Cool Writer's Group

I am now a "founding" member (Claire is the founding Founder) of the new Cool Writer's Group! I now have an integrated consortium of web thingers to work on my writing. Is this Nirvana, or what?!

My websites:

http://www.ncswede.com

http://www.steesehighway.com
http://www.steesehighway.com/review.html

My blogs:

http://www.ncswede.blogspot.com
http://www.coolwritersgroup.blogspot.com

& my group:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/coolwritersgroup/

(Note: the group is a "member by invitation only" group. You can check us out at our blog listed above.)

This'll keep me busy in my old age!

Gus aka NC Swede

Musings about an internet writers group

      I joined an internet writers group this month.
      I quit it today.
      Everything was going along fine--or so I thought--when out of the blue came all this negative stuff about people worrying if their work would be stolen or misused or ...
      What were they doing in an internet writers group with that level of paranoia?
      There were some good writers in that group, too.
      I simply am NOT interested in having that level of negativity in my life ... not about my writing.
      And I was actually looking forward to getting up early each morning and spending some time on what we were doing in the group ... then wham! bam! thank you, ma'am! and the whole synergy evaporated in an explosion of fear and paranoia ... "You know you got trouble, right here in River City, that starts with 'T' which rhymes with 'P' and that stands for Pool ... "
      Kind of irritating ... so I'm applying a little therapy and getting it off my chest here.
      What the heck, gives me more time to work on this blog where I have all these unfinished threads.
      So, like I used to sign off on my posts during my erstwhile membership in the group:

Cheers!
S.H. Gus
aka Steese Highway Gus

Letter to the New York Times Editor

Dear Editor:



Decades ago in the midst of the Vietnam War, Robert

Ardrey wrote this in his bestseller, THE SOCIAL

CONTRACT (my Fontana Library paperback edition was

first issued in 1972):



"I was writing early in 1966, when escalation of

American power in Vietnam was less than a year old and

American optimism was still a native resource.

Applying the territorial principle, I published my

conclusion that the war was unwinnable. A powerful

intruder, uninhibited by world censure, may with a

single blow annihilate a territorial defender. But an

effort to escape moral obloquy through gradual

escalation of force gives the weakest defender

opportunity to escalate his own quite incalculable

biological resources. Incapable of playing the Hitler,

we played instead evolution's fool."



We haven't learned a thing, have we. Once again we are

fighting human nature with the fervor kindled by a

religious belief. We are attacking our own mirror

image!



Think for a moment of how we would rally to the

barricades if we were attacked! Is it so strange that

the Sunni's are doing the same thing?



Ten, twenty years from now even children will wonder

how supposedly smart leaders could have been so dumb.



Regards,

N.C. Swede



Other books of interest on the subject of the biological

basis of human society are:



African Genesis

The Territorial Imperative

The Social Contract

Previous | Next | Back to Messages

A Modern Fable, Part I

A ship’s captain, newly elevated to command of a large ocean going-vessel, has made his mark in the speedy delivery of local passengers and cargo with smaller ships with the substantial assistance of a cadre of long-time subordinates (COLTS). And yes, the captain is the scion of the family that owns the shipping company, and the COLTS long ago hitched their wagons to his rising start.

The new captain decides he wants to make his mark on his very first ocean-going voyage by setting the speed record for delivery of maximum cargo tonnage—crude oil—on the route. His COLTS choose a passage that cuts the time significantly but is full of shoals and hidden reefs. They made their decision after consulting with the local shipping experts (LSEs) using the passage. And yes, this has been easy to do because the LSEs want the help of the ocean-going shipping company to get more local shipping business.

The father of the captain reminds his son that he avoided this passage when he set the record on the route several years earlier. The chief engineer, one of the COLTS, tells the newly elevated captain that he can lighten the ship speed and lessen the ship's draught, the depth of the hull in the water, so not to worry. The chief engineer then chooses a single hull ship for the voyage and gets rid of enough life boats to meet his requirements. And yes, when questioned, he simply asserts, "We're not going to run into anything."

