I mean no disrespect for those of you who live in "red" states in the BB. I know it's only an illusion that every citizen who lives in the south is a cretin or idiot with creationism in his head and moonshine on his breath. I know this because I have a lot of friends in the south, and I am only talking about conservatives who AREN'T capable of understanding some of the major problems in our society at this time.
But out of the whole country, there are more southern states with evangelicals and fundies, who homeschool for religious reasons, who are very nasty when it comes to intolerance, who don't believe or understand evolution, whose schools are among the worst education in the country--and the world, and who have more guns on their brains than good sense.
I admit--I was born and raised in Boston, so I really don't have the ability to understand how some of these things came about. I might have been raised a catholic, but I consciously left the church in my teens, and I went to a college prep high school for gifted kids. So it's difficult for me to understand some of these things to begin with.
What amazes me, though, is how filled with pride some of these people can be about their ignorance, intolerance and religious beliefs, and how so many of them simply eschew education and someone with a brain for president.
I know this hasn't always been true. It seems to me it began about 30-40 years ago, but I'm sure it's been longer. There doesn't seem to me that any of these prideful people can understand how it's their attitude which is ruining our country by not voting for someone who can help heal some of the greatest wounds we've ever received. I remember when idiot 43 was elected how many of these people said he was a "regular" guy who you could sit down and have a beer with, unlike "Mr. Stodgy" who was so "arrogant" and "elitist." And then so many of them vote strictly on the basis of a single issue--and against their own best interests--without taking into account that a single issue is bullshit as compared to the rest of the things a president has to contend with. Do these people know that because of themselves, their children might never be able to get Social Security if the Pukes take away more money from the social safety nets? Do they know that their kids could get more educational grants and future jobs if their science and math skills, as well as all their other skills, were improved? Do they realize that Dems aren't against gun ownership, only for RESPONSIBLE gun ownership? How can so many of them be wishing their children fail when and where it counts most, and that so many of those kids are failing because of their parents' deliberate sabotage of the educational agenda?
Like I said, I know a lot of southerners who are intelligent, well educated, with promising gifts in many different areas. But I look at the average, undereducated person who is denying that they are undereducated or non-educated, and I get uneasy, because it seems obvious to me that we used to have an electoral college for the very reason that in the 18th century there were many citizens who didn't have the same access to schooling or who weren't informed as much about current affairs or unable to make informed decisions.
Are we going back to that kind of a world again? If people like the Kochs had their way, the US would once again be able to divide the populus into a two class system, and those at the high end would be well educated, and poor families would have to once again teach their kids by lamplight or the light of the fireplace. Only nowadays, at least they'd be taught with the dim light of a computer tablet, all made in industrial China, which would be the next booming super power.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Confront and Dissent
How many of us, in an effort to be polite, have kept their mouths closed when they have been verbally asaulted by s bigot from the religious right? How many of us have tried to remain neutral when a discussion breaks out on the topics of religious freedom, the discussions on evolution vs creationism, and pretty much everything or anything that creates a social issue?
It's time for us to stop. It's time for us to make our opinions known, and loud and clearly.
These groups on the extreme right have big mouths, and they use them. It's why we always hear news about them, because they don't know when to shut the fuck up.
We've got our own opinions, and HAVE for a long time. But while we often sit meekly by, watching them take the spotlight, they have gotten to be out of hand, and therefore get the attention, the benefits, and the "glory" of being heard.
When are we going to change? We can't remain in the current situation for much longer, we hear about all these puppets kowtowing to the Catholic bishops, the rest of the religious right, giving them silent signal that there should be more of the church in the government, more restrictions on those who are not of the same faith, and a firm foothold on matters that should only be secular.
The squeaky wheel is the one who gets the oil, and it's time that squeaky wheel become quiet, as all of us "wheels" need oil too.
I call it "confront and dissent." It's time for a revolution to come to the citizens of this country, and not only speak up, but shout out our displeasure at the way things have been happening. And it all begins with us.
I've kept silent in the past, even wheen it made me feel uneasy. I've watched all these people who aren't real "Xtians" try to regulate anything I think, my choices for my own body or partner, and I've watched them get smug, arrogant and vicious. And every single day we let them get away with it, we further their causes.
We just need to be proficient in how we retaliate.
Investigate common memes. Learn the truth about their lies. Who was it, Bush or Obama, who graciously bailed out the banks, the car companies and other institutions, and make sure you bring up citations as proof. Learn the facts about the whole "Xtian nation" shit, and again have the proof. Learn about evolution, and why it's called a "theory." Learn about climate change, who still insists that it's fake, and how we've proven it's real. Learn about the real achievements and philosophy of people like Jesus Christ, Gandhi. Mohammed, Buddha, and heroes and villains of other religious groups. Learn the truth about things like the "In God We Trust" on currency, and the inclusions of "under God" in the pledge of allegiance.
If we all strive to make the truth known, including any and all arguments against the memes of the right wing nuts, the whackadoodles who are trying to smother our country and take away any and all our civil rights, we can maybe change our country for the better.
Look at your own state's elected officials, get as acquainted as you possibly can, and have that knowledge as a weapon when some right-winger tries to argue with you or others as to why their choice is best. Make sure you can carry facts around in your heads to use when necessary. Be progressive at the same time--give the names of those you admire and why they are the only possible candidate for the circumstances. Learn about your representatives, who they are, and who they were. Are they good or bad? Do they deserve re-election, or are they among the brainwashed idiots of the right?
Learn about city, state and federal law, look up laws they've enacted, at those they have proposed, and why they were right or why they were wrong.
It shouldn't be a task--it should be refreshing! It should be invigorating! It could be the catalyst for someone who isn't exactly sure what they need in a political candidate, or a law passed.
