"Happy Birthday, Gaga! You are the Goddess, it's all You!" gagablog 43

Gaga, I love you so much, you are everything and all in one, the perfect Goddess to me and my best dreams and most fantastic imaginings come true!. When I say you are the Goddess I think of you as perfect love in action, song, and fashion. You are the pinnacle of Art, the Inspiration Point that shows us all the way. You overflow with caring and give so much to us, and lead us with bravery to live our own lives as bravely in our own ways. Thank you so much for sharing all your gifts with us, and for caring for the Ruby Slippers you recieved last year, as you are our Dorothy who brings us together out of the fields and forests and leads us on the Road to Love through the land our dreams make real.
What do I mean when I say "Gaga, you are the Goddess!"? Will Gaga ever see me say it? Maybe not, and yet I say it again and again. Who am I talking to? I'm talking to you, I'm talking to me, to all of us, when I say "Gaga, you are the Goddess." I think we are all part of the same love, we all share the same life and are all always both from and with The Goddess. The fact that Gaga is the perfect example, to me, of the Goddess as the world most needs her now, makes it easy for me to talk about the Goddess in Gaga terms. It can be difficult to explain, too, but only because we are so far away from understanding of the Goddess so I welcome any challenge or opportunity in discussing her.
Do you ever wonder if someone you meet on the internet is Gaga in disguise? Maybe it is just a fantasy that many people have, that they could be talking to Gaga, and I'm sure she does talk to her fans online, probably as herself but maybe with other personas to be annonymous, but I also imagine that some people impersonate her. The reason I bring it up is because I start to suspect it when I talk to people and they are really nice, even seem to be mystically nice. And I imagine that people impersonating her would be incredibly nice as well. Because all accounts I have heard of people who have met her attest to how nice and loving she is to her fans. She certainly sets the new standard for an artist who cares for and responds to her audience. I'm focusing on how she does this with her own interactions to show how, if we suspect someone of being Gaga, or if we know they are a little monster, we are as nice as we can possibly be. She has this effect of making the whole world nicer from her direct influence and from the millions of monsters who are influenced by her. On the other side of the spectrum, the main thing that makes monsters nice is the liberating and empowering message of Gaga's music allows us to be brave in being who we really are, Born This Way. But in the direct way, of interacting with Gaga or other monsters, imagining talking with her, or showing the world who we are - freakish, maybe, possibly a little scary at first, but nice and loving above and within all - in this way we are all like Gaga, little monsters who take after our Mommy.
I have not met Gaga or seen her show even yet, and I hope to soon. And I know from her music how liberating it is and how much it really helps us all be better in love. But I can also tell from people who have seen or met her that she has this same force of incredible Goodness in person, even more so. And I have my own experience of talking with some little monsters online who are so kind and wise and friendly, it makes me start to wonder sometimes..... My point is that when you start to treat people with this kind of love, that they "could be Gaga", when you start to look for the Gaga in everyone, it can put you, and everyone you come in contact with, at ease. This ease is what we need for love to grow in the world so that it fully replaces the rule of fear. As I wrote this "celebrate a new compassion" was the lyric going by, and as "Bad Kids" is playing now I think about how Gaga relates to all of us but especially the outsiders.
In this way Gaga's fabulous example helps us all feel good and be better to each other and if we really want to be like her of course that means being the best individuals we can be, but also seeing the goodness in everyone and coming together. I've been celebrating Gaga all day and I wanted to talk about how Gaga is like religious figures of the past, who show a glorious example and teach us to follow it and be like them in our own way, but right now "follow that unicorn on the Road to Love" is on and Gaga just says it much better. We are about to have a firepit and cook some hotdogs celebrating Gaga's birthday. I drew a picture of Gaga this morning and posted it to facebook and really appreciated the many monsters who liked it, it really encourages me to draw and paint more. I feel the love and feel like I am back in the world of art after spending too long on the fringes, and I just want to go on this journey with you all to the heart of it, on the Road to Love to the Emerald City.
Thank you Gaga, and Happy Birthday! You are the Present to us all, you inspire us and give us ourselves to share with each other. Thank you monsters, together we will turn this whole world into the Grandest Monster Ball ever. Paws Up and GAGA FOREVER!   

