The Path of the righteous

There is a big problem that I have and that is my righteousness, my internal feeling that I am always right and that nothing should appear to challenge my preconceived ways of seeing.

Do I take this on board, well yes, I say righteously, I do, why would I write this if I where not challenging myself on the way I think.

The problem with my righteous world is that everyone else sees differently, you ask a thousand people the correct way to do something and they will give a thousand different solutions and that can be so damn annoying.

So I accept and am fully aware of this righteousness, I pain, go into spasms of anxiety over it, I really do.

Getting older is definitely a contributing factor. One see's everything different as one gets older, experiences of life tell one about this situation and that situation and a mindset becomes firmly embedded in the consciousness. And as we know many of the mindsets that exist in everyday life are not good. So I am aware of this, my experience is not the experience of others.

Lots of personal experiences that are to crazy too mention, well not really, they are just personal and my own business, also contribute.

So after criticising my own path of righteousness and fully accepting that this can be a problem I eagerly and I mean with a delicious eagerness, launch my attack on the state of things as I see it and the absolute nonsense that appears to exist out there, it's incredible disconnections.

The society that I know and live in everyday is stuck in a rut, has lost its vision, if it ever had one.

So after revealing my righteousness and putting myself at a disadvantage from other righteous people who will now attack me with a vengeance

I have to quote a famous song from the 1960's written by Malvina Reynolds

Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes made of ticky-tacky,
Little boxes, little boxes,
Little boxes, all the same.
There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one
And they're all made out of ticky-tacky
And they all look just the same.

And the people in the houses
All go to the university,
And they all get put in boxes,
Little boxes, all the same.
And there's doctors and there's lawyers
And business executives,
And they're all made out of ticky-tacky
And they all look just the same.

And they all play on the golf-course,
And drink their Martini dry,
And they all have pretty children,
And the children go to school.
And the children go to summer camp
And then to the university,
And they all get put in boxes
And they all come out the same.

And the boys go into business,
And marry, and raise a family,
And they all get put in boxes,
Little boxes, all the same.
There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one
And they're all made out of ticky-tacky
And they all look just the same.

The rise of musical Fascism

Mass media penetration into the lives of ordinary people with music is both effective and world wide. What with iTunes, CD's, ipods, MP3 plays, you name it, music is everywhere

I say this because one of it's side effects is the mass and I mean mass hypnotism that music seems to have on people.

Music has always and will always continue to have a great influence in my life, but the banality of much of music defies description.

I am not into censorship or controlling the use of music, not at all, just making a wry comment.

I only say this as in the last couple of years I have suffered at the hands of the music fascist. They don't actually do any real harm, they are just intensely infuriating,

Two incidents come very much to mind.

I worked in a kitchen with this chef, no, two chefs who had this craze for their music. One for U2 and the other Céline Dion. Ok they play great music and are accomplished musicians, there is perhaps no doubt about that. But hey, would you like to listen to them at full volume during the whole work day. U2 at full volume just blows the mind out and Céline Dion makes one suicidal. Ok in small does and and at low volume, but nothing else.

The fascism comes in when you challenge these guys about the music playing away all day long. They get angry, they don't believe in democracy, they think their music is right and just and that everyone else must listen to it. They are oblivious to the needs of anyone else and if I had the courage (I don't) to grab the ghetto blaster and chuck it out the window they would literally kill me or at the very least punch me in the face.

Now that's Music Fascism.!

Mass media propaganda has so penetrated the lives of ordinary people that some people need their music like a drug and to take that drug away is like going cold turkey on heroin (never tried the stuff). It's like the whole population on planet earth is slowly been mesmerised by the musical chord.

