Lets take a break

Phew. I'm glad that's over. It was exciting though, but it is over now. After the dust settles, Obama will have quite a mess to clean up, after the Republican over indulgence for the last 8 years (6 years in total domination that led to this mess). I don't envy him though. Bush/Cheney have left such a mess, both economically, militarily, socially and politically (internationally primarily). Obama's been put on such a pedestal, by wishful thinking and the media, that there's no way he can actually accomplish everything so many people hope he can. There will probably be a backlash at some point, as disappointment sets in, but, lets see if the hope he has created can actually guide the US back to a course that fits with it's own self image. I think the rest of the world just collectively breathed out heavily.

Fair and Balanced

We've heard a lot of complaining from the Republicans this election about the liberal biased media. Really? It seems that any media channel not ardently Republican in their opinions are being cast as liberal. I think they hate real fair and balanced media, such as NPR. Seems to smack of sour grapes. This time around, they've grumbled of unfair election practices, in favor of the Democrats. (All elections should be neutral and fair). Do they forget all the stuff that went on with in 2000 and 2004. Florida rings any bells? African Americans turned away and denied voting. etc. etc. etc. Need I go on?

What it would be really like to see is an actual fair and neutral media, whether it's TV or print. It's unlikely to happen, especially with a ratings motivated media. What would also be good to see is an honest set of politicians. Yeh, like that's ever going to happen.

Either way, it'll be interesting to see what happens Tuesday and see how honest or dishonest either side get, along with how much sour grapes the Republicans spout out if they loose. If they do win, I'd like to know how and why though!

So the game is afoot perhaps. Do you still think this mess is an accident? The current financial situation is either because of a broad scale incomprehensible incompetence, or it was deliberate. You decide. These quotes hint to something less pleasant. I hope they're wrong, otherwise we've been led into a nice big hole and I don't like the idea of climbing us out of this one while those who created this are still digging us deeper in.



“Give me control over a nation’s currency, and I care not who makes the laws.”
~ Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1743-1812)

"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed and hence, clamorous to be led to safety, by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins - all of them imaginary."
~ Henry Louis Mencken

"We tell the people what they need to know, not what they want to know."
~ Frank Sesno, CNN News

"Our government has kept us in a perpetual state of fear - kept us in a continuous stampede of patriotic fervor-with the cry of grave national emergency. Always there has been some terrible evil at home or some monstrous foreign power that was going to gobble us up if we did not blindly rally behind it ..."
~ General Douglas MacArthur, 1957

“Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” (From: A Little Book in C Major)
~ Henry Louis Mencken (1880-1956)

“Giving money and power to Government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.”
~ P.J. O'Rourke

"The issue which has swept down the centuries and which will have to be fought sooner or later is the People v. The Banks."
~ Lord Acton, Lord Chief Justice of England, 1875.

"There is no more direct way to capture control of a nation than through its credit (money) system."
~ Mr. Phillip A. Benson, President of the American Bankers' Association, June 8 1939.

“It’s only when the tide goes out that you learn who’s been swimming naked.”
~ Warren Buffett

“A banker is a fellow who lends you his umbrella when the sun is shining, but wants it back the minute it begins to rain.”
~ Mark Twain

"We are greatful to the Washington Post, the New York Times, Time Magazine and other great publications whose directors have attended our meetings and respected their promise of discretion for almost 40 years. It would have been impossible for us to develop our plan for the world if we had been subjected to the lights of publicity during those years. But now the world is more sophisicated and prepared to march towards a world government. The supra national sovereignty of an international elite is surely preferable to the national auto-determination practiced in past centuries"
~ David Rockerfeller. CFR. June 1991.

"The real rulers in Washington are invisible and exercise power from behind the scenes."
~Felix Frankfurter. US Supreme Court Justice.

"It is well enough that people of the nation do not understand our banking and monetary system, for if they did, I believe there would be a revolution before tomorrow evening."
~Henry Ford.

"You need to get permission from the government to do almost everything. And that is the definition of a police state."
~Ron Paul.

"I sincerely believe the banking institutions having the issuing power of money, are more dangerous to liberty than standing armies."
~Thomas Jefferson.

"Who controls money controls the world."
~Henry Kissinger. CFR.

"The government claims the power to seize all financial instruments: currency, gold, silver, and everything else if they deem an emergency exists."
~Treasury Department. August 12, 2005.

