three hundred eight

 DOG WHISTLE

For some reason when I was a kid we had a dog whistle. We didn't have formerly trained dogs. Our mutt dogs lived outside, came when they were called and crapped in the neighbors yard. They barked at strangers, did not bite and were great with kids.

I was fascinated with it because I could secretly get the neighborhood dogs to bark sometimes late at night. I haven't thought about that whistle for years but today I hear about dog whistles on news broadcasts.

POLITICAL DOG WHISTLE 

One definition I found was; A "political dog whistle" is a coded message communicated through words or phrases commonly understood by a particular group of people, but not by others.

Ironically the only people who possess the ability to hear these secret words and phrases are in the media. They by definition are the targets of these secret words and phrases because they seem to be the only ones who can hear them....woof woof! 

Serious journalists like Morning Joe and Mika can hear them but they are not alone in this.  

There are dozens of pundits on networks and cable outlets that can clearly hear and interpret every secret word, phrase, hand gesture and symbol. I have learned so much about all of the secret coded messages I am supposedly guided by. 

They say with only a few speeches Nixon convinced racist southern Democrats to switch political parties. They say he did it with secret coded words and secret messages or dog whistles. 

I have heard about the Southern Strategy for decades but no one explains why a racist would leave a racist party. The shift might have been because Nixon offered and alternative to non-racists to leave a racist party.

The media obsession with the KKK is great for starving actors because Netflix may have employed more of them to dress up like clan members than there are actual clan members. 

Citronella Tiki torches are for more then mosquito control, but I do hate mosquitos.

Displaying a flag and singing the National Anthem is secret support for Nazi nationalism, racism and hatred. 

A truck driver honking twice means Hail Hitler or maybe you just cut him off, I'm confused.

Everyday I learn more and more about secret hand signals, organizations I support, people I hate, racist symbols and prejudice code words. 

Hand signals like okay is now a secret symbol for white power. Who dreams this up? I must have missed the memo, it was probably a secret memo or a super secret memo. 

In middle school it meant I get to punch you on the arm because I made you look. So I guess in a way it is a symbol of violence. (made you look)

There are so many normal things that have been assigned secret motives, obeying laws, respect for authority, a work ethic, pride in your country, free speech, professional sports, the Constitution and US history.

I really don't have the time to figure all of this out. It is easier to listen to the actual words people say. I know the words people use may not be what they mean but to run them through a secret decoder ring is just stupid. I have a feeling this tactic has more of a purpose. 

If you can't make an argument, make shit up. I think that is what this is about.

Lazy journalism is one thing but slander and stirring division is all by design. Inventing secret messages simply shows a lack of reasoned arguments. 

I have grown weary of these highly paid blow hards. They are lazy and ignorant or they are willing liars. They say they are educated and smart so they can do better. Please do some research and come up with some convincing arguments and give up this secret message silliness we aren't on the playground anymore.

three hundred seven

 UNCERTAINTY

Inflation, rising crime, food shortages, energy costs, recession, depression, stagflation, nuclear threat, global pandemic, open border, censorship, tribalism, rioting, gender tyranny, racism, world unrest, war, hatred and child abuse. This is only a short list but I imagine a few of these keep you awake at night. 

As one person we have very little control over any of this in a macro sense. We can only deal with the things around us. Unfortunately the big things that happen to us or might happen to us are beyond our individual control. 

Many look to our leaders for protection but politicians spend their energy raising campaign money, schmoozing with lobbyists, consulting pollsters, making empty promises and assigning and avoiding blame. 

Just because they have charisma and the marketing skills to win an election doesn't mean they have any insight or wisdom to solve a damn thing. Yeah, I'm not a fan of elected officials, but we do elect them to do what they do. 

Because of this lack of control a common reaction is to bunker in. Security systems, fire arms, food supplies, gold, cash, fuel, generators, bomb shelters and the all important toilet paper.

We can prepare for Armageddon, one world government, the great reset, global warming, climate change, cyber attacks, neutron bomb, terrorism, forest fires, floods, earthquake, killer bees, solar flares or a zombie apocalypse. 

One reality that is often overlooked is the fact that you can just be what I call "it". By "it" I mean you are just standing there minding your own business and by no fault of your own something horrible happens. Many times there is no light at the end of the tunnel, no rescue, no karma and no happy ending.

