Secessionists are damned fools....

Look, I never agree with what my government does 100% of the time. Just cause you lost an election is no reason to take your toys, go home and say you will change the minds of other folk by force though.

Quite frankly, those supporting secession at this time must face the music. They stand against the Union, are ignoring the Constitution and are thus both committing Treason and Terrorism against the United States of America. They can talk about it to their heart's content. Taking the actions they have is Treason, and if they try to use force in forcing the decision, they have crossed into Terrorism, and are subject to the full penalties of the Patriot Act and other laws passed by their own factions in the last few decades.

I can bitch and moan, I can say I think about a time that to defend the Constitution and its Amendments that I may have to rebel against the branches of government that stem from the trunk of We The People... but I never go more than grousing and try to remember to point out the ways that have to be expended before I can do such. Like making an effort to fix things, honestly and faithfully within the system.

But to start the actions they have turns my stomach. Look, these fools are not doing this to "Save our nation for God.." or any of the other cries they are giving. Quite frankly, they are sore losers, who want everything their way, and as they cannot do so now, "The South shall rise again" mentality they hold tells them its time for a Civil War to get their way. Its a power trip... "We'll show you who's boss." Or

Insert a big sigh here, then walk with me a moment, folks.

We can fix our nation's problems without another Civil War. Yes there are problems out there. Top on that list is folks don't want to compromise anymore, and extremists rule the main parties... All of them.

I want the damned fools preaching secession to think really hard... are you willing to set brother against brother again... to tear apart our nation, at a time we cannot afford to be torn apart if we wish to remain as the leader in Democracy and Freedom on the Earth. The crossroads we stand at is one with no paved roads, as we have already taken too many steps down the less safe roads of over governance and extremism on both sides of the aisle. I cannot even have a civil discussion about my thoughts on issues now without being called a moron. Or worse.

Face it. The problem is not me. Its all of us, me included. We have to learn to compromise again. To accept the fact we will not get everything we want, as long as the other guy does not get everything he wants as well.  We do need to fix things, like the Electoral College issue. Like the fact that Congress gets to set its own wage and benefits. Maybe even find some way to return to some level of civility. And we need to do it soon.

Flame me all you want, call me a wuss, a damned fool as I called you. I don't care. If you act upon these petitions, and actually tear the Union apart, I will stand for the Union... For the Stars and Stripes, and by the Constitution. For now, I am still just a guy... but once upon a time, I took an oath... to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign .. and domestic. If you took that oath as well, you better think twice before signing on a secessionist. Especially if you said... "so help me God.." as part of it.

Look inside America. Its time to sit down and talk CALMLY for a change... both sides of the extremes have to give... or the Center will not hold with you. Or hold you up when you fall in the mud you seem to like throwing around.

Part of Democracy is not always getting your way. And the biggest part, is accepting that, moving on to the next issue, and stop trying to be a jerk about it. Grow up folks.

Teetering on the brink

Its been a while since I shot off my mouth. So I guess I am overdue here.

Like I have said before, we all have opinions, just as we all have smelly backsides. And no one likes sniffing someone else's (unless they are truly sick puppies). This is your warning. I am about to offer up my opinion on things. You probably will think I am crazy, stupid or just an ass. All of these are your perogative to think about me, but I have the right to speak and write, and intend to use it.

The economy of our nation is still screwed up, teetering on the brink of a real disaster. The root cause is not just the division of wealth, but the costs of housing versus the wages paid to the lowest end of society. This, not the crisis in Europe, will be what the hell brings us down.


Before you all pop off of here, wait and let me point out that rent inflation is higher than the rate of wage increase at the bottom end of the scales. Why should someone who is making minimum wage (or less if tips might be added, and not much comes in the way of those in a tight economy, believe me, I know from past experience) work two or three jobs just to keep a roof over theiir head?

Some of you fools out there may think, you get what you earn. But these folks busted ass to get a paycheck, and you want them to double that load, often with kids in the household, to make ends meet?

You're damned fools, if so.

Look, any economy has to be healthy in the middle, and with our middle class suffering something beyond decimation (which is only a 1 in 10 reduction folks), we cannot claim to be a healthy economy, or nation for a long while.

When an economy collapses, it happens because the base everything is built has deteriorated. And folks, AFFORDABLE housing for the lowest class is a necessity. Try living at that wage and finding a home in this nation. In the inflated urban areas, the boomtowns of the northern plains, and some other spots, you can't. Not without some supplement, be it social welfare or criminal activity.

