My morning Constitutional

I saw someone on Facebook say all laws should only be based on the Constitution.  If you say that, you need to be careful.  Life's not as simple as that.  It's a noble goal, but don't pretend you have a monopoly on the meaning of that document.  Tea Partiers often idolize the Constitution, without really understanding it.  There are ambiguities in there, and just like the Bible, things can be interpreted and reinterpreted.  (Of course, they would disagree, and say the Bible and the Constitution only mean one thing, the thing they want, and everyone who thinks otherwise is going to hell.  But then, they're idiotic assholes.)

There's nothing in the Constitution about marriage, murder, drugs.  Or a right to vote.  People seem to skim, and miss important things like that.  Only seeing what they want to see.

You still don't want any laws that aren't based on the Constitution?  Oh-kay...   Of course, there are areas where broader lawmaking under the Constitution is possible, and that's really what we're arguing about.  Rational adults can talk about it, disagree about it, etc.  But TPers are like kids who have learned to read a few words, and think those words are the only ones that exist and nothing else matters.  If you haven't been paying enough attention in history or civics class, and don't know much about it, then you should be quiet, study, and catch up with the rest of us.

"I do" unto others

I did something the other day that I almost took for granted.  I got a marriage license, with Miss Mox.  We happen to be of different races.  Not long ago, in some places, that would have been illegal.  I can't imagine being in that situation, of not being able to marry the person you love and want to spend the rest of your life with.  And right now I bet some gay people feel like that (though things are changing fast.)  Love is love.  Families are families.  My family might not look like yours.  And that's okay. Live your life, follow your views.  Just don't expect others to.  If it's not hurting you, it's not your business.  And please explain to me exactly how 2 guys being married hurts you, or society.  It is so fun to read the attempts...

Judge Mental

The other day a friend posted something, well, controversial on Facebook.  And one of their friends decided to try to defend the indefensible.  It did not end well.

A local judge had dressed up at a Halloween party.  In blackface.  As a maid, alongside his wife who portrayed Scarlett O'Hara.  I'm sure it seemed like a good idea at the time.  Somehow pictures leaked out, and people got upset.  He apologized, the local NAACP said the event seemed "not in his character," and he might be disciplined by the court.

So, nothing to see here, let's move on, right?  I mean, dressing up in blackface isn't "in his character," isn't "representative" of who he is, right?  Except that it is.  How many of us have put on blackface? A show of hands?  Anyone?  Yeah, I didn't think so.  Maybe it isn't normal for him, or common, but it is clearly in his character to do- because he did it.  And as a judge, this lack of good judgment is particularly surprising and important.  He presides over other peoples' lives, making decisions that affect them forever.  And he is a public figure, so is held to a higher standard of behavior and judgment.  I did see that some people, including most of the commenters on the local paper's article about the event, said the judge was an upstanding individual.  Of course, many commenters also said "it was just a costume" which reveals a breathtaking historical ignorance...

A quick recap: the judge apologized after being caught (sincerely? Maybe.)  Was tepidly endorsed by a political group.  Might get in trouble with the court.  Is that enough?  Obviously it is for the Friend Of A Friend (I won't use his real name, which is Rationalizing Asshole,) who thought the blackface was "frickin hilarious" (I'm guessing said FOAF was at the party, or saw video.)  I hope the court censures the judge.  I hope he loses votes (waaah; this bothered the FOAF.)  The judge has apparently endured a couple of weeks, I guess three now, of public shaming.  It'll pass.

People were upset about how this affects his family. I understand the impulse to defend friends and family; I'm doing that a bit now, since FOAF called Miss Mox retarded for daring to be upset about, oh, the judge wearing blackface, FOAF thinking it was frickin hilarious, and his easy use of the n-word.  Not that she needs defending- she has a rapier wit.  She also has a good sense of humor, but doesn't tolerate bullshit.  And there was a lot of bullshit going on here.  FOAF and others on the thread were more upset about the poor judge's feelings being hurt than the awful stunt he pulled.  Anyway, I see no reason to defend him in any way.  His family- I feel really bad for any kids or others who didn't know he was going to do it, or tried and failed to talk him out of it.  They do not deserve to suffer.  Of course, any suffering they go through is HIS FAULT.  Not the media's, not the people pointing out the awful thing he did, not the court's if they do in fact censure him.  The judge's fault.  Blaming anyone else is like killing the messenger.

There are others in his family, though, and apparently among his friends, who did know what he planned, who chuckled along with him when he showed up, who thought the whole thing was great.  His lovely wife, obviously, who joined in the fun.  They deserve some of the shame.  I do not feel bad for them at all.

In situations like this, as in much of life, I try to have an open mind.  I do exercises like reversing roles, and I try to come up with appropriate analogies.  The best I can come up with here is drunk driving.  Say I get drunk, and decide to drive home.  I know better, or at least I should know better; that also applies to the judge here.  If I get arrested, I might lose my license, maybe even my job; and my family will suffer, in various ways.  And it will be my fault.  I have had friends in this situation.  In fact, I know several people who have lost their licenses, and done a few days in jail; I know one person who ended up getting in a wreck and killing someone.  She went to jail for quite a while, and lost her job.  All these people, to some extent, whined about what they had to go through and what their families had to deal with.  I felt bad for their families; again, though, anything they suffered was the fault of the drunk driver.  And I lost respect for the people I know.  Before, they seemed to be decent people.  And everyone makes mistakes.  But we are talking about a whole different level of "mistake."  And after their arrests, I could never look at them the same way.  Something may not be "representative" of a person, may not be the whole of their personality, but clearly is a part of it.  And sadly, sometimes a very negative part of it. Sometimes we need to reevaluate relationships with people when they do awful things.  Of course, the FOAF doesn't even think the judge did anything awful, so there's that.  And it's interesting that in this case, and in those of the drunk drivers I know, the individuals are still much more concerned about themselves than about the people they affected; as are their friends.  The poor, poor perpetrators, they deserve so much more sympathy than those they've harmed, apparently.

The FOAF seems most put out by how the judge's family will be affected; obviously, I blame the judge for anything they suffer.  He also defended the wearing of blackface, since it was so clearly funny due to its "shock value."  Yeah, some shocking things are funny.  Some are not.  Violent death?  Not funny.  Abusing kids or animals?  Not funny.  Racism?  Not funny.  FOAF also figured since it was an "exclusive event," whatever happened there was okay.  Again, any of those awful things happening in private do not get a pass.  Still awful.

FOAF went on and on about all this, punctuating his rationalizations with a casual use of the n-word and the stuff about blackface being "frickin' hilarious," etc.  Often people who go on and on, orally and in writing, reveal a lot about themselves unintentionally.  I know, it's amateur psychoanalysis, but I've seen it before.  I wonder if they read it later and realize how they sounded.  Doubtful.  And I know I have said a lot here, and before; so someone is probably psychoanalyzing my overwrought prose right now.  Please give me the diagnosis; I think I know myself pretty well, but am always eager to learn more.

And maybe that's at the heart of what pissed me off here, as with so many other things: the willful ignorance of so many people, the lack of interest in changing that ignorance, and the proud defense of said ignorance.  Politically and personally, it is far too common.  If the judge, and the FOAF, had learned a little (in life, since clearly they missed a few things they should have picked up; and about blackface in particular) this would never have happened.  And if FOAF were not willfully ignorant about, well, America in 2013, maybe he would think twice about saying some of the stuff he did.

Happiness Happening

I have plenty of ideas for this blog, and not much time to get things down on "paper."  And things are getting busier.  I'm hoping that after December the winter will be a bit more quiet, and that I can write out some of the drafts and notes I have.

You might have noticed that I'm getting married soon.  Like, a month from today- holy crap!  There's a lot to do, of course.  Miss Mox and I have been researching, planning, and doing.  To be fair, she's been working on that more than I have; I help where I can.  Plus there have been house projects, and I've been trying to keep my cars running.  I am getting nervous- not about the wedding or being married, just that it's coming up so fast and there's so much to do.

We're having a small party with a few friends and family; then a very small courthouse ceremony.  We're sad some can't make it, and that others had to be left off our short list.  It was hard to pare things down.  This is not going to be some big fancy affair, or anything solemn.  There will be very few traditions followed.  Well, there may be a kiss at some point...  We'll make our own traditions.  We'll dress nicely, but no frilly white dress or tux.  And she likes my beard, and even my stubble, so I don't have to shave.  Really, who could ask for more?  I can be lazy and she actually likes it?  She likes my weird cars and my ornery cat?  Wow.  She lets me be me.  I let her be her.  She helps me be the best me I can.  I love her for who she is.

