Bugger Off

Since I first started using social media, I've run into a few characters, and some really interesting people.  I guess it's like anything else in life; you take the good with the bad, the beautiful with the ugly, the brilliant with the fucking stupid.  The thing is, to try to avoid arguing too long with the latter. Some people are just a waste of time.

Problem is, they seem normal until that moment when they stick a screwdriver up their nose, pose with their AK-47, or confess that one batshit crazy thing that just makes you go,"whoa…."

And usually, your first reaction is to say,"No, no, dude/lady…..that's not how it is," but you have no freaking idea how intrenched they are in their particular fetish/fantasy/philosophy/politics.  And part of you wants to give them the benefit of the doubt, because up to that point, they seemed rather interesting, rather nice, rather…..rational.  Granted, people are people, and we're going to have different points of view and opinions, but some people are like trying to argue with a KKK member that blacks are equal to him.  Na gaa happen.  No way.  No how.

The weird thing is, they're probably thinking that you're reasoning is as fucked-up as you think theirs is.  They may tell you that they're free-thinking, liberal, worldly, open to new ideas, etc., etc., but in that one special way, they live in a very airtight bubble and there's no way you're going to burst it for them.

So, what you just have to do is stop.  Just stop, and put behind you all the time you fucking wasted getting to know this person.  Seems like a bit of a loss, actually, but you have to realize that they're basically on a mission with their particular line of thought, and you're now the enemy.

Oh, well.  C'est la vie……

Dealing With An Artful Dodger

This blog entry is addressed to a former internet contact who shall remain nameless.  They know who they are.  To be perfectly honest, this person un-friended me because, during a discussion (argument) I decided I had heard enough from them on the topic, and I said so. The person said,"I'm not finished," to which I replied,"You're finished."  Hey, at least I didn't tell them to STFU.  I simply indicated I had had enough.

The argument we were having centered around appearance, specifically a woman's appearance in public.  I offered some information that was business/employment related; to wit that many hiring managers said (paraphrasing) that given two candidates with equal resumes and skills, they would prefer to hire the candidate that was not overly-decorated with tattoos and/or facial piercings.

My (former) contact basically acknowledged the unavoidable fact that appearance/clothing can make the difference between getting hired or rejected, but consistently refused to admit (or essentially avoided) the fact that one of the many modes of appearance that affect people's opinion of you is that of being provocative.  In other words, this contact had to admit that while being too shabbily-dressed or overly-adorned with tattoos and piercings could result in a person not being hired, they would not concede that there was a point past which most anyone would consider a woman's mode of dress/appearance to be overtly sexual.

My (former) contact kept trying to re-direct the conversation/argument to the topic of rape, insisting that a woman's appearance has nothing to do with being sexually assaulted, and I repeatedly kept reminding this person that I NEVER SAID that a woman's appearance was tantamount to consent to sex.  What I said was that in terms of basic risk assessment, there were certainly situations that people had the option of avoiding.  

Referring to the images above, I certainly would not walk down certain streets after dark (and some during the daylight hours), advertising the fact that I was flush with cash, making myself an easy mark to thugs and gang members that might reside in that part of town.  Similarly, I wouldn't be so stupid as to walk down a predominantly black part of town - especially a poorer section - wearing a sandwich sign like the guy above.  He may be exercising his First Amendment rights, but the odds are, he's going to get his ass kicked.  Maybe worse.

So no, I NEVER suggested that any woman was asking for it based upon the way she was dressed, but I strongly assert that BASED UPON your mode of dress, you attract certain personality types.  It's no different than an experienced angler using a specific kind of bait to attract a specific kind of fish.

Look…let's cut the crap and be honest about why people go out in public the way they do.  For women (some women), the whole point of dressing sexy is to be the center of attention.  And not just because it fills a childhood void left by their father's neglect (although it can do that).  When it comes right down to it, women can be craven little toads just like men.  They want their needs met to the fullest extent, some of which - such as adoring adoration - require the participation of other people.  And getting that requires some kind of leverage.

But often, men are just collateral damage.  Women dress up (anything from tasteful and classic to full-on provocative) because they know men aren't the only ones who will notice.  When it comes to getting attention, women can be some competitive bitches.

Women display their assets prominently for the same reason men leave their car keys out on the bar - to flaunt them.  To be fair, men do the same kind of preening.  Like when a man tools up to valet parking in a Ferrari.  He's not doing it because he's going racing after dinner.  One of the reasons he's driving that car to make other guys look like pathetic Honda Accord-driving losers.  It's pure Darwinism - except with cars.

People do specific things to get attention and sometimes it ends up being not the kind of attention you had hoped for.

