BABY BOOMERS

bORN out of the bombs and blasts of WWII

 

BABY BOOM ERS are the present generation of humans

who wondered worried and wanted to know

how people could go to war

how could humans kill humans

 

they devoured books and articles on the subject

and still they could not comprehend

the horror

and the will to inflict the horror

still

they read

they asked

they wondered

 

what caused Germany to follow that man with the funny mustache

 

WWI

 

when germany lost WWI it was punished

for losing

when germany lost WWI it was punished

becaused the winners wanted what germany had

when germany lost WWI the winners

stripped the nation and the people of everything

they were left with no self respect

no pieces to pick up

no self worth

neither financially nor emotionally

they were the bad guys

and the winners punished them with revenge

they took all the marbles

and beat them black and blue

 

and instead of leaving them dead

they were left

starving

for self worth

 

slowly, they, germany, rebuilt

slowly, their anger at having no illusion of self worth

festered

 

to paraphrase Lady Chatterly's Lover

 

'after the fair, the master beat the slave

and the slave beat the cow

and the cow went into the field to cry'

 

and the man with the funny mustache sold to a people

downtrodden with their face burried in the mud,

a reason to feel good about themselves

 

and someone to pick on

and they picked and picked and picked

 

and the poverty lingered

and the madness spread

 

to paraphrase Charles Dickens

 

'beware this child

this child is ignorance

and beware this child

this child is want'

 

and still,

the BABY BOOMERS

did not understand

 

time passed

life went on

 

the boomers lived the love age of Acquarius

with the flowers and long hair

 

the peaceniks or is it peacenicks

peaceniks like sputnik

 

and the Russians won the race to space

and the cold war was on

 

and the separated germany's

part of the punishment for losing the war,

although it was stated

punishment for starting the war

 

lived walls apart

until the actor/president

played the part of challenger/knight in shining armour.

 

Japan meanwhile, was punished

with the shock and awe treatment

favored by the red white and blue

 

hitting them below the belt

with an anger and rage

so uncontrolled

it wiped out two cities

 

And because there must have been so much guilt

the red white and blue

gave japan the technology

to do cheaply mass produce

what the red white and blue

used to do

 

And still,

the BABY BOOMERS

in their naievity(sp?)

could not and would not believe

how could war happen

 

Then,

there were the war crimes trials

at

NUREMBERG

 

Richard W. Sonnenfeldt, the Chief American Interpreter

said of those on trial, "They were average guys."

 

And thinking about all the people involved,

there was a movie

showing the trial of a woman

who

because she needed a job

became a warden for female prisoners

 

and it was her responsibility to guard the prisoners

and when a fire broke out where the women were

held,

 

this person, did not unlock the door

because it was her responsibility

to guard the women

to prevent their escape,

her comment was,

"I was just doing my job."

 

In the book,

"Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds"

there is the tale of the "Tulipomania"

where it is reported that in 1637 Holland

someone bid twelve acres of land for one rare tulip bulb.

 

The Boomers

after all their research

finally

resolved

 the why ,

because they wanted to.

 

Because they wanted to millions lost their lives. resources were squandered

and society bears the shame for those who lost control,

because they wanted to.

 

 

glitch

Google has made changes to blogger, or has blogger made changes to google

either way

I am unable to spell check my work

so you now know I am an iffy speller

when I remember I am terriffic

 

then, and also,

sometimes my english is not so good

or

I second guess myself in the middle of the night

either way

 

the newest publication

has not been edited

because I can not find the edit function in the new layout

so I am unable to change the work, word

 

therefore

I am not rereading it until then

because I will not delete it, have I found the delete function?

 

technology is a wonderful thing

technology is a terrible thing

 

the best laid plans of mice and men

often go awry

and I am included here

as a mouse of the system

attempting to appear a giant

 

using all the technology afforded me

and being unmasked

appear as every

other struggling individual

hoping to make ends meet.

 

technology is a wonderful thing

like the calculator

except when it does not work

then,

it is important to know how to add...

 

Summer is almost gone

hooray

winter is almost here

hooray

maybe

indian summer is upon us

we hope,

for those last delicious days of sunshine

and warmth and shirtsleeves.

 

And best wishes to all those whom

have fallen victim to the weather,

may your days be gentler.

The Tea Party Republican Debate

The question arises, why have the debates for choosing  a leader for The United States of America been only transmitted on pay television, why have the majority of the population been eliminated from the process.

 

Then, watching the second debate fom the candidates and hearing the same things, I did this... I will do this... the current administration is doing this...

and I desperately wanted to turn it off, and I forced myself, more than once, to continue with the punishment, in fear, if I turned it off, I would, really , miss someone saying something valueable.

 

The question still arises, why is the rest of the population excluded. What good reason is there for denying every member of this country the opportunity to see who they believe would be the better choice for running this country.

 

Why have the Republicans and the media community not considered the necessity for ALL the people to be educated, to make an informed decision, when it comes to choosing a leader.

 

What was interesting during the debate, or should I say, what was amusing, not in the funny sense but in the vein of vaudevillian slapstick, was the candidates ganging up on or pouncing with negative fervor on Mr. Perry, for the decision the people of Texas voted for, to prefer educated illegal immigrants over guests  of the state, as in, illegal immigrants going to prison. The people of Texas chose an educated populace. And the also, the other candidates, pounced on Mr. Huntsman for Utah giving illegal immigrants driving licenses.

