Even though I am a few days behind, I am saddened to report the death of the last British World War I veteran Harry Patch. There still remains at least one American veteran of the war, Frank Buckles, who is 108. Patch fought in the trenches of the war, including the battle of Passchendaele at Ypres. Most of us these days have little knowledge of the "Great War", but we should take this opportunity to learn about the formative period of the 20th Century, which effects our world today.
World War I, or the Great War, was fought between 1914 and 1918. It ended on November 11, 1918, which is called Veteran's Day in the United States. In Great Britain it is called Remembrance Day. This national holiday is the first of the many ways that this period has changed our lives. Most of us continue to celebrate Veterans Day, usually by watching parades and visiting veterans' graves. We remember those who fought for our freedoms and died for us, even those who had yet to be born. I often visit my grandfather's and grandmother's graves on Veteran's Day, both veterans of World War II, buried next to each other in a small town in North Central Iowa. They met during the war, married in Caen, France and remained married for nearly fifty years until breast cancer took her shortly after I had been born. Especially on that day, I think of the stories of the war that my grandfather had told me, and the times that I had spent with him when he was alive. Even though one day is never enough, it is vitally important that we recognize the sacrifices that some make for our country. In our own time, each of us in our mid-twenties knows a veteran who is or has recently served. We may know someone who has died. Veteran's Day was the beginning of this drive to support our veterans, as veterans of previous wars were often forgotten.
World War I's political ramifications continue to reverberate throughout the world. First, this is the war that made the Middle East into what it is today. The Ottoman Empire fell, and the victorious Allies carved up the corpse. The modern nations of Syria, Iraq, Kuwait, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Israel were all birthed here. Great Britain and France occupied various areas of the old empire, and the borders were drawn. Each nation gained independence in the interwar years or shortly following the Second World War, but it was World War I that created them. It was the Jews and their ideas of Zionism which led them to migrate to Palestine and reclaim their ancient home under the safety of the British troops who occupied the area.
The war changed Europe as well. New nations arose, such as Poland, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, and Hungary. The old Austrian-Hungarian Empire was no more, and the ancient nation of Poland, destroyed nearly 150 years earlier, returned. The Russian Empire collapsed in civil war, resulting in the Soviet Union. The German Empire was replaced with the Weimar Republic. France regained its provinces of Alsace and Lorraine. The blame for the war was placed singularly on the shoulders of Germany, which is often credited with the impetus for the Second World War. Germany was forced to pay reparations, creating a system would has credibility is causing a world wide depression in the 1930's when their economy collapsed and the global flow of money stopped. Communism had found a home in the world, with the founding of the Soviet Union. This, almost above any other event, had more ripples throughout the world as the Communists began their long campaign to remake and conquer the world. With a secure base in the Soviet Union, communist groups sprung up throughout the world, and nation after nation fell to the Communist advance starting with Mongolia in 1924. The evils of Communism have been well documented, and its cancer still effects our lives.
World War I also was the death of glory. Prior to the war, war was seen as glorious and gentlemanly. In the trenches of the Somme and the mud of Passchendaele, war's inhumanity was laid bare for all to see. The death of so many millions for a few inches of land, often lost the next day, showed the futileness of glory, as the bullets of the Maxim cared not who they hit. The poison gas killed both scoundrels and gentleman, and how high was your birth could not save you from drowning in the mud. It was called the war to end all wars, a hopeful title, but alas one that will never come true. An entire generation died in the trenches, weakening the superpowers of Europe permanently. Britain and France became casualty adverse, never wanting the bloodletting to occur again. Their holds on their colonies became weaker. Germany suffered this after the Second World War. Long the constant battleground, the pieces were set in motion to end war in Europe.
Young men to this day still believe in the glory of war, but they are the only ones. I have heard stories from my friends who have seen it with their own eyes. Don't get me wrong, I am not opposed to war in all situations, at all costs. Sometimes it is the only option, but it must be chosen knowing full well the costs of it. We learned of shell shock, trenchfoot, and the suicide of returning veterans. We saw entire populations geared up to fight the first modern war, with industrialization and war bonds.
Yet with all of these things, there are still more changes. The spread of the airplane, the first man made object in space, advances in chemistry and medicine all came from the war. The United States took its first steps towards the superpower that it is today. Democracy had found its champion. In the blood of the war, the old order of the world started to die, and freedom from the shackles of tyranny began here. We began to have a sense of ourselves as one people, united in the League of Nations, where perhaps diplomacy can save lives. War as the primary tool of statecraft became a faux pas. Even though this idea still has troubles, its birth was out of the horrors of the war.
Harry Patch was one of the last who saw these horrors firsthand. His death is a loss of this unique perspective. He fought at Passchendaele, wounded by a German artillery shell that claimed the lives of three of his friends. Passchendaele was infamous for its mud, as 1917 was a very wet year and many drowned in the mud during the incessant attacks against the German defenses around the village in Belgium. Even though by the end of the battle the Allies had captured Passendaele, the cost of more than 500000 Allied lives and 300000 Germans made it a hollow strategic victory. We need to remember these things. It is often said that people who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. It would be a sad day if we forgot the guns of Passchendaele and Harry Patch.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Saturday, July 25, 2009
The Reason Why Andy Warhol Cut off Mozart's Ear
I have actually wanted to write this particular blog since I started this venture, but until recently other things have come up. Recently I have been moving my massive amount of things over to my new place, and playing a new "free" online crack known as Evony. I know, it is said but it actually leads me into a new segway into what I really want to talk about. I have often considered as to why creative people such as musicians and artists are so mentally deranged. From a constant stream of overdoses to cutting off one's own ear, creative genius often comes with a heavy price. For many of us, we look at these lives, often cut short with the madness within them, and feel sorry for them. If only they could have sought professional help, they might have still lived.
Well, I am here to say that all that professional help would have done is kill the genius inside. What extremely unpolitically correct thought forced this blasphemy to the surface? Since I defecate on political correctness in principle, and psychology in general, I am going to practice a little of it on my own. The reason why professional help could not save them is because it is that very madness that drives their genius. It is far more than just anecdotal. For each shining light of greatness, there exists an equally deep inky blackness in the same person. For example, I will mention for the first and last time Michael Jackson. One of the most talented persons ever seen in his chosen creative field, this height was matched by what one can only call extreme depravity or just plain weirdness.
Look back at each great creative mind in history. Each was deeply troubled, and those who weren't either hid it very well or weren't that great. Hemingway was a drunk, Van Gough cut off his ear, Jimmy Hendrix killed himself with drugs, as did Chris Farley. Farley is an interesting one. A comedic genius, Farley personified the funny fat guy. Did you ever wonder why most of the large men that you know are also funny? I include myself in this category. It is the same reason why clowns are really sad. If we make everyone laugh, then they will never notice how much we hurt on the inside.
Creativity comes from pain. A truly content person creates nothing, as there is no need. The more deep the pain or madness, the higher the corresponding greatness will be. It is why the best songs have a touch of sadness to them, why you can feel the longing of priceless poetry, and why the masterpieces in the Louvre often make those cry. Even positive emotions must be overwhelming in order for creation to occur.
