State of the Union; the real deal

Because most Americans are believed, by elected officials, to live in some other country, or to have no clue what their lives are like should they happen to live in the USA, we have a tradition called "The State of the Union Address". It is a speech delivered by the president which usually begins, "My detestable subjects, madam/ and/ or Mr Speaker, disgusting members of Congress, Mom, Dad, those who own a piece of me..."

Of course I have taken the liberty of decoding the actual language used. They traditionally go on to say things like:

"I am doing one hell of a great job, and any hint of discourse to the contrary is the result of rumors spread by the criminally insane. Trust me, I'm a lawyer, or part of a large political dynasty.

Anything I've screwed up is actually the fault of either my predecessor or those who oppose me. They are all terrible people because the don't support me, and by definition, that means they are very bad.

Never fear because I, and my political allies, will save you. From yourselves if need be. We know best, trust us.
Anything that may seem problematic and created by our manipulation of markets, labor, resources, and school lunch is actually not a problem that is anyone's fault. It just dropped out of the sky.

Like the national debt. Just dropped out of the sky. Probably due to global warming.

But we will fix it We all have to do our part, which means you will suffer, a lot, while we enjoy good pensions, healthcare, the best personal jets in the world, and a few other perks that naturally are due us because we are better than you.

So, everything is dandy, and what isn't will be much better when you quit getting in the way. We may need a few more dollars so pony up cheerfully, like a true patriot."

That's pretty much how it goes, and how the address will go on Tuesday. It will be a self aggrandizing piece of propaganda, which is what those addresses have been for a long time, generally speaking.

Here's the real deal:

State of the Union:
We owe a lot of money.

We spend more than we take in.

Food and gas costs keep rising.

It is tough to get a decent or indecent job for a lot of people. Tons are unemployed.

Plenty of people do not really want jobs, or they want a jobs but only as a place to hang out, complain, and sleep--for pay. So the jobless, and vocal about it, are not 100% well meaning decent people. Many are. Just making sure we include at least 50% of the Memphis work force here. I know, it sounds like I was describing many government employees, but I am sticking to the unemployed.

Don't take this to mean there aren't plenty of people in dire straits who are smart. ambitious, competent and willing. There are. That is the state of things.

This is what is known as sacrifice. Why, will someday be revealed. For now, it is asserted by the ruling class that those who seek government assistance are the latter sort rather than the Memphis sort. But the truth is the opposite.

We manage to work deals with China which pretend to be free trade but which are really not. That helps keep you out of work.

We continue to fight wars which have unclear objectives, and even those who support them give varying justifications and versions of how the efforts are going.

We're making more laws as fast as we can and complicating the hell of them so it is likely that 90% of the country has violated some regulation without knowing it.

Most places in this country are very nice and would do fine without much outside advice, regulation or help.

You can't be left with thoughts like that or you might not be scared enough to put up with things that serve to keep the right people in charge, and in luxury.

If everyone could worry about science they in no way really understand, mind the business and birthing choices of others, get worked up about do or don't ask, do or don't tell in the military, even though we no longer have a specific definition of what the military is for, then we wouldn't worry about any of the stuff that is at the heart of why we find mobility more difficult, and why food costs us more than dope.

And we wouldn't wonder how we so quickly became accustomed to proving our innocence when crossing certain state lines, flying, or any number of other life activities.

Good night and good day to you all.
====

That about covers the highlights.

The very short version of The Real Deal State of the Union Speech, as delivered by sitting presidents (actually standing--behind a podium) is this:
Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.

You may have noticed, I am not Obama bashing or making comments about the tearful speaker of the House, or much else on the specific individual charlatan level. It is useless to do this, and none of them acts alone. I do find the hypocrisy of Letterman liberals to be getting a little out of hand, but I guess that is how it goes. I do not see a true opposition party. People get elected by people who think the insanity will be slowed and we end up with everyone wanting to hold hands, cry, be bi-partisan, etc.

Bi-partisan is a scam. If they were on the same page, why not just be one big happy official state party? In a way they already are. I'll settle for the pretense that they are inspired by differing philosophies. Crazy and crazier. Besides the less they get along, the less damage they can do. Viva gridlock!

