Ramblings from 7 Sept. 2015

I haven't done any entries for awhile and I thought it high time I did but wanted to let you the reader know that this will be a venture into the realm of the wondering mind.  I don't know where it will take us or what all it will cover, and I will not guarantee that it will make any sense but like so many things out there you might find a nugget so enjoy.

I put a date in the title today even though I think all of the entries have had a date tied to them.  I find it very helpful to take a web entry and put it into context if there is a date associated with it.  For example, I was browsing around and happened onto a suggested search of "Pope Francis resigns" which I thought was as interesting as suggestion searches go, so I clicked and sure enough he was labeled as the second Pope in recent history to resign, how scandalous.

It turns out that the reference was from a super market tabloid that was created back in April of 2014.  I have a feeling that this is one of those events that did not transpire quite the way the author and editors expected.  Still, it does make for a clickable search item.  I wonder why it is still out there waiting to be looked at?

So just how lousy (or should I say lazy) are the portal web sites getting these days?  Yahoo was the standard but that was decades ago, now they are just a pretend portal site that just processes content from others and can't wait to shuffle you off to the highest bidder.  Come to think of it, they all seem headed that way.  I have pretty much given up on finding a usable news web site.  The fabrication is churned out so quickly without any forethought for intellect, leaving nothing but snippets of superlatives to generate fear and anxiety with which to incite the simpleton to an emotionally driven response that fuels consternation and frustration rather than pacify with perspective and relevance.  But alas, our world is run on this.  I wonder if people quit paying attention to calamity, would they just die out due to lack of attention?

Which leads me to the current state of the union, or at least the continuing saga of a nation bent on self obliteration through the continuing decline of it's choices for public servants and the republic for which they stand.  Sure some of us are laughing now but will we still be able to laugh a year from now?  Why do these elections always come down to either or choice and neither choice is a good one?  Mark my words, this election is headed down the same path as those we have had for the least few decades (if not century) by forcing us to choose between a couple of lousy candidates, none of which is an honest to goodness Leader.

Think for moment how you would define a good honest Leader.  I am not going to insert my definition but ask you to come up with your own.  What traits and characteristics would you choose?  What values would you look for?  What vision charts their course and is it one that you truly would follow?  Is this a Leader that actually leads and that the nations multitude willingly follow?  Are the purposes of this Leader just and true?  Is this Leader truly serving others or merely serving themselves?

Then honestly ask yourself, are any of the candidates today, current or hopeful, able to fit your definition of a Leader in all respects and in all ways?

I am still looking.

But in the mean time I will continue to look on with laughter since it is the only real way to look at the absurd (there is plenty to choose from).  Our time certainly isn't the first and probably won't be the last (a little history can go a long way in adding perspective to the current chaos).  The person who can keep themselves well grounded is the one that will be able to laugh the loudest when the emperor parades past the throngs with no clothes on, but as I recall it was a child that noticed it first and was not afraid to respond appropriately.  Perhaps we should be as little children during this election season.  It seems to me we have been treated as children long enough.  In fact, why do we allow people like this to rule over us?  I think we are more than capable of ruling over ourselves.  That is if we haven't forgotten how.

More to follow I'm sure, but for now...
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farrwest.