Rocks, Glass Houses, or Hearts and Hands of Human Compassion

I'm back.  Having not blogged in a while it took something strong to move me back to the keyboard.  First, something that has been weighing heavy on my heart and my mind.  Second, a friend asked why I had not blogged for so long.  I can't ignore the pull, so back, I am.

Troubled I am by people I know.  People I know to be good people.  Yet, somehow, troubled I am.  I live in a small town.  I've lived here my whole life.  If you've ever lived in a small town, you know the joys it can bring:  that sense of family, a feeling of safety and security, and a continuity of knowing the same people your whole life.  Unfortunately, those very blessings can bring the same amount of unwarranted heartache.  Yes, small towns love gossip.

We've all heard it.  We've all engaged in it.  We've all been hurt by it.  We say we don't like it, but when we got it, we share it.  Like wildfire it spreads.  None are innocent and none are immune.

And that, my friends, is what moves me today.  You know the old saying, "People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones."  I wonder about the glass houses in which we dwell.  The problem with living in a glass house is it lets in the sun and heats up whatever you have in there and just causes it to rot even more.  I know mine is not perfect.  As hard as I try, I am not perfect and I mess up a whole lot.  So I put up a lot of shutters hoping it will protect my little glass house from the stones thrown my way.  Most of the time, the shutters do their job, but every now and then, one or two get left open.  As we know, it doesn't matter what is inside, there is always someone on the outside with a stone ready and waiting!

I know I am not the only one who works hard to keep the shutters up.  I've known people who have struggled through life themselves.  People who have supported spouses, family members, and loved-ones through the deepest and darkest times of their lives.  During such times people just want to be left alone to cope, heal, recover.  Many families have been able to that because of loving support and faith and have emerged stronger. 

However, the prying eyes of the community make it so much harder, especially if you, your friends, or loved ones are dealing with addiction, adultery, unplanned pregnancy, legal problems, divorce, unemployment, depression, mental illness, or disease. The list is endless. I have heard people say how much easier it would be if they just didn't have to deal with the gossip in addition to the problem that they were having,  They try so hard to keep it quiet and under the radar. It is instinct.  Some people will use whatever fuel they can to spark the gossip inferno.  But, what perplexes me most is when these same people, these survivors of difficult times, do not grant others the same privacy they yearned for during their own struggles and jump at the chance to throw their own stones at others or worse pour on the gasoline of gossip and toss in a lighted match.

I've examined my own heart lately.  I wish I could say that everytime I heard a juicy tid-bit being thown about that I plugged my ears and zipped my mouth and moved along.  Just like everyone else, I too am gulity; just like everyone else, I have been on the receiving side of those stones, and I know the damage they do.  So now, I choose to lay down my stones and use my hands for helpful purposes.  If these hands can tear down, can't they also build up? 

The problem with throwing stones is how easy it is.  You can do it from a distance and do a great deal of damage.  You can do it in a crowd and remain anonymous.  You can do it quietly and pretend you aren't doing any harm.  The problem with helping others when they have fallen is how hard it is.  You can't do it from a distance.  You have to reach out your own hand and grab the hand of the one who has fallen.  It is personal.  It is risky.  You have to get involved, and you might even get hit by some of the stones yourself.  You can't usually help someone in a crowd.  It requires stepping forward, apart from the crowd. Stepping apart from the crowd will be noticed.  And once you do, it rarely is kept quiet.  There will be talk.

We live in a disconnected world.  We post pictures on Facebook:  "Pray for Oklahoma"  "Support Our Troops" "Like if you love Jesus." And we think we have done our share.  10,000 likes for a picture of a child with a tumor.....we have all seen, liked, and posted these.  It is easy, and it gives us a quick, momentary feeling of goodness.  But, what about the people closest to us?  I'm not talking about volunteering to feed the homeless or donating to the Red Cross or to food banks.  I think a lot of us do that and those are admirable, loving, kind acts of charity and goodness.  But in some ways still disconnected.  What about those closest to you who have fallen who need your kindness instead of your judgement?  Shouldn't we start with those nearest to us?  I know it is hard.  We reserve judgement for those closest to us because they are the ones most likely to disappoint us.  Plus, we can see their flaws up close and personal.  And that's just it.  It is personal.  Personal connections are the hardest because they entail the most risk.  But with the most risk often comes the most reward.

