Just an update.

I have been away for far too long.  And it has not been for a good reason.  The stately older gentleman in the picture is my father.  That mask he is wearing his hooked up to what the nurses call a by-pap machine, which is really nothing more than a force breather used on people who are on life support.

Prick of the Week (11-02-14 to 11-09-14

I promised a prick of the week entry, did I not?  I could say the Cruz camp qualifies for it, maybe Joni Ernst, or Gordon Klingenschmitt for his exorcising Obama and homosexual causing demons.  I could focus on Andy Harris (R-MD) who wants to overturn the will of the people of Washington DC to have their weed.  Oh, it is a long list, and there is no shortage of people I can pick on for it.  However, I have someone in mind, well more than I have somebodies in mind.  If you are easily offended, I would say close this page now, because from here on, it is my declaration, and it is time to start calling people out.

Net Neutrality

Yes, remember out dear internet user who died while waiting on the internet to load, because net neutrality died?  I do, may God have mercy on his soul, because the FCC, GOP, tea party, Conservatives, Libertarians, corporations, and five justices of the Supreme Court will not.  Yeah, that list has grown since the last time I ranted about this topic.  So what has changed?  A lot.

Guess What...

After my little rant yesterday about the opinion piece from Boehner and McConnell, a conservative was nice enough to send me the entire article, since apparently I got it all wrong.  If you could see me right now, you would observe that my eyes are rolling.  Hey, even my eyes need a work out sometimes.  I did thank him for his time, because now I can really see what the plan is...  Well.. No... Not really.

Where to go now?

So, Brussels was burning, might even still be burning, with all the conservatives crowing about their victory, telling liberals to eat crow, it was not high on my list of interests.  It should have been.  You see, the country has taken a conservative turn, and the middle class, poor, and elderly are angry about it.  Not the kind of angry we appear to get here, where we rant on Facebook or blogs.  Not the kind of angry were you write an angry letter, or leave a heated voice mail on the phone.  Like so many European countries, they get angry like Bruce Banner.  And we should not like Bruce when he gets angry, he grows to ten foot tall, turns green, and becomes the Hulk.  And Hulk likes to smash things.

Welcome to the new America.

CNN has called it.  The Senate now belongs to the Grand Ole Party.  As of this moment the GOP has 52 senators, and now we get to look forward to even more dysfunction in the Congress, and representatives whom we elected to represent us, representing big business, big oil, big religion, and the ultra-rich.

What to say...

Today I am going to talk about a subject I rarely do.  I enjoy watching pro-wrestling.  Yeah, its retarded, its fake, it is many things, but I enjoy it from time to time.  For me, there was no better time than the 90's, specifically the Monday Night Wars.  So, in my mind, as someone who stopped watching the WWE after Eddie and Chris died, many things have changed. 

The Continuing talks of a War on Christianity

So often is it lamented by the Christians of America that they are oh so persecuted, that there is an assault on their way of life by allowing the “Queers” to get married, and allowing women to get abortions. The humanity of it all, to live their petty little lives proudly claiming that they are looked down upon, as they do to others.

Its been a while again.

Posting here will be intermittent for a while.  Between my personal issues, familial issues, work, and other odds and ends, I will be posting, but not like I was, or want to.  Sure new posts from me will occasionally pop up, but they may or may not be canned commentaries on news events as I have time, and I am in the mood for it.  But there is something that I wanted to take the time to comment on, a reflection of how I currently feel.

New Idea... Same issues.

I was in the processes of preparing for an entry dealing with Christianity the Death Cult, when something crossed my eyes, that I had to get into.

NASCAR Part 2...

I was on the fence the last time I wrote about NASCAR.  Yeah, I am finished with it now.  I might revisit the topic as the Daytona 500 rolls around, because lets face it, I am a fan.  I have been listening to NASCAR races on the radio since the mid 80's, and watching races (my first was Richmond) on television since 89, and have been to several NASCAR events since the 90's.  But, I am finished after this last escapade...

Nascar.... Again

This is going to be an atypical post for me.  Nothing political for the government, no rant against anything that I typical rant about.  Above you is Tony Stewart.  I am sure you all recall the incident between him and Kevin Ward Jr, which resulted in the Ward's death.  But, as a fan of NASCAR, I want to take a moment and comment about the events during and after the race.

Climate Change...

For many of you sitting here reading this you will know and understand the difference between Global Warming, and Global Climate Change.  At one time, what we thought was happening to our tiny little world was Global Warming, where everything was getting slightly warmer every year, and the consequences were astounding.  What we have since learned is that, while the planet is gradually heating up in some areas, it is actually dropping in others, while causing droughts in areas that were not previously prone to droughts, raging rain storms in areas that never had seen that weather.
The problem here is that the bulk of the media tends to use Global Warming and Global Climate Change interchangeably.  However, Global Warming is mixed creation of what we do, and what the planet does.  We add more carbon into the air, and the Earth is already on a warming up period, that is Global Warming.  That is not what is happening today.  What we see happening today is Global Climate Change, which is only a small fraction of Global Warming.