 

When asked the question, what will you do with the illegal immigrants, if you were president, evasion, with a focus on securing the border, the candidates would not touch the question with a ten foot pole.

 

Especially missing from the debate was anyone saying how they would effect any of the promises they were making. "Promise her anything..."

 

On the topic of health care, someone did throw out the idea of alternative healthcare as a way to decrease health costs. The AMA, the American Medical Association the health care monopoly that through it's schools, limits the number of physicians, as their way of controlling their income, through exclusivity. Plenty of doctors would reduce the costs of health care, but, with fewer physicians, and the AMA the controlling force, there is nothing to be done. Medical insurance is an interesting commodity. It guarantees you medical care if you need it, but if you have ever gone to the emergency room at any hospital you would wait for hours to be treated, and then you and your insurance carrier would be charged a small fortune, more than a weeks salary, never mind a weeks income. If you have a chronic condition and must regularily be seen by a specialist you will again be forced to sit in the waiting room or the treatment room for at least an hour to be seen for three minutes by the specialists, who may suggest a myriad of tests to comfirm the probable, then there where you are tested you again must wait for hours for tests or treatments to help you feel better. Stolen hours of your life, prisoner, you are cared for at their convenience, if you are fortunate enough to have a facility near where you reside, otherwise you also must travel for hours for a three minute viewing with the all powerful member of the AMA.

But I digress, this is not what the discussed.

 

Mr. Perry again, took a verbal beating for his mandate in Texas, forcing young girls to be treated with shots to prevent cervical cancer. Government should not be forcing medical treatments of children. But no one said anything about the law that there are shots children must have before they are permitted to attend school.

 

Then of course there were flying buzz words, leadership, full employment, strong America, eliminate waste, reform taxloopholes, subsidies, regulation reform, energy independence, shrink government, fair tax, consumption tax.

 

Lobbyists were left alone, those salespeople that sway the political arena with their financial contributions to the wealth of the politians ensuring the benificial treatment of the orginazitions or corporations they represent.  If politicians were leaders of the country without the finincial assistance of the lobbying machine, what, would the electorate and the government machine look like.

 

Iteresting facts that were mentioned: it is costing us two billion dollars a week to wage the war in Afghanistan, we, America, has nine hundred bases in one hundred thirty countries. It was suggested to bring them all home, picture it, all those soldiers coming home to be unemployed. There was concern for developing situations in Egypt, Turkey, Mexico and the middle east. No concern was voiced for Africa with her battles and starving people.

 

So the whole debate went, and there was no information about how the candidates were going to implement the promises they were making, no mention about how they, the candidates, were going to convence the Senate and House of Represenatives to agree with and vote for the candidates plans for fixing the economy and everything else wrong with America, nobody said, this is what I want to do if elected, and I will need you, the American Public to participate by calling your represenatives and telling them to vote in favor of my proposals.

 

I did this..., I will do this... if I am elected I WILL....

 

And if you believe that, I will sell you a bridge.  

The 9/11 Memorial

The PBS radio station from the campus of the University of Missouri at Columbia, Missouri, last night, Saturday night, as usual played some Jazz music. What was different was a tribute to New York City and a remembrance to all the victims of 9/11.

They found music about Coney Island, Avenue A and artists who have written and performed their feelings after the attacks. It was a walk through the streets of New York, transported to specific places, areas inhabited with working people, laughing and playing children. Summertime with open hydrants and short sleeve shirts, warm asphalt and a closeness of people spending time out of doors.

The radio station also reported the many trees planted at the memorial site, including one pear tree that had survived for the World Trade Center Site.

Then, the mood changes to personal. Canaries in their cages, voicing their emotions touching ours. Every pluck of the strings, every tap of the ivories hitting the chord, the place where we all have been.

With head resting on the pillow, eyes closed and ears perked with every stroke reawakening the trauma felt those ten years ago. It still hurt, the scenes replayed before closed eyes, the collective wave of sadness engulfing a nation, a planet, a people. Some tears on the bedlinen and then asleep.

Waking to the news, the memorial service is soon to begin, and again a tear touches the pillow.

Familiar Faces, the mayor, the president, the first lady, the former first lady, the fountain with its water shimmering down in waves, a velvet blanket swaying down into the pool that descends into nowhere, the pool that does not wash away the pain, the pool, a place to see and feel the pain, more tears.

The first couple of hours on television, with the cameras panning the dignitaries, the families and the guards behind the family members reading the names of the fallen, was a sombre gathering with the cameras recording and reporting all that is new at Ground Zero.

Then, all the stars left except for Mayor Bloomberg, the crowd thins and the scene changes, the tv anchors have to be seen and heard, they, in their abstraction removed us from participation, they change the focus of the watcher, they made it about them. And then the discontinued transmission of the memorial service, except for CSPAN. CSPAN did not leave the rest of the alphabet of names unheard, the channels continued to the end, standing by the sides of those who chose to honor and remember with all suffering, the lost. Thank you CSPAN for the kindness and respect you showed all today.

Fw: O'Reilly v Bloomberg

 

 

Dear Mr. O'Reilly,

 

The 9/11 memorial is not about you. That you do not like that Mayor Bloomberg did not invite clergy, police and fire personnel is a very local view.

 

Besides the families of 9/11 victims, representatives from each of the countries that lost victims must be represented as well as all nations that stand with us in the battle against the tyranny of terror, and of course representatives from the United Nations and N.A.T.O.

