We're Watching You: surveillance with a twist

We're Watching you

Surveillance of the unexpected kind. 

A spiritual reverie 

inspired by an afternoon in the yard

and explored in digital art.

Summer's Day Serendipity

is another video I made.  

It is completely different 

designed to be relaxing,

meditative

and peaceful.

(C) 2017 by David H. Roche

Morning Meditation

Morning Meditation

Shortly after sunrise

I picked  five small tomatoes

to be sliced

added to rice and chicken

and served with bread, cheese and cranberry juice

which reminded me

to take a package of pork chops from the freezer

for tomorrow.

I don't even know if there will be a tomorrow.

Whenever I check it's always NOW!

Frankly I'm becoming suspicious

of this 'tomorrow' concept.

If NOW turns out to be

            tomorrow

what does that say about
           yesterday?

What does that say about NOW?

Whether it's now, yesterday or tomorrow 
      those pork chops will be eaten.

        That's the important thing.

art and poetry by David H. Roche 

(C) 2017

The Bupkis President

Bupkis is a colorful word with a variety of applications. The most common way it is used is to describe something as having no value or being useless.  

It does have a more descriptive meaning. The word is Yiddish in its origin and has to do with the value of animal feces. It usually means something that is completely unsuitable for the purpose to which it is applied.  A pungent and more animated meaning of the word is 'shivering shit balls' according to Wiktionary the free dictionary.

I've only heard the term used once and it was on the Dick Van Dyke television show from the 1960's. If memory serves me it was used to describe having been unable to get done what needed to be done.  He got bupkis..

That brings me to the thoughts on President Trump.

President Trump has been associated with a rise in racial problems due to his rhetoric involving White Supremacy and its adherents. Never one to back down the POTUS doubled down.  Inciting the incendiary forces of racial bias is something I've seen before in men with power like Governors George Wallace and Orval Faubus.  The two men used their words and position to bring out the very worst in the human spirit. From the response of President Trump it is apparent to some that he is treading down that same path and we, as a nation, are now seeing the fruit of his words and attitude.

That's the problem the American people are confronted with.

How to address this problem is a problem in itself. Americans are reflexively violent. Violence is a problem solving tool for many Americans. If they have a problem they go to 'War' with it. There must be a better way of problem solving.

My personal feeling is that our problems are indirectly caused by the way the economy has been managed by its Republican and Democratic caretakers.  This New York Times article by Eduardo Porter  shows how the mismanagement of the economy has left the Average American holding a bag of magic beans, such are empty promises. Empty promises are all the Republicans and Democrats are capable of producing. Service to Wall Street's brand of capitalism mandates that they behave this way. 

The indirect effects that afflict the Average American include a way of life that no longer offers a hopeful vision. There no longer is an American Dream we will wake up to find ourselves in.  All we have is a writ of empty promises from the Republicans and the Democrats. There never was a realized American Dream. Behind the scenes,like the wizard in the Wizard of Oz, this present nightmare was always present like a virus deeply embedded in the body politic. It has insidiously eaten away at the meaning of freedom so much that what passes for freedom is hardly recognized as freedom. 

I want to see the problem solved by a change in the national priorities which would correspond to a change in the human heart. If the reality of an ever shrinking quality of life is not arrived at damned soon, life in the U.S. will become completely unbearable. Perhaps we were seeing the first fruits of such a system of income inequality in the streets of Charlottesville. This is a harvest we must avoid at all costs.  Peter Joseph offers an alternative that deserves consideration if only because it is NOT the same old same old tried and failed way.

How do we avoid it?  We will not solve our problems by using violence. Violence is the tool of the oppressor.  We must change our mind.

What kind of changes can make Capitalism a People Friendly experience instead of the way it is now? We must change our mind. Continuing the way we are now cannot lead to a positive outcome.

When I look for a solution to this situation I begin with the human being and inquire into 'what is the human being'?  The Republicans and the Democrats define the human in terms of the economy and human life is valued in dollars.  They must do this because service to Wall Street requires they do so.  For Republicans and Democrats the human is not a human being, not a homo sapien, but an economic creature designated  homo economicus. 


We, however, are not homo economicus, ie economic creatures.  We are homo sapien(s), human beings.  By nature we are spiritual creatures for whom there is a destiny available by virtue of our being.  

I have no idea if things can be turned around. Americans have been driven to distraction by the media and political institutions of their own society.  The only way they can change their mind and then change their society is to come to a clear understanding of what is creating these intolerable conditions.  That understanding will not be spoon fed to them by the big time media.  

The understanding will come from the suffering masses and their prophets, men such as Chris Hedges.  

The change resulting from understanding who and what institutions are responsible for our rapidly deteriorating society, unless accompanied with a change in the way we understand ourselves, will fail.  

When we as a society no longer value human beings in terms of dollars and Wall Street profits we have the keys in our mind to view ourselves 'spiritually' as human beings. By repudiating the authority that labels us and treats us as homo economicus we are born again politically. 

