Fuck Nirvana!!! They get in, but YES gets snubbed???

Just so I'm clear, I hate Nirvana and found Kurt Cobain not that talented. I never understood the fascination with them. Dave Grohl was the talent in the band and has shown what he's capable of with Foo Fighters. That's my opinion, and I'm sticking to it.

Best Description of the GOP, EVER

(found on Facebook)

Facebook Rant 10/19/2013

[Begin Rant There is no fairness on the public radio airwaves.  They have been hijacked by huge conglomerates and are stifling progressives voices. When you look at who’s on the air, you can find, in almost every city, Rush Limbaugh, Mark Levin, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Michael Savage, and a host of others, while the other side of the coin, you have less and less – you can count on your two hands who are on the dial, but in less markets: Randi Rhodes, Stephanie Miller, Thom Hartmann, Ed Schultz, Bill Press, Alan Colmes, and Mike Malloy. Who do I blame for this mess, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton. Because of their policies and deregulation, we saw the mergers and acquisitions of Mom and Pop radio disappear by being bought up, and national syndication of many “stars”. Well, I’m calling bullshit!!! Clear Channel has 240 radio stations, CBS Radio has 179 stations, Cox Radio has 80, Cumulus has 300. Where the fuck does it end??? Most of the Liberal/Progressives voices out there have to claw their way onto the airwaves by doing it on their own. Randi Rhodes is the ONLY Liberal talker in the vast stable of talkers in Clear Channel’s Premiere Radio Network, all the rest of the Liberals either syndicate their own shows or have to do it on the web to make a living.  I think it’s high fucking time to break up these radio conglomerates and return the radio airwaves to the people so we have some balance once again. [End Rant]

Heroes [Facebook Rant 08/27/2013]

The more I delve into my Smallville episodes, the more I realize this world   needs more supermen and superwomen.  People with hearts that go out of their way to help others. We are all a Clark Kent or Diana Prince with that Superman or Wonder Woman hidden beneath the surface.  All it takes is one gesture of kindness, and it is paid forward to the next person, and so on.  What we don't need is the anti-hero born out of greed and cold-heartedness we see today in they guise of those who follow the "heroes" of the Ayn Rand novels. See, those people were selfish egomaniacs out for themselves. Hero to me is a symbol of righteousness like FDR or MLK - thinking of others before their own self-interest. We don't need the greed brought forth by the Koch Brothers or the Republican Party. Granted, the Democratic Party has its flaws, but at least it isn't self absorbed with just helping one class of people over the others.

We all have a hero we look up to - whether real or fictional.  A hero looks for the good, the truth and the justice.  There are good people out there, they just need to be brought out of the shadows.  There is truth out there, but it needs a bright light shining on it for everyone to see.  There is justice out there, it's just a matter of all of us coming together to make it happen.

I don't know how long I have on this earth, but I hope the words I type (and you read) make a difference in your lives.  Whether you agree or disagree with me, at least I'm planting the seeds in your mind to think about whatever it is I'm saying. That's where the hero in all of us lies - the idea that we all can make a difference - small or big. We just need to find it within ourselves to be the hero we want to be.

Plea for Help for my friends!!!!

Jack Schroeder is a nine-year old boy that lives in Ransomville, NY - a suburb of Buffalo, NY. Jack was diagnosed with severe autism at 18 months of age. He was recently diagnosed with Type 1 Juvenile Diabetes. This combination is extremely rare. Jack is non-verbal, so this double-diagnosis is especially difficult because he cannot communicate with his parents or teachers when his blood sugar spikes or drops. This benefit has been established to purchase a Diabetic Service Alert Dog, so that when Jack's blood sugar is at a dangerous level, those that care for him will be notified immediately. For Jack, this is not for convenience, but to potentially save his life.

Otherwise, Jack is a typical little boy. He loves to swing, swim in the pool, and watch Go Diego Go. He especially enjoys summer because he can be outside all day long. He attends Summit Academy and is beginning to use his IPAD with the goal of it serving as his communication device one day.

PLEASE HELP JACK!!!!

Independent Thought

Independent Thought: (For this, I'm going to be using the words progressive and conservative rather than a political party). 237 years ago, this country declared its independence from Great Britain, but where are we today?? It was the progressive colonists who wanted freedom from the English Crown, and the conservatives wanted the status quo. In the mid 1800's it was the progressives who wanted all people to be free, and the conservatives who wanted to keep men in chains. In the early 1900's, it was the progressives who gave the woman the right to vote, and the conservatives who fought that right. In the 1930's, progressives saw an end to child labor, passed work safety laws, passed a minimum wage, established Social Security - and the conservatives fought all of them. Skip ahead to the 1950's and 1960's, progressives fought and died for Civil Rights laws for our African-American brothers and sisters, while the conservatives fought them with hoses, hangings, dogs and bullets. In the late 1960's and early 1970's, women were becoming liberated and won control over what they can do with their bodies, while the conservatives still believed in the concept of "barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen." At the end of the 20th Century, our LGBT brothers and sisters began to search for equality, and it was the conservatives who passed laws to keep them as second class citizens.

