Hooray for ordinary

America can be a hard place to live in for the un-ambitious. So much stress is put on success, big, glamorous success. Anti drug ads even show people who stay 'clean' becoming executives or ballerinas. How about accounting clerks, or even sewer workers? Wouldn't that be good enough for us? Staying off drugs, working for a living, owning a home and raising a family? Does one HAVE to be rich and famous to even feel beyond shame?
Be all you can be, give it all you have, etc, etc.
Why not give your work part of your all and your family and friends part of your all, your hobbiesand interests part, and so on? Is that such a bad life? Don't we NEED everyday workers to do all the un-glamorous jobs? Can we afford to make them feel like failures?
I think this is just more conservative propaganda designed to make everyone not rich feel inadequate and pump up those at the top even more.
American will start getting on the right track when we start rejecting this thinking.

Guns, etc.

The latest of America's shootings took place in my home state, not far from me. This was a little different, because it was not a random massacre or a hate crime. It was someone pushed to their limit by modern society. It was someone who wanted to keep their house. I don't know the details, but I imagine they had lost a lot before that and just couldn't take any more. The constable didn't deserve to die. He didn't make the decision to take the house. He was doing his job, a very unpleasant job, but under current law a necessary job.
How, in God's name, can a country with so much suffering be even remotely considering electing people who have publicly and proudly stated that they will make it worse?
The wealthy simply have to be made to do more. Ideally much more, but at least more. How can the country have such debt when CEOs are making multi-million dollar salaries? Can't people see the connection?
In the fear and confusion of these times, some people will shoot out the window and some will put trust in scoundrels. Both are misguided and dangerous acts.

Dietary politics

OK, so no Chick-Fil-A or Papa Johns Pizza, but we can eat all we want of General Mills cereals.
Hey, it's healthier anyway!

Free speech?

So, once again we hear the right complaining because the exercise of free speech brings consequences. Right, like they never boycott someone they disagree with. Everyone is certainly free to speak their minds in this country. If you doebt that, check out some of the extreme, hateful things you can read on the internet. The government cannot force you to shut down, or shut up. But that doesn't mean you can just say whatever and no one will challenge you. Chick-Fil-A is clearly free to speak - not only are they still in business, but they even had a very successful appreciation day. AND we are FREE to boycott them.
In fact, I would say this is a good time to review ALL your purchasing decisions. Tighten up and try to make sure you are supporting your values as much as possible.
God Bless America!

tosh 0.0

Years ago, working in a dept. store, I was in an elevator with several women and one man who made a joke about rape. I was stunned. This man did not know me and I would bet there were several other women he didn't know in that car. How did he know they had not been raped?
Now we have Tosh claiming he has the freedom of speech to make rape jokes to a large crowd in a comedy club. How does he know no woman in that crowd has been raped? That she has suffered the trauma, violence and sense of helplessness that involves and is trying to get her life back to normal by coming out for some laughter?
Would he (or anyone else) make a joke of kidnap to the Iranian hostages? That might be funny to someone.
But seriously folks, I think men make jokes about rape because they are so uncomfortable and guilty about it. This crime affects all of us. Every woman is a potential victim, every man a potential perpetrator. (And yes, I know men get raped too, but I consider that a different situation). If they can make people laugh about it, it lessens those unpleasant emotions. BUT IT IS STILL NOT FUNNY!!!!!!!!!
Men will just have to get used to that discomfort and work to eliminate the crime, not try to lighten it up.
And frankly, Tosh should find another line of work.

clearly stated

I watched a debate on TV lately in which the liberal blamed the crisis in America's cities on the wealthy leaving the cities, thereby depriving them of a large part of the tax base, and the conservative blamed it on the unionized workers.
She even defended the right of those who left, saying both 'why shouldn't they do the best for their family' and 'why should they pay' to help those who were unable to leave and were stuck with the mess.
In other words, she believed they should make NO sacrifice, all the while demanding more sacrifice from the city workers.
I hardly know how to respond to such a world view - the wealthy are entitled to anything and everything they can grab, while those who are not wealthy must face a neverending cycle of more and more sacrifice. How can this make any sense??
Such is the end you arrive at in a on your ownership world.
Conservative Christian is the worst, most hideous oxymoron in the world.
Christians are commanded to share and care for all their brothers and modern day conservatives see no obligation by anyone to anyone. Paul Ryan even wanted to deny disaster relief unless it could be carved out of the budget somewhere else. Losing your house is apparently not as important to him as losing your tax break.
If this philosophy succeeds, we won't need hell anymore - we'll be there.

Future unemployment

Does anyone else think Eric Fehrnstrom (sp?) will have to find a new career after this election is over? Even if Romney wins?