When, Where, Who, Why or hoW) or to opine about a specific occurrence. Both choices will allow for the writer's personality and style to shine through in how the writer develops the piece and is able to draw in the reader. The delayed observational technique, on the other hand, is closely related to the dark mood stream of consciousness writing, with the only exception being that a writer delays the writing process until after the writer has holistically considered an idea or an issue. The issue is allowed to ferment at the back of the writer's mind until its full maturation – then, the piece is written. The dark mood stream tends to spit out ideas in an angry, dark, funky motif while the delayed observation tends to have the benefits of a balanced approach.

Writing, much like reading, is a solitary pursuit but if done well can be a source of great enjoyment. We are able to have great conversations and share ideas with writers from past epochs, from different cultures, and writings from speakers of other languages. Even though it still sounds glib – the real trick to writing is to write. Write often, write regularly, and Have fun always!!

Today's thought is from the poet Theodore Roethke (1908 -1963): May my silences become more accurate.

Have fun always!!
***Addendum (06/19/13): I watched the movie "Finding Forrester" over this past weekend. FF tells the story of an unlikely bond that develops between an inner city kid (Rob Brown) and a reclusive author (Sean Connery). It explores all aspects of writing; the reasons why we write, how to write, how to edit and refine written pieces, and how to appreciate writing - READ :). It also considers the debilitating effects of prejudice - real and imagined. I recommend that all aspiring, serious writers watch it. Have fun always!! -TTJ

... of The Dithering Thoughts Of a Man At Sea With His Own Decisions And Feelings.

Spring is a such a beautiful time of the year. This is my favorite time to observe nature in its most verdant glory. Early spring provides me with many opportunities to go 'walkabout'. A "walkabout" is a tradition amongst the Aboriginal people of Australia when, for a short time, they disengage from the trappings of modern society to revert to a traditional lifestyle of living off the land and wandering the bush. This is usually a time to evaluate priorities, meditate, and reflect on life while reconnecting with the earth and their (Aboriginal) heritage of a nomadic lifestyle. It really is at its core an 'up yours' to the prison of modern society and an attempt to break from its artificial barriers and the control systems it creates.

Until recently most Afrikans had a similar 'up sticks' form of disengaging with modern society. Most families had two homes - one urban, one rural - and spent most weekends at the rustic home. This was a way of disengaging from the demands and rigors of living in a colonized, and European controlled society. It was a time to reflect, relax, work the land, but most importantly to be the bosses of their own lives. The major difference between the Afrikan 'up sticks' and the Australian 'walkabout' is two fold: duration and intent. The aboriginal 'walkabout' lasted longer than just a mere weekend and was more of a spiritual (if not ritual) journey. A 'walkabout' has no specific schedule while an 'up-sticks' is usually limited to weekends and public holidays.

The essence of both systems is to disengage from the crowded, harried modern society, and its multiplicity of gadgets that constantly demand our attention. These are attempts to wrest back the full control of one's outlook on life. Both systems temporarily remove the automaticity brought on by our technology dependent modern lifestyles by effectively rendering schedules and deadlines redundant. Both systems also allow people to commune with nature away from the artificially controlled environments of modern cities. However, it takes an usually high level of chutzpah to leave all the electronic gadgets behind and symbolically break free from their slavish hold in order to just wander and wonder - both personal passions and pastimes. Seriously, is there a greater joy beyond just observing nature in all its glory while ambling along at a leisurely pace? This joy still mystifies most of my friends. I am constantly asked: Where are you going? - uh-hm, for a walk. Which way are you headed? - uh-hm, I will decide when I step out of the door. How far or how many miles are you walking - uh-hm - I don't know ... I'll know when to turn back. Is this to exercise ... yeah, kinda :P They always look at me as if I have lost my marbles and ... Won't you need your phone - nope, if I should get lost I will ask for directions :) That last one further confirmed in their minds what they have suspected all along - that I was slowly losing it.