You can rarely find songs, poems, speeches or books written about this because it is a depressing thought. We often go through hardships to be reborn into a new meaningful life. I found this as I became sober but I must not forget most alcoholics will die alone and drunk.

The bottom line is life is not fair, that is the one fact we try to ignore but we can't escape. 

Somehow we have an idea being good helps us avoid this. Many blame God or claim there is no God because bad unfair things happen to the very innocent. They claim a loving God would not allow those things to happen. 

We must ask ourselves are humans simply a smart animal or are they more? If life is just a one and done situation feeding our appetites, living by instinct and avoiding pain like animals is about it. No outside source of standards or rules just our instincts and cravings.

The real question is what stops us from being cruel? Is it that small voice we call our conscience? Where does our conscience come from? Is it possible to reject or sear our conscience? What happens to us when we ignore or don't care about that voice? 

In America we talk about having free will but that includes the freedom to choose right or wrong. If natural rights like free will come from God it can't be one sided. If we could only do good it wouldn't be free will.

Along with the freedom to choose to do what is right we also have the freedom to choose to do unspeakable wrong. 

The places where the most unspeakable things happen are places where the people have collectively rejected that small voice. They feed their cravings for power, lust and greed. Unfortunately there are victims of these choices. 

If it reaches from a top down government there can be starvation, genocide and oppression. The willful ignorance of the source of that small voice can make bad choices seem normal. We become numb to our choices by turning our attention away from the consequences.

The media and politicians are good at helping us rationalize our selfish choices. The voices that sound a warning are mocked and ridiculed. They rationalize and encourage bad choices then blame God for not stopping the consequences.

We live in a world that has choices. All we can control are our own choices. As I ride into the storm facing the unknown I trust the source of that small voice to keep my soul safe. My body will one day fail. It may be disease, crime, war, natural disaster or someone's bad choices.

I am not just a smart animal operating on my instincts, I have been made with that inner voice to guide me. I have not always followed that voice in fact I tried to ignore it for many years, but I don't dread the future now. I have made peace with the creator of my small voice and I want others to know that peace too. 

Seek out the source of that small voice, a loving God would not put us in this life without an answer. Seek and you will find but remember to search with the eyes of a child. 

"A child asks questions to find the truth, adults ask questions for various reasons." CS Lewis The Great Divorce.

Good read....

three hundred six

ELSIE IS A COW, SHE GIVES MILK....

ELMER IS A BULL, HE HAS A SMIRK

JUST A THOUGHT...

three hundred five

 ORDER IS SOOTHING

This was my world for almost 40 years, order was the goal everyday. 

The idea of arranging pieces of dead animals in an appealing display at a reasonable price for homemakers to purchase to feed to their families that eventually processed into shit was how I paid my bills. I have no buildings, bridges or inventions to claim, everything I did turned into actual shit. I know this is a blunt statement but bottom line that is what I did.

Enduring cold, working with sharp objects, the steady march of code dates, power mad inspectors, rude customers, back stabbing middle management and repeating the same ritual day, after day, after day, after day was about it.

Now that I have depressed you there was a bright side. I learned how soothing order can be. As I arrived each morning I surveyed the damage from the day before. I would start again not skipping a step. Each step was vital as I reconstructed the perfect display.

Outguessing the public is a fools errand but a "computer assisted" ordering system, warehouse screw ups, special holiday orders, the weather and "dog and pony show" visits from corporate were also part of the fun. It was a combination of traffic controller, jigsaw puzzle champ, fortune teller and weather man.

In the midst of chaos I found those moments when the case was full, fresh, properly signed, on schematic and in code. Every package was aligned, the garnish was fresh, the glass and countertops were spotless and everyone was on time ready to work and in proper dress code. For that one brief moment everything was perfect.

Then, in the blink of an eye, one sweet little old lady would appear. With some strange super power she could in one pass move, flip, poke and destroy my perfect work of art.

Allis-Chalmers CA built in the 1950's

I had four acres of lawn/field that I kept mowed in Ohio. I had a small farm tractor with a brush hog mower that was shaft driven from the power take off. I restored it with new paint, rubber parts, a tuneup and the original decals.

