Blogpost # M. 183 BIRDS ARE PEOPLE WATCHING

Aside from groups engaging in”bird watchers”), most contemporary humans go about their busy, self-absorbed, lifetimes on Terra Firma paying scant attention to their earthly airborne co-tenants. In our experience, the average lawnmowing, auto driving, commuting to work,, television viewing, hamburger consuming, coffee-drinking, member of the fraternity-sorority, referred to as “homo sapiens,” seem to perceive birds as merely and uninterestingly, part of the Planet’s natural environment like the wind and weather. Notably, their evolutionary, meat-eating amphibious ancestors, in their era, by existential contrast, warranted vital scrutiny and life-preserving diligence.

For the non-geological-evolutionary scientist, it requires a veritable “leap of faith,” to accept the notion that the little English sparrow, the tiny Black-Capped Chickadee, and the Goldfinch are the temporal evolutionary progeny of the Brontosaurus and the toothy Tyrannus Rex. Aside from the class of birds denominated as Raptors (“Hawks”), most of the unassuming avian inhabitants of the sky and Earth are content with a diet of insects, seeds, or floral nectar.

Contrary to their universally indifferent perception as simply, flying multi-colored fauna, birds, in fact, seem to perform the important role of reseeding the planet’s flora, reducing the impact of the planet’s overabundant population of annoying, and often toxic, insect population, providing a source of nutrition (ex, chickens and their eggs, turkeys, pheasants, pigeons), cultural ornaments for Indigenous peoples and women’s hats, quills for writing, mattress and pillow stuffing among other applications; and a plethora of referential vocabulary, viz., “bird-brained,” “chicken-hearted,” “chicken,” “eagle-eyed,” on the wing” “flight pattern” “crow’s feet,” “wing and a prayer,” “feather-nesting,” “egg head,” “feather-light,” “aviator,” flight pattern,” “nest egg,” “roost,” flock,” bill and coo,” “sitting ducks,” “turkey-necked,” “eagle eye,””alight,” “swoop down,” and others.; demonstrating that, contrary to the assumption that birds are out of mind, their presence, notably, in our analogous thoughts;

We would observe that birds have territorial assumptions but do not make internecine nor, interspecies wars, seem to share a common interest in food and a healthy environment, are musical and acrobatic, socially gregarious, unanimous in their decision-making regarding food sources and climate, seasonally flexible and adaptive, socially egalitarian, domestic and family oriented, practical and not delusional, and usefully and empirically motivated by considerations of natural survival viz., food, weather, and procreation.

In moments of deep and disappointed rumination concerning the unnatural and perverse condition of contemporary mankind’s casual respect for morality, avarice, and its populously singular ignorance, we unwittingly are struck with the bizarre question as to whether the birds might possibly be watching Mankind, from on high, us for a possible change (analogous to their own evolutionary transmogrification from Tyrannus Rex to black-capped chickadee,) to something universally peaceable and acceptably multi-societal.

-p.

Blogpost # M. 182 IT’S ‘[AGAIN] ABOUT TIME (redux)

With all appropriate respect and sincere apologies to the singular genius of Albert Einstein, and despite our diffidence concerning its possible perception as reductive, we have come to a personnally satisfactory understanding of the metaphysical (and empirical) essence of the concept of “Time.” Our attained onclusion is that the conception of “Time” emanates from the dynamic comparison of recalled experiences in one’s respective temporal relationship. We will elucidate. by way of a recent, instructive, occurrence of an exotic e-mail.

The e-mail message simply sought our possible identification of two parties appearing in certain photographs, regarding who, unfortunately, we were unfamiliar. The exotic feature of the communication was that it was transmitted from a child of a first cousin (by marriage) which child we had not seen since he was a cute, blonde, curly-haired toddler, being gently rocked in a hammock, by his father on the back lawn of the homestead owned by his in-laws. our maternal Aunt Anna Kenigsberg and her husband, Morris, on Main Street, Middletown Connecticut. The communicant remarkably informed us that he was now 78 years of age; attesting to the bizarre fact that we had not seen or spoken with him for upwards of three-quarters of a Century.