 

That the New York City Police and the New York City Fire Departments were not speciffically invited show that the memorial is about the people who were  and still are affected by the events of that day, and not institutions.

 

About the clergy, if clergy is to be singled out then the clergy that represents every individual that was lost, should be invited.

 

9/11 is not just about New York City, or America, or people, it is about the human race and its struggle to raise itself above the classification of animal and peoples willingness to coexist in peace.

 

We abhor the assault we endured and must find common ground to ensure or hope to ensure that all peoples feel as we do, that we must find a better way to resolve our differences.

 

Yours truly,

 

MiceLLe

 

 

The American Jobs Act and the President's Speech

The bill will be paid for... next week we'll tell you how

There will be modest adjustments to Medicare and Medicaid

All will pay their fair share

There will be spending cuts

The best way to grow the economy

tax breaks so teachers can go to work

we will change the way we do business

the govt will help people refinance mortgages

countries with whom we have trade agreement

must play by the rules

cut wasteful spending

regulation review

collective bargaining

congress, it is time to meet our responsibilities

elections fourteen months away

What a con!

Does this guy and his handlers think the American people want to

buy a bridge?

What the guy did not say, and I am calling him a guy because I am

at this point angrier than I was last night.

This guy does not deserve my respect.

It was more a cheer leading rally we heard

rather than a plan to save America

and then to boot, they announce information they new four months

ago, about a threat to New York or Washington by a car bomb,

information found when they wiped out OBL.

The what if segment was a good touch, Abraham Lincoln and his

achievements, and the Internet.

POOH!

What the guy did not say, is that unions, the Longshoremen and

the Teacher's union are in trouble. There will have to be adjustments

in the way we do business. Union members know they have been

receiving the cream off the top of the milk, for you youngsters who don't

understand that statement, in the old days, before homogenized and

pasteurized milk, the cream would float to the top of the bottle.

You union members will be forced to change contracts, to adjust to

the way things are now. Scaling down.

He did say that our trading partners were going to have to play by the rules,

how will he threaten China to revalue their currency, not sell them any more

of our debt or drop a bomb. Silly, that he thinks he can get them to do anything

when he can not even get his congress to do something.

Ah, congress it is time to meet our responsibilities - is he implying that the

congress has been fooling around- those individuals with ten percent approval

of the American Public.

Made in America

who would buy anything willing, from America, we are right now priced out of the market.

The banks will be forced to refinance loans, forced, the operative word here.

The banks should have refinanced loans before. They should have realized, of course

they did realize, what was going on, but the first stimulus was what they were waiting

for, and used those funds wisely(perhaps). Now, they are sitting with a bundle of

real estate, that is basically worthless, because no one has any money to buy it.

Fools that they are. They chose to steal money, along with the Freddie and Fanny.

History always repeats itself, and we fool ourselves into thinking it will be different.

Double dip recession, oh no, they say.

The Great Depression ran for ten years with the stock market experiencing

volatility of up days followed by down days followed by up days, followed by down days.

Sound familiar.

Sometimes, we let ourselves be conned, is this one of those days.

The Republican Candidates Debate

Last nights showing was a bit weak, more along the lines of, 'look at me, look at me'. Not exactly ammunition for leading a country. Ms. and each of the candidates will be referred to as Ms. or Mr. to eliminate some government titles and further reduce the playing field to individuals.

Ms. Bachman repeatedly referred to raising children as a qualification. But, she was not really speaking to all the moms who raised their children while cooking meals, cleaning house AND holding a paying job. So, while she did in fact mother some children and foster mother others, little evidence of her knowing the real world environment of parenting with struggle has been displayed, so, she should refrain from bragging in that arena.

Other times she bragged about sitting down with people who have been thrust into life's catastrophes and commented that she, "knows about that", speaking with and living through are not exactly the same knowing and does not denote qualifications.

She on the other hand, did promise to make things right, BUT without bipartisan cooperation, NOTHING ever gets done. Do you see any evidence of her bolstering Republicans and Democrats to do anything, never mind, the right thing.

And then of course, she found ample time, along with some of the other candidates, to bash, or bad mouth the job BHO was or was not doing.

Funny, how many of the candidates found time to report to us what we already have lived through. As if they had any idea what unemployment, without income was.

They all seem to enlighten us about being one with us, focusing on the middle class struggle, while they have all been living with silver spoons in their mouth.

They all of them, have never put cardboard, if they could find any, in their shoes because the soles were holes meeting their feet with the ground. How many of them have taken a shower in winter and dried themselves with holes and a little towel wrapped around feeling the cold air hit wet skin.

Mr. Cain not very versed on public speaking and not very versed on things other than running a company, was one who offered a plan to get us out of the hole we are in. He has offered us a 9, 9, 9 formula to simplify the tax roller coaster and have everyone paying an equal share. Here then is another BUT, nine percent income tax is a wonderful lure, who of us who make any money would like a nine percent bill instead of thirty five percent, nine percent income tax for corporations may be a good idea but  rather they instead of paying nine percent tax their funds would be wisely placed into research and development, corporations are alive to make money, that seems to be their primary purpose, why not let them do what they do best, it seems in our interest, those of us who have to earn an income to survive. Mr. Cain seems to have our interests at heart, though, I again would think the parties would not lend a businessman a helping hand. I have in fact, been known to be wrong,, on many occasions. If he is president, I hope I am wrong, again.

