CHANGE HAPPENS

Look around you. Do you see permanence or impermanence? Then why do we cling to permanence? The dictator's minions proclaim: No Change when yesterday it was Fundamental Change. Which is which? The dictator says: Only God will upset the current state of security---meaning only an act of God will replace him. The previous (implying change) Prime Minister is reputed to have said his yellow (now without yellow tie) party would rule for another 50 plus years.

Look around you. Seasons come, seasons go. The river does not flow backwards. There are ripe mangoes on the trees, and there are none. A little baby becomes a hot chick whose gait and smiles steal hearts. The hot chick is deflowered, becomes a woman and eventually an old woman who may turn out to be an hag, a crone, a witch or a wise sage.

Let us look at the big picture. Things on earth are transitory, tentative, appearing out of emptiness and then disappearing. Ajahn Chah says: Praise and blame, gain and loss, pleasure and pain are always changing. Notice nothing lasts. It will put your success and failure in perspective.

It seems then that without the big picture, the inevitable changes in life can overwhelm us. Change is the dance of life. We embrace it within the interplay of other cosmic codes. It is not about "waiting" in inactivity. It is acting in the confidence of universal laws that change will happen as day follows night. Just keep on trucking.

SYNCHRONIZING BODY AND MIND

Of course, you remember when good grades came easily and you did not have to pull all-nighters to get As. What about the girls? Not a problem. You had your picks! Those were the days. But, not to worry; you still have your mojo. It's just that along the way you lost the mechanics of synchronizing your body and mind.

 

A sage said: When mind and body are properly synchronized, then you have clear perception and you have a sense of being without doubt, being without tremors and without shaking and without the short-sightedness of anxiety, the opposite of which result in totally inaccurate behavior.

He went on: When mind and body are not synchronized, sometimes your mind is short and your body is long, or sometimes your mind is long and your body is short. So you are uncertain even to pick a glass of water, or clean up your house, or in doing archery, you can't hit the target.

 

Do you get the drift? These are the times you don't want to get out of bed where in the night you turned your back to Memsahib. These have been too frequent these days. And the madam has called a clan council in the Acoli tradition of "taking whole." She is not a sister of the clan, but a wife, she proclaimed. You have failed in your marital duties. Her aunt, your sister took to her cause. Wasn't it her dowry that got you  a wife? So, she has a stake in your marriage enterprise. She would like to see smoke coming out your bedroom tonight if you know what is good for you.  

 

Synchronizing mind and body is connected with how we synchronize or connect to the world. When properly aligned, we are like the Great Eastern Sun---majestic, powerful and inexhaustible

The Art of Deception

---------In the epic Homers' the Iliad and its sequel, the Odyssey, the Acheans, in a show of power and strength,  pound the wall of Troy without much luck.  Odysseus, then uses cunning, guile and deception in the form of the Trojan Horse and the Trojans were decimated. Trojan Horse virus; anyone?

A flower opens up and an insect is attracted to it. As soon as the insect lands the flower closes and the insect becomes protein. The story in the village is that a fox would open its rear-end in the vicinity of chickens feeding themselves. A chicken gets attracted to the red-looking aperture and attempts to peck at it only to have its head closed and locked in with nowhere to go but become a delicious meal for the fox. Cunning, guile and deception are at work.

 

As it is with plants and animals, so it should be with us humans. But with us,  it becomes tricky and complicated with no clear biological rules---courtesy of the added bonus we have of conscious self-awareness. Even if so, there are rules as was  demonstrated by Odysseus.

 

Effective use of deception presupposes what Sun Tzu called  using the Ordinary/Orthodoxy and the Extraordinary. The ordinary is conventional and mundane. You can say and do things to make people believe you are a good person or a very dangerous person. Once a mind assassin has induced the desired state of mind in the subject, then he  uses the extraordinary, the unconventional and the unexpected to score. Little sweat and  not much blood is shed---winning the war without going to war!

 

In matters of the heart, boobs are propped, manners are observed and, boom!---like a fly, a boy is trapped and can't sleep until he sees his beloved.

 

In business we see many instances of bait and switch, or bait and run away with someone's money.

 

It is in  politics where we have all the fun in deceptions. Ronald Reagan bankrupted the Soviet Union and shattered its empire to pieces by a false claim that United States was working on a space defense system. Our own dictator has mesmerized the world  ever since he was a bandit in the bush and emerged victorious by cunningness, guile and deceptions not unlike of Odysseus. Many young people staked their lives for his supposed cause for  freedom and liberation. It turns out it was a bill of goods. 