In the course of said exotic communication, we requested, and soon thereafter received, a detailed, well-written history of the births and deaths of the family and progeny of our Mother’s eldest sister (“Tante Anna”).

The recited experience had the effect of causing us, once more, to contextually ruminate on the nature of “Time,” as nuanced and empirically perceived by Mankind, distinquished from the cosmic and metaphysical phenomenon, famously emanaring from the genius of Albert Einstein viz.,”Time,” as variously lived and and perceived by humankind is contemplatively, and empirically demonstrated by our natural reaction to the receipt of exotic e-mail.

Our reflexive rection to the recounted e-mail scenario is respectfully submitted as empirical confirmation of our eternally-held proposition that Mankind’s perception of “Time” is empirically based upon his reaction to the temporal order of his nuanced, accurately recalled, lifetime experiences. For a utilitarian and humanistic understanding of Man’s lifetime of experience, even the incomparable intellect of Albert Einstein offers meager assistance.

-p.

Blogpost # M. 181 CURATING GROTESQUE

It may be noted, alarmingly, that the President-Elect’s many choices for cabinet positions, uniformly evince the worrisome characteristics of inexperience, conflicts of interest, a full menu of past immoral and/or criminal behavior, and, notably, the prerequisite demonstrated fealty to Donald Trump. As inappropriately flawed as they are, only one, JFK, Jr., can, aesthetically and empirically be described as characteristically “grotesque.”

John F. Kennedy Jr. is similar to his uncle, President John F. Kennedy, and his father, Attorney General, Robert Kennedy solely in name.; his appearance, persona, and fundamental beliefs are incompatible and totally divergent from his attractive Uncle and Father,.In appearance, the least significant aspect of this writing, he appears emotionally impassive, dark-complected and speaks in a halting, strained, and gravelly voice.

Our protagonist is an ardent conspiracy wonk and has exhibited a lifetime of advocacy for the cessation of the medically salubrious, disease-preventing practice of vaccination. His principle ideation, that vaccination causes autism, is in direct contrast to medical research., proving otherwise., This deluded conspiracy monger has been nominated by Donald Trump to be the Nation’s Secretary of Health. His anti-vax proclivities would, otherwise appropriately and pragmatically, eliminate his name from rational consideration as Health Secretary. However, his existentionally redeeming feature is his expressed support of the egocentric President-Elect,

Medical history consistently demonstrates the salubrious nature of vaccination. The diserases of polio, diphtheria, scarlet fever, measles, mumps, whooping cough, tetanus, COVID-19, and scores of others have been medically preventable by the prophylaxis of vaccination. JFK, Jr.’s paranoid ideation that vaccines cause autism, and serve some nefarious need of an existing “Inner State” is toxic and grotesquely harmful.

The widely inappropriate nature of the JFK, Jr. nomination for the impactful office of health czar is additionally inappropriate by reason of the bizarre nature of his outlandish behavior; inclusive of his questionable deposit of a dead bear in New York’s Central Park. The mentally flawed nominee has, in addition, publically disclosed that he has a worm in his brain; presumably the impetus for his conspiracy ideations and, as well, his obedience to Donald Trump.

JFK, Jr,, the President-Elect’s selected nominee to the societally impactful office of Secretary of Health and Human Services has recently declared his grotesque and ultimsately disastrous intention to halt vaccinations for polio. It was this notably grotesque announcement that caused our angst and, indeed. the motivation for this writing,

We can painfully recall polio’s crescendo years, 1940 to 1950, and the raw universal terror of infection of polio, causing, among other precautions, the verboten attendance, especially of young children, at movie theaters or swimming pools. We remember President Franklin D. Roosevelt (who, at age 29 contracted the paralytic disease) founding the National March of Dimes to raise funds for polio research. We recall images of the dreaded iron lungs, of paralysis, and tragic deaths. When Salk and Sabin successfully developed the preventive vaccine for this dreaded disease, the WHO (and the entire world) celebrated the momentous occasion with existential relief.

The selection of the thematically grotesque nominee for the vital office of Secretary of Health and Human Services is disgraceful and extremely dangerous; it might conceivably, be the dynamic product of a hopelessly flawed President-Elect and his brain-wormed, grote4sque nominee.