Look, most of us have seen Cosmos, we know about our local weather, and that is what our climate is.  Climate accounts for everything from the average temperature, to precipitation (how much and how often), wind, ocean currents, etc, etc, etc.  So, when someone says that Global Climate Change is a real issue, they are not talking about just how hot it is, they are talking about how much rain you get, how humid it is outside, they are really talking about changes in climate, across the planet.  We cannot predict the 10 day weather forecast, many cannot even get the next days weather entirely correct, but that is because of climate, which is a fairly established pattern (it is why some of the farmers almanacs tend to be close about various things).

 So, when someone tells you that Global Climate Change is a very serious issue, you might want to pay attention.  Alright, so you are asking how does this affect me?  Well, I wish I could magically teleport someone whose home was swallowed by a desert to your office area to tell you.  But, with the advent of the internet and Facebook, you can find someone who lives in Arizona to talk to about when they had over a years worth of rain fall on them in less time than a professional football game can be played.  You can talk to someone in the Mid-West about their perception of the number of tornadoes or funnel clouds they have seen.  Maybe talk to someone in Minnesota about the amount of snow they have gotten the past few years.  Exclude the Polar Vortexes as they are normal occurrences from what I have read. 

So why am I discussing this after nearly a weeks worth of silence about anything?  Well, I recently was introduced to a Wall Street Journal article discussing Global Warming (actually it was Climate Change models), in which the author stated that all of our current models are wrong, and that while our situation is bad, it is not all that bad.  In her mind we "still have time to figure this out."  Well, great, glad to know it, as most of the coastal areas of the planet are sinking, and deserts are growing.

Look, I am not an alarmist by trait.  I look at the evidence provided, do my own research, and go from there.  Here is the truth about it, even if you do not want to accept it, the climate of our world is changing.  Under so called normal conditions, we likely wouldn't even realize that it was warming or cooling, the changes would be such that animals would adapt and would not be dieing off, our oceans wouldn't be turning to acid, or be choked out with toxic algae.  What we have here are not so called normal conditions, these are abnormal conditions, which are throwing things out of kilter. 

So, assume that this model presented in the WSJ article are correct, great that means that we have more time to fix the problem, which means not as much damage has been done.  That is a very positive thing.  Here is the problem with that same article.  The recommendation that we put off reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and put off getting off coal and oil.  Look, even if the models are wrong, even if things are not as bad as we think they are, cutting our dependence on coal and oil, cutting our greenhouse gas emissions only serves to make the world a slightly better place. 

Read this comic and think about this for a moment.  First, it is not a hoax, but this is what we all need to ask ourselves, if things are not that bad yet with climate change, what is the harm in creating a better world for nothing?  Sadly I only have hope for a few people to actually sit down and understand that which ever model is correct, Global Climate Change is an issue, nearly as large of an issue as poverty is. 




Anyway, this is the fate of our little burgh in the verse if we continue to put off action to curb our dependence on coal and oil, and do nothing to curb our greenhouse gases.

Welcome to Venus, the second rock from the Sun, a place where the average temperature runs around 870 degrees F, all day, every day, and all through the night.  Yeah, that is an extreme example, given that 96% of the atmosphere there is Carbon Dioxide compared to our CO2 levels are floating around .04%.  It is enough to have added a degree or two worldwide.  Some people say that its not that bad, but that one or two degrees have displaced how many people?  What will another two or three degrees do to our planet?  Imagine that drought in Ethiopia being extended to most of Africa, and the majority of the US being under extreme drought conditions. 

Regardless of how bad it is, or is not, this is the time to start taking action.  This is the time to make the change.  Willing change before the shit hits the fan is always less painful than being forced into a change afterwards.

What to say?

First I would like to thank the members of The Works Blog, for being generous enough to give me the opportunity to write on their quaint little blog.  It appears to be a nice place to be, small, but hey, we all have to start somewhere.  At this time, you might be asking who I am?  Eran Abaddon is the name I use, I find it a fitting name.  Loosely translated the name means watcher of destruction or vigilant of ruin.  It is of little consequences to me you see, for a name is just a semblance of words, with all the assigned value that I give to it.  Just as your name is just a semblance of words, just as mine is.  Besides, I like being anonymous, it cuts down on the stalkers and crazy people.

Breaking News...

In a recent turn of events the White House was shocked and rocked by the latest of scandals for the Obama Administration...

To All you Voter ID fanboys...

As I have always voted, since the proper age, there has always been one constant in this world.  That constant is that when I walk into a polling station, I get asked to present my ID or drivers license.  This happens every time I walk into vote.

Banning or Burning Books

I am not a fan of banning books, nor am I of burning them.  If not for the time and effort put into them by the authors, their creators, but because of the message that the author is attempting to pass onto the readers.  Sure, some stories are created just for enjoyment, no morals to convey, no life lesson to be taught, something to read and have fun reading.  Some stories are a warning, Animal Farm to me screams about not holding your government accountable for its actions, allowing it to gain to much power to be held accountable, and really its all about how money corrupts or taints a government.  

Lots of stuff happening...

Over the last several days lots of things have been happening around the American Political system.  It has been so busy that I haven't been able to keep up, get the information processed and written down here, or somewhere else.  So, I have a bunch of half completed entries sitting around, along with some other things, but this one I had to stop and finish.

