My dreams last night were really disturbing. Not because they started with a zombie invasion and ended with an Indian massacre (I was an Indian), but because of how nonchalantly these inhumane travesties were treated.

I admire my upbeat spirit a bit, but mostly I just feel an unsettling realization of my unawareness around the tragedies of this world, on an intellectual and emotional level.

Okay: it's an inspiring era when I've been able to grow up with a minimum of hardship. I'd just like to appreciate the lives of my fellow humans, a bit more. I guess realizing that many things are Bigger Than Me, and Bigger Than I'll Ever Know... those are a big part of it.

How about this one?:

"Northampton, a town so lovable you could marry it... if our oppressive traditionalist government would get up to speed with the times and allow people to marry towns!!!"

Hehe.

Just being silly, and I should note that I have a warm place in my heart for equality and activism.

I'm a... Flying Castle.



You seem dense liek rocks with yur head in teh clouds.

"Hey, could sum1 go out and get sum milk, maybe a few practical household supplies?"

"Not right now, I'm polishing teh dragonzzzzzzzzz!!!!!!!1 lol"

Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.

Hi.

Here are some ideas for a better nation.  We can do them in one of our existing countries, or build a bubble city under the sea.  Whatever works for you.

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Lobbies

Do you know who owns your government?  It's probably not you.  It's a bunch of strangers you've never met before with suitcases full of shiny things.  "But how can I fight the power of shiny things?!?" you may ask.  Believe you can, first up.  Our forefathers were on the right track, and we can be too.  The point is: lobbies are great, but checks and balances should ensure that the biggest lobby is always, always, always: the people.

President

Hehe!  What a funny idea.  We're still into mascots.  What kind of mascot would you like?  Probably someone that is virtuous, intelligent, and even witty.  Too bad, you only get to choose between two mediocre puppets that are the lapdogs of the millionaires promoting them.  Good, honest corruption.  Corruption that is part of the system, so what do we expect?  But picture this:

What if we held a job interview for the position that judged which candidates were actually qualified for the job?  First of all, forget campaign spending.  A candidate that is caught spending a single cent is immediately disqualified, even arrested.  Instead, picture a rigorous series of tests that judge political science knowledge, historical knowledge, cultural awareness, and contemporary trends.  The government will portion an equal amount of time and money for candidates to reach the people, and sanctioned debates will be held in the same spirit.

Voting on Issues

"Democracy" means that the government is comprised of the people.  Have you ever played a role in the government?  Really?  Voting on candidates is really cute, but how about some attention to the people and  the issues, and a little less of all the red tape between them.  No candidate reflects your views, and voting for any guy is sending an inarticulate message about what you want accomplished.   Imagine being able to speak your mind on where you want to steer the world, instead of which candidate you hope might support your views.

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Ta da.  It's a start.  I'll get to work on that bubble city, now.

Remember that scene when Lancelot valiantly slays his way through the wedding party to save some damsel who really didn't need it and who wasn't really a damsel?  That's the image that came to my mind when reflecting upon America in Iraq.

I won't pretend to know a lot about politics, but it is hard to image freedom at gunpoint.  Maybe we're having trouble nurturing and cultivating because we're a little frantic, but I still think we may salvage things well enough if we get real with ourselves and work together. 

It's only a flesh wound?

Oh! First came a scene on a baseball field with Shane Day and Phil Spring's little brother.  I was congratulating Shane on getting in the paper for being in the top six.  But one of them punched the other.  Then the other punched back, really hard.  I had to separate them, and shouted "fighting is the single most stupid thing we human beings can do", and it really did feel that simple.

Oh! This started in a bookstore.  This funky book chick was making orgasmic sigh noises while talking about books.  She said she sold more that way.  I gave her private advice: that her face belied how little she really cared.  It was well meant and well received.

Oh, there was a part with me being thankful for being born when I was, so that I could see the dawn of computers, but also great advances.  Then I was in Grampa's study playing a game with Ern and we were driving robots through head-on traffic or something.  Getting fully dressed before my grampa came by, of course.

So I saw the queen. Her car got caught up on the palace doors for a moment, but I bowed as best as I could. So did a number of British notables, and a guy (who I'm saying is Oliver Cromwell, but was simply some old white guy I "recognised") bowed and looked my way confidingly.

After that, an acting teacher rounded up the civilians on the stairs for acting class. Arrested Development's Tobias was there (and for the record he's a total poser). The teacher was Tony Soprano. He made fun of Tobias for saying "thank you" for 20 mins during a radio interview. He has his assistants run over a guys mechanical pencil, and he tauntingly handed each piece back separately. He asked a guy to get him coffee, and then poured the cream on his head.  This whole scene was as funny as it sounds.

8 Reflection
7 Peace
7 Strife

Last night I dreamed I was in Canadia, and I was in a lunch line at a school or something. I started to get some cereal, and someone explained that I needed three votes of confidence from strangers to get through the lunch line. I made friends with a lot of strangers, as I asked for lunch votes.

The chicken fillets stuffed with jelly looked delicious.

Heh.

My dream last night was sprawling, vast, and nonsensical, but there's one part I'm fond of.

Outside my window were two little mice reared up on their haunches, conferring with each other. They were wearing tiny little ninja outfits. Suddenly, they scurried towards the house...

Good god, it feels good to have a coherent space again.  That was driving me rabid monkey mad. 

Welcome, Spring.  Come on in.

Heh.