They WILL argue with you. That goes without saying. They have been conditioned for over 40 years to reject morality and freedom, and agree with repukes. They need to understand the truth about the coercion of the brainwashed masses to the right, and the ideology of the much maligned left. They see a man getting a blow job in the White House, but they can't see Gingrich screwing his mistress while his wife is stricken with cancer and in a hospital. They can't see the Secretary of State committing voter fraud. They can't see the pain, misery and often deaths of those who have been abused, raped, and denied care. They can't see the brutality and force of someone who tries to control all those around them, bu making it impossible for anyone to escape.
We all hear the loud cries of "persecution" whenever someone tries to correct a situation, making many of us fall in line just because we don't want to stand out from the crowd and change things. We know we live under oppression, and yet we don't and won't speak up.
It's time to stand up, confront and dissent. If we don't, change will never happen, because we refuse to rock the boat. Just picture that boat and imagine later down the line when nutcases take countrol of that boat and bark their own demands on who lives and who dies. I'd rather fight to the very end than allow myself to be controlled by others in any crucial situation.
It's time for us to stop. It's time for us to make our opinions known, and loud and clearly.
These groups on the extreme right have big mouths, and they use them. It's why we always hear news about them, because they don't know when to shut the fuck up.
We've got our own opinions, and HAVE for a long time. But while we often sit meekly by, watching them take the spotlight, they have gotten to be out of hand, and therefore get the attention, the benefits, and the "glory" of being heard.
When are we going to change? We can't remain in the current situation for much longer, we hear about all these puppets kowtowing to the Catholic bishops, the rest of the religious right, giving them silent signal that there should be more of the church in the government, more restrictions on those who are not of the same faith, and a firm foothold on matters that should only be secular.
The squeaky wheel is the one who gets the oil, and it's time that squeaky wheel become quiet, as all of us "wheels" need oil too.
I call it "confront and dissent." It's time for a revolution to come to the citizens of this country, and not only speak up, but shout out our displeasure at the way things have been happening. And it all begins with us.
I've kept silent in the past, even wheen it made me feel uneasy. I've watched all these people who aren't real "Xtians" try to regulate anything I think, my choices for my own body or partner, and I've watched them get smug, arrogant and vicious. And every single day we let them get away with it, we further their causes.
We just need to be proficient in how we retaliate.
Investigate common memes. Learn the truth about their lies. Who was it, Bush or Obama, who graciously bailed out the banks, the car companies and other institutions, and make sure you bring up citations as proof. Learn the facts about the whole "Xtian nation" shit, and again have the proof. Learn about evolution, and why it's called a "theory." Learn about climate change, who still insists that it's fake, and how we've proven it's real. Learn about the real achievements and philosophy of people like Jesus Christ, Gandhi. Mohammed, Buddha, and heroes and villains of other religious groups. Learn the truth about things like the "In God We Trust" on currency, and the inclusions of "under God" in the pledge of allegiance.
If we all strive to make the truth known, including any and all arguments against the memes of the right wing nuts, the whackadoodles who are trying to smother our country and take away any and all our civil rights, we can maybe change our country for the better.
Look at your own state's elected officials, get as acquainted as you possibly can, and have that knowledge as a weapon when some right-winger tries to argue with you or others as to why their choice is best. Make sure you can carry facts around in your heads to use when necessary. Be progressive at the same time--give the names of those you admire and why they are the only possible candidate for the circumstances. Learn about your representatives, who they are, and who they were. Are they good or bad? Do they deserve re-election, or are they among the brainwashed idiots of the right?
Learn about city, state and federal law, look up laws they've enacted, at those they have proposed, and why they were right or why they were wrong.
It shouldn't be a task--it should be refreshing! It should be invigorating! It could be the catalyst for someone who isn't exactly sure what they need in a political candidate, or a law passed.
They WILL argue with you. That goes without saying. They have been conditioned for over 40 years to reject morality and freedom, and agree with repukes. They need to understand the truth about the coercion of the brainwashed masses to the right, and the ideology of the much maligned left. They see a man getting a blow job in the White House, but they can't see Gingrich screwing his mistress while his wife is stricken with cancer and in a hospital. They can't see the Secretary of State committing voter fraud. They can't see the pain, misery and often deaths of those who have been abused, raped, and denied care. They can't see the brutality and force of someone who tries to control all those around them, bu making it impossible for anyone to escape.
We all hear the loud cries of "persecution" whenever someone tries to correct a situation, making many of us fall in line just because we don't want to stand out from the crowd and change things. We know we live under oppression, and yet we don't and won't speak up.
It's time to stand up, confront and dissent. If we don't, change will never happen, because we refuse to rock the boat. Just picture that boat and imagine later down the line when nutcases take countrol of that boat and bark their own demands on who lives and who dies. I'd rather fight to the very end than allow myself to be controlled by others in any crucial situation.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
2011
Let us count the Democrat ways:
Gone are Ghadaffi, bin Laden, Mubarak, Kim Dong Il, and several other despots.
We have seen our own government struggle, with Tea Party politics, GOP pretenders to the throne, and conservative morals that go bang in the night.
We have seen Democratic leaders pressured to give up their posts, with concervative vitriol at an alltime high. We have seen good people go down and not get up again. We have seen the growth of a new, progressive netowrk, railing against the evils of Republicans.
We have seen the birth of the "99%"--an effort to bring people together, to curtail the greed and power of the 1% richest people and corporations in the country. We have seen the movement grow, wane, and enter the public consciousness.
We have seen the fall of influence with some, like Rupert Murdoch, and the rise of others. We have brought the tradition of protest back to the fore, and public awareness has increased.
We have seen some of our own pass away: Warren Christopher, Geraldine Ferraro, Fred Shuttlesworth, William Donald Schaefer, Sargent Shriver, John Shalikashvili, Charles Manatt, Sidney Harman, Richard Holbrooke, and Dorothy Rodham, Hillary Clinton's mother.