So, if my (former) contact is reading this, you just keep on avoiding admitting to the fact that some women dress in a trashy fashion intentionally….that past a certain point (between the Amish and strippers) one's appearance becomes undeniably provocative…and that depending on the situation, a woman may or may not be putting herself at risk regarding unwanted attention and harassment.  And keep right on shaming fathers for daring to exercise their parental rights by suggesting that their daughter's appearance is in some way inappropriate. As my son said,"I'd rather be known as a hard-ass father than the one whose daughter was found dead in a ditch."

You keep on hobnobbing with your little rabid feminist mutual-admiration society.  I don't need to deal with that kind of thing.

"Personal Expression" and Priorities

While present-day corporate dress code policies are all over the map, from "liberal" to "rigid," Forbes business magazine suggests that,"…most HR managers conceded that all things being equal, they will hire the more clean-cut employee."  In fact, piercings are the top physical attribute that may limit an employee's career potential - 37%, followed by bad breath - 34%, and visible tattoos - 31%. (from a 2011 CareerBuilder poll of 3,000 managers)

With the millennial generation making up about 40% of the unemployed, and with a tight job market, young students may want to reconsider their priorities regarding personal expression.  What's more important?  A large gauge septum ring or getting a job that pays more than making fries at McD's?

In a recent Harris poll, 27% of the respondents without tattoos said that folks with tattoos are "less intelligent," (ouch) and 50% said they're more rebellious.

There a lot of grumbling and gnashing of teeth on the internet these days about the importance and liberation of "personal expression," and just like with any other human endeavor/interest, there are those who understand that less is more and those for whom nothing but excess will suffice.  Like, if one is cool, man…10 is rad.

For the record, I was your average rebellious teenager when I graduated high school in 1967, the year Jimi Hendrix released his debut album,"Are You Experienced."  In the song,"If 6 was 9," he sang one of his iconic lyrics,"…let your freak flag fly."  Up to this point in time, the whole concept of teen popularity and acceptance centered around conformity.  To wit, if you were to be considered cool, you shopped at the same clothing stores as the "cool" kids.  But Hendrix was really the musical/cultural vanguard for freaky individuality.  Now, "cool" kids all attempted to be as different from one another as possible.

Make no mistake, conformity was still a powerful factor for expression, appearance and fashion, but a whole new market exploded for those wanting to appear unique.  That market has flourished and grown to this day, ushering in an increase in tattoo and piercing "parlors," and the whole hipster movement has become the epitome of understated egoism.  Just about everyone has seen jokes and cartoons depicting a bearded young man in a plaid wool shirt, tight jeans with the cuffs turned up and work boots, who laments that his favorite band has just gone mainstream.

But back to the 60's.  When I was performing onstage, I was doing my best to fly every freak flag I had, but when I went to present myself to a club owner or a talent agent, I put on clean dress pants, a freshly-ironed shirt and I didn't talk…like…you know…a teenager.  At that time, there were hundreds of bands out there looking for work; hundreds of lightweight, would-be rock stars that only knew three chords and how to turn the amplifier knob up to 11.  There was a market for those low-talent lightweights, to be sure, but consistently, I got more work and better-paying work because I put forth an image of an artist who was not just serious about his art, but smart enough to act like a professional businessperson.  Think of it as being a repairman or mechanic.  If you've only got a hammer and pliers in your toolbox, you're not going to be able to do much work…or get people to take you seriously as a pro.

Ask yourself this:  do you want your interviewer to remember how smart and capable you are - or do you want him/her to remember your tongue?

As Diane Gottsman - president and executive recruiter of Ally Resource Group - put it,"If it's a distraction, it's an issue.  It's just like wearing two different colored shoes."

On gender, feminism, etc.

This will be a rather stream of consciousness piece; not because I'm too lazy to compose a proper essay, but I'm really strapped for time right now.  There are a few things I want to say and I'd like to get them in print (text) while I've got the chance.

OK, for starters, let me just state the obvious: I think women should get equal pay for equal work.  A no brainer.  Why anyone would have an issue with this is beyond my comprehension.  And women should be able to work any job for which they're capable.  The basic rule/criteria in the working world is can you do the job?  Do you have the necessary skills, health, coordination, etc. to do the job.  If not, you don't get the job. If a woman wants to be in law enforcement, fire fighting or the military, they should be given the chance, if they meet the criteria.  It has nothing to do with gender.  Besides, there are plenty of men who also might not be able to meet the criteria/demands.

Appearance?  I think you should have the courage to dress and behave in whatever manner you feel most fits/reflects your lifestyle, your personality, your sexuality.  If you're a woman and don't like pink frilly things, then wear something else.  Wear bib overalls if you like.  But at least be fully cognizant of who you are and why you are dressing/behaving the way you do.  If you just want to dress to be comfortable, then for god's sake, be comfortable.  But if your appearance is more a manner of making a statement, then at least be cognizant and genuine about what that is.  Example:  for a lot of teenagers, appearance is not just self-expression or group acceptance, it involves a sense of rebellion.  Let's be honest about that.  Whatever it is, they're rebelling against something, whether that thing is real and concrete or just in their own minds. Certainly things like mohawks, neon-colored hair, tattoos and piercings fall into that category.  In short, as the song by Hall & Oates said,"Do what you want, but be who you are." 

