December 2001: Human Spirit

Feature Article

December 2001

Eclectic Artists Publishing.

Breaking With Tradition

Sections within this article:

1. Tickling The Mind’s Tongue

2. From Darkness into Light?

3. Introspective Inspiration?

4. Liberty & Responsibility

5. Summary & Conclusions

“In dim eclipse, disastrous twilight
sheds on half the nations,
and with fear of change, perplexes…”

– John Milton [1608-1674]

Our long journey down from the trees and across the plains to form “civilized” society was clearly dependant on humanity’s special gift: language. Starting with the few grunts and gestures common to most mammals we slowly added new syllables and subtle refinements as our language evolved to communicate all manner of complex thought. By this ability we learned to work together to overcome problems which can not possibly be solved alone… and thus we prospered and progressed more dramatically than any other species known. But for every yin there is a yang, so our success threatens to be our demise as our hubris tempts us to believe that now we are god, or at least a decent surrogate. How did we come so far yet get this lost?

Tickling The Mind’s Tongue

Etymology is that branch of linguistics which attempts to trace verbal evolution and demonstrate how one or more words came into common usage. When words have substantial similarities they beg the question of whether or how they are related …sometimes it’s mere coincidence. Consider: Change vs. Chance. The resemblance of these two common English words is particularly intriguing within the context of the suggestion to break with tradition. And while etymologists might beg to differ, we might fancifully assert that it was a bit more than chance which led to that one letter change.

While your mind contemplates connections, between The Trees and tall buildings, between Chances and Changes, and these disparate paragraphs, reflect on this unifying thought:

“Every tradition grows ever more venerable the more remote it’s origin, the more confused it’s origin is. The reverence due to it increases from generation to generation. The tradition finally becomes holy and inspires awe.”
– Frederich Nietzche [1844-1900]

Clearly, breaking with tradition (that is, beginning meaningful systemic change) is a frightening prospect for society. It is even more frightening for ‘the powers that be’ — that tiny segment who use tradition to reinforce their lofty positions. Yet, for most of us, rather than acting with blind reverence shouldn’t we question every rule, every paradigm, every system, and constantly ask, “Given our present knowledge, is the old way really still the best way?” Playing on society’s fear of Chance, the powerful sing the praises of tradition to drown out overwhelming arguments for Change. To the extent the traditionalist lullaby keeps the public asleep our humanity is doomed to continue it’s pattern of catastrophic destructions and re-births.

From Darkness into Light?

We must acceptance the reality of, indeed necessity of, Change and the Chances for success (and failure) that come with life. This is how species survive. This is how species evolve. This is how progress is made. Can you imagine living within the Holy Roman Empire’s structure today? It was a system whose time had come — and then past. What if the Western world could have avoided the subsequent 500 years of Dark Ages horror before eventually re-awakening to the need for change? When our systems are antiquated will we recognize them as such, take the necessary Chances and move to make the necessary Changes, or will we allow our “leaders” to wallow in self-absorbed Roman games while the empire crumbles? Might our systems already be antiquated?

Why are the rich getting far richer while the poor grow far poorer? Why do corporations now have more rights and fewer responsibilities than real people, than citizens? Why are transnational corporations (and the mega-rich) more powerful than sovereign nations? Why does war never seem to end (even in spite of the fact that the U.S. continues to spend nearly as much money on military as all the other nations on the planet combined)? Why do so many average people around the world seem angry at the U.S. and its policies? Why is the U.S. the most debt-ridden nation on the planet, even at the end of the largest economic expansion in its history? Why do Americans accept the overt corruption of campaign contributions, even by foreigners and multi-national corporations? Why is our educational system ranked nearly last among developed nations? Why do we continue to spend tens of billions per year (and suffer incredible hypocrisy and continuous trampling of our constitution) for a “War on Drugs” which can never be “won” by force? Why does America have a larger percentage of people incarcerated than any other nation (especially when prison costs more than college)? Why do Americans accept a tax system which crushes individuals and small businesses while providing billions in dodges and perqs for corporations and elites? Why is America still so dangerously addicted to non-renewable fossil fuels when so many alternative renewable sources of energy have been available for years? Why have Americans turned a blind eye to U.S. backing of numerous despotic regimes which brutally repress their own people? Why do we keep falling for the trick of giving all profits to owners of “free enterprise”, but often accept that associated costs should be paid by taxpayers? Why don’t 100% of American citizens have access to health care? Why do fewer than half of eligible American’s bother to vote? Why are we implored to wave a flag, buy and consume more and more, and blindly support a government which simultaneously rescinds our rights guaranteed by our Constitution? Why are concerned citizens who exercise their responsibility to question and criticize our government denounced as “unpatriotic”, from World War I to McCarthyism to Vietnam to now? Why have we been talking about these problems for a century without solution? Might our systems already be antiquated?

