So... here we are again...
The other day I logged on and the news ticker showed an article that said "Unemployment up by lower percent than expected" so I thought, "nice"... until about an hour later it read "Unemployment at record levels"... and it was the SAME DAMN ARTICLE! WHAT THE FUCK?!?!?!?!
Today it is "Durable Goods orders up surprisingly"... Surprisingly to whom? To the Politicos in Washington who have fabricated the worst half of this "economic crisis" to further their agenda? The truth of the matter is that 70% of what is going on is based in the fear that the media and select people have placed in the American public. Before you start telling me that it is because I am some Neocon that I believe that take this into consideration: My best friend is an attorney who represents several of the largest mortgage companies (including Fannie and Freddie) in bankruptcy cases and is telling me that sub-prime loans did not have the default rate that the press was reporting. They were treating to a special educational seminar on the bonds that were issued on the bundled sup-primes and it was explained to them by economics professors at UT as to how it was actually a very well structured and relatively safe investment as investments go...
The truth of the matter, as I see it, is that after Georgie and his cronies showed the world that you could shove your political agenda down the peoples' throats by using fear to disarm and disorient them it just created a new political paradigm. Cripple the people with fear and then force them to accept something your want because it is "in the peoples' best interest." The Bush administration set the scariest and worst precedents for almost criminal behavior and have created a new "standard" if you will of how to achieve your political goals. I am not saying that healthcare for all is a bad thing. I am not saying that creating parity for taxes between the rich and the rest is a bad thing. I am saying that using scare tactics to paralyze the people while you push through a spending bill swollen and diseased with earmarks IS WRONG! All and all I think that is the first black mark on the new administration. Hopefully it will be one of the last. I can't wait to see how they respond to the new rise in "States' Rights" legislation that is cropping up across the country though... More on that in a later post...
The other day I logged on and the news ticker showed an article that said "Unemployment up by lower percent than expected" so I thought, "nice"... until about an hour later it read "Unemployment at record levels"... and it was the SAME DAMN ARTICLE! WHAT THE FUCK?!?!?!?!
Today it is "Durable Goods orders up surprisingly"... Surprisingly to whom? To the Politicos in Washington who have fabricated the worst half of this "economic crisis" to further their agenda? The truth of the matter is that 70% of what is going on is based in the fear that the media and select people have placed in the American public. Before you start telling me that it is because I am some Neocon that I believe that take this into consideration: My best friend is an attorney who represents several of the largest mortgage companies (including Fannie and Freddie) in bankruptcy cases and is telling me that sub-prime loans did not have the default rate that the press was reporting. They were treating to a special educational seminar on the bonds that were issued on the bundled sup-primes and it was explained to them by economics professors at UT as to how it was actually a very well structured and relatively safe investment as investments go...
The truth of the matter, as I see it, is that after Georgie and his cronies showed the world that you could shove your political agenda down the peoples' throats by using fear to disarm and disorient them it just created a new political paradigm. Cripple the people with fear and then force them to accept something your want because it is "in the peoples' best interest." The Bush administration set the scariest and worst precedents for almost criminal behavior and have created a new "standard" if you will of how to achieve your political goals. I am not saying that healthcare for all is a bad thing. I am not saying that creating parity for taxes between the rich and the rest is a bad thing. I am saying that using scare tactics to paralyze the people while you push through a spending bill swollen and diseased with earmarks IS WRONG! All and all I think that is the first black mark on the new administration. Hopefully it will be one of the last. I can't wait to see how they respond to the new rise in "States' Rights" legislation that is cropping up across the country though... More on that in a later post...
- Mood:cynical
Before I start, I should say that I am the son of a war veteran. Further, I am the first generation in my direct line NOT to fight in a war or armed conflict or have to take up arms to defend my way of life. In my family I have both career military and soldiers of necessity. One of my forebears survived the Bataan march. Legend has it that my family came here as mercenaries to fight first for the British and then for the colonists when they realized that they actually liked it here and planned on staying. Of my father's generation, he and all of my uncles served in WWII- my father and one uncle in the Army Air Corps, one uncle in the Navy and one in the Army. Sadly, I feel that they fought the last war that really meant anything outside of preserving selfish interests of one country or one corporation. Yes, I am bitter about it.
That said, however, I have nothing but respect for the soldiers who have served since. They have done what soldiers are supposed to do- follow the orders of their commanders. I know that is why I would have made a poor soldier and am glad I was not forced to find out how well I could do that in combat. In that regard each of the members of our military are a better person that I am. I would willingly give up my life for a just cause but I could not follow orders that I questioned. I grew up in a time when questions were first starting to fly about why we were fighting our wars. That is too heavily embedded in my character. Part of it is that my family fought in a war where you knew who the "good guys" were from their perspective.
My wife's family lost two young men in WWI. Every time I think of WWI I am reminded of the song "No Man's Land (The Green Fields of France)" by Eric Bogle. I think today we should all reflect on the words of it and the other songs and poems written about war and the horrors contained therein.
Well how do you do, young Willie McBride,
Do you mind if I sit here down by your graveside
And rest for a while 'neath the warm summer sun
I've been working all day and I'm nearly done.
I see by your gravestone you were only nineteen
When you joined the dead heroes of nineteen-sixteen.
I hope you died well and I hope you died clean
Or Willie McBride, was it slow and obscene.
Chorus :
Did they beat the drum slowly, did they play the fife lowly,
Did they sound the dead-march as they lowered you down.
Did the bugles play the Last Post and chorus,
Did the pipes play the 'Flowers o' the Forest'.
And did you leave a wife or a sweetheart behind
In some faithful heart is your memory enshrined
Although you died back there in nineteen-sixteen
In that faithful heart are you ever nineteen
Or are you a stranger without even a name
Enclosed and forgotten behind the glass frame
In a old photograph, torn and battered and stained
And faded to yellow in a brown leather frame.
The sun now it shines on the green fields of France
The warm summer breeze makes the red poppies dance
And look how the sun shines from under the clouds
There's no gas, no barbed wire, there's no guns firing now
But here in this graveyard it's still no-man's-land
The countless white crosses stand mute in the sand
To man's blind indifference to his fellow man
To a whole generaation that were butchered and damned.
Now young Willie McBride I can't help but wonder why
Do all those who lie here know why they died
And did they believe when they answered the cause
Did they really believe that this war would end wars
Well the sorrow, the suffering, the glory, the pain
The killing and dying was all done in vain
For young Willie McBride it all happened again
And again, and again, and again, and again.
And finally, through the eyes of a comedian, to me one of the most touching tributes to the brave men who fought and died in the trenches of France.
That said, however, I have nothing but respect for the soldiers who have served since. They have done what soldiers are supposed to do- follow the orders of their commanders. I know that is why I would have made a poor soldier and am glad I was not forced to find out how well I could do that in combat. In that regard each of the members of our military are a better person that I am. I would willingly give up my life for a just cause but I could not follow orders that I questioned. I grew up in a time when questions were first starting to fly about why we were fighting our wars. That is too heavily embedded in my character. Part of it is that my family fought in a war where you knew who the "good guys" were from their perspective.
My wife's family lost two young men in WWI. Every time I think of WWI I am reminded of the song "No Man's Land (The Green Fields of France)" by Eric Bogle. I think today we should all reflect on the words of it and the other songs and poems written about war and the horrors contained therein.
Well how do you do, young Willie McBride,
Do you mind if I sit here down by your graveside
And rest for a while 'neath the warm summer sun
I've been working all day and I'm nearly done.
I see by your gravestone you were only nineteen
When you joined the dead heroes of nineteen-sixteen.