OK, now regarding men (which includes boors, pigs, misogynists and other assorted jerks).  There are a lot of jerks out there.  Let me tell ya.  I worked with many of them for 40 years.  They were enough to almost make me ashamed that I was of the male gender. There are a lot of men with some pretty twisted, repressive and unimaginative ideas of what they should be and what women should be.  I don't think these guys are fully developed human beings.  I'm surprised that some of them have actually evolved to have opposing thumbs. I think that their lives are just somewhat narrow in scope; they need to have things simplified.  They cannot imagine themselves (or women) in non-stereotypical roles.

One guy I knew…the only thing you'd hear him talk about was hunting.  It didn't matter what, as long as he had some kind of animal to stalk and kill.  And I'm not against hunting.  I used to do it when I was younger.  And then I developed other interests.  It was not my sole reason for existence.  So, I'm not saying this particular individual was a bad guy.  He'd help you out if you needed something. But otherwise, he was really kind of one-dimensional.  He knew who he was and he was comfortable with it.

And on the other side of the gender scale, I knew women who were apparently quite content to be feminine, or if you prefer, to wear dresses, do their hair, do their makeup, etc.  And they knew how to do other things.  They had other skills besides cooking and housekeeping.  Some knew how to hunt, some how to fish, some how to work on cars and had mechanical skills, but when they weren't doing that, they were perfectly happy to maintain a softer appearance.  Again, do what you want but be who you are.

But I start to get a rash on my behind when I feel like I'm taking the heat for all the stupid guys out there.  The same way I get irritated at people like Ricky Gervais or Richard Dawkins, who are just blatantly arrogant about their atheism, to the point of having to ridicule religion in general.  There are a LOT of people in this world who are not deserving of their ridicule.  Plain, ordinary, unassuming folks who aren't hurting anyone, annoying anyone, or denying anyone else their rights (i.e. Kim Davis).  People just trying to get through Life without banging their shins on the coffee table.  People who find a little bit of comfort in scripture.

Yes, there are real and legitimate feminist issues out there.  I don't happen to believe that the diatribe about pink or blue toys or boy's and girl's toys happens to be at the top of the list. 

If you want to be angry about something, then be specific about it.  Direct it at an individual person, or if appropriate, an entire corporation if you think the ad their running is particularly insulting or offensive.

I get a little tired of hearing men this or men that, just like I'd get weary of going out to listen to a comedian who only told jokes about women drivers.

I don't know how long it will take for us (the U.S., anyway) to achieve full (or sufficient) gender equality.  Obviously, we're not doing that well with racial equality or sexual equality (same sex). 

I'm not saying there aren't things worth complaining about.

Let me put it this way:  I once performed in this great country band.  Oh, man, were they talented people.  I wasn't personally that woo-hoo about country music, but it was a joy to perform with such (musically) professional people and the money was pretty good, too.   BUT….two of the women in the band were married to guys that…shall we say…were a little lower on the evolutionary tree of Life.  I met these guys.  They were rather Neanderthal.  But when the band would go out to do a gig and break time rolled around, and you just wanted to unwind for 15 minutes and have a drink….what did I have to listen to?  "My husband this….my husband that….men….men…men…"   And I just had to walk outside to get away from it.  Normally, with a band that tight you'd want to hang with your comrades on break time, but sweet Jesus…..I couldn't take the pissing and moaning.  And I'm not saying that these women didn't have something to cry about, but it just got old.  They were like the guy I worked with who could only talk about hunting.

So, I'm not anti-feminist.  No way.  No how.  I just tend to get a little sunburned now and then from some of the feminist heat.

Music - Yesterday and Today

Ideally, each generation produces its own "great" performers, but I have to seriously ask, who are the so-called "greats" of present day music?  I've been listening, appreciating, performing, writing and recording music for over 50 years.  As a child, I was exposed to the "greats" of the 40s - the big bands and vocalists like Sinatra.  I was heavily influenced by just about all of the music of the 50s.  I began an actual career before the 60s.  Obviously, the 70s gave us a cornucopia of performers - instrumentalists and vocalists.  The 80s produced some gigantic talents.  And then, I began to feel that with the 90s things were starting to get a little thin.  If the 90s were a beer, it would be Miller Lite.

Fast forward to the present day and I'm just not seeing the level of talent - performing or song writing - that I've seen in the past, and this has nothing to do loving the performers of my generation or being stuck in the past.  I've always appreciated a wide variety of music; from big bands, blues, rock, folk, jazz.  I will agree that there are a few people from the last decade I appreciate, even if I don't really enjoy their music as a whole.  Even though I haven't purchased any Dave Mathews albums, I have to admire his level of creativity.  He's trying to create his own sound and I'd have to say he's succeeded at it.

