DNA and Doggies

I am blessed with two beautiful, adopted dogs. One is a little Terrier mutt and the other one is a Labrador mutt. I have been fascinated by just watching them and studying their behavior. With my new understanding of evolution, I now see them as fellow mammals that just happened to branch off in a different direction.

In a way, dogs are dumb, but in a way dogs are smart. One thing they are excellent at is reading my moods — and I can see how my moods affect them. Of course, our moods also affect the people around us, so maybe we need to learn to manage our moods better.

But to the point!

The point is that when Nemo, the black Lab, is going through all the puppy stages that Teddy went through four years ago. The funny thing is that their behaviors are remarkably similar, even though they are different breeds, different sizes, and four years apart.

Right now, I'm on the back deck on a beautiful July night. There are flashes of lightening in the distance and a very cool breeze. Nemo is at my feet playing with his rag toy.

I also work at dog shows to make extra money, and what I'm saying is that aside from some variations, most dogs behave pretty much the same way. They have the same responses to humans, other dogs, danger, etc. They are dogs, and much of their behavior appears to be encoded in them. They are absolutely fascinating animals, and we often take them for granted. At my family reunion today, I learned that two of my cousins rescue dogs. I think that's cool.

But the point, oh yes, the point, is that dogs seemed to be a very pre-programmed species. In effect, they are trapped by their DNA. However, this standardized DNA has allowed them to live and thrive for tens of thousands a year.

So, how much are we humans trapped by our DNA? How much are we controlled by pre-programmed behaviors. It's hard to say. But as I see our current civilization enter its final act, I'm wondering if we are too pre-programmed to break away from our destructive behaviors and start living in a better way.

Are we slaves to our genes? Are we going to behave in the same predictable ways, even though these behaviors are now taking us to self destruction? I hope not.

The good news is that I'm seeing more bloggers, podcasters, religious leaders, and even a few corporate leaders starting to wake up and question the old World Order. This gives me hope. This makes me feel like we are not programmed to destroy our civilization simply by behaving the way we always have. Something tells me that humans are intelligent enough to override their basic behaviors. Maybe, maybe not.

What's Next?

Today I conducted two more interviews for my podcast. It's now just a matter of getting to the editing and begin getting shows produced.

I continue to remain dismayed at this whole Hezbollah-Israeli thing. It is now obvious that the Arabs are not going to let go of the fact that Israel is trespassing on their land. It's funny how all the religious prophesy is coming to pass, like the fact that Israel became a nation again in 1948. But, if Israel is obliterated, then that won't exactly play out like the prophesy says. It's a scary time right now and I'm not sure what will happen next. What I do know is that both the U.S. and Israel are currently engaged in long drawn-out wars that will not end until the invading forces withdraw. Perhaps this is part of a grand plan of our enemies -- to draw the U.S. and Israel into long wars that will gradually wear down both nations. Then the yahoos will launch the next phase of their "Holy War."

So, one time as a kid I was on the bus and this little short kid was threatening to beat the crap out of me, and I said, "Why can't we just be friends?" Like I really wanted to be friends with the guy. Anyway, the guy roughed me up some but didn't finish me off, and once I got off the bus my friends gave me a hard time. "Why didn't you fight?" my friend Brad said. Maybe it was because I valued my teeth. Maybe I just didn't see the point. I really do think violence in all its forms is barbaric. We humans are really primitive and aggressive creatures.

Anyway, back to the Mideast. The Zionists wanted to have a nation again after many centuries. It was a great, romantic dream. The Arabs wish to make this dream a nightmare -- at least make it very costly to live there. The war and violence just doesn't stop. The Palestinian Arabs want their land back, and want to have their own nation in Israel's place. At least, that appears to be their intention. Maybe Israel should withdraw from the West Bank. That would at least be a fair compromise. But a lot of Islamic extremists want more than that -- they won't rest until Israel is destroyed.

So, I can see more terrorism, getting the United States dragged into a second war, and the nightmare goes on. It's a nutty world, man.

The Wall

Okay, you're probably wondering why I have such a strange picture of myself on my blog. Well, I will be glad to answer any questions from the audience.

Question: What is that green spray paint crap behind you?

Answer: That, Johnny, is a piece of the Berlin Wall that I'm standing in front of. When that wall fell, it gave me tremendous hope. These days, I don't have much hope left, but when I look at a picture of that wall, I feel really good again. Knocking down that wall was a big step forward, and knocking down walls is what my blog is all about.

Question: Why do you have such a twisted look on your face?

Answer: Because I took this stupid responsibility pledge and I promised that anything that happened in the world would be my responsibility too. So, now I'm feeling a lot of pain. For instance, all these wars going on in the Middle East right now, well, I can feel that pain. I don't know if I'm just getting more acute as I get older or what. I keep thinking about the African-American journalist in Chicago who committed suicide because she couldn't stand all the misery in the world. I spent most of my career as a journalist, and I've seen a lot of crap too. Man, it really makes my face twist, and it made most of my hair fall out too.

