Well, I offer up my belated Holiday thoughts, as we pass another "Birth of a really nice guy who said wise and true things, and then later on got nailed to two pieces of wood for it" Day. I spend my Xmas cleaning, and then later reading by thge light of the fireplace, trying to understand the Buddha a bit better. But my thought delivered now was given to me by Joseph Campbell:

"Two completely opposed mythologies of the destiny and virtue of man, therefore, have come together in the modern world. And they are contributing in discord to whatever new society may be in the process of formation. For, of the tree that grows in the garden where God walks in the cool of the day, the wise men westward of Iran have partaken of the fruit of eternal life. However, the two limbs, we are informed, come together at the center of the garden, where they form a single tree at the base, branching out when they reach a certain height. Likewise, the two mythologies spring from one base in the Near East. And if man should taste of both fruits he would become, we are told, as God himself (Genesis 3:22) -- which is the boon that the meeting of East and West today is offering to us all."

- The Masks of God: Oriental Philosophy

Well, I scammed my way through the ethics/character survey for a security guard job, by being unethical and giving them the answers I thought they wanted. And you know what? I have an interview on Monday afternoon. I love paradoxes. I am getting close to the needed employment by being honestly dishonest. Alac is still the terror of the house cats, but he's now going fulltime into the general feline population anyway, so I have moved Polyphemus' cage into my room. I stared at my bank statement in the mail for awhile. There was my name, and then the Seattle address. Am I here? Am I really here? Is this really my life? And may I actually get laid before I turn 40? On such questions, the axis of life does revolve.

Jim the Younger sent me a double Michael Moore pack of Roger and Me and Bowling for Columbine. Jim is indeed God incarnate.

Civic government at its finest. Feel the wonder of participatory politics

Jim the Younger says that if I'm not doing anything useful with my life, I should blog more.

What can I say, I could not write as I have been overwhelmed with the flush of victory at finding Hussein in a hole. It's just so overwhelming, considering it's done so much to stop the insurgency, and further the democracy in Iraq and the Greater Middle East. It's a moment of history. Really. Or least that's what CNN says.

I've adopted a rat, who lost an eye, possibly to a snake, when he was younger. The current house debate is how to pronounce the name I gave him. Polyphemus. But I can report that I have won that debate. It is {pah-luh-fee'-muhs}. I've become very attached to the rat. He's currently nestled inside my shirt collar and giving my chin some happy rat love. And naughty on you readers, if you think that is more than him licking and cleaning my chin and nibbling on my hair now and again.

Polyphemus
by Ron Leadbetter
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Polyphemus, the son of Poseidon and Thoosa. He was a Cyclops (plural Cyclopes) in Greek (Kuklops) meaning "round eye", a mythical semi-human monster of huge proportions, with a single eye at the centre of his forehead, usually described as a one-eyed giant. The island where they are thought to have dwelt is a remote part of Sicily, where they lived in caves and eating raw flesh of any kind (including human), and also keeping goats and sheep. They led a fairly solitary existence.
Polyphemus is best remembered for the role he took in Homer's epic poem the Odyssey when he captures the Greek hero Odysseus. The story unfolds as Odysseus and twelve of his crew, on their way home from the Trojan War, land on the island of the Cyclopes in search of provisions. Odysseus and his men came across the cave of Polyphemus, and went inside hoping to steal food while Polyphemus was away tending his flock. Being inquisitive, Odysseus wanted to see what a Cyclops looked like, so they hid in the cave until Polyphemus returned.

That evening, Polyphemus herded his flock of sheep and goats into his cave and, for safekeeping, rolled a huge boulder across the entrance, not knowing the Greeks were inside. On seeing the one-eyed giant. Odysseus and his men gasped in disbelief, giving away their hiding place. Polyphemus rushed forward and killed two of the men, then devouring them both for his dinner, he then fell fast asleep. Odysseus relished the thought of killing Polyphemus, but knowing full well he and his men could never remove the boulder from the cave entrance, conceived a plan on how to escape. On waking the next morning Polyphemus caught two more of Odysseus' men, and ate them both for breakfast. He then rolled back the boulder, allowing just enough room for his flock to get out, then rolling the huge rock back into place, leaving the Greeks inside ready for his next meal.

Odysseus set his men to work on sharpening a stout pole, which they did, and then hiding it ready for that evening. As dusk grew close Polyphemus returned, again rolling back the boulder and letting in his flock. He then caught two more Greeks, killed them and ate them raw. After consuming both men he spoke to Odysseus asking, "what is your name", Odysseus' reply was "Outis" (in Greek this means "nobody"). As part of the plan, Odysseus offered Polyphemus a full goatskin of wine and when he had finish the last drop, and feeling a little drunk, Polyphemus fell fast asleep. This was the time to take action, Odysseus and four of his men brought out the pole, which they had sharpened, and with one great thrust plunged the point into Polyphemus' eye, pushing it deep, to ensure it made him totally blind. The agonizing pain made Polyphemus scream out, so loud in fact that it brought the neighboring Cyclopes to see what was wrong. "Who is hurting you" asked the other Cyclopes, Polyphemus screamed "nobody is hurting me", (which is why Odysseus said was his name was "Outis"). Tthinking his screams were a punishment from the gods, the other Cyclopes went away.

