I haven't kept up with Gaga lately, but there's a feeling around that she is about to announce a new album. It's like the calm before the creative storm. I've been out of touch for the Cheek to Cheek era, anyway. But one of the main things she represents so perfectly to me, Love over Prejudice, is the theme of recent events. If its calm before the storm in the creative world, the magical world, then in this fake world they call the real world it makes sense that it is the opposite, still storming before some calm. Gagablog 89 was about Donald Trump. The idea was to be call out the racism and greed he represents - not look at him as an enemy to be destroyed but as a tool to oppose and overcome those same evil forces. I wanted it to be a spell that created a new dimension, a surprise direction, which helped ensure people become more aware of important principles as the right-wing collapses. I think the media magic example of the spell starting to work came quickly: Kanye announced he is running for President in 2020 at the VMAs the next day. Many people may write this off as just a joke or sensationalism, but that is exactly how we wrote off Trump four years ago, as a publicity stunt. As I typed that Michael said in a rerun of episode 177 of Newhart “Hey these snaps are in black and white! If this is some sort of artistic statement, well, frankly, I don't get it.” The more I thought about it the more I realized this is the perfect response to the Trump campaign, exactly the kind of magical twist I was anticipating. I was still surprised, though. The nice thing about media magic is it confirms itself, however. Art and communication echo. So what really clued me into the idea that this was “my spell working”, or that I had some sense of how these crazy events will magically twist into an even crazier future, was a Jimmy Kimmel piece that the news shows reran this (Tuesday) morning. It juxtaposed alternating clips of Kanye's speech with things that Trump has said during his campaign. It was so “close” that it almost made me suspect this was even intentional on Kanye's part. He seemed very emotional and rambling, but maybe that was intentionally to be able to get to those specific sound-bytes and sound natural. Of course I only think that because they were taken as clips for that joke, but it really is possible they were written for that piece and the rest of the ramble constructed around them. But highly improbable. Almost impossible. And it would mean that the whole announcement was literally “just a joke”, an elaborate scheme to make fun of Trump. The thing about magic (and jokes are a powerful magical artform) is that it makes impossible things happen. Even if no one from Jimmy Kimmel or Disney planned Kanye's speech for this very reason, from a magical perspective it is possible that a Spirit performed that same function, on a spiritual level, making this connection in the actual words used. But “most likely” it is just a funny, clever, insightful joke. And based upon a real announcement, not a joke at all. Whether a spirit is involved, telling a joke or giving a message, is not yet to be seen because we'll never know, but considering it gives us magical perspective. I don't want to spoil the joke by talking about it too much but I do think doing so gives more clues to magic, I just want to avoid tangents this time.
People seem to mostly oppose Citizen United, the ruling that allows unlimited funds for political candidates through Super PACs. We resent but seem to cynically accept the corrupting influence of money in politics. Even though the ideal is for people and companies to not buy politicians, in the modern world where we all know that's how it works, it makes it appealing in a way to have a candidate who can buy it themselves. But it all depends on what they spend that money to do- “it's about ideas, bro,” as Kanye says. I don't have any problem with rich and famous people using their influence to advance a liberal agenda but of course I hate it when Trump is doing it for Republicans, except for the extent to which he's actually doing it to Republicans, either intentionally through attacking his nomination opponents and calling them out or unintentionally through being the asshole who so perfectly exemplifies their ideals. I don't care if Kanye isn't as smart as he thinks he is. He may not even be a god but who am I to judge? He's liberal and would run as a Democrat or more liberal candidate so I support him and know that as far as he takes it will help shift the whole political conversation to the left. Trump's candidacy has pushed the conversation to the right, with everyone in the Republican field talking about building walls and shipping people to Mexico, but there is no where to go to the right except off a cliff into a pile of bullshit. I felt like I might be over-hyping the Kanye campaign but just talked with my dad on the phone and I don't think I am, after all, thanks to some things he told me. First I want to say that I know I did not create, manifest, or predict the Kanye announcement in gagablog 89 – but it does fulfill what I was predicting. So many people have bitched about the influence of Hollywood liberals donating money to politicians or running for office themselves. But it is ironic, magical, that many of these same people support Trump now, showing that the anti-celebrity sentiment is not really a principle. We all get sucked into it, like hating on Kim K and Kanye or even Justin Beiber, as part of a social mass hysteria or collective jealousy.
