- Isaac's Never Fed Me Any Bullshit ...

- Hey All, 3'rd post, in like what? 5 days? Is this becoming a habit? I don't know but I like it!

- So I'm sure there's gonna be a few people that won't be talking to me any time soon. After yesterday's post I've pissed off friends & family, to name a few! That's cool though. Reason why? I'm not full of shit. I live in truth.

- After losing mom in Feb. I found myself with a remarkable opportunity to start brand new, the broken relationships with my sisters. After a very candid conversation with Jocelyne, we agreed that we had both been living very similar lifestyles. Where our personal lives were concerned we both enjoyed, what I call, "brutal honesty". This lifestyle has left me with a small circle of friends. Yet, those in my life, those close to me can be certain that they will always receive truth, no matter how difficult or uncomfortable it may be to hear. This is where yesterday's post came from. While it stewed in me for some time, a number of people in my life needed to know where I stand, now if they choose to read, there will be no doubt.

- As it turns out my sisters have lived much the same way. It comes down to wounded feelings which are typically put aside, along with big personalities in place of truth & the freedom to be honest. This I can embrace, no end, as this lifestyle has allowed me to live free for some time. I would ask you, would you rather I tell you that your behaviour is making you look like a drama queen, diva, or should I shut up & allow you to completely humiliate yourself? If your my friend, you'll pull me aside & tell me people are starting to stare!

- Quite simply, it is the difference between saying, "I feel like shit", or saying, "I don't feel well". You see the 1'st statement is complete bullshit, the 2'nd is accurate to a fault. We live in a society that has embraced bullshit as part of our everyday culture, allow me to explain. The statement, "I feel like shit" presumes to communicate that one feels bad, or unhealthy by comparing your current state of being to that of fecal matter, human or otherwise. "I feel like shit". As no human in history has ever existed in any other state, only to come back from that state and share their experience, this is obviously an in-accurate statement. One might as well say, "I feel like potatoes", or "I feel like carpet fibre", and you'd be truthfully communicating as much information. One would have had to exist in said state, and come back to their human form to be able to communicate the experience objectively. Only then could one honestly say, "I feel (this way)". A small stretch for the grey matter, I know; but I'm sure we can all use the exercise!

- What becomes infuriating is that society has grown to accept this as the norm, so much so that it permeates every aspect of our day to day lives. 3 friends go out for a social evening. The next day, after a night of hard drinking, one calls another to report, "Fuck, I feel like I've been hit by a truck". Now, unless said friend had indeed been previously "hit by a truck" and survived; this statement is bullshit. Then again, this friends survival from the truck may even be the reason for the celebration, I digress ...

- My point here is simply that as a group, our society has come to accept, even embrace bullshit and dishonesty as the norm. It is a vicious and destructive beast. Happily, I found my sisters had not. In my home & my family one can always find truth, I hope you can to. I will leave you with an excerpt from a piece written by, whom I believe, to be the the leading expert on this very topic ...

"The notion of carefully wrought bullshit involves, then, a certain

inner strain. Thoughtful attention to detail requires discipline and

objectivity. It entails accepting standards and limitations that

forbid the indulgence of impulse or whim. It is this selflessness

that, in connection with bullshit, strikes us as in apposite. But in

fact it is not out of the question at all. The realms of advertising

and of public relations, and the nowadays closely related realm of

politics, are replete with instances of bullshit so unmitigated that

they can serve among the most indisputable and classic paradigms of

the concept. And in these realms there are exquisitely sophisticated

craftsmen who -- with the help of advanced and demanding techniques of

market research, of public opinion polling, of psychological testing,

and so forth -- dedicate themselves tirelessly to getting every word

and image they produce exactly right.

Yet there is something more to be said about this. However studiously

and conscientiously the bullshitter proceeds, it remains true that he

is also trying to get away with something" ...

Harry G. Frankfurt, "On Bullshit"

http://www.amazon.ca/Bullshit-Harry-G-Frankfurt/dp/0691122946

- For me, & my sisters, my closest friends, there can be no other way. "Complete Truth", "Brutal Honesty", many ways to say the same thing, give us the opportunity to improve on who, & what we are. This heart for truth is the way we can physically show, without vacant words, that we are willing to go to any lengths to be better people.

- Recently I had an opportunity to spend a great deal of time in conversation with one of the most wise, and intellectual young woman I know. We spoke at great length as parents do; mine older, hers younger, parental struggles at different ends of the same spectrum. On matters of faith came her most wise & insightful statement of all. What took me some 40yrs. of struggle and introspection to gather, she had grasped, with full understanding mid way into her 20's. I was astounded. As I babbled upon my rickety soap box, espousing varied and random tid-bits, sharing my faith journey, she told of a small golden cross she wears, and said simply, "I don't know". She then added how this is her basis for belief in all things, & of this one thing, she is unshakably certain. Humbly, I obviously paraphrase, and yet, ... how wise, to "not know" ...

- Gonna play with my cat today, pets never tell lies !

Love, S.

- That Traveller's Always Waiting ...

