petersironwood

Orange Margolade

06 Wednesday Mar 2024

Posted by petersironwood in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Democracy, poem, poetry, politics, truth, USA

When down in the gutter,

There’s no time to stutter.

He feigns a proud strutter.

His nonsense is utter.

“I’m strong!” He screams weak.

His pants show a leak.

We don’t get a peek.

He struts like a sheik.

He plucks on the strings;

Of hatred he sings.

He crushes the wings.

Division he brings.

He sucks on men’s souls.

He states no good goals.

He’s as wobbly as foals.

His “logic” has holes.

He dwells in folks’ necks.

Our nation he wrecks.

All hands on the decks!

To stop Putin’s hex.

Or things won’t end well.

In slavery we’ll dwell.

No Liberty Bell

Rings inside of hell.

The Ailing King of Agitate

All We Stand to Lose

The Truth Train

Essays on America: Wednesday

Essays on America: The Stopping Rule

What about the Butter Dish?

Finding the Mustard

Happy Talk Lies

Where does your Loyalty Lie?

Absolute is not Just a Vodka

Stoned Soup

Three Blind Mice

The Orange Man

Listen Only to Me.

04 Monday Mar 2024

Posted by petersironwood in Uncategorized

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Tags

America, Democracy, fascism, national-security, politics, USA

Listen Only to Me.

Excuse me. Can I trouble you to listen to me for one minute? Yes? Fine. Just wanted to warn you about a danger you might not be aware of.

Snakes. Sharks. Poisons. Drugs that addict you. Diseases that afflict you.

You’ve heard of these. Did you know the government is doing it? No? Where do you think it all comes from? You’re a smart man (or you’re married to one). You don’t do stupid things, right? It isn’t your fault there are snakes, sharks, poisons, drugs, and diseases throughout the land. Of course not! Is it your family? No. Of course not. Is it your neighbor? No. Of course not. It’s foreigners and their liberal enablers.

Did you know that? They are hurting you on purpose.

Luckily, there is a solution. Oh, yes. A final solution. Once and for all, I can rid you of snakes, sharks, poisons, drugs and violent crime. Protect you forever. Of course, the government will try to stop me. But you’re too smart to let that happen. Just give me a little of your money. And give me your vote.

They will try to hurt me because I am your protector. But I won’t let that happen. I will protect us both. I just need you to help me help you. I just need, just for a little while, to be above the law. Then, I can be effective as your protector. And get everything we both want. We’ll get rid of all the people trying to hurt you. The bad people. They’ll be gone. The different people. They’ll be gone. The liberal people. They’ll be gone.

And when they’re all gone, of course, you’ll have far fewer problems. Far fewer. And, if your woman gets out of line, you will have the power to fix that right away. Put her where she belongs. She won’t have any choice. She won’t have any voice. It might take a little while, but not too long. I’ll fix things the way you like ‘em real fast.

Hey, you want in on the action? I need some folks to beat up some of the bad people. Can you do that for me? You can? That’s great. That’s great. You won’t be sorry. We’re going to take this country back for the real folks like you.

There we go. Wasn’t that fun? It’s kind of a waste to have two political parties, isn’t it? There’s no need. We all know what’s what. You’re a businessman, like me. Tired of taxes? No problem. I’ll cut them. Tired of rules and regulations? We’ll get rid of those too. Oh, your business will do so well!

See? Just like I said, your profits are soaring. A lot. So much, you might want to give me a little more of them just to keep things perfect like they are. A little more. Yeah, but you’ll still be way ahead. Say, that’s a cute receptionist you’ve got there. Want her? Well, now you can have her. No problem. None of that bull about consent. We know they all want it, right?

You know, your daughter’s kind of cute. I’d like to hire her myself and show her the ropes. Of course, I’ll treat her with the same respect as though she were my own wife/daughter.

What do you mean, she said I assaulted her? Nonsense. She’s not really my type. You know, for a white guy, your skin sure is dark. You’re just tan? Is that your story? No problem. We’ll just do a little DNA test. Well, look there. You’re actually not so very white after all. Well, the test doesn’t lie. We did the test. Afraid you’re going to have to be shipped out to the camps for people like you. No, don’t worry. We’ll take care of your wife and daughter. Oh, don’t worry. We’ll take care of your business too. Just sign everything over to me. Or, not. I can sign for you. What do you mean, that’s not your signature? Of course it is. I say it is. That’s the end of the debate.

What do you mean, you’ll vote for someone else next time? That’s treason, you know. You didn’t know? It doesn’t matter. People in the camps can’t vote anyway. Good bye. What other country? No, you can’t leave to go to another country. Don’t be silly!

