P … as in popular? This is the most popular video on YouTube as of this writing, with 5,439,631,578 views. That’s billion, folks!
P … as in poetry? Hmm. You mean like Eminem? No! You know. Like poetry slams. Cage fighting culture. I slam, therefore I am. Sounds familiar. Isn’t that Dr. Seuss?
P … as in pornography? Apparently, porn — at least porn on the web — is becoming more and more popular. Then again, there’s so damn much pornography everywhere you look nowadays. Isn’t drone assassination porn? How about whole communities going bankrupt from mismanagement and theft. Pillage porn. Read all about how much trouble our major cities are in here! Or watch it on everyone’s favorite porn channel, Fox News.
P … as in polygamy? We had our chance to put a polygamist in the White House. Well, not a polygamist per se. But one belonging to a religion which institutionally peddles polygamy. It could have been an interesting chapter in the whole DOMA thing, eh?
P … as in pedophile? Probably we have more on our hands than we realize, some in very high places. But what can we expect? We have runway models who are thirteen, beauty contests for pre-schoolers, more hypocrisy about sex and sexuality than the Catholic Church — speaking of pedophilia! — a population pumped up on steamy ads, hot bods, prurient celebrity gossip, and a panoply of pharmaceuticals which despite their pervasive abuse can’t keep all this libidinous heavy-breathing in check. Lovely. Simply lovely.
P … as in patriarchy? A strong contender. We men have made a complete mess of the world, not satisfied with occasional penile penetration, we have to launch our phallic analogs in every shape and size of projectile, missile, bullet and bomb into every nookie and cranny of the world — so much soft succulent flesh, so little time — jumping up and down with ecstatic glee at the ultimate ejaculation, the nuclear bomb. What can I say? Everyone knows this. It’s an old story with the latest trimmings.
P … as in patriotism? A noble, if much abused concept. But don’t get all patriotic as in standing up for the Constitution. Edward Snowden will tell you how that works out.
P … as in power? Hmm. We’re getting close. That’s one musical chair that stays in the game, especially unchecked by any moral restraint or sense of public duty. As we say: Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Absolutely!
P … as in politics? A dirty business to be sure. Not that it has to be that way. What is it? The kind of people it attracts? Or the people they become?
P … as in politicians. Somewhere it’s written that these guys are supposed to serve us, the people who elected them. But they’ve become a bunch of traitorous lapdogs to corporate elites who openly thumb their noses at you and I. It sucks, eh?
P … as in plutocracy. Getting very warm. These are the scoundrels who don’t even bother to give lip service anymore to the idea of egalitarianism. They view the rest of us as pigs. Nothing new. Hitler. Stalin. King Henry VIII. Blah blah blah. It’s exhausting. Let’s all sing Hail To The Chief. Of course, the President won’t have time to listen. He’s busy hanging out with all his billionaire friends.
P … P … P …
I think I’m going to go with . . .
P … as in plunder.
America is both plunderer and plundered. You would think it would be enough for the self-proclaimed entitlement class to use America’s economic and military power to strip mine the rest of the world. But no. Now the ruling elite has its eyes on the ultimate prize. America itself! How much is enough? They don’t even understand the question.
So we watch in wonder and awe as our resources, natural and human, are sucked dry to bolster a bottom line that is the top priority — the only priority — in a system that assigns no value to anything but what can be monetized, i. e. price-tagged.
Is this really the only way we can measure progress?
I think not. And probably many agree with this. But it’s so hard. We don’t ever see ads for sunsets or generational respect or love between parent and child. Sure, we see those thing in ads. But to sell more cars, cosmetics, wonder drugs, smart phones, digital sausage makers, stuff we don’t need and soon won’t be able to afford.
Ever look around the room when the TV’s on? What do you see? People completely ignoring one another. People oblivious to one another. People who will die. Then the others in the room will come to regret those lost moments of sharing, companionship, communication, just basic human contact. At least they will regret them until their favorite sitcom, reality show or a new Netflix movie comes on. Whew . . .
What a depressing thought.
Am I being too pessimistic? I don’t think so.
Actually, I’m still optimistic.
