Losing My Way

I am troubled by the increasing reliance on drones to attack America's enmies. There is no honor in killing a foe by remote control, plus it sets a dangerous precedent, for there is nothing to stop our enemies from employing the same tactics against us. Future wars will be fought by machines, and many civilians will be collateral damage in such a scenario. This should be stopped, but there is no discernible opposition to drone warfare. Our society is complacent about how immoral this is, employing the same mindset Americans had after dropping the nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki: if doing something horrible prevents a longer war, then that is good. But I contend that it is a fate worse than death. Instead of ending the second World War with honor, of men fighting for every inch of ground, we ended it by killing civilians in such a horrible way that Japan surrendered, shocked by such savagery on our part that it was apparent that honor no longer had a place among the mercha...

I have been pondering some lately, and these questions I am about to ask I couldn't figure out on my own, or was too harried and/or lazy to find an answer. If any of my readers have the requested knowledge, please send your information to the comments section of this entry. It will be greatly appreciated. Just because I am a philosopher, that doesn't mean I know anything. Question 1: Was Pravda, the paper of record in the old Soviet Union, as well written as The New York Times? Question 2: In the entire Universe, are supernovas a daily event? It seems that every time I talk to God, He is off to set off another one. Question 3: Who decided to use 'they' as a pronoun for non-binary individuals? Question 4: How could they not realize how totally stupid that is, since 'they' refers to groups and not individuals? Question 5: Has the level of stupidity increased faster than the amount of knowledge which has accumulated in the last decade? Question 6: Why is a duck? ...

I think it's time for a change. For too long, our President has belonged to one of two parties, and no matter how you flip the coin, the American people have been the losers. So I think that we should have a Philosopher King instead of a President, and I humbly accept the position, for I am a philosopher and I need a place to stay. While I realize this can't happen immediately, I believe it should be done as soon as possible. First, a joyous mob can carry me into the White House on their shoulders and then I cook myself a couple of hot dogs in Microwave One. I love hot dogs. Then to show how nice I am, I watch the final episode of 'Third Rock From The Sun' with Joe Biden, while my admirers pack his stuff. "Boy, am I glad you showed up," Joe says. "This President thing is a a bunch of malarkey." "You got that right," I reply. "But this will make a lot more sense." "What's the first thing you're going to do?...

Today, I will think of stuff that pisses me off, for I have found that when I am totally depressed, nothing cheers me up like being totally enraged. Let's start with friends and family: that's always a good way to get the juices flowing. My biological family never really cared. If they had, I wouldn't have been able to hide in the dark corners of my mind, drifting away from them until it feels like they were never there at all.I have memories of them, and my brother George has helped me out, but I never felt as if I belonged. It's the same with friends. I love my friends but I don't belong in their lives, and no one from the past comes looking for me, no one in the present cares about me (though Kenny Head Jr. has been a help), and as for the future, I expect more of the same. I blame myself most of all, but that only makes the pain worse. But enough about me: I have issues that piss me off much more than all the people who want nothing to do with the wei...

I had one of those bad days yesterday, the kind where words can offer no solace or give joy. For a couple of hours this morning the darkness had such weight that it felt like it was crushing me, and I had reached the point that I couldn't take any more. Even right now, it's hard to describe the feeling. I have to force out each word when usually they flow, and what I see only adds to my burden. So there will be nothing funny, nothing profound, only a great emptiness that squeezes my soul like a vise. If I had started walking to New Orleans when I had first thought of it, I would be in Iowa by now. Maybe I should be happy that I am still in the Twin Cities. I almost cheered myself up earlier, but I dread what awaits, the cold that will soon come to consume me. As a philosopher, I am also intrigued by the possibilities.

Observation 1...I was watching a mouse running on her wheel, then get off to scurry around her cage, and get back on the wheel for another spin. It occurred to me at that moment, that the closest animal group to humans, other than monkeys or the other primates, are rodents. Put a human in the same situation and the result would be the same. Therefore, I propose that we build some giant glass cages, cover the floor with wood shavings, and put a giant wheel in the corner for the only form of entertainment. Back in the 1970s, an idea like that would be worth at least half a million dollars, and ypou probably would get a whole lot more. Today, that same experiment would start at $3.748 million (that was a rough estimate). Observation 2...Yesterday I was taking an afternoon nap in downtown Minneapolis and a man came over to me and told me that I couldn't lay down in front of an exit. I apologized and got up to leave, then he asked me if I needed any help. Naturally I lied and sa...

I am not well. No illness racks my body, but there is a pervasive sense of unease that I can't escape, or admit to. The changing of the season approaches, and I still have no home. Still, I live in the moment, and one nice moment seems to compensate for the hundreds of moments before and after of various levels of anguish. And I do have faith. I follow no creed except my own, but it's been influenced by so much in the world that has been good, that I can endure so much that is bad. As I write that sentence, a suicidal thought enters my brain, which I ignore as best I can, though not before it opens up other thoughts, none of them hopeful. However, once I write this, I will be outside, and the evening sun will lightly touch me, and that moment will be very good indeed. My main focus is getting people to read what I write. I sent a link to 17 contacts, and I got 4 views out of it, which is discouraging. Whoever read my post, it seems as if 3 peoplle read one post, and one of ...