Poll watching militia...

So, it was pointed out to me that there is a group on Facebook, the Wisconsin Poll Watcher Militia, who was going to the polling stations armed this election.  Well, I was not impressed, given I was under the impression that they were specifically targeting African American voters of the Liberal population.  That is not kosher in my book.  Honestly people, we do not need armed civilians roaming around outside of the polling stations.

Here is a large dose of perspective

    From this distant vantage point, the Earth might not seem of any particular interest. But for us, it's different. Consider again that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there – on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.

Just some thoughts

I had started to write  a story yesterday, and I am just not feeling it, but that was because my mind was on something else.  Specifically the media, well the news media.  The Big 3 (CNN, Fox News, MSNBC).  I was also thinking of the current state of the media, and where bloggers like myself fit into things.

The Satire of American Politics

I will always look back with found memories of Mel Brooks and his movies.  Ah, the man is the Mark Twain of theatrical satire, and I do believe his career would still be going strong if not for the majority of the conservative leadership in the United States.  Why pay a man for a movie, when you can turn on the News and get it first hand.  Maybe that explains why comedies are not that great anymore, we are all burned out on them.

Defeating ISIS or ISIL or Whatever it's called

So as I was strolling facebook, thinking about short story and novel I have sitting on my hard drive I came across a Huffington Post opinion piece by Mr. H. Goodman (linked here Want to destroy ISIS.) and I think the man has some valid points in many regards, but overall like so many of us he is missing the forest because he is looking at a turkey in the road.  Ultimately this will be the cost of war in this country and you need to decide now, is it a price we want to pay, or do we want to pass that price onto our children and grandchildren?

The Tea Party

Over the past several days I have been seeing some new backlash against the Tea Party.  Honestly I am pretty surprised by what I am seeing, given that it has been with us for several years now.  So, here is the gist of it, the Tea Party is nothing more than the most current revival of the Confederacy, or in a more blatant term white supremacy.

9-11 And a larger message.

Where were you just of thirteen years ago today?  I was working on a barn at the family farm when a friend came running outside and said "A plane hit one of the Trade Center Towers, I think it was an accident."  Most of us who were building the barn calmly walked inside and within five to ten minutes we watched as the second plane hit the other tower.  Most returned back to work, they were on the clock, I was just helping out, free labor so I was able to stay inside and watch the events of the day unfold.

That Guy from Kiss

So Gene Simmons wasn't happy enough to spew his crap on his reality television show, but he is moving out into the masses.  I dislike Kiss, I always have, and I have my reasons.  First among them is that the band Kiss were the first sellouts.  They produced music, they did not make it, they were more about the money than the craft.  Sure, I love money like the next guy, but if I love my craft, the money is just a perk.

Oy vey.... These schtup(ing) goyim...

So, Phuck-a-Duck Phil is back in the news, thanks +Larry Dillon I will use that name constantly now, for what you might ask?  Well after one of the duck-phuckers family members was a co-star in a craptastic movie (which should be reviewed by +Mind of the Monster shortly), I guess the big guy got bored.  So he went onto Fox News and made a complete ass out of himself... Again...

Labor Day

 

Photo Courtesy of  Ms. Wagner titled "Sunset of the Ships"

Ah yes, Labor Day.  A day of grilling out, maybe sitting on a beach somewhere, holding a bottle of beer, maybe a glass of wine, you might even be taking in the sounds of your local baseball team, or sitting in the comfort of your home watching something else.  For we NASCAR fans we watched a brilliant runs by Kasey Kahne and Danica Patrick's highest career finish (also that is a record of sorts on its own account), of which I am happy for his win, and Ms. Patrick showing that women indeed can compete in stock car racing.  But let us speak of a bygone era, the history of Labor Day, and why we should celebrate it.

We have a problem

I try to be nice to the police, I try to be as understanding and nonjudgmental as I can when it comes to how they do their job.  I understand that they work long hours, often dealing with the most wretched of humanity, people who would rather cut your throat than look at you.  They do with with little respect for the potential danger they face, and for crappy wages.  Its a crappy job, and for our part we are wrong to look down at all police officers, because we hear about all the bad ones.

Michael Sam

It seems that Michael Sam, the first openly gay man to be drafted into the NFL was released from the St. Louis Rams last week.  This was one I was expecting, but not for the reasons given.  Due to my living situation I haven't been able to keep up with NFL news and happenings, so I was shocked to find out he had been cut from the 53 man roster.

The current state of American Politics... I shit you not.

Of all the things the conservative libertarian teanut idiots of America (and well I am covering a broad range of people with that statement of which do not fall into one specific group or another) have to complain about our political system has regressed to such a level of discourse as to complain about the color suit that the president was wearing when he gave a press conference this past week.

Robin Williams in Hell.

Yeah, its click bait, I admit it.  But even while I am dealing with some tenuous internet issues, and haven't been around for a few days, some sad news came to me.  Robin Williams is dead, the demons in his life finally took their toll on him.

So here we sit..

