SPORTSCENTER FROM WEST POINT
Veteran's Day was a special all day telecast from the Army's Military Academy. I watched a lot of the coverage, the same features over and over again. Brought back a lot of feelings for me, many from childhood and all of them eternal.
There has never been a question in my mind of whether or not I would fight for this country. For me, it always was considered an honor and the punch on my 'all day pass' for giving.
I think that being a bonnie wee lad as Vietnam ended and all the 'whatevers' that surrounded military service drew me to it. Man, that swimming against the stream thing has been in me for a LONG time. Though folks would say bad things about it, I had a cousin that came home from Vietnam and he wasn't too worse for wear, but I was looking at him from a child's perspective. What ever didn't sit right, whatever fraying he had, I wasn't aware of any of it.
Every Army-Navy game, it seemed that it was raining or at least drizzly! Looking at the Cadets and Midshipmen stand for the entire game in their uniforms, I would feel flush with pride. Each time I have found myself sitting in front of the tele watching the game, is a moment that I can't help but wonder 'what if' ...
_____________________________________________________________
When I hear about people who knew when they were a kid what they wanted to do their one thing, I get a little envious. Sometimes I wonder what were the circumstances that happened in their lives that facilitated their choice. What I mean by that is who mentored them and kept them in line for their dream? Even as I want to look for reasons that 'fated' them to become whatever they are, I have always came to the point where it was always the person that drove themselves to their destiny.
Before life can help you, you have to first start helping yourself. I knew that you would need to get a letter of recommendation in order to go to West Point. That meant if I wanted to go that I needed super great grades and a nomination from a Congressman or Senator. When I began to struggle with grades as I adjusted to life as a teenager, once my grades slipped to that 'B-C' shelf, mainly I sorta lost interest in the idea of going to West Point. But I still wanted to go Army.
Can't remember if I talked with any adult about what I had hoped for ... though I am pretty open with this thing here, there is A LOT that I don't put out. And it isn't because I have secrets to keep, but jeez, it is a lot and detailed. You'd have to be here to 'be here', you know what I am saying? Anywho, I still kept it together enough to stay in the ROTC ... and would go on and enlist under the delayed-entry program.
_____________________________________________________________
When my Army Sis graduated from high school, she came to me and asked about what she should do. Like me, she was a good but not great student. Could have went on and got financial aid and all that stuff, and scuffle through college, but she was already tired of that. She did all the extra curricular stuff, including playing basketball on a state championship team. But school was tiring, and no matter what, is no guarantee of anything. Her and a buddy were thinking about the Air Force and asked me for advice.
My military experience was a mixed bag ... but when I talked with her about it, I told her about how I had to take responsibility for a lot of my own experience. By joining the service you were at the political expediency of those in power and you could find yourself in some far flung place for spurious reasons. The upshot of it was you had an opportunity to find out about yourself and grow as a person.
Even though you didn't get paid what you would in the civilian sector, you had the benefits that made up for a lot of that. And you had the honor of being able to say to people that you served your country.
No matter what, you can use that in any discussion about the United States and why you feel the way you do about anything!
______________________________________________________________
I don't know if I talk a lot about or even live in my past. What I do know is that my everyday is awfully hum drum. When I was in the 'provincial town that I jogged 'round', or even back home at my Dad's, I don't know if any of the mendacity of what went on was 'note worthy'. Anywho, what is a journal for, if not to write about what is on a person's mind, namely MINE.
The past has been what I have been working on, trying to learn from it and grow. To me, if I was lost in where I have been, then when MD sent that email about that stuff, it would have set off all sorts of alarms and whatever. Really, the first and only thing that went thru my mind was how truly insignificant she is to me ... she is back to her 'nothingness' that she was a part of after high school.
When it has comes to 'the people I know', that is how I have dealt with them. That is why it was 'new' for me ... aw, I have repeated that enough. That is what is a struggle for me. Because there are legitimate reasons (to whoever) that they haven't thought about me, I have my legitimate reasons that I haven't been pressed about them.
Messin' round with Mookie was a test in many ways, to see if I can put up with the irratants that I have about people ... to see if I can 'get over myself' enough to make a relationship work. I know with my ex-wife that I told myself that I wasn't going to get over the fail in THAT relationship. I never should have met her. Should have been somewhere else ...
... and where I should have been and why I feel that way, is something that will never be known.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
A MONTH PLUS TWO
GIRL POWER
Since that lassie who did the mugging of the BYU soccer team has been such a sensation, I decided to go the other way with the idea of a 'girl doing something that boys do'.
This was an amazing athletic performance when everything is taken into consideration. There had never been a filly to win this race and none with the record that Zenyatta brought to the table. When she immediately fell to the back of the pack, though there weren't any NOW folks there to cheer her on, I do think it would have been one of the things that adds to the chauvinism in the world.
THE YOUNG DUKE
Watching the race, my thoughts turned to the line in the Benjamin Disraeli book that the term 'darkhorse' emerged from. Though I don't think that a filly who is unbeaten fits the role in the classic sense as she was among the favourites to win the race. The same I think applies to the horse that for whom the term was coined. Because the careless St. James did not see its name, did not mean that the horse 'wasn't on the list'.
As an amateur, when I'd go away to compete in tournaments out of town or even with my 'brunches' with regional or national teams, there would always be a cat who was trying to pump himself up with 'popcorn bravado'. I mean, everyone could be considered a very good fighter and to me, it felt like a fighter who would have to pump himself up by denigrating the competition was more worried than he would let on. I would like fighting cats like that. It always seemed to me that the moment of truth when they either saw that their pet combinations weren't as effective as they thought, or that I hit harder than they expected, they begin to fray.