"Paws Up and Hoodies Up! Justice is Best Served by a Black Trans Am" gagablog 42

I've been watching Knight Rider - thanks, Netflix. This was one of my very favorite shows as a kid, so the nostalgia factor of finally seeing it again is wonderful. I can't even begin to describe the pleasure I get from the writing, acting, directing, plots, fashions, themes, and characters, but it is both the best TV I've ever seen in my life (next to the Simpsons) and some of the worst TV ever made and for some of the same reasons. A perfect balance like Yin and Yang, KITT and KARR, Michael and Garth, and it oozes the very essence of the 80's. Even thinking about watching it cracks me up and when I have someone else to watch it with who feels the same way it makes us buckle over wih laughter and astonishment. And while the hilarity and ridiculousness of Knight Rider is off the charts, there is something I still like even more about it, even more than it's brilliance and awfulness. It's what I think I always liked most about it. It's the way it captures that core idea of America that justice will be done for everyone.
Today, it has been a month since Trayvon Martin was killed with no arrest of the killer and there is a national debate about racial injustice in America. On the anniversary people are wearing hoodies in marches on the streets, in churches, and on TV, in solidarity with Trayvon and all who are killed in the continuation of unjust systems. Also today the arguments are being made before the Supreme Court about the Affordable Health Care Act ('Obamacare') that basically boil down to are we all in this together, the democrat view, or is it everyman for himself and forget the women, the republican view. It is a day when our government has paid the families of the civilians murdered by a soldier in Afghanistan, a day when Obama has angered Republican candidates by working with Russia who they want to call our #1 enemy, and a day when China has joined Russia in agreeing to work with the UN for peace in Syria. It's a day of Justice and it is the Eve of Lady Gaga's birthday. But today is a day in the balance, waiting for Justice. Tomorrow will be the first day of a new era where we will have more justice because at this moment of balance the scales will tip and we will choose the path of Truth. Because Truth will always win in the end, it is the greater power. We seek justice by loving the truth, knowing we will reveal it, and that it will become a new standard of justice. Worldwide, in Syria and in America, especially for black people, injustice is perpetuated by bullying people with violence and keeping them impoverished and disempowered politically. There have been so many murders to keep things unjust as well, maybe ten thousand in Syria recently and many more than that in the black community in America. Trayvon Martin is a symbol of this injustice and the response shows how many people relate to the fear of injustice and are ready to change it. People are raising each others' awareness about injustice and we will get to the truth and truly have justice if we really believe in it.
Belief is the key and everything about hoping for the best is the way to go, from seeking a just end to bullying, murder, war, and poverty, to helping our neighbors and families and strangers, re-electing Obama, and spreading awareness and assistance for issues worldwide. We need hope for this more than anything, hope that is even faith in the truth, our actions and abilities, and each other. The belief we need is that we can and will reach a world of justice for everyone by working together and focusing on it. The movie "The Hunger Games" is a huge success now. It just came out but could become the biggest hit of all time. There is a scene made for the movie to sum up the oppressor's perspective that I saw in a clip on TV. The idea is that a little hope is necessary to keep oppressed people going but too much can be fanned into a flame for revolution. I think the bullies and oppressive systems underestimate hope and the power of Truth - of course they don't realize truth will always win or they would not waste their lives in lies and cover-ups. We are seeing that when we have hope and really believe in it we can change things, we can change everything. The truth will win and the systems and people allied with it will prosper eventually, while those who hide it and oppress people will either change or lose their power. Systems based on injustice will fall, it is just a matter of how much hope we can gather together as to how long it will take.
Some might say I live in a fantasy world, that we will never have a world without war, injustice, poverty or even money. I say that by living in that world in my mind I can better make this world what it should be, a better world like the one in my dreams and fantasies. Gaga has said that she lives "halfway between fantasy and reality" and recently that "we need fantasy to survive because reality is too difficult". We're in both, and fantasy is better both because it is not "too difficult" and because it is required to make reality better. Of course reality is important too and fantasy shows us where our duty lies to improve reality. And we have to become aware of reality and share our opposition to injustice, we have to engage the real world with the hopes of our greatest fantasies and dreams. Knight Rider is a total fantasy, and is hilarious for being ridiculous in many ways but it is also sadly ironic for being so "American" in it's themes of justice and help for the powerless in the 1980's when in America there was terrible injustice, much of which continues today. But the dream is real, and the idea is that the most powerful car and the coolest driver will be on the good side of Truth and Justice - and this is true. The Truth is the most powerful and will win if we believe in it. Systems that deny that will fall. KITT's rival is KARR, the prototype that had the programming error of having self-preservation as it's top priority. KITT was improved with a top priortiy to protect life and this is the difference between good and evil. Looking out only for oneself, perpetuating injustice and hoping the truth will never come out, is evil, while helping each other and believing that Justice will be served and we can make it happen is good. Gaga has some badass black cars in her "Marry the Night" video. The inspiration for this song was when she felt defeated in persuing her dreams but faced and married her fears and became a total badass. We need to do that in America and in the world - look at the things we are scared of, knowing we are better than our fear and that truth and justice will win, and be bold enough to take the actions that are good - to help each other and understand each other and seek truth and justice together , and avoid the actions that are evil - to "defend ourselves" and deny each other and resort to lies and bullying and scaring people. Michael Knight knew he would always win and in the 80's we knew, watching him on TV, that Justice would eventually prevail. Now we see ourselves on TV and in social media and realize that we are the Knight Riders and have the power to change the world believing that "one man can make a difference."
