In Case You've Wondered

My blog is where my wandering thoughts are interspersed with stuff I made up. So, if while reading you find yourself confused about the context, don't feel alone. I get confused, too.

If you're here for the stories, I started another blog: scratchingforchange.blogspot.com

One other thing: sometimes I write words you refuse to use in front of children, or polite company, unless you have a flat tire, or hit your thumb with a hammer.

I don't use them to offend; I use them to embellish.

jescordwaineratgmail.com

Monday, December 31, 2012

It's Really Convenient

Hillary Clinton is due to testify to a congressional committee on the murder of 4 U.S. citizens in Libya. She's put it off, for varying reasons, but she's managed to avoid either telling the truth or committing perjury...until now.

The Secretary of State has fallen, hit her head, suffered a concussion and now has problems with blood clots. What does this mean? She won't testify for a long, long time, if ever and she can claim a head injury for any number of falsehoods or incomplete statements.

It's a win, win, except if she really does have a blood clot, the final physical result could be drool city and Depends. Time will tell. I'll leave this one up to God. May he be as merciful as it appears she was to the brave citizens that served with honor.

Friday, December 28, 2012

I Had a Strange Dream

I had a strange dream last night, which left me going over the dream and analyzing the significance this morning.

In the dream, I was part of a large group of people in the process of building a fire break along one edge of a long, narrow coastal valley. The people were building the fire break under the direction of Barak Obama.

We were diligent, and my crew was quite proud of how much we accomplished. Before we could consider the project complete, we were told it wasn't wide enough and we needed to make it wider. We went on and continued with the work in the late, cloudy evening.

The project was to prevent a disaster if a fire broke out. As we worked, and I looked along the fire break, I realized the intended result was as devastating as the possible disaster. The small line of cleared, excavated land had grown to a substantial part of the valley. Barack Obama wandered between the workers expounding the importance and expounding political rhetoric. I realized he was completely unaware of what was being done and only wrapped up in his own self-importance as he walked along the cleared land and spoke to nobody in particular. He was absorbed with his voice and enamored with his words.

It was near dark, and I stopped to watch a man I used to work with - who died years ago - working by the end of a small glacier. As he worked, the dripping wall of ice steadily advanced inches every few seconds. I observed for a few minutes, and then wandered through a break on the coastal side of the ridge that ran along the coast. I could hear Obama speaking, but was not interested and finally ended up on the edge of a beach.

It was now dark, and the low clouds brought an occasional mist. Below the distant horizon, a huge fire burned offshore. I knew it was caused by a well test. A drilling rig struck gas and they were testing it for pressure and volume. The bright light in the distance signified success and prosperity. I felt joy knowing the drilling crew was successful.

As I wandered along the beach, I realized I was walking under a large pier. People waited among the columns, cooking small meals by fires, or just gathering in small groups. I didn't know what they were saying, but I knew why they were there. They were hoping for a share of the coming boom and anticipating an opportunity.

I finally ended my wandering by the surf line. Just above the surf were numerous shallow graves with make-shift crosses. A few bodies, mummified by sand were scattered in the area. I knew these were those that had given up everything for the chance of fortune, but failed and were now only memories of those that pushed on.

At this point I awoke. I couldn't fall back asleep, since the dream was so vivid. I rose, went and made some tea and sat for a long time just going over the dream. I finally went back to bed, but woke this morning with the dream on my mind.

So, here’s my analysis:

The fire break in the valley signifies the futile, wasted efforts of the current administration. All the efforts to prevent disaster created a disaster. To make matters worse, the leader, Barack Obama, is clueless, self-absorbed and unable to realize his legacy is of incompetence. The final result is wasted resources for useless projects.

The beach is the beginning of what is to come. The oil well over the horizon is the start of future prosperity and those on the beach are those that are unwilling to accept useless, wasted lives if there’s wealth to be had with effort. Some failed, but others were going on. They wanted success and they would sacrifice for the opportunity.

Prophecy? Maybe, but it’s more of a logical conclusion to current events. Progressivism has never succeeded. Central authority, with rationed resources, always leaves a few with power they can’t control. It consumes, destroys rational thought and the result is appalled citizens who will reject the concept and demand liberty from the capricious, arbitrary decisions of demented leaders.