Once, I tried to explain the joys of being out in the sun and fresh (well, sorta) air but it really was a futile exercise. Scientists have written about the positive effects of spending some time daily in the sun. The sunlight helps in the natural production of vitamin D which may protect against a host of diseases, including osteoporosis, heart disease, and cancers of the breast, prostate, and colon. What's more, sunlight acts on the pineal gland and produces melatonin, a hormone that affects the modulation of wake/sleep patterns and other photoperiodic (seasonal) functions. Sunlight has other hidden benefits—like protecting against depression, insomnia, and an overactive immune system. If one combines this with some exercise - the long term physiological benefits are almost immeasurable. The blank looks spoke louder to me than the chorus of chirping crickets in their heads. I know, I'm mean like that ...

Anyway, you would understand if you ever tried to convince a sedentary person of the health benefits of walking? Or, that fries and a large diet drink is really an oxymoron? The funniest (for me and told with a straight face) was an offer to drive me to the park to sit on a bench. Really! The park is just over a mile away, we could walk there and look at the birds. The petrified look on their faces was priceless. I tried a different tack and explained it from the bookworm angle. Another waste of my time as they would only wait for the movie if the book was any good. Seriously! They do not even read books. Why do I even consider these people my friends ... Anyway, it really is an understated joy to simply wander and wonder through a great book as much as through a neighborhood - at times taking the unbeaten path to discover that little gem about a city, town, or village. There is a certain joy in stopping to read those bullshit and contrived historical markers - then, going to the library to compare what has been written about that place and how it is interpreted. The dichotomies inherent in history are always fascinating, since history is always written through the prism of the dominant section of society.

However, it remains that wandering and wondering is an acquired skill which remains illusive to most (read sedentary) folks. Beyond the overt chutzpah, one has to be mentally strong to undertake such solitary pursuits. An itinerant wanderer must to all intents and purposes be well attuned to the machinations and workings of one's mind. A weak mind will be easily distracted - hence easily bored - to undertake a wander through a town and, by default, will have to rely on some gadget to stay entertained. Theme parks and museums have since developed the guided audio tour for those less inclined to stop and read detailed annotations to pieces. A true wanderer has well developed loner instincts and is essentially comfortable with being alone - which seems rather counter-intuitive as humans are naturally gregarious creatures. Suffice it to say it takes both self awareness and skill to be able to wander off in some direction with no defined destination in mind. Why is that so difficult to comprehend?

Which brings me back to the original impetus for this posting. What does one think about when on a walkabout ... what goes through one's mind when one decides to 'up-sticks' and head nowhere? Well, really, those are the dithering thoughts of a man at sea with his own decisions and feelings.

A final thought: "If you think you've got an inside track to absolute truth, you become doctrinaire, humorless and intellectually constipated. The greatest crimes in history have been perpetuated by such religious and political and racial fanatics from the persecutions of the Inquisition on down to Communist purges and Nazi genocide." Saul Alinsky in an interview with Playboy Magazine, 1972.

Have fun always!!

... Of Presidential Debates and Idiot Pundits

I procrastinate way too much but that's my nature and I love it. This article was started on the night of the VP Debate which will make some of the thoughts a tad anachronistic but still relevant. Let's see where this ends ... "When an honestly mistaken man sees the truth, one of two things happens: (1) he will either cease to be mistaken, or (2) he will cease to be honest. For he will either accept the truth or he will reject it. If he accepts it, he is no longer mistaken; if he rejects it, he is no longer honest. It is as simple as that. There cannot be such a thing as an "honestly mistaken man" who has once seen the truth." Anonymous

The abiding lesson of this election season is the demise of true journalism. Its sad that even though the illusion of an open American democracy persists – there is the reality and a direct correlation between the shrinking ownership of the media space and the number of entrenched 'so-called' experts. The media space continues to shrink http://freepress.net/ownership/chart as does the dominance of the rather limited group of 'so-called' experts – your run of the mill pundits, talking heads. Being labeled a pundit used to mean that that particular person had earned the chops and had the intellectual honesty to be deemed an expert in their particular field. In typical American fashion, being an expert and skilled commentator has been turned on its head to now mean a person who can make pithy pronouncements on the fly and is capable of spewing catchy soundbites ad nauseum.