Just like the autistic, the truly creative are over stimulated, but instead of them withdrawing into themselves fully, they put it into an outlet. Mountains of emotion flow their their brushes and typewriters, so they can live just one more day. Such people unfortunately sometimes have a short lifespan, as they cannot control or handle the overflow of emotional pain. Often the seek to cover up the mountain with drugs, or surrender to it with suicide.
Why do I say all of this? I say it because I think that I figured it all out, and did not want to forget. I see in myself the impetus for creative genius, and sometimes it scares me. Almost everyone who actually knows me would never suspect, as most people are totally fooled by the funny fat guy act. I am subdued, and rarely raise my voice. I never talk about my feelings, especially to those who I actually care about. My entire life is a facade, and I have become very good at maintaining it.
I know that if I try to fix all of this, my drive to create will cease. Normal people don't create things. At the moment it is small, as it consists of this blog, but I have many stories that need to be told. If I am ever corrected, and deal with the ocean of feeling in a "normal" and "healthy" way, it will all disappear. It is not to say that the other road is easy. There are many times that my inability to function like a "healthy" person has literally frozen me into inaction. I have deadened my insides just to survive. Recently there has been a little life, but for the longest time there were simply emotions that I would not let myself feel, or at least outwardly show them.
Why I wanted to write this blog is this: even with all of these bad things, there is the goodness as well. First, my insight has been returning to me. I have been told multiple times recently that prior advice that I had given was in fact quite good. This is quite extraordinary for someone who tells themselves on a daily basis that they don't know anything, not to mention in chorus with those who equal those sentiments. Being who I am I also have a large ego (don't ask me to explain this, because I can't, at least not yet), hearing from others that I knew what I was talking about is just the right kind of validation that I need and want. Secondly, when I have taken the opportunities to create something, everyone has indeed marveled in it. This goes back to the ego again. Finally, slowly but surely the mantra that I had been repeating for almost fifteen years is starting to come true. Everything happens for a reason, and people eventually get what they deserve. No matter how bad things have got in the past, things will be made good if I only wait long enough.
While you might discount this as a fairy tale, there is quite a bit of validation in it. Go back to my original point. Creative people have to have an equal amount of pain/discomfort/madness in order to be creative. It is the reason why the popular guy in high school works at the gas station while the geek marries the county fair queen. Our lives are about balance, and goodness in one thing is balanced out in another. The same applies to badness. The interesting thing about it is that we either forget about the badness or the goodness, and don't realize just when we are getting "paid back".
That is why you can't fix life, especially the messed up lives of those geniuses in our world. It is why Andy Warhol cut off Mozart's ear. Then he painted a picture of it. With a can of Campbell's soup. And now it hangs in Kevin Johnson's garage in Biloxi, next to some oil cans. Maybe I made up that last part.
Well, I am here to say that all that professional help would have done is kill the genius inside. What extremely unpolitically correct thought forced this blasphemy to the surface? Since I defecate on political correctness in principle, and psychology in general, I am going to practice a little of it on my own. The reason why professional help could not save them is because it is that very madness that drives their genius. It is far more than just anecdotal. For each shining light of greatness, there exists an equally deep inky blackness in the same person. For example, I will mention for the first and last time Michael Jackson. One of the most talented persons ever seen in his chosen creative field, this height was matched by what one can only call extreme depravity or just plain weirdness.
Look back at each great creative mind in history. Each was deeply troubled, and those who weren't either hid it very well or weren't that great. Hemingway was a drunk, Van Gough cut off his ear, Jimmy Hendrix killed himself with drugs, as did Chris Farley. Farley is an interesting one. A comedic genius, Farley personified the funny fat guy. Did you ever wonder why most of the large men that you know are also funny? I include myself in this category. It is the same reason why clowns are really sad. If we make everyone laugh, then they will never notice how much we hurt on the inside.
Creativity comes from pain. A truly content person creates nothing, as there is no need. The more deep the pain or madness, the higher the corresponding greatness will be. It is why the best songs have a touch of sadness to them, why you can feel the longing of priceless poetry, and why the masterpieces in the Louvre often make those cry. Even positive emotions must be overwhelming in order for creation to occur.
Just like the autistic, the truly creative are over stimulated, but instead of them withdrawing into themselves fully, they put it into an outlet. Mountains of emotion flow their their brushes and typewriters, so they can live just one more day. Such people unfortunately sometimes have a short lifespan, as they cannot control or handle the overflow of emotional pain. Often the seek to cover up the mountain with drugs, or surrender to it with suicide.
Why do I say all of this? I say it because I think that I figured it all out, and did not want to forget. I see in myself the impetus for creative genius, and sometimes it scares me. Almost everyone who actually knows me would never suspect, as most people are totally fooled by the funny fat guy act. I am subdued, and rarely raise my voice. I never talk about my feelings, especially to those who I actually care about. My entire life is a facade, and I have become very good at maintaining it.
I know that if I try to fix all of this, my drive to create will cease. Normal people don't create things. At the moment it is small, as it consists of this blog, but I have many stories that need to be told. If I am ever corrected, and deal with the ocean of feeling in a "normal" and "healthy" way, it will all disappear. It is not to say that the other road is easy. There are many times that my inability to function like a "healthy" person has literally frozen me into inaction. I have deadened my insides just to survive. Recently there has been a little life, but for the longest time there were simply emotions that I would not let myself feel, or at least outwardly show them.
Why I wanted to write this blog is this: even with all of these bad things, there is the goodness as well. First, my insight has been returning to me. I have been told multiple times recently that prior advice that I had given was in fact quite good. This is quite extraordinary for someone who tells themselves on a daily basis that they don't know anything, not to mention in chorus with those who equal those sentiments. Being who I am I also have a large ego (don't ask me to explain this, because I can't, at least not yet), hearing from others that I knew what I was talking about is just the right kind of validation that I need and want. Secondly, when I have taken the opportunities to create something, everyone has indeed marveled in it. This goes back to the ego again. Finally, slowly but surely the mantra that I had been repeating for almost fifteen years is starting to come true. Everything happens for a reason, and people eventually get what they deserve. No matter how bad things have got in the past, things will be made good if I only wait long enough.
While you might discount this as a fairy tale, there is quite a bit of validation in it. Go back to my original point. Creative people have to have an equal amount of pain/discomfort/madness in order to be creative. It is the reason why the popular guy in high school works at the gas station while the geek marries the county fair queen. Our lives are about balance, and goodness in one thing is balanced out in another. The same applies to badness. The interesting thing about it is that we either forget about the badness or the goodness, and don't realize just when we are getting "paid back".
That is why you can't fix life, especially the messed up lives of those geniuses in our world. It is why Andy Warhol cut off Mozart's ear. Then he painted a picture of it. With a can of Campbell's soup. And now it hangs in Kevin Johnson's garage in Biloxi, next to some oil cans. Maybe I made up that last part.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Last Train Running
The band Whiskey Falls has a song called Last Train Running. It is song written about regret, and looking back at the end of one's life. I am not saying that I am approaching the end of my life (I hope) even though I am approaching another birthday. I am long past the birthdays that I look forward to, since all they signify at this point is another year has passed and many of the things that I want for myself are still slipping through my fingers like water.