Well, that is my bit. Start looking back to the past, we don't need more apartments with all the trimmings folks. We need more that are bare bones, studios up to 4 bedrooms. No pool facilities, no jacuzzi, no covered parking, no clubhouse, just somewhere nearby or on property to do laundry, a small common patio area and the like. Stop wasting my time on the big complexes, build some small urban ones again. Not condos, apartments. And then rent them at a rate where a person can make ends meet, set a small amount aside to build up that nest egg and move on later.

Until next time, you can release your nose. BTW, your ideas and opinions smell as bad as mine.

Dave's idea of a good foreign policy.

Why does everyone think I have to share THEIR politics, religion and dreams?

Hell if I know, damned if I give a rat's hindquarters about them either. Folks have disrespected my views as being to radical, too controversial, too idealistic, and when I dash that same cold water on them, the freak out. Too bad....

its time for you to know what I feel about foreign policy and why.

i am a limited isolationist. Limited in I realize we live in a big world, and crap spreads across borders, but I am tired of being the ones the world turns to for solving every problem. Espeicially as the world seems to think we Americans are pigs anyway.

The US of A needs to cut off financial aid to other countries to save our own butt, but we are too scared, even now, to do it. Look, had we cut aid to the developed countries of Europe a long time ago, some of them would have developed a much better fiscal policy. So, we start with this list here, UK, Germany, France, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Italy,Spain, Portugal, Greece, Russia, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands and Denmark, over the next three years, your monet gets cut in half, then after that, its payments for bases on your turf only, and we will kill a few of those too, cause you don't really seem to want us there. This is not a disolution of NATO, but us forcing you to step up to the plate. You want actions, from now on, you have to get your hands dirty, we are in rebuild mode on our forces, after 10 years of non-stop grind on them.
The rest of Europe, you have 6 years, get your houses in order, we are cutting yours by 25% per year for the next 6 years, then pulling the plug to see if you live or die. Your choice folks, but the party on US dimes is over.

Africa, you get 10 years, 10% reductions, if you complain, the funds crash to zero, and you have to have real, democratic reforms. Middle East, ditto, but you have oil so guess what, 2 years.... that's all you get, all that anti-American hate just got cashed in, and guess what, we don't really like you either...

Asia, 5 years boys and girls, 20% reductions for all nations each year, Zero after that. Oh, and you children get matching trade tariffs, no more free trade deals...

Speaking of trade, the US will be withdrawing from the WTO... its just another way to make us open our markets and give you folks reasons to protect yours. We are sick and tired of it, so the hell with ya all.

Now, Isreal..... look, its up to you, but we don't have to save your asses. In fact the prophets all say some day you will be all on your own. We will turn on you, unless you lighten up, learn to truly negotiate, live and play fairly with others. I have NO problem with starting Armegeddon tomorrow, it would be a blessing in some ways, but to be fair, 5 years, tops... and that is on the same Asian cut down, 20% per year, and no more Vetos in the Security Council, we will Abstain from now on.... unless its a blatantly unfair move.

The rest of the Americas.... Guys, the Monroe Doctrine save most of you from things you could not imagine. But its over.. you are big kids now, and if what you do gets you an ass-whuppin, well, we will televise it in Prime Time as our new national sport, and laugh at your stupidity. Just stop exporting your criminals to us, or we will use your primest real estate as our new proving ground for anti-matter weapons.

Now, as to dealing with America: Don't. We are sick of the rest of you. You whine, cry and won't pull your weight. Learn to do so, and remember this, you kicked most of us out of your countries... and we are the rabid dogs who have used nukes in anger.

Yes, here it is, piss off or attach US interests, you get the city you reside in nuked. Gee, ain't that simple... don't like it, don't poke at us, and we will let you rot in you sewage that you were supposed to use the money we gave you to remove instead of invest in a portfolio for the leading members of your juntas.

Simple? Yes. Practical, no.

Look, this is what I want to do, not what we should do. A realist would approach me now with some ideas and an open mind to negotiations to meet halfway. And of course then Welsh on the whole deal in the end, thinking oh, the US won't hurt us. Like I said, we have Nukes, and we like using them. Keep breaking agreements, and see what our next offer is... it may be, oh, you want a nuclear bomb? Here ya go! Kra-THOOOM!

Meet us half way, keep your end of the deal, and stop acting like we are Satan, and you might get treated fairly in return. But world, you have a lot of bad attitude and pissed off citizens here to soothe and be nice to before you get fair receptions to your needs again.

