For some reason I gave myself a challenge: Draw or doodle a “dude” (or character) every day during the month of February, and share with the world. So I came up with the “#DoodADay” hashtag (“Dood” can = “dude,” or be short for “doodle”).

My goal is to do quick stuff, and at least 29 (damn leap year!) drawings, doodles, whatevers.

Some of my Twitter friends, including @_mojuju_, @lina003, @thepear1, @mjanepurcell, @PatriciaGapske, @ChristineCantow, @artbynemo and, of course, @_plainKate_ and others are participating and/or just enjoying what’s out there.

Check out the #DoodADay stream on Twitter here.

A bunch of images with the tag are here.

This is open to everybody, and there are no real rules: Let’s just make art and share! Post on Twitter w/ the #DoodADay hashtag, or on Facebook, or your site, post a link in the comments, or not. But if you do, I’d love top see what you did.

Meanwhile, here’s my collection February 2012 dudes. Hope you dig.

That is all.

For the most part, “St. Elmo’s Fire” is a pretty melodramatic, angst-ridden, ‘80s movie filled with big hair, shoulder pads, the “brat pack,” post-college depression, and lots of shiny early-MTV style. In the middle of it there’s one scene that always got to me.

(spoiler alert?)

Cynical journalist-wanna-be Kevin Dolenz (Andrew McCarthy) loves Leslie Hunter (Ally Sheedy), but she’s in a long-term “they might get married someday” relationship with Alec Newbary (Judd Nelson). When Leslie and Alec get into a huge fight, she ends up in Kevin’s apartment. They talk, they drink, and then the do IT. Shortly thereafter, Kevin writes a piece for the (local?) paper entitled “The Meaning of Life.” He shows it to Leslie and says she was his inspiration. She freaks out and splits, but that’s another story.

The story that interested (interests?) me is how he was somehow inspired by the muse of love to write a single article entitled “The Meaning of Life.” Not a series, not a book, but he got it all into one newspaper article that got published.

Lucky (functional) bastard.

Too often when I try to write about the human condition, I find that one aspect is connected to another, like some kind of sociological “string theory,” or a “butterfly effect” of the human condition.

Note: For those unfamiliar, here is Wise Geek’s  description of string theory:

• “String Theory, sometimes called the Theory of Everything, is thought by some to be the unifying field theory Einstein sought before his death. String theory is the first mathematically sound theory that reconciles the world of the infinitesimally small, with the world we know at large. It unites Einstein’s Theory of Relativity with quantum physics and offers a potential explanation for the Big Bang.”

And their butterfly effect description:

• “The butterfly effect is a term used in Chaos Theory to describe how tiny variations can affect giant systems, and complex systems, like weather patterns. The term butterfly effect was applied in Chaos Theory to suggest that the wing movements of a butterfly might have significant repercussions on wind strength and movements throughout the weather systems of the world, and theoretically, could cause tornadoes halfway around the world.”

A “theory of everything!” Butterflies cause tornadoes! How awesome is that: It’s all related!

So politics connect with religion connects with families connects with little Timmy and his peppy little puppy Poncho. I can’t just write about Poncho’s peppiness, but instead get sucked back up the line and see a connection between the pup and the US Senate’s attempts at censoring the internet (http://americancensorship.org/). In my head, sometimes just for a moment, it all makes sense!

The downside is that writing becomes a truly herculean task that suddenly requires that ever-so-thin threads of logic in my head need to be fully realized with clear, supporting evidence. I search for links to that quote I vaguely remember, but come up with nothing. Yet the connections in my head are so strong! It all relates! It’s not just “Poncho is cute,” but also “Timmy’s parents were awesome in raising such a great kid who takes such good care of his dog, despite his dad’s moral-free job at the Pentagon and his mother’s relentless commitment to her local church, where relatively poor people gave way more than they should have to support the priest’s lavish lifestyle…”

It’s mind-boggling actually, and maybe more fodder for therapist sessions than a blog post, but that’s how my mind works. It’s never, ever just a cute puppy.