The new captain announces his plans to all the people in the company who need to know, some of whom are not COLTS. The need to know others (NTKOs) include individuals with long experience in sailing the waters of this route. And yes, they express serious concerns about the shoals and hidden reefs in this particular passage which they know are there—but not exactly where because not all of them are adequately marked on the route’s charts. And yes, they also wonder about using a single hull ship and not having enough lifeboats.

The COLTS poo-poo the cautionary advice of the NTKOs by pointing to the assertions of the LSEs. These experts say they know where all the shoals and reefs are, and will guide the large ocean-going vessel along its route. Besides, the weather forecast is perfect for the length of the voyage. The newly elevated captain believes his COLTS and the LSEs rather than the NTKOs. And why not? The COLTS have made him what he is.

The ship sails, loaded with cargo, and attempts the passage full of shoals and hidden reefs. And yes, it runs aground. But it doesn’t sink—not yet.

Not to worry! The new captain justifies his attempt to sail through the passage by stating that the LSEs said they could guide the ship around the shoals and hidden reefs. So it’s not HIS fault. And yes, because the ship doesn’t sink right away, the captain continues on course … in part because the ship can’t turn around or back up without sinking on the spot—or so the COLTS say. The NTKOs are not so sure. The LSEs pursue contracts to shift the cargo and lighten the ship.

And no, running the ship aground is not enough to remove the captain from his post—if the captain is the offspring of the owners of the shipping company AND has an excuse. Even the NTKOs know this.

But what if the ship sinks? Will the captain go down with his ship?

Then the weather forecast changes ... a storm approaches ... the grounded vessel starts taking the pounding of the storm's fury ... the captain exhorts his crew to hang on ... from the shore ...

Part II coming up ... The slipping state of the ship.

Raking leaves ...

I raked leaves with a Toro electric blower this past weekend.

I played little games,
first making rows,
moving leaves around in small swirling maelstroms of wind,
the leaves floating and fluttering and drifting along.
Then I herded the rows into piles.

At my age nothing is more important than this,
being active doing what needs to be done,
without a sense of obligation to anything
beyond what is in front of me.

And I thought about it.

Reality is like a huge ocean,
extending forever in time and space.
The horizon is always beyond my reach,
except through the ripples and waves I create where I am.

I can move in harmony with others,
amplifying our efforts,
or I can splash around.

Sometimes it is necessary to be disruptive.
Other times it is better to move in harmony.
Knowing when to do what,
is wisdom.
Doing it,
is courage.

I thought about these things as I raked the leaves
and changed the universe.

Like a butterfly moving its wings.

Hunting the Road Kill Moose, Act II, Scene 1

ACT II

SCENE 1

The Mission kitchen. A counter with moose meat is in the center. DICK is at the counter cutting the meat from the road kill into stew meat. JAKE enters.

DICK

Hey, m’man. How goes it?

JAKE goes over to the refrigerator and gets out a half-gallon of orange juice and fills a glass he takes from a cabinet. He takes a big drink from the o.j. before he talks to DICK.

JAKE

All right. How much meat did we get out of that moose?

DICK

Seven hundred pounds or so with the bones.

JAKE

Pretty good, do you think?

DICK

Pretty darn good.

DICK laughs.

DICK

(Continues)

I would have said pretty damn good, but seeing’s how you’ve moved up in the world and got religion, I’ll bridle my tongue as the good book suggests.

JAKE laughs and walks over and pats DICK on the back and then leaves his arm draped around DICK’s shoulders.

JAKE

(Continues)

Don’t go getting goofy on me now, buddy. We bunked together long enough before I took this job on.

DICK jabs JAKE playfully in the ribs with his elbow. JAKE drops his arm off DICK’s shoulders as he bends over I mock pain.

DICK

Yah, well, I know my place and it ain’t in Mission management. But I gotta hand it to you, ol’ buddy, it seems to sit well on you.

A pause

DICK

(Continues)

Seems you made quite an impression on our boy Peter.

JAKE

When did you talk with him?

DICK

He came around here just now. Said you’d turned his life around.

JAKE

He did, did he?

DICK

Yessiree, Jake, those were his exact words, Getting to know Jake has turned my life around.

JAKE

I think God had a lot to do with it, and Chaplain Stokes.

DICK

Don’t go getting modest on me. Nurturing young’uns can be pretty satisfying.