I hope you died well and I hope you died clean
Or Willie McBride, was it slow and obscene.
Chorus :
Did they beat the drum slowly, did they play the fife lowly,
Did they sound the dead-march as they lowered you down.
Did the bugles play the Last Post and chorus,
Did the pipes play the 'Flowers o' the Forest'.
And did you leave a wife or a sweetheart behind
In some faithful heart is your memory enshrined
Although you died back there in nineteen-sixteen
In that faithful heart are you ever nineteen
Or are you a stranger without even a name
Enclosed and forgotten behind the glass frame
In a old photograph, torn and battered and stained
And faded to yellow in a brown leather frame.
The sun now it shines on the green fields of France
The warm summer breeze makes the red poppies dance
And look how the sun shines from under the clouds
There's no gas, no barbed wire, there's no guns firing now
But here in this graveyard it's still no-man's-land
The countless white crosses stand mute in the sand
To man's blind indifference to his fellow man
To a whole generaation that were butchered and damned.
Now young Willie McBride I can't help but wonder why
Do all those who lie here know why they died
And did they believe when they answered the cause
Did they really believe that this war would end wars
Well the sorrow, the suffering, the glory, the pain
The killing and dying was all done in vain
For young Willie McBride it all happened again
And again, and again, and again, and again.
And finally, through the eyes of a comedian, to me one of the most touching tributes to the brave men who fought and died in the trenches of France.
- Mood:gloomy
Today's beer is the holiday offering from that "little" brewery in Shiner, TX. Spoetzel Brewery is no longer independent that does not stop them from still offering a wide range of unique products. Most recently they have been counting down to their 100th anniversary with a yearly release of beers labeled simply by numbers- 98, 99, etc. This holiday season though they have concocted an interesting brew. Cheer is a dunkelweizen beer that is flavored with peaches and roasted pecans (and natural flavors). Dunkelweizens are dark beers brewed with wheat and barley malts. They tend to have a light character for a dark beer but still feature that slightly cloying caramel sweetness from the heavily roasted malts. From the moment you open the bottle there is no mistake that peaches (or aromatic peach flavoring) are involved in this. The aroma is redolent with the musky smell of ripe peaches. The peach flavor is also fairly prominent in the initial taste of the beer. As the taste fades and the aftertaste kicks in though there is a particularly unpleasant bitter flavor that tastes of the pecan shell rather than the pecan itself (or perhaps of overly toasted pecans, which can develop an unpleasant taste as well). After a few drinks both flavors seemed to subside a bit (perhaps they have overwhelmed the tastebuds?) and the actual dunkelweizen flavor makes a subtle appearance. I can only guess they went with the wheat beer style to keep it from interfering with the peach and pecan flavors but the success was limited. This is not Lindeman's Peche, which seems to overly present the peach flavor and sweetness, but perhaps Shiner could have learned a bit from that style to make a more accessible flavor profile. This beer will sell well as some people think Shiner can do no wrong but sadly I put this one in the "yeah, everyone should probably try it but I won't make it a point to drink it again" category. Shiner Cheer gets 72/100 on my scale.
BONUS! Since I have not yet written a truly "positive" review, I am going to give a thumbnail review of a beer that I think every beer fan should try. Sierra Nevada's Anniversary IPA. As most IPAs (India Pale Ales) this one has a very forward hop taste. Unlike most American IPAs this one has an amazing sweetness to balance it out. I am not that big a fan of the overly hopped American takes on many styles of beer. This one, however I will make an exception for. Previously the Dogfish Head 60-minute IPA was my IPA of choice... now I have realized that this baby is king. Their press release says it all:
"Anniversary Ale is an American-style IPA featuring Cascade hops, the signature hop used in our Pale Ale. The beer has a pronounced pine and citrus hop aroma balanced by the sweetness of two-row pale and caramel malts. The result is an unusually well-balanced IPA that proves an IPA can be both assertive and elegant. Anniversary Ale is a medium-bodied, well-hopped ale that finishes with a slight malt sweetness."
If you can get it on tap by all means try it. Bottles from Sierra sometimes suffer from poor handling and can end up tasting off. On draft I give it 96/100, from the bottle I tried a 92/100.
BONUS! Since I have not yet written a truly "positive" review, I am going to give a thumbnail review of a beer that I think every beer fan should try. Sierra Nevada's Anniversary IPA. As most IPAs (India Pale Ales) this one has a very forward hop taste. Unlike most American IPAs this one has an amazing sweetness to balance it out. I am not that big a fan of the overly hopped American takes on many styles of beer. This one, however I will make an exception for. Previously the Dogfish Head 60-minute IPA was my IPA of choice... now I have realized that this baby is king. Their press release says it all:
"Anniversary Ale is an American-style IPA featuring Cascade hops, the signature hop used in our Pale Ale. The beer has a pronounced pine and citrus hop aroma balanced by the sweetness of two-row pale and caramel malts. The result is an unusually well-balanced IPA that proves an IPA can be both assertive and elegant. Anniversary Ale is a medium-bodied, well-hopped ale that finishes with a slight malt sweetness."
If you can get it on tap by all means try it. Bottles from Sierra sometimes suffer from poor handling and can end up tasting off. On draft I give it 96/100, from the bottle I tried a 92/100.
Sadly I relay the news. He passed today after a private battle with cancer. The modern literary world will miss him. I will miss him. Ian Malcolm from Jurassic Park is one of my favorite novel characters of all-time. Tonight I think I will reread some of that novel.
Today no political ads! Yippeee!
( Political crap behind the cut )
A new feature starts today. I am going to start reviewing all of the beers that I drink as I drink a wide variety and feel that I can approach each beer as an individual beer with an open mind. I like many of them and have found that some I did not expect to like, I actually did. So without further adieu, we present to you Dogfish Head Punkin Ale.
It is one of the new rage of "fall" beers to show up in the last couple of years. These beers typically are brewed with spices and many add pumpkin to the mix. This one sports all the bells and whistles. At its core it is an American brown ale. The addition of pumpkin and spices does little to tame the hoppiness but that is not a bad thing. As with most American beers, I started the tasting with it at US refrigerator temperature, as that is how most will probably drink it. I found it to have a disturbingly strong astringent flavor that set the bitterness too high in the profile for my tastes. After letting it warm up to about 50F I tasted it again and found the flavors to be much better balanced. The pumpkin and spices created a nice synergy that also gave it a strong brown sugar taste. The hoppiness was more subdued and served as a nice counterpoint to the sweetness. As with most Dogfish Head products it is expensive as they spare no expense to use the best ingredients in their brews. This is not a beer for everyone and I will bet many will find the Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale more to their liking. However, this beer deserves a look if you can find it in a single or on tap (not sure if that is available) at a local watering hole. On the 100 point scale I will give it an 86/100.
Tomorrow: Shiner Holiday Cheer
( Political crap behind the cut )
A new feature starts today. I am going to start reviewing all of the beers that I drink as I drink a wide variety and feel that I can approach each beer as an individual beer with an open mind. I like many of them and have found that some I did not expect to like, I actually did. So without further adieu, we present to you Dogfish Head Punkin Ale.
