Empathy Deficiency

How can you get somebody to care about torture if they don’t? And why are there so many so-called “people” who don’t? It’s like they’re genetically empathy-deficient. Or, maybe it’s not “like” they are – it’s that they TRULY, literally are.

Stupid Managers

I’m tired of small-minded people in management/administrative positions having negative effects on so many people’s lives. I wish they’d hurt themselves directly and only when they make their stupid decisions. Then, maybe they’d learn quickly from aversive conditioning.

One More Email to Bush (Sent)

Subject: Yet further in your descent

To Bush:

You're pathetic! It's the height (or depth) of pettiness, selfishness, and mean-spiritedness to refuse to allow the Obamas to move into Blair House 10 days early. You've done more to destroy America than any president I know of. The sooner you're gone, the better, but it'll still be two terms too late.

Sincerely,

Pete Pearlman

We HAVE overcome! – Yes, we HAVE!

Obama/McCain Dance-Off

Closer than it should be

We Have Seen the Enemy and They Are Pathetic

With all their king’s horses and all their Karl Roves, they won't be able to steal the election this time!

Why

I can’t fathom why it would be anything but a landslide for Obama. But, I know that it’s always been a veritable horserace between smart people and stupid people in The United States. Then again, how can there be THAT MANY plug-for-brains out there so as to make this upcoming election close – never mind the completely crazy possibility that it could even go the wrong way? You see (to borrow one of Michelle Obama’s favorite phrases), in order for the vast majority of people to vote for McCain, they’d have to be voting against their own best interest. Of course, doing so seems to be a traditionally favorite pastime of self-clueless Americans throughout our history. This is probably one of the strongest arguments against evolution. How can these own-foot-shooters manage to reproduce at rates that keep them competitive with those of us who know up from down?

Actually, although I don’t empathize with these fools, I have hypothesized about how such irrationality can manifest itself. In fact, this was the very hypothesis behind the Clinical Psych Ph.D. dissertation that I never finished. This is it: self-hatred. To elaborate, somewhat; for whatever geneses, these people hate themselves, and take out their self-hatred on themselves AND the rest of the world. They don’t just shoot themselves in the foot; they do it to us, too. They run around dumping and projecting their self-loathing and disgust on the world around them. They live in a world of psychic blindness, reinforced by their emotional terror of having to face the truth about who they are and why they are that way. Of course, in so doing, they make the world worse for everyone. It’s unfair that we who feel and know better also have to suffer as we struggle to clean up their and our cage, but, that’s the way it is.

Hopefully, we can all evolve past this pathology, as a people, and get on with having a truly healthy love relationship with our world.

Email to John Yoo (Bush's "Torture lawyer")

Subj.: About and to you

Yoo,

You are a reprehensible pig. Short of calling you, literally, a Nazi (as I don't assume any "anti-Semitic" intent on your part, and I would need to do so to label you a Nazi), you are morally (or rather A-morally or IM-morally) equivalent (get this - NOT lesser, EQUIVALENT) to the Nazi "doctors", who used their profession and academic accreditations to rationalize and facilitate acting as lackeys for their war-criminal regime. Like them, you couch sadism in cold, clinical, twisted linguistic garb. May you rot in hell for all the human and political wreckage you've left in your wake and on the world's landscape. Rest assured, though, we will ultimately put an end to the carnage wreaked by you, Bush, and his other criminal cronies, and we will rebuild true humanitarian democracy; whereas you (plural) will be forever affixed with legacies equivalent to Hitler and his thugs.

I'll end by quoting Bob Dylan from his timeless song, "Masters of War":

"...
You've thrown the worst fear
That can ever be hurled;
The fear to bring children
Into the world.
For threatening my baby
Unborn and unnamed
You ain't worth the blood
That runs in your veins.

How much do I know
To talk out of turn?
You might say that I'm young,
You might say I'm unlearned.
But there's one thing I know
Though I'm younger than you,
Even Jesus would never
Forgive what you do.

Let me ask you one question:
Is your money that good?
Will it buy you forgiveness?
Do you think that it could?
I think you will find
When your death takes its toll,
All the money you made
Will never buy back your soul...."

