As I sit here pondering my next move(bow hunt or blog), it looks like it will be blogging then hunting. I notice that many of us get into situations that, for the sake of argument, I will call "getting into a rut". Facebook friend Donna has called it " putting up fences" for ourselves. Whatever you want to call it, it is both fascinating and frustrating.
We dive into life after our school days are over and most of us begin a career, maybe not in the same company, but mostly the same field. Over time, some of you may lose a job and you sit and wonder what's next. Where can I go now? How can I move on? What will I do? All valid questions, but often they are surrounded by the limitations that you impose on yourself. You may already have a home and family and your mind limits you to a job within a reasonable driving distance or a certain type of company. You have limited yourself because you are afraid of upsetting your family, you may not want to sell your home and move, you dont want to or are afraid to start another line of work or you are just plain afraid and dont really know what you're afraid of.
My fascination has always been the "why?" of being afraid of these things. Love and respect of my wife has kept me from dropping everything on more than one occasion and rejoining the military. I am not afraid of it. I would have no qualms about selling most of what we own and leaving, I just dont think that something so drastic should be one-sided in the relationship. Now if she was ok with it, well, we'd have been gone long ago. I never understood the fear of the unknown as far as work or life-choices go. I like going new places, meeting new people and trying new things. I know you may look at selling a house(for the sake of argument--maybe it was half or more paid for?) as something that is taboo, but I think the other side of it is the adventure, the change itself. Kids are resilient, they can get over or past anything like being uprooted and finding new friends, I think after school tv and teen angst movies have caused a negative perception of starting over. As always, I have to say that I'm sure not every move is going to be wine and roses. I just think that real life is too often mixed and stirred by the spoon of Hollyweird.
You should do what you have to in that situation, making as little compromise as you have to. Dont let your fear keep you from being happy. Dont settle for something that could keep your family happy in the long-term because you are too afraid to discuss it and implement the change. As always, this is but one example. There are myriad situations that people throw up walls and cannot find their way around them.
That same fear keeps us from asking out a girl/guy, it prevents ideas from being implemented at work and even keeps us from looking for cheaper car insurance. Seriously. I know people that were afraid they would hurt the agent that they were with so instead of seriously reducing their rates at a big-name company, they paid over-priced premiums for years. On one hand it was noble not wanting to hurt the small-businessman, but on the other hand the fear of offending someone cost them money that could have been better spent somewhere else.
What kind of walls did Amelia Earhart have? What kind did Albert Einstein have? What kind did any person that ever tried something new or adventurous have? We all do it, it's just a question of when. Is it something that will cost us, hurt us or set us back? Is it something that will stagnate us and keep us in a pit of despair, wallowing in pity and never realizing why?
Make your choices and own them. Just dont make choices that are based on the "conventional" methods of thinking if it is going to wind up causing you and yours needless suffering.
I know this was a short rant, but I have a Christmas cookie calling my name and I have a snowstorm to watch. Damned walls. Need more windows.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
66 Merry CHRISTmas? Grusse Gott.
In our search for personal truth and satisfaction we often have a lot of stumbling blocks along the way. Let's begin by stating that most of us know our country was founded on Christian values. Okay, I'll buy that, sort of. Our forebears looked to escape religious persecution and the oppressive rule of an out-moded form of government. To steal a bit of a quote from F.D.R.- our country has always been about bringing equality and peace to the world through our "righteous might". You have to look past the corruption that is politics and look at the ideas that our founding fathers had, but you should get my point.
As we arrive at the Christmas season, I would ask a bit of leniency from the Christians. The spirit of the season is about love and forgiveness, hope and faith, is it not? It is to celebrate the life of a man that spread the word of these qualities, no matter the suffering put on him by the society of his day. His piety and staunch faith to the message that he spread has reverberated for two millenia.
His message has given hope to many and if nothing more than that, he should be lauded as much or more than what we do.
I will never understand why "devout" believers in any religion preach tolerance and yet will decry any stance that is not their own. Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, Wiccan and even the baser, non-deity religions like Druid and Native American (some,not all) have their own messages of peace and hope. The dawning of a new day, the birth of new lives, the passage of the earth through her seasons of ebb and flow and the very journey through life are all good reasons to celebrate.
As the year comes to a close, let us not focus on the awful things we hear and see from the media. Let us remember the family and friends that have loved us and those that have gone from this earth to continue their journey. We should practice what we "preach", should we not?
Scientists at the CERN facility are looking for the so-called "GOD particle" and hoping to understand the big bang by the dazzling power of the experiments their machine has wrought. I say-forget about it. Let God be God, we are not meant to understand the why's and how's of the creation brought about untold ages ago. As usual, it's all my opinion, but I think life is about the journey, not the destination. You work towards a personal goal and strive to make it happen. There is a satisfaction upon completion of attainment, and yes, often the goal is worthy and satisfying, but, hear me out: was not the path leading to the goal just as satisfying? Sometimes maybe moreso? I relish the strength I feel from working through trials and roadblocks that stand in my way. I feel a sort-of strength and power that must be but a taste of what God felt as he created what is. My journey has been the learning part, not the ends to each minor event. Your schooling taught you, not the diploma received upon graduation.
I have said it before, but I think we are supposed to learn certain things in our journeys, some do, some dont. I think we all move along and through the paths to whatever the goal may be. Some get caught up, stalled if you will and are doomed to repeat certain things until they can move on or up. Heaven is not above, there is only atmosphere and then space. Heaven is in the eyes of your loved ones, it rests in the beauty of the scenery and in the creative works of man.