Whatever we hope for in 2012, we will still see the deaths of many--far too many, for political reasons and power struggles.
But we can still hope, as we do every year, for less death, for more fulfilled promises, for a time of peace.
We can disagree with our political opposites, but finding a single, clear focus of a bi-partisan goal might still be possible, if we can clarify what almost all of us want in the end.
Goodbye to all that other stuff--let's take a go at a new year.
Gone are Ghadaffi, bin Laden, Mubarak, Kim Dong Il, and several other despots.
We have seen our own government struggle, with Tea Party politics, GOP pretenders to the throne, and conservative morals that go bang in the night.
We have seen Democratic leaders pressured to give up their posts, with concervative vitriol at an alltime high. We have seen good people go down and not get up again. We have seen the growth of a new, progressive netowrk, railing against the evils of Republicans.
We have seen the birth of the "99%"--an effort to bring people together, to curtail the greed and power of the 1% richest people and corporations in the country. We have seen the movement grow, wane, and enter the public consciousness.
We have seen the fall of influence with some, like Rupert Murdoch, and the rise of others. We have brought the tradition of protest back to the fore, and public awareness has increased.
We have seen some of our own pass away: Warren Christopher, Geraldine Ferraro, Fred Shuttlesworth, William Donald Schaefer, Sargent Shriver, John Shalikashvili, Charles Manatt, Sidney Harman, Richard Holbrooke, and Dorothy Rodham, Hillary Clinton's mother.
Whatever we hope for in 2012, we will still see the deaths of many--far too many, for political reasons and power struggles.
But we can still hope, as we do every year, for less death, for more fulfilled promises, for a time of peace.
We can disagree with our political opposites, but finding a single, clear focus of a bi-partisan goal might still be possible, if we can clarify what almost all of us want in the end.
Goodbye to all that other stuff--let's take a go at a new year.
Monday, December 19, 2011
About Christmas. ...
I've lately been seeing some advertising, though I'm sure it's been around for awhile, that proclaims "Jesus is the reason for the season."
Okay, so here's where I am going to rant.
I don't agree--at all.
To begin with, historically, the holiday being celebrated at this time of year was NOT the birth of someone named Jesus, it was a mesh of druid/wiccan/pagan holidays for the Winter Solstice, Saturnalia, and who knows-what-else-was-thrown-in. Christians turned to those festivities to reel in the pagans and convert them.
There are a lot more non-Xtians in the country now that don't view Xmas as anything other than a celebratory time to get together with friends and family, and have a good time. And it is offensive to most of those people that Xtians try to make it into "their" holiday.
Children of people who follow no religion shouldn't have to be left out. AFAIC, Xmas stopped being about religion even before I was born, and we're talking over 50 years ago now.
The point is, Xmas is NOT just about the Xtian religious traditions. Hell, if they wanted to truly celebrate the exact day during the year that their savior was born, they would do the research and figure it out.
Let the REST of us have our own reasons to enjoy the last week in December, for whatever reason we decide to celebrate. And for those who would bitterly complain, too bad. It's not your "holy day," and in fact, never really has been.
Okay, so here's where I am going to rant.
I don't agree--at all.
To begin with, historically, the holiday being celebrated at this time of year was NOT the birth of someone named Jesus, it was a mesh of druid/wiccan/pagan holidays for the Winter Solstice, Saturnalia, and who knows-what-else-was-thrown-in. Christians turned to those festivities to reel in the pagans and convert them.
There are a lot more non-Xtians in the country now that don't view Xmas as anything other than a celebratory time to get together with friends and family, and have a good time. And it is offensive to most of those people that Xtians try to make it into "their" holiday.
Children of people who follow no religion shouldn't have to be left out. AFAIC, Xmas stopped being about religion even before I was born, and we're talking over 50 years ago now.
The point is, Xmas is NOT just about the Xtian religious traditions. Hell, if they wanted to truly celebrate the exact day during the year that their savior was born, they would do the research and figure it out.
Let the REST of us have our own reasons to enjoy the last week in December, for whatever reason we decide to celebrate. And for those who would bitterly complain, too bad. It's not your "holy day," and in fact, never really has been.
Friday, December 9, 2011
We've all heard of racism
tourism, escapism, ageism and the like, but I have a new one: weightism.
I'm sick and tired of having doctors tell me that all my medical problems are connected to my weight. While I know some things are directly related, I also know that nothing is ever so clearly cut and dried.
There are thousands of people who are overweight that are in perfectly healthy condition, and there are thinner people who have horrible health.
I'm tired of going to doctors who like to point out my weight is the chief obstacle in front (and back) of me, and not consider any further discussion on the subject.
A long time ago, a thin friend and I had the same problem with our knees. We both ended up seeing a doctor for it.
I got an earful from an asshole who did nothing for me other than yelling at me for being overweight, and she got a knee brace, attention and a follow-up plan.
If that isn't "weightism," I don't know what it is.
I'm sick and tired of having doctors tell me that all my medical problems are connected to my weight. While I know some things are directly related, I also know that nothing is ever so clearly cut and dried.
There are thousands of people who are overweight that are in perfectly healthy condition, and there are thinner people who have horrible health.
I'm tired of going to doctors who like to point out my weight is the chief obstacle in front (and back) of me, and not consider any further discussion on the subject.
A long time ago, a thin friend and I had the same problem with our knees. We both ended up seeing a doctor for it.
I got an earful from an asshole who did nothing for me other than yelling at me for being overweight, and she got a knee brace, attention and a follow-up plan.
If that isn't "weightism," I don't know what it is.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Everybody Wants to Rule the World
So. Somehow or another, you've become ruler of the world. It's been pretty much bloodless, and you can do anything you want with these new found powers.