JAKE

Yes, well, I feel good about setting a good example and having a positive influence fro a change, and being part of spreading the Gospel and sinners, especially young ones, getting saved.

DICK

When you’ve been around missions as long as I have, from my end of things, let’s say I’m a wee bit more skeptical about Peter’s getting religion than you seem to be. But maybe I’m jealous. I like the kid, that’s for sure.

A pause

DICK

(Continues)

Hell, I don’t know, Jake. He’s all happy to be saved. Kinda like you were, when was it? August? Now Peter’s after me to get saved like you were. I’d like to see ‘em walk the walk a ways down the road before I put too much into their talking the talk.

A pause

DICK

(Continues)

You know, like you’ve done.

A pause

DICK

(Continues)

Oh yah, Peter was pretty excited about meeting Sarah. She’ll sure enough test his religion.

DICK shakes his head a couple of times.

DICK

(Continues)

That she will.

DICK sighs.

DICK

(Continues)

Don’t get me wrong. Sarah’s good people and Ann’s a saint in my book. Sarah’s maybe had a little too much freedom, but then she hasn’t had a father around. Who knows?

A pause

DICK

(Continues)

Christ, I’m getting old.

DICK chuckles.

DICK

(Continues)

Maybe it’s time to cover my bets and get religion.

JAKE

It’s never too late.

DICK

So if it’s never too late, maybe it’s always too early.

JAKE laughs.

JAKE

You’re not as old as me and I thank you for your insights, my friend. But you have to admit, God provided a lot of meat for the Mission.

DICK

Yah, well, you think He could of done it without killing the old couple.

I just finished reading The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff.

I recommend reading it.

Some information about the book and Taoism:

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

The Tao of Pooh

The Tao of Pooh is the title of a book by Benjamin Hoff (Penguin Books, New York: 1982, ISBN 0140067477) which is a elementary but entertaining introduction to Taoism, using the fictional character of Winnie the Pooh. Hoff has also written The Te of Piglet.

Taoism

For other uses of the words "tao" and "dao", see Tao (disambiguation) and Dao (disambiguation).

Names
Chinese:	道教
Pinyin:	Dàojiào
Wade-Giles:	Tao-chiao
The Yin-Yang or Taiji diagram, often used to symbolize Taoism.

Taoism or Daoism is usually described as an Asian philosophy and religion, although it is also said to be neither but rather an aspect of Chinese wisdom.

The Tao of Taoism

In Taoist context, the Tao (道) is the indivisible and indescribable unifying principle of the universe, from which all flows; the ever-lasting essential and fundamental force that runs through all matters in the universe, living or not. As a descriptive term, it can be taken to refer to the actual world in history — sometimes distinguished as "great Dao" — or prescriptively, as an order that should unfold — i.e., the moral way of Confucius or Lao Zi or Christ, etc. A theme in early Chinese thought is Tian-dao or 'way of nature' (also translated as 'heaven', 'sky' and sometimes 'God'). This would correspond roughly to the order of things according to natural law. Both 'nature's way' and 'great way' can inspire the stereotypical Taoist detachment from moral or normative doctrines. Thus, thought of as the course by which everything comes to be what it is (the "Mother of everything") it seems hard to imagine that we have to select among any accounts of its normative content — it therefore can be seen as an efficient principle of "emptiness" that reliably underlies the operation of the universe.

Taoism is a tradition that has, with its traditional counterpart Confucianism, shaped Chinese life for more than 2,000 years. Taoism places emphasis upon spontaneity and teaches that natural kinds follow ways appropriate to themselves. As humans are a natural kind, Taoism emphasises natural societies with no artificial institutions. Often skeptical and being ironic on human values as morality, benevolence and proper behavior, Taoist writers don't share the Confucian belief in civilization as a way to build a better society; they rather share the will to live alone in mountains with wild animals, or as simple peasants in small autarchic villages.

For many Chinese educated people (the Literati), life was split into a social part, where Confucian doctrine prevailed, and a private part, with Taoist aspirations. Home, night-time, exile or retirement were good occasions to cultivate Taoism and, say, re-read Lao Zi's and Zhuang Zi's books. This part of life was often dedicated to arts like calligraphy, painting, poetry or personal researches on antiquities, medicine, folklore and so on.