So, if I see you and say "Merry Christmas", I do so because to me, the spirit of the season is about reminding each other that we are here to love and get along, learn and grow. Many do not, but that is their failing. If by saying a few words we can get through even to one person, one time, it is worth the saying. Men of faith in this "modern" world are often not about faith at all, but about the money to be made from others blind faith. I do not lump all into one, but I chose a long time ago to make my own way, find my own "truths" and try to find my own way to give hope to people. Many times I have been chastised by the ones who bang their drums the hardest. I think they cant hear their own heart anymore for the noise.
I probably sound like the dope-smoking hippies from not-so-long-ago, but I say to you: Be tolerant, be peaceful, be hopeful. There is always room for hope. We can hope there is something after this life. No one wants to think that our life is all there is. What would be the point? You just have to be able to accept other people's vision of what comes next. I may not believe there are actual "pearly gates", but that doesnt mean there arent for you. You may not think you will move to a new life in a new "dimension" or world or even back on this world, but that doesnt mean that I'm not going to. Most religions are supposed to be about tolerance, but it is rarely so. Try talking to a Christian about your views as say, an agnostic or even as a Muslim. I bet most of the time you'll get the "yes, but I'M right after all" speech or at least the snide look. Before you start bashing me, think about it. How many of you on facebook have posted the "I dare you to post this if you're not afraid to admit you_____Jesus" stuff? Are you afraid to hear another viewpoint without judging it? Again, I would have to say no. I have been on both sides of the argument. I used to attend a structured religious setting and after I made up my own mind about God, the bible and organized religion I have taken a bit of flak about it.
I will always believe that the Christmas holiday is a good, viable outlet for your own brand of spirituality. I love having family and friends come together at our home and eat a big meal and catch up on each others' lives. It is a time to forgive and forget, show each other that you still care no matter what has happened over the years and keep the turkey and smoked ham industries in business.
So as you move about the country this year to see family and friends, remember that soon, your taxes will be due, you're one day closer to eternity and there is a God somwhere that is guiding you. Whether you choose to accept him or not, whether you think he's there or not, believe me, the IRS is there and they will be waiting.....
As we arrive at the Christmas season, I would ask a bit of leniency from the Christians. The spirit of the season is about love and forgiveness, hope and faith, is it not? It is to celebrate the life of a man that spread the word of these qualities, no matter the suffering put on him by the society of his day. His piety and staunch faith to the message that he spread has reverberated for two millenia.
His message has given hope to many and if nothing more than that, he should be lauded as much or more than what we do.
I will never understand why "devout" believers in any religion preach tolerance and yet will decry any stance that is not their own. Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, Wiccan and even the baser, non-deity religions like Druid and Native American (some,not all) have their own messages of peace and hope. The dawning of a new day, the birth of new lives, the passage of the earth through her seasons of ebb and flow and the very journey through life are all good reasons to celebrate.
As the year comes to a close, let us not focus on the awful things we hear and see from the media. Let us remember the family and friends that have loved us and those that have gone from this earth to continue their journey. We should practice what we "preach", should we not?
Scientists at the CERN facility are looking for the so-called "GOD particle" and hoping to understand the big bang by the dazzling power of the experiments their machine has wrought. I say-forget about it. Let God be God, we are not meant to understand the why's and how's of the creation brought about untold ages ago. As usual, it's all my opinion, but I think life is about the journey, not the destination. You work towards a personal goal and strive to make it happen. There is a satisfaction upon completion of attainment, and yes, often the goal is worthy and satisfying, but, hear me out: was not the path leading to the goal just as satisfying? Sometimes maybe moreso? I relish the strength I feel from working through trials and roadblocks that stand in my way. I feel a sort-of strength and power that must be but a taste of what God felt as he created what is. My journey has been the learning part, not the ends to each minor event. Your schooling taught you, not the diploma received upon graduation.
I have said it before, but I think we are supposed to learn certain things in our journeys, some do, some dont. I think we all move along and through the paths to whatever the goal may be. Some get caught up, stalled if you will and are doomed to repeat certain things until they can move on or up. Heaven is not above, there is only atmosphere and then space. Heaven is in the eyes of your loved ones, it rests in the beauty of the scenery and in the creative works of man.
So, if I see you and say "Merry Christmas", I do so because to me, the spirit of the season is about reminding each other that we are here to love and get along, learn and grow. Many do not, but that is their failing. If by saying a few words we can get through even to one person, one time, it is worth the saying. Men of faith in this "modern" world are often not about faith at all, but about the money to be made from others blind faith. I do not lump all into one, but I chose a long time ago to make my own way, find my own "truths" and try to find my own way to give hope to people. Many times I have been chastised by the ones who bang their drums the hardest. I think they cant hear their own heart anymore for the noise.
I probably sound like the dope-smoking hippies from not-so-long-ago, but I say to you: Be tolerant, be peaceful, be hopeful. There is always room for hope. We can hope there is something after this life. No one wants to think that our life is all there is. What would be the point? You just have to be able to accept other people's vision of what comes next. I may not believe there are actual "pearly gates", but that doesnt mean there arent for you. You may not think you will move to a new life in a new "dimension" or world or even back on this world, but that doesnt mean that I'm not going to. Most religions are supposed to be about tolerance, but it is rarely so. Try talking to a Christian about your views as say, an agnostic or even as a Muslim. I bet most of the time you'll get the "yes, but I'M right after all" speech or at least the snide look. Before you start bashing me, think about it. How many of you on facebook have posted the "I dare you to post this if you're not afraid to admit you_____Jesus" stuff? Are you afraid to hear another viewpoint without judging it? Again, I would have to say no. I have been on both sides of the argument. I used to attend a structured religious setting and after I made up my own mind about God, the bible and organized religion I have taken a bit of flak about it.