But the question remains, who are the "greats" of the present generation?

I'm also quite aware that marketing plays a big part in the whole picture.  To really be on top of the charts and playing the big venues, you have to have a good agent.  But on the flip side of that, an agent also needs to have someone with actual talent.  Not that you can't sell something that's of poor quality.  Of course you can and it's happened many times in my life.  But ideally, you start with a huge talent and a good agent.  That's a recipe for success.

I'm just not seeing that level of talent or commitment in a lot of present-day performers.  It's said that Chet Atkins would fall asleep in his chair with a guitar in his hands.  That speaks volumes.  By the time Eddie Van Halen hit the big time, I wasn't specifically into their music, but again, I did admire the level of ability and creativity it took to make that happen.  Speaking as an accomplished guitarist, you simply do not fake a Van Halen guitar solo.  Men like Clapton, Santana and Les Paul all created their own individual signature sounds.

One of the things I love about cable TV is that I can watch a variety of live music events (live or recorded).  It's almost as good as being there, and sometimes, even better, in terms of the sound quality and camera angles.  So, when I check out something like Coachella or Bonnaroo, I have to squint, cock my head and go….this….this is talent?  People are paying money to see/hear this??

Even though I wasn't specifically into much of the heavy metal/death metal bands, I had to admire some of the talent; like James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett.  Again, you don't fake that kind of stuff.  Well, you can but the difference is obvious.

One of the more talented, interesting, unique modern-day groups I've seen/heard is Alabama Shakes.  Singer/guitarist Brittany Howard just puts it out there.  This is creative, bold blues.  The difference between Alabama Shakes and most of the groups I saw on the previous-mentioned festivals is like a Thanksgiving dinner and a picture of a Thanksgiving dinner.  One has a mountain of flavors, the other, nothing.

Otherwise, I really don't see/hear anybody following in the footsteps of performers like in the above photo montage.

So, tell me…who are some of the greats of this generation of musicians and performers.  Whom am I overlooking that deserves the credit and recognition of some the aforementioned performers?

Leonard Pitts, Jr. on the "Party of Trump"

Leonard Pitts, Jr. - Miami Herald

"Somehow, the party of Teddy Roosevelt, Gerald Ford and Bush the elder has become the party of secession talk, revolution talk and vigilantes harassing children on the Southern border, the party of the 'war on whites,' 'the war on Christmas,' tea parties and birthers, the party of anti-science, anti-history and fear that the U.S. military is, right this moment, preparing for the invasion of Texas.  In a word, the party of crazy.

Small wonder it is also the party of Trump.

We should take no solace in the fact that Trump will eventually fall from his lofty perch.  Rather, we should wonder what it says about the GOP that he was up there in the first place."

Anyone with mature intelligence and logic literally reels at all the nonsense and insanity.  But what really boggles the mind is those who DON'T see it - or worse - refuse to acknowledge it.  That's the scary part.

Here's a wonderful video by Monty Python's John Cleese about how people can be so stupid, they don't know how stupid they are:

http://geekologie.com/2014/12/john-cleese-explains-why-stupid-people-a.php

Work, Work, Work

Bush lll wants Americans to work more hours, but doesn't want to pay them overtime.

Huh?  What?  How the f*k does THAT work, J.B.??

And how about a little fact check, here buddy?  Americans work more than anyone else in the industrialized world!  More than the British, the French, Germans, Norwegians, and even - lately - the Japanese!!  We take LESS vacation and even retire later.  Check out this chart:

How much more blood, sweat and tears do you need, Bush?

And for a lot of hard-working Americans, more work leads to more stress.  Without time to unwind, take care of your home, spend time with loved ones, enjoy our hobbies, connect with friends, we're hardly engaged in the pursuit of happiness.

It doesn't take much intelligence to understand that - for most of us - you can have either a lot of money or a lot of time, but you can't have both.  So, most of us struggle to maintain whatever balance we can.

And if you don't already know, let me dispel this old myth for you:  quality time.
There is no such thing.  You might think you can make up for lost family time by taking everyone to the water park, but you're just fooling yourself.  There are only good times and no times.  You can't buy time.  If you've neglected your spouse and family because you thought it was more noble to put in countless hours at work, that's your choice, but time passes more quickly than you imagine.  When we're young, we think we've got endless time, but when you've reached 50 or 60, you realize that most of your time is now behind you.  So, you choose how you want to spend what you've been given.

While I certainly haven't worked as many hours as some people, my running average during my career was just over 50 a week; alternating between 48 and 53.  So, I definitely was never slacking.