 

In the end deception is deviousness meant for survival. We all use it at one time or another. Even the smartest amongst us has been taken for a ride and lost a shirt or two. So, what to do?

 

The first step to minimize the chance of being a sucker is to understand how humans communicate. It is in communication that con artists could be a step ahead of us ordinary folks. Being aware at least gives us a fighting chance of shifting the wheat from the chaff or the real from the fake.

 

There  are three main channels of communications:

---The Intellect or the Conscious by words

---The Unconscious through feelings

---The physical by body movements

 

Here are some classic use of words to bamboozle by some famous mind assassins:

---You are either with us or with the terrorists

---I think the problem of Africa are leaders who overstay

---I think we are bringing a fundamental change

---Let them get rich

---The NRM is against sectarianism

---I did not have sexual intercourse with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky

 

The unconscious is usually reflected in body movements without any control of ours. For example, a person verbally says "yes" while shaking his head sideways. That is a tell that he is probably lying.

 

Overall, we need trusting relationships so that we don't need to deceive or be deceived in order to survive. But it is a dog-eat-dog world yet. Beware!

What Matters

Who meets you at the airport?
Who picks your medicine prescription when you are sick?
Who holds your hand when you are in a funk?
Who cleans after you when you are a pig?
Who can sit with you without talking and ya'll be at peace?
Who understands you in spite of yourself?
Who feeds you when you can't?
Who shelters you when you're homeless?
Who defends you even if your are a dog?
Who cheers you in your moment of brilliance and glory?

The answer, my friend, is in love
And love knows no tribe, no race, no age, no physical or mental handicaps, no sexual orientation, and no status
And so folks,
Let us love one another and be free!
For the yolk of hate, greed, anger and delusion is too burdensome .

The Creationism-versus-Science Debate

Was God a Good Designer?

My cousin, Auna (RIP) went through Budo and the University of Nairobi to become a brilliant architect. I went to school with him earlier on and we shared a deep respect for one another. Steve Job (RIP) of Apple was a  genius in electronic designing, and I only saw him from a distance. Auna and Job are my heroes. Since I admire both a great deal, I decided to channel this question through them: Was God a good designer of man and woman?

Esthetically both agreed that God did a fairly good job. What you see sometimes that make you turn your eyes away quickly is that man or woman decided to do some renovations with too much beer and pork, and the rolling blubber that you see on the streets perverts God's original intent.

 Both Auna and Job had a problem with the structures below the belt. In a woman, down there are all kinds of things too close together. What was he thinking? What designer would make a birth canal so narrow that we have to tear our way through it when we become claustrophobic and decide to get out like yesterday? In the process, with no regard to the kind woman who initiated our life and protected us in a bubble, we even kill her as we get out. Does this look like the work of a benevolent all-loving designer?

Let us not forget the man. He is not off the hook either even if he seemingly has an elegant sac enclosing two pebbles, and to which is attached a cable. Functionally the size of the cable does not matter, but tell it to the man with a tiny peck who had a difficult time among his peers in childhood--he won't believe you. Kids can be cruel: Johnny, your ding-a-ling can't even penetrate a leaf! Did you hear that one about the Acoli prostitute who ran away after seeing the enormous Dinka client's ding-a-long?

Man's problem does not stop on size on the outside. On the inside, the bladder sits on a walnut-sized gizmo , called the prostate. In normal function the gadget squirts some liquid to carry the man's seeds into the female receptacle to begin the frantic trip upstream to burrow into the egg and initiate another life. Let alone prostate cancer, in some men this walnut grows bigger and touches on the bladder. So, as soon as there is some drop of filtration, the pouch sags and touches the sensitive Mr. P and the man has to go. If you have to get to the John three or four times a night, you are not going to be a happy man. Next time you meet a grumpy old man, be understanding!
  

So, overall Auna, the Agnostic and Job, the Buddhist gave God a B- for structural design.

 

Big Ideas that Killed God and Kings

Big Ideas that Killed Dogmatic Religion and Kings. If you have no basic understanding of any, you might as well be a 14th Century man or woman. You will buy into a slick snake-oil salesman who will sell you air: Just say "Amen" and you will get what you want. I have come to deliver you from the killers. He has to be in power because of oil. --The Earth Revolves around the Sun --Evolution --Quantum Mechanics --Probability, Uncertainty and Randomness --Democracy --Monetary System, Stock Market and Entrepreneurship --Mind and Body Non-duality --Chaos Theory, Complexity and Emergence

Biblical Quotes Hostile to Women

Biblical quotes hostile to women: ---Genesis 3:6 ---Exodus 22:18 ---1 Corinthians 11:3, 8-9 ---1 Timothy 2: 11-14 I grew up feeling women were unique and different. But I never would have used any of the language used re. women in the so-called holy book. Mind you, there are plenty of good stuff in the book. That is why people like Thomas Jefferson re-wrote it in The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth (commonly called, The Jefferson Bible) in which he took away all the contradictions and miracle acts, leaving only the Human Philosopher

Eclipse party Starts Here

Witchcraft and Religiosity: What is the Difference?