I will always believe that the Christmas holiday is a good, viable outlet for your own brand of spirituality. I love having family and friends come together at our home and eat a big meal and catch up on each others' lives. It is a time to forgive and forget, show each other that you still care no matter what has happened over the years and keep the turkey and smoked ham industries in business.
So as you move about the country this year to see family and friends, remember that soon, your taxes will be due, you're one day closer to eternity and there is a God somwhere that is guiding you. Whether you choose to accept him or not, whether you think he's there or not, believe me, the IRS is there and they will be waiting.....
Friday, December 11, 2009
65 I Cant Drive 55
As a youth, I did what most teenage boys did when they got behind the wheel: drive like a bat out of hell. We had a souped-up truck at home and, well, what else should a fresh, young driver do with a few thousand pounds of jacked-up horsepower? I "drove it like I stole it", yes, I admit it. A couple months back, when I started this blog, I reported that my oldest, Nathan, had dinged up the ol family truckster. I really didnt give him that much guff over it because I know what I did to Dad's truck way back when. The worst thing I did(and had to admit to) was take out a row of mailboxes on my way home late one night. All things being equal, I know what happens when a new driver gets behind the wheel for the first couple years or so.
This brings me to what has become of driving on our highways and byways nowadays: cursing, raging tempers, high blood pressure, "Death Race" mentality and unmitigated slaughter. I am guilty of it myself. I catch myself cursing and yelling at drivers going either 20 miles under or 20 miles over the speed limit, drivers that feel they cant obey simple traffic signs or lanes and generally any idiot that falls under Scott DeWitt's "Shouldnt have a Licsense" category. How many times have you pulled up to a 4 way stop and some 'tard who cant remember his drivers handbook pulls through A-without looking and/or B-out of turn? How many idiots do you see trying to go 50 or 60 in a residential area? How many have you seen swerving and careening in and out of traffic because they were probably too stupid to either leave early enough to get to their destination on time or they are too damned dumb to care about the safety of the rest of the people on the road? Teenage boys and their "screw-you, I'm cool so I can do what I want and no one will say anything" attitude? How about people that are too old to be out of the house without an escort let alone driving a car? Little old ladies that cant see over the steering wheel, but by-God they're going to church/walmart? What about the guy who gets pissed because you're going the speed limit and he cant pass you? You know, he's the one in your rear-view mirror screaming and beating on the steering wheel, riding your bumper and laying on the horn at every opportunity.
Our roads have become an endless parade of steel, guided by short-tempered, over-worked, over-pressured folks that project all their frustrations from home and work onto anyone in traffic that doesnt conform to their idea of what speed and manner of driving they should be going. I have had women in nice vehicles that appeared to be in their 40's or 50's flip me off after THEY cut ME off at a 4 way stop. ME ME ME!!! Everyone wants everything to be about them. Of course that includes their destination being more important and their time frame being the more important one between theirs and yours. I know I have done some of this in a mild to medium manner and I regret it. Believe it or not, I do stop to think about what I've done, but only after I've gotten to where I'm going. Most of the time, I do try to obey the traffic laws, but, well....the flesh is weak.
Conversely, there is such a thing as the signage being out of place and therefore, hindering traffic flow and creating even more aggravation. For example: there is a posted limit travelling West on rt7 coming out of Reedsville of 35. Although there is a small mall ( with only 2 businesses in it) and a bank beside it, it is pretty much straight on and wide open until Masontown. The 35 limit goes for about a mile out of town and is usually a speed trap when they have the money to hire a cop. I cant really see a purpose in it remaining 35 from the grocery store to the bowling alley except for the ticket revenue, besides, the drunks at night usually dont pay attention to it anyway.
I suppose I may be putting too much into it, people get angry about everything and nothing, so why not get angry driving? You have independence and power inside your vehicle. You can choose where you're going and how fast or slow you'll get there. It may be one of the last things we can do at which we are truly free. At least as free as the laws will allow, but you should get my point. I have had to be somewhere in a hurry and so have you. Does that give us the right to be reckless and dangerous? No. You can be frustrated without contemplating mass murder inside a rolling battering ram.
Maybe we shouldnt be allowed to drive until we're 22. This would ensure that youths were either out of college (mostly unless you're Dewey Moore) or had been in the workforce for a few years. Maybe the damned bars and nightclubs should have to close a little earlier than 2 or 3 or 4. Maybe if you're caught committing a traffic violation that is a direct result of road rage you should be limited and tested somewhat like a drunk driver has a tube to blow in to start their car, maybe some sort of stress-tester. Oh that's right, most of the drunks around here just drive anyway or are slapped on the wrist and handed their license.
This time of year the traffic is insane anyway. Holiday travel and shopping, office parties and kids on break from school all contribute to clogged roads the same as summer travel and a white sale at J.C. Penny's. I would really appreciate it if everyone would stay off the Scott lane when I am out and about. Please be considerate and reschedule your happenings so that they dont conflict with my driving schedule. If I am going to be taking a leisure drive(you know, to put more money in the arabs' pockets) I will try to let you know so that you can alter your travel plans in accordance. I DO understand there are emergency situations and if you MUST head for a hospital or an injured friend/relative's aid, please disregard the wild-eyed red-head behind you, screaming and yelling and weaving in and out of his lane behind you. It is probably me and I am just expressing my frustration at your inconsiderate habit of driving in front of me and not behind and slightly to the right. Oh yeah, get the hell out of my way you friggin mook.