Sincerely,

Pete Pearlman

The Fifth Dimension

Not the singing group, but the next “identifier” after the conventional three and time as the fourth. If we want to identify, describe, “pinpoint” (not literally, of course, because an “object”, including living beings, as I mean the term, encompasses never as nonexistent an essence as an infinitely small point) a three-dimensional object along or across all its dimensions, it has long been contended that we need include time as the fourth; now we know where and when something is, so we can really locate it. But, can we? I contend, “no, we can’t” – we still don’t know exactly what it is we’re locating or identifying. What’s still missing from our dimensional coordinates is its existential reality (or plural, “realities”). So, if we’re talking about a person, we need to know not only where and when she or he is, but also what they were or are or will be feeling, thinking, etc.. Also, what’s going on inside them, in terms of their molecules’ Brownian motion, their constantly kinetic and changing atomic structure, their biochemistry, their synaptic, other electric, and metabolic occurrences, etc.? An inanimate object may not be as complex, but it still has its changing atomic realities going on.
If we want to get to the real me, we must locate me in time and space; let’s say at the intersection of longitude and latitude on December First, at 3:54 P.M., 1954, A.D.; but who is that “me”, at that time and place; I mean, who am I, really? Or, for that matter, what television are we talking about when we say a “Magnavox”, of a particular model, “pinpointed” in time and space? For example, is it on or off, and, if on, what signal(s) is/are it receiving? This we can somewhat know by knowing what programs were being broadcast then and there. We can check a TV Guide© for its time, place and available channels, but if we want to be even more precise, we need to account for the transmissions getting to us at about the speed of light (a microfraction of a light year from source of transmission).

Isn't This True?

Just as you can't keep your eyes open while you sneeze, you can't be bored while you're asleep.

Message to Bush I submitted at Whitehouse.gov

This is not a question; it's a statement: Bush, you are a rotten person. Believing in karma or ultimate justice, I'm sure you'll get all the consequences rapidly racking up for you - you pathetic piece of shit.

I am Your Dream

The me that (who) you always knew as me, as alive and me, is still alive or exists and is aware, and I AM your dream. See?; You are not just dreaming about me, I am me, and am your dream. I am now your dream. But, I still have my own, autonomous awareness and self-awareness. I know that you are dreaming of me, and I still feel myself as myself, as I always have. My “material” form has changed, but my self-awareness is as it ever was. You can no longer “see” me when you are awake, but I can still feel me, as I always have. You can no longer hear my voice, but I still think my thoughts and feel my feelings. I can still see and hear you, and can even, now, “read” your thoughts and feelings, as well as my own, and I love you – as much as ever!

About Blogging

Blogging is a way of acquiring some measure of immortality. Many of my most important dreams might have been squashed, but, at least I can say some things (like this) that have a good chance of living on well after I’m “gone”. These entries (“postings”, as “they” like to call them) are “expressions” of or by me and, by extension, are “extensions” of me. They capture, in a specific, maybe narrow form, part of me over a relatively brief span of always-fleeting time. A moment approaches, and then it’s gone…forever. So, we take pictures…and make movies…and paint pictures…and make music. – All of these actions often directly come from the deep, primal urge to immortalize ourselves – to embed our handprints wherever; somewhere along the universal walk-of-fame of all time and all people. This compulsion to make as firm and permanent a mark as possible is intertwined with, if not equivalent to, our need to belong – to be a vital cell within the body of The Great Organism. We, collectively, are the true “God”. We can each be seen and felt and touched, as we all can, together. This conception of God is critically, essentially different from the conventional one, in that we KNOW that we are real and we exist; belief has nothing to do with it. There can be no such thing as an atheist in a “religion” that puts collective humanity in place as its central God. Can anyone even agnostically doubt his or her own existence? I know that I, as a “cell” exist; I can “hear” my own thoughts and feel my own pain, and I pretty-well-equally believe that you all are out there, though I can’t hear your thoughts, nor feel your pain (I make no pretense of, nor hold no illusions of being Bill Clinton). Yet he, as separate from me, is equally a cell of this great, all-time, all-place All-Humanity Being. Of course, I can feel my pain from learning of your suffering, which is empathy and/or compassion, but I can’t feel yours, directly, as you do.

We are evolving, people. We are seeing and learning that mean-spiritedness and selfishness (when destructive toward others) serves neither you nor I, in the long-run. We see that Imus, though as much a “cell” as anyone, has lost his privileged position for being his all-too-long-rewarded, carelessly callous public persona, and, as such, he did humanity wrong. Who’s next to go? – Carlos Mencia? I never found race-bating type humor to be particularly funny. These “comics” seem to like to see themselves as being “on the cutting edge”, but they’re more “cutting” than “on the edge”. But, evolution happens. We don’t need to impose more censorship to rid ourselves of these toxic cells; they just ultimately get pushed to the wayside by the body’s miraculous immune system. We learn that some cells, that have been passing as healthy (materially prosperous) are, in fact, infected, toxic, and must be isolated, removed, reprogrammed, regrooved. Now, I don’t think that I’d call Imus the collective body’s equivalent to a “cancer cell”; Hitler was a full-blown cancer cell; but he has been a diseased and infectious one. Maybe he just needs to be “cured” and sent back to work in a more commensurate, menial position.