The founders of the United States were aware of the dangers of an out of control government. They found their own original government was ruthless with the quest for power and wealth. People died for no other reason than to object to what they considered unfair treatment. In response they revolted and succeeded in removing the chains of servitude demanded by their British rulers. This is why the second amendment was placed in the Bill of Rights. It’s the fail safe clause and the founders knew it was more than important.

I wonder what precipitated the dream. I’m thinking current events played a big part. My personal income fell, due to increases in health insurance, and the passage of the New Year guarantees increases in my share of Fica and taxes as the lower tax rates of the Bush era expire. The additional costs of living over the last few years already took a big bite from my frozen salary and the forecast for my economic future is not as bright as it should be. To worsen this situation, I’m spending a huge amount of time helping my mother, who has an income even more precarious than my own. If necessary, I can adapt, but she is already at the point there isn't much room for increased costs and I worry about reductions in the government insurance programs that were financed for generations by her parents, my father and all the relatives that passed away without ever taking a penny from the Ponzi schemes of foolish legislatures that have long passed.

I’m appalled by the out of control spending by the federal government. I’m infuriated by the wasting of resources on illegal aliens and people that learned to game the system. Many don’t work and collect government money through bogus ailments created by unethical doctors and attorneys. They profit from the hard work of people that don’t deserve the malicious thievery and greed by bureaucrats and politicians.

Things will change, although how the changes happen will only be determined by future events. The government will stop borrowing money, whether by choice or by force from an incensed citizenry or fiduciary demands of those who were willing to take the risk of loaning money to the United States. Borrowing money to waste is never fiscally responsible. Such practices always end and the results are never pleasing.

My mother always said: “The pendulum swings both ways and it never swings gently.” True words and the pendulum has reached the top of the swing; starting in the other direction. The changes to come will be necessary and the signs of these changes should be a sobering warning for those that reside in the ideasphere of Washington D.C. The most ominous is the accumulated sales of firearms for three years taking place in three months. People fear their government and they’re reacting accordingly. It shouldn't be this way and those that have authority due to the tolerance of the citizens may find the tolerance has ended.

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Flaky Internet

I've had some brilliant observations to share, but the internet has been flaky, which causes some consternation, interspersed with expletives and sips of scotch. The exact problem is not determined at this time, but I'm diligently making efforts to solve the problem.

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all the humans and bots that read my blog.

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Perception

In my world, that I like to think as normal, devastation is when a family member has an unexpected illness, or accident. That, or something like a severe weather event leaves people homeless, or suffering from the loss of a family member.

Not in Hollywood. Apparently, since Anne Hathaway gave a photographer a glimpse of here hoo-hoo, while leaving a car, she is finding the event devastating. All I can say is that it's a good thing a boob didn't fall out during the process. If that had happened, she'd have been forced to spend days on the talk shows and write a book about the horrible experience.

I've Decided....

...humans don't exist on the internet. It's all an elaborate ruse. Bots are what's on the internet. If you don't believe that, look at the bottom of the main page and see that one of the most read posts is the one titled "Cantaloupe". I doubt more than three people actually read that post, but for the last three days, it's been the most read, thanks to bots.

Monday, December 17, 2012

Saturday, December 15, 2012

CRS Rears Its Ugly Head

I'm not usually obsessed by something that slips my memory, but over the last few days, I couldn't remember the name of the band that Sting was a member.

I thought about it; put it out of my thoughts; I knew it would pop up.......nope.

So, finally I told my wife, who looked at me like I was three years old and asking why women don't have penises.

It's the Police. That's the name, and I'll never forget it again.....until tomorrow. I wonder if I'll remember I forgot?

The Media Sucks

Why? They have no balance or understand their job is to report, not speculate.

The murders of the children is horrific, but the constant chatter of repeating any tidbit of information, speculation, feigned horror and disrespect to the suffering families is beyond reprehensible. They want ratings, the families want privacy, but they can't escape the constant reminder loved children and family members were murdered.