This brings me to what has become of driving on our highways and byways nowadays: cursing, raging tempers, high blood pressure, "Death Race" mentality and unmitigated slaughter. I am guilty of it myself. I catch myself cursing and yelling at drivers going either 20 miles under or 20 miles over the speed limit, drivers that feel they cant obey simple traffic signs or lanes and generally any idiot that falls under Scott DeWitt's "Shouldnt have a Licsense" category. How many times have you pulled up to a 4 way stop and some 'tard who cant remember his drivers handbook pulls through A-without looking and/or B-out of turn? How many idiots do you see trying to go 50 or 60 in a residential area? How many have you seen swerving and careening in and out of traffic because they were probably too stupid to either leave early enough to get to their destination on time or they are too damned dumb to care about the safety of the rest of the people on the road? Teenage boys and their "screw-you, I'm cool so I can do what I want and no one will say anything" attitude? How about people that are too old to be out of the house without an escort let alone driving a car? Little old ladies that cant see over the steering wheel, but by-God they're going to church/walmart? What about the guy who gets pissed because you're going the speed limit and he cant pass you? You know, he's the one in your rear-view mirror screaming and beating on the steering wheel, riding your bumper and laying on the horn at every opportunity.
Our roads have become an endless parade of steel, guided by short-tempered, over-worked, over-pressured folks that project all their frustrations from home and work onto anyone in traffic that doesnt conform to their idea of what speed and manner of driving they should be going. I have had women in nice vehicles that appeared to be in their 40's or 50's flip me off after THEY cut ME off at a 4 way stop. ME ME ME!!! Everyone wants everything to be about them. Of course that includes their destination being more important and their time frame being the more important one between theirs and yours. I know I have done some of this in a mild to medium manner and I regret it. Believe it or not, I do stop to think about what I've done, but only after I've gotten to where I'm going. Most of the time, I do try to obey the traffic laws, but, well....the flesh is weak.
Conversely, there is such a thing as the signage being out of place and therefore, hindering traffic flow and creating even more aggravation. For example: there is a posted limit travelling West on rt7 coming out of Reedsville of 35. Although there is a small mall ( with only 2 businesses in it) and a bank beside it, it is pretty much straight on and wide open until Masontown. The 35 limit goes for about a mile out of town and is usually a speed trap when they have the money to hire a cop. I cant really see a purpose in it remaining 35 from the grocery store to the bowling alley except for the ticket revenue, besides, the drunks at night usually dont pay attention to it anyway.
I suppose I may be putting too much into it, people get angry about everything and nothing, so why not get angry driving? You have independence and power inside your vehicle. You can choose where you're going and how fast or slow you'll get there. It may be one of the last things we can do at which we are truly free. At least as free as the laws will allow, but you should get my point. I have had to be somewhere in a hurry and so have you. Does that give us the right to be reckless and dangerous? No. You can be frustrated without contemplating mass murder inside a rolling battering ram.
Maybe we shouldnt be allowed to drive until we're 22. This would ensure that youths were either out of college (mostly unless you're Dewey Moore) or had been in the workforce for a few years. Maybe the damned bars and nightclubs should have to close a little earlier than 2 or 3 or 4. Maybe if you're caught committing a traffic violation that is a direct result of road rage you should be limited and tested somewhat like a drunk driver has a tube to blow in to start their car, maybe some sort of stress-tester. Oh that's right, most of the drunks around here just drive anyway or are slapped on the wrist and handed their license.
This time of year the traffic is insane anyway. Holiday travel and shopping, office parties and kids on break from school all contribute to clogged roads the same as summer travel and a white sale at J.C. Penny's. I would really appreciate it if everyone would stay off the Scott lane when I am out and about. Please be considerate and reschedule your happenings so that they dont conflict with my driving schedule. If I am going to be taking a leisure drive(you know, to put more money in the arabs' pockets) I will try to let you know so that you can alter your travel plans in accordance. I DO understand there are emergency situations and if you MUST head for a hospital or an injured friend/relative's aid, please disregard the wild-eyed red-head behind you, screaming and yelling and weaving in and out of his lane behind you. It is probably me and I am just expressing my frustration at your inconsiderate habit of driving in front of me and not behind and slightly to the right. Oh yeah, get the hell out of my way you friggin mook.
Friday, December 4, 2009
64 Ice is Nice
For those of you who read my blog, you know I tend to be a bit melancholy about the world. Many of you with strong religious backgrounds look forward with hope and peace and love and tolerance. I think you believe the world will someday progress into a perfect union of love and tolerance and believers will be living on a planet with a perfect society. I'm here to tell you that some billions of years from now, the sun will balloon into a red dwarf star and consume this little mudball. We are in the backwoods part of the galaxy. Our little world is an insignificant speck in the scheme of things and it exists only through an infinitely complex series of events that eventually lead to enough chemicals coming together and forming complex organisms to eventually evolve(debatable whether that's a good thing) into some homicidal, destructive, bipedal organisms that continually debate their own origin, questioning every aspect of both their physical world and their ability to be able to question themselves.
With that off my chest, I put to you a question: Have you ever noticed the patterns that exist in the life of the planet herself? I did not say mankind because there is a larger process at work here. It does manifest itself in humankind but it has been around far longer than some highly evolved primates have been scratching their rear-ends looking for bugs. What I am speaking of is a breath or pulse that seems to beat, almost like a heart, only it is on a global scale. After the birth-pangs of violent extremes, i.e.-planet cooling from a molten blob, developing rudimentary life, then more complex plants and animals and the seasons themselves(due to our orbit around our pathetic yellow star and her own revolutions). The planet herself seems almost alive.
There is an ebb-and-flow to this planet. During the age of dinosaurs our mudball was a hot, lush place for the most part. The air was nothing like it is now, the continents were different and of course, the flora and fauna. The planet has continued cooling and voila! we get ice ages and periods of higher-than-average temperatures. I dont like all this "global-warming" mumbo-jumbo. It has been observed by scientists that the planet has had periods of high heat and the big-ol' glacier-covered snowcone effect. I think we are experiencing a minor warm-up now. We are overdue for the big-freeze. Politicians and pundits screaming about carbon credits and how carbon dioxide is a pollutant have persuaded the mush-headed masses that man alone has caused the potential downfall of our planet by heating the atmosphere and melting the glaciers, drowning polar bears and raping whales. I say the sheeple tend to panic when they experience the least little change in their perceived norm.
