When "Falling In Line" Just Won't Do It For You

Last evening- - I was reading George Washington’s blog- - and did a posting skipping to the next blog before doing number seven in ‘Opera”.  (The number here indicated is "eight" actually)  But certain things stuck out about that piece.  President Obama has become as it were a "burdensome stone" around the necks of progressives.  In addition to not pressing forward with the agenda progressives have been yearning for, we find ourselves having to defend this Standard Bearer of our party, as if somehow all of his personal flaws and weaknesses and political blind spots, have now become Our Own.  (Selah)   So what price do we progressives have to pay to be shed of some individual who is sucking all the oxygen out of the air, and turns out to "not be getting the job done" to begin with?   It was a rigged crap game from the start.  I know myself from family frictions that certain forces out there go to lengths to insure that the Right questions are never asked - hence the Right Answers are never come up with.  Either with a politician they won't actually address the question but merely "make a speech", which isn't want you want to hear.  And there is no way of redirecting him to the POINT of your question.  Or else as in the case of FOX reporters, it's the questioner who is bent on "making a speech" before they ever get to their question.  So you're going "Just what the Hell is it you want to know- - or are you just one of those people who thinks he knows everything to begin with?"  When these “Town Hall” meetings occur all of the questions are pre arranged and pre approver and none of the people were allowed any follow up questions.  And to insure this they cut their microphone.  People who “thought differently about it” were “rendered invisible”.   The piece claims the Romney and Obama forces met together in advance to determine the course each debate would take.  I would now like to repudiate this line that “In the primaries you fall in love; in the general elections you fall in line”.   Many liberals have to “get over the idea” that President Obama is somehow a man who needs to be fought for or protected”.   (As if we even had the power to do that)   We have to emotional divorce ourselves from this man just as a wife has to emotional divorce herself from a husband she’s been married to for twenty years.  Just like I had to divorce myself from Christianity.  It takes time.  You can look back in perhaps some psychological study and mention the “factors” that most drove you away from Christianity.  The three single people I come up with are Bill Halliday, Neil Savedra, and my Dad.   Virtually every word that came out of the mouths of these three people was pure Poison.   But returning to Obama, this estrangement between me and him is not new.  Even during the 2008 fall campaign I speak sarcastically of “The Obama Show” referring to his campaign commercials.  This sounds like a term Rush Limbaugh would employ, but in this case Rush Limbaugh is right.  I had come to the conclusion that spring - - of 2008 that Obama was not the best “man” or should I say “person” for the job as President and standard bearer or the Democratic Party.  I wanted this President not to run and said so around July of 2011.  If you read this next posting taking from two of George Washington’s blog postings- - - it’s spelled out in no uncertain terms what a disaster this President has been for any who call themselves either progressives or champions of civil liberties.   Some people may look at all the dire facts and figures in these George Washington blog postings and say “Well the President is just a victim of circumstances”.  I don’t mind this line gets to wearing really thin after five or six years.  It’s like waiting for a flower to bloom and it’s April and then May and then June- - and soon you look at the flower and it’s just a bunch of brown, dead whatever.   Sometimes things are not as people believe them to be.  For instance I told you about my parent’s church and “There came a point” when you realized that this church was “toast” and would never amount to anything, all the hopes of the early founders not withstanding.  It’s amusing to see when this “turning point” or “tipping point” occurred.  Was it for example during William Auld’s tenure - - who pushed for more sex education in the schools and was called a lot of names by the Birchers?  No.  Was it during the tenure of the gray haired guy who rode the motorcycle and was popular with the hippy contingent?  No.  Was it during the reign of Bob Howland- - who taught from the pulpet that once you died you remained dead in your grave” and was responsible for a church split?   Strangely - - no.  People used to carry on about “Well we can’t lose all those right wingers because they have all the money and once they leave their money will go with them”.  Strangely that didn’t happen.  Our church did just fine after all these “rich benefactors” left.  So why then - - on whose watch did it become apparent that my parent’s church was doomed- - financially and other wise.  It was during the relatively long tenure of “Reverend Eagleson” as we called him.  He was like Ronald Reagan.  People regarded him as charismatic and a great unifier and promoter of the Holy Spirit.  Strangely enough he is the one who by far this author got along with the least well.  I had a conversation with him years after he had left- - and it became apparent just what an inflated view this guy had of his own Ego.  And I’m thinking “Good golly- - you still aren’t believing all THAT (bull) are you?”  But the trouble is during this “Golden Era” so called- - our church had nothing but financial problems and the preacher was forever on the pulpet begging for money and for an “emercency increase in your stated pledge”.  These please for money became burdensome and tiresome.  But like that Kevin fallow who called Rush- - it could just be that a lot of your problems could be solved by getting yourself a qualified accountant - - and begin to make financially wise decisions.  And this country could be straightened out if we began making financially wise decisions.  We don’t have that now- - and haven’t for a long time as Washington’s Blog is happy to remind us.  When you read that posting I put out- - feel free to knock yourself out pursuing all the links.  Washington’s blog did the work- - and I feel those efforts need to be advertised and made better known.   So, “Falling in line” just won’t work.

