An experiment

The unfortunate passing of a brother has left me in a fortunate position. I am now majority owner of a business. I won’t say anything about its name or location for sake of privacy, though those who know me will know.

I urged my brother over the years (as did another brother) to treat his hired help with more respect and dignity. But, GRHS, my brother thought that hires were a drag on profit, rather than part of its source. Over the years, he refused to offer higher wages, eliminated benefits, and refused to even consider offering more hours than demand justified. He built a nice cushion to insulate himself from downturns, but no one else benefited. GRHS. Continue reading “An experiment” →

Breaking free

I am looking for positive things to put up here, and scanning the political horizon, there is not much. But there are protests going on, and that is a good thing.

We live in a thought-controlled culture, so that protests are usually seen by the mainstream as aberrant or even goofy. The media adds to this perception by showing the freakiest elements they can find. There are only two ways to keep those who have broken free of thought control in check – marginalization, and violence. The New York police Department, which is protecting criminals inside the buildings of Wall Street from protesters outside, seems aware that violence only feeds the movement.

The complaint most often voiced about Occupy Wall Street and it’s offshoots is that it is mere free-floating anger without an agenda or objective. That is a valid point, but the absence of an agenda should be expected in a nascent movement. If it is going to amount to anything, coalitions must form, leaders must emerge, and thinkers must start forming blueprints. But for now, just the overcoming inertia and breaking free of thought control is a big step.
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Life begins anew

OK. Our family has endured much sadness lately, and out of that came a desire to avoid the incessant negativity of blogging. I’ve followed the usual haunts, and nothing changes. Ever. I continue to admire the work put out by Lizard and JC at 4&20, and will live vicariously through them. 

How to deal with loss? We’ve all experienced it, the knowledge that someone we love is just plain gone from our lives. It could be a romantic breakup or death. The feeling is the the same. As I saw bodies lowered into graves these past few weeks, I had uncontrollable sadness. Our family is closer now, more supportive of one another. We share pain, and that makes us stronger, more compassionate.

Does religion help? Do all the people who say that our loved ones are now somewhere else help the wounds heal? No. I don’t believe it, nor do they. Faith is unwavering belief in things we know are not true. Death is the end of a person, never to be hugged or heard again. 

Oddly, from death comes from within me a desire to give more of myself and expect less back. It is maturity. I was once told by a wise man that we don’t really become adults until our parents die. Perhaps he meant until we experience profound loss.

So my writing here is no longer offered to induce endless and unproductive political debate. I want more substance. I offer this forum to anyone who wants to share a positive outlook. No sympathy. We’ve had plenty of that. Just positive thoughts.

One lesson learned: The need for, and the healing power of forgiveness  – while we are alive. Life, as we all know, is short. We were repeatedly told that hearing is the last sense to go. Maybe so, but is there comprehension? I doubt it. Reconcile with them during life. I am saddened by the loss of two brothers, but gratified that we were friends at the end, all issues long since rectified.

Making decisions, moving forward

Democrats will always be Democrats. Because they do not fulfill their role, and are as often con artists as leaders, they are the problem.

People who think Atlas Shrugged had deep significance will always assume they know more than us.

99.9% of Americans will never penetrate the cloud of propaganda that envelops them.

Meaningless elections that change nothing will continue to absorb our good energy, assuring the owning classes that their wealth and power will not be threatened by public opinion.

Things are shaking a little on the ground. The occupation of Wall Street might be the beginning of a movement, might not. It might be infiltrated, the bankers might send in agents provocateur to break some windows or burn a flag to discredit them. It’s a tried and true tactic.

But maybe change is in the air. It is long awaited.

This is the end of the blog as we know it. I’ve said everything I have to say at least seven times seven. It is fun to write, and I will continue to do so, maybe even here. But a wise man once told me that life is about making decisions, moving forward. This blog is a sideways place.

See ya. Been fun. And check the date. It is not April 1st.

It’s a question of whether we actually even believe in that piece of paper

From Friday’s Democracy Now! interview with Glenn Greenwald regarding the murder or Awlaki:

JUAN GONZALEZ: Glenn, what can people who are concerned about this extraordinary extension of the powers of a president to basically ignore any kind of due process with our American citizens, what can they do?

GLENN GREENWALD: Well, one thing that is obvious, is that voting for Democrats as opposed to Republicans doesn’t help. In fact, if you read The New York Times article from 2010 confirming that Awlaki is on the hit list, it makes clear that there’s been no instances where George Bush ordered American citizens targeted for assassination, that this is extraordinary and perhaps an unprecedented step under the Democratic president. What people in the Arab world did, when their leaders did things like imprison them, let alone kill them, and their fellow citizens without trials, is they went out into the streets and protested and demanded that it stop. Continue reading “It’s a question of whether we actually even believe in that piece of paper” →

And you thought Bush was a bad dude?

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation. (Taken from some quaint document)

Anwar al-Awlaki is dead, murdered by Barack Obama. There was no due process, no burden of proof. Just a cold-blooded murder. Obama now sits aside Dick Cheney, George W. Bush, Donald Rumsfeld as a state terrorist. He too deserves to be at the business end of a rope, feet a-twitching their final twitches.

It’s so much worse than just killing one man – it’s the whole of this nonsense of American victimhood. “Al Qaeda” is insignificant, hardly something to lose sleep over. Whatever they were before 9/11, and that wasn’t much, they (along with thousands of innocent Afghans) were wiped out in October of 2001. But their threat is deliberately overstated to keep the premise for American terror and aggressive war alive and well. An American citizen is far more likely to drown in a bath tub than die by the hand of a “terrorist.”
Continue reading “And you thought Bush was a bad dude?” →

Only in America

When WIN wins, patients lose
America is indeed the land of opportunity. A Wyoming health insurance company, WINhealth Partners, saw an opportunity to stick it to a woman, and jumped on it.

Kimberly Shaffer’s physicians recommended breast reduction surgery due to neck and back pain. Her insurer, Great West Healthcare, covered the surgery. She notice signs of infection later, and indeed she had methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus, a life-threatening bacteria that required aggressive treatment to save her life.
Continue reading “Only in America” →

Hiking the spectacular Iranian high country

Has anyone else noticed that not one American news outlet has referred to the two Americans released from Iranian prison yesterday as anything other than “hikers”?

Don’t get me wrong. It’s not conspiracy theorizing. But the idea that they might be spies when our government says they are hikers … during a time of high tension when the US is openly threatening Iran and running covert ops and having recently spent $400 million to disrupt their elections … well, the notion that these might just maybe not be hikers … well … that notion never even occurs to them. That’s kind of their job, like good puppies, never pottying on the carpet.

And they might really be hikers. It’s just an odd place to trek. It’s fishy. It would not hurt to be a tad suspicious but that quality does not exist in American journalism. It’s been bred out. The ones left really think that lack of curiosity is a virtue. That’s quite an accomplishment.