Such thoughts often come at an earlier time in the morning, just before the first rays of day poke through the black inky blanket of night. For the fortunate few, these thoughts are there when the sun forces open one's eyes at daybreak. But back to the song. Why I bring up this song is this. I sometimes see that last train coming, and know I will not catch it. The last chance to change something. Many of us cannot see that train, and this is a blessing. Doors close, and many of us don't realize it, not knowing until after we have passed that some things that could have been are not. The last train has a lonely whistle, its mournful song calling to each of us, pleading to our deepest recesses to take that passing hand hold and go for a ride.
Why do I know that this time, this time I won't take it? Because I know myself, and that fear of change will hold my outstretched arm back. It won't let me open my hands, and pull myself into a choice that I want very deeply. This fear is caused by doubt, a wretched cancer of the soul that eats away at the heart, slowly killing my will. It says that even if I do, I will not catch that train, I will fall onto the tracks, crushed and never to rise again. Even though this has happened more times than I can remember, my heart tells me that yes, this will be the one time that my grasp is strong enough, and that which I desire will happen. Because it has to. But there is still that doubt, that black hole that remembers the pain that will come, and its voice rasps that one more blow could just be the one that ends the journey once and for all. It is better to take the pain of regret, and suffer standing there on the platform.
Why do I put myself through this? Could it be that I know that maybe I am not ready to cash it in? Might there be a train that I will take, one that will take me to new and exciting places? This coming train looks like it is a good one, one that promises everything that I want. I am not concerned that if I do take this last train, that it will live up to its promise. Once the decision is made, I know that things will be as advertised. It is the fact that even if I want to get on, I might not be able to get the passing train, because perhaps my tickets are not correct or more likely, I arrive at the station too late, and it leaves because I am just not fast enough.
Is there anything that can be done? If I knew for certain, I would not be despondent. At this time, there are only two things that I am for certain about. One, even if it is not the "right" train, it would be leaving the station, and taking me someplace else. "Right" is also a changing matter of perspective. Two, if I stay on the platform and don't even try, then it will be as before. Nothing will happen. I don't want to go through my life and on my deathbed say that I did nothing. Nothing is not a eulogy or an engraving on a tombstone. Nothing is the greatest disappointment. We are not placed on this earth through the miracle of life to do nothing. We are to take chances, and accomplish something, even if to others they are small accomplishments. What others think is of little matter. We can't let the gawking of the vulgar crowd stop us from doing what we wish. It is that same crowd who at their core wishes that they could themselves reach for that train, but take small comfort in those who do so and do not make it.
What will I do? On this I can predict the future. I will arrive at the station, just as that train is leaving. I will cry out, and with all my strength I will grasp at the last car, wanting to hold back the train for just a moment. It is a battle that cannot be won though, and I will fall back, lying on the tracks as one more train leaves without me. Its whistle will fill my ears, and I will close my eyes. I will want another train to come, to finish me off, but alas none will. Finally, I pick myself up and wait for the next one. One of these days I might just actually take it.
Such thoughts often come at an earlier time in the morning, just before the first rays of day poke through the black inky blanket of night. For the fortunate few, these thoughts are there when the sun forces open one's eyes at daybreak. But back to the song. Why I bring up this song is this. I sometimes see that last train coming, and know I will not catch it. The last chance to change something. Many of us cannot see that train, and this is a blessing. Doors close, and many of us don't realize it, not knowing until after we have passed that some things that could have been are not. The last train has a lonely whistle, its mournful song calling to each of us, pleading to our deepest recesses to take that passing hand hold and go for a ride.
Why do I know that this time, this time I won't take it? Because I know myself, and that fear of change will hold my outstretched arm back. It won't let me open my hands, and pull myself into a choice that I want very deeply. This fear is caused by doubt, a wretched cancer of the soul that eats away at the heart, slowly killing my will. It says that even if I do, I will not catch that train, I will fall onto the tracks, crushed and never to rise again. Even though this has happened more times than I can remember, my heart tells me that yes, this will be the one time that my grasp is strong enough, and that which I desire will happen. Because it has to. But there is still that doubt, that black hole that remembers the pain that will come, and its voice rasps that one more blow could just be the one that ends the journey once and for all. It is better to take the pain of regret, and suffer standing there on the platform.
Why do I put myself through this? Could it be that I know that maybe I am not ready to cash it in? Might there be a train that I will take, one that will take me to new and exciting places? This coming train looks like it is a good one, one that promises everything that I want. I am not concerned that if I do take this last train, that it will live up to its promise. Once the decision is made, I know that things will be as advertised. It is the fact that even if I want to get on, I might not be able to get the passing train, because perhaps my tickets are not correct or more likely, I arrive at the station too late, and it leaves because I am just not fast enough.
Is there anything that can be done? If I knew for certain, I would not be despondent. At this time, there are only two things that I am for certain about. One, even if it is not the "right" train, it would be leaving the station, and taking me someplace else. "Right" is also a changing matter of perspective. Two, if I stay on the platform and don't even try, then it will be as before. Nothing will happen. I don't want to go through my life and on my deathbed say that I did nothing. Nothing is not a eulogy or an engraving on a tombstone. Nothing is the greatest disappointment. We are not placed on this earth through the miracle of life to do nothing. We are to take chances, and accomplish something, even if to others they are small accomplishments. What others think is of little matter. We can't let the gawking of the vulgar crowd stop us from doing what we wish. It is that same crowd who at their core wishes that they could themselves reach for that train, but take small comfort in those who do so and do not make it.
What will I do? On this I can predict the future. I will arrive at the station, just as that train is leaving. I will cry out, and with all my strength I will grasp at the last car, wanting to hold back the train for just a moment. It is a battle that cannot be won though, and I will fall back, lying on the tracks as one more train leaves without me. Its whistle will fill my ears, and I will close my eyes. I will want another train to come, to finish me off, but alas none will. Finally, I pick myself up and wait for the next one. One of these days I might just actually take it.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Welcome to the Banana Republic of the United States of America
I have never travelled to a banana republic. Seen mostly in tropical areas, these places are those where there is a coup every other week and your local policeman will accept a bribe of $5 to ignore the dead body in the car next to you. They are wonderful places, mostly because the antics of the banana republic provide endless humor and enjoyment to those of us who do not live under it. However, I am no longer laughing.
Our Dear Leader is pushing us down to become a banana republic. He puts us into bed with total banana republics like Venezuela, supports deposed banana politicians like Manuel Zelaya, and has put out feelers to make himself the President for Life here. Yeah, the likelihood of that happening is small, but with there still being a sizable minority of people for whom Our Dear Leader is the second coming anything is indeed possible. There are other ways in which the United States now is going to be a banana republic, if we don't do something to stop it.