I am convinced that music tastes are decided in the board rooms of big media corporations and then allowed to drift in to the population to match a spectrum of human emotions. What I mean is there seems to a range of music out today that fits certain of personality. Music for the Emo, Music for Manic, Music for the downtrodden, Music for no body loves me. There is even music for what a lovely day, (that's what it is like outside right now). So I am convinced that these cynical executives (though I have no proof whatsoever) say one day, lets put out some music for those emotionally down (Céline Dion) and another day lets put out music for people who suffer manic episodes (U2) and then everyone suffers, well perhaps is a little extreme, I suffer and suffer badly and many suffer in resentful silence.

It's become so bad that muscians becomes like demi-gods, or even in competition with God himself and the fan believes, that because the pop, rock or indie star can play an instrument and sing a nice chord they are more important than say Martin Luther King or Ghandi or any other person who has made real contributions to the state of the world.

This last incident really sums up musical fascism. I live somewhere near a guy who is really into his music, I mean seriously into his music. I don't know what music, I can't hear the words or get a semblance of what group is playing, (I can usually work out what most musical styles are), all that can be heard is bum,bum,bum,bum. because he has a taste for music that is all bass and nothing else.

And as a parting shot, all these guys are afraid of their own silence.

Help, please help me from the musical fascists, they are taking over the world. !

Thoughts on the business world

Business is a very difficult thing in the cut and thrust of the real world. It's dog eat dog, survival of the fittest and so on and so forth, all tired clichés I know, but still very pertinent

Here are a list of points concerning the business world. This comes from several years of experience at being self employed and seeing how many businesses work.

The first Meeting

Many people have the mistaken belief that because a person is well mannered and speaks softly that somehow they can be trusted. Of course manners and a nice presentation do help, but substance is required rather than a lot of honeyed words.

Beware of men with honeyed words as they have a hidden contempt for the gullibility of others and will use this unfortunate human trait to their own full advantage.

I'd rather deal with someone who was honest and straightforward, even blunt to the point of being rude, if it meant he was telling the whole truth about a business proposal. No side, no manipulation, just the straight honest facts. In fact many would be willing to pay more for an upfront honest deal if they knew they were going to get what they promised. That would be a real and honest way to make money wouldn't it ?

More money to be made there I am sure.

Taking on a job

Many a job is taken on trust, OK, take the trust on with your best mate, your brother, and even that can't be guaranteed. Many jobs are taken on with expansive promises that cannot or will not be met, but one cannot see that behind that smile or the apparent creditability.

In business never ever take the word of another business man because what he says he will do will rarely if ever translate into what he actually intends to do. Put it all down on paper with a proper written contract that details in infuriating detail exactly what is to be done and make the other guy sign on the dotted line, in front of witnesses if possible. If he is not willing to do this, go somewhere else.

The job itself

The job often starts of with a big fanfare as it were, the bloke who smiles and is very credible is making all his efforts to make the deal work. But as so often happens 'problems' get in the way ands over time the work starts to deteriorate and things start to go wrong.

Many times the tables turn and there is a quick change of chairs and the man who is doing the job becomes the boss and you the employer become a pain in the arse employee, an unfortunate person in the money grabbing process.

The only way to deal with this ludicrous situation is to have a quality control programme, that is part of the contract and payments only made in sections of jobs actually done.

The business man responds instinctually to lack of money and loss of his next new BMW, so one must constantly keep the guy on his toes and actually make him, through potential loss of income to actually carry out what he says he will do.

If one does not show great and constant interest in the work done in your name, the business man will slowly but surely deteriorate in his service because he will say, "Hey this man is not interested, why should I ?"

Be Interested, very interested !

Reasons why businesses fail in more ways than one

When a person with dreams of his own business starts off, they usually have this incredible energy, its their honesty and ability to carry out what they say that makes them succeed.

But as so often happens when they have made their first million or got there first big car they slacken off a little. They have been in business so long that they have seen all the ugly side of business and then slowly become cynical and find it easier to become part of that ugly side rather than keep up their former energy.

Then the business begins to fail, looses it's integrity, its spirit, even if they still apparently make the money.

I am I naive or what ?

New Syndrome Discovered

Well would you believe it, my neighbour is still here. After him saying that he was going in Mid January, he is apparently going in Mid February. Phew !