Not everyone finds someone who is their match.  Not everyone needs to, and they certainly don't need to marry them.  We were both happy on our own, and very independent.  Being together just makes our lives even better.  We can enjoy every experience together; even the crappy ones are more tolerable when she's around.

I got incredibly lucky when I found my sweetie.  She is smart, funny, alive, real, hot, goofy.  She loves animals, and history, and books, and me... We are alike in some ways, different in others, and mesh well overall.  We talk about everything.  Being with her is simultaneously peaceful and exhilarating.  We have both lived life, had our ups and downs, weathered storms and come out stronger. She says I'm battle-tested.  And we've been through some storms together- the loss of my brother, moves and job changes, car wrecks, other usual and unusual events.  We're a good team; sometimes one of us is stronger, sometimes the other, but we're in this together.  And there have been plenty of good times, both big and little things.

This was all a surprise.  Finding each other, falling in love.  I certainly didn't expect it.  And getting married- again, for me- was definitely not in the plans, and not something I'm taking lightly. I've thought long and hard about it.  I am very comfortable with this.  It feels right.  I am older and a little wiser, and know what I want better.  Although, really, she is so much more than I ever imagined wanting, ever knew to wish for.  I have enjoyed every bit of our life together so far, and am looking forward to so much more.  Expected and unexpected, life is an incredible journey, and I am lucky enough to share it with an incredible woman.

I can't drive 55

I read this the other day (TL;DR: people aren't driving much faster since speed limits went up.)  And somehow, I was not surprised.  I've always driven a little over highway speed limits; most are simply set too low.  A section of my commute went up to 70 recently, from 65.  When it was 65 I drove about 72mph.  Now that it's 70, guess how fast I go?  About 73.

Apparently some people thought if you raised the limit, everyone would just go faster.  Some do, I'm sure.  But then, there are people who will go 90 in a 55 in heavy rain, so there will always be idiots.  Most people drive at a speed which feels safe to them.  70-75 is comfortable for me, and feels right for my car.  That's in ideal conditions, of course; I slow down for all sorts of things, on a sort of sliding scale of precipitation/visibility/traffic.

I think it's a good thing to set limits appropriate for the area.  I hate when people go 45 through a residential area.  But on open highway, in good conditions, I could live with no speed limit (and I've driven in that situation, in Montana long ago; though I did push it for a minute just for fun, I settled down to cruise around 80.)  Driving through Indiana, for example, where speed limits vary from 55-70, things drag at 55 or 60.  There's not much there.  I'm sure there are nice people, and places to see, but I just want to get through it as quickly as possible.

Three cheers for reasonable regulations!

Journeys

It's been a year since my brother died.  I think about him every day.  I miss him every day.  I wish I could tell him stuff, ask him questions.  I wish he could be here for so many experiences.  I think of him when I see his son, when I see trees; really, at all sorts of times.  Sometimes I expect it, sometimes it's out of the blue.

I do what I can to honor his memory.  Miss Mox gave me a garden tile that reminds me of him, and we put it in our garden.  I do what I can to preserve and respect the natural world, as he did.  We've planted some this year, and will more next year.  The school he taught at is planting a tree in his memory.  I help his son some; unfortunately I can't do much but send little gifts and visit when I can.  Someday I'll talk to him about his father, who has left a big hole in both of our lives.

Recently I took a trip to see friends and family, and commemorate the anniversary of his passing.  Saw my nephew, of course, who looks like my brother did when he was young; and my sister and her husband.  They're expecting soon so I'll have another nephew or niece, and they can play together.  Saw other people close to him- the line between friends and family blurs so often.  I scattered some of his ashes in a grove of trees near the school.  As I approached the school, a Pearl Jam song came on the radio: "come back, I miss you."  I'll take some of his ashes to our old house, and a park we went to as kids, before long.

He was into native American spirituality and culture, and had lots of native friends/family.  At his memorial service, some of them sang and drummed for him.  Then on this trip, we had a sweatlodge ceremony for him.  I had gone with him a couple of times, and I knew this was something he would want us to do.  If you're not familiar with a sweat, it is sort of like a sauna but longer.  Lasting 3-4 hours, with brief breaks, it is, well, hot.  Lava rocks are heated in a bonfire, then brought into a low hut and doused with water.  It is tough to get through, and you sweat a lot.  A LOT.  I am not particularly into native spirituality, but I respect their, and his, beliefs.  I wanted to do it again, for him.

At the start, after everyone enters the hut, the rocks are brought in.  Then the medicine man talks some, and sings, and then all sing and drum, calling the ancestors for guidance, and in my brother's case sending him on his way after the year of mourning.  Not that he's ever gone, of course, no matter how you look at it; he's just not as closely attached to this world.  In this case, the medicine man and his wife, who is called a wise woman (and they both truly are wise) were very close to my brother, and in fact called him their "other son" during the ceremony.

Some people have visions during a sweat; I didn't, though I did imagine I heard my brother singing briefly, and drumming.  It is pitch black in there, except for a few minutes of very soft light after the glowing rocks are brought in, so it is easy for your mind to wander in the dark, hot hut, with the drumming and singing going on.  I felt at some points that I knew the words; was it simply familiar-sounding syllables?  Ancient sense memory?  I'm not much into mysticism, but as a history buff I was very aware that I was taking part in something that had been going on in exactly the same way for hundreds, thousands, of years.  The same things said and done, 1000 years ago on the western plains.  10000 years ago on the steppes.

It was a good way to send him home.  For him this culture, and the wonders of nature, were his religion.  He was a good man, and though he will be sorely missed, I know he is here in a way.

No glory

The other day Miss Mox and I were at the bookstore, a favorite hangout.  Among other things, I ended up getting a copy of Bill Mauldin's Back Home.  Maybe it was subconscious, but it was an appropriate purchase for Veteran's Day.

I was introduced to Mauldin's work by my father, and I have several of his books.  Not many people know of him now, but he was famous for awhile.  He drew cartoons about the average soldier during WW2.  He was not a fan of officers, or of war, and got in some trouble for that.  He used sometimes-biting humor to show the real people involved in an awful situation.  He ended up winning a Pulitzer, and went on to a long career as an editorial cartoonist.  He drew this after Kennedy was assassinated.

Dad was in the Army back when there was a draft.  As bad as the draft was, it was a kind of equalizer, drawing in men from all walks of life.  Sure, some could get out of it, but it was much more fair than the way the volunteer military recruits.  (I'm not being nostalgic; I don't want to go back to the draft, and I remember reluctantly registering for it.)  Dad used to kid that he was a guard at Ft. Knox; he was stationed there, and pulled guard duty, but not in any glamorous setting.  He was infantry attached to the Armor School, so essentially his job was to pretend to get killed by tanks.  He was lucky, in that he got out just as Vietnam was starting.  I remember him soberly telling me about watching the rest of his unit board planes for Vietnam, and later visiting the memorial wall finding names.

I'm a little late, because life is, as usual, busy, but I just wanted to post this for Veteran's Day, to honor the vets.  They don't have much choice about where they go.  War, and even peace, isn't glorious for the average soldier.  It's something they have to slog through , survive, to get back to their regular life and dreams.

Mauldin shows that in practically every panel.  There is humor, often wry and dark.  And there is boredom, and sadness.  This was probably Dad's favorite- it's funny, but not when you think about it much.

A Cheap Trick

Miss Mox and I were in the car for awhile today, and Cheap Trick came on- I Want You To Want Me.  I realized we were both singing along, which was pretty cool.  It came out around the time she was born, and was huge.  They're great musicians and were always a little goofy and fun.  I've always liked them and had been thinking about doing a post featuring them anyway, so...


I Want You To Want Me
Big hit, fun song.

Don't Be Cruel
One of those covers that honors the original while being very, well, original

Dream Police

Surrender

Bumper sticker bullshit

Well, more like "internet meme idiocy."  I have seen some things lately that made me snort derisively, and question the intelligence of those who post them.  Those sorts of things are what passes for wit and discourse among some on the right.  It's kind of sad.

For starters, there's "Impeach Obama!"  Really?  For what?  Be specific.  And define impeach- I bet you don't know what it means.

I also see "Nobody would be a better president."  And then, haha, saying "really, it would be better to have nobody running the country."  Um, being stupid is not in the best interests of the country.  Try and learn a little, think a little, before you say things that are untrue on their face.  I guess this is an attempt at humor.  As usual, conservatives don't have much of a sense of humor.

Repugnantcan "hopes" for the future

I hear conservatives saying that Obama ignored the Constitution during the shutdown and debt ceiling crisis.  And I almost don't know what to say to that.  What Constitution are they reading?  Are they really so ignorant about it, and about how our government works?  And does their copy not include the section about questioning the debt of the United States?  Do they not realize that is exactly what they tried to do (and, in fact, did, though thankfully they didn't do as much damage as they might have)?