Think of a time when you were in the middle of your own life storm.  All your shutters were thrown open and every wall of your glass house was exposed.  When the stones were flying, who held out that hand for you?  Whose arms were there to give you that hug?  Whose shoulder did you cry on, and who lent a listening ear?  Who helped you put your shutters back up and protected you from those stones?

One hand in a flurry of stones is usually all someone needs.  Be that hand of compassion. 

If we aren't doing good for others, then what good are we?

The Cliffs of Insanity

Aaaaaahhhhh!  The fiscal cliff!  More like the Cliffs of Insanity!  As if we didn't have enough to worry about.  Our huge, bloated, inefficient government has gotten us into another fine mess. And we sit waiting and watching as though they actually have the ability, let alone the desire, to solve this or any of the other problems facing this country.  One side keeps yelling to raise taxes while the other side whispers that the real problem is spending.  The only thing they are really good at is pointing fingers.  We all know whatever happens, it isn't going to really matter.  There's no way they can ever collect enough taxes to cover what has already been blown.  Everyone knows spending needs to be cut, but nobody wants to cut anything.  It's like a bunch of over-eaters elected a bunch of binge eaters to guard the refrigerators!

It's funny when you get into economical debates with people and listen to their reasoning for one side or the other.  I use the word "economical" very loosely because it is funny how little people really know about economics, but how they think they know so much.  Maybe it's not that funny?

I live in a "tax the rich, tax everybody, tax everything, tax your way out of it" state.  Out legislators convinced the populace that a tax increase would bring in more revenue and help resolve the budget deficit.  The governor put a knife to throat of education and other public services and people voted to save the state.  I actually read a quaint little post on Facebook from someone saying that they would "gladly pay more for the kids." You can't explain to those people that tax increases eventually reach a point where they become so prohibitive that revenues actually start to decrease.  It's an economic principal and just doesn't fit well in a soundbite or a post on Facebook. People think it is simple; raise taxes = more revenue. 

Revenue in the hands of the government is never well managed anyway.  That's another thing people don't always get.  So, I was not the least bit surprised when I read a recent report that tax revenue for the state of California had not only decreased after the recent tax hike, but government spending had gone up.  Not on education, you know for "the kids."  Apparently there was a sudden need to give the homeless people of California cell phones and great cell phone plans.  I hope they have Facebook and get this post.  Tax rates went up and revenue went down.  People who live in states with high tax rates and can afford to pay high taxes don't necessarily want to pay high taxes.  That means they can afford to move to states where they can pay reasonable rates, or they go to states with no state income taxes at all.  But, I just heard today that California has an answer to that.  Yep, they are going to tax people who leave the state!  Might as well just change our state song to "Hotel California."  "You can check out any time you like, but you can NEVER LEAVE!"  Until you pay more taxes. 

This could all be done and over if they would just leave the Federal Tax rates alone and make the Bush Tax rates permanent.  That would require true leadership.  But we just gotta have the drama; we gotta have the crisis; we gotta have discord.  If raising taxes is bad for one group of Americans, it is bad for all Americans.  It's like drowning.  Drowning isn't good for anyone.  You have one hundred people on a boat and the boat is about to sink and all one hundred people are in danger of drowning.  One guy is saying, "I can save 98 of the people on the boat, but you have to let me drown two of the guys I don't like and get all the heavy change out of their pockets first.  That will save the boat." The 98 people are like, "Yeah, let's drown 'em.  You're our hero!"  But there's this other group saying, "Wait a minute.  Drowning is bad.  We shouldn't drown anybody!  We have a plan that can save all one hundred people!"  Then the first guy says that they want everyone to die because he can't drown a couple of people like he wants!  And people believe him!

So that's the problem.. We are all in the same boat.  Raising taxes during a recession is just going to drown the economy.  Raising taxes on the successful isn't going to generate enough revenue to fix anything that has already been broken. The best estimates are that an increase on the upper 2% would bring in $80 billion for one year.  That is barely enough to run the bloated government for one week.  Congress just passed $60 billion in relief for the Hurricane Sandy victims on the East Coast (new spending) so you do the math, what does that leave?  When you tax the successful, you end up hurting the middle class.  The successful employ the middle class.  How many jobs will be lost?  How many people will lose benefits? How will that effect the economy?

