CavernSense

Sometimes it seems that the world is just losing its collective mind.  People are arguing, in their respective boxes, about things that don’t matter to their future, their livelihood, their progress on any sort of project.  They just argue, and immediately, without even hearing the rest of the sentence from their “opponent.”  It is almost as if the winning of the argument, regardless of the actual prize, is the most important thing in their lives.

What I want to know is, what is that prize?  What could be so very important that the onslaught must begin before the sentence is complete?  Does everything you say have to be an assault?  Does everything you hear have to be an assault?

I’d love to enter into conversations about a whole slew of interesting topics.  Moula, Open Source, the state of the planet, quantum living, the massive increases in tornadoes, hurricanes, volcanoes, etc; you know, ordinary things.  But there are very few places or groups of people who can seem to stay calm long enough to have such a conversation.  I’ll keep looking, but it does get a bit frustrating to have a question and refrain from asking because only the self-declared know-all’s will be the only ones who answer — then shortly they begin to argue with each other.  Those interest me not in the least, as they’ve said very little already that I didn’t already know and plenty I knew they would say that showed knowing wasn’t their goal.  The goal is winning.

Ah well.  Such is life.  Back to the cavern to smell the flowers and talk to the butterflies.  They all seem to be able to live in harmony with one another at the moment.  I guess they’ll let me in for a while, too.

Remarks from President Barack Obama on the surface recently, in a place called Washington D.C.

“I don’t think it does anybody any good when public employees are denigrated or vilified or their rights are infringed upon.  We need to attract the best and the brightest to public service.  These times demand it.  We’re not going to attract the best teachers for our kids, for example, if they only make a fraction of what other professionals make.  We’re not going to convince the bravest Americans to put their lives on the line as police officers or firefighters if we don’t properly reward that bravery.
 
So, yes, we need a conversation about pensions and Medicare and Medicaid and other promises that we’ve made as a nation.  And those will be tough conversations, but necessary conservations.  As we make these decisions about our budget going forward, though, I believe that everyone should be at the table and that the concept of shared sacrifice should prevail.  If all the pain is borne by only one group — whether it’s workers, or seniors, or the poor — while the wealthiest among us get to keep or get more tax breaks, we’re not doing the right thing.  I think that’s something that Democrats and Republicans should be able to agree on.”

I don’t normally get political.  Well, OK, I got political when someone threatened to pull the plug on Public Media and the Muppets….  But you know, what the president is saying above is logical to me.  Enough is enough of the disparity in our economic and tax policies (and what is this blarney about needing subsidies for rich oil companies?)  This is utter nonsense politicians are spewing while the bahro (and explorers) continue to suffer.  There is enough for everyone, folks, and getting fatter on the backs of the least is just not the way to do things.

That is decidedly NOT good Cavernsense.

Yes, and one is going in one direction and another is going in another.  I’m hoping this will help me navigate the disorientating space of in-between-ness.

I must be linking somewhere new again.  It always happens like this when the vortex shifts slightly.

I began the day with good intentions. Actually, I began last night with good intentions for today, which, of course, meant that I didn’t sleep well (again) because (this time) I was thinking too much.

Morning finally arrived, and I, with too-little-sleep, attempted to work on something academically intellectual and in that task I succeeded. Then, feeling less guilty about that, I moved on to the real work at hand.  I meant to review the video plug-in for a website I was working on, and if I liked it thought I might compare it to another, and then to yet another that was better than the one we used for CCN.  I didn’t get there, because I very much needed to upload a png to the RL project site on an OS Second Life sim, and for the life of me I have not been able to construct, modify, layer, or save a png that was not gauzy and not at all opaque in some areas and transparent in some areas.

I finally begged help from a very good friend, who, even though recovering from an illness, took the time to walk me through the procedure.  Unfortunately, the program I was currently using was as not the same as hers and although I thought the steps would be similar, they were not. (At this point I should have closed my beloved tried-and-true program and taken the time to use the virtual desktop privileges I have through school and connect with the correct program online.  I’ve done that often before, but it was extremely time consuming, and very resource intensive.  Basically, it is two desktops running at the same time, I think.  My little lappy is a trooper but not that powerful anymore.  So I didn’t go that route, I tried to use what was at my disposal without wasting any more time.)

Three hours later,  no program I already had installed would work for a darn and I finally decided to follow her instructions exactly.  I could not find my installation CD to save my life.  (I had uninstalled that program when I got my tried-and-true program because that old one also took a LOT of resources).   Argh!  Already five hours had passed, during which time I’d decided it was a good idea to maybe host a Guild of Healers’ event and not only give myself something else to do but poke my neck out for lopping off of my head if lopping was to be had.

Fortunately, in this case no lopping was to be found. We really do have a great Uru Community, lol.

Back to the day.

(more…)

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This one is for Ruby O’Degee.

It is about time. Throw out some of those ridiculous standardized tests. How can numbers on a scale possibly show how students will perform in the classroom? Or how they will do in life when they find their niche? Anyone who advocates standardized tests from behind a desk needs to go in the classroom and teach for a while — get in there and talk to them as if they are people. Every single student brings something different and unique to the group. Sometimes it is annoying behavior, but most of the time it is a skill or a bit of knowledge or the ability to question all the “trust me” messages they get bombarded with by companies that only want their money. “Heh, don’t question me just pay me.”

Or the messages from our “for the people” government. “Don’t question me, just obey me.”

I won’t start in on the myriad of other “don’t question me” authoritative figures. That would only turn into a rant.

Some colleges have decided to drop the requirement for the SAT. Huzzah! There is nothing worse than a group of students whose creativity and analytical thinking is squelched because the teacher has to teach to the test. Students are coming to college expecting to be told what they have to learn. They are often shocked when I tell them I want them to think first, learn second. LOL, that they question.  Well, it’s a start.

I hope that this policy trickles, no floods down to the grade school level. We should leave the tests behind rather than the students and teachers whose relationship suffers as they struggle not to fail the tests — and each other.

Those with real power in the world also have an awareness of what real power means

They know what real power can do

They understand the responsibility that comes with having real power

Because of this, they will not use it to attack another.

Not in actions, not in words, no matter their ability or opportunity

Because they understand.

…………………………………

Should you attack them

They will ignore you, or, if necessary,

stop you from hurting them.

But they don’t have to hurt you in return

to stop you.

……………………………..

You become angry then

because you think you have lost and they have won.

But you are angry only because you don’t yet understand.

Should they hurt you,

All of us lose.

Oh those darned emotions.  They take hold and sweep us back and forth, trying to get what they want.  There is no battle so difficult as the one to keep them under control.  It’s wearying — in the end what did they get?  The same thing they always get. Our energy.

Maybe emotions need to take a back seat.  They are like children, after all.  They don’t want the best for anyone else but themselves, and they will use us up to remain fed. The worst is when we try to wean them.  Oh, the pain they can cause!  All the fussing, the screaming and yelling.  No wonder we find ourselves behaving in the strangest ways for which we later have to make amends.  Or we watch others act strangely.  Chances are it’s those darned emotions.

But we have to wean them, and we have to wean them kindly and gently, otherwise they will control our lives.  We have to look them square in the eye, finally, pick them up, give them a hug and send them out the door.  We have to trust they will be taken care of.

Then the real work begins.  We have to get used to being with out them.

Silence is not, in fact, acquiescence.

That it is, is not a law,

and you are not the law maker.

I choose to speak when I choose to speak.

I keep silent when I choose not to speak.

So you say what you need.

Make your noise.

Posture your power.

It has no affect on my choices.

When I have something I wish to say,

I’ll say it.