How come the government hasn’t caught airport workers stealing people’s valuables if they are so all encompassing.  It's strange how even 60 Minutes points out glairing inconstincies in government Security measures.  Like you have to take your belt off and not have more than 3 oz of liquid- - but certain nuclear and military facilities have highly lax security.  If the government were paranoid about bombs in baggage and the like, you'd think they'd be honed in on the baggage haldlers for sure to see they were doing their proper job.  And make no mistake about it- - I learned this from Rush Limbaugh - - the government can find PLENTY out about you just from the meta data.  It knows who you have called and who calls you and the identities and professions of the people you call and who call you, and how long those conversations are and the timing of said calls.  But now we have baggage handelers just feeling as carefree and leisurely as can be- - - they will search through people’s things and decide what they want- - and even take the time to count the cash before they pocket it.  Apparently this baggage handler thing is an epidemic.  Now this Federal Judge has stated that all these aspects of the Patriot Act are unconstitutional.  And I haven’t known what to make of that.  Because we know once this case gets to the Supreme Court- - all these champions of civil liberties like Roberts and Thomas and Scelia- - are going to say “Well of course we’re going to overturn this- - and invent some reason why- - when we feel like it”.

Monique Marvez was talking about viruses and the like.  Keith was telling me the other day about this current “flu virus” that’s really a cold or rhino virus that you can’t vaccinate for because there are just too many of them.  And you think you’re over it and POW - - ZAP - - you’re back under it again a few days later.  It’s the virus that fights back against the healing power of the body.  That’s why I had those fever and chills and loss of energy and appetite Sunday night.  It’s like that smoking commercial, “I have trouble getting out of bed”.  Last night I began once more feeling feverish with a hot, itching brain and had that “sick” feeling like I used to get when I drank- - and believe you me I was almost tempted to take a little nip and if you’d offered me alcohol there is no guarantee I wouldn’t take it.  Last night Janet offered me this big bag of popcorn I could just take back to my room and share with Bill.  It was still about a third full of popcorn.  I ate all of the rest of it that evening- - save for one handful Bill wanted.  Some may say that was suicide given how I felt.  Not so.  I know my body.  I know when I have a cold I crave salt- - and I had a salt deficit.  And yes, I felt much better an hour later.  You may not want to hear that you nutritionists but them’s the facts.  It was some official “Boy Scout Popcorn made with real cheese”.   But I’m thinking is Keith is right- - this virus phenomenon has been under-played in the news, because it’s something that this comprehensive flu vaccine, which by the way I received, won’t cover.  Yesterday I went to see Dr Saran after three and substantially after Money Draw.  Mario was saying some fascinating stuff about the Economy and I listened for that ten minute segment at three.  Then when I saw how long the line was I went back up and listened to another segment of Mario- - who is probably my favorite “Live and local” jock that KTLK, rotates at the nine o clock hour.  When next I came down- - one person remained in line.  When I got to see Dr Saran I told him all my symptums and sometimes I’d have these coughing bouts where I couldn’t stop coughing for ten or fifteen minutes straight.  The good doctor was disinclined to give me any medication at all- - either by way of cough medicine or anti-biotics.  My blood pressure was perfect at 120 over 70.  My temperature was also perfect at 98.6 except for me lately that’s high. Often I have temperatures of 96 and something.  I get my genealogy from Question Mark and the Mysterians.  I’m looking back on that visit now and am I little pissed at the good doctor.  He didn’t even listen to me breathe. 