The other nine percent is sales tax, NINE percent sales tax would cripple those on the lower rung of the ladder, starving them to death. Nine percent sales tax on a pair of shoes is a lot of money, especially when we have to drive to the store to buy them. Unless Mr.. Cain explains what in fact is taxed i protest. We live in a consumer economy, the consumer drives the economy, without our buying goods and services the economy goes no where, unless, the model is going to change soon.

We seem to be a munitions and IT society, military, police, firearms, and information technology employ the highest paid and the most of the nation, where is that taking us.

Mr. Perry, one with a smart mouth, said all the facts he was presented with were wrong.  He celebrated bringing big corporations to work and employ people to his state, but gave little when presented with his removing funds from educating the children. When it comes to cutting spending for running a state there are many nuances that must be addressed, and all have priorities. Roads, moving goods to market is crucial, especially produce, picture the mess. Safety, for all of us who can not protect ourselves, and the boomers are a lot of us, should not be reduced, or should we return to the policy of being responsible for ourselves. Have you ever thought about the idea the sirens are the police warning criminals to run away because the good guy who is very frightened into doing his job is on the way. Religion is a big part of who he is, and religion seems to come first for him, does he not present himself like a preacher. While he does take responsibility for all the progress Texas has made for the cleaning up the environment he did not specify I don't think, what role he played in effecting that.

 

Mr. Perry also said Social Security is a Ponzi scheme. Social security is money all workers contributed to fund their old age and of course, the U.S. Government has use of those funds. Therefore, the U.S. Government owes that money to the aging workers of America.

Each of us is responsible for our fair share, yet each of us fall into different sliding scales of ability and net worth so how is nine percent fair and how mandatory insurance fair, or, how do we make the income tax fair and how do we make the medical dilemma fair.

Mr. Santorum is in a fighting mood and I seem not to remember what else he stands for besides his religion.

Mr. Gingrich, along with other candidates, has aligned himself with the dead President Regan. I remember Mr. Regan spent much rebuilding the military might, and then we were in debt. Mr. Gingrich is a bright man with many ideas, a thinker, and his infidelity is an issue.

Mr.Paul is the only person up on the stage who really doesn't want the job, but he is fighting a good fight to fix America. Bringing home the troops is what he especially wants along with shrinking government, government does not add anything to the economy, it should be acting in the peoples interest, but it seems to be growing like a cancer and acting in it's own behalf. Mr. Pall is good to voice many of the issues facing us. He simply wants us to be aware of what is going on and what he believes needs to be done to fix the problems. He is the loudest voice for shrinking government. Whether or not you agree with all he says, you must appreciate his fervor for America, He is the Ralph Nader of the twenty first century, an important voice for integrity.

Mr. Huntsman told us that he was the only candidate who had the votes to make change. He is the only person on the stage to say he had a majority to effect the necessary policies to take government out of the way of the economy. His being ambassador to China, the country sitting with all of our nations outstanding debt is an interesting side to this race. He is familiar with China, the most populous nation on the planet, the nation with the most mouths to feed, the nation selling us most of the goods we wear, and need to make our lives  a bit comfortable. Actually, when you think about it we are China East, and it would serve us to remember that. We are no longer independent, we are no longer isolated. We can no longer think of ourselves as leaders. We are a nation in debt, that can or will, no longer produce our own goods.

Then there is the issue of the approximately twelve million illegal immigrants here. Those person who were hired by corporations at cheap wages to bring them, the corporations, big profits. We can not fault these illegal immigrants who were starving in their own country hiding themselves away here, to be able to eat. It is human nature to fight for survival. For the corporations that knowingly hired them, yes, those entities and their management should and will never be sanctioned or punished, they will continue to thrive.

For those illegal workers, if in fact they do work or have worked and lived productive illegal lives in the good old USA, lets consider a program: On the local level, they present themselves to a board, similar to a parole board, on an individual by individual basis, with two Americans to vouch for them and they, the illegal immigrants, demonstrate that they have in fact lead productive lives here. Then they will be given the opportunity to continue to stay here legally, and earn a living and if the so choose, have the opportunity to learn to become American citizens.

About the border, building a fence, is just something for someone to climb. People always do what they are not supposed to do. If the majority want a fence, then so be it. But then who will build the fence across America and Canada. Anyone who wants to get in can find a way to get in.

If they, the government that is, truly wants to prevent illegal immigration all they need do is warn everyone, they will be shot if they do choose to cross the border illegally, and if they don't believe it they can try crossing. Bullets are cheaper than fences and we already have them.

The other issue, education, feeding students is a very good idea. If you want to convince parents of the benefit of educating their children, promise to feed their kids breakfast and lunch and see how many kids arrive and stay in school. Nobody learns on an empty stomach, you don't believe me try it someday.

9/11 The Twin Towers

On any given business day, the twin towers

each had an occupancy of one hundred thousand

below the twin towers is a concourse filled with shops

as well as the entrance to the subway station

and the Path train station

When the towers were attacked at about 8.45a.m.

there had to be activity reminiscent of worker ants

busying themselves scurrying in all directions

The Path trains connect New Jersey with lower Manhattan

bringing residents of New Jersey to their employment,

somewhere in New York. The New York City Subway

connects Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Queens, three boroughs

of New York with Manhattan. Many of the people who live

in those boroughs work in Manhattan and must therefore

take the subway, unless they drive automobiles or take a bus

that travels to Manhattan, to reach their job.

Has anyone questioned the casualty count from the assault on 9/11.

Is it simply a remarkable stroke of luck, or is there more to the story.

