Blog

I am not a fan of sports. I am not a big Black Lives Matter fanatic (although I do support it. It’s just one of the major issues that need to be addressed right now, and since I’m not black, it’s not at the top of my list. I am all behind those who go out there and rally for it though.). I am a big fan of being patriotic. I’m also a big fan of rules. And as a Discordian, I am a big fan of breaking those rules, in ways that cause discord and confusion.

So while looking at this issue with the NFL today, I was just thinking, “Wow okay now Trump is trying to distract us all from something massive, but it’s cool how he’s making everyone crazy.” It’s kind of neat in a way. I’m really looking forward to the fallout on this because it’s going to shake up things across every group of Americans. I may not like pro sports, but I am definitely in the minority.

So I let it go, no sense in responding to stuff on Facebook. This is pretty much a clear case of either you support the player’s freedom of speech, or you don’t. It seems pretty black and white. But then a friend of mine posts up a supposed section of the NFL rulebook that covers this and although it fully supports their beliefs that they the protesters are in violation of NFL rules.

First off according to the rules of operation 2017 by Roger Goodell, there are not any rules that state anything about the National Anthem. Nothing about it needing to be played. Nothing about anyone needing to be there. There is this strange Rule 5, Section 4, Article 8 spot that might make the NFL able to penalize teams for not being there, but that same rule could punish them for talking about their mother before the game. So this post of an “official rule” going around is just incorrect. Well, that is, if you base the rules on what the NFL has published at their site:

http://operations.nfl.com/media/2725/2017-playing-rules.pdf

But pretend, even suppose that the rules in that post are correct. Even those rules don’t flat out deny the protestors their ability to do what they are doing. The rules being posted state:

“The National Anthem must be played prior to every NFL game, and all players must be on the sideline for the National Anthem.

During the National Anthem, players on the field and bench area should stand at attention, face the flag, hold helmets in their left hand, and refrain from talking.”

We don’t need to go any further than this to cry foul, so you can just discard the next two paragraphs of the post. I’m sure you can Google it if you want (if it hasn’t been shoved down your throat by someone yet.)

The fact that the “rules” listed here do not even remotely read like the rules from the official playing rules should be enough for you to notice these are simply someone trying to create problems. But the main point is two simple words, should and must. These rules state that the players “must” be on the sidelines. They state what the players “should” do when on those sidelines. If they could be penalized for anything, it would be not being on those sidelines. You can’t punish someone because you didn’t say they must do something and they decided they didn’t want to. This wouldn’t hold up in a court of law in any way if they pressed these people kneeling. In fact, they probably aren’t pushing for it because they don’t want a big court case brought up about that Article 8 which is what they could use to stop this behavior.

The NFL is about football. It’s about people smashing into each other and giving themselves irreparable brain damage for our amusement.It is not a political entity (despite them donating millions and millions of dollars to support the corrupt system of government we have in place. Similar to those supporting the Roman government by making the masses content while getting the victims from the people in charge of the state. How about we save that for another post though). Strangely enough, these sports are one area where we usually can put aside our differences in the political arena and just bash each other over what color of shirt you like. It’s unifying in a relatively barbaric way. Bringing politics into it is most likely going to tear the NFL apart, if not, at least cause serious issues for everyone who enjoys the sport for years to come.

I bet that, in the end, they will simply not let teams take the field until after the National Anthem has been played and will let those who want to stand for it, do it in the locker room.

But the timing of this is kind of interesting. On the verge of war with North Korea, Russia investigation is moving forward big time, and several other events give this the feeling of “look, look it’s the left hand.” while the right-hand toys with the button that can kill us all. He’s done this before, why not now. Oh, look the health care bill is coming up for a vote.

I am enjoying all this, mainly because I’m not a sports fan, but seriously people, let us do this correctly. Spreading discord and confusion is all fine, but making up poorly written fake rules and posting them to get people arguing is just lame. It’s trying to be clever but merely pointing out, in the same section, that you have no grasp on creating real chaos. If you want to build dangerous Chaos, you need an element of truth (small t there) to build on. The rules don’t say anything at all about the National Anthem so telling people rules regarding them is just a big Fail.

Now, Asking in a very public forum why there aren’t any rules about playing the National Anthem in the rule book, well that’s interesting. Does that mean the NFL isn’t patriotic and merely posing as it to cash in? There is a question that is genuine and I’m sure will cause certain people problems.

“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?” “That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat. “I don’t much care where–” said Alice. “Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat. “–so long as I get SOMEWHERE,” Alice added as an explanation. “Oh, you’re sure to do that,” said the Cat, “if you only walk long enough.”

-Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Lewis Carroll

Maybe that’s where things went off. We just wanted to get somewhere, anywhere, and we thought we were on the path that would lead us to a better place.But with no map, wandering about following this idea and that concept, we’ve managed to make this world into a quagmire of nightmares and dreams. Johnny Panic runs rampant among us, and we stand around like Alice in the woods, trying to determine which way will not lead to our certain doom.

Today’s build is the Lego set “The Yellow Submarine”, based on the amazing movie featuring a bunch of really good voice actors that sounded very much like the Beatles. It was obviously a work of love by the designer, and as you can see, it’s really amazing. For a Lego build it was a bit more complicated than the Ecto-1, but a heck of a lot easier than that Delorean from “Back to the Future”. It’s even very playable, with enough room inside for all the minifigs and their items. I’ve even managed to plan out how it can be used in Brikwars effectively, in a minifig violent fashion.

