Sex, Race, Anti-semetism

Sex - or sexual orientation has long fascinated me. Race has also been in my life for a very long time as an issue of fascination. As a Jew - anti-semetism has been on my mind for my entire conscious life.

I'm linking them here because the way these three aspects of life can be considered is somewhat interesting, in short.

Sexual orientation by which I mean is a person heterosexual or homosexual or bisexual or any of the other sexualities is both a genetic and a social construct. In my opinion. In my opinion the debate relative to it being a social construct is real as we know people have hidden their sexual orientations at times in history and they have hidden it successfully. 

Race is also genetic and social as biologists tell us there are no real racial differences amongst humans yet clearly in the past several hundred years (I am told it is really ONLY the last several hundred years) differences in appearance by color or other physical looks has been established as real.

Anti-semetism is based on genetics and social constructs, Just accept that. And the basis is rather easily hidden!

THE POINT HERE IS ... Jews and people of various sexual orientations are able to hide their identifications to escape the hate directed at them while race is much less able to be hidden, if at all. 

Another thing - all races and ethnic/religious groups may have people of various sexual orentations and all races may be part of ethnic religious groups, etc etc... BUT Race is unique in two ways. One way is that it cannot be hidden. The second way is it is solely a social construct. 

Don't you think?

at MARE restaurant on shore

well The keyboard is fine..right off..whle the screen will only stary ib portrait,,,  Oh wekll.

Went to check out buss for tomorrow and i have somethibg... but can only hope it is th right one. A loal person helped but was not sure,, I'll see tonorrow ... and i hope...

Went to the history museum... where I boted two thibgs.. in my notes....

1, mosaics may have beeb precursor to pointilism....  - and I could have realized this/checked this a long tine ago,, BUT  all things evebtually,... INTERSTINGLY

and more important to Greece/Crete trip...

2. Crrete was a war zone... a crossroads... as was Israel...I would say... Interestig.

.... well...

I just tried to talked to some young wonen sitting nearbye... one was smokg cigarette... and my queestion is why smke.. but her english not good adn my spanish... non-existant.. so ... no converstato... BUT I Wonder - are there adverts in europe ... or what?   AND HERE IS ... an idea for today's youth.... SMOKIBG IS NOT ADULT...  or even - THOSE ECO-KILLING ADULTS ARE THE ONES WHO SMOKE...  but not me... ETCETC...

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Dinner,,, here at the MARE.... -- could be lamb souvlaki or a greek pasta - as per menu ---Skioufikta... - AHH,,, just noted the pasta has apaki which is pork... so ,... probably not.... OR when in Rome.. hnnn.. but this IS lamb land... Souvliaki it is.

bTW - last night's Cretan salad was a lot and fine and reproducable back hone,,, The gelato after was good - half chocolate cherry abd half dark chocolate... in a cup,,,, quite a lot, too... nicely dished out.

Today, tonight... since it is now 5:30... and Im about to have dnner is wait-person comes by .. will be more ouzo and the souvalki... and maye later the gelato.. from another stand. 

BTW - breakfast at the hotel was very good.... extensive buffet with chesses, breads, meats, sweeets... and coffee and jusice.. Quite a lot.... and good. Not terribly creative or special ... BUT VEry GOOD!!!!

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Ordered the souvlaki - lamb... and asked for bread (I wonder if that will cost more??? No worries... nor will I argue... I have been warned on this so no problem... FYI... I ordered about 17:39 and the waitress used wireless microphone system to order.. and the ouzo arrived at 17:42 .... and we'll see about dinner.... Ah.   Came at 17:58

I may not care for licorice... but I DO LIKE... ouzo == which is, i think, licorice-flavored.. I like it a lot! SO - why do I not have some at home? I do have the Pastice which is French ,, and good. SO = I'm alright.... Just need to get on it...

BTW - this keyboard and I'm usig the stand... IS GOOD,,,,  ! Yea,,,

Sure hope it is saved!!!! I have written a lot at this tine.... MOREas the 2nd ouzo is imbibed... or bibed or whatever.I didn't ask for (though I thought about it) a beer... as there may not have been any drafts... abd there was a light lookibg Mythros brand beer in a bottle... but the 4 euro ouzo's seem a deal.!!!

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Still here... it is about 6:45... dinner done and ouzo is being felt... nice.. good I am near hotel... And generally near places i've been. No worrie about getting lost... so AOK....  but no more ouzo or such tonight.  Palace of Knosis tomorrow... at 11am which is a late but good time, I think. I do have to GET there.. And my bus arrangement is not certain. Ah... language and directsions... I DO get lost!

BTW (so many BTW's ) People travel with young children and even older children. .Nice.

One true love.... (ahhhh....LOVE!)

 I do love... or at least try to love. I love in several ways and I love good, bad, ugly... etc.. I can talk abolut love and obviously I can  write about love (herein). I can define love and deconstruct love and, most simply -- LOVE. 

I am a student of Erich Fromm's book: The art of love... And I take from that a basic distinction between love as a verb and love as a noun. I like (even love?) the idea of love as a verb.

My struggle is love as a noun. Being "in love" is viewing love as a noun, an object, dear I say a thing. I do like things... but really not so much. Therefore I wonder if and/or when I am "in love"... and then an object as well as having an object. Furthermore, I think many people view love as a noun and so I can wonder about me having something wrong with me... as objectifying love is both difficult and something I would argue is not right!

Love as a verb is a set of actions and feelings and I would say love is of the moment and is fleeting, transitory, soft, and yet powerfully sodld. 

I would say -- love is similar to G-d as G-d is impossible and wrong to define and limit and when both are seen as actions or actors... i,.,e - as verbs doing ... it is then we touch on something special and good.