On the other end of the spectrum, there was the less than confident cat. For whatever reason, they didn't feel as if they belonged. It was easier talking to them and getting them to understand that because they were 'here', and that they won to get to this stage that they truly belonged. And this was true in spite of what anyone else thought or said.
To me if you are on the list, how can you really be considered 'a darkhorse' when you win the race?
THE CARELESS ST. JAMES
When I first decided to look in my past for someone to go forward with, I left things open for someone to race in and take to the lead. But at the same time, is it really careless to be concerned with the majority opinions of who is the best and therefore most likely to be among the top finishers at the end? After all, just as the underdogs shouldn't sell themselves short, neither should the favourites overestimate their rivals. There were legitimate reasons that Mike Tyson was called, 'the baddest man on the planet'.
It is only when there is something that is overlooked, like with the Super Bowl between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots, that afterwards you see all the things that you were too busy being awed by to put in proper perspective. That is where you can make the case for 'carelessness'. People didn't put all the dots together and come up with an answer. Or they knew and just didn't pay the information any heed.
Anywho ... when folks find themselves in the serious pinning for someone, do they account for their own issues within the relationship? It isn't that the filly was simply faster than the rest of the field, but that no one in the field was as fast as she was. In short, the reason that they weren't 'winners' had a participatory part that gets overlooked in handicapping and in relationships.
The stereotype is that women commiserate with other 'you go girl' friends and drink cosmos, talking about how good they were to a jerk and whatever. Yadda, yadda, yadda. Like they don't sleep, crap and eat food too. There are reasons that things failed ... since I am not 'them' I don't know what specific that I may have done to have earned their enmity. I would cop to them and promise not to revisit the actions that were responsible for their dissatisfaction with me.
But do they ever ask themselves what did THEY contribute to the problem, beyond being 'too good' or 'forgiving'? Or do all they do is see themselves as a victim?
"By swallowing evil words unsaid, no one has ever harmed his stomach." -Winston Churchill
I try not to say or speak poorly of anyone ... and if I do, I will let them know what I think and not vent for the sake of venting. And that is when you'd have to have 'boots on the ground' to understand why certain changes occur.
Time to get up, get out, and get into it.
Since that lassie who did the mugging of the BYU soccer team has been such a sensation, I decided to go the other way with the idea of a 'girl doing something that boys do'.
This was an amazing athletic performance when everything is taken into consideration. There had never been a filly to win this race and none with the record that Zenyatta brought to the table. When she immediately fell to the back of the pack, though there weren't any NOW folks there to cheer her on, I do think it would have been one of the things that adds to the chauvinism in the world.
THE YOUNG DUKE
Watching the race, my thoughts turned to the line in the Benjamin Disraeli book that the term 'darkhorse' emerged from. Though I don't think that a filly who is unbeaten fits the role in the classic sense as she was among the favourites to win the race. The same I think applies to the horse that for whom the term was coined. Because the careless St. James did not see its name, did not mean that the horse 'wasn't on the list'.
As an amateur, when I'd go away to compete in tournaments out of town or even with my 'brunches' with regional or national teams, there would always be a cat who was trying to pump himself up with 'popcorn bravado'. I mean, everyone could be considered a very good fighter and to me, it felt like a fighter who would have to pump himself up by denigrating the competition was more worried than he would let on. I would like fighting cats like that. It always seemed to me that the moment of truth when they either saw that their pet combinations weren't as effective as they thought, or that I hit harder than they expected, they begin to fray.
On the other end of the spectrum, there was the less than confident cat. For whatever reason, they didn't feel as if they belonged. It was easier talking to them and getting them to understand that because they were 'here', and that they won to get to this stage that they truly belonged. And this was true in spite of what anyone else thought or said.
To me if you are on the list, how can you really be considered 'a darkhorse' when you win the race?
THE CARELESS ST. JAMES
When I first decided to look in my past for someone to go forward with, I left things open for someone to race in and take to the lead. But at the same time, is it really careless to be concerned with the majority opinions of who is the best and therefore most likely to be among the top finishers at the end? After all, just as the underdogs shouldn't sell themselves short, neither should the favourites overestimate their rivals. There were legitimate reasons that Mike Tyson was called, 'the baddest man on the planet'.
It is only when there is something that is overlooked, like with the Super Bowl between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots, that afterwards you see all the things that you were too busy being awed by to put in proper perspective. That is where you can make the case for 'carelessness'. People didn't put all the dots together and come up with an answer. Or they knew and just didn't pay the information any heed.
Anywho ... when folks find themselves in the serious pinning for someone, do they account for their own issues within the relationship? It isn't that the filly was simply faster than the rest of the field, but that no one in the field was as fast as she was. In short, the reason that they weren't 'winners' had a participatory part that gets overlooked in handicapping and in relationships.
The stereotype is that women commiserate with other 'you go girl' friends and drink cosmos, talking about how good they were to a jerk and whatever. Yadda, yadda, yadda. Like they don't sleep, crap and eat food too. There are reasons that things failed ... since I am not 'them' I don't know what specific that I may have done to have earned their enmity. I would cop to them and promise not to revisit the actions that were responsible for their dissatisfaction with me.
But do they ever ask themselves what did THEY contribute to the problem, beyond being 'too good' or 'forgiving'? Or do all they do is see themselves as a victim?
"By swallowing evil words unsaid, no one has ever harmed his stomach." -Winston Churchill
I try not to say or speak poorly of anyone ... and if I do, I will let them know what I think and not vent for the sake of venting. And that is when you'd have to have 'boots on the ground' to understand why certain changes occur.