Marginally optimistic anyway.
There are other ‘P’ words.
How about P … as in people? There is the potential for greatness in everyone. There is the promise of better-than-yesterday. There are propositions we embrace: All men are created equal. Love thy neighbor. Do unto others. Principles we hold dear: Government by the people, of the people, for the people. All are equal before the law. Let no man be judged by the color of his skin.
When we are not driven by greed, frenzied by fear, blinded by hate, crippled by despair, possessed by prejudice, misled and misinformed, most people are good to one another. Humans are social animals, curious and able to adapt. When we are not artificially divided, we remain naturally united. This is almost impossible to see now, much less celebrate, in a world whose political engines are powered by disunity and discontent.
How about P … as in praise? How about giving praise where it’s due? Not Pavlovian praise. But praise based on the values we hold dearest and nearest to the center of our souls. Not iconic fan worship. Praise offered for ennobling acts of courage and generosity.
Taken at a Hindu temple in Katmandu, Nepal.
How about P … as in pray? I’m not a religious person. But praying in some form or another is universal. I’ve seen it on every continent, in countries rich and poor. What is praying but visualizing something positive for those around you and the community you live in? Or the whole planet? Or the entire family of man?
How about P … as in participate? Even the most rugged individualists overcome pride, prejudice, and apathy to work in consort with others. Alone things can be difficult. But joined together in group action, individual but equal, the impossible becomes possible.
Finally, there’s P … as in perfection? We’ve sure got a ways to get there. But we reach for the stars, because even if we fall far short, we only risk ending up on the highest peaks here on Earth. Maybe we’ll find room at the top for everyone this time.
I have to confess, though. There was a time when I truly believed in the perfectibility of humankind. That was when I was young and naive.
Now I believe in the improvability of humankind.
Maybe now I’m just old and naive . . . I sure hope not.
Okay . . . enough with the ‘P’ words.
My lips are tired from all the puckering.
And I’ve blown out my candle.
[ If you are really a masochist, be sure and stay tuned my upcoming “Dachau World” blog posting. It’s certain to cause a stir. ]
Online Interview: “Blinders Keepers”
I have a set policy for these kinds of situations. Keeping in mind that you never have a second chance to make a first impression, I always give it my best shot and reply from purest chambers of my soul. Honesty is the best policy, even at the expense of clarity.
Understandably, this approach has caused a degree of awkwardness, sometimes outright shame __ which will undoubtedly tarnish my family name for generations. Having said that, this one particular interview I thought came off with uncharacteristic nuance and gravity, as I wrestled with matters of conscience and avoided my usual preoccupations with puerile pre-adolescent piffle. The author site is called The Thursday Interview. Here are their thought-provoking questions and my self-serving but entirely heartfelt responses:
Question #1: “Would you break the law to save a loved one? … why?”
The laws of the land in theory are a reflection of the values and the ethical priorities of a society. Therefore, when they are at odds, moral law trumps the legal system. Whether to save a “loved one” is a moral decision. Do they want to be saved? Is the person worth saving? Maybe the person __ though you love them dearly __ has a habit of kidnapping children, grinding them up and eating them. Saving them, legal or not, wouldn’t be such a good idea, eh? Perhaps the person is dying of cancer and in great pain. I can imagine violating the laws against assisted suicide to “save” such a person by helping them die. This is an instance where certain well-intended but antiquated laws do not work. A person may not wish to be kept alive just to suffer pain and humiliation, so why should the law protect them from the choice of dying? Or during the Vietnam War, when persons were violating the draft law to save themselves. They didn’t want to die in an illegal immoral war, so they saved themselves by defying the law. Morality trumps legislation. Which adds up to this: People need to choose their legislators carefully, but even more importantly be perfectly clear about their own moral beliefs.
Question #2: “What is the difference between being alive and truly living?”
Being alive we all share with bacteria and mushrooms. Truly living is riding in the rear seat on Disneyland’s Space Mountain while eating a hot fudge sundae and having a person you love beside you singing “Gangnam Style” in your ear. Do you see the difference?
Question #3: “What motivates you to write?”