It is one of the new rage of "fall" beers to show up in the last couple of years. These beers typically are brewed with spices and many add pumpkin to the mix. This one sports all the bells and whistles. At its core it is an American brown ale. The addition of pumpkin and spices does little to tame the hoppiness but that is not a bad thing. As with most American beers, I started the tasting with it at US refrigerator temperature, as that is how most will probably drink it. I found it to have a disturbingly strong astringent flavor that set the bitterness too high in the profile for my tastes. After letting it warm up to about 50F I tasted it again and found the flavors to be much better balanced. The pumpkin and spices created a nice synergy that also gave it a strong brown sugar taste. The hoppiness was more subdued and served as a nice counterpoint to the sweetness. As with most Dogfish Head products it is expensive as they spare no expense to use the best ingredients in their brews. This is not a beer for everyone and I will bet many will find the Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale more to their liking. However, this beer deserves a look if you can find it in a single or on tap (not sure if that is available) at a local watering hole. On the 100 point scale I will give it an 86/100.
Tomorrow: Shiner Holiday Cheer
Comedian and Actor, star of Dolemite and the Petey Wheatstraw films passed away October 19, 2008. He will be missed by many, although sadly not as many who should know him. Unlike Red Foxx and Richard Prior, Moore never made the crossover to a white mainstream audience. Many today have been influenced by his storytelling style although they don't even know it- I am talking about the Rap community. His legacy will live on. Now I am going to have to track down some Blaxploitation films to watch this weekend in his honor.
In six days most of the political ads will be gone from my life. I could not be happier over such a thing. I am so tired of them. Not one candidate is now saying what they are going to do for us; they are too busy pointing fingers at their opponent - "Look at what he did!" It is nauseating.
Hurricane Ike is gone and most of the overt signs of damage are being slowly repaired. There are a few signs still broken, a few street lights still out and a few trees still down. The most glaring thing is the number of roofs covered in blue tarps awaiting their repair. Images from the coast are nowhere near as positive. The two weeks I spent without power pale in comparison to those who are still without power or worse, without a house at all. FEMA has decided to stop paying for a shelter even though there are still hundreds of families without homes. I am sure part of this is motivated by the downturn in the economy and how the government will now need every penny to bail out banks who greedily made bad loans to people. Soon those people too will be without homes.
And that is today's rant. We had a "phantom" spot in our economy where we all thought it was candy and cake. People were owning homes at a rate never seen before. House values were sky high. America was living the high life! Only it was just an illusion. People who really couldn't afford houses were being given loans by banks so they could repackage those loans into a "security" that they could sell to investors and make money on it whether it was a good loan or not. As housing values rose, these borderline buyers were suddenly unable to cover the escrow on their property taxes, or in the worse cases borrowed against their new found "equity", thereby adding yet another note to their monthly expenses. In our society of spend, spend, spend (inspired by our government who thinks you can spend against money you owe) it was only a matter of time before there was not enough left in the jar to pay the bank at the end of the month. Now the banks have literally hundreds of thousands of homes in default. They can't foreclose on them as there are no buyers for them and that crushes the cash flow. What a quandary they find themselves in at this point. Truth is, we are now doing worse than our parents/grandparents did financially. We just don't have the strength to admit it. We allow our children to dictate to us that we WILL buy the things that really are not necessary (don't get me started on non-emergency cell phones), we feel compelled to keep up with the appearances of our neighbors (yes, they are as far in debt as you are- maybe farther), and we allow ourselves to be convinced by the marketing machine that we just HAVE to have all those things we see on TV, in the magazines, and on billboards everywhere. Well, the bubble has burst and things are starting to normalize. Yet, we are told that this correction is a RECESSION and we are all going to have to "tighten up our belts" as we will no longer be able to live so far beyond our means. Look at the history of the stock market, the housing market. We were in the midst of another bubble but we are acting as if it were the way it should be. Whenever prices far outstrip salaries it should send up a huge red flag that something bad is on the horizon.
Now for my other rant of the day. Modern companies (I include OPEC in this) have become addicted to the record profits and prices they could charge just a few months ago. The world has tasted the "prosperity" that these grossly inflated prices created and have decided they liked it. OPEC is talking about again working to raise oil prices. Wake up! The world is teetering on the brink of collapse in some places and you are trying to maneuver your commodity to a price that really was not justified? Supply and demand goes so far but the prices on oil were created by speculation in a market where very little of the trades value has to be covered in real money. Those prices were no more real than the tooth fairy but you have tasted it and still want it to be like that. Well, the same market forces are driving the price down. You should have enjoyed it while it lasted. You did VERY LITTLE to keep the prices down at a reasonable level so now you get to reap what you have sown. But no... you will just cut production to try to elevate the price. Your last 5% production cut did so well. And heading into the winter months your price usually goes up anyway as people need heating oil in the northern hemisphere. But you want $90 a barrel. Good luck getting it. As for the other companies- have you seen anyone PERMANENTLY cutting prices yet? I doubt you will. Groceries are still going up. Gasoline prices are falling but nowhere near as fast as they shot up. The last time oil was as low as it is now the gas prices were about 70% of what they are now. Oil companies don't want to lose a dime of profit. Independent stations, who took a hit when gas was almost $4.00 a gallon are trying to maximize their profits now to make up a bit. And some of this is hedging against the next mandated increase in minimum wage. IF you don't understand that feel free to ask me- there is no such thing as a "livable wage" country-wide and anyone with any business savvy will tell you that. All it does is drive up the prices for goods and services- and usually more than the pay increase nets the workers.
Well, that is the end of this installment. On a lighter note- I was in Canada earlier this month and can honestly say that BC has some of the most beautiful country I have seen. It doesn't hurt that the people there are also genuinely nice, friendly and polite. And I am addicted their style of breakfast sausages- I can't eat the american style "chunky" sausage anymore.
Hurricane Ike is gone and most of the overt signs of damage are being slowly repaired. There are a few signs still broken, a few street lights still out and a few trees still down. The most glaring thing is the number of roofs covered in blue tarps awaiting their repair. Images from the coast are nowhere near as positive. The two weeks I spent without power pale in comparison to those who are still without power or worse, without a house at all. FEMA has decided to stop paying for a shelter even though there are still hundreds of families without homes. I am sure part of this is motivated by the downturn in the economy and how the government will now need every penny to bail out banks who greedily made bad loans to people. Soon those people too will be without homes.
And that is today's rant. We had a "phantom" spot in our economy where we all thought it was candy and cake. People were owning homes at a rate never seen before. House values were sky high. America was living the high life! Only it was just an illusion. People who really couldn't afford houses were being given loans by banks so they could repackage those loans into a "security" that they could sell to investors and make money on it whether it was a good loan or not. As housing values rose, these borderline buyers were suddenly unable to cover the escrow on their property taxes, or in the worse cases borrowed against their new found "equity", thereby adding yet another note to their monthly expenses. In our society of spend, spend, spend (inspired by our government who thinks you can spend against money you owe) it was only a matter of time before there was not enough left in the jar to pay the bank at the end of the month. Now the banks have literally hundreds of thousands of homes in default. They can't foreclose on them as there are no buyers for them and that crushes the cash flow. What a quandary they find themselves in at this point. Truth is, we are now doing worse than our parents/grandparents did financially. We just don't have the strength to admit it. We allow our children to dictate to us that we WILL buy the things that really are not necessary (don't get me started on non-emergency cell phones), we feel compelled to keep up with the appearances of our neighbors (yes, they are as far in debt as you are- maybe farther), and we allow ourselves to be convinced by the marketing machine that we just HAVE to have all those things we see on TV, in the magazines, and on billboards everywhere. Well, the bubble has burst and things are starting to normalize. Yet, we are told that this correction is a RECESSION and we are all going to have to "tighten up our belts" as we will no longer be able to live so far beyond our means. Look at the history of the stock market, the housing market. We were in the midst of another bubble but we are acting as if it were the way it should be. Whenever prices far outstrip salaries it should send up a huge red flag that something bad is on the horizon.