Time to get up, get out, and get into it.
Friday, November 6, 2009
YET ANOTHER IN WHAT HAS BEEN A LONG LINE ...
... OF RANDOM POSTS
Few of things about the Ft. Hood tragedy.
In a rush for ratings, there was a lot of misinformation issued. Sen. Bailey-Hutchinson needed to sit herself down. Early on, CNN kept referring to her as if she had some special information from on post. In fact, after the Lt. Gen. spoke, the Sen. continued to provide old, unconfirmed, information.
The mayor of Killeen did a far better job of remaining in his lane, and showed the proper deference when it came to who had authority in the matter.
Media coverage was spotty at best throughout the evening. Is this what the 24-hour news cycle has wrought? People feeding the Hydra of ego, ratings, fame and commercializtion of tragedy? There was enough hints about the Major's 'Arab sounding name' to start a panic about a possible terrorist link.
There are enough things at play here without any other wild and possibly destructive speculation as to the infiltration of foreign sappers on US soil.
No personal politicizing of this terrible event from me here. The coverage is still annoying enough. I really wonder how do those people sleep at night ... not the incendiary figures that we all 'know and love' like Keith Olberman and Bill O'Reilly. But the 'who the heck are they?' anchors of the late night-early morning shows.
If I didn't know better, Robin Meade was 'teasing' the information out, as if there was things she didn't know and was going to leave to the following hour or segment. Then she went to a promo for a rerun of Rihanna's interview.
She was very uninformative and did not have ANY grasp of what happened at Fort Hood. Or so the Germans would have you believe ...
MERRIL HOGE
He was the football player that caused me to pay more attention to the problems the sport was having with concussions. His career was shortened because of his issues with secondary concussion syndrome. Watching him do his thing on television makes me feel confident about my ability to function.
Even though he does get along pretty well, he could easily sit and claim that he has reached his level and stay there. He is at one end of the spectrum. I think that I am shaded towards him, though I don't like hearing my voice played back. I don't think I will ever purposely or willingly make any kind of vocal recording of myself speaking.
Doesn't mean I won't talk though!
THE D.C. SNIPER
John Allen Muhammad was tried in Virginia and given a death sentence. His attorney has petitioned the Govenor on his behalf to have his sentence commuted to life in prision. After all, it is against the law to kill someone who is mentally ill.
Thing is, one of the women on his jury said that she would not have voted for death had she known that he CLEARLY had brain injury. You CAN'T fake that. The MRI clearly shows he had issues going on. Tim Kaine, a Roman Catholic who is opposed to the death penalty, still has found it suitable to allow for 9 deaths in the chamber, the nation's second busiest (hey, for real ... don't MESS with Texas!).
Bucko did an entry which seemed to me to be about ethics and morals (could it have been about 'The Metaphysics of Morals'??) and perhaps this could be another test case that actually plays out.
If Muhammad's brain was damaged, then it should have been known at the time and the information shared with the jurors. Now, I ask anyone reading, is the greater good benefitted more from his death even as he is obviously mentally ill? Or should we seek to treat him humanly, more humanly than he has the CAPACITY for displaying?
Should we still abide by the 'eye for an eye' kind of Old Testament sentiment, or use the forgiveness and way to grace that is allowed by the New Testament? Are we not judged by how we treat the weakest and the most infirm among us or do we have such hard hearts that there is no act that can be forgiven, despite what we may know?
I think a wonderful contrast is the serial cat in Cleveland. Should he get a death sentence now, as he has demonstrated a disregard for life as open society see it? Or should we put to death a man who did serve his country and may have had injuries that were execerbated by his service?
In one, you have a blantant disregard for life and in the other you have a mitigating condition that could be the result of his efforts to preserve a way of life.
SINCE I AM RAMBLING ...
Mookie emailed me about the crap that I left with her, the same crap that she asked about in the spring. I am like WTF!!
I may pick up more on that in a later entry as I am not doing too much of anything. Still having a time adjusting to being here. But me and my girl are doing fine!! In fact as I have come to the end, I think I have done more fore shadowing than anything.
Few of things about the Ft. Hood tragedy.
In a rush for ratings, there was a lot of misinformation issued. Sen. Bailey-Hutchinson needed to sit herself down. Early on, CNN kept referring to her as if she had some special information from on post. In fact, after the Lt. Gen. spoke, the Sen. continued to provide old, unconfirmed, information.
The mayor of Killeen did a far better job of remaining in his lane, and showed the proper deference when it came to who had authority in the matter.
Media coverage was spotty at best throughout the evening. Is this what the 24-hour news cycle has wrought? People feeding the Hydra of ego, ratings, fame and commercializtion of tragedy? There was enough hints about the Major's 'Arab sounding name' to start a panic about a possible terrorist link.
There are enough things at play here without any other wild and possibly destructive speculation as to the infiltration of foreign sappers on US soil.
No personal politicizing of this terrible event from me here. The coverage is still annoying enough. I really wonder how do those people sleep at night ... not the incendiary figures that we all 'know and love' like Keith Olberman and Bill O'Reilly. But the 'who the heck are they?' anchors of the late night-early morning shows.
If I didn't know better, Robin Meade was 'teasing' the information out, as if there was things she didn't know and was going to leave to the following hour or segment. Then she went to a promo for a rerun of Rihanna's interview.
She was very uninformative and did not have ANY grasp of what happened at Fort Hood. Or so the Germans would have you believe ...
MERRIL HOGE
He was the football player that caused me to pay more attention to the problems the sport was having with concussions. His career was shortened because of his issues with secondary concussion syndrome. Watching him do his thing on television makes me feel confident about my ability to function.