Some, if not most of today's pundits, these so-called experts need to be sent to prison for simply misrepresenting journalism and being intellectually dishonest. Although, I am still at sixes and sevens whether it is their particular audiences that need to be committed for not being a little more discerning – or that these paid hucksters are just that good at framing their bosses' messages. The capacity for independent thought remains such a foreign concept that reason is mostly considered and treated as something akin to the black plague. Meanwhile, all attempts at engaging in civil discourse is anathema to this 'oh so American' media system of entrenched beliefs. It boils down to this: "always defend our side of the coin" and at no time is one ever allowed to even consider the plausibility of rationale in the other side's perspective. Its attack, attack, and always denigrate the other side. In this warped system of an entrenched 'defend one side at all costs' – any move to the middle, to that place where there is the possibility of a confluence of ideas and any hints at agreement - are bad for business.

The media system is profit and ratings driven. Anything else - even simple journalism - is a surefire way to be quickly pink slipped. But, if one is able to promote their side of the coin while fear-mongering, and promoting misogyny, racism, sexism, and war-mongering - in other words keeping the general populace scared shitless, then one is assured of an eponymous show with full editorial control. Its always about the bottom line and the old adage from broadcast television remain "If it bleeds, it leads!" Its no longer about news but about driving eyeballs and ears to an increasing number of adverts. Its no longer your father's news programs as that has become a secondary if not tertiary raison d'être for most media outlets. They are more concerned about profitability than real journalism - how else can anyone explain all this endless, mind numbing reality programming? It is cheap and easy to produce and there's enough idiots in the world that crave attention such that they see this as their path to celebrity status, if not outright infamy.

Besides, a scared shitless and polarized nation is not only very good for business, but is also very profitable. The Citizens United decision in SCOTUS further legitimized the financing of that polarization and profits will soar when you have a compliant media further drawing the nation into this trap. Who needs the industrial-military complex when you have a polarized nation? Who needs another war on the credit card when you have a bunch of millionaires continuously pushing one particular side of the same agenda. They are further enabled by these faux-intellectuals, these wannabe millionaire pundits, whose sole purpose seems to be to agree with, and never dispute, whatever line of thinking or argumentation the anchors would be pushing. The liberal media desperately trying to prove that conservatives are the epitome of evil and the conservative media desperately doing the obverse. These are the current and modern crop of  'thinkers' that are seemingly allowed to dictate how the majority of the populace thinks … to think that these 'pundits' give voice to what amounts to being the only source of information for most of the voting public. Wow!

I enjoy politics as much as the next junkie but this has to be done on an even playing field. Some of these hucksters are treated like intellectual royalty – but all they have proven is that they are able to look attractive on the screen and wax loquaciously while vigorously defending their particular side of the coin. The invidious nature of this 'thinkingness' – this endless waiting to be told what and how to think - makes punditry must view television. The ratings speak for themselves. The sad part is that their only purpose is to further dumb down not only the country's internal political discourse but, even the most basic of world affairs. (Point in case is this continuing failure to understand the basic structure and organization of the United Nations especially membership in the Security Council and the veto powers vested in the five permanent members.) I wonder if this is stuff that ordinary folks should know – actually, scratch that it is stuff that should be common knowledge. I will quickly obviate that line of thinking by pointing out that this is material that should be covered in basic History (High School) or that it should be common knowledge what with the UN HQ being based in New York, the role of President Wilson in starting the League of Nations and Eleanor Roosevelt's role in promoting the concept of a United Nations and pushing for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. What of the UN resolution that divided Palestine into two territories and created the state of Israel (UN Resolution 181 of 1947) the very reason why the USA declares itself Israel’s greatest ally because they (& UK) were instrumental in creating Israel as a permanent homeland for German Jews after WWII. A democratic and rich nation deserves a populace that is aware of its own immediate history - if you will, one that is nominally educated. 

