A Declaration of Independent Thought

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all beings are created equal, that we are endowed by and and as our creators with certain unalienable rights, that among these are love, consciousness and the pursuit of authenticity.

That to secure these rights, belief systems are instituted among human beings, deriving their just powers from the consent of the faithful. That whenever any form of thought becomes destructive to these ends, it is our right to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new perception, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to us shall seem most likely to effect our freedom and enlightenment.

Prudence, indeed, will dictate that beliefs long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that humankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right ourselves by abolishing the thought-forms to which we are accustomed.

But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce us under absolute despotism, it is our right, it is our duty, to throw off such convictions, and to provide new guards for our future well-being."

–Eric Micha'el Leventhal. A Light from the Shadows: Reflections on Oneness, Identity, and the Creation of Experience.

equalization

"I think the bicycle has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world," feminist pioneer Susan B. Anthony said in 1896. "It gives a woman a feeling of freedom and self-reliance. The moment she takes her seat she knows she can't get into harm unless she gets off her bicycle, and away she goes, the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood."

Same goes for blacks and other minorities.

Now everyone—women, minorities— need to catch on and get on their bikes again.
But this time not get a general "feeling of freedom", but freedom from cars/oil/megacorporations/modern day evils.

messages from God

Beck is wise indeed! Do you know what else is a message from God? Your fingers. Your lover. This column. That Toyota. This bag of frozen peas. Yemen. Cells. Lava. Videoconferencing. Pencils. Yappy little dogs. Quantum mechanics. Dark matter. Lip balm. Finland.

FINLAND. (& lip balm)

mark morford is the man.
Glenn Beck is a message from God. 23.03.11, sfgate.

the hate man

Q: You require people to say "I hate you" before you begin a conversation. Do you really hate everyone?

A: I do. But it's a new way of hating. It's about being straight with people. The dictionary defines hate as hostility, but that's heavy. My idea is to be straight about negative feelings that we all have, which is what hate is, and then you can have a real conversation. Don't be threatening or angry or snotty — just straight.

Homeless ex-reporter opted for Berkeley streets, sfgate, 11.april.2010

born of hope

Truth is, we've done the I-predict-a-better-future thing since Adam checked out Eve in her newly sinful state and went, oh hell yes.

—mark morford

Oh we are cynical, oh we are hopeful. sfgate, 26.02.2010

b.u.i.

"dude, a drunk dude on a bike just ran into my car and smashed the windshield with his head. then rode off as my neighbor went chasing him."