Even though he does get along pretty well, he could easily sit and claim that he has reached his level and stay there. He is at one end of the spectrum. I think that I am shaded towards him, though I don't like hearing my voice played back. I don't think I will ever purposely or willingly make any kind of vocal recording of myself speaking.
Doesn't mean I won't talk though!
THE D.C. SNIPER
John Allen Muhammad was tried in Virginia and given a death sentence. His attorney has petitioned the Govenor on his behalf to have his sentence commuted to life in prision. After all, it is against the law to kill someone who is mentally ill.
Thing is, one of the women on his jury said that she would not have voted for death had she known that he CLEARLY had brain injury. You CAN'T fake that. The MRI clearly shows he had issues going on. Tim Kaine, a Roman Catholic who is opposed to the death penalty, still has found it suitable to allow for 9 deaths in the chamber, the nation's second busiest (hey, for real ... don't MESS with Texas!).
Bucko did an entry which seemed to me to be about ethics and morals (could it have been about 'The Metaphysics of Morals'??) and perhaps this could be another test case that actually plays out.
If Muhammad's brain was damaged, then it should have been known at the time and the information shared with the jurors. Now, I ask anyone reading, is the greater good benefitted more from his death even as he is obviously mentally ill? Or should we seek to treat him humanly, more humanly than he has the CAPACITY for displaying?
Should we still abide by the 'eye for an eye' kind of Old Testament sentiment, or use the forgiveness and way to grace that is allowed by the New Testament? Are we not judged by how we treat the weakest and the most infirm among us or do we have such hard hearts that there is no act that can be forgiven, despite what we may know?
I think a wonderful contrast is the serial cat in Cleveland. Should he get a death sentence now, as he has demonstrated a disregard for life as open society see it? Or should we put to death a man who did serve his country and may have had injuries that were execerbated by his service?
In one, you have a blantant disregard for life and in the other you have a mitigating condition that could be the result of his efforts to preserve a way of life.
SINCE I AM RAMBLING ...
Mookie emailed me about the crap that I left with her, the same crap that she asked about in the spring. I am like WTF!!
I may pick up more on that in a later entry as I am not doing too much of anything. Still having a time adjusting to being here. But me and my girl are doing fine!! In fact as I have come to the end, I think I have done more fore shadowing than anything.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
MEDIA WATCH
DID ANYONE ELSE WATCH 'V'??
It started off rather slow ... but it started to catch hold of me when I convinced myself to overlook things ... bad science kind of makes me disinterested, you know. The show's special effects budget can only do so much.
I see they kept the female alien leader a brunette. I thought that was nice, and she looks more sinister than campy. Perhaps I am remembering the 'big hair' of the 80's and holding that against her.
Will have to put up with pronoun use, because I don't feel like checking and getting the names of the actors/actresses. The news guy that did the big interview is a familiar guy, and he is a good looking cat as well. I wonder where I remember him from?
One name that I do know, Morris Chestnut, is a good actor and I am glad to see a brother get some work!
I wonder how long before people begin to notice how eerily similar the plot is to real life? I mean you have this big Wesayso kind of corporation making all these big promises and only asking for a 'small token' in return for their help. After an initial reluctance, masses all fall in line and before you know it ...
It looks good enough for me to watch again.
POLITICS ... AS USUAL
It isn't any wonder why the aliens sneak in and infiltrate life here on Earth? I think they have us distracted now!
Will someone please explain to me how the races in New Jersey and here in Virginia speak for a rebuke of the Democrats and President Obama? Why doesn't it speak about how crap politicians finally get put out on the streets?
Gov. Corzine as rich as he may be, has been a polarizing figure for a good while in NJ. Couldn't it have been people got tired of him and the crap race he ran with all the attack ads? Chris Christie was a good federal prosecutor and stuck with the issues.
Here in Va. you had Bob McConnell who had the advantage of being a former office holder with a higher profile than his opponent Creigh Deeds. From what I understand, they way that they ran their campaigns made a big difference, too. From what I understand, McConnell downplayed some of his arch-conservative social views (and man, is he a right wing pigeon or what ..!) and focused on what people wanted to hear about. Jobs and the economy.
I don't know if Deeds made a wise choice by being reluctant to utilize the power of the White House in his efforts. If there was an election that spoke for the overall climate in politics today, it was the race for the 23rd District in New York. You had the Republican Party candidate being usurped by a far right candidate.
Seeing how many people got behind Doug Hoffman and the groups that were involved, I think the next social battleground is going to be fought in the realm of politics as fundamentalist Christian politicians run for office. The scary thing about it is two fold.
In the 'them v. us', both sides believe that they are representative of a unspoken for group. You have on the one side, a group that believes that their way of life is threatened and their core belief is not being represented. They are willing to get active and will force their way of thinking into legislation.
On the other, you have the apathy of those who don't understand why getting involved in politics should matter to them. This is why the magical 'Obama coalition' didn't show up and vote. Many of the cats and kittens that went to the polls during the Presidential election understood clearly what was at stake. In my mind, that is what cost Creigh Deeds and why overall the group of voters who were responsible for the historical election of President Obama did not show up here or in New Jersey for the Democrats.
That is where the Republicans and its social right wing have such a crucial advantage. They can get their constitiuents to the polls by speaking simply and directly to them. I don't see where the Democrats do that, and liberals are flat out a-holes. I resent them and their 'holier than thou' attitude. Instead of offering an alternative to something, they tend to look and act as if it is unbelievable that anyone could not agree with them or see through the wrongness of the alternative offerings.