Here we are in the 21st Century and we see how the conservatives wanting to tear down every progressive ideal that has been implemented - and for what? A return to dirty water, a return to raping of the lands, a return to people without a roof over their heads and empty stomachs, a fear of someone who might look different from you, a fear of someone who might love someone that might be of the same gender - and the list goes on and on... It was the progressives who moved this country forward and the conservatives to try to pull us back into the abyss. I strive to see this country shining brightly - a beacon for other countries to admire. We should not be at constant war, we should not have homeless people, we should not have hungry people, we should not have under-educated people, we should not have separate but equal, we should not base things on the color of someone's skin or who they might pray (or not pray) to. We are United, We are Free, We are Americans and should act like it - not treat each other as enemies. There is always a common ground, but someone needs to find the courage to step towards it. We all have that light within us, some may have it turned off, some might have it on dim, but it's up to each of us to turn it up and let it shine brightly within each one of us!!! The Time is right and the time is now!!! Happy Independence Day 2013!!!

Facebook Rant 07/01/2013

[Begin Rant] The Republican Party should just change their fucking name to The Religious Party and get it the fuck over with. They claim to have this personal relationship with their “god” and seem to know what Jesus would say or do – but they don’t have one fucking clue. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: The USA is a SECULAR nation, it IS NOT a Christian nation, Jewish nation, Muslim nation – it’s SECULAR. Right now we have these cumstains called Republicans who claim to love our Constitution but do nothing more than trample over it with overtly religious laws based on their “Chirstianity”. Well, I’m calling BULLSHIT!!! 

Just because you don’t like abortion, it gives you no fucking right to tell a woman what to do. Your bible was written by fucking misogynist desert dwellers 4,000 years ago who treated women like animals. This is the 21st Century – time to live in the here and now. What a woman does with her body, and more specifically, her vagina and uterus is no fucking concern to you. It’s between her and her doctor. And if you notice, it’s all homely looking men who probably couldn’t get laid unless they paid for it passing these restrictive laws. And now the rub… Fourth Amendment: “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated,” Fourteenth Amendment: “nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws”.

Just because your religion says homosexuality is wrong, it has no bearing on our laws. Your belief structure was again, was written by fucking misogynist desert dwellers 4,000 years ago. If you want to throw one line of Leviticus at gay people, then Fuck You. When you start banning the sale of ham, bacon, banning shrimp buffets, stop cutting your hair, reading your horoscopes, getting tattoos, wearing mixed fabrics, oh, and most of all, DIVORCE, then we’ll talk – until then, shut your goddamned mouths about it. This about love and respect and you, my friends show neither. I believe it was the Jesus who said “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.” So, when you start preaching love instead of your hate towards your LGBT brothers and sisters, then maybe I will stop calling out your fucking hypocrisy.

And while we’re at it, States of the Old Confederacy and those who are like that – stop with the Jim Crow era laws. You are making yourselves bigger bigots that you set out to be. The first three words of the Constitution are “We the People”, not “We the White Privileged Few”. Get over yourselves and stop with all these archaic voting rights laws. Before you know it, you will be the fucking minority. The Hispanic and Asian populations are growing, as well as the African- American population. You can gerrymander and pass all the laws you want, but before you know it, in time, those groups may turn around and gerrymander your pasty white asses out of your state. Be careful what you wish for – it will come back and bite you.

And to whoever might take offense at what I just wrote: I don’t care!!! The Republican Party is selling out this country to the highest bidder, raping the lands, poisoning the air we breathe, denying citizens the right to vote, and on and on and on. They don’t care about you, they only care about what corporation is filling their coffers to get re-elected without care of what happens to the poor, the elderly, minorities – they are all about the rich and wealthy corporations. So, in the end, the GOP is nothing more than a big FU to the rest of us!! [End Rant]

Facebook Rant 06/26/2013

[Begin rant] I lost a friend today. No, not by death, but by stupidity. Stupidity on my part, No. As of about 330pm local time, I was unfriended on Facebook and blocked by this person on Twitter.

When someone comments on one of my posts, I expect some colorful language - it's a place everyone can vent, which I don't mind. When someone comments behind you, please don't assume it was directed at you. That's what happened today.

Well, a very uncalled for insult resulted (which I deleted). The person claimed it was an insult in the previous comment. I spoke to that person and it was confirmed that it was directed at the post and not the other commenter.