First, just like a banana republic we are being remade into a structurally high unemployment economy, where a majority of the population depends on the government. At our current stage, about 43% of the population pay no income tax. As soon as this number reaches 51%, then a majority of people in this country will not have any concern of just who pays for things that the government does. They won't care who gets taxed, and how much they get taxed, because it won't be them and then there is more money to "vote" towards their own wallets. Remember, Benjamin Franklin once said: "When people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic."
This voting of money is the single greatest push towards banana republic, and did not begin with Our Dear Leader unfortunately. The massive bloating of the federal government began in 1913, with the passing of the 16th and 17th Constitutional Amendments. It has taken over ninety years for these mistakes to come to full flower. For those with a public school education, the 16th amendment repeals the prohibition of the income tax and the 17th makes senators directly elected by the people. What do these things mean? Well, the income tax allows the federal government to grow to absurd sizes, and with more money can place it ever more areas that it previously could not. With the amendment there was finally an amount of money there that people would be interested in, and only one obstacle stood in their way of voting for it, the Senate. Prior to 1913, the state legislatures appointed Senators, which gave the states a measure of power in the federal government. They also would act much like the House of Lords does in Great Britain, slowing down the passions of the people when they would do something that is unwise. With the Senate under the pressure of the normal populace, now no one could stop the exaggerations of democracy, with the lone exception of the courts, which are the least democratic of the three branches of the government.
Secondly, we slide to banana republic with each czar that is appointed, and each private company taken over by the government. Banana republics nationalize private corporations, often because they need money. We nationalize corporations to change their ownership, and give them to people who did not earn them so secure votes. The Dear Leader appoints czars to provide authoritarian control over sectors of the economy, and to push through massive changes through the bloated bureaucracy, which for once could work in our favor if it could slow down these horrible changes. The appointment of authoritarian judges also accomplishes this, judges like FJSS. Her judicial philosophy is one of making law without democratic input, thus making the Court even more tyrannous than it currently is. Fortunately we have a number of justices who do not follow that philosophy, but it is a sad state of affairs when appointments to the Court have such importance to the normal man. The Court was never intended to be the most powerful of the three branches of government, a position that it holds in the modern era.
Thirdly, and finally, a banana republic must have a leader. These leaders are "beloved" by the peasantry, and are often charismatic people who enjoy a wide following around the world. These leaders often have a cult of personality, and posses rabid supporters for whom the leader can do no wrong. Our Dear Leader fits this profile perfectly. A banana president surrounds himself with people who can accomplish his mission of holding on to power, including those who are criminal. They also discredit the former leaders of the nation, as to prevent them from returning to power. Convicting them of crimes is often the way that this is done.
How do we, as free citizens, stop this criminal action? First, we must dismantle the power of the government. Repeal the 16th and 17th amendments would be a great first step. The government would starve out of money. Most of the problems of graft and corruption would disappear if there was no money to be had. Tossing out the leader would be the next step, one that unfortunately has to wait until 2010 or 2012 to be accomplished. People who value freedom and limited government must be elected as soon as possible, and if this is done, the Dear Leader can be curtailed or impeached for high crimes against the people when good statesmen are elected. Finally, each of these destructive policies must be opposed with tooth and nail by the population of the United States. We can stop this slide towards dictatorship by pressuring our Congress to end all new government programs. Removing the illegal government structure will have to come with a new president. It is not too late to stop the banana republic without a total revolution, but it will take the right steps.
Our Dear Leader is pushing us down to become a banana republic. He puts us into bed with total banana republics like Venezuela, supports deposed banana politicians like Manuel Zelaya, and has put out feelers to make himself the President for Life here. Yeah, the likelihood of that happening is small, but with there still being a sizable minority of people for whom Our Dear Leader is the second coming anything is indeed possible. There are other ways in which the United States now is going to be a banana republic, if we don't do something to stop it.
First, just like a banana republic we are being remade into a structurally high unemployment economy, where a majority of the population depends on the government. At our current stage, about 43% of the population pay no income tax. As soon as this number reaches 51%, then a majority of people in this country will not have any concern of just who pays for things that the government does. They won't care who gets taxed, and how much they get taxed, because it won't be them and then there is more money to "vote" towards their own wallets. Remember, Benjamin Franklin once said: "When people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic."
This voting of money is the single greatest push towards banana republic, and did not begin with Our Dear Leader unfortunately. The massive bloating of the federal government began in 1913, with the passing of the 16th and 17th Constitutional Amendments. It has taken over ninety years for these mistakes to come to full flower. For those with a public school education, the 16th amendment repeals the prohibition of the income tax and the 17th makes senators directly elected by the people. What do these things mean? Well, the income tax allows the federal government to grow to absurd sizes, and with more money can place it ever more areas that it previously could not. With the amendment there was finally an amount of money there that people would be interested in, and only one obstacle stood in their way of voting for it, the Senate. Prior to 1913, the state legislatures appointed Senators, which gave the states a measure of power in the federal government. They also would act much like the House of Lords does in Great Britain, slowing down the passions of the people when they would do something that is unwise. With the Senate under the pressure of the normal populace, now no one could stop the exaggerations of democracy, with the lone exception of the courts, which are the least democratic of the three branches of the government.
Secondly, we slide to banana republic with each czar that is appointed, and each private company taken over by the government. Banana republics nationalize private corporations, often because they need money. We nationalize corporations to change their ownership, and give them to people who did not earn them so secure votes. The Dear Leader appoints czars to provide authoritarian control over sectors of the economy, and to push through massive changes through the bloated bureaucracy, which for once could work in our favor if it could slow down these horrible changes. The appointment of authoritarian judges also accomplishes this, judges like FJSS. Her judicial philosophy is one of making law without democratic input, thus making the Court even more tyrannous than it currently is. Fortunately we have a number of justices who do not follow that philosophy, but it is a sad state of affairs when appointments to the Court have such importance to the normal man. The Court was never intended to be the most powerful of the three branches of government, a position that it holds in the modern era.
Thirdly, and finally, a banana republic must have a leader. These leaders are "beloved" by the peasantry, and are often charismatic people who enjoy a wide following around the world. These leaders often have a cult of personality, and posses rabid supporters for whom the leader can do no wrong. Our Dear Leader fits this profile perfectly. A banana president surrounds himself with people who can accomplish his mission of holding on to power, including those who are criminal. They also discredit the former leaders of the nation, as to prevent them from returning to power. Convicting them of crimes is often the way that this is done.
How do we, as free citizens, stop this criminal action? First, we must dismantle the power of the government. Repeal the 16th and 17th amendments would be a great first step. The government would starve out of money. Most of the problems of graft and corruption would disappear if there was no money to be had. Tossing out the leader would be the next step, one that unfortunately has to wait until 2010 or 2012 to be accomplished. People who value freedom and limited government must be elected as soon as possible, and if this is done, the Dear Leader can be curtailed or impeached for high crimes against the people when good statesmen are elected. Finally, each of these destructive policies must be opposed with tooth and nail by the population of the United States. We can stop this slide towards dictatorship by pressuring our Congress to end all new government programs. Removing the illegal government structure will have to come with a new president. It is not too late to stop the banana republic without a total revolution, but it will take the right steps.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
The Definitive Modern Guide to A Knight in Shining Armor: Or Mastering the Subtle Art of Timing
Chivalry is dead, or at least that is what we are lead to believe. I don't buy it, but then again most people to their detriment don't listen to me because they think that they know better. There are some pieces of evidence that suggest that they are right, but a closer look will show that they are as usual wrong, and I will the passage of time are proven right.