The hours and hours of mowing these fields would last until dusk. I would sit on the front stoop with a glass of sun tea smelling the fresh cut grass and admiring the perfect pattern of my wheels. After 30 minutes it was dark.

I would eat, sleep and leave for work before sunrise to return to see the spring rain had produced four inches of new grass/weeds. 

There are many things in life that are like this. I shave my head and have for around three decades. Every two to four days I shave my head but it is only perfect for about four hours. 

We wash dishes, sweep floors, wash windows, wash cars, shovel snow, dust, do laundry, mow lawns, shower, eat and sleep. No awards, fan fare, parades or trophy, only the satisfaction of doing it to the best of our ability.

This is a Martin Luther King Jr quote that is rarely heard, as a young man I took this to heart. 

I did not fall into the trap of resenting my employer. I worked for some real characters in some very miserable conditions but I agreed to work for the wage they offered and always had the choice to stay or leave. 

The economy was bad, good jobs were scarce and inflation was as bad as today. I worked the jobs I could find but I was never oppressed, a servant or a slave. I was a man in a working agreement to do a task for an agreed wage, nothing more and nothing less.

I found that pride that he talked about, I took pride in my work and always tried to do it well, I was my own man. The secret I had discovered was not to expect praise or recognition. I had higher expectations for my performance then my employer. This insulated me from their criticism. 

I wrote this post because of a conversation I had with a group of men.  A few were whining about how they hated their jobs because they were not getting recognition for their hard work. I guess I sound heartless because I asked if they had been paid for their work and when they said yes I asked them if they were waiting for a hug to go with it.

Maybe I'm old school, not woke and out of touch but I survived a life of toil and sweat with very few resentments. I have a few regrets about my choices but they were my choices. 

I still seek that precious moment when everything is in order, clean, fresh, spotless and perfect. If my external world is in order somehow my mind, body and spirit are also in order.......

....but I could have more issues.

There are some things that are just not right.

three hundred four

 Ready or not.....

I have been walking seven miles, lost a little weight and doing yoga stretching. I see a chiropractor next week to evaluate my lower back. I want to know if I have a skeletal issue, muscular or I'm just getting old. 

My back hurts when I get up in the morning then settles down after a half an hour. My new knee has little limitations and feels like a normal knee. The biggest issue about it is in my head.

New prescription glasses, a small low risk cancer removed from my chin and next the dentist.

My BP is under control and my last physical went well. I'm about as prepared as I can be except for conditioning.

It is raining today but the next phase is about to begin.....

three hundred three

Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn

"We know they are lying, 

they know they are lying, 

they know we know they are lying, 

but they are still lying." 

He was a Russian novelist and one of the most famous dissidents. Solzhenitsyn was an outspoken critic of communism, in particular propaganda state media and the Gulag system.

He was born into a religious family active in protesting the Soviet Anti Religious campaign in the 1920's. In spite of his religious upbringing he became an atheist and Marxist-Leninist.

Gradually he became a philosophically minded Christian because of his families experience in the Soviet prison system and camps. 

During World War II he served in the Red Army. He was arrested by Stalin's secret police SMERSH for criticizing Joseph Stalin (a joke about his mustache) in a private letter. He was sentenced to eight long years of hard labor in a Siberian Gulag.

Eventually Premier Nikita Khrushchev came to power and he was released. During his years of imprisonment he fully embraced Christianity. He began to write several books critical of the Communist system. 

This was tolerated until Khrushchev was removed from power when Solzhenitsyn was stripped of his citizenship and sent into exile in West Germany.

He then moved his family to the United States, continued to write and speak on college campuses where he was still welcome. 

I do not believe he would be welcome today because of his criticism of  Marxism and support for Christianity. Sad how things have changed.

His books are a tough read but there are plenty of his speeches on line. It is disturbing how pertinent his observations of the Soviet system and the use of propaganda are today. 

He speaks bluntly about our ignorance and naivety. Today I'm sure he would have long ago lost his social media rights because of his thoughts and opinions about government corruption, media lies, the need for faith and exercising freedom......Hmmmmm sound familiar?

This guy was a brave bad ass, he spoke his mind to power and was willing to pay the price. He did not yield to threats, imprisonment and physical punishments. 