-p.

Blogpost # M.180 “SHROOMS”

We have recently read some medical-chemical articles on the use and dynamic effect of the ingestion of so-called “magic mushrooms.” As reported, partaking in such exotic fungi produces certain desired effects such as the visual mobility of inanimate objects, intensity of color, and the experience of an enhanced heartbeat. We have been puzzled as to the dubious aspiration of users to thus distort reality. It is our theme that the phenomenon of distortion, notably, exists in today’s political scenario without the prerequisite administration of psychedelic chemistry

We have, on personal principle elected to not comment on the nuance of individual taste in experiencing “pleasure,” inclusive of such aspirations for altered reality; ye, we have empirically noted that recent developments in the Nation render such questionably desirable distortions readily available at no charge and without chemical concomitant except that of the resultant “heartburn.” In sum, our observation is that “Golden Mushrooms, LSD, and other expensive and possibly hazardous, mind-altering stimulants are an unnecessary precursor to the experiences of mind-bending distortions of normalcy, daily reported, the Nation’s media.

Millions of voters, constituting as much as nearly 50% of the Nation, elected to the office of the President of the United States, considered the avatar of liberty and individual rights, Donald J. Trump, an individual totally lacking a moral compass nor a scintilla of requisite capability. with a record of numerous felony indictments and 34 convictions, including treasonous purloining of secret government documents, an admirer and friend of Russia’s Putin and other autocratic leaders of our enemy countries, undemocratic election denier and sponsor of National insurrection, perpetrator of election fraud, promoter of militant White Christian Nationalism, a lifelong misogynist, and adjudicated rapist, the perpetrator of extensive tax fraud, surreal violater of the Constitution’s Emolument Clause, a crass and shamefully inappropriate embarrassing retail hawker of glitzy merchandise to the American public, an adjudged defamer, and a miscreant who has publically declared his intention to set aside the American Constitution and rule as an autocratic dictator; wreaking vengeance against all of his political opponents. Who needs golden mushrooms?

Such phantasmagorically distorted, shockingly elected American Chief Executive has likewise proposed as his Official Cabinet nightmarish, hallucinatory, and bizarre choices of unreal and caricatured figures whose respective personas are appropriate for inclusion in, the cast of Lewis Carroll’s, Alice In Wonderland” or more visually, creatures in a Roku horror movie. He selected a sexual predator, sex market trader, and drug addict for America’s Attorney General, a spokeswoman for Putin, and friend of (the now deposed) Syrian pathological tyrant, Asad, as chief of American Intelligence, a conspiracy delusional opponent of vaccination, who deposited a dead bear in New York’s Central Park and boasts a worm in his brain, as the Nation’s top health authority, a Secretary of Defense, a known alcoholic, tattooed White Supremacist who is opposed to women in the military, an Immigration Secretary who has stated his intention to deport millions of immigrant families and a veritable psychedelic quilt of similarly incapable and principally unfit nominees. We repeat the previous question as to the practical need for chemical catalysts for psychedelic dissimulation of normal reality?

The ubiquitous opium den is sadly, not limited to Mar-A-Largo and the sycophantic MAGA lemmings. The context of contemporary university education, student protests, atavistic prejudice, including an epidemic size reprise of the toxic disease of antisemetism, gender prejudice, interference with women’s natural authority over their own body, derision of the humanistic welcome symbolized by the Statue of Liberty, suicidal opposition to ameliorative policies regarding global warming, fascistic censorship, the emotionally unhealthy results of smartphone insularity and loneliness in place of salubrious human interaction, the fateful decline of liberal scholarship in favor of short term goals, the effective emasculation of representative democracy by the legally, unlimited franchise of political donations, the irresponsible despoilation of the natural environment; we could, unhappily, go on ad infinitum, ad nauseum.

Rational good sense and the salubrious standards for societal and individual interaction have been distorted beyond any recognizable image of empirical normality, resulting in a surfeit of distorted reality regarding which, no employment of Golden Mushrooms or other chemistry is empirically, comparable or necessary.

-p.