Introspective Inspiration?

Now is the time to take a chance on change! A new millenium is upon us and our system is deeply diseased with violence, corruption and ignorance. If you deny these basic observations then stop reading now for you are too deeply in denial to participate in a meaningful dialogue. But if you agree that such problems exist, then perhaps you’ll consider that this is the legacy of our traditions and that it’s time we shattered them. We must look into our own lives, and at the social organizations and institutions around us, and answer honestly: “Why? Why are things the way they are? Why do we do things the way we do? What seems to work and what seems to fail again and again? Why do we continue to repeat the same cycles?” No sacred cows, no reverential demurs: A long honest look into the mirror; A readiness to think in new ways; An openness to new ideas; An opportunity for evolution and progress; Permission to break with tradition.

Building a better world can never be easy since we must begin by tackling the job of unscrambling the chicken and the egg. The world is, and will continue to be, constructed of complex and interwoven systems, competing desires, good and evil people. But even while conceding the intricacy of the filigree we should steadfastly maintain that the essence of any new system must be parsimonious. To that end, in fact, it may be asserted that a far better nation (and world!) can be built on a foundation consisting of little more than two ingredients: Individual Liberty and Personal Responsibility.

Liberty & Responsibility

While a full exploration of the Liberty & Responsibility (L&R) model is the subject of a much larger text, consider the basic premise: Freedom for individuals (but not corporations, per se) is maximized, but is balanced by an insistence on personally responsible behavior; those who demonstrate a lack of personal responsibility lose corresponding rights.

For example, limited liability for corporate officers, directors and even shareholders would be unallowable under L&R. Once top executives (directors and officers) faced jail time for willing acts of pollution or political corruption by their employees and agents our nation would see radical improvements in corporate behavior. Once stockholders (especially those with ‘deep pockets’) faced the possibility of having to pay for toxic clean-ups, or class-action legal awards, or repayment of costs improperly shifted onto taxpayers, our nation would see a radical shift in focus away from short-sighted profit reports and into healthy long-range decisions.

Similarly, under L&R “for profit” businesses are responsible for paying ALL of their own costs. This means that they must act responsbily by providing a living wage, reasonable health care, and a modest pension fund for workers if they are to enjoy the “liberty” of taking profits from our communities, and they must also cover the costs of clean-up of wastes their product cycle creates… otherwise, they are secretly forcing others to pay some of the real costs associated with their business. Insisting on this same level playing field from all of our trading partners would quickly, radically and positively alter the relationships between people, economics, environment and institutions. In economics-speak, it would provide for “efficient markets” where the most productive companies would succeed and the short-term thinkers would be eliminated. Government subsidies and bail-outs would be replaced by “joint ventures” which gave taxpayers the same returns and guarantees which any private banker would demand. Industries which could not stand on their own feet in a truly “free” market (such as utilities, weapons contractors, insurance companies, etc.) would be (of necessity) publicly-owned and operated.