One last thing, you Tea Party idjits and Libertarians, I find that your views, while similar, stink. so move along, and sotp trying to get me to join your paths... you fail on other points... which we will discuss in my internal policy ideas next time... after I get the stink of this off my flesh.

I don't need drugs even if you do.

I have a couple of topics to deal with today, but will try not to blend them all into one big mishmash. It may not go over well,

As so many folks over the years have accused me of doing drugs, its time to clear the air, permanently, on the record, and smack them into the wall, face first.

Just because you have or had a drug use issue, does not mean I do, did or ever will. I have never taken more than a prescription drug, and don't even like those much. I have over-reacted to most meds given me in the past, even simple anti-biotics. I don't drink constantly, I either drink for social comeraderie, or to ease a physical pain or dull emotions for a short while. I can live without my pipe, even though I would prefer to have it just as it reminds me of someone I wish I was wired more like than not.

The funny thing is this. those who make these accusations often have some substance abuse of their own that they deny or have set up on the altar of self pity that the addict recovery groups make. My vices are simple, I like a drink, I like a smoke, I love my ice cream and other junk foods. But, I can take them or leave them, as I please, to quote the words to M*A*S*H's theme song.

Look, in all my years of being on this planet, one thing has come down to me. Over two thirds of the folks I know use "recreational drugs", abuse their booze, or take perscription meds in amounts and methods not condoned by the FDA, their doctors, pharmacist, or common sense. Yet, these folks get jobs right beside me, and never get caught, even if they do something stupid.

Take the job where the buddy of the boss I could not fire when I was in charge, got my position, I had to still do all the work, while he screwed off and sold drugs out the side door of the company. His brother was part of the deal, even though he never got caught, and in the end, he got the job, and I was out the door, even after the cops came looking for the dealer. If I had been allowed to fire the two idiots for insubordination when I tried, things would have been different, but I don't have a flux capacitor, and can't afford a deLorean.

Too many times, I am surrounded by those who despite breaking the laws about drugs, who get drunk too much and at the wrong times, and lost something, usually my temper, sometimes my job, and often the respect of others. I am not the one screwing up first, but I pay the price.

I have had friends and family who were alcoholics, dated women who washed down anti-depressants with booze while telling me *I* needed medication, and been surrounded by more folks who faked for their drug tests than I care to dream about. I had several bosses and co-workers who damned near maimed or killed me with their working under the influence, or managed to hurt someone else. Yet in the end, the druggies kept their jobs most times, their positions in society, their lives, and I lost everything. Not the way it should have been, the way most folks say it is. No, its the ones who walk the straight and narrow, who don't come to work drunk/stoned or hungover that tend to pay the biggest price. We are the ones the others hurt, kill, or leave in such a rage over their behavior and the failure of society to punish them that we take the beating for not being sensitive to their needs.

What about my needs? Huh, jackasses? Look, this is all I am going to say. If businesses want to save a ton of money, ditch those drug tests. You rarely catch the users, and all it does is encourage them to get more radical in their usage and demands that we accept their endangering their co-workers. And can that crap about tolerance of their medical condition and allowing them rehab if it causes an accident or they get busted using on property. Just fire their asses when you do catch them. Those of us who obey the rules will thank you.

To the rest of you, if you do drugs, walk away from me, don't tell me about it. If you do, I will let you get what you deserve, and refuse to hit the safety stop from now on. You made the choice, live with the consequences. Or die with them. I refuse to support you and your lifestyles.

　

We are all Damned in some way....

I took some time off this to get the initial interview in and do the fretting that comes with job hunting as you wait. But you can only wait so long before venting some steam. Today is a good day to vent, and I have a good one to share from my beliefs.

No matter how good a christian, muslim, jew, or other faith you believe yourself to be, we are all human, and thus fall short of the ideals of our religions. This goes doubly so for myself. I am trying to live better, do better, but still the little things trip me up. Let's face it, I will go to Hell for a cheeseburger, and by the Law, it is "verboten" as the Germans would say. Not to mention a pizza, chicken cordon bleu, and other mixings of foods that are expressly in the Bible/Torah as no-no's.

What I am out to say is tougher to get across than just that I am damned. We all are. Look, I can smack most folks with their own canon of faith. I have a list some where in this bag of chapters and verses most folks fail, and few can even abide the 10 Commandments, let alone all 613 in Numbers. Yeah, there is a whale of a lot of commandments, not a guppy that most folks envision. I don't believe that God has no mercy on us for failing, as long as we try. But we have to try, and not just pick and choose commandments, but keep to as many as we can, trying to keep all. Some no longer make sense, some seem foolish but have a grounding in science that we miss, others are just common sense.

