I again exercised to the Leslie Sansone video at 8:00, which is working out fine for me. Continued throughout the day to work in the DQ program. I think I finally have it completed except for one or two more items at the end. This is to take up north to be scanned and put on a flash drive, of course.
Took a break long enough to drive to Manahawkin and get brother Larry something for his eightieth birthday, which is June 4. Couldn't find a card with eighty on it, so got two 40-year-old ones. I'll think of some funny remarks to add. Also got him a gift.
Stopped at the library to ask if I can practice showing the flash drive stuff on the laptop. They're closed Monday, but I was told I could go Tuesday. They have a sign out front with info on programs--mine on one side and some guitar player who's appearing the next day on the other. I was a bit miffed to see they had spelled "Dionne" as "Dion." Went in and mentioned it and manager Kelly said they'd fix it.
Got a welcome call from brother Jim in the evening. He said he had found a book by Aunt Mary on our ancestry and did I want it? Of course, I said yes. I was saddened to realize that my big brother--he's 86--sounds much older and a bit befuddled, more than I ever heard him that way before (sigh).
Time is a thief/Who loves to get/Sweets into his list/So put that in...
WIDER: I was reading over some of my blog from other years and noticed that, several times a week, I'd a "wider" section, usually about our on-going worship of militarism. I haven't done it nearly as much recently and I'm not sure why. Is it because I've given up? Because I no longer believe there's any way in the world to combat that mindless, soulless love of violence in the country? Not sure, but I'm starting now to change my ways, guided by that perfect mentor, Arthur Silber. He mentions the obvious fact that Americans are happy and satisfied to kill people in other countries, but not here, of course. We reacted to the events of 9/11, he writes: "...as any deeply neurotic narcissist bent on world domination would, in the manner of a violent nation suffering from superpower syndrome: 'You can't do this to us! You can't attack us here! We kill you bastards there, and we love it, but you can't come here!'"
Silber continues:
"Today, rather than seeking justice, many Americans still want revenge for this challenge to their delusions of invincibility, to their belief that we are entitled to inflict violence on anyone else at all, even if they do not threaten us in the least, but that no one else may dare do the same to us. In our endless quest to sate our national rage, any target will do."
With memorial day almost upon us--and there will surely be an orgy of bowing down to military members and thanking them for "defending our freedoms" (talk about mindless, meaningless blather!), it's the perfect time to get right with the truth and read Silber's "Once Upon A Time." Here's the link:
http://powerofnarrative.blogspot.com/
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