"The new world order will be built...an end run on national sovereignty, eroding it piece by piece will accomplish much more than the old fashioned frontal assault."
~CFR Journal. 1974, page 558.

"We shall have world government, whether or not we like it. The only question is whether World Government will be achieved by conquest of consent."
~Paul Warburg. CFR and architect of the Federal Reserve. System. February 17th. 1950.

"World events do not occur by accident. They are made to happen, whether it is to do with national issues or commerce; and most of them are staged and managed by those who hold the purse strings."
~ Denis Healey. (Former British Defense Minister)

Any questions?

The roller coasters

So, we've got 24 hours of news media, addicted to constant talking and sensationalism. They're all at it. They're blabbering about the economy, probably making the stock market worse in the process by instigating panic and making the roller coaster we see worse. They're going nuts over the election. Too much information and mis-information. Few are neutral, as they really should be, so why don't you guys just shut the hell up and give our ears a break. All this chatter is primarily for your collective benefit, not ours. You don't help. Why have politicians and their talking heads on TV? They're spinning, not reporting news. Give it a rest already.

the market stupid

...or is it that the market is stupid? Don't know really. People were enthusiastic because we had a 900 point raise one day, forgetting that in the great depression, this happened a lot. The roller coaster ride is what caused most of the uncertainty and associated problems. Wow people are short sighted some times.

On a brighter note, I passed my pilot's exam today. Saweeet. At least that was some good news while the markets plunged again.

So, enjoy the ride, as there's definitely going to be one.

God. Good grief.

I just watched a small bit of a program on the History Channel that was talking about the end of the world. You know, light hearted Saturday afternoon entertainment. I watched this while taking a break from studying and boy did it take my mind off my revision. But good grief, those fundamentalists are nut jobs....and there are plenty of them in most of the major religions. These guys think that because it's written in, say, the Bible, then it means it's true. The authors were politically motivated and were trying to control their fragmented and violent populations. As Lewis Black says, the were trying to stop people marrying their camels. Not only that, but they thought the world was flat and that they were not only the most important people on the planet, but were the center of the universe created for just them....and we think they were wise?!?! (Someone should have told them about the Chinese empire, that had been flourishing for thousands of years when they wrote their BS and maybe pointed them to other vast and successful civilizations that had already come and gone before their time). Give me a break. But besides, if the world is ending, you crazy, blinkered idiots, isn't that what you want anyway, with all this Rapture nonsense? So, why are you also worried and fretting about it? Nope, it doesn't make much sense to me either. Each of the major religions seems to think it's right and the chosen religion of God, who or whatever God is anyway. Someone's got to be wrong. Good luck sorting that one out between yourselves, but please don't bother me with your answer. As Bill Hicks said wisely, "God save us from religion." Oh, and if you're a Christian and are pissed at this little piece, then do what Christ would have done and forgive me, before shutting the hell up.

But then there was another program on TV last week called "The world after humans." I don't think the planet would skip a beat if the predictions came true and our numbers were drastically reduced, or even disappeared altogether. The planet might even be happier without us poisoning it, so Mother Earth could sigh with relief and get to work evolving something more worthy of this lush place we once called home.

WTF

"Snowballing sell-off spreads worldwide." Yahoo headlines.

But here's a more salient perspective on the world by people far smarter than you and I.

"Nothing just happens in politics. If something happens you can be sure it was planned that way." Franklin D. Rosevelt.

"The problem isn't a shortage of fuel: it's a surplus of government." Ronald Reagan.

"Politics, and the fate of mankind, are shaped by men without ideals and without greatness." Albert Camus.

"If you ever injected truth into politics you have no politics." Will Rogers.

Which leads me to the obvious questions.

Who is benefiting from this? Follow the money, as someone, somewhere is benefiting from this. Is it power or a cornering of assets? To quote FDR, this type of thing doesn't happen by accident. Was it planned? Who knows. They're either all incompetent or this was done deliberately. Neither is a particularly pleasant though. You decide for yourself. The Fed suddenly has more power. Governments suddenly own massive parts of financial industries and despite protestations to the contrary by right wing governments (Bush included) seem hell bent on buying up more....with our money. The governments have their populaces scared and looking to them for a magic bullet, meaning they can push their collective agendas and do pretty much what they want, and people are broke, so wont complain too much regardless of what they do. Is this 1933 again....look it up. Maybe it's just a way to hide the enormous profits made from the huge oil price spikes of the last 24 months, like they did with Enron etc. Is it that simple? It's probably a lot more involved than that, but you can be sure that this is no accident.

