A more perfect union? a.k.a The Dystopic Revolution



"Settle down people! I know this is exciting, but we need to get started. I am glad so many PEOPLE have joined us to hear the plan for our new great Godly nation. So let us begin! "



The tumultuous crowd settled a bit, consolidating there excited focus on The Speaker instead of each other.



"This is the preamble: We The People ..."



With those words, the energy level jumped again. Many voices exclaimed in excitement at the same time. A few caught the orator's attention, causing him to pause and look around.




Woman: "Ooooh this is so exciting!"
Person of color: "I can't wait for this!"
Poor... Read more ... What does your happiness look like? What does your happiness look like?
A wise woman



The last couple weeks have been downright enlightening for me.



Let me back up even more. I have been struggling (again?) for a while now. Nothing new to someone who has way to much time on their hands to simply think. My current (constant?) dilemma is finding (creating?) a meaning for my life ... or more accurately for life in general. It is by no means a new or original thought, but I firmly believe life has no specific meaning. Much of humanity cannot grasp or accept this thought, so we create explanations that give us comfort and ease the... Read more ... I caught myself smiling for no reason this morning
Whenever I see my reflection, I pause for a moment and think "Who am I?"



The answer has always eluded me.



Am I the me others perceive based on their own experiences and expectations?



But I am also other.



Step back; forget what was; let go of expectation.



Be the observer.



Ask again.



Who am I?



I caught myself smiling for no reason this morning.



With a blinding flash it dawned on me that I have been asking the wrong question.



I should be asking, "Who do you want to be?"



I caught myself smiling for no reason this morning.



Him. I want to be him.




Read more ... Choose your future The more experience I gather in this journey called life, the more I fully understand the concept that life is, and always will be, lived now ... this very moment. When we begin our journey, everything is new to us, and we have no experience that we can call past. Thus now and yet to be become somewhat intertwined, for we have no expectations based on how we have already shaped ourselves and our perceptions. We tend to be more focused on the yet to be for that is where the excitement lies. It is the new; the undiscovered. As we move further along the... Read more ... A fresh start Today is the January 1, 2023. Some think of it as the first day of a new year.



That particular concept means nothing to me. I never thought of January 1st as being the beginning of anything other than an arbitrary month in a calendar made by man. To me the new year does not start until spring. Winter is the end of the cycle.



Yet this supposed beginning has been ingrained in our social consciousness for a couple of thousand years now, so I can't just ignore it completely. When I was younger it was just another excuse to party. Those who embrace the idea of... Read more ... Empowered by a rabbit hole Draw a rabbit hole.



“Huh?” is not an unreasonable response.



Just do it. Don’t worry about art. Get yourself a piece of paper (which itself might be a challenge for some in this digital age) and draw yourself a rabbit hole. Make it big enough to put some words in.



Done? Great. Look at your rabbit hole and write down the first thing that pops in your mind. Maybe it’s a word, maybe its a phrase. Don’t think too much, just let it appear.



And so an adventure begins …



My rabbit hole




The path I followed:



The word ‘asteroids’ randomly appears in my mind.“What a funny sounding word,” I think. Immediate... Read more ... A momentous life momentousmō-mĕn′təsadjectiveOf utmost importance; of outstanding significance or consequence.From The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition



A few days ago my morning started as it always does. I woke up because for various reasons my body decided it was time to wake up. On this particular morning my reaction to waking up was one of pleasant expectation. It varies depending on the quality of my sleep, the nature of my dreams, and the weather. The mood being appropriate, I set out doing the morning rituals with energy (not always the case). These rituals include getting my self started on the day's journey and attending... Read more ... A little bit o' life Read more ... Unexpected guest

Read more ... Randomness In an attempt to stretch my creative muscles I played with the camera a bit this afternoon. I managed to catch a few fun pics ...

From an interesting reflection:To another lesson in perspective:Ending up with a cool pic and a bit of imagination: Read more ...

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General General chit-chat Join the discussion ... Renewable resources Waste for profit has become the standard of technological advance. It is time we change that focus. We need to make more environmentally friendly products, and learn to reuse what we have instead of just abandoning the old for newer and "better". How can we achieve this shift? Join the discussion ... Animal Rights Between the growth of human civilization, technology, and climate change, many animals already have a hard enough time surviving. It doesn't help when man treats them with cruelty, whether the maltreatment of pets, hunting for sport, or the horrors of factory farming. They are part of our planet too, and have just as much a right to survive as we do. What can be done to improve the lives of our fellow earth inhabitants? Join the discussion ... Sustainable energy We have long outlived the concept of hydraulic despotism. Hording energy sources for profit is no longer healthy for society (if it ever has been). We now have the technology to pursue renewable energy sources, breaking the stranglehold of those who control the more destructive and less available energy sources that have helped create the less than ideal political structure of today's world (at the same time helping to damage the planet). What can be done to shift the balance ... and the focus? Join the discussion ... Climate Change Anyone who has been around for a few years that can't see that the climate is shifting is willfully blind. It no longer matters the specific cause ... something needs to be done. The planet will survive, but will human civilization? What steps do we need to take? Join the discussion ... Healing the planet Despite the constant conflict and division that plagues humanity, we all share the same planet. It is essential that we remember this fact, and recognize the impact we have by our activities. Here we can discuss various issues pertaining to the health of our shared home. Join the discussion ... The right to live With greed and selfishness driving the world, many treat health as a commodity; something we CHOOSE, instead of something that we often have little control over. Nobody should have to struggle for a healthy living simply because of where they live or who they are. How can we remove the profit motive and return the focus of healthcare back to HEALING? Join the discussion ... The freedom to believe Religion is still embedded in the human conscience, even as science increases our knowledge. Everyone has a right to believe what they want, but do they have a right to push their beliefs on others? Much of the conflict in the world is the direct result of this dilemma. How can we return people to the freedom of their own beliefs, while expanding their exposure to knowledge? Join the discussion ... Intolerance and Bigotry Too many people still believe that humanity is divided by race. Too many still think that gender defines worth. Too many think that one belief system is superior to another. There are many words used (racism, misogyny, antisemitism, Islamophobia ... to name a few) , but the essentially describe the same issue ... fear of anything that is different from us. What can we do to eliminate this way of thinking? Join the discussion ... The right to love Sexuality is part of the human condition. Yet many think that it is something that is black and white, a CHOICE to be made with only two alternatives. This thinking comes from dogma and fear, rather than science. It is a major cause of oppression worldwide. What can we do to change this? Join the discussion ...