Advice from the Antichrist

I know that some of you do not care for my serious pieces, but lately, I am flabbergasted by the lack of outrage I see in my community around me. Except for the contingency of nuke hating grandmas that block downtown every Saturday morning to wave signs and pass out literature, everyone else seems to be nullified in their ability to speak out. What this means to me, is that the powers that be have succeeded in convincing most everyone, that we are powerless pawns in the world of corporate takeovers and military strategists.

Personally I find the hypocrisy of the way our country is run to be so ridiculous that I'm amazed that every downtown plaza isn't filled like Tienneman Square. While local pillars of the community are hunted like ducks, the leaders of our country are parading around ignoring the opinions of their citizens. I have an idea, why don't we make it mandatory that everyone on Capitol Hill takes a piss test? Do you realize how fast we could clear out the government if we were to do this? Every leader in post-presidency has been exposed as a medicine cabinet of prescription drugs. Legal or not, I would really like to know what drugs the people running this country are on, because more and more, their actions are resembling those of crack heads.

Didn't it seem like all the Y2K hoopla occurred so that the Big Boys could enforce an even more militaristic hold on our fair country. It's all too coincidental that at the same time things are falling apart and frustration looms, we get news that, "Hey folks, guess what, we don't know how this happened, but it looks like doomsday is around the corner." We have 5 million homeless people wandering the streets, the greatest gap between the rich and the poor since the days of slavery, debilitating schools and reinforced prisons, and a generation gap that's as wide as the Grand Canyon. And then as if God sent the Republicans a dream "c.o.d.," rumors of a situation that would reduce our Democracy to Martial Law, bubbled up in social consciousness, like a winding viper. But nothing much really happened on NYE, or at least it wasn't televised.

There are those social theorists such as Robert Anton Wilson who have said for 20 years that as we reach the end of the century, information will double to the point where we come to a final "snap" where we all be in another place. The phrase, "it's the end of the world as we know it," is apropos to our dilemma. Whether we wake up in the year 2000 and roadblocks are at every highway and freeway, or if technology quantum leaps to a yet unknown level, we will indeed, be living in a different world than the one we now know. I have in years past tried to bring my readers to focus on one brilliant point, which is, a change is coming and it's time to prepare.

The most popular notion of preparation is to stock the basement pantry with dried and canned goods and to keep the bullets cool. This type of mentality, although gospel with folks ranging from Charlton Heston to Ted Nugent, and from, Klansman to militia kooks, is the antithesis of my recipe. I recommend getting to know your family and friends better, extending your circle to new and exciting people, and most importantly, going within and working on who you really are. It is no wonder that the Pope condemned meditation several years ago as the "Devils tool," because honest self-exploration can indeed bring you to realizations that contradict doctrine.

There is a several thousand year old adage that is based on an observation but applies concisely to today's state of affairs, simply stated, "When the strong wind blows the mighty oak snaps, but the supple willow bends." So, if indeed we are heading into a time of great confusion and change, the best bet is to learn to lay low with friends and keep an open mind to possible futures. I must also bring out a point of contention that is relevant to our community at this time; friends come in all shapes and colors, but there are also wolves in sheep clothing among us.

Our country is a cultural Mecca that shines with a growing intensity, we must be vigilant in our attitude to those that wish to disrupt our scene. While I see many that genuinely care about the quality of life we have in these here parts, I also am witness to those that are fulfilling some small minded narcissistic myopic vision of what they deem "right and wrong." It is too late to not be involved in the decision making process of America, I urge you to get involved in a pro-active stance. Embrace local issues, and most importantly, get out and rock to your favorite micro-band.