hopelesshappiness.com

It took one week for Donald Trump to do something stupid. Against all counsel, (because he did not seek any), he spread his new wings, flew past conventional process, and from 10,000 feet shat on the U.S. Constitution, creating confusion and bafflement at borders, in airports worldwide, and on both sides of the aisle. On Monday, he compounded his shortsightedness by commandeering the bureaucracy of the badge and raising his personal skull and crossbones over the Department of Justice. (In this moment), this is not a question of right or wrong. This is a question of methods. Our new president is a bully.

It appears Mr. Trump now has the Department of Justice safely tucked under one wing, and with the Legislative Branch presumably tucked under the other wing, the only question that remains is how long will he be able to stay aloft with 2 right wings.

I see hope on two fronts. One, the *Judicial Branch, has already spoken, though, (it seems to me), rather meekly. They need to step up and do their job, as specified by the framers of our Constitution. It was James Madison who said, "The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, self-appointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny."

The second hope lies in the Republican feathers ruffled by Trump's shenanigans. Though not a majority, a significant number of Republicans have spoken out against his unorthodox maneuvering, including Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) who said, "...President Trump's executive order was not properly vetted. We are particularly concerned that this order went into effect with little to no consultation with the Departments of State, Defense, Justice, and Homeland Security. Such a hasty process risks harmful results."

Though I typically do not imbibe, political commentary, discussion, and exploits may become more of an influence on my thoughts and words. If there is a runaway train and a high likelihood of a train wreck, no matter how intensely I yearn for otherwise, how can I tear my eyes away? This administration will test our Constitution and the entire concept of separation of powers. At this juncture, less than two weeks in, I still have faith that stupidity will not run rampant through all branches and departments of our government. Bureaucracy alone is enough of a daily challenge. Though at this juncture, less than two weeks in, I am sad that I feel the necessity of such a strong response. I have previously said that "ignorance is immature stupidity" (and part of the learning process), and "stupidity is grownup ignorance" (practiced by those who should know better), and "the challenge is to outgrow ignorance before it becomes entrenched as stupidity." This challenge is a never-ending, lifelong endeavor. It appears that Donald Trump's ignorance is entrenched. He should know better. Instead of seeking common ground, he is throwing up roadblocks and building walls. Divisiveness is not the answer.

Trump's executive order on immigration is an interesting juxtaposition to some crime statistics I have looked at this week. I find it fascinating and actively hopeful to see the rate at which violent crime has decreased. Despite what we may see and hear from the media, and despite what some may maintain as reality, according to fact, we are getting smarter. I interpret decreasing violent crime rates as a strong indication of greater tolerance, understanding, empathy, intelligence, and a broadening of common ground; all necessities for the ultimate, long-term survival of Humanity. I interpret Donald Trump's actions in this past week as a strong indication of greater intolerance, divisiveness, combativeness, stupidity, and a narrowing of common ground; all necessities for ego and, (if not curtailed by the Judiciary and by autonomous, responsible Republican legislators), a recipe for tyranny.

All Hail, Tyrannosaurus Trump!

... ... ... ... ...

*Friday night, a court order temporarily lifted the immigration ban. Today the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security dismantled Trump's order, restoring travel privileges. Trump predictably responded with a tweet calling the judge a "so-called judge" and the restraining order "ridiculous!"

After two weeks of Trump, I am inclined to believe that the impact and influence of his daily blustering swagger will continue to fade into irrelevance. As long as we are diligent in our efforts to rationally battle his divisive rhetoric, (just as with his immigration foolishness), he will continue to be exposed for what he is: a Tyrant Wannabe King.

February 1, 2017.

For a few months now...

Until last night...

Once or (maybe) twice a week, it was like a single live wire, bare at the end, and one or two or three quick jabs as if the voltage was searching for a secret entrance. On occasion it was also a gentle brushing caress; an electrical tickle.

Last night, about 10 pm, falling deeper into sleep, I was yanked from the depths by a JOLT! You know that cusp when you're coming awake but you can still inhabit your minds eye. In that place I saw a mesh gridwork of bare wires, crackling; alive. In slow motion I saw it flatten, then curl, and surround; and like a jellyfish enfolding its prey, I saw it embrace my very being. As I watched the tiny copper crossroads embed themselves, I felt the Jolt. Then it released its grip, and floated (or swam) away.

Only a few seconds...

...that bespoke an eternity.

According to a study comparing blackbirds residing in a city and those living in the country, an ornithologist has

"found that city birds start their workdays earlier and their biological clocks tick faster. Just like their human counterparts, they adopt a faster pace, work longer hours, and work and sleep less in cities... Urban males also molt sooner and reach sexual maturity faster. In contrast, country blackbirds begin their day traditionally, at sunrise, don't rush, and sleep longer."

According to other animal researchers reporting on this metropolitan influence,

"we've caused at least ten urban species to grow brains that are 6 percent larger than those of their country cousins."

These quotes come from the book "The Human Age: The World Shaped by Us" written by Diane Ackerman. I have read, (and I believe), that similar results apply to Humans. In our neverending quest for Happiness, it appears we have unwittingly added both stress and intelligence, and each one's accompanying benefits and burdens. Depending upon the moment, this can be both encouraging and discouraging.

By stressing over stress, we are driven to search for ways to eliminate, (or at least limit), the adversity and pain. This in turn creates a necessity for more and more unique, clever, and often complex solutions. Which in turn, over several recent generations, has added to both individual and collective intelligence. Proposed solutions have ranged from spiritual to political to technological to philosophical to instructional to affiliations and loyalties to health and wellness to pleasure-seeking to creative expression to compassionate understanding to nonproductive (quiescent or harmful) escape to divisions of power and on and on and on, continuing to branch into ever-more specialized subsets, all seeking avoidance of pain and adversity.

