Love, Hate, and Ambivalence

Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain

Sep 14, 2023

Giving you a glimpse of the guy at the controls.

Note: I completed the new song I started two weeks ago. My finger-style playing was not proficient enough to share it with you. Practice is a thing and it works. By next Monday, you’ll get to hear a good version of it.

In the meantime, a reader wanted to know what makes me tick. My plan has always been to write more opinion pieces about things that catch my eye or tweak my brain. This will be a start of that.

Are you ready? Let’s get to it!

Politics

I’ll get this topic out of the way now. If you are likely to get upset at opinions you disagree with, just skip to the sections on music and movies.

“If you are not liberal when you are young, you have no heart, and if you are not conservative when you are old, you have no brain”
- ~~Winston Churchill~~ (mis-attributed - he never said it)

My political views have shifted a significantly over the past few years. And contrary to the above quote, which seems to have originated in some form with Anselme Polycarpe Batbie, a French academic, I’ve shifted to a more liberal (??) perspective (I suppose - the label is odd and limited).

I was never staunchly conservative but I grew up in middle-class suburbia and was culturally trained to believe Reagan’s trickle-down lie and that Iran was the epitome of an evil pariah that hated the US due to our freedoms.

It’s entirely likely that the dogmatically religious in Iran harbor some type of hate like that - that is the job of all flavors of religious dogmatism. Although, I suspect most Ayatollah’s use carefully crafted religious dogma as a way to garner power - just like our bible-bearing politicians here in the US.

But, with Iran, it is also likely that they’ve known that we overthrew their democracy in 1953, raped their country for oil, and for 30 years propped up and paid a weak dictator in the Shah.

In short, we’ve given Iran and many other countries good reason to distrust US motives around the world… hint: Democracy ain’t it!

When people ask if I am a Democrat or a Republican, I respond that I am a “Rational Pragmatist”. Tribalism is an intellectual death knell that requires one to be delusional with themselves and dishonest with others. It is the only way to maintain it.

That said, here are a few positions I hold:

We should have single-payer healthcare (or a strong hybrid system - like that socialist country Israel) and a robust and freely available, STEM-based, education system. This is a greedy strategy that the men and women who buy our leaders should support. Healthy and educated people make more money and, hence, spend more more money. Short-term costs (investment) for long-term societal gain.
We should have a strong military… but maybe we don’t need 750 bases in countries around the world. Note: China has less than 5. Remember Eisenhower’s warning about that Military Industrial Complex? (footnote 1)
I don’t think we need to create millionaires and billionaires on the backs of our mostly poor young men and women we send to fight, or on bombs and dead children. I know… it’s a crazy idea.
Consider: If you make money selling bombs and you are advising our leaders on how to address a testy situation in the World, it is likely, “blow that shit up!” is high on the list of options.
We can own guns with some controls and, at least as much regulation and oversight as we require for people to drive a forklift at Home Depot!
We should have real debates rather than the “you have two minutes to tell me how you would solve this major crisis” vapid popularity contests we have now. Mind you, no one would watch them - and that might be a good thing!
Anti-science, religious moralist make horrible leaders. I don’t want any leader telling me they pray and hear from God for guidance any more than I want them to shake chakra beads or get input from Zeus or their astrologist. We have human experts on issues. Am I crazy for thinking this?

For more info, go back and read, Who I Want Elected President.

Movies & TV

Pulp Fiction is my favorite movie. The Outlaw Josey Wales is another favorite. Years later I discovered it was written by the racist speech writer for George Wallace - Asa Carter (aka: Forrest Carter).
“segregation today . . . segregation tomorrow . . . segregation forever”
- yeah, the guy who wrote that little gem. :-o
Justified with Timothy Olyphant is a high water mark for TV. Elmore Leonard wrote interesting characters about interesting places. Breaking Bad may have the best character transitional development in Walter White.
Yellowstone: By the third episode I had concluded that it was a modern Western Knot’s Landing. It is lazy to have every character on the take. I mention this because so many people like it. I think it is cliché and poorly written.
South Park is brilliant! Family Guy is close behind.

That said, Deb will tell you it is extremely difficult to get me to watch a movie or a TV show. She will likely correct me on this but I believe we’ve been to 1 or 2 moves in the past seven years. We may have watched 4 or 5 movies at home in that time.

I loved Justified and Breaking Bad but I didn’t get through Season 2 of either series. And I want to… but, if the choice is play guitar, record music, go hiking, watch a documentary versus a movie or tv show, the movie or tv show loses.

Favorite Songs/Artists

This changes all the time. I used to be a Led Zeppelin super-fan in my youth. Physical Graffiti is my favorite album of theirs. The song, Night Flight, from that album - that drum rhythm.. mmm.. so good! Over time other bands took a more prominent position: Fleetwood Mac, for one.

Special mention to the recently lost, Jimmy Buffett. I grew up listening to and playing his songs often. Chanson Pour Les Petits Enfants (Song For the Little/Young Children) - very nice.

Here is a list of songs and artists I’ve been listening to lately. It will be incomplete and likely dated by the end of the day.

CAAMP: Try, By and By & All The Debts I Owe
John Craigie: Try, I Am California & Helena
Linda Ronstadt: Try, Willin & Poor Poor Pitiful Me
Willin’ was written by George Lowell. Poor Poor Pitiful Me by Warren Zevon
Tom Waits: Try, Hold On & The Heart of Saturday Night
Ray LaMontagne: Try, Empty & You Are The Best Thing
Miley Cyrus: Try Flowers
Josh Ritter: Try, Getting Ready to Get Down & On The Water
Gillian Welch: Try, Look at Miss Ohio

As I said above, the list is woefully incomplete, missing Nathaniel Rateliff, Joe Pug, and so many artists that come through my randomized play list on YouTube music.