It is a money making joke. And, apparently, a fun way of life.

Personally, I'd rather worship ancient Greek or Roman or Nordic gods than offer the obeisance these erroneously labeled public servants expect and demand.

Lots of people do not care or consider what the state of the union is. Some people think it is in good condition and some think it is bad shape. There are many who have a particular view of the condition but base the view on almost opposite philosophies.

I, for example, may think the place is becoming a tyrannical police state and is therefore going to heck in a hand basket. There are those who feel it is going to heck in a hand basket because it is not regulated enough. There you have it.

It only makes sense to get emotional over your own world. Try to do the right thing in relation to the larger world around you, recognizing that most of what goes on there is beyond your control. That's my theory. Every now and then I practice it.

So the state of the union address is just so much theater, and a waste of tax money.

==============
Almost forgot--they have rebuttal state of the union from whichever party doesn't hold the presidency. Of course this is all confined to republican or democrat, as if they encompass the only reasonable choices.

The rebuttal just makes that party look stupid and nitpicking. It cheers on their die hard advocates but pretty much galvanizes their opposition.
I'm not sure when the rebuttal routine started, but I don't think they always did it. Maybe they did and I am unaware of it.

It is as big a waste as the regular State of the Union propaganda circus.

All of this still reinforces the implication that these people are royalty and we are their subjects. Their will be much pomp and circumstance. t will be as if a king is issuing a royal decree.

I despise monarchy and all the vestiges of it that we have retained, including the playing of "Hail to the Chief". Hail this you arrogant bastards!
Maybe they should play "I'm a Loser" by the Beatles. Or Inagodadavida.

So, the rebuttal is another waste of time and money. Another bit of dumb propaganda. What is worse is that the times I sort of agree with any republican giving a rebuttal, they come off like complete goof balls. It is like getting the worst possible spokesman to sell a good idea. A bad delivery can kill it and republicans take the cake on bad delivery.

Democrats have to get credit for great delivery of really abusive and wrong ideas. But it sounds good. No one considers whose money is being used and whose life is being manipulated. Democrats lie admirably. Really, do you believe Obama and Hilary wake up every day and their first thought is "How can I make the lives of the American people better?" Both of them claimed that is what they do.
Personally, I wish they would all wake up and say "How can I get another 2000 unnecessary laws off the books today, and reign in the power of governmental and regulatory agencies?"

The Union is in a state of suspended reality.

Movie Lessons part 1: Twilight series

There is much to be learned from these movies.
One thing that should be stressed above all else: do not let your daughter date a vampire or werewolf it at all possible.
The trouble it will save her and the entire town is huge.

This series shows what happens when a dad is a cop and just wants his girl to like him. She runs amok with the undead; becomes a slutty tease specializing in shapeshifters and blood suckers, then plays victim when life gets strange.

I won't explain how or why I came to watch these flicks, but I will say the main girl character is any conscientious father's nightmare; any boyfriend's nightmare. Irresponsible, fickle, too stupid to follow instructions, nuts.

I rarely suggest people move to Jacksonville, Florida, but this chick seems to have that option and should take it. It would be a big favor to the Northwest.

It is hard to believe the cop-dad hasn't sensed something odd about her boyfriend, who has the complexion of a mime in full mime face.

The one cool thing about Bella, the crazy chick, is her truck. She has a cool older model truck. I don't even remember the make now because I was so busy yelling at her throughout the movie, or two.

So, if your daughter is nuts and hangs out with a guy whose face is white like mime paint, take action. If she hangs with the wolf people only, consider yourself lucky.

Perhaps It Is The Zeitgeist To Blame

It is extremely easy to generate controversy without really saying anything. Take the two posts down issue; first it complains about usage of German and other borrowed words in English, then it justifies their use, while still chiding those who do it pretentiously.

In the middle there is a claim that the writer is better than everyone who practices such word usage. That is clearly a little pretense intended to let the reader know something.

Even so, more than one person seemed offended and even came back with thinly veiled attack.

He complained about foreign words inserted in literature and conversation, therefore he is an ignoramus who resents "big" words. The original complaint was somewhat mitigated, however we conclude he must now not like "big" words, like jumbo, or large, or grandisimo.