People often criticize rich and famous people because their power and influence seem undeserved. But if they use it for causes we like, we're not so picky about how they got the money. Still, what people do is a reflection of who they are and what they believe. Kanye isn't anywhere near as rich as Trump, now, but he made his fortune by making music that connected with people, inspiring us, making us feel good, or being the voice of our discontent through the social messages. Trump made his fortune on real estate and exploiting people's need for shelter, and as a reality TV star on a show that's a silly mockery of “cut-throat business”, nothing very good or inspiring. How they made their money and what they believe in or represent to the American public provides contrasts between them. Trump is out of touch with most people but speaks loudly for a shrinking group of other out-of-touch people; scared, racist white folks who think “their America” is going away. Good, we might as well know who these people are and why their opinions don't matter. Like Obama recently said of climate-change deniers: who cares what they think? Kanye may be out of touch with a lot of America, too – he certainly won't appeal to that racist white demographic that Trump connects with, but will connect more with everybody else, “the people.” And Kanye will even get some of the redneck southern vote because my dad informed me that even though he doesn't know anything about Kanye, he did know that he wore a rebel flag and said “this is my flag.” That flag is such a hot issue with so many Southerners he could really get votes for that. Hell, Georgia “elected” it's first Republican governor in 150 years based on a rebel flag promise and Diebold electronic voting machines (the president of Diebold guaranteed Republican wins). Kanye may be out of touch with much of America due to his own wealth and lifestyle, but at least he's conscious and considerate of our concerns and when he does have a political career will have to come up with proposals to address them. Or maybe he's been planning all of this for years, already.
The main difference between Kanye and Trump is that Kanye represents liberal and liberating ideas and Trump represents conservative and oppressive ones. One of the highlights of my conversation with my dad is when he said he didn't know anything about Kanye and I said “well, he is the one who got famous, beyond his musical fame, by saying during Hirricane Katrina that George Bush doesn't like black people.”
My dad responded by saying “think about how many didn't get more famous by saying that”, meaning, how many other people had enough influence and opportunity to say that but no one else did. But Kanye told the truth. He has the truth on his side. Trump does not. He has all the benefits of celebrity, riches, and tapping into that Tea Party, racist current that is so strong in America. The problem is, that current is not part of the stream of progress, its a dying offshoot. Well, that isn't a problem at all, it's wonderful thing, just a problem ultimately for all Republicans, and a sign they will be going away soon. The idea that Kanye will run for president next time will surely be used by Republicans to criticize Trump this time, or it will if they're smart, and it should. People who bitch about celebrities influencing politics should be called out for hypocrisy for supporting Trump and made fun of. As much as Kanye is the perfect counter-balance to Trump, the differences between them can be ways to see the difference between the liberal and conservative worldviews with the inescapable conclusion that liberal is the way of the future and the best way.
One way Kanye and Trump seem similar is Egotism. I'm an egotist myself, maybe moreso than Kanye and Trump put together, but I'm also a buddhist and know that ego is bullshit. I use my own ego like a tool, like a joke, and it can basically be bigger than anyone else's and I still don't take it too seriously. So my dad mentioned that Trump said “The Art of the Deal” is the second-most important book in history, next to the Bible. I hadn't heard of it and assumed it was some business guru book that had influenced Trump. “Who wrote it?” I asked.
“Well, Trump's name is on it,” my dad said.