Do they not realize that defaulting in the name of not raising the debt ceiling would have actually added to the national debt?  Apparently their motto is "we have to destroy the economy in order to save it."  Some of them clearly think that Obamacare will damage the economy so much that they have to damage the economy first in order to avoid that.  They're stupid, possibly crazy, and clearly ignorant.

One would hope that they weren't going to hurt the economy on purpose, that they were not aware of the possible effects.  In fact, they are very aware that they were damaging the U.S. economy.  And they are okay with that.  Several representatives have said exactly that.  And while to most people that seems like insanity, and to me it is un-American, the TP types believe they are doing the best thing for the country.

I think that is because they have a desire for an apocalype, as many millenialists do.  You know, the ones who say "yes, bring on the end of the world, bring on Armageddon!"  They WANT it.  They can't wait for it.  I have heard people say, actually had them say to me, that they hope the economy goes downhill, that they think we need a "cleansing."  They WANT us to lose millions of dollars.  And really, they want millions of people to die, to get back to whatever utopian version of the past they are imagining.  They are fanatics, religious and political fanatics.  They are absolutely certain they are right (basing this certainty on next to no actual facts, just their beliefs, regardless of reality.)

That sort of certainty, and that lack of interest in the desires, the lives, of others, is scary to me.  They are willing to do whatever it takes to get what they want.  Destroy the economy?  Okay.  Let others starve, or die?  Okay.  They are sociopaths.  They can't be reasoned with.

Only some conservatives think this way, of course, and as I've said before the smart ones need to kick the silly ones out of the party.  But they won't; they'll kowtow to them, and (if we're lucky) end up destroying the Republican party.

Flying High

Heard one of these songs last week, and it got me to thinking about others like it.  How interesting can airplane music be?  Well, to me at least, quite a bit.  I'm an airplane nut, and occasional pilot, and these songs all have meaning to me (and, I think, larger meaning.)

The Irish Rovers- The Biplane Evermore

A nice children's ditty

Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris- Red Staggerwing

Not sure how I found this one, but it was a surprise to me a few years ago.  The Beech Staggerwing is my favorite plane, and this song actually mentions it (and another plane, and assorted other machinery, and is kinda suggestive...) 

Peter, Paul, and Mary- Leaving On A Jetplane

Originally from John Denver's first album.  (He was a pilot, and I actually met him when I fueled his plane.  Sadly, he died in another plane.)  I'm sure I first heard PPM's version.  I remember thinking about it when I rode a jet for the first time in the '80s.

Steve Miller Band- Jet Airliner

Another obvious one, and another I kept hearing on that first jetliner flight.  Look where it was, Miss Mox...

Shut up, not down

I have not had much time to write lately.  Too much going on- work, house projects, enjoying the summer and fall with Miss Mox, etc.  And I get my best ideas at work, and driving, so I don't always get them into blog form very well even if I take notes.  Work is getting in the way of me getting stuff done...  So I have lots to say, but am not saying much.

I do watch the news, though.  Well, actually I usually read it or hear it.  And I am appalled by what is going on with the shutdown.  In brief: a bunch of ignorant assholes aren't getting their way so they have decided to stamp their feet and not play anymore.

They are acting like whiny kids.  Stupid, forgetful whiny little kids, who don't remember that the last shutdown didn't work out too well, for them and the country; and that a lot of what they hate are their ideas!  Individual mandate, death panels... Theirs.  Hey, you want to change them, do it right.  Get elected, then write and change laws.  This is a democracy.  Don't just stamp your feet.  That's not the way democracy works.  They're holding us hostage to their strident ideology.  It's pathetic and childish, and even many Republicans can see that.  If this lasts, it will damage the economy (and they will be violating the Constitution they supposedly worship; but then, hypocrisy is nothing new to them.)

Republicans had a chance to reform healthcare, and they didn't.  They made Medicare more expensive for seniors, and taxpayers as a whole.  This time, they could try to fix ACA.  There's stuff they don't like in it (even if a lot of that stuff is their own ideas.)  Hey, there's stuff I don't like.  Let's tweak it.  But they're having none of that.  Partly this is because they are having a civil war.  I hope they burn themselves out, or maybe split into two parties, and we get a more decent, intelligent Republican party.  I'm not going to get my hopes up.

I'm really not clear on what they're so upset about, anyway.  Most of the objections to ACA I hear are based on distortions and delusions.  It's not socialism or socialized medicine.  It's not a lot of things Reps say it is (but then they like to lie anyway.) It's essentially changes in regulations.  I'm tired of hearing the Chicken Little "sky is falling" bullshit- lies about doctors, insurance, job-killing, etc.  Hey, this is a big change, but not as big as it could or should be.  Maybe it will help overall; it is already helping in some ways.  I think it will take a couple of years for things to sort out.  Costs will go up some, but they have been going up anyway (hence the need for healthcare reform, of course...)  Some people will pay more, some less.  For most people it won't make much difference, and for some it will be a very good thing.  Let's let it work, drop things that don't work, add things that we see the need for, and actually try to have a working country, moving forward and getting better.

Well.  Back to work.  Actually, back to house projects, errands, and then work, and starting all over again tomorrow.  I'm not complaining- I like staying busy, and I get to hang out with the most amazing woman in the world, so life is good even when it's hectic.  Enjoy the fall, folks!

Paging Sarah Palin

There are a lot of idiots in this country.  Most of them can vote, and so they sometimes elect from their ranks.  Which explains how we ended up with Sarah Palin.  (Of course, she didn't have the guts to stay in her job, so thankfully she's not really a politician anymore.)  Recently I was reminded of her a few times, and got to thinking about her attitude, and how far removed from reality she is.  A while back she said something like "How's that hopey-changey stuff working our for ya?"  My response?  Pretty well, thanks.  Much better than under Bush, whose tenure was bookended by disaster- 9/11 and economic collapse- and filled with 2 wars.  The economy is much better.  The wars are winding down (of course there are always more...)

This train of thought reminded me of another idiot I had occasion to speak to years ago (roughly 1984.)  I asked him why he was voting for Ronald Reagan, and he said "Reagan got me a job".  He personally did that.  No, I guess he was saying the economy picked up under Reagan and therefore he, the voter, was going to support him.  Okay.  So anyone who got hired under Obama, or kept their job through the worst of the recession, should vote for him.  I got a job under Reagan too, and under Clinton.  So what?  I don't give them credit.

As I have said often, and my closest friends still say: People are stupid.

The next war?

I am torn about the Syria situation.  Let me see if I can explain how I'm looking at it.

I am not usually in favor of getting involved in other countries' affairs.  I think back on the wars we have been in during my lifetime, and I opposed most of them.  We can't be the policeman for the world.  But sometimes someone has to be.  The United Nations should be, and has been.  But it is often divided, and in this case Syria's allies Russia and China oppose any international action there.  It's hard to get the whole world, or even the Security Council, to agree on much of anything.  But sometimes there really is a need to get involved.  What would have happened if we had stayed out of World War 2, or 1?  Or what if we had gotten involved sooner- could we have saved lives?

So, we could take on the role of enforcer, doing what the UN won't.  When someone does something so awful, whether to another country or to its own people, we can't, morally, sit back and let it happen.  Can we?  Or are we saying Syria has done nothing wrong?  If we do nothing, is that the same as supporting Assad?  Or is it just letting him get away with doing awful things?

Did he really do it?  I have to say yes.  Even if the intelligence isn't rock solid, beyond a reasonable doubt, it is very strong.  And nothing of this kind can ever be absolutely proven.  Does it really matter if we can prove that Assad ordered it, and not that it was carried out by underlings on their own (or without specific orders)?

And will the US doing something- anything, from an attack to an embargo- accomplish anything?  Can we really "punish" Assad for this?  I don't think we can do anything that would make a difference.  The administration says we can hit whichever targets they're thinking of, this week, this month, whenever.  So, how important can they really be?  Clearly making a threat this far ahead lets Syria hide or move what they think we will attack.  So, what's the point?

Or maybe it's just a piece of kabuki diplomacy: making a credible threat in order to get Assad to back down.  Again, what good is that?  I don't think it will influence him.

We can't invade Syria, or even do much attacking by air.  It is a much tougher nut than Iraq (and that turned out so well...)

I guess my view comes down to: I don't want to let Assad get away with this, but we can't do anything about it.  And that is sad.  Whatever we could realistically try won't be effective, and doing nothing tells Assad and others that they can get away with this kind of thing.