Is there nothing else happening? Is the video of a child using a sword to remove the head of a tied prisoner not horrific enough to report? What about the fact Hillary may not testify of the murders in Libya? How about the economy?

Bleh. The media sucks.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

No Medal of Honor

The marines that were there, said Sgt. Rafael Peralta, who had a severe head wound, pulled a grenade to his body, which kept the rest of his squad from dying.

Leon Panetta, and pencil pushers decided the forensic evidence indicated the head wound was so severe, he was dead and couldn't have pulled the grenade to his body.

So, no Medal Of Honor for Peralta.

Personally, I think they should take Panetta, his pencil pushers, grease their butts and drop them into rural Iraq. First one out with proof they weren't raped anally gets to lick the floors of the Marine barracks of their choice.

Right to Work

Michigan is now a "right to work" state. People can work anywhere, whether union or not, and not be forced to pay union dues.

All in all, that's the way things should be, in my opinion. Unions can serve a very useful purpose, but not while demanding money and using a government body to dictate everyone should belong. If they have something to offer that people want, they'll make the effort to join. If not, then they can suffer the consequences.

I know the unions will cause problems, including using violence in an attempt to regain power. It won't work. People eventually become horrified of the thuggery and the biggest loser will be the unions. Instead of promoting a path to a successful career, they'll be perceived as promoters of organized crime and the members will be tainted forever as criminals.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Fiscal Cliff

According to the media, we're teetering on the "fiscal cliff". At the end of the year, due to automatic tax hikes and supposed spending cuts, the economy will become a bigger mess and the supposed recovery will stop.

Personally, I haven't seen any change in the economy. In fact, due to increased prices and costs, I've been sliding backwards for a few years. My wages stalled years ago, yet everything I buy is more expensive.

Government employment is around 4%, while the private sector is still at a reported 7.7%, which I suspect is a boilerhoused number. Otherwise, those that depend on the productivity of individuals are enjoying a better economy due to the increased spending/stealing of government entities. This isn't good.

So, things aren't forecast to be very good after the first of the year. From my perspective, things haven't been good for a long, long time.

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Big Legged Woman

Disclaimer: No big legged woman was harmed during the writing of this poem.  Resemblance to anyone living is purely  coincidental and unintended.....unless it was you blocking a traffic lane. 

She was a pigeon-toed big legged woman.
Walking along the road.
One leg stuck out in traffic, the other an over-sized load.

Maybe she was carrying groceries
Maybe it was well earned booze.
Maybe it was all new garments
Maybe it was some wood.

Her oak trunk thighs were rubbing her stretch pants slowly away.
The traffic slowed in deference
Since their insurance was still unpaid.

We all gawked in silent wonder
We all turned quickly away
We didn't want to cause any problems
On such a lovely,warm, late autumn day.

So the pigeon-toed big legged woman
Waddled silently home.
We were all completely thankful
She decided to walk alone.

Living With The Consequences

Everyone is the culmination of their life experiences. Some are blessed and some seemed to be cursed from birth. While some have every luxury offered, others may struggle to only survive.

So, life can bring everything, or kick you until you're a nearly unconscious wreck in the gutter. Neither is final and neither is the future. Consequences are faint memories of the past and the future is waiting to be shaped by you.  

Friday, December 7, 2012

The Worm is Turning

George Zimmerman is suing NBC for airing an edited 911 call.  The edited call had an obvious effect on public perception and NBC will find it was expensive - whether intentional, or not.

A digital police photo was reluctantly released during discovery for the upcoming criminal trial. In the photo, Zimmerman's face clearly shows injuries, which I would think lead a rational prosecutor to reserve their efforts to prosecute. However, that's not what happened. Political posturing took precedence and the zeal of advancement clouded the judgement of people that are expected to be unwilling to place political aspirations ahead of justice.

So here we are. Zimmerman's life is forever changed for the worse, except for a possible monetary judgement, which could allow him to survive for the rest of his life out of the public arena. He might be convicted, but I have no doubt an appeal will bring even more evidence of a unbridled prosecutor with a personal agenda. That won't play well at the appellate level; especially with the suit for damages.

If Zimmerman loses in the criminal court, the civil court may be his vindication and any attempts by the defendant (NBC) to settle will only further prove there was a deliberate attempt to railroad Zimmerman for gain.