On a personal level, everything from seatbelt and helmet laws, to gun control, and prohibitions on cultivation of marijuana and other natural medicines would be eliminated. Instead, as long as a person was an otherwise law-abiding adult, the government would have no reason or authority to play the paternalistic parent treating citizens like children. Conversely, everyone in the chain of command (from line employee to CEO or Cabinet Secretary) would be held personally responsible (civilly and criminally) for the dangers associated with technologies and their ultimate deployment (i.e., especially regarding those which pose potentially high risks for society, such as nuclear energy & weapons, genetic engineering, mass pharmaceuticals, etc.). In this spirit, former congressman Jim Hightower (D-TX) has suggested that the fastest way to clean-up hazardous waste sites (and prevent their recurrence) is to require the executives responsible for the wastes to live next to the sites, drink the water, etc. That sort of explicit linkage is exactly the power and wisdom of L&R.

Summary & Conclusions

This is your life: Your chance to promote positive change. Contemplate the issues and problems within our present world and ask yourself how these might be rectified. Could something as intuitively simple as dedication to the age old notions of both Liberty and Responsibility break the vicious cycle gripping our nation and our world? If not, then what might? Ask yourself how you might become an agent of such positive change… or why you would not. This is your life to do with as you will, or (more ominously, if you allow it) to do as ‘they’ direct you. When custom becomes enslaving ritual, when myth becomes an unchallenged weight around our collective necks, then we must seriously consider struggling to break with tradition. Now, what would you do?

“Never comes the chance that passed,
That one moment was it’s last…
Never shall thy spoken word
Be again unsaid, unheard.”
– R.T. Cooke [1827-1892]

Thank you for your attention, interest and concern.

Cartoons are copyright properties of their respective authors and publishers.

Copyright 2001 Eclectic Properties
Corporation. All rights reserved.
Alter-Nation and Alter-Nation.com are Trademarks and Servicemarks of Eclectic
Properties Corporation. Used here by kind permission.

Artwork of the Month

Artwork of the Month – December 2001

Works are selected for provocative visual, intellectual,
social and/or spiritual content.. Print versions
(suitable for home or office display), with or without professional mounting
and framing, may be available for order as indicated below each display.Eclectic Artists Publishing.

“…I Wake, Therefore Am I? “

Available as 6″x9″ print suitable
for framing at $18 each
or professionally matted and framed at $75 each.
Order
Now!
Signed by the artist upon request.

About The Art

Do “I” think? Or do “I” simply parrot? Is this my consciousness, or a carefully crafted habit of behavior repeated ad nauseum since school age? To think requires that I ask unanswered questions, then dream of the answers, and work through the answers, and then demonstrate proofs of the answers, or at least modify my own behaviors in accordance with my new understanding. Am I able to connect the dots, intuit the patterns around me? Can I experience the Gestalt understanding in this picture: Simultaneously recalling the iconic birth of Western civilization, the surrealism of modern technology, millenia of separation, eternal questions of ‘where are we headed and how will we ever get there’? Or am I too busy adhering to the ‘proper’ modes of thinking which my society has instilled within me? If this is a dream then it has just become lucid, and so I must awake now: Reality awaits me.

Copyright 2001 Eclectic Properties Corporation.
All rights reserved.

Poet's Park

Poem of the Month – December 2001

Holiday Special: TWO poems for the price of none!

Santa Claus and Other Fairy Tales

Did mother tell you about Santa Claus?
Was he kind and good and such?
Did he live and labor far away
Yet love you all so much?

Was he blessed with special helpers
Who kept a watchful eye?
Would magic powers help him to
Deliver gifts at times?

Did everybody love him
Though he’s never really seen?
If you lived a saintly life, he’d know
And reward you with your dreams?

Then you grew up (mom decided)
So she told you what was true…
But what if they’d forgotten
As old folks often do?

It would seem strange as you got
Older, wiser, less naive
But you’d trust mom-and-dad’s advice
With a little faith, you’d believe

Then every year, every store
And charity would remind
That HE is real and best served by
“Insert Your Advertis’ment Line”

Would you still believe in Santa Claus
Just because they’d told you so
And no one’d proven differently?
I’d really like to know

And did mother tell you about your god?
Is He kind and good and such? …

Copyright 1979 Dean DiSandro,
published and administered by Eclectic Artists Publishing.

