One Difference Between a Hillbilly and a Redneck

A redneck might live in a house that has plumbing that doesn't work and have to use an outhouse.

A hillbilly's house might not have plumbing but his outhouse certainly will.

Religious Persecution in America

I am very thankful for a non-religious up-bringing. I was raised to be a moral, kind and compassionate member of a community. I remember at about what age it became apparent to me that being raised outside of a church wasn't a normal thing in the part of the country I was raised.

In second grade, the teacher actually took an oral survey of what church each student attended with his/her family. She started at the opposite side of the room from where I sat so I listened as each kid dutifully (and knowledgeably) spouted off their affiliation. By time she got to me, all but one or two other kids had a church on record with the school. I saw the reaction to the kids who said they didn't go and decided I would adopt the church near my house. The church was named Yount Memorial Baptist Church. However, at seven years old and seeing the relatively small print on the sign, somehow I thought it said "Youth"; so that's what I said when it was my turn, "The Youth Church". The teacher didn't ask any questions, she just snarled her lip and said, in a most condescending tone, "That figures." I had no idea what that meant at the time but I did find out very soon that she didn't like the fact that I went to the "Youth Church". I was moved to the front of the room, scrutinized and ridiculed at most every opportunity. This same teacher even came to my desk and picked me up by the hair at one point.

Now, prior to this, I had had a promising academic career. I was the only child in my kindergarten class who knew how to read on the first day of school. I could count as high as needed, knew all my letters, both upper and lower case and could write them as well. I was a star pupil. In first grade, I was actually moved up to fourth grade for a week because I was so far ahead of the other students. They moved me back for several reasons. First, big distraction to the fourth graders. Second, I was able to conceptualize at their level just fine but was unable to complete work at the necessary speed. I was just thrown in with no coaching, no briefing, no instruction as to what was happening. They just put me at the back of the fourth grade classroom and I was supposed to take it from there. It didn't work.

If only it had. The next year proved to be a crossroad in my life. I went from being confident eager to learn to being one of the "bad kids". I still haven't figured out how I managed to get poor grades when I was doing the work correctly. I have always been a good speller but that year I actually got D's in spelling. This can only be the result of grade tampering by the teacher. My parents missed the clues and I didn't know there were any. Like any kid that age, I blamed myself, both for the bad grades and for the bad treatment I received. This was 1973. My life was changed for the worse because of religious persecution in America in 1973.

Saintly Ignorance

Women should not be enlightned or educated in any way.  They should, in fact, be segregated as they are the cause of hideous and involuntary erections in holy men. --St. Augustine

Have we really made any progress or are we simply paying lip service while secretly embracing our true beliefs?

Here's another gem from the religious philosopher who has a city named after him in Florida.
"As to the fable that there are Antipodes, that is to say, men on the opposite side of the earth where the sun rises when it sets to us, men who walk with their feet opposite ours, that is on no ground credible. Even if some unknown landmass is there, and not just ocean, there was only one pair of original ancestors, and it is inconceivable that such distant regions should have been peopled by Adam's descendants."

Novus Ordo Seclorum: Clearing up a Mistranslation

This Latin phrase, which is found on the American dollar is commonly thought to mean "New World Order". This is a mistranslation and it is commonly used by conspiracy theorists to support the idea that a "One World Government" is coming soon and will eradicate national borders and in the process, our various cultures. The literal translation is: new order of the ages. Now, one might argue that it means the same thing but one should at least argue using accurate information. I hear you laughing out there.

If you are inclined to remain on watch for such things, be on the lookout for the phrase "Novus Ordo Mundi". When you see THAT on the new international currency, you'll know the right wing extremists, survivalists and F. Tupper Saussy were right.

Why do they do that?

Why do so many people throw coins in mall fountains?  I've given this a lot of thought.  Well, maybe not a LOT but I do think about it every time I go to the mall, which, fortunately for me, is a lot less these days.  My wife finally figured out that the same hormones that enable me to fix cars and build decks also cause physiological symptoms at the mere thought of going to such a place, especially if the trip involves more than one pass by the ever present mall fountain.