In the end, I got a text from the person saying I never have their back, I am an asshole and I'm blocked on here (not really, just unfriended) and blocked on the Twitter.

So, thus ends a two year friendship because rationality flew out the window and temper and stupidity took its place. [End rant]

Update for this blog:

Will I miss this person, yes.  After two years of chatting, and getting to know one another, we became very close friends.  Will I make the first move at reconciliation? I don't think so, as I feel I have done nothing wrong in this situation.  Will I talk to this person again? Well, that remains to be seen. Until then, I will wish them well.  

"The future disappears into memory

With only a moment between

Forever dwells in that moment

Hope is what remains to be seen"

Facebook Rant 06/22/2013

[Begin Rant] Are there people who abuse the Food Stamp program? Yes. Are there people who abuse the Medicaid system? Yes. But are these programs vital to our country? YES. We would have less people on food stamps if Republicans and Big Business would stop fighting against raising the Minimum Wage which would pull many families out of poverty to afford the MAIN necessities of living - FOOD, thus giving them a wage they can survive on, rather than just scrape by.

If we had a better health delivery system in this country, and take out the profit motives, people could afford to see a regular physician rather than relying on emergency rooms for primary care. The best way to deal with that would be a national single payer system and Congress should enact price controls on pharmaceuticals because much of the high costs are set by greedy Big Pharma. Remember the days when the medical "industry" wasn't motivated largely by profits. [End Rant]"

Facebook Rant 05/30/2013

Paul A Perri

[Begin rant] GOP/Conservatives distrust Blacks because they think most of them are sponging off the system via "welfare", they think most Hispanics are "illegal", they think all Muslims are terrorists. It's no wonder people of the liberal/progressive side think they are crazy. The GOP/Conservatives don't like this country - if they did, they'd want to make sure our infrastructure was sound rather than give away tax dollars to billionaires and corporations. They'd rather see Europe and China have better transportation modes such as high speed rails than take away subsidies to Big Oil (one of the most profitable industries in the world). They'd rather see people go hungry or uneducated than raise taxes on Hedge Fund managers who do absolutely NOTHING for the benefit of mankind except move money around (they produce nothing tangible). They are regressive to what our society needs - they live in a fantasy land created by Ayn Rand and Koch Industries (ie Heritage Foundation, AFP, et al). They hold back progress. They are fucking worthless to what this country means and what our Forefathers set out for this country. They talk a big game, but they are cowards - unless it's sending our military to war (but not their own sons or daughters). They can all drop dead!!! This country is being held back by these pieces of pond scum who are SLAVES to people who want to dismantle unions, pass laws to suppress the votes of the poor/minorities/elderly, allow the offshore of jobs, allow Wall Street firms to skirt tax laws - I could go on. They need to stop with these witch hunts and get back to doing the work of the PEOPLE - and corporations aren't people!!! They need to grow up and do their jobs. GOP/Conservatives don't have a clue as to how to govern - they are worthless and if the Founders came back today, they would probably shoot each one of them with a fucking musket!!!! [End Rant]

Facebook rant 04/09/2013

[Begin rant] The Second Amendment is a provisional amendment, just as the first 13 words of it spell out: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State" as our founders did not want a standing army. It was not written to keep a tyrannical government at bay, but to keep the citizens at the ready in case they were called up by governors or the president in a time of insurrection or war (see Whisky Rebellion). The government also regulated what kind of gun you could have, how much gun powder to have, etc (See Militia Act of 1792)... The NRA is bought and paid for by gun manufacturers and they run the show by stoking fear and paranoia that the mean black guy (or whatever Democrat) in the White House is going to come and take your guns away (see Timothy McVeigh and his ilk) - which in turn, boosts sales for said gun manufacturers. They want to sell as many guns as possible, not worrying about any consequences to the general population. So, in essence, all the laws pushed by the NRA and passed by our law makers are basically cover for the gun manufacturers to sell as much product as possible (no background checks, straw purchasers, etc...) [End rant]

Facebook rant 04/07/2013

[Begin rant] Social conservatives need to mind their own fucking business.... Don't like contraception, don't use them!! Don't like abortions, don't have them!!! Don't like gay sex or marriage, don't have gay sex or get gay married!! Don't like that sodomy laws were declared unconstitutional, don't have oral sex or anal sex!! If they want to regulate what goes on in my bedroom or a doctors office, then they'd better have a fucking warrant or an HD video camera to enjoy the fucking ride!! [End rant]

