After the strangeness of yesterday I'm so glad to wake to a brighter day today. Not that I was particularly gray yesterday, I wasn't, it just took an odd turn early on. I got a lot done though, I was pretty happy about that.
But last night I was reading before I went to bed and I found something I love. Thomas Friedman has taken my feelings about George Bush's America scooped them right out of me and put them in words way better than I could ever have imagined in his latest book "Hot, Flat, and Crowded"
I can't really decide if I totally agree with this guy or not. He made some good points in "The World is Flat." the first book of his that I read, a few years ago. But I thought some of his positions fell flat. I'm not very far into this one, so I haven't even begun to form an opinion about it but I wanted to share my favorite passage, it sums up exactly what's wrong today and shows us what we are vs. what we need to be.
"Because a place where birds don't fly is a place where people didn't mix, ideas don't get sparked, friendships don't get forged, stereotypes don't get broken, collaboration doesn't happen, trust doesn't get built, and freedom doesn't ring. That is not the kind of place we want America to be. That is not the kind of place we can afford America to be. An America living in a defensive crouch cannot fully tap the vast rivers of idealism, innovation, volunteerism, and philanthropy that still flow through our nation. And it cannot play the vital role it has long played for the rest of the world-as a beacon of hope and the country that can always be counted on to lead the world in response to whatever is the most important challenge of the day. We need that America-and we need to be that America -more than ever today."
Wow, that about sums it up for me. I've known there is something wrong for a long time, yet I've not been able to put my finger on it. I read that last night and thought, oh my God! This guy has put into words exactly what I've been having a problem with. George Bush's America is a closed-minded fearful isolationist bullying little world in which the crazy rule. Perhaps that's why the dissenters have been so quiet these past few years, no one to talk to. The point I think they missed is that this is exactly when they need to be their most vocal.
And though I haven't linked to his blog a for awhile, today's post reminded me why I started reading him in the first place. Here's a link to Bamboonation where Prince Gomolvilas sums up the need for Proposition 8 in California, and what it's really about.
Thanks for the reminder Prince.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Odd Moments
It's funny how something small can send you into a weird spiral. I was driving in this morning listening to a CD and the lyrics of the song suddenly brought to mind all the people I've lost over the years. Let's just say there were tears. Let's also say I was surprised by this development.
I mean, yes, there is the occasional day when I get out the photo albums and have a good cry, but they're very few and far between, and something usually precipitates such a maudlin event. This was quite different. I was in a good mood, not terribly pensive this morning and I was just singing along with the song. It was definitely an odd moment.
Truth is, I do miss them terribly sometimes. But they were all there with me fer sher this morning.
It's nice that they come visit occasionally though.
I mean, yes, there is the occasional day when I get out the photo albums and have a good cry, but they're very few and far between, and something usually precipitates such a maudlin event. This was quite different. I was in a good mood, not terribly pensive this morning and I was just singing along with the song. It was definitely an odd moment.
Truth is, I do miss them terribly sometimes. But they were all there with me fer sher this morning.
It's nice that they come visit occasionally though.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Justice? What's that?
I've read that George Bush has instructed his staff to prepare for the transition to the new President's staff in a few months. Read-He's got them shredding and deleting and reformatting into a frenzy so that the new administration will be under the misguided impression that they're walking into a completely blank new world, wait, Blank New World, forget Aldous Huxley.
Of course, if John McCain is elected, then the blank new world won't be so new to him.
I'm reading that there have been certain states that have placed their National Guard units on alert to impose martial law in the event that the economic crisis goes ballistic. How comforting to know that we've come to that point and were heretofore unaware.
I've also read that with the economic crisis having reached the point it has, that the organizations who foolishly exist on the Machiavellian whims of corporate America, you know, like food kitchens, meals on wheels, pantries, homeless shelters and the like. They're feeling the pinch cause when the rich get less so, the first thing that goes is other people. Corporate giving has tanked in recent weeks and a lot of organizations aren't able to make their nut. So what happens? People go hungry, they begin to contemplate the prospect of living outdoors..IN THE WINTER! And they die.
Where in the hell do we live? I heard a story on NPR this morning of a woman who got herself and her children off welfare 45 years ago by working at a nursing home. I've no idea how long she worked there, nor if she was able to retire, but I do know that now...at 68, she's back on welfare. Unable to secure employment, unable to care for herself, and unable to escape the cycle of poverty she's spent most of her life in, she had to go back on welfare just to survive. WHAT THE FUCK?
I suppose she could move somewhere else and start over. I suppose she could try to find some government program that's not currently overrun with applicants that MIGHT help her secure employment. But she lives in a small desert town and the elderly are far less inclined to relocate as they age.
I contend it all goes back to an education system that is so inherently flawed that it doesn't function in a manner that would do anything but keep the masses stupid and hungry. And those in power like it that way.
We don't have anyone anymore that speaks truth to power, so why wouldn't they live in their own little deluded world where they can just cast crumbs to the masses and go off to their little 450k junkets right after they got themselves bailed out at our expense? Oh, and I also read the other day that Wachovia, remember them? They guys who had to be bailed out of their subprime mortgage mess and then had Citigroup and Wells Fargo fighting over the meaty bits? They loaned the Republican party 800k at the height of their insolvency.
Chris Rock said it best recently:
"George W. Bush has fucked up so bad, he's made it hard for the white man to be President."
Well, if this is what we get, what makes it so damn important for them to be President anyway?
Of course, if John McCain is elected, then the blank new world won't be so new to him.
I'm reading that there have been certain states that have placed their National Guard units on alert to impose martial law in the event that the economic crisis goes ballistic. How comforting to know that we've come to that point and were heretofore unaware.
I've also read that with the economic crisis having reached the point it has, that the organizations who foolishly exist on the Machiavellian whims of corporate America, you know, like food kitchens, meals on wheels, pantries, homeless shelters and the like. They're feeling the pinch cause when the rich get less so, the first thing that goes is other people. Corporate giving has tanked in recent weeks and a lot of organizations aren't able to make their nut. So what happens? People go hungry, they begin to contemplate the prospect of living outdoors..IN THE WINTER! And they die.
Where in the hell do we live? I heard a story on NPR this morning of a woman who got herself and her children off welfare 45 years ago by working at a nursing home. I've no idea how long she worked there, nor if she was able to retire, but I do know that now...at 68, she's back on welfare. Unable to secure employment, unable to care for herself, and unable to escape the cycle of poverty she's spent most of her life in, she had to go back on welfare just to survive. WHAT THE FUCK?
I suppose she could move somewhere else and start over. I suppose she could try to find some government program that's not currently overrun with applicants that MIGHT help her secure employment. But she lives in a small desert town and the elderly are far less inclined to relocate as they age.
I contend it all goes back to an education system that is so inherently flawed that it doesn't function in a manner that would do anything but keep the masses stupid and hungry. And those in power like it that way.
We don't have anyone anymore that speaks truth to power, so why wouldn't they live in their own little deluded world where they can just cast crumbs to the masses and go off to their little 450k junkets right after they got themselves bailed out at our expense? Oh, and I also read the other day that Wachovia, remember them? They guys who had to be bailed out of their subprime mortgage mess and then had Citigroup and Wells Fargo fighting over the meaty bits? They loaned the Republican party 800k at the height of their insolvency.
Chris Rock said it best recently:
"George W. Bush has fucked up so bad, he's made it hard for the white man to be President."
Well, if this is what we get, what makes it so damn important for them to be President anyway?
Monday, October 13, 2008
Hypocrites are so predictable
The Catholic Diocese in Fresno Ca. has suspended Father Geoffrey Farrow. I'd be shocked if I didn't know they were going to do it all along.
The hypocrisy of that organization knows no bounds, never has. The power they've obtained has been through intimidation and the ability to amass large sums of money with which one can always manipulate the will of others.
It's truly a shame that someone who attempts to be a voice for the civil rights for all is silenced by such a shameless bunch of charlatans.
The Catholic Church has long professed love for all human beings while at the same time smiting them for failing to be anything other than what they are...human.
The mighty always fall, these dissemblers will as well, and when they least expect it.
Another strike for organized religion, what a sham.
The hypocrisy of that organization knows no bounds, never has. The power they've obtained has been through intimidation and the ability to amass large sums of money with which one can always manipulate the will of others.
It's truly a shame that someone who attempts to be a voice for the civil rights for all is silenced by such a shameless bunch of charlatans.
The Catholic Church has long professed love for all human beings while at the same time smiting them for failing to be anything other than what they are...human.
The mighty always fall, these dissemblers will as well, and when they least expect it.
Another strike for organized religion, what a sham.
We're so delusional
I know I'm delusional, and narcissistic, but most Americans could give me lessons. I'm amazed at the capacity of people to delude themselves. That anyone would actually consider voting for John McCain in the next few weeks is astounding to me.
George W. Bush, whom McCain models himself after cause he has no original ideas of his own, didn't just destroy the economy of the United States, he destroyed the economies of the entire world! That's how big a fuck up he is!
I thought this piece from Newsweek was interesting, and made the points much better than I ever could:
In Britain as in the United States, the vision was about more than owning a home. It was about being a better person. With a home came traditional values, an appreciation of hard work, prudent living, civic-mindedness, patriotism and ultimately a more stable society. Or so the rhetoric went.
But eventually, it all went sour. By the turn of the century, the proliferation of easy credit and universal stock ownership combined to create anything but a conservative society of thrift. Average household debt levels are now higher in Britain than in any other major country in the developed world. In the United States, the shift away from corporate pensions to 401(k) retirement accounts plunged millions more into the equity markets and loosened the traditional connection between companies and workers, which was one element of that 1950s dream that conservatives like Bush conveniently forgot. The ownership society of the 1950s was anchored by a labor movement that made sure that workers received something resembling their share—remember Truman's Fair Deal? The deal for the past eight years has been fair to merchants of capital, and then some. But to the tens of millions on the receiving rather than originating end of those mortgages, fairness has been in short supply.