Bollocks, this sucks big time and we played right into their hands by falling for the cheap credit BS offered for the last 10 years. If we're that dumb collectively, I guess we deserve everything we get.

implosion and a con job

It's interesting watching this financial implosion happen. Well, interesting from the worst perspective of "Holy crap" and watching the governments of the world trying to reassure the people that things will be OK. What is obvious is that the banking system revolves around credit and therefore confidence. No confidence, no banking system. So, when things get this far out of whack, the governments of the world attempt to sooth and trick us to keep our confidence artificially high, while those in the know get their money out (as they did with Enron)....so it's a confidence job; a con. The government and the bankers have and are conning us. Don't people usually go to jail for that?

Inspiration

I was involved in an interesting discussion this evening. The conclusion of which was as follows: 

A good leader can't and doesn't do too much to change events. The biggest thing they can do is to inspire the people of the nation or organization to make changes and improve things.....it's the people, after all, who move and change a nation, not the leaders. As all good leaders do in any organization, the best thing they can do is to inspire everyone else to make things better, and not tie their collective hands to prevent them from doing that once the inspiration has got hold of their imaginations. 

I can't see McCain inspiring too many people to be honest. Not only is he too old and tired to inspire all but the strongest of his believers, but more significantly, he follows the Bush doctrine of leading by fear. If this country votes McCain and Palin into the White house, will the last person to leave please turn the lights out, or just show the Mexicans where the switch is.

save it

Bloody hell, 2 posts in one day. Whatever...I read this article on the financial mess and thought it was the clearest one out there. I particularly liked the ending.

Dear Main Street,
Are you trying to make sense of what's happening here on Wall Street?
Don't worry -- you aren't alone. A lot of people even here are trying to figure that out. It isn't that complicated, but Wall Street is so full of mumbo jumbo that it's easy to get confused -- or bored.
Say "collateralized mortgage obligation" a dozen times and see if you can stay awake.
Stick with me, though, Main Street and I'll explain what's going on here in New York.
Believe it or not, you've seen this movie before. And I don't mean, "It's A Wonderful Life," though that movie isn't far from the mark.
What's going on is a classic industry shakeout -- not all that different from the shake-out of the American steel or auto industries over the past half century. Just in a much shorter time frame.
In just nine months, we have gone from five big, independent Wall Street brokers to only two -- Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs.
The government took over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the country's largest mortgage companies, a bit more than a week ago.
And just Tuesday, we nationalized AIG, the world's largest insurer.
Of course, consolidation inevitably produces winners and losers. Lehman Brothers, the fourth largest US broker, is a loser. It went bankrupt two days ago.
Bank of America is a winner. It bought brokerage Merrill Lynch three days ago and is now our nation's largest financial institution.
That's a lot of change in not a lot of time.
And when there's change, there's uncertainty. Today, for example, we still don't know whether Washington Mutual, the largest U.S. savings & loan, will stay independent.
Uncertainty isn't good for any business, as it destroys confidence. It is especially bad for our financial system, because the system runs entirely on confidence. I lend you money confident that you will pay me back. If I don't have confidence in you, I won't lend.
Which is just like Wall Street today. Our nation's financial institutions don't really trust each other. And for good reason.
In all, about $2 trillion dollars of lower quality mortgages are spread about our financial system. Many of these are now in default which threatens the banks that hold them.
And of course the lack of trust spirals. Less lending by banks to each other, less lending to Main Street's companies and less lending to you. In the end, the money's not there for you to get a mortgage or auto loan.
And you account for 70% of the economy. So when the money isn't there, that's bad for everybody. Without credit, you get a crisis -- a credit crisis.
Of course, we deserve heaps and heaps of blame. Wall Street took the mortgages, sliced and diced them a hundred ways, sold and traded them. We took a nice cut along the way, blissfully oblivious to the risks.
We do have a remarkable talent for cooking up crazy get-rich schemes. Remember the Internet bubble? That was less than a decade ago.
But Main Street, you're also to blame.
Recall the hundreds of billions in bad mortgages that are now killing Wall Street? That was money lent to you, Main Street, for homes and condos many of you could not afford.
And ironically, it is now your money that will be used to repay those dud mortgages because we on Wall Street are running out of money.
The government takeovers of AIG and Fannie and Freddie? That's your money. J.P. Morgan's buyout of broker Bear Stearns last March was also your money,
You might not like it. We on Wall Street may not like it. And even the politicians in Washington may not like it.
But nobody has a choice -- unless you happen to have an odd yearning to live in a barter economy.
So Main Street, our crisis is unfortunately your crisis. We made the mess together and now we pay for it together.
The mergers, government takeovers and bankruptcies that will continue to sweep our financial system are a good sign. It means that we are fixing ourselves. Albeit at gunpoint.
Isn't it strange the way our free market works? The government saves Wall Street -- and you Main Street foot the bill.
My advice? Save this letter and show it next time we all embark on another stupid misadventure.
Sincerely,
Wall Street
Copyrighted, Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All rights reserved.

