Today's Ramblings

Moving On

Is anyone still out there?

I know my posts have been few and far between in recent months. Much has been going on. I've moved my main web site - Home of Cyber Kat - to a new web host at ProNicSolutions and I have moved my Blog as well, so if you are looking for new entries go here. Not only did I move the Blog to my own ISP, I've also switched to MoveableType.

If any of you have links to From the Treetop, please change them to http://www.cyber-kat.com/blog

So if you've come here looking for me, or just stumbled on this blog, please come over and visit my new digs!

Seeds of Wisdom: "Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures." -John F. Kennedy

I know I've been AWOL these last few months. I thought I'd have more time to write once the summer got here, but I ended up spending more time reading in a chair on my deck, instead.

I started this Blog because I wanted to write about my feelings on September 11, 2001 - which I did.

Now here we are on the first anniversary of that terrible day. Once again I am overwhelmed by the enormity of it all. The lives - saved and lost. The stories, sad, hopeful, heroic. The destruction of the seemingly destructable. I mourn the loss of our security and the liberties we often took for granted. And I fear all this saber rattling and war talk.

I have much more to say on that subject, but I'll save those thoughts for another day.

Going on the wisdom that a picture is worth a thousand words, I decided to share my pictures. These are two series of pictures that I took. The first were taken in September of 1992 - ten years ago. They were taken of the NY skyline from the boat that goes to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.

I took the second set of pictures this past June from the deck of the Carnival cruise ship, Triumph. Without further ado ... you can find them here.

Seeds of Wisdom: "The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age." -- Lucille Ball

The folks on my father's side of the family have a knack for living a long time. My paternal grandmother lived until just short of her 102nd birthday. My father celebrated his 90th birthday, this past Tuesday.

He lives with my sister near Gettysburg, PA, and she had a party for him last weekend, so I drove down there with my aunt, his sister. She's 80 - shhh - don't tell anyone, I told you!

It really is a shame that so many of those who are lucky enough to survive into their 9th or 10th decade are too often stripped of their capability to enjoy the extra years of life.

My grandmother was virtually deaf and nearly blind, but pretty much otherwise had her health and her sharp mind until the end. Without the ability to see or hear, she lost the means to exercise her mind except for living in her imagination.

My father is sailing into those very same waters. He can see, but not very well. He can hear, but not very well. And that's sad, because much of the joy he took from life came from using those two particular faculties. He also has emphysema so even breathing is a chore for him.

He loved to read, and do crossword puzzles. Today he finds both activities very difficult. He loved music and was very proud of his splendid voice. Now he can barely hear himself speak, and when he tries to sing, he can't hear that either.

He is a golfer who can't play golf, and a dancer who can no longer dance. He's a talker and a social junkie. He loved being around people, chatting, laughing, pulling a leg or two. But Carroll Valley, where he lives is a little burg in the middle of nowhere and a long drive away for all of the family, but my sister. Most of the time these days, he sits alone watching birds and squirrels out of his window.And he loved my mother. She was his rock, his safe harbor, but she passed away 10 years ago last January.

A few years ago, when he was still capable of getting around on his own, I tried to talk him into moving back to north Jersey, where I live, where many of my relatives live, where I grew up. But my mother is buried in Pennsylvania, and he felt that that is where he wanted to be. Now he is even less prepared or inclined to make a move than he was back then.

It's not fair. If you lose your sight, then you should lose your hearing. If you lose your hearing, you shouldn't lose your sight. When you get to the point where your body fails you, but your mind is still sharp and active, you should be left with one of the portals that bring food to that mind. You should be able to read or do brain teaser puzzles. You should be able to hear music, a movie, a show on the History Channel or just a stimulating conversation. You shouldn't be forced to fill your world with birds and squirrels no matter how much fun they can be to watch. It's just not fair.

Seeds of Wisdom: "In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on." -- Golden Rule

Please note: I may not write often, but I make up for it in length <g>

Today's topic: Moral Cloudiness

In reading Shelley aka Burningbird's blog, as I do most days, I came upon this entry. Reading it, and the linked articles - (here, here and here) stirred up some thoughts that have been drifting around in my mind lately.

Shelley's blog entry points to arguments about "moral clarity." What is it? And is it simplistic or complex? I contend that it only exists in the minds of those who claim to possess it. I think it is a myth conjured up by those who need justification for their actions - no matter what those actions are.