No, this can't be reduced to a swindle. We all bear some burden for the current morass. You can't peddle what people don't want to buy, and for a while it seemed a decent trade-off: Wall Street got rich, and Main Street got homes. The easy terms—and that is putting it lightly—of mortgages gave many a chance to own a home who never would have qualified for a mortgage in years past. But it also gave others the option to buy, sell and flip. Every speculator a home? That wasn't supposed to be part of the equation.
The irony is that more homeownership and stock ownership has actually weakened traditional bonds. For the past decade, as homeownership went up, marriages continued to fail. As a percentage of the population, fewer people are getting married now than 10 years ago. Single-parent homes are on the rise. So is unemployment, which has increased to 6.1 percent, up from 4.5 percent in 2000. With foreclosures now running at more than 300,000 a month, and stock portfolios and retirement savings shrinking with the global-equity sell-off, there has been a notable increase in demand for mental-health services—which is a problem, given that many health-care plans, the ones left to the private sector, cover only a few visits. Studies have also shown a link between difficult economic straits and declining health and higher mortality. And as the editor and writer Tina Brown, a sharp tracker of social trends, recently said at NEWSWEEK's Women & Leadership conference, "I think the financial crisis is going to put a lot of marriages under great stress. There really isn't enough to go around, and there are choices to be made. When men lose their job they frequently feel a great loss of manly self-confidence, and that has great impact on a marriage."
The final referendum on the ownership society will be the November election. The rhetoric of both parties and candidates for president suggests that regardless of who wins, the vision of the past eight years is being rejected in favor of hunkering down, paying off debt, regulating the anarchic world of credit and derivatives, and unraveling systemic knots that have assumed Gordian complexity. As Barack Obama recently said, "in Washington they call this the ownership society, but what it really means is, you're on your own."
This crisis will pass, eventually, and on the other side there will still be global electronic exchanges and computer-enhanced models; there will still be mortgages; and there will still be a deep cultural yearning for a place of one's own. There may be less froth and more discipline in the coming years—combined with reduced circumstances and less money. Lean times are their own source of hopes and desires, and drive people to find new ways to satisfy old yearnings. There may be more prudent ways to create a world where families are stable and living in their own homes. But the gap between that dream and messy reality isn't likely to close any time soon. Let's hope that we have learned something about how much we can have and how quickly. For Americans in particular, that would be a real revolution.
Karabell is president of RiverTwice Research and senior adviser for Business for Social Responsibility.
© 2008
George W. Bush, whom McCain models himself after cause he has no original ideas of his own, didn't just destroy the economy of the United States, he destroyed the economies of the entire world! That's how big a fuck up he is!
I thought this piece from Newsweek was interesting, and made the points much better than I ever could:
In Britain as in the United States, the vision was about more than owning a home. It was about being a better person. With a home came traditional values, an appreciation of hard work, prudent living, civic-mindedness, patriotism and ultimately a more stable society. Or so the rhetoric went.
But eventually, it all went sour. By the turn of the century, the proliferation of easy credit and universal stock ownership combined to create anything but a conservative society of thrift. Average household debt levels are now higher in Britain than in any other major country in the developed world. In the United States, the shift away from corporate pensions to 401(k) retirement accounts plunged millions more into the equity markets and loosened the traditional connection between companies and workers, which was one element of that 1950s dream that conservatives like Bush conveniently forgot. The ownership society of the 1950s was anchored by a labor movement that made sure that workers received something resembling their share—remember Truman's Fair Deal? The deal for the past eight years has been fair to merchants of capital, and then some. But to the tens of millions on the receiving rather than originating end of those mortgages, fairness has been in short supply.
No, this can't be reduced to a swindle. We all bear some burden for the current morass. You can't peddle what people don't want to buy, and for a while it seemed a decent trade-off: Wall Street got rich, and Main Street got homes. The easy terms—and that is putting it lightly—of mortgages gave many a chance to own a home who never would have qualified for a mortgage in years past. But it also gave others the option to buy, sell and flip. Every speculator a home? That wasn't supposed to be part of the equation.
The irony is that more homeownership and stock ownership has actually weakened traditional bonds. For the past decade, as homeownership went up, marriages continued to fail. As a percentage of the population, fewer people are getting married now than 10 years ago. Single-parent homes are on the rise. So is unemployment, which has increased to 6.1 percent, up from 4.5 percent in 2000. With foreclosures now running at more than 300,000 a month, and stock portfolios and retirement savings shrinking with the global-equity sell-off, there has been a notable increase in demand for mental-health services—which is a problem, given that many health-care plans, the ones left to the private sector, cover only a few visits. Studies have also shown a link between difficult economic straits and declining health and higher mortality. And as the editor and writer Tina Brown, a sharp tracker of social trends, recently said at NEWSWEEK's Women & Leadership conference, "I think the financial crisis is going to put a lot of marriages under great stress. There really isn't enough to go around, and there are choices to be made. When men lose their job they frequently feel a great loss of manly self-confidence, and that has great impact on a marriage."
The final referendum on the ownership society will be the November election. The rhetoric of both parties and candidates for president suggests that regardless of who wins, the vision of the past eight years is being rejected in favor of hunkering down, paying off debt, regulating the anarchic world of credit and derivatives, and unraveling systemic knots that have assumed Gordian complexity. As Barack Obama recently said, "in Washington they call this the ownership society, but what it really means is, you're on your own."
This crisis will pass, eventually, and on the other side there will still be global electronic exchanges and computer-enhanced models; there will still be mortgages; and there will still be a deep cultural yearning for a place of one's own. There may be less froth and more discipline in the coming years—combined with reduced circumstances and less money. Lean times are their own source of hopes and desires, and drive people to find new ways to satisfy old yearnings. There may be more prudent ways to create a world where families are stable and living in their own homes. But the gap between that dream and messy reality isn't likely to close any time soon. Let's hope that we have learned something about how much we can have and how quickly. For Americans in particular, that would be a real revolution.
Karabell is president of RiverTwice Research and senior adviser for Business for Social Responsibility.
© 2008
Friday, October 10, 2008
Hot Guy Friday
Tom Hollander has recently come back onto my radar in a cute little film called "A Good Year" Starring Russell Crowe, and Abbie Cornish.
Tom is quite the exception for me in that I NEVER go for guys with curly hair. But Tom's so cute you have to overlook that.
Remember, there is nothing you can do about the collapse of the world economy. Nothing at all, so pour yourself a good stiff drink, sit back, and relax knowing that you're going to have to work the rest of your life just to eat and live indoors, and thank the Gods that we didn't privatize social security.
Love
(it's really all that matters anyway.)
Tom is quite the exception for me in that I NEVER go for guys with curly hair. But Tom's so cute you have to overlook that.
Remember, there is nothing you can do about the collapse of the world economy. Nothing at all, so pour yourself a good stiff drink, sit back, and relax knowing that you're going to have to work the rest of your life just to eat and live indoors, and thank the Gods that we didn't privatize social security.
Love
(it's really all that matters anyway.)
Thursday, October 9, 2008
work work work
I was at a workshop all day yesterday. The jury is still out on whether it was useful or not. I'm really more of a hands-on person when it comes to the kind of stuff we were doing and we didn't do hands-on until the last hour of the workshop. So I'll have to sit down and apply what I did pick up to my own stuff at work to find out just how much help it actually was.
On the 27th I'll be in a city in the southwest interviewing for a job I don't think I want. I can be assured they'll try to lowball me on the money and if they don't at least beat what I'm getting now by a few hundred a month it's not worth it. I want to go, I want to get started elsewhere, I want to transplant myself. I just don't want to give up eating and living indoors to do it.
I think the inventory of what I have here is what's putting a damper on my enthusiasm for the new job. I have a job that's pretty damn simple which pays me ok, and within very few limits I get to do whatever I want. Which is to say I'm spoiled as hell and going back to actual work for some organization that has already pissed me off twice before the interview gives me pause.
Also, as far as personal things I have almost everything I want right here. I'm teaching, albeit not full time. I've got horses at my disposal, and likely will buy one of my own come spring. I have full use of a fully equipped pottery studio weekly, and my own setup at home as well. No kiln there but that won't happen anywhere else either, for quite awhile. I'm losing my personal HB, he's off to greener pastures of his own, and so that search is back on, but it was sweet while it lasted. I love my apt, and the landlord is great, so the new situation will have to improve on the current one if I am to uproot and move on. Also, my social life here is going pretty well, so I'll be giving up that as well when I move to a place where I know no one.
I'm still thinking that my latest plan was the best, decide on the city, develop my network and go when I find a job or a situation that will work for me. Not just cause I want to, I mean, I do want to get out of here, I want to finalize the escape from my former family, but I simply can't manage to bite my nose off to spite my face. So maybe I need to go look at the more northern of my choices while I'm there. I do want to be elsewhere, and I do want to have a life in the particular state I've chosen, or rather that's chosen me, BUT, I'm not renting a Uhaul just yet.
I'll go to this interview and I'll get a vacation. I need one anyway, so it'll be good for me to get away and visit friends. But unless I have no job or some other calamity befalls me here, I'm not running out there and just taking what comes along just to make the move. I'm too old for that.
It's sort of one of those "I'll know it when I see it," kinda things.
God, I miss being impetuous.
On the 27th I'll be in a city in the southwest interviewing for a job I don't think I want. I can be assured they'll try to lowball me on the money and if they don't at least beat what I'm getting now by a few hundred a month it's not worth it. I want to go, I want to get started elsewhere, I want to transplant myself. I just don't want to give up eating and living indoors to do it.
I think the inventory of what I have here is what's putting a damper on my enthusiasm for the new job. I have a job that's pretty damn simple which pays me ok, and within very few limits I get to do whatever I want. Which is to say I'm spoiled as hell and going back to actual work for some organization that has already pissed me off twice before the interview gives me pause.