I'm not claiming not to be a dullard of sorts. Big words are a requirement if I am to carry on a conversation with my brother or his sons. I like them, so I suffer through.

My guess is that there is just a glimmer of the fighter in me, maybe the redneck. That results in expressing a desire to slap or punch rather than endure the pseudo intellectual, assumed superiority which is increasingly cultivated among some segments of our ever angrier populace.

It's the zeitgeist

Sometimes I'd be just as happy to punch someone as argue, even though they might punch me back harder. I take my chances.
However, I ought to add that I haven't punched anyone in decades. Not since high school--I don't think. There are periods of time which are too much of a blur and almost anything might have happened.

If schadenfreude rhymed with orange I would like it better. Since it does not refer to a fun sex act, as the sound of it indicates it should, I simply don't like it. Sue me.

In the public arena you could stir up a lot, if you had the platform, by saying something like "I'm gunning for his senate seat in the next election".
Or say something nice, or not, about Obama, or Rush Limbaugh. It wouldn't take much to get either side going. And it can be done without ever addressing an issue of any importance.

Fun and Games With The People Behind the Curtain

me (in response to talk about supplying credit card digits to ipower, inc) :
That card has not been in use or my possession for two years or more. I never agreed to automatic renewal.


reply from ipower:
Hello,

Thank you for your reply.

I checked your account and noticed that it is past due. Hence, your account will not be renewed automatically.

I guess we've made progress, again. That's similar to what the guy on the phone said, and then I started receiving past due email notices. They can't send mail because I moved from the address they have for me.

I guess they concluded that without a credit card that works they can't just charge money at will. If that card were still operable, they might have charged money without mentioning it. Maybe they wouldn't have mentioned that they doubled or tripled their rate, either.

Oh well, far crazier things have happened. Every day.

A Couple of Words That Make Me Want To Slap People

There are more than just these, however, I get irked when people use:
--schadenfreude
--zeitgeist

I'm not too keen on the use of obscure latin in the middle of a sentence, or french inserted in an English paragraph. Usually I get over it.
But only outwardly, truth be known.
It is designed to show intelligence and higher learning, I'm sure. Not the attempt to elevate one's self through pretentious elitism. No, that is only how I view it.

That's because I know I am better than those people.

I guess there are times when a little bit of foreign contamination adds a little zip and gives what is being expressed a little more character. It can enhance the communication of a thought, I suppose. But it does so only very rarely, and almost never when the words schadenfreude or zeitgeist are bandied about. I stand firm on that. Sorry, I just don't like their use in english. That's all I have to say about that.

Being From Narnia Is No Excuse

So, I have a running email battle with a web hosting outfit called ipower, or ipowerweb, not totally sure. They are kind of funny because you can send an email suggesting that they are criminals who eat babies and mate with their housepets, and they will come back with a message like, "Thank you for your interest in ipower. Your account is past due. We must confirm your identity to stop the automatic renewal of this account. Either we need the card used to open it, or we need you send us a copy of photo ID"

I wish I had kept those joke Elvis driver's licenses I had in Memphis. They sell them everywhere.

This account was done when I moved from Memphis. I never signed up for a revolving renewal program. The main thing saving me is whatever card I used is not longer functioning. Fortunately it was gone by the time I arrived out here, although I found out then how tough it is to kill a paid up credit card. I felt like a mouse in one of those sticky traps--the more I tried to shake them the more they wanted to stick to me.

I think it must be the same outsourced customer care people doing the ipower stuff as did the credit card. I'd be on the phone with the CC people, explaining, no, I don't want it, don't use it, I cut it to shreds. I had mailed them things to that affect as well.



Alice or Sally would then empathize, "Yes yes, I know what you mean. So. Mr. Ballistic, since you are such a good and valued customer, we are offering for a limited time and very good life life insurance program. It will cost you nothing for the first thirty days. Can I sign you up?"

No no no. Then I would try to go through the whole thing again, explaining that I am not a good customer. I am not a customer. I guess the easy thing would have been to get the insurance and die in 29 days. Good luck collecting that, my hapless heirs.