- So I knew a long time ago that this one was gonna piss a lot of people off. As a matter of fact I can see the faces of these people & It hurts. It's painful to consider pissing them off, because of the love I have for them. Well, you gotta break some eggs to make an omelette, & while no one's ever knocked down any doors to get a plate full of my cooking, I guess you won't hate a brother for trying.

- Now let's start by noting a couple of the loads of bullshit I heard spewed by more then a few. "I work my ass off, I wanna come home & relax, I'm entitled", even George Carlin had an answer for your entitlement. Short answer; your "rights" are bullshit. You know what your entitled to? Raising a family, helping with supper, homework, laundry, listening to the endless ranting & raving of the lunatics we all call children, add infinitum, that's called being a fucking parent. Your "entitled" to show up and raise kids, with all of your faculties in place, because that's what you chose to do, & that job never goes away. The "being a parent contract" ends with death! This bullshit notion that claims after a long day at work, I'm "entitled" to some down time is so fucked I don't know where to begin. Does that mean our children should stop having needs because mommy & daddy need to "relax"? Fuck me, they didn't come with an off switch, they don't go into "sleep mode" because you feel you deserve a coke & a smile. Get over yourself, they have needs that never go away. You can't tell me that you have nothing better to do. How about helping with that homework? Read them a book, pick up an instrument you could learn together, take 'em to a Fuck'n class after school. The Gift of your time is the most valuable gift of all! If I die, totally stressed, exhausted, spent & burnt-out because I was serving my children in a parental capacity, then I will check out happy. You can all rest assured that I will not kick off with a good buzz on, beer in my hand yelling at my boys to stop chasing the cats, won't happen. Chances are, there'll be laundry to do that day!

- Now this whole bull-shit "all natural" argument. That it's "better then alcohol". O.K. To be sure; every part of the "man-made" atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima & Nagasaki Japan; were, in fact "all natural", and within the first 2 - 4 months of them being dropped, these "man-made", items killed 150K - 246K people. Probably more then half in the first day. You scratch your head; I say "but wait there's more". You may say, "wow 246 thousand people, crazy". Yet, if we through out a low, conservative number like 47 000; and then point this number to Canadian (deaths/yr.) on average, that are linked to substance abuse; you may just pause. Now I'll tell you that in the 66 years since the bombings, we can safely link about 3 102 000 deaths to substance abuse. So what you might say, 3mil. over 60 years, but here's the hook, patient reader.

- Each & every piece of those bombs were found naturally occurring in, or on this pretty blue planet we call home. Human hands bent, twisted and manipulated these elements to create those horrific death machines, and in the exact same way, every alcoholic beverage, every spliff you twist and every pill you pop occurs naturally in some state on our planet. The citizens of those cities never stood, open arms, waiting patiently as the bombs dropped, & to some extent, previous generations can claim ignorance as we didn't honestly understand how deadly substance abuse can be. Now then, this generation has more information, more wisdom and is easily brighter & more educated then any in human history; & yet you would still insist on destroying your bodies & relationships with shit, standing on your less then shaky soapbox, and preaching your self justifying bullshit (& I'm the preachy hypocrite!?).

- As we did to our parents, & you've done to us; your children will see what you you do, they are not blind, nor stupid, Lord knows you weren't. Your children will shake their heads at you and call you, "hypocrite" under their breath, behind your back, & they will be right. Every time I've smoked a cigarette, you were right to say it of me! A man found metal ore, he learned to refine it, blend it with still other metals & strengthen it for his purpose. Men went on to exploit the flora & fauna he shares with his planet. He found ways to manipulate his world to experience all kinds of pleasure, & inflict all sorts of destruction. Whether your "smoking", toking, snorting, popping, huffing, banging anyone who'll have you, drinking, injecting, or just plain masking your pain in denial; you can no longer make any argument for your abusive, self destructive behavior; anymore then you can say you have the right, after a long day to stick a pistol in your mouth & pull the trigger.

- A human first exploited the elements, to create gun powder; humans first mined ore for metals, & eventually combined these things. Humans discovered the effects of spoiled cabbage, & pitted fruits to provide humanity with cyanide, as much as humanity has provided itself with fermented drink, & opiates. To claim one is "better for you", then another is to admit you have no time to educate yourself with an opinion.

- Self abusive, & self destructive behaviour is just that. When one's own family & children suffer as a result it's tragic, to say the least. I'm sure I've pissed some people off, certainly got some opinions flying, but know this: I have alcohol in my home. I encourage those in my life, who have the healthy ability to do so, to enjoy using it. I've found recently that there are medications, I will have no choice but to use. I feel that there are many who have the strength, & capability to use these substances with no ill effects. Yet there are far more, & most know who they are, that have no business playing with fire. I've told my children their whole lives, no one ever eats just one potato chip. Anyone who says they can is full of shit. Simply said, if your gonna try one, your gonna try 'em all. Not even sure why this one came out today, probably shoulda left it in my head. I gotta get back to laundry, Sara's home, she'll need to tell about her day, & then the kids get home. Hopefully they'll be playin music, funny how time, effort & practice turn into genuine talent! Hell, anyway there it is, hopefully it'll get ya bitchin }:)

Love, S.