Also, as far as personal things I have almost everything I want right here. I'm teaching, albeit not full time. I've got horses at my disposal, and likely will buy one of my own come spring. I have full use of a fully equipped pottery studio weekly, and my own setup at home as well. No kiln there but that won't happen anywhere else either, for quite awhile. I'm losing my personal HB, he's off to greener pastures of his own, and so that search is back on, but it was sweet while it lasted. I love my apt, and the landlord is great, so the new situation will have to improve on the current one if I am to uproot and move on. Also, my social life here is going pretty well, so I'll be giving up that as well when I move to a place where I know no one.
I'm still thinking that my latest plan was the best, decide on the city, develop my network and go when I find a job or a situation that will work for me. Not just cause I want to, I mean, I do want to get out of here, I want to finalize the escape from my former family, but I simply can't manage to bite my nose off to spite my face. So maybe I need to go look at the more northern of my choices while I'm there. I do want to be elsewhere, and I do want to have a life in the particular state I've chosen, or rather that's chosen me, BUT, I'm not renting a Uhaul just yet.
I'll go to this interview and I'll get a vacation. I need one anyway, so it'll be good for me to get away and visit friends. But unless I have no job or some other calamity befalls me here, I'm not running out there and just taking what comes along just to make the move. I'm too old for that.
It's sort of one of those "I'll know it when I see it," kinda things.
God, I miss being impetuous.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
The price of freedom
For those of you who still manage somehow to believe in a deity, I submit for your consideration a lesson in what it means to be truly courageous.
Father Geoffrey Farrow, a priest at UC/Fresno this past Sunday gave what I am certain will be his last sermon from a Catholic pulpit. In so doing he became my hero.
By proclaiming his sexuality, and his opposition to Proposition 8 in California he effectively resigned the priesthood. I am certain that if it weren't illegal, those fucking hypocrites in the Catholic Church would have him stoned to death in the town square. Personally, I think we should erect a statue in his honor.
This man knows what it means to pay a price for freedom and was willing to do so. The following is a portion of his sermon, and that is followed by a quote from a phone interview he did shortly after.
I am in awe of people who are willing to give that much for another human being. Always will be.
"...Recently, I was speaking with some of our parishioners who advocate for the ordination of women. In the course of our conversation, a question arose which has haunted me: "At what point do you cease to be an agent for healing and growth and become an accomplice of injustice?" By asking all of the pastors of the Diocese of Fresno to promote Catholics to vote "Yes" on Proposition 8, the bishop has placed me in a moral predicament.... In directing the faithful to vote "Yes" on Proposition 8, the California Bishops are not merely entering the political arena, they are ignoring the advances and insights of neurology, psychology and the very statements made by the Church itself that homosexuality is innate (i.e. orientation). In doing this, they are making a statement which has a direct, and damaging, effect on some of the people who may be sitting in the pews next to you today...
How is marriage protected by intimidating gay and lesbian people into loveless and lonely lives? What is accomplished by this? Worse still, is to intimidate a gay or lesbian person into a heterosexual marriage, which is doomed from its inception, and makes two victims instead of one by this hurtful "theology." This "theology," which is parroted by clerics in polished tones from pulpits, produces the very prejudice and hatred in our society which they claim to abhor....
I do not presume to tell you how to vote but I do ask that you pray to the Creator of us all...The act of casting a vote takes you a few minutes but it can cause other human beings untold happiness or sorrow for a lifetime. It can grant them hope and acceptance, or it can cause them to lose civil rights. It can be a rebuff to bigotry and hatred, or it can encourage bigotry and hatred. Personally, I am morally compelled to vote "NO" on Proposition 8. It is my hope that the people of California will join with those others around the world such as Canada, Europe and South Africa who welcome their gay and lesbian family members fully into society by granting them the civil right to marry.
I know these words of truth will cost me dearly. But to withhold them, would be far more costly and I would become an accomplice to a moral evil that strips gay and lesbian people not only of their civil rights but of their human dignity as well. Jesus said, "The truth will set you free." He didn't promise that it would be easy or without personal cost to speak that truth."
And in an interview he gave the basis for his courageous decision.
"My grandfather was a Sephardic Jew and he left Spain and went to Cuba. He was never religious in his whole life and in that country, they have state atheism imposed. He started going to synagogue all of a sudden. And then he got into an argument with the police over that and he said, 'This is why we left Europe.' And they took him to the police station, beat the crap out of him and he had a heart attack and died.
My family collected the body and then my parents came this to country with an infant, a toddler, two suitcases, $20 and started a whole new life.
I remember being a kid in grammar school and going to mom and saying, 'How come we don't have grandparents? Everyone else in the 4th grade has grandparents.' And she was preparing dinner and she stopped what she was doing, she sat me down at the kitchen table and said, 'Honey, you have grandparents. But we had to leave everyone behind because your father and I wanted you kids to be free.'
I can't betray that. And I know the reason a lot of people aren't speaking out is for fear. But it just takes one or two people to crack that nut and then things start to change. And it's worth it."
Father Farrow, I bow to your valor, and to your honor.
Father Geoffrey Farrow, a priest at UC/Fresno this past Sunday gave what I am certain will be his last sermon from a Catholic pulpit. In so doing he became my hero.
By proclaiming his sexuality, and his opposition to Proposition 8 in California he effectively resigned the priesthood. I am certain that if it weren't illegal, those fucking hypocrites in the Catholic Church would have him stoned to death in the town square. Personally, I think we should erect a statue in his honor.
This man knows what it means to pay a price for freedom and was willing to do so. The following is a portion of his sermon, and that is followed by a quote from a phone interview he did shortly after.
I am in awe of people who are willing to give that much for another human being. Always will be.
"...Recently, I was speaking with some of our parishioners who advocate for the ordination of women. In the course of our conversation, a question arose which has haunted me: "At what point do you cease to be an agent for healing and growth and become an accomplice of injustice?" By asking all of the pastors of the Diocese of Fresno to promote Catholics to vote "Yes" on Proposition 8, the bishop has placed me in a moral predicament.... In directing the faithful to vote "Yes" on Proposition 8, the California Bishops are not merely entering the political arena, they are ignoring the advances and insights of neurology, psychology and the very statements made by the Church itself that homosexuality is innate (i.e. orientation). In doing this, they are making a statement which has a direct, and damaging, effect on some of the people who may be sitting in the pews next to you today...
How is marriage protected by intimidating gay and lesbian people into loveless and lonely lives? What is accomplished by this? Worse still, is to intimidate a gay or lesbian person into a heterosexual marriage, which is doomed from its inception, and makes two victims instead of one by this hurtful "theology." This "theology," which is parroted by clerics in polished tones from pulpits, produces the very prejudice and hatred in our society which they claim to abhor....
I do not presume to tell you how to vote but I do ask that you pray to the Creator of us all...The act of casting a vote takes you a few minutes but it can cause other human beings untold happiness or sorrow for a lifetime. It can grant them hope and acceptance, or it can cause them to lose civil rights. It can be a rebuff to bigotry and hatred, or it can encourage bigotry and hatred. Personally, I am morally compelled to vote "NO" on Proposition 8. It is my hope that the people of California will join with those others around the world such as Canada, Europe and South Africa who welcome their gay and lesbian family members fully into society by granting them the civil right to marry.
I know these words of truth will cost me dearly. But to withhold them, would be far more costly and I would become an accomplice to a moral evil that strips gay and lesbian people not only of their civil rights but of their human dignity as well. Jesus said, "The truth will set you free." He didn't promise that it would be easy or without personal cost to speak that truth."
And in an interview he gave the basis for his courageous decision.
"My grandfather was a Sephardic Jew and he left Spain and went to Cuba. He was never religious in his whole life and in that country, they have state atheism imposed. He started going to synagogue all of a sudden. And then he got into an argument with the police over that and he said, 'This is why we left Europe.' And they took him to the police station, beat the crap out of him and he had a heart attack and died.
My family collected the body and then my parents came this to country with an infant, a toddler, two suitcases, $20 and started a whole new life.
I remember being a kid in grammar school and going to mom and saying, 'How come we don't have grandparents? Everyone else in the 4th grade has grandparents.' And she was preparing dinner and she stopped what she was doing, she sat me down at the kitchen table and said, 'Honey, you have grandparents. But we had to leave everyone behind because your father and I wanted you kids to be free.'
I can't betray that. And I know the reason a lot of people aren't speaking out is for fear. But it just takes one or two people to crack that nut and then things start to change. And it's worth it."
Father Farrow, I bow to your valor, and to your honor.
Monday, October 6, 2008
and they all fall down
"Waxman said that in January, Fuld and his board were warned the company's "liquidity can disappear quite fast."
Despite that warning, he said, 'Mr. Fuld depleted Lehman's capital reserves by over $10 billion through year-end bonuses, stock buybacks, and dividend payments.'"
IMHO I say the federal governemnt go get that 10 Billion dollars and use it toward paying back the 700 billion we're shelling out.
Despite that warning, he said, 'Mr. Fuld depleted Lehman's capital reserves by over $10 billion through year-end bonuses, stock buybacks, and dividend payments.'"
IMHO I say the federal governemnt go get that 10 Billion dollars and use it toward paying back the 700 billion we're shelling out.
All over the place
"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, ....." Not that there have been any earth shattering developments in my life in the past 72 hrs, but there sure were one or two on Orenthal James Simpson's life huh? Poor thing, after remaining free for 13 years to the day for hacking up his ex-wife and a total stranger,he's gets his, behind something even more stupid that he did last year. The narcissistic just can't help but let their sense of entitlement run themselves to ground can they? The arc of the Universe may be long but it sure does bend toward justice. How many 13's can a guy get stacked up against himself? 13 years after his acquittal,and after 13 hours of deliberation for a crime he committed on the 13th of the month, he shoots craps! There are cycles to life aren't there? Run from that OJ.