But, it could be that you just don't get economics and you think it is "fair" for the "rich" to pay more.  If that is the case, then just admit that you have class envy, and you take pleasure in seeing the government stick it to people who are more successful than you are!  I know this will get a lot of people screaming (I'm getting used to it) but if you don't know your Keynesian keister from a Hayek hole in the ground it doesn't much matter what you have to say!  You would be like this one guy who put a YouTube video of Robin Williams on Facbook explaining how Bush had destroyed the economy! Ya! The Genie from Aladdin! If you want a celebrity economist to prove your point, at least use Ben Stein, a real economist and celebrity.  If you want a liberal, semi/sorta thinks he's a celebrity I'd even give you Paul Krugman.  But Robin Williams, come on!  I don't know; I hear Eddie Murphy has great bit on Thermodynamics!

So there you have it.  You get the government you deserve and you deserve the governement you get.  This is what we've got. I guess when the majority of us get our news and information from Jon Stewart and Jay Leno we can't expect the chosen electorate to be very choice. So, I guess we better hold on, it looks like we in for a bumpy ride!

Hey, Thelma and Louise!  Ya got room in that T-Bird for 300 million more?

We're All Racists Now

A lot of people have been bemoaning how they can't wait for this election to be over.  A recent status update on Facebook said as much lately.  Someone wrote that they couldn't wait for this election to be over so their friends could go back to being undercover racists.  It made me wonder what their friends must be like and what must they think of their friends.  But, more than that, it made me think about how race is injected into politics even when it isn't the issue in this election.

I think it's no surprise that conservatives and liberals have different fiscal and social policies.  There was a time when you could discuss the policies of each political philosophy and base your decision to support a candidate running under the banner of one party or the other on the merits of those policies and how successfully they were implemented.  Examples:  Nixon and Reagan were both Republicans.  Nixon created the Environmental Protection Agnecy.  Now it is out of control.  Bloated government isn't even why he had to resign!  Reagan limited the size of government and lowered taxes.  He inherited a bad economy (13% unemployment), but instead of complaining, he turned it around!  Carter and Clinton are both Democrats. Bill Clinton was a good leader who reached across the aisle and worked with Republicans to sign a balanced budget.  Over all a successful presidency (with the exception of that impeachment stuff).  Carter, on the other hand, not so much, what with that Iranian hostage crisis and all those gas shortages.  You can't do that now; just try to do that now.  Mention unemployment, tax rates, immigration, defense spending, education, birth control, the national debt or deficit, the economy, national security, medicare, the environment and you're lucky if you're called anything less than a flat earther women hating child endangering birther throwing granny off the cliff global warming denier 1% loving RACIST!

So this post got me thinking.  Have we reached a point where intelligent people can't disagree about politics anymore because the president is black?  Some people view everything through the prism of race.  That kind of vision must be severely limiting:  To judge people based only on skin color;  To not see people as individuals;  To not hold the President of the United States to account because you see his skin color before the office he holds. More than anything, it limits our ability to discuss the merits of issues.  As soon as someone is winning the political argument using facts on the economy or medicare or immigration....call them a racist.  It is such an emotionally charged word that it makes most people recoil.  They recoil out of shock.  Shock that someone that they most likely know well just said something about them that they know isn't true to advance their own political argument.

And then it happened to me.  The word wasn't used, but message was there:  Stop making your political points about minorities and unemployment.  I don't like your facts about poverty and education .  I don't have any facts of my own, but you're white; you probably don't even know any minorities.  And even if you do, they are few and may have had a tough time recently, but you're white. Pull the race card.  End debate.

Not so fast.  If you know me, I had to push the issue, make my point.  I shared my own economic struggles.  I reasoned that this person grew up in the same town as I had.  That our town was accepting of all races.  That we were lucky to have been raised here.  That's when this person proclaimed just how racist this community, its teachers, and the people who live in our home town had been. This person said I had been living a life of illusion.

This person tried to shatter my illusion by telling me about a mean racist teacher from our elementary school.  I remembered that teacher.  She was mean.  She took a girl in my grade outside who was working too slowly and slapped her across the face and told her to do her work faster!  That teacher was hateful, but that little girl was white.  This person also told me about the mean racist Home Economics teacher at the high school.  I had that teacher.  She was the only teacher who ever kicked me out of class.  She kicked me out of class because I wouldn't eat raisins!  I guess that also makes me a raisinist!  This Home Ec teacher was mean to everyone.  There were a bunch of girls in my class whose mothers had taught them to sew, but the teacher was constantly ripping out their seams and telling them that their mothers had taught them incorrectly.  She was a bad teacher. 

