A SHORT OFFERING FROM RUSTY MILLER’S THEATRE OF THE ABSURD

Posted on September 24, 2017 by minstrel312

The Magazine With Heart
Pacem, Libertatem, Justitiam
September 24, 2017 Vol. 10 No. 4

Reader Supported: All Contributions Appreciated and Accepted Here

Neptune Theatre, Seattle – Photo by MS(R)M

A SHORT OFFERING FROM RUSTY MILLER’S THEATRE OF THE ABSURD

Hi again, from the shores of the Salish Sea. We’ve talked with you guys before about the need for a vacation, even if you can’t afford one. And we’ve provided examples of the flights you can book into fantasy and absurdity. Yep, welcome aboard another one.

What if the reality is that all of the things we declaim in life actually are the way things are supposed to be?

Take something as basic as good health. If the goals of good health and longevity were actually realized, the results could be economically catastrophic. Just stop and think for a minute. Healthy people don’t need medicine. Big industry there, including advertising and delivery systems. What would all the people employed do for a living, remembering that they too will be living longer and in better health?

Even assuming accidents and natural disasters, with no chronic condition patients to fill them, what would hospitals become if there were not very many sick people or people requiring surgery? Maybe they could be converted to veterinary facilities, animal rehabilitation and more research into what compromises the quality of life for other creatures on the planet. Besides us, I mean.

First responders and emergency rooms would be economically and vocationally safe. Unless people also behaved in saner fashions and dramatically reduced the at risk behaviors which keep this segment of the health industry in business even on a sunny day.

And finally, what about the birth to death rate? If we were living past the century mark, there would be a lot more of us out there unless we either voluntarily accepted a child per family limit or decided that the first requisite of every species was not necessarily to reproduce.

Sometimes we really need to be careful what we pray for. Someone might actually be listening.

And on that note, then, gang, have a great week and thanks for the ear.

Rusty

Rusty Miller is a journalist, author, editor and photographer who lives in Seattle, Washington. For comments, please go here.

HEADLINE NEWS AT A GLANCE

FROM OLYA

CREATING THE NEXT GENERATION OF PERFECT EMPLOYEES: A Criticism of Traditional Education:

Hi Rusty:

Autumn came to Ukraine quietly with the rustle of the fallen leaves under the shoes. September is the month when all the parents could sigh with relief as their dear ones finally came back to school after three months of holidays. There is an interesting article about Ukrainian children’s school uniform with typical for girls braids tied up with classical white chiffon

And just as not much has changed with school uniform, so it has been in the classroom for those who would like a choice besides schoolchildren sitting at the desk from 9am to 3pm. Which really is not much different from a work schedule, is it?

And the usual approach is the same: be quiet, don’t stand out, ‘no initiative goes unpunished.’ That is how it was in my childhood when you try to participate in the lesson, be active, trying answering questions of the teacher and in the end just because your voluntary answering was not that correct as teacher expected you receive a bad grade. While others not even trying just don’t.

It made me wonder if maybe I wasn’t really trying to somehow be in a worse position than those who remained quiet and docile. On the other hand, maybe it’s just our Eastern mentality.

Remembering that our schools trace their roots to the Athenian Greek tradition of discussing different philosophical matters in their free time just makes wonder how modern schooling went so far from that experience.

And so far away from playful children nature. Most people I know suffered at school and no one ever said they liked it. Times change but not, it seems, a system whose behavior demands thaat children “Be quiet, don’t stand out, no initiative goes unpunished”. And every one of those neat looking children dreams of spending time outside where kids belong and not inside in their uniforms, sitting quietly at their desks and morphing into the next generation of perfect employees.

That’s it for this week, Mishka. Be good and stay safe, my cousin. Olya

Olya Bereza, who was born in the Soviet Union, now lives in Ukraine and is fluent in English, Russian and Ukrainian. She is a degreed psychologist with a background in international marketing and personnel management. For comments on this please go here.

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The Northstar Journal reaches strong, compassionate and proactively green readers in 22 countries who are making our world a better place. We are proud to serve them as a resource in that regard. If you would like to become one of them and subscribe for whatever you can afford, please go here. If you would like to sponsor an edition or contribute in some other way, please contact me, Rusty, at minstrel312@aol.com Y’all take care now and thanks for the ear. RM/OB

Reader Supported: All Contributions Appreciated and Accepted Here

GOLDEN ALLEGORY IN THAT PRAYER

Posted on September 17, 2017 by minstrel312

TO VIEW IN YOUR NATIVE LANGUAGE

The Magazine With Heart
Pacem, Libertatem, Justitiam
September 17, 2017 Vol. 10 No. 3

Reader Supported: All Contributions Appreciated and Accepted Here

Looking out across Seattle’s Ship Canal, southeast, to the University of Washington. Photo by MS(R)M.

