PATTERNS AND TEXTURES

You know there are micro things and there are macro things. Some people become obcessed with the micro at the expense of the macro. Have you noticed that some things look very irregular when blown up into the micro but look symmetrical and artistic in the macro? The crop circles of the early 1990’s were like this. You can only appreciate them from the air. I suppose some things are the other way around. You can take some weird organic compound - - poly-glycol something, and when you blow it up it reduces to these tinker toy things you do in chemistry class. Not quite. Dennis Prager, strangely has said that certain values in the micro that are seen as admirable, are downright dangerous in the macro, or big scale. Turning the other cheek is one. Often Sue and Johnny are arguing or hitting each other in the back seat- - and the parent turns around and one of the kids says “He started it” and the parent says, “It doesn’t matter who started it- - I want the commotion to cease right now” Often in institutions with kids, the people in charge engage in corporate punishment. They punish the whole group because of the actions of one kid. Prisons and military bases are known to use this method, and it’s supposed to stimulate group pier pressure to conform. I wouldn’t guarantee it works out that way every time. Often Christians are told- - a la that Devo song that “It’s a God-given law, that you can’t get pissed”. It’s seen as a holy, beautiful thing never to get annoyed by anybody or anything. And if you offend someone and it’s really their fault to begin with, the Christian thing to do is assume all the blame yourself. And if you see a pan handeler on the street and pass him by without giving, it’s seen as a sin. Yet as we have said in the “Ditikee” or Christian handbook- - you are commanded there to be tight with a buck, and suspicious of the motives of all. And at the same time you are told that Trust is the highest attribute you can have tword God, which we all really know is trusting your pastor. I wonder how Jesus Christ would stack up against the standards “expected” of Christians today? Are you going to tell me that Jesus was never impatient with somebody or ever tired or cross with people?

I’d like to make a big plug to save Air America and keep it on the air. Often sticking up for the under-dog is a good thing. World Net Daily points out that Air America has been ignored by such big-wigs as Jesse Jackson and the Rev. Al Sharpton. Air America has never been about them anyhow. Air America has always been about common sense in politics. I am for the underdog. Also in W N D I read about how Georgetown University expelled various Christian evangelical groups such as Campus Crusade from Christ. These groups which are “too evangelical” were not only expelled but Georgetown forbade them from making reference in any matter to their University as a place where their members go to college. I’m not going to pretend to get inside the head of the University’s management. They must have their reasons, and it’s their right because it’s a private institution. Where I draw the line is someone like Gene Scott in mid 1979 saying “Don’t send your money to Faith Center – send it to me”. Gene Scott was an instrument in saving Faith Center from financial ruin- - but he wasn’t happy being the instrument; he wanted to be the focus of attention. If Al Frankin stood up and did that I’d be mad at him, too. “Give all your money to me and trust me to do the right thing with it, and if I don’t it’s none of your business anyhow”.

You see trends in music. For instance there is an “Alice’s Resturant” riff, that is replicated in a lot of songs. First there was “Jadda-jadda-jing-jing” whatever, sung on the Mickey Mouse club. Later it was adopted by the guitar player from Jefferson Airplane and turned into “Keep on Truckin’, Mama”. It’s also the demento tune of “Please let me play with your little yo yo” and also (the quintessential tune) “Walk Right In” by the Rooftop singers in 1963. Another common riff is “The Working Song” by the TJ brass. But it’s also used as the tune of the spiritual “This Train”, and also “You Know I Love You Baby” by the Plastic Ono Band, as well as “Locomotion Breath” by Jethro Tull, and also track four on the “Crown of Creation” album. The riff to “I Am The Walrus” is not unique. Many songs use that progression. “Tales of Great Ulysses” by Cream was recorded before “Walrus” in May of 1967 whereas “Walrus” wasn’t recorded till September of 1967. There are all sorts of Christian songs that are rip-offs from such classics as “Devil Woman” by Marty Robins, “Save the Last Dance for Me”, “Itsey-bitsey Spider” and “I’m A Little White Duck” (by Berle Ives) Rock stars have plagurized each other’s riffs and songs. “Have Mercy” by the Rolling Stones was ripped off by Three Dog Night. Neil Young had two of his songs stolen “Helpless Helpless” (by Bob Dylan) and also “Down By the River” (by Pink Floyd).