“Oh, so he's saying HIS book is the second most important to the Bible? I just didn't know he wrote a book. What a loser - second place.” See, the difference is, I'm an artist. I'm a real egotist, and in a good way. If I feel like I can make the best music and art, then I can. It can be good for everyone. I also accept that artists are channels for magic to work through, that our best art comes from being willing to open our channel to the best and then getting “ourselves” out of the way. Trump doesn't get this. Kanye does. He said something like “It's not about me, it's about ideas, bro.” But with Trump, yes, it is all about him. And Kanye has an ego more like mine, an artists ego, so I can relate to him and speak to what that means. Trump is a runner-up, at best, and only even that by milking sick negativity. He wrote a book he himself admits is second to the Bible. Not very ambitious, huh, Trump? Kanye says he is a god, or is God. I can relate to that, and it puts Trump clearly below him/us. And of course Trump might think he's second-best but he's really second-rate at best, and really doesn't rate at all. He's a total loser, and I could go on about why but it's too easy, “like beating a suspect in shackles” as Chief Wiggum said. “I don't know, it's pretty easy to beat a suspect in shackles, Chief,” “I know, Lou, it's a joke on the Simpsons and their easy beatability.”
I was telling my sister about my Kanye/Trump comparison, or about my car trouble, when she quoted Homer saying “well you should have been early!” to his political opponent Ray Patterson when Ray said he was late because his brakes had been cut. Oh, right, I was joking about how for all Trump is worth, he is only “worth” 100 million dollars that El Chapo put out as bounty on him, which is hilarious in itself but also funny that Trump keeps insulting people more and more and is a constant insult to poor people just making that huge seeming number, that doesn't seem as big to him, even more attractive to more and more people. But I was saying if anyone killed him it would be the republicans, and maybe they'd take El Chapo's bounty for Jeb's Super-PAC. My sister agreed that the Republicans were really good at killing people because they did it on a large scale, and detail work like this, too. They certainly seem to get the most enjoyment out of murder. But it made me wonder if the Simpsons had not written that Homer's character based upon Trump: an obnoxious candidate making impossible promises and feeding on negativity.. Turns out that cartoon, “Trash of the Titans” came out in 1998 and I don't think Homer was modeled on Trump, after all, but it's a funny comparison. And he could have been. In my research just now I learned that Oprah interviewed Trump in '88 and he went political and she asked if he would ever run for president and he said if he did he would do it to win – so the idea was out there. And he apprarently quit the Republican Party for the Reform party around '99 and said that if he did run, Oprah would be a good running mate. Then I saw he said in 2007 that Bush was the worst president in history, and in 2011 he said that Carter was previously the worst president in history but now it was Obama. Since Carter somehow got worse than Bush to Trump after Bush was the worst 8 years ago shows how he changes to suit the audience. Kanye doesn't really do that. I looked it up just to make sure I wasn't cheating anyone of the credit of saying George Bush doesn't care about black people, just to make sure it was Kanye. The top Google Search for “Geroge Bush d-” is “doesn't care about black people” followed by death, dancing gif, dog, dodging shoes, dog paintings, documentary, decision points, decider, and dad. Kanye did that. The truth did that.
Kanye has the artist ego, that will even get out of his own way if necessary, apologize or show humility, to get good things done. Trump has the asshole ego that only wants his own way and can ultimately only be destructive. Trump doesn't care about black people, either. Or, if he's not racist in that way he only cares about them like he cares about anyone else, in the way that they work for him or pay him rent and he can exploit them. But even if he is not overtly racist against black people and claims he isn't racist against Mexicans or anyone else, he so obviously is and this is reflected in his appeal to so many proud racists but also goes to show how much unintentional racism just exists in the system. NPR ran a news story yesterday about companies having to be very aggressive to root out unintended racism and the measures they must take. It's the kind of thing we should all consider, how underlying biases result in actual racism, even from people who don't have that intention at all, and it grows in systems. This is what I was trying to point out in relation to the guy who killed the news reporter and camera man: That was absolutely wrong, killing always is but this was “even worse” - but if it WAS a response to a racist comment, even unintentional, and a racist cover-up, even unintentional but totally possible and even likely due to social dynamics, that resulted in firing that guy, these are factors in driving him to the breaking point of becoming a murderer.
