Thank you for the commentary, Tereza. I am honored and a bit humbled.
It was the best Second Christmas ever. Nephew and Niece's boyfriend went skiing and snowshoeing with me. They truly enjoyed it. It was a very pleasant weekend and everyone felt good about it, the feeling I think still lingering. I gave my mom some flowering tulips for Valentines, and she gave me a card telling me how thankful she is that I am here.
I have sat in many men's circles the last 15 years. There are many men hungry for an ongoing conversation about manhood, and fellowship with good men. I am planning a few posts on archetypes important for men, but also I am looking forward to documenting the orchard I am building, the garden and the swimming hole. But just lately, not a little furious at the chaos arrangers masquerading as the adults-in-the-room running America, I have been delving in to some rather savage satire. The one I am publishing in the morning is particularly so. I think I am at my best, writing fiction. I hope it doesn't ruin the good vibe though.
I think your term is redundant, Rob. I've been thinking that we should never refer to a country as if it's anthropomorphized, but only that country's oligarchy. It might also give us a way to talk about the Jewish oligarchy without being called anti-Semitic, but I'm not getting my hopes up.
This is spot on Tereza, I had to chuckle at your comment of the stricter boundaries of the long haulers. That is me to a tee. I am sending this episode to my kids, it is a great refresher and re enforcement of why we act the way we do or should act. Your the best!
That is so kind of you, Helene! Yes, I want to do an episode on Brene Brown. She had all kinds of good insights in the interview she did with Russell Brand. And I'd like to include Gabor Mate in that. I've done a YT on him called The Epiphany Jumpstart but then he came out with a new book called The Myth of Normal that I'm eager to read. Here's the EJ: https://youtu.be/erwJwvid4o4.
Ha Ha escaping western MD. Your funny. You know I spent 8 years living in Hagerstown and also lived in Morgantown WV for about 7 so I am very familiar with the in between there of Western MD. Many trips across the mountains. I love the mts.
Howdy neighbor! Yes, when I'd visit before, I'd have nightmares that California would drop off into the ocean with me. It was years before Cumberland had cappachino that didn't come out of a hot chocolate machine--and that's my gauge of when I've left civilization. Then, when I started going back during my parents' decline, I found it had grown up too. It has a great farmer's market, several microbreweries, an excellent direct-source bean roaster, etc. And the mountains! Living in parched climates, my eyes just drink in all that green!
So now I've kept the house and go back frequently, which I'll be doing in about a month.
After the snow melts right.? I live in St Augustine Fl now, but all the trips I made back and forth because we had businesses in both Hagerstown and Fairmont WV or because my OBGYN was in Morgantown and I lived in Hagerstown. And all the other reasons I have so many memories. We bought our sub sandwich bread for our restaurant business from a bakery in Cumberland, the name was caperale's. One of the trips a car motor seized up right in cumberland and well we wound up leaving it there permanently with a mechanic. Obviously it wasn't of much value and the mechanic lied to us. Long story right. I'm laughing just thinking about.
I remember getting a freak snow storm in April on one of my visits. I'd just bought Ramp Hollow: the Ordeal of Appalachia and spent whole days reading. Such a luxury!
But I am hoping to power wash the house and see if I can live with the baby blue vinyl siding, if I stain the new porch something interesting. I'm thinking to AirBnB it so I have an excuse to keep it and go back. But you're welcome there anytime you get nostalgic and need a break from FL ;-)
A long time ago, when the earth was still green, and there more kinds of animals....
Okay, not that long ago. In my excursion into getting a general studies degree with an economics minor, I took a sociology course. Be patient, this does have a small and interesting link to one of the tiny questions you asked about our society having stolen away children's skill sets. And it also goes to early predictive anti-male/patriarchal programming and the associated denigration if not vilification of male energy. (I'm also subscribed to WHD.) The essay was to examine the effects of industrialisation on the family. What a great topic, and I was a somewhat mature student at the time, having gone back to university after about ten years of working in the (delusional) corporate real world. It was clear by the nature of the class lectures and associated notes that industrialisation was bad bad bad.