I say screw the polar bears, the spotted owls, the forest jaguar and any other species that stands in the way of man's survival. I am all for helping a species get a leg up if they're having trouble reproducing, but if a million people will have to go without heat because a purple striped frog with 3 toes had his habitat encroached upon, well, let's say that frog legs are pretty good if they're cooked right. The trouble with humans is natural selection. We have pretty much figured out how to avoid nature's culling mechanism. More people are surviving horrific injuries, disease and birth defects than at any time in history. Our average life span is double what it was since we invented recorded history and quite frankly, the elderly are surviving(in many cases) way past their viable, enjoyable life span. We prolong many lives for the benefit of doctors, hospitals, nursing homes and da..da...da......drug companies. They poke, tweak and prod, medicate and near-eviscerate them like some sick biology experiment to milk every last dollar from insurance, government programs and family until the well is dry. This is about quality of life, folks. Plain and simple. Every single one of you has had a relative that has either been kept alive without a semblance of their former self, been kept alive in misery or know someone that has.
We are a small, almost infinitismal creature in the scope of things. This planet was only meant to support so much life and we insist on forcing it to our will. Massive algae blooms(look at the Gulf of Mexico) directly or indirectly from farming that drains massive amounts of fertilizers and pesticides into our waterways, Irrigation that drains natural aquifers, these and more are what's contributing to destroying the earth. The reasonably viable living space that is available here is being forced to support more people than it reasonably can. These areas become choked and poisoned and still we pile more on. I think this planet is a living organism. Eventually, she will get to a point that, just like our body, she will fight the offending virus with anything available. As if war, pestilence and disease weren't bad enough, the earth may come up with some new horror that will scratch the itch until it goes away.
I've said it a hundred times: use what we have and what we invent and live in harmony and achieve a balance with nature. Will we? I doubt it. We seem to have to learn the hard way with just about everything. We cant even find a way to acheive renewable energy without taking money from the poor, giant companies. If only we didnt have to take billions from their coffers to be able to let even the poorest among us have cheap heat and transportation. Sigh.
Maybe the world does need thinned out. Nature culls the weakest of the herd, the least viable plants, the slowest, the stunted, the diseased, maybe we should too. It's not as bad a problem in developed nations as it is in 3'd world countries. You've seen them on tv. Living in squalor, uneducated, unemployed and living from day to day in a hell and misery that we have never known. Their countries have not focused on development and education. They frequently have regimes that exist only to bleed money and power from whatever segment of the population they can, so the people multiply and suffer.
The balance will come whether by our own hand our the earth's. The only other factor that could undo us is man's penchant for war. Iran, North Korea, Russia...so many others that want us to fall, fail, die trying. If nations like us fall the rest of the world will soon become a pile of grinning skulls with a few dictators and warlords sitting atop the piles. The visions of madmen dont include a plan for anything past destroying that which they abhor. They would milk the world dry for nothing more than a pile of money, some possessions and some people to order around and some to torture.
My guiding force pushes me to do the right thing every day. The problem with that is that I have no real influence or power to effect a change. Maybe someday my words will provoke the right person, maybe not. I can think that I am Captain America all I want, it wont change it. I wear our flag wrapped around my heart, a shield strapped to my wrist and all the righteous might I can muster, and yet, for all my squawking and strutting, I cannot change that which I think must be. I would rally like minds to my cause and be smashed down for my efforts. Today, this rant ends and I am a beaten man. Oh yeah, screw the ozone, I need a tan.
With that off my chest, I put to you a question: Have you ever noticed the patterns that exist in the life of the planet herself? I did not say mankind because there is a larger process at work here. It does manifest itself in humankind but it has been around far longer than some highly evolved primates have been scratching their rear-ends looking for bugs. What I am speaking of is a breath or pulse that seems to beat, almost like a heart, only it is on a global scale. After the birth-pangs of violent extremes, i.e.-planet cooling from a molten blob, developing rudimentary life, then more complex plants and animals and the seasons themselves(due to our orbit around our pathetic yellow star and her own revolutions). The planet herself seems almost alive.
There is an ebb-and-flow to this planet. During the age of dinosaurs our mudball was a hot, lush place for the most part. The air was nothing like it is now, the continents were different and of course, the flora and fauna. The planet has continued cooling and voila! we get ice ages and periods of higher-than-average temperatures. I dont like all this "global-warming" mumbo-jumbo. It has been observed by scientists that the planet has had periods of high heat and the big-ol' glacier-covered snowcone effect. I think we are experiencing a minor warm-up now. We are overdue for the big-freeze. Politicians and pundits screaming about carbon credits and how carbon dioxide is a pollutant have persuaded the mush-headed masses that man alone has caused the potential downfall of our planet by heating the atmosphere and melting the glaciers, drowning polar bears and raping whales. I say the sheeple tend to panic when they experience the least little change in their perceived norm.
I say screw the polar bears, the spotted owls, the forest jaguar and any other species that stands in the way of man's survival. I am all for helping a species get a leg up if they're having trouble reproducing, but if a million people will have to go without heat because a purple striped frog with 3 toes had his habitat encroached upon, well, let's say that frog legs are pretty good if they're cooked right. The trouble with humans is natural selection. We have pretty much figured out how to avoid nature's culling mechanism. More people are surviving horrific injuries, disease and birth defects than at any time in history. Our average life span is double what it was since we invented recorded history and quite frankly, the elderly are surviving(in many cases) way past their viable, enjoyable life span. We prolong many lives for the benefit of doctors, hospitals, nursing homes and da..da...da......drug companies. They poke, tweak and prod, medicate and near-eviscerate them like some sick biology experiment to milk every last dollar from insurance, government programs and family until the well is dry. This is about quality of life, folks. Plain and simple. Every single one of you has had a relative that has either been kept alive without a semblance of their former self, been kept alive in misery or know someone that has.
