The Good, the Bad & the Gutless.

Actions speak louder than words.

But cowardly actions SCREAM.

If we are to take back the power from the government and the corporations...

We need strong people, true people; people of moral fortitude.

I believe in peace, love & light...but that does not mean I will forget the importance of COURAGE.

OR those too gutless to follow through the promise of their words, with their actions.

If we cannot AT LEAST do that...

Then what are we???

Meaningless words, floating off into the ether??

Not this little black duck...   

NEVER

NEVER underestimate the power of a man's inability to attract a woman as being the driving force behind his misogyny.  

Many of us are confused, often completely contradictory creatures who would rather fall into a dichotomous absurdity than see something through to a better conclusion.

It has something to do with saving face...even though it destroys everything else.

Many of us have an extraordinary capacity for channeling our frustrations, our impotence in the direction of inappropriate- even deranged- pursuits.

This is why we like war so much.

Tall Poppy Cock

We have a thing in Australia known as the "Tall Poppy Syndrome".

I don't know if other countries have it- I assume some must- but I grew up and live in OZ, so I'll stick to my own back yard. 

And it is a back yard in DESPERATE need of a tip run.

"Tall Poppy Syndrome" is when someone has attained a certain level of fame, fortune or success that could be regarded as star spangled, meteoric...

and we have to run them down.

It's jealousy.

Think of it as a kind of Reverse Darwinism. 

Like it's not hard enough getting ahead...but once you ARE there...all these other bastards want to knock you off yr perch.

I never saw it in Amercia on a domestic level; but in terms of their foreign relations...the yanks simply bomb things they don't like to blossom.

We don't even have the BALLS to bomb anybody.

We just bitch about them like winey infants.

It's pathetic.

We can't quite do it...so woe betide those who can/do.

I say 'THEY'...

But I know I can't say that. 

I can't talk about our country- ANYONE'S country- like it's a single entitity.

It is faulty logic.  I'm supposed to be evolved.

I'm not talking about them...'those out there'...

I'm actually talking about ME.

Allow me to tidy up my own back yard first.

I am guilty of this practice of cutting down tall poppies.

Or, rather, TRYING TO.

I can't even criticise with any great aplomb 

But I still try, like an impotent clown who is too pathetic to get his dick hard. So I blame the weather. The booze. The lateness of the hour.  Or her.

Anything but me. 

I do it a lot.

Sometimes I don't even realise I'm doing it.

Let me give you an example.  I'll be reading the news or something, and there will be a story on some poor bastard who has finally made it to the top in the arts.

Say, and Aussie actor or something.

Now...all he/she has done is rise to the top of his/her profession- achieve international recognition- after what might well have been a lifetime of struggle.

This is his/her only crime. 

And because I have not achieved the same level of recognition...

What do I do?  I bitch about it. 

Well, I don't bitch out loud. 

I have evolved far enough along to keep my mouth shut.

Bite my tongue. 

Because I KNOW it is not what I want to be.

But I still THINK it.

It just pops in there, like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.

Like a knee jerk reaction.

At least I admit it. 

And that is part of the way to resolving it, right??

So why do I do it if I don't like it?

I mentioned Darwin.  Is it in the blood? 

Woven into our DNA??

Maybe.  Doesn't mean we have to buy into it. 

Especially if we want to evolve.

Is it socialisation?  Also possible.   

It might be systemic.  A cultural thing.

My father was like it, too. 

Nothing and no one was good enough. 

And neither was I.

So I pass it down the line.

Well, I did.

No more.

I don't like it.

I want it gone.

So...from now on...I'm gonna' learn to be more gracious.

I am going to CONGRATULATE successful people.

All the actors, directors, artists, writers, poets, scientists, doctors...

WHATEVER.

People who go out there and MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE.

Rather than just talking about it.

Or worse still, bitching about those who do it.

I might one day be able to stand alongside these great people...

But then again, I most likely will not.

The odds are not in my favour.

WHO CARES?

I can keep trying...AND be gracious toward those who do reach their goal.

And my reward will be the satisfaction of being a nicer fellow.