Woke up to a dead fridge this morning. Always the way I want to start Monday. With soggy strawberries. Yummy! That's the beauty of renting. I put all the stuff in a cooler and called the person who owns the fridge to go fix it.
I met what may be my first horse on Saturday. Sunny is a pretty sweet ride. He needs some work, he's apparently been someone's yard ornament for three or four years, so we gotta find his flat walk and then his fox trot. Poor little guy is so short he has to canter to keep up with everybody else. So on Saturday we found the flat walk, but were able to do little with it. But on Sunday he got in it and stayed in it for quite a while. He's a little skittish when I approach from the right side, but after a few minutes that stops, so I think that will be easily worked out. And yesterday I realized that he must get chafed by the girth on the saddle I'm using right now, cause he's jumpy when I try to brush him right where that girth passes behind his legs. He wasn't that way in the morning but he was in the afternoon. I'm not sure if that's the girth or if he just needs to get used to one, I'll try another saddle this weekend.
But as I said, he's a little palomino, probably about 14h, seems pretty even tempered, didn't get fussy when I pulled on his face while trying to get him in the flat walk, and though he shakes me off once in a while when I ask him to do something he always seems to do it without complaint. He's a little chubby right now, but I hope to have that off him in a few weeks. I'd like to have him up in shape to ride all winter, so that if I do buy him in the spring, which is the soonest I could do it anyway, we'll know each other pretty well. He may be short, but as I get older the closer to the ground I want my horse to be anyway.
This isn't him but you get the general idea.
Guess I'll get a dog too.
Woke up to a dead fridge this morning. Always the way I want to start Monday. With soggy strawberries. Yummy! That's the beauty of renting. I put all the stuff in a cooler and called the person who owns the fridge to go fix it.
I met what may be my first horse on Saturday. Sunny is a pretty sweet ride. He needs some work, he's apparently been someone's yard ornament for three or four years, so we gotta find his flat walk and then his fox trot. Poor little guy is so short he has to canter to keep up with everybody else. So on Saturday we found the flat walk, but were able to do little with it. But on Sunday he got in it and stayed in it for quite a while. He's a little skittish when I approach from the right side, but after a few minutes that stops, so I think that will be easily worked out. And yesterday I realized that he must get chafed by the girth on the saddle I'm using right now, cause he's jumpy when I try to brush him right where that girth passes behind his legs. He wasn't that way in the morning but he was in the afternoon. I'm not sure if that's the girth or if he just needs to get used to one, I'll try another saddle this weekend.
But as I said, he's a little palomino, probably about 14h, seems pretty even tempered, didn't get fussy when I pulled on his face while trying to get him in the flat walk, and though he shakes me off once in a while when I ask him to do something he always seems to do it without complaint. He's a little chubby right now, but I hope to have that off him in a few weeks. I'd like to have him up in shape to ride all winter, so that if I do buy him in the spring, which is the soonest I could do it anyway, we'll know each other pretty well. He may be short, but as I get older the closer to the ground I want my horse to be anyway.
This isn't him but you get the general idea.
Guess I'll get a dog too.
Friday, October 3, 2008
It's all in your mind...
For the next few minutes sit back, relax, close our eyes, oh wait don't close your eyes or you won't see HGF. Ok, well then, let your mind wander...there's no financial crisis, no election in which one of the candidates can't put three words together and make a sentence, no outrageous gas prices, no being held hostage by people who'd steal the gold out of your teeth... just relax and gaze upon the amazing appearing, disappearing treasure trail of Peter Krause, the latter pronounced like Wowza.
First noticed him on Cybil, where he was a sex object. Then The Truman Show, and of course Sports Night, a show that was waaay too smart for tv. And the incredible Six Feet Under. I can only imagine him as David...woohoo!
Forget your troubles come on get happy! And have a wonderful weekend.
Love
First noticed him on Cybil, where he was a sex object. Then The Truman Show, and of course Sports Night, a show that was waaay too smart for tv. And the incredible Six Feet Under. I can only imagine him as David...woohoo!
Forget your troubles come on get happy! And have a wonderful weekend.
Love
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Ok, here's the problem
I also found this on Bilerico.com, I stand corrected over yesterday's incorrect URL for their site.
I think it's a great point and I love that nameless faceless people do stuff like this.
However, where the fuck have you been? I find it not only ironic, but pathetic that now that it's safe to bash Republicans and the Bush administration that everyone is jumping on the bandwagon. I mean, WELCOME! But, don't stop just cause it's not fashionable to bash, they don't, why should we? Bash back. And I mean that in all it's connotations. Question some fucking authority already.
I'm so tired of being held hostage to this 700 billion dollar ransom we have to pay to be able to buy stuff. They're threatening us with a lack of credit. First of all that's bullshit, credit is how they make their money, they loan it, and people and companies pay interest on those loans. No credit won't last for long, they're too greedy.
And here's a novel concept, what if we had to save our money and pay cash for stuff? What then? Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria!(thanks dr. Venkman)
Cash, now there's a concept!
I should have bought gold when i was told to 15 years ago.
Alas, there's always HGF tomorrow.
The New Dan Quayle
Remember Dan?
Or should I say Dan-E
Well I say the Republican party has replaced him with an updated version...this:
She's not bright, she does not inspire confidence, she doesn't know that to qualify as a diplomat you have to actually talk to your neighbors, and she can't seem to discuss anything legal other than Roe vs. Wade. hmmm.
As for that particular debate, I abstain. I'll never be involved in such a decision, never have been, and need to mind my own damn business as should everyone else.
I'm liking what the McCain campaign has done for her look. Last week I saw her on TV in a suit that looked much like this:
I haven't been able to find a picture of it but it resembled this:
but it was much more severe in its design. And the gray, THAT was a nice touch. Don't these people have dressers? Where the fuck is Carson Kressley?
I say that these people can't be stupid. How could they have gotten as far as they have if they were? I cannot imagine someone attaining the office of Governor if they were stupid. I realize we currently have a complete dolt for President, but he's devious and cunning, and that's not stupid. English seems to be his biggest challenge. That and conscience, and responsibility, and accountability, and...well you know you, were there.
So once again I'm mystified that the stupid apparently rule the world. Bill Maher said this week on Real Time that America has finally found someone as stupid as they are.
I fear that's an understatement. These things make me like Obama more all the time. I wish he were more of my ideal candidate, but at least he can put three words together and make a sentence.
Addendum:
I just found this on Bilericoproject.com and had to share.
This is apparently how Katie Couric was looking at Sarah Palin during their interview:
A picture truly does say a thousand words doesn't it?
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Where were we?
Oh yes! We were in the midst of a calamity brought about by people who had no oversight, cheered on by people who profitted from this free-for-all, with the leader ringside happily passing the bill onto others.
Truthfully, there is little we can do about all this economic mess, and those who are about to retire I feel truly sorry for. Because they have no time to recover from such bullhsit.
A baiolout is inevitable. It all depends on how much,(yesterday 700 billion was more than we need, today it's not enough) we have to give them. They've spent us into this mess, and we'll spend our way out. There is truly little we can do about it. No matter the issue, 401k's, bailouts, payrolls. We'll have to overcome the obstacles they've presented us with and live with the results. It does little good to go running around with our panties up our ass and our hair on fire. (which is a great image of Bush right now)
We can however, look to the future and create oversight that will prevent such things in the future. I was correct in my assertion the other day that there are mechanisms in place to prevent such goings on in the stock market. I was incorrect in assuming that they were the culprits. There is extremely little regulation in the mortgage banking arena, and that is where we have the biggest part of the problem. Can you imagine how much more paperwork there will be now when regulation is created? Bring several pens when you go to sign your mortgage,if you can get one. It'll take a lot of ink. Unfortunately, it's kinda hard to seek regulation after you've already given out the funds.
One of my favorite mantras of yesterday was that every single person I heard on television predicting gloom and doom was quick to list three things that were on the hit list. 1. credit markets make the world go round, and in many respects they do. 2. With tight credit markets people can't buy stuff, like we don't have too much shit already. and my favorite, without fail the third was ALWAYS 3. Can't meet payroll.
"Oh, let's not get frightened, or start a panic, by the way, your employer might not be able to pay you."
They're so subtle.
I'm pissed off about the CEO salaries too, and we all have been for some time. But good luck getting that dealt with now. Chicken Little will continue to bang the drum until he gets what he wants and in 35 days he'll effectively no longer be the President so what the hell does he care? He's wealthy and I assure you his funds are secure. But what has me more pissed off is that the party largely responsible for this mess and all the other messes we've got going on has been hijacked by those who would truly overthrow the government in their religious fervor.
What they want, and what they're after is a theocracy, plain and simple. Religiosity has been utilized to be a surrogate for reason. Preachers, reverends,priests, ministers, all talking about politics from their perches. Telling the herds to go vote religion, not conscience, and calling it patriotism. The herds don't know the difference, they've been so poorly educated by our schools that they cannot distinguish between political rhetoric, and religious zeal.
It all goes back to education, "if we keep them stupid we can lead them down the primrose path to ruin and they'll never be the wiser until it's too damn late." Well. they've been kept stupid alright. And now they're going to get their backs broken with the weight of this massive debt we're selling them without their consent. This government is simply printing paper and calling it money.
Those of us with 20-15, or even ten years til retirement can look back at Black Monday in 1987 as an example of survival. People who were hurt by that mess largely recovered. And those that didn't have likely learned that tomorrow the sun will rise and the birds will chirp. If they don't, we have bigger problems than the economy anyway.
Truthfully, there is little we can do about all this economic mess, and those who are about to retire I feel truly sorry for. Because they have no time to recover from such bullhsit.