First, there are no more dragons left. Knights fight dragons, and knights kill dragons. They did their job so well that there are no more dragons left. Thus they no longer need their suits of armor. And without their armor a knight is no longer a knight, and thus the whole code of chivalry is out the window. Pretty damning evidence.
Secondly, we are told that women no longer need a knight to defend their honor. We see women super heroes on the stage and screen, fighting zombies and bad guys even better than the knights could do it. We are also told that since the women can do all of this, we are regulated to hanging back and staying out of sight. That is if the woman has lowered herself to keeping a man instead of being alone or having a lesbian relationship, the highest possible state under our modern regime.
Thirdly, men (and thus knights) are now obsolete, as just recently sperm was created from stem cells. Now women don't need a man to produce children and thus future lesbian relationships that will allow humanity (at least half of it) to continue. So, because women no longer need men, thus chivalry is dead.
No, no its not. There never were dragons, at least outside of the fantasy world. Knights embodied (at least were supposed to) virtue in the medieval society. Just how much of this was reality is not the point. We don't live in a medieval society anymore, but the virtue that a knight represents is still valid, and is what women search for. Thus a modern guide for knights is needed.
To start, what do knights represent? Honor, loyalty, romantic love, and truth are the core values of a knight. Each of these virtues is more important than ever. Honor lies at the core. A man is only as good as his word, and respects each person regardless of whether they deserve such respect. A knight is loyal to his family, friends and his country. Romantic love is placing the fairer sex in a position of honor, both respecting her desires and her honor above your own. This is the fundamental protection for women, as men are on average stronger and more aggressive. Finally, truth completes the knight. To bear false witness is a grave error, and in the long term will make one into a shadow of a person, crying wolf while the sheep are stolen away.
None of these things require armor, shining or not. Now, don't get me wrong, I like strong women. Doormats are not attractive. However, I think that men and women can fall into natural roles. This is not a bad thing. Men are overt, women are covert. Part of the medieval mystique is that a woman's power is unseen, and limited only by other women. It is a well known fact that a women can make a man do almost anything. A man who can resist the charms of a woman is always under the spell of another.
The modern knight is not afraid of a strong woman, because he knows that together anything is possible. He protects her from the dangerousness of the world, in the ways that men excel at. He provides for her as best he can, but realizes that her contributions are important. Both sexes are necessary, because they see things differently. We are designed to fit together, not alone. There is no way around this.
A modern knight protects these truths. In my limited experience, women need men to complete them as much as we need them. They need that warm body sleeping next to them, caring about their problems and concerns, needing them to make everything alright when life gets too hard to bear.
I realize that for most people, including myself, these perfect ideals are out of reach. We, as men and women, disappoint each other often, because we are fallible. The point is to continue to work towards achieving these ideals of perfection. Struggling against the hazard is very knightly, especially if is it a battle that cannot be won. We have new weapons that replaced our suit of armor, one of which is timing. Timing is very important. Many people don't consider it in male/female relationships, and thus things fall apart. An example for the assembled crowd: a beautiful princess whose husband just died is pursued by numerous suitors. Many of the unknightly suitors press for her affections, only to be rebuffed. They blame her, not considering that she mourns for her dead spouse, even though he was a lout. However, her knight waits patiently, standing by her side as her shield bearer. It is only when she had shed her last tear for her dead husband that he will tell her about the great burden that he has carried in his heart, the burden of deep affection and a desire to take his place at her side as her husband. There is no greater hazard than this! A true knight realizes that he may be rebuffed, but with that the lady has spoken, and thus he must find another, or a modern dragon to perish in battle, with his love's name on his lips.
Very heavy stuff indeed, but life is full of these things. I mention these things not because I fulfill all of the qualifications of being a true knight, but I strive to reach them. We have need of knights even til this day. This guide is for those who have passed beyond the boyhood role of squire, and seek to make themselves true men. One day, perhaps even I will have gained my knighthood. Until then, I need to go to the store. Need some more Turtle Wax for the breastplate.
First, there are no more dragons left. Knights fight dragons, and knights kill dragons. They did their job so well that there are no more dragons left. Thus they no longer need their suits of armor. And without their armor a knight is no longer a knight, and thus the whole code of chivalry is out the window. Pretty damning evidence.
Secondly, we are told that women no longer need a knight to defend their honor. We see women super heroes on the stage and screen, fighting zombies and bad guys even better than the knights could do it. We are also told that since the women can do all of this, we are regulated to hanging back and staying out of sight. That is if the woman has lowered herself to keeping a man instead of being alone or having a lesbian relationship, the highest possible state under our modern regime.
Thirdly, men (and thus knights) are now obsolete, as just recently sperm was created from stem cells. Now women don't need a man to produce children and thus future lesbian relationships that will allow humanity (at least half of it) to continue. So, because women no longer need men, thus chivalry is dead.
No, no its not. There never were dragons, at least outside of the fantasy world. Knights embodied (at least were supposed to) virtue in the medieval society. Just how much of this was reality is not the point. We don't live in a medieval society anymore, but the virtue that a knight represents is still valid, and is what women search for. Thus a modern guide for knights is needed.
To start, what do knights represent? Honor, loyalty, romantic love, and truth are the core values of a knight. Each of these virtues is more important than ever. Honor lies at the core. A man is only as good as his word, and respects each person regardless of whether they deserve such respect. A knight is loyal to his family, friends and his country. Romantic love is placing the fairer sex in a position of honor, both respecting her desires and her honor above your own. This is the fundamental protection for women, as men are on average stronger and more aggressive. Finally, truth completes the knight. To bear false witness is a grave error, and in the long term will make one into a shadow of a person, crying wolf while the sheep are stolen away.
None of these things require armor, shining or not. Now, don't get me wrong, I like strong women. Doormats are not attractive. However, I think that men and women can fall into natural roles. This is not a bad thing. Men are overt, women are covert. Part of the medieval mystique is that a woman's power is unseen, and limited only by other women. It is a well known fact that a women can make a man do almost anything. A man who can resist the charms of a woman is always under the spell of another.
The modern knight is not afraid of a strong woman, because he knows that together anything is possible. He protects her from the dangerousness of the world, in the ways that men excel at. He provides for her as best he can, but realizes that her contributions are important. Both sexes are necessary, because they see things differently. We are designed to fit together, not alone. There is no way around this.
A modern knight protects these truths. In my limited experience, women need men to complete them as much as we need them. They need that warm body sleeping next to them, caring about their problems and concerns, needing them to make everything alright when life gets too hard to bear.
