Stroping with Cess

[Guest guest]

This may sound either flippant or weird, but

the truth is I find great comfort in cynicism when

it comes to coping with the stress being induced

by our panic-mongering government, society, news

twits, and world.

 

By this I mean, taking a long, historical view, and

realizing the worst is fairly standard in humanity

and prone to repeating itself helps.

 

Reading the definitions of peace, politician and so

on from Ambrose Bierce's The Devil's Dictionary genuinely

comforts me because they touch upon universal and long-term,

maybe permanent, truths.

 

Reinforcing this, with equal eloquence, historical veracity

and cognizance, and astute observations, as well as a

sharp wit, are the books, Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace

and Dreaming War by Gore Vidal. Both are inexpensive

paperbacks everyone should read if you're wondering what in

hell is going on these days.

 

I also do Zen and Taoist letting go exercises, meditation,

T'ai Chi Chu'an, candle magic, astral wandering,

(I'm looking for my totemic animal and can't find her very often

these nights), dreamtime meetings, and so on.

 

So below you'll find some of Bierce. He got it. See how it puts into

proper context the typical, almost boring nature of what's going

on? He's a bit tricky, having wasted few words, but sort it out

and he's a shining example of concise, pungent, and

trenchant analysis.

 

Oh, and if anyone sees what they may think is a groundhog

in their dreams, direct her to me, please?

 

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I read my Ambrose Bierce and am comforted.

 

PEACE - n. In international affairs, a period of cheating between two

periods of fighting.

 

PATRIOT - n. One to whom the interests of a part seem superior to those of

the whole. The dupe of statesmen and the tool of conquerors.

 

PATRIOTISM - n. Combustible rubbish ready to the torch of any one

ambitious to illuminate his name.

 

POLITICS - n. A strife of interests masquerading as a contest of

principles. The conduct of public affairs for private advantage.

 

POLITICIAN - n. an eel in the fundamental mud upon which the

superstructure of organized society is reared. When he wriggles he

mistakes the agitation of his tail for the trembling of the edifice. As

compared with the statesman, he suffers the disadvantage of being alive.