A baiolout is inevitable. It all depends on how much,(yesterday 700 billion was more than we need, today it's not enough) we have to give them. They've spent us into this mess, and we'll spend our way out. There is truly little we can do about it. No matter the issue, 401k's, bailouts, payrolls. We'll have to overcome the obstacles they've presented us with and live with the results. It does little good to go running around with our panties up our ass and our hair on fire. (which is a great image of Bush right now)
We can however, look to the future and create oversight that will prevent such things in the future. I was correct in my assertion the other day that there are mechanisms in place to prevent such goings on in the stock market. I was incorrect in assuming that they were the culprits. There is extremely little regulation in the mortgage banking arena, and that is where we have the biggest part of the problem. Can you imagine how much more paperwork there will be now when regulation is created? Bring several pens when you go to sign your mortgage,if you can get one. It'll take a lot of ink. Unfortunately, it's kinda hard to seek regulation after you've already given out the funds.
One of my favorite mantras of yesterday was that every single person I heard on television predicting gloom and doom was quick to list three things that were on the hit list. 1. credit markets make the world go round, and in many respects they do. 2. With tight credit markets people can't buy stuff, like we don't have too much shit already. and my favorite, without fail the third was ALWAYS 3. Can't meet payroll.
"Oh, let's not get frightened, or start a panic, by the way, your employer might not be able to pay you."
They're so subtle.
I'm pissed off about the CEO salaries too, and we all have been for some time. But good luck getting that dealt with now. Chicken Little will continue to bang the drum until he gets what he wants and in 35 days he'll effectively no longer be the President so what the hell does he care? He's wealthy and I assure you his funds are secure. But what has me more pissed off is that the party largely responsible for this mess and all the other messes we've got going on has been hijacked by those who would truly overthrow the government in their religious fervor.
What they want, and what they're after is a theocracy, plain and simple. Religiosity has been utilized to be a surrogate for reason. Preachers, reverends,priests, ministers, all talking about politics from their perches. Telling the herds to go vote religion, not conscience, and calling it patriotism. The herds don't know the difference, they've been so poorly educated by our schools that they cannot distinguish between political rhetoric, and religious zeal.
It all goes back to education, "if we keep them stupid we can lead them down the primrose path to ruin and they'll never be the wiser until it's too damn late." Well. they've been kept stupid alright. And now they're going to get their backs broken with the weight of this massive debt we're selling them without their consent. This government is simply printing paper and calling it money.
Those of us with 20-15, or even ten years til retirement can look back at Black Monday in 1987 as an example of survival. People who were hurt by that mess largely recovered. And those that didn't have likely learned that tomorrow the sun will rise and the birds will chirp. If they don't, we have bigger problems than the economy anyway.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
And They All Fall Down
I cannot, in good conscience, just post Hot Guy Friday and pretend to be merrily rolling along without recognizing the collapse or our society. That's what's happening folks, been happening while you slept for quite a few years now, and it wasn't because your Pres got a hummer in the Oval either. It was our own doing, we asked for this, and we stuck our heads in the sand while it came about.
Time to pay the Piper Boys and Girls.
I’ve long said that none of you will act unless what’s happening in Washington affects your SUV, your cell phone, or your dvd player. Well, apparently that’s happened. Cause people took to the streets last night to demonstrate against the economic bailout.
FUCKING FINALLY!!!
Where the fuck have you all been?
It affected your SUV didn’t it? Or was it your ability to pay that outrageous cell phone bill?
No matter to me, all I want to see is that you’re all out there jumping up and down and demanding something be done to prevent this disaster from being made worse by foisting it all off on our backs for the rest of our lives. They are taking the food out of our mouths and the roofs from over our heads, it's beyond time to act.
I applaud you all. I hope you have some positive effect on the demise of the bailout proposal.
And we're for sure a third world country now. Hope you like rice, cause that's what UNICEF serves.
Time to pay the Piper Boys and Girls.
I’ve long said that none of you will act unless what’s happening in Washington affects your SUV, your cell phone, or your dvd player. Well, apparently that’s happened. Cause people took to the streets last night to demonstrate against the economic bailout.
FUCKING FINALLY!!!
Where the fuck have you all been?
It affected your SUV didn’t it? Or was it your ability to pay that outrageous cell phone bill?
No matter to me, all I want to see is that you’re all out there jumping up and down and demanding something be done to prevent this disaster from being made worse by foisting it all off on our backs for the rest of our lives. They are taking the food out of our mouths and the roofs from over our heads, it's beyond time to act.
I applaud you all. I hope you have some positive effect on the demise of the bailout proposal.
And we're for sure a third world country now. Hope you like rice, cause that's what UNICEF serves.
Happy Hot Guy Friday!
Now, while you can tell by previous Hot Guy Friday posts I do love my men of color. But I still love me some pasty Irish boys too. I submit Eddie Cahill as evidence of said Irish fetish. I'd go visit Ireland, but...well...I'd misbehave I'm sure of it.
Very uneventful day yesterday, rode 15 miles at lunch, took a test in the grant writing course, had the car cleaned, worked a lot.
Riding all weekend, I was out on the bike yesterday I realized how lucky we've been this year weatherwise. It's September 25 and I was riding in shorts and a t-shirt. That's supposed to change any day though. So I'll be a horseback as much as possible tomorrow and Sunday.
Skipping socializing this weekend to get stuff accomplished. I'm a wee bit behind on my homework and grading papers so I guess I have to be responsible. Shit.
Thinking of seeing Eagle Eye this weekend. It's got that kid in it that I'm not crazy about though. I don't dislike him I just don't get all the fuss. He ain't, as they used to say, all that.
We got a deal, we don't gotta deal. Congress has to grandstand right up until the last minute don't they? We all know they're gonna do this, I wish they'd just fuck me and get it over with.
Well they'll get to it in their own good time. I, on the other hand need to get my ass on someone else's time cause I got piles of stuff to do at work. Guess I'd better get there.
Love
Thursday, September 25, 2008
I'll take door # 3 Monty!
Well, we have a deal. Congress has figured out how they're going to Communize the American economy, at least temporarily. Until they buy all the unwanted houses and unload them at rock bottom prices.
It'll be a helluva time to be a real estate flipper, I can tell you that. Buy back the house you sold to the person who got the exploding mortgage, then sell it at twice what you paid the government for it.
And the rich get richer...
We'll all be walking wide for weeks.
I'll give ya $75 for that one!
Where's that other shoe?
Thursday's navel belongs to---
Josh Lucas, who though born in Arkansas, apparently didn't stay for long, so I have to give him that one.
Wasn’t it nice of George Bush to get on tv last night and tell us the sky is falling…AGAIN.
I see this as the ultimate expression of what I refer to as the American Disease. No one is responsible for what they do. No one is held accountable, and they spend most of their lives pointing their fingers everywhere but at the mirror, which is where the trouble started in the first place.
We’ll pay for it, we always do, and the dollar will tank and gas prices will shoot back up to intolerable levels, and George Bush and his friends will whistle their way out of the White House with no consequences for their actions, and no one will go to jail over all this.
I just don’t get it. In my world I’m responsible. I’m responsible for not having enough retirement savings, which will likely be even less now. I’m responsible for my own bills. I’m responsible for the situation I’m in here, in that I can’t seem to find the door. I’m responsible for what happened a couple of years ago in that all the signs were there that those people were crazy and looking for someone to blame and abuse for their troubles. In my heart of hearts I knew that, and fool that I am I rushed in anyway to rescue them from themselves, putting myself in harms way without even thinking they’d do what they did. Yes, I’m responsible for all that.
Wall Street executives? Nope. Not responsible, fall guys abound for these people. President of the United States? Nope. Not responsible. Everyone else is responsible.
I am reminded of Barack Obama's campaign slogan, "Yes, we can" Well, no actually it should be "Yes, we have to." I doubt he'll bring about any effective change in any eal way that we'll see in our lifetimes, but it'll sure beat four more years with the same shit that John McCain is intent on shoveling at us.
Speaking of which, did you see Katie Couric make mince meat out of Sarah Palin last night without even trying? She should be working at what my ex referred to once as the Retail Roundup, not campaigning for the Vice-Presidency, she's in water that's way too deep for her. I don't have any good examples of her missteps, but I'll find some and bring 'em to ya. lol
We’re in for it, no matter how this goes, so we might as well tell Wall Street to go to hell and let the chips fall where they may. Of course, that’s just wishful thinking, Congress will “reach a deal” today or tomorrow, and it’ll get railroaded through both houses and we’ll give them a big wad of sweaty money and all the fool’s will go, “Phew! That was a close one huh? Heehee.”
And we’ll go on being broke and struggling to feed our kids as though this were Bangladesh, all the while wondering why they're fat and it's cause of the crap that is all we can afford to feed them. And we’ll just accept that this is ok. And dream of winning the lottery...not realizing that someone else just made off with all the winnings.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Poor things,they just can't do it
And today's guest navelist is...
The lovely and talented Ricky Martin. He can babysit for me anytime.
People.Yes, we've established my love for them. But days like today really make my heart go crack. The sheep were out on rainy highways this morning. I've come to the conclusion that it's impossible, that they simply cannot do it. Three raindrops fall and it's like they've never been behind the wheel of a car before. I won't bore you with long descriptions of the antics of the morning drive, but some of them were very entertaining.
Still no word on the test. I'm pretty sure I aced it, or very close anyway. The trick here is to be patient, not my strong suit. Ah well it's better I don't know what they're going to do anyway. This way I get to be here a while and fulfill some of my current obligations just that much longer. If it all comes to pass I'll feel better about that.
I feel like an economic Pinata today. The Treasury is ready to start beating money out of us with a stick and we're all just chafing at the bit to get strung up there. Let them fail! I've said it before and I'll say it until Bush gets his way late this week, they're businesses and they should be allowed to go under like any business would. He's selling this country to the Chinese and no one is asking where this money is coming from, no one. I hear very few voices of sanity in this "debate" (read posturing for the camera's)and in the end they'll sell us all down the river like they've done in every important debate since 2001. I'm particularly fond of the part where they say "Hey, you better give us 700 Billion dollars or the economy is fucked." And then they say, "It's the fault of all you assholes who took out those ridiculously high priced mortgages we were pushing on you for the last 7 years. But give us the money anyway, and maybe we'll tell you what we did with it, later." (After we get our 8 figure golden parachutes in off shore banks.) This is the stuff that revolutions are made of.