Some side notes:

I was surprised by the Boehner letter.  It included some very probing questions, questions that should have been asked before Iraq and should be asked about all wars in the future.  I wonder if it's real; it shows a level of critical thought that is sorely lacking among Republicans.  Maybe it was cribbed from a Democrat.  And I think it is ridiculous that Republicans are acting like this now, after Iraq, when their attitude was "don't question us, and you're a traitor if you do."  Even more incredibly, some Republicans who were shouting for us to do something a month ago are now against any attack.  Also, Republicans should note that many liberals oppose this potential attack (and oppose many things that Obama has done.)  He is a moderate, really.  I am very tired of people calling Obama a radical, a socialist, etc.  He is not.

I had hoped Assad would be a more decent person than his dad.  Clearly not.  I was also optimistic about the new North Korean leader and have been disappointed.  One hopes that people will evolve.  But they often slide backwards.

I heard some comments about the US using chemical weapons, specifically white phosphorus anddepleted uranium.  Both are nasty, as all weapons are, but they are not the same thing as "chemical weapons" in the international treaty sense.  They are not used to kill large groups of people.  So it confuses the issue to talk about them in the same breath as sarin, mustard gas, etc.

Life gets in the way

Hopefully I have the rants out of my system.  Well, until the next time someone says something stupid...  I'll try to post some lighter things, maybe life updates and a few music entries.

I haven't posted much lately.  It's summer, and it has been a beautiful one.  Not too hot.  Hanging out with Miss Mox, doing fun stuff and projects around the house.  We have a lot to do before the wedding.  The garden is still doing well, though not producing as much as I'd hoped.  Pulled the potatoes and roasted some.  Still plenty of tomatoes, green beans; some peppers coming on.  The animals are their normal crazy selves.

Work is calming down a bit for the next few weeks but will get busy again.  Money is always good, but time... you can't get time back. At work I think of things to write, and wish I could do more than jot notes.  I lose the passion and the details before I have a chance to really write things down.

Enjoy the rest of your summer.  I'll try to get on here a bit more, but I'll be out enjoying mine...

They just don't want to think

I am starting to see a convergence between my two observations about conservatives.  I have said they are willfully ignorant, choosing not to think about things they don't like or understand, essentially ignoring reality.  I have also said they have a lack of historical perspective, taking things out of context and focusing on them.  Lately I have seen a combination of the two (not that they're really all that different): a willful lack of historical perspective.

Man, I'm stereotyping, generalizing, lumping all conservatives together.  There are certainly conservatives who are thoughtful, who try to learn from history and from new ideas, who actually use their brains when confronted with reality.  But when I look at conservative media, politicians, and frankly most of the conservatives I meet, I see people who are either stupid or who just don't want to think about things.  Some claim to be interested in history, and cite examples (particularly about the Founders.)  But they ignore so much about events, and people, of the past.  They just don't want to hear about it.  Not surprisingly, this distorts their ideas.

One more recent example: I suppose if you only focus on the moment when George Zimmerman was
(allegedly) getting beaten up by Trayvon Martin, you could call that self defense.  Of course, you have to completely ignore everything that happened before or after that moment.  I call that willful ignorance, and it's essentially the same thing as a lack of historical perspective.

Another example: the Economist recently had an article about how Bush started many of the anti-terrorism security procedures that Obama has continued and expanded, and that many people are now upset about.  In the comments section, there was plenty of "Oh, you're still blaming Bush?"  Um.  Folks?  It's reality.  It's history.  Bush did start a lot of this.  Now, we can talk about it, and figure out how to move forward.  Or, I suppose, we can ignore it and get upset about things we don't understand.  Which is better for the country?  I'm sorry you don't like hearing the truth. Or is it just that you only believe what you hear on Fox?

Another example: got into a discussion online about ACA and health costs, and some conservatives said costs will go up dramatically.  What do they consider dramatically?  20%.  Well, my costs have been going up at that rate for the last decade or so.  And plenty of ACA came from Republican ideas.  They didn't want to hear either of those things.  Again, willful ignorance and a lack of historical perspective.

I could go into this more, but I have to go to work.  You know, to a job, like most liberals don't have.  47% of the country is lazy and all that (one more idiotic mindset that keeps popping up.)  Which reminds me of a conversation I had at work.  Someone said Glenn Beck was talking about how Al-Jazeera was trying to take over US media.  I said he was a liar, which didn't go over well.  After a little research, I found there was a speck of truth, distorted and then turned into grist for the fearmongering mill.  Al-Jazeera did indeed buy Al Gore's old TV network, snagging it from Glenn Beck.  He couldn't or wouldn't pay enough for it, so it sounds like sour grapes.  Now he's saying "help me get my channel on more cable systems, to counteract this."  In other words: Beck is whining, and lying, and exagerrating.  Surprise!

Have a good day.  Think for yourself.  Research what you see, hear, and read.

Losing Their Minds

Harumph.  I have been trying to sort out my thoughts about politics lately, and am fed up.  We can have different opinions; we can look at the same facts and disagree about what should be done.  But we aren't looking at the same facts anymore.  Some of us aren't even looking at facts at all- we're watching False News and forming opinions based on lies and distortions.  I talk to people, and am disappointed.  I see ignorance.  Sometimes willful ignorance.  Sometimes apparent stupidity.  Always a lack of understanding and perspective about history.  Often anger, sparked by believing things that simply aren't true.  Sometimes I find it funny, but more often I find it sad.  I fear for America.  I see cynical Republican leaders spreading lies, knowing they can get people to believe them.

I know there is ignorance and cynicism across the political spectrum.  But the right has gotten out of control.  My few remaining conservative friends need to fight this from within; the Silly Party will not listen to reason from anyone they consider a "libtard."  (I've dumped the "friends" I had who buy into the Silly Party crap.  I just can't take the bullshit.)

I see bumper stickers that talk about "Obamunism" and wonder, "Really?  What is that?  What, exactly, has Obama done that is communist?  Are you even on the same planet?"  And the answer is, no, they're on a different planet.  One that doesn't bother with facts, just emotion- specifically fear.

Some Silly Partiers say Obama is destroying America.  I say they are- tearing the heart out of a thriving democracy, trying to turn back time, trying to force their views on everyone.

Music for the season

For some reason I've had a lot of reggae playing in my head lately.  Maybe it just feels right for the summertime.  I got into reggae years ago, probably when I noticed its influence on rock music (Eric Clapton, The Police, even The Clash.)  My interest in it ebbs and flows.  The past week, I've been hearing Jimmy Cliff a lot.  He's one of the superstars of reggae, and has been playing for something like 45 years now.


Wonderful World, Beautiful People- probably my favorite of his, and a nice relaxing tune with a message.



Club Paradise- title song from the soundtrack of the movie (one of those where the soundtrack is better than the movie; still worth checking out.)



The Harder They Come- from the movie of the same name; Cliff starred again.



Vietnam- a sad protest song.

We're All In This Together

Where to start?  George Zimmerman got off for killing a boy.  Yes, boy.  I am tired of seeing "child" written and said sneeringly.  He was a child, legally and in reality.  Sweetie's brothers are kids, children, boys, who are about the same age as Trayvon Martin.  I have a friend who was a big kid in high school.  Any of them could have been, or still could be, in the same situation, not doing anything wrong, and get killed- for what?  Because someone is nervous?  Because someone has a complex, thinks he needs to guard his neighborhood?  I learned a long time ago, from my parents and by experience, to call the cops if something's going on.  Why did Zimmerman feel the need to follow Martin, and get out of his car?

That's really the main thing that makes this not self-defense.  How can you start something, put yourself in a situation, make it worse, and then when you start getting your ass kicked, kill them and claim self-defense?  You can, if you forget everything that happened up to that point, I guess...  But let's try a few things out.  What if Martin had been the one in the SUV, called 911, was told not to follow Zimmerman.  But he did, got out, there was a fight- which he started losing- and he shot Zimmerman and left him lying on the ground.  Self-defense?  Would the cops arrive and accept his story, and not arrest him?  Or how bout two white guys, or two black guys?  Is it still self-defense in the same situation?

What if I go into a biker bar, pick a fight with a big leather-clad biker, and when I start getting my ass kicked as I surely would, shoot him?  Is that self-defense?  Or just me getting what I deserved?  What if I rob a bank, and on the street out front a guard or a passer-by tackles me and slams my head into the pavement?  Can I kill him and claim self-defense?  I'm just "standing my ground."

How about if we reimagine the exact situation that happened.  Not that we know all the details, just Zimmerman's account.  But accepting all that, what would have happened if Martin had a gun?  When Zimmerman confronted him, I'm sure one or both would say "what the fuck are you doing?"  (I'm guessing something like that was said by one or both in reality.)  Let's say Martin feels threatened, and kills Zimmerman.  Standing his ground, right?  No biggie.  He'd be acquitted, surely...