I blog, and We are God.

A Dream I Just Had

I had this elaborate dream. It seemed that I had not graduated from my psych doctoral program because my GPA was just too low – like a 3.2 instead of a 3.3, AND that, somehow, a sprinkler going off on a lawn on my childhood block was responsible for distracting me, and THAT’s why I got the 3.2. Then, as I thought more about it, and I became a little more awake, I remembered that the actual reason was that I hadn’t finished my dissertation, which was a relief – because it WASN’T just the thin thread of the sprinkler and the tenth of a point of grade.

Then I repeatedly walked through these woods. I was down and out, without a job, didn’t have money, and was trying to get “out of the woods” by this repeated literal working and reworking my path through these woods, putting great thought and effort to it, each time (somewhat, as one “works through”, in psychoanalysis). In fact, much of it WAS self-analytical. There was also this rock that I’d see along the way, that looked as though it might have had a fossil of a shell in it, but I’d pass it by, the first few times, because I determined that it really WASN’T a fossil. Then, the last time, I was being followed by guards, as I was on private property (in these woods), and they perceived me as a possible threat. They were as much a small army, with rifles, as “guards”. I realized that they decided not to approach me or try to harm or capture me, until they determined more about the nature of who I was. They also apparently didn’t realize that I was on to their presence. I had a sense that, as they saw me act in progressively higher functioning ways, they’d abandon the idea that I was a potential threat, and was, in fact, on a more “professorial” level. On this last trip through the woods, I looked, again, at the rock, and saw that it was, in fact a fossil, and took it with me. Then, I had come to this multi-leveled sort of office building, that was part of a university. It consisted more of open walkways. And, again (or, “still”), I repeated walking them, in an attempt toward working through to a better level of circumstance for myself. It was as though it were a mental health clinic/department, run by the university, and I wanted them to see that I could, in fact, WORK there, as a psychologist, and that I shouldn’t be there as a needy client. It seemed that I DID get to the point where they had decided to pay me a small stipend or salary, but it was too meager. I discovered a rate card that indicated they were trying to decide on paying me either 16-hundred something or 23-hundred something, or only as high as 35-hundred something, per month. I felt strongly that this was way too little for them to pay a psychologist with two kids and a wife, so experienced and advanced in his life and in years – even if it WAS according to the scale they paid interns at the beginning of their career (going up on the salary rung, one step a year). And, it seemed that, at that rate, it would take me five more years to begin making a living wage. I also somehow discovered that they were making either 5 million or 5 billion dollars, directly as the result of the work I was doing, so I was about ready to demand that they pay me what I deserved. But, I also was aware that there was an effort, now, on “their” part, to assassinate me, both to avoid meeting my personal demands, and because they realized I was about to expose their high-proceed-getting scheme and corruption to the public. My journey of self-analysis and discovery had led to and become one of EXternal investigation into what “they” were doing. I believed that it was getting harder and harder to evade or avoid getting assassinated. They even began firing these big cannonball type things at me, from the walkway across from mine, but I repelled it with my mind, and put it back on them (telekinetic judo). One shot actually hit the main guy shooting at me, and he had a look of amazement and horror on his face, with his eyes wide open, as he fell back, over the side of the building, and out of sight, to his sure death. Then, like Martin Luther King, I knew that they might ultimately or soon succeed in killing me, and I began, sort of in coded language, to let the broader, more-innocent outside world know that I knew this, but was not afraid, because I was innocent and, in this way (by “virtue” – pun intended – of this), had more power than they did; no matter how it turned out, the side of “good” had the upper hand, and would win.

The Future From Here

Well, folks, we’re in a better place now than when I posted my last (“Borders Broken”) piece. What largely had influenced my writing of it were the human/civil rights pushbacks of curtailment of Habeas Corpus, greenlighting of torture, “secret prisons” further scarring the worldmap, NSA-generated domestic spying, etc., etc., etc.. Soon after I wrote it, though, it occurred to me that “morphing INTO Hitler” might actually have been more accurate, but, I let it stand as it was, nonetheless. Now, undoubtedly in commendable fearful response to the warning I made there, America has reversed her downslide to hell with one of the overall best set of election results I know of in, at least, recent history. We’ve finally provided essential balance or (hopefully) effective resistance to this regime of war criminals, hypocrites, thugs, and crooks.