What a bloody mess....part 2.

"The sky is falling, the sky is falling!"

Well, it's certainly messy out there, but is it really as bad as all that? Is it? I don't actually know. There's a lot of confusion and panic going on, I know that for sure, compounded by the ridiculous news media, who are revelling in the chaos, hoping to boost their ratings as a parasitic by-product of all that's swirling around them. It reminds me of a wonderful part of the movie "V for Vendetta" (which is an intelligent and great social commentary movie if ever I saw one) where the government was concerned that it's authority was being undermined. It instructed the news media to overwhelm the populace with bad news to frighten them into silence and to make them refocus on their immediate worries and fears rather than the government's failings. It's a well practiced tactic that works wonders. The brief montage that followed was pretty typical of what we are seeing today (probably deliberately done) and was not too different from the current round of financial disaster news scaring most people to death. Is all this calamity accidental? I very much doubt it. Either the government is totally incompetent or this is deliberate. You choose which one....but neither is very appealing I have to admit, and the only rational conclusion is that they shouldn't be in control either way. If you get lobbyists running the system, then policies will be short sighted and to their benefit. Not for us, the collective "We, the people". Whatever happened to that anyway? Patriotism is towards the country after all, not the current flock of idiots on charge. So who is in charge then? Bush....er come on....try again.

"World events do not occur by accident. They are made to happen, whether it is to do with national issues or commerce; and most of them are staged and managed by those who hold the purse strings."
~ Denis Healey. (Former British Defense Minister)

What I do know is that the Federal Reserve, (which is actually neither Federal nor a Reserve), now owns the loans on 75% of all mortgages in the US...that means they own those houses. They are now also the majority owner (85%) of AIG, the country's biggest insurer. Apparently, the list is going to grow from what I saw in the headlines issued today. Sounds like a major transfer of wealth from the private sector (i.e. "we" the shareholders) to a conglomeration of the private banks that makes up the Fed, and of course this is after the profits had been taken out. Sound familiar does it? Well it does have an Enron feel to it doesn't it. I guess if it worked once, they can do it again. Watch this space for a repeat performance coming soon no doubt. And who do you think pays for this? They certainly don't. We, the tax payers, stupidly do. I guess it's nice work if you can get it.

Conspiracy? Not really. An agenda is more like it. A well thought out and patiently implemented one at that, but an agenda all the same. Here's a couple of good quotes to back that up.

"If the American people ever allow the banks to control the issuance of their currency, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the people of all property, until their children wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered."
~Thomas Jefferson.

"We shall have world government, whether or not we like it. The only question is whether World Government will be achieved by conquest of consent."
~Paul Warburg. CFR and architect of the Federal Reserve. System. February 17th. 1950.

what a bloody mess

So Bae Jiao, our illustrious and quiet dog has never been know as a brave one. She used to conceal herself behind her larger brother in times of stress and shakes like a leaf at the slightest presence of danger. And she's a big dog too, at 70 pounds. Strange, but one big cute softy. So a couple of nights ago I let her out for her pre night's sleep pee. Off she tootled into the rose bush and a nice loud howl resulted. I thought it was a coyote, but nope, I later found out it was her. She'd nicked her ear on a rose thorn. I didn't know this at the time and in she trotted, happy as could be now and proceeded to shake her head as she regularly does. A red fountain resulted, spraying tiny droplets of blood in every direction. Thankfully, the floor is wood, so it was easy to clean up. I checked her over and found the incriminating dripping ear. So, out came the antiseptic cream and I washed and cleaned up the ear. That's when the shaking started, with a few yelps for good measure. After all the cleaning up had finished, she decided she was going to get a drink from her bowl. So, up she stood and repeated the head shaking, spraying a fresh coat of red everywhere. Oh bugger. Rinse and repeat. This time out came the ice cream cone for her and she looked most disgruntled in her new stylish collar. The vet thought it was only a minor scratch, but, as is always the case when she see him, she shook like the world was about to end. Perhaps it's the way they take her temperature? I think if I had a thermometer stuck up my ass every time I went to see the doctor, I'd be very reluctant to go too.