GM SUCKS
New OnStar commercial uses Detroit as the location for one of its latest commercial, trumpeting its use as an auto recovery device. I don't see why they would want to do something like that. Seems like a good way to alienate your biggest fans, the people of Michigan, if you ask me.
Things are still nervy here. Enough about that ... for now.
It started off rather slow ... but it started to catch hold of me when I convinced myself to overlook things ... bad science kind of makes me disinterested, you know. The show's special effects budget can only do so much.
I see they kept the female alien leader a brunette. I thought that was nice, and she looks more sinister than campy. Perhaps I am remembering the 'big hair' of the 80's and holding that against her.
Will have to put up with pronoun use, because I don't feel like checking and getting the names of the actors/actresses. The news guy that did the big interview is a familiar guy, and he is a good looking cat as well. I wonder where I remember him from?
One name that I do know, Morris Chestnut, is a good actor and I am glad to see a brother get some work!
I wonder how long before people begin to notice how eerily similar the plot is to real life? I mean you have this big Wesayso kind of corporation making all these big promises and only asking for a 'small token' in return for their help. After an initial reluctance, masses all fall in line and before you know it ...
It looks good enough for me to watch again.
POLITICS ... AS USUAL
It isn't any wonder why the aliens sneak in and infiltrate life here on Earth? I think they have us distracted now!
Will someone please explain to me how the races in New Jersey and here in Virginia speak for a rebuke of the Democrats and President Obama? Why doesn't it speak about how crap politicians finally get put out on the streets?
Gov. Corzine as rich as he may be, has been a polarizing figure for a good while in NJ. Couldn't it have been people got tired of him and the crap race he ran with all the attack ads? Chris Christie was a good federal prosecutor and stuck with the issues.
Here in Va. you had Bob McConnell who had the advantage of being a former office holder with a higher profile than his opponent Creigh Deeds. From what I understand, they way that they ran their campaigns made a big difference, too. From what I understand, McConnell downplayed some of his arch-conservative social views (and man, is he a right wing pigeon or what ..!) and focused on what people wanted to hear about. Jobs and the economy.
I don't know if Deeds made a wise choice by being reluctant to utilize the power of the White House in his efforts. If there was an election that spoke for the overall climate in politics today, it was the race for the 23rd District in New York. You had the Republican Party candidate being usurped by a far right candidate.
Seeing how many people got behind Doug Hoffman and the groups that were involved, I think the next social battleground is going to be fought in the realm of politics as fundamentalist Christian politicians run for office. The scary thing about it is two fold.
In the 'them v. us', both sides believe that they are representative of a unspoken for group. You have on the one side, a group that believes that their way of life is threatened and their core belief is not being represented. They are willing to get active and will force their way of thinking into legislation.
On the other, you have the apathy of those who don't understand why getting involved in politics should matter to them. This is why the magical 'Obama coalition' didn't show up and vote. Many of the cats and kittens that went to the polls during the Presidential election understood clearly what was at stake. In my mind, that is what cost Creigh Deeds and why overall the group of voters who were responsible for the historical election of President Obama did not show up here or in New Jersey for the Democrats.
That is where the Republicans and its social right wing have such a crucial advantage. They can get their constitiuents to the polls by speaking simply and directly to them. I don't see where the Democrats do that, and liberals are flat out a-holes. I resent them and their 'holier than thou' attitude. Instead of offering an alternative to something, they tend to look and act as if it is unbelievable that anyone could not agree with them or see through the wrongness of the alternative offerings.
GM SUCKS
New OnStar commercial uses Detroit as the location for one of its latest commercial, trumpeting its use as an auto recovery device. I don't see why they would want to do something like that. Seems like a good way to alienate your biggest fans, the people of Michigan, if you ask me.
Things are still nervy here. Enough about that ... for now.
Monday, November 2, 2009
WHAT I'M BURNING ON
NOT NOW ... LATER THOUGH
It has been a challenging go here for me. Haven't been up to talking about my 'what's what'. The reason why is I believe most things aren't as tough as they may seem at first glance. Once you get up and get involved and get into it, you begin to feel the pressure lessening. What ever it is you are up against begins to look less formidable. With that ...
RICHMOND, CALIFORNIA
Again a case where I can definitively say I would have done something different were I anywhere around that. Twice in high school I can recall getting involved where groups of folks were massing up against people. Some punks from Cooley at the Northland Mall were acting their shoe size and another time ducking and dodging some 'Herny Ford, 1#' students. One of the things that I wonder about the case out there is, how much 'this and that' is going to get blamed for it?
I don't know much about the details, from the victims relationship to the initial attackers or if it was truly a random happening. Whatever is in that kernel, is where the real problem lies. The rest of the gang doing what they did owes much more to a mob mentality than it does any real indictment of society.
'The hero business comes down to me.' That is the kind of stuff I tell myself when things start to jump off. In fact, I wouldn't have even considered acting a case of sticking my neck out. How could I when I am doing what it is I am supposed to do?
CRIMINAL MINDS
That is a show that I do find entertaining. But lately, as I watch reruns on A&E, I wonder about why ANYONE is entertained by the continued loss of life before they finally catch who ever it is. For instance, 'Frank' as played by David Carridine is a serial killer who gets away and I am assuming goes on to keep on killing. He is portrayed as a cerebral, autistic, emotionally scarred cat with some Oedipal issues.
Then the reality comes in with the cat in Ohio. This was no 'Wile E. Coyote, criminal genius'. He was a convicted rapist who had fallen through the cracks. Since 'Silence of the Lambs', there is an alarming tendency to elevate these people to status of intelligence that they don't deserve.