About The Poetry

This bit of comic irony challenges the processes through which “old wives tales” are passed along, as well as hinting at the social and economic motivations various players have for perpetuating such myths.

Myths and fairy tales play an important and positive role in socializing people, often teaching valuable lessons in a story form which is comprehensible by young minds still lacking the formal education required for rational ethical and moral contemplation. The danger, of course, is that the details of these myths are easily inserted as “truths” in as-yet-uncritical minds: If society fails to often remind itself that these tales are “only stories” then a disservice is done to the developing mind, effectively acting as dishonest indoctrination, forever blurring the line between fantasy and reality. After just a generation or two, many people might forget that Paul Bunyon was not really 40 feet tall, nor did he have a giant purple ox, there is no golden goose or beanstalk to the sky… or, more pointedly, that children are never born to virgins, that loaves and fishes can not be divided infinitely, that people do not turn into pillars of salt, etc. Thus, the powerful and the selfish are free to construct rituals requiring the people to pay homage to the myths; rituals which reinforce the power and privilege of those keepers of the myths.

Seekers of the truth must constantly battle those who would profit from instilled ignorance. This struggle is as eternal as the war between good and evil. The myth-maker as sculptor, the mind as clay, socialization as the fire-hardening of public opinion, this poem as a hammer swung for truth.

  

HOLIDAY BONUS!
(Another song poem from the forth-coming CD “Existing As Slaves”)

God is a Growth Industry

(you should be listening)

Spent many years rejecting god across the land
For I couldn’t see his plan
I only saw his “men” were out of hand

Ah, but now the truth has just hit home
It was right there all along
God is within each of us – alone

God is within each of us alone

And I’m not wrong, but this song
Will frighten all your leaders to their bones
Sticks and stones – They’re gonna fight me
‘Cause they need us to pay their way
Give our lives as they may say
Call us lambs then make us slaves

Oh no! Don’t let them blind you
Reject them and their social powers that bind you
Build god a home within you every hour
Suspect TV and the media
Spread mouth-to-mouth the courage that you own
You’re not alone
You see, god comes to be
within me

He’s my god
You’ve got your god
Not his god
Not her god
Keep respectful distance
Only judge my acts of right or wrong

God would rather hear your prayers alone
God would never charge you in his home

Oh the preacher has a right to be
But not to lambast you and me
It’s politics and filthy greed
A lazy aristocracy
Who teach a false morality
And lullaby how slaves will be re-born

God doesn’t care when I call him names
For God’s bigger and God’s better
And it’s all in how I live and love, anyway
Not what I say

So preacher put away pathetic pleas
If you’re really are what you claim to be
And climb down off your thrones
(No… Dismantle your thrones)
Give back your hoarded piracies
Use your hands to help me move these stones

And then you’ll see
God comes to be
Within you and me – alone

Copyright 1985 Dean DiSandro,
published and administered by Eclectic Artists Publishing.

 
Copyright 2001 Eclectic Properties Corporation.
All rights reserved.
Alter-Nation and Alter-Nation.com are Trademarks and Servicemarks of Eclectic
Properties Corporation.
Used here by kind permission.            
 

Steal a Song

December 2001

JOIN NOW!     And be
sure to purchase Alter-Nation’s latest CD, Change
the System!. You can also use these links to contact Rockin R Records regarding
recording your music or Eclectic Artists Publishing regarding publishing your songs.

People Wouldn’t Fight

(..if they boogied to rock’n’roll)

Download & Play MP3 music file

(Spoken Intro:)
Hey, y’all know wassup. You learn to be tough guys just survivin’ at school. You find a set to hang and gang with so you’re cool. But feelings aren’t for tough guys… fightin’ and killin’ is, right? Kinda funny: Both the army and the gangsters thinks it’s okay to “shoot your enemies.” Then, you find out that the big bad world has plans for you. A lifetime sentence they call a “J.O.B.” — hard labor with no chance of parole! And always bossy people tellin’ you what to do….power tripping. You’re confused and you got no control. So you join a bigger gang with big tough guy names like:
“The Republicans” or “The Democrats”, or maybe “The Moral Majority”.
But you can only kill people if you’re a cop or the President says so.
So, now the tough guys fight to prove who can kiss butt
while hummin’ “You got to go along to get along!”
without one drop of real feeling.
You learn that when THE MAN can see that
the tough-guy-with-no-feelings is comfortable on his knees,
he might just throw you a bone: “Bossman Jr.”
Now YOU can do some tough-guy power-trippin’.
Good thing you don’t have any feelings.
But, if you think that’s how life needs to be, y’all been missin’ the point.
Let me tell ya how I see it…