Many recognised that the family could be considered to have 6 basic functions; procreation, economic, sexual, values education, community, safety. (These vary a little by number and specifics depending on the sociologist.) It was clear to me that industrialisation had improved five of the six. The one it had hurt was values education for their children because with industrialisation the child became a cost, not an asset, and was not given skills that were required by or that assisted the family's economic health. Once the child became a cost, it was the end of them being given a skill - it was a distraction and, in a very 'racist way', the future butt of humour. Actually, equivalent to hate speech. I got a bad mark, bad guy for daring to question the prof's ideology. I appealed the grade the TA had given me. In his notes the professor wrote: well written and research, with strong supportable arguments. and upped my grade by 0.5.
Our society is a misopaedic one. And not just sexually. Our misopaedic nature has given free rein to the abuse and disappearance of millions(?) of children every year. And that our current 'valuation' had taken away the possibility of things like initiation into manhood or even womanhood. (Both genders are pretty much fucked over as children in all ways.) Why would we spend time and money initiating our cost burdens? Buy them a phone or a car and hope that we don't get stuck with their school bill.
And a weird synchronicity with me: that is linked to 'tonic' masculinity in some odd way. It is my male body which has, at the age of 63, been growing muscle mass without a change of my yoga practice 'exercise' and a bit more walking. I have now expanded resilience and strength and have become more physically a 'man'. Why? In a sense my yoga practice and work with the energy therapist have recently been focused on resuscitating or perhaps, more likely, actually energising for the first time, my 'natural' masculine energy which had been by family and our culture, completely negated. I left home completely emasculated and spend 37 years with a narcissist who I weakly/meekly/nicely and unskilfully allowed to abuse me because I was the nice caregiver.
These measurable and visible — a meditator in my group commented on Wednesday how I had filled out my shirt — changes are largely arising from my having continued to expand the skills of breath, yoga, and 'proper' diet with the yogic practices of strengthening and harmonising/integrating my masculine/feminine energies. I laugh with my energy healer therapist that I spent about thirty years working on fixing my broken anima and totally ignored fixing non-existent masculinity. It has no value in our culture, after all, so why would I?
And I'll end with something remarkable to me and my somatic-energy therapist who has been helping me with these changes for a few months and has seen and touched the changes: she says that I have lost 25 years of age from my body as well as entering into a balanced and energised masculinity. And that was confirmed a few weeks later when I was able to easily pace a trained 21year old mountain climbing athlete when we shared a short walk up a steep and safe climb behind my home. 'How old **ARE** you?' he asked at one point.
Agreed on all points, Guy. Children are considered a luxury accessory, not an asset to the household. William is doing great work in that direction of male initiation and mentoring.
Remember Elvira Mistress of the Dark? Now think State Department and Victoria Nuland - the Dark Mistress of State. Except Elvira never harmed anyone and was a cheeky ingenue for grade B horror flicks. Vicky is another story but it's still a horror show.
Banish that thought, Jerry! You can't compare the cool svelte Elvira to the queen toad of Ukraine. Watch the video, if you haven't, and be amazed at the parallels to Dolores Umbridge. It's the cloyingly sweet, fuzzy-sweatered matriarch of torture chambers. Oooooh, do we need to pull out another teensy-weensy toesie-nail? This little piggy went to market ... The woman gives me shudders.
Thank you for the commentary, Tereza. I am honored and a bit humbled.
It was the best Second Christmas ever. Nephew and Niece's boyfriend went skiing and snowshoeing with me. They truly enjoyed it. It was a very pleasant weekend and everyone felt good about it, the feeling I think still lingering. I gave my mom some flowering tulips for Valentines, and she gave me a card telling me how thankful she is that I am here.
