Mercy! Mercy! That Dang Nabed PERCY!

Zealotry Leads to What we Deplore most

Zealotry leads to what we deplore most.

I just finished reading “Hunger Games.“ Whenever I read anything these days I ask myself, “what is the Dramatic Premise of the work?“ After thinking for a couple of days I decided on what is shown above as the title of this blog.

In the military I started out as a youngster with my share of idealism. Over the years it got tested and I took note of the change. By the midpoint in my career I realized that I was in danger of becoming the personification of the worst of my role models. I resisted using a Christian model that teaches that the only defense against the corrupting influence of power is humility and remembering who you are and where you come from. Finally things reached the point that I had to retire (My decision) several years earlier than I anticipated. I was working at the time for one of those brilliant but socially bankrupt types who lost the vision on why he was where he was.

It was the best decision I ever made because it enabled me to break free with some shreds human decency and self respect. Anyway I am all to familiar with the dramatic premise in Hunger Games. Actually it is a premise that is well grounded in history. The Greeks invented the Olympic Games and for awhile it had a lofty premise. Wars were suspended so the games could take place, until the Peloponnesian War came along. This was a particularly brutal war and Greece (Athens) was forced to do some things when one if its allies decided to switch sides. Pericles made a famous speech which I recommend my readers read…. While I know they won’t. Edith Hamilton, who in my opinion is the foremost woman of our times writes about it in one of her books….I think “The Greek Way” but it might be one of the later ones, “Echoes of the Past…” Anyway Pericles explains why it is necessary to deal firmly in such cases.

However the Romans were took Greek thinking on “Firmness” to a whole new level in their Coliseum Games and this is the model the Hunger Games uses.

One of the reasons I bought an Apple was because Microsoft has an annoying habit of shutting me down when they do their updates… Is anybody at Microsoft listening out there? I hate it when you shut me down to post your updates….I don’t give a rat’s petotti about your updates… So I bought an Apples so as not to endure your unwelcome updates! Be advised there is a cost to treating your customers like a commodity!!!!

Anyway where was I…? Oh yes … Not only did they shut me down but they lost a page worth of data and ruined my train of thought. I am so mad right now I have to go chop some wood and when I boot back up it will be on my Apple.