There are scandals brewing, broken promises and a slow realization by even the most uninformed citizen the bureaucracy - in all its unwashed splendor - is a monster of incompetence, out of control and on a mission to destroy all detractors of its current political master.
The supposed "bold" in the media are being terrorized by the monster. Their privacy is gone and their efforts to expose the corruption are met with veiled threats of being accused of crimes.
Meanwhile, the rest of the media is either supporting the monster, or wringing their hands in worry. They helped build this monster, yet too many don't realize it can't exist unless they become part of its daily feeding. They continue with their support in the hope it will be satiated before it's their turn for dinner.
According to some polls, the path of our government is not what most citizens want, yet it continues without any restraints. Laws are broken by high officials; money is withdrawn to show disfavor; citizens are forced to pay for activities that endanger the economy or safety and those that should be long removed from power for their efforts continue with impunity.
I'm seeing more and more comments about how this won't change by voting. I'm beginning to think that's right and the constant efforts to remove arms from the public only reinforce my belief government authorities know they've crossed a line and fear the results.
Time will reveal how this turns out, but it always leads to freedom - no matter how long the path. Politics and our government have become corrupt and resemble the worst of criminal organizations. It's filth and there's no other way to describe it.
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Friday, May 31, 2013
Well, Stupidity Reaches New Heights
Starbucks will ban smoking within 25 feet of all their overpriced crap called coffee outlets cafes. Of course, you can still come in, be grossly overweight, eat their crap and drink caffeine to excess.
If I offended anyone, it was intentional. I don't like smoking Nazis or any other reformed, meddling, feel good, urban, yuppie, new age, puss gutted piss ants. If you want to save someone's health, go pester a damned bureaucrat. They cause more health problems than any foreign substance.
If I offended anyone, it was intentional. I don't like smoking Nazis or any other reformed, meddling, feel good, urban, yuppie, new age, puss gutted piss ants. If you want to save someone's health, go pester a damned bureaucrat. They cause more health problems than any foreign substance.
Monday, May 27, 2013
Photographs
Years ago, while at the house of some friends, they dug out the family album and showed me photos.
We reached the point where there was the graduation picture of the wife's brother. He was a handsome young man; full of happiness and the confidence of youth. She explained a little about him and how he was killed in Vietnam.
Her brother was in an armored division, so he rode a tank. In Vietnam, it was brutal duty, since the heat was horrible and much of the terrain would stop a tank within moments. A stopped tank was an easy target and many were killed at those moments.
There was another photo; the last she had. It was of her brother with his unit. The happiness was gone and the thousand yard stare apparent. We went on from that point; looking at the children, vacations and other parts of their lives.
Later, my friend - who served in the Calvary in Vietnam - told me the photo let him know his brother-in-law "knew". I asked for an explanation. He responded with the common knowledge his unit was in a terrible place and the expression told more than many could understand. His brother-in-law knew the deck was stacked against him and the knowledge wore heavy on his mind.
So, he didn't return. From what I remember, his tank caught fire and he was burned before he could escape. Time stood still for the young man and his family could only endure the horror of his death.
What can I write that explains the sadness and horror I feel? We're all humans, yet we can't escape the madness of war. Maybe it's part of our destiny, but it doesn't lessen the impact of the losses.
Say a prayer for those that died and for their families that remain. All the pomp, glory, twenty one gun salutes and flags on coffins are so inconsequential compared to a life. It's a precious thing they gave in service to all of us.
We reached the point where there was the graduation picture of the wife's brother. He was a handsome young man; full of happiness and the confidence of youth. She explained a little about him and how he was killed in Vietnam.
Her brother was in an armored division, so he rode a tank. In Vietnam, it was brutal duty, since the heat was horrible and much of the terrain would stop a tank within moments. A stopped tank was an easy target and many were killed at those moments.
There was another photo; the last she had. It was of her brother with his unit. The happiness was gone and the thousand yard stare apparent. We went on from that point; looking at the children, vacations and other parts of their lives.
Later, my friend - who served in the Calvary in Vietnam - told me the photo let him know his brother-in-law "knew". I asked for an explanation. He responded with the common knowledge his unit was in a terrible place and the expression told more than many could understand. His brother-in-law knew the deck was stacked against him and the knowledge wore heavy on his mind.
So, he didn't return. From what I remember, his tank caught fire and he was burned before he could escape. Time stood still for the young man and his family could only endure the horror of his death.
What can I write that explains the sadness and horror I feel? We're all humans, yet we can't escape the madness of war. Maybe it's part of our destiny, but it doesn't lessen the impact of the losses.
Say a prayer for those that died and for their families that remain. All the pomp, glory, twenty one gun salutes and flags on coffins are so inconsequential compared to a life. It's a precious thing they gave in service to all of us.