Collectively we can no longer ignore the volumes of available knowledge that has come as a result of these changes, though individually many of us still practice the dictum "Ignorance is Bliss." We need to take a hint from our enlarged intelligence and use it to rein in our enlarged egos. We need to ignore the divisive customs and beliefs that have been handed down through the generations, and we need to adopt a tolerant, compassionate worldview that will lead us to common ground. We need to shape and mold our learning to accommodate the necessity of universally productive interdependence; and to do this we need to embrace the unavoidable pain of adversity.

I am skirting territory I've covered multiple times so I will veer this direction, take a left at the light, a right at the windmill, and search for unexplored ground in this area.

These are winding roads.

I find myself back in the same general vicinity.

I see one representation of ignorance over there gently pushing and coaxing and wheedling and encouraging intelligence up that steep hill, as intelligence looks back appreciatively. Over there I see another representative of ignorance laid back with his hands clasped behind his head, in the deep shade of that apple tree, eyes half closed, watching intelligence frolic aimlessly in the sunshine. And over there, yet another agent of ignorance is playfully tackling intelligence from behind and the two of them are gamboling about at the base of another steep hill where intelligence had been looking up contemplating a climb.

Intelligence comes from ignorance. The moment, (any moment), an individual leaves their ignorance dozing in the shade and allows their intelligence to prance in the sunlight, is a moment of triumph for ignorance. In order to advance my intelligence I must be conscious of and inspired by my ignorance. Instead, I too often believe that my intelligence so dwarfs my ignorance as to make it nonexistent or, at the very least, inconsequential. I ignore my ignorance at my own peril.

(The 3 examples below are taken from "The Chronicle of Higher Education" January 20, 2017 - Volume LXIII, Number 20.)

• To see that a convicted gunman killed nine African-Americans after he Googled "black on white crime" and was led to a white supremacist Web site that confirmed his "truth" that "black violence on white Americans is a crisis" though all reliable statistics show "most violence against white Americans is committed by other white Americans"...
• To hear that our new President has verbally validated the "truth" found in the National Enquirer...
• To read that college students, (from Yale, no less), believe the "truth" that "It is your---(Yale's)---job to create a place of comfort and home!... ...It is not about creating an intellectual space!" And when a Professor failed to do this to their satisfaction, circumstance dictated that he resign his residential position and Yale apologized to the students...

...I have to ask, how many of us are prancing in the sunlight?

For more than five years, as represented through this site, I have worked in my daily Life to be actively hopeful. Early in this post I stated that the combination of greater stress and greater intelligence can be both encouraging and discouraging. In this moment, I have moved past the stress, believing it is a given if we are to progress as is currently necessary. In this moment, I am much more discouraged (and disgusted) by this triumph of ignorance. Though it feels counterintuitive to cultivate ignorance in order to attain greater intelligence, I remain actively hopeful that in greater and greater numbers each one of us will acknowledge our personal ignorance and it will aid and inspire each one of us to climb ever-steeper hills.

I believe we have little choice.

Okay. Back in my transport I will veer right at that fork up ahead, stay true at the next crossroads, make a sharp left at the roundabout, and stop at the scenic overlook on the top of the hill. It is a beautiful view with the sun shining on the lush green valley sloping up to the gleaming skyscrapers that are reflecting sunlight back onto the forest canopy to the north. I look to the south and see foreboding thunderheads gathering and seemingly making their ponderous way toward the urban sprawl. I may have left a window open and I know I left the dog out. The kids will be home soon, and there's dinner to fix, and I promised Movie Night, and... So much to do...

So I get up from the table, walk across the kitchen, close the window, open the back door for the dog, explore the pantry and refrigerator, consider movie choices, and smile inwardly at my ignorance.

So much to do...

This past week I have derived considerable satisfaction and pleasure on three different fronts: home, work, and family. All three efforts have required much creative planning and organization, two have been in process for months, one for weeks, and all three are coincidentally nearing a point of culmination; though only one will bring closure while the other two will move forward to an advanced stage. I believe it is the accident of simultaneous climax that has intensified the pleasure. I am, (if not frequently), consistently satisfied with (what I see as) various stimulating peaks of creativity, but seldom have come to the strength of multiple gratifications as I have in this past week. I believe the anticipation of further fulfillment on two fronts also adds to that pleasure. And I believe I have just discovered the mechanics underlying the intensity.

Creative planning and organization is merely the headline. Delving deeper, all three of these processes required a translation from one language to another, and a molding and shaping to transform this new language into an engaging and substantial palpability readily understood and appreciated. Whether the first language is raw data, a plethora of jumbled words and pictures, or a spiked wheel of suggestions and ideas, to make the complex appear understandable to those who don't speak "complex" may appear to be magic. It is not magic. But it is satisfying. And pleasurable.

In one of these "successful" struggles. I had to keep reminding myself of my three rules for creative projects:

1. You want to get it Perfect.
2. You have to get it Good.
3. You have to understand Diminishing Returns.

Rule #1 applies to all hands-on planning and execution. Rule #2 applies to all down-time away from your project. Rule #3 does not kick in until the project is somewhere between 90 and 95 percent complete. (Of course it is not quite this simple as there are many "mini" projects within the scope of the larger project, creating a cyclical web of Perfect, Good, and Diminishing Returns.) In this particular project I had to keep reminding myself of these three rules and their cyclical nature because the individual I was working with only had two rules:

1. You want to get it Perfect.
2. You have to get it Perfect.

We did not get it Perfect. She did not receive a Perfect result, and in the end she was okay with that; but in the process she had many more ups and downs and (I am guessing) less overall enjoyment than I experienced.

It was a good week. Not Perfect; but Good.