I'm not suggesting that you're a bad person if you choose to work more; I just get a bit pissed when pompous, rich frat boys like the Bush brothers - who were born INTO wealth - run off at the mouth about how the rest of us need to buckle-down more. 

House members worked only 113 days last year, at a base salary of $174K each!  

What the f*k, J.B.!?!?

"Threatened" Marriages

I've been wanting to write this blog, since before the recent SCOTUS decision regarding same-sex marriage, for all the various homophobes out there; especially the religious conservatives whose heads seem to be exploding, whose worlds seem to be imploding, who seem to think that somehow the concept of same-sex marriage threatens or nullifies their own heterosexual institution.
And I'm borrowing from another blog by a man named John Pavlovitz, who is a veteran minister and father of two.  If you're curious, here's his Facebook page:  John Pavlovitz

John writes,"The idea that anyone else's marriage affects ours is fairly ridiculous.  Ultimately, this isn't about your theology, it's about the fading fine art of minding your own business."

"Even if you believe that same-sex marriage is sinful or immoral (which is your right), claiming that it does any sort of residual collateral damage to your marriage says more about the fragility of your relationship than it does about the LGBT community as a viable threat. (Scripture) never implies implicitly or openly that we get to police other people or they, us. The same folks claiming that gay people are damaging marriage aren't nearly as vocal about the rampant infidelity, abuse, and divorce out there in so many hetero marriages."

"As a father, my own dad-ness is not affected by how other fathers parent their children."

"The difficult pill for so many Christians to swallow is this:  gay people have families; caring, beautiful, flawed, loving ones.  They live lives together in deep community marked by all the compassion, frustration, intimacy, laughter, heartache, and richness that you share with your own family.

If you can't admit and respect that, and if you find yourself somehow threatened by any other person's pursuit of happiness or expression of family, that's your problem.  There's something incredibly troublesome when we as people of faith require others to believe what we believe, or worse, when we act as if their refusal to believe what we believe or practice what we practice in any way devalues our faith experience."

***************************************************************

So…what I'm saying is tend your own garden.  You've got enough within your own relationship to be concerned about, to be worried about.  If a male or female couple next door decides they love one another enough to be married, you should be as happy for them as you are for your own relationship.  And if you can't share that emotion, for God's sake get the fuck over yourself.

See…that's the whole point of the First Amendment.  You believe what you want to believe and it's got nothing to do with what your neighbor believes or doesn't believe.  His/her pursuit of happiness is none of your freaking business. A same-sex couple next door is not devaluing your real estate.  They're not coming over to redecorate your living room.  They're not going to have anal sex on your front lawn.

And that's another thing that pisses me off.  All these heteros that seem to have this ick factor with how other people have sex.  AS IF hetero couples don't engage in some kinky shit.  Why would you assume that every male-male relationship is about anal sex?  Why would you assume that every female-female relationship is about strap-ons?  That's some pretty pathetic prejudicial reasoning, pal. (Sorry for the alliteration)  Did you ever think that two people just enjoy one another's company and want to spend their lives together?  And if they want to qualify that relationship as a marriage, what the fuck is that to YOU?  You don't own the rights to that word or that concept.

So, quit worrying about Adam & Steve.  Quit agonizing about what other people are doing in the privacy of their own domicile.  

And especially if you're someone who's been divorced AND remarried….more than once.  Who the hell are you to be defining marriage?

Love your own spouse and let other people love whom they wish.  Go read your Bible or polish your handgun for a while….

P.S.  And for those Republicans who are so concerned that people are working JOBS and contributing to society, no doubt the majority of the gay and lesbian people you agonize over are out there, performing some type of skill that may have a direct connection with your life.  They might be repairing the engine on your Lexus, or codifying your medical records, or handling your investments, or fixing that pothole in front of your driveway, or any of a million other things.  So, my point is, if they're out there working and paying taxes just like you, and if they decide they want to be married, they're more than entitled to the same marital, legal benefits YOU are, Jeb.  They're flesh and blood human beings riding on the same blue marble as you.  You probably won't have to bake them a cake. Relax.

A Few Words About Scooter

Now, any responsible, loving parent would tell their child that certain personal traits are important in life; not the least of them things like telling the truth, pride in one's self, and a sense of ambition, not to mention a healthy sense of shame.  But to me, Scott Walker is a guy who has a little too much (political) ambition, an incredible sense of hubris, a weak relationship with the truth and apparently, little or no sense of shame.

I'm not going to bore you with the nuts and bolts of what (he thinks) he did for the state of Wisconsin, what he didn't do, and some of the damage he's caused. All those things are out there on the internet as a matter of public record.  Of course, sometimes you have to choose who and what to believe. You can believe this:  Minnesota Economy Beats Wisconsin's

Scooter came into office with a state budget to work on, like most any other governor, but this guy wanted to endear himself to those austerity-loving conservatives and he started slashing every social program he could.  Because that's how you balance a budget - on the backs of the poor and unemployed.  Because if they weren't so lazy, they'd have a job, right?  That's what the members of Scooter's fan club want to hear.  They've all got jobs of some kind and it just galls them to think that a dime of their tax dollar might go to help someone in need.  It. Just. Galls. Them.