The fundamental question remains whether this is not what citizenship is all about – to be fully engaged, knowledgeable, and active in the systems that rule and define one's daily existence as an American? Besides, one of the most important and universal legal principles negates ignorance as a viable defense (ignorantia legis neminem excusat = Ignorance of the law excuses no one!) Should this concept not naturally extend to all basic governance and human rights issues affecting all citizens - regardless of nation? Why is it that some folks remain willfully ignorant and allow themselves to be manipulated into voting along extreme religious, political, and economic lines. Is it fair to entrust the direction of a country's economic policy to a majority of voters who do not understand the most basic of economic policies or economic strategies … I suppose this is how the genius of 'dumb-it-down' pundits (oxymoron I know but stay with me :) comes into play; the anchors and their subservient (invited) pundits then have to explain it in simpler terms for the general populace, the non-policy wonks. Some argue it really is not about knowing the inner workings of economic policy, but about dealing with the basic bread and butter issues of daily survival. This is why there is so much stock put on elected politicians. This, also, explains why there is such a concerted effort to focus on the performances rather than the substance of the debates. The presumption is that most of the audience failed to comprehend, hear or judge the quality of what the VPOTUS or LyingRyan were talking about – without simplifying it to performance and staging. How then can you convince the ordinary public (on the simple merits) of one side's policies as opposed to the other side's perspective. 

Accordingly, then, the collective wisdom of the mainstream media is that the only way for the ordinary public to make heads or tails of the debate and policy issues is to reduce it to the level of entertainment. This is why the mainstream media trots out second tier pundits to bloviate on sartorial choices, non-verbal communication, and other ancillary fluff issues. The mainstream media will dedicate hours to the bells and whistles surrounding a debate (CNN is by far the worst) and trot out a dozen pundits and experts who all seem to agree on either who won or lost the debate. Hold on – won the debate? Lost the debate? What point system were they using – nah, they just look at each other and then, follow whatever choice the lead anchor suggests. Do these intellectual heavyweights ever consider the actual substance of the debate – you know the stuff that VPOTUS and LyingRyan actually said and argued about? There is enough folks out here that understand these policies, standards, and positions – there really were speaking in simple English and dealing with some small concepts. That is what the public should be allowed to base their decisions on – the substance, not the rest of the malarkey about body language, suits and the effectiveness or lack thereof of the moderators.

The old saw goes that “Age and wisdom will beat youth and enthusiasm” any day – that was proven in today's VP debate. The mainstream media's disseminated impression is that LyingRyan is supposed to be one of the leading intellectuals of the right. What a disappointment – the intellectual heavyweight never showed up or was seriously overwhelmed by the occasion. Nah, that's not it – LyingRyan really proved that he is an intellectual lightweight who has bluffed his way to the hilltop by regurgitating those pithy, bland right wing talking points. One of the great debating lessons from my misspent youth was that you either baffled with brilliance or you bluffed with malarkey – regardless of your actual grasp, and knowledge of the facts surrounding a subject. In other words, you could still offer a compelling defense of your positions through a coherent structuring and confident delivery of your malarkey talking points. Its rather unfortunate if your malarkey bluff is called and you do not have enough gumption to come back strongly … i.e continue the malarkey line but with a robust (and even more outrageous:) ) defense of your positions. That never happened today as LyingRyan was reduced to the water sipping, babbling almost incoherent youngster that he is. VPOTUS remained calm, confident and even somewhat cocky as he easily destroyed LyingRyan with cold hard facts, bluster, and well structured arguments. LyingRyan had to resort to gulping gallons of water as there really was no way to effectively slow down VPOTUS' assault.