We have, unfortunately, more cases of killings in different circumstances to compare this with and can move forward if we are willing to talk about it. I say guns are such a problem we should get rid of them entirely. I know they are not the only problem but I think it's worthwhile to scrap them all or put them in museums. And people who are trapped in fear rely on their guns to make them feel safe. They can't even consider this, it scares them. So when mentally ill people kill people with guns they say the problem is mental illness. But they suffer from the undiagnosed mental illness of “gun craze” so much that they can't even support laws to keep mentally ill people from having guns. If they aren't mentally ill, why worry about it? Or maybe they secretly know they are, and their guns make them ill. I can explain this, but really my point for bringing it up is to say we aren't really having a productive discussion about guns or mental illness. People are too scared to talk about it. So lets talk about racism.
The NPR story about unintended racism in hiring and promotion practices of companies had the solution of bringing in outside companies specializing in this to reform them. This is because it is impossible to detect and root out gender, racial, and sexuality biases from within. They are part of our socialization, unfortunately, and become entrenched in organizations. So we have to take extra steps to root them out. The way they reported the murder of those North Carolina journalists was that the killer's complaint of racism had been investigated internally and deemed unfounded. Racist people, people who are proudly racist, love a story like this as example of racism of black people against white people because they think that story is underreported. The truth is white racism against black people is institutional as well as personal and even happens subconsciously. Even people who don't consider themselves racist are likely to be unintentionally racist enough to want to accept the results of the internal investigation and blame it on the man being mentally ill or mentally ill people getting guns. If they want to say the shooter was racist they probably don't consider how he was probably the victim of racism throughout his life. This does not excuse being racist, and certainly not murder, but it should let us look at the bigger picture and say that racism itself is the problem. We need to attack racism itself, not people who come to represent it to us – they are victims of their own racism, too.
Unfortunately, in most cases White racism against others, and male-preferential sexism, too, has the support of the system. We need reform to change these systems, and the one most in need of reform in the public consciousness right now is the Police. I would argue that we need the same reforms of energy, from fossil fuels to green energy, of military from war to rescue, and of politics from money to service, among other things. But racism is on our minds and should be, since we have so far to go to overcome it. We make progress whenever we talk about it, but only seem to talk about it after tragedy, because the powers that be don't want change and want to allow racism to continue to benefit from it politically, in order to support the other evils of Anti-environmentalism, War, and Greed.
Unfortunately there was another killing in the news this week that makes all of the points I'm trying to make. A mentally ill black man in Texas shot a white deputy sheriff while he was putting gas in his police cruiser. The sheriff immediately blamed the Black Lives Matter movement. Both of these might be examples of racism but the second one certainly is. And I'm not saying that sheriff is racist, he seems like a nice man, but the system is racist in ways you can't see from within. We don't know, or didn't know that day if more news has come out, whether the killer was motivated by race at all. But to say he was, to blame Black Lives Matter, is the definition of prejuduce, prejudging someone based on bias. A white shooter might kill a cop after being influenced by anti-cop chants at rallies around the country. That wouldn't be his only reason to kill but it could be a factor. But that sheriff would not have made that conclusion if the murderer was white, even if it turned out to be a factor, because there was no reason to jump to that conclusion. His reason to jump to that conclusion in this case was the gunman's skin color and that is racism, a prejudice based on race and appearance. No, it is not as bad as killing someone over their skin color but it doesn't help. The problem may very well be racism but it doesn't help to blame the people on the “other side” who are also against racism – we need to all come together to fight racism. We need to fight it in the system but also fight it in ourselves. The police will even admit that there are a “few bad apples” in the police department but they don't finish the cliché. They say “let's not blame the entire police on a few bad apples” but according to the saying, they spoil the bunch. The police admit they have