I realize that for most people, including myself, these perfect ideals are out of reach. We, as men and women, disappoint each other often, because we are fallible. The point is to continue to work towards achieving these ideals of perfection. Struggling against the hazard is very knightly, especially if is it a battle that cannot be won. We have new weapons that replaced our suit of armor, one of which is timing. Timing is very important. Many people don't consider it in male/female relationships, and thus things fall apart. An example for the assembled crowd: a beautiful princess whose husband just died is pursued by numerous suitors. Many of the unknightly suitors press for her affections, only to be rebuffed. They blame her, not considering that she mourns for her dead spouse, even though he was a lout. However, her knight waits patiently, standing by her side as her shield bearer. It is only when she had shed her last tear for her dead husband that he will tell her about the great burden that he has carried in his heart, the burden of deep affection and a desire to take his place at her side as her husband. There is no greater hazard than this! A true knight realizes that he may be rebuffed, but with that the lady has spoken, and thus he must find another, or a modern dragon to perish in battle, with his love's name on his lips.
Very heavy stuff indeed, but life is full of these things. I mention these things not because I fulfill all of the qualifications of being a true knight, but I strive to reach them. We have need of knights even til this day. This guide is for those who have passed beyond the boyhood role of squire, and seek to make themselves true men. One day, perhaps even I will have gained my knighthood. Until then, I need to go to the store. Need some more Turtle Wax for the breastplate.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Happy Birthday, My Home of the Free and the Brave
Today is the Fourth of July. A date that is important not just for the United States of America, but for the world. Before you criticize my American-centric view, here the facts. The United States' birth was a symbol of freedom's light for the world, and its role in showing the pinnacle of Enlightenment thought and progress is no better demonstrated here.
We celebrate the Fourth because as Americans, we see the need for keeping the light of freedom alive, and because we can always use an excuse to barbecue and often get a day off of work. However, many of us, due to the lack of a good civics lesson, do not know exactly what happened to unveil this light. That being said, each American at his heart knows the goodness of the Great Experiment, and knows that it is our ideals that make us special. But, we all can use a refresher on just what we as Americans stand for, because sometimes we need our head to speak, not just our heart.
It was on this day, in 1776, two years after the shot heard round the world at Lexington and Concord, that the United States were born. Even at this time, our people were not united in giving birth, as almost 1/3 of the population were still loyal to the crown. Keeping that in mind, Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration, showing the world the abuses suffered under the tyranny of King George III, and putting them in permanent ink, demonstrated the resolve and will of the people. The largest and first signature was that of John Hancock, president of the Continental Congress. These fifty-six men bore witness to the Declaration, and many of them would suffer for their principles. The King would label them traitors, and some of them would not fare well during and following the war.
The Declaration turned the rebellion against the King into a revolution for principles of democracy, free government, and a cause that promised a better world. Read the words, out loud. The Declaration reads as a verbal cathedral, uplifting the soul and humbling the body. Even though the largest portion of the Declaration contains the grievances against the king, even these read as a righteous preacher, calling down the devil to account for his crimes.
The war that followed was a vicious, and often cloudy process. The Americans lost more battles than they won, and at one time all of the major cities of the colonies were under British control. However, through the perseverance of our greatest heroes, not limited to but on the highest pedestal General George Washington. It is a common myth that Washington signed the Declaration, but his name is not among them.
Through many difficult and painful years, the brave forces of the Americans and their allies the French surrounded Lord General Charles Cornwallis's army at Yorktown, and the war was won with his surrender. It took two more years for the Treaty of Paris to be signed and ratified, which officially ended the war. With this we had our own country, free of interference from anyone else.
Why are these things important? They are important, and remain so for several reasons. First and foremost is that it demonstrated that a free people can and will defeat a tyranny, even one as powerful as Great Britain. People forget that Great Britain possessed the most powerful army in the world at the time, and the largest and most powerful navy. They had possessions across the globe, and no power challenged them for their role as the world's top superpower. This massive military machine was defeated by a scattered population of 3 million, in which nearly 1/3 did not support the revolution. The United States possessed no navy, and its army consisted of mostly untrained militia. It showed the rightness of the cause that even with these odds, it was the colonials who won their freedom, and tyranny from afar was defeated.
Secondly, the Declaration gives an inkling into what good government is, and is generally how we define it today. Democracy went from a novelty, to the true power in the world. You can see this is just how many countries blatantly continue under dictatorship, which is few. Most nations at least possess the facade of democracy, since it gives legitimacy. The Declaration was the beginning of this.
Thirdly, it shows what a determined group of men, confident in their principles can accomplish. It was these principles which won the war, giving each and every soldier something to fight for. Our first and only state "religion" is America, and all that she stands for. Each soldier believes this at their heart, that America is good and just, and carries this belief into battle. America still fights for these principles, both at home and abroad, and seeks to carry the light of freedom to all of the corners of our dark world.
There are those who disparage all of this, those who believe that America is not good, or just. They believe that America is broken, and was made that way. Even on its birthday, they hold this cancer close to their hearts, where it corrupts them and clouds their eyes. To them, nothing can be said that will cut out this blackness. They must come to it by themselves, or not at all. To those who listen to them, not knowing that there is this wretchedness inside of them, I say this. They want you to believe that America is not perfect. I agree with this. But when perfect ideals are put into practice, they due to our human condition become imperfect. It is a testament to our character that we struggle to unmake these wrongs. This is a battle that never can be won. But to say that our principles are flawed because our execution of them is, no greater lie has been told. We must continue to cherish what our Founding Fathers saw as the light of humanity, and under God's grace we will make the right choices to continue to grasp at overcoming human frailty and fallacy. America is since its founding has been the greatest nation that God has graced our world with. And we will continue to be so, as long as we continue to clutch our principles, knowing that even if we cannot perfectly accomplish them, there is goodness and greatness in reaching for them.
So, I say Happy Birthday, America. You are my home of the free and the brave. I would not wish to be anywhere else, on this day or any other. Now, pass some cake. Corner piece please.
We celebrate the Fourth because as Americans, we see the need for keeping the light of freedom alive, and because we can always use an excuse to barbecue and often get a day off of work. However, many of us, due to the lack of a good civics lesson, do not know exactly what happened to unveil this light. That being said, each American at his heart knows the goodness of the Great Experiment, and knows that it is our ideals that make us special. But, we all can use a refresher on just what we as Americans stand for, because sometimes we need our head to speak, not just our heart.
It was on this day, in 1776, two years after the shot heard round the world at Lexington and Concord, that the United States were born. Even at this time, our people were not united in giving birth, as almost 1/3 of the population were still loyal to the crown. Keeping that in mind, Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration, showing the world the abuses suffered under the tyranny of King George III, and putting them in permanent ink, demonstrated the resolve and will of the people. The largest and first signature was that of John Hancock, president of the Continental Congress. These fifty-six men bore witness to the Declaration, and many of them would suffer for their principles. The King would label them traitors, and some of them would not fare well during and following the war.
