I don't "date" anyone, but I always have friends to go out with, when I do go out, but this puzzles me, and I hope someone will have some sort of an answer for it.
My sister is now 50. She has been married, raised three kids, the youngest of who is 19 now. She takes care of my mom and brother in California. She has been a drug addict, and is an alcoholic. She's had a multiple run of guys in her life, most of them not so nice.
So she said a few weeks ago that she now has a new boyfriend. She said that he looks out for her, and buys her everything. He takes her to bars and clubs, and buys her drinks everywhere they go.
All well and good, were she not an alcoholic. How can anyone actually think someone is "being good" to them, when they are exploiting an inherent weakness in her basic make-up? I don't really know how to look at this kind of situation, because 1) I don't have addictive tendencies, and 2) While I go out, I don't need to worry about drinking. (It's been years since I last had a drink.)
Is someone who is "looking out" for that person's welfare going to allow that person who they're supposed to care about do the very thing which is harming that person in the first place?
Again, I don't understand this kind of situation because I've never been through it, so if someone could clue me in, I would like to understand better. It just appears to me that your addictions are the things that are killing you, and denying that they are problems is just another way to make things worse for yourself in the end.
Just as an FYI-my sister's very best longtime friend died in March of 2010 from cirrhosis of the liver, at the age of 49.
Another reason I ask is because it was often the same kind of thing in the 60s for my biological mother, who I knew as my aunt. She, too, was an alcoholic (it runs in the family) whose boyfriend took her places, but always took her to bars and clubs. I know it's not an unusual phenomenon, but it seems to me that someone with a deadly addiction doesn't need any more reasons to keep doing something which is essentially killing them.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Do you feel lucky today?
There are many problems facing the world these days, but one of those problems is a silent one--one that few people actually probably don't think very much of, but hell, I have a lot of time on my hands, so I think of things like this.
There might be many shades of grey in this comment, but the fact is, some people are just plain lucky, and some who aren't as lucky.
For some reason, some of these "lucky" people think that they are, in some way, better than everyone else. So when these people get power, they tend to bend all the rules to their own liking, whether that's for the good, or not. When they do this, they make hell for the rest of us.
Like monarchs. In olden days, some monarchies believed that their blood was a different color. So when one of their "own" was a tad mentally challenged--and a lot of them were, considering how much inbreeding there was in some royal circles--it didn't matter--blue blood was blue blood. So if an imbecile ruled a tony country, it didn't matter if he/she drooled out of the corner of their mouth, the people were still obligated to clear the spittle away from his/slack jaw. Talk about luck!
In US history, we all think pretty highly of our Founding Fathers. They planned and launched a rebellion to extricate this budding nation from the steel grip of a monarch--one of those crazies mentioned above. But the truth is, we might have never heard of Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, John Adams or Thomas Paine. They weren't the only ones fighting for the colonies, but who remembers Adam Pierce, John Smith or even Michael Brown? Hardly anyone! And why? Because they were unlucky enough to die before the revolution actually begun! (Actually, the names are make-believe, so you don't need to go check them out at Wiki)
Nowadays, there are essentially, as always, two different kinds of rich people: those who made their money, working damned hard for it, and those who got their money from their families. We've seen people like GWB, as with many monarchs as imbecilic as they come, who not only lucked into being born in a well-to-do family, but lucky enough to be bailed out constantly by that rich family. We've seen some lucky people who are actually quite beneficent, and we've seen lucky people who are full-on vampires, who suck the life out of everyone around them, and who don't think that ordinary rules apply to them. (The Koch brothers, Karl Rove and Dick Cheney come to mind)
Now, good guys also have good luck as well, so it's not just the assholes who think this country owes them a living. Because good guys often share their good fortune with those around them, we can have an affinity for them and what they have brought to us. People like George Clooney, Keith Olbermann, Warren Buffett, Barack Obama, the Clintons, Jon Stewart.... In most of these cases, their good fortune benefited a lot of us.
The truth is, most of us don't really notice luck, except for not being the one to win the Superlotto, Mega Millions or some other high payout game of chance. Someone once said that luck is what you make it to be, but that really doesn't explain such things as who gets born into a rich family or a poor one, who ends up with brains and who doesn't, who ends up successful and who doesn't. Yes, there are other reasons to be pointed out in the case of some people, like drive, persistence, risk-takers, and others who work harder than most people they know. But if two equally matched people met on a corner, with the same chances at getting a particular job, one is going to have a smidge better luck than the other and thus get the job.
Some people call what eventually happens to them fate, destiny, karma, whatever. I'm betting on it being just born lucky. However, with my propensity for continuously losing at almost everything, I could be wrong. It won't be the first time.