bad apples, bad cops, murderers and racists, but they aren't yet taking the necessary steps to get rid of them. That is what the whole Black Lives Matter movement is for, to get rid of racist cops, step one, and then to reform the system and get rid of institutional racism and unconscious bias. The sheriff is not trying to be racist by blaming black lives matter but he is being racially prejudiced to blame them - especially before any investigation took place. A CNN news anchor asked him about this the next day, after he had time to calm down and reconsider what he said, maybe after getting some reaction to it. He repeated that he held the Black Lives Matter movement partially responsible and made it seem like he could not get over his bias enough to see how it was unprofessional and prejudicial to make those statements before investigation provided evidence for them, even if they turn out to be true. I wish the reporter had given him a different “out” and asked if he was still upset about the messages coming out associated with the movement instead of asking if he regretted making that statement. He did not seem prepared to back down from it, even without further evidence, probably because he is still upset about those messages even if it doesn't really connect, and he is in mourning and shock over his friend and colleague's death. The interview concluded with the reporter informing him that the actual Black Lives Matter movement had condemned those chants. They were cutting away for time but it seemed like the sheriff was agreeing – if that is not their message then we need to clarify that. It could have been a good point of agreement but instead he got cut off and ended up looking kid of flustered. But it hinted at where we need to go. This is a terrible tragedy but the conversation it starts is valuable. If we can talk about things in depth enough to actually resolve things, and if we have the heart to do this in opposition to powerful conservative forces that don't want change, then we will move forward and won't have these tragedies any more, or if we do, have a more positive and unified response. But we can only have that if we recognize a common enemy, in this case racism, and have the common goal of ending it.
I'm not focusing on the sheriff's comments to divert attention from the shooter. The truth is we don't know, or I don't know as I write this, what his motivations are. It could be racism, hatred of cops, or even have been influenced by chants that were made at rallies, associated with Black Lives Matter but now denounced by the movement. We don't know but in the meantime can discuss important things. All of this attention refines the message of the movement and it is a valuable message. Democratic presidential candidates have stumbled by not recognizing the full meaning of Black Lives Matter but they've come around. The process by which they come to understand and embrace the movement teaches others about the issues as it happens but also ensures the movement has a voice in the elected officials and their policies in the future. A representative of Black Lives Matter was on CNN in a debate about the sheriff's comments and said it is like the Teacher's Union blaming school shootings on people asking for school reform. His right-wing talk show host opponent kept repeating the chants calling for killing cops that happened at rallies. But the truth is those weren't representative of the movement. All the news coverage gets the message out there that the movement is nonviolent. To stick to that message they will have to tell the people making violent chants to go somewhere else and not associate with them. The cops are claiming they aren't racist but the fist step, long overdue, is getting rid of all the bad apples who are. That has to be the first step, that's what the movement immediately demands. Until that starts happening, any criticism of the movement, or even of other people chanting things, is misplaced. Removing cops who kill with impunity has to be the first step, before telling anyone to stop chanting or even stop rioting. Because the greater evil is killing with the support of a racist system. People need to understand that and the sooner more people do the less people will kill each other. But beyond actually removing racist and otherwise abusive cops, and while we start doing that to make it faster, we need to end the unintentional racism as well. It's something that people can only do with introspection and the help of outside, new perspectives, too. It requires the magic of communication, of conversation and engaging with people with whom we've been kept apart through socialization. We have to acknowledge the actual racism, sexism, and other biases that craft that socialization and actively oppose it in ourselves and society. This is the way to peace, Love over Prejudice, using love to overcome prejudice. Gaga teaches us to embrace differences and love others and there's an awful example of misery that reminds us how important this is, both here and around the world: the “immigration debate” and refugee crisis.