But we have grown and can make the dream more real than in the 80's, too. Because we can really see ourselves globally now and can expect that not only will we make the right decisions for truth as individuals but we will hold our governments accountable to do so as well, locally, nationally, and globally. In this way I think we should expect to see government as a good thing and make it that was, as democracies. We should empower everyone to vote, raise awareness and use our collective good judgement for the greatest good. In this way, the government, like KITT, can never be too powerful, as long as it is always Good. And if it is bad, of course we will change it, because we will reach our dreams, we will make our fantasies come true, and we will "marry the night", face our fears and become whole with the things we denied or ignored until we all belong in a peaceful worldwide family. Today, like an episode of Knight Rider, all the goodness and evil in the world are in perfect balance, but it's time to tip for the Good.  The Age of Justice and Goodness begins tomorrow - Lady Gaga was, is, and will be Born This Day, and our world will be reborn with her, 3-28-12. Paws Up and Hoodies Up!!!  (''')     (^)

"The Solution to End War and Bullying: Disarm" gagablog 41

I've talked about the bullying by groups, society, corporations and states and how war, poverty, and suffering in general are all symptoms of the same problem of bullying. It's always people in a position of power hurting those who are less powerful, according to the given system, instead of helping them. It's always the same mentality whether it is cliques in school, greedy corporations and republicans, or nations that kill people, from Syria to the USA. To finally solve the problem I want to address it on the individual level. The traditional bully, like Nelson Muntz in the Simpsons, uses violence to feel superior to his peers. He does this as a last resort because he feels inferior in so many other ways. Poverty is a major cause of his isolation and he endures great suffering due to his lifestyle. He then takes this pain out on the other kids by hurting them physicaly and threatening and mocking them to hurt them emotionally. He takes power over his peers to make up for feeling powerless in life and he does it with violence. It would be admirable to turn those conditions into motivation to better himself or his home, to develop a talent that others would respect him for so that he could build community despite his disadvantages. Realizing that opportunity could be difficult, however, and while beating up other kids is not the "easy way" it makes them fear you, which is not the same as respect but if it seems like the closest the bully will get to respect or control he will take it. I use Nelson as an example to show how being bullied by society that condemns poverty instead of helping the poor realize opportunities creates individual bullies who hurt other kids. But it is a mentality we share and the Nelsons of the schoolyards are one version of bully while nations can be another. We are all part of this culture of bullying and can all put a stop to it - and we need to.
I think the most important part of the brief study of Nelson I've just done is the idea that violence is his last resort after feeling inferior in every other category. When the whole sad situation arises from being disadvantaged it is all the more important to remember that there is always another option. The whole idea of owning firearms for self-defense presumes and even creates the kill-or-be-killed mentality. I agree with Dr. Who that we don't need to carry weapons because we don't expect to use them, To think otherwise is acting savagely and continuing a savage mentality that we should have outgrown as a species long ago. But who can blame individuals who think this way when the nations we live in think and act like this? In the 2012 election season when republican challengers are trying to show how much more warmongering they are than Obama, war with Iran over their potential nuclear program seems more and more likely. When I hear that the American and Isreali governments are telling Iran they cannot have a nuclear weapon, when "we" have many nuclear weapons, I feel like a bully. For an analogy I think about a gunfighter in a showdown who already has a gun drawn on someone. What's the best way to avoid someone getting shot? If he says "throw down your gun" it might sound hostile and provoke a violent response - telling someone what to do from a position of power is bullying and can make the other person act on what they think is a last resort by being put in that position, being disadvantaged. He could say "you don't need that gun" which is ultimately the truth if no one really wants to get shot. If the only reason to carry a gun is as a deterrent then all you need to know is that the other person is not going to use theirs, either as a bully or a crazy person. If both parties can agree that they don't really need a gun they can get rid of them. But even telling someone they don't need a gun, while holding a gun, could be unclear, confusing, or even seem untrue. The best way for the gunfighter to communicate that the other person does not need his gun is to throw down his own gun. It may be a brave thing to do but it really isn't that risky, it just presumes that people aren't crazy and don't want to kill each other, and it sends the clear, important message that "I don't want to kill you." Building on that presumption is what lets us feel more civilized but we still have weapons. As nations an individuals we should trust each other and find more ways to relate so we never feel like we need weapons. We can break the cycle of fear and violence by building on goodwill and trust between each other so that we can get rid of all weapons and all the fear that goes with them..