For myself, I would do away with certain people in some way or another--the main ones being Norquist, Cheney, and Rove in the political arena, with Dobson and Tony Perkins on the religious side. I wouldn't kill them, just completely make them irrelevant somehow.
I would also get rid of some people like the Koch brothers by putting them into epic bankruptcy, taking away their money and influence. I'd make them poor enough to even perhaps apply for welfare!!
I'd punish poachers by meting out to them the same fate that they plan for animals.
I'd reduce war to a point where there is one individual against another, in a boxing ring. Winner surrenders, no one killed.
I'd cut down the overpopulation of cats, dogs and other pets, eventually doing away with the euthanasia of animals for this and other reasons. Animals that are born will get loving and forever homes, and all lost pets would find homes with loving and responsible owners. For those poor animals that have no homes and no hope, I would make sure that they found homes or shelter and food. I'd also make sure that those who harmed animals deliberately would be given stiff sentences, to the point where torturing and killing an animal would result in punishment nearly comparable with the same sentence as for harming a human. No animals of any kind would be used in labs for any reason--new computer tools would be able to do even more for any kind of testing needed.
People in third world countries would be educated, and learn how to deal with such things with engineering, chemistry, physics, etc., so that they could help themselves. Outlaws and dictators would be defeated, and honest people would be elected to democratic governments.
Banks would be nationalized, and the financial institutions would be strictly regulated. No multi-million dollar bonuses for executives ever again. No tax breaks for anyone, especially those making over $250,000. They would pay a very strict 39%, with no loopholes at all. The same as everyone else. Anyone making under $25,000 would not pay taxes at all.
I get very upset with some things which some people might consider irrelevant, like those commercials on TV for reverse mortgages. These commercials never say during the commercials anything about your home being owned by the bank when you get the money. For this reason, I want ALL commercials to make sure the public knows EVERYTHING about the product, including revealing things which will ensure complete discovery of the fine print.
Corporations will lose their "person-hood" and will have some restrictions on them. If they are incorporated outside the US, they will be forced to pay a tariff tax equal to the amount (or more) they would be paying as a tax as if they were a US company. In addition, new laws will make it impossible to contribute more than $2500 to ANY candidate, and all PACs and lobbyists will have the same restrictions, making it nearly impossible for anyone to influence members of Congress with gifts or money.
I've been thinking about this stuff for a long time, notes for a potential novel down the line. But I'd love to hear what others have to add as well--it's always a great way to discuss points of view that way!
More on my megalomania ideas will come.
For myself, I would do away with certain people in some way or another--the main ones being Norquist, Cheney, and Rove in the political arena, with Dobson and Tony Perkins on the religious side. I wouldn't kill them, just completely make them irrelevant somehow.
I would also get rid of some people like the Koch brothers by putting them into epic bankruptcy, taking away their money and influence. I'd make them poor enough to even perhaps apply for welfare!!
I'd punish poachers by meting out to them the same fate that they plan for animals.
I'd reduce war to a point where there is one individual against another, in a boxing ring. Winner surrenders, no one killed.
I'd cut down the overpopulation of cats, dogs and other pets, eventually doing away with the euthanasia of animals for this and other reasons. Animals that are born will get loving and forever homes, and all lost pets would find homes with loving and responsible owners. For those poor animals that have no homes and no hope, I would make sure that they found homes or shelter and food. I'd also make sure that those who harmed animals deliberately would be given stiff sentences, to the point where torturing and killing an animal would result in punishment nearly comparable with the same sentence as for harming a human. No animals of any kind would be used in labs for any reason--new computer tools would be able to do even more for any kind of testing needed.
People in third world countries would be educated, and learn how to deal with such things with engineering, chemistry, physics, etc., so that they could help themselves. Outlaws and dictators would be defeated, and honest people would be elected to democratic governments.
Banks would be nationalized, and the financial institutions would be strictly regulated. No multi-million dollar bonuses for executives ever again. No tax breaks for anyone, especially those making over $250,000. They would pay a very strict 39%, with no loopholes at all. The same as everyone else. Anyone making under $25,000 would not pay taxes at all.
I get very upset with some things which some people might consider irrelevant, like those commercials on TV for reverse mortgages. These commercials never say during the commercials anything about your home being owned by the bank when you get the money. For this reason, I want ALL commercials to make sure the public knows EVERYTHING about the product, including revealing things which will ensure complete discovery of the fine print.
Corporations will lose their "person-hood" and will have some restrictions on them. If they are incorporated outside the US, they will be forced to pay a tariff tax equal to the amount (or more) they would be paying as a tax as if they were a US company. In addition, new laws will make it impossible to contribute more than $2500 to ANY candidate, and all PACs and lobbyists will have the same restrictions, making it nearly impossible for anyone to influence members of Congress with gifts or money.
I've been thinking about this stuff for a long time, notes for a potential novel down the line. But I'd love to hear what others have to add as well--it's always a great way to discuss points of view that way!
More on my megalomania ideas will come.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Karl Rove--asshole
This is in respoinse to a Huffpost article on Karl Rove. What a miserable bastard he is. As usual, he pretends to know the "mood" of the country better than most, when in fact, he is a nastys asshole who should be put in Gitmo, as an enemy of this country. What I wouldn't do to see that happen.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/29/karl-rove-barack-obama-2012-election_n_1118531.html
Karl Rove needs to get lost--permanently. He's a vicious provocateur who is willing to slander anyone who gets in his way--we've seen his repeated influence over and over again, and he needs to stop meddling in the politics of this country. What an ass.