IMO, the only morality that counts is the one stated above - Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. If you are doing anything else - treating anyone in some other manner, be they friend or foe - you have no claim to righteousness. Doesn't matter who did what to whom first. Doesn't matter who stands on the side of "right" - whatever that may be.

So where does that leave us common ordinary folk who give in sometimes to urges for revenge, to a desire to play the hero or the White Knight, to a need to convert everyone else to our point of view?

Lets face folks; we all want to be right. We all want to play on the winning team. I suspect that it's written in the DNA code of every human being. No one wants to be a loser - even the losers. And no one truly believes they are wrong unless they have come to see the light of another "right." So how do we apply the Golden Rule when the issues get cloudy? How do we let go of our burning need to be right?

Don't look at me. I don't have the answers. Sitting on the fence as I often do, I see both sides of nearly every story. From my vantage in the Treetop, I see the whole forest spread out before me, but I can't always see the answers. I have only questions, and I think asking questions is good. I think asking questions is more important than being right - but I could be wrong. <g>

I look again at that need we all seem to feel to be right - to play on the winning team. Take politics for instance. Be you Democrat, or Republican, right wing or left wing, Libertarian or Authoritarian or even independent - whatever position you espouse, you probably believe that your opinion is the only right-minded way of thinking. The others are all idiots, or mislead, or wacky.

Organized religion is the worst of all, IMO.

I was raised Roman Catholic. In that religion, believing that other religions are equal, or even worth looking into is a sin of "indifferentism." That's what we were taught. Don't eat that fruit - you might learn something that we think you're better off not knowing.

Personally, I don't understand how knowledge can be bad. Of course, knowledge makes you think, and most religious leaders would rather that their followers just blindly accept. They call it faith.

Knowledge leads you to ask more questions and if you question, if you seek the truth - you might just find it. I don't think they want that - it threatens their position on a loftier plane.

And most religions are that way. The leaders declare their religion is the one true way to righteousness and some kind of blissful reward in another life. Most religions - whether they admit it or not - look down on those who do not subscribe to the exact same system of belief.

So I ask you - how do you know you are right and everyone else is wrong? And is it really so important?

I think a more important issue to examine is where do you draw the line when one person's right to exist or to "pursue happiness" conflicts with another person's right to do the same.

I offer a few examples ?

You're in a movie theater or a sports arena. There are two armrests - one on either side of your seat. Which one is yours, and which one belongs to the person sitting next to you? I have pondered this question whenever I find myself sitting between two people who have both taken possession of the one on either side of me - leaving me with none.

"Do unto others as you would have others do unto you" dictates that you look around you and make sure that you are not hogging two armrests. Everyone lean to the right or the left - but not both at the same time.

I had a debate recently with a friend of mine. I value freedom over safety. I find all of these post 9/11 searches an affront to my personal freedom. I find the idea of identity cards, and having the government or any other entity tracking my every movement to be very scary indeed.

My friend believes that safety is more important and he, like so many others these days, is willing to surrender freedoms to attain it.

I claim that intrusive searches - beyond a simple pass through a metal detector - at an airport violates my right to protection against illegal search and seizure. I'm willing to allow a reasonable limitation - like the metal detector - but I'm not willing to go much beyond that.

My friend claims that my demanding of my rights violates his right to what he values most - his safety. I claim that living life is a risk. You could get hit by bus while crossing the street. You could slip on rug and break your neck. You could get on the same plane as a terrorist no matter what safety precautions are put in place, short of requiring everyone to travel naked, with no luggage and no in-flight amenities that might be turned into weapons.

So where do reasonable people draw the line? How do I keep my right to freedom while my friend retains his right to safety? In this case, our Golden Rule dictates that I give up my quest for freedom to allow him to have safety, but he must also give up his safety so I can have my freedom. Again - where do you draw the line?

We have smoking and non-smoking sections in restaurants. Perhaps we need safe flights and free flights to meet the needs of all.

To live free requires a large measure of trust that others will adhere to the Golden Rule. I think that deep down most people abide by it. We just have to take our chances or hide deep in a remote cave for the rest of our lives.

Following this train of thought, I come to the question of the Middle East conflict, and the current Blogverse discussion of the incident at SFSU.