People wouldn’t fight if they boogied to Rock-n-Roll
The music pacifies and the rhythm it grooves your soul
Gotta get the bangers all to party to the radio.

Never time for gangin’ when there’s dancin’ out in the streets
It’s hard to get a shot off when you’re clappin’ out that fancy beat
Come on everybody start a Party of the “Happy Feet”

Well when I was a young man thought I’s bad as can be
Got tired of terrorizing neighbors so I joined the M.C.
My master sergeant had a guitar so I said he was gay
Then challenged all the other officers to see what they’d say
They said, “The major (who’s a woman) thinks you’ve got it all wrong.”
So you will have to take a beating or rock her all night long!”

People wouldn’t fight if they boogied to Rock-n-Roll
People wouldn’t battle if they boogied to Rock-n-Roll
Gotta get the generals to listen to the radio.

Never time for bombin’ when there’s dancin’ out in the streets
It’s hard to make an army march in cadence with that fancy beat
Come on everybody start a party of the “Happy Feets”

I had to understand, its LOVE that makes the man.
Head-butts are for the animals, raw meat is for the cannibals.
Come on all you tough guys what’s the choice, now, do we fight or do we play?
I’ll take be-boppin’ with the ladies over bopping on your sweet face anyday.

People wouldn’t fight if they boogied to Rock-n-Roll
People wouldn’t battle if they boogied to Rock-n-Roll
Gotta get the politicians dancing to the radio.

People wouldn’t fight. No, people wouldn’t fight.
People wouldn’t fight, now. People wouldn’t fight.
If you wanna Change the System gotta shout it on the radio!

Lyrics copyright 2000 Dean DiSandro.
All rights reserved. Used here by kind permission.

About The Song

“Rock’n’Roll” is, of course, an old African American euphemism for what others might call “doin’ the nasty”. You know, to “boogie”, to “bop”, to “get it on”, to “get down”… to have SEX, in case you are really dense. Listening to R&B from the 40’s and 50’s provides an incredibly creative array of slang for the act of coitus, which allowed the randy nature of this “Negro music” to escape notice in the ignorant ears of McCarthy-era Caucasians. Eventually, the hippest honky’s caught on, and icons such as Elvis and The Beatles did the bump and grind while playing that wild “colored sound” being labeled as “Rock’N’Roll”. The world of music has never been the same since.

Obviously, this song’s message is then quite literally true… people simply can’t fight while they make love. (Well, sure, there are probably some war-loving sicko fucks with tiny little dicks who probably can and do get hostile even while engaged in the act of copulation but this is a very, very small percentage of the population… and hopefully they are not too likely to successfully procreate.) So, in reality and in metaphorical terms, the idea is to spread the word that if folks are dancing and partying and making love all the time then no one would be in the mood for fighting and warring. Now if we can only get the gang-bangers, the politicians, the cops, the soldiers, and all the other control freaks to “get down” with some good old-fashioned rock’n’roll (hell, maybe even smoke a little bud, too) then they might get a proper attitude adjustment happening in their heads… and then suddenly they’ll realize what a fuckin’ waste of life all that fighting and killing really is. So, turn up the CD player and blast those cool Alter-Nation riffs down your neighborhood streets until everyone gets it.

If you are too cynical to dream that something this simple could be part of the solution, then maybe you are part of the problem.

Buy Alter-Nation’s Change
the System double-disk, multimedia CD now!