Ah... GOOD??? There are so many ways to wonder about the goodness of love and/or G-d since actions (as well as things) are subjectively viewed or experienced and as each of us is a special and distinct subject we bring or interpretations into the judgement... AND our judgements are always more limited then the span of realities that are love and G-d.

You and I are objects. We are limited by our brains and bodies and hearts and the time we have to live. We are also taught we are "in G-d's image" - while also being taught G-d has no image. For G-d to have an image would be to idolize G-d... which is rightfully forbidden. We humans are limited but there much beyond our limits.. and there may be found love and G-d... Infinity - The Infinit ... The All... The Nothing... 

And so - today, September 1, 2021, I write this... and declare --- what I think and feel is most important in this world we can know .. .IS LOVE and I do love and I feel love ... and I am happy!

BUY BUY, Balance, balance.

I shop... online these days and in the past - I sometimes was into shopping BUT SOME DISCLOSURES...    

First - I would like to be objective and I'll try while also trying to identify what is subjective by using "I" phrases.

Second - retlaive to Buying Stuff... i do think I like to dress up sometimes in nice clothing HOWEVER:

a. I often do not like my body (to fat, to flabby, other?)

b. I do not throw things out SO today I have lost a lot of weight and have clothing I have kept for over 10 years and can now wear. YEA!

c. I am not sure what I want beyond good looking and fitting clothing... Maybe ART? Maybe up to date electronics, garden stuff/fixings, alwayts good food (this is gotten regularly since one MUST eet).

SO - electronics and old clothes are two good examples of why I may not be the Great American Consumer needed by our economy ... assuming we need more and more and more.. .consumption.

As a guy it is somewhat true our fashions do not change as much as women's fashions and/or we guys do not need to have this years latest stuff. Or, maybe that is just me and my late 60's background as a hippie long haired messy person. Also, I am in my 70's so what am I dressing up for? I do need good clothings hen I need to be presentable at weddings, religous services (in person!), funerals, the occasional dinners out... etc... etc. And sometimes even that list doesn't require too much from me... at least in my humble and Californai'd opinion. SO older pants and sports jackets that may be somewhat out of style are still generally, in my view, useable. Collars may be too wide or to narrow or there or not there. Ties - too wide or too narrow. What is "just right"? Where IS Goldilocks?

As for electronics - I have always heard and accepted as true the idea most of us have devices that are more powerful and capable than we actually use or need. My phone, my desktop computer, my tablet ... they are all either several years old or recently replaced as I needed to for external changes (I had to get a new phone when I changed carriers). THEN it is really cool when I do get a new computer or tablet or even phone and it is newer by several years (3 or more!) and I think almost anything I get will be SUPER faster then the previous device. FAST IS important... or at least nice. And with newer devices doing several things simultaneoulsy is possible, better, and I do it! Once I thought computer speed was not important and now I do feel impatient sometimes if the internet is slow or the processor is slow - so GO GO GO ....!!!!

And SO - as I think I am a good citizen of our community, city, state, country, world AND is not being a consumer and greasing the economy important? Yes and No,.

Yes - help the economy along... by helping workers!

No - help the ecology along by not wasting resources.

The CHURN of money through the economy is, I think, a real thing and something of a great waste while it does give people the chance to seem productive. The CHURN is The Way we distribute wealth around to many people so that which is produced can be purchased and used. We have a system where we are paying for DISTRIBUTION  more then we are paying for PRODUCTION. Supply chains, and middle men/women/brokers, and marketing, and insurance,  etc... SO much are the costs of:  transportation  and adverstising (urgiun/mnaipulating us into wanting/buying stuff), protecting stuff!

And THE ISSUE is how to support the exploded population of the world. Population is at the core of our worlds issues! Growth and maintenance of our population requires those long distribution/supply chains and war and peace determines controls of the distribution as borders are in place and need to be crossed and conflicts over those artificial boundaries/limits get breached or defended at the cost of lives and anti-life resources. 

What can I say beyond -- STOP and FIX and ENJOY what we have and BALANCE BALANCE BALANCE all the real numbers (how many people, how much food, how and where shelter).

To write or not?

 I write therefore I am ... ????!!! IF ONLY.

I obviously do not write a lot or regularly... check postings on this blog and my other blogs... Check dates while knowing there are drafts written but not published AND I write some other stuff, too... such as in a Legacy Writing Class twice a month during the pandemic. 

TODAY -- I just thought I would note this point about my writine and as often is the case... I hope to write more!

Purim safely zoomed.

Happy day today being Jewish and drinking and remaining safe!

Tonight is the Jewish Holiday of Purim and the food associated with Purim is the hamantashen - a triangular shaped cookie representing the hat of the terrible, horrible Haman, a man who tried to kill us. As in the old "joke": They tried to kill us, We survived. Lets Eat. ALSO - we celebrate and dress in costumes and adults drink to near oblivion, traditionally. Yes - we drink as we listen to the story of Purim and try to blot out of our hearing the name of bad Haman who is mentioned lots of time in the telling of the story (known as The Book of Esther or Megillat Esther -- the WHOLE megillah). 

So tomorrow I hope to be happy without a hangover and without having endangered anyone as I drove home from synagogue because this year we are doing services and readings over ZOOM because of the Covid-19 Pandemic. Thank you zoom! In the "old" days we tended to live and walk to synagogue so there was not a problem of driving under the influence (DUI). This year (and last) the need to socially distant and with the use of zoom we can drink to our heart's delight and be safe and hopefully not be hung over in the morning!

Thanks to zoom I can visit as many synagogues as I like to hear, drink, and eat on this and other holidays. Imagine - 24 hours of religious services mixing up foods and drinks and prayers and ideas and feelings and everything! Radical!