The GOP's warmongering is really getting tiresome – where are they getting their intelligence? I think LyingRyan was pulling it out of his arse and was rightly called on it. I just wish that VPOTUS had actually just used the term bullshit - but malarkey has a certain gravitas befitting his office :) Biden's smile, laughter and look when he delivered the “What? Now, you are Jack Kennedy?” zinger is absolutely priceless. These are the moments and points of the debate that should be the foundation of an 'undecided voter's' decision making process. But, that is not how the rest of society is wired. There is an innate prejudice due to one's acculturation – that's how society tends to make its choices because most folks are too lazy to either actually think through their decisions or to think for themselves. So, it boils down to following the thinkingness of 'my' favorite group of pundits or just make those hard choices based on family tradition – mama always voted democrat or papa always voted republican and that's what I does. It follows the same principles that are applied to religious indoctrination. There will be peace on earth when society expands their horizons by questioning their acculturation and religious indoctrination. You know one can always dream :) Otherwise, all our choices remain a result of the accidents of our births.

Today's thought is from Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain): “I cannot see how a man of any large degree of humorous perception can ever be religious — except he purposely shut the eyes of his mind & keep them shut by force.” 

Have fun always!!

... Of Procrastination As An Exact Science!!

Procrastination - I think, explains why there is such a gap between posts in the timeline. At this rate, this means that I will never post about all those ideas that I have marinating in my noggin'. That, in itself, may be a good thing as it will make for a brilliant conversation starters in the next lifetime. I will get there and not stop nattering about sports, politics, love, and why men and women have different approaches to relationships.

One of the fascinating things about checking out into the next lifetime is being told, at the point of kicking the bucket, that you have always been considered a wonderful guy even that many years down the road. This admiration is usually expressed after a guy has moved on to the next chapter. Seems as if most will hold in space exactly how one is perceived at the moment of most attractiveness. Suddenly, a guy is yanked back into a totally different era with demands for one to feel the same way one did back then. The demand is certainly for the same depth of emotion - simply because she was too stuck up to accept your advances. Most of the time - a guy accepts being rebuffed, moves on, and gets on with the business of life. But, seems like the ladies remain stuck at that particular moment of highest attraction, emotions and love at full blast, yet ladies will not act on the nascent romantic impulses until some future moment when they feel ready and compelled to follow through on that 'romantic' impulse. Until their romantic impulse finds satisfaction - there will be no peace in the world:) Is there a dichotomy between procrastination and delayed gratification? The flip side of this scenario is that guys, even when they will have moved on, are still willing to explore the possibilities of starting a missed or flubbed romantic encounter. We will always be wired differently.

Now, do not get me started on sports, or politics. This are the things that guys understand and spend considerable quantities of time either playing or trying to understand. I fail to comprehend how really asinine partisan politics has become. I fail to comprehend how people that are capable of normal (if I can still use that term:) rational thought, suddenly lose all capacity to reason logically, to adjudicate the facts without falling into the pattern of some partisan line of thought. Why is it that grown folks are willing to abdicate all reasoning to some party talking point, or to absorb another's reality as their own because of a perceived loyalty to a political party, church or any other socially constructed organization. What is so wrong with thinking for oneself, evaluating facts and reaching a conclusion by simply obviating the 'canned' ideology of some political party.

I know that the following is a storm in a teacup but I think it points to a greater malaise with the so-called opposition party in Zimbabwe. Seems that the official MDC twitter account does not follow any local or African media practitioners or outlets. The MDC only follows western media - which not only personifies their identity crisis and but their worldview which then is western in outlook. This is a sword that cuts both ways - if they intended to use twitter to inform their publics, seems they are not really interested in the local or Afrikan audience. This is a rather myopic aspect to their communications and outreach programmes but speaks to a wider disconnect with the local people.Why is the MDC so self-loathing that it fails to notice the importance of engaging the local media and public - not to mention their devout followers in the diaspora, but finds it more prudent to follow the western media rather than the local purveyors of information. The disconnect, nay, they have really fallen head first into ZANU's long held argument that the MDC is a western puppet incapable of free thought or action. The long-held ZANU perception is that of an MDC incapable of decision or action without both western approval and finance. This is such a sad indictment on the only 'almost' viable opposition party which has always lacked both a coherent message or credible leadership. There is no way they can run the country on 'anti-incumbent sentiment'. More is the pity!!

And, finally, today's thought comes from the writing of Nobel laureate Elie Wisel:

"There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest."

Have fun always!!