The Israeli supporters claim that Israel is right, and that their version of the SFSU incident is the correct one. The Palestinian supporters claim that the Palestinians are right, and that their version of the SFSU incident is the correct one. I support the truth, and claim that it lies somewhere in the middle.

Read both sides with an open mind - here and here. Eliminate the rhetoric from both sides. Eliminate the emotion from both sides. Look at the middle, and see if you can find the truth. It's there somewhere; I'm just not quite sure where it is.

The situation in the Middle East is a similar quandary. There are a number of realities in this situation that no one on either side seems want to accept.

Reality number one: Israel and the Jewish people are not going to go away. The Arab world and any other anti-Israel or anti-Jewish thinking people just have to accept that. They can try to destroy either or both, but anyone who does will either fail, or take the rest of the world down in the attempt.

Reality number two: The issue of the "occupied territories." I shake my head in wonder each time I hear someone say that Israel should withdraw from them. Why?

Should the non-indigenous people living in the US - or Canada too for that matter - withdraw from this land that we fought many nations - including the indigenous people - to acquire?

Should those living in England, Scotland, Wales or Ireland go back to wherever their Celtic or Norse ancestors lived before they invaded that land?

Should the French move out of the Alsace Lorraine region?

I could go on forever and way back into history. Whether it is right or wrong - to the victor belong the spoils - is a fact of life. A reality if you will.

In its brief history, sometimes Israel has been the aggressor, but more often they have been attacked. They won the battles and claimed the land. Unless we change the rules for everyone else - they get to keep it.

Reality number three: The issue of the Palestinian people. Where do they go? How do they live their lives as we all desire to live our lives. Are they less entitled because they have been disenfranchised by what was basically a coin toss by the British when they pulled out of Palestine/Israel in 1948?

If I recall my history correctly, the present day Palestinians are decedents of the Philistines who came to the land that is now Israel from somewhere in the Aegean region during the Late Bronze Age. So where do they belong? Who will take them in? And are they entitled to their own country?

Seems to me that throughout history, if your people want their own country they have to fight for it. Fight to keep it, or fight to take it away from someone else. That's what the Palestinians claim to be doing.

IMO - they are fighting a losing battle if they hope to take the land of Israel back. And they are going about it in a completely wrong way. They need to examine their methods.

They have no armies, no tanks, no airplanes, so for some bizarre reason they think they will win if they blow themselves up in the middle of a group of civilians who may or may not agree with their mission. They blow themselves up, taking many innocent bystanders with them. This makes no sense. It is definitely not the way to win friends and influence people.

They need a leader who will lead, not a leader who will merely allow or egg on suicide bombers. If they want to fight the Israelis and win others to the help them in their plight, they need to think in military terms. Killing civilians accomplishes nothing but making the other side more angry and solidifying their resolution. If you're going to blow something up, why not pick a tank or a fortification of some sort. Soldiers fight soldiers not civilians. Doesn't matter whether or not you wear a uniform or carry a flag, you go after soldiers - not civilians. There has to be some code of ethics no matter what kind of battle you are fighting.

So again - are they entitled to their own country? I have no answer to that question, but I do think they are entitled to live their lives in peace, to pursue happiness in peace. I also think that they are not going to find that in the land that at this moment in history belongs to the Israelis.

I don't think these two peoples can coexist. I don't think the Israelis will ever accept having Palestinians - or anyone who hates them living in their midst. History has taught them that this is not a workable solution. Nor do I think that the Palestinians could ever accept living in a country with a Jewish government.

So how do we resolve all these problems?

I think in the end, John Lennon had the answer - Imagine.

Seeds of Wisdom: "In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on." --Robert Frost

This is just going to be a mish-mash of general stuff today. I have no coherent thoughts due to allergy season. It's a time of year I can barely keep my brain functioning. I try to avoid allergy medications because they make me drowsy and/or give me nose bleeds (more information than you wanted, I'm sure.)

To my fellow tree-related allergy sufferers, I recommend, Nasalcrom. Keeps me from getting all sneezy and totally stuffed up without feeling drowsy. It does give me a headache and the aforementioned nose bleeds though.