There are so many surveys out now. Now they’re telling us that people who drink earn more money than people who don’t. Of course there those who say statistics say- - a family that prays at the dinner table is a more stable one. Now they are claiming that people who chew gum are more intelligent. A lot of people use statistics that are not scientific. The other day I read an excellent treaties on why Creationism should not be taught in the schools. You should read it. Just go to ffrf.org and enter “Creationism in the classroom” and you’ll get it. People forget that science is a discipline.

They had a man substitute for Randy Rhodes. They have been replete with roomers that “Air America” as we know it is going off the air. Ed Schultz talked about this. It seems that Bush and Karl Rove secretly snicker behind the back of James Dobson and other born again Christians. But they’ll take their money. Republicans take the money from closet gays too but want them to stay in the closet. It’s predicted that the Fundamentalist right will turn against Bush in this election, especially after the segment that will air on Sixty Minutes this Sunday. It’s predicted that after the Democratic landslide next months that many Republican congressmen will just retire and become paid lobbyists. It’s predicted that many others will switch from Republican to Democrat just to keep ahead of the avalanche. It is even said that Republicans just don’t care any more what happens. There is no question that many unforeseen things will occur after the election. There is still not enough material for a blog. This morning Dennis Prager was on and he had his famous “Happiness Hour” and again claims that one has a moral duty to “be happy”. Prager says that depriving a kid of failure will deprive him of happiness because he won’t learn that failure is “normal”. I would have preferred not to have been secretly declared scitzofrenic by S E Abott back in March of 1969. That was a major “failure” of sorts and no sane person can argue it didn’t have an adverse affect on my life. Of course you can summarize Christianity with the following argument. Rich people can afford to light their cigar with hundred dollar bills if they want to. Therefore if you light your cigar with a hundred dollar bill you will be as rich as they are.

They apparently have passed a prohibition against all overseas gambling. This was a “rider” to a ports security bill that the President has signed. The F A A has banned most planes from flying above the East River. I guess that solve that problem.

Some people say that Beauty is Truth. Of course Google lets you know in rectangles when you have arrived at a golden section. Some say that beauty is actually the average of say sixteen women’s faces melded into one. There is some statistical figure that when you hit about the number sixteen, that’s it. Here’s a question. Would you rather cash a check where yours is the only name on the back or would you rather cash a check with ten endourcements? You really are claiming to stand behind a check when you endource it. If there are ten names those are ten people you can pass the hot potato to trying to come up with someone who will back the check.

Al Frankin was talking about Bob Woodward saying “ra-porter”. I don’t think he ever said that. Al just has a hyper-sensitive ear. He does kind of hesitate in syllables.

Proposition ninety ads have come out and they’re all against the proposition with the heaviest dirty tricks and deception you’ve seen. A lot of propositions in the past have been advertised with deception but this goes the limit. They point to all these groups that are against the proposition including homeowners groups and small businesses and environmental groups. I simply don’t believe it. I’ve reread the facts and all the proposition is out for is to give the little fellow a fair shake, and that’s what’s got them all upset. We can vote ourselves equity and they can’t stand it.

Cory Lyttle may have committed suicide. He was a Yankee pitcher and they just lost the series with Detroit and the guy may have been depressed. A call-in show was bashing his reputation and he called in to defend himself. A person with a secure ego would not do that. He was doing acrobatics- - and flying too low. When he had trouble over the river and lost more altitude he did not find a place to land. He had some sort of automatic parachute and did not use it to save his life. The Federation stated days ago that there was a link between the Tigers victory and this plane crash. Could well be.

They say the El Nino is strengthening and that could mean a lot of rain this year. I still don’t believe the figures from two years ago. They had to be inflated.