Race is clearly woven tightly into what happened.  I can't add much to the huge amount of commentary out there about this case.  But these thoughts have been on my mind.  And even if you can pull race out, there is no way it was self-defense.  Legal in Florida, maybe.  But not right.

Heck, I was a teenage boy once.  I wasn't big, but maybe if I wore a hoodie I would look threatening in the dark, in the rain, to someone who was looking for trouble.  I was a boy, so I did dumb stuff (some would say I'm still a teenage boy, and still do dumb stuff...)  Was I a threat, walking home from the store?  Or as a pudgy middle-aged white guy, will I now be seen as a potential threat by black kids?  If I drive behind them, maybe stop to ask directions, will I make them nervous?  Anyone could be a vigilante.

What happens now?  Already it looks like there are Zimmerman wannabes, claiming SYG when they are just shooting who they want to shoot.  And what should young black kids do?  Should they carry a gun, so that there's at least a chance of not ending up dead?  Robert Heinlein said "An armed society is a polite society."  I hope that's true.  But it feels like it's just going to be a twitchy, heavily-armed one, and we're going to have more dead people because of this.

A little mood music...

Lots going through my head lately.  Things I'll write about, now and later.  Politics, music, you name it.  For now, here's some music I've been listening to.  The Clash are one of the first bands I got really into.  Though mainly playing punk, they also introduced me to reggae (though it might be hard to see that influence in these songs.)  As always, these tunes just scratch the surface.  I recommend digging a little deeper.


I Fought The Law- my favorite version of this oldie





Rock The Casbah- probably their biggest hit



Should I Stay Or Should I Go- another big hit

Scandal-less

Oh, man.  The horror of having to talk to people about politics.  I stand in one place for most of the day at work, so I can't get away from it sometimes.  But the stupidity... the stupidity... (Say it like Kurtz: "The horror.  The horror.")

"Edward Snowden seems like such a nice guy.  Surely he didn't do anything wrong.  He had to flee the country, he was afraid for his life."  Yeah, I would be too after exposing secrets.  But he's much safer in prison here than in an airport, hotel, wherever, whether it's in Russia, China, Venezuela... If we want to off him, we'll do it over there.  Once he's in custody here, that would be embarassing...

And really?  He's a nice guy?  Like, say, Dahmer?  Going to places like Russia and China doesn't exactly make him look nice.  Or innocent.  And even if he doesn't hand information over to them, they'll probably steal it from him anyway.

This whole thing is silly.  I knew about this kind of program years ago.  Even if you didn't, you had to know we were doing stuff like it.  And you know that if this had happened in 2002, conservatives would be screaming for his head.  Now, they seem confused and divided.  As do liberals.  What it comes down to is that he stole secrets.  He's not a whistleblower.  He's a spy.  Maybe he's not doing it for money.  Maybe he believes what he's saying.  Plenty of spies before him have said the same kinds of things, and believed them.

So, no surprises, no scandal.  But everything has to be a scandal.  Obama goes to Africa- "How can he justify spending $60 million when we have the sequester?"  Uh, $60 million is pocket change anymore.  Do you know how much planning and equipment is involved in presidential trips?  And it's not like he's going on vacation to cut brush down.  It's a diplomatic trip.

Where are the scandals?  Where is the wrongdoing?  Republicans keep trying to gin up scandals, to make mountains out of molehills, molehills out of pebbles.  There's nothing there.  The IRS "scandal" is based on nothing- all sorts of groups were investigated, not just Teabaggers.  Benghazi was a bad scene, but not a scandal.  If people had the slightest awareness of history (heck, of reality,) they'd realize there's nothing controversial about any of this.   Can we please talk about real things for a change?

Flashback

Ever since I posted some Joan Jett videos, I've been hearing her on my mental soundtrack.  So here are a few more...


I Hate Myself For Loving You




Light of Day- with Bruce Springsteen




Bad Reputation




The French Song- I had forgotten all about this one...




Everyday People- yet another cover that eclipses the original for me

 

Hey, Hey, Paula

So, wow.  Last week everyone was talking about Paula Deen, who is- surprise!- racist.  And some people were defending her- "She built Food Network!" "She said one bad word 30 years ago; why is she losing her job?"

Let's get the inconsequential stuff out of the way first.  She did not build Food Network; it had been doing fine well before her.  I used to watch it a lot.  And when she started appearing on it, she immediately left a bad taste in my mouth.  I don't know if I've ever watched a whole episode of any of her shows.  I don't know exactly what turned me off.  Maybe a fat person making food that will make her even fatter? Hey, I love southern food.  I love unhealthy food.  But I eat it in moderation.  And I try to find ways to make it a little healthier (and still tasty.)  Or maybe it was the faux-folksy stuff.  Something just rubbed me the wrong way.  And when a guy at work went to her restaurant and told me how good it was, I knew I was right to dislike her (I don't trust his opinions on food.  He pretty much likes what I dislike.)

As for "she said it once a long time ago:" Bull.  Shit.  Even ignoring all the allegations (and you know at least some of them are true,) the way she answered when asked if she had ever used the n-word let me know exactly where she was coming from.  "Yes, of course."  I mean, I appreciate her honesty.  But that attitude shines through- of course you have?  Racism's not just a southern thing, and I have seen and do see it up here in the Midwest.  And I'm sure when she grew up, and where she grew up, it was more common, maybe even pervasive.  But there are decent people from the south, who don't say that, who treat people with dignity.  "Of course."  That says a lot.

And the antebellum dinner party just creeps me out.  I can't believe anyone would think that would be fun.  All of which goes to show that she didn't just "say it once a long time ago." If that's really all it was, people wouldn't be upset.

There's a lot going on here.  Race still matters, despite SCOTUS decisions, despite whatever comes of the Zimmerman trial.  I can't get into all of it here, and I don't feel qualified- I've seen it, I haven't really experienced it myself.  But I do know a few things.  I know n----- is an awful word.  Some say "well, black people say it so why is it wrong if white people say it?"  That shows appalling ignorance, which goes back to my theory about people lacking historical perspective.  (Someday I'll write a post about that.)  Besides which, many black people don't say it, and don't like hearing it from anybody.  And then there's "well, he said cracker and that's just as bad."  Bull, again.  Not all bad words are the same.  There's a difference between "crap," "shit," and "eat shit and die, motherfucker."  Cracker is nothing like the n-word, and people who equate the two, and make all these other arguments defending racism, know damn well they're not the same.

If you use that word, don't use it around me.  And if you think like Paula (and think she's a victim,) sit down and think a bit about what you're doing, to others and to yourself.  Even if you don't believe in evolution, it's time to evolve.  To grow up.  To realize that people are people.  And if you're still going to be a jackass, don't try to justify it.  Just shut up and let the rest of us get on with trying to make the world a better place.

Close To My Heart

Well, my plan was to enjoy this long week off.  And I did. I relaxed with the amazing Miss Mox, my sweetheart.   We did a lot of fun stuff: saw a couple of movies, walked in the park, went to an old house (Adena,) grilled out.  Maybe not the kind of things that thrill everyone else, but stuff that we like.  And doing anything with her is fun.  (I'm not exaggerating.  She is smart, and a smartass, and- once she's had her coffee- makes anything enjoyable.)

I also intended to write a lot, read a lot, do a lot around the house.  I did read a bit, and do some around here.   I puttered about the house, and ran some errands I had to like renewing my driver's license (my new pic looks like a mugshot.)  Writing... not so much.  I took notes.  I pondered ideas.  I was having far too much fun to write much of anything down.  Now my vacation is almost over, and I'm left with a pile of things I had hoped to get done.  No regrets- I'll get done what I need to in the next couple of days, and do the rest over the next few weeks and months.

I did do one thing I had been thinking about for a long time: I got a tattoo.  Now, I've never really wanted a tattoo, or any other body alteration.  I toyed with getting my ear pierced in high school.  This was years ago, when it was a relatively new thing for guys to do; I believe it involved a bet with a friend about getting into certain colleges.  I didn't make it into the one I was shooting for, MIT I think.  I'm cool with other people doing whatever they want to themselves; it just never excited me.  And more recently it has become so popular that almost everyone my age or younger has one, and I am the kind of person who will purposely not do what everyone else is doing.  Maybe it's an extension of not liking crowds?  Maybe I'm just a contrarian asshole?  Anyway, I had never considered getting a tattoo.

Then my brother died.  As you can imagine, that was a huge blow to me, and my family.  Our dad had died a couple of years before, and that was bad enough.  But Andy and I got through that together.  It was really hard getting through Andy's death.  He would have been the person I turned to- I needed him there to support me!  Our family pulled together, but it was still a rough time.  Thankfully I had Miss Mox, who helped me so much, even from afar.  She's still there for me when something little makes me think of Andy.  She got to meet him once, which is something else I am immensely thankful for.  They got along well, and we all had a blast that last time I saw him.

I think of him all the time, particularly at this time of year since he was so into plants.  There are so many things I want to ask him, tell him, show him.  So it's not like I'm going to forget him.  But talking to his friends, and remembering him, planted an idea in my head.  He was into nature, and involved in Native American spirituality. He told a few people that his spirit guide was the dragonfly.  Now, I have heard that you're not supposed to tell anyone that; I don't know all the details, but he might have had a vision about it, or maybe just really liked them.  Maybe he picked the dragonfly and shared it, but kept his true spirit guide a secret (I kinda hope that's the case.)  Still, dragonflies were important to him, as was Native culture in general, and I had a little vision- of a dragonfly with eagle feathers as its wings.  And since he had some tattoos, getting one to memorialize him seemed appropriate.  I ran the idea by the wise woman and medicine man he knew, and they approved.  So I started looking at designs, and had a pretty good idea what I wanted.

But I was nervous about getting the tattoo, and unsure about whether someone could really translate my idea into reality.  I researched tattoo parlors a bit, and talked to people who have tats about the whole process.  I kinda let it simmer on the back burner of my subconscious.  Then, walking in the park the other day with Miss Mox, little dragonflies swooped around us.  I thought of Andy watching them, and looking at the plants flourishing along the path.  And so I figured- now's a good time.  I have some time off, and if I wait I'll just put it off forever.  So we went to the place I picked, and talked to an artist about our ideas (sweetie got one too- an infinity symbol, for us.  I might get a matching one- we'll see how I feel when this heals...)

Alison, the tattoo artist, came up with a design that looked really cool; I asked for a few changes, which she made so it looked just as I'd imagined it- actually better.  And then- holy shit- I was under the needle.  I was nervous.  I knew there'd be pain but not how much.  And- it wasn't bad.  Oh, it wasn't fun; call it moderate discomfort with some pain.  But Miss Mox was there to distract me, and Alison walked me through it.  I had leafed through her sketchbook and was impressed by her artistic ability, and she helped me relax even when I was wincing.

The whole staff were welcoming and easygoing.  A modern tattoo parlor is a cross between a clinic and an art gallery- nothing like the grubby ones from old movies.  It was a pleasant experience from start to finish.  Okay, I'm lying, there were a few minutes of unpleasantness, but I gritted my teeth and made it through.

I wish Andy were here.  I think he'd like the tattoo.  I think of him when I see it.  I miss him.  But this will keep him near my heart, physically as well as emotionally.

Getting stuff done, and stopping to smell the roses

Things are crazy around here.  Animal escapes (and other bizarre behavior,) car issues, heat and humidity, work (which is always cutting into my productivity...)  I'm looking forward to a week off.  We'll get some house projects done, go out and have fun, kick back around here.  Grill out, eat out, enjoy our harvest (we've already had strawberries, broccoli, zucchini, cucumbers, green beans, chives.)

I sit (stand) at work and think of stuff I want to write about (including things that happen at work.)  Sadly, even if I take notes I rarely have more than a pale imitation of what I wanted to say.  I'll try to get some of that written out next week, along with a few other things I want to put up here.  I'll get my desk cleared off, find my stamps, and just generally try to get organized.  Oh yeah, and there's a wedding to plan.  And trips.  And a bazillion other things.

Joan Jett!

Oh, wow, really going back a ways.  It's been more than thirty years since I first heard Joan Jett, and I instantly liked her.  I'm sure "I Love Rock and Roll" was the first I heard from her, but I listened a lot over the years.  This is another musician I have a hard time picking favorites from.  What about "Everyday People"?  What about "You Don't Own Me"?  (She did lots of great covers, so yeah, one more reason to like her.)  Jeez... "Bad Reputation," "Fake Friends,""I Hate Myself For Loving You."  Even "Light Of Day." Too many.  Do yourself a favor and go listen to a few more, but here are some I really really like.

I Love Rock and Roll

Do You Wanna Touch

Crimson And Clover- probably my favorite cover by her.  This is a fairly recent version; she looks a little different.

Love Is All Around- yes, the Mary Tyler Moore theme.  This is another song where the cover replaces the original on my mental playlist.

Androgynous- a much newer song, and one of my faves.  I just found out it's not a JJ original; the Replacements wrote it in the early '80s.

Happy Anniversary!

One year ago today, I met the amazing Miss Mox.  Every minute since then has been full of life, full of love.  She's my life and love partner (I stole that phrase from her.)  Life's not always fun, but we've been through the good times and bad times together, and I've been happy through all of it, knowing she's there with me and for me.  I'm looking forward to many more hours, days, years together.

We just started another phase of our adventure: we moved in together.  It's been crazy, we had a lot to do before the move, and a lot still to do now.  Then at the end of the year, another big change: we're getting married!

When we met, I was just supposed to be her tour guide for a return to her hometown.  But things became so much more than that.  I knew the day I met her that she was someone special.  I quickly realized that she is more than I ever dreamed of.  She is the love of my life.  I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.

Green Acres

I keep hearing this song.  I think it's because I'm a city boy living in the country.  Now I'm moving back to the city, into a good house in a quiet neighborhood, with a wonderful woman.

I've enjoyed my time out here.  I came to get back on my feet, "find myself" and relax.  I found an old schoolhouse on the edge of a small town, not too far from a big city.  I mean, a really small town- 10 houses and a grain elevator.  I hear roosters in the morning, and sometimes cows and sheep (the kids across the way are in 4H.)  I have two neighbors, but they're not close and I rarely talk to them.  They're nice, and quiet, and do their own stuff.  Perfect neighbors (though my sweetie suspects some of them are up to no good...)  Down on the corner, some of the townfolk invited me to their cider pressing, and loaned me their deed abstract going back to 1808 and signed by President Madison.

I did some digging into the history of my place. It was built as a school in 1885, and was a school for about 15 years.  One of the kids in the last class ran the grain elevator in the middle of the last century, and I know some of his grandkids.  I had hoped to do some actual digging- into the cistern, maybe use a metal detector in the yard- but I never got around to that.  I'm leaving some pictures and a note on the history for the next tenant.

It's been a good couple of years.  In the country, but very close to the city.  (A real city, though when I go "into town" it's sometimes to the one with three stoplights...)  All the benefits of both.  I am looking forward to living with my sweetie, though, in the heart of the city.

Ignorance is Strength

I watched a documentary today that had clips from "1984" and "Animal Farm."  In one scene from "1984" I saw the well-known slogans: "War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength."

And I thought hmm, "Ignorance is Strength"- that seems to be the modern Republican party's slogan.  Okay, maybe just the Teabag/Silly Party wing's slogan, but still- so many conservatives I talk to, and hear, are so clueless about history, about current events, about reality, about how they are acting toward, well, everyone except themselves.  It's ignorance, often willful ignorance, combined with a lack of empathy, and self-righteousness.  Add all that up, plus anger issues, and I seem to be working toward a Unified Theory of Conservatism...

Let me give you my card

I've done things the old-fashioned way for the last few days- with cash.

I'm changing banks, and so am getting paper paychecks for the first time in several years.  I've had to cash them, which has led to some odd moments of confusion and... not nostalgia, but awareness of how much things have changed in a fairly short time.  It used to be that every transaction was in cash, and people knew how to make change.  Now, well, it confuses people.

And then I went to get gas.  "Pay first" is no big deal with a card.  But with cash, I had to do what we all used to do: go inside and give them money.  I gave them $40 and said I was going to top it off (my tank wasn't empty... The amount we spend has changed too, of course.)  When I went back inside after pumping less than $30 worth, they seemed confused about how to handle the return.

I had to wait in line at the bank to make a deposit, something else I haven't done in a long time.  (I don't have deposit slips yet, so I skipped the drive-through.)  Handing someone large amounts of cash?  Actually waiting?  Foreign experiences anymore.

I'm not complaining, just observing.  I still pay cash for small expenses, but have moved as much as possible to debit cards and online banking for anything more than a few dollars.  It's just weird how much change there has been in a few years.

A Reely Good Shew

I was reintroduced to Reel Big Fish a couple of years ago.  I've liked reggae and ska for a long time, and dabbled in different bands, but somehow hadn't gotten really into RBF.  These guys are great live, and do a ton of cover songs (which you'll notice as a trend in my music posts, I'm sure...)  The first concert Miss Mox and I went to was RBF, at the Newport (an illustrious dump, with a long history.)  Brown Eyed Girl became one of our songs that night.

Brown Eyed Girl
Yeah, I posted this in the fall, but hey, I love it.  And her.


Hungry Like The Wolf
The first concert I went to by choice was Duran Duran.  Yeah, yeah, I know.  It was a good trip, though; I ought to write about it.  Anyway, I liked them back then, and love this version, keyed to the DD video.  I hadn't watched it in a long time, and was pleasantly surprised to be reminded that it features an interracial couple.  Hm.


Take On Me
Another awesome cover.  This is how I hear this song now; the original has been deleted from my mind's playlist.


Sellout
One of their own, and an actual hit.  Funny video.


Everyone Else Is An Asshole
Another original.  Ironic and universal...

Scandalous

Wow.  I have only been following these "scandals" a bit, since I have a lot of other stuff going on.  But I have  a few things to say.

IRS- Maybe they went too far, but extra scrutiny for political groups of any ideology applying for non-profit status seems like a good idea.  I see that 300 were subject to closer scrutiny/delays.  75 were teabaggers.  The rest?  I'd like to see a breakdown by politics.  And of course the only group denied the status were liberals.  So, where is the scandal?

Benghazi- a mess.  But seeing as Republicans voted against more funding for security, how can they really complain?  And Issa, leading the investigation, has balls since he voted against it too.  The military offered the ambassador extra security, which he refused.  And exactly how were we to respond in the immediate aftermath of the attack?  One Republican suggested flying a jet over to scare the attackers.  Yeah, that would work.  They've never seen a plane before!  And there's certainly no chance they could shoot it down... People seem to think the military, and the government, are omnipotent and omniscient.  As if they can do whatever they want, wherever and whenever they want.  And so these people accuse the government of failing whenever anything goes wrong.  Welcome to the real world, folks.  Shit happens.  People screw up.  We should do what we can to avoid mistakes and disasters, but we're all human.

And not quite a scandal, but an issue: Rand Paul and drones.  I was one of the first to point out that approving drone flights over the U.S. was something we really wanted to think about before we did it.  Of course, Congress approved it without any thought.  And now they are concerned.  Surprise. I don't know, when I see Rand Paul I think two things: the nut doesn't fall far from the tree, and what is up with his hair?  And I think back, and realize that in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 Republicans would have been screeching support for Bush if he used drones anywhere, here and abroad, for anything.  And now they're upset?  Short-sighted ignoramuses.

To whom it may concern...

There was a letter in the local paper the other day about the sequester-caused flight delays.  I've written a few letters to the editor.  I'm usually disappointed in the editing they do to my writing- it has ended up saying something very different than I intended.  So I'm trying to give this guy a break.  The first few paragraphs are factual, and general, comments on how flying is less glamorous than it used to be, how the delays mainly affected business fliers and vacationing families instead of senators, etc.  I can agree with all that, and was with the writer for 2/3 of the letter.

Here's his last paragraph: "Obama ended the flight delays because the episode was becoming embarrassing to him and was pointing out the general ill intentions of his administration and his party.  Let's all remember who bent over backward to make air travel worse than it already is."

Where do I start?  With the self-centered assholery that says flying on time is more important than feeding kids (there are big sequester cuts in many programs, including aid programs)?  With the abysmal ignorance he shows about how the government works? (Congress enacted the sequester, since it couldn't negotiate a way to avoid the gun pointed at its head; Congress changed it so the FAA could get the towers staffed.)  Or the "blame Obama" idea that he and his party are just generally trying to make life miserable?

It's sobering to think that many people think the way he does.  To paraphrase Dean Wormer: ignorant, self-centered, and delusional is no way to go through life.

Like it or not

The other day someone shared a link on Facebook that said "let's see how many 'likes' the Bible can get!"  It struck me as weird.  And disrespectful.

Now, I can be cranky.  And I'm not very religious.  But I still think it is unseemly to fake-like the Bible.  "Like" and "Friend" have different meanings on Facebook than they do in reality, of course.  I get annoyed at those statuses saying "like if you remember these!" (Showing perocolators, drive-ins, etc.)  I mean, come on.  Not that Facebook is a productive place, but how unproductive can you get?  Does it mean anything at all if you "like" those posts?  And there are some darker things going on behind stuff like that, and the "name a movie without an 's' in the title" ones too.

A while back a "friend" "liked" a page called "The Constitution by TA" or some such, the 'TA' being a conservative group.  I like the Constitution.  However, I most certainly do not like any political group claiming it as its own.  So I absolutely do not like "The Constitution by TA" or anyone else.  I think it is disrespectful to like something like that.  Disrespectful to the actual Constitution.

Facebook is good at what it is.  Unfortunately, it is starting to get overrun with ads, and scams.  And dumb shit forwarded by people who should know better.  It's like the old chain letters ("'like' if you remember them!") that counted on people just flat being gullible.

It's not all about you

Wow.  It's been almost a month since my last post?  Yeah, I've been busy.  I have lots of ideas, but little time to set them down on "paper."

This weekend President Obama spoke at Ohio State's graduation ceremony.  It's only the third time a sitting president has spoken at that, and OSU is my alma mater, so hey, it was kind of a big deal.

One of my Facebook friends posted a link about Obama saying Republicans are un-American during his speech.  I read, and listened to, the speech and he didn't say anything like that.  See for yourself.

I suppose, if you're paranoid, you can hear someone talk about those who say government is the "root of all our problems" and that "tyranny is always lurking just around the corner" and say "hey, he's talking about me!"  Because, you know, if you think those things, he is talking about you.  And you're a nutjob, and he didn't say you're un-American, but you know what?  You are.

Anyway, he of course didn't say what some nutjob conservative says he said.  And that particular site is barely readable since said nutjob doesn't know how to use quotes, and really doesn't prove his point on his own site, using those quotes.  So we should probably just ignore it.  But dumb shit like this sticks in my craw.  How can anyone read or hear that speech and not appreciate it for what it is- a speech congratulating and pumping up graduates, and reminding them to be good  citizens?  The same kind of speech any other president, or any speaker at all, would have given on that occasion.  Sadly, the kind of people who can twist that sort of thing into an assault on themselves hear it that way.

You know what?  I've said it before and I'll say it again.  Some conservatives ARE un-American.  They've been saying that about liberals for years, falsely, and now I will say it, truthfully, about them.

The good old days- they were terrible!

Some of the opposition to gay marriage seems to boil down to "well, that's not the America I know."  So?  "One man and one woman is the way things are supposed to be, because that's how I (or my parents) lived."  That's not America, though.  Those feelings aren't American or patriotic.  They're false nostalgia.  They're ridiculously self-centered and ignorant.  And they show a deep lack of understanding of history.

Racial intermarriage used to be illegal.  (I'll probably do a post on that someday.)  When I started dating a black woman, a few people said to me "that's not the way I was brought up."  I don't care if you were brought up by wolves; I was brought up to respect people, whatever their color, or whether they had a disability or a strange name, whatever.  I was brought up to respect the principles of America.  Not just the traditions, because some of those aren't that great.  Hatred, discrimination, exclusion... Good old American values, right? We're not perfect, and we never have been.  But do we uphold those "traditions?"  Or do we honor the principles we were founded on?

What does America stand for?  Imposing your ideas on others?  Denying people their rights to begin with?  Maybe you think that, but there's a group of people who would disagree with you, called the Founders.  They might never have imagined gay marriage, but there are lots of things they couldn't have imagined, which we take for granted: the internet, cars, planes, a black president.  Some things we do now might have shocked them, but they were good enough and smart enough that they would have come to terms with things.  I bet Thomas Jefferson would sit down and think about it, and decide that it was fair.

I think many conservatives have a shallow view of history, of tradition, of the Constitution. They want them to mean what they want, but they don't think hard about them, and don't put them in context.  I'm going to go ahead and say it: What it comes down to is, they don't like America.  Don't like freedom (well, they love it for themselves, but don't want to share it.)  They wish for something that never was.  They want to return to that false past, and don't like the present.

Maybe they're dreaming of the '50s, which I guess was a paradise for them or their parents.  Don't expect me to live in your rose-colored version of the past.  If you want to, then by all means do.  Just know that it's not real and never was.  The '50s, if that's what you're remembering, weren't idyllic.  100 or 200 years ago, things weren't perfect either.  Your vision of the past isn't always what it was actually like.  And even if it's accurate, that doesn't mean we should go back there.

I have a theory: most people think their childhood era was ideal.  Well, it wasn't always.  And even if it was, it's a very small slice of the real world, and can't be applied to everything and everybody.  Open your eyes.  Tradition is what you grew up with.  What was true in the '50s is not true now, and might not have been true 100 years ago.  Get over it.  You have a selective memory; you're wearing rose-colored glasses.  Or purposely whitewashing the past.

I'm a history buff, and sometimes I'm asked what era I would like to live in.  Certainly there have been interesting times in the past, and it'd be cool to go back for a bit and see things, experience things.  But there were uncomfortable, unpleasant, and just horrible things about every era too.  I'm happy in the present, and looking forward to the future.  I hope we remember the past, and learn from it, and move forward into the future, with liberty and justice for all.


-----This entry's title is stolen from a book------

Musical Memories

I think the first music I ever bought was a Pat Benatar 8-track.  Yeah.  And even though that might be a stereotypical teen boy crush, I liked her music then and still do.  She is an amazing singer, writes many of her songs, and is still out there touring.


You Better Run- huge when it came out. I didn't know till recently that it was a cover of a Rascals tune. I like her version better.  Also, it was the 2nd video shown on MTV (after "Video Killed The Radio Star" which I also remember...)


Hit Me With Your Best Shot


I'm Gonna Follow You


Heartbreaker


Precious Time


Crying- another cover, and a damn good one, though I like the original better in this case.


My Clone Sleeps Alone- a weird one, but I kinda like it...

Down to earth

I'm an airplane nut.  And I've noticed something odd lately.  With the sequester starting to take effect, and cuts all over the place, I'm seeing cuts to aviation.  Cuts to things I love, and sometimes in ways that scare me, etc.  But what I've really noticed is the reaction, in the media and from people I know.  Aaaah- they're cutting back on airshows!  Geez, Obama might actually charge us to go to museums!  (Of course they phrase it that way...)  My local air traffic control tower is closing!  (Okay, this one is a legitimate safety issue, but still.)  I love aviation, I love planes.  I love going to airshows and museums.  I will miss the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds (hopefully it's just one season, or some compromise is slapped together.)  But I understand the cuts.  We- and our representatives- got us into this mess.  Cuts have to be made somewhere, ideally in nonessential areas; but the sequester is all about cuts so painful Congress theoretically wouldn't let them happen.  Unless they were uncompromising idiots...

Aviation people tend to be conservative; maybe I'll talk about why some other time.  And when they hear about, or think about, cuts to aviation they get upset.  Too upset.  Ironically upset.  Because conservatives, as a rule, are against government spending.  But when you cut spending on things they like, they howl.  Anhd they agreed to these cuts.  So, I guess the takeaway is an obvious one:  conservatives are hypocrites.

WALSTIB

Growing up, I heard Truckin' and Casey Jones on the radio along with all the other rock songs, and while the Grateful Dead stood out as something different, I didn't really get into them until college.  Our dorm's music room had lots of their records, and a guy in the dorm was a Deadhead and let me copy his tapes (which I put on blanks I got from my job thanks to an awesome boss...) Finally went to a show with one of my best friends from high school, and things took off from there.

Their songs span many American musical styles- rock, country, blues, bluegrass, jazz.  They cover many songs from all those styles, and have too many originals to count (well, I know some obsessed Deadhead has counted them...)  Their lyrics are often great examples of the storyteller's art.  They let fans record their shows from the start.  They did things their own way, in music, the music business, and life.  Their music was the soundtrack to long sections of my life, and I still listen sometimes (not almost continuously as I used to, but I'm glad there's a Dead channel on satellite radio.)  Here are a few of my favorites.  There are too many to pick from, but these always make me smile and dance.

China Cat Sunflower--->I Know You Rider
An archetype: a Dead original, with psychedelic lyrics, that segues into a folk song.



Scarlet Begonias
Perhaps my favorite Dead song, though Liberty is in a dead heat with it.  Love the lyrics:
Once in a while
you can get shown the light
in the strangest of places
if you look at it right



Tennessee Jed
I would love it just for this one verse:
I ran into Charley Phogg
He blacked my eye and he kicked my dog
My dog he turned to me and he said
Let's head back to Tennessee, Jed



Liberty
One of their last songs; I love the lyrics and attitude.
If I was the sun, I'd look for shade
If I was a bed, I would stay unmade
If I was a river I'd run uphill
If you call me you know I will

What do you respect?

As you, and many people I know, have probably noticed, I don't tolerate stupidity very well, or very long.  In general I'm a quiet person.  But the older I get, the less I put up with shit that is just wrong.  I enjoy discussions with people who have different views, and often learn a lot from them.  But start talking crap, or sharing opinions based on fairytales, and I will quickly correct you.

I read this essay the other day.  On the whole, it's a good essay.  I should probably be pointing out all the things I like about it.  But it ran in my local paper under the headline "Gay Marriage: Both Sides Deserve Respect."  And when I got about 2/3 of the way through it, I ran into something that stopped me in my tracks: "...the large majority of Americans believe that their view [for or against gay marriage] is or would be good for individuals and good for society."

Okay.  I'm sure that's true.  And my response is one I've said before, and pissed people off: So what?  So what if opponents of gay marriage think their views are good for individuals, society, the country?  Barone is saying we should respect opposing viewpoints.  And I do- when they're respectable, when they're reasonable.  A belief based on fear, misinformation, and a desire to impose your views on others is wrong, strongly held or not. 

Don't like gay marriage?  Don't marry in your own gender.  This is America.  We cherish our freedom.  Live your life as you want to live it... And let others live their lives, as they want to live them.  As long as no one gets hurt, stay out of the way.  You think your view is good for the country?  Fine.  Think that.  You're wrong, and you shouldn't try to impose your will on others, but go ahead and think it.  I'm sure the KKK thinks its views are best for America.  And again, so what?  Does that mean they get to have their way?

There are two sides (at least) to every story.  And there are plenty of shades of grey in every situation.  But there is, in the end, a right way to deal with gay marriage, and a wrong way.  The sooner we can get to a place where everyone is allowed to love who they want, the better.  It boggles my mind how the "family values" crowd is so opposed to accepting loving families.  They're the ones who should be supporting families, of all types.  And yet they're doing their level best to destroy families, and keep new ones from forming.  Not so long ago, some of them were driving out gay members of their own family (thankfully, that seems a lot less common nowadays.)

If you're a real American, you'll support other peoples' rights and freedoms.  Or, you can insist on imposing your narrow-assed views on others.  Guess which one I'll respect?


Further reading:


Some Republicans have guts

Some thoughts about Portman's "coming out"

This one ties marriage and abortion; the last couple of paragraphs are what grabbed me

A long but great article.  Man, Republicans are obsessed with sex!

F-ed in the head

I think about sex all the time.  But I spend no time thinking about other peoples' sex lives.   Gay or straight, I don't want to know, and don't care.   But apparently Republican politicians have an obsession with what other people are doing in their bedrooms.  Gay sex, heterosexual intercourse, whatever. Oh, I know that's not all they think about.  But it is obvious that they think what other people do in private is important to the future of the country.  I'm not even talking about gay rights, etc.- these folks care about the intimate details of what we're doing!  Really.  It's kinda kinky.

I'm not a Democrat, but I'm definitely not a Republican.  And when I step back and look at the two parties, though I see Democrats doing goofy stuff sometimes, I don't see them obsessing about- and legislating about!- what other people do in bed.



Suggested reading

So What?

In high school, I wrote a paper that didn't really say much relevant or worthwhile about the poem or story (hey, I can't remember the topic, it's been awhile...)  My beloved English teacher said "Don't write a so-what paper."  In other words, say something important.

Much later, I had a long, drawn-out argument about Prohibition with someone whose Puritan, narrow-minded views informed him that no one should ever drink.  It was actually a good discussion, continuing over weeks or months, covering history, sociology, etc.  After we had worn out our intellectual arguments, he said something like "well, I guess it's just that everyone I've known who drank was a slimeball, beat their kids, whatever."  I said "so what?"  I didn't mean it personally, that his opinion didn't count, though he took it that way.  I meant why does his opinion of what he does or doesn't like have to apply to everyone; why should his views affect law, public policy?  This is America.  That's his view.  He's free to not drink, free to assume anyone who does is a lush, whatever.  But it's not relevant to the law.

The basic argument against gay marriage seems to be "But I don't like it."  So.  What?  They seem to be making arguments that it's tradition, that gays can't have kids "naturally."  So what?  Not to dismiss their opinion.  But why should the restrictive rules they live by apply to everybody else?  It's America.  Remember America?  Freedom?  Pursuit of happiness?  There's plenty I don't like.  As long as it doesn't hurt me, or you, so what?