Every so called racist implicated by this person was someone I knew pretty much to be, I hope you will pardon my language, an asshole.  They had been mean and hateful to a large number of people; so, they were equal opportunity offenders.  The world is full of assholes.  Being racist and calling someone a racist is just another form of being an asshole.  When you look at the world through the prism of race, it is like looking at the world through your own asshole.  The view is very narrow, everything you see looks like crap, and every time you turn around it seems like your world is headed down the toilet!

Butt, I mean but, just for fun, I am going to give it a try.  I thought maybe I could categorize some of the people in my life according to their ethnic and minority status.  Let's start with my family.  My husband was born in Mexico, and he and his family came to the United States when he was a young boy.  My mother-in-law worked in agriculture from the fields to the packing sheds, and my father-in-law works in construction.  They have both labored hard to pass the American dream on to their children.  Now, my husband does the same for our family.  

Many of my friends in high school were of Mexican decent.  One friend was more like a brother to me.  To this day his family is like family.  Speaking of family, one of my cousins married a woman from France.  Want to come to Christmas dinner with us?  Turkey, tamales, and escargot!  The woman who took care of my children was born in Japan.  My dentist is Chinese, and my doctor is from India.

My first year of teaching a former teacher came out of retirement to teach science at the school where I was hired.  He was also a former Marine.  He smoked a pipe in the halls and the smell reminded me of my grandfather.  He was an inspiration to this first year novice.  The respect he commanded from his students; the dedication and commitment to his classroom and the school and the community; the way he got his students to perform academically.  He mentored me and taught me management techniques that I still use in my classroom twenty-two years later.  Few others have matched his example since.  Oh, by the way, he was black.  He's no longer with us, but he left a lasting impression and is greatly missed.

It's not race that makes any of these people who they are.  It's what they do, how they act, how they treat others and what they contribute to the world that makes each of them so special.  They are individuals who all have special talents and personalities and gifts.  Each and every one has had an impact on my life.

After the racial slugfest on Facebook, I found myself slipping into that cynical place.  I was beginning to think there must be more people in that asshole category than I had realized.  It's a contagious disease and you only have to be human to catch it.  But that's also the cure.  Being human.  Acting human.  Treating others like human beings.   And that's when it happened to me.  The kindness of a stranger.  A stranger on a phonecall.  A lady who helped straighten out my mortgage payment because you know teachers don't get paid during the summer, and I had some catching up to do.  I thought I was in for a battle, but I made a friend that day.  I don't know what color she was, and I don't care.  She was human and treated me like one too.  A total stranger who was truly helpful with patience, kindness, and understanding.

After all, isn't that all we really need?

The Likability Factor

Everyone makes decisions about what they like and dislike.  Clearly we only eat foods that we like, listen to music that we like, go places that we like, and hang out with people that we like.  If you don't like something or someone, of course, you aren't going to want to have anything to do with it.  That makes sense.  But, it only makes sense when you are evaluating those things which you can truly determine whether or not you like them.  You have to be able to have some sort of tangible data on which to base your decision.  That's why I do not understand this likability factor that some people use when determining who they will choose as President of the United States.

For years, pollsters have asked voters to share how well they "like" certain candidates.  They will compare their favorable ratings to their unfavorable ratings.  They will ask them things like, "Which candidate would you rather have a beer with?" Or, "Which candidate would you want to hang out and watch a ball game with?"  And people actually answer these questions as though there is a possibility that they might have a beer or watch football with one of the candidates and that is somehow a determining factor in why they would trust them to be in charge of the world's largest free market economy.  Huh?

I just don't get people who say simplistic things like, "I really like the President.  He seems like such a good husband and father."  By all accounts, he does appear to be a good husband and a good father.  I'm sure that is very good for his wife and his daughters. His daughters deserve a good and decent father, and his wife deserves a loving husband.  What I don't understand is how these very same people made hideous comments about George Bush when he was in office.  By all accounts, he was a good and decent father and a very good husband.  Yet, that didn't seem to matter to the Bush haters.  And what about Clinton?  He seemed like a good dad......but, the husband part is a pretty iffy.........still, he was very popular, very popular!  Wink!  Wink!  Historians documented that Pol Pot was a loving husband and father.  However, as communist leader of the Khmer Rouge his regime slaughtered millions of innocent Cambodians.  Go figure!