And then, you have the fact that this guy is a preacher's son, so that automatically endears him to the religious conservatives, who dislike gays, who think that things like abstinence programs work, who want to close Planned Parenthood clinics when the major part of PP's work is providing birth control and cancer screening for women.  But they're just too focused on the abortion issue, so they throw the baby out with the bathwater.

And then, there's how Scooter has dealt with the University of Wisconsin.

This guy's got his eyes focused on the Oval Office, folks and he's perhaps one of the least-qualified candidates in the clown car.  Problem is - for us - he's one of the most devious politicians and he's trying to gain the favor of the Koch brothers….you know, they guys who would like to eliminate Social Security and sell us all more shale and fracking oil.  That's who Scooter is in bed with.

Look, I'm not saying Scooter is the anti-Christ (like some have said about the president).  He might even have some redeeming qualities, but compared point-for-point against the other GOP hopefuls, he is NOT a heavyweight.

I'm sure Scooter thinks his anti-women's agenda and budget-slashing skills are going to catapult him into the White House.

I hope to Christ, not.

I look at the other Republicans who would be King and I see Santorum and Cruz that are just flat out religious nut cakes.  I see Christie who's just a fat blowhard and a bully; a real gangster poster boy from New Jersey.   There's those guys so totally whacko that they don't stand a chance:  Perry, Graham and Jindal.  Rand Paul perhaps at one time had a shred of integrity.  Not any more. The only two that come off half-way sane are Rubio and Bush, and I sure as shit don't want another Bush in the White House.  And all these guys are big on old-timey religion and (somehow) banning abortion, but on other substantive issues, they're pretty weak tea.

Let me tell you something, if you haven't already grown tired of me saying it.  The way to reduce things like teen pregnancy, STDs and abortion is to get serious about sex education and contraception.  LIKE THE NETHERLANDS.  See this:  Advocates for Youth

And I don't think any of the GOP candidates have anything good to say about the Affordable Care Act, in spite of the fact that now 9 out of 10 Americans have health insurance…which is a wonderful thing, but our neighbors the Canadians kick our ass on that issue, with their single-payer system, and I can guarantee you, NONE of the Republicans is even hinting in that direction.  They just know they hate Obama.  Forget the needs of the American people.

I won't even get INTO same-sex marriage, which makes these guys' heads explode.

Scooter was no gift to Wisconsin and we don't need his kind of hubris and ambition in Washington.

A Mom Sounds-Off About Youth Fashion And Appearance

(from another posting here on Blogger)

"A few weeks ago we went to Macy's (with a coupon, of course) to find my daughter an Easter dress.  There were a couple of nice traditional Easter dresses, but there were several that looked like they should come with a complimentary pole and hooker heels!  Of course, THESE are the dresses my daughter is attracted to. 'Pleeeease, Mommy.  I love the pink one.  See how it has jewels?'  (Yeah, where her non-existent breasts go.  I guess if I bought her the padded push-up bra from Abercrombie she'd fill the jewels out nicely.)  'Oooh, I love how my back shows in this one, Mommy!'  (Who makes a backless Easter dress for kids?)  After some tears and a lot of 'Because I'm your mother - that's why,' we finally decided she could squeeze into her 5T dress from last year one more time long enough for church and we'd cross this bridge next year.

It's not just Easter dresses.  It's everything!  I spend a fortune on her clothes because the only place I find nice, little girl clothes in her size is Gymboree, Hanna Andersson and Naartje.  And it's not just that the clothes are too sexy.  If they're not too sexy, then they're just too damn mature for these little girls.  What little girl needs a maxi dress??  Where is she going to wear that?  Not to the playground.  Not to school.  Does she get invited to many poolside cocktail parties?  What little girl needs short shorts with a logo emblazoned on her ass? Who buys those?  Why are you interested in drawing attention to your daughter's ass?

Our little girls have such a long road ahead of them already, filled with land mines like anorexia, bulimia, cutting, depression, drugs, sex, and more.  Why are people trying to put them on that road earlier and earlier?

Body image is a BIG deal in this country. Why in the hell would we want to start that crap with our 5, 6, and 7 year olds?  Let's give them a couple more years of liking themselves.

Ugh. I don't know who to punch:  the manufacturers of this shit, the stars like Miley Cyrus who wear this crap, the retailers who stock it, or the consumers who buy it.  I think, ultimately, the blame goes to the consumers.  There may be a couple kids out there with Gold Cards, but most of the buying is done by mom and dad.  If we'd just stop buying this misogynistic whore-wear maybe companies would stop trying to sell it to us and Miley would realize she's irrelevant and she'd go away."