Now, I don't have any particular objection to the fountains themselves.  In fact, the fountain may be the one piece of original architecture in the entire mall.  I haven't been keeping score but as far as I can remember, the fountains are different in just about every mall.  Kudos to construction managers, fountain designers and plumbing contractors everywhere.  What makes my eyes involuntarily roll back like the little glass bird after he's gotten his sip of water is the sight of all the coinage in these aquatic investment vehicles.  I believe you could put any water-tight container next to, or in the middle of, any pedestrian thoroughfare and people will throw money in it.

I know, I know.  Yer s'posta mek a weesh.  That's OK too...if you're four.  But I know anyone reading this has seen grown people of all ages chucking currency in these puddles.  Admit it, you've done it; haven't you?  Well cut it out.

You can say, "But the money goes to charity.  Don't you like charity?"  No, not particularly.  Charities never seem to solve anything.  They just seem to perpetuate their own existence.  But that's another post in and of itself.  Besides, look at the amount of money taken in by these establishments (namely malls) and some of them, I must admit, at least match the contributions but even that is pathetically small in comparison to what they are capable of.  Case in point: Target gives a lot of money away and they still seem to be able to compete.  I'm not advocating Target as a place to shop; I'm just trying to illustrate my point which is if you're going to give away money, make it a usable amount, not an insult.  Why not encourage people to give their money directly to these charities if they want to give.  Wishes are free and don't require a pool of water.

Even better, stay away from the mall, Target, Wal-Mart and any other faceless corporation.  Shop at locally owned businesses whenever possible.  Get to know the owners and managers.  Find out who's doing a good business.  If you own a business you can certainly appreciate what I'm saying.  Our communities would be a lot better off if people got to know one another and did business together.  Perhaps more of that would result in less need for charities to begin with.

I could follow these tangents ad infinitum but what I really wanted to do here was point out the absurdity of mindlessly throwing money in pools of water.  Think.

My Take On Humanity

People are like plants; if they aren't growing, they're dying.

--Hillbilly Philosopher

Five Self-help Suggestions

1. Don't buy pop-self-help literature, it doesn't work.  If you must read self-help books, I'm willing to bet there's a public library somewhere near you.  I use two that are near my home and I can't imagine not having them.  This is the best kept secret in the book world.  A place you can go and find information on any subject you can imagine without being bombarded by advertizing, stupid people, unruly children and uneducated, uninformed employees.  The libraries in my area (and probably most) even have lots of DVD's of popular movies as well as educational subjects if you're just not in the mood to read.  Not to mention the books on tape/CD.  I haven't tried it but I have heard from numerous independent sources that listening to books on tape or CD while driving is one of the best ways to stay awake when driving. (Disclaimer: If you experience fatigue when driving, it's best to pull over in a safe, well lit area and get some rest.)  One could go on and on about the benefits of our public libraries but my main objective here was to steer you away from the junk toward the real value.  Self-help books are the written equivalent of the pet rock.
2. Read classic literature.  The insight and condensed wisdom found in the time-tested works of fiction over the past 2500 years cannot be overstated as to its value to your education.  You may have hated having to read "The Great Gatsby" in high school or "Emma" in your English lit class but look again.  High school and college are not only not the end of your education, they may not even have been the beginning.  If you've been paying attention the last three decades, many colleges and other higher learning institutions are "popularizing" just to pay the bills.  This fact leads me to number 3...
3. Take responsibility for your own as well as your children's education.  That doesn't mean quitting school/college and walking the earth or yanking your children out of public/private school and home schooling them.  It means turning off the TV, removing the ear buds and talking.  I have no data to back it up but I believe TV is on the decline in families that matter.  By that I mean families headed by adults who understand their real responsibilities toward themselves and their children.  It's been said that the children are our future.  This is backward and dangerous thinking (one could write a book on this idea alone).  We are our children's future.  Think about that.  I don't mean for a moment, I mean think about it all the time.  Let it permeate all your actions.  If you don't have children, no worries; this bit of advice may be the beginning of a direction that leads to a family of your choosing, with or without children.  The possibilities are yours.
4. Live YOUR life.  I don't have a PhD in psychology and I don't let anyone who does have one tell me what to do.  These (your superlative here)'s don't have any authority over you, nor do they have the answers you need.  For that matter, I don't either.  You do.  (Disclaimer: If you are currently under treatment for a mental disorder or psychological issue, please don't abandon it.  I wasn't talking to you.  Continue getting whatever help you may need to deal with any legitimate mental health issue.)  I'm talking to the Dr. Phil crowd.  I'm not saying Dr. Phil gives bad advice.  I'm saying you don't need him.  If you follow some of the things I've said above, you'll find yourself way ahead of the Dr. Phils and the phreemynds as well.  A good teacher only uses a handful of raw facts but guides each student to recognize and follow their own direction.
5. Write.  Almost without exception, people who achieve their goals and improve themselves continually will attribute part of their success to writing, whether it's a journal, a list of goals, to-do lists (which I personally hate), a blog or some combination of any or all and more.  I've always been fascinated by how many criminals and otherwise less than honorable characters were brought down/exposed by their personal diaries.  What were these low-lifes thinking?  They lied, cheated and stole their way to the furthest heights of low-lifery but they couldn't tell a few fibs in their diary just in case their luggage got lost.  Dirty accountants keep two sets of books; I wonder if they keep two diaries as well.  This should give you some idea how important writing is when people are willing to risk having their misdeeds exposed in order to gain the benefit writing about them yields.  Incidentally, it should also illustrate that writing won't cure arrogance or greed.