The Declaration turned the rebellion against the King into a revolution for principles of democracy, free government, and a cause that promised a better world. Read the words, out loud. The Declaration reads as a verbal cathedral, uplifting the soul and humbling the body. Even though the largest portion of the Declaration contains the grievances against the king, even these read as a righteous preacher, calling down the devil to account for his crimes.
The war that followed was a vicious, and often cloudy process. The Americans lost more battles than they won, and at one time all of the major cities of the colonies were under British control. However, through the perseverance of our greatest heroes, not limited to but on the highest pedestal General George Washington. It is a common myth that Washington signed the Declaration, but his name is not among them.
Through many difficult and painful years, the brave forces of the Americans and their allies the French surrounded Lord General Charles Cornwallis's army at Yorktown, and the war was won with his surrender. It took two more years for the Treaty of Paris to be signed and ratified, which officially ended the war. With this we had our own country, free of interference from anyone else.
Why are these things important? They are important, and remain so for several reasons. First and foremost is that it demonstrated that a free people can and will defeat a tyranny, even one as powerful as Great Britain. People forget that Great Britain possessed the most powerful army in the world at the time, and the largest and most powerful navy. They had possessions across the globe, and no power challenged them for their role as the world's top superpower. This massive military machine was defeated by a scattered population of 3 million, in which nearly 1/3 did not support the revolution. The United States possessed no navy, and its army consisted of mostly untrained militia. It showed the rightness of the cause that even with these odds, it was the colonials who won their freedom, and tyranny from afar was defeated.
Secondly, the Declaration gives an inkling into what good government is, and is generally how we define it today. Democracy went from a novelty, to the true power in the world. You can see this is just how many countries blatantly continue under dictatorship, which is few. Most nations at least possess the facade of democracy, since it gives legitimacy. The Declaration was the beginning of this.
Thirdly, it shows what a determined group of men, confident in their principles can accomplish. It was these principles which won the war, giving each and every soldier something to fight for. Our first and only state "religion" is America, and all that she stands for. Each soldier believes this at their heart, that America is good and just, and carries this belief into battle. America still fights for these principles, both at home and abroad, and seeks to carry the light of freedom to all of the corners of our dark world.
There are those who disparage all of this, those who believe that America is not good, or just. They believe that America is broken, and was made that way. Even on its birthday, they hold this cancer close to their hearts, where it corrupts them and clouds their eyes. To them, nothing can be said that will cut out this blackness. They must come to it by themselves, or not at all. To those who listen to them, not knowing that there is this wretchedness inside of them, I say this. They want you to believe that America is not perfect. I agree with this. But when perfect ideals are put into practice, they due to our human condition become imperfect. It is a testament to our character that we struggle to unmake these wrongs. This is a battle that never can be won. But to say that our principles are flawed because our execution of them is, no greater lie has been told. We must continue to cherish what our Founding Fathers saw as the light of humanity, and under God's grace we will make the right choices to continue to grasp at overcoming human frailty and fallacy. America is since its founding has been the greatest nation that God has graced our world with. And we will continue to be so, as long as we continue to clutch our principles, knowing that even if we cannot perfectly accomplish them, there is goodness and greatness in reaching for them.
So, I say Happy Birthday, America. You are my home of the free and the brave. I would not wish to be anywhere else, on this day or any other. Now, pass some cake. Corner piece please.
Friday, July 3, 2009
A Prediction For the Future: Congratulations Mrs. President
Geez, I figured that I was safe on the Friday before the 4th, but the world conspired to bombshells on all of us. Well, not the world but Governor Sarah Palin. She announced to the world that she was resigning from her governor's position and not running for re-election. I know, quite shocking. Of course, this announcement cleared the news desks of everything else.
I guess the first question is this: Why did Sarah do it? She is a beautiful, smart and ambitious person, who electrified the country and her state of Alaska since her announcement of being McCain's running mate. She figures strongly in the dreams of many red-blooded Americans, both male and female. This is not a complaint or meant to be disparaging. Sarah Palin is the dream candidate for many, and for others just a dream. However, with great power comes those who are jealous and threatened. Those who oppose her lashed out with vicious attacks, the likes of which had not been seen for most of American history. There were endless frivolous ethical complaints, sexist commentary, jokes about her teenage daughter's rape and people who honestly thought she should abort her Down Syndrome child because...yeah there is no good reason for that one. You can often tell how dangerous someone is by listening to their enemies. If you base their threat on the nature of the attacks directed against her, it would be akin to the demons of hell talking about the Second Coming.
It was these attacks that lead Governor Palin towards this bombshell. In her own words, these attacks were costing irreplaceable resources of her family and her state, which in turn would not allow her to fulfill her role as Governor as she wanted. Sarah demonstrated something little seen in American politics today, an act of selflessness. She gave up her title to make things easier for her family and her constituents. Yeah, you could say she quit when the going got tough, but really do you believe that? Does Sarah look like a fragile woman, who was on the verge of crying? I don't think so.
Sarah has come to mean a lot of things to a lot of people. She still draws crowds like a rock star, the media drops everything when she speaks, and almost everyone has an opinion on her. She stands for the people next door, since she is the lady who lives at the end of the street who does the pastries for the town bake sale. Sarah is one of us, and that is why America loves her, and will continue to do so. Her words laid it out perfectly, which even the balanced Fox News had trouble grasping. There is nothing hidden about Sarah, she is plain-spoken and honest. She told us why she did what she did, and that is all there is to it.
The next question would be why do I use her first name? Isn't that a bit rude? Well, since Sarah is just like us, no better and no worse, she doesn't need fancy titles to be someone. She demonstrated that today. When I first heard about her announcement, I was indeed shocked, but I know deep inside that America has not seen the last of her yet, since we have no seen the last of ourselves.
Well, you spoke of a prediction. What is that? Well McCain announced Sarah as his running mate, I rejoiced. They had nailed in the last nail of Obama's coffin, and would win. However, I did not see the way McCain bumbled the end of the campaign. My next thought was that we were looking at the first female president of the United States. I still hold this view, one that I would be glad to help come about. After the dust settles from this bomb, the American people will see Sarah's action as she does, selfless and brave. Americans respect integrity, and after four years of our Dear Leader will be ready for it once again. Her enemies will of course use this against her, but she will come out on top, as she always as done. They will call her a quitter, a loser, and out of touch. They will make fun of her kids, and say sexist things. But what they wont do is realize that by doing so they hurt themselves. People see through these things.
We might not see Sarah as president in 2012, but within my lifetime she will be sitting in the Oval Office, leading us towards freedom and progress. She ain't perfect, but she is ours. That, and will make the best pastries of any leader in the world. You can take that to the bank.
I guess the first question is this: Why did Sarah do it? She is a beautiful, smart and ambitious person, who electrified the country and her state of Alaska since her announcement of being McCain's running mate. She figures strongly in the dreams of many red-blooded Americans, both male and female. This is not a complaint or meant to be disparaging. Sarah Palin is the dream candidate for many, and for others just a dream. However, with great power comes those who are jealous and threatened. Those who oppose her lashed out with vicious attacks, the likes of which had not been seen for most of American history. There were endless frivolous ethical complaints, sexist commentary, jokes about her teenage daughter's rape and people who honestly thought she should abort her Down Syndrome child because...yeah there is no good reason for that one. You can often tell how dangerous someone is by listening to their enemies. If you base their threat on the nature of the attacks directed against her, it would be akin to the demons of hell talking about the Second Coming.