Now for my other rant of the day. Modern companies (I include OPEC in this) have become addicted to the record profits and prices they could charge just a few months ago. The world has tasted the "prosperity" that these grossly inflated prices created and have decided they liked it. OPEC is talking about again working to raise oil prices. Wake up! The world is teetering on the brink of collapse in some places and you are trying to maneuver your commodity to a price that really was not justified? Supply and demand goes so far but the prices on oil were created by speculation in a market where very little of the trades value has to be covered in real money. Those prices were no more real than the tooth fairy but you have tasted it and still want it to be like that. Well, the same market forces are driving the price down. You should have enjoyed it while it lasted. You did VERY LITTLE to keep the prices down at a reasonable level so now you get to reap what you have sown. But no... you will just cut production to try to elevate the price. Your last 5% production cut did so well. And heading into the winter months your price usually goes up anyway as people need heating oil in the northern hemisphere. But you want $90 a barrel. Good luck getting it. As for the other companies- have you seen anyone PERMANENTLY cutting prices yet? I doubt you will. Groceries are still going up. Gasoline prices are falling but nowhere near as fast as they shot up. The last time oil was as low as it is now the gas prices were about 70% of what they are now. Oil companies don't want to lose a dime of profit. Independent stations, who took a hit when gas was almost $4.00 a gallon are trying to maximize their profits now to make up a bit. And some of this is hedging against the next mandated increase in minimum wage. IF you don't understand that feel free to ask me- there is no such thing as a "livable wage" country-wide and anyone with any business savvy will tell you that. All it does is drive up the prices for goods and services- and usually more than the pay increase nets the workers.
Well, that is the end of this installment. On a lighter note- I was in Canada earlier this month and can honestly say that BC has some of the most beautiful country I have seen. It doesn't hurt that the people there are also genuinely nice, friendly and polite. And I am addicted their style of breakfast sausages- I can't eat the american style "chunky" sausage anymore.
- Mood:aggravated
I really wanted to be on the Obama bandwagon. I really wanted to believe that he meant it when he said he wanted to clean up government and make it all about the people. Then he allowed his party to shove "The Senator from MBNA" onto the ticket as his running mate. Before I go any further, don't get me wrong- I am no fan of the Republican ticket either and have my share of problems with it as well. I am just trying to figure out what happened to all of the people who I used to talk to about Obama. When Biden was announced most of them were a bit outraged, like me. Now they all are tooting his horn, acting as apologists for every time he screwed over the American people in favor of his big business buddies, and generally behaving as if this is the best thing possible for Obama. You can't clean up something if throwing out your running mate is on the top 10 of the list. I should have expected no less though. When Obama started touting raising taxes on the wealthy he was including the very people who run the Democratic party and I am sure they were none too keen on that notion. How people can believe that the upper echelon of either party gives a rat's ass about the middle class and below still baffles me. These people might have had humble beginnings but if you have ever had a friend go from rags to riches you know that they soon forget (usually more than willingly) the hardships of yesterday and embrace the new riches of today. AND, the "Nouveau Riche" are notorious for being obsessed with acquiring more riches, often in unscrupulous ways. The entire political organism is diseased. Obama seemed like the first breath of fresh air. Sadly, I just don't believe that anymore. I am not faulting Obama. I think this is just the "Democrat's response" to the last eight years of the "people behind the throne" running the country. I really hope I am wrong.
On a different note, I have decided that my old maxim of "if you don't vote you have no right to complain about the government" needs to be amended. It needs to read "If you don't pay your taxes you have no right to open your mouth about politics." I will say no more about it, just that it wears me out.
Since I am still not feeling any better about this yet- why is it this country grinds to a total halt at least 2 years out of every 8? The whole presidential thing is totally out of hand- Congress gets absolutely nothing done while both parties scramble to get the "best candidate", etc. At a time when this country really needs groundbreaking legislation to help us deal with future challenges on energy, the economy and foreign policy those jokers are too busy worrying about re-election, partisanship and mud-slinging. And we all just tolerate it, nay, we enthusiastically engage in an orgy of support in a blissfully ignorant euphoric state over it.
I don't know who I am going to vote for now (I truly have no faith in either candidate now) but I know I have to so I can comment on the next few years.
On a different note, I have decided that my old maxim of "if you don't vote you have no right to complain about the government" needs to be amended. It needs to read "If you don't pay your taxes you have no right to open your mouth about politics." I will say no more about it, just that it wears me out.
Since I am still not feeling any better about this yet- why is it this country grinds to a total halt at least 2 years out of every 8? The whole presidential thing is totally out of hand- Congress gets absolutely nothing done while both parties scramble to get the "best candidate", etc. At a time when this country really needs groundbreaking legislation to help us deal with future challenges on energy, the economy and foreign policy those jokers are too busy worrying about re-election, partisanship and mud-slinging. And we all just tolerate it, nay, we enthusiastically engage in an orgy of support in a blissfully ignorant euphoric state over it.
I don't know who I am going to vote for now (I truly have no faith in either candidate now) but I know I have to so I can comment on the next few years.
Just a quick note- the ONLY times this country has truly been prosperous is when NEITHER party has controlled both the legislature and the presidency. When one party is in control it goes to hell. If you don't believe me just look it up. History tells the tale. So, as we go into a "new era" prepare to still taste the poison... although this time it will have a different flavor.
the gym, 2 hours a day 5-6 days a week... amazing what it does for your mental state, sleep patterns, and general sense of well being. The four inches gone from the waist don't hurt either but really the renewed energy, mental clarity and overall reduction of aches and pains are the real reasons that I pretty much have sacrificed my limited personal time for it for now. Soon going to reduce it to 3-4 nights a week and see how that goes... And yes, I am varying my exercises and cardio to prevent injury and increase the effectiveness. Sadly, my friends never really see/hear from me much anymore but they should be used to that by now. I really have not altered my diet that much though other than to cut out all foods that I can with high fructose corn syrup (which comes from GMO corn) and as many chemical additives as possible. That said, I am now back to using molasses and unrefined/turbinado sugar as sweetener rather than chemical ones when needed and have not experienced any issues.
New discoveries- Nancy's Organic Cultured low-fat Cottage Cheese- the best parts of yogurt and cottage cheese in one! Might be a little sharp/sour for most but that is easily cut with a little (and I do mean a little) local honey.
Wheat-a-Bix Organic Flakes and Fiber- my new favorite breakfast cereal- especially mixed with Post Organic Raisin Bran.
The Peanut Butter Company Dark Chocolate Dreams Peanut Butter- really nothing more needs to be said other than it looks like most commercial peanut butters nutritionally but packs a great chocolate taste- an alternative to Nutella
New discoveries- Nancy's Organic Cultured low-fat Cottage Cheese- the best parts of yogurt and cottage cheese in one! Might be a little sharp/sour for most but that is easily cut with a little (and I do mean a little) local honey.
Wheat-a-Bix Organic Flakes and Fiber- my new favorite breakfast cereal- especially mixed with Post Organic Raisin Bran.
