Nomadic View
No.3 2009
A Wanderer's Observations
Satanic Rituals and Animal Sacrifices in my Junior High School What You Need from What You Want Impression of days Selected Posts from : http://nomadicjoe.blogspot.com/
A scary bunch of wax figures! Also is that Danny Glover at the right?? 2
CONTENTS
Satanic Rituals and
Animal Sacrifices in my Junior High School..... pg. 5
What You Need from What You Want......pg 7
Impression of days Pg 10
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Satanic Rituals and Animal Sacrifices in my Junior High School
As my elementary school years came to a close, I viewed the upcoming entry into junior high school with a great deal of anguish and concern. Two rumors had been floating around for most of that final year and something very disturbing seemed to be going on over there. One, it was reported (by those in the know) that, in Physical Education, students had to change clothes in the open. In full view of other students. Not only that, but they had to shower in an open room under the noses of other students and inspecting coaches. No bathrobes or beach towels to wrap one’s body with.. not allowed. Strict enforcement too. Also, they make you wear this thing.. they call it a “jock strap”. “What is that?” And after they told me what it was in great detail, I was perplexed. “What’s it for?” “To protect you.” “From.. what?” There was not much there and I wasn’t even sure how to wear it.
“In case, a ball hits you in that place.” I could probably have accepted the use of this elastic contraption, twisting and
binding and rubbing in all the wrong places. Also, one timeand I vividly recall this- at one of my brother’s baseball games, Roy Crankshaft, who was the catcher, was hit by a curve ball in “that place” He was rolling around on the dusty ground, screaming at the top of his lungs in front of all the mothers and fathers and kids, “OH GOD, MY BALLS!! MY BALLS!” So, I could rationalize the protection bit, although I
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In my home, privacy, or at least, flagrant nudity was a matter of personal choice and definitely discouraged by all members. There was the odd flash of extra skin in the bathroom, of course. Especially from my father, who was, after all, born on a farm in Arkansas. Other than that, the idea of being “forced” to disrobe was alarming, mysterious and confusing. Why? What is the purpose of mandatory nudity in PE class? It appeared to have something to do with masculinity and being an adult- all that malarkey- and yet, as far as I could determine, adults did NOT do such things in a public setting, whereas babies often walked about carelessly in their “birthday suits.” Masculinity, on the other hand, was just strange enough to make this kind of brotherly nakedness very plausible. I had hoped to make a lot of new and interesting friends in junior high but I just didn't expect to have to be naked as a jay bird while doing it.
In the end, none of it made any sense. What exactly was this nudity in the gym class all about? Whose perverted idea was this? I still don't know the answer. (In fact, that part turned out slightly worse than I had even imagined. ) The other rumor was also too incredible to be believed. A student of junior high school had to cut open a kitten for biology class. (This rumor had many variations, a baby pig, a rat and few other mammals were candidates as well.) After a spontaneous shudder and rejection, I began to be curious about the details. “But.. why?” “You HAVE to.” “And what if you say,’no?’” “They won’t let you graduate junior high.” A sudden image passed before my eyes of a 30-year-old man with a scruffy beard in a very tight shirt, sitting in the back of a class filled with teenagers, his hairy arms folded, sadly shaking his head and mouthing the words, “I won’t.” These rumors suggested elements of Satanism, that I had not been aware of till this late date. Why didn’t parents stepped in and put an end to this decidedly abhorrent system? My mother always seemed to take a great deal of interest in PTA meetings and school lunch menus. How on earth did Satanic animal sacrifices and imposed nudity escape her notice? Did all that devotion and attention suddenly end after elementary school? After a summer of worrying about the welfare of all those nameless kittens, I found the facts to be rather disappointing. No cats, pigs or hippos were to be dissected at all, only a smelly, rubbery liver-colored frog, pickled for years in formaldehyde, its muscular legs fully extended and laying on its back like some drowned porn star.