Our official numeric designation for this background is Led Zeppelin 5:8.   This is December 18, 2013, which had a couple dubious anniversaries in 1970.   One was the legendary occurance of Pete Richards “receiving the holy spirit”, which forever altered his personality even to this day.  This is an event which admittedly for too long I was inclined to “blame” on his new girlfriend, but it’s clearly a case of two events occurring at the same time where one did not necessarily CAUSE the other.  Something politicians need to beware of.  The other event, one I complained about in group therapy- - was this “accusation” (that it was actually true I considered an extraneous detail) that I sneakily opened a bottle of Bourbon and drank half the bottle.  And somehow did not get drunk or have the smell of liquor on my breath, but it wasn’t till after dinner in the evening sometime that my Dad was “investigating” and discovered one of the seals had been “cut”.   Oh sooo!    But this myth that I drank half the bottle is so absurd.  And when Nana was out here around Christmas Dad warmed her that “This bourbon is really watered down in case you need more” and Nana goes ‘You’re right- - I’ll have another glass; that was really weak”.   There were a lot of “Bad Vibrations” at this time.  Like so many Christmases of the era, I can’t remember a single present that I got that year.  Except around Thanksgiving parents took a substantial sum of money out of my account done as a tax dodge- - which by now had accrewed a great deal of interest over the span of twenty years.  Then of course you have Dad himself which got in some accident from drunk driving on Monday December 7^th I believe.  So Dad remedied the problem.  In 1971 Dad just decided to get drunk at home.  To quote Gloria Swanson, ‘It’s so much nicer that way”.  Not for us.   Some problems get “solved” just by ignoring them.  I remember that my glasses broke somehow- - and I had a newer prescription but I didn’t wear them because they were too strong.  Last night my nose piece came off- - and it’s just another “thing” I have to deal with.  I remember in group therapy - - I was making some kind of resolution about all the ways in which I was going to improve my life before I turned 21.  Of course this group therapy itself would only continue on for another couple months.

 

