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.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
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.
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