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What You Need from What You Want I used to have this friend, Larry, who was a single parent raising a 4 year old son, Little Larry. The very notion of trying to bring up even an angel in this modern world is beyond my imagination. I could never do it. I have very limited patience and have decided that the best I could do in this world is to be an uncle or family friend. Confirming the hardships of single parenthood, Larry, one time, told me how much he just hated taking his son to the mall because they could never pass before any toy section without his son having an emotional breakdown. “He screams and falls in the floor and bawls, ‘Daddy, Daddy, I want it!!’ and Larry would tell him, “But you don't need it.” And facing that huge wall of logic, Little Larry would stare a second and then scream at the top of his little lungs, “But Daddy, I need it!!” ( A good example why you should never attempt to argue, reason or negotiate with a 4 year old.) Hearing this story was something of a revelation for me at the time. Our whole society, this system of consumption and materialism, is driven by the intentional confusion and the blurring of the difference between what we need from what we want. I can’t tell you how many times I have got home after shopping and thought, “Now, why the hell did I buy THIS?” At the time, I had apparently been convinced that I needed but it later seemed like I had been temporarily possessed by a consumer demon. Did I have some kind of seizure? Or maybe I grabbed the wrong bag on the way out? But could any of us look around their homes or office and collect all the things in one side of the room and mark it, THINGS I NEEDED and on the other side, THINGS I ONLY WANTED? Is this really such a heretic idea? There is no guarantee that one day, very soon, all those luxuries could be snatched away. People survive it but it isn't something you like to dwell on for very long or very deeply. Some of the ancient Romans, of all people, warned of the Pernicious effects luxuries and how they weakened the morals. Juvenal wrote, “Luxury, more deadly than any foe, has laid her hand upon us, and avenges a conquered world.” The great writers and philosophers of that age felt, not unlike American historians, that the true spirit of empire was based on its pioneering and austere origins. They also felt that this decline, caused by luxuries, was an effect of the very success of its domination of the known world. Perhaps they fooled themselves into believing that a love for the sumptuous luxuries of life was not a Roman trait at all.
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What You Need from What You Want
But, alas, people by nature are easy to spoil and can become too attached to their comforts. This can lead them to selfishness and laziness. It is an addiction and over time corrodes our ability to resist. Also, and more importantly, the fear of the loss of those unnecessary comforts can affect our judgment in crucial matters even though we may not know it. We all slowly but surely become slaves to our possessions. The mind plays tricks and it seems you can be convinced that life would be less worth living without, or your status in the world has been diminished by some pretty ridiculous and frivolous things. In the USA, it has gotten so commonplace and so widespread that people simply take the warped view for granted. Ostentatious consumption and flagrant display of wealth is all the rage, (as if it is something to be proud of)even if all those bubbles and trickets were bought on credit or from someone else's sweat.
Although I would freely confess that I am no better than the next person about my needs and my wants, but I did at one time try to make a list of things I absolutely needed, as opposed to the things I merely wanted. Mind you, I might not enjoy life as much but it is a surprisingly short list. You should try it sometime. Here is my list: 1. a warm or sheltered private place to live 2. hot water for hygiene 3. A variety of healthy food and fresh clean water 4. some means of cooking food 5. clothes that fit me, cover my bits and look clean 6. a friend with whom I can share ideas and memories and emotions ( in a pinch, I could definitely survive with a pet) 7. some kind of hobby or access to information to stimulate my mind Now I know I MUST be forgetting something, something obvious. Feel free to comment. I am not Little Larry and am quite willing to negotiate without any tantrums.
Another Proud Moment in Advertising History... We salute you!
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Impression of Days When I was a child, I used to think, for some reason, that each day of the week had its own character. I still believe this although my impressions of the days have changed and evolved over time. Monday was the boring accountant with the monotone voice who always stuck to safe options and told the same joke for 30 years. Drank martinis as rewards.
Tuesday was the shy sister that dreaded attention, who kept her change in a tatty purse. Shopped in dollar stores and fed stray cats from the back door.
Wednesday was the loyal wife and mother whose inherited religion and sense of dedication saw her through hard times. Sang old songs in the kitchen when everyone was out of the house.
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Impression of Days Thursday was the failed businessman who took to drink. The man with the undefined illness who had started out with such promise and is now beyond even our pity.
Friday was the photogenic son that burned his candle at both ends. The talkative dreamer with too much on his plate. Headed for trouble, the elders will tell you.
Saturday was the show-girl turned whore. Ends up with the wrong guy who likes to slap her around by midnight. Never look back, she liked to say with tears in her eyes.
Sunday was the grey-haired judge and reformed alcoholic. Circumspect and self-important. Lived with his slave-wife in a tall white house on a hill. Admired by those who did not know him well.
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