WASHINGTON D(espicable) C(harlatans)

The despicable actions of our so called leaders in Washington continue to escalate in their frequency and impact.
The damage that is being done to this country will be long standing, destructive and beyond our ability to fully  comprehend it in the present. 
Future generations will pay dearly for the stupidity and recklessness of both Democrat and Republican members of Congress, especially the leadership.  Most recently, the disgraceful handling of the so called, "fiscal cliff" by waiting until the very last minute to pass a bill no one had the opportunity to read, is beyond pathetic.  
The utter nonsense of dreaming up a buzzword and planting it into the heads of people, just a couple months prior, shows just how little these career hacks are concerned about the  good of the country or the Constitution for that matter.  Of course, why worry when the citizenry pays such little attention to much of anything that is going on and is better able to sing verbatim, the lyrics to a Korean rap song, than their own National Anthem.
The leaders of this country have lost it.  They are nothing more than dictators in suits and dresses who impose their version of America down the throats of the rest of us.  Talk about the 1%.  They are quite clever, and able to use a willing media, to continually pull the wool over the eyes of the populace.  How is it that any true Americans can support and defend the actions of any of these clowns.  Wake up Americans, you are in a dream world.  You are being fleeced time and again by these people.   Soon this American Governmental Ponzi Scheme will collapse on us. 

RESISTING CHANGE

I've really been resisting change for quite some time and pride myself in going against the grain.  Part of the reason is I hate to be manipulated, coerced or forced into doing something I don't want to do.  From the time I was young I always wanted to be doing the opposite of what everyone else was doing or what others expected. 
Lately, a lot of my resistance has been in the area of technology.  I'm  rebelling a great deal against "Smartphones" and TV services subscriptions, because I truly hate how they have pushed us into a corner and are forcing us to get in line with their products and practices.  Whether it's satellite television, forcing us into buying tons of channels I'll never watch or the cell phone companies that now make us buy mega-bytes of airtime , and pay a fee every month just to have access to the line.  I'm really tired of it. It would be very easy to just fall in line with what is going on but, I'm holding out.  We are stooges, easily manipulated and led around by the ring in our noses and it just pisses me off.  So screw you Verizon, AT&T, Direct TV,  Dish and all the rest. 

THOUGHTS ON ANOTHER YEAR CLOSING FAST

As I sit here and ponder the passing of another year of my life into history I have to admit I've become very reflective and appreciative of the past.  I've actually been this way much of my life and I'd like to think I've always been thankful for the people who have played a role in my life over the years.  Some of those people have been around for a long time, some for a short time and I can say truthfully, I really try to appreciate all of them.  I think a great deal about how we tend to forget people from our distant past and concentrate only on people in our present.   I am determined to remember all, regardless of their influence.  Elementary and High School classmates, people I met in college, those I've worked with, coached with, played with, attended church and Sunday school with, and those in my life right now.  
For the past several years I've been going to the funeral home to visit parents of my high school friends, old teachers, and former neighbors.  I've made up my mind not to forget those folks, even though I haven't had contact with many of them for years.  I am determined to remember that at some time in my life, at some specific point of my existence, these people interacted with me and had an impact on my life.  I don't think that should be forgotten.  My old second grade teacher, a high school friend's parents, my old neighbors from the street I grew up on.  They all were important to me at some point.  Maybe for a short time, maybe for a long time but, either way, they were important.  I just don't think people like that should be forgotten.  
My suggestion to anyone reading this, is for you to sit down and remember the good times in your life and the people who were there with you.  Maybe your 7th grade buddy's mom, who fed you when you came over to play or, that old teacher who taught you to read or gave you a pat on the back when you needed it, or any of a hundred other people who happened to be sharing the Earth with you in this brief flicker we call life.  Think about them, appreciate them and if they still happen to be around call or visit them.  Life is extremely short and in the realm of cosmic time, we are only here for a flash and then we are gone.  Appreciate those you were lucky enough to exist with.  Make them part of your thoughts.  Enjoy the memories, find a way to acknowledge them, then take a few moments to reflect. 

THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS....PRAYERS AND THOUGHTS

Before I start let me say that I am not an overly religious person and don't profess to be anything more than spiritual but, I do have an observation I've noticed on the TV coverage of these various shootings in the news lately.  
Why is it that people will deny God all  year long, in every form yet, when there is a tragedy like the shooting in Newtown  Connecticut every public official and media member on TV is constantly spouting off with the disingenuous comment, "I'd like to offer my/our thoughts and prayers to the victims and their families?"  Why is it suddenly OK to acknowledge God but, only at a time when it serves one's interest?  Let's face it, most of the media, politicians and other talking heads could care less when God is denigrated all year long yet, when it serves their interests, they suddenly want to appear politically correct and they offer us these hollow statements.
The same thing happens during Christmas.  They like to play to the masses and as soon as the time passes, they move on back to their Anti-Christian behavior. 

SCREWY LOCAL NEWS

Is everyone noticing how stupid local news is becoming?  I know the dumbing down of everything in this country is going on but, it is really noticable on the local news.  They run  the most annoying teasers all day long pitching their "upcoming news stories" in a desperate attempt to draw viewers.  Unfortunately, their "news" is really not new, nor is it very informative or thought provoking.  They make mention of some local crimes, then it deteroiates from there.  Next is usually a story about a dog or cat that has been abused,  or some local person who is running in a charity race.  That is followed by a story about a bridge being demolished in China.  Then the grand finale is about how a couple met and had their first date at a local amusement park.  Of course there is also the obligatory ten minute weather forecast ( which appears aimed at panicking people) and the sports report.  Usually their version of "the news" has been out on the internet all day or in some cases, a couple of days.  All in all, it's pretty much a waste of time.  I quit watching consistantly a few years back.  Meanwhile there are major events of historical importance that go totally unreported or are just briefly mentioned so there is more time for the really stupid (non-story) stories. 
It shouldn't be any surprise that this ocurring.  It mirrors the deline in American Culture.

WE DON'T NEED EDUCATION REFORM....WE NEED FAMILY REFORM

It seems like you can't go a day without hearing about education reform.  I think what we really need is family reform.  Over the last 30 or 40 years the American Family has been under attack.  The attacks have been carried out in many ways.  Methods used to subvert the family have been carried out on TV,  in magazines,  and in the entertainment industry as a whole.  It has been slow and subtle but, very effective.  There has been a general decay and it continues today.  We are influenced to consider "the modern family" normal.  Now it's "partners" and more and more single parent shows, show with openly gay characters and shows that demean men in every possible way.  The TV dad is now a weak, incompetent buffoon, incapable of being responsible for his family.  Women are continually elevated to positions of toughness and manliness beyond reality.  Now in the cop shows a woman can use her karate skills to take out one two or even more men in hand to hand combat. 
It just never ends.  The family is portrayed as a scattered , non-unified group of individuals, each making it on their own, without much coheasion. 
Once upon a time the Cleavers sat at the dinner table and dealt with all the issues of the day.  Dad came home from work to a meal and he dispensed the wisdom and strength to make the family function.  Now dad is shown as weak (if at all) and mom is a working lady who keeps in touch with the kids on a cell phone.  What a mess we have made of our county and its once greatness.  What a mess. 

PHONE ADDICTS

What's up with the idiotic obsession we are developing with our cell phones (smart phones)?  Sitting at the mall today I was noticing how many people were walking through the place while talking on their phones.  Some of them were alone and engaged in heavy conversations with some invisible partner.  Others had people with them but, instead of talking to the other human walking alongside them, they too were more interested in the party at the other end of the phone.  
It's quite sad to see such a dependance on technology and the inability of folks to put down the cell phone, even for a little while, and be a little bit more human.  I don't know about you but, when I'm walking with someone I don't appreciate it when they are talking and talking with someone on a cell phone.   I realize there may be a need to take a call or make one but, not to be on the phone the whole time I'm walking with them.  Even more annoying are those self important folks who have a Bluetooth shoved in their ear and it looks like they are walking around talking to themselves.   When did we become so self important that we need be in constant communication?  I mean really constant, never ceasing communication.  It's crazy to sit and watch how people do this everywhere, all the time.   We are becoming controlled by this never ending, expanding technology.  It has infiltrated our lives so much that it is taking over people's ability to deal with other humans directly.  We don't want to see people face to face.  We would rather talk on a phone than sit with someone and sometimes we don't even want to do that, we would just rather text them.  So we don't even have to talk to them at all.  None of this is good for us as a society,  It's very much like a runaway train coming down the mountain.  We are just losing more and more of ourselves and our humanity.  Our choice of slavery is no longer to men but, to technology.