We are a small, almost infinitismal creature in the scope of things. This planet was only meant to support so much life and we insist on forcing it to our will. Massive algae blooms(look at the Gulf of Mexico) directly or indirectly from farming that drains massive amounts of fertilizers and pesticides into our waterways, Irrigation that drains natural aquifers, these and more are what's contributing to destroying the earth. The reasonably viable living space that is available here is being forced to support more people than it reasonably can. These areas become choked and poisoned and still we pile more on. I think this planet is a living organism. Eventually, she will get to a point that, just like our body, she will fight the offending virus with anything available. As if war, pestilence and disease weren't bad enough, the earth may come up with some new horror that will scratch the itch until it goes away.
I've said it a hundred times: use what we have and what we invent and live in harmony and achieve a balance with nature. Will we? I doubt it. We seem to have to learn the hard way with just about everything. We cant even find a way to acheive renewable energy without taking money from the poor, giant companies. If only we didnt have to take billions from their coffers to be able to let even the poorest among us have cheap heat and transportation. Sigh.
Maybe the world does need thinned out. Nature culls the weakest of the herd, the least viable plants, the slowest, the stunted, the diseased, maybe we should too. It's not as bad a problem in developed nations as it is in 3'd world countries. You've seen them on tv. Living in squalor, uneducated, unemployed and living from day to day in a hell and misery that we have never known. Their countries have not focused on development and education. They frequently have regimes that exist only to bleed money and power from whatever segment of the population they can, so the people multiply and suffer.
The balance will come whether by our own hand our the earth's. The only other factor that could undo us is man's penchant for war. Iran, North Korea, Russia...so many others that want us to fall, fail, die trying. If nations like us fall the rest of the world will soon become a pile of grinning skulls with a few dictators and warlords sitting atop the piles. The visions of madmen dont include a plan for anything past destroying that which they abhor. They would milk the world dry for nothing more than a pile of money, some possessions and some people to order around and some to torture.
My guiding force pushes me to do the right thing every day. The problem with that is that I have no real influence or power to effect a change. Maybe someday my words will provoke the right person, maybe not. I can think that I am Captain America all I want, it wont change it. I wear our flag wrapped around my heart, a shield strapped to my wrist and all the righteous might I can muster, and yet, for all my squawking and strutting, I cannot change that which I think must be. I would rally like minds to my cause and be smashed down for my efforts. Today, this rant ends and I am a beaten man. Oh yeah, screw the ozone, I need a tan.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
63 Ruining the Blitz
First, let me say that I love WVU. They have done a good job this year with all the injuries, weak lines and suffering from "White" withdrawal and having a QB that has sat on the sidelines for 4 years. I hope they continue their winning ways. Go EERS!!
Now that you think this is about football, let me disappoint you: today we'll be discussing how the media is full of crap.
We can start with the latest attempt by the media to make something from nothing--Tiger Woods infamous tree/hydrant fiasco. I will say that there is some modicum of deserved scrutiny when it comes to any kind of star, whether they are an athlete or an actor, but it should only go so far. The media jumps at the first hint of a high-profile individual with a fart cross-ways. They manufacture stories where there are none or where there should be none. Tiger and his wife are obviously having problems and yes, that's what lead to the crash. Other than reporting that he crashed and injured himself, that is where the story should stop. Well, I'll give them that they could report whether he would continue on tour or if he injured someone else, but that's it. I dont give a fig whether he's fighting with his blond trophy wife unless it affects his playing ability and then, I dont want to know about his personal life. Besides, I find golf pretentious and boring. He might be interesting, but since he and I will never be close friends or buddies, I DONT CARE!!! They have blown it out of whack trying to garner ratings. It truly surprises me that the murder-ratzi dont have people following everyone of interest, letting us know when they have started their menstrual cycles or they're constipated. "Did they eat their peas and carrots? Film of the doo- doo at 11"
Good lord, they couldnt let Princess Di have her final moment. Some ass wipe actually poked his head in the car, snapping photos before the rescue vehicles got there. We should have stopped this crap right then and there. The dude should have been prosecuted and hung out to dry. From that point on, we should penalize every one of these dipsticks that think that ratings are more important than peoples' right to privacy. I will say that if someone volunteers information I think then and only then is it fair game. Yes, as a species , we crave blood and gore, death and destruction, and we will soak up any of it that is put before us. Does that make it right? During Katrina, if they would have put half the effort into rescue and aid that they did in getting the "money shot" they could have saved more lives. I know it did occur on some levels, but it should have been AID FIRST, ratings second.
We have gotten to hear how it was wrong for Miley Cyrus to pose with her Dad in what THEY called "suggestive" poses. HE is her Dad and if he decided it wasnt inappropriate, then we should have A-enjoyed the photos and B-moved on. We are told how so and so is "a diva on the set or in the studio" or some actor is "in rehab" I think we should not have to worry about their pampered asses when most of us are doing good to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table. You know what I mean. They have the kind of money and/or influence to not work for months or years on end and hire people to handle and control every aspect of their lives, so yes, they probably have problems. Truth be told, they probably have more trouble than we do. It still doesnt make it right for the media to give us every little freaking detail.
