THE PIZZAONIAN

The "seed of greatness" must fall on fertile soil

Conjectures of a recovering dilettante while traveling the road to Utopia

 

Within each of us is the seed of greatness. However, it is only a seed, and not all seeds survive. In the wild where a seed falls determines if it grows. Does the same apply to the seed within us? I suspect it does. How much does chance govern outcomes?    

The question always arises, what part if any do we play in our success? The odds are most successful people believe they were the primary movers for their accomplishments. True? For some, perhaps, but how much luck was involved? I am sure they worked hard, and sacrificed. However, even with their hard work and dedication, circumstances always play a part in the outcome of every drama. 

Perhaps the real lesson in life we should learn as early as possible is to be ready to take advantage of opportunity, or luck if you prefer, when it presents its self. This may be the hardest part. In order to be ready you have to work hard, often with many long hours, with little success to show for your endeavors.

It is akin to working hard in the basement alone – you believe in what you’re doing, even though you may the only person in the world who does. I often think of playing pinball when I was younger and the great lesson that game taught me. “No matter whether you were scoring points or not, it was essential to keep the ball in play.” Nothing could happen if the ball wasn’t in play.

The great lesson to learn is that “activity breeds activity.”   You may never be able to know what is going to happen. What we know for sure is unless you are out there participating - nothing can or will.

So to those who are working diligently “in the basement alone” – keep at it. Just knowing you were willing to persevere can often be its own reward, but is also the long road to your eventual success. 

Brother Giovanni

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A funny thing happened on the way to Utopia – “Lady Corruption" worked her wiles on us."

 

"Pizzaonia Emerging" courtesy of the Pizzaonian Art Institute, Abe Straction, curator

 

“Politics and war define morality by winning regardless of how many people you have to destroy in the process.” Mickali Pizzaveli 

 

I wonder how many good causes get bogged down in process and eventually lose sight of why the cause was valid in the first place?

Greatness seems to be defined more by the fact that you became great regardless of what you had to do to make it happen.  What makes this insidious is that corruption does not come in big doses.

Lady Corruption learned centuries ago that people are outraged by “outrageous” doses of corruption.  However, what was not lost on her is how we humans can easily accept small doses of sleaze if it allows our cause to go forward. 

After all, we rationalize, it is only this one time, and it’s for a good cause – and who will really know.  And, thus the process begins.  As our founder, Pizzaonius has said many times – “Little perversions that allow a good cause to go forward are worth their weight in “self-righteousness.”

As a result, we hear every day how the end does not justify the means.  I guess it depends on whose “ends” and on whose “means.” Because in everyday life, we see many times dubious means that justify the ends they intend to create. 

Skeptical? Just follow any earthly political campaign.  Some of the perversions that people engage in order to win political favor or victory would in any other arena seem scandalous at best, and absurd at their worst.

So Lady Corruption sits quietly in the wings waiting for the inevitable opportunity to bring just a bit of corruption into your behavior.  It’s not that she is devious; she just knows the human condition so well.

We are told here in Pizzaonia that Lady Corruption learned her devious ways by apprenticing in the Congress of the United States as an elected representative.  She is often heard to say at cocktail parties how lucky she was to become an American politician. “There is  no better training ground.”

However, lately she has not seemed herself. Seeing this obvious change in her usually very upbeat personality, I had to ask her if anything was wrong.

She thanked me for noticing her distress, and then she confided to me; she became a victim of her own success  –  "even though I am still tempting folks more than ever, it’s as if I was never there.  It is very discouraging when what you are best at, and your life’s work is no longer recognized."

I tried to console her by letting her know her success had left a profound effect on the human condition.  And I reminded her she still had her integrity.  She gave me a curious look and asked me to explain.

I told her she was aware of her corruption and wore its banner proudly - unlike all those she tempted into corruption who still wore the banner of “goodness and morality” no matter how corrupt they actually were.

She thought for a moment and leaned over and gave me a kiss on my forehead.  “Thank you,” she said, “I feel much better now.”

She seemed so happy I almost felt sorry for the next person she would tempt with her alluring ways of corruption.

Brother Franco,  for "The Pizzaonian" -  a division of the Pizzaonian Newsertainment Network

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A politically perilous time - The old values are dying and the new values are still being formed

Image courtesy of the Pizzaonian Art Institute, Abe Straction, curator

A brief commentary on the American political scene……

There comes a time during the progress of every country when its people enter a period of evolutionary, political and cultural change. This is a very difficult time, and as a result their governmental leaders and the people they serve are often exposed to many dangerous situations that are misunderstood. And, the least understood is the process of change itself. 