No, it is yet to be seen whether he goes at all, not that I want him to go, nothing to do with me whether he comes or goes. I really mean that, it's a free country and all that.

So after he said he was going and he didn't he went through a period of appearing very silent, you know as though he had reformed, listened to all those letters sent and responded in kind like most people do. Like please forgive me I have sinned and I will no longer be so inconsiderate

But then, the plot thickens, his tenure of silence suddenly erupted into another series of explicit door banging. A few times in the early morning and one particularly fulfilling one (for him at least) at half past one in the morning.

So you see the situation is far from resolved.

My only complaint has been his banging door, nothing else, honest.

So I have come up with a new syndrome for all those out there who like to put behaviour into little pockets of diagnosis. This young man fits like a hand into a glove with DBS. I have also included a treatment plan that might work, but you implement it at your own risk, I am no doctor.

Door Banging Syndrome (DBS)

1. Assertion skills way over the top. Anger is a primary consideration here, the inability to express anger in a reasonable way.

2. A childhood of implied violence or actual violence from and/or his family or his peers.

3. Dog scenting behaviour. The act of door banging is like a dog marking his territory by urinating in particular spots to show boundaries. Instead of scent marking the noise of banging doors is used to mark territory. It is a very useful means of doing so as it resounds great distances and leaves this incredible resonating noise in the mind of others. There is no doubt about presence felt and territory declared. Very territorially bound to say the least.

4. Enjoys, in fact delights giving psychic pain to others, this is usually a childhood learnt behaviour.

5. Controls others through pain or implied pain to others. Like torture without the actual torture if you see what I mean.

6. Lack of positive role models in childhood, a weak or none existence father or mother figure, or just plain spoilt. A philosophy perhaps from family that violence is the only way to get things done. Could go either way on this causative factor.?

7. Immaturity in relationships and intolerance of others.

8. Cataclysmic antagonism to criticism, which might reveal an underlying real genuine sensitivity. (More research needed)

9. Inability to stop really annoying infuriating behaviours.

10. Has no gentle female side to his male self, David Beckham has, so we are not talking the abstract here.

11. Cultural, social intolerance, anyone who is different is clearly a threat

12. Overwhelming Egomania.

13. Bullying behaviour, control and intimidation of those he perceives as weak, stupid and especially males with a gentle disposition.

14. Have no empirical evidence about the age range, but males appear about 20-30ish, if this is common then there is clearly a case of a testerone overload and could be a victim of his own genes.

Testerone is implicated in machismo, it puffs up the muscles, the ego and has similar effects in peacocks when they strut about showing off their feathers. This behaviour is meant to drive away other males, attract and mate with females. Doors appear to get dragged into this, much to their despair, I am sure.

15. A history of inanimate object destruction, window smashing and furniture throwing have been noted in some cases. Whether this will ever translate into physical attacks on humans is yet to be seen.

16. Aversion to classical music. A sneaky suspicion, with no real evidence at all to be honest, that men playing classical music in the background all the time (quietly I must reiterate) are wimps and woossies and deserve the sound of banging doors just to break the music up a little into dramatic climaxes that even Wagner or Beethoven could not dream up.

Treatment strategies

Clearly this is a very difficult condition to treat. The greatest cure perhaps is time itself. As with many of these conditions, self awareness and exploration of the inner psyche with resolution of childhood conflicts is the only way to deal with the obvious real pain in these individuals.

I have come up with a possible treatment plan that is in its very early stages and as yet completely unproven.

It involves the DBS sufferer in 3 main activities

1. Take long walks in beautiful countryside, contemplate the beauty of nature in all it's glory

2. Wait for a clear starlit sky and spend all night observing the beauty of the infinite universe and ones own place in it.

3. Take up meditation and practise it at least once a day (as I need to do soon) and find inner calm away from the pettiness of human interaction.