I dont care if it's double standards: I think public officials SHOULD have a certain measure of elevated coverage. I still dont want to know if they get along with their wives or if their kid is emo or gay or a different political party from his parent. I want to know what their financial dealings are outside of normal home upkeep bills. Their morals and inclinations should be under scrutiny as well, they are after all, our choices to make important decisions on our behalf, right? They should be beyond reproach. If they dont want their decision-making abilities determined by how they comport themselves and how they handle their homes and/or businesses, then they shouldnt run for office.
We perpetuate this madness every time we watch a news story about how Brangelina is having a problem or who Paris Hilton is banging this week. Again, I dont care, unless Miss Jolie is coming over to hook up with me and the Missus. :) Megan Fox is just as acceptable, except that deformed thumb kinda freaks me out, anywhoo- I digress: We keep their ratings up and in turn, they determine that we want more and more of these stories, so, they keep picking and picking and breaking down even the most intimate details of those peoples' lives.
Do you hear 30 stories a day about how Iran's president is a madman, bent on attaining nuclear weapons? NO, you hear 1 or 2 about how he is suspect and how he is detaining(unjustly) a couple of Americans. Do you hear about the bloody conflicts in Africa? NO, only if it affects something related to us or our interests. Do they make a big deal about the ongoing drought conditions that are becoming critical in our country? NO. Do you hear about anyone doing anything good or moral? Rarely. Instead, you hear about how Tom Cruise is a Scientoligist and (wink, wink) he's keeping Katie and Suri under his thumb. We hear about things that only a few decades ago would have made most people blush. I think most of us would like to know the how's and why's of events that cause pain, strife, death and monetary imbalance, but we dont want to know why some guy ran over a fire plug and hit a tree, injuring no one but himself. Oh, that's right , he's worth 100 million or so. That makes it much more newsworthy that he and his plastic-enhanced wife are fighting and she thought using one of his own golf clubs on him was a good way to teach him not to cheat. What if one of you wives out there whacked your hubby on the head with a fishing pole for doing something stupid and he didnt press charges? NO STORY. What if you beat the windows out of his truck/car and he or the neighbors didnt call the cops? NO STORY.
Maybe it's time to turn off the tv or at least not watch any news shows for a while. Let the military sort out some of the madmen out there the best way they know how and on the homefront, we'll quit going to movies for a while to bring some of these over-paid theatre majors down to our size. Yes, yell at me about checks and balances. We COULD send mass e-mails and letters to news channels and radio around the country to tell them to just report the facts and lay off some of the sensationalized crap for a while, but, we're just too apathetic. "I dont want to be the only one to do it and then be ostracized or ridiculed" " I dont have time" " It's not my problem" It really doesnt take that big of a percentage of people to complain or praise to change programming or business tendencies. Trust me. If 5 or 10 percent would complain, maybe we could reverse the trend.
Wouldnt it be nice to get back to the "Fireman rescues cat" or "Maniacal despot eliminated by surgical SEAL strike" headlines? I think, as usual, I have generalized a bit too much or not covered enough for you, but then, you guys usually chime in and give me the "rest of the story" ...good day. ......Paul Harvey? Get it? hint hint, good news with a twist of Americana? We do need to hear the nitty gritty of the bad things that go on and I will say that I was relieved when that cop blew away that gutless cop-killer yesterday. Thank God we didnt have to listen to his lengthy trial and incarceration. Think of the money he saved the taxpayers by getting rid of this scum. We would have had to listen to the media picking apart every aspect of this guy's life. We still will, it will just be abbreviated. Look what happened with Michael Jackson's life and career. I dont care how much his funeral cost. We lost a musical icon with enormous talent who was misunderstood and pressured by the media and therefore the public until he directly or indirectly shortened his life. I blame the media for indirectly causing his death. I blame the media for being pressured by politicos into not reporting political and financial news until the damage is done and it's too late. We pay the price, time and time again because of our...anybody? Apathy. I beat that dead horse constantly.
As I go and prepare to return to the deep, dark woods, let me ask you this: Would your life really be that different without the news as it is reported by most media? You still go to work and plan for your futures. You may glean some financial leanings from them, but mostly you use traditional means of financial planning. Would your world fall apart if some teeny bopper star decides to get knocked up at a too-young age or goes on a drinking binge? You still have to teach your kids right from wrong and would be better off without the knowledge that a spoiled, rich star/starlet has gone over the edge. Last but not least, we wouldnt have to look at Perez Hilton or Tila Tequila anymore. I wonder if Kurt Loder is still alive?.....
Now that you think this is about football, let me disappoint you: today we'll be discussing how the media is full of crap.
We can start with the latest attempt by the media to make something from nothing--Tiger Woods infamous tree/hydrant fiasco. I will say that there is some modicum of deserved scrutiny when it comes to any kind of star, whether they are an athlete or an actor, but it should only go so far. The media jumps at the first hint of a high-profile individual with a fart cross-ways. They manufacture stories where there are none or where there should be none. Tiger and his wife are obviously having problems and yes, that's what lead to the crash. Other than reporting that he crashed and injured himself, that is where the story should stop. Well, I'll give them that they could report whether he would continue on tour or if he injured someone else, but that's it. I dont give a fig whether he's fighting with his blond trophy wife unless it affects his playing ability and then, I dont want to know about his personal life. Besides, I find golf pretentious and boring. He might be interesting, but since he and I will never be close friends or buddies, I DONT CARE!!! They have blown it out of whack trying to garner ratings. It truly surprises me that the murder-ratzi dont have people following everyone of interest, letting us know when they have started their menstrual cycles or they're constipated. "Did they eat their peas and carrots? Film of the doo- doo at 11"
Good lord, they couldnt let Princess Di have her final moment. Some ass wipe actually poked his head in the car, snapping photos before the rescue vehicles got there. We should have stopped this crap right then and there. The dude should have been prosecuted and hung out to dry. From that point on, we should penalize every one of these dipsticks that think that ratings are more important than peoples' right to privacy. I will say that if someone volunteers information I think then and only then is it fair game. Yes, as a species , we crave blood and gore, death and destruction, and we will soak up any of it that is put before us. Does that make it right? During Katrina, if they would have put half the effort into rescue and aid that they did in getting the "money shot" they could have saved more lives. I know it did occur on some levels, but it should have been AID FIRST, ratings second.