I've been dreaming of desert landscaping and I looked up a few pictures yesterday. There some nice opportunities to grow stuff I can't grow here. I'll miss the ability to grow a lot of the things I have here annually, but I think, at least as far as I researched yesterday, there are some pretty cool things to grow in the desert. I really liked these pics:
Having been a slave to a lawn mower many years past, I am totally ready for the gravel thing. It's soooo appealing. The dog may not like it much come time to poop, but that falls squarely under the category of Not My Problem.
Oh and the news flash of the century.
Clay Aiken is gay.
Did Rose Kennedy have a black dress?
I just want to call the news people and remind them that News is stuff we don't already know.
Love
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
the drawbacks of a parochial education
I could easily be mistaken, but isn't all this " Bail us out because the sky is falling, and you have to pay to fix it" sounding more and more like the basic tenets of communism?
Wait, I just did a little research on the internet and here's what I came up with:
This is from "howstuffworks.com:
Marx described three necessary phases toward achieving his idea of utopia.
* Phase 1: A revolution must take place in order to overthrow the existing government. Marx emphasized the need for total destruction of the existing system in order to move on to Phase 2.
* Phase 2: A dictator or elite leader (or leaders) must gain absolute control over the proletariat. During this phase, the new government exerts absolute control over the common citizen's personal choices -- including his or her education, religion, employment and even marriage. Collectivization of property and wealth must also take place.
* Phase 3: Achievement of utopia. This phase has never been attained because it requires that all non-communists be destroyed in order for the Communist Party to achieve supreme equality. In a Marxist utopia, everyone would happily share property and wealth, free from the restrictions that class-based systems require. The government would control all means of production so that the one-class system would remain constant, with no possibility of any middle class citizens rising back to the top.
Before we get all gung-ho and happy about this bailout business we'd better look long and hard at the ramifications of such a move. What it could mean long-term and what it does right now.
I see no reason for economic optimism at this stage.
Wait, I just did a little research on the internet and here's what I came up with:
This is from "howstuffworks.com:
Marx described three necessary phases toward achieving his idea of utopia.
* Phase 1: A revolution must take place in order to overthrow the existing government. Marx emphasized the need for total destruction of the existing system in order to move on to Phase 2.
* Phase 2: A dictator or elite leader (or leaders) must gain absolute control over the proletariat. During this phase, the new government exerts absolute control over the common citizen's personal choices -- including his or her education, religion, employment and even marriage. Collectivization of property and wealth must also take place.
* Phase 3: Achievement of utopia. This phase has never been attained because it requires that all non-communists be destroyed in order for the Communist Party to achieve supreme equality. In a Marxist utopia, everyone would happily share property and wealth, free from the restrictions that class-based systems require. The government would control all means of production so that the one-class system would remain constant, with no possibility of any middle class citizens rising back to the top.
Before we get all gung-ho and happy about this bailout business we'd better look long and hard at the ramifications of such a move. What it could mean long-term and what it does right now.
I see no reason for economic optimism at this stage.
I couldn't believe it when I woke up this morning that it was only Tuesday. As tired as I am, it should be later in the week.
Today's guest is Carmine Giovinazzo.
The totally hot (aren't they all)former baseball player on CSI:NY. Those who know me might notice some resemblance between Carmine and...well, let's just say, a person of interest from my past. I sure noticed it, especially with the glasses.Oh, and I forgot to tell you who yesterday's guest was, but if you've been paying attention to HGF you'd have known.
That it was Dylan Walsh of Nip/Tuck. I have been listening to the plans to bail out the private financial sector at our expense. I am not in favor of all this. They're businesses, let them fail, so what if our economy goes down with it, we'll survive, and probably be better off if it does, cause the Bush administration seems hell bent on taking every single dime with them when they go. I wrote Nancy Pelosi (ARGH!) all this, I mean where else do I have to turn, look at who I am represented by, Pat Roberts, Sam Brownback, and Dennis Moore. So screwed. Pelosi won't do anything different, she's worthless, but at least I said my piece.
No word from the testing, I figure they made a big deal out of getting it back yesterday so they could then drag their feet on references, interviews, hiring, etc. We'll be lucky if they fill the position by Thanksgiving. C'est la vie.
I was thinking last night about the current issues with the ex. It's too bad about him really, I liked him a lot. He just can't like himself, and has to make everyone miserable if they do. It's the price to pay I guess. But I ain't payin' it again, thank you.
Love
Monday, September 22, 2008
Addendum
I just have to say it's a red letter day on the fucking internet today! First I read that Sting kissed a guy and liked it. (I knew it)
And just now I found Jeff Probst shirtless backstage at the Emmy's!
The planets must be aligned today!
And just now I found Jeff Probst shirtless backstage at the Emmy's!
The planets must be aligned today!
Great Weekend
In pursuit of navel recognition I'm going to post a few of my favorite navels this week. I have to wonder if anyone will recognize them.
It really was a great weekend, mostly spent on a horse. I don't think the new saddle is going to work out though. I'm not comfortable in it. I'll give it another weekend and then I'll put it on ebay if I still can't like it.
Friday night I went to a friends, and lo and behold the ex showed up. I am so disappointed about all that because it was going fine. We'd been able to socialize and things seemed like they'd be ok. Then came Friday night.
He is simply incapable of NOT going to the dark side. He made a couple of inappropriate references to our relationship during the evening, one theme which always comes up is legal issues,he makes sure to mention incarceration or something illegal every time I see him,which is bad enough. But at one point I was outside with K smoking, which I sometimes do when I'm there, cause K smokes still and I find it hard not to when I'm drinking, so I have a couple. Ex, of course, has a conversation about his disapproval of it loud enough that I can hear him in the house. I chose to ignore it, mostly because it's none of his fucking business, but more because what he really wants is to engage me on some sort of hostile level, which is the only level he really knows. Sad, but I'm cutting that off. No more socializing with ex. K will throw a fit, but enough is enough.
Like I said at the outset of all this, I'm glad I make such an impression that he's still not over it after 5 years, but seriously. He's 50 years old. Get out of Junior High already.
The testing is done. HR testing seems kind of farcical. There were some questions relevant to the position I've applied for, but mostly it was...well the reasons for it were mysterious. I truly hope that the people who apply for jobs don't need testing at THAT level, cause they're not very employable if any of those questions are a challenge. Anyway it's over.
It's kind of a funny story. My proctor's office isn't far from here so I walked. She gave me 7 pages of questions and I thought, "How can THIS take 2 hours?" She then informed me that the time she was quoted was 1 hour. Still! So I took the test in 15 minutes, and left. She called me back about 30 minutes later and told me she had just found the other 11 pages on her fax machine. Oy!
So I went back and finished, still too quickly I thought. But really those questions...Lord.
We'll see. Cross fingers and toes. For both myself and K in Hawaii. I really hope he gets the new job today.
Of course, if I do get a job what the hell do I do about moving so quickly and so suddenly from a lease I just signed four months ago? I'm not leaving anything here. When I go I'm gone. I don't want any reason to return. Ever. Nothing for me here anymore. And God knows I've paid the price before. So parting with a little cash isn't going to kill me.
I'll figure it out, still I'm wondering what the hell it's all going to cost, and how it'll all shake out. Oh well, it's way past time for me to have another adventure. Life's gotten way too stiff for me these last few years.
Love
Friday, September 19, 2008
Hot Guy Friday!
I decided only to post parts of guy today...no not those parts. There are plenty of places to see those. And I don't want blogger censoring my blog anyway. I'm talking about navels.
Aren't they wonderful?
By the way it's:
The New Me-1 goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooal!
Bureaucrats-Zip, Nada, nuttin', Big ole goose egg! O
I won the battle!
My test will be protcored locally on Monday morning. Now let's hope I do well and they can afford me.
Baby steps.
Love
Aren't they wonderful?
By the way it's:
The New Me-1 goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooal!
Bureaucrats-Zip, Nada, nuttin', Big ole goose egg! O
I won the battle!
My test will be protcored locally on Monday morning. Now let's hope I do well and they can afford me.
Baby steps.
Love
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Human Resources
Is it me? Or is Careerbuilder a complete farce of a website?
Once, long ago I registered on their site looking for a job. Nothing came of it though. Every single job they had posted was either already filled, even though it was posted within 24-72 hours of the time I attempted to apply, or it was so old I didn't even bother to apply. i.e. if a job listing is 60 days old when you contact the employer they're about to end the probationary period of the person they did hire. Now that's old.
Monster is much the same. These sites don't provide what they promised when they burst on the scene several years ago. Now they're nothing more than generators of cash for their owners, who likely spend a lot of their time justifying their existence to their clients, none of whom ever get many applicants from their listings with these sites.
The most pervasive problem I am currently seeing is with Human Resource departments in general. They live and die by the Hayes scale. Don't make one criteria? Out! Banished. No matter that we might have denied what was possibly a good employee the chance to find a new career, to relocate, to come to our community and bring their own special talents. Nope, we don't care, you didn't fit the Hayes mold of employee perfection. It's simple mindedness, nothing more.
I am about to engage a battle I know at the outset I'll lose. I have applied to work at a library in a southwestern city, and they've asked me to come submit to a test...tomorrow...in their city.
I have to wonder if they even read the application I spent several hours on. Are they aware I'm over 800 miles away? Are they interested? Do they realize that I am outrageously overqualified for the job I am applying for? Do they realize that they;d be getting a bargain if they hired me? Do they know that they will not find a candidate more qualified than I am in their locale? Do they care?