By reclaiming our destiny as human beings we able to reclaim an identity that extends to the beginning of time and can be extrapolated to continue to go on forever. I've found that the work of physicist Tom Campbell has opened up vistas of understanding in this regard. If reality is the way he says it is violence and fear have no justification to exist.  A compelling synchronicity of ideas is revealed with the same conclusion reached concerning the meaning of Logos.  

It is this concept of Logos that is the 'ground of being' that provides a spiritual identifying marker on the human being. We are spiritual because of the identification we have with Logos and as such the future has no end.

There will be complications, of course, but if it is understood we are gonna keep on keeping on and that there is really nothing to lose but bad karma there is every reason to turn to love and peace instead of violence and greed and endless warfare and misery.  

The best way to deal with a bupkis POTUS is to ignore him and smile on your brother and sister. It's up to you and me to make the kind of world we as human beings want. Remember Trump is working for the Republicans and the Democrats and they are working for Wall Street and Wall Street will have nothing to do with peace and prosperity for you. We're pretty much going to have to solve these problems without that unholy trinity acting as project manager. 

I made a video of some of my art, didn't know what to do with it but now it seems to fit here.

A Far Country

She Never Has A Nice Day (poetry)

She Never Has A Nice Day

The dog on its leash squats

and turns around 

sniffing the grass.

The woman leading the dog on the leash

scowls... 

she never smiles...

except... 

when laughing at someone's misfortune.

I know her well.

After she yanks abruptly on the leash

the dog bounds up the steps

wiggling from one end to the other

waiting expectantly at the door.

The woman follows,

stomping up the steps

opening, entering 

and slamming the door behind her.

I know her well,

she never smiles,

she never has a nice day.

(C) David H. Roche 2017

The Jesus Statement (Poetry)

The Jesus statement is a poem I wrote yesterday while thinking how crazy the people in America have become. We've taken up sides and now are tearing each other apart.  Americans like to characterize their culture and nation as a 'Christian' nation, a light to the world.  A casual observation of the goings on in the streets of America is also an observation of what is going on in the hearts of Americans. The light, apparently, has grown dim.  (found this lecture on fascism and the Christian right by Chris Hedges after posting.)

  

Frankly, Jesus the figure found in the four gospels of the New Testament, would not identify with many who claim the name of Christian.  I don't either.  But there is something about this man Jesus and his example of self sacrificing love that when placed side by side with the current goings on makes him look like someone worth emulating. His social sensibilities, his ability to see through the bullshit, his enduring love, hope and faith are what is lacking among us.  If we are to help ourselves, and we are the only ones who can solve this problem, we must make these sensibilities active through love and respect for each other. The lack of these sensibilities is what we're seeing in the streets of America. Making 10,000 laws will not help, there needs to be a change of heart. When the heart is changed all things are possible.

Jesus had good sensibilities.  He cared if you were impoverished or ill, he cared if you were spiritually deluded or spiritually unfulfilled.  That for me is the crux of the matter.  The soul of America has turned from the light and so it has become dark.  
Hatred is darkness, 
love is light, 
war is darkness, 
peace is light. 
It's time to smile on your brothers and sisters. 

Where the treasure is so is the heart

The Jesus Statement

I pledge no allegiance

to nation or flag.

My allegiance I pledge

to my fellowman.

The state didn't like it,

and I didn't care,

man needed help,

so I was there.

My fellowman

is the reason I live;

and the life I have,

to my fellows I give.

For my brothers and sisters

I came and I cried,

for the needs of my siblings

I lived

and I died.

I pledged no allegiance

to nation or flag,

I pledged allegiance

to my fellowman.

Those who follow me will sigh,

because for man

they've lived and died

without thought of state or flag,

without thought of native land;

they'll Keep on Truckin'

with Me they stand

in solidarity 

with their fellowman.

(C) 2017 by David H. Roche

It's Worse Than First Imagined: the continuing saga of Donald Trump and the woes of the American people

It's worse than first imagined.  The problem confronting and disrupting the lives of the American People is NOT merely Donald Trump.


The President has, as may be indicated by the following NY Times video, had the effect of a rabble rouser with some segments of the population.  What prompted me to write is the so called 'Alt-Right' incident in Charlottesville, Virginia, recently.  The Washington Post has a predictable, well conceived piece of reporting condemning the incident written by Petula Dvorak.


I supported neither Trump or Clinton. I felt both were equally capable of creating more problems (wars) to spend tax money on. I am not as eager to lay the blame at the feet of Trump as easily as some are willing to do. It takes two to tango. The American people own a lot of the responsibility for what happened in Charlottesville as we approach the anniversary of peace and love known as Woodstock.

What I mean is that Trump's attitude would not have been so contagious if there were not sensibilities that resonated with his words and his attitude. While it may truthfully, in my opinion, be said that Trump's words and demeanor aided and abetted a rise of unpleasant attitudes in this nation he could not have been successful if a number of folks didn't already agree. 