Blogpost # M. 179 MODERN APHORISTICS

We have always frowned upon aphoristic pseudo-wisdom and encouraged their disregard. Such presumptuous a priori, all-encompassing, and reductionist guides to choices of action, judgment, and positive solutions to the universe of presenting matters are to be scrupulously avoided, Pre-prescibed choice and recommendations are thoughtless and misleading emanations of reductionist pseudo-wisdom, empirically unrelated to the issue at hand or alternate choices of action.

We have presumably, commented on the sophomoric practice of relying on the traditionally classic “chestnuts” of ersatz wisdom and thought it would be us to explore a sample of the dilemmas posed by the sophomoric application of such pre-packaged advice in its more modern iterations.

Plainly stated, our thematic message is the efficacy of reason to problems and issues as they present themselves, as opposed to the curation of an arsenal of priori solutions to be selectively activated when deemed relevantly necessary. Some more modern recommendations bear, at times some meritorious advice, but lead to resultant dilemmas.

(1) Getting a second medical opinion. This is a cogent suggestion, especially when surgery is recommended. A conundrum arises when the second opinion is not confirmatory of the first. The troubled prudent patient then acquires the dilemma of which opinion to beneficially accept.

(2) The encouraging dynamic recommendation: “If at first, you don’t succeed, try, try again.” In the event of an unattainable or plainly hazardous goal, the ubiquitous encouragement of unceasing repetition may lack pragmatic wisdom or border on neurotic and hazardous futility

(3) The acclaimed author, Ralph Waldo Emerson, famously stated:” A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds.” A pragmatic question arises the nature of “foolishness” is empirically determinable only after many unsuccessful attempts.

(4) “Everyone is entitled to his opinion, is an ignorant, overly generous, and disconcerting franchise For any opinion it to deserve consideration, and value, it must be a relevant statement by a relevantly knowledgeable person. The apparently confident declarations of the most effective speaker are empirically valueless without knowledgeable basics. The constitutional grant of the right to free speech, notably, does not mandate acceptance of unsupported or factually irresponsible statements.

(5) ” It’s all relative.” Many judgmental subjects, opinions, feelings, tastes, evaluations, and responses to presenting stimuli, are empirically nuanced and are, in fact, relative to individual perception or experience; but, not all things such as “love,” (including the familial variety), “patriotism,” “morality,” “truth”, “accuracy,” and “equality” are among the phenomena not intrinsically or subjectively relative.

(6) “Better late than never.” This popular recommendation has a nuanced applicability depending upon circumstances.: Arriving two days late for a birthday party, accepting an option two days after its withdrawal, arriving with the promised casserole or dessert two hours after the dinner guests have eaten and departed, “locking the barn door after the horse has bolted,” applying the fire extinguisher long after the extinguishment of the fire are practical examples.

The wisdom of the contemplative individual instructs him to solve problems and reconcile presenting dilemmas by application of personally experiential wisdom relevant to the extant issue and to eschew a priori “wisdom,” irrespective of its source.

-p.

Blogpost # M. 178 THE WORD LAUNDRY

As contemporaneously understood, the Nation’s constitutional declaration of equality encompasses the universe of American citizens of every race, creed, sex, gender, and social position. Progress toward the universal implementation of that enunciated status has been made, albeit, slowly and yet incompletely, The satisfactory achievement of such a foundational goal would seem to require the moral progress and cultural enlightenment of those of our citizens who seem to persistently adhere to the ignorant and atavistic ideation that diversity of color or creed is aberrant and perverse.

American citizens of goodwill, have responsibly and pragmatically construed written standards and devised programs purposed for the amelioration and hopeful elimination of America’s historically atavistic blemish of bigotry. Yet, propagandic, distorted interpretations have been tactically assigned to such beneficially construed standards by citizens who irrationally cling to their pernicious “pecking order” of acceptability. Such adamant bigots have chosen to tactically propagandize their opposition to the realization of the Nation’s constitutional promise by false, and misleading distortion of the context and intent of such beneficial standards, to eternally perpetuate bigotry. It is such depravity that provided the impetus for this writing,

It is the intention of this writing to identify and ” launder” such tactically sullied words, perversely transmogrified by the promoters of bigotry as responsively reactive falsified “buzz-words,” Three examples of such distortions seem to predominate, viz., Woke,” DEI,” and “Affirmative Action.” We intend to employ, the effective cleansing detergents of humanism and common sense, as detergent.