I have sat in many men's circles the last 15 years. There are many men hungry for an ongoing conversation about manhood, and fellowship with good men. I am planning a few posts on archetypes important for men, but also I am looking forward to documenting the orchard I am building, the garden and the swimming hole. But just lately, not a little furious at the chaos arrangers masquerading as the adults-in-the-room running America, I have been delving in to some rather savage satire. The one I am publishing in the morning is particularly so. I think I am at my best, writing fiction. I hope it doesn't ruin the good vibe though.
Also, John Michael Greer has an ongoing discussion on re-enchanting the world, absolutely worth reading starting with this one: https://www.ecosophia.net/the-nature-of-enchantment/
Nuland reminds me of the harkonens from the original Dune movie.
Toxic oligarchy.
I think your term is redundant, Rob. I've been thinking that we should never refer to a country as if it's anthropomorphized, but only that country's oligarchy. It might also give us a way to talk about the Jewish oligarchy without being called anti-Semitic, but I'm not getting my hopes up.
Sooner or later people are gonna stop clinging to their identity as protection.
Then, we can see the real issue.
The rentier parasite class vs the rest of us.
Until then, I sit back and watch the stupid arguments lol.
Thanks Tereza. Good inspirations. To Sacred Humanity!
Tereza, this is a great tribute to William Hunter Duncan. I like his thinking/writing, too.
Thank you Sharine, I thought I had seen you in his comment thread. It was a fun episode to make. I appreciate you subscribing and reading my work!
Your enthusiasm is inspiring, and I enjoy reading and watching you share your unique perspectives, dot-connecting, use of language, and insights!
This is spot on Tereza, I had to chuckle at your comment of the stricter boundaries of the long haulers. That is me to a tee. I am sending this episode to my kids, it is a great refresher and re enforcement of why we act the way we do or should act. Your the best!
That is so kind of you, Helene! Yes, I want to do an episode on Brene Brown. She had all kinds of good insights in the interview she did with Russell Brand. And I'd like to include Gabor Mate in that. I've done a YT on him called The Epiphany Jumpstart but then he came out with a new book called The Myth of Normal that I'm eager to read. Here's the EJ: https://youtu.be/erwJwvid4o4.
Ha Ha escaping western MD. Your funny. You know I spent 8 years living in Hagerstown and also lived in Morgantown WV for about 7 so I am very familiar with the in between there of Western MD. Many trips across the mountains. I love the mts.
Howdy neighbor! Yes, when I'd visit before, I'd have nightmares that California would drop off into the ocean with me. It was years before Cumberland had cappachino that didn't come out of a hot chocolate machine--and that's my gauge of when I've left civilization. Then, when I started going back during my parents' decline, I found it had grown up too. It has a great farmer's market, several microbreweries, an excellent direct-source bean roaster, etc. And the mountains! Living in parched climates, my eyes just drink in all that green!
So now I've kept the house and go back frequently, which I'll be doing in about a month.
After the snow melts right.? I live in St Augustine Fl now, but all the trips I made back and forth because we had businesses in both Hagerstown and Fairmont WV or because my OBGYN was in Morgantown and I lived in Hagerstown. And all the other reasons I have so many memories. We bought our sub sandwich bread for our restaurant business from a bakery in Cumberland, the name was caperale's. One of the trips a car motor seized up right in cumberland and well we wound up leaving it there permanently with a mechanic. Obviously it wasn't of much value and the mechanic lied to us. Long story right. I'm laughing just thinking about.
Caperales! I think it's still there.
I remember getting a freak snow storm in April on one of my visits. I'd just bought Ramp Hollow: the Ordeal of Appalachia and spent whole days reading. Such a luxury!
But I am hoping to power wash the house and see if I can live with the baby blue vinyl siding, if I stain the new porch something interesting. I'm thinking to AirBnB it so I have an excuse to keep it and go back. But you're welcome there anytime you get nostalgic and need a break from FL ;-)
Thks your too sweet. Definitively keep it
The air bnb sounds like a plan. I know how you feel about that blue siding. Sherman williams has an app that may give you color ideas.
