August 2nd, 2013
I am a proponent of animal welfare and animal rights. As much as I am with people, the environment, conservation etc.
Anything that falls under the evil gaze of corporate imperialism where money, power and influence trump everything else at the detriment OF everything else.
I was at an appointment today talking with my acupuncturist and the conversation turned to animals and then onto zoos.
When I was a kid there was a very famous zoo called ‘Belle View Zoological Gardens’ in my home area.
Growing up of course I was like most every other child and considered it a ‘treat’ to go. There was one time that I particularly remember with mixed emotions. I remember being hungry (not unusual) all morning and my mum had packed sandwiches. As I was finishing my first bite feeling very happy with myself lost in bliss, I was suddenly shocked to see and feel it snatched out of my hand.
Looking up I saw the culprit was a giraffe with a shit sandwich eating grin on it’s mush. Amazing creatures, but they are thieving bastards.
They do have nice eyes though.
Back to topic.
Zoos have been around for surprisingly long. Records indicate that as far back as 1250 B.C., animals were held in captivity for people to view.
I understand that to view animals first hand that you wouldn’t ordinarily see is a wonderful experience.
And proponents of zoos are quick to highlight the conservation efforts that they claim to spend their profits on.
In the USA there are approx. 2400 licensed ‘animal exhibitors’ of which only 212 are members of the AZA (the American zoological and aquarium association) an organization that has standards of animal care, science and conservation.
That is a shockingly low number in my opinion. There are 10,000 zoos worldwide. Of the 212 members of the AZA it is estimated that only 3% of the budgets of the zoos goes towards conservation.
Again a disturbing statistic.
The billions of dollars that they rake in each year goes towards exhibits, marketing and of course shareholders.
So while zoos are a wonderful notion the reality is that we as a society have been conditioned to observe the pretty packaging that surrounds Pandoras box and to not open it and take a look at what really is inside and the affects thereof.
So the next time you spend money on zoos, aquariums, circus’s etc. remember that the animals you are going to see have rights also.
-TDB.
Sometimes
If I really pay attention
I can feel myself disintegrating
Fading back into the universe
Atom by atom
Cell by cell
Pushing the process along a bit
I rub my hands together and
Propel the hardly visible cells
Into the wind
Life seems like this sometimes, that is, slipping between my fingers, barely noticeable until everything looks and feels completely different, until I barely even recognize my own skin or the man hidden within it.
If I concentrate too hard, it feels like dying, but if I can find the balance, in between life and death, this disintegration feels like the only thing that is keeping me going.
Taking in millions of pieces of sensory information every day, if it were not for the power of forgetting our minds would likely drown in minute details, incapable of processing any one thing due to the constant noise of all that was surrounding it.
The world feels like this a lot now a days.
Still too big to really comprehend, and soon to be too small to house all of it inhabitants, this universe has strange ways of reclaiming that which to belongs to it.
Having never found too much comfort in religion, rules or the painful realization that we all return to this universe in our own time, sadly enough, fighting these realities never proved all that effective.
Although I was never one to give in…but slowly I am learning that sometimes you just have to trust the universe to sort everything out.
So I rub my hands together, making a small contribution to the cosmic cycle , and slowly try to come to terms with the all that has been taken, and I try to give something back, trying to leave a mark, a positive memory, something that says I was here.
Shouting into oblivion, sometimes all effort seems meaningless, and other days even smiling at another person seems like giving the universe exactly what it needs.
All just trying to fight mortality
Trying to live just a little bit longer,
Trying to make sure that when we are gone,
We are not forgotten.
Sometimes
If I concentrate just hard enough
I can feel myself disintegrating
Fading back into the universe
Becoming one again
-Joshua Genius
Institutions, relationships, trial and error for sure. Most of my education has come from these three places. Some things I’ve learned and let go of, like having the entire table of elements completely memorized, whatever we did in Algebra II, and what happens when I lie. Others I’ve carried with me close to heart such as make sure there are no cameras, men may construe things after their fashion; clean from the purpose of the things themselves, and the gut feeling you get after you think of the one you supposedly love with someone else in your bed.
The work force has taught me, corporations such as Walmart and Wendy's will set up regulations to protect workers. But the expectations they hold management to puts them in a position to work outside of those regulations just to keep their job. But all the paper work sent up says everything is being met. Everyone is getting their breaks. And no one is getting more hours than they're allowed. I've realized the people on top knows what's going on and this corporation is not your friend. Don't bust your ass for them. I've learned you can be as disgruntled as you want, just don't do it on camera. Last note, if you're accident prone, don't smoke. Either that or leave earlier to get that wound taken care of, no need for management to know.