But there’s hope:

There are many religions, philosophies and beliefs that teach acceptance instead of analysis, and I find them fascinating and even beneficial. From that perspective, suddenly there IS simply a cute puppy. Also, “brevity is the soul of wit,” who doesn’t love a slice a slice of “simple as pie”? I can see the wisdom in these, but since they suggest letting go of the BIG CONNECTIONS, they also sound as contradictory as “bombing for peace.”

There’s no answer here (sorry if you were looking for one), and I don’t have any theories to share. I guess I’m just venting.

Is this going to stop me?
For those who may wish it would, I’m sorry to say “I’m a frayed knot.”

I got there around 6PM, after many had left for Brooklyn Bridge, but that was OK. There were still a lot of people there so I decided to check out the scene. This is what I saw:

(Note: I don’t have a very good camera on my phone, so I have no worthy pictures to share. A few people asked me to take their pictures, and they were very kind and courteous, but my pics are pretty crummy.)

I saw all kinds of people there, white, black, Hispanic, Asian, young, and old. Some were well dressed; some VERY well dressed in suits, ties, skirts and dresses; some looked like they just finished cleaning a gutter; some were very “hip,” and some were dressed like hippies, it’s true. But there was no one single style nor uniform.

I also saw a group of seminarians who held signs in support of the movement from a christian perspective. They posed for pictures as clear, visible participants in the event.

I heard a number of speakers who shared passionate tales of how they wanted to work, but also wanted to have time for their families. I heard children speak who wanted a future. I heard a gospel choir sing about how they are the 99%, and heard a brass band play uplifting music that got many people to bop and sway. It was really lovely!

There were signs, banners and more signs. Some were witty, some were strong; many were anti-Mayor Bloomberg (go figure); some called out both Democrat and Republican support of bad economic policy; and a lot of pre-printed union-based ones, such as from the UAW and 1199 SEIU. One sign promoted the “People’s Library,” a collection of free books on all sorts of topics. There were also flags: American ones, modified American ones (with #OWS in place of the stars), and a Chinese one.

I also saw a lot of cops (a term that I usually think is derogatory, but sadly I think it applies here). They circled Foley Square and coordinated pedestrians with a very odd “Stay to the left!” They were not pushy, they didn’t say anything else than their barked orders, but it did seem that if I stayed to the right (like we’re usually told to do) then I might have to answer to their batons. Maybe not, but they did have an intimidating presense.

Beyond the police I also at one point saw four helicopters hovering above the park. Up and down the streets I also saw a lot of police cars, some with lights flashing, even though there was no visible police activity.

That’s because all the people were listening to the speakers, the music and each other. They were voicing their frustration about the status quo, and expressing hope for change, fairness, and hope. I even saw some people engaging in lively, yet still warm, conversations with some of the police (IMHO they were the bold ones); both sides were talking and seemed to respect each other.

What I DIDN’T See

I didn’t see any weapons (expect for on the cops), there were no rapes, drug use, inflammatory “KILL!” or ‘HATE!” signs, or any acts of excrement. I saw no vandalism, no pushing nor shoving. No one called for the death of or attacks on any politicians or business people. There was talk of revolution, but it wasn’t incendiary; it was calling for massive change that would help people instead of promoting wars or allowing poverty.

I also didn’t see or hear anything that said people wanted money for nothing, or that their problems were our problems. The closest to that was a sign that said “student debt is national debt,” which I’m guessing was calling for student debt to be eliminated, or otherwise dealt with on a larger scale.

Yet that was probably the wildest sign or action I saw all night: a sign with a person’s opinion that’s at least worth a conversation.

I share this to shut down those who think the Occupy Wall Street movement is full of freaks, hipsters, hippies, vagrants, rapists, weapons-runners or whatever other simplifications or accusations lobbed by Mayor Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly, and puppeted by many in the media. I’m not saying I saw everything, or everybody there, and it was just one event, so maybe the negative elements also exist. However these clearly don’t characterize the movement or I would have seen it.