The Peanut Butter Company Dark Chocolate Dreams Peanut Butter- really nothing more needs to be said other than it looks like most commercial peanut butters nutritionally but packs a great chocolate taste- an alternative to Nutella
So, July 2nd I was hit... August 7th and still my car is at the body shop. "In order to save you and the other insured parties money we will use RECYCLED parts to keep costs down" said the letter from the insurance company. Well, 3 RECYCLED doors went through the body shop, costing me over 2 weeks of wait. That is 2 weeks of rent car at $27.99+ a day, 3 sets of delivery/shipping charges, 3 incidents of paying people on their end to locate the part. There is ABSOLUTELY no savings there. I asked my rep at the body shop- "How often do you actually get to use the RECYCLED parts?" to which I was told it was less then 10% of the time they would actually meet the standards. Although he did tell me that low class body shops will use them without regard for their integrity/safety though so the insurance company saves a ton of money on people who frequent them. His next "generalization" was somewhat disturbing when you think of the implications (and as he is a professional in the field I will trust his observation) as he indicated that the majority of the people who fall into that category are low-income. "No one takes an old clunker to a good body shop- the perception is that either we are too expensive, which should not matter if the insurance is paying OR that we will not accept their car." Coupled with the fact that a lot of people do not realize that even cars 12-15 years old still have "new" parts available for them in warehouses it means that yet again, the lower income person gets screwed over. This time parts that do not meet up to standards of durability or safety are used to put their car back together. Now, I can hear some of you saying "who cares?" and I find that a little disturbing. We all should care. Insurance companies have enjoyed record profits for many years. But, we continue to pay outrageous premiums because we have no choice. YOU MUST HAVE INSURANCE IN MOST PLACES! So, you pay what they tell you to pay. Who cares if the other guy gets screwed over? You should- it could be you next time.
UPDATE! Car is going to be this afternoon! Hurray! Of course the insurance is refusing to pay for the windshield saying that the 2 rock chips caused it to crack... not that they are close to the crack, etc. but they OBVIOUSLY destroyed its structural integrity. Lucky for me there is a settlement in a Class Action Lawsuit over the Element's windshield... I can get it replaced for very little... need to do that ASAP.
UPDATE! Car is going to be this afternoon! Hurray! Of course the insurance is refusing to pay for the windshield saying that the 2 rock chips caused it to crack... not that they are close to the crack, etc. but they OBVIOUSLY destroyed its structural integrity. Lucky for me there is a settlement in a Class Action Lawsuit over the Element's windshield... I can get it replaced for very little... need to do that ASAP.
Okay- before we get to the meat of the story- I AM OKAY FOR NOW - JUST A LITTLE SORE...
Monday morning on the way to work I was t-boned about 2 miles from the office. A gentleman pulled out of a driveway and slammed into the passenger side of my Element, knocking it in about 6 inches and showering me with glass. The impact spun the car around and then back facing the wrong way down the street. If I have any injury it is all soft-tissue stuff that has not surfaced yet. My glasses were pretty scratched up by the flying glass and so I went to the eye doctor to get checked out and order new ones. Other than that so far so good. As if to say that I had made enough phone calls to the insurance, body shop, etc. my POS microsoft "dumbphone" stopped working AGAIN. So it goes back to the shop tomorrow. Hopefully I will have some car pictures to post up tomorrow... oh and to add insult to injury it was pouring down rain at the time...
I am fine- so no one worry about it... just pray that the insurance does the right thing about the vehicle...
Monday morning on the way to work I was t-boned about 2 miles from the office. A gentleman pulled out of a driveway and slammed into the passenger side of my Element, knocking it in about 6 inches and showering me with glass. The impact spun the car around and then back facing the wrong way down the street. If I have any injury it is all soft-tissue stuff that has not surfaced yet. My glasses were pretty scratched up by the flying glass and so I went to the eye doctor to get checked out and order new ones. Other than that so far so good. As if to say that I had made enough phone calls to the insurance, body shop, etc. my POS microsoft "dumbphone" stopped working AGAIN. So it goes back to the shop tomorrow. Hopefully I will have some car pictures to post up tomorrow... oh and to add insult to injury it was pouring down rain at the time...
I am fine- so no one worry about it... just pray that the insurance does the right thing about the vehicle...
So, I promised this yesterday but I decided to hold it until I was able to get the whole story. Now I have it and I am madder than ever.
1. The Accidental Tourist In Your Own Home Town
For some reason all of the various authorities who handle repairs or modifications to our road systems are completely unable to plan their projects in such a way that the world does not almost have to come to a stop. This weekend they are closing the major east/west freeway at the interchange with the outer loop. Concurrently, the first east/west road to the north is also under construction in that same area. And the loop is under construction on the road level through the first road to the south. For most of the weekend this will mean total chaos in the area. Couldn't they coordinate a little better? It is not as bad as the time when they had another section of the same freeway closed and the first 3 street going north and south of it were all either closed down to 1 way or seriously under construction. That took real smarts to plan. I guess they want us to get out and see more of our neighborhoods as we try to find creative routes to use. This construction is also linked to the reason why it now takes me an hour to travel about 5 blocks in the evening when leaving work. Their ability to look at the whole picture boggles me.
2. We don't want more cops, just more tickets...
We are installing "Red Light Cameras" at many intersections in our city to catch people who, what else, run the red light. The owner of the car gets a photo from the camera and a ticket in the mail. No muss, no fuss, no worry about extenuating circumstances. Like the one nearest me- last week the light was short cycling... literally as soon as it turned green it turned yellow and then red. The camera was flashing like a strobe. Anyone who pulled into the intersection would never be able to clear it before it was red and a photo of them "running the red" was on its way to produce a ticket. I realize this is extreme but I have seen situations where there was no way to clear the intersection after the light turned yellow too late to stop safely and you would be in violation when the camera snapped its picture. I know it is cheaper than hiring officers and training them but whenever you automate something you open yourself to failure. To listen to them this is absolutely fool-proof, a perfect deterrent to a serious crime. I know I sleep better at night knowing a camera is watching over me.
I will add to this as time permits... today has gotten a little hectic...
1. The Accidental Tourist In Your Own Home Town
For some reason all of the various authorities who handle repairs or modifications to our road systems are completely unable to plan their projects in such a way that the world does not almost have to come to a stop. This weekend they are closing the major east/west freeway at the interchange with the outer loop. Concurrently, the first east/west road to the north is also under construction in that same area. And the loop is under construction on the road level through the first road to the south. For most of the weekend this will mean total chaos in the area. Couldn't they coordinate a little better? It is not as bad as the time when they had another section of the same freeway closed and the first 3 street going north and south of it were all either closed down to 1 way or seriously under construction. That took real smarts to plan. I guess they want us to get out and see more of our neighborhoods as we try to find creative routes to use. This construction is also linked to the reason why it now takes me an hour to travel about 5 blocks in the evening when leaving work. Their ability to look at the whole picture boggles me.
2. We don't want more cops, just more tickets...
We are installing "Red Light Cameras" at many intersections in our city to catch people who, what else, run the red light. The owner of the car gets a photo from the camera and a ticket in the mail. No muss, no fuss, no worry about extenuating circumstances. Like the one nearest me- last week the light was short cycling... literally as soon as it turned green it turned yellow and then red. The camera was flashing like a strobe. Anyone who pulled into the intersection would never be able to clear it before it was red and a photo of them "running the red" was on its way to produce a ticket. I realize this is extreme but I have seen situations where there was no way to clear the intersection after the light turned yellow too late to stop safely and you would be in violation when the camera snapped its picture. I know it is cheaper than hiring officers and training them but whenever you automate something you open yourself to failure. To listen to them this is absolutely fool-proof, a perfect deterrent to a serious crime. I know I sleep better at night knowing a camera is watching over me.
I will add to this as time permits... today has gotten a little hectic...
So, instead of screaming at other drivers on the road to and fro, I have decided to plead my case for anger here. I am sure that many of you have felt the same way I have in your travels on the roads of the world. So here, in no certain order, are my current "road rage" issues...