In America the popularity of Trump and other Republicans is largely fueled by racism, nationalism, and anti-immigrant sentiment. Trump says Mexico is sending people here but many of the people coming through Mexico are refugees from other countries in Central and South America. And people coming from Mexico are themselves refugees of the poverty and drug cartel violence in Mexico. Against our own laws America is still holding thousands of kids in detention centers who came into the country, most often to escape violence in their home countries. They are refugees, and kids, and we are callous for not demanding that our government find homes for them as soon as possible. I think there was some recent news that they finally are starting to. But we get distracted by the next news story or the stories and conflicts we create for ourselves with politics. One current news story is the refugee crisis in Europe. I found myself about to focus on that before remembering that we are guilty of callousness in our own refugee crisis, here, and that the whole Trump campaign started with anti-immigrant sentiment. I don't have any moral superiority as an American to tell Europe what to do when I haven't even called our own congress about this and all I do about racism or other issues is the magic of ranting here and facebook discussions, and try to talk to everyone I can and learn more about people, myself. But it does all come down to what I have been talking abut these last few gagablogs: we have to respect differences and be eager about learning about people we've been separated from. We can't ever let any difference between people be an excuse to look at someone as an “other” who does not deserve basic respect. If we aren't welcoming people in, trying to find people who need help and both helping them move and helping improve conditions where they are then we aren't doing enough. A lot of the problems are fueled by the American War on Drugs and illegal drug trade. We're pioneering the solution with legal weed in Colorado but I'm sure I will talk more about that later. The point here is to look at these immigration crises as crises of consciousness. The people of Europe have gathered in places to march to express welcome to refugees. And in other places people have marched against it, some countries are putting up walls and leaders are saying it is a test of what kind of union the EU will be. The idea is that they will have to adopt a consistent or agreed-upon policy for accepting immigrants and refugees and that welcoming is the way to go. This is true but if people are worried about too much population shifting then the other obligation is to help end conditions that create refugees in the first place. In the largest sense, countries are all dealing with geopolitical realities created by the most powerful countries. If we can take the whole world in a new direction, away from greed and war ourselves and setting the example for other countries, we can change the world. But we have to take responsibility for the world we create and have faith in making it better by improving ourselves.
There is an add for an upcoming FOX show about a sorority that says “all the girls want to be them, all the boys want to date them, and everyone else wants to kill them.” I was asked “who is everyone else? Are they saying all the gender-fluid people on campus are murderers?” I replied that they do imply that, FOX is evil, but what they are really saying is this: Anyone who is anyone wants to be or date the Upper Class, or whatever. Boys and girls, the only ones who count, envy the privileged class – wouldn't you? Anyone “else”, anyone who is not envying them is a “nobody”, if you don't want to become the privileged class by doing what they do, putting down, scorning, and isolating themselves from others, then you aren't even a person. You are an everyone else, too poor, descriminated against, conscious, different for whatever reason or just too caring to want to be in the privileged class, and then you naturally want to kill them. I'm in the privileged class in many ways as a white male, though I don't have much money. But I try to be aware of this and fight against it in myself and in society. The difference is, I'm eager to erase disparities between people and injustice. Lots of white people are, women and men. But some aren't and their identities are so tied up in being a privileged class that any challenge to that is seen as a death threat to them. I know I'm just saying this based on a stupid commercial but it does connect to the way people conduct themselves. The 1% and those they dupe into supporting them at the expense of the rest of humanity are scared that the “others” want to kill them. And historically revolutions happen that way.
But it doesn't have to happen this time, and we can all just work together for new solutions instead – mostly involving cultivating consciousness amongst the rich. We don't need anyone to kill Trump or other Republicans. They could have a change of heart, but even if they don't their beliefs won't win and will only show them to be jerks in ways that will continue to increase in their unpopularity. They're already running commercials that being Republican is nothing to be ashamed of. More lies. Even though Jeb has a SuperPAC with 150 million dollars he can't stop Trump; they can't spend that money in any effective way because they really aren't that smart and he's just outdoing them on their own crazy ideas and also adding in some populism like taxing hedgefund guys. It just proves Kanye right, that it's about ideas, not about brands and corporations, anymore. If we don't work to end disparities between people in nations, and between nations themselves, we can expect different forms of strife and violence. But we can do that, end these issues, and reach a world of peace and happiness, everywhere.
I can't ignore some research I came across recently about modern persecution of witches. In many cases, especially in Africa, this takes the form of imprisoning people, largely children and old women, who are accused of being witches, in church-run concentration camps. This is going on now but there is no awareness being spread about it – hopefully that will change soon. There was a UN report about it in 2009. I understand how it does not resonate with mainstream America as much as, say, the persecution of Christians and others by ISIS right now. But we do have millions of witches and pagans in America and if we could get the information out there then they could raise an outcry and get action to stop these atrocities. And the truth is we should be able to get that response from everyone, no matter what their beliefs. And to get that attention to every tragedy. The secret is finding a way to make people aware. This brings me to my final point.