What makes this transition time so serious is that the old values systems are dying and no longer prevail, and the new value systems which are now being formed are still not in place. As a result, disagreements between opposing parties become bitter and divisive because neither side has the maturity nor the wisdom to know how to preserve their values as they enter a new world. 

President Obama seems to have  understood we are in such a period as he attempted to bring the United States into the new world that is emerging. Such a division is  occurring in the United States as the Congress wrestles over their differences as they enter the first year of the new administration.

Let's hope they are capable of some maturity and wisdom, or we are all losers if  both sides continue to apply their (hopefully) vincible ignorance to a very critical moment in our history. 

John Frank Giovanni, for the Pizzaonian Newsertainment Network, Diverti Mento, editor

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(C)2012

Pizzaonian National Flag, courtesy of the Pizzaonian Art Institute, Abe Straction, curator

It is easy to understand intellectually the concept of slowly evolving towards a more perfect union, a process that has been underway in the United States from the beginning.  It would seem that the founders of our country clearly understood they had only begun the process of creating a democratic republic and how much still needed to be done to complete the journey.  They knew the road ahead was perilous and unsure. 

Those who define themselves as strict constructionist of our constitution always fascinate me.  It presumes that our founding fathers meant only what they wrote and nothing else.  It also presumes an ignorance of our founders that somehow men of such great wisdom did not see the immense, unforseen changes possible as the country grew and developed. 

I doubt if that presumption is true.  Our founders were men of learned, practical wisdom.  They were also willing to engage a radical strategy when necessary. They risked their lives to overthrow an authoritative monarchy. They were surely aware that the same thing could happen again in the future. 

It is inconceivable to me that men who had the foresight to create the tensions between the branches of our government did not intend to create a constitution allowing future generations the room to govern in a future, democratic world they hoped would prevail, but  they could not possibly foresee or understand. 

The most rational among us are victims of our passionate prejudices. Were not our founding father's men like this?  It is time to understand that we all stand on quicksand, and the future of this great Republic rests on our prejudices counter balancing each other. 

Strict constructionist interpretations of our constitution are comfortable - regardless of their consequences.  However, in a changing, dynamic world, it is a luxury we cannot afford.  It takes courage to go forth into the quicksand.  Our future demands we take this perilous journey... 

Then, maybe the work of “evolving towards a more perfect union” as was intended, can begin again……..

 

Vera V. Veronica, commenting from the United States for the Pizzaonian Newsertainment Network – “The Pizzaonian” - Diverti Mento, editor

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Are you a “doer” focused on wondrous accomplishments? Or are you one of the reasonable people?

"Pizzaonia Emerging" courtesy of the Pizzaonian Art Museum, courtesy of Abe Straction, curator

 

From the beginning of recorded history, reasonable people have proclaimed the merits of reasonableness.

Being agreeable and finding common ground sounds good, but for the most part, has never accomplished much. For one, what significant accomplishments have been achieved by reasonable people? None come to mind.

A day cannot go by without hearing the stories of determined individuals who created new worlds for themselves.  The concept of entrepreneurship is everywhere.  We always hear from these “doers” of magnificent accomplishments.  Their stories are filled with the sacrifice and determination required to accomplish great things.

However, one thing remains clear; if the definition of reasonable is to include “being not extreme or excessive” these are not the stories of reasonable individuals.

If we believe what we are told, they gave up everything to accomplish their goal. To achieve their end it required a self-centered, determined attitude that excluded everything that interfered with their objective. This is not what normal people do.  

While these “doers” of great achievements may not have changed the course of history, they accomplished their goals by being fixated in their determination to succeed.  Many charities and people in serious need have been well-served by their noble efforts.

When they tell their story, they focused exclusively on what needed to be done, by giving up whatever interfered with their purpose - again, to be this single minded is not to be reasonable. 

Now one has to be careful here. It is very easy for the “non-doers” to sit back and become smug. It does not take much effort to be happy in your reasonableness by rationalizing how much happier you are because you concentrated  on what you believed to be truly important. While this sounds plausible, this is an easy slide into the comfort zone of mediocrity.  

It may be time to reconsider where you fit into this picture. Are you a “doer” completely focused on wondrous accomplishments? Or are you one of the reasonable people?   

John Frank Franco, commenting for “The Pizzaonian” – a division of the Pizzaonian Newsertainment Network, Diverti Mento, editor

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