Is he right? I don't know. What I DO know, is that it's plainly obvious that not one single candidate on the right is made of presidential "stuff" and shows the complete lack of crednetials, trustwirthiness and ability to run this country. This has been the case since the neginning of the millennia--if anyone wants to say GWB possessed the skills needed to run the United States, they need only look at the godawful mess this country was in before President Obama assumed office.Only a deaf, dumb or blind man would think that this country has benefitted from a Repub president.
Karl needs to get the hell out of the kingmaking business--he just doesn't belong there, and should reture to some island with no phones, no PDA, no computer and no political apparatus. He can have a pencil and paper so he can write up his political manifesto for the world to read--no sane person would ever give him the time of day anymore.
Go away, Karl Rove. You're a menace to society.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/29/karl-rove-barack-obama-2012-election_n_1118531.html
Karl Rove needs to get lost--permanently. He's a vicious provocateur who is willing to slander anyone who gets in his way--we've seen his repeated influence over and over again, and he needs to stop meddling in the politics of this country. What an ass.
Is he right? I don't know. What I DO know, is that it's plainly obvious that not one single candidate on the right is made of presidential "stuff" and shows the complete lack of crednetials, trustwirthiness and ability to run this country. This has been the case since the neginning of the millennia--if anyone wants to say GWB possessed the skills needed to run the United States, they need only look at the godawful mess this country was in before President Obama assumed office.Only a deaf, dumb or blind man would think that this country has benefitted from a Repub president.
Karl needs to get the hell out of the kingmaking business--he just doesn't belong there, and should reture to some island with no phones, no PDA, no computer and no political apparatus. He can have a pencil and paper so he can write up his political manifesto for the world to read--no sane person would ever give him the time of day anymore.
Go away, Karl Rove. You're a menace to society.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Class struggle: the 1%
I grew up poor. It was okay, as we got out of the house and went to parks (free), the beach (free), the country (my grandparents) and stores (window shopping). Things weren't perfect, of course, and sometimes things got scrappy, but it never stopped us from enjoying life.
Nevertheless, we learned a code of ethics as we grew up, based mostly on common sense, decency and conscience.
We learned to share. Even if we didn't want to, we had to. While there was always something we preferred to keep to ourselves, after awhile, we found we couldn't hoard something while someone else went without.
Many rich kids don't understand that--what's theirs is theirs, and what's yours is also theirs.
We learned to be kind. Too often, some other living being is in a worse off position than our own, and it doesn't hurt to offer them a hand, and be good to them. It helps your karmic destiny, and it helps a fellow being.
Kindness is underrated for so many people above a certain station. They never really understand why they need to be kind to anyone.
We learned to be polite. Good manners aside, it's always right to respect your elders, say "please" and "thank you" and "have a good day." Sometimes your politeness might be the only spirit of goodwill someone receives all day.
Politeness to anyone under their class level is ludicrous. Why should they be polite to their servants and other workers?
We learned to be hopeful. We knew that hard work and persistence could create a world we would be comfortable in--nothing fancy, but a home and a lack of worry about basics. We might not have a mansion and a fleet of Ferraris, but the world we knew held promise, and we wanted to get that promise.
Comfort is something many rich people don't have. The comfort many of us look for is beyond their comprehension. They are never comfortable. They are always filled with dissatisfaction, wanting, more, more more. They fall in love with their things and the power they hold, and forget about the small things which make most of us happy.
We learned to find happiness when and where we could. It meant that it wasn't the big things which kept us going, it was the small things. A hug. Stroking the fur on a pet. Watching a TV show that made us think, or laugh, or invigorated us. Smiles. Memories. A sea shell on the beach. A box of crayons. A Thanksgiving turkey. A Christmas present just for us.
I guess after a while, happiness becomes irrelevant when you no longer know what makes you happy. Too much of a good thing, and all that. A person becomes quite jaded living in a world where you are lost, and don't know what you are looking for.
There is a scene in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, near the end when Voldemort and Dumbledore are combating each other in the Ministry of Magic, and Voldemort is trying to get Harry to go over to the dark side. Harry, in the throes of being possessed, tells Voldemort that he feels sorry for Voldemort, because he will never know love, or friendship or any other "feel good" emotion.
THIS is the 1%. They are frightened little children. They need power because they have nothing else at all. They will never learn what it's like to be excited over a day at the public beach, or putting a sea shell up to your ear and listen to the ocean. They will never know what it's like to get a bicycle only half put together on Christmas morning. They will never know what it feels like to excited about their first real paycheck. They will never understand all the joys of being be happy over the small things as much as the big things.
They end up being aimless, only living to acquire more--more money, more power, more influence, more danger and anything else that can pierce the thick skin of their indifference.
With privilege comes boredom. With privilege comes an inescapable apathy over the human condition. Sometimes, we have to feel sorry for them, but sometimes, we need to make them see whose red blood keeps this country--and all the others in the world--running, and who is really in charge. Perhaps we can teach them some humility along the way, and show that money isn't everything.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
I've gotta tell you
I realize I haven't kept up with this as well as I should be, but real life intervenes, and I can't summon a whole lot of enthusiasm about writing sometimes. I think this is a good example of the writing I do online, and while I'm outspoken on the subject, some people might find it enjoyable.
"A point for debating, I hope.
If someone doesn't believe in evolution, how come they're eager enough to access all the benefits of it, like anti-biotics, fertility aids, DNA testing, general medicine, et al. All things being equal, I think there needs to be an argument that if you don't believe in the foundation, you shouldn't be entitled to those things created out of the science of evolution.
I think there would be a lot less fundies around if something like this was enacted at some level."
Original article here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=214x317134
My latest HuffPost comment
I have this problem with shallow people, the Kardashians, especially. I found this article amusing, and commented on it. Enjoy!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Mary_Hartery/michael-buble-calls-kim-kardashian-a-bitch-in-concert-_n_1092393_118351143.html
Saturday, October 1, 2011
"Had Enough? Recall them ALL!"