Several months ago I wrote about the myth of the welfare queen, and at that time I said that while there was some truth in it, some people abuse the system, I also stated that it was like Bigfoot or an UFO.  Something reported often, but there just wasn't much proof of it.  Well, I stand here today telling you all, I was wrong.  There are welfare queens.  They leech off the system, and we need to cut these ticks off.

A Third Party?

So, I was shown an article that asked can there be a third party created that would not help the Democratic Party.  Honestly, any third party created would take away some of the base support from the Democratic Party, but it would also decimate the GOP.

I'm still around...

Been pretty tied down these last few days.  You know how it goes, job interviews that seem endless and go no where, filling out an endless stream of applications, or otherwise trying to round up money and food.  The story of those who are poor or homeless around the world.  Why should it be any other way?  Along the way I found a petition in regards to a specific church, I am silently watching it.  I continue to write, but I am not in the mood to.  So here is just a quick update on myself and some other thoughts.

Where is the love

Where is the love that I hear about so often.  People claim to love their fellow man, they claim to love nature and their pets, they love everything, but they have a strange way of showing their love.  Its like an abusive relationship.

Back to Israel..

As the conflict rages on in Gaza and Israel, there has been a standard attempted at propaganda on both sides.  Critics of the conflict, which everyone should have some issues with it, those against Israel point out that Israel is a vastly superior military power, and the lopsided deaths in the conflict.  Critics of Palestine are pointing out some other issues, and it is here that I side with Israel. 

Israel and Palistine

I try to stay off this topic.  I have a few that I avoid like the plague, but at this point, its starting to piss me off.  The hypocrisy of views, the outright demonisation, and the general attitude of many people just puts me off.  There are no innocent sides in this argument, and I try to point out the nature of the conflict, but it goes largely ignored.

Corporate Personhood

Right now we have many issues, and corporate personhood is one of them.  I personally do not like corporate personhood.  I think its BS of the highest order. 

Wal-Mart..

Ah, good ole Wal-Mart to the rescue.  Cheap prices, crappy service, and for the worlds largest company, pretty damn sensitive to critical opinions.  So, I think it is safe to say that we have all heard the rumors.  Unjust terminations, Wal-Mart closing a store after it unionized, low pay, and jacking employees around on their pay.

Make it stop...

I had started a post about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict that is about to erupt into a major war.  But after spending most of last night arguing with a libertarian, and seeing more of their antics I just can't do it.  I don't want to talk about it, because that is an ocean away.  Funny, that Jewish people and those from Palestine get along well here in the US, isn't it?

Rollin Coal.

So what is Rollin Coal?  According to Urban Dictionary, Rollin Coal is... Well you should probably read it for yourself, it is pretty comical. Despite what people are saying this has been happening for several decades.  Its just getting attention now, and it does need to stop.

Just...

I know, I know, I am not keeping up with writing for this blog, really I haven't been keeping up with much of anything recently.  My knee is finally starting to heal up, everything usually does, a perk of being middle aged.  You are a little wiser, you are still mostly bullet proof, and well that is the perk.  I have seen many pricks these last few weeks, and rather than my normal good humor rants, I was pretty angry with them. 

The working poor.

I am trying to get back into the swing of things, I am mending up nicely, working on a few odds and end things, trying to get money up for the poor stray cat that I fished out of the cesspool this past winter.  Some prick actually had the nerve to shoot him with an air rifle.  If you are going to do something like that, be kind, make sure the animal doesn't suffer.

There goes the slippery slope, right off the cliff.

So, the SCotUS tossed out a ruling that will once again give a corporation the same rights as we the people have.  Sooner or later, this is going to become ugly.

If you can't Impeach him..

If you can't beat them join them.  That was what I was always told anyway.  Think about it, you might not like having to sink to a lower level to join a crowd you can't beat, but if you are strong enough, you can change your opponent from inside.  Basically, if you can't beat them, get inside, and start taking them down piece by organizational piece. 

This is a message...

Here in lies a message for all of my fellow residents of the State of West Virginia (and I bet some like Steve "Hellbroke Lucy" McClung will agree).  Your way of life is changing, it is dieing, and whining about it incessantly will change nothing.

Remember that thing about prospective...

Yeah?  Good, this will be short.  Sorry I have been away for an extended period.  I took a nasty fall onto a trailer gate and strained my MCL and ACL, broke a bone in my foot, bruised my knee and palm.  Fun times, fun times.  At one point I was bitching about a lack of prospective, the wrong set of priorities in this nation, and once again, I have been proven correct.  You know, I am more than happy to be able to call something (the GOP trying to impeach Obama, Iraq going to shit again, and many other things), but just once, I would love to be wrong about people.

Demons

My name is not important.  I am nobody in the universe, just as you are nobody in the universe.  Now that we have that out of the way, I have a tale to tell.  Heh, a funny thought occurred to me.  When I tell you this, it might sound like some strange hybrid of the Amittyville Horror, Poltergeist, creepypasta and shitpasta.  Nevertheless, Stephen King was right, demons are real, but not in that hokey way.  They do not immediately possess someone.  No, their actions are more deliberate, more insidious.  They start by destroying your mind, then your soul, before they take over.  It is getting to be time for me to readmit myself to the hospital, my meds aren’t working anymore, and the demons don’t want them to work.  They do not want me, they are using me to get someone else.  Death is not an option.