There might be many shades of grey in this comment, but the fact is, some people are just plain lucky, and some who aren't as lucky.
For some reason, some of these "lucky" people think that they are, in some way, better than everyone else. So when these people get power, they tend to bend all the rules to their own liking, whether that's for the good, or not. When they do this, they make hell for the rest of us.
Like monarchs. In olden days, some monarchies believed that their blood was a different color. So when one of their "own" was a tad mentally challenged--and a lot of them were, considering how much inbreeding there was in some royal circles--it didn't matter--blue blood was blue blood. So if an imbecile ruled a tony country, it didn't matter if he/she drooled out of the corner of their mouth, the people were still obligated to clear the spittle away from his/slack jaw. Talk about luck!
In US history, we all think pretty highly of our Founding Fathers. They planned and launched a rebellion to extricate this budding nation from the steel grip of a monarch--one of those crazies mentioned above. But the truth is, we might have never heard of Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, John Adams or Thomas Paine. They weren't the only ones fighting for the colonies, but who remembers Adam Pierce, John Smith or even Michael Brown? Hardly anyone! And why? Because they were unlucky enough to die before the revolution actually begun! (Actually, the names are make-believe, so you don't need to go check them out at Wiki)
Nowadays, there are essentially, as always, two different kinds of rich people: those who made their money, working damned hard for it, and those who got their money from their families. We've seen people like GWB, as with many monarchs as imbecilic as they come, who not only lucked into being born in a well-to-do family, but lucky enough to be bailed out constantly by that rich family. We've seen some lucky people who are actually quite beneficent, and we've seen lucky people who are full-on vampires, who suck the life out of everyone around them, and who don't think that ordinary rules apply to them. (The Koch brothers, Karl Rove and Dick Cheney come to mind)
Now, good guys also have good luck as well, so it's not just the assholes who think this country owes them a living. Because good guys often share their good fortune with those around them, we can have an affinity for them and what they have brought to us. People like George Clooney, Keith Olbermann, Warren Buffett, Barack Obama, the Clintons, Jon Stewart.... In most of these cases, their good fortune benefited a lot of us.
The truth is, most of us don't really notice luck, except for not being the one to win the Superlotto, Mega Millions or some other high payout game of chance. Someone once said that luck is what you make it to be, but that really doesn't explain such things as who gets born into a rich family or a poor one, who ends up with brains and who doesn't, who ends up successful and who doesn't. Yes, there are other reasons to be pointed out in the case of some people, like drive, persistence, risk-takers, and others who work harder than most people they know. But if two equally matched people met on a corner, with the same chances at getting a particular job, one is going to have a smidge better luck than the other and thus get the job.
Some people call what eventually happens to them fate, destiny, karma, whatever. I'm betting on it being just born lucky. However, with my propensity for continuously losing at almost everything, I could be wrong. It won't be the first time.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Are we ready to fight yet?
There are people in this country who hate us.
People who hate gays.
People who hate married gays.
People who hate poor people.
People who hate women.
People who hate black people.
People who hate foreign nationals.
People who hate the religions and creeds of other people.
People who hate the homeless.
People who hate educated people.
People who hate tolerance.
People who hate letting slip even one person from the death penalty.
People who hate mixed marriages--of ANY kind.
People who hate science and evolution.
People who hate secularism.
People who hate everything about liberals and progressive.
They're all around us. We see them every day, often smile at them, even when they see us as being different--something ELSE they hate. They can even be longtime friends, or family members. They could be anyone.
They're not all rich, but some of them, hell, a LOT of them are filthy rich. A lot of them have no regard for the people they hire, and who treat them like shit. A lot of them commit crimes, pretending that the laws in this country were never designed for them. They claim whatever they do is right, and what everyone else says or does is wrong.
THAT'S IT.
They are the ones who need to find out first hand what law and crime really are like.
Anyone ever heard of the French Revolution, where all those born of nobility were beheaded without further ado? That's where WE come in.
No need to behead them--we're a lot less bloodthirsty than they are. What should we do? I suggest the following.
Laws about bribing law enforvement people should be actually enforced.
Laws about making sure that children are not being used as slaves in any household.
Laws about IRS taxes must be enforved, and a flat tax, with no extra tax exemptions should be enforced.
Laws about churches remaining uninvolved with politics should also be enforced--NO examptions. If even one example xan be shown of a church participating in anything even resembling government, their tax emempt status is revoked.
Laws about lobbyists and PACs--dissolution if it's found out that they bribed a congress person in any way.
Laws about congress people staying the hell away from all religious groups.
There are oh, so many more.
They might be richer, or they might be more driven, but we outnumber them all. We CANNOT allow them to blackmail this nation into continued servitude for hateful people such as these. We outnumber them--just remember that. And whether we ever fought for the freedom of everyone in the country or not on a battlefield, the biggest battlefield is right under our feet, in our heart, and in our mind.