Obviously I won't be dropping everything and jetting down there to take a test that will amount to a screening to be sure I'm not an illegal alien or a terrorist. I mean, really, they could ask me that and not make me buy a plane ticket.
So in a few minutes I'll be emailing the head of HR for that fair city. Likely ruining any chance of ever getting a job with that particular city, but seriously, if someone doesn't stand up against stupidity it'll run even more rampant than it already is. And I'd like to goto my grave one day knowing I did all I could to fight it.
Wish me luck I'll need it. I'm dealing with bureaucrats all day.
Once, long ago I registered on their site looking for a job. Nothing came of it though. Every single job they had posted was either already filled, even though it was posted within 24-72 hours of the time I attempted to apply, or it was so old I didn't even bother to apply. i.e. if a job listing is 60 days old when you contact the employer they're about to end the probationary period of the person they did hire. Now that's old.
Monster is much the same. These sites don't provide what they promised when they burst on the scene several years ago. Now they're nothing more than generators of cash for their owners, who likely spend a lot of their time justifying their existence to their clients, none of whom ever get many applicants from their listings with these sites.
The most pervasive problem I am currently seeing is with Human Resource departments in general. They live and die by the Hayes scale. Don't make one criteria? Out! Banished. No matter that we might have denied what was possibly a good employee the chance to find a new career, to relocate, to come to our community and bring their own special talents. Nope, we don't care, you didn't fit the Hayes mold of employee perfection. It's simple mindedness, nothing more.
I am about to engage a battle I know at the outset I'll lose. I have applied to work at a library in a southwestern city, and they've asked me to come submit to a test...tomorrow...in their city.
I have to wonder if they even read the application I spent several hours on. Are they aware I'm over 800 miles away? Are they interested? Do they realize that I am outrageously overqualified for the job I am applying for? Do they realize that they;d be getting a bargain if they hired me? Do they know that they will not find a candidate more qualified than I am in their locale? Do they care?
Obviously I won't be dropping everything and jetting down there to take a test that will amount to a screening to be sure I'm not an illegal alien or a terrorist. I mean, really, they could ask me that and not make me buy a plane ticket.
So in a few minutes I'll be emailing the head of HR for that fair city. Likely ruining any chance of ever getting a job with that particular city, but seriously, if someone doesn't stand up against stupidity it'll run even more rampant than it already is. And I'd like to goto my grave one day knowing I did all I could to fight it.
Wish me luck I'll need it. I'm dealing with bureaucrats all day.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Not done yet
Actually I'm pretty close to being done. I was all geared up for a big rave about the economy and how the Fed just prevented the next administration from coming in and fixing the problems that have been created. But then I just ran out of gas. No pun intended.
I have to wonder, if they're going to federalize the banking industry why they just don't federalize health insurance and give it to us all. Oh that's right, the most efficient system in the federal government, Medicare, whose overhead used to be 1.9%, is now the most inefficient and will likely cost us $54 billion by 2012.
All the Republican ads seem to be using the fear tactic that Democrats will raise taxes. I fail to see the difference if taxes are raised 10-20%, or if the prices of everything is raised 100-200%. Or is that just me?
The American Public is amazing in it's ability to delude itself and this election cycle will, I am sure, be no exception.
I'm still looking at withdrawal from society. It just seems like a better and better option all the time.
I'll leave you with this great thought I ran across the other day:
Stupidity and hydrogen, however, are still by far the most abundant things in the entire universe.- MykTurk
Love
I have to wonder, if they're going to federalize the banking industry why they just don't federalize health insurance and give it to us all. Oh that's right, the most efficient system in the federal government, Medicare, whose overhead used to be 1.9%, is now the most inefficient and will likely cost us $54 billion by 2012.
All the Republican ads seem to be using the fear tactic that Democrats will raise taxes. I fail to see the difference if taxes are raised 10-20%, or if the prices of everything is raised 100-200%. Or is that just me?
The American Public is amazing in it's ability to delude itself and this election cycle will, I am sure, be no exception.
I'm still looking at withdrawal from society. It just seems like a better and better option all the time.
I'll leave you with this great thought I ran across the other day:
Stupidity and hydrogen, however, are still by far the most abundant things in the entire universe.- MykTurk
Love
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
and another thing!
In just saw that oil is below $92 a barrel. Yet gas went up 25 cents here in my city yesterday. How much screwing do they think we can afford?
What did I tell you?
A year ago I said that we needed to watch what George Bush was doing. That he was holding up his left hand and saying "Look at what we're doing for you here!" and I distinctly recall saying that we needed to find out what he was doing with the right hand.
Well we found out yesterday didn't we?
I also mentioned that they were sacking the treasury.
Where are the regulatory mechanisms that already exist? What was done to prevent the Compliance people from doing their jobs. I assure you that something was done that circumvented their authority. Today I heard someone say that the system was irreparably broken and couldn't keep up with today's electronic economy.
Bullshit!
The policies, which I guarantee you were well thought out and created to be implemented at a moments notice, were and are easily applicable to the electronic age. Nothing to it. They existed when I was a Compliance Officer and they exist today, they've either been weakened or ignored. And they can absolutely be applied to any Securities transaction regardless of the manner in which it's processed.
Something was done to either weaken the authority of the regulatory system, or it was bypassed in some barely legal way that, when and if, investigated will show that someone wasn't quite truthful in their manner of explicating their plans. I'd like to know who's running the SEC, and the NASD and what they've been up to these last eight years.
We're in more trouble than we know my friends. As we all know what they tell us is merely what they have to because we can tell something is wrong. But the full scope of all this? We may never know.
I do assure you however, that we'll have to pay for it. The Fed has promised 50 Billion Dollars in assistance to the financial system. Where praytell is this money coming from? You and me I guarantee you that. That and our grandchildren because we do not have it. Where does it come from?
Are they putting it on the great Mastercard in the sky? I can't think of any other way? Are they borrowing it from China? That'd be smart, sell the Chinese our financial system. We'd better figure out what they're doing, cause they're on the way out and they do not care.
Kanye West (nutbag) said after Katrina the George Bush didn't care about black people. Black people?!?!?! He doesn't care about anyone?
If his God truly did want George W. Bush to be President of the United States, then his God wanted to United States to fall.
Does all this sound like a conspiracy to you? Does it sound like someone has conspired to run things to ground in the name of whatever they find holy? I'm not much of a conspiracy theorist, but the more I write here the more I have to wonder what exactly is going on.
This can be a moment for the Democrats to take the advantage and get the upper hand in this election. What are we spending on the War in Iraq? 10-12 Billion a month? Well, guess where the money to bail out the financial system would come from? That imaginary money we print to spend in Iraq, where else?
McCain said yesterday that the fundamentals of the economy are sound. Is that the Zoloft talking? Is he kidding? Is he talking about his own economy? Cause I believe his is in pretty good shape?
Lehman Brothers WAS the insurance policy for banks, brokerages, and big money the world over. They're the insurance policy against failure for all the big guys. AND THEY FAILED!
Would you be nervous if State Farm or Allstate closed their doors tomorrow? Would you be wondering if American Family and Progressive were next and what you'd for insurance then? You'd better be.
Imagine how the world's largest brokerages and banks are thinking right this minute knowing they no longer have any insurance against failure? The FDIC can't cover everyone. And they only cover individuals up to 100k. If you've got more than that in any one account, too bad my friend.
The economic system of this country is being dismantled right before our eyes and we're truly powerless to stop it. But we'll end up paying the price I assure you.
Herbert Hoover said: "When there is a lack of honor in government, the morals of the whole people are poisoned."
He wasn't altogether stupid was he?
Well we found out yesterday didn't we?
I also mentioned that they were sacking the treasury.
Where are the regulatory mechanisms that already exist? What was done to prevent the Compliance people from doing their jobs. I assure you that something was done that circumvented their authority. Today I heard someone say that the system was irreparably broken and couldn't keep up with today's electronic economy.
Bullshit!
The policies, which I guarantee you were well thought out and created to be implemented at a moments notice, were and are easily applicable to the electronic age. Nothing to it. They existed when I was a Compliance Officer and they exist today, they've either been weakened or ignored. And they can absolutely be applied to any Securities transaction regardless of the manner in which it's processed.
Something was done to either weaken the authority of the regulatory system, or it was bypassed in some barely legal way that, when and if, investigated will show that someone wasn't quite truthful in their manner of explicating their plans. I'd like to know who's running the SEC, and the NASD and what they've been up to these last eight years.
We're in more trouble than we know my friends. As we all know what they tell us is merely what they have to because we can tell something is wrong. But the full scope of all this? We may never know.
I do assure you however, that we'll have to pay for it. The Fed has promised 50 Billion Dollars in assistance to the financial system. Where praytell is this money coming from? You and me I guarantee you that. That and our grandchildren because we do not have it. Where does it come from?
Are they putting it on the great Mastercard in the sky? I can't think of any other way? Are they borrowing it from China? That'd be smart, sell the Chinese our financial system. We'd better figure out what they're doing, cause they're on the way out and they do not care.
Kanye West (nutbag) said after Katrina the George Bush didn't care about black people. Black people?!?!?! He doesn't care about anyone?
If his God truly did want George W. Bush to be President of the United States, then his God wanted to United States to fall.
Does all this sound like a conspiracy to you? Does it sound like someone has conspired to run things to ground in the name of whatever they find holy? I'm not much of a conspiracy theorist, but the more I write here the more I have to wonder what exactly is going on.
This can be a moment for the Democrats to take the advantage and get the upper hand in this election. What are we spending on the War in Iraq? 10-12 Billion a month? Well, guess where the money to bail out the financial system would come from? That imaginary money we print to spend in Iraq, where else?
McCain said yesterday that the fundamentals of the economy are sound. Is that the Zoloft talking? Is he kidding? Is he talking about his own economy? Cause I believe his is in pretty good shape?
Lehman Brothers WAS the insurance policy for banks, brokerages, and big money the world over. They're the insurance policy against failure for all the big guys. AND THEY FAILED!