Another day

Another day, another shooter going off the rails.  Sunday, just a few days ago, a couple ambushed two police officers, then while hiding in Wal-Mart killed another man (more on that in a bit).  A week or so before that a mass shooting involving a crazy guy, before that more school shootings, and so the story goes.  It now appears we have hit the mass or news worthy shooting every week.  Next it will become a daily event, laws will be passed, people will raise hell about these new laws, resentment towards the government will rise, and eventually shootings will start to come down.

Marketing and Politics

This time last year I was working an a BS degree in psychology.  Along the way, we discussed various aspects of the subject, as any well rounded college education should.  But one thing that was not discussed was how marketing plays a role in more than just a consumer market.

Get your big boy pants on. Its time for an impeachment.

Oh, this again.  Lets see...  We had Andrew Jackson, and Bill Clinton.  In almost two hundred years two presidents have been impeached, zero removed from office.  But GOP calls for impeachment of this president have been persistent for several years now, lets look at the history, shall we?

So we have some pretty stupid people here in America...

Oh look, there are two of them now.  Duck... Duck... Moose...  The perfect GOP nominees for president and vice president.  Both have excellent foreign policy experience, you know being able to see Cuba, Mexico and Russia from the front porch and all.  I jest, neither have said anything of the sort, but if you hit Google just to see...  It says a lot.  So, this will be two weeks worth of pricks of the week in a single sitting.  First Palin, who seems to have a constant stream of idiocy being emitted from her mouth.  And as +Larry Dillon would say #PhuckDuckPhil. 

The Waste of it all.

Did you know that there are currently enough vacant homes to house every single homeless man, woman and child in the US today?  Thats right, we could ensure every American has a home, just from all the homes vacated or lost in the 2007 economic collapse.  But there is more to this.

Solar Roadways...

Like so many people I have observed in recent weeks messages in my Facebook feed about solar roadways.  I cannot say that I am an expert in them, but I think they might actually be usable.  But lets look at them, the pros and cons as I understand them, then, you research them, make up your own mind about how well they will work.  Do not take my word for it, I am a layman, just some idiot with a college education that is severely lacking in engineering.  Okay, you got me, i studied zero engineering.  On s side note, I am dealing with some serious eye strain, and the internet provider should be around shortly to see why I am having so many connectivity issues. 

The abuse...

You know as I sit here today, infuriated, it is hard to not come completely unglued.  I have good reason as well, trust me, if you were in my shoes, you would be outraged yourself.

Murica... Yeah

So, today on the nightly news, the winner of the American Strong deal was a homeless high school student who is the Valedictorian.  Hey, that is cool, I know.  It is hard to put yourself through college while couch surfing.  However, I will one up him, since his friends who knew raised forty thousand dollars for him to go to college.  I put myself through college couch surfing, working a minimum wage paying job.  He just had tons of praise heaped on him, deserved to be sure, but he is not the only one.  I later heard a story about a school that has 600 homeless students.  They are not getting all that attention. 

Been tied up...

Sorry I haven't been able to write as much this past week or so.  Internet has been kinda hinky.  I guess I am getting trolled by my ISP again, for some negative comments I have made.  Anyway, I am going to give you all some #progunbullshit.

It's getting harder everyday.

As many of my friends know, I support the Second Amendment, but I am not a radicalized shill for it.  I don't advocate for more guns, I do not believe the concept that we should have armed teachers roaming schools, or that the majority of people should have fully automatic rifles with hundred round drums attached.  I consider all firearms to be assault rifles when used against people, even if it is self defense, and if you think about my flawed logic, it does make some sense.  But I also feel that guns are a side effect of some other problems, something I claimed well before the NRA (who are insane) did.

Well... We have...

So, Tucker Carlson, and Kurt Schlicter (sorry started to call him sphincter) decided to get up and talk about privilege, and basically how white privilege is racist.  Somewhere on that chart I am way to the left, well beyond negative 100 where the scale ends.  Most of the tests on this matter reflect a similar number, well past -100.  But onto what these two jokers are on about.

Prick of the Week (5/11 to 5/17)

Ah, the senior and junior Pauls.  Ron and Rand.  But we do not have two pricks of the week this week, we have just one, because one of them said something that really pissed me off this week.  If you guess Rand, you are this weeks winner.  So, lets tell you what he said to raise my ire this time, as if he hasn't said enough.

The Distractions According to the GOP

Here forth comes some of the list of distractions this current administration has used to take your attention away from Benghazi.  Following this list, there will be a second list of what the GOP has been trying to hide while hiding behind Benghazi.

The Myth... If you will

So, who is this guy you are looking at?  That would be Doug Wead, the very first compassionate conservative.  Don't know who he is?  Yeah I didn't know either.  Seems he is a presidential historian, adviser, author, and philanthropist.  Basically if you are waiting to see another Bush run for the White House, this guy will be lurking in the darkened corners of the stage.

The Hit... I mean the BNP Youth...