Warning ! Please, please, when proposing this treatment strategy to an individual with DBS make sure that you have worked out an adequate escape route and that you can run faster than him, just in case he takes it the wrong way and becomes hostile.

Summary

The evidence for DBS is very sketchy at the moment and much more research needs to be done, A comprehension double-bind study of at least 100 DBS volunteers is needed to ensure that this condition actually exists and techniques found to treat it. Clearly one cannot create a new syndrome just on the basis of anecdotal evidence and the annoyance of one person, but there is a basis for further research and knowledge which might benefit humanity in many ways not dreamt of yet.

The Door Banger

I have had this efernal problem for a few weeks now. One of my neighbours enjoys banging his front door. I am a loss of what to do about it.

Is seems very important to him to express himself, it’s a way of him stating to the world and other neighbours that he exists in the great plan of things.

No matter what I have said so far to him makes no difference. He seems a reasonable guy on the surface.

I tried the reasonable approach, not that I am going to try an unreasonable one, like "can you please stop doing this". He sort of lent forward with his left shoulder downward as though I was hard of hearing, gave me this piercing gaze as if to say "why are you giving me this hassle". I replied that "I was not looking for a fight" and all that I wanted was for him to not slam the his front door. "What I am I supposed to do when I come in, I got to close the door". Very logical argument. But I said this has never happened before and when he saw that I wasn't going to hit him he relented and said he will try not to do it any more, but he did anyway.

One day he had this argument with what appeared to be his ex, there was lots of shouting and angry voices. Could not hear what they said but the tone was quite clear. BANG !!!!! as she left the premises in grand finale worthy of a Shakespearean play. The door slammed with nuclear force. I ascertained that it take must years of practice to get the door to slam at just the right velocity to carry its mass into the very fabric of the building. If he where to enter the Olympics in a door slamming contest, he would surely win the gold and keep winning that medal time after time if he ever managed to live that long.

Couple of years ago we had a mini earthquake about 3.2 on the Richter scale. Not serious but enough to give one the hibbie gibes as the the whole building rocked in a very alarming context. The type of experience that sets you off in to believing in God again, because all one wants to say, is, "Oh my god"

Well his door slamming must register at the local seismic earthquake sensor station on a scale of at least 1 or say .09. So it is not as bad but still pretty impressive in building shaking terms. I am surprised that the local earthquake station did not report it in the papers as one of those strange mysterious blips they must get every so often.

Enough of that now. You see the problem, don't you. ?

Various means of dealing with the situation.

I could go to church and learn the art of forgiveness and recite "he knows not what he does", don't laugh because I think this is a very important idea. Sometimes we do things and have no idea of the effect it has on others. But this guy is not into things like that I am sure. He would just accuse me of being a 'holy joe' and smirk.

I could try a course of meditation, learn to control my inner anger, learn that a banging door is only a minute rumble in the immensity of an infinite universe, which it is actually.

Deep self awareness might help me get away from instincts of appearing to be a control freak, yes but, he is actually banging the door as stated and any reasonable person would think the same, I hope.

I could create a bust up, a big furore, let it be known to him that 'we don't stand no nonsense like this around here".

An old fashioned gentlemen approach would be to invite him outside on the lawn, roll our sleeves up and have a bare knuckle fight and let the best man win. Then in some peculiar way even if I lost we would end up respecting each other and he just might stop banging his front door. You never know ?

That's the way they used to do it, wasn't' it. Clear the air, sort it out. The police don't allow such things any more which is a shame because lots of disputes would be over and done with very quickly and no one really harmed, except for a few minor bruises. I am talking only fists mind you, nothing else.

Anyway he would win in both instances, his is younger and fitter, me older and not up to such things. No, not into violence and bust ups, really not, honest.

I could recommend to him a course of anger management. This is entirely relevant because he has learnt to behave this way from childhood. As a child if he could not get his way he would explode and slam a door. A statement of implied violence that is very effective if not challenged and confronted. He just has not grown out of it that's all and therapy would help him understand his inner feelings and deal with difficult situations in a more reasonable way. Nope, that would not work neither, "psychobabble" he would call it, hit me straight in the face to prove that violence implied or otherwise is the only way to get things done.