Besides the passengers on the four planes that crashes, and the

multitude of fire persons lost at the twin towers site, there seemed to

be few fatalities, mostly the persons employed by Cantor Fitzgerald

and Morgan Stanley, who worked on the upper floors, plus the

people at the Windows on the World restaurant at the top of one of the towers.

Is it possible for tens of thousands of persons to rapidly evacuate.

Ten years later, reflecting back, it seems a remarkable achievement

for all those persons to refocus their attention from the task of

travelling to work to running to safety.

The upper floors of the towers were accessible by using two different

elevators, each going halfway up the building. It would take at least

five minutes by elevator, best time, from top to bottom, assuming you were able to get on both elevators, without crowds forcing you to wait for

another elevator.

From the train station you either walked up stair to the street level or

you rode the escalator, and you usually had to wait your turn to access

the escalator, because of all the people exiting the subway at the same

time.

The statistics of the Twin Towers seem un-believeable.

Dear Diary- A Tome

Dear Diary,

Today I finished reading a book I got from Amazon on Saturday.
It is a four hundred-forty page story by Allen Regar called Lost Cause.
Every page is filled with excitement. It is a journey to everyplace I have ever been.
Mr Regar has described all the locales with an eye for the real and then twists the trip into very many alleys. He segues a life journey touching the facets that spark the intellectual circuits that keep the "grey cells' alive. There is not much that I want to divulge because if you will choose to read the book I would not want to spoil any page for you.

I recommend the book. If you are interested in fiction that stirrs the mind into thinking while taking you on a trip to somewhere you have never been and have definitely have been, consider Lost Cause. It is worth the finincial investment and the time it takes to read it.

That is, if you think books are valueable.

Yours truly,
miceLLe

kiss

There are some rules that are worth remembering

for instance

 

a stitch in time saves nine

 which means, repair the cloth before it needs more stitches to repair it

 

kiss

keep it simple stupid

the simpler the operation the less can go wrong

 

sometimes always never

when forming an opinion as to the outcome of an event

it is always safer to consider that the same outcome

sometimes will occur

never will occur

and always will occur

 

Preparinging onesself for all variables is preferable

therefore there will be no disappointment

 

disappointment is a very sad event

and should always be avoided

and will sometimes be the inevitable

 

many times disappointment will always occur

no matter what preparation

no matter how prepared

no matter how many obstacles are removed

 

and

the disappointment of the outcome of an event

is preferable

to the disappointment of

laziness

 

doing ones best at all times

will on some occasion produce the desired result

will on all occasions produce the desired result

will on no occasion produce the desired result

 

suprise!

you did your best

and still you lose

 

yet

you did your best

 

therefore

self respest is intact

 

giving forth the energy to

pick onesself up

to start all over again

 

every day he shined his shoes

and went to work

except one day

he was too tired busy lazy

the next day

the boss happened to notice

his shoes were not shined

and he was passed over

for a raise

 

of course

he worked in a shoe store.

 

rules are made to be broken

rules

do this do that

the only rule

we like

are the rules we make

not the rules we must follow

 

rule

when estabilishing a code of behavior

we form habits

   sucking a thumb

 in early childhood

which we bring with us through our lives

sometimes we see these nuances of self

as detremental

and with persistance

we correct the unwanted behavior

 

or

a teacher notices and persists in persuading

us to adapt to their preference

 

we are always adapting to someones rules

whether we like it or not

 

life

has a funny way of bringing us to today

not as we have begun

but mostly as others would like us to be

 

and we are rewarded thusly

unless

sometimes we do not adapt

or they never choose to reward us

or they always never sometimes see we are there.

 

then

we sometimes always never

react,

positively

negatively

or not at all.

 

sometimes

we are pleased with ourselves

at the way in which we mould to others directions

 

sometimes we are pleased

that we do not mould to others directions

 

sometimes we are pleased

with ourselves

that we never

accept

what others choose as our direction

 

therefore

we never sometimes always

care

for what others say

as to what we ought or must do

 

and we simply

allow them to say whatever they wish

and we simply ignore whatever they say

 

so we always

say

we did it our way.

 

and what

does that get us.

Nothing

Do you ever have a time when there is nothing rolling through your mind

When you try to have a thought and the brain is basically shut down

where nothing flows, no matter how hard you try to force it, there is

nothing going on with the "little grey cells"

 

You begin to think of topics like The economy, evolution, compatibility,

equality, anxiety, obesity, ecommerce, dogs, cats, music,

in an attempt to stir the wheels to turn, then you think of another word,

cars

and the ball begins to roll

 

Why is it NOW that they have begun to increase fuel economy,

why has it taken so long

or why have they done it now and not before

why was it never an issue

 

was it more important to come up with new colors or new models or new gadgets to add

 

why has the automotive industry finally at this time been able to achieve 35mi./gal.

 

If the automotive engine is an inefficient machine, how come they finally

have made it better, how did they make it better, what could they have

changed to increase efficiency

 

The last time there was any improvement it was the cylinder design

by Honda

 

Fuel,

 

When the Europeans discovered the new world the sent their ships

to cut down the trees for fuel and building materials because they

had used up all of their own

 

Can someone please figure out how to use ordinary rocks for fuel

oh, yes they already have done that

By putting rocks in with the combustible materials they are able

to extend the heating ability of the fire

 

Newspaper is a good insulator, In the 1940's newspaper was used

as insulation in home building,

Vagrants, or homeless individuals are often seen using newspaper

as blankets, Pretty soon, maybe there will be no more printed newspapers,

with the new generation that has grown with the computer as the  answer to

every question, Newspapers may be collectible items of value, a thing of the past.