It's a matter of survival. We need to take it to the streets, no matter where we are, and point out the truth to every household, every person who lives in this country. We need to make our wishes and thoughts known, and for those who don't know the truth, we need to explain it to them. We can't wait any longer. This country was fought for because some very brave people did what they had to do, even when they knew they could be hanged for their revolution, and whethers the Americans revolting against the British, or the French civilians fighting against the aristocracy, it's still a war, and it's one we have to wage--and win.
People who hate gays.
People who hate married gays.
People who hate poor people.
People who hate women.
People who hate black people.
People who hate foreign nationals.
People who hate the religions and creeds of other people.
People who hate the homeless.
People who hate educated people.
People who hate tolerance.
People who hate letting slip even one person from the death penalty.
People who hate mixed marriages--of ANY kind.
People who hate science and evolution.
People who hate secularism.
People who hate everything about liberals and progressive.
They're all around us. We see them every day, often smile at them, even when they see us as being different--something ELSE they hate. They can even be longtime friends, or family members. They could be anyone.
They're not all rich, but some of them, hell, a LOT of them are filthy rich. A lot of them have no regard for the people they hire, and who treat them like shit. A lot of them commit crimes, pretending that the laws in this country were never designed for them. They claim whatever they do is right, and what everyone else says or does is wrong.
THAT'S IT.
They are the ones who need to find out first hand what law and crime really are like.
Anyone ever heard of the French Revolution, where all those born of nobility were beheaded without further ado? That's where WE come in.
No need to behead them--we're a lot less bloodthirsty than they are. What should we do? I suggest the following.
Laws about bribing law enforvement people should be actually enforced.
Laws about making sure that children are not being used as slaves in any household.
Laws about IRS taxes must be enforved, and a flat tax, with no extra tax exemptions should be enforced.
Laws about churches remaining uninvolved with politics should also be enforced--NO examptions. If even one example xan be shown of a church participating in anything even resembling government, their tax emempt status is revoked.
Laws about lobbyists and PACs--dissolution if it's found out that they bribed a congress person in any way.
Laws about congress people staying the hell away from all religious groups.
There are oh, so many more.
They might be richer, or they might be more driven, but we outnumber them all. We CANNOT allow them to blackmail this nation into continued servitude for hateful people such as these. We outnumber them--just remember that. And whether we ever fought for the freedom of everyone in the country or not on a battlefield, the biggest battlefield is right under our feet, in our heart, and in our mind.
It's a matter of survival. We need to take it to the streets, no matter where we are, and point out the truth to every household, every person who lives in this country. We need to make our wishes and thoughts known, and for those who don't know the truth, we need to explain it to them. We can't wait any longer. This country was fought for because some very brave people did what they had to do, even when they knew they could be hanged for their revolution, and whethers the Americans revolting against the British, or the French civilians fighting against the aristocracy, it's still a war, and it's one we have to wage--and win.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
A Day to Mourn, But Also a Day to Rejoice
We all know of the tragedy of the date, September 11, 2001. We all know the horrors of that day. There is no doubt about those things, but there is something else--something worth rejoicing: it was a day when the majority of the people in this world helped us grieve, when they showed their concern and their love for all Americans.
To the north, the great country of Canada stood out. When international flights were grounded in their approach to US airports, a lot of people were stranded in airports in Canada. And for long periods of time, Canadians brought those passengers into their homes, and made them feel welcome.
In Europe, "Yanks" were seeing the same thing. People in European countries made Americans feel welcome, and were there to comfort them when it looked very dark indeed.
All around the world, leaders of most nations were sending their deepest condolences to those who were killed, and for the attacks themselves. (http://www.september11news.com/InternationalReaction.htm)
But while diplomats were making their own comments, it was the pouring out of emotion from the people of other nations that really hit home, and helped heal in some ways the grief that consumed the country.
But while we have often helped out other nations when tragedy has struck, it was a turning point that we found ourselves in the opposite position, and it was needed: Americans finally realized that no matter where people are raised, what language they speak, what god they believe in, or the color of their skin, we're all still human beings underneath it all.
So, here is a toast to the countries and the people there for helping out Americans on 9/11/01, and continuing to help after that day of tragedy. One thing which we should have learned that day was we shouldn't be continuing to just mourn the deaths of Americans on that day, but find comfort and brotherhood with people the world over, and thank them for being there when we needed them the most.
I raise my glass to all of you.
To the north, the great country of Canada stood out. When international flights were grounded in their approach to US airports, a lot of people were stranded in airports in Canada. And for long periods of time, Canadians brought those passengers into their homes, and made them feel welcome.