phew

Phew, that's over. The post Olympic glow. The Chinese are in the middle of an intense feeling of loss. Can't blame them really. Those Olympics must have been good for them. I enjoyed them too and was glued to the TV most evenings, cheering our guys on, and sometimes the little guy too. There were truly some great sporting moments in there, and I don't just mean watching Phelps or Bolt shatter records.

Now we're stuck with political broadcasts and fever. Wow, could that be a better juxtaposition? I really enjoy watching the crowds go nuts. I can't see the point, but it's fun to watch. The Clintons' speeches at the Democratic convention were pretty inspiring and Bill was on top form reframing and repositioning so many of the Republican's negative comments, before they've taken root in the minds of less attentive voters. Very skillful. I'd like to see what the Republicans have to offer to counter that. As Bill pointed out though, it'll probably be more of the same. It's a pity they are not as good at actually running a country as they are at campaigning. I would think that McCain's age will be a big issue. More so than Obama's relative youth or race. If people want to make race an issue, in these times, boy they were born 100 years too late. Get over it morons. Where as I don't, as a rule, trust politicians, or other snake oil sales men Obama seems like the better of the 2 options. And that's another question......why only 2 options? How democratic is that? "Vanilla or strawberry?" Er, no I'd like a chocolate with caramel swirl please. Give us more options paaaleeez.

now that's what I'm talking about

It's Olympic season, as if you didn't know. Despite the firm and stupid decision before the opening ceremony to not be totally sucked into watching them.....I was and am. Phelps and the magical duo of May/Walsh have my total and undivided attention and I find myself rooting for them on the edge of my seat every time they're competing. You've got to love a true champion after all. However, I've found particular and unexpected pleasure in watching competitors from other nations win too. The article really got to me. It's what the Olympics is all about.

'Thousands of Mongolians hit the streets of the capital to celebrate the country’s first-ever Olympic gold medal, offering vodka toasts, blaring their car horns and waving the nation’s flag from the city’s tallest buildings.

Fireworks exploded above Ulan Bator as revelers sang the national anthem after traditional wrestler Tuvshinbayar Naidan’s judo win on Thursday. Naidan, whose nickname is “Tuvshee,” beat Kazakhstan’s Askhat Zhitkeyev in the men’s 100-kilogram class.

“I can’t believe Mongolia just won a gold medal,” said Baljinnyam Dashdorj, 17, celebrating with relatives spanning three generations. “I can’t believe he did it. This is amazing. I’m so happy, I can only jump up and down!” '

Isn't that perfect! "This is amazing. I’m so happy, I can only jump up and down!" What a wonderful expression of what these games are about and the happiness they create. I also liked watching the Chinese diver, in her last competition and was cheering her on as she performed her last and perfect dive, to take the gold. You've got to love that! The Chinese underage gymnastics girls team though, well that's another story. But, boy, this just proves that if politicians keep their noses out, we really all DO get along.

week, what week?

Boy, that was a busy week. I'm glad it's over. There were a few good moments. One of the more entertaining experiences (which happened on Wednesday) was during Scout summer camp, where I was helping out. During the lunch break I had the great fortune to be standing with a bunch of other helpers. Now, i should point out that this was at our local range, of which I am also a member. I think it's a rule that when 3 or more shooters and gun enthusiasts gather together, that they have to talk rabidly about Hillary Clinton and now Obama. So, I was standing there, the only one who didn't agree with every single phrase they said. I found myself sometimes smothering a chuckle and had to occasionally turn around and look at a fire helicopter, that was conveniently and frequently dipping into the local reservoir to probably tackle some serious blaze going on just over the hill. So, the thought that was repeatedly spinning round my confused and bamboozled head was, "Wow, these guys really need to get out more. Where am I, the deep south?" They were suggesting things such as Obama was a muslim plant, that a national healthcare system was just a step away from global government and other such fun sound bites. I'm just glad I'm not in my 20's anymore as, otherwise I'd have probably wanted to argue with them about it all. The experience though, highlights a big problem in US politics....Everyone is so wrapped up in their own opinion that very few seem to listen to the alternative. And therefore no progress is made. I heard a long diatribe attacking democratic policies. So what would you guys prefer, a single party state? If you don't, accept the fact that you could be wrong about somethings, that someone else might be right and that the majority rule exists in a democracy....then that's what you'll have. Perhaps it's the fault of the media who seem to be more interested in ratings rather than actually reporting what's going on in the world.