So this powerweb bunch has been sending me emails telling me I owe 250.58, or something close, and that it is past due. I did pay the site up a couple of years, and left it for the band to use and abuse. But 250 would have paid for about 8 years of it I think.

Anyway, then I either forgot my password or just couldn't get in. The site would say it was sending the link, etc to my email but doesn't do it.

I think G1 was supposed to be able to get in but couldn't. No telling. I have no idea what he did or did not do.

Seems he thought it had been hacked by the one who wanted him to suffer for eternity, along with anyone else who got in the way, and so he abandoned it. He couldn't get in and neither could I. It has been so long, I don't remember every detail. I was on the road when he was messing with it.

I believe it was somehow hacked by the angel of death who would do anything to create havoc. I know she managed to screw up his emails so most likely she got in from that. Maybe she runs the customer service call center.

I believe we made it clear to that outfit long ago that he was now the administrator. Whatever happened, asking me two or three years later for photo ID and two hundred fifty dollars is pushing it. Like they will get anything. Maybe I should refer them to my Nigerian friends.

No matter what I say in the emails, it doesn't matter. You know why? Indira doesn't know enough English to get my drift.
I can tell her to do impossibly athletic, sick, and strange sexual acts with her goat, and she will answer, "Yes, we wish to help you resolve this but you have not sent picture ID"

Lady I just told you to do the steamrolling Hoover, flipback orb swallow on your goat! Have you no shame!!

"Yes, Mr Ballistic, I understand, however our policy requires either the credit card or identification to stop the automatic renewal of the account, or for us to give you the password."

How about you do the triple topple ganger swisher slide with me instead of your goat? I want you to whinny like a horse, yelp like a bad dog being corrected with rolled up newspaper, scream like a scalded cat, call me your hot rod daddy, beg for mercy? Pretend I am the priest and you have much to confess, and penance will be harsh. Take turns tied to the ceiling fan?

"Yes, Mr Ballistic, we can only change the account if you send a copy of government photo ID, or the credit card."

What are you wearing? I'm wearing a potato skin and two corn husks, nice eh? How about I send you a photo of this, you obnoxious automaton ??

"Yes, Mr Ballistic, I think any photo ID will do, as long as it contains all your basic information, and address."

OH yea sure baby, it has a tattoo that says "Tallahassee is the capital of Florida" in #96 font. How's that?

"Is the any thing else I can help you with today, Mr Ballistic?"

No, do what you can with Florida. That's about all I can ask at this point in our relationship.


The people from ipower pretend to be from nowhere on earth as we know it. They have no first language and choose to learn only the words which promote their ends and only comprehend words in that context.

This is a common side effect of life on the web, and customer service which is removed from human contact. There are banks which may be located just down the street, but whose customer service center is located in a small town in India, run by people who knew the slum dog millionaire personally.

You have an issue and you can't get it solved in the branch bank, you have to go somewhere else, and still not get it solved. Credit union seem much better in that regard.

As usual, I trace the actual outsourcing thing not so much to greedy corporations per se, but to government and greedier unions in concert with crooked business (not real capitalists). But those things get complicated. The simple version is that if neither union nor corporation could be in bed with government enough to use agencies as weapons against others, much of this would be different.

If You Had Any Money Where Would You Put It?

It seems that one should be able to invest with very little, then reinvest and eventually have something other than a headache. I actually have no idea where, if I came into a few dollars, which could happen, I'd invest it.

Buy Asian? Or some other solvent continent or country. What the hell; does that mean?

Maybe I'll invest in ski masks and tools and just rob banks as needed. No I won't. Do not come to my door to arrest me. It was drama.

Even so, I feel like I should know this stuff but I find books and such on the subject so boring I fall asleep immediately. They aren't that bad to some people. I just can't get with it. Not like I don't get math or any of that. I do.

So let's say someone was going to use 1 or 2K and see what happened. You could carry the precious mettals it would buy in your top pocket and have room for your phone.
But who wants to carry that around?

I think it is time to be rich, and to do that one should have a clue where to put things. And don't be telling me to put anything in any obvious and cliche'd location.
No off color quips or I'll have you arrested.
I'm the preverbial sucker. I know those who know could start with nothing and in a year be OK. But I could start with something and end up with nothing. That is not right.