In Europe, "Yanks" were seeing the same thing. People in European countries made Americans feel welcome, and were there to comfort them when it looked very dark indeed.
All around the world, leaders of most nations were sending their deepest condolences to those who were killed, and for the attacks themselves. (http://www.september11news.com/InternationalReaction.htm)
But while diplomats were making their own comments, it was the pouring out of emotion from the people of other nations that really hit home, and helped heal in some ways the grief that consumed the country.
But while we have often helped out other nations when tragedy has struck, it was a turning point that we found ourselves in the opposite position, and it was needed: Americans finally realized that no matter where people are raised, what language they speak, what god they believe in, or the color of their skin, we're all still human beings underneath it all.
So, here is a toast to the countries and the people there for helping out Americans on 9/11/01, and continuing to help after that day of tragedy. One thing which we should have learned that day was we shouldn't be continuing to just mourn the deaths of Americans on that day, but find comfort and brotherhood with people the world over, and thank them for being there when we needed them the most.
I raise my glass to all of you.
Monday, September 5, 2011
My sister-in-law finally passed away yesterday morning
I wrote about her in a post about 10 days ago. She died of cancer, peacefully in her sleep, free of pain and misery.
My brother and my nephew Ryan were with her at home. Chris had a few more calls to make, but I think he's at peace, too, because he said he's felt so useless that he couldn't do anything more for her. Now, at last he might be able to sleep, knowing she's not suffering any longer.
She hated talking with me about politics and religion! Now, I have very few people who I can argue with about these topics. I'll miss her.
I started putting a "care" package together a couple of years ago--filling it with little stuff like notepads, body wash, collectables. ...but it's never gotten mailed. She had one on her end, too, for me, but they're just a small box that you toss things into as a surprise you can have someone open and enjoy. But like some other things in my life, it still sits there.
I'm surprised I cried as much as I did when I heard. They're in Vegas, and I'm back in Mass., and I haven't seen her in 5 years. My brother and I have grown closer--perhaps that is a gift from this whole event.
RIP, Barbie. You can see your mother, brothers and sister, aunts and uncles and everyone else now.
My brother and my nephew Ryan were with her at home. Chris had a few more calls to make, but I think he's at peace, too, because he said he's felt so useless that he couldn't do anything more for her. Now, at last he might be able to sleep, knowing she's not suffering any longer.
She hated talking with me about politics and religion! Now, I have very few people who I can argue with about these topics. I'll miss her.
I started putting a "care" package together a couple of years ago--filling it with little stuff like notepads, body wash, collectables. ...but it's never gotten mailed. She had one on her end, too, for me, but they're just a small box that you toss things into as a surprise you can have someone open and enjoy. But like some other things in my life, it still sits there.
I'm surprised I cried as much as I did when I heard. They're in Vegas, and I'm back in Mass., and I haven't seen her in 5 years. My brother and I have grown closer--perhaps that is a gift from this whole event.
RIP, Barbie. You can see your mother, brothers and sister, aunts and uncles and everyone else now.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Obama blinked
Giving in to Boehner's request was a direct slap in the face to those supporters who have had so many opportunties to apologize for Obama's leading to the center right.
If Obama really thought the pukes could make him a one-term president, you would think he would fight tooth and nail to make that one term a damned fine term! What happens if they DO have that kind of clout? How will Obama be remembered? Right now, he will go down as a floundering suck-up, who gave in at every turn to the House of Representatives and the pukes, who put the country into an even deeper recession, who let the corporations and the rich get even more powerful, and the weak and the poor more miserable, and who continued the policies of the worst president in history, kept us in war in countries where we shouldn't even be fighting in, and who promised big changes, only one big one which he kept--a health care plan that is still iffy in some states at best.
Has anything REALLY changed since Bush took office in 2001?
If Obama promised us a certain kind of leadership before the 2008 election and he hasn't kept his word to date, how the fuck can we trust him to be any more assertive and bold in a second term?
If Obama really thought the pukes could make him a one-term president, you would think he would fight tooth and nail to make that one term a damned fine term! What happens if they DO have that kind of clout? How will Obama be remembered? Right now, he will go down as a floundering suck-up, who gave in at every turn to the House of Representatives and the pukes, who put the country into an even deeper recession, who let the corporations and the rich get even more powerful, and the weak and the poor more miserable, and who continued the policies of the worst president in history, kept us in war in countries where we shouldn't even be fighting in, and who promised big changes, only one big one which he kept--a health care plan that is still iffy in some states at best.
Has anything REALLY changed since Bush took office in 2001?
If Obama promised us a certain kind of leadership before the 2008 election and he hasn't kept his word to date, how the fuck can we trust him to be any more assertive and bold in a second term?
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