“Moments are torn from us,” Seneca wrote. “The whole future lies in uncertainty.” Fortune behaves as she pleases, he wrote. As we’ve talked about before, life comes at you fast. It doesn’t rhyme, it doesn’t reason, it doesn’t care about your wants or needs—it just is.

All we can do is accept the uncertainty of it all and heed Seneca’s command: “Live immediately.” And be prepared.

— excerpt Letters From A Stoic by Lucius Annaeus Seneca, Translator Robin Campbell

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It is Sunday morning.  Starbucks is relatively quiet.  Naturally there is anticipation of the Superbowl, a television event loved by the business of NFL football, and the penumbra of advertisers feverish with excitement to pitch their product to a national audience.  Kickoff is at 5PM today I believe.  I wonder if the events at the great Colosseum in Rome had a similar atmosphere when games sponsored by a patrician politician would last for days?  Those games were “free” to everyone.  Not unlike television access to our Superbowl.  I am confident that attending the Colosseum must have been all encompassing with ritual pageantry and glitz.  Another of the many similarities between the Romans and we Americans.

Yet comfort is to be taken that our custom no longer entails slaughter of animals, of prisoners, and potentially mortal combat by professional fighters.

Our Super Bowl is produced to enhance the power and the profit of an “aristocracy of wealth” that is uniquely American.  I know.  I know.  This is a very old story. 

I mean to protest.

Perhaps this what we want.

Last, as distracted as we may be by the Superbowl hoopla, there’s the possibility that WW III looms.   The Russian army is poised to eviscerate Ukraine.  We and our European allies intend to stand by.  Who knows though? These things have got out of hand before.

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Is there a tune to provide us with a compass heading, in our dark wood?  Helter Skelter by U2.

HELTER SKELTER

By U2

This is a song Charles Manson stole from the Beatles. We’re stealing it back

When you get to the bottom
You go back to the top of the slide
And you stop and you turn
And you go for a ride
Then you get to the bottom
Then you see me again
Hey, hey, hey

Do you, don’t you want me to love you?
(Yeah)
Coming down fast, I’m right here above you
(Yeah)
Tell me, tell me, tell me the answer
Ain’t no lover, but you ain’t no dancer

Helter skelter
Helter skelter
Helter skelter
Ooh

Do you, don’t you want me to make you?
(Yeah)
I’m coming down fast, now don’t let me break you
(Yeah)
Tell me, tell me, tell me the answer
You ain’t no lover but you ain’t no dancer

Helter skelter
Helter skelter
Helter skelter
Ooh

When you get to the bottom
You go back to the top of the slide
And you turn and you stop
And you go for a ride
Then you get to the bottom
Then you’ll see me again
Hey, hey, hey

Do you, don’t you want me to love you?
(Yeah)
Coming down fast, I’m right here above you
(Yeah)
Tell me, tell me, tell me the answer
Ain’t no lover but you ain’t no dancer

Helter skelter
Helter skelter
Helter skelter
Ooh, and again
Helter skelter
Helter skelter
Helter skelter
Ooh

written by Paul McCartney, John Lennon