Question: What's your remedy for the violence in the Mideast?

Answer: Oh, come on, man, it's late. But to achieve peace, I think the changes must be foundational. I think there must be a change in attitude. Believe it or not, but America is a HUGE PART of the problem. We supposedly subscribe to these so-called Christian values, but instead of being a gentle, humble, and loving nation, we are an arrogant, aggressive, selfish, and militant country. I think this mass hypocrisy is manifesting itself in many ways throughout the world, including the continued incitement of violence. As you'll see on my profile, my favorite quote is something like, "Communism is an extreme reaction to the excesses of capitalism." Thus, "Religious fanaticism is an extreme reaction to ..." You guessed it folks. I know you don't like to hear it ... I don't even like to hear it.

I looked in the mirror and the enemy was .... Ralph Nader (nope) .... PeeWee Herman .... (nope). The enemy is you! The enemy is all of us.

Whew, I need a glass of water.

The Goose

Kaboom

Yikes, I just read that Pakistan is dramatically expanding its nuclear program. I already have been feeling sick about the whole international scene, and now I feel really sick.

The point being, more and more countries are getting nukes. This is the opposite direction from the way we should be going. Sooner or later one of these things are going off -- it is imminent. Maybe then people will be so abhorred by these weapons that they will raise major hell with governments until they are abolished, once and for all.

One big part of the problem, in my opinion, are the religious fundamentalists of all persuasions. They, I feel, are a major threat to our Planet and future. For instance, the religious conservatives in the U.S. shamelessly align themselves with the GOP (Grand Oil Party). Now, I really do like Republicans because they advocate PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. But, the religionists SHIRK their responsibility by saying, "Oh, God will take care of us. It's all a part of His Plan."

Excuse me!! You, Mr. Righteous, should be working toward peace, love, and harmony on this Planet, instead of rallying behind the neoconservatives. Just how hypocritical are you? Let me tell you emphatically that GOD DOES NOT DO RESCUE MISSIONS. You religious zealots are engineering your own self-fullfilling prophesy, and in your little head you say, "It's not my problem." And, really, what you're thinking is that the sooner someone touches the button, the sooner you get to go up to your heavenly McMansions and pet lions. Come on, please get real. I can tell you with 100% certainty that you are not going to be whisked away to Heaven just as the nukes go off. I assure you, brothers and sisters, that you will have to ride this mother out like the rest of us. You are not getting off on this one. So, I ask you to please join me in building a future, and have the courage to let go of your fables, which you know deep down are all made up anyway.

More and more nukes are being deployed around the world, and here you are, Mr. and Mrs. Righteous, playing games with yourselves, each other, and your minds. "Oh yes, we should take out Iran's nuclear facilities in an airstrike and then ride out the reaction." Come on, man. You know that will never end. Somebody somewhere is going to be building a nuke faster than you can locate it, target it, and bomb it. There are countries all over that want nukes. What better way to dominate an opponent. And as for "assured mutual destruction," that's a small price to pay when you have "right" on your side.

So, what I'm saying is that a Christian fundamentalist, Islamic fundamentalist, or Jewish fundamentalist, or whatever -- they are all the same. They are all helping to unravel our fragile, civilized world. Whether we like it or not, they are preparing humanity for the next phase of our existence. Unfortunately, the transition period will be a little unpleasant.

The Goosed Goose

The Vainness, Oh Vainness

So, I'm about to start my podcast and I'm already thinking about writing a book. Why do I want to do these things? As one famous podcaster said tonight, "When I first started this, I had no idea where it was going to go." A few months a friend was talking about "The Law of Unintended Consequences." The idea is once you take an action, you really can't predict the results. I'm sure terrorists think about this all the time. When they blow up innocent women and children, I'm sure they are hoping that the incident will trigger a series of events that will eventually play in their favor. More specifically, I think one goal of terrorism is to make your enemy so blind mad that he begins to act irrationally -- hopefully to the point where his own anger backfires against him. Hmmm, sort of like what's going on between Israel and Lebanon right now.

But "The Law of Unintended Consquences" can also lead to serendipity (good things). So, I can only hope and pray that the doors I open will somehow lead to a chain of events that will spark The Great Movement.

My brother Gunther said he was hoping for another peristroka. I would love that too, but peristroka was mainly about economic and political reform, and we need far more than that -- we need to change the way people think and view their reality. So, in that regard, maybe some way, some how, I can help.