The Catholic Bishop of Kampala urged the vendors of Owino Market to stay away from witchcraft. That sent my mind buzzing with questions: Did I read the same line before as the white man came denigrating our way of life? What is witchcraft about, anyway? 

The description "Witchdoctor" has a dark and disparaging undertone to it. So, I would rather refer to such a person as a medicine man or woman. His or her pratice is often referred to as "witchcraft." Again, a description underscoring the negative perception. Basically, a medicine wo/man wears many hats: S/he is a psychotherapist, a pharmacist, a physician and a counselor. A true medicine wo/man works on the mind, the body and relationships--key areas where we humans often fail to navigate our way through successfuly. 

I posit that the good bishop's efforts are in the same areas as the medicine man, and he uses no less arcane tricks to achieve his ends. In the picture we see him wearing a white dress with a purple band and cap. On his neck hangs a man on the cross. When he performs in his church, he does things that are no less magical than the medicine person. He asks his audience to eat of the body of a Jew and drink of his blood in the forms of some wafer bread and wine which then makes the Jewish Jesus to enter the soul of the receiver. That is magic. Next time I will ask for a bottle of Merlot or Malbec for it to be worth my time--for then will I be able to see a change in me after downing a bottle. 

The medicine man equally does his things: sounds, images, concoctions and what have you to change the states and circumstances of his clients.

I would rather not have the medicine man kill somebody in order to harvest the scrotum of a young lad  to feed to a client to enhance a failing libido, for example. He has enough power and other tools that can effectively "cure" the mind of his client. If the libido problem is physical, a good medicine man should be able to concoct some herbs. But killing, per se, is not something foreign in the traditions of the bishop's line of trade either. The Christ basically committed suicide to offer his body and blood. How could a God get killed by mere mortals?

  

What Lions Do: What is the Message?

The Quislings Are Coming! The Quislings Are Coming!

In Museveni's world-view of convenience and make-belief, the problems of the Acoli begins and ends with Joseph Kony, the LRA Supremo. He has pumped this line of farce into people's heads such that even the ones that should know better in the region parody the same song and dance. Why is that? 

First, in the region there are the spaced out ignoramous who possibly dont't know why they are even on this earth. They just exist and take anything that comes--thanks to the break-up of whatever semblance of pre-1980s social structures. These are the ones who probably cast their Museveni/NRM votes in the belief that Museveni saved them from Kony and heralded peace. 

Then there are the mentally defeated who were exhausted from the chaos that prevailed and a respite was welcome. Any meme could be slid into their consciousness which the NRM/Museveni obliged with an occupation army and well ochestrated propaganda techniques.

The interesting groups are the mixed of characters Museveni has dubbed the"progressives" ( Museveni-woos-Acholi ) at a pretentious wedding ceremony of one of them. These, in his mind, are replacing the "bad leaders," the negative forces who have stymied his plans for the Acoli. Many wonder how in a short period of time Acoli could turn such loyalists to a man who was shunned not a while ago. This is not something new and peculair in history. The Stockholm Syndrome can help us out here, where in Freudian fashion the victim adopts the aggressor's values in order to protects his or her ego. The aggresor then poses not a threat. To some of us, these are quislings in the manner of the Norwegian collaborators with the Nazis in 1942-1945.

Many of us who think Museveni is a common village thug are not into the hatred business. Hatred would be giving away our power to the manner of the man. We would be selling our souls to the devil and depravity. We are, however, convinced that the attrocities that spawned the emergence of Kony must be kept forefront until it is addressed conclusively. That is what we stand for and will impart on generations to come.

