Pit And Summit

It's a ref to Rod Serling's opening narrative for the first season of Twilight Zone.

That mystical area is declared to exist between the 'pit of Man's fears and the summit of his knowledge.

And it is ignored while either fear is exploited and knowledge is misplaced.

There seems to be no in between. It's simpler that way. Keep em scared or inflate em with bogus concepts. Keep em busy arguing without logic. It's the old 'my mind is made up, don't bother me with the facts' bit.

The wondrous land of imagination is left hanging in the wind, lest people think for themselves and see that signpost up ahead where they might be inspired.

Face your fears and learn, bridging those points of humanity with what lies between.

Like many a Twilight Zone ep, you just might turn the tables on the boogie man -s-.

Monsters Are Due

I've been rewatching the original Twilight Zone. As a kid, it stimulated my imagination and thinking and still does.

The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street is a classic. Then again there are few eps I don't at least like.

It's a prime example of how fear and division makes and keeps people controlled.

On a typical Saturday in the suburban community, the folks on Maple Street are going about their weekend chores. All of a sudden, There is a strange sound and shadow in the sky. Shortly after, all mechanical things cease to function. One of the folks volunteers to go elsewhere and see what happened. Meanwhile, the rest are trying to puzzle out what caused the power failure.

The situation quickly deteriorates as neighbor accuses neighbor of being complicit with what is swiftly seen as 'alien' interference. Doubts, fears and paranoia run amok.

Any difference, any peculiarity is seizerd upon as proof that someone was 'in' on the conspiracy.

They shoot and kill the guy who had ventured out, thinking he must be an invader.

Yhis attitude grows as we pan out to a hill overlooking Maple Street. Two aliens are discussing what they had started by cutting the power. It's determined the Earthmen would be easily conquered with a consistent pattern of sewing fear and distrust among the people.

Sound familiar?

Stand fast and don't be fooled.

It's why we are not yet slaves.

Yet.

It will be the few who stop the wave of the real monsters.

Masada

History is tricky. It can be rewitten to suit any taste. That's why one should dig, research and especially don't just take someone's word for something unless it's documented.

There has been an ongoing debate about weather the defenders of the Jewish fortress at Masada actually killed themselves or they fought dying. Underneath is an attempt to sap some of the resolve, the inner strength of the Israeli nation.

History sometimes assume legendary and even mythic proportions in relation to it's goal. Forgotten are all the ins and outs, the people and what drove them etc.

The Romans didn't wear down the Jews. They built a ramp to the gates and rammed through. They found every man, woman and child dead (though there was a handful of survivors).

It is taken as fact that all were killed by their own hands. Parents killed kids, wives and sleves and so on.

Then came the story the Romans wiped them out. To me, either ending is valiant in the sense that the Jews would rather die than be enslaved.

The underlying motive aforementioned reminds me of the tearing down of the Founders and pointing out flaws and suggesting it was a plot to install elitists. Everything has been done to undermine our beginning and it would appear the same is happening to Israel.

In suggesting the myth is busted and the 'real' reasons are exposed, those who hate Freedom are shortsighted. They think they have rewritten history in the matrix of socialism. They are wrong.

Many flaws exist to Mankind. And our myths are mistaken as attempts to do our own revision.

It is natural to romanticize. The only thing to remember is that something really happened. And all the more, what was accomplished.

Masada as the Alamo for example, gave purpose and positive encouragement to our respective peoples.

It is the spirit of Freedom that survives any interp of history.

They cannot destroy ideas. They try. But Freedom rises from the mists of time and lives.

How we are looked at someday should be interesting.

Let it be as those who wish to and have restored Freedom.

Charley Red Dog

I love the old Western series. My faves are Have Gun Will Travel and Wanted: Dead Or Alive.

I've been rewatching HGWT. And I wasn't surprised by what I saw. Just pissed.

Charley Red Dog was a young Indian. He aspired to be a US Marshal and took a correspondnece course. Hmm. Kinda like a crackerjack badge, I guess.

I take it the Indian angle was to raise sympathy with Paladin helping him defend his cause as the champion of the underdog, or something.

Red Dog is interested in 'bringing the law' to a lazy community which apparently isn't concerned with protecting itself. Of course, they aren't gung ho about an Indian lawman either.

All this and the rest of the message aside, the thing that made my blood boil was Charley's insistance everyone turn their guns in, while in town. Uhuh. That correspondence course must have left out the Bill of Rights. Even Paladin gave over his gun, though he secreted his derringer.