He warned us in order to keep what we have we need to understand it,  embrace it and defend it. He was not an optimistic feel good motivational speaker, he was frank, honest and blunt. This is a trait I admire, no bull shit truth backed up with a track record.

After his years of speaking to Americans he said that he didn't think the majority of Americans understand what they have and how easy it is to lose. 

These are some hard truths, I myself intend to prove him wrong.

Nothing to do with bicycles today. Just a rainy day of reading. 

three hundred two

 GOOD vs BAD

if it were only that simple.

There was a time you could tell the good guys from the bad guys, black or white hat, law enforcement or criminal, soldier or terrorist, preacher or drug lord and nun or prostitute. I know there are bad cops, soldiers, preachers and nuns but today if you watch entertainment media these are usually the bad guys.

I'll agree the old good vs bad plots get predictable and in a way boring. In the rebellious 60's the bad guys started to win and the good guys started losing. At first it was an interesting twist but eventually it became even more predictable. 

Today American flags are symbols of hate, preachers are perverts, being a virgin is a laugh line, Santa Claus is a serial killer, war veterans are deranged and police officers are all corrupt.

This began in movies and television and soon oozed into news opinion. Virtue is not expected or valued, in fact it is mocked as old fashioned or conservative. 

I've noticed popular shows like Breaking Bad, Ray Donavan, Dexter and Deadwood have added a new twist. There are no good guys, everyone is compromised. Half way through we realize we are rooting for the hero of the story but they are a drug dealer, murderer or thief.

DEADWOOD

RAY DONAVAN 

DEXTER

BREAKING BAD

Over the decades the value of virtue or any sense of shame have been eroded. It is more then a sense of right and wrong, it is the idea that right and wrong no longer matters.

Diverting responsibility, a sense of entitlement, justified envy and the right to feed our cravings is deemed normal. Once these basic principles have been devalued we drift further towards tyranny or anarchy. 

The bar has been lowered by a double standard justus system, corrupt government, bias media and a move away from the acknowledgment of God.

This has not only effected the individual but it has effected us as a free nation. It is assumed that all of our leaders are tarnished and the few that are practicing virtue are mocked or discounted. We have lost our heroes, at least the virtuous ones.

John Adams was one of the signers of the Constitution. He had a couple quotes I have found insightful.

The turmoil around the world and domestically can become overwhelming. It is not only electing virtuous leaders, passing responsible bills, fairly enforcing laws, reasonable regulation, wise military actions or having informed elections that will right the ship, it is the hearts of the people. 

I may sound old-fashioned or naive but an acknowledgment of God and a sense of virtue must be restored before it is too late. I see a pendulum swing in our country. 

Not Republican or Democrat, left or right, liberal or conservative, pro or con, man or woman but a turning back to the basic foundation of freedom and liberty, virtue. Virtue is a yielding to our conscience to  do the right thing when no one is looking. 

I'm just a guy on a bicycle but observing the people of this amazing country over the miles has taught me not to discount the love for freedom and liberty of it's people. I do not lose hope because I have met the American people.

Most organizations or movements are pulled along by a very small percentage of the people involved. Our country was established and founded by a very small minority at first. It is always possible for things to change no matter where it begins. It is already beginning in the hearts of virtuous people who yearn to remain free, it is contagious.

With this and with God's blessing tomorrow will be a brighter day. 

three hundred one

INFORMATION OVERLOAD

If you have read my blog you know I'm not a fan of todays media. I'm also disappointed when people blindly settle for whatever a media outlet says and regards it as the definitive truth. 

Our media in America has a constitutionally protected charge to be our critical eyes and ears on government. They claim to do in-depth investigation and research. They claim to bring us the most current and accurate information. 

They claim to witness wars, natural disasters, catastrophic accidents, crime and scandals, but it has been revealed that they sometimes never leave the office. This is all to be without bias, agenda or omission. 

1950's DRAGNET Sargent Joe Friday

The days of the trusted news anchor with great hair, reading the days events into our living rooms are over. My parents believed every word these trusted individuals said but history has revealed that even they had clear biases. 

Today the new version of these overpaid beautiful people have revealed their biases and at times a complete lack of ethics. They don't even try to hide it because most think the consumer is unable to hold the correct opinion so they shape what we hear "for our own good".