1. The Inverse Law of Vehicle Size
Why is it that people who cannot drive must go out and buy the largest vehicle they can find? I can only surmise that it is so they feel they will be safe when the inevitable collision (which they will cause) occurs. They feel compelled to surround themselves with a ton or more of steel to compensate for their lack of prowess behind the wheel. The problem is only made worse by the fact that by their nature these vehicles are hard to drive. They have less maneuverability and require a greater distance to stop. They occupy more space in a lane so holding that lane is vital. And just because your vehicle can be seen from orbit does not mean that you do not have to use a turn signal. There should be a special class of license to operate these vehicles I am convinced. The nastiest part of this all is that these vehicles cost a ton of money and so the people driving them already have the "ignorance of the rich" working against them oftentimes. (that is the total disregard for anyone else as they are obviously unimportant since they do not earn a ridiculous salary) There are plenty of driving schools out there- go to one and learn how to drive. Maybe even get the little booklet from the Highway Dept and learn the rules of the road. Please...
2. My cell phone is my friend
While that may be a true statement, it is not the friend of everyone else on the road behind you. Normally oral sex is the reason for 35, 50, 35, 50 as you go down the highway. Not so anymore... it is usually a varied phone conversation or the juggling of the phone, the coffee cup and the wheel. You only have two hands- you cannot safely at highway speed do three things... get a headset! I cannot count the number of times that I have been slowed to a crawl while a person tries to settle in for a long conversation by dicking with their phone.
3. Just because you HAVE a license does not mean you SHOULD be able to drive
Old people have it rough, believe me. Every day I see how age affects us when we hit the golden years. However, just because you still have a current driver's license does not mean that you are qualified to still be on the road. I understand that the loss of the right to drive is also a loss of independence and I know I will chafe at it when my time comes. Every day, and I mean EVERY day, I am forced to cope with a driver, who probably should not be on the road judging by their straining to see over the wheel, who is traveling in the center lane of the freeway at between ten and fifteen miles and hour UNDER the posted speed. Fine, you want to go slow? GET IN THE RIGHT-HAND LANE! That is what it is there for so use it. This last part links into my next point...
4. No One appointed you Speed Warden
People who, for whatever reason, have decided that they will get in the fast lane (the left one) and travel at or slightly below the speed limit should not be confused when people honk at them. I am sorry, it is the fast lane, or passing lane, and you should not sit in and attempt to curtail those people who wish to risk a ticket or worse and travel at their own rate of speed. You were not tasked with this and no one will think you a good person for snarling traffic. Believe me....
5. If you can move your vehicle after a wreck. clear it!
Of course this depends on the law of your area. Here we have a strict policy called "Steer it and clear it" which means that if you vehicle is safely drivable it is your responsibility to clear the lanes of traffic. Pull into a parking lot or a side street. Accident investigation cops are really good at figuring out what happened and eyewitnesses who are there because they are being helpful are much nicer than people you have trapped there by your refusal to move.
Anything I have missed? Feel free to add them... these are just what I have had bothering me recently.
Tomorrow: eRAge about politics and idiocy at the governmental level...
1. The Inverse Law of Vehicle Size
Why is it that people who cannot drive must go out and buy the largest vehicle they can find? I can only surmise that it is so they feel they will be safe when the inevitable collision (which they will cause) occurs. They feel compelled to surround themselves with a ton or more of steel to compensate for their lack of prowess behind the wheel. The problem is only made worse by the fact that by their nature these vehicles are hard to drive. They have less maneuverability and require a greater distance to stop. They occupy more space in a lane so holding that lane is vital. And just because your vehicle can be seen from orbit does not mean that you do not have to use a turn signal. There should be a special class of license to operate these vehicles I am convinced. The nastiest part of this all is that these vehicles cost a ton of money and so the people driving them already have the "ignorance of the rich" working against them oftentimes. (that is the total disregard for anyone else as they are obviously unimportant since they do not earn a ridiculous salary) There are plenty of driving schools out there- go to one and learn how to drive. Maybe even get the little booklet from the Highway Dept and learn the rules of the road. Please...
2. My cell phone is my friend
While that may be a true statement, it is not the friend of everyone else on the road behind you. Normally oral sex is the reason for 35, 50, 35, 50 as you go down the highway. Not so anymore... it is usually a varied phone conversation or the juggling of the phone, the coffee cup and the wheel. You only have two hands- you cannot safely at highway speed do three things... get a headset! I cannot count the number of times that I have been slowed to a crawl while a person tries to settle in for a long conversation by dicking with their phone.
3. Just because you HAVE a license does not mean you SHOULD be able to drive
Old people have it rough, believe me. Every day I see how age affects us when we hit the golden years. However, just because you still have a current driver's license does not mean that you are qualified to still be on the road. I understand that the loss of the right to drive is also a loss of independence and I know I will chafe at it when my time comes. Every day, and I mean EVERY day, I am forced to cope with a driver, who probably should not be on the road judging by their straining to see over the wheel, who is traveling in the center lane of the freeway at between ten and fifteen miles and hour UNDER the posted speed. Fine, you want to go slow? GET IN THE RIGHT-HAND LANE! That is what it is there for so use it. This last part links into my next point...
4. No One appointed you Speed Warden
People who, for whatever reason, have decided that they will get in the fast lane (the left one) and travel at or slightly below the speed limit should not be confused when people honk at them. I am sorry, it is the fast lane, or passing lane, and you should not sit in and attempt to curtail those people who wish to risk a ticket or worse and travel at their own rate of speed. You were not tasked with this and no one will think you a good person for snarling traffic. Believe me....
5. If you can move your vehicle after a wreck. clear it!
Of course this depends on the law of your area. Here we have a strict policy called "Steer it and clear it" which means that if you vehicle is safely drivable it is your responsibility to clear the lanes of traffic. Pull into a parking lot or a side street. Accident investigation cops are really good at figuring out what happened and eyewitnesses who are there because they are being helpful are much nicer than people you have trapped there by your refusal to move.
Anything I have missed? Feel free to add them... these are just what I have had bothering me recently.
Tomorrow: eRAge about politics and idiocy at the governmental level...
- Mood:Mad as hell... lol
Okay- before I start I must say I am not a music critic, I am a musician. As such I am not going to dissect this selection in the usual way. That said....
Gordon Sumner, aka Sting, released an album called "Songs from the Labyrinth" last year and it marked what many thought was a radical change from what he normally records. Not so, says the musician in me. If anything, it is precisely what I would expect from him. The songs are mostly from John Dowland, an Elizabethan/Jacobean songwriter/lutenist. (I will not go into detail about him here- look him up, he is quite fascinating.) Sting has always pushed at the limits of what his audience would listen to and has done so quite successfully over that last decade. This time he has rendered an amazing piece of art that it totally inaccessible to the masses who normally buy his stuff. The sad thing is, this is perhaps one of his finest recordings based simply on his musicianship and talent. These songs leave little room for studio tricks and complicated arrangements to make them amazing. He is joined by Edin (as in Edinborough) Karamazov, a lutenist from Sarajevo who is amazing in his own right. The liner notes contain the story of how these two men got involved with each other and the music of Dowland. If for nothing else- seek out this album to listen to the last track, "In Darkness Let Me Dwell," a track that Karamazov says is the "greatest song ever written in the english language." Intercut in-between the songs are excerpts from a letter written by Dowland to an official of the English court. Pay attention to what the words are saying and the songs that frame it make sense in a strangely surreal way. This album can be hard to find, but is well worth the effort if you like historical music or your tastes run to the ecclectic. The fact it is on the Deutsche Grammophone label should immediately tip you off that it is really something different for Sting. I think it would have been more amazing to have released it as Gordon Sumner just to see how it would fare without "Sting" emblazoned across the cover.