Copyright 2001 Eclectic Properties
Corporation. All rights reserved.
Alter-Nation and Alter-Nation.com are Trademarks and Servicemarks of Eclectic
Properties Corporation. Used here by kind permission.

AlterMedia

December 2001

This may be a book, a video program,
an audio program, a lecturer, poet, show or other touring artist, or any other
form of communication which is entertaining, enrichingandeducational.click here
to join now. Have an Alter-Media recommendation?Eclectic Artists Publishing. If your
suggestion is published you will receive ONE Alter-Nation Hour to be used at your
discretion.

Life of Brian

Another Gem from Britain’s ‘Monty Python’ Troupe

( musical bonus: YES’ “The Revealing Science of God” )

On a cold, starry night in Bethlehem just more than 2,000 years ago, in a humble manger, a boy is born… just two doors down from another, as-yet-to-be more famous, child. This boy is named “Brian”. Contemplation of the parallels between the lives of Brian and that other more storied child provides fertile landscapes for wry wit, clever historical juxtapositions and insightful social commentary.

All of the hallmarks of the British comedy troupe “Monthy Python’s Flying Circus” are present. The six chaps (Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, John Cleese, Graham Chapman, and Michael Palin) each play numerous roles, serving between them as every major character within the story. There are wacky bits of animation interspersed throughout. The humor ranges from silently physical to some of the most sophisticated twists of phrse, re-interpretations of history, and reflections on the human condition that you are ever likely to witness. The acting and direction are, as always with MPFC, top notch even when zany… and you will probably never see a less-romanticized version of life in the ancient world. Wickedly funny stuff, sometimes bordering on genius, demanding irreverence and the ability to laugh at the etiology of one’s own beliefs.

This holiday season, put an extra log on the fire, make a big bowl of popcorn (‘ocelots’ spleens’, ‘jaguars’ earlobes’ or other snacks worthy of a day at the Roman Games), and settle down with the entire family to re-live that wonderful tale of one man’s life that could be humanity’s salvation: The Life of Brian!

MUSIC TIP OF THE MONTH

YES: “The Revealing Science of God”

   
        
The art-rock group YES released their “Tales from Topographic Oceans” album in 1975; a richly textured world of words and music composed of four separate movements, inspired by a four-part Hindu text translated as the “Shastric Scriptures”. The opening piece (titled “The Revealing Science of God”, and sub-titled “Dance of the Dawn”) is 20-plus minutes of complex poetry and evocative music which serves as high-density food for thought.

This gift is a rose of eternal beauty.

Copyright 2001 Eclectic Properties Corporation.
All rights reserved.
Alter-Nation and Alter-Nation.com are Trademarks and Servicemarks of Eclectic
Properties Corporation. Used here by kind permission.

Menus4Minds

December 2001

Sure, you have heard all about the correct pairings
of food and beverages, but what conversation will you serve with each course? Menus are created and selected to ensure that you and your guests feed mind, body
and soul. We try to provide choices which will please both drinkers and abstainers,
meat-eaters and vegetarians. Can’t wait for next month’s menu ideas?Got a menu you’d like to share?Eclectic Artists Publishing. If your
submission is selected for publication you will receive one “Alter-Nation Hour”.

Church & State

     Back in 1977, a brilliant yet little-known Canadian artist, David Sim, created a comic book character named “Cerebus”, an extremely tough and cynical aardvark who explored an otherwise human world constructed partly from mythical history and partly from modern reality. In two masterly books entitled “Church & State”, volumes 1 & 2 (actually books 4 and 5 in the continuing series of Cerebus’ adventures), the journeys of Sim’s Cerebus provide wonderful commentary on the human condition, especially the humans which create that condition.

      This holiday season, why not stretch your palate and your mind by exploring an unusually traditional dish (Holiday Tamales) with our traditionally unusual dinner conversation (Church & State). Both are guaranteed to heat up any frosty December night. Mmmm-Hmmm good.

      Interested diners should know that David Sim publishes his entire “Cerebus” series completely independently (turning down offers by giants such as Time-Warner’s DC Comics). The books are available at independent book stores as well as on the web at, for example, The Comix Shoppe.