Thankful for the beauty of these tall poppies.

Which we all get to enjoy.

I mean...is there really a lovelier flower in the world than a poppy??

AND THE TALLER THE BETTER!!

So...grow my beauties.

GROW...

WORDS

There's a lotta' noise these days about words. 

'He broke his word'! 

'She can't keep hers'!! 

It's all just words.

Sounds we make with our mouth...nothing more.

Chimps can do it.  We don't set our watch by them. 

Same goes for humans.

Words are just a rough guide.  A VERY rough guide.

Like the first draft of a script against the movie. 

Not even the first draft; the script NOTES.

My experience? 

Most of us get nervous if we go too long without flapping our gums. 

As long as we are jawin'...we don't have to worry about the quiet. 

'Cos if it's too quiet...we might see who we really are, what we really mean. 

And that might get us into hot water.

So we fill the air with words.

Most of the time...most people say things they don't really mean.

At least in my years on the planet. 

Now ACTIONS are a different kettle of fish. 

They 'aint even the same kettle.

'Aint even fish. 

ACTION is a whole new species.  A RARE species, at that. 

So...forget the words; they are just a rough draft...a working guide to who we MIGHT want to be in the future. 

Dismiss the words...and you will never be disappointed.

Even these ones.

Carve them onto a stone tablet...& people will mess them up forever.

Let words go.

You want to be really upset...save it for the actions. 

Most of THEM don't hold up either.

But they DO define us.  Good & bad.  (whatever that means) 

If you find someone whose actions you can rely upon, hold onto that person.

And if their actions reflect their words...

Damn. You better hog tie 'em down and put 'em in a glass cabinet.

Get a photo. 

Call the papers. 

These people are WORTH making a noise about...

Worth words.

"Men this, men that..."

So much talk about men. 

"Men this, men that...

Men do this, but don't do that...

Well enough, hard enough, caring enough or consistent enough..

Touch this!  Push that!  Rub me there...NO NO, the wrong way, you clumsy boorish oaf!

Too much too soon, too short too fat...Too distant..."

Too much talk, perhaps?? 

Not enough COMMUNICATION??

Aside from from doing our egos the world of good being the centre of attention (remember what the famous macho hero poet and sheet metal worker Oscar Wilde was overheard to have said about there being 'only one thing worse than being talked about, & that is NOT being talked about'...), I wonder at all this chatter and noise about who we are and what we should be doing...

Perhaps we are actually SIMPLER than all that hullabaloo would suggest. 

Are we really not a little light in the load to have developed such an all-encompassing gender specific socio-cultural idiom???

Now women, on the other hand...!

WTF Sorry??

I heard a good question today.

Why do WE apologise to THEM when THEY bumped into US???

In my opinion it is because, for a variety of reasons many of which go back to our childhood, most of us are snivelling toadying suck-butts who loathe ourselves terribly, consider ourselves oxygen thieves and never feel we are entitled to that bit of space.

Which is why most of us let ourselves be walked all over by government and corporations.

Sad but true.

When we learn to say 'wtf' instead of 'sorry'...

We will be ready to take back the powah.

imho...  

For Dori...

Wonderful words, Dori Hartley.

FB IS INDEED real life. 

For all it's bad press...over a four year period it has taught me how to be a BETTER PERSON. 

And the death of a wonderful FB friend last year taught me to be very careful what I say to people.

His brother told me they read one of my comments at the FUNERAL!

We would do well to bear this in mind.

My rule is...never post anything you would not die for.

Post as if it WILL be yr last.

And exercise great caution with people's feelings- because some of these folk are at the end of their tether.

One poorly chosen word, or comment...& pfft.

They are gone.

Act as though someone is tallying this shit up.

Act as though it matters that the only keeper of the ledger is YOU. 

These are REAL HUMAN BEINGS...not manga characters.

I have learned to be more patient, more considerate, & never to go away MAD. (or at least never go away 'angry') 

If you truly care about your fellow man...

This matters.

All pretty good stuff...here...

& out in the world.

Thank for a great Post, Dori Hatley.