Sources of Taoism

Traditionally, Taoism has been attributed to three sources:

• The oldest, the mythical "Yellow Emperor";
• the most famous, the book of mystical aphorisms, the Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching), said to be written by Lao Zi (Lao Tse), who, according to legend, was an older contemporary of Confucius;
• and the third, the works of the philosopher Zhuang Zi (Chuang Tse).
• Other books have developed Taoism, as the True Classic of Perfect Emptiness, from Lie Zi; and the Huainanzi compilation.
• Additionally, an original source of Taoism is often said to be the ancient I Ching, The Book Of Changes or related divinatory practises of prehistoric China.

The Dao De Jing

Main article: Dao De Jing

The Dao De Jing (or Tao Te Ching, The Book of the Way and its Power) was written in a time of seemingly endless feudal warfare and constant conflict. According to tradition (largely rejected by modern scholars), the book's author, Lao Zi, was a minor court official for an emperor of the Zhou dynasty. He became disgusted with the petty intrigues of court life, and set off alone to travel the vast western wastelands. As he was about to pass through the gate at the last western outpost, a guard, having heard of his wisdom, asked Lao Zi to write down his philosophy, and the Dao De Jing was the result. Lao Zi was reflecting on a way for humanity to follow which would put an end to conflicts and strife. This is the original book of Taoism. The scholarly evidence (buttressed by a cluster of recent archeological finds of versions of the text) was that the text was taking shape over a long period of time in pre-Han China and circulated in many versions and edited collections until standardized shortly after the Han.

Taoist philosophy

• From the Way arises one (that which is aware), from which awareness in turn arises the concept of two (yin and yang), from which the number three is implied (heaven, earth and humanity); finally producing by extension the entirety of the world as we know it, the myriad things, through the harmony of the Wuxing. The Way as it cycles through the five elements of the Wuxing is also said to be circular, acting upon itself through change to affect a cycle of life and death in the ten thousand things of the phenomenal universe.
• Act in accordance with nature, and with finesse rather than force.
• The correct perspective should be found for one's mental activities until a deeper source is found for guiding one's interaction with the universe (see 'wu wei' below). Desire hinders one's ability to understand The Way (see also karma), and tempering desire breeds contentment. Taoists believe that when one desire is satisfied, another, more ambitious desire will simply spring up to replace it. In essence, most Taoists feel that life should be appreciated as it is, rather than forced to be something it is not. Ideally, one should not desire anything, not even non-desire.
• Oneness: By realizing that all things (including ourselves) are interdependent and constantly redefined as circumstances change, we come to see all things as they are, and ourselves as a simple part of the current moment. This understanding of oneness leads us to an appreciation of life's events and our place within them as simple miraculous moments which "simply are".
• Dualism, the opposition and combination of the Universe's two basic principles of Yin and Yang is a large part of the basic philosophy. Some of the common associations with Yang and Yin, respectively, are: male and female, light and dark, active and passive, motion and stillness. Taoists believe that neither side is more important or better than the other; indeed, neither can exist without the other, as they are equal aspects of the whole. They are ultimately an artificial distinction based on our perceptions of the ten thousand things, so it is only our perception of them that really changes. See taiji.

Wu Wei

Much of the essence of Tao is in the art of wu wei (action through inaction; the uncarved block). However, this does not mean, "sit doing nothing and wait for everything to fall into your lap". It describes a practice of accomplishing things through minimal action. By studying the nature of life, you can affect it in the easiest and least disruptive way (using finesse rather than force). The practice of working with the stream rather than against it is an illustration; one progresses the most not by struggling against the stream and thrashing about, but by remaining still and letting the stream do all the work.

Wu Wei works once we trust our human "design," which is perfectly suited for our place within nature. In other words, by trusting our nature rather than our mental contrivances, we can find contentment without a life of constant striving against forces real and imagined.

One could apply this to political activism. Rather than appeal to others to take action for a certain cause--regardless of its importance or validity--one would instead understand that simply by believing in the cause, and letting their belief manifest itself in their actions, one is bearing their share of the burden of their social movement. Going with the flow, so to speak, with the river (which in this case is a societal mindset).