Its Really Hot

 

IT'S REALLY HOT

One has to view the current news with amusement. It's necessary.  On the 6th of July, the Des Moines Register, along with a slough of other news outlets, talked about our Governor calling for a special session of the legislature to pass abortion restrictions and then in the same paper, covered the fact that we just experienced the hottest two days on earth in history and possibly for the last 125,000 years.  Now that's quite a record and one that I'm paying attention to.  

Once again our governing officials address issues of no consequence.  This is how you govern in Iowa, by not governing.  We do not want to admit that there might be trouble on the horizon - - that is discomfiting and probably not vote getting since the electorate has no more concern with the future than our governor.  And it is not God's will that will create havoc, it is human stupidity; unless of course, human stupidity is God's will, and then we are cooked regardless.  The idea that we can only act individually and not collectively and that whatever happens is inevitable is the mind-set of our governor and elected representatives - - they are helpless.  

We have seen enough from the past several legislative sessions that our state government has no clue.  They do not understand that the world has passed them by and enacting  stupid laws will not change that fact.  They need to go the way of the dinosaurs - - disappear.  If one will actually take the time to look around and notice what is happening, one will quickly come to the discovery, and I use the word discovery purposefully, that we as a people, as a society, as a conglomeration of individuals, are also clueless.  Bob Dylan said it in the sixties, and it is more true today than then, "the times they are a changin'".  

We, and I mean us,  have come to the conclusion that we, as individuals, can do nothing about climate change, or injustice, or societal stupidity; and therefore no one does anything (except possibly make it worse).  We in Iowa are leading the nation in our inability to look around us and see what is actually happening on the planet.  I took a look again the other night at William Anders' earth photo from the moon (google it).  Folks, we live on a ball in the middle of nothing; we are all in this together whether we are American or Aztec.  It's time we began acting like it.  It's not time to be patriotic, it's time to be planetary.

And, it is not a matter of making sure a woman has no right to control her own body, women never have - - we've made sure of that; it is what is not addressed that will kill us all on this very blue, watery, isolated planet in the middle of nothing - - we are alive in an infinite space isolated from everything else and there are actions that we can take as humans that will benefit us and our descendants and possibly make continued life on this planet possible for them.  Just a thought mind you.

Richard E H Phelps II

Mingo

Superman

 SUPERMAN

Numerous discussions have been held, by me and others, about the lack of purpose in superman.  Clark Kent wasn't exactly setting the house on fire with his American job.  If I remember correctly he had only one adventure a week which is pretty sad for the "man of steel" who was indestructible and could see through solid objects.  I never once saw him use his ability to see through solid objects to get a good look at Lois Lane.  As far as I'm concerned that is strike number one.

And what about all this massive amount of crime going on everywhere?  He really was pretty choosy in what he got involved in.  He could have gone just about anywhere anytime to roust criminals and save people; but you didn't see a lot of that - - only the places where they happened to have a camera to capture his heroics.  What good is a superman if he's off duty most of the time?

What is the most disappointing is, he didn't take over the world.  Why not do it if you can?  Seems reasonable to me.  And since his morals were impeccable - - ethically pure - - he surely would have made a really good supreme commander of the planet.  Who would there be to say otherwise?  Nobody.  There's not enough krypton on the planet to keep him under control.  

There are questions to be asked however.  Since he would be supreme commander of the planet, what religion is he?  That would be the first question.  I personally would vote for a Doaist.  Of all the major religions, Doaists seem to be able to mind their own business better than others.  Hindus, Muslims, and Christians can get really nasty when someone differs with them and we do want to avoid strife and bloodshed as much as  possible.

A second question to ask is what political persuasion is he.  I think we can go from fascist to anarchist with conservative and liberal and progressive thrown into the middle.  Since a person's views on such things as capitalism, socialism, social democracy, and  other varieties of political persuasion can determine behavior and social contact, it would be good to know Superman's views on such things before he takes over the planet.

Although, in the long run, it doesn't matter what religion or political persuasion he has, if he wants to take over the planet, he will and there is nothing we can do as humans to stop him - - just hope for the best, just like we do now.  It would seem to me it would be better to have someone in charge rather than no one as the case is today.  That way we can go about our business without worrying who our enemies are and why.  And also just like now, our politicians are declaring China our enemy, and at the same time that's where we get everything we buy from Walmart.  How can they be an enemy when they help make our cell phones?  Doesn't make sense to me.  Superman could simply say, get over it already, I'm in charge of China too so don't worry.

Richard E H Phelps II

Mingo