Another favorite of mine, "He seems so sincere when he is speaking."  Uh....okay.  You do know that he is reading a speech that someone else wrote off of a telepromter?  Right?  In other words, he is really good at reading someone else's words.  Have you ever noticed how bumbly he gets when he goes off prompter?  It is during those times that we get the gaffes, "I have been to 57 states and have one more to go."  Or the offensive remarks like the one on Leno early in his Presidency when he said that he bowled like someone in the Special Olympics. Maybe he was hanging out with Bill Maher the night before, and he just couldn't get all those hateful jokes about Sarah Palin's special needs child out of his head.......whatever.  Or the more recent reveal of his true heart.....The "You didn't build that!" comment that showed business owners the true nature of the beast.  You see, he is sincerely good at trying to get you to believe what he wants you to believe, most of the time.

I don't understand how it can be about "liking" one or the other.  How can you like someone that you don't even know?  Someone that you will never know let alone even meet!  And even if you do get the rare opportunity to meet one or the other of the candidates, for how long?  Ten seconds?  Ten minutes?  Is that long enough to determine if you like them or not?  So the candidate has a great smile, is good looking, has a way with words.  So did Ted Bundy!  That's how he got so many women to feel comfortable enough to let him get close enough to them so he could brutally murder them!  Appearances are deceiving!

Qualifications are more important than likability.  How qualified someone is to do a job matters so much more.  Especially if you are not going to be spending a large amout time in close contact with this person.  Let's say I'm looking to hire somone to paint my house.  I have two guys applying for the job.  One guy is a great painter.  He has his own really successful painting business.  As a matter of fact he has made quite a bit of money painting houses.  However, he seems kind of awkward and doesn't seem to have that snazzy likability factor that would make me want to hang out with him.  But, he says he will get the job done and for less money than what I expected to pay.  The other guy however, has a great smile and is really cool.  He has been running a government operated painting business for the last three years.  The business is in debt and he hasn't gotten the number of houses painted that he promised he would paint.  The houses he has painted don't look that hot, but he smiles and says it's the fault of the guy who ran the business before him.  He gives me a quote that has all these hidden taxes in it.  But he's so likable!  Who should I hire?  The guy who can paint my house without making a mess of it!  Duh!  Keep in mind we are not going to be hanging out and drinking beer together.  I am hiring the guy to do a job.  I want someone who can get the job done!

So you may think you like the guy, but you don't even know the guy.  You like the image.  Just like a mirage, it isn't real.  The closer you get the faster it disappears.  Look at the facts.  Is he getting the job done?  Unemployment  8.3%, economic growth 1.5%, gas prices up, inflation skyrocketing, consumer confidence down, national debt, deficit spending........the list could go on and on and on........There are so many bad things going on right now, it is hard to find something to like, let alone someone to like. 

I know what I'd like; I'd like someone who could get this country working again. Someone who is qualified!

That's what I'd like!

What Is Your Standard?

I often find myself admiring those who can do things that I cannot do.  I admire great athletes like those we see competing in the Olympics right now.  The gymnasts, swimmers, divers, volleyball teams, cyclists, but most of all the track and field athletes are among my favorites.  The discipline and dedication that it takes to compete at that level astounds me.  I admire those who have musical talents and abilities.  When I hear a great singer or musician, I find myself wishing I had that kind of talent.  I also admire those who sacrifice themselves in service to others like soldiers, firefighters, and other first responders.  But here lately, I have found myself developing a sick sense of admiration for a group of individuals who have the ability to do something beyond that which I could never do.  The ability to have double standards and be a full blown hypocrite seems to be a refined talent that is apparently quite advantageous.

Hollywood celebrities are very good at the double standard.  How many times have you heard the starlet proclaim that she doesn't want to be known for her looks.  It is her talent and her contribution and body of work for which she wants to be remembered......and then she gets a nose job.  Whatever....I'm not against plastic surgery.  As a matter of fact, I'm all for it.  Just don't pretend to be something that you are not.  If you got a nose job, say, "I got a nose job."  By the way....I got a nose job.