One reason for this is the corporate nature of news outlets. Being paid millions by a large corporation demands loyalty to the interests of that corporation, it may not be an official agreement it is just human nature. 

If you desire success, a luxurious lifestyle and enjoy being one of the cool kids more power to you but claiming your first interest is integrity and truth is the height of hypocrisy. 

Jet to your summer homes, give yourselves awards, live in your bubble but don't underestimate the average consumer. 

The world wide web isn't the Wild West as it was in the beginning. There are powers trying to control the flow of information but the Genie is out of the bottle. With a little effort and a desire to find information the truth is still out there.

There are always idealistic tech savvy truth tellers willing to risk persecution to report the truth. Over time some will be corrupted by fame, money and power, some will yield to pressure and go away but a few will endure and stay devoted to the truth no matter the sacrifice. That too is human nature.

The key is the curiosity and willingness of the consumer. We have the tools, we have access and an endless amount of information. The key is developing the ability to discern what the truth really is.

It is easier to blindly trust a few sources but I suggest trust no-one, not even me. Many sources may have reliable information but most have an agenda that ranges from a slight slant to out right lies.

Omission is the most deceptive because their defense is we didn't lie we just didn't report on it. This is the most commonly practiced tactic today. If a news outlet does report on it it can be characterized as a fringe conspiracy. Facts aren't up to a popular vote.  

I trust a few principles. I believe the truth will hold up under scrutiny. Test everything, beat it up and challenge it, if it is true it will hold up. If not you will know it is not true.

Read everything, find those side stories that only a few are reporting. If they are attacking a person or organization for their bias, intelligence or character, perhaps they don't want you to hear what they have to say.

Is the argument fact based or emotional? Avoid the so called self proclaimed "fact checking" organizations, they are all corrupted. Be your own fact checker. Read the bill, speech, hearing, interview, report, study or video. You are your best "fact checker".

 Avoid the silly school yard adolescent name calling nonsense it is always a distraction. 

If they are all talking about it look for the things they aren't talking about. The media can be like a slight of hand magician, they use the art of distraction to hide things they don't want you to see.

First you need to ask yourself the question, do I want to know what is actually true or do I want to settle for my truth or what I want to be true. 

No matter what they say there is not a color wheel of truths, truth is truth. I may not like it but whatever it is I want to know.  

I know, this is a bicycle blog. I have been distracted lately with world and national events. When I get frustrated and overwhelmed I find a quiet place and focus on the amazing people I have met along the way.

They were average Americans doing the deal everyday, building something, raising a family, defending the innocent and enforcing the laws. They haul our goods, build our cars, clean our messes and prepare our food. They deserve the truth.

Unfortunately the unwashed are considered incapable of grasping the wisdom they are offering. If it were just a matter of arrogance that is fine but some want to control, subjugate and suppress with the use of propaganda. Then they wonder why we don't trust them. 

I do not think this will change but we can change how we consume news and shape our own opinions.

I was once told to have an opinion but make sure it's my own opinion not someone else's.

Okay, I'm finished with my rant. The weather is changing in Oregon. I have been walking seven miles per day. I'm losing weight, stretching and loosening up my muscles and joints. Mostly I'm trying to ignore my aches and pains and push forward trying not to feel 70. The next couple of weeks the bicycle is coming out and a full on slog to get my bicycle mojo back begins.

three hundred

 FAT AND HAPPY....

THE AMERICAN DREAM?

My parents were part of possibly the last generation that saved their money to buy things. Today we don't look in our savings account, that is if we even have one, instead we check our credit line. 

My parents were shaped by the depression and the Second World War. After the war, the returning soldiers got married and began to build the American dream. 

My Dad built the small house I was raised in. He worked full time as a machinist, rented a room from a relative and spent his off time salvaging materials from a two story house he had contracted to demolish to make room for the new high school. 

He saved everything, lumber, windows, nails, doors and whatever he could reuse to build our tiny house. He did all of this with the help of an eccentric local farmer named Drexel Harris. 

Drexel still farmed with horses so my Dad scooped out the tiny basement and graded the hillside lot using his horses. He built the house himself as he got the money and never borrowed a dime.