 

The automobile, as produced by Ford, has change the way we live on the planet

Henry Ford invented the assembly line, therefore creating the dumbing down of

America

Before Henry's invention, Auto builders worked on building the whole machine

thus not having the repetitive injuries of the assembly line

Also, generations past were more educated, pick up any old math book dated

before the assembly line and see if you can solve a problem in the book

 

Independence is gone

we are now all connected for better or for worse, or should it be said, for better

AND for worse

 

Privacy is gone

everyone knows or can find out anything they want to know about you

Not that you have anything to hide

It is just that a little mystery is good for relationships

 

Knowledge is a wonderful thing

learning something new is grand

 

In the old days, only the priveledged few were given the honor of learning anything

then the invention of the printing press made knowledge available to the masses

and then the war of competition began, or, really expanded, instead of just fighting

for land and love

we know have seen the fight to be the first in space

the first to dive to the bottom of the ocean

 

invention

all the little toys we accumulate and treasure

a music box

a baseball

ballet shoes

sneakers

 

first it was rubber, then it was plastic

 

petroleum

petroleum jelly

vaseline

 

the ballpoint pen

the pencil

 

the little luxuries we take for granted

 

 

we do not want to simplify our lives

we want everything

right now

 

and are we willing to pay the price.

thrilling

Someone who called into a talk show
asked the question
"Were they, the government, not fixing
the problems with the economy, because
the president was black?"

Is there any other goood excuse for them not to fix the problem?
Democrats don't want Republicans to succeed
Republicans don't want Democrats to succeed
So the people pay for their competition

There are ways for them to agree
There are ways for them to win
There are ways for us to get some relief
It only takes one
to stand up
and be counted

Without government intervention we can change the course
of the way things are going

It does not look good
But it can be done

Even if we had  a government holiday
furloughing government workers one day a week for the rest of the year
would save us a couple of bucks
and make the government employees appreciate their jobs
therefore, giving them the impetus to perform

But of course that will not happen
The president will roll out a plan finally,
after labor day
in the mean time
he has done little to abate the problems

I did not vote for the guy
and I did wish him well when he was elected
I even sent him an email telling him what I think
had to be done to fix things

So, I am pro the people and support whomever is in power
if they do good for the people

There is corruption in government
and there can be good done
So, I did stand up to be counted
when it seemed my voice needed to be counted

But,
now the new phenomenon of teens on a rampage
is a bit more serious
than having no money.

In the 1960's and 1970's the kids acted out by graffitti-ing
everything in their path.
It was obvious that they were yelling for help.
But no one was listening.
They just received punishment instead of attention.

Now, these kids see everyone stealing and cheating
and they want their share

The rule of law
is obviously
ignored
by those in power
and it is reported every day

So why can't they follow in their footsteps

We have lost the rule of law
and we want it back
and we have no idea how to get it back

EXCEPT
for all the next elections
elect those individuals who
respect the rule of law

I am not speaking about religion
just the law of the land
and make it enforceable for everyone
not just blacks

Maybe even consider
legalizing drugs
to break the control of the drug cartels
(because illegal drugs are very expensive)
and of course tax them
and then they still will be cheaper than now

But the powers that be
the alcohol companies do not want the competition
beer and booze and cigarettes rule

And the drug enforcement agencies and the jails
would then have to find new jobs

What say you

Fw: fox tv circus

They even have a judge as a barker

a man of knowledge

reduced to throwing out hooks

in an effort to keep the audience

buffoonery

bah!

fox tv simply wants to demean their employees

the fox circus

with acts

instead of information

Rupert is a jerk

he is waisting talent

forcing them to act like trained dogs

barking come ons

clowns

they look like fools

they act like fools

therefore they must be fools

To eat

some people will do anything

fox tv with more commercials than news or commentary

and fools laughing at jokes that are not funny

clowns parading as reporters

dancing to the melody

make a fool of me

make a fool of me

2011

Weatherwise, it has been a  pretty awful year
here in Missouri

The winter was brutally cold
with unusually heavy snow, ice, and below zero temperatures
for long peroids of time

Keeping warm was the biggest concern, counting the gallons of fuel
as they went up in smoke
Then watching the electric meter spin like a top
Then worrying that the power would go out because the wires were frozen
and would snap from the cold

Then the spring, with the unusually wet atmosphere, flodding everything
And the clouds blocking the sun
that could have warmed the seeds that were not washed away
Then the heat, oppressive
The sun made up for the weeks of rain
and burned the crops that did sprout, and parched the land
It was so hot for so long that the leaves on the trees began to wilt and fall to the ground

This year went from winter into summer,
from cold to hot
with no relief in between

Whatever money there was, has been spent to heat or to cool
No crops put up for winter
No berries no other fruit

This will be a lean winter
The likes we have not seen
Since childhood

This will be the winter to remember
The winter of our discontent
The winter of our trials
The winter of our test

We know it will be difficult
the cubboards are nearly bare
the is no wood for the fire
the days will be shorter
the nights they will be longer
maybe the sun will shine
maybe the snow will fall
maybe the wind will howl
maybe the ice and the wind and the cold
will visit again this winter
as it did last fall
And
come the end of December
we will watch as the days grow long
And we will look to the spring
as better than the last one
maybe

chaos

Well.
America, the United States there of, that is,
is officially in trouble
from within

The ruling powers, those elected officials
elected to represent the peoples in
the  geographic area that elected them,
are powerless to make decisions that will benefit the nation,
or are unwilling to act in their behalf.