When the bad guys tried to take over inevitably, Charley fought for respect. I wouldn't help him. Then again I wouldn't give him my guns. I'd lecture him that if he were a real Marshal, he'd have taken an oath to protect and defend the Constitution. That would include understanding the right to keep and bear arms. No one has any business taking guns and relying on one guy to defend them. Insanity.

Reminds me of that scoundrel Wyatt Earp and his thug brothers. He wanted no guns in town. That might have interfered with his scam of protection and his crooked gambling racket. In my opinion, the OK Corral was just a gang fight that Earp etal happened to win. Talk about hiding behind a badge!

Anyway, Paladin helped Charley and used his derringer to boot. Of course, Red Dog took that afterwards too. Nonsense.

Oh yes, when Paladin left town he got his guns back. Wow.

Even in the 50's, the ugly monster of the state reared its ugly head. This theme was seen on several shows, including the Rifleman. When it was proven disarming failed, even Lucas said someday civilization would come, implying no need for guns in the people's hands. Uhuh. Uh-uh.

I liked an ep of the series version of The Magnificent Seven. The town got a Brit Sheriff who made people disarm, except for the bad guys who shot him for his trouble.

Dying, he confessed to the Seven he had been wrong and they then took out the threat.

If I'd been in any of these sits, I'd tell em no, I'm keeping my god given tools of self defense. Any attempt to take them would be considered theft and dealt with accordingly.

Naturally, this is fiction and hypothetical.

But we know there are those eager to disarm us. They will get the same treatment.

The gun grabbing bozos supposedly have training and take oaths to protect and defend the Constitution. The way they act it might as well be a course like Charley's.

They are receiving more and more come uppance. We will see where it goes.

So even in the good old days the gun grabbers were laying little traps for especially kids' minds. Not mine. And not yours.

How worse til it gets better?

Gumption

Guts, initiative, drive. I hadn't heard this word for a long time. I love the sound of it.

Words don't get used like they used to be.

Yeah, the old report cards had items that were checked as well as the letter grades and a few plus/minus things.

Often, grades or not, it was reported that I lacked initiative.

Here's a big reveal to whomever peruses this. On the surface it would seem I simply had no get up and go, that I was a follower and had no inclination to lead.

Well, there is lead follow or get out of the way. Sometimes all three can apply. For even in a good leader, it is wise to listen.

The short skinny on this branding in grade school for me was simple.

Like boredom from a lack of challenging material, which on the surface could read as inability, I lacked initiative because the material limited me. I sought more and often outside school.

Life is school.

I never stop learning.

Thus, my point this time.

No matter what seems to be, seek something beyond the ordinary, outside the classroom box.

Make your own initiative. Make your own luck. Make it happen.

Get your own gumption.

Torque

The moment of actual rotation of a motor.

You know, it takes some practice to get a motor to hum. Timing. Getting everything to run in sequence and then the big when.

Yes I'm Captain Obvious.

I delayed writing this because I'm recovering from surgery. I'll post about that soon as I catch up.

I'm doing this as a result of my self imposed obligation to deliver thoughts on a regular basis.

Unison, as one or a series of flights which will it be?

I'm Not Famous

I was told by someone who is a 'celebrity', that I was not famous.

It was in response to her weeding out posers. I had mentioned that I was real and to just ask my kids lol.

The answer simply brought a smile to my face.

This particular person has had a certain amount of notoriety and would be considered 'famous' by some.

I told her that fame was relative and fleeting. Also, I might just be 'famous' one day, but on my own terms.

I am known by some for weal or woe -s-.

I have had influence on some level somewhere.

More importantly, I have been important in certain people's lives.

I have positively contributed to the upbringing of my children and have given input and counsel working with people to help them solve their own problems.

I have been lauded and lambasted.

Some seek a certain kind of fame as an end in itself. For others, it comes with the territory.

Many are told they are great so often, they begin to think they don't stink.

I'm not very good at osculating derrieres. I am good at giving compliments when merited. Otherwise I just shut up.

Above all, no matter what position anyone occupys, I seek the content of character. I respect, but it is always tempered with that caveat.

So, whether I'm 'famous' or not matters less than what I do as a result of the content of my character, my substance.

Sure, makeup can be good or bad. I'm dwelling in the country known as Light. As someone said the other day,'I'm stayin' away from that dark place'.

How I acquire relative fame is up to me, at least until it carries me to a place I determine or a position where I can do the most good.

Stay tuned for that lol.