We have walls to keep you in. And lots of guards. Lots and lots of guards. With searchlights. And machine guns. And trained dogs. We know what’s best for you. You just need a little re-education in our camps. So you remember better who is in charge of your life now. For your own benefit of course. You might get out eventually. Or you might get poisoned or beaten to death. It all depends on how loyal you are. And whether your family can prove their loyalty. To me. To me. Me. Me. Me. Me. Me. Me. Me. Me. Me. Oh, how I love the lyrics of that song. Me. Me. Me.

Donnie gets a tennis trophy

The Ailing King of Agitate

All We Stand to Lose

Absolute is not Just a Vodka

Where does your Loyalty Lie?

What about the Butter Dish?

The Gods of Old

30 Tuesday Jan 2024

Posted by petersironwood in America, poetry

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

art, Democracy, inspirational, life, love, poem, poetry, politics, USA

The gods of old had seemed to lurk and shirk.

The people bowed instead to cons who screamed:

“To solve your problems won’t take thought or work!

King ME and you’ll have all you ever dreamed!”

“For ME you kill and die! I never lie!”

So many played the stupid game of crime.

So many named the crime ‘a loving sigh.’

So many ate the fearful hate filled chyme.

And when (as always) karma killed them dead,

They had a glimpse (but far too late) that hate

Can never plant a flower bed; instead,

It opens wide a hellish galling gate

It tears apart the bonds of love and life;

It teaches each that no-one dared or cared.

Like ravenous wolves in endless strife that’s rife

With treason, lies and dead-eyed stares; teeth bared.

Yet far in the distance a different song wafts on the wind.

The sigh of the evergreens sings from the souls of the dead:

“Oh, please don’t be fooled yet again by the lies that are ginned.

Don’t feed on the meat of the losers who lie and instead:

“Join up with the legions of peace and of love and of light.

Regain your adulthood and hold with the healers of hearts;

With rainbows and those who are weaving a world of delight;

Just love those around you; surround you with builders and arts.”

And thus at long last, world peace came to pass on this earth;

The days routinely filled with joy and mirth.

The people felt a planetary birth.

The water flowed in bubbling crystal streams.

The air smelled clean and fresh and filled with dreams.

The dancers danced; a million hugs it seems

Went round this green and loving earth that teems

With trout and robin, spruce and sparkling gleams.

How the Nightingale Learned to Sing

All we Stand to Lose

The Only Them that Counts

Life Will Find a Way

After All

Math Class

Take a Glance; Join the Dance

Who Can Tell The Dancer from the Dance

Somewhere a Bird Cries

20 Saturday Jan 2024

Posted by petersironwood in America, poetry

≈ 28 Comments

Tags

Democracy, Dictatorship, general, life, love, peace, poem, poetry, USA, war, writing

Somewhere a bird cries.

Perhaps it is a lonely crow.

Though, in truth, a cawing crow most often brings more crows.

To scare away a screeching hawk,

Or share to feast on bits of broken life

Scattered willy-nilly on the rocks of a crumpled building.

Stone quarried and hauled and put in place and now in ruin.

Now in ruin.

Somewhere a baby cries.

Trapped beneath the rubble.

The baby does not know; cannot know

What happened to mommy and her warm milk.

The She of all that warmth and smile and love

Inexplicably gone forever.

Gone forever.

Somewhere an old man dies,

Perhaps of sepsis from the jutting bone

No-one left to help him hobble to nowhere

For nowhere is exactly where the care he needs persists

Just as likely, he dies of a broken heart; he had hoped

Hoped for a better life for his children and his grandchildren

But he sees that is not to be.

Not to be.

Somewhere a young woman sighs,

The gray day’s rain runs in rivers through the ruins

Of her village and her dreams in streams and she sees

In the screen behind her eyes the soldiers laughing as they

Ravage her too young body her too raw love that now

Will never come again no more dreams

Only nightmares.

Somewhere a so-called ‘Strong man’ does not cry;

Does not sigh. His fingers sport a manicure.

He merely issues orders; plans another massacure.

He spouts his lies and promises and promises and lies

He terrifies the people and the people will believe

He enrages the people and the people scream their hate

He has them rushing headlong into yet another turn

Of the Wheel of War and the people attack the people

And the game of checks and slays continues on and on and on and on.

On and on and on and on.

It is indeed a wondrous game, the Wheel of War.

It crushes old and young.

It crushes hopes and dreams.

It blackens every sky and even flowers die.

It fouls the crystal water and the air that people breathe.

It is indeed a wondrous game, the Wheel of War.

The Wheel of War.

For everyone loses and no-one wins.

Except for the manicured man with plastered hair.

Except for the man with the painted face.

Who crushed the dreams and spun the Wheel of War.