But that last line might be the problem I’m having here. 1968. All we need is love. I’d like to give the world a Coke. It was the dawning of fellowship between different peoples. It was the beginning of a new world. We landed men on the moon. We began to pull out of Vietnam because we realized we really shouldn’t be over there. The last of the Boomers were moving past the old systems and striking out on their own.

What happened? How come when I look at this model on my desk, all I see is a failed realization of what could have been? The chance for it is gone and the world has been broken. Repairing it so we can be like we were 10 years ago is going to be hard, let alone 40 years. We have proven that with this last election. We have proven it by simply wandering into unknown territory, willy-nilly, without an understanding of the potential consequences. The true consequences that underlie the immediate situation.

Yes, I know most of the flower children’s dreams were stomped out when all sorts of issues happened in Berkeley. When Reagan had the People’s Park destroyed. When Skinheads started targeting the “hippies.” The Hell’s Angels security at the Altamont Free Concert. These things seemed to taint and undermine the new cultural wave of unity. As they moved into the 70’s and were integrated into the mainstream, the concepts seemed to take on a new feeling, less free and caring, more self-centered and focused on the individual. Not the individual in the sense of McGoohan’s Prisoner, not being absorbed into the collective masses, but more striving to gain everything possible and be above others at any cost.

More than likely this was due to the change in American culture. As Madeline Levine stated, “a shift away from values of community, spirituality, and integrity, and toward competition, materialism, and disconnection.” In consumerism, the trickle down theory actually works. The upper class’s tastes, lifestyles, and preferences have become the standard that all of us seem to strive towards. We attempt to purchase things that will improve our social standing, not things that will truly improve our lives.

Emulation is that core component that consumerism needs to thrive. Whether it’s the upper class we are trying to emulate by striving to achieve what we think they find desirable, or maybe it’s some subculture we are trying to ally ourselves with that requires some type of buy-in, we are all trying to emulate one another. At least on a materialistic level.

Maybe that same emulation is what is driving the Trump masses, with a religious zeal of belonging to a powerful crowd. Not one that utilizes the power for themselves but one that utilizes that power to give their leaders even more power and wealth than they already have. I think that perhaps these people are emulating the people in power because they think they will get the same power in return. I do believe, based on numerous historical situations, they will be unpleasantly surprised when the final outcome is seen.

But this model on my desk, this amazing, happy model that I wouldn’t give up unless I had to, makes me wonder. This model, the movie, the music all represented a time where people were more concerned about helping each other and enjoying life. Where did we wander off that path? Did the marketers say “Look over there. That is what you want to live, that type of life”? By making pet rocks and Jefferson Airplane t-shirts, and eventually leading us to a tea party that made no sense? Made no sense to anyone but themselves anyway.

This model is brilliant, and it shows a true love of the art of the movie and the music. But it feels like a flower in the middle of a parking lot. One that someone has put a box around and is charging money for people to look at it. It’s a trophy of consumerism, selling the carcass of the age of Aquarius, cut short by marketing, consumerism, and government rejection of open-mindedness.

Still looks damn good on my desk and the hell if I’m getting rid of it.

It’s time once again to find a place to stash my long winded rants and free up those little boxes they have for you to type into on Facebook. Granted, those boxes have a lot more space than Twitter, which is why I’ve never really used my Twitter account. It honestly seems that if you are going to post something worth talking about, 140 characters doesn’t look like enough space to get the idea across. Of course, that is my perspective, and when you look at my current on-line discussions, well, I am a bit wordy.

Prompted by my wife and the results of a horribly long post that was taken completely out of context, I decided I’d put my stuff someplace else. Not all of it. The short posts, the snarky comments, and the frustrated cries of a man suffering from rational (or delusional) thoughts will still be in those other locations. The much more complicated and reactionary stuff will go here.

While this site isn’t up yet, isn’t fully fleshed out, and woefully underpopulated of any substantial content, I’m still going to post here. What am I posting? Who knows. The site is about how we find a concept of Truth and manage working it into our life. But life is a big topic. Still, it’s the only subject that is really accurate, so there we go. Anything is up for discussion, reaction, and review. It will be examined from the viewpoint of how does it work in our primary consensual reality, as well as from a high-level view.

I also plan on running a live podcast for people who are interested in more real-time discussions of the topics I want to examine. I strive to be as nonpartisan as possible and think a conversation with multiple views on any situation are not only desirable, but also necessary. Without the difference in opinions, we limit our successes in most areas of life. Some of the first topics I want to cover are minimum wage, potential conflicts with China, the disconnect between perceived and practiced dogma in religion, and why does D&D 5th seem to not suck when reading it, but when you play it, well, it just feels not that good.

If I directed you over here from one of my other rants on the net, congratulations on actually stopping by. There should be something new here every day, but then again this is me, and life is life. Occasionally things that seem set in stone change, and maybe this blog might be a good catalyst to motivate me to do more with my life. Maybe it will wind up another archived WordPress site floating in the now non-neutral Net.

As both Gandalf and Gollum said, “We shall see, we shall see.”