We have gotten to hear how it was wrong for Miley Cyrus to pose with her Dad in what THEY called "suggestive" poses. HE is her Dad and if he decided it wasnt inappropriate, then we should have A-enjoyed the photos and B-moved on. We are told how so and so is "a diva on the set or in the studio" or some actor is "in rehab" I think we should not have to worry about their pampered asses when most of us are doing good to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table. You know what I mean. They have the kind of money and/or influence to not work for months or years on end and hire people to handle and control every aspect of their lives, so yes, they probably have problems. Truth be told, they probably have more trouble than we do. It still doesnt make it right for the media to give us every little freaking detail.
I dont care if it's double standards: I think public officials SHOULD have a certain measure of elevated coverage. I still dont want to know if they get along with their wives or if their kid is emo or gay or a different political party from his parent. I want to know what their financial dealings are outside of normal home upkeep bills. Their morals and inclinations should be under scrutiny as well, they are after all, our choices to make important decisions on our behalf, right? They should be beyond reproach. If they dont want their decision-making abilities determined by how they comport themselves and how they handle their homes and/or businesses, then they shouldnt run for office.
We perpetuate this madness every time we watch a news story about how Brangelina is having a problem or who Paris Hilton is banging this week. Again, I dont care, unless Miss Jolie is coming over to hook up with me and the Missus. :) Megan Fox is just as acceptable, except that deformed thumb kinda freaks me out, anywhoo- I digress: We keep their ratings up and in turn, they determine that we want more and more of these stories, so, they keep picking and picking and breaking down even the most intimate details of those peoples' lives.
Do you hear 30 stories a day about how Iran's president is a madman, bent on attaining nuclear weapons? NO, you hear 1 or 2 about how he is suspect and how he is detaining(unjustly) a couple of Americans. Do you hear about the bloody conflicts in Africa? NO, only if it affects something related to us or our interests. Do they make a big deal about the ongoing drought conditions that are becoming critical in our country? NO. Do you hear about anyone doing anything good or moral? Rarely. Instead, you hear about how Tom Cruise is a Scientoligist and (wink, wink) he's keeping Katie and Suri under his thumb. We hear about things that only a few decades ago would have made most people blush. I think most of us would like to know the how's and why's of events that cause pain, strife, death and monetary imbalance, but we dont want to know why some guy ran over a fire plug and hit a tree, injuring no one but himself. Oh, that's right , he's worth 100 million or so. That makes it much more newsworthy that he and his plastic-enhanced wife are fighting and she thought using one of his own golf clubs on him was a good way to teach him not to cheat. What if one of you wives out there whacked your hubby on the head with a fishing pole for doing something stupid and he didnt press charges? NO STORY. What if you beat the windows out of his truck/car and he or the neighbors didnt call the cops? NO STORY.
Maybe it's time to turn off the tv or at least not watch any news shows for a while. Let the military sort out some of the madmen out there the best way they know how and on the homefront, we'll quit going to movies for a while to bring some of these over-paid theatre majors down to our size. Yes, yell at me about checks and balances. We COULD send mass e-mails and letters to news channels and radio around the country to tell them to just report the facts and lay off some of the sensationalized crap for a while, but, we're just too apathetic. "I dont want to be the only one to do it and then be ostracized or ridiculed" " I dont have time" " It's not my problem" It really doesnt take that big of a percentage of people to complain or praise to change programming or business tendencies. Trust me. If 5 or 10 percent would complain, maybe we could reverse the trend.
Wouldnt it be nice to get back to the "Fireman rescues cat" or "Maniacal despot eliminated by surgical SEAL strike" headlines? I think, as usual, I have generalized a bit too much or not covered enough for you, but then, you guys usually chime in and give me the "rest of the story" ...good day. ......Paul Harvey? Get it? hint hint, good news with a twist of Americana? We do need to hear the nitty gritty of the bad things that go on and I will say that I was relieved when that cop blew away that gutless cop-killer yesterday. Thank God we didnt have to listen to his lengthy trial and incarceration. Think of the money he saved the taxpayers by getting rid of this scum. We would have had to listen to the media picking apart every aspect of this guy's life. We still will, it will just be abbreviated. Look what happened with Michael Jackson's life and career. I dont care how much his funeral cost. We lost a musical icon with enormous talent who was misunderstood and pressured by the media and therefore the public until he directly or indirectly shortened his life. I blame the media for indirectly causing his death. I blame the media for being pressured by politicos into not reporting political and financial news until the damage is done and it's too late. We pay the price, time and time again because of our...anybody? Apathy. I beat that dead horse constantly.
As I go and prepare to return to the deep, dark woods, let me ask you this: Would your life really be that different without the news as it is reported by most media? You still go to work and plan for your futures. You may glean some financial leanings from them, but mostly you use traditional means of financial planning. Would your world fall apart if some teeny bopper star decides to get knocked up at a too-young age or goes on a drinking binge? You still have to teach your kids right from wrong and would be better off without the knowledge that a spoiled, rich star/starlet has gone over the edge. Last but not least, we wouldnt have to look at Perez Hilton or Tila Tequila anymore. I wonder if Kurt Loder is still alive?.....
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