“WOKE:”

This Black-American folkloric term, used by the folksinger, “Ledbelly”) to mean “awakened” is perniciously and tactically used as an epithet or derogatory reference to the paranoid ideation that the purported “White Christian America “is under attack by subversive programs of black citizens with the assistance of the “elite class of liberals” to dictate the Nation’s course of history, As an illustrative example, the repulsive Governor of the State of Florida, Ron DeSantis, has appeared on popular television, proudly boasting assurance to a large audience: “Florida is the place where “woke goes to die.” The cultural style word for achieved cognition has been perniciously distorted for the consumption of ignorant citizenry to distortedly threaten the existence of an alleged movement by America’s black population with the aid of “the liberal elites” to undermine American superiority and its traditional way of life.

Nothing could be remotely further from the truth. “Woke,” is, in truth is a black folkloric word for “awake” or “awakened,” reportedly used by the folk singer, “Ledbelly, to mean “awakened” Its accurate context amounts to the recognition of society’s unequal level of difficulty between the racial groups in attaining personal realization.

“DEI:”

“The letters DEI, has been distorted, analogous to the perversion of “woke.” Contrary to its propagandistic-like perversion and use as a persuasive epithet, simply and inoffensively stands for the objective principles, stated, viz.,”Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion,” notably the equivalent of the Nation’s mantra, “E Pluribus Unum.” The word “Diversity” is empirical and self-explanatory, The words “Equity” (equality) and “Inclusion” (equal opportunity) cannot be objectively seen as inconsistent with traditionally accepted American ideals. Should it anecdotally appear that any feature of such well-intentioned standards of DEI, in their implementation requires adjustment, they can empirically be corrected far easier than the discriminatory programs they are intended to ameliorate. The equitable concept is fully consistent with the American mantra of equal citizenship and societal morality; used as rationally intended, the programmatic effort should need no sanitary explanation.

“AFFIRMATIVE ACTION:”

The somewhat nonspecific, but, nevertheless, ubiquitously understood phrase, “Affirmative Action,” refers to a beneficial program purposed to eliminate unfair advantage as between applicants for employment or higher education. It merely permits the additional consideration of relevant racial identity or economic hardship as one factor. The beneficial purpose is to give a “hand up” to those for whom it is creditably warranted and is not intended to be exclusionary, Few Americans set out in life on socially or economically equitable circumstances, a temporal observation empirically unrelated to innate talent or capability. The concept is intended to assist capable individuals whose potentiated advancement has been road-blocked by racial prejudice, or economic poverty. Its avowed purposes are inclusive and not exclusionary; as some of its critics would prefer to contend.

In a Nation, universally occupying the seat of the avatar of justice and equality, but evincing a sad history of the enslavement of black people and a contemporary empathy for the economic vicissitudes of its population of poverty-stricken, citizens, governmental programs that consider the elements of hardship, among the multitude of criteria for acceptance, would, inarguably, appear to be humanisticly appropriate.

It should require no forensic argument to support the proposition that those fortunate enough to reside in the American, “Land of Opportunity” implies the equitable existence of opportunity for all.

-p.

Blogpost # M. 177 THE “KINGLY” PARDON [redux]

It is past time that the unjust, and anachronistically Monarcial privilege of the American Presidential privilege to arbitrarily pardon legal wrongdoers was relegated to the dustbin, specifically allocated to empirically deplorable history,

Fundamentally, it has been the consistent experience that too much power in the hands of one individual leads to anarchical injustice. In such context, our Founders, wisely and presciently, divided their newly created polity into three separate branches with “Checks and Balances” to prevent either branch’s excessive use of power or inappropriate function. The Presidential power of pardon, (Constitution Art.2, Sec.2), once denominated, “Alexander’s Hamilton’s Benign Prerogative,” is, in essence, inconsistent with the Founders’ principled goal to eschew “privilege,” (royal and birthright) and create a new Nation, one, governed under democratic principles including the contextual “equal protection of the law.” The many centuries of unjust history in Europe, that manifested royal and privileged birth (as well as an Established Church) were to be abrogated.