Or the "green" celebrities.  "I don't use plastic bags because they harm the environment," and then they jump on a fossil fueled private jet and fly all over the world and stay in ginormous homes and condos that use more electricity than a small midwestern town.  Not to mention, that their entire industry creates a huge amount of waste and pollution.  Honestly, I don't care.  The industry also generates a whole lot of revenue and jobs, and that is a good thing.  I just don't appreciate Hollywood activists like Julia Louis Dreyfus who lobby Washington to block something like the XL Pipeline from Canada to the Gulf that would have created thousands of American jobs and boosted our economy all in the name of environmentalism while they do more damage to the environment on a daily basis themselves.  I guess as long as it is their jet and their job it is "good" pollution.  You know, because they don't use plastice bags at Whole Foods when they go grocery shopping and all.

Worse than Hollywood, however, is the lamestream media.  It is not even a double standard with the media; it is standard operating procedure.  It is what is to be expected.  It is predictable.  Recently was the fashion comparison between First Lady Michelle Obama and Ann Romney joining her husband on the campaign trail.  Mrs. Romney was hammered by the media for wearing a designer blouse in an interview that cost $900 and how insensitive it was to out of work people.  This was proof that the Romneys were "out of touch" with the American people.  A few weeks later, Mrs. Obama wears a $6800 designer jacket to meet the Queen at Buckingham Palace and didn't she look spectacular?  Ummm....can someone check the math for me?  I'm sorry, but that's not a double standard......That's just saying we don't like you and were going to say mean things about you, but we like you and we are going to say nice things about you.  That is not the job of the media!  I think the First Lady of the United States should look spectacular when meeting the Queen of England.  I think the wife of a man running for President of the United States has the right to buy and wear whatever blouse she wants.  Either they both looked nice or they were both being extravagant!  Maybe it was just the media making a stupid story for stupid people who won't pay attention to the real issues!  Like the  sluggish economy and 8.2% unemployment!

Really egregious though was the Rush Limbaugh/Bill Maher misogynist battle.  Rush was beat up one side and down the other for calling Sandra Fluke a "slut" when she spoke on behalf of women and the need for healthcare to provide women like her who have access to an expensive education who will be gainfully employed with free birth control because for some reason it was going to be a hardship when she started making a six figure income after she graduated.  Rush was wrong.  He should have never used language like that about a women.  It is inappropriate, and it was disappointing.  Wanting free birth control for gainfully employed women who can afford it isn't "sluttly."  It's just self-serving.

But when Bill Maher said horrific things about Sarah Palin........chirp, chirp, chirp......nothing but crickets.  He called her the b-word, said she stupid, and call her the c-word.  A word that makes most women cringe with disgust.  He even said horrible things about her children and her special needs child!  Granted the man is sick.  But the best anyone could do was say, "Well, he's a comedian."  Oh, so it was supposed to be funny?  Not only did the media not hold him accountable, but President Obama accepted a $1,000,000 donation to his Presidential campaign. 

So, that brings us to the worst ones of all, the politicians.  Of course President Obama had to accept $1,000,000 from Bill Maher.  I'm sure if you support the President, you probably agree.  It is what they do.  They do and say these things all the time.  A recent survey showed that people are actually okay with their candidate lying in order to get elected.  I'll let you look it up yourself so you can see which political party was more okay than the other with lying.  I guess that is why we see them doing it more and more frequently.

How about the recent attacks on Mitt Romney because he has money in Swiss bank accounts?  Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, Chairperson of the Demorcratic National Committee made this allegation as though it were somehow against the law on Fox News Sunday one week.  It didn't take but 24 hours for real journalists to finds that.......wait for it........Debbie Wasserman-Schultz has money in Swiss bank accounts and other overseas investments, as do many Senior White House Staff like Valerie Jarret, Jack Lew, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney, and Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.  Oooops!

And now you have the politicians on the left pushing for Mitt Romney to release something like ten years worth of his tax returns.  To prove what?  That he's rich?  So is Oprah.  She must have done something evil and illegal.  You have Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid using the REO Speedwagon refrain on the actual Senate floor, "I heard it from a friend whooooo, heard it from a friend whoooo......" implying that the former Governor may not have paid his taxes for the past ten years.........not that he has any actual proof.  He actually said that!  Congress was asked to release ONE year of tax returns.  Guess who refuses to release even one year?  Harry Reid!  