This was the most amazing thing my dad told me on the phone today. He asked “Do you know who is largely responsible for diminishing the influence of the KKK in America? Superman.” And he told me this story: there was a guy who infiltrated the Klan, working his way into it and gathering information to turn over to the government so they could use it to destroy the Klan and end their influence. I guess the Klan had too much political influence, it was the 1930s, but for whatever reason the government did not respond or do anything with the information. So he went to Hollywood instead to see if they could help. At this time they were about to take Superman from comic books to a serial radio show. They agreed to help and scripted them to focus on Superman beating up the KKK. My dad said the generation about five to ten years older than him grew up listening to these show, learning that Superman was good and the KKK was bad. He said this was the major force for shifting the culture, and it hasn't been shifted entirely away from the KKK, they still have influence. I think the Tea Party in many cases is a front for the KKK, and they probably work that way through other institutions, too. We need a superhero figure to defeat racism in modern times, too. The biggest selling movies these days are superhero movies and now Straight Outta Compton. They attribute the popularity of the N.W.A. documentary partially to tapping into the anti-police-brutality sentiment. But they haven't put these together and made superhero movies that also have social justice messages. At this time where the comic heroes are hitting the big screen with as much influence as superman on the radio in 1930, we could really use those social justice messages. If someone puts it together, even just to make a bunch of money, but especially for a good cause, we could really make progress. I talk with chaos magic folks on facebook. The more traditional ones seem to scoff and prefer their own revered scholars, but the new generation seems to really appreciate the godforms of cartoon characters and video games. I personally fall into that category both because of my appreciation of the artforms of comics, cartoons, and video games, etc, but also because some people see my Goddess,Gaga, as a cartoon character – its one thing people say about her when trying to be insulting, not realizing it is complimentary, to me. It's great to hear this story about an actual cartoon character, superhero, helping save the culture from it's own social evils.
I'm not saying Kanye is superman, or a god. And I'm not saying he's not. I think that is what buddha would say, too. “the Bishop owes me a favor, as a matter of fact, so does God.” Jeffrey Tambor just said on Three's Company. I'm saying he could be, like Superman, a hero who takes the Black Lives Matter movement to the fruition of actually reaching its demands. These demands are necessary for all of us to move past a legacy of racism that persists and continues to hurt the whole country and the whole world. And even talking about it is a start.
I keep deferring talking about Sexxx Dreams, probably because I need to get better at dreaming. But I guess I do have plenty to say about it and should just go through line by line in the next edition. It's time to move to the next stage. I don't know if I will be any good at writing something for this transition, I just know it has to happen and soon so I expect a magical correlation of some kind to occur. I hope all the issues I touch upon here are resolved, and soon. I hope this can be a spell for that to happen and even to resolve the underlying issues of greed and clinging to power. These are the problems that create disparity and injustice in America and the problems that are causing civil war in Syria and were the cause of the original destabilization of Iraq, leading to the terrorist state called Daesh or ISIS. Injustices and economic disparity are the main factors leading people to become terrorists, too. We have to end these things for the good of everyone and can all work at it in different ways. We have to spread the message that it can be done and we can all do something about it. The message is the same as the one I just realized from the song – it's all about acting on our dreams and transforming reality to suit them. We can do it. I'm personally about to finally finish some artistic and musical projects, and finally start my Gaga / Oz magic book. I predict that finally moving past the talking about it stage to the doing it stage will be a personal evolution that coincides with a transformation in the world. I'm sorry for the delay! But I won't delay any longer, will follow Kanye's example and give into my artist ego enough to do what I really feel, which will help me become who I really am. In this way I can better help the rest of the country and the world be the best that they can be, too. It's just time to do it, follow my dreams, make a cartoon of myself, and change the world.
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