Whether or not the budget crisis is real
there is in fact the illusion of an authentic calamity

It is probably a reality
there is no money
the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are bleeding us dry
BUT not for the reason of government expenditure
to fight for democracy
But for all the stealing an pilfering

The disappearance of equipment in Afghanistan
is disturbing
It has been reported that ten million dollars a day
is disappearing from Afghanistan

There seems to be no one protecting the interest of the
American people over there
since it is our money they are using to fight this war
and it is not being protected
how can any good be done over there

how can the war effort be effective when there are
individuals, groups, many removing the tools needed
to win the war and to rebuild the nation that war has
destroyed

It is all a hoax, or is it.
It is all for the oil.
And there is a higher price at the pump.

China is now a consumer, in competition with the USA
so prices in America for fuel should continue to rise,
no matter what war we fight.

One problem now is that China has all the money to spend
and we can not afford to bid above them, we have as they say
no money to pay our bills

So they will create more money
backed by the good name of the USA

BUT if the USA defaults, it will have to pay a higher interest
to borrow to buy anything
and to fight the wars

We seem to be boxing ourselves into a corner
with no way out
no matter what is done
there will be hardship

And what will be very difficult
is
all those kids who have been living with those silver spoons in their mouths
will have to suck the silver
because there will be nothing to put on the spoons
and they will not know how to react
because they have never been hungry

and whatever enemies we in America have
will have the advantage
having grown out of hardship
they will know how to live the lean life

they will not be hungry
because they have tightened their belts

It has been a long time since we have had a war on our territory

The high unemployment in America
and the rest of the world
is prime fodder for conflict

The powers that be, know what to do
they simply refuse to do it

and we all will have to suffer for it.

too bad for us.
the good times are gone.
every generation alive now will suffer,
except for the few who have accumulated the wealth
and have found the rules to keep it.
bona fortuna.
count your blessings.
think happy thoughts.
live one day at a time.
expect nothing.
therefore whatever you get
you will appreciate.
except if you expect everything to be laid in your lap.

The way it is

Corporations are free
accountable to no one
not you and not me

corporations make decisions
that foul the environment,
all over the world,
and like the timex, they keep
on ticking
while those living in the surrounding
areas are harmed physically, emotionally
and financially

Their land is destroyed
their health compromised
and their life cut short

and the corporation beats on

sometimes, when they are sued,
without accepting responsibility,
after years have passed, they
pay off the plaintiffs with token
remuneration, most of the
settlement benefiting the legal teams
that fought the battle, and appropriately,
they who fought the battle,
 should be reimbursed for their
knowledge, diligence and time.

And the persons responsible, the corporate
personnel destroying the habitat and health
of others are still paid their salaries including
benefits and retirement income.
Nothing happens to them, they are
no names, living out their lives in comfort.

Corporations are like shell games,
under no shell will you find the nut
that cracks the case that fixes the mess, 
or the nut that made the mess.

The sacrificial lamb, so to speak, is Rupert
Murdock, his corporation violated the rules
and was caught, and he takes no responsibility
neither does his son.
And he appears before the world and says
nothing.

It will be interesting to see if the British
are more willing to get to the bottom of things
and tell the world what has happened, who is really 
responsible and what safeguards are in place
to protect the unprotected.

The current financial crisis could be, in part, to terrorism
and the role governments and the media played in
instilling fear. There has always been danger in the world
but it seems that those who lead and those who inform
are too terrified to think, terrible, horrible, awful, frightening,
dangerous, horrific, scary, and every other adjective
to describe fear is the only way they informed us of
what was happening in the world.

They could not say, "A bomb exploded at a train station, killing
two wounding twenty" instead would have been reported
"A terrible bomb explosion at a train station.....
A horrible bomb explosion....."

And we follow in their footsteps and get scared, and squirrel away everything.

But, also, the Clinton Administration(notice there is no one accountable
here either) changing the rules for Freddie and Fannie Mac destroying
the economic formula for a more sound housing environment.

If someone out right kills someone, the killer is punished.
But corporations and governments, who are no people,
no one that is named, maim and destroy and keep on ticking.

Until we the collective conscience, vote with our dollars, and refuse
to endorse those corporations and governments that are not acting in the best interest of the collective all.

When, that is, we find out what is really going on.
  

Leaders

We are the leaders, we permit individuals to make laws and enact rules.
Without us, they are not leaders.
We are the driving force.
We change the world.
We go on strike.
We revolt against tyranny.

Unless we close our eyes and ears, we see what is going on in the world,
and WE allow things to happen.

we are responsible, the collective US.
Sometimes we are too tired, to act,
sometimes we are too busy to act
sometimes we are too frightened to act
sometimes we are too lazy to act
sometimes we are too hungry to act
and then,
we look around and see the ugliness which has evolved
we blame everyone else not ourselves.

One hundred years ago in New York City, was what has been called the Triangle Factory Fire. Workers, mostly women, mostly young women crowded on one factory floor with three hundred sewing machines, fabric, thread and paper patterns. One door open as an exit and two freight elevators with one lighted cigarette thrown or dropped, igniting history with the single most dramatic destruction of life in the history of New York City. Through negligence, indifference, greed, stupidity, laziness, and exploitation, women jumped to their death from windows to escape the flames.