What I saw on November 17th in Foley Square, New York, NY, was a lot of people who care about people and their country, who want to work, yet also want justice and fairness.

What I saw was beautiful.

The recent death of Troy Davis hit me hard. I didn’t know him or anyone else anyone directly involved with the case, but was drawn in due to my general opposition to the death penalty, and the many questions surrounding his guilt. So I joined the many, many voices opposing his death sentence, but the government ignored us and killed him on September 21, 2011.

For me this is the latest in a string of many political disappointments: hot issues like tax breaks for wealthy people coinciding with cuts to education and unemployment benefits; elections of officials who didn’t live up to my expectations or who lost their way in empty scandals; protests and outcry such as for Mr. Davis or on Wall Street that are ignored.

Perhaps the biggest  of these was when the world joined together to ask then-President Bush to leave Iraq alone. “Between six and ten million people took part in protests in up to sixty countries” rose up and said “please don’t,” and they were summarily ignored as he launched a horrible, completely unjustified war that killed so many innocent people…

It’s as if politicians and the government simply doesn’t give a shit about us and what we have to say.

So the “We need a revolution!’ meme takes off and people get all wound up. Some want general strikes, others want to shoot and take over with force. Many, it seems, just want a new boss in the big chair, but most everyone they’re looking at sure seem a lot like the old boss.

I want a revolution too, but instead of just toppling the current or next regime, let’s take away the government’s power by simply not needing them anymore.

Let’s neuter the government. Let’s occupy ALL streets.

For example:

• Instead of relying on social security, let’s invest ourselves and be prepared for when we’re old and ready to retire.
• Instead of needing welfare or unemployment benefits, let’s find new ways to make money through strong, ongoing entrepreneurial efforts that break boundaries and expectations.
• Instead of bemoaning cuts to arts organizations, let’s donate to the ones we want to see around (perhaps instead of donating to the candidates who most likely will disappoint us if elected).

This isn’t a perfect nor all-emcompassing plan to be sure. The government may still want to execute a possibly-innocent person, start more unjustified wars, destroy more precious land for fuel that pollutes, people who may not be as strong as us will still need our help when the government tries to ignore or vilify them, and so on. When these things happen (and they will, dammit) let’s find whatever works to try and stop them.

However when it comes to you and me and our neighbors, imagine if more of us say “nope, we don’t need you.” The empowering feeling of being free from the government’s frivolous ways will be worth a 100 ignored protests!

And who knows? Perhaps like a spoiled child who is suddenly ignored, maybe the government will pay attention to us again, because then we will indeed be in power.

Next Revolutions:

1. Professional - “Work hard, get paid, go home, rest.”
2. Personal - This is the toughest bit if all…

What do you think?

Sure, Kirk got the ladies (human and alien), and Spock got the lady (a nurse even!), but Scotty was the one with the ideas on how to make technology work best for the given situation. He didn’t get stuck deciding what colors to use (I’m looking at you, Chekov…), or what the mainstream media would say (like Uhura, who was clearly addicted to space talk radio). No, he knew the what the machines could do and what they couldn’t do, then he made them do what they shouldn’t do.

So he had the “creative use of technology” part pretty solid. What about the “interactive”?

The “Occupy Wall Street” movement is amazing.

When I first heard of it, I thought it’d last a day, fizzle out, and we’d never hear of it again. But the tenacity of the core group, and its strength has really moved me. Instead of believing protests are useless (especially after the huge world-wide “Don’t Invade Iraq” protests that preceded President Bush’s futile and expensive attack on Iraq), this has possibilities, even without “official” demands.

I wonder about some of the suggestions/ideas presented by protesters. I’ve heard/read ones like “eliminate all student loan debt,” “eliminate all consumer debt,” “raise the minimum wage to $20/hour,” “stop cutbacks to social/economic programs,” “distribute wealth and taxes more fairly.” Some of these are silly, some are sweet, and some have no chance for realization without dangerous and unnecessary pain, in my opinion. But the way this is opening up discussion and debate is amazing.