For New Parents

First and foremost: Smile all the time. Never let them see you not smiling even when they are crying.

Talk to them. Start with simple sounds when they are born. They will want to imitate you. Throughout their childhood, remember how they were so keen to imitate you. Don't do anything you wouldn't want them to imitate. There's no such thing as too early. My oldest daughter started mimicking sounds at three weeks.

If you have the means, travel with them. Take them everywhere you go. It's your responsibility to let them see you living.

Make sure they learn at least one other language and continue to use it daily. You may have to learn a foreign language yourself to accomplish this but that won't hurt a thing, the more languages, the better, within reason and means. If means are limited, cut out something YOU don't need: cable TV, new car, new furniture, new appliances, new clothes, booze, cigarettes, and any other selfish indulgence of which you no longer have the luxury.

Don't over-indulge them.  The phrase "The children are our future" isn't quite right. This mindset causes what we see so often: selfish, disrespectful children who really believe the world revolves around them and their needs and desires. We are our children's future. We are not a lost cause. We need to lead by example, even when they aren't looking. Conduct yourself in all situations as if they were right next to you. If you wouldn't do it in front of them, don't do it at all. If you aren't there yet, make it your goal to get there. If you don't, the downward spiral continues with your assistance.

Thought Experiment

I've been carrying this idea around in my little brain for roughly 25 years.  Hopefully a particle physicist will visit this blog and answer my questions.  Of course this idea is not limited to thought alone.  If anyone would like to execute it, let me know; just don't be a thief. :-)

Suppose you have a hollow sphere, the inside surface of which is mirrored. Let's assume a vacuum exists inside as well. Then, introduce a light source inside which is held aloft by way of magnetic levitation and powered by battery.

What would be the result of this light being focused from every direction and re-reflected ad infinitum without being able to escape?

What if the light source had a two-way mirrored outer surface allowing light to emit but not re-enter? (Realizing that a two-way mirror is leaky by its very nature.)

What if the sphere itself had a two-way mirrored surface allowing an observer to see what was happening?

Introduce a "pill camera" inside, also held aloft and guided by maglev.

Suppose only a short burst of light were used; Would that light ever stop?

What if the sphere were very large? 1 parsec maybe.

Copyright 2009 Phreemynd All Rights Reserved

Truth…

There are none so adept at concealing the truth from the ignorant as themselves.