Gordon Sumner, aka Sting, released an album called "Songs from the Labyrinth" last year and it marked what many thought was a radical change from what he normally records. Not so, says the musician in me. If anything, it is precisely what I would expect from him. The songs are mostly from John Dowland, an Elizabethan/Jacobean songwriter/lutenist. (I will not go into detail about him here- look him up, he is quite fascinating.) Sting has always pushed at the limits of what his audience would listen to and has done so quite successfully over that last decade. This time he has rendered an amazing piece of art that it totally inaccessible to the masses who normally buy his stuff. The sad thing is, this is perhaps one of his finest recordings based simply on his musicianship and talent. These songs leave little room for studio tricks and complicated arrangements to make them amazing. He is joined by Edin (as in Edinborough) Karamazov, a lutenist from Sarajevo who is amazing in his own right. The liner notes contain the story of how these two men got involved with each other and the music of Dowland. If for nothing else- seek out this album to listen to the last track, "In Darkness Let Me Dwell," a track that Karamazov says is the "greatest song ever written in the english language." Intercut in-between the songs are excerpts from a letter written by Dowland to an official of the English court. Pay attention to what the words are saying and the songs that frame it make sense in a strangely surreal way. This album can be hard to find, but is well worth the effort if you like historical music or your tastes run to the ecclectic. The fact it is on the Deutsche Grammophone label should immediately tip you off that it is really something different for Sting. I think it would have been more amazing to have released it as Gordon Sumner just to see how it would fare without "Sting" emblazoned across the cover.
So, I have little time but must relay- our tanker fire and subsequent damage... absolutely trivial... To show you how it is really done, look the the genius in California... he was able to survive when 8600 gallons of gasoline destroyed a 3 highway interchange that affects 75000 cars a day in the bay area... it will take months to fix... if you have a chance go look at the pictures... pretty amazing. No fatalities though so this driving virtuoso can resume hauling loads into your neighborhoods really soon.
So, the Virginia Tech story just keeps circulating around my office. This week we started talking about whether or not the shooter was EVIL. Was he in control of himself? At what point do you attribute this behavior to mental illness and at what point is it just aberrant and evil behavior? Well... he fired over 170 shots. The weapons he used have the ability to load a 17 round magazine. That means he had to reload his weapons 9 times once he started shooting. He was not angry, screaming or acting irrational. Those facts must make him EVIL, right? Something to think about- we will get back to this at a later date.
Talk radio is a "guilty pleasure" if you will... I usually sit and listen to it and occasionally yell things at the radio... like "idiot" and "hypocrite" and other things too strong to relate. However, tying into the above story, I had the misfortune of tuning into the "Joe 'Pags' Shows" this week. Don't ask me to spell his last name. He was discussing a news story about the placement of 32 stones in memory of the victims at VTech and how a sophomore female had placed a 33rd stone to "memorialize" the shooter. He took off on a rant about how this girl was misguided, how could she do that? He interspersed, however, comments about how he wanted to be more "christ-like" and forgiving. He proceeded to abuse callers using one or the other of the above dogmatic arguments (I use the word dogmatic because there was not consideration that what he was saying might be wrong, based on false presumption, etc.) as they applied, never realizing the hypocrisy of his words. On one hand he says that although she might be more "forgiving" than he is, she is an idiot and has no right to ask for forgiveness for the shooter while on the other trying to dodge the negative implications by making overtures toward his "christian" morality. He claims to have "discussions" with his callers but what he means to say is "if you agree with me I will let you talk, disagree and I will heap derision on you." How can people listen to this crap and not get frustrated by it. The dearth of mouths that flap on these shows stick to a "truth" that cannot be denied- even when rational argument proves it fallacy. Could it be that she was not celebrating his life and acts but rather asking people to mourn the loss of a young man who was obviously troubled and not getting the care he needed? Could it be that she is able to look beyond his horrific crime and feel some pity for this lost soul? Joe could not see the stone as anything but a celebration of murder, plain and simple. The shooter was evil- not even a person in his mind. I hope he gets cancelled... but I know he will still be there next week. Other talk shows that are equally full of bullsh*t are still on the radio, still misleading people, still creating a culture of apathetic lemmings. Call your local station, write them letters, tell them this stuff sucks. Quit listening, quit buying products advertised by these morons. Vote THEIR candidates out of office if they are not serving YOUR interests. YOU are the country- not them. They are a spoiled group who have more than run their course. Time for a change. AND, I am not saying vote Democrat either- some of them are as evil and ignorant as their right-sitting counterparts. Get the "professionals" out of government and get some new ideas in there. Not rehashing the same old sh*t from the other side of the fence, but something fresh that might make this a better place. Both sides have had their turn and neither got it right. The closest we came was when someone worked the middle, where most of us are... imagine that.
Okay- tidbits around the area...
1. A tanker truck blew up this morning after the driver took an exit ramp going much too fast. Sadly, the driver was killed in the resultant fire and/or explosion. This very same behavior can be seen in almost every area of the country- we are all in such a rush that stupid accidents occur. Luckily there was only 1 fatality.
2. Another truck was hit by a train and destroyed today. Details are still unavailable.
3. I am reminded of Michael Moore's "Bowling for Columbine" today as I read the news feed- story after story with only 1 goal it seems- to tell you how unsafe you are doing anything anywhere in this country. Guns, insanity, violence were not invented yesterday people- the "gentler" times had their share of this stuff but they were not as bad as society did not glorify it, exploit it and use it to market products to the masses. Think about that the next time you buy your kid a GTA game or take them to see the most recent action-epic with a high body count.
4. The new Spiderman movie comes out next week. Spiderman was always a closet favorite of mine as he seemed to have a real life, with real problems that needed real solutions as well as super-powered badguys constantly trying to permanently retire him. Early indications are that this film hits closest to true to the huge history of the Spiderman legacy. Hopefully there will be some resonance in our youth of the message of personal responsibility.
5. Want a jarring experience? Watch the 1974 sleaze film "Flesh Gordon" followed by the "Flash Gordon" film from the late 70s with Sam Neil and that nifty Queen soundtrack. Did they remake the serial or the exploitation ripoff? I need to track down good copies of the original Buster Crabbe serial to find out. Oh- and don't miss the "dedication" for "Flesh"- in it the producers try to convince you this is a "tribute" to the serials, satire, and burlesque and the mark they left on American culture... so much work for a softcore nudie flick.
6. Why can't we make a Philip K. Dick movie that follows the story? Please discuss...
7. Topics of research this week- Coronal Mass ejections, Spongiform Encephalopathies, Health impacts of corn syrup and HFCS, and Moroes.
Until next time!