Yet, how ironic that the state of my residence (I still consider New York State, the state of my birth and growing up as “my state”), California, that is questionably-deservedly often thought to be in the forefront or on the cutting edge of progress, has come out way in the back of the pack with its various verdicts, this past election! First, how can they re-vote in Schwarzenegger, apparently because of his celebrity status and “charismatic” personality, and disregard the different stances on issues espoused and/or demonstrated by the candidates? And second, how stupid can people be to see ad after ad STATING that they’re brought to you by “The Chevron Corporation” and vote the way Chevron WANTS?!!! Even if I knew nothing about the issues, knowing that a particular position was being advocated by a giant oil company would be enough to swing my vote against it. The same can be said about votes on many of the other issues; but, back to the main issue at hand:

Where do we go from here? How can we use our vast elevation of power best (for the most good) and, how can we best guard against any future loss of it; in fact, is it possible to get the hat trick of The Presidency in ’06 (or, dare I utter it? – SOONER), and ADD to our power (to do “good”, for a change)? My advice is to start DOING out of the gate, as fast and hard as we can. I do NOT advocate putting impeachment on the back burner, nor certainly taking it off the table, altogether (keeping with the kitchen metaphors/clichés). We should simultaneously initiate progressive, widely helpful (to they who need it most) legislation AND begin investigations into the “sins” of the Republicans, especially those of the executive branch, that were ignored and/or swept under the rug (expanding my clichés to the rest of the house), starting with those scandals we already know something about, such as Valerie Plame, the goings on around 9/11, and false reasons for going to war, and digging deeper to see what comes up. I’m sure that what we know only scratches the surface of the tip of the iceberg (reaching even further, clichéwise). There are those who say, in effect, we should take care not to break eggshells (and back to the kitchen), not to offend or alienate our newfound allies to the right of us that the guilty have so generously bequeathed to us, by virtue of their sins (get it?). But, how often in the past have we lost the respect and sympathy of potential right-leaning support by lacking the self-confidence to espouse the content of our hearts with force, even apologizing for being “perceived as” liberal, and denying the proud worthiness of liberality? If there ever were a time for acting with boldness regarding who we are, it is now! We’ll never get a chance like this again, at least for many years, unless we use it wisely and assert it forcefully, now.

Let the investigations take us wherever the findings take us – let Truth be our guide. Even those on the further right will have to respect that. Truth shall not only set us free – it is our path to ongoing and assured success.

Our Border is Broken

That’s right; our border is broken. But, I’m not talking about the border you probably think I am. Yes, I am talking about America’s border, but not the physical one that delineates us, geographically. I’m talking about the border that separates us from what we shouldn’t be, or what we’re supposed to be opposed to and who we are. This border has always been very clear, rivaling the geographical one for clarity and concreteness. But now, with the caving in and bending over to Bush and his sociopathic cronies, the most horrific truth possible has become extant; we are who or (more aptly) “what” we should be against. It’s like the Twilight Zone where the guy gets everything he wants, only to look in the mirror and find out he’s become Hitler. Ladies and Gentleman, I submit to you, hopefully for your disapproval, that we have, indeed, become Hitler!

My Desire

My desire is to be good. To manifest goodness.

I felt myself to be one who has been beaten. One who has endured major traumas from an early age, yet who is here, alive. Like King Kong, had he survived that plane attack, left, now, alone, with no more immediate threats pending upon him; having now only to contend with his own intrinsic nature. “Am I good or evil?” “Where do I go from here?” “My best chance is to keep sight of my love and serve it.” My instinct guides me. A hard part is waiting for the “orders” from it. What do I do until they come? And then I see that they’re coming more frequently or constantly than I had imagined or been aware of. An instinctual being is a loving being. He will only serve good.

Joke

What did the maitre d' say when the Connecticut senator’s table was ready?

“Lieberman!, ... Party of one!”

I am

I am a man of good intentions. I want to do best by my family and by myself (admittedly, not always in this order). But, that’s O.K.; my needs/desires and my family’s needs/desires are never that far afield of each other. Sometimes, in fact, they are one and the same. The problem is that this world often runs afoul of itself and us. The obstacles it puts up in the way of us obtaining what we want/need are crazy, “selfish”, and stupid. These three negative characteristics (crazy, selfish, and stupid) are twistedly intertwined. Those with the most and, therefore, who need the least, are the most hoarding, “selfish”, and wrong in their thinking. They make it hard for people like us (“good” people) to get our “stuff”.

Email to Kevin Martin, Chairman of the FCC

Your attacks on free speech by levying heavy fines on CBS & other networks are far more offensive and have a far worse effect on society than any of the slightly sexual content you purport to be against. And, your motives appear to be as bad as any I could think of, short of sadism. Your actions reek of discomfort with your own sexuality, self-political promotion, and monetary greed. Any claims of "standing up for morality", or such, on your part, are transparent rationalizations for the above-listed motives. My advice? - Resign your post and get some much-needed psychotherapy.