However, their provision of the Presidential pardon is notably dissonant with such declared principles. Its use has resulted in the perpetuation of retributive crime against American society, arbitrarily and officially thwarted and condoned at the whim of the society leader. An illustrative sample of the controversial right of pardon is, Ford’s pardon of the felonious acts of Nixon for his inarguably unAmerican crimes, known as “Watergate,” Clinton’s pardon of his brother, Roger Clinton, George Bush Sr.’s pardons in the Iran-Contra travesty, and Donald Trump’s cynical pardon of his son-in-law’s Father, Charles Kushner.

The unacceptability and inappropriate nature of the Presidential Pardon are convincingly and egregiously broadcasted by Donald Trump’s repeated intention to pardon the large horde of White Christian Nationalists and other enemies of democracy, charged and/or convicted for participation in the attempted coup d’etat by violent insurrection against. Washington’s Capitol Building, November 6, 2023, following Donald Trump’s defeat in the prior Presidential election.

The unprecedented, violent, and bloody, insurrection, legally and justly warranted the arrest, trial, and imprisonment of members of the angry mob who participated in the violent and bloody insurrection. The public declaration of President-Elect, Donald Trump that, following his inauguration (as the Nation’s 47th President), he will grant full pardons to the mobsters who participated in the November 6th, violent Capitol Building insurrection, is the zenith of cynicism and political toxicity in the recorded history of this unjust, vestigial organ of tyrannical Monarchy.

It has been factually proven that Donald J. Trump himself, was the (criminally indicted) sponsor and essential choreographer of the subject insurrection, Not uncommonly, we find ourselves presented, with a bizarre legal and moral “Mad Hatter” dilemma common to Trump matters. What would be the rational and societal message of the grant by Trump’ of his promised legal pardons to such compliant wrongdoers, for crimes in which he was a participant and, in fact, the chief sponsor?

The rational solution to such a calamitous dilemma may be as legally and morally obscure as the very existence and singular endurance of this inappropriate and archaic royal privilege.

-p.

Blogpost # M. 176 LIFE AND DEPTH

It would not be pragmatically possible to recount the countless rewards derived from decades of personal commitment to acquiring humanistic understanding and its beneficial result, mature perception. The latter quality provides the contemplative individual with the tools to relevantly and appropriately respond to life’s nuanced stimuli and to adjust personal expectations to be in sync with the changing periods of his life. Such an attainment delivers the ultimate reward of a meaningful and fulfilling life.

The acquisition of a formal education itself is certainly significant; however, when supplemented by one’s elective pursuit of enriching activities notably, reading good literature or participation in the “arts,” one travels on the reliable route to the destination of personal wisdom and self-fulfillment.

We have always found ourselves motivated by the beneficial goal of enlightenment, viz., the understanding of ourselves and others in the context of the changing nature of events and human existence. Our reading of ancient literature reveals Man’s existential need to appease the forces of nature by the faithful submission to atavistic belief in supernatural or Deistic causation and ultimate judgment. “Victorian literature” was instructive in articulating the effects, good and evil, of the era of industrial development and newly mechanized travel. In the “Modern School of Literature,” we are inclined to observe the harsh and determinative results of irresponsible moral choices. Significantly revealing was the metaphysical observation that many classic issues of mankind are historically repetitive, irrespective of the passage of time and contextual setting. In sum, the ardent and inquisitive pursuit of reading good literature was our open window to an insightful and contemplative understanding of ourselves and the ever-changing environment.

Recently, we read disturbing authoritative essays attesting to a contemporary decline in the willingness and capability of college students to read books or, no less, lengthy essays. Such a regrettably regressive trend is not, in our view, (as ventured in some of the authoritatively written observations) simply and reductively,, caused by the failures of Secondary School education. We are of the view, rather, that the fundamental problem, concerningly is more fundamental, as being ubiquitously one of contemporaneous society.

The distressing transmogrification of a once empirically- oriented, advancing society to one that now exalts convenience and reductionist solutions over the significance of the inquiry into, and understanding of, Mankind’s universal problems and its classic problems as the underlying root of such disappointing societal regression.