As always, the biggest challenge to accomplishing my goals is time. With a family, demanding job, and several volunteer jobs, I barely have enough time to breathe. Plus, I need some time to go to the gym, walk my dogs, spend time with my friends and relatives, read, do yardwork, pursue my other hobbies (computers, tennis), and just enjoy life a little. So, there is just no way to do all these things even if I try to stay disciplined and focused. Being too busy is the only way I know to exist. All my life I have done too much volunteer work for church and various organizations. But if a human is NOT giving back through volunteer efforts, then justifying ones existence is difficult. If you just live for yourself, that is a shallow and hollow existence.

So, I must constantly weigh all these factors and try to prioritize. In my one brief moment on this planet, where can I best focus my limited energy? This is something I think about all the time. Should I devote my life to some very specific local issue, or should I spend the rest of my years working for a global cause, knowing full well that I'll hardly put a dent in my issue and that I may never live to see the fruits of my labor?

And how about the vainness of it all? Humans are such complex creatures, but all it takes is one head injury, stroke, or tumor and all that knowledge can be lost. I read the blogs of my colleagues and think, "That is amazing how deep they are. If only such incredible knowledge could be preserved." But it's not like our brains will be kept in a pickle jar full of formaldehyde. When it's over, it's over. But, like I've said before, there is a certain beauty in absolute vainness. I know full well that the Good Lord could take me out at any second, so maybe I'd better start writing my book now. I would like to go out while playing tennis and making my last serve of a set. I would just swing at the ball, roll over, and just keep rolling. Emergency workers would then throw my carcass in a dumpster, and the remaining players would proceed to the next set. How glorious that would be. But knowing my luck, I will probably croak on the pot, while reading my favorite computer magazine. Then all this stuff bouncing around in my brain will just be gone. And that is how it is meant to be.

Goose

Gentleness Toward the Robots

So, I'm driving home tonight from the gym and there's construction all around me, and I'm thinking, "So, here is a more subtle way to destroy ourselves." Do you really think we can keep growing infinitely? Can we REALLY turn the United State and Earth into a giant subdivision? And what is the point of packing billions more people onto the Earth???

In October, U.S. population will hit 300 million. Most people just say, "Yeah, so what?" and go back to their American Idol show, or they sample a few more beers at the local brewery. We humans have a powerful defense mechanism built into us called DENIAL or "I don't want to think about it" or "I'll deal with it later."

If I directly tell someone how overpopulation, global warming, pollution, and other environmental ills are slowly destroying us, people will just say, "Oh LITTLE GOOSE you are SO NEGATIVE." So, to get my message out I have to sweeten it, lighten it, dampen it, or whatever.

Now let's turn to the second theme of my blog, which is the violence. All hell is breaking lose in the Middle East, and yes, it is affecting everyone. There is a somber spirit in the air that I can feel. But still, people prefer to really just ignore the problem. "It ain't me living in there Israel. I don't have to worry about no missile hitting me at night. Burp."

But, it IS your problem -- it's everybody's problem. See, those Republicans taught me this thing about PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY, and I take this seriously. I take responsibility for the environmental destruction and violence. Of course, I'm not sure exactly what to do about it, but I keep trying.

Oh yes, I did get a letter published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution last week. It was about United Nations Population Day, and the fact that the most important day of the year came and went and hardly anyone noticed or cared. But the Goose cares. And a lot of other people care too.

"To save it, we must destroy it."
-- Author unknown

All Hell Breaketh Loose

So, I can't help but notice that all hell is breaking loose all over the world. Remember that little Axis of Evil that Bush talked about a while back? Well, he took out one of the bastards, but the other three are like bees in our president's bonnet. Yes, evil Syria, Iran, and North Korea are still out there causing trouble. Those naughty kids are testing missiles. Those other bad kids in the Middle East are busy whipping up an anti-Israel war. They just can't get enough of that good ol' violence.

I can't help but think about a line from one of my favorite music groups, A Perfect Circle. In one of their songs they sing about "peace, love, and understanding." I wonder what happened to all that. If we really do live in a Christian nation, where is all the "peace, love, and understanding?" Where is all the peace and love that the Christians are always talking about and that the Muslims sometimes talk about? Every time there is some terrific terrorist event, I always hear, "No, Islam is not like that - they are interpreting our religion all wrong." So, maybe. I dunno.

The point being (I love that phrase) is that we humans can't seem to kick our addiction to violence and I'm absolutely SICK OF IT!

Okay, I was a skinny runt in school, and I was getting beat up all the time. It was usually either by dumb bullies (who are now landscapers) or little short guys who had to prove themselves. After a couple of good fights in grade school, I decided that fighting was crazy and just said "no more." So, I took their abuse, ridicule, and pushing and shoving. They really couldn't hurt my ego because it had already been smooshed into the ground.

Maybe, just MAYBE, there is a better way to deal with these rogue nations. Look at the good things that happened in Libya. Maybe there are ways to really stop these bad boys. Maybe if the peaceful nations showed some real solidarity we could get them to behave peacefully. Maybe if the United States stopped being a hypocrite, we could have the first step toward a lasting peace.

