Standoff

[degringolade]

Spyros Papaloukas/ Arsanas at Mount Athos

Out past my bedtime last night, don't seem to be worse for the wear, I probably will go to sleep early tonight though.  I didn't have my full ration of "old man sleep" last night.  PCP was excellent and I reaffirmed my preference for small venue music, though the food at the Mississippi was at best "meh". 

Getting to be cold in the morning.  35 F. as I write.  Portlandians are whining, I have always found complaining about the weather gets you exactly nothing.  Best just to go all stoic and try to convince yourself that it isn't that bad and it doesn't bother you anyway.

Screed:

My big trouble with nearly any political persuasion is not that the thought that percolates is all that offensive when speaking within what is considered acceptable limits.  Naw, I can listen to almost anything if the person who is promulgating it should they take time to be calm and lay down the groundwork of their belief in a systematic and calm matter.  Doesn't mean that I agree with it, but I will listen and try to extract anything useful.  It is a rare set of beliefs that is completely without merit.

In a sense, that is the rub.  While I can listen to anything and try to extract it, the interlocutor usually ends up getting all worked up and irrational and starts spewing out hatred without thought.  Hatred is a pretty broad emotion once it gets going.  It likes painting with broad strokes and usually ends up spattering a lot of the paint on me. 

Then the other artists in the political painting competition get going and notice that I listened to someone instead of immediately vilifying them as any"decent" person would and you end up where we are now, everyone angry, guns pointed at each other, waiting for the first person to pull the trigger in a Mexican standoff.