GOLDEN ALLEGORY IN THAT PRAYER

Hi again, from the shores of the Salish Sea. Well, it’s been another interesting week, has it not? In the midst of the bamboo saber rattling in North Korea, Canada learned that the United States is under no obligation to defend its northern neighbor. My hunch is that this will be corrected in short order and I’m certain that the American position will revolve around the term “obligated”, We may not be required by treaty or stated policy but in defending Canada, we do, in fact, protect our northern borders and Alaska, as well.

It was almost bitterly depressing to watch the resignation of Seattle mayor Ed Murray, in the wake of more allegations of sexual abuse. Thus far, five accusers over a four-decade span of time have come forth, including a family member. Murray also spent time in Ireland and is under investigation there now. Murray is gay but there is no taint of homophobia in any of this. His community has not turned against him and his domestic partner has not left him. And I do not believe that his personal proclivities affected his ability to serve in the state legislature before he became mayor. Yes, I voted for him.

If the charges against him are true, Ed Murray violated kids. To me, there is no greater crime on the face of this earth than hurting a child and there is no excuse for it. There is also no justification for it. Nowhere on this planet has it ever been okay to rape children, gay or otherwise. If the charges are true ~ and we will find out as due process is served ~ I want Ed Murray to be treated accordingly.

What bothers me most at this point is whether Ed Murray was vetted as thoroughly as he should have been or whether we were too sensitive to his gender-preference to do a thorough investigation that could have been misinterpreted by the LGBT community as persecution based on gender bias.

It looks like autumn is here now and I never in my life thought I’d be so glad to see rain again. This three-month drought here cost us the corn and most of the pumpkins. We also lost most of our wild spearmint and blackberry season ended early. But Dac’s box planted tomatoes survived, along with Russell’s carrots and everybody’s sunflowers and potatoes planted in two gardens, along with the mint we transplanted to protect the house against rats. We learned a lot and next year’s harvest will be richer as a result.

I truly hope there is golden allegory in that prayer.

On that note, then, gang, have a great week and thanks for the ear.

Rusty

Rusty Miller is a journalist, author, editor and photographer who lives in Seattle, Washington. For comments, please go here.

THE PAST WEEK’S HEADLINE NEWS AT A GLANCE

FROM OLYA

Mikheil Saakashvili in Lviv, near Leopolis hotel. Rain just started. Photo by Olya Bereza

“SITTING” WITH MIKHEIL SAAKASHVILI

Hello Rusty:

This week was quite interesting in terms of how personal paths sometimes intersect with the ones on close media attention. It started on the 10th of September at Przemyśl, Poland with a crowd of journalists who appeared to be interviewing Mikheil Saakashvili, who was about to sit with his supporters in the train to Ukraine. But that was only beginning of the story.

How the politician finally got into the country can be read here Former governor Mikheil Saakashvili ‘forces entry’ to Ukraine

On the opposite, the crossing the border for usual Ukrainians and guests of the country that day wasn’t easy from the other side. Foreign friends told me that they needed to stay in the queue a few hours longer then usual. Acquaintances from Ukraine who had a bus to Poland complained that their bus was stopped on the border for about 10 hours. As you know, that is a nightmare if you have kids aboard. Seems like additional delay was caused by aforementioned political events. As is quite often the case, politics following interests of elites quite often makes things more complicated for ordinary people.

In the morning 12th already in Lviv there was another gathering of journalists near the hotel Leopolis in the center of the town, where Mikheil Saakashvili stays. On that stage, some procedure was followed to legalize his stay as some representatives of border service were present and the politician signed protocol on realizing his rights and responsibilities on the territory of Ukraine. It was such a big crowd for such a sleepy little town where most of the time, all thoughts in the morning are about coffee.

Next time the place that I saw a politician was at The 24th Lviv International Book Fair and 12 International Literature Festival

While it’s a big question how further events will unfold, it is interesting that the opposition parties mirroring the situation with the western border would like to bring former Ukraine president Viktor Yanukovich from the eastern border.

That’s it for this week, Mishka. Be good and stay safe, my cousin. Olya

DALAI LAMA

If we make an effort we can change the world. Those who are still young can make a difference and shape a better future. For my part, I try to encourage interest in inner values and I believe that if I influence ten people and each of them does the same, we’ve reached one hundred. And so it goes on. This is the way to educate people.

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