(Vincent Van Gogh’s Corridor in an Asylum. It feels like we are all in one these days.)

I rose this morning at the farm to start going through the traffic, both messages and the regular vehicular kind.

I don’t normally think about checking Trafficland about the trip up to Arlington from Culpeper, but I thought I would check, just in case, don’t know why. Normally listening to the Traffic and Weather on the Eights station is good enough. It is irritating radio, the flip side of the pledge drive that is going on the NPR outlet I listen to most mornings. You might want to try it out in your urban wilderness- it comes in handy.

That was how I found out about the 44,000 pounds of stinky compost that is strewn on the roadway of Route 29 at that irritating light at the south end of town that had the road completely closed for four hours.

I will need to consider my options for the trip, since I need to get back so I can vote tomorrow.

I don’t know why I bother- this one appears to be in the bag for the carpet-bagger. Still, I need to at least register my disapproval of the astonishingly cynical and negative campaign that has been run here in Virginia at all levels.

I heard in astonishment that one of the candidates for Governor was not only against contraception, but also divorce, and presumably women in general. The view of the candidate for Attorney General were even more alarming, if that is possible. He apparently is in favor of selling bundles of automatic weapons to convicted criminals without background checks at gun shows. He also hates women.

I think some of the nuance might have been lost in the attack ads, but that is the way things are in the asylum that is our political process these days.

I noted that a nice chunk of change to fund the avalanche of negativity was helpfully provided by Mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg.

The Mayor is an amazing guy with some equally amazing notions, one of them being that he can spend millions of his own money to influence who our governor is going to be here in the Old Dominion, but that is the way things are these days. Still, I consider that folks will look back on him fondly after they elect the next idiot in the Big Apple.

I have been pretty good about not bothering you with commentary on this political nonsense lately, and I will drop it for now. But I ran across something that seems to put a spotlight on the dark road ahead of us.

As you probably heard, there is a minor controversy about regarding DSM-5. As a fellow amateur psychologist, you are well aware of the social context of the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Volume 5. I always check out the latest issue to find out what disorders that are afflicting me on any given day.

The DSM is the handbook of the psychiatric trade, and like Mayor Bloomberg tells me, it is a living document subject to constant change and evolution. Like the Constitution, hahaha.

It is not a likely source of political activism, but as you know, the forces of Change are implacable, and inhabit the various nooks and crannies of our society. And particularly under our academic rocks.

Homosexual orientation used to be considered a disorder, back in the day and in earlier editions, but validation came through revision. That is, I think, a good thing, and personally I applaud it. That is consistent with a position that always supports Liberty against the tyranny of the majority, so long as no one is being hurt.

That is the difference with the latest controversy about the current revision of the DSM. This one is about something really evil: pederasty. As a parent, I can think of no more outrageous attack on children.

The latest definition of pederasty- the vilest crime of age against youth- was printed as a “sexual orientation.”

Orientation? That is a distortion worthy of some the political ads. As you can imagine, it caused quite a stir, and the Shrinks rapidly back-tracked on those words and said it was a mistake in the editing process. What they meant to say was that it was supposed to be “sexual interest.”

I think we can all agree that we are on the road to hell and picking up speed. It is beyond any individual’s ability to grasp the scope of change that is happening in every field of the American endeavor, and I have about given up trying.

I almost chuckled at what was a clear attempt to somehow slowly to redefine criminal behavior of the worst kind as something somehow natural. I am sure that in future editions there will be a progressive effort to mainstream child assault. The enemies of common sense and social stability are implacable, you know?

But the controversy over the manual and its new definition brought back a dim recollection of an article a pal sent to me, which was as delicious as it was wicked about DSM-5.

(Author Sam Kriss).

It was written by a disturbed fellow named Sam Kriss,. He called it “Book of Lamentations” and reviewed the manual as if it were a novel. I include a link to it below for your entertainment:

http://thenewinquiry.com/essays/book-of-lamentations/

I would stick around to talk to you about it, but there is compost all over the highway in Warrenton, and if I am going to cast my ballot on time tomorrow, I need to get on the road.

For those alert readers who thought I left them hanging, a bit, there was no fire-fight at the OK garage yesterday morning, though I confess that when I poked the door that hung ajar, I was ready for anything.

Copyright 2013 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com
Twitter: @jayare303