Life is better with a dog

I was sat at the laptop at the kitchen table and I heard the familiar sound of my dog in full 'love of life' mode. She was on her bed, legs in the air, twisting back and forth, mouth and eyes open and making occasional light grunting sounds; as happy as anyone could want to be. This isn't bad for an old girl. I've had dogs most of my life and have concluded that life is very much better with them in it. It's a double edged sword of course, as you have to train them well and make sure they know you're top dog, pardon the phrase. Many people treat them like a baby and forget that they're pack oriented. They need to look up to you all as higher ranking pack members or will want to dominate you instead. Once that little task is completed, you've got the best buddy you could ever wish for. 

Dogs never lie. You know exactly where you stand with them at all times. They're always happy to see you, eat like it's their last meal and love it and sometimes just want to play, for the fun of it. They are happy with the most simple of things, such as a walk or a belly rub. When we take them out, or when they snuggle up to us, we feel better too. Perhaps there's something to that? And they love to just hang out with you, regardless of your hair, clothes or mood....which can't stay bad for long with them by your side. We lost her biological littermate brother, Hey Go (Black Dog), 3 years ago to cancer. It was devastating and as tough to go through as loosing a human relative. It's shocking how vital they become, and in such a short time. That's something you have to put to the back of your mind though, and just enjoy every moment with them, exactly as they do, for the brief 10-14 years we have them. Everyone calls my dog my "little wife", as she's always by my side and always wants to know where I am (unless there's fresh food in her bowl, then I'm temporarily forgotten). She's 12 and is a large dog, so she's getting up there. For now, I get to see her enjoying herself, having a good sniff, chasing lizards and birds round the garden, greeting people at the door she knows, barking at those she doesn't know yet, and bounding around with her other doggie friends, Brandy, Maddie and Clinton. Life is definitely better with a dog in it. We could learn a lot from them....just not the communal ass sniffing or peeing against lamp posts. Everything else I can accept.

"Is it 'ot in 'ere?"

Yup, it's the typical July stinky heat. It's dry, unpleasant and ridiculously warm. Everyone, except lizards and snakes, is bad tempered and smelly. But this happens every year here. In other parts of the world, it rains in the summer. Here, its hot and dry. Yet every year it seems to take us by surprise, as individuals and governments. Apparently, a few records have been beaten by a degree or so this year. Of course the media is all over this and the end of the world is coming. May be you've heard that. Maybe it is, but our viewpoint on this subject is a tad short and dimensionally limited so really, how can we tell? Well, I'm not sure we can. We are definitely spewing out billions of tons of carbon dioxide and toxins into the atmosphere. It goes without saying that this chemical change has to have an impact on the climate. Will it happen in our lifetime? Well, that's anybody's guess. The problem is that the subject has become so politically charged now that both main sides have dug their heals in and are not budging one inch. Is THAT good for us and the planet? Definitely not. Nothing gets done and everyone is shouting about their own opinions.......opinions don't count and don't change a thing....including my own. Get over yourselves, as a good friend of mine says, and shut the hell up. If the governments really wanted to make a difference, it would have happened already (regardless of who's buying them off this year.) 100 miles per gallon is definitely possible. Cheap solar power and wind power would be in every home, taking the strain off the electricity grid. We'd be carbon neutral, to coin the omnipresent current phrase. Every year we here in California are told that the power grid is on the verge of being overloaded. Why is that? It'll take 10 years to build enough power plants to rectify this? Well, why wasn't this planned 10 years ago then you morons? I go past the forrest of wind turbines near us. More often than not, they are not turning. This was also the case during the Enron scandal a few years back. Now, with the oil scandal being in full fling, I'm betting that in a year or 2 a major oil company will go bust and the money, those monstrous profits, will disappear, just like with Enron and other such disasters before it. (that or a major bank that's holding those lovely funds). It's the way of reaping money by over pricing, then magically making it disappear.