Facebook rant from 04/08/2013

[Begin rant] The Republicans in the Senate are both cowards and obstructionists!!! They abuse the filibuster (without having to say anything) or use these secret holds. If they were true to their convictions, they would have honest debates on the floor, rather than hiding behind some stupid rules. They impede progress, they impede infrastructure repair, they impede job creation. So, until one of those pussies stand for something other than the whims of the [Fuck the] NRA, I have absolutely no use for them. They are 47 of the most worthless pieces of shit elected to office!!! [End rant]

Making Memories (Another speech)

                    Paint the pictures of green meadows on summer days

When dewdrops cascade across the land

Paint a picture of far away places and things unseen

When you can’t have them close at hand

Paint the pictures of everything you hold so dear

When all you feel inside are empty memories

Paint a picture of all you ever loved and learned

When colors blend together in perfect artistry

I wrote that verse about three years ago.  It belongs with a complete song entitled Paint A Picture, but I felt it could stand alone from its whole text.  You might have thought it flows very well, or you actually painted a picture in your mind, or else, you thought I was experiencing a momentary lapse of reason behind the lectern.  The song actually talks about not giving up on your dreams and striving until the end, but felt that that small portion would help me to open your minds to the things I am about to tell you.  Come with me, now, on my journey through my writing process.

Whether I am writing a new lyric, or even a speech, I like to think about it for a small amount of time, whether it is an hour, or a few days, before writing my first words.  There has to be a natural progression, like a musician searching for the right notes and chords, I first must find a beginning, middle and end – sometimes I must find a bridge to fuse many thoughts together to appear as one.  Sometimes a chorus will come before a verse, or visa versa.

One of the first things I do before I write down my first words is shut off my stereo or TV.  I don’t like to hear words in the background because it’s very distracting.  All I need is a lawsuit against me for plagiarizing someone else’s work.  If I choose not to sit in total silence, I like to listen to any one of many instrumental works from the artist, Mike Oldfield – so I know there won’t be any words to bother me in the background.

Once all distractions are gone, I like to sit down in front of my computer and think how I should open my song or speech.  There has to be something there to catch the listener’s ear, and if there isn’t, I’ve completely lost my audience.

As a writer and speaker, I tend to get hindered by the use of too many common words.  So, I make use of the many tools available to me.

One of the tools I use, almost daily, is my dictionary.  If I’m not sure of the correct meaning of a word, I look it up.  I want to be sure it fits in with the body of what I’m using the word for.  A good word can make a good speech.

If I’m dissatisfied, unhappy, unfulfilled, or disappointed with the words I am using, I frequently use a thesaurus.  It will not only give me a better edge in the writing process, but also expand my mind to new words that mean the same as the one I want to change.  Challenging myself to learn new words helps expand my vocabulary, which in turn helps me in my writing.

            One last tool I use is my Random House Guide to Grammar, Usage, And Punctuation.  When going through it, I thought I had gone back to high school English.  It helps me with problems as when to use such words as affect (A–F–F–E–C–T) and effect (E–F–F–E–C–T), or correct sentence structure, breakdown of proper comma usage, and how to use correct sentence ending such as periods, exclamation points, etc.

I feel if I’m using interesting words, my listeners are going to remember them, and hopefully use them.  By expanding my own mind, I, in turn, give my listeners an opportunity to learn along with me.

When I’m finished with the writing process, and I’ve edited and rehearsed it and feel it flows in the direction I want it to head, I’m ready for the performance of my life.  Now, this is where I make my point – everything I’ve thought – everything I’ve written – and everything I’ve rehearsed – has to be strong and vivid.

Be it my IceBreaker, or my Be In Earnest, or Vocal Variety, Tall Tale, etc. – my goal is to not only give the speech with feeling, but give it with sincerity.  I don’t want to just recite for another’s enjoyment; I want to rehearse for a role of a lifetime.  I want to give my speech in a way where my audience members are experience what I’m talking about, not just hear it.

In other words – I’m showing you what I’m talking about – not telling you what I’m talking about.  I give vivid descriptions and articulate my speech – letting the audience experience what I’m talking about.  It’s my job to paint the picture for the audience – if I don’t – they may not understand what my speech – I don’t want to lose them – I want to capture them and their imaginations.

Lyricist, Neil Peart writes a good example I can use, from the song "Losing It". Instead of him saying a writer has writer’s block in his old age, he puts pictures in your mind by saying:

The writer stare with glassy eyes —

Defies the empty page,

His beard is white, his face is lined

And streaked with tears of rage

Thirty years ago, how the words would flow

With passion and precision,

But now his mind is dark and dulled

By sickness and indecision

And he stares out the kitchen door

Where the sun will rise no more…

I give my lyrics and speeches lives of their own.  I write with conviction.  Using metaphors to get my point across if I have to.  The more of me that I put into it, the more I’ll appreciate it, and the more my audience will appreciate it.  Also, by giving it a life of its own, it has to be able to stand alone on paper.  Before I read it to my mentor, I find a non-Toastmaster or good friend to read my speech for input on the writing.  If he or she likes it, my mentor will like it when I read it to her for the first time.

