From Sitting, To Down On One Knee, To Head-In-Hand,...

Anybody who thinks I don't know what "humble" means doesn't know my readers:

There was an essay written years ago--that I've been unable to find again--by John Garvey, called "Thinking in Packages". In it, Garvey posits that in public discourse we reach a place where people stop thinking and instead trade opinions, informed or not, as tokens of membership in a group. You meet someone, so you hand them a token—“I’m a vegetarian”, say—and because that token puts you in the group, they can then safely assume that you are liberal, pro-choice, not racist, hate Monsanto, back alternative energy, and hate Rush Limbaugh. No thinking required. Or you could say, “2nd amendment makes sense to me.” And that makes you a tea party conservative who hates Obama, wants the government reduced to delivering mail, and weeps every night before a picture of Brietbart. 

The debates then get wired that way, and it is so uncool to actually look at Obama (or Bush) and to compare the words that come out of his mouth with what he actually does, because (in the mind of the masses) that violates the contract. Hey! You said you are for racial equality and civil liberties! How can you be critical of Obama? Or, “Hey! You said you think liberty is being eroded. How can you oppose Bush?” 

It’s a sucker’s game, like three card monte. The only way to win is to refuse to play. Ignore the chattering. Lies are lies, big or small. Truth is truth. 

Why I enjoy your blog. I don’t always agree with you, but you’re hauling water for nobody. And today, that is so fucking refreshing it takes the breath away.

I've said too many times, I don't expect my friends to agree with me, but to do exactly what's been done right there:  

Respect an honest disagreement, don't fret over how it's phrased, and - please - tell me something, you know, that I don't (never heard the "packets" idea before. Except for, my friend, Shock G's "sex packets" - hee!).

The last thing is, if you can't understand something, ask - don't attack.

The results are always better.

So, "Thank You," to Mr. Trumble and all of you - I'm flattered and honored and humbled - and I'll keep doing the best I can, with what I've got to work with, until we all get what we want. (That's MY utopian dream,...) Music will still be coming soon, too: 

 I didn't count on the technical difficulties (AND exhaustion) when I started this,...