The New York Mets were rained out last night when their L C S was supposed to have started. They’re playing tonight. It will probably be a Mets – Tigers series.

The Detroit Tigers beat the Oakland A’s in Oakland five to one. The Tigers are one Detroit team the Federation definitely does not like and they take the win as bad news. Last night I had on “Nova” and this night they discussed what proved to be a fake Viking document of Greenland, Iceland, and North America that was obtained in 1957. The map had ink that had to have been made after 1917 because it had a Titanium product in it. It turns out the map was done in the thirties as Nazi propaganda. But there is still the mystery of the worm holes going through multiple documents. They used a proton beam and later used a laser on it. I turned off the TV a bit before nine because I was having strange antenna problems. I slept generally well and woke at 6:15.

A plane crashed into a building in New York. First I heard it was the tenth floor of a twenty story building but later I heard it was the 40^th. floor of a luxury high-rise apartment on the upper East Side. NORAD was alerted and everything.

George Bush gave a press conference this morning from eight to nine. I had just turned on the computer and was checking out both radio stations WGN and WLS. Both stations worked and actually both were carrying the President’s speech. Bush opened with a lengthly statement that seemed to go on and on, about both Korea and Iraq. I guess he was taking questions but each answer was so rambling and long winded you couldn’t tell. Nobody asked him how come more troops weren’t sent to Iraq if everyone agrees we needed them? I had Rush Limbaugh on WLS on a while after nine. I was looking for a weather report because they just said Arctic air had just moved in.

654,000 are now dead in Iraq because of the Iraq War, an new survey just came out with. The old figure was a hundred and thirty thousand, which was bad enough. Sixty thousand US troops are either wounded or mentally disabled now. About three thousand are dead. Randy Rhodes didn’t like the President putting down the survey the way he did, and I admit it puzzled me, too. I guess the President “Isn’t big on learning”. Of course I think Tony Show has come off as an idiot since he had this job.

The pilot who died in that plane crash was with an instructor and they both died in the crash. There were few deaths in the forty floor complex. The plane crashed on the 30^th. and 31^st. floors. Deaths in the building were few. The pilot was a pitcher for the New York Yankees, Cory Lyttle, and he left behind a six year old son.

Owning the Image: The parents of Ron Goldman are seeking to "own" the image of OJ Simpson and everything assotiated with him. I say, "More power to them". Once you commit murder and then are not exicuted for the crime, the least that can be done is to let the victims decide what happens to your life, including your image and signature. I don't know what sort of karma OJ Simpson has that has enabled him to get by all these years with out paying for his bloody crime.

Some people's "life stories" seem to be bought out. The god Mithras was "the son of God" and born in a cave (as all the "experts" on the Christmas story insist Jesus was) and that he was born of a virgin. (Though some he say he was born out of a rock) His birth was attended by shepherds. There was a Roman Emperor named Aurelian who in 70 AD who made the cult of Sol Invictus or "Unconqured Son" into a nationally sanctioned religion to boost his and the national image. From this point on the elements of Mithras were adopted into this new religion. Even though this is true, the "secret" or germ of Christianity lies elsewhere, as we said in our previous posting. The Catholic Church has secrets it "guards with its life".

Mithra is not present in the Gathas of Zarathustra (Zoroaster) but appears in the younger Yashts of the Avesta (Campbell p 257). There, Mithra comes to the fore among the created beings. "I created him" Ahura Mazda declares to Zoroaster, "to be as worthy of sacrifice and as worthy of prayer as myself" (Campbell, loc. cit.). In the Yashts, Mithra gains the title of "Judge of Souls" and is assigned the domain of human welfare (which he shares with the Creator). Mithra occupies an intermediate position in the Zoroastrian hierarchy as the greatest of the yazata, created by Ahura Mazda (Ormuzd in later Persian) to aid in the destruction of evil and the administration of the world. He is then the divine representative of the Creator on earth, and is directed to protect the righteous from the demonic forces of Angra Mainyu (Ahriman in later Persian).