School was awesome for me. If I had applied myself I could have easily gotten into a better college with bigger scholarships. But I'm a slacker and was more interested in girls, writing, and doing just enough to get by. I coasted off my intelligence as opposed to using it to build a brighter future for myself. Totally worth it. But the mind said that made me successful when I wanted to me still applies to two very thing I do. Math and science were favorites of mine. My brain would break down problems like a puzzle and I actually enjoyed doing them. So when something grabs my attention the wheels start turning and I get to work.
Finally, I learned a lot about people and myself from the relationships I've had over the years. Some of those were the hardest lessons to learn. There were test that I failed so bad but could never take over. But those are also the lessons that I've kept the closest. The relationship I found that needs the most work is the one with myself. I've cheated myself as to what I can accomplish by being so lazy. I remember the ambitious bastard that would wait for everyone else to catch up and could already guess what wrong answer they put down. I remember a man on fire who would lay down poem after poem without even trying. I've made being lazy my lifestyle and my art, mind, and spirit have suffered from it.
I have begun my hiatus. Its been part of an elaborate plan that I started back in April of this year and the first phase was a success. All that's left is to apply myself. Keeping in mind the lesson that were worth keeping and applying them all to now. I have a stack of books that will be used to shake the rust from my mind and being tired of kids who haven't been through have my heart ache writing more than I am is more than enough to drop my writing hand like the god's fist.
-DCR
Lions. Tigers and bears…oh my!
Disintegrating
Training
Many of us come alive on paper. We use our minds to create thoughts and illicit them through actions and behaviors. Our words are literary devices used as a means of communication to manifest our lives. Literature is a form of expression—it’s how we relate to one another. Most people have a need to connect, and through our words we exude our passions.
One of my deepest passions is my love for philosophy—“the love of wisdom”. Through this love I have tried to understand what it is to be wise. The very power of our essence is rooted in our mentality in conjunction with our spirit. These elements of being intertwine and we develop ideas. Idealist and dreamers have been a very influential force in my life. In my life right now I am searching for ways to utilize my ideas and make them more tangible. There seems to be a need for change. The only thing constant is flux. So, I think we need to embrace it instead of being so resistant to the very nature of the universe. Gandhi said, “Be the change you see in the world”. It starts within the individual, and positivity is the key. If we start being wise (conscious) in the decision making process throughout our lives then our choices would better reflect who we really are.
The center of our energies are our main source of being. We all co-exist with one another in this world. Most of us want to better our lives. So, if we look within and change our internal environment first, then and only then can we start to alter out external environment. Our world is what we create to live in despite what is going on around us. Many of us have a goal to be satisfied or happy; yet we settle. Learning how to overcome and become resilient enough to persevere superficial realities is half the battle. Admitting denial then tackling self-inflictions can be a powerful means to attain what we really desire. It seems as though when we try too hard our needs are not met. Things come to us when we are not solely focused on that particular item. We are all built with the means to survive and find meaning. I mean—quit wanting so damn much and maybe you would feel more fulfilled. Empty vessels aspire material items to make them whole. Look within and just BE. What I am aiming at here is self-introspection. Our minds eye has the power to change how others look at us as we transform ourselves as well.
I believe that all of us have a superb purpose for existing. Do you? Have you asked yourself many questions that involve a higher meaning lately? Am I too deep? Or should laymen explain it to you so that you feel more comfortable? I do not know where you reside within, but a part of my function of being has a need to bring us together starting with ourselves. I am Sunny by nature. Light is attracted to light, and it gives life. Negativity and hate revolve around each other. Love breeds love. Doing things for others selflessly can be remarkable. Being altruistic does not mean that I feel satisfaction for myself. It proves a deeper connection with another being, and witnessing others experience joy is joyful in itself. I think that bliss is a state of existence that we all choose to be in. So I want to make choices that provide for my future, and also escalate the present. It is not easy…I know.
I think to myself: what am I doing with my life? What do I aspire? What am I capable of? Spinning endlessly I attempt to quiet my mind and find myself living my life at a very fast pace. School, work, more work, writing, staying healthy, staying out late, waking up so damn early the sun hasn’t even thought about kissing the horizon, and when I leave my last class for the day—the sun has already thrown in her chips for a couple of hours. As busy as I get I think that I sometimes forget that I can still make time for myself and everyone that I care about. I catch myself thanking the Most High just because the sunrise is so gorgeous it eclipses my synapses and induces a jubilant smile; I can even feel my muscles in my face straining to stretch the happiness I feel just to be alive. Other times I know we all jump down the rabbit hole intentionally. If we create our own paths, then let us all create beautiful runways for others to travel through. It seems so simple to say, think, or feel; albeit, it is a plausible reality. I can and will.
Life is what you put into it. I want to be incredible with a little bit of unimaginably real. I desire to dance with my fire within and remain warm enough to sustain even my own cold-hearted tendencies. I want for others to see me come alive on paper.
Bless,
Sunny Alexander