Leaders, after all, get their power from followers and the two feed off of each other like a breeder reactor until a critical moment is reached. Now it is apparent that what some voices have told us was rising up in the hearts and minds of the people is NOW materializing, like an evil spirit, in the streets of the cities. 

The seed of hate has been planted, we are witnessing the approach of harvest. The voices previously raised in warning have turned out to be prophetic. Is this when, we who have sown, must now reap the whirlwind? Karma can be a bitch!

I was about 10 years of age when this behavior of not allowing some people to participate in society was 'socially acceptable' and enforced by law.  Bull Connor, the 'commissioner of public safety' in Birmingham Alabama is a classic example of such behavior.  

Since those days America and Americans have struggled to live up to the American ideal of every human being having civil liberties. Sometimes violently using the law and tradition as a cloak for anti-human behavior the ideals that make America unique came under attack from within Americans themselves. It's as if America could not live up to it's proclaimed ideals.  I wonder if it can. 

Poverty is the result of poor social planning and has multiple effects on society which are negative. The oppressive administration of the economy by the Republican and Democratic lawmakers has exacerbated the decaying social climate creating conditions of social unease and trepidation.

Unemployment, crime, drug addiction, oppression of children and disease comprise only a partial list of the ills associated with poverty. 

I found an informative website titled Poverties (click the link) which reveals the relationship of poverty to the inhumane conditions facing many people in the world today. The website shows how the web of poverty ruins every aspect of society.  Removing poverty may not be the total answer, but I'm willing to think it's about 90 percent of the answer.

My personal feeling is that we need to rethink how to redistribute the income generated by the forces within society.  I'm sure there are a lot of ways to go about this, some better than others.  But if something is not done to make a radical departure from making decisions in the way that have produced these intolerable social consequences the condition of those on the planet will not experience any benefit. If radical fundamental changes are not made of necessity conditions must worsen. Living conditions must continue to deteriorate and sicken if effective corrective action is not taken to reorganize how the economy is administered.

The bottom line is that we have to change our mind about how we go about being Americans and maintaining liberty and justice for all. Rethinking how the economy affects society and what can be done to make the necessary changes is an imperative. 

It is not necessary that society will always have areas of economic dysfunction if the citizens have sufficient means of participating. The current explanation, given by the Republican and Democratic administrators of the economy, has not been challenged effectively by presenting a viable alternative. In a society that requires the free flow of money for the economy to prosper, insuring that the citizen has employment is imperative. In lieu of a job, a disbursement adequate to allow the citizen to participate and enjoy society needs to be established.  In a situation like that society's river doesn't dry up, it keeps flowing. It keeps on Truckin' when there is NO debt... and we're not living on a plantation!

We must change our minds. That is because a large number have forgotten that a very important part of what America means it means for the guy or gal next door as well as oneself. That's the part that has gotten lost in the shuffle of society playing against the backdrop of the current economic miasma which in turn has made people desperate concerning their own future.  

And then a demagogue like Trump rises up fanning the coals of their discontent to life and gives them a social viability that is alien to all that is traditionally American in nature. It is when one is big on his or her own rights and not equally big on the rights of the guy or gal next door that we find ourselves in a state of disorder. The economy at present is being administered with the goal of serving the needs of a class so wealthy those within it have no neighbors.  It is this situation which makes the 'have nots' very fearful... and potentially dangerous! 

Often the average Jane or Joe has no idea who the real enemy of their wellbeing is. If, by chance, they do discover what the problem is and speak out they will often find themselves ostracised by fellow victims. 

The future Trump appears to be proceeding toward has many fearing there will not be a future worth inheriting.  

The U.S. is in a state of disorder. It's politicians are debating whether the citizen's life and wellbeing deserve a meaningful insurance program. In a humane society such an idea would be a given, but not for those who think like Republican and Democratic politicians. 

If a radical change is to occur politicians must begin to stop making laws that serve the healthcare industry and begin thinking about making laws that serve the needs of the voter. That is how radical the change must be.  It is unlikely such an idea lurks in the philosophy that guides the thoughts of the Republican and Democratic guardians of the economy. If a change for the better does not appear to be forthcoming...

 I recommend the following information

 ("The Fall of America and Bernie Sanders" speech by Chris Hedges)   


Empire Files: Peter Joseph and Abby Martin discuss abolishing capitalism  click

that's why you have civil rights!

Thank You Lord (poetry)

4

6 Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, 

and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.

7 Let him drink, and forget his poverty, 

and remember his misery no more. 

Proverbs 31.

8

That's what the bible says.

I wrote the poem below after reading my bible and being lead by the Spirit to bend down and look in the back of the refrigerator. 

I could hardly believe my eyes,

there were four pints of beer in the fridge 

after drinking six: 

and the seventh

was better than the first.

So I wrote the poem below

and praised God for His wisdom.

Thank You Lord 

(for the four forgotten pints)

Imagine finding

      four forgotten pints

             in the back of the fridge

                on a day that hasn't ended

   after drinking six.

       I praise your wisdom

        allowing me to forget

           the four forgotten pints

               you lead me to remember

          today.