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Memorial
I'm not a veteran. I never served in the armed forces, so I only have a glimpse of what they face.
I've been away from home, had things happen I had no control over, and suffered with worry until I was home in a relatively short period of time. It was nothing like what our armed forces face, when they're thousands of miles from home, everything turns to crap and they have to keep on doing what they're doing, in spite of the fact they've lost family, or their house burned down, or their spouse moved on....the list goes on forever.
When you add all the adversities life presents - and death - those that served were removed from all they loved, cherished, hoped for and were anticipating. They left this earth, while the problems continued and their family, and friends, were left with only memories; embellished by a loss that's too deep to express.
The loss of a loved one is never something to be taken lightly. The loss of a member of our armed forces accentuates the dangers the world presents and society can only observe the damage, without any real method to repair the damage. Those left behind only have fragments of their former life. They scrape up the pieces and try to put it together again.
Honor those that left while serving this great nation. It's a tiny thing to do, when compared to their sacrifice.
I've been away from home, had things happen I had no control over, and suffered with worry until I was home in a relatively short period of time. It was nothing like what our armed forces face, when they're thousands of miles from home, everything turns to crap and they have to keep on doing what they're doing, in spite of the fact they've lost family, or their house burned down, or their spouse moved on....the list goes on forever.
When you add all the adversities life presents - and death - those that served were removed from all they loved, cherished, hoped for and were anticipating. They left this earth, while the problems continued and their family, and friends, were left with only memories; embellished by a loss that's too deep to express.
The loss of a loved one is never something to be taken lightly. The loss of a member of our armed forces accentuates the dangers the world presents and society can only observe the damage, without any real method to repair the damage. Those left behind only have fragments of their former life. They scrape up the pieces and try to put it together again.
Honor those that left while serving this great nation. It's a tiny thing to do, when compared to their sacrifice.
Janie Was On Her Soap Box
Janie commented on my post about social media and I thought it was important enough to use as a post.
"...Interesting point. As an adult learner in college, it is absolutely crazy to me how these young people can't get through a one hour class without texting their friends or checking Facebook/Twitter, etc.
Some people are even shocked to hear I don't do either one. They are even more shocked to hear I leave my cellphone in my office when I go to class. And up until very recently my cellphone was such an old model it didn't even have a camera in it, much less have 4G connectivity! Horrors!!!! How did I survive?!?
Once, I forgot to turn off my phone and it rang in my purse. My boss was in the office and heard it. When I got back after class she expressed her concern and had been wondering if she should have come and got me and realized she didn't know where my classroom was. She was all the more shocked when I didn't hurry to check my message.
"Aren't you worried something happened?" She asked.
"Well, 20 years ago we didn't all have cellphones and if there was an emergency we just found out about it after the fact and we survived. Besides, even if there was an emergency what would I do about it? If someone died, knowing an hour earlier wouldn't do me or them any more good than finding out an hour later, and if there had been an accident an ambulance would get my family to the hospital faster than I could, so, again, what good would it do to find out and be able to do nothing about it until it was too late?"
She was stunned. But, fact is, we forget that life happens whether we know about it instantly or after the fact. I think all this social media does is give us a false sense of our own importance and prevents us from really feeling secure and capable in our own right. It's the very worst form of peer pressure imaginable.
I'll get down off my soap box now...."
"...Interesting point. As an adult learner in college, it is absolutely crazy to me how these young people can't get through a one hour class without texting their friends or checking Facebook/Twitter, etc.
Some people are even shocked to hear I don't do either one. They are even more shocked to hear I leave my cellphone in my office when I go to class. And up until very recently my cellphone was such an old model it didn't even have a camera in it, much less have 4G connectivity! Horrors!!!! How did I survive?!?
Once, I forgot to turn off my phone and it rang in my purse. My boss was in the office and heard it. When I got back after class she expressed her concern and had been wondering if she should have come and got me and realized she didn't know where my classroom was. She was all the more shocked when I didn't hurry to check my message.
"Aren't you worried something happened?" She asked.
"Well, 20 years ago we didn't all have cellphones and if there was an emergency we just found out about it after the fact and we survived. Besides, even if there was an emergency what would I do about it? If someone died, knowing an hour earlier wouldn't do me or them any more good than finding out an hour later, and if there had been an accident an ambulance would get my family to the hospital faster than I could, so, again, what good would it do to find out and be able to do nothing about it until it was too late?"
She was stunned. But, fact is, we forget that life happens whether we know about it instantly or after the fact. I think all this social media does is give us a false sense of our own importance and prevents us from really feeling secure and capable in our own right. It's the very worst form of peer pressure imaginable.
I'll get down off my soap box now...."
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