The first thing the U.S. must do is get rid of all nukes. Who are we to scream at Iran about nukes when we still have them coming out our ears? And who are we to fuss at North Korea for testing missiles when we are testing weapons systems all the time? But at the same time, North Korea is being rather provocative, so it's important to find a happy medium between peacemaking and protecting yourself, just in case the peacemaking doesn't work.

So anyway, in junior high kids would fight over who got to beat me up first. I really just wanted to get it over with. If I was lucky I got through it with just a few Indian burns or a titty twist, or maybe a swirlie if there was a toilet nearby. The good thing about that is that it MADE ME HUMBLE! It also made me ashamed to be a white, American male because there is a certain arrogance that goes with that, and it's something I want no part of.

Small Wonder....

After all the crap I went through as a child, it's not surprising that I always side with the minority. I love the African-Americans, immigrants, and gays. Why? Because they have something a lot of those rich, overweight white men don't have -- dignity. And I stand up for Democrats, women's rights, labor, environmentalists, and all those underdogs that the Power Structure likes to marginalize, demonize, abuse, exploit, or whatever else they feel like doing.

Help!

Please forgive me for being trapped in this sorry white Anglo protestant body. I really find it disgusting, and I am truly ashamed. I am sickened by the fact that my ancestors owned slaves and fought for the Rebels. I am sickened by the fact that I once attended churches that refused to put women in senior leadership positions, or went around spreading evil myths about gays -- how they are "immoral." Bullshit. I just met a very clean cut, Christian gay person a few days ago. I would rather have 20 friends like him than to be around one of these so-called Christians who talk about helping the poor and downtrodden, and then turn around and blast immigrants for "invading our country." First of all, people should be able to move wherever they want. Second of all, they are just trying to have a better life, just like these power-monger yuppies who insist on having 20 floodlights shining on their McMansion so everyone can see it at night. What the hell is that all about?

So, maybe tonight I'm just a little angry and disgusted. Oh well. I'm sitting on my back deck and enjoying a wonderful cool breeze. The frogs and crickets are making a lot of beautiful music tonight - I think they feel rain in the air and are happy. It is them I root for too -- that's why I'm an environmentalist.

The Goose

Corporate Power

Wow, that is sad news about Kenneth Lay of Enron fame, who just died yesterday of a heartattack. I had slammed him on my old blog a while back, now I feel bad. The point being is that he cheated his shareholders and employees out of millions, and always maintained his innocence. It's as if he just couldn't bring himself to accept responsibility for any wrongdoing -- which is so typical of corporate executives. It's as if they are soul-less, money-making machines and they are so far removed from reality they forgot that they even have a soul. May Mr. Lay rest in peace.

Republicans are big into "personal responsibility" and this is the one right-wing attribute that I embrace. However, the conservatives use this term selectively. If you are a poor, homeless person living in a box, it's your damn PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY to get a job. But if you are some cigar smoking corporate executive who is fouling the environment and making people sick in the name of profits, well, there is no PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY there. Mr. Corporate Two-Shoes has the responsibility to MAKE A PROFIT at the expense of everything else. Let the government pay for the mess that the company makes; let the public pay for it in terms of poorer health and a reduced quality of life.

So, this gets us to morals. I find that the people who gripe most about morals usually only endorse a single and narrow view. It's IMMORAL for people to be gay. Shame! But nothing is said about a polluting chemical plant, or a power company that lobbies politicians so that they don't have to clean up their nasty plants. That's MORAL because they are making profits, and government should leave business alone to do whatever they want. Let the taxpayer subsidize the impact of the polluting company. That's MORAL, and that's the way of the good righteous conservatives. Give me a break! The hypocriscy makes me sick. I mean, really.

The Goosey Goose

The War Against ...

Whew, I'm getting wore out. Our friendly (usually religious) conservatives are just waging too many wars right now: The War Against the Environment, The War Against Immigrants, The War Against Gays, The War Against Liberals, The War Against Iraq, and maybe The War Against Muslims.

But the only war the good conservatives like to talk about is The War Against Terror. Now, after reading all the "wars" above, I'm wondering who is really inflicting all the terror.

What really makes my few remaining hairs curl up is the favorite tactic of the Religious Right: Pretend like you're being attacked as a way to advance your agenda. Hey, man, we're on to you. But really, do we have to make the United States a theocracy like Iran and like the former Taliban regime in Afghanistan? These places suck if you happen to be a women, or worse, if you happen to have an opinion. And if you happen to be the wrong religion you can expect persecution and maybe death.

Finally, as the Right and Left culture wars drag on, I wish both sides could leave Hitler and Nazis out of this. Why does one side have to constantly compare the other to Adolph? Come on, give that worn out cliche a rest.

Respectfully,

THE GOOSE