I could recognise his alpha male status. Get on my bended knees and ask him 'please, please, please don't bang your front door anymore, please, please, please, I am begging you'. He would treat me as a weakling, lacking backbone, maybe giving me a good kick to show that he was really the king of his particular jungle. Hey ! a man has his pride, I couldn't do such a thing.

My final option is to start an organisation that promotes peace and reconciliation in the world, promoting reconnection with each other and questioning how modern life is breaking up our abilities, we do have them, to care and understand for each other beyond the confines of our little life boxes. A good idea, but there might be an epidemic of door slamming throughout the world, just to prove to the idealists like me that peace and reconciliation is a big No No.

No way, my idealism stays.

Anyway I understand he is leaving, not doubt he will leave his mark before he goes.

Phew !?

The Spirit of Christmas

Christmas is a time for family and friends to get together, to buy gifts, and maybe attend church, well we all know that.

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Don’t get the impression that I am some holy Joe because it just isn't so and I certainly am not against Christmas. I don't attend church neither.

I was brought up to understand that Christmas was more a festival of the birth of Christ, though I have never read the bible except the first couple of pages in Genesis, which is obviously not true but still a very beautiful piece of writing on an idea of creation. One doesn't have to read the bible to know, along with other holy books, that it has have many beautiful things to say about nearly everything.

Getting back to Christmas, it has been replaced by a new religion. The religion of the consumer. The buying of billions of pounds of consumer gifts. Not so many attend the old church as attend the new temple, the shopping centre, or as the Americans like to call, 'The Mall'

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The centre of all needs is now represented in the obtaining bits of plastic, shining bobbles and devices that intrinsically have no real value, but seem to make us happy. Sure I have a computer to write this on, but it is old and just not fast enough, but I will wait till it collapses under its own memory. But do I really need a new computer, course I do, I want to do things faster, but not really, no, honest.

All this spending at Christmas is damaging the planet. Take for instance this new Plasma HDTV craze. Okay they are brilliant, fantastic, sparkling image, no doubting that. In fact they represent the pinnacle of human inventiveness. A hundred years or so ago this stuff did not exist. A hundred years before that it was ink on paper delivered by a messenger on a horse.

What is happening in this one example...?

New device, latest fashion, get rid of perfectly working former device, dispose of former device on to the rubbish tip, or export it to China or India for locals to dismantle and 'recycle'. The device holds many chemicals and rare metals that are toxic. The locals take them apart with their bare hands. No safety regulations. Bits end up in the river, in the soil, and even in the air. Disadvantaged poor people are getting rid of our disposables and to hoop add a major pollution hazard at the same time.

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One could say, they accepted it, so they could earn money, it's up to them to sort it out, but we gave it to them and we are the guys who started the chain of events that creates all this mess.

Other examples include mobile phones, Ipods and computers, many still perfectly useable but got rid of in the name of Christmas giving.

It’s a problem transported somewhere else far away from the cosy living room of Christmas and all its joy. The joy we are having in that shiny new gadget is someone else's pain and damage to the environment. Its far far away, so we haven't anything to worry about, that is someone else's problem.

The other quirk or is it an illusion is the Christmas ideal of peace and goodwill to all men.. I do not wish to take sides on any of the countless wars that perpetuate the world at the moment and have done so for generations. But where on earth is this peace and goodwill to all men, despite nearly everyone believing that is what Christmas is about.. Even for a few days, it might be nice to cease this endless slaughter that haunts our reality..

To ban Christmas, of course not, we humans always need a get together for what ever reason and so let it continue, not that I have any say in the matter at all.

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Where is the spirit of Christmas, I can't see it.

Would Jesus in his plea for more humanity and appreciation of the beauty of the world think this is right, I doubt it.?