Just remember fellow Toastmasters – think about what you want to write about.  Choose your words carefully.  Fine-tune it to work out all of the bugs.  Make it flow with conviction and pride.  Rehearse.  And most of all – make sure it’s written in a way that your audience is transported into your speech and not just floating on the surface.  You want them to feel everything you’ve said.  If they feel it, they’ll remember it.  So remember – you’re not behind the lectern giving a speech – you’re behind the lectern making memories. 

Witch Hunt (Speech I had given in 1997)

I stand before you – a man against the masses.  A symbol of hope for the common man – a flame to burn the embers of truth – a voice crying out in the wilderness trying to find an ear to listen.

            Although it doesn't show in my attitude or how I act, but when an issue such as the one I will be discussing tonight surfaces, you can bet that you will see those flames burning and you will hear my voice loud and proud, and the First Amendment of the Constitution guarantees that to me.  It guarantees to all of us that, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or the press, or the right of people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for redress of grievances.”

            I’m proud to say – “Yes, I've read Huckleberry Finn,” or – “Yes, I've enjoyed the music of Prince or Judas Priest,” or better yet – “I’m a Howard Stern fan.”  But what do these issues  have in common?  I’ll tell you.  The book, the artists, and the man have been the targets of people with closed minds and one-sided views.  Being a supporter of First Amendment issues, you can bet that I’ll follow it until the Supreme Court makes a judgment on the case.

            There is some history behind my taking up this very controversial issue.  It started in 1985 when our, now, Vice-president’s wife, “Tipper,” formed the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC), to fight “Dirty Records.”  When Frank Zappa, Dee Snider, and John Denver, and countless other musicians went to Capitol Hill to let their voices be heard, I was with them in spirit, because, in my heart, I knew the PMRC was going a little too far – dissecting lyrics for the sake of finding dirt.  Granted, there are artists that can go a bit too far, but to label them as bad influences is a crime.  I was (and still am) listening to these artists, enjoying their music and going to their concerts.  I followed the Congressional hearings until the very end.  This is the reason I feel so strong about the First Amendment.

            In high school, you’re taught right from wrong, how to play fairly, and coexist with others in social settings.  I felt I was being wronged by my government back then, and sometimes it comes back to haunt me in magazine articles, television shows, or other mediums.  They were coming into my home and judging what was good for me and what was bad for me.  About a year after graduation, a songwriter from Canada named Arnold Lanni wrote titled Should I See.  When I heard the words, I was (if you’ll excuse the use of a colloquial phrase) blown away.  The first verse goes, and I quote:

Cover my eyes and ears

‘Til it all disappears

How can you judge for me

What I should hear and see

You take away freedom of choice

Take away my right to voice

My beliefs and all my views

You take away my right to choose

After hearing that, I felt that it wasn't a sin against society to have a copy of a Heavy Metal album in my home.

            How would you feel if someone were to invade your thought, and tell you what you should be reading, or listening to?  You probably wouldn't like it very much.  Suppose someone told you that you couldn't read:

Huckleberry Finn, or

Catcher In The Rye, or

Of Mice And Men, or

Little House On The Prairie.

These books were on the list of questionable books in schools, tracked by the People For The American Way (a national anti-censorship organization).  They tracked a total of 375 for the 1993-94 school year.

            Those books I mentioned are classics in all sense of the word classic.  They portrayed the times in which they were written, and most have a moral at the end.  But now, with everyone being so Politically Correct, there are words in the context of the books, now deemed derogatory, are questionable.  Or they portrayed something we deem as different from the norm, and we want to shelter it from whoever wishes to read them.

            At a library in Weslaco, Texas, a librarian was fired for stocking Howard Stern’s book, Private Parts.  After ordering and receiving the book, the library received a complaint, and the book was placed in the reserved section.  After the same person complained about the book, the librarian was asked to remove the book from the library.  She told the library commission that the book had been removed, and ultimately, she was fired.  Her personal belongings had been vandalized, her life had been threatened.  But, luckily Howard heard of this and came to her rescue.  They appeared on the Donahue Show with members of the library commission, and they made it look like it was all her fault.  End result – Miss Librarian is in seclusion, the book is back in the reserve section, and Howard is still Howard.

            The FCC has levied millions of dollars in fines against Howard Stern for being obscene on the air.  When and where, I would like to know?  This is what I think is weird.  We have a bunch of people appointed to high ranking positions in our government in charge of free speech.  If they go after the likes of Howard, they should go after:  Phil, Oprah, Montel, Jenny, Days of Our Lives, and dare I say Rush Limbaugh at every direction.