Like Jeffery Dahmer or even John Wayne Gacy, most of these cats are LUCKY. They owe more to the convergence of indifference and inattention to detail than any 'Hannibal Letcher' skills or intelligence. In fact, I worry about what makes the prime hunting grounds so fertile for these cats.
Similar to the cases of abuse that involve children, serial killers often strike society at its underbelly, in its soft unseen areas. In Carolina, there is an outcry for more investigation to cases of missing black women who exists on the periphery of society.
To me, it says more about our society when we can easily overlook the problems that affect those who aren't as connected to those who lie on the fringes.
FOOTBALL
Watching the drama of the Minnesota Viking - Green Bay Packer game with the SFC was rather enjoyable. It was the second consecutive weekend that we both sat paying attention to some intense football. The Pittsburgh Steelers win against the Vikings was the other game we watched from start to finish. It struck me while we were watching the game, why I think women tend to not mind, if not enjoy watching a game with me.
I have the typical knowledge of the game that you would expect of a football fan. But it is always about the story and drama of the game. The Viking-Packer game was full of the ebb and flow of an intense drama.
But like the serial killer thing, where the unspoken truth that serial killers aren't as smart as some want to pretend they are, the congressional hearings on the damage that playing football does to the human body was on my mind. There were a couple of hits on Saturday where the cats had suffered a concussive blow to the head. The annoucers suitably wondered about the players availablity.
One of the problems with the head injuries that happen in football is in the culture. In a fight, you get knocked out, you have to sit for at least 30 days. In football, it is rare that a player would miss an entire month of games. That is the culture in the sport.
Football is not without this kind of worry from Congress. It nearly found itself banned before for being too violent. That was back in the 'Leatherhead' days. And it is weird how much of what surrounded the sport then, the socialization of the participants and how they were exhalted is what is part of the concern now, along with the damage it does to a person.
Today is the day I start my training at the gym. I will journal about that in my other blog. If I find a camera in the next week or so, I am going to take a 'before' picture so that I can see the contrast myself.
It has been a challenging go here for me. Haven't been up to talking about my 'what's what'. The reason why is I believe most things aren't as tough as they may seem at first glance. Once you get up and get involved and get into it, you begin to feel the pressure lessening. What ever it is you are up against begins to look less formidable. With that ...
RICHMOND, CALIFORNIA
Again a case where I can definitively say I would have done something different were I anywhere around that. Twice in high school I can recall getting involved where groups of folks were massing up against people. Some punks from Cooley at the Northland Mall were acting their shoe size and another time ducking and dodging some 'Herny Ford, 1#' students. One of the things that I wonder about the case out there is, how much 'this and that' is going to get blamed for it?
I don't know much about the details, from the victims relationship to the initial attackers or if it was truly a random happening. Whatever is in that kernel, is where the real problem lies. The rest of the gang doing what they did owes much more to a mob mentality than it does any real indictment of society.
'The hero business comes down to me.' That is the kind of stuff I tell myself when things start to jump off. In fact, I wouldn't have even considered acting a case of sticking my neck out. How could I when I am doing what it is I am supposed to do?
CRIMINAL MINDS
That is a show that I do find entertaining. But lately, as I watch reruns on A&E, I wonder about why ANYONE is entertained by the continued loss of life before they finally catch who ever it is. For instance, 'Frank' as played by David Carridine is a serial killer who gets away and I am assuming goes on to keep on killing. He is portrayed as a cerebral, autistic, emotionally scarred cat with some Oedipal issues.
Then the reality comes in with the cat in Ohio. This was no 'Wile E. Coyote, criminal genius'. He was a convicted rapist who had fallen through the cracks. Since 'Silence of the Lambs', there is an alarming tendency to elevate these people to status of intelligence that they don't deserve.
Like Jeffery Dahmer or even John Wayne Gacy, most of these cats are LUCKY. They owe more to the convergence of indifference and inattention to detail than any 'Hannibal Letcher' skills or intelligence. In fact, I worry about what makes the prime hunting grounds so fertile for these cats.
Similar to the cases of abuse that involve children, serial killers often strike society at its underbelly, in its soft unseen areas. In Carolina, there is an outcry for more investigation to cases of missing black women who exists on the periphery of society.
To me, it says more about our society when we can easily overlook the problems that affect those who aren't as connected to those who lie on the fringes.
FOOTBALL
Watching the drama of the Minnesota Viking - Green Bay Packer game with the SFC was rather enjoyable. It was the second consecutive weekend that we both sat paying attention to some intense football. The Pittsburgh Steelers win against the Vikings was the other game we watched from start to finish. It struck me while we were watching the game, why I think women tend to not mind, if not enjoy watching a game with me.
I have the typical knowledge of the game that you would expect of a football fan. But it is always about the story and drama of the game. The Viking-Packer game was full of the ebb and flow of an intense drama.
But like the serial killer thing, where the unspoken truth that serial killers aren't as smart as some want to pretend they are, the congressional hearings on the damage that playing football does to the human body was on my mind. There were a couple of hits on Saturday where the cats had suffered a concussive blow to the head. The annoucers suitably wondered about the players availablity.
One of the problems with the head injuries that happen in football is in the culture. In a fight, you get knocked out, you have to sit for at least 30 days. In football, it is rare that a player would miss an entire month of games. That is the culture in the sport.
Football is not without this kind of worry from Congress. It nearly found itself banned before for being too violent. That was back in the 'Leatherhead' days. And it is weird how much of what surrounded the sport then, the socialization of the participants and how they were exhalted is what is part of the concern now, along with the damage it does to a person.