"Nothing just happens in politics. If something happens you can be sure it was planned that way." Franklin D. Rosevelt.

"The problem isn't a shortage of fuel: it's a surplus of government." Ronald Reagan.

"Politics, and the fate of mankind, are shaped by men without ideals and without greatness." Albert Camus.

"If you ever injected truth into politics you have no politics." Will Rogers.

SO, back to the heat. Yup it's hot. It's probably our fault and if we continue to head blindly into the future in the same way, then we probably deserve what we get. The only problem I have with that thought is that every single other living thing on the the planet will have to deal with our huge man made disaster as well. And those chest thumping religious folks think we're God's chosen species? Really? You think God, a God, any God, would like to watch his/her/it's creation being totally screwed over by a self indulgent and short sighted mammal such as ourselves? Well, when they've pulled their collective heads out of their asses and cleaned their teeth, perhaps we can discuss it in a civil, non religious manner......but then pigs would have to be flying out of my own ass for that to happen. And so we cook.

Celebrating independence

Today, July 4th, can be a bit confusing if you’re an immigrant. This is more so if your country of birth is England, Britain, or the UK, however you want to name it these days…I get confused over that naming protocol. Unlike most Americans, I am here by choice though. Also, I thoroughly like living here. To become an American you have to take a test and be put through the ringer and have your background checked out etc, etc….fun stuff like that. I realized when I was studying for this test that many Americans probably wouldn’t be able to pass it, but still have a patriotic feeling for their nation…despite these feelings not being based upon facts or knowing their own actual history. This country was set up a good while ago with an attempt to limit government power and corruption…..good luck with that one…..The original plans seem to be holding together despite the best efforts of politicians. However, it is under constant attack to varying degrees. I think this would be less so if Americans, the ones who are actually born here, really knew their own history. By that I mean not some condensed politically correct version of it or a version based off the latest movie. History isn’t really about society habits, such as cooking, and clothes. It’s all about conquest and who did what to whom. It’s bloody and unpleasant. All humans do bad things to each other, regardless of color, race or creed. Get over it. It’s written by whoever won or had control of the media of the day at least……that doesn’t make our understanding of it accurate, but it’s a common thread of acceptance at least.

I had an epiphany about countries and their collective habits, and this was before living in the US. I travel a great deal and sometimes to some rather bazaar countries. Some are good, some are not, but all are interesting in their own ways. I realized that a lot of nations have evolved over time. They have rich histories, the people just accept that as part of life and it helps put a few things in perspective, such as we’re just tiny pieces flowing through this. This is difficult to avoid when history is under every rock and on many streets. They get on with their daily routines and celebrate things from before, but don’t make a big deal out of it. Some nations, however, are created. A lot of these in the previous century. It seems to me that many of those nations seem to think that they have to justify their very existence, usually in some form of annual celebration and a constant reminder of who they are. This is a good thing of course, and often reminds people that here is a good place to live and actually, now is a great time to be alive. But when you come from an old country, especially one that fought with it’s offspring, it can be a little confusing, and somewhat amusing. I have wondered if these types of celebrations will still be going on in day 500 years time. I expect a lot of the actual history will be even more confused than it already is. I get asked a lot if I am upset by the July 4th celebrations. If I’m feeling nice I say something along the lines of “Not really. I’m an American after all. Besides, I wasn’t alive then.” If I’m feeling less social, I ask if Australia, Canada or New Zealand are pleasant places to live. Of course they are, and in some regards, can be more pleasant than many parts of the US. They didn’t go through a traumatic birth, and evolved in to the wonderful places they are peacefully and calmly. That usually ends the conversation. I haven’t had that conversation in the deep south or midwest though. I think I’d be a little less vocal there. But as was pointed out in graffiti in a base in Iraq, “Yeh hah isn’t a foreign policy.”

It’s a good place to live and it’s a great time to be alive. We’re here anyway, so stop your wining and enjoy it anyway.

Interesting Headlines

This was going to be a jolly entry. But then I just read this headline:

"The White House said Thursday that dangerous detainees at Gitmo could end up walking Main Street USA as a result of last month's Supreme Court ruling about detainee's rights."