The video above is that of the British National Party Youth.  Its a short one, and I do think they have some points, but overall, I tend to agree with one article I read, the future racists of the United Kingdom, and possibly the world.  See, we have this element here, we call it the Tea Party.

One of the major issues today.

It was once again pointed out to me that any plan that adds spending, or brings up the poor and middle classes is doomed to fail.  No matter how grand a scheme it is, no matter how well you plan it, and no matter how many people actually think its a good idea.

Long Day

So yesterday was a long day.  Odds and ends stuff being done, sat down to write another plan.  Sadly while many people seem to like the plan, it keeps getting shot down.  That's fine, I feel that plans, no matter how futile they are should be created, put forward, and shot down.  If you don't try, nothing ever changes for the better.

The price to pay...

I remember watching this guy as a kid.  Greedy, arrogant, and well a pretty nasty guy who said every man had a price.  People could be bought.  I remember in the late 90's as he shot a promo, where he backed up on his heel ways, and he said that every man has a price to pay.  On both counts, he is right.  Almost every man has a price, everyone has a number, they might not be honest, but they do.  Sometimes their price is more than what someone is willing to pay, but it is there, the amount or the price you pay to get them to back up on their stances.  But more importantly, with that number comes another price, selling yourself out.

And in other news...

Its Mother's day.  Take the time to wish your mother a blessed day, even if you can't stand her.  Be nice.  Otherwise, the GOP is on it now.  We better be careful.

Prick of the week (05-04 to 05-10)

We have a three way tie, only to be broken in the comments section of this blog, and on Facebook.

Shirley Holloway, and some other things.

A little over a week ago I wrote an entry about Shirley Holloway, in which I quoted her saying that the homeless and poor who are on the system do not dream.  I lamented that those who are homeless or poor do dream.  We dream of days gone by, we dream of a nice future.

More confessions, since I am in an honest mood.

Yesterday, I took the time to spell out what has happened to me in the hast eight years.  A fateful choice to decide I was sick of Virginia, and wanted to be someplace different, where people cared about each other.  I had this novel idea about the people of Appalachia.  See, I had always understood the people here to be kind hearted, solitary people.  Basically, they helped each other, but otherwise wanted to be left to their own devices, which in turn meant you were left to your own devices.  If you didn't bother someone, they didn't bother you.

True Confessions of a Homeless Man

There we go, me in my humble abode.  Some of you are likely asking how did this guy get here?  His priorities are wrong, he has the internet.  That comes and goes with the wind, and also comes with the power, I get in exchange for work.  Damned it I do damned if I don't currently.  I want a shelter, a place to pitch my tent I have to do work, but if I do not do the work here, I don't have the money to go elsewhere at this time.

Second Prick of the Day.. Charile Crist...?

Wait... Charlie Crist... Former Governor of the Sunshine State.  Previously a Republican.  Did lots of Republican things.  Didn't he?  Well it turns out he wasn't the normal GOP guy.  He supported Obama, and did some fairly liberal things.  He never really towed the line in terms of the GP rhetoric.  So, it is not big surprise that he dumped the GOP in 2010 before they went completely off the rails.

Prick of the Week?

Yeah, this week there might just be two pricks of the week.  Seems Thom Tillis is in the lead currently, and with all fairness, someone else might just take the win, but I am not opposed to co-winners of the award.

We have it all wrong..

In recent years the anti-vaccinaters have come to bear, showing us the correctness of never vaccinating your children.

I hate homelessness

As much as some people seem to hate the homeless, I hate homelessness, and the greed that spawns it.  I hate the people who look down on the homeless as though we are lepers.  Then there was Maryann Edwards appointed Mayor (council member for a town out there).  Her view is that homelessness is a choice.  She also added that the homeless have refused all help, and seek to prey on the sympathy of others.   

How Much?

How many ticks does it take to get to the center of Republican hate?  The world will shortly know.  Well Americans will shortly know, but that brings up another question.  How many will actually care about Republicans hatred of the middle and low classes of American society.Yeah, they have a lot of hatred.  They hate the poor people, they hate the middle class people, they hate minorities, they hate gay people, they hate non-Christians, and they hate women, but for a party taken over by a religion that allegedly promotes peace and love, there is a lot of hate going around.  

North Korea calling the kettle black

So, amongst my journeys today I came across an article where North Korea lists out some of America's human rights violations.  I know, its ironic as all get out because, well, they have a pretty long list themselves, but lets look at the list, see how it measures up?

The important news, and I am using none of it...

So Vermont called for a Constitutional Convention to craft an amendment that overturns Citizens United, and does not tie money to protected speech.  Way to go guys and gals, I take my hate off to you, and send you my warmest regards.  But I am not going to talk about it anymore, I am going to kill your brain cells talking about unreality television...

Prick of the week (04-27 to 05/03)

Ladies and Gentlemen we have a real winner this week.  I have tried to stay away from the Cliven B
Bundy deal.  I mean the guys last name is Bundy, and for those of you who are old enough, this might just conjure visions of poor Al.  The shoe salesman who has three leeches living with him, as he works a dead end job that paid the minimum wage of the day in Chicago.  Fun fact, Ed O'Neil was a football player just like the character he portrayed.  He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers, and remained with the team until he broke his leg, Al his character broke his leg in college which ended his career.
So, at this point, you must think that I am bestowing the prick of the week award to Cliven Bundy.  You would be mistaken, even if he does deserve it for being a leech like Wal-Mart, or because he is a racist like a lot of people.  But this week it goes to Michael Vanderboegh.  Who is this prick, and why did he make it to the top of a very large list?