Today is the day I start my training at the gym. I will journal about that in my other blog. If I find a camera in the next week or so, I am going to take a 'before' picture so that I can see the contrast myself.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
For Tomorrow
I never gave a hot diggity about Halloween. No reason and I don't have any negative connotation to it. Like the way celebrating my birthday faded from the list of 'must see and do' events in my life.
Right now, stuff about me is floating in my mind ... but I still like to laugh. To me this is funny. I would watch stuff like this on Current, which is unavailable on Cox Cable. I still subscribe to their offerings on You Tube and I wanted to share and see if anyone else agreed with me.
_____________________________________________________________
The other day Ken did an entry about Western and Eastern Philosophy that I thought was pretty cool. Like one of the people who left a comment, I thought it was cool how much ground he covered in the past few days.
It is easier to read and comment right now than it is to try to concentrate on what is going on with me and share what is on my mind with y'all. Don't know if it would be any different if any of you were right here and we were chatting over coffee. And some of the comments left about the awkwardness I am feeling now have been welcomed. I think about how there are people out in the world that are thinking I can do this and be that ... so I push on.
Of course things will take time for me to get used to... but one of the things that the 'missing entry' I referenced the other day talked about how the subject was having issue with being in a new surrounding. Right now, I AM in a new surrounding. See what I am saying?
When you add on top of it that if you made me choose between here and the Chandler Park area of Detroit, which would I pick ...
SPORTS ... IN BRIEF
Watching some of the congressional hearings on the effects of concussions in football, the SFC said that the commissioner of the NFL sounded like the cats for tobacco. I agreed, but I don't see where it is going to change anything. Football feeds into too many egos and makes far too much money. After all with all that is known about cigarettes, lots of people still smoke, don't they?
Going to go and join Anytime Fitness today. Hopefully things will feel better. Strange how things can be better but not feel better, with both sides of that statement being true.
Monday, October 26, 2009
THE DARKER SIDE OF PALE
IT'S ALWAYS FUN AND GAMES UNTIL SOMEONE LOSES AND EYE
This is a hard post to write. Hopefully I will get some stuff out and it will make some sense when I am finished. But first I would like to congragulate Miss Alaineus and Mr. Mischief on their engagement! What fantastic news and nothing but the best goes out to them!!
Haven't said so, but this has been a long month. Of course there have been great highs, like getting here and being with my SFC. Yet there are other issues that have cropped up, which while anticipated, the actual dealing with them have proven to be quite a challenge for me.
The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon is a constant theme in my writing(or so the Germans would have me believe!!). A lot of things seem to 'happen'. But n0thing is really 'coincidence' in life. But I think that it is cool to put things off onto things like 'The Baader-Meinhof' or say clever things (to me, anyway) like how 'this and that isn't related' and attibute something to a mystical occurence in a lighthearted way.
Reality being what it is, nothing just 'happens'.
A few weeks ago I was stumbling around the Blogger main, wondering how to you find other journals that sound interesting. I forget how it was done on AOL Journals, but it was easier to me, peeking in at other journals and reading them. Right now I feel it is more of a word of mouth thing, or someone 'catches' your eye in the comment section of your or someone elses journal.
So I have no idea of how this one journal which motivated me to take the course I am going to be on this week, came to my perception. Since the entry that really struck me has been deleted, I don't know if I should link her journal. It does seem very personal and though it is in the public domain, I had better ask her before I do all that.
And I will instead talk more about myself and see what comes out.
While Wikipedia entries can be a little sketchy, I find them handy. They tend to use everyday language that can be easily understood by anyone with a senior high school reading level. I preferred this definition of my condition because I didn't want to bog this entry down any more than I think it is going to be.
One of the contrasting things about my dealing with stuff, is that one of the biggest crosses to bear, is the one about environment. Change is difficult because routine and familiarity are important in managing the quality of life of someone who has the kind of injury I have.
I try to push myself in spite of what my diagnosis may be. The reason for that is that much is still not known on the how the brain operates and its capacity.
IT'S NOT FOR ME
When I had my fall on my bike before I moved here to Virginia, I wasn't operating at specs. I was troubled by how I felt and though the MRI was good, it wasn't 'normal'. It was good 'for you' as the doctor put it. You feel what I am saying?
Now that the subject of brain injury has gained some traction when talking about football, each weekend you see concusive hit absorbed and the awkward descriptions by the announcers sort of hang in the air, now that the dirty secret is out about football. I would tell anyone who listened in the 80's about the numbers of football players suffering from 'punch drunk syndrome' being far greater than those who boxed. Not only that, but the injuries and other problems that football players have that affected the quality of life of retired football players made me think about cats who returned from war like conditions.
Hearing about what is going on with football and seeing the older players who were weekend heroes but now are shells of themselves, shuffling around and those who are close to them struggling to take care of these gentle giants ...
BUT STILL, IT'S NOT FOR ME
I don't care what may be thought, but I don't want someone to play the suffering spouse/partner to my barely ambulatory, inaudible mumbling shell of what I once was. That was why going west had its own special appeal. It makes more sense for me to find and make my own way than it does to lean on the idea of being in a relationship on any level.
As far as 'help' with my life goes, there are people who get paid to do that, it is a matter of going to the agencies I need to and having what needs to be done, done. I think that it is more about the environment and where I am at, that will determine how well I do.
The uncertainties and vagaries of the lives of other people and their lives intersection with mine are what causes me to feel insecure about the world in general. By myself, I am good. When I was with my Dad 'an' dem', I could count on being able to close my door and shut them out of my life while I was there. Then there was the very underappreciated times where I had my own spots and was living for me.