His victory is gray and shallow and he knows he’s lost

He’s harmed the very Tree of Life

Because he could not win the game of Love

Because he could not win the game of Life

He chose instead to spin the Wheel of War

That spills and kills; undermines; explodes; crushes.

He destroys in minutes what took centuries to build.

What took centuries to build.

Long after the ‘strong man’ is dead:

Beneath the orchard burned to char,

In broken buildings near and far,

The Tree of Life sends shoots of spring.

And birds again will take to wing.

And hope and love will rule the day.

And no-one, no-one wants to play

The dumbest game—the warring way.

The parasites who prey on fear

Who ruin the rainbow with a jeer

Inside their weakness gnaws and grows.

They cannot see the glow of rose.

They cannot feel love’s warm embrace.

They truly fear and hate it all.

They’re too afraid to play fair ball.

The only game for them is hate.

They long ago locked every gate.

They want to kindle fear in you.

And train you up to hate the few.

Somewhere a joyous chorus sings.

All the bombs and guns are ground to dust.

All the people finally feel the shame.

All the people finally see the sham.

All the people finally know

What is weak and what is truly strong.

And the giant Wheel of War

Falls to shards, never to be spun again.

Never to be spun again.

The Only Them that counts

All we stand to lose

After all

Only the Crows

How the Nightingale Learned to Sing

Essays on America: The Game

Absolute is not just a vodka

Life is a Dance

Life Will Find a Way

Fifteen Properties of Beauty

Absolute is not just a vodka

The Walkabout Diaries: Natural Variations

20 Wednesday Dec 2023

Posted by petersironwood in design rationale, nature, science

≈ 14 Comments

Tags

Democracy, flowers, life, nature, photography, plants, trees, truth, Walkabout Diaries

Weather in San Diego is typically nice almost every day. Today is no exception, but that doesn’t mean that the weather is boring. There is a lot of natural variation. There is variation in the humidity, in the wind, in the position of the sun, in the heat, in the (fairly rare) precipitation.

Reflecting on this reminded me of another kind of natural variation: the variation in organisms of the same species. Without that variation, evolution would be far less effective.

It also reminds me of several of the characteristics of natural beauty and good design that Christopher Alexander writes about.

Things that have zero variation are mechanical, predictable, repetitive, and generally not very pleasing aesthetically. Mindless, endless repetition is aligned with death. Variation is aligned with life, freedom, creativity, growth, and joy.

Among things that are non-living artifacts, there is still a variation in how variable they are. Walls made of stone, are by their nature, “rougher” and more variable (and more beautiful) than walls made of bricks. Walls made of bricks are more irregular and beautiful than one made of solid steel. Similarly, at least to me, fences made of wood are more variable and beautiful than fences made of metal.

Building elements that make up a wooden deck show grain and irregularities in the surface of the deck. In addition, however, they even have interesting variability below the deck as shown here.

You can also see in this photo below a variety of materials. The stucco, by its very nature, more interesting and variable than steel or plaster.

In these photos, you can see variation within leaves, among the leaves of a particular plant, and also among the plants themselves. Each plant and each part of the plant grows in accordance to its genetic blueprint. Except a “blueprint” is itself too fixed and unbending to be an appropriate metaphor. The growth will depend on the context–water sources, light sources, nutrients in the soil, other nearby plants and rocks will all play a part in how, precisely, a particular plant grows.

It would be absurd for one plant to say to itself: “Every plant should be just like me! I have a plan based on what works for me and everyone should do exactly what I do!”

Life is a dance

The Orange Man

Three Blind Mice

The Walkabout Diaries, symphony

The Walkabout Diaries, how beautiful

The Walkabout Diaries the life of the party

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Excess_mortality_in_the_Soviet_Union_under_Joseph_Stalin

All We Stand to Lose

13 Wednesday Dec 2023

Posted by petersironwood in America, apocalypse, politics

≈ 29 Comments

Tags

Democracy, fascism, history, holocaust, poetry, politics, truth, USA, world-war-ii

Before we bought a new dishwasher, a new deodorant, or a new doodad, most of us would want to read some opinions from others about the dishwashers, deodorants, or doodads we were interested in. We would want to talk to some folks who had first hand experience with those dishwashers, deodorants, or doodads.

That makes sense.

We certainly wouldn’t buy a new dishwasher, deodorant, or doodad simply because the sales person said it was going to be great. Would we?

Democracy is a difficult and time-consuming deal. It’s frustrating. And, it is likely the worst form of government there is—except for all the others.

So, before we throw it out with the dishwater because someone tells us how great a dictatorship would be instead, it makes sense to see what has happened with some of the other dictatorships that went before.

There was Mussolini. It’s said that he made the trains run on time. But would we ever really know? No, because the one thing dictatorships always have in common is that they refuse to allow others to measure, comment, or critique on what’s actually happening. Free press? Gone. Independent monitoring agencies? Gone.