Would you be nervous if State Farm or Allstate closed their doors tomorrow? Would you be wondering if American Family and Progressive were next and what you'd for insurance then? You'd better be.
Imagine how the world's largest brokerages and banks are thinking right this minute knowing they no longer have any insurance against failure? The FDIC can't cover everyone. And they only cover individuals up to 100k. If you've got more than that in any one account, too bad my friend.
The economic system of this country is being dismantled right before our eyes and we're truly powerless to stop it. But we'll end up paying the price I assure you.
Herbert Hoover said: "When there is a lack of honor in government, the morals of the whole people are poisoned."
He wasn't altogether stupid was he?
Monday, September 15, 2008
Sunny Monday!
It's Monday, and the sun is shining! Pardon me but it's been a while and we've needed to see the sun badly. It's starting to get a little cool overnight so the mornings have been crisp for a while. I'm hoping we still have some Indian Summer coming our way. I'd love to be able to spend more weekends outside. Especially since I'm about to buy a horse. Well, I think I'm about to buy a horse. It's not totally decided yet. In fact it's not eve partially decided yet.
I have the chance to purchase the horse I trained last summer, which will have to be started all over again since she's hardly been ridden since she was sold. So, if it all works out and the stars align properly I may consider taking on the responsibility. It's a big one, with the bills to match.
This weekend was uneventful. I went to the stables Saturday and watched the chiropractic students practice on the horses. Some of them weren't exactly happy about the procedure, but no one misbehaved too much. After that it was indoor activities in an effort to ignore the perpetual rain outside.
That new saddle is still sitting.
I have to have a talk with a prospective employer out of town and remind them that I'm many hundreds of miles away. They've scheduled me for testing this Friday afternoon. Yeah, no. So we'll see what happens, I'm shooting for finding someone here to proctor it and do it that way, but we'll see what the bureaucrats have to say bout my proposition.
Well since it's nice I'm going for walk. It's always an adventure walking here in the ghetto.
If I have time, in a while there will likely be a rant about the war and financial idiocy but right now I'm walking.
I have the chance to purchase the horse I trained last summer, which will have to be started all over again since she's hardly been ridden since she was sold. So, if it all works out and the stars align properly I may consider taking on the responsibility. It's a big one, with the bills to match.
This weekend was uneventful. I went to the stables Saturday and watched the chiropractic students practice on the horses. Some of them weren't exactly happy about the procedure, but no one misbehaved too much. After that it was indoor activities in an effort to ignore the perpetual rain outside.
That new saddle is still sitting.
I have to have a talk with a prospective employer out of town and remind them that I'm many hundreds of miles away. They've scheduled me for testing this Friday afternoon. Yeah, no. So we'll see what happens, I'm shooting for finding someone here to proctor it and do it that way, but we'll see what the bureaucrats have to say bout my proposition.
Well since it's nice I'm going for walk. It's always an adventure walking here in the ghetto.
If I have time, in a while there will likely be a rant about the war and financial idiocy but right now I'm walking.
Friday, September 12, 2008
HGF!!!
Some of you may well remember the television shows of the 60's and 70's. And if you were little gay boys back then, and I KNOW some of you were/are. You'll remember today's guys fondly.
I had wicked crushes on Robert Conrad and Bill Mumy. But When Pete Duel, that dark haired guy with dimples showed up on a horse and wearing a cowboy hat...well I was lost. I'd been in love with him since Love on a Rooftop with Judy Carne, but back then I was too young to know why, or even that not being able to take my eyes off him meant something. And though I've never told a soul before today I NEVER missed an episode of My Three Sons. Don Grady was just dreamy.
I threw Erik Estrada in just for grins. I was never a big fan of C.H.I.P.s, but he was pretty hot. Damn those pants must have been uncomfortable.
Enjoy!
I had wicked crushes on Robert Conrad and Bill Mumy. But When Pete Duel, that dark haired guy with dimples showed up on a horse and wearing a cowboy hat...well I was lost. I'd been in love with him since Love on a Rooftop with Judy Carne, but back then I was too young to know why, or even that not being able to take my eyes off him meant something. And though I've never told a soul before today I NEVER missed an episode of My Three Sons. Don Grady was just dreamy.
I threw Erik Estrada in just for grins. I was never a big fan of C.H.I.P.s, but he was pretty hot. Damn those pants must have been uncomfortable.
Enjoy!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Is fear the only thing we have to fear?
Happy Wednesday!
The preceeding video is apparently some scare tactic to keep people from using science to explore the nature of the universe. It's an animated demo of what would happen to the earth if the super-collider had created a black hole that in turn swallowed us whole.(not that there's anything wrong with being swallowed whole.) I cannot fathom what could possibly motivate people to live in such fear as those who would stoop to such depths apparently do.
Not that they haven't had help in the last eight years learning that being afraid is their lot in life. Are people so easily influenced as all that?
I was also looking at a new site I found recently called Queertoday.com
Seriously I am thrilled to see that there are people out there who are calling attention to at least some of the many machinations we are suffering at the hands of our own. Someone needs to stand up and make it known.
I'd like them to hire someone to edit though. I"m not going to cite examples, that would be just mean, and that's not my point.
My point is this: It's difficult enough for us to get our issues taken seriously, it just makes it easier for people to dismiss us when they can say: "Well, they can't even write a coherent sentence, why should we even listen to what they have to say?"
A weak argument, but one that works nonetheless.
I've dwelt on this enough. I wish I knew how to help fix it.
And it's with enormous sadness that I am able to announce to the world that the monsters have finally come to Maple Street.
I read this morning that Richard Rothstein at Proceedatyourownrisk.com was almost gaybashed last week. In one of the gayest neighborhoods in the world!
In 2003 when I directed The Laramie Project I tried to explain to the cast that I live with the concern (not usually fear) that I could be bashed at any time.
I'm not the most identifiable gay man ever, but I am obviously gay to most people, and would certainly answer affirmatively were I asked. And though I get through most situations without incident it is certainly conceivable that I've been in many situations where I might not have had it not been for quick thinking, a quick wit, and not a little luck. They looked at me like I was a paranoid old man.
A mere five years later my fears are a reality. The threat is everywhere.
This could change my behavior. It could drive me underground, it could send me to live in "Mecca," (which used to be San Francisco, but now is apparently Toronto) it could scare me into a life of secrecy and denial. It could scare me into the closet.
Yeah, right.
I have to wonder if this will happen to me? If I'll mouth off to the wrong person, or be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and discover that I'm not quite as quick-witted, or as tough, or as fast as I once was. I have to wonder if I should arm myself. If I should carry some form of self-defense. If I truly am becoming a paranoid old man.
I know this could happen to me, and it does concern me. But I cannot live in fear, I won't. I never have before,not even when the odds were stacked well against me. I'm not about to start now.
I'll live the life I envision. Likely in one of the two places I'm currently considering. I'll do the things that matter to me, that make me feel whole, that give me purpose. And if there are consequences, as there always are, I'll face them and see what happens.
Richard says he intends to die of a heart attack during an orgy not on the street where he lives. I intend to die in a rocking chair, on a porch, counting the many instances of good fortune I encountered.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
up and at 'em
I'm off the couch... I'm not happy about it, but I'm at least up and moving. I figured I'd better enjoy the sunshine while we've got it. Besides I've got an appt with the chiropractor this afternoon. Oh! and another hurricane is headed into the gulf and we're going to get the leftovers ALL WEEKEND!!! No sunshine for me! I hate the tropics.
dammit!
So, my new saddle sits.
Those of you who know me will appreciate this. Yesterday I went to work for a few hours to do just what had to be done, so I parked on the street right outside my office. We're located in a downtown area and it's just west and above the river bottoms where the old livestock pens used to be many years ago. As I was leaving I smelled cattle. I thought that odd since there isn't any cattle around here anymore. But I went on, thinking no more about it. I stopped at the store on the way home. It's several miles away, and as I left there I smelled livestock again. I began to worry about olfactory hallucinations. I arrived home, put the car in the garage and as I stepped out of the car I smelled livestock again and finally I put it together.
The roads yesterday,were a pain because McCain and Palin had been staying at the Hotel President the night before, and were headed to their stump south of town, and there was some bike race coming through town too. So in an effort to avoid all of that I took back roads and trekked through the industrial area of the river bottoms. As I was turning off the last bridge I slid a little in this stuff on the roads and thought, "What the hell is all this crap on the roads."
Yes, that's exactly what it was.
The underside of my car is now coated with cow manure and it smells oh so wonderful. I'd wash it but it's going to start raining tomorrow and my neighbors can just complain until then about the smell in the garage. Sorry.
At least I know which one is mine in the parking lot.
dammit!
So, my new saddle sits.
Those of you who know me will appreciate this. Yesterday I went to work for a few hours to do just what had to be done, so I parked on the street right outside my office. We're located in a downtown area and it's just west and above the river bottoms where the old livestock pens used to be many years ago. As I was leaving I smelled cattle. I thought that odd since there isn't any cattle around here anymore. But I went on, thinking no more about it. I stopped at the store on the way home. It's several miles away, and as I left there I smelled livestock again. I began to worry about olfactory hallucinations. I arrived home, put the car in the garage and as I stepped out of the car I smelled livestock again and finally I put it together.
The roads yesterday,were a pain because McCain and Palin had been staying at the Hotel President the night before, and were headed to their stump south of town, and there was some bike race coming through town too. So in an effort to avoid all of that I took back roads and trekked through the industrial area of the river bottoms. As I was turning off the last bridge I slid a little in this stuff on the roads and thought, "What the hell is all this crap on the roads."
Yes, that's exactly what it was.
The underside of my car is now coated with cow manure and it smells oh so wonderful. I'd wash it but it's going to start raining tomorrow and my neighbors can just complain until then about the smell in the garage. Sorry.
At least I know which one is mine in the parking lot.
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