When I would say 'it will be fine if we were just friends', when it came to going out west, that was on point. Because when someone was getting on someone elses nerve, they could go home. From Mookie and then to the jumble at my Dad's, one of the promising things about being on my own, was BEING ON MY OWN.
From my stint at my Dad's house, one of the 'elephants' that didn't get a lot of discussion was how I felt that other lives and the energy of other people conflicted my energy and desires. What is best and what is best for me isn't always the same thing. Don't know if anyone has gotten this from my journal, but there is a feeling that I haven't been appreciated or received a 'return' on the value of the sacrifice I have made for others.
I am also worn out from the contradiction that exists in my life. Being alone would mean that I would not have to explain anything or feel compelled to share anything for whatever reason. This was a way I felt that I could uncomplicate my life. Since there is going to be complications ANYWAY, the ones that I could prevent from occurring, were the ones that I wanted to work on. Whatever else, was well, whatever.
This is a hard post to write. Hopefully I will get some stuff out and it will make some sense when I am finished. But first I would like to congragulate Miss Alaineus and Mr. Mischief on their engagement! What fantastic news and nothing but the best goes out to them!!
Haven't said so, but this has been a long month. Of course there have been great highs, like getting here and being with my SFC. Yet there are other issues that have cropped up, which while anticipated, the actual dealing with them have proven to be quite a challenge for me.
The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon is a constant theme in my writing(or so the Germans would have me believe!!). A lot of things seem to 'happen'. But n0thing is really 'coincidence' in life. But I think that it is cool to put things off onto things like 'The Baader-Meinhof' or say clever things (to me, anyway) like how 'this and that isn't related' and attibute something to a mystical occurence in a lighthearted way.
Reality being what it is, nothing just 'happens'.
A few weeks ago I was stumbling around the Blogger main, wondering how to you find other journals that sound interesting. I forget how it was done on AOL Journals, but it was easier to me, peeking in at other journals and reading them. Right now I feel it is more of a word of mouth thing, or someone 'catches' your eye in the comment section of your or someone elses journal.
So I have no idea of how this one journal which motivated me to take the course I am going to be on this week, came to my perception. Since the entry that really struck me has been deleted, I don't know if I should link her journal. It does seem very personal and though it is in the public domain, I had better ask her before I do all that.
And I will instead talk more about myself and see what comes out.
While Wikipedia entries can be a little sketchy, I find them handy. They tend to use everyday language that can be easily understood by anyone with a senior high school reading level. I preferred this definition of my condition because I didn't want to bog this entry down any more than I think it is going to be.
One of the contrasting things about my dealing with stuff, is that one of the biggest crosses to bear, is the one about environment. Change is difficult because routine and familiarity are important in managing the quality of life of someone who has the kind of injury I have.
I try to push myself in spite of what my diagnosis may be. The reason for that is that much is still not known on the how the brain operates and its capacity.
IT'S NOT FOR ME
When I had my fall on my bike before I moved here to Virginia, I wasn't operating at specs. I was troubled by how I felt and though the MRI was good, it wasn't 'normal'. It was good 'for you' as the doctor put it. You feel what I am saying?
Now that the subject of brain injury has gained some traction when talking about football, each weekend you see concusive hit absorbed and the awkward descriptions by the announcers sort of hang in the air, now that the dirty secret is out about football. I would tell anyone who listened in the 80's about the numbers of football players suffering from 'punch drunk syndrome' being far greater than those who boxed. Not only that, but the injuries and other problems that football players have that affected the quality of life of retired football players made me think about cats who returned from war like conditions.
Hearing about what is going on with football and seeing the older players who were weekend heroes but now are shells of themselves, shuffling around and those who are close to them struggling to take care of these gentle giants ...
BUT STILL, IT'S NOT FOR ME
I don't care what may be thought, but I don't want someone to play the suffering spouse/partner to my barely ambulatory, inaudible mumbling shell of what I once was. That was why going west had its own special appeal. It makes more sense for me to find and make my own way than it does to lean on the idea of being in a relationship on any level.
As far as 'help' with my life goes, there are people who get paid to do that, it is a matter of going to the agencies I need to and having what needs to be done, done. I think that it is more about the environment and where I am at, that will determine how well I do.
The uncertainties and vagaries of the lives of other people and their lives intersection with mine are what causes me to feel insecure about the world in general. By myself, I am good. When I was with my Dad 'an' dem', I could count on being able to close my door and shut them out of my life while I was there. Then there was the very underappreciated times where I had my own spots and was living for me.
When I would say 'it will be fine if we were just friends', when it came to going out west, that was on point. Because when someone was getting on someone elses nerve, they could go home. From Mookie and then to the jumble at my Dad's, one of the promising things about being on my own, was BEING ON MY OWN.
From my stint at my Dad's house, one of the 'elephants' that didn't get a lot of discussion was how I felt that other lives and the energy of other people conflicted my energy and desires. What is best and what is best for me isn't always the same thing. Don't know if anyone has gotten this from my journal, but there is a feeling that I haven't been appreciated or received a 'return' on the value of the sacrifice I have made for others.
I am also worn out from the contradiction that exists in my life. Being alone would mean that I would not have to explain anything or feel compelled to share anything for whatever reason. This was a way I felt that I could uncomplicate my life. Since there is going to be complications ANYWAY, the ones that I could prevent from occurring, were the ones that I wanted to work on. Whatever else, was well, whatever.
And that is part of my current personal instability. It is something that is an internal issue. There really isn't any external source for it. Just have to deal.
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