Guns and Bigotry Still Sell in 2013

Nicolle Sandler was in for Randy Rhodes and once again the whole guns issue came up.  Nicole was sure that some sort of gun legislation would have been moved forward as the result of the Newtown massacre.  But it wasn’t.  This caller comes on and says that Nicole has no moral basis to ever bring up the idea of gun accidents because after all there are car accidents every day.  But now let’s look at that.  Car accidents come as a side issue- - ie accidently- - as one is in the lawful course of using a vehicle for the purpose intended, mainly transportation- - getting from here to there.  We work hard to make sure that our roads are safe with no potholes and well lit, and the signs are clearly legable.  And if there are lane transition problems, these are constantly being worked on by the city.  You have to take a driving proficiency test to get a license to opporate a motor vehicle- - and there are age requirements.  We have any number of laws governing safe traffic and various violation.  And if someone is intoxicated while driving- - we presume them to be guilty and if they are involved in an accident, they are thrown in jail.  Now let’s take the gun issue.  Often it’s some kid finding his father’s firearm in plain sight and of course they seem to always be loaded.  And they are engaged in “gun play” with their chums and someone gets injured or killed, and we say “Oh what a tragedy” but after all “accidents happen” and we look the other way and move on.  You know how Florida’s stand your ground laws have escalated firearms violence in that state, and it’s being winked at by the courts, at least if the perpetrator is white.  But clearly in cases involving minors- - we should prosecute the parents for child abuse for even having the guns where they can be accessed by their kids.  But we look the other way, wink, wink.  As to the argument about “It’s all the liberal media’s fault because they don’t report all the cases where a shooting was prevented because of the presence of a firearm”, it would be like- - someone saying “We shouldn’t have electrical wiring regulations, unless you’re going too report all the people who have been benefited by having lighting at night”.    Of course as you know if there’s one thing I hate it’s hypocracy.  Michael Jackson used to always say on his show that “For the average gun out there in a household it’s much more likely someone will be killed by a shooting accident than the gun protecting anybody in a crime”.  But then I learned that Michael Jackson had a conceal gun carry permit.  That blows his whole argument, and I never much took anything Jackson said seriously ever again.   But the only time this “false comparison”, which conservatives love, comes up is a bogus issue.  OF COURSE people buy guns for household protection so it’s ASSUMED that there WILL be cases where the guns protect against crime.  But nobody is arguing for the conthiscation of all guns in the country- - except the far fringe right who claims the Obama Administration was planning to send the UN in to conthiscate our weapons right after the 2012 elections.  I dwell long on this point just to hammer home how important the issue is now, and how ignoring it is suicidal.  Then we come to the other issue of this year we thought “for sure legislative action will be taken this year”, and that is on Immigration and bringing the illegal aliens out of the shadows.  As I also have said, this act becomes necessary to ‘clean up the mess begun by Ronald Reagan” when he granted blanket amnesty to illegals in 1986 opening up the floodgates of immigration and driving the wage base down, which at the time is what the right wingers wanted.   The right wing doesn’t mind if illegals are here as long is they are in the shadows serving as our hotel maids and gardeners and housekeepers.  Rush Limbaugh even said “Fine, you can let the illegals in on the one provision.  And that is that they don’t get the Vote for twenty-five years”.  That is about as naked admission of where the Right stands on the subject of illegals you’ll ever hear.

I missed the first five minutes late for the Mc Laughlin group beginning.  Pat was in the minority opinion today.  There were Pate and Eleanor, and Mort Zuckerman, and a new Black lady.  I posted two blogs yesterday.  One was in the morning and the other was this evening at eight.  I turned the TV off entirely after eight after Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy, for no distractions.  As it was I added to this posting at ten to six this morning and added more at about ten to seven, making it a better posting.  Last night and other nights I’ve seen this really bright star in the western skies that’s too bright to be Venus, particularly this late in its season.  Also the star was too "white" whereas Venus has a natural bluish tinge to it.  By the time we saw this star, Venus should have set already.  Keith says “sometimes that star will just disappear”.  Darned if a half hour later I came out and the star was gone- - and the sky didn’t seem to be noticeably changed.  (I can't be positive but I thought at the time this star "disappeared" there were still other stars in the sky.  Keith and Anita both say they’ve seen this thing move around.  I’m going to check the skies carefully tonight.

In soap land I guess Sonny’s motto these days is “Ask Dad; he knows”.   Because it seems that Sonny is going to do the right thing and ask his attorney father under the cloak of professional confidence- - what he should do, if anything, with the knowledge that his “mother in law” (for lack of a better term) and Kate Roberts are pressuring someone to conceal a murder.  You know what Vince Bugliosi said about how “Three people can only keep a secret if two of them are dead”.  This adage applies here.  Especially when it’s three people who all inherently distrust each other.  You’ve got one person whose about to crack emotionally.  You have a missing earring that had “disappeared” and you don’t know who picked it up- - but being expensive- you know they’ll wonder where it came from, and likely report it to the police.  You also had the “dead body” that isn’t dead, but the last time you saw them they were bleeding and fighting for their live in a raging river.  And just between you and me- - when a body DOESN’T wash up on the shore THEN you start to worry.  And just to top it all off you have a witness who has been toying with you and you really aren’t sure how much he knows.  He could be setting you up for blackmail.   Under such circumstances it’s unlikely that Justin Kiriacus, “an officer of the court” is just going to say “My advice is to just cross your fingers and close your eyes and pray really hard for it all to go away”.  I don’t think so.  But it sure is funny “the things that soap opera people think will fly” - - and there is really nothing at all to worry about”.