I think I’ll include a, “What I’m listening to” in my Monday Music newsletter going forward.

Family and Such

Deb and I are in a domestic partnership. My bad joke is that it is a domestic violence partnership - which isn’t funny but sort of is between us. I’m not saying she’s ever flogged me but when we told someone that thing by the bed was a poorly made pom-pom, that wasn’t exactly true…. Just sayin’ (footnote2)

At this point, we often refer to each other as husband and wife. I am inclined to believe we’ll be married at some point. We talk about it from time to time.

The biggest misgiving is mine. It’s not about the relationship; it is, instead, a two-fold issue of over-thinking.

First, I’ve been married and divorced twice: Once for 20 years, once for about two years. The idea of a third marriage is embarrassing.

Second, I no longer have a spiritual or cultural tie to marriage as an institution. As comedian Doug Stanhope points out, “Baby, this shit we’ve got together, it’s so good, we’ve got to get the government in on this shit! We can’t just share this commitment ‘tweenst us, we need judges and lawyers involved in this shit, baby, it’s hot!!!” Said, no one ever!

Anywho.. two marriages, two divorces, four children - all from the first marriage. Plenty of mistakes on my part, no details offered.

Things I Like, Things I Don’t

Rapid-fire round:

Hiking: Like! One of my favorite things. Alone or with my dog is best. It’s always an adventure waiting to happen. Hawks, owl, deer, snakes, lizards, flowers, trees, rocks, trails, etc. Why alone? I can make it as long or as short as I feel at the moment and am not obligated to wait for or catch up to, anyone!
Coffee: Like! Sometimes I go to bed early so I can get up and have my first cup. First cup is as close to religion as I get these days.
Mornings: Like! Pre-sunrise is best. The sky, air, and solitude is amazing! I try to spot a planet every morning. As of this writing, Jupiter is the easiest and currently is about straight overhead at around 4:00am. Actually, this morning as I left the gym, I saw Venus to the East, Jupiter overhead.
Cosmology & Astrophysics: Like! I’ve been going back to listen to Carl Sagan a lot over the past few years. I’ve indicated elsewhere that his book, The Demon Haunted World, should be required reading in high-school and/or college. Actually, it should be a MUST for anyone elected to office.
Religion: Don’t Like! Sorry kids… my own foray into apologetics notwithstanding - I was curating facts in a narrow way and was, in truth, not putting self-analysis in front of asking others to self-analyze. Boo on me! I was wrong for doing this. It lacks intellectual merit. I lacked intellectual merit! (ouch!)

Neither biology nor cosmology leads us toward a better case for metaphysical beliefs - any metaphysical beliefs. Jehovah, Allah, Krishna, Crystals, Reiki, Cosmic Consciousness, The Secret (Law of Attraction), Karma, Unicorns, The Flying Spaghetti Monster, ESP, etc. etc. etc.

Let’s overlook two simple thought experiments I take the willing through.

One: Especially for fathers of daughters: Go grab a good sized rock - slightly larger than a fist. Now, imagine your daughter is not a virgin on her wedding night. Settle in because the neighbors are going to drop by for gathering. Now imagine taking that rock and repeatedly beating your daughter with it until she is dead. Wait!!! I want you to truly imagine it! Don’t turn away. That’s what God has instructed your neighbors to do to that slutty daughter of yours. And if it’s their daughter, you need to do your neighborly part in “justice!” Block party!!!

That was the best moral guidance on the issue the bible could provide? Please don’t explain it away… it’s in the book.

Two: Your child or any loved one is sick. You have two choices and only two. You can pray that God heals them or you can bring them to the best doctor for that particularly ailment. What do you do? We both know the answer. And the doctor is the right/logical choice and the one that has some ability to make the situation better. We share the same faith in that regard.

Okay, I didn’t overlook them. ;-)
The Politically Tribal: Don’t Like! A lack of intellectual honesty is the big issue here. Anytime you are able to delude yourself enough to say, “Us Good! Them Bad!” you have sacrificed true analysis. The first place to point the finger of scrutiny is at the self and your own in-group. Be honest - brutally honest - and clean that mess up first More details in future editions.
News: Don’t Like! Whether mainstream media or ideologically stinted - both easy to spot - very few journalist have the kind of honesty that Seymour Hersch does. Asking a question, even a probing or pointed question, at a news conference or presidential/political press event, is NOT the same as asking the question behind the question. Skepticism and scrutiny have been replaced with career-minded pandering.

I don’t watch any TV news. I can’t make my brain stop long enough to stomach it. I look at a few online news sources for headlines to see if anything seems particularly relevant. Then, if something seems fishy, I might dig a little deeper with some independent journalists.
Sarcasm/Snarkiness: Like! Thank or blame my mom for this. She was brutal and often made me laugh. Deb is similar. Meanest girlfriend/partner I’ve ever had. And she makes me laugh every day.

Rule: If you cannot take it, don’t dish it out. Being sarcastic without self-scrutiny is just being an asshole and a bore. Let the other person have the final word and keep it light. Also, read the room, test the waters. There are people who I do not share this particular part of myself with. If I think they are unlikely to enjoy it, it is off limits.

Now you know!

A few things about me you may or may not have known.

Did anything surprise you? Do you have a question about any of it? Want me to share more about a given topic? Do you still like me? Did you ever like me?

Matthew Moran: Music & Musings

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