I read that there are more and more people suffering from tree-related allergies these days. I also read that one of the reasons is that the people responsible for planting trees in our tows, have taken to planting mostly male trees. It seems the female trees make a mess - what with their flower blossoms, and seed pods (think polly noses). The male trees, being typically male, do not directly produce tree offspring. They do however release the pollen that fertilizes the female trees. It is the pollen that irritates. Typical male behavior <g>. Thus ends the biology lesson for the day.

Everybody's doin' it, doin' it, doin' it .... writing about blogging that is. Check out the latest article on blogging at Alternet.

AlterNet.org is a project of the Independent Media Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening and supporting independent and alternative journalism. (from their "About" page) I check it out on a regular basis. Interesting stuff to be found there.

Speaking of interesting stuff ... here are a few more goodies from the Evolt chat list.

The Virtual Solar System is a really neat depiction of the solar system done on a web page. Check it out.

Also check out the Micro$oft commercial (spoof) at Idleworm. Some really fun games and movies can be found at this site.

In the "annoying songs you can't get out of your head" department. Check out the winner of the Star Wars fan films - Christmas Tauntauns. I saw this the other night on the Sci-fi channel and have been humming it ever since.

Seeds of Wisdom: "Imagination grows by exercise, and contrary to common belief, is more powerful in the mature than in the young." --W. Somerset Maugham

I intended From the Treetop to be a deep philsophical place, but often I don't have anything deep or philosophical to say - or I don't have time to really do justice to my more serious thoughts, so I'm thinking of doing a spin off blog where I can put my more whimsical thoughts and fun stuff. That sort of entry doesn't seem to fit in here. Since I haven't had time to really set any new blog up - watch out for the boom, because we're coming about on a completely different tack here today.

I recently got a new refrigerator - one in a series of major appliances we've had to replace because ours are all breaking down at the same time. I suppose a new refrigerator is not all that exciting, but I've enjoyed the new features and extra space (the old one was very small).

After the delivery men left, I went outside to put some stuff in the trash, and I noticed the large box they had left standing in the corner of the driveway. The sight of that box immediately sucked me into a flashback.

I can't remember how old I was, when my parents went through a similar bout of buying new appliances, but I was probably around 7 or 8. I thought it was wonderful! I could have cared less about the new frig or the washing machine with the latest gizmos, all I wanted was the box. I'd plead with my parents not to throw it away. My father, who nurtured my budding imagination from the time it first appeared, gave in easily and the box was mine. All mine!

A few cuts with a knife (under parental supervision, of course. Actually, I was the supervisor/designer and my father was the wielder of the knife) and some crayon work instantly transformed the box into a vehicle for my fertile imagination. It was a house and a fort and a castle, or sometimes a submarine. Stood on its end, it was a rocket ship blasting me off to explore outer space - where no box or kid had gone before! It was even a washing machine and I was the clothes (what can I say - I was a strange kid!)

I'm sorry I never thought of using my multi use boxes for a "duplicator" or a "transmogrifier" like Calvin in Calvin and Hobbs. Those would have been very cool to have!

Standing before this new box as an adult, I wished I was a child again with a brand new appliance box to treasure and to take me on wonderful adventures. I thought seriously about asking my husband not to throw it out with the recyclables. But as I gazed on the box with a strong yearning, I realized that my adult-sized body would require a much larger box. (I can hear the Taco Bell dog, now - "I think I need a bigger box!"). Hmmm - what can I buy that comes in a much bigger box?

Seeds of Wisdom: "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." --Edmund Burke

Meryl Yourish posted this entry in her Blog. It's about a near riot at SFSU after a Peace In The Middle East Rally which was organized by some Jewish students. Meryl has asked her fellow bloggers to link to this entry in the hope that word will spread as it usually does through out blogdom.

In my last entry, I wrote that we must use extreme caution that we don't abuse this power, that bloggers have, to push things to the top rank in Google. I think this is an example of when the use of this power is not only acceptable, but necessary.

In Germany during the 1930s good people allowed evil to flourish because they didn't speak up. In Kew Gardens, NY in 1964 good people allowed the murder of Kitty Genovese because they chose to do nothing. Throughout US, too often people have been attacked and killed because of race, religion and sexual preference because good people knew and did nothing to stop it.

We must not be afraid to take a stand. Preferably, we must do it for noble reasons, but if we can't muster up a noble reason, we should at least do it because when they finally come for us, there might not be anyone left to object. Think about it.