I went down for coffee and got two cups and also two more cookies- - and then Mario gave me another mint stripe cookie making three.  But I’d like to talk about hypocrites once more, but I don’t want to be specific.  It’s just sometime you talk to a person who is super adement about something.  He’s accusing YOU of falsely accusing THEM but you did nothing of the kind, and wouldn’t.  But THEN you come across more evidence like today- - and then you realize in your gut that if you HAD made the allegation against them, it would have been valid.  Keith’s remark to me was made inadvertently.  It was just slipped in and he probably doesn’t even remember making it now, but I do, because it was a “significant piece of the puzzle”.  When you come down to it- - this is what Christianity is.  It’s falsely stating that the Jewish people as a nation were a bunch of anti Christian bigots, and were swearing oaths against them to see them all killed or what not.  When in reality the shoe is exactly on the other foot.  When you think about it rationally, Christmas is the most bogus holiday on the calendar.  It’s like the guy selling swampland in Florida to you and calling it a lavish resort.   And Christianity says to you “Remember how the guy made you feel so lucky to get this bargain deal and how good his words made you feel- - and how proud you were when he gave you the Deed to the property right in your hot little hands?”  This is Christmas.  It’s celebrating something that never was, and never will be- - as though it were some great event right up there with Columbus discovering America or the signing of the Declaration of Independence.   But- - what do I know - - ?

This is Monday December 16, 2013 and I think it’s Beethoven’s birthday.  Monique Marvez was on the air talking about her personal “Isthmus” – which she wants us made aware is not the same as a peninsula.  This harkens back to the era of my little expanded poem of “Harry’s jock strap”.   I think that’s one December, perhaps of 2009.  So far this morning I’ve survived on two cigarettes from Bill.  Rush Limbaugh is trying to back off saying that he never called the Pope an ungodly Marxist- - when he certainly did.  Today I heard another say that Pope Francis was like the Catholic Church’s Obama.  Rush then fogs the issue saying “These people” (whoever they are) will be disappointed because the Catholic church is still not for gay marriage” as if people on the left are going to now turn away from the Pope in droves once they “learn this new fact”.  Stephanie’s sexy liberal tour went well.

Dr Levy had his gathering and I showed up right on the dot at four and was one of the last people to arrive.  I wish I had felt better.  I didn’t even want to go down because I was lethargic and tired.  When I saw the mounds of food ready to go I felt intimidated.  I wish I had had Saturday’s appetite on Sunday and Sunday’s appetite on Saturday.  We had some Hi Ho crackers and good salami and cheese, and a whole bag of cheddar potato chips.  My piece of pizza was about twice the size of everybody else’s – which meant that it wasn’t necessary to go for seconds.  It was really good.  There seems to be a trend now in lasagna to make it beefier and saucier- - and less emphasis on the layering of pasta and various kinds of cheeses with the sauce.  It was also very good.  But by now I was almost full and I only had “room” for one slice of strawberry cheese cake.  There was some kind of chocolate raspberry thing and all sorts of other cookies that they had.  I ate slowly.  I had a root beer and also some citrus Snapple that I took back to my room and sipped throughout the evening.   Nora, Dr Levy’s wife, was assisting- - and this other guy who Dr Levy debates existential philosophy with.  I excused myself- - and some others had already left- about five and I was there about exactly an hour.