Republicans are the problem...

I was once told that when you point the finger of blame at someone, there are three more pointing back at you.  I can admit that I am part of the cause of my own issues, I think most people can actually sit down at the end of the day, after everything is said and done, and we can acknowledge that we share part of the blame.

Judge Judy's Murican Dream

I live with people who constantly watch reality television.  One of the shows they watch is Judge Judy.  I find reality television distasteful, but reality courtroom television to be even worse.  It gives some pretty false impressions on how the system works, sorry, Judges worth their salt really don't spit venom as some of the reality televisions do.  And when they do, its because some pretty venomous stuff has been flying before hand.

The war on the poor... Again

Sometimes it is really hard to get on here, stand on my soap box, and talk.  I think what I say has merit, some others of like mind feel that what I say has merit, but really with Facebook wanting money to promote pages and posts, and having limited access to other forms of social media, it makes it hard.  But here I am, ever a bull, always with my head down, pushing forward.  If I retreat I will age prematurely, if I stop altogether I will surely die a thousand deaths, and be remembered for none of them.

A PSA to my fellow Millennials.

If you were born sometime in the early 1980's until lets say the early 2000's, this is a PSA brought to you by someone who lead the charge.  As someone going on 33 years old, I am going to point some things out.  I know many of you are my age, or older, but more of you are younger, and lets be honest, how many of you can say you share the same experiences I have.

Murica... Yeah!!!

I know a lot of people who reside outside of the United States of America, and they seem to think that this nation is so grand, so great.  What they do not know is that this old grey mare ain't what she used to be.  Many of us live in a country where your home can be taken and sold out from under you for few things.  The so-called richest nation in the world, and your home can be taken for less than $7.00. 

Hunger Strike...

In the annals of "You're doing it wrong" a group of 40 people in the state I call my home town (Virginia) have decided to go on a hunger strike to protest Gay Marriage.

Prick of the week (4-20)

So, this week I thought the prick of the week would be Cliven Bundy, racist moocher extraordinaire...  But no, it seems Mitch McConnell edged him out, just due to a single statement.  To my dear friends in Kentucky, this ones for you.

The Obituary of Net Neutrality

Today we mourn the loss of our beloved brother Net Neutrality.  Yes I can still feel his spirit among us, but sadly, it appears that he has left us, but in the battleground of the rights of the people versus the rights of corporations he is considered MIA/KIA.  In a shocking turn of events, the need of the few outweighed the needs of the many. 

Um...

So I was going to talk about something, but I forgot what it was.  That is all...

The incredible shrinking...

I drink soda, I have for many years.  Not being a coffee man, and rarely having the kinds of tea around I like, I just grab a six pack of soda, and carry on.  I get my caffeine, I get some empty calories, and filler.

The Pro-Life Crowd

So Mr. and Ms. Clinton are going to be Grandparents.  I wonder if Bill will become the seriously deranged over protective grandfather if he has a granddaughter.  But seriously, I would congratulate Chelsea, her husband, and the Clinton elders for this.

Yay... A Cry for Revolt...

In yet another text book move, hard-lining conservatives are calling for a revolt against the government.   What now?  I mean I think it is weekly or even daily that someone over there in Kool-Aid land is calling for such.  Is it Cliven Bundy... Well given recent history it would be him, but no.  "Obama-care" well, no.  Abortion...  Nope.  The War of Christianity, thats got to be it, right?  Maybe? 

Prick(s) of the Week...

Yeah its a little late, holiday week for some of us, holiday for others.  So this week we have a trio.  Clayton Morris, Tucker Carlson, and Anna Koolman.  Why you ask?

For Sale...

This is a discussion of the many problems that people tend to have when dealing with real estate agents, the companies they work for, and their brokers.  It seems as though real estate agents today are only concerned with one color, green.  When they look at you or I, they see money, the more sales they make, the more they make.  If the property is out of your budget, push it anyway.  They do not seem to understand or care that this purchase might be the most important purchase of your life, regardless of your age.  They will lie, or blatantly misrepresent the property, and they really do not care what you as the purchaser want in a property.  They refuse to see the potential hardships they will inevitably cause on you, and your family.  The potential ruin a person, just so they can make more.

Where are they..

Where are they?  Those two fine Reverends of the cloth?  If the shooting out in Kansas had involved an African American church, they would have been setting world records to get there.  To dance in the blood of the victims.

Bullied

So, as I no longer sleep much or well at night, I was awaken to the sound of something bumping around outside.  My first thought was "where is my pistol" followed by "where are my parents?".  What I heard was my mom outside looking for some coffee, along with my father stopping on Faux Noise looking for the news about a missing plane, Ukraine, and the shooting in Kansas.  What we got was Mike Huckabee's rants.