Mr. Museveni may say he has his so-called "progressives" and he may now embark on advancing his vision for the Acoli.We don't want his vision. We want our vision as was wonderfully articulated by one Ateng in the Monitor commentary:

Ateng • 2 days ago

But developing Acholi land or northern Uganda as a whole does not necessarily call for land transfer from the indigenous people to the so called investors! In the north we are not short of business and management acumen owing to our long time background in state affairs management. So let all development funds from government and donors be channeled to local investment initiatives/coperative societies. That aside, in the north we have a different perspective of lifestyle and livelihood so much that whereas M7 is intending to make us entirely herds men by supplying calves like he has done elsewhere, we want to be professional sportsmen, world class models, professors, public speaker, actors, acclaimed writers, researcher in all disciplines etc because thats where our in-born potentialities are vested. Thats where our calling is. Therefore whoever is willing to help us should rather focus on developing our envisioned service based economy. We already have formidable infrastructure that can support our aspirations and perhaps we only need someone to allow us be what we want to be rather than super imposing sugarcane growing on us! After all even most of the sugarcane workers at scoul and kinyara are northerners but non of them has ever returned home rich or any better. Lastly, we cannot be compelled to convert to nrm as a pre-condition to development. We have already suffered for 26years under museveni and we can afford to wait for the few more years remaining for him to go in 2016. I know that God has a reason why he has still kept us the Luos of Uganda alive all this time despite the strains and stresses previously imposed on us in concetration camps and cross-fires.

As the writer said, we want to cultivate professionals in various fields. We want small-scale farmers in cooperatives interpersed with medium-sized (not plantations) individual farmers. The investors can buy land in the towns. The rural land is sacrosanct to the Acoli and Luo way of life. That is why every holiday we head to the village to recharge in the quiet under the moon with punctuation of allulations, and sounds of Aguma, Nanga, Adungu and drums.

A Recipe for Cooking the Cock

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012

A Recipe for Cooking the Cock

In the East a birth year is a big deal because it is alleged to have archetypal relationship to animal beasts. It is believed that a person takes on the characteristics of the beast-year of birth. Thus from the knowledge of a person's birth year, one can gauge the person's predispositions. It was then not surprising that the Ninjas of medieval Japan, who were adept at stealth and surprise, exploited such a knowledge to  their advantage. For example, a person born in the year of the Ox  is prone to be a complainer. So, the Ninja would probably feign sympathy with the bitching, gain confidence and the poor fellow will not know what hit him.

This brings us to our favorite subject, the dictator of the Republic of Adnagu who demonstrates all the characteristics of the Cock.......

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For more@The Liberal Manifesto

Of God, Guns, Gays, No-New Taxes and Millions of Dough

 

Of God, Guns, Gays, No-New Taxes and Millions of Dough

My friends turned Gothic in spite of their supposed education. Numbers didn't mean diddly, let alone the fact that their academic research efforts were anchored on numbers--that is, statistics. And so, no matter what one told them their candidate was a non-starter and it was better to use someone more likely to put up a credible challenge to the Ogre of Uganda, they circled the wagon of emotional stupidity.

Fast forward to the US elections of 2012 and the difference would be the same with the pitiful Carl Rove , the Republican King-Maker.

 For more go to : http://the-liberalmanifesto.blogspot.com/

Much Ado About Nothing: The Gay Hullabaloo

Much Ado About Nothing: The Gay Hullabaloo

Uganda media crackled with emotional excitement:  Kadaga, Canadian Minister in Gay Row , Kadaga Gets Kudos for Defending Country. While many hailed the Madam Speaker of the Uganda Parliament, I have a contrarian opinion that her hysterical defense of Uganda government's stance on gay rights was a waste of energy. The lady was probably venting her frustration for having been undermined back home by her president who pushed approval of a rejected minister through a quisling of a deputy speaker suffering from a bout of the Stockholm Syndrome.


Gay issues, judged from the hundreds of online comments, get the juices of Ugandans boiling. You could probably get only about thirty or so comments on Dr. Besigye being hauled to a dingy dirty little police cell. Amazing priority, if you ask me.

For more @The Liberal Manifesto

It Is More Than Just About Investors and Consumers

It is More Than Just About Investors and Consumers

 

A tell-tale dark clouds hanged over the venue for the national fête to the 50 years of "freedom" from our colonial masters as the chief cheerleader pronounced his ambtious plan to catapult the nation to a first-world state. Key to this latest farce, per The Monitor, is yet another of Museveni's New 10-Point Plan. And the impetus behind all this is "the sovereign" power of "the investor" and "the consumer," so says the master tactician. Whatever happened to the last one as he emerged from the bush? The wonks have often called him to task on the original ten. But the man on-the-move has often answered with more vacuous gimmicks after gimmicks because they sell. The population likes such simplistic one-liners as " Let them get rich," coupled with strategic brown envelops

 

More@The Liberal Manifesto

 

Is the God Business Any Help?

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012

Is the God Business Any Help?

@http://the-liberalmanifesto.blogspot.com/2012/10/is-god-business-any-help.html

God's Existence in Limbo

Will Science Someday Rule Out the Possibility of God?

White House Beer Recipes

Free Speech; What Free Speech? Only in America!

A reminder to always be on the look out because the caveman lurks in power.