Too many of today’s students thoughtlessly and in short-sighted fashion, attend university, less for the classically relevant purpose of attaining enlightenment and personal growth, but rather, for the mundane purpose of preparing for a desired career. Such foolhardy and reductive dedication wastes and repudiates evolution’s generous gift of intelligence to humankind. Akin to playing computerized games (instead of gainfully reading), this is an inexcusable waste of precious life, shamefully consistent with the apparent crass and ungrateful enthrallment with ephemeral and mindless entertainment, worshiping (overpaid) sports heroes instead of brilliant philosophers, medically successful scientists, recognized fine artists and those of exceptional literary accomplishment. The obscene competition for the personal perception of celebrity status or the publically acknowledged possession of expensive toys, is fundamentally primitive and empirically revelatory of a chronic insecurity that is the cause of the avoidance of the many gifts to Mankind to be derived from the wise conduct of contemplative life.

The beneficial receipt of the many internal rewards to the contemplative citizen predictably leads to the personal franchise of his understanding of the self and other contemporary tenants of the globe, to good character as well contentment with life, and the golden rule, humanistic inclination for empathy; contrasted with the extant, detestable ignorance which, regrettably, has led to an expression of populist grievance, manifested by the victory of the current, undeniably, unsuitable victor of the 2024 American Presidential election.

-p.

Blogpost # M. 175 A CASE OF SUI GENERIS

To appropriately attribute the classification of “sui generis (“one of a kind,” or, “in a class by itself”) to an identifiable member of the species, Homo Sapiens (as compared with a chemical substance, not listed in the comprehensive “Periodic Table of Elements”), in consideration of the existing wide variety of the human persona, would, empirically constitute a truly singular designation. Nevertheless, our comprehension of the contextual erm enables us to confidently classify that rare attribution to the bizarre persona and one-of-a-kind dynamics of Donald J, Trump.

The reader is presumably informed of Trump’s overabundant inventory of acts of misbehavior and likewise can comprehend his nuanced selections for Cabinet. Reportedly, at least four of such nominees are publically known to be sexual predators, and none have a scintilla o requisite capability for their proposed roles, These MAGA anchorites are, notably, similarly guilty of illegal acts, ranging from immoral misogyny to felonious crimes, including treason.

Trump, residing in his empirically impenetrable and neurotic bubble of pathological self-love and his insular lack of moral compass is popularly known for his multitudinous offenses against the Rule of Law and basic societal impropriety. This paragon of depravity, seemingly insulated and protected from retribution by some unstudied orange Teflon protective coating, has, bizarrely, been elected by the American voting public (the same public that only recently, had elected the astute and morally admirable, Barack Obama) for a second time. The empirical conundrum is ironic and puzzling.

Recently, such apparently the Orange-Teflon-protected, President-Elect, submitted to the Senate, as required by the Constitution, (Article 2, Section 2), a characterologically predictable, full,cuckoo-nest asylum of personally selected MAGA choices of Cabinet Secretaries and Official Advisors, As empirically predictable,, such selections, in addition to their mandated fidelity to the Orange Hazmat, evince in persona, a notable reflection and, in many cases, duplications, of the President-Elect’s pernicious traits and aberrant behavior.

As some illustrative examples,, he proposed Attorney General of the United States, is a known sexual predator and misogynist, under formal charges for felonious sex crimes including underage sex trafficking as well as drug offenses,. The choice of Secretary of Health and Human Resources is a seriously deluded conspiracy advocate and an anti-vaccine missionary, boasting a worm residing in his brain, and who reportedly has conducted himself in a highly exotic manner, inclusive of the act of nighttime deposit of a dead bear in New York’s Central Park,.The Trump-proposed internationally sensitive role of head of National Intelligence, in a MAGA sycophant who publically repeats and admires Putin’s propaganda, and shares a close friendship with Syria’s, murderous tyrant, Assad. The irresponsibly selected Secretary of Defense is a known misogynist, rapist, and dedicated alcoholic with no relevant experience in Military matters. A more complete list of Trump’s unseemly, ill-advised, Barnum and Bailey roster of selections to fill the Nation’s vitally important posts would reveal the similar inexperience, incapacity, fealty to Trump, and analogous societal immorality.