Its not just the three monotheistics I am talking about here, either. At least Buddhism has it built in that we will fail, but still some act as if they have achieved perfection even in those type of faiths. That is what I am trying to say. We are doomed to fail, but as long as we try, and try to keep it all, we have a chance. But not if we pick and choose. You choose which of the commands of your faith you wish to follow, and claim to be just and perfect, you are going to burn with me, over the coals of Satan's Barbeque.

Yes, I say I am failing, the only way I will get into Heaven is if God issues a general amnesty over pizza and other meat and cheese mixtures, not to mention the miscegenation clauses of mixing gene pools. its all those mixed fruit cocktails and the like. Not to mention I smoke, drink and cuss... but I never found the exact commandments against those... just words saying to moderate them and not criticize others who fail, for we have our our shortcomings.

Now, if you don't mind, I am going to dream of the cheeseburger that will damn me to Hell for eternity, as I wait on the second interview call for a job I am trying to get. If I am lucky, I might actually have the cash soon to have the need to resist the temptation it represents.

Our National Shortcoming...

I hear the cries of the folks Irene flooded, and I sympathize, but the media forgot the real big flood this summer.

Parts of the Missouri River Valley are still under water, and have been since June. You folks back east can get a taste for what has happened in the midwest now. And I hope some of your claims get rejected for Irene just like the Great Corps Deluge of 2011 has bugged folks who had whole counties denied their disaster relief requests after the Corps of Engineers opened the gates of the dams, and their bloody levees failed. You can say what you want out there, but these folks lost sight of their land and roads back in June and its just now receding so they can see the higher parts.

There were two great inland seas this summer, one north of Omaha, and one south. Go to YouTube, hell, amatuers did a better job covering it than the media did. Oh, I'm sorry, did your sound bite driven ADHD personality just get offended by that, national media? Good.

Once upon a time, we had a real media, one that covered stories, was patient and not worried about the ratings of the news, and rarely covered the entertainment gossip save as a light thing on a slow day. We had local papers that covered all the minutes of the city council meetings, school board meetings, and all the other things we need to know about.

Not anymore. Or if they exist, they are too damned few and way too far between.

Look, the problems in this world don't start with what you neighbor is doing folks, but with that freak in the mirror. The one that cares more about the fashions of Lady Gag'me or how the Phats are playing, than about what is going on in local politics. When you accept that, start reading the papers, even if its the E-version, maybe the bozos behind the curtains will realize they bought that barrier from the dude who sold an Emperor some clothes.

The best way to transparency is you giving a damn enough to actually read or finding out yourself what your elected bozo's are doing.....
and my apologies to all clowns out there for insinuating they are as incompentant as politicians by the comparison.

And look at what happened to those counties in Iowa.... actually look and think about it.

Hair, the new Green Energy source????

There are three things guaranteed to me in this life....

First, I will continue to have women offer me money to keep my clothes on.

Second, folks will after hearing me pay me not to sing.

Third, My hair will refuse to lay flat when I need it to stay down.

While one and two I never see a payoff on as I never persist until the moeny hits the table and I can pocket it, I have a weird idea about #3... Can I harness whatever power makes my hair stand up no matter the substance used to make it quiet? How many watts or ergs, or whatever method of energy measurement you wish to apply, does it create?

This all comes from the age old battle I have of getting my hair to lie flat during important moments, like interviews. Today, when I had one, the right and left spray affect was going, and it only decided to behave in the last few hours of the day. Well, at least most of it, the center could no longer hold, out that is, and decided to stand up now so I have one of those Dennis the Menace rooster tail's going. Yeah, at my age, my hair still acts like its only in the kid era of its life. Which gives me hope, could I live a long life due to this?

Yes, I know, this is not what anyone may have suspected from me today, but whats on my mind is what is going here, not what's on yours... get your own blog to perform memory dumps and thought spills on if you don't like it.

Back to the energy I could generate (yes, I am joking but still, run with me here, will ya?), think of how Green it would be, natural static electricity, harnessed by some broadcast means (I refuse to be tethered to a Hitenshion line), and trasnitted to the masses for power... I should be able to generate at least a watt an hour, so figure, less than one one hundreth of a cent....

Never mind, sounds suspiciously like one of those work at home ads... its got to have a catch... besides, if my hair is not standing up in the morning, I might walk into reflective surfaces, failing to realize that is me coming towards..... well, me?

Ah well... it was just an idea...