            Recently we witnessed the murder of Tejano music star Selena.  The killing was unjust, and a life was taken before it was time.  Mr. Howard Stern reported the death in his own fashion, but not mocking the recently departed.  Of all the strange things Howard has said, or the malicious things Howard has said, he say something from his own standpoint and gets a lot of heat.  Howard said that Hispanics had bad taste in music.  What has happened since – a justice of the peace in Texas has issued a Disorderly Conduct Warrant against Howard Stern;  he is to be arrested if he enters the state of Texas.  All this for being a critic.  If that were the case – Siskel and Ebert, and the rest would be locked up for life.

            When and where does it end – I don’t know.  There are as many questions as there are answers.  You may not agree with everything I've said, but think of this…  When someone tells you that you can’t listen to someone, or read something, how would you feel?  There is time for a Witch Hunt – but let’s concentrate on the child molesters, the murderers, and the drug dealers.  Leave my books, music, and Howard Stern alone. 

In Sickness, In Pizza, and In Health - A Healthcare Manifesto

"The measure of a life is a measure of love and respect
So hard to earn, so easily burned
In the fullness of time
A garden to nurture and protect" ~ Neil Peart

Dear Powers That Be:

The United States of America is one of the richest countries on the planet, yet we are one of the only industrialized nations that fails to adequately insure its people with basic healthcare needs.  With the looming 2014 deadline for the Affordable Care Act to fully take affect, I’m seeing more and more rich CEOs wanting to cut back on staffing and/or cut employee hours just to not have to extend them healthcare insurance.  Well, fuck them!!! 

The rich have gotten free rides for a very long time in this country and are used to pulling the strings of government to work for them.  Now it’s time they get back to working for US!!  The rich only care about themselves and their bottom line.  They don’t give two shits if we live or die – just as long as we keep buying their shit!!!  We can’t boycott all of them, but we can sure turn the tide on them when we storm the gates in Washington and let our Senators and Representatives know that WE are in charge – not the corporations, not the rich millionaires/billionaires, but the working class who built this country with our sweat and blood.  Remember – it’s WE THE PEOPLE!!! 

As an American, we can do better for our people.  Here is what I demand:

• An affordable national healthcare system, or Medicare For All.

With this new system, I demand that no religious organization or religious person have any say on the new system. With that I demand:

• No restrictions on Birth Control for women.
• Easy access to abortion.

With this new system, I demand no exclusions for any of the following:

• Age (including Senior Citizens), race, gender, sexual orientation, Military status, pre-existing medical condition, mental health status, HIV status.

With this new system, I demand:

• No child be turned away – no matter of citizenship status.

With this new system I demand:

• Affordable prescription drugs for all.
• Limited Patents on all drugs.
• The Federal Government will have powers to negotiate lower drug prices (thus eliminating the need to import from Canada for the same exact medications made here in the USA).

With this new system, I demand:

• No one with mental health disorders be turned away or left on the streets.
• People with mental health disorders be treated with dignity and respect.
• More education and awareness for those with Autism and related disorders.

With this Manifesto, I demand from my Government:

• A law passed giving the people an allotment of paid sick days by employers.
• A law passed increasing the Minimum Wage as the cost of healthcare will no longer be a burden on employers and can now pay employees a living wage.
• A law passed to ensure employees are guaranteed vacation time – a well rested employee makes productivity rise.

Now that this has been said, here is a graphic of some of the companies who are going to cut employee working hours just so they won’t have to provide health insurance to them:

Graphic via The Everlasting GOP Stoppers

Now some might cry “it’s Socialism” – and you know what???  Who cares!!!  I call it caring for one another.  If you are too stupid or selfish and don’t give a shit about your fellow citizens, you can fuck right off!!!  You don’t like it – move!!!  But good fucking luck with that – you’ll have it almost anywhere you move (via):

Norway  - 1912 –  Single Payer
New Zealand –  1938 –  Two Tier
Japan –  1938 –  Single Payer
Germany –  1941 –  Insurance Mandate
Belgium –  1945 –  Insurance Mandate
United Kingdom –  1948 –  Single Payer
Kuwait –  1950 –  Single Payer
Sweden –  1955 –  Single Payer
Bahrain –  1957 –  Single Payer
Brunei –  1958 –  Single Payer
Canada –  1966 –  Single Payer
Netherlands –  1966 –  Two-Tier
Austria –  1967 –  Insurance Mandate
United Arab Emirates –  1971 –  Single Payer
Finland –  1972 –  Single Payer
Slovenia –  1972 –  Single Payer
Denmark –  1973 –  Two-Tier
Luxembourg –  1973 –  Insurance Mandate
France –  1974 –  Two-Tier
Australia –  1975 –  Two Tier
Ireland –  1977 –  Two-Tier
Italy –  1978 –  Single Payer
Portugal –  1979 –  Single Payer
Cyprus –  1980 –  Single Payer
Greece –  1983 –  Insurance Mandate
Spain –  1986 –  Single Payer
South Korea –  1988 –  Insurance Mandate
Iceland –  1990 –  Single Payer
Hong Kong –  1993 –  Two-Tier
Singapore –  1993 –  Two-Tier
Switzerland –  1994 –  Insurance Mandate
Israel –  1995 –  Two-Tier
United States –  2014 –  Insurance Mandate