Interesting Thoughts from Ike

I just happened upon this comment from the same guy who gave us the term, in a warning, "military-industrial complex".
His warning was sound.

In the same speech he went on to offer another warning (below in italics). It is eery, considering how absolutely accurate it was. Who would have guessed what foresight Eisenhower possessed? It is not often discussed. I don't say "never discussed" because I don't know that. I never hear this part discussed:

The prospect of domination of the nation's scholars by Federal employment, project allocations, and the power of money is ever present – and is gravely to be regarded.
Yet, in holding scientific research and discovery in respect, as we should, we must also be alert to the equal and opposite danger that public policy could itself become the captive of a scientific-technological elite.

That's what I've been talking about, from time to time. Maybe I am stuck in 1960. Or maybe I just paid attention.

Aside from that, I have finally figured out what I want in the short term. It is the most difficult thing for me to define what I want in my life, other than adoring friends and else. I have three or four practical goals. Short term, of course, to match my attention span and because long term is impossible for me to consider.

So, that is a good thing. Much of it involves the sort of thing many people would not think is any more than normal day to day life. I am not many people. What is easy for me may not be easy to most, and what is easy to them is way hard for me. That is the way it is.

The important thing is to accomplish something. A big victory to me may mean nothing outside of my own mind. That is enough.

It will enable me to be a better friend, and a little bit happier. The rest of the stuff will just be cool.

Ask Not What I Can Do For You, Ask What You Can Do For Me

That's a version of how I interpret the Kennedy line that gets all the airplay. It drives me nuts when a line like that is not examined. News people and others simply gasped in awe, and repeated the words as if they were a prayer just then set in stone and handed to them by God himself/herself/itself. In the case of the people to whom I refer I would guess God is pictured in human form wearing old clothes from a couple thousand years ago. And it would be a he, and He'd speak in Olde English. (Isn't that a furniture polish?)

Anyway, that line about ask not, I take for code--ask what you can do for your government.

Not in the same league with "Give me liberty or give me death!" For one thing the JFK line is telling you what to do. The Patrick Henry line is speaking for himself. Huge difference.

It's more of the same tripe that has been around for eons to get the meek to stay in the herd, under the control of the few, the proud, the sociopathic elite.

I know, this may sound nuts and like wild ranting, but it is actually true.

They've got people thinking that "service" only includes government work, and work you do for non-profits (even if they pay you) and things you do for organized community projects--like draw big apple people to promote healthy eating.

The idea is that you owe the collective in all things. It is working. Maybe not on me. I believe true charity and acts of kindness, for its own sake, are only pure if I do not have a big audience, government approval, or draw attention to myself in the process.

Oh man. I caught a little TV news here and there. When you are away from it for awhile, the constant tone of fear and helplessness stands out. That is coupled with the implied idea that everything that happens which is not pleasant makes you a victim, and that government can fix it, or "make them pay". They being the people who made that sidewalk where you fell off your skateboard, etc.

I'm surprised the entire country isn't in much worse shape than it is in, considering the nature and volume of entertainment consumed by all ages.

Seriously, friggin porn is probably in the healthier 50% of what people watch (video games included). And that is kind of bizarre, really. But, once again, I think it is true.

OK. I'm freaking myself out. I can't pretend what is true is not, though, so too bad.

I just became a little overloaded with issues which fall in the Big Pretense file.

Movie Review

SALT

Salt is a movie, allegedly. It should be an acronym for Sucks A Lot, Truly

This is a movie about a cougar who is involved with the CIA, the ex Soviet Union, a spider man, and she runs around beating and being beaten for over an hour, and the movie has neither middle nor ending. It is no more plausible in plot than casting Angelina as a 25 year old is credible.
Maybe she is allowed to be 30 in this. No, I think you are supposed to think she's twenty something. Her husband is a twenty something, I think. The guy who played Wally on the Beaver was probably older than this guy when he was still playing a high school kid.

If you like theater of the absurd, this is for you. It almost could have been good, but to do that, everything would have had to have been done differently.
Rename it Revenge of the Cougar, and make other changes from there.

It's like watching the middle twenty minutes of a thirty minute temