Sunday, July 12, 2009

RANDOM THOUGHTS

TALE OF THE TAPE


In the June 26th Free Press, there was a small story comparing our beauty of a govenor, Jennifer Grandholm with Sarah Palin.


Jenny had her 'Robin Sparkles' dream, going out west and doing stuff like 'The Dating Game' and trying to catch on in the entertainment field. Don't know what happened, but then she went on to Cal-Berkley and Harvard Law.


Sarah Palin's academic record does not by any stretch of the imagination resembles anything that is as accomplished as that. A degree put together with credits from 5 different schools? I mean, getting to the finish is quite the accomplishment, especially while having a family ... but still, to think that she is able to hold her own as an intellectual, is another story entirely.

Beth put out on Facebook an column from the NY Times, that put the light on the GOP rebranding (IMO) themselves as a party of the common, every day working man. Though they throw around the elitism label, Eureka College and Yale (school of choice for Reagan and the Bushes) don't exactly make me think of people who REALLY would want to have a beer with me.

So why do people think that 'W' would even want to have a beer with them?

The thinking that went into creating that contradiction about the previous President, is what I worry about will happen with Sarah Palin. I don't ever doubt the ambitions of someone when they are willing to put in the time and effort to reach 'whatever'. The more you work for something, the more things that will help you out in reaching your goal, will come to you.

Today, in my mind Sarah Palin is very unelectable. But the fictional candidate I compare her to, Greg Stilson form the Stephen King book, 'The Dead Zone', was barely electable to start ...

... and like Stilson, I can see a future where ... aw, never mind. I don't think Sarah Palin is going to get that far.

Locally, it is troubling trying to read about the schools and the mess that they are in. Of course, I think of my favorite (and the only) school teacher-blogger I know, Alaina when I try to read some of that stuff.

I said 'try'. It is a different kind of a painful read, because like most things here, the DPS is corroded at is core. When was the last time people who actually wanted to do their jobs worked there? All sorts of questionable moves were regular happenings there. I could detail the kind of stuff that was going on, but my fingers start shaking from anger.

People can accept that there is some kind of 'shadiness' in politics and government in general. But I have to wonder how Detroit stacks up on that count with other cities. I remember feeling that we sinking with the years of mining the deposits of racism in the area by Coleman Young. The legacy he left has persisted, and has left the city open for all manner of vice.

TAN LINES

This is the first summer I can remember where I noticed that I was 'darker'. I noticed when I was down in Va., laying on the beach. My legs and arms were already 'bronzing' from running and riding ... but to lay out on the beach with the idea of purposely getting 'darker'?

It was a partly cloudy day ... and when the clouds moved to reveal the sun, I was like WOW!! The rays felt like a force beam on my skin!! It felt as if I was 'feeling the burn', literally. Though the color is cool and all, in a 'note to self', next summer there will be a sun block spending bill in my personal budget!! It has been a weird experience, and I do not care for it. Can't you get 'sun poison'?

Haven't done any of the 'fairs' that pop up this time of year ... partly because they seem to be fewer of them going on. Maybe they are yet to crank up ... I dunno. It could be part of why things are 'random' up in here, stuff is on my mind.

SOMETIMES IT IS WHERE YOU ARE FROM

Things are what they are around here. One of the things about poverty, is that it is as much of a state of mind as it is a finacial condition. It bugs me, hanging out around and in the midst of the 'intellectual poverty' of which I speak. I haven't gone into any length about it, but for some reason, I feel like getting some of it out of my mind.

One of the reasons that Detroit is in the state that it is in, is because it is the mirror of its populace. The citizens do a poor job of showing 'pride of place'. Not that there aren't any nice areas, or places that are putting in the effort of keeping things up, but over all, it isn't happening.

This household is an example of what kind of dysfunction happens in the community. There are small, elementary school children who run around without any real guidance. Teens that have the '1000 yard stare' in their eyes. Between the two groups, I fear for their future, because I have to wonder if they even have hopes for their hopes, you know?

Aimless, I don't even think some of them can hold a conversation about a future. They seem to only be driven by their need to satisfy their obsession with social networking sites and bad hip hop music. I never wondered whether or not it was better to have 'dreams of grandeur', which I think makes up a big chunk of my thoughts, or to not have any vision at all. Going from day to day, living hand to mouth.

Whenever I look back and compare myself to the kids that come in and out of here, I try to be kind. But this COULDN'T have been me. While there were choices made that I was fortunate to have happen (this is a different universe from my Mom's household and neighborhood ... completely) in my favor, I feel that I still had to 'want for something', to have made any of my 'advantages' matter.

In fact, I see things that go on 'here' that didn't happen 'there'. So to say that there were any advantages held by either side, is picking at straws. The 'want to' is what I find to be the major difference. I still 'want to', with whatever is left of my life.

That is what is frustrating ... watching people 'bathe in kerosene and smoking cigarettes'. Like they said in old Siam ... OH WELL !

4 comments:

betty said...

these were random thoughts, Mark; definitely sunscreen any time you are out in the sun; wouldn't want you to get skin cancer down the road; I think I'm going to trust God about who is electable or not electable these days; heard a fascinating sermon today about who God will use for his purposes, that made me realize He truly is in control even with all the mess this country is in; I believe there's a plan He's working on for His glory; not the glory of the Democrats or Republicans or individual people, but His glory (now I'm having random thoughts). I think some of the younger generation (speaking of my son and some of his friends), they haven't quite grasped that work ethic and advancement to do better than their parents like we got when we were growing up. Not sure how we, as parents, (talking about myself especially here), failed to teach them that.

on that cheery note, I'm off to the movies with hubby (to see Transformers)

have a good afternoon :)

betty

Beth said...

Or putting out fire with gasoline.

I don't often comment on other comments, but I have to disagree with Betty when it comes to trusting God as to who is electable and who isn't. It's OUR responsibility as to who we elect or don't elect. To me, praying about who to elect is like praying for your team to win the Super Bowl. When it comes to our elected officials, the ball is in our court, and WE are responsible for learning about the candidates and making our decisions based on intelligent research.

Nothing I've read has shown me any reason to believe that Sarah Palin is qualified or intelligent enough to hold any sort of elected position ever again. That is entirely my decision.

Ken Riches said...

Glad you are going to use sunscreen in the future, I know you can still burn and kill skins cells and such.

I am with Beth on the whole hoping for divine intervention in our politics, we have choice, we are human, and we need to excercise that choice to ensure we keep moving forward.

mrs.missalaineus said...

i wasnt aware that god was a registered voter.


as far as sunscreen, i swear by it. i always buy the smaller size bottles so i can keep it in my purse and i wear it year round.

as far as the detroit thing, when i was in chi-town and mentioned i taught in the d, the conversation would seriously stop. our hood rat rep apparently has gone beyond state lines since the shootings.

hope things are working smoothly towards your next chapter. it's tough to be inbetween the end of one thing and the start of another.


xxalainaxx