So, I'm thinking; is this a double standard?  Are these people being hypocrites?  I really don't think they are.  Just like the talented athletes and musicians mentioned earlier, this is what these people are really good at doing.  Just like the talented athletes and musicians this is who they are. They take pleasure in what they are doing.  They are bad people doing bad things for bad reasons.  In many cases, they are bad people doing bad things to hurt GOOD people.  This is their standard.

I said that I had a sick sense of admiration for these people.  I don't.  I could never do what they do.  It is not who I am.  Sometimes, I find myself wishing I could because there is this part of me that wants to be able to get some "payback."  However, my better nature fortunately takes over and reminds me that the wicked will pay for their wicked ways.

But I wonder about those who continue to support these "hypocrites."  If you support these people because you are misinformed......What are you going to do about it?  What if you are just misguided?  Do have to keep buying their excuses?  But what if you truly support them and their ways?  What does that say about you?  Is it a double standard?  Do you have a double standard?  Some people will say that it depends. Depends on what?  It is either right or wrong.  Last time I checked Depends were adult diapers and only good for holding one thing. 

Is that your standard? 





   

Chick-fil-A and the Thought Police

I don't know how many of you have been following the Chick-fil-A controversy, but it has gotten me thinking about how people like to boycott over things when others don't agree with their way of thinking.  Clearly this is a common trend, and I'm sure many will disagree with what I think which I'm hoping will lead to a boycott of my blog. Wouldn't that prove my point?

Recently, the owner of Chick-fil-A was being interviewed by a Southern Baptist Christian magazine and he was asked about his PERSONAL view regarding same-sex marriage.  He answered that he supported traditional marriage.  First, if you know the background of Chick-fil-A, you know that its founder is a man who has always been very open about his Christian faith.  Second, the man was speaking to a CHRISTIAN magazine!  What did you expect him to say? Third, last time I checked, this was America, and free people were free to hold their own personal opinions!

I think it is important to point out before going any further that to the best of my knowledge, Chick-fil-A does not discriminate in the workplace nor does it discriminate against its customers.  However, that doesn't matter when it comes to the THOUGHT POLICE!  Especially the geniuses in Hollywood. 

Mental giant number one:  Eliza Dushku (I think that's how you spell it; it really need an editor.)  She said the government should stop Chick-fil-A from operating in the United States.  Nevermind that the government can't get the unemploment down from 8.2% for the last year or so; eliminate a business that provides jobs for thousands of Americans!  Genius!  Then again, she works in an industry where people change their names for asthetic purposes all the time and her last name still sounds like a feminine cleansing product. Maybe she just has that "not-so-fresh" feeling and it makes her cranky........

And then there's Rosanne Barr....She said anyone who eats $?!+-fil-A should get cancer and die.  Has she ever said anything that wasn't disgusting, hateful, or cruel?  If only we had more tolerant people in the world like her.....Even Tom Arnold dumped her.  Sad.

More disturbing are the public officials who felt they needed to weigh in on the matter.  The mayor of Boston stated that Chick-fil-A franchises would not be allowed to set up business in his city.  He walked it back probably after someone told him that there was some silly First Amendment or something that allowed people to operate a business and hold an opinion that was different than the mayor's. 

But even better, there is former Obama White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel, newly elected Mayor of Chicago.  He said Chick-fil-A values and Chicago values are not the same.  So is that an endorsement for Chick-fil-A????  Chicago.....the city that gave us Al Capone, the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, Rod Blagoavich, decades of politcal corruption, crime......a crime rate that has increased since Emmanuel was elected!  You are more likely to get beaten, stabbed, or shot in Chicago than just about any other major
American city.  I think the mayor should focus more on cleaning up his city and less on chicken sandwiches.

I remember when all this politically correct food thinking started back with "dolphin free" tuna.  I have always bought Chicken of the Sea tuna. I like it.  Then I remember someone saying they weren't sure if it was "dolphin free."  They explained how some fishermen get dolphins all tangled in the nets and isn't that so sad, blah, blah, blah, wah, wah, wah....At first I was like, "Oh, my gosh, poor dolphins.  That is so sad. I can't eat Flipper. I will only eat dolphin free tuna.  I am so conscious and aware."  So I read all the cans and bought the "dolphin free" tuna and it sucked.  So I started thinking; you might call it justifying.  Dolphins are just big fish.  I know; they're mammals, but they look like fish.  If I can eat Charlie Tuna, why not Flipper?  You want mammals?  Let's put it this way; Porky Pig never stopped me from eating bacon! 