We'll eventually learn the outcome. Personally, I think this has been a fiasco and those involved with attempting to prosecute Zimmerman have made a huge mistake. Time will tell, but in the future, things will change and I doubt those unwilling to admit their mistakes will find their efforts yielded any gains.

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Absurdity

I had to spend a few minutes thinking what inspired me to think of writing today. I knew it was something I felt was important enough to write about, but I just couldn't retrieve the thought - until just now.

We were retrofitting some bridge rail on a small bridge on a city street. The old rail - which was probably placed in the 40's - was inadequate according to the newest standards.

Anyway, we closed the road at both ends, since the amount of room to work was more than one lane would allow. To accomplish this task, we placed a type three barricade (two legs, three horizontal panels, with reflective tape) with a sign that stated: "Road Closed" at locations which allowed the traffic plenty of time to make the right decision and take another route.

I'll need to digress a little at this point. Yesterday, when the job started, we did the same thing. We had the usual drivers that were a little inconvenienced, but what really caught my attention were the eighteen wheeled trucks and trailers with full loads trying to use the road. Since the bridge is load restricted to weights far below the allowable limits for large trucks, and there are signs stating this fact, I wondered about the truck drivers. Don't they know it's dangerous? How about the huge fines they could face? If they're illiterate, how can they read their gauges and know they're out of fuel?

Today, after about an hour of work, my ears caught the sound of approaching traffic. At the time, we had a one ton truck, a loaded 25 foot gooseneck trailer and a boat load of equipment in the middle of the road. Beside the huge obstruction, the truck had a high intensity visi-bar on the roof, which can be seen for miles.

I looked up to find four cars approaching the job site. I just stood up, held out my arms and said: "What?"

The first car had driven around the barricades and the other three followed like ducks behind their mother. They had no place to go, except back the way they came. So, they did.

As they pulled up, backed, pulled up, backed, pulled up, backed and finally arrived in the right direction to go the way they came, I noticed they cheerfully smiled, waved and mouthed words of apology...not really. They weren't happy, although I really didn't care. In fact, I felt moments of extreme happiness as I watched them realize their foolishness, showed their anger (even well dressed people, in nice cars, have a salty vocabulary) because I had the audacity to make their road safer, and hoped they were late because they were so arrogant to think I put up barricades to intentionally ruin their day.

There's a lesson to be learned here, but I doubt seriously those drivers have enough mental clarity to understand. They're too important...at least they think they are.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Media Irony

The liberal segment of the media is not doing really well financially. Those that read, or watch these outlets are not as plentiful as in the past.

The progressive line of thinking - originally a response to harsh work, and living conditions introduced by an industrialized society - promotes better conditions for those that turn the bolts and grease the wheels. It's a noble idea, but the use of government to instill these social changes has unacceptable results: People that produce are now outnumbered by those that don't. They labor, only to watch neighbors, and entire sections of society, basically live a life that demands nothing and expect their stipend without any effort on their part. To make matters worse, politicians become very wealthy, while those that create the money the politicians take without remorse, struggle to pay the enormous costs associated with taxes, regulations and inflation created to fund the "social programs" that allow laziness and irresponsible behavior.

So here we are, with the progressive, liberal media in the process of finding out even the most ill-informed realize the media's culpability in destroying the path to a life that allows more than what the government decides is best. People that dream of financial sustainability know the media is responsible for helping remove this possibility and respond by not subscribing to, or watching, the media outlets with the most obvious progressive agenda.

Meanwhile, the supposedly well informed media is not accepting responsibility, attacking those that actually have a productive function in society and rationalizing their actions. I find that ironic. Those that have the best resources to provide accurate information are feckless, uninformed shills to a failed social experiment. 

Sunday, December 2, 2012

The Thoughts Just Aren't Coming

Maybe it's because there are so many and pulling individual thoughts is too complicated. It's that, or my thoughts have been too dark for the last few weeks. Constantly revealing dark thoughts defeats creativity, unless the goal is a foreboding tale of despair, with defeat.

Anyway, eventually the drought of creativity will end. Hopefully soon.