At daybreak Polyphemus rolled the great boulder from the mouth of the cave to let out his flock, but being totally blind, and knowing the Greeks would try to escape, he felt each animal as he let it pass. Odysseus and his men held on to the belly of a ram, and, one at a time escaped from the cave. They quickly ran to their ship, taking with then part of the flock. Once aboard, Odysseus taunted Polyphemus by telling him his true identity, and Polyphemus, realizing he had been tricked hurled rocks at the ship, trying to smash its hull to pieces. When Odysseus had made his escape, Polyphemus prayed to his father asking him to send a curse, and throughout the rest of Odysseus' journey home Poseidon was his enemy.


-- from www.pantheon.org

Still up solely because my socks and underwear are drying. I was going to start another book on American politics, but I've been so saturated, I needed to turn to more eternal themes. I started Masks of God: Oriental Mythology by Joseph Campbell. I think of the many great thinkers of modern times who I wished I could have taken a class with, Campbell would be one.

"Sure they lost the San Francisco mayoral runoff on Tuesday (it wasn't even close). But while the Greens may not have perfected the art of winning elections, they're pretty deft at helping Democrats lose them."
I took these two sentences from the blurb on a story on Nader's consideration to run for President in 2004, posted in the Politics section of CNN Online. Yes, folks, the fine objective media at work. Let's not only lie about the SF mayoral runoff results... the actual results were Gavin Newsom (Dem) 123,832 over Matt Gonzales (Green) 110,795. That's right 13,000 votes or about 5 percent. And this is what some online newshack at CNN calls not even close... and then we'll indict Nader and the Greens for costing Democrats elections, even if the one said election was lost due to Supreme Court interference and all-out voter fraud. CNN, the most trusted name in news. Riiiiight.

6 days since my last post. I'd like to make some excuse that appeals to my natural state of laziness, but I really just wanted to experience without commenting my new life. I've had a naked sick woman soaking in tea in the bathroom. I've trimmed the back of the Woman's head, I've had five people in my room at once to watch a movie on the God TV. I've watched my cat rumble with the Woman's cat, and my cat take the upper hand most of the time. I've seen the Cascades off in the distance, clean and white. I've stood on the front porch in fuzzy bearclaw slippers and watched the rain come down in sheets at midnight. I've had the Woman cry on my shoulder when one of her beloved birds got sick. I've cooked meatloaf for three. I've made my room my own.
I guess, no matter how much I tried to convince myself otherwise, I did expect that when I moved here and out from under my father's generous auspices that my life would be radically different instantaneously, with a whirlwind of huge new experiences and adventures that would awaken my true self. The truth is that the truth of my new life is found in small moments of action, both mundane and abruptly intense.

Sorry, interrupted to watch another round of my cat versus the current top house cat. It was the Thrilla in Manila.

I need to retool my senses, hot-wire them into my instinct, and then filter it back through the reason. Let life come as life is, simple most of the time, complex beyond its bounds.

Select Definitions from The American Heretic's Dictionary (by Chaz Bufe):

"FREE ENTERPRISE, n. A system in which a few are born owning billions, most are born owning nothing, and all compete to accumulate wealth and power. If those born with billions succeed, it is due to their personal merits. If those born with nothing fail, it is due to their personal defects."

"GOVERNMENT, n. Organized extortion, coercion, and violence, the purpose of which is to protect us from unorganized extortion, coercion, and violence."

"WAGE LABOR, n. 1) Death on the installment plan; 2) The process by which those who work enrich those who don't. "

"It is inhuman. The rooster's neck or nose or wing is broken or it dies. But we Iraqis are used to blood and force"

Thia Sayyid
Cockfighting enthusiast

from "Cockfighting Rules the Roost in Iraq" on today's English.Aljazeera.Net

Quiet afternoon, especially since I overslept once again and nobody is about. I think J and M are packing downstairs. I'm still adjusting to the notion that other people in the same living space as I have different schedules than me. I'm so used to time matching only my personal reality. Least the "atmosphere" of the house has eased from its can be cut with a spoon surreality. Yet, With J and M getting their apartment and moving as quickly as they can, I'm not sure how much of the base issues that are just being band-aided by their departure have really been dealt with. I'm feeling my lack of personal experience in in-house politics. The only one I've ever politiced with is Alacrity, and him being a cat and all, he always wins any debate. I still feel badly because I know that I did fall into taking sides, stepping behind the Woman, and not being very friendly or positive as I could be to J and M. It's hard to know I have so much to learn yet, when I've spent so much time invested in my belief in how much I know. Damn if I don't feel very Socratic at the moment.

"Knowledge is proud that he has learn’d so much;
Wisdom is humble that he knows no more.
Books are not seldom talismans and spells."
- William Cowper

2 days until the San Francisco run-off election that could put a Green mayor in City Hall. Any of you Bay Area readers (if you exist,) better get out there and vote for Gonzales.