The collective we let that happen.

Mass graves around the world attest to the numbness of the masses, the collective we who care little that individuals are denied life. The collective we are numb to the stories reported of abuse.

And then the collective we, come to our senses. We reach the saturation point and we stand fast against injustice. Like the smouldering embers ignite to flames engulfing everything in its path, we sweep away the unconsciousness and stand alert to the horrors humanity has endured.

And we revolt.
We refuse to participate
We refuse to be a part of, or party to
that which we do not want done to ourselves and
finally
that which is being done to others that we find abhorent.

Only the collective we can affect the changes
only the collective we can make things better

Until the next time complacency reigns
Until habit again takes the place of thoughtfulness
Until we again subject ourselves to the inhumanity of man.

happiness

A relative term
kind of like
if only

if everything goes my way then i am happy
if i get what i want then i am happy

if i were richer then i would be happy
if i were thinner then i would be happy
if i were smarter then i would be happy

if i were older then i would be happy
if i were younger then i would be happy

then when i get what i want i want more to make me happy
then when i realize my dream i will be happy

only if i can find the right formula
then i will be happy

then when i am happy
i am unhappy because my happiness is relative to what i do not have
what i do not have will make me happy
what i have is not good enough for me to continue to be happy

striving srtiving striving
more more more

greed?
disire?
need?

not enough
we always seem to think that what we have is not enough

the few who have little and are satisfied are admired by the many who have plenty

another big mistake

the new big mistake, spending millions to release and track guns in Mexico & South America

America is so out of its element
America is not yet again hungry
America has leaders who have never been hungry
and do not know the motivation
of starvation

America, once the leader of the world
has lost its grasp
and can not seem to do anything right

America seems doomed to failure
everything it touches turns sour

America has lost its moral right
A nation built out of bloodshed
from the founding days when it destroyed
the native tribes, wiping out the complexion
indigenous to the land

then the battle with  the natives across the pond
and still the battle with each other

until the great war, to end all war
and instead of finding a humane way to close
the dispute, of course along with others
the stripping of the bad guys, leaving them nothing
to lick their wounds
furthering the fostering of the conflict
forcing the bad guys to come back with a vengeance
to rock their modern world

and then America, again,
with all its might, fights for control of the world
to make friends with the enemy

(what in fact is happening is
the bully is telling everybody what the game is
and what the rules are
and what the punishment will be
if the game is not played the way they say
THEN
they change the rules
and put the wrench in the works
and mess up the game
so only a very few
again win
and are on top of the pile)
"I will let you play my game until I win"
is really what the game is

Until the freak of nature
distorts the reality
then chaos rules

the old cause and effect
with the cause always blaming the effect for the results

and the results
for very many
the contraction
of assets,
of freedom,
of happiness,
of opportunity,
in some cases
the loss of everything
before the big chill

leaving a listless waning
an oblivion

with  crawling
the norm
and the creature
wanders the oblivion
crawling its way back
to civility and society...

the fourth of july holiday weekend

Usually, at our household the holiday is about sports.
We begin the holiday with the renewed excitement of watching good tennis.
This year though, we were disappointed with the women grunters
and do not like joke a vics poor sportsmanship and the other guy who is always wanting us to pay attention to his back side, the two who seem not to have grown up, pampered brats. And after watching the grace and character of Roger Federer we embarrassed for those two men?/boys so we move on to other games of individual achievement.
Competitive bowling followed by women's college bowling
and the worlds heaviest man competition.
It is remarkable to think that one man can carry two two-hundred seventy five anvils for any distance
but to turn a nine-hundred ninety pound tire repeatedly, six to complete the course is thought provoking.
Picking up our sixteen pound cat repeatedly is a chore, lifting half a ton is stuff to dream about, albeit a tire
is not exactly the stuff dreams are made of, unless you are a member of the Bridgestone or Firestone family.

The fourth of July is a celebration of independence, not simply national independence for our household.
Yes we do grill burgers and watch the fireworks and generally relax and connect with family and loved ones just like everybody else.

But we seem to gravitate to the individual achievement sporting events as a necessary root for this particular holiday. Maybe it is our annual mega dose of sports, much like the sporting events leading up to the Olympic competition, and the Olympics. We sit and watch the new generation achieve, we study their demeanor and the stupid sports networks that don't even give the athlete time to catch their breath and the must have interview. It is remarkable enough when an athlete achieves success after preparation and practice and focus, but they must speak without getting enough oxygen to prevent their eyes from crossing. And these young people can think and speak without catching their breath. Personal achievement their driving force.

And then there is the guy competing in bowling who pops his water bottle to distract his opponent, winning any which way he can.

We also watch the fight, where the guy kept feigning a fall causing his opponent to lose a point and we wonder if it is a generational thing, the art of the game has lost it allure, winning is the prize, no longer- being the best- the goal.

To be the best at what you do no longer seems to be a goal any more winning is all that seems to matter.
Cheating seems to be the rule, instead of rules of fair play. It is more the slug fest, beat the other guy any way you can, and if you can not beat the opponent at the game by the rules CHEAT. So how does that foster self respect, how does that make one feel good.  It is like when the bully wins, only now we get to watch it on tv.

The bully rules is the 2011 mantra, the slug fest is on, toughen up your gloves, the rules have changed, and nobody told us, except sometimes there is an individual who realizes that being the best at what you do is a prize more valuable than winning.