Such features are so egregious that several Senators, despite their unexplainable, cult-like religious thrall to Donald Trump (conceivably, in response to their citizen supporters,) have expressed and in some cases, already acted on their morally principled and pragmatic objections to many of the Trump-selected candidates. We would expect that many others, driven by unavoidable instinctive rectitude (or their voters) will\ betray their Diest-like piety to Trump and reject many of the other Trump- selected nominees.

Our disturbing conundrum is our agonizing inability to comprehend such a consistent and appropriate response to Trump; himself, characterized by analogous reasons, who seems to be protected by some orange Teflon and is accepted as sui generis.

-p.

Blogpost # M. 174 THE SORCERER’S APPRENTICE * [redux]

The fortuitous development of a warm-blooded mammal gifted with the capability of reason constituted the zenith of evolution’s dynamic process. Over the uncountable eons of humankind’s existence, notably, in his ever-increasing acquisition of empirical experience, such remarkable, franchise developed by degrees, ultimately attaining the level of its extant capability. Man usefully learned to live in society and benefit from its cornucopia of facilities, notably, the existentially important franchise to mutually communicate and learn from each other by the relation and exchange of empirical experience./

The ultimate realization of utilitarian cognition beneficially resulted in the development of successful production and agricultural techniques, architecture, and disease prevention. as well as sophisticated levels of social advancement, art and architecture, and self-awareness. Mankind’s advancing potential, gifted from such dynamics of progressive natural evolution. resulted in the development of mechanical and agricultural skills, the discovery of methods of disease prevention, and unfettered mobility. Humankind reveled in its perception of unlimited developmental capability, exponentially ratified by his many positive accomplishments astonishingly, extending to travel to outer space. Mankind, flushed with success, at some determinative point, saw the development and exponential utilization of computer prowess to render services in a facile and accurate manner.

Analogous to the disastrous events, unwittingly confronted by the fictional Apprentice in Goethe’s (and Disney’s) tale, a tsunami of non-fictional disaster resulted from the thoughtless substitution of digital computer facilities for human interaction. An already worrisomely divisive Nation was rendered more disparate by the consequent lack of authentic and socially fulfilling personal interaction. The word “friend” was no longer significant of an intimate relation, emotional expression was curtailed, and as a result, unhealthy feelings of division, loneliness, and isolation were exacerbated. The prophylactic mandate of physical separation and “masking” during the covid pandemic, added to the impersonality of human interaction to the material detriment of societal and personal identification.

Our regular followers know that it has eternally been our view that the all-important guide to personal behavior and reaction to sundry stimuli, is motivated by our developed and maintained “self-image; and that our perception of self-identity is, in large part, an interpretive empirical result of the perceived reaction of other members of society with whom we interact. With delimited or no personal interaction, our self-knowledge and understanding of others, in the lexicon of the naturalist, becomes a “threatened or extinct species.” Reports of anxiety, depression, and even suicide, especially among the young (notably, girls) reportedly have been the tragic result of this convenient, but ultimately, dehumanizing facility.

The “smartphone” has become the mandated encyclopedic repository of ubiquitous human consciousness, personalized experiences, and traditional knowledge, replacing healthy and self-affirming, social activities; such as library research, reading books and magazines, the joint study of maps, taking displayable and durable photographs, mutually sharing the enjoyment of music, writing personal letters, telling time, and the receipt and transmission of notifications and reminders, indeed, constituting a virtual a universe of private and essentially disconnected life experience, most notably, and impactfully. the socially existential franchise of human interaction. The misplacement, or [Horrors!] loss, of this facile and quickly utilized, referable “ersatz persona” is akin to being alone, shipwrecked on a distant and unchartered Pacific island.

Tragically, our figurative, inept, and greatly terrified societal apprentice, haplessly responsible for this analogous deluge of societal tragedy, lacks the benefit of a saving intervention by a sorcerer, capable of halting the deluge and metastasis of this toxic and existential social pandemic. We with great reluctance, confess that we fear for the state of health of an already septic society.

-p.

  • Title on generous loan from the Johann Goethe