Shapes of Things

"Time stand still-I'm not looking backBut I want to look around me nowSee more of the peopleAnd the places that surround me now 

Freeze this moment a little bit longerMake each sensation a little bit strongerExperience slips away..." ~ Neil Peart

Reflecting on the tragedy in Aurora, CO, today makes one think about how precious life is, how precious friendship is, and how precious family is.  I"m not going to discuss the tragedy, nor my thoughts on what happened, but to reflect for a bit.

I have great friends!!! I had great friends growing up, some keep in contact with me via Facebook, and some have decided my political views (or views in general) weren't of their liking so they cut me loose (their loss).  I have great friends who I met along life's path and glad I met them.  I have met a strong circle of friends on Twitter and enjoy conversations with them, too...

“Facebook is for friends that are now strangers. Twitter is for strangers that should be your friends."

Each day, I look forward to seeing what my friends have to say or what they are doing, whether it's the mundane or the funny or the sadness or joy.

Grand Designs

“Democrats never agree on anything, that's why they're Democrats. If they agreed with each other, they would be Republicans.” ` Will Rogers

There’s a lot of infighting, it seems, within the Democratic Party…  This includes the “Clintonistas”, “Firebaggers”, “DLCers” & “Blue Dogs”.  You see, I don’t give a rats ass about you, nor do I care what you think or what you do.  The only objective is to defeat the GOP this November.

I see this quit often on Twitter where one person may something about one candidate and another person will take offense to the tweet..  Sure there are self-centered bastards who blog or tweet – most of them have names, but I’m not going to name then because everyone knows who they are.  They need to suck it up and take one for the team.

Sure, the Clintonistas are still sore Hillary lost. Sure, the Firebaggers are critical of most everything President Obama is trying to do  (let’s see them try doing shit when with over 200 teabag obstructionists in the House and less than 60 Democrats in the Senate). Sure, The DLCers are fucking losers, but so are the Blue Dogs (They sold their souls to Wall Street).

So here’s a novel, and not so new idea:  Put away the bickering, put away the snide remarks, and most of all, put away the bullshit!!!  You are DEMOCRATS!!!  Act like human beings to one another.  Act together as a cohesive unit!! We have a Presidential election to win, We have to regain the House and keep a solid majority in the Senate. After the election, you can go back to being what you were, whatever that might be.  In the mean time, grow the fuck up!!!

 

If you're a DLCer, Firebagger, or a Blue Dog, you mean nothing to me. My goal is to defeat the #GOP... Once that's done, I'm coming for you!

— Paul in Vegas(@Bluesaloon) June 30, 2012

Freedom

“We can go from boom to bust
From dreams to a bowl of dust
We can fall from rockets' red glare
Down to "Brother can you spare-"
Another war-another waste land-
And another lost generation...” ~ Neil Peart

Or

“Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose,
And nothin' ain't worth nothin' but it's free” ~ Kris Kristofferson

Let me preface by saying I’m an American first, a Democrat second, and a self admitted bleeding heart liberal.  I make no bones about it and have stated as much in my previous writings.

When Thirteen Colonies declared their independence some 236 years ago from the British Crown, they did not know what the future had in store for them.  They only longed for the freedom to live where they made their own rules, lives as free men under a new flag.  They wanted to shed the King and totalitarian rule.  Although British by birth, in their hearts they were American.

Now, to this time and this place… Where thirteen colonies are now Fifty States…. Here in the 21st Century…

Cast away the royalty, but gain the rich and powerful…  my how times have changed.  They are still making the rules.

But what does it get you???  Lower taxes?? Sure – I’ll go without decent road and bridges to drive on.

More money for Defense??  Sure – let’s fire a few thousand teachers in the process.  Who needs teachers anyway – our education systems are failing, we’re near the bottom in math and science, we don’t teach music and we teach to a test….  Kids don’t need books…  But someone out there decided we need the biggest and the brightest bombs our tax dollars will buy.

No need to increase the minimum wage??  What about those starving people who can barely scrape by on the pittance they are paid working in a big box store or fast food joint!!!  The standard of living rises, but wages fail to rise with them.  Two dollars 20 years ago doesn’t buy what two dollars will today…  But hey, Freedom isn’t free!!!  Now you have to work 2 or 3 jobs – to make ends meet.