Witch Doctors
Quesadilla y Taquito Tapas

Cheeses and roasted chilis folded into warm flour tortillas with salsa (Quesadillas) and savory mixes of spiced meats or veggies (try the potato and soy variety) rolled into corn tortillas and deep fried (Taquitos) are party-pleasing finger foods. Keep a few bowls of salsas, sour cream, and/or guacamole around for dipping. If anyone says “This isn’t really culturally authentic fare”, tell ’em, “That’s one party foul… and at this holiday fiesta it’s ‘two strikes and yer out!'”

Fur bebidos, cerveza und tequila, naturalich! (That’s right: I’m mixing Spanish and German… just more bits of ‘party-foul’ bait to weed-out those snobby cultural-purists before the house gets rockin’.) Anyway, a nice crisp Tecate or Corona with a slice of lime as a chaser to some distilled Aguave Cactus juice sounds quite refreshing right about now. “Hey, you there with the W.A.S.P.-y power-tie! That’s it, pal, yer outta here!”

Speaking of making up the rules as you go, give a little thought to how ‘medicine men’ created and retained their power in ancient cultures (as a whole, for thousands of years). A volcano erupts, the ground trembles, a solar or lunar eclipse occurs, a flood or drought happens… the tribe is spooked, and some virgin is gonna pay, dammit! It should be of little surprise that superstition ruled ancient human tribes and that those with the power of persuasion could manipulate the situation to their own benefit. Thus, ‘witch doctors’ claimed all sorts of powers and demanded all manner of sacrifice and/or obedience, generally with little or no proof, efficacy, etc. Specifically, elder males generally arranged the social rules to ensure that they would get first crack at any young women coming of age in the tribe. Young males had to wait, pass various tests, prove their worth, join the army, go to college then grad school then post-doc pergatory then gain tenure before earning the right to procreate or otherwise assume social power. (Whoops! Sorry… kinda skipped ahead a bit there.)

Considering how ‘silly’ some ancient customs appear to us now, ask your guests which ‘rights of passage’ in current society seem to parallel those arbitrary systems imposed by various tribal cultures? In light of a long history of ‘down by law’ rules, why aren’t current dogmas challenged more often? Did your mother tell you about Santa Claus?

Priests
Missionary Menudo

This classic ‘South of the Border’ soup, made from homemade stock (beef, pork, chicken or vegetable), diced onions, lime juice, hominy, tripe, peppers and spices to taste is a festive tradition. It is also reputed to be a good ‘morning-after’ curative… so perhaps a few bowls the day before might act as a prophylactic.

If you just can’t ‘stomach’ the tripe in Menudo, then try some Black Bean Soup instead. When made with cayenne-spiced vegetable broth and garnished with freshly chopped onions, cilantro, slices of radish and lime, and topped with cheese and shredded tortilla chips, partially refried Black Beans yield a dark and delicious soup which will warm any winter day. This easy-to-make soup is best when prepared several days before serving (just add a little hot water before serving to ensure a creamy texture).

Trinken mas Bieren, amigo… oder nada! (Sorry, I just can’t help myself this time of the year.)

During the Middle Ages (or “Dark Ages” as many call them) after the collapse of Roman civilization, European culture ‘forgot’ much of what it had learned from ancient Egypt, Greece, Turkey, Asia and Rome. Books were literally burned and the ‘apple’ of knowledge was forbidden by ‘those who spoke directly with God’. The Inquisitions, The Children’s Crusades, and innumerable other horrific acts were perpetrated in the name of pleasing one god or another, and much of society was ruled by those who deemed themselves most-holy: The Priests.

Kings & Queens
Royal Holiday Tamales

This is the centerpiece, the real deal, the main event which kept us all smiling politely through every moment of the heretofore irreverent discussions: Holiday Tamales!

