We'd sort of wanted to go to the range today, but now there's about a foot of white stuff on said range, so we'll take Alf the Snow Beagle hiking instead. Been sitting around this morning watching SECONDHAND LIONS, a wonderful movie that, on a snow day, makes me feel like I'm on the verge of outliving my own time...this line from Robert Duvall's magnificent character Hub sums it up so well:
Sometimes the things that may or may not be true are the things a man needs to believe in the most. That people are basically good; that honor, courage, and virtue mean everything; that power and money, money and power mean nothing; that good always triumphs over evil; and I want you to remember this, that love... true love never dies. You remember that, boy. You remember that. Doesn't matter if it's true or not. You see, a man should believe in those things, because those are the things worth believing in.Maybe when we move to the new property in a couple of years I'll get a secondhand lion, which at the very least would scare the crap out of the local mountain lions. Maybe I should sign Alf s up for a Beginning Lion Dog Seminar.
I just finished reading EVERYDAY SURVIVAL by Lawrence Gonzales, the follow-up book to his amazingly good DEEP SURVIVAL. Sadly, I wasn't crazy about it...the premise wandered way to far afield for me, and I got lost among the stars, so to speak. He did do a wonderful job of expanding on the concept of using paradigms, which he refers to as scripts, in explaining why we smart humans are so prone to doing stupid things. After a little more research, I'm looking to working this expansion into a future book...it does a good job of filling in some blanks I had.
Hey Michael, my family and I (two boys 2 yrs and 4 yrs and lovely wife) are watching Secondhand Lions as I write. Fantastic family movie!
ReplyDeleteDoug
Love the movie. Watch it several times a year. Need to get it out again.
ReplyDeleteNot to change the topic but I will...
ReplyDeleteObviously with the recent mass shootings, gun owners are gonna catch hell from every which way over this. ABC since yesterday has been touting a "year long" inquiry into shootings. It will air next Friday April 10 at 10pm. Diane Sawyer is one of the hosts (so we're already behind the 8 ball here). They just had a 15 second blurb on it tonight and it looks like Diane may be role playing in a force on force scenario,as having a CCW and trying to defend herself against an attacker. In the very short blurb it looks like she is fumbling and looking very much like a dopey broad.
Well here is the point of this intro. I suspect that they worked with someone or some training group in the special. Do we know who that might be? Can we pre-emptively reach out to the gun community and get them to fess up? Maybe give us the inside story of what when down? We need to be more proactive in light of what is going on recently. MB can you help out in this? Maybe with Jim Shepard etc?
I sure hope it is not one of the top trainers or schools, and they've played into the hands of the anti's.
Thanks for the segway into the "shootings" subject NJ'. I've got to say it again; Where are all of the so called experts that decry this type of behaviour? All I hear is rationalization for it. They tell us that we should expect this type of behaviour because of the economy. They tell us that corporations should be aware of this type of thing before they lay people off, as if the copmany is somehow responsible for the killings. Yeah, I heard this yesterday from some sort of "expert" on Fox News. They show how these nut-cases were somehow a victim themselves by being "wronged" by someone else. What the f____ is the matter with everyone? We should be all chanting that this isn't the way to handle things! Believe it, or not, this actually works for MOST people. The data also clearly shows that these type of incidents happen in "threes". We actually had a "four" this time. That's because each incident triggers another nut to identify with the rationalization that "he" is justified in doing the deed, just as the other "guy" was. (No specific gender ID intended here.) Data also shows that acts of kindness and philanthropy happen in "threes", if people see someone else doing a good thing, they do it too.
ReplyDeleteIf people adopt a zero tolerance for this type of violence, more people will adopt it. It's time for all of us to decry these creeps and what they do. It may (will!) actually have an effect. For those that still refuse to not take it out on someone else, then that's where the police should use deadly force.
And guns don't cause it! The Columbine Killers had propane bottles rigged and ready for detonation in the school cafeteria, fortunately they couldn't get to them before their rampage was stopped. That would have done more damage than their deadly shooting. Killers will still be killers in the end. They just need to be prevented from acting.
Life Member
P. S.: The "outdoor" community can do a lot toward this end, if they just become outspoken.
I was given Secondhand Lions by a good friend in DE, and at first, I was like "uh...thanks, I think"...
ReplyDeleteWell, it was enver so good to be SO wrong about a movie in all my life.
Now it's a MUST see at our house, and not just "once a year".
As to the WHY factor?
It's a SOCIETAZL problem...a disconnect from morality and basic levels of humanity.
In many cases you cannot simplify it by rationalization...you just DEAL with it...and take these perps out of society's way, so as not to harm the masses.
SOmeday...they'll "get it". In the meantime, we have to spread the word.
Great post and comments.
We started to see it during the Vietnam War...when the politicians screwed that the hell up, and made America out to be less than we were, as a people.