The complaint department in a democracy may not always seem to listen to your particular concern. The complaint department in a dictatorship sends you to prison. If you’re lucky.

How did Italy fare under Mussolini? According to the online Britannica, nearly a half million Italian civilians and soldiers died. And in return? Nada. How about Mussolini? Oh, yeah, that’s right—beaten to death by an angry mob.

Well, we can’t make a sound conclusion based on just one customer’s experience, right?

How about Hitler? After all, he promised to make Germany great and said his Reich would last a thousand years! That must have been a pretty cool outcome. Hitler, was famously responsible for about 6 million deaths in the Holocaust, but he was also responsible for needless deaths of German soldiers, the people who died at the hands of German soldiers, and many German and other civilians. And, how did that end for Hitler? Oh, yeah, that’s right. He committed suicide rather than face the defeat of his own making.

Stalin? Surely, Stalin did better. Right? Well…in a word…no. It’s complicated. Stalin was responsible for Russian deaths by war, criminal execution, starvation due to inept government, and neglect. Here’s a link if you’d like to try to disentangle it.

Then, there was Mao. He is generally credited with the death of about 40-80 million of his own countrymen. As is often the case with totalitarian dictatorships, it’s hard to know how many died of starvation due to ineptitude and how many died of intentional cruelty.

—————

Once upon a time, there was a bratty kid who wasn’t very good at tennis. And, because he wasn’t very good, he cheated. And because he wasn’t even a very smart cheater, he got caught. And because he didn’t like getting caught, he destroyed all the factories that made tennis balls and told everyone else that he had done it for them. And he promised everyone that it was just a cool thing and he would make tennis much, much better because he replaced all the tennis balls with ping pong balls and that they should therefore put him in charge of officiating all tennis matches.

And, he picked the winners and losers of every game. Those people who said he was amazing and wonderful and the best tennis player ever were allowed to win. And those people who said that was nonsense were allowed to lose. Some were arrested and said to have committed suicide.

—————-

And when the people blinked their eyes,

They found there wasn’t any prize.

Their faith in lies had no reward.

Those they loved were put to sword.

Two century’s worth of progress died.

The nation humbled once had pride.

A sales switch and fever pitch.

Soon love was kicked into a ditch.

The greed for power trumped it all.

There were no eyes upon the ball.

A million lies but no-one cared.

A million dead since no-one dared.

Photo by judit agusti aranda on Pexels.com

Absolute is not just a vodka

The Ailing King of Agitate

The Truth Train

Stoned Soup

The Three Blind Mice

Absolute is not just a vodka.

A “Strong Man”

11 Monday Dec 2023

Posted by petersironwood in America, politics, psychology

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Democracy, Dictatorship, encouragement, faith, politics, strong, USA

I think that one of the worst sins of the media is to call dictators, “Strong men” or Strong women.” They are anything but.

A strong person is not afraid to treat others as equals.

A strong person is not afraid to put their ideas up for discussion or vote.

A strong person is not afraid to enter into a contest even though they might lose.

The strong admit to mistakes and learn from them.

The strong do not rely on having their egos stoked by those they have power over.

The strong surround themselves by those with diverse opinions and the courageous.

The strong lead by appealing to the best in others.

The strong are not afraid of love.

The strong show gratitude and humility.

The weak think they must be treated as special and above the law.

The weak demand everyone accept their ideas without debate.

The weak refuse to admit they were wrong and refuse to learn from their mistakes.

The weak surround themselves with cowardly sycophants.

The weak appeal to the fear, hate, and cruelty of their fans.

The weak show others contempt.

Choose wisely.

————

Author page on Amazon

Don’t Say Gray!

20 Thursday Apr 2023

Posted by petersironwood in America, poetry, politics

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Tags

Democracy, diversity, fascism, poem, poetry, politics, satire, USA

“Don’t say ‘gray’, oh me oh my.

Ban the rainbow, prisms too!

And by extension, ban all glass

You can never be too careful!

Better ban those solar nerds

And better yet the sun’s own light!

Let’s make this earth the living hell

That God intended it to be!

“It’s not enough; I should have known!

Even though I’ve kept it out of sight.

Folks talk still of hope and light.

The very words should be a knell

That immigrants are coming here!

Hide your Bible! They draw near!

Women are a problem too, I knew

I needed them in shackles too.

“And yet the heaven I foresaw

Is nowhere near the fun I thought.

I hear God telling me that only those

Who give me gold and loyalty

Deserve their place beneath my feet.

The rest can burn in hell right here.

You have to wonder if they see

How foolish they have been for me.”

Three Blind Mice

Stoned Soup