"Had Enough? Recall them ALL!"
Enough of the do-nothings and spineless members of Congress. If they're whiny, helpless and inactive, perhaps we shouldn't rely on elections anymore--go straight for the jugular--
RECALL THEM.
Aren't we suppose to be the POWER behind our elected officials? I believe it is our Constitution which reads:
"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
No more shit: WE are the People, and we need to make sure those assholes in Congress AND SCOTUS know that WE are their bosses, NOT vice-versa.
None of this crap we're going through right now. It's rather disingenuous of ALL of us to put up with what we've been putting up. We've got to do more than face Wall Street, stage protests, or even whining about our situations. It won't be until we do what they're been doing in Wisconsin and contemplating in other states. It's not going to be easy, but organizing well-greased recall machines will bring us better control of what our government does, help us have a more positive experience and manage our allegedly "populist" government much better.
Enough of the do-nothings and spineless members of Congress. If they're whiny, helpless and inactive, perhaps we shouldn't rely on elections anymore--go straight for the jugular--
RECALL THEM.
Aren't we suppose to be the POWER behind our elected officials? I believe it is our Constitution which reads:
"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
No more shit: WE are the People, and we need to make sure those assholes in Congress AND SCOTUS know that WE are their bosses, NOT vice-versa.
None of this crap we're going through right now. It's rather disingenuous of ALL of us to put up with what we've been putting up. We've got to do more than face Wall Street, stage protests, or even whining about our situations. It won't be until we do what they're been doing in Wisconsin and contemplating in other states. It's not going to be easy, but organizing well-greased recall machines will bring us better control of what our government does, help us have a more positive experience and manage our allegedly "populist" government much better.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
A question
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.
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.
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?
Friday, August 26, 2011
Motality: The Great Equalizer
I talked with my brother today about my SIL
Posted by hyphenate in The DU Lounge
Thu Aug 25th 2011, 01:14 AM
He said she's not going to be alive much longer. Back in late 2005, she found out she had rectal cancer. She was in Stage 4. They gutted her partially then, when they did a whole hysterectomy and she ended up with a colostomy, but it had gone into her lymph nodes in her groin, and she's been through three separate chemos, as well as radiation. A tumor grew into the artery in her groin, and then went into the bone. It became inoperable.
She found out only in the last 5 years, that her mother had died from colorectal cancer, too. When she was younger, they (her and her siblings) that her mom died from liver or stomach cancer. If she had been told the truth, she might have been able to get tests earlier, and possibly stop it all from happening sooner.
There were 9 kids, and they scattered to the four winds when their mom died. She only knows that she'll be likely the fourth one to die, with three dying in their 40s. She has no idea where the rest, except for her oldest sister, live, or even if they're still alive.
She and my brother were married in 1976, when they were 19. They've been married for 35 years, with two grown sons, and her first grandchild, born in the last year.
She and I are the same age. She was always the "healthy" one. She ate right, did daily exercise, and watched her weight. I'm not healthy by any means, but I have to wonder why she is dying first. No matter what we do with ourselves, our genes are far more influential than we would like to believe.
Hospice is helping out now. There is someone there all the time with her. She's got a pain killing pump, but my brother told me she sleeps a lot now. I still find it a bit tough to think of her as gone. We haven't been that close in the last decade, but we would talk more than we used to. Now, she doesn't remember to call back, or she loses her concentration.
They live in Las Vegas, so I'm not able to be near, but her sister will go. She has the ability to help out, which is good.
I feel so much for my brother. It's like people forget the ones who survive, who have sacrificed, who have only had the welfare of the dying on their minds for so long. Those who will be alone at the end of the night, wondering how they will sleep without that other person next to them. My brother is vibrant, alive, and filled with energy. He didn't have an auspicious start--he was a sickly child, who had his right lung removed when he was about 2 years old. But now, you would never know it. He works as an electrician in Vegas, with many of his days spent in 3-digit weather outside. He built a motorcycle in his garage.
I know we can't live forever. It might be nice for some people, I suppose, but we only have this one life, and we need to live for it as best we can. And sometimes, that can't happen because we're saddled with health issues or handicaps, but we just need to look forward, and not backward.
For me, this is wisdom I've learned, though I haven't always followed it myself. I think there are times when we forget we're only human. In my mind, I have traveled the universe and seen the depths of the oceans; I've enjoyed the friendships of both man and beast, and tried to sort out my own existence. There is a beginning and an end to everything. We become part of the history we have seen in our own worlds, whatever light we have given to the world is meaningful in one way or another.
My brother has been happy with my SIL for most of these years they were together, and he has all that to remember. He has seen her health deteriorating over the years of her illness, and that's always difficult.
I remember a long time ago, when I delineated death into two categories: a "good" death was fast and unexpected, but it left a toll on the family and friends; and a "bad" death, which was prolonged and painful, but was better on the family and friends because they had the chance to say goodbye, and used to the idea that the dying person would be gone. Death itself isn't a horrible thing in my mind. You just don't "exist" anymore. I've been around death all my life in one way or another, and in and of itself, it's nothing worth fearing. When the last call is made, you don't care because you aren't there anymore. Are we so afraid of something so natural that we can't accept it when it comes?
But yeah--it's those around you who fear death. Fear of losing you. Fear that they can no longer share their lives with you, creating new memories. Fear of what they will do, how they must learn to be alone.
I just thought I would share some of my thoughts. Barbie and I had our differences, but we also had some good times, too. She was Felix to my Oscar. We argued, and didn't speak for times on end. But this will leave a hole in my life, too. I'll miss having someone to argue with, who I loved as well.