I sign all of my email “Scribo ergo sum.” I know I know. It sounds pretentious. But in its own grandiose and affected way, it sums up what all actions in life are about. We each claim identity by doing. We are because we act. What we choose to do then gives shape and meaning to what would just be sacks of protoplasm moving randomly through space.
Question #4: “Why do human’s want children?”
Humans are programmed by the biological necessity of propagating the species to mate and spit out likenesses of themselves. This also feeds their self-esteem, since most people fail at achieving their dreams and in fact are not good at anything. They can point at junior and say proudly, “By golly, I made that!” No rational person not in the insidious clutches of the biological imperative to reproduce would have children. As babies, children smell bad and trick you into loving them by making nonsensical but endearing sounds. Then when they turn 16, they wreck the car and send your auto insurance rates through the roof.
Question #5: “What was the biggest challenge in creating your book Blinders Keepers?”
Blinders Keepers resulted from a suggestion made by a movie exec type, who really liked my previous novels, 11-11-11 and 12-12-12. This person suggested I try to come up with a screenplay. Of course, those books are twisted and highly multilayered. The movie would have been 18 hours long and a bore. So I got to work. I combined the stories, chopped the plotline to the bare bone, and wrote a screenplay. THAT was the the most difficult thing I’ve ever done. Writing a screenplay is as different as badminton and baseball. Anyway, after I tore all of my hair out, bit my nails down to the first knuckle, and threw all of my furniture through the window of my study, I finished the script. Then I wrote the book. Foolishly, I thought converting the screenplay into a book would be a walk in the park. It was __ Jurassic Park! But I got it done and now I am seriously thinking about making a baby. They’re so cute! And I figure if my book and screenplay don’t sell, I can point at junior and say, “By golly, I made that!”
Question #6: “What’s the most important thing you’ve learned in life so far?”
Sunblock doesn’t help when you fall into a vat of molten iron. But the most important bit of advice I’ve ever received is actually tattooed on the inside of my rib cage. I haven’t a clue how it got there. I had elective arthroscopic surgery to pin stripe my pancreas a couple years ago and the surgeon told me that written on my abdominal lining is the following: “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth without headgear.” I think that’s Aristotle.
Question #7: “How did you come up with the title Blinders Keepers?”
I had quite a list of commercial titles going. Among those which I thought would really sell were The Bible, Eat Pray Love, Shades of Grey, and The Da Vinci Code. Then I found out those titles were already bestsellers and decided that people would think it was a cheap trick to use them. So one day I was playing around with words and phrases, and I recalled that singsong thing we used to say as kids when we found something, “Finders keepers, losers weepers!” It morphed into Blinders Keepers, because my book is about people going through life with blinders on and refusing to acknowledge the realities around them. One of my bylines for the book is: “Blinders Keepers, the blind leading the blind and the rest of us directing them to the nearest cliff.” The blind are, of course, the clueless political fools we currently look to for ideas and leadership.
Question #8: “How do you handle personal criticism?”
No one has ever criticized me because I’m perfect. I realize that my answer to this has to be 30 words minimum. How am I doing? Only 28? How about now?
Question #9: Why should people read your book?”
I never said people should read my book. They should BUY my book. If they then actually bother to read it and have a highly developed sense of humor (i. e. an appreciation for wit, as opposed to slapstick and fart jokes), relish sophisticated satire, are aware of the Code Blue state of America, are concerned but calm enough to lean back a little and look at the big picture, they will have an enjoyable read. It’s not for everyone. Blinders Keepers is dark, tastefully demented satire, an occasionally giddy spoof on current events and the kind of people who perpetuate the ongoing comedy of errors. It’s my way of entering the national dialogue and sharing what I think is a unique perspective. I believe that when life becomes unbearable, you can either laugh or cry. To appreciate what’s possible and snatch hope from the jaws of despair, I think we need to laugh. That’s all I’m offering with this novel, the chance for a good belly laugh in the midst of chaos and collapse.
Question #10: “Why is there something rather than nothing?”
Are you talking about my something … or your something? My something is everything. Your something is nothing. But you probably think your something is everything and my something is nothing. I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree on this __ even though I’m right.