Appearance Matters

I would have thought we had sufficiently discussed this issue of appearance, but apparently some people are just going to insist that anyone should be able to wear anything and not be judged in any way regarding their character.

Dream on.

Now, if your goal in life is to rise no higher than stocking shelves at Walmart or making fries at McDonalds, that knock yourself out.  Wear whatever you like.  Express your inner freak.  But make no mistake about it, when you step out in public, people will form general opinions about you, whether you like it or not, whether you think it's politically correct for them to do so.  As regards judging a book by its cover, it happens every day, everywhere.

Let's begin with the pajama couture.  Unless it's 6-7 in the morning and you discovered you just ran out of milk or bread and have to run to the Quik Trip, take 5-10 minutes to put on some actual clothes.  Pajamas are pajamas; not pants.  Looking like you just slid out of bed says to people that you're just lazy or you can't manage your time.  

Perhaps I date myself by saying that I don't get the whole low-pants-underwear-showing thing.  Chalk it up to fashion, I guess.  Adolescent fashion.  You don't see many men 50-60 doing that or wearing their caps backwards. But if I had a daughter, I guarantee you, if you showed up at my front door with your pants halfway down your ass, you're getting the door in your face.  I don't exactly know what kind of statement any young man dressed like this is making, but it's not one I want anything to do with.

Which brings us - I guess - to butt crack.  Now, most people have a sufficiently developed tactile sense that they know when a mosquito, fly, or gnat lands on them.  I have to assume that most people would know that half their ass is hanging bare for the world to see.  I'm just sayin', I would sure as hell know if my ass was hanging out.  Like the pajama thing, this just says,"slob," only perhaps more so.

A word or two about the whole hipster look.  While certainly cleaner and more respectable than butt crack or pajamas, to me, this just speaks of someone who's a bit superficial.  He's obviously spent a LOT of money to tell the world that he's a non-conformist.  Right or wrong (on my part) I just think a person like this is overly-concerned about being fashionable and might just have little depth of character.  I could be wrong.  Sue me.

And while the Confederate flag is still a timely issue, let's include that in the discussion.  It's not clothing, but still an awfully popular accessory for some guys.  Look, folks.  I'm a guy, and I've been around a LOT of your regular blue-collar type guys.  While the whole Confederate flag thing usually symbolizes,"Hey, I'm a rebel," at least 50% of the time, I've found that these guys are usually real fond of the "N" word.  Just sayin'.

And lastly, female fashion.  Now, I would have to assume that few - if any - women in their 50's or late 40's would be sporting this kind of club wear, but I guarantee you, a LOT of women in their early 20's are buying this kind of stuff. OK, maybe not farm girls, or anyone size 14 and up.  But if you're going out in public - even if only to upscale dance clubs - wearing stuff like this, it says to the world that you know your way around a pole, and I'm just suggesting that it may not attract the kind of men you want.  Does it MEAN you're a slut or a whore?  No, but it suggests it.  And ladies, you can think and say whatever the hell you want, fashion (to men) is like fishing lures.  You use a specific lure to attract a specific fish.  And fashion like this suggests you're an easy mark.

As I've said in the past, it doesn't make me racist if I say that I know which parts of town to stay away from after dark.  I've been around the block.  I know where it's safe and where it's not.  There is such a thing as common sense and if I could teach that in seminars, I could make some good $$.

As one blogger put it,"If you see a dirty guy who is wearing filthy clothes, is unshaven and has holes in his shoes, are you going to ask him the time of day, or are you going to ask the guy in a suit and tie, if they were both on the sidewalk?  If you see a beautiful woman dressed as Cinderella, you smile.  If you see a guy who is decked-out like he was raised from the dead, your eyes widen, you step back and say,'whoa.'  This is human nature whether people want to admit it or not."

So, you just keep telling me that men objectify women, and I'll keep telling you that more often than not, women objectify themselves.

"Privileged" Individuals

Following the Charleston shooting, an article appeared on Psychology Today's website, suggesting that self-centeredness is at the heart of racism, or at least it's a contributing factor.  I would have to agree that there's some truth to that notion, but the article got me thinking about a couple of things I experienced just the day before; instances of people taking rude actions that spring from that I'm special frame of mind.  In other words I can do this because the usual laws and guidelines of a civil society don't apply to me.  Nothing really egregious, just really rude.

I was working on refinishing a canoe at our son's place, and his property borders on an alley; a basically one-vehicle lane topped with crushed limestone.

At the end of the alley and across the street is a huge municipal recreation area with multiple baseball diamonds.  The area does have its own adequate parking area, but instead of using that and walking a few hundred feet to the bleachers, a lot of the soccer moms take up all the available street parking around the area.  See diagram below for next part of the story.