I'm one of the sixties rebels who rebelled and questioned the social and moral norms. Music, fast cars and the sexual revolution, that I am grateful I missed, and a new way to feed our impulsive wants, revolving credit. 

Living up to and beyond our means with a line of credit was becoming normal. I was responsible in the beginning but later on I dabbled in high interest credit card debt. This was partly because of circumstances but for decades I lived under a cloud of these plastic taskmasters.

I have righted the ship and have things under control but I still don't own a home or anything building equity. I do however have an excellent 816 credit rating (whatever that means) and a long line of credit waiting in the shaddows for another weak moment. 

One thing I have learned, these words are powerful. Wants and needs are different. The line between meeting our needs or feeding our appitites and wants has become blurred. Marketing has convinced us to feed these desires because we deserve them, we need to keep up our image or the draw of the latest shiny object.

I fought with my parents over this issue like most kids. I bought new cars, had the latest toys and refused to live by a budget. I paid my bills but investments and compounding interest would have ment a very comfortable retirement.

"I have enough" and "simplify, simplify, simplify" have been a guiding principle for much of my life. I have learned to be creative with what I have, avoid giving a damn what the cool kids think and living below my means.

My bike trips have taught me the adventure gets better when I have less money to spend. I would not camp as often or cook as much if I could stay in nice motels, eat in restaurants and get massages. 

Connecting with people is now my goal so asking for permission from a farmer to camp in a pasture or asking the local police about a safe place where they "don't look" is much more interesting then negotiating with a motel office employee.

I have shared meals with hungry strangers along the road. We usually combine whatever ingredients we have to create a unique hobo stew. I love that I have a humble bicycle rig. I have learned what I really need and what I really don't need.

Perhaps this has nothing to do with how smart or wise I am it is how this mode of travel has made me learn this. My mistakes have forced me to change, I take no credit for this other then my initial selfcentered mistakes.

The Natural

The only good thing about this movie was this quote: "We all have two lives, the one you learn with and the one you live". 

I doubt I have a unique story. This younger generation is living the life they will learn with and hopefully they will move on to the life they will live. I'm just grateful I survived my stupid past.

If you can keep wealth in perspective I admire you. Many if not most have learned these things the easy way. Unfortunately that has never been my style.

two hundred ninety nine

 

THE BIG LEBOWSKI

The Big Lebowski is a cult classic that came out in 1998. The laid back lead character "The Dude" Jeff Bridges captured the hearts of many.

His irreverent character had no cause, agenda or need to change the world. Credence, Black Russians and candle light bubble baths with good weed were his simple pleasures but bowling was his religion.

I grew up in the stay cool and never let them see you sweat generation so I could relate to his character. He may not have been aware of his poor social skills but one thing for sure he really didn't care. 

He didn't go out of his way to be obnoxious or rude he simply existed in his own world. He didn't seek confrontation other then hating the Eagles and demanding justice for his piss stained rug. 

He was defiant and sarcastic in the midst of an interrogation swirly or getting his private parts nibbled by a wild nihilist attack Ferret.

The Dude faced a series of bazar scenes and circumstances filled with a cast of outrageous characters. Each new wrong turn threatened to "chill his buzz" but he moved forward with the bad advice of his psychotic friends. When things got too overwhelming they took refuge in the temple of bowling.

(LINK)         (LINK)

Going with the flow, doing your own thing or feeling the vibe is summed up in one phrase, the Dude abides. 

The Dude had a sense of honor and showed loyalty to his friends. The movie does not explain how they became friends but I assume it had something to do with their bowling averages.

I don't recommend his lifestyle but I can relate to his place in the theater of life. Everyone plays a part but I am not the director or critic, I'm just part of the audience. The Dude lived in the moment as a casual observer of the people and events around him.

We do need to be disciplined and except responsibility but we all need a little "Dude" in our lives. Sometimes we just need to let life flow over us, feel the vibe or live in the moment.

Life is a trip full of constantly changing circumstances with a cast of  outrageous characters. The reality is we can't change circumstances or people. You can walk your own path, live your own values and be loyal to your friends. 

The Dude was by no means a perfect role model but he did have one thing right, "the Dude abides" and if all else fails, go bowling. 

Take breaks, enjoy simple pleasures and just be. If life gets too crazy go bowling or that place you find refuge. 

I ride my bike.