Posted by hyphenate in The DU Lounge
Thu Aug 25th 2011, 01:14 AM
He said she's not going to be alive much longer. Back in late 2005, she found out she had rectal cancer. She was in Stage 4. They gutted her partially then, when they did a whole hysterectomy and she ended up with a colostomy, but it had gone into her lymph nodes in her groin, and she's been through three separate chemos, as well as radiation. A tumor grew into the artery in her groin, and then went into the bone. It became inoperable.
She found out only in the last 5 years, that her mother had died from colorectal cancer, too. When she was younger, they (her and her siblings) that her mom died from liver or stomach cancer. If she had been told the truth, she might have been able to get tests earlier, and possibly stop it all from happening sooner.
There were 9 kids, and they scattered to the four winds when their mom died. She only knows that she'll be likely the fourth one to die, with three dying in their 40s. She has no idea where the rest, except for her oldest sister, live, or even if they're still alive.
She and my brother were married in 1976, when they were 19. They've been married for 35 years, with two grown sons, and her first grandchild, born in the last year.
She and I are the same age. She was always the "healthy" one. She ate right, did daily exercise, and watched her weight. I'm not healthy by any means, but I have to wonder why she is dying first. No matter what we do with ourselves, our genes are far more influential than we would like to believe.
Hospice is helping out now. There is someone there all the time with her. She's got a pain killing pump, but my brother told me she sleeps a lot now. I still find it a bit tough to think of her as gone. We haven't been that close in the last decade, but we would talk more than we used to. Now, she doesn't remember to call back, or she loses her concentration.
They live in Las Vegas, so I'm not able to be near, but her sister will go. She has the ability to help out, which is good.
I feel so much for my brother. It's like people forget the ones who survive, who have sacrificed, who have only had the welfare of the dying on their minds for so long. Those who will be alone at the end of the night, wondering how they will sleep without that other person next to them. My brother is vibrant, alive, and filled with energy. He didn't have an auspicious start--he was a sickly child, who had his right lung removed when he was about 2 years old. But now, you would never know it. He works as an electrician in Vegas, with many of his days spent in 3-digit weather outside. He built a motorcycle in his garage.
I know we can't live forever. It might be nice for some people, I suppose, but we only have this one life, and we need to live for it as best we can. And sometimes, that can't happen because we're saddled with health issues or handicaps, but we just need to look forward, and not backward.
For me, this is wisdom I've learned, though I haven't always followed it myself. I think there are times when we forget we're only human. In my mind, I have traveled the universe and seen the depths of the oceans; I've enjoyed the friendships of both man and beast, and tried to sort out my own existence. There is a beginning and an end to everything. We become part of the history we have seen in our own worlds, whatever light we have given to the world is meaningful in one way or another.
My brother has been happy with my SIL for most of these years they were together, and he has all that to remember. He has seen her health deteriorating over the years of her illness, and that's always difficult.
I remember a long time ago, when I delineated death into two categories: a "good" death was fast and unexpected, but it left a toll on the family and friends; and a "bad" death, which was prolonged and painful, but was better on the family and friends because they had the chance to say goodbye, and used to the idea that the dying person would be gone. Death itself isn't a horrible thing in my mind. You just don't "exist" anymore. I've been around death all my life in one way or another, and in and of itself, it's nothing worth fearing. When the last call is made, you don't care because you aren't there anymore. Are we so afraid of something so natural that we can't accept it when it comes?
But yeah--it's those around you who fear death. Fear of losing you. Fear that they can no longer share their lives with you, creating new memories. Fear of what they will do, how they must learn to be alone.
I just thought I would share some of my thoughts. Barbie and I had our differences, but we also had some good times, too. She was Felix to my Oscar. We argued, and didn't speak for times on end. But this will leave a hole in my life, too. I'll miss having someone to argue with, who I loved as well.
Friday, August 12, 2011
So Much Evil in this World....
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/08/12/facing-medical-torture-chinese-bear-reportedly-kills-cub-then-self/
____________________________________________________________________
I can't post any part of this story, because it breaks my heart. But it makes me so sick to see these kinds of articles. Some alleged "human beings" in this world are among the most depraved monsters I've ever become acquainted with in one way or another. There are days and longer periods of time when I realize a great many people in this world need to be dealt a justice as brutal as what they deal to other creature in this world, especially those who could--and would--never torture, maim, kill or otherwise harm another, except for food or other basic need.
When will we learn? Or maybe the question is, WILL we ever learn? If I had the power to pass judgement on others who do these horrific things, they would all be dead.
And before I get the argument about food, clothing, yada, yada, re-read that sentence: "never torture, maim, kill or otherwise harm another, except for food or other basic need." We are not supposed to be barbarians. We are not suppose to kill for pleasure. We do, yes. Need we? I don't think so. We might show some degree of artistic beauty over the centuries, but humans have also spent millenia inproving torture, ways of extermination, and more and more ways and reasons to justify the killing of both other humans, and all the animals in creation, including the rather paradoxial justification for religion.
My life has been spent, in one way or another, trying to understand the mores and rationale of humans in their domination of this planet. If I were an alien trying to decide whether to subjugate humanity or simply wipe us out, I would vote for eradication without a second thought. Those who have compassion, who have wisdom and an immense empathy for others can't, and will never be able to win over the likes of the cruel and evil ones. If it came to that, I'd say that it would be wiser to destroy the beauty in the world to keep the evil from inflitrating the rest of the universe.
It probably won't happen in my lifetime, but who knows? All I can say is that humans have no right to pat themselves on the back for anything. When even animals kill their own to escape from the horrors of the world of humans, we know we're not worth a second look.
____________________________________________________________________
I can't post any part of this story, because it breaks my heart. But it makes me so sick to see these kinds of articles. Some alleged "human beings" in this world are among the most depraved monsters I've ever become acquainted with in one way or another. There are days and longer periods of time when I realize a great many people in this world need to be dealt a justice as brutal as what they deal to other creature in this world, especially those who could--and would--never torture, maim, kill or otherwise harm another, except for food or other basic need.