With all the available street parking used up, this soccer mom parked her huge GMC Yukon half in the alley and half on the neighbor's lawn.  I would think that even a teenager taking Driver's Ed. would know that this was not a wise, let alone courteous choice.  But this woman was special.  No, she wasn't disabled or obese with bad ankles.  Just special.  If I had had my cell phone on me, I would have dialed it in to the local police.  Jackass.

The second instance was another soccer mom, apparently in a big hurry, most likely late for something or other, and she comes zooming down the dry, dusty alley about 25-30 mph, kicking up clouds of dust.  Again, jackass.  Obviously, there might have been children in the area, but again, she was special.

Some years back, my wife actually witnessed another soccer mom, WITH a child in the passenger seat, totally blow through a four-way stop intersection with an elementary school on one corner of the intersection.  My wife was so outraged at this that she followed the woman downtown.  Turns out the woman was late for her daughter's dance class.  My wife chewed off a piece of the woman's behind.

Special privileged individuals.  Gotta love 'em...

Wasted Life

Perhaps not all men are created equal.  Well, I guess in the eyes of God we are, if you believe in God.  Or a god.  Some men are born into wealth.  They never know need or want.  And comfort is something that we all get used to, at any level.

Some men are born into poverty and will be lucky if they can rise - economically - to a point where they can at least make rent and eat one square  meal a day.  Some men manage to overcome poverty while others are swallowed whole.

Some are exposed to a number of bad situations; substance abuse, physical and mental abuse, prejudice and worse.

But regardless of one's advantages or bad fortune, at some point in time, you begin making serious and life-changing choices.  While one's parents may be to blame for something, there comes a point where you have to stop blaming your parents for your bad choices.  Legally, that's 18 in most states.

Dylann Roof is 21.  I haven't seen anything as of yet regarding when his hateful racist views may have begun to gel.

I personally know a young person that is making some bad choices in his life; the kind of choices that can hold one back from being any kind of success in life, and I do not mean strictly financial.  Thankfully, he has not committed any crimes against society and begun a serious police record.  There's still hope for him; as a human being, as a contributing member of society, and maybe as a husband and father.  Only time will tell.  And yes, he did have some bad situations earlier in his life that contributed to his current world view and status.  But he also made some bad choices by alienating himself with some of his most significant lifelines.   You try to extend a helping hand, but if it gets rejected, the person is pretty much on their own.

But regarding Dylann Roof, he's wasted.  He may have been scared, we don't know, but he's self-inflicted some new ones.  What he took away from the world can never be replaced.  He has nullified whatever value his life once had.

I shed more tears over putting-down an aged pet cat than I ever would over Dylann's worthless ass.  The cat never asked anything of anyone other than food and water and an occasional loving touch.  Roof is worm food.

God have mercy on whoever contributed to his twisted state of mind.

Mash-up: Racism, Guns, Politics, Mental Illness

As expected, there were editorials on every news-oriented website about the latest shooting in Charleston and I could hardly stand to read any of them.  I didn't need to.  The titles and headlines told the story.  Here's all I've got to say on the situation:

Guns:  Yes, we've got too many of them and they're way to easy to obtain; legally or illegally.  There are too many ammosexuals obsessed with guns.  They can't go out for a loaf of bread or a gallon of milk without an AK.  Maybe if we gave them all a free penile implants…

Racism:  It's alive and well in America; especially down south.  It's just more prevalent and flamboyant down there, but it's everywhere.  And any politician that can't admit that doesn't deserve a vote, doesn't deserve to sit in either the House or Congress, doesn't deserve to be president.  Period.

Politics:  How many ways can you spin the truth?   How many ways can you dance around the dead elephant in the middle of the room?  How many alternative phrases can you find for climate change?  How many excuses can you make for mass murderers?

and finally…

Mental Illness:  I'm sick to my stomach about all the articles suggesting that mental illness was not part of the latest mass shooting.  It was a combination of mental illness AND racism.  As far as I'm concerned, racism IS a form of mental illness, as is the general obsession with guns.  Plus, I think that any politician has to be a bit mentally ill to continually avoid calling something what it is.  You know, anyone of middle-eastern descent is a potential terrorist but any white guy/kid that kills a bunch of people, somehow isn't.

The whole conservative platform reeks of mental illness; the instance upon the sanctity of the fetus while cutting social services.  Their unhealthy relationship with the NRA and people like the Koch brothers.  Greasy little used car salesmen like Scooter Walker.  Theocratic nutcakes like Santorum.  And what the f*k is up with the size of the Clown Car?  Are they just trying to throw everything they have at Hillary, hoping that one of these turds will stick to the wall?  If anyone didn't literally choke at Trump's arrogant egotistical speech, they need serious professional help. 

Lewis Black was spot on; we've reached that point in time where satire and reality intersect.  And it's scary.