Large Full Moon

Yesterday evening had the largest full moon of the year. My partner and I walked through our Southgate neighborhood to see the Christmas lights on our way to Rice Village. We found ourselves talking to a woman who was putting up her lights with the help of laborers.

"I am an agnostic." -I said at one point of the conversation, which seemed to tilt heavily towards that one deity that pulls relentlessly like an irresistible gravitational force. It seems no social interactions are immune.

"Really," -she said. "Do you know why you don't believe in God?"

I hurried across the street before I could hear the answer.

What kind of world would it be if Atheists proselytized?

There were other parts of the conversation that took place in the light of that very full moon. For instance, the woman pointed out that the laborers were "good people", in her estimation, because "...they believed in God."

It occurred to me that many people in Texas would think that atheists cannot be good people, because, they are atheists.

Also, the woman said that Obama couldn't really accomplish much because the Presidency was not a powerful office. "The President isn't very powerful, really."

I pointed out that Obama could accomplish a great deal with the proper, broad support of a great many people. Also, I thought to myself, Bush managed to destroy a great deal with this supposedly un-important office. That gravitational force truly does work its spell on one's judgement.

When we got to Rive Village we purchased round, glass ornaments for our artificial Christmas tree. I may be an Atheist, but, I still believe in Christmas; or at least, commerce.

The Party Dec 6th

I was invited to the deck that evening at our friends home. They live in Midtown, but the light pollution did little to detract from the view of Venus and Jupiter.

There were impressive card tricks performed by a professional. I helped prepare the hors d'oeuvres before the party. I had a conversation with someone who was concerned about the financial markets. O.J. Simpson's sentence was discussed.

My partner and I had a conversation with another psychiatrist about life in Houston. She sat down next to me in a chair she was surprised to discover swiveled. Houston is very metropolitan. It reminded her of Virginia, somewhat conservative, where she was from. She had a husband and said that Houston was a good place to raise a family.

More liberal people have to move here to change the politics. It was agreed. Her husband wasn't a psychiatrist.

Spanish

Yesterday, the 8th, I was phone-banking for the Chris Bell campaign. I was able to use my Spanish language skills, limited though they are. I spoke with the voter's mother. Apparently he was in school. Hopefully, we will try again later.

There were, as always, maps of the district for the State Senate Seat that Chris Bell is hoping to win. It is a crazy, curvy district; an "S" that begins quite small but then takes steroids and continues to Louisiana from Downtown Houston. It resembles a piece of modern art more than a district. I like to think of the districts as a plate of spaghetti thrown against the wall. That's what they look like.

We are hoping that Chris Bell wins this runoff election to help ensure that legislation that is not pro-equality is defeated. From what I understand, the HRC and Karl Bach have helped a great deal. I think 37 thousand doors have been knocked on.

Here's hoping for a Pro-Equality Texas!

Chakra

The Chakra is a wheel or vortex of energy. There are several in the human body. They follow a vertical line up the back and to the crown of the head. They seem to represent a hierarchy of consciousness.

I have noticed this in many conversations I have had over the years: If I introduce an idea that someone doesn't want aired, they belittle it, deflect attention from it, or ignore it. This action is from grown adults; people with advanced degrees and impressive careers. In George Orwell's book, 1984, a great effort is made to simplify the language so that many ideas simply cannot be expressed. Thought-control is not just a fixture in Orwell's book, where thought-control was combined with fear.

Totalitarian systems of government are successful at keeping people at their most primitive state of consciousness. Reason, the verb, is simply eliminated. Would this be a more base Chakra, or a lower consciousness? Does totalitarianism seek to make enlightenment impossible? How often have I heard the very idea of finding yourself belittled.

Perhaps this base Chakra could be called the fleeing-perceived-danger Chakra. It is a constant state of fear. Was it ever possible for any society to have all possibility of danger or attack from outside removed? Call it Code Orange or heightened vigilance.

There was the ambitious effort to create more enemies in Orwell's book. Eurasia would switch from ally to enemy and back again. It is important to note that the population would never question this. Aquiesence is necessary. All scarce resources were mobilized to fight. The population suffered great hardships, not least of which was the loss of self; no Chakras there.

Beauty is destroyed in totalitarianism. The possibility of an elevated Chakra is removed. The two things are related; beauty and Chakra.