It was these attacks that lead Governor Palin towards this bombshell. In her own words, these attacks were costing irreplaceable resources of her family and her state, which in turn would not allow her to fulfill her role as Governor as she wanted. Sarah demonstrated something little seen in American politics today, an act of selflessness. She gave up her title to make things easier for her family and her constituents. Yeah, you could say she quit when the going got tough, but really do you believe that? Does Sarah look like a fragile woman, who was on the verge of crying? I don't think so.
Sarah has come to mean a lot of things to a lot of people. She still draws crowds like a rock star, the media drops everything when she speaks, and almost everyone has an opinion on her. She stands for the people next door, since she is the lady who lives at the end of the street who does the pastries for the town bake sale. Sarah is one of us, and that is why America loves her, and will continue to do so. Her words laid it out perfectly, which even the balanced Fox News had trouble grasping. There is nothing hidden about Sarah, she is plain-spoken and honest. She told us why she did what she did, and that is all there is to it.
The next question would be why do I use her first name? Isn't that a bit rude? Well, since Sarah is just like us, no better and no worse, she doesn't need fancy titles to be someone. She demonstrated that today. When I first heard about her announcement, I was indeed shocked, but I know deep inside that America has not seen the last of her yet, since we have no seen the last of ourselves.
Well, you spoke of a prediction. What is that? Well McCain announced Sarah as his running mate, I rejoiced. They had nailed in the last nail of Obama's coffin, and would win. However, I did not see the way McCain bumbled the end of the campaign. My next thought was that we were looking at the first female president of the United States. I still hold this view, one that I would be glad to help come about. After the dust settles from this bomb, the American people will see Sarah's action as she does, selfless and brave. Americans respect integrity, and after four years of our Dear Leader will be ready for it once again. Her enemies will of course use this against her, but she will come out on top, as she always as done. They will call her a quitter, a loser, and out of touch. They will make fun of her kids, and say sexist things. But what they wont do is realize that by doing so they hurt themselves. People see through these things.
We might not see Sarah as president in 2012, but within my lifetime she will be sitting in the Oval Office, leading us towards freedom and progress. She ain't perfect, but she is ours. That, and will make the best pastries of any leader in the world. You can take that to the bank.
Daddy, Where Does the Red Brick Road Go?
I was flipping through the stations yesterday, and came upon TCM that was showing the Wizard of Oz. Now, even though it was made in 1939, which was the golden year of Hollywood, may people today might consider the Wizard to be childish, and surpassed by later movies. This is categorically not true. When I first saw the movie, it scared the bejeezus out of me, and today I find that the movie still works, showing a magical place full of places to explore, evil witches to dowse and flying monkeys to play with.
There is one question that I have never had satisfactorily answered though about The Wizard of Oz. I have always wondered, where does the red brick road go? Now, IMDB states that it goes to the mayor's house of Munchkinville, but that just doesn't seem right. We all know that the yellow brick road leads you to where you want to go, for Dorothy it leads to the wizard. What does the red brick road symbolize?
Now, I am sure that this question might be answered in the other eleven or so books about the land of Oz. I have not read them. So I will take a leap into the unknown, and decide for myself what the red brick road is all about. I have always been interested in those paths not taken, the road that I pass that I don't take, and other choices that I don't make. The red brick road is all of these things. It is not to say that the road is of regret, as often times later I return to the crossroads just to find out what is down that dark path that I passed before. The red brick road is what you could become, but not what you are.
Most people don't think about these things, wanting only the Emerald City, bright and shiny and full of promise. They follow the yellow brick road until they get there, and damn what other things that could come about. For most people, the yellow brick road is ok, and all they really need is the Emerald City. For me, I want that peek behind the curtain.
What is my red brick road? There have been some choices that I could have taken that would have dramatically changed my life. One would have been to go to the other college that I had been accepted too. I would have studied something different, met different people, and God knows what else would be different. The next big change would have been to get a job right after graduation instead of graduate school. I might live elsewhere, be married or even have children by this time. I would know different people, and perhaps not even be writing this very thing.
I am sure that there are other choices I could have made that would have changed things, either for good or ill. Do I regret these things? No. Honestly how things have turned out so far haven't been too bad. Of course things could be better, but who can't say that. The events and people in my life have made me what I am now, and I am not disappointed.
Sure, sometimes I wonder though. Could things be different? They could be. Might they be better? Definitely. But I did not take the red brick road. I would sometimes like to go back to the beginning, and choose a different path. But then I would not be who I am today. I would not have met the same people and done the same things that I have done on my yellow brick road. The good thing is that I have not yet reached my Emerald City. I can always do something different if I choose, but cannot change the road that I have taken thus far. Maybe someday I will find a new road, and just take a peek on what might have been.
There is one question that I have never had satisfactorily answered though about The Wizard of Oz. I have always wondered, where does the red brick road go? Now, IMDB states that it goes to the mayor's house of Munchkinville, but that just doesn't seem right. We all know that the yellow brick road leads you to where you want to go, for Dorothy it leads to the wizard. What does the red brick road symbolize?
Now, I am sure that this question might be answered in the other eleven or so books about the land of Oz. I have not read them. So I will take a leap into the unknown, and decide for myself what the red brick road is all about. I have always been interested in those paths not taken, the road that I pass that I don't take, and other choices that I don't make. The red brick road is all of these things. It is not to say that the road is of regret, as often times later I return to the crossroads just to find out what is down that dark path that I passed before. The red brick road is what you could become, but not what you are.
Most people don't think about these things, wanting only the Emerald City, bright and shiny and full of promise. They follow the yellow brick road until they get there, and damn what other things that could come about. For most people, the yellow brick road is ok, and all they really need is the Emerald City. For me, I want that peek behind the curtain.
What is my red brick road? There have been some choices that I could have taken that would have dramatically changed my life. One would have been to go to the other college that I had been accepted too. I would have studied something different, met different people, and God knows what else would be different. The next big change would have been to get a job right after graduation instead of graduate school. I might live elsewhere, be married or even have children by this time. I would know different people, and perhaps not even be writing this very thing.
I am sure that there are other choices I could have made that would have changed things, either for good or ill. Do I regret these things? No. Honestly how things have turned out so far haven't been too bad. Of course things could be better, but who can't say that. The events and people in my life have made me what I am now, and I am not disappointed.
Sure, sometimes I wonder though. Could things be different? They could be. Might they be better? Definitely. But I did not take the red brick road. I would sometimes like to go back to the beginning, and choose a different path. But then I would not be who I am today. I would not have met the same people and done the same things that I have done on my yellow brick road. The good thing is that I have not yet reached my Emerald City. I can always do something different if I choose, but cannot change the road that I have taken thus far. Maybe someday I will find a new road, and just take a peek on what might have been.
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