Why is that exactly Mr. President? Giving them rights, should I say 'human' rights is one thing. Why would that result in releasing them onto the US main street? No longer being allowed to hold them indefinitely without trial is hardly going to allow them to spill out of their cages in bright orange suits, shackled at the ankles and swim across the ocean to Florida is it? Only an idiotic government would allow that to happen. (That said, I wouldn't put it past Georgie Boy to have that done purely out of spite.....he's not going to be in power to pick up the pieces after all is he.) But only an even bigger idiot or scared very old person, would believe that statement....ie most Fox news viewers. The Islamic nut jobs are off shore, there are no direct flights to the US from Cuba, they have no passports and are completely there at the discretion of the President.

Some lyrics spring to mind when reading this obvious attempt at fear mongering.

"They say there are strangers who threaten us 

In our immigrants and infidels

They say there are strangers too dangerous

In our theaters and bookstore shelves

Those who know what's best for us

Must rise and save us from ourselves

Quick to judge

Quick to anger

Slow to understand

Ignorance and prejudice

And fear walk hand in hand."

If that doesn't sum up the current administration's approach to governing, I don't know what does.

As Cheney would say...."BOO!"

So where do you actually start?

How do you actually start something like this? It's a rhetorical question of course, but it's still a quandary. You can either come across as being a complete idiot, akin to the vapid George Bush but with out thousands of people dying as a result, being full of yourself, have your head up your ass (but there I go about Bush again) or being so full of anger that you really need to pay someone for your therapy instead of subjecting lots of innocent people to read it instead....."lots of people"....OK, so already I have to pull my head out of my ass and be real. See, it's difficult to get this baby moving.

So, you get a particular stage in life, far quicker than you ever thought possible and wonder how did it go by so fast. Who'd have thought your parents were correct with that advice! Ah, but we knew better at 18 didn't we. Anyway,  yesterday was the 13th anniversary of meeting my wife. 13 years. Bloody hell that went fast. You take a lot for granted in your 20's and maybe even in your 30's too. Then you hit 40 and your body decides it's payback time for taking it for granted for soooo long. You find yourself having to work out harder to stay in shape and hurt more and for longer in the process. The benefit of this is that most people my age don't have the time or inclination to work out at all, let alone hard....so many become the flabby girly men with those fat wobbling asses we love to watch so much in the supermarkets and on TV reports ...that are reporting how fat we are becoming. So, working out, for all it's pain, is a good thing. And with my instructors too, it's quite an entertaining experience. Bonus! Then you get a food allergy, or if you're lucky like me, 2 for the price of 1. My wife's theory is that the majority of us have them, but they go undiagnosed and it's the cause of lots of illnesses. After my allergy to eggs and milk (great combination eh. No more cakes or chocolate!) was discovered and I started to skip those foods completely, I dropped 18 pounds with little effort, although there was a great deal of grumbling going on of course at my cold turkey on chocolate. I feel better, certainly look better, but still do get occasional acid reflux if I'm exposed to too much of either. Now that really sucks. Your body, once relieved of the constant stress of being exposed to these nasty substances, gets fussy and throws a temper tantrum at even the slightest exposure. Now that just isn't fair! Come on stomach, give me a break here. I'm praying my esophagus can hang in there another 50 years + while I'm having so much fun otherwise. My wife has recently, meaning 18 months ago, discovered yoga. She's in far better shape than she's ever been, but has yet to reap the rewards of increased energy. She says doing yoga takes it all out of her. Huh, I never thought of that one. I've got my fingers crossed that those benefits appear sometime before we're 90. 

So there are some of my thoughts on the unfortunate by product of living: aging. However, life has turned out to be pretty damn good and you may as well look trim and feel fit while enjoying it. The bonus is increasing your chances of living a little longer too. That can't be bad.

what the hell

I was persuaded by several friends, (OK, 2) and inspired by a few others, to create a kind of blog. I say kind of blog, as of right now, I'm not really sure how this is going to pan out. It may become an entertaining way for me to rant in public, result in who ever reads it to roll their eyes, or bear testament to me having a chuckle at the world, from my slightly skewed mid life, but quite fortunate, perspective. As the king John said in 'Robin Hood, Men in Tights': "We'll have a wedding or a hanging. Either way, it's going to be a lot of fun eh."