A long time ago, when the earth was still green, and there more kinds of animals....
Okay, not that long ago. In my excursion into getting a general studies degree with an economics minor, I took a sociology course. Be patient, this does have a small and interesting link to one of the tiny questions you asked about our society having stolen away children's skill sets. And it also goes to early predictive anti-male/patriarchal programming and the associated denigration if not vilification of male energy. (I'm also subscribed to WHD.) The essay was to examine the effects of industrialisation on the family. What a great topic, and I was a somewhat mature student at the time, having gone back to university after about ten years of working in the (delusional) corporate real world. It was clear by the nature of the class lectures and associated notes that industrialisation was bad bad bad.
Many recognised that the family could be considered to have 6 basic functions; procreation, economic, sexual, values education, community, safety. (These vary a little by number and specifics depending on the sociologist.) It was clear to me that industrialisation had improved five of the six. The one it had hurt was values education for their children because with industrialisation the child became a cost, not an asset, and was not given skills that were required by or that assisted the family's economic health. Once the child became a cost, it was the end of them being given a skill - it was a distraction and, in a very 'racist way', the future butt of humour. Actually, equivalent to hate speech. I got a bad mark, bad guy for daring to question the prof's ideology. I appealed the grade the TA had given me. In his notes the professor wrote: well written and research, with strong supportable arguments. and upped my grade by 0.5.
Our society is a misopaedic one. And not just sexually. Our misopaedic nature has given free rein to the abuse and disappearance of millions(?) of children every year. And that our current 'valuation' had taken away the possibility of things like initiation into manhood or even womanhood. (Both genders are pretty much fucked over as children in all ways.) Why would we spend time and money initiating our cost burdens? Buy them a phone or a car and hope that we don't get stuck with their school bill.
And a weird synchronicity with me: that is linked to 'tonic' masculinity in some odd way. It is my male body which has, at the age of 63, been growing muscle mass without a change of my yoga practice 'exercise' and a bit more walking. I have now expanded resilience and strength and have become more physically a 'man'. Why? In a sense my yoga practice and work with the energy therapist have recently been focused on resuscitating or perhaps, more likely, actually energising for the first time, my 'natural' masculine energy which had been by family and our culture, completely negated. I left home completely emasculated and spend 37 years with a narcissist who I weakly/meekly/nicely and unskilfully allowed to abuse me because I was the nice caregiver.
These measurable and visible — a meditator in my group commented on Wednesday how I had filled out my shirt — changes are largely arising from my having continued to expand the skills of breath, yoga, and 'proper' diet with the yogic practices of strengthening and harmonising/integrating my masculine/feminine energies. I laugh with my energy healer therapist that I spent about thirty years working on fixing my broken anima and totally ignored fixing non-existent masculinity. It has no value in our culture, after all, so why would I?
And I'll end with something remarkable to me and my somatic-energy therapist who has been helping me with these changes for a few months and has seen and touched the changes: she says that I have lost 25 years of age from my body as well as entering into a balanced and energised masculinity. And that was confirmed a few weeks later when I was able to easily pace a trained 21year old mountain climbing athlete when we shared a short walk up a steep and safe climb behind my home. 'How old **ARE** you?' he asked at one point.
Agreed on all points, Guy. Children are considered a luxury accessory, not an asset to the household. William is doing great work in that direction of male initiation and mentoring.
Remember Elvira Mistress of the Dark? Now think State Department and Victoria Nuland - the Dark Mistress of State. Except Elvira never harmed anyone and was a cheeky ingenue for grade B horror flicks. Vicky is another story but it's still a horror show.
Banish that thought, Jerry! You can't compare the cool svelte Elvira to the queen toad of Ukraine. Watch the video, if you haven't, and be amazed at the parallels to Dolores Umbridge. It's the cloyingly sweet, fuzzy-sweatered matriarch of torture chambers. Oooooh, do we need to pull out another teensy-weensy toesie-nail? This little piggy went to market ... The woman gives me shudders.