Every family has its own secret recipe, so we will have to suffice with a few tantalizing general descriptions. Of course, the classic tamale consists of succulently seasoned pork or beef stuffed into a thick corn meal pouch and wrapped in a real corn husk (which is removed before eating, Mr. Party-Foul-Mouth). However, the always adventurous and irreverent California Epicureans suggest spicy grilled veggies (carrots, peppers, onions and cilantro, for example), diced marinated mushrooms and tofu, and even pureed black beans with garlic, as optional inserts for that traditional corn meal envelope. Personally, I’d suggest asking ‘pretty please’ to the most-seasoned Hispanic matriarch you know, hope that she takes pity on you, and then sit back and enjoy some honest-to-goodness home-cooked traditional tamales.

Need another cerveza, or a non-alcoholic break? Horchata, made from boiled rice with a little sugar and a snap of cinnamon, is a nice alternative beverage which will compliment rather than compete with most of this month’s recipes.

Toward the end of the Dark Ages and into the early Renaissance (circa 1200 – 1600 AD) Kings and Queens began to build and rule feudal realms which became the stuff of legends (from King Arthur to Robyn Hood, and Braveheart to Monty Python’s Holy Grail). In reality, it was the military might of the land-baron gentry battling the religious armies of the church(es) for control of land, body and soul. Eventually, in a cleverly practical manuever, the priests and the nobility joined forces to rule the common man with an unbeatable 1-2 punch: Church & State.

If our spicy dishes haven’t yet provided enough fire, try these questions around the table: If belief in a god is based on faith, and if your religious leader says God has sanctioned your king (or president), then how can you question anything your king says? If power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely, what can we say about any system which links God with matters of state? If men were clever (and devious) enough to conceive and employ these great deceptions nearly 1,000 years ago, how clever and devious do you suppose modern power brokers might be?

Politicians
Flim-Flan Artists

Flan, a traditional custard dessert, can be tweaked to your heart’s delight with drizzled chocolate, raspberry sauce, maple syrup, whipped cream, or honey.

For an extra surprise, quick fry flour tortillas in vegetable oil, remove and sprinkle with a sugar and cinnamon mixture while still hot. This crispy treat is especially popular with kids.

A rich blend of cocoa, cinnamon, and warm milk (with a dash of cayenne) is the perfect “Adios” beverage. Of course, you might want to slip an “aufwiedersehn” in instead, just to see who is listening. For the brave souls, put a few more logs on the fire, pull out the Spanish brandy, and settle in for a few more hours of healthy conversation.

Copyright 2001 Eclectic Properties
Corporation. All rights reserved.

CoolLink of the Month

December 2001

Sites are selected
for provocative visual, intellectual, social and/or spiritual content.Have a Cool Link
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Do you really believe in democracy?

Sure, it’s easy to say “YES” to this question, but do you really (in actual practice) believe in a government by the people, for the people, and of the people? Real democracy requires an informed and involved electorate… a doubtful condition in the U.S. today.

Since 1970, the local, state and national chapters of Common Cause (non-profits all) are focused on giving the people the information and tools they need to elect and oversee a “clean” government; That is, a government which has the absolute minimum chance for corruption and a maximum chance to provide a level playing field for peace and prosperity.

In their own words: “Common Cause is a nonprofit, nonpartisan citizen’s lobbying
organization promoting open, honest and accountable government.
Supported by the dues and contributions of over 200,000 members in
every state across the nation, Common Cause represents the unified
voice of the people against corruption in government and big money
special interests.” “…Financed by the dues and contributions of its individual members, Common Cause does not accept foundation
or government grants or solicit contributions from labor
unions or corporations. Because it is a lobbying
organization, contributions to Common Cause are not
tax deductible. The annual operating budget is
approximately $10 million. ”

Toward that end, the
Common Cause is primarily focused on Campaign Finance Reform, getting corrupting money OUT of politics. Their web site gives let’s you see which elected officials are trying to put forth solutions, and which are simply part of the problem. They provide citizens with a database on so-called “soft money” contributions. They demonstrate linkages between contributions and votes by elected officials. In short, Common Cause works daily to preserve the ideal of American democracy. Do you?

If you believe in democracy, then put your money (and time) where your mouth is… join and support Common Cause.

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