I think we should expect this of our own governments and change our military industries to more beneficial ends just as the energy companies that will survive will be the ones that leave oil and coal and nuclear and transform to harnessing renewable energy. I'm heartened by the fact that Russia has called for a cease-fire in Syria and was encouraged by the call from American legislators to halt arms purchases from the Russian company that is supplying Syria with arms. This was a step towards the idea that we should seek non-violent solutions, that military is not necessary - but just a small step. I hope the various forms of pressure will be enough to halt the violence in Syria but the solution may ultimately come from within as the people have often insisted. I think the nonviolent solution they will find will be surprising but will also be the model for how we all adress conflcit in the future and become the standard, mainly because it will come from a commitment to finding a peaceful solution which will be the expectation in the coming age. And it may come from rising awareness withing Syria of the crimes going on so that people abandon Assad's regime. I wanted to write this a few weeks ago when the news was of a prominent businessman defecting from Assad and encouraging others to follow. The emptying of support for a murderous regime will cause it to collapse and even though it has not happened yet it may come soon and that man will have set the example. But it may also take the influence of other countries to enforce a cease-fire. The one year anniversary of the protests there was just the other day and while such events can gather energy I think it is a magical principle that the most powerful changes come from something subtle within that and not at the expected time, but maybe made possible by that collection of energy around a milestone. I can only assume that when the extent and details of the terrible things the regime has done there are made known to the world the response will end the bullying regime, and it may rely on people's decisions inside Syria but could be provoked by stronger outrage from outside.
It may in fact be a matter of currency and whether enough flows in to support the bully. In this way it reminds me of the outcry when Rush Limbaugh called that lady bad names, bullying her as he is always bullying people with his immense radio power. But the response from the public and effect on advertisers may take that power away and rightfully so, even though some predict he is "too big" for this to happen. I think that on the contrary it will be an example to people of how they can end bullying with their choices of how they spend their money. Buying from companies who support things you  believe in will ultimately allow the better ones to thrive and do the most good in the world. Becoming aware of which companies support bullies and war will drive them out of business and their influence out of society. They didn't think Limbaugh would ever fall but when he does it will be an example to people of what their conscience and decisions can achieve.
In our own lives we can only try to take care of people and prevent bullying and the conditions that lead to it. If we could understand that the crazy people who shoot other people need to be cured before they kill and that they are symptoms of sickness in a society that we are all part of, when we take responsibilty to take care of each other, then we won't blame the lone crazy killer in the sense that we want to kill him. We won't focus on who to blame and shoot because it won't go that far, because instead we will focus on identifying who needs help and what he needs to feel he has another option, to be a part of society again. We have to be able to change society to take responsibility for everyone in it. I'm thinking of the soldier who so horrifically abused his power and access to weapons and killed all those civilians in Afghanistan. Now they are talking about the factors that led to him doing this and I hope they can prevent similar things, though the sad truth is that similar things have been happening and the nature of the conflict is like being  a bullying aggressor. If we are a more advanced country we should be that much better at finding a peaceful solution. If we could always be looking for ways to creatively address the problems that lead to bullying and violence we can stop it and stop feeling like we need to fear one another. We can do this as nations, in our own communities small and large, and in our daily interactions. It's only by opposing bullying in all its forms, at all levels, that we can end it but when we do have that focus we can end it forever.  All it takes is accepting that we are all better than that and deciding that we won't consider violence an option anymore. When we act in this way and care for each other we will lift ourselves out of the lives where we feel the stress to be violent or where anyone is so disadvantaged, or that some people are so empowered, that they feel that violence is the solution to their problems.