Talk radio is a "guilty pleasure" if you will... I usually sit and listen to it and occasionally yell things at the radio... like "idiot" and "hypocrite" and other things too strong to relate. However, tying into the above story, I had the misfortune of tuning into the "Joe 'Pags' Shows" this week. Don't ask me to spell his last name. He was discussing a news story about the placement of 32 stones in memory of the victims at VTech and how a sophomore female had placed a 33rd stone to "memorialize" the shooter. He took off on a rant about how this girl was misguided, how could she do that? He interspersed, however, comments about how he wanted to be more "christ-like" and forgiving. He proceeded to abuse callers using one or the other of the above dogmatic arguments (I use the word dogmatic because there was not consideration that what he was saying might be wrong, based on false presumption, etc.) as they applied, never realizing the hypocrisy of his words. On one hand he says that although she might be more "forgiving" than he is, she is an idiot and has no right to ask for forgiveness for the shooter while on the other trying to dodge the negative implications by making overtures toward his "christian" morality. He claims to have "discussions" with his callers but what he means to say is "if you agree with me I will let you talk, disagree and I will heap derision on you." How can people listen to this crap and not get frustrated by it. The dearth of mouths that flap on these shows stick to a "truth" that cannot be denied- even when rational argument proves it fallacy. Could it be that she was not celebrating his life and acts but rather asking people to mourn the loss of a young man who was obviously troubled and not getting the care he needed? Could it be that she is able to look beyond his horrific crime and feel some pity for this lost soul? Joe could not see the stone as anything but a celebration of murder, plain and simple. The shooter was evil- not even a person in his mind. I hope he gets cancelled... but I know he will still be there next week. Other talk shows that are equally full of bullsh*t are still on the radio, still misleading people, still creating a culture of apathetic lemmings. Call your local station, write them letters, tell them this stuff sucks. Quit listening, quit buying products advertised by these morons. Vote THEIR candidates out of office if they are not serving YOUR interests. YOU are the country- not them. They are a spoiled group who have more than run their course. Time for a change. AND, I am not saying vote Democrat either- some of them are as evil and ignorant as their right-sitting counterparts. Get the "professionals" out of government and get some new ideas in there. Not rehashing the same old sh*t from the other side of the fence, but something fresh that might make this a better place. Both sides have had their turn and neither got it right. The closest we came was when someone worked the middle, where most of us are... imagine that.
Okay- tidbits around the area...
1. A tanker truck blew up this morning after the driver took an exit ramp going much too fast. Sadly, the driver was killed in the resultant fire and/or explosion. This very same behavior can be seen in almost every area of the country- we are all in such a rush that stupid accidents occur. Luckily there was only 1 fatality.
2. Another truck was hit by a train and destroyed today. Details are still unavailable.
3. I am reminded of Michael Moore's "Bowling for Columbine" today as I read the news feed- story after story with only 1 goal it seems- to tell you how unsafe you are doing anything anywhere in this country. Guns, insanity, violence were not invented yesterday people- the "gentler" times had their share of this stuff but they were not as bad as society did not glorify it, exploit it and use it to market products to the masses. Think about that the next time you buy your kid a GTA game or take them to see the most recent action-epic with a high body count.
4. The new Spiderman movie comes out next week. Spiderman was always a closet favorite of mine as he seemed to have a real life, with real problems that needed real solutions as well as super-powered badguys constantly trying to permanently retire him. Early indications are that this film hits closest to true to the huge history of the Spiderman legacy. Hopefully there will be some resonance in our youth of the message of personal responsibility.
5. Want a jarring experience? Watch the 1974 sleaze film "Flesh Gordon" followed by the "Flash Gordon" film from the late 70s with Sam Neil and that nifty Queen soundtrack. Did they remake the serial or the exploitation ripoff? I need to track down good copies of the original Buster Crabbe serial to find out. Oh- and don't miss the "dedication" for "Flesh"- in it the producers try to convince you this is a "tribute" to the serials, satire, and burlesque and the mark they left on American culture... so much work for a softcore nudie flick.
6. Why can't we make a Philip K. Dick movie that follows the story? Please discuss...
7. Topics of research this week- Coronal Mass ejections, Spongiform Encephalopathies, Health impacts of corn syrup and HFCS, and Moroes.
Until next time!
It is through silent tongues, averted eyes and passionless hearts that despair finds its way into the human spirit.
I am back for now. Too many things need to be said and I am just the one to say them. No more personal stuff. Period. Well, everything here is personal I guess, but no more direct life commentary as to my situation or my deepest feelings. Anecdotes and rants will be order of the day. Starting with this:
I found out this week that McDonald's Chicken McNuggets contain more "other" things than chicken. The chicken that is in them is POWDERED chicken. Is that anything like powdered toast? This "chicken" is mixed with all sorts of things that can vaguely be called food and formed into the "nugget" and then battered and sent to the stores frozen. A quick dip in the trans-fat laden frying "grease" and then on to your table, you lucky consumer. Enough to make me lose my appetite.
Obviously people are getting totally desensitized these days. Today we had a 4 alarm fire on the fifth floor of an office building. In an interview with a woman whose office is on the fourth floor she stated that she thought she had heard a fire alarm but did not notice anything was wrong until she looked out the window and saw all the fire trucks. The floor right above you is on fire! If the fire alarm was that silent it sounds like building management is in for some fun in court. Sadly three people perished in the fire and a fireman was rushed to the hospital with smoke inhalation as his oxygen ran out while fighting the blaze. My thoughts are with the families who lost someone today.
I have an assistant at work who provides me a definitely different insight into the "American" experience, being Mexican American and having relatives who are still Mexican nationals. Today he came to my office to show me a Rush Limbaugh commentary regarding illegal immigration and the proposed "Limbaugh Laws" which seemed draconian and rather fascist. At the end of the rant, it comes to light that he is proposing exactly what the Mexican government does and how their laws treat aliens, legal and illegal. He is really angry that his family jumped through the legal hoops to become citizens but now we are extending the same benefits (and in some cases more benefits) to people who are here illegally and seem to have no interest in becoming citizens. Hearing it from his perspective was eye-opening. I now have a better appreciation for all of Americans of Mexican descent who protested against the amnesty bill. Note I say "American" not "Mexican-American" as that is how he views himself. I am an "American" with "Irish-German" heritage but would never call myself such. Nor would I insist the we speak German or Gaelic or that you provide me a suitable education, government forms, voting, etc in those languages. So, I still think Rush is an idiot 95% of the time but here I think he hits it on the head.
I found out this week that McDonald's Chicken McNuggets contain more "other" things than chicken. The chicken that is in them is POWDERED chicken. Is that anything like powdered toast? This "chicken" is mixed with all sorts of things that can vaguely be called food and formed into the "nugget" and then battered and sent to the stores frozen. A quick dip in the trans-fat laden frying "grease" and then on to your table, you lucky consumer. Enough to make me lose my appetite.
Obviously people are getting totally desensitized these days. Today we had a 4 alarm fire on the fifth floor of an office building. In an interview with a woman whose office is on the fourth floor she stated that she thought she had heard a fire alarm but did not notice anything was wrong until she looked out the window and saw all the fire trucks. The floor right above you is on fire! If the fire alarm was that silent it sounds like building management is in for some fun in court. Sadly three people perished in the fire and a fireman was rushed to the hospital with smoke inhalation as his oxygen ran out while fighting the blaze. My thoughts are with the families who lost someone today.
I have an assistant at work who provides me a definitely different insight into the "American" experience, being Mexican American and having relatives who are still Mexican nationals. Today he came to my office to show me a Rush Limbaugh commentary regarding illegal immigration and the proposed "Limbaugh Laws" which seemed draconian and rather fascist. At the end of the rant, it comes to light that he is proposing exactly what the Mexican government does and how their laws treat aliens, legal and illegal. He is really angry that his family jumped through the legal hoops to become citizens but now we are extending the same benefits (and in some cases more benefits) to people who are here illegally and seem to have no interest in becoming citizens. Hearing it from his perspective was eye-opening. I now have a better appreciation for all of Americans of Mexican descent who protested against the amnesty bill. Note I say "American" not "Mexican-American" as that is how he views himself. I am an "American" with "Irish-German" heritage but would never call myself such. Nor would I insist the we speak German or Gaelic or that you provide me a suitable education, government forms, voting, etc in those languages. So, I still think Rush is an idiot 95% of the time but here I think he hits it on the head.
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