I also believe that many of our current practices are more “socialist” than capitalists want you to believe. For example, the idea (as I understand it) behind capitalism is that the market decides what businesses survive and fail, not the government. So if you make something everyone wants, you will succeed. However, if no one, or too few what want you’re selling (or you engage in bad business practices such as inefficient advertising, or pay yourself too much from your profits), then your business will fail.

If that’s the case, then bailouts and tax cuts (especially to the point where companies don’t pay any taxes despite huge profits) are not capitalism, and they’re surely not fair. I mean I pay my taxes, follow the rules, yet if I lose all my money in a bad investment or mismanagement or because I don’t earn enough to pay for rent AND food. Others have it even worse: massive debt, no job, no home, no money…

Where’s our bailout?

Here’s an idea I read online (sorry, I don’t remember where it came from, but to be clear it’s not mine):

Give every individual tax payer $10,000.

Some numbers:

• In 2008 there were 216,885,347 taxpayers in the United States (source)
• In 2008, the average tax rate for taxpayers was 12.24% (source)
• As of me “now,” the US budget deficit is $14,843,530,108,739 (source)

$10,000 x 216,885,347 taxpayers x (100% – 12.24%) = $1,903,385,805,272 or about $1.9 trillion.

So on the surface, this would increase the deficit from $14.8 to $16.7 trillion.

For comparison, the 2008 bailouts were about $865 million (source), much of which was paid back, although not all. I had a hard time finding actual costs because many sites add the losses banks suffered and “wrote off” as additional costs, which makes to me. These values were in the $1 to $4 trillion range (source and source).

Let’s assume it’s in the middle, about $2 billion. If so, “The People’s Bailout” is about equal.

HOWEVER…
I believe this money would almost immediately stimulate the economy. People would pay off loans and debts allowing them to spend more (which would add to local/state revenue via sales tax, etc.); others would buy stuff now; unemployed people may be able to make investments in their future by starting their own businesses and getting off of unemployment; the list goes on…

When combined with fair tax reform, where wealthy people pay their fair share (at least to pre-”We’re doing SO well we don’t need your money!” levels), we will all reap the benefits.

I think of this as a level, fair “bailout for the people” that doesn’t ignore those in the “99%” who have played by the rules and are debt-free, while also giving a hearty handful of help to those who really need it.

But here’s the thing:
If we the people got that kind of money, it would be our responsibility to do something worthy with it, to really invest in ourselves and communities, like in The Parable of the Talents from Matthew 25:14-30 (source) (where I love how “talents” now has a different meaning). Otherwise it’s just financial masturbation, and suddenly we the people are no different than the heartless corporations targeted by the Occupy Wall Street movement.

It’s one thing to say “we don’t like the way you run your business,” but it’s another to then run your “business” (what I’m calling “Main St.” here) with integrity.

This may not be a perfect solution, but it’s certainly different enough to allow for change. Otherwise, we the people can not sustain our current journey along the status quo, paying tolls to those who are merely in the business of collecting tolls.

Image source – Thank you vilhelm

The “times are tough” meme keeps getting attention. People rant and shake impotent fists in the air crying/tweeting/posting “WE NEED A REVOLUTION!” (often adding “Someone should do something!”). Usually it’s just empty venting or hollow posturing that just muddies the water.

Yet I agree, we DO need a revolution. Or more accurately, I need one: I need to reclaim power that others have taken from me, or that I’ve willingly given to others: professionally, personally, politically.

How am I going to do that? Me, and what army?

Greater self-reliance.

To be continued…

Wrapped around my own little finger the hammer bangs and bangs.

“What you got there?” the guy next to me asked. “Those seem like some long nails.”

Yeah, they are,” I replied. “They’re ‘Ted’ inch nails.”

He looked at me confused as hell.

“My name’s ‘Ted.’” I reluctantly added as I resumed hammering.

Yeah, welcome to