We don’t need Healthcare reform??  Tell that to the family who has to sell everything just to be well, even go bankrupt in the process. They didn’t need that house or car… But the rich and powerful insurance companies and corporate-owned hospitals got theirs, in not only money, but someone’s blood and dignity!!!  So much for “promoting the General Welfare” of the people.

Our nation spends more on defense that all of our allies combined, and who does it benefit??  Defense contractors.  Our roads are crumbling, bridges and schools falling apart, teachers having to buy supplies for their classrooms out of their own pocket.  That’s not Freedom – that’s Neglect!!!  Neglecting our own for the sake of what??  A fucking plane or bomb??  Where does it end.

We have starving people in this country – do they feel this Freedom??  No, they don’t.  They fall through the system.  They are the invisible citizens. Liberals look out for them, while  conservatives want to take it all away.  Mentally ill people walking the streets when they should be taken care of. Families evicted from homes, with no assistance from the Government sworn to protect them, yet the banks who loaned them the money are bailed out.

People cry about their god and Jesus and whoever else they might worship, but do not follow the teachings. Feed the poor, heal the sick, blah blah blah… Hypocrisy abound with these people.  What ever happened to love thy neighbor – now neighbors are suffering along the political divide; left vs. right, liberal vs. conservative, Democrat vs. Republican…  We will never agree, but there can be a common ground to work from – not against.

So, this Independence Day, one should reflect on what will make this country better and shine once again.  This downward slope we find ourselves on where the top 1% control what the other 99% do is out of hand.  It’s not a matter of left and right, it’s a matter of being an American.  We have to find it within ourselves to make changes where they need to be made.  Build schools, educate our young, make college affordable, fix our infrastructure, care for the sick, feed the hungry…  I know it’s asking a lot, but as a country, we cannot fail our own..  We must preserve our future…  That is Freedom!!!

The Poor, A Mental Disease, and Trolls.. Oh My!!!

I happened to see a video online (below) about a Democratic Pundit saying the word “Fuck” live on Fox “news”… no big deal to me since I drop F-bombs faster than the Pope can hide a sex abuse scandal.

 

What bothered me about it was Neal Boortz saying “Poverty is a mental disease”.  I took offense by that statement and I tweeted to this man the following: “Poverty is not a mental disease, @ XXXXXXX .... You think people choose to be poor??? You're an asshole!!!!” (Since then, he retweeted it to his minions rather than confront me himself, the coward that he and all RWNJs are on Twitter).

People do not chose to be poor.  Some are born into it, some are forced into it, and some become poor by their own design – but I do not feel it is a mental disease!!!  Where in the fuck he came up with that line, I’ll never know.

When I say “born into it”, it is just that.  You could be in parts of the world (or for the USA, for that matter) and live in poor areas – not having any idea of what might be out there that would be better.  You live day to day, trying to raise your family on the little money you make at the menial jobs that are available in your area and don’t have the means to leave and you’re stuck!!!  Nowhere to go, no one to help. Even with the meager amount of food stamps you might receive from the government, you’re barely scraping by.  Thus is your life in an impoverished city, town, state or country.

When I say “forced into it”, it means you might have had a comfortable living, but it all went away from something devastating – like medical bills.  Sure, you might have had health insurance, but you’re always one catastrophic illness away from the poorhouse, and this does happen in the good ol’ UsofA!! Yay Us!!! (I’m not going to get into the benefits of “Obamacare” but some parts of that law will prevent things like that from happening). When a family member gets sick, the insurance only covers so much, and the bills keep coming and you can’t keep up… Step by step, you lose your house, live in the car or lose your car…  You are now one of the working poor, praying to your god you don’t lose your job….  This is the America we live in – ashamed??  If you believe in what I do, you’re not, but if you are a conservative, you probably don’t give two shits!!!!

When I say “by their own design”, it means just that…  The over spender, poor budgeting, compulsive gambling… These are some of the ones I have less sympathy for, but there is help out there for them. They’ve made their bed, and they must deal with it.  The compulsive gambler has a disease and can be treated.  Poor budgeting: have someone manage your money. Over spending, stop!!!

But to say someone in poverty has a mental disease was uncalled for.  The Boortz-trolls keep telling me you can get out of it… They all seem to be living well with their internet connections to attack my statement, but you know what??  There are people who don’t have that fucking luxury!!  Why???  because when you’re down and out in this country, you become the unseen, the unwashed, and the ignored part of the population.  When you befriend a homeless person or acknowledge their existence by saying hello, then we’ll talk.  Until then, I don’t want to hear it!!!