Score One for the Bad Guys...

I am pretty speechless at this moment.  Sitting here, reading about another bullied kid who took action into his own hands.  This one was smart about it, he recorded his bullies in action, after repeated pleas went unheard and unanswered.

Hate Crime or Not...

So Sunday there was a shooting in Kansas at two Jewish facilities.  One a community center, where two people were killed (Dr. William Corporon, and his grandson Reat Underwood as said by CNN) the second at a retirement home, where one person was killed (Ms. Terri LaManno).  It is a tragic loss of life.  The suspect, Glenn Cross aka Glenn Miller was arrested nearby at a local school.

Revisionism...

To the victors go the spoils - Proverb of War

History is written by the victors - Winston Churchill

But there is a problem, something that is slightly out of joint with people today, that quote, that proverb are no longer really true are they?

Prick of the Day

I think I might start doing this weekly, unless we start having more pricks show up.  Today's prick of the day, current member of the Virginia General Assembly, with aspirations to take over Frank Wolfe's seat in congress.

Guns.

I very rarely get into the topics of firearms, gun violence, or gun control.  It is one of the few topics, I just do not like discussing.  I am a gun owner, I have a concealed carry weapons permit, I do carry on a regular basis.  But there is a reason I really dislike talking about the subject, and that is, when it comes up, it usually involves the deaths of innocent people.

The Price of Gas

I know... I know... It's just a meme, but at the last job I had, that is what I saw, not the price.  Luckily for my first born, which is yet to be born, I won't be putting premium in the tank anytime in the near future.

Prick of the Day

Ah Ben Stein...  Remember Bueller?  I do..  Who is Ben Stein, why is he still spewing?

Benghazi

I have been in a "funk" as of late, lots of stuff going on, and its all kicking my backside.  Life happens like that sometimes.  Amongst all the news, the stabbing of at least 8 students in a high school, the landslide in Washington (something I want to discuss shortly), the passing of James Hellwig (aka The Ultimate Warrior, The Warrior his legal name), the news that free speech is tied to money and you can give as much money as you want to a political campaign (yeah something else I will visit shortly), but the one thing that seems to send libertarians and conservatives into a tizzy (outside of a missing Boeing 777) is Benghazi.

Libertarianism

A while back I wrote a post about true freedom.  At that time it was pointed out to me by a man I consider my elder, someone who is deserving of a great deal more respect than he is given, that what I wrote that day, was the reason libertarianism fails on just about every level.

Under the Gun

When one is poor, homeless, or suffering from a new condition called long term unemployment, you live in a constant state of being "under the gun".  Often times if you are middle class you are under it as well, but its not pointed directly at your head.

The Walking Dead

I tend to observe metaphors in many places, even when they might not actually be there.  Its that pattern thing I spoke about in a previous entry.  We tend to see things where they aren't, sometimes they are even there when people do not intend them to be there.  I mean come on, just look at some of the music you might listen to, you might see it meaning something that was never intended by the artist, and the same can be said about television shows.

Some other thoughts.

I am a student of history, with the philosophy that when we forget or ignore the past, we will repeat it.  Sometimes it is not a bad thing, I mean if we were to go back to spending massive amounts on infrastructure projects, we might once again return to a booming economy.  But for the most part we tend to ignore or forget the good, and the bad, instead opting to true the bad stuff repeatedly. 

Other Thoughts, Concerns, and or Considerations

I often hear the poor want to be poor.  The homeless want to be homeless.  This is not true for the majority, only a minority which is overly exaggerated by the libertarian and conservative side of politics.  Few people want to be poor, to go from hand to mouth, paycheck to paycheck.  You will have a few, you always will think that is all they are worth, or are perfectly satisfied with that situation.

Been Thinking

I took a few days away, due to some personal issues.  They happen to everyone, but under many circumstances, I can just set everything aside and get something committed to paper.  But these issues that arose, not so much.  No, I do not feel like talking about it.

Do you remember?

Do you remember this post, Homelessness, where I said

How many of you knew that Utah will likely end homelessness by the end of next year (2015).  I was surprised to hear that, given how conservative the state appears on the surface.  I jokingly shared the link on my facebook stating that Utah was a haven for socialism.  Really, it was a money saving scheme, but hey socialism is socialism.  Turns out that Utah did some research and found nearly a $5,000 savings in ER costs alone, when they outright gave apartments to homeless persons or families (http://www.nationswell.com/one-state-track-become-first-end-homelessness-2015/).

Welfare Queens and Stereotypes

We have all heard of stereotypes.  We have all likely used them before.  They are a fixed view of a group of people, generally based on race, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic class, occupation, etc.  But here is what is bad about them, they tend to lead to discrimination.

The Wrong Priorities

We have homeless, we have hungry, we have the poor trying to struggle through their lives.  But where ever their is a problem, rest assured that a charity will immediately spring up to help.

The Fair Tax. I think not.

So, while researching the candidates for the Senate Seat for John Rockefeller, I noticed one candidate supported the Fair Tax.  Now I vaguely recall reading a flyer for it while at work one night, but outside of being bored out of my mind on a quiet night, sitting on a mine, it quickly exited my mind.