Now we think that companies have to share our political beliefs too.  How is that possible?  I get the emails all the time......Don't shop at Target; they are a French owned company and they do not support our troops and their families.  But I like Target and they provide quality goods at a low price.  Shop at Sears.  They support our troops.  While I like Sears, they don't always have everything I need.  It got me thinking, how can you ever make sure that you know that you only frequent businesses and buy products that are made by companies that agree with your values and your values only?  That would be impossible. 

Can you imagine?  You finally find a restaurant that you know is owned by someone who shares the same values as you.  But what about the cook?  Can you be sure?  What if he voted differently than you did in the last election?  What about the waitress?  Maybe she worships differently than you.  Back to the owner.  Do you really think that you and the owner agree on everything?  And if you don't are you going to stop eating there because of that?  What if they agree with you on everything and the food and service totally suck?  Do you still keep going there just because you are of the same thought?  No!  That would be stupid!

That is the beauty of a free market economy.  It is based on freedom and liberty.  Freedom of choice.  Freedom to choose the products you like best, the services you like best.  The businesses you will support depends on the quality of the goods and services that they provide and how well they meet your needs, not the personal opinions held by the people who create or provide them.  I don't agree with the politcal opinions of Ben and Jerry, but I know they make some great ice cream.  I also love liberty more than the idea of controlling their opinions.  I'm not a big fan of Ellen but I still use Cover Girl products.  I would never boycott them just because I disagree with some of the things their spokesperson has publically stated.  She has a right to her opinion and this is America.

So what's it gonna be Thought Police?  Freedom and Liberty?  Do people have the right to their opinions, even when they are different from yours?  Or, tyranny of thought and boycotts because we just can't tolerate someone having the audacity to not think the same way that we want them to think therefore they must be destroyed.........

I know what I'm thinking...........

All the Single Ladies! (all the single ladies)

I have heard this topic discussed on many political talk show forums this week:  Single women support the re-election of President Obama over the election of Govenor Mitt Romney two to one.  Both sides of the political spectrum have given their rational for this and I have listened and have decided they are both wrong on all accounts.

You've heard the arguments......

There's the fiscal/economic argument.  Many single women are not financially secure and may rely on government programs to support themselves and their families.  While that may be true; the majority of people on welfare are single mothers. I do not think that is the number one reason why they support Obama over Romney.

There's the social argument.  Many single women are more likely to be socially liberal and have social values in line with the left.  That is a pretty good bet, but it can't be the main reason to choose a national leader.

And of course there is the the birth control argument.  Free birth control!  Finally!  You know men....they think with their baby maker so women must too.  But, I digress.  These are all things that may factor into some women's decisions, but it really isn't the main reason why single women in general support Barry over Mitt.

Maybe.....just maybe....it is because single ladies are really good at picking out the guy who is really BAD!

I was single for a long time......a long time!  What I remember most about being single is my single girlfriends and I complaining about how all the guys we dated were complete jerks!  I still hear my single friends making the same complaints.  Things haven't changed. 

You meet a guy; he is nice looking, has a great smile, says all the right things, and shows you a really good time.  He makes you all these promises and takes you to all these great places where he has all these really cool friends.  You are blown away by his charm and charisma so you give him what he wants.......NO!  Not that!  Your VOTE! And then he takes off to Washington.  Your hopes are high; you still believe in him.  After all he wouldn't have promised all those things if he didn't mean them....  This guy was different.....he said he was.....you trusted him!  You hope.......no change.

Three years go by and he hasn't fulfilled any of those promises. And here he he comes again.  He sends you a friend request on Facebook, or a text, "What's up, Baby?" He's on....The View.....sigh...... Maybe you see him at a town meeting and you just can't help watching, listening, or going in hopes of running into him because obviously he's "interested" again.   You can't resist that smile, but he is still peddling the same lines, but he's so dreamy and still has all those cool friends......WHEN WILL YOU LEARN?

Think of the movie Hitch.  All those single women interested in dating the cool guys and getting their hearts broken over and over again because they wouldn't get over themselves long enough to give the guys who were decent, steady, solid, honest, and smart a chance.  Well, that is the same thing we have going on here.  Until the single ladies get over themselves, they are just going to keep getting their hearts broken.  The problem for the rest of America is that they are a large enough demographic we may all end up getting our hearts and our country broken.

So, single ladies I say it is time to break up!