When will we learn? Or maybe the question is, WILL we ever learn? If I had the power to pass judgement on others who do these horrific things, they would all be dead.
And before I get the argument about food, clothing, yada, yada, re-read that sentence: "never torture, maim, kill or otherwise harm another, except for food or other basic need." We are not supposed to be barbarians. We are not suppose to kill for pleasure. We do, yes. Need we? I don't think so. We might show some degree of artistic beauty over the centuries, but humans have also spent millenia inproving torture, ways of extermination, and more and more ways and reasons to justify the killing of both other humans, and all the animals in creation, including the rather paradoxial justification for religion.
My life has been spent, in one way or another, trying to understand the mores and rationale of humans in their domination of this planet. If I were an alien trying to decide whether to subjugate humanity or simply wipe us out, I would vote for eradication without a second thought. Those who have compassion, who have wisdom and an immense empathy for others can't, and will never be able to win over the likes of the cruel and evil ones. If it came to that, I'd say that it would be wiser to destroy the beauty in the world to keep the evil from inflitrating the rest of the universe.
It probably won't happen in my lifetime, but who knows? All I can say is that humans have no right to pat themselves on the back for anything. When even animals kill their own to escape from the horrors of the world of humans, we know we're not worth a second look.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
The Wonders of Science, or the Wonder of God?
The fact is, the Christian god is a limited deity. By the reasoning of these worshippers, god is a very personal god, one who has no center of calm, who jumps down a person's throat with the swiftness of a major temper, who cannot tolerate any kind of independent thought, whose omnipotence and omniscience is stifled by his own petty jealousy and fear that his adherents will seek out "forbidden" knowledge against his will.
But it's not just the Christian god who holds such limited power--many, many other gods, of one culture or another, seem to have similar shortcomings.
If there were indeed some "deity" that existed, I would never put faith in anything less than the creator of our universe, and any others that might exist. Such a creator would not be confined to planet earth or its environs, but who would continue on its infinite journey, perhaps unaware of who or what it has created along the way.
But it doesn't matter. Whether we choose to believe in something beyond our own borders in the galaxy, the fact remains: science and the knowledge we acquire through it, beats any kind of conscious thought, even if its that of an alleged deity.
Look--there's a rainbow! Beautiful, isn't it? The visible spectrum, fresh and lovely, it shines only after the rain ends, and holds us in its grasp even if it's limited in how long it lasts. Do you feel more awe believing that a god created it, or if there is a scientific explanation for it? Isn't it more hypnotic knowing that it can be repeated, and isn't just a "miracle" that a god created on a whim?
The aurora borealis, a sunset, the green earth, flowers, Grand Canyon, or a tree--the science behind each of these things makes it not only repeatable, but also taken for granted at times. But science knows that all these things, from a rock to a living creature has an origin, and has an explanation for its presence.
There is no hand of god working magic, there is no simple beginning shrouded in mystery. The god is something that ancient cultures created because they could not relate to deeper and more complex origins. If there was a storm, the gods were angry. If someone got killed by lightning, they had been wicked. If someone had "displeased" god, they would end up dying relatively soon.
But there was no science to explain why a storm starts, why lightning strikes, and why someone could have a heart attack, suffer a stroke, die from cancer, or even be pummeled by a brain aneurysm. Medicine was, at that time, and for a long time afterwards, be limited to battlefield first aid, and little else.
I have heard people talking about "god's miracles" and felt uncomfortable thinking someone has more awe of what a gpd might create, than what science has helped to define.
A "fingerprint of god" fills me with less wonder than knowing that I can enjoy something over and over again because I understand how something occurs, and how often I can be assured that it won't be the last time I see that wonder.
But it's not just the Christian god who holds such limited power--many, many other gods, of one culture or another, seem to have similar shortcomings.
If there were indeed some "deity" that existed, I would never put faith in anything less than the creator of our universe, and any others that might exist. Such a creator would not be confined to planet earth or its environs, but who would continue on its infinite journey, perhaps unaware of who or what it has created along the way.
But it doesn't matter. Whether we choose to believe in something beyond our own borders in the galaxy, the fact remains: science and the knowledge we acquire through it, beats any kind of conscious thought, even if its that of an alleged deity.
Look--there's a rainbow! Beautiful, isn't it? The visible spectrum, fresh and lovely, it shines only after the rain ends, and holds us in its grasp even if it's limited in how long it lasts. Do you feel more awe believing that a god created it, or if there is a scientific explanation for it? Isn't it more hypnotic knowing that it can be repeated, and isn't just a "miracle" that a god created on a whim?
The aurora borealis, a sunset, the green earth, flowers, Grand Canyon, or a tree--the science behind each of these things makes it not only repeatable, but also taken for granted at times. But science knows that all these things, from a rock to a living creature has an origin, and has an explanation for its presence.
There is no hand of god working magic, there is no simple beginning shrouded in mystery. The god is something that ancient cultures created because they could not relate to deeper and more complex origins. If there was a storm, the gods were angry. If someone got killed by lightning, they had been wicked. If someone had "displeased" god, they would end up dying relatively soon.
But there was no science to explain why a storm starts, why lightning strikes, and why someone could have a heart attack, suffer a stroke, die from cancer, or even be pummeled by a brain aneurysm. Medicine was, at that time, and for a long time afterwards, be limited to battlefield first aid, and little else.
I have heard people talking about "god's miracles" and felt uncomfortable thinking someone has more awe of what a gpd might create, than what science has helped to define.
A "fingerprint of god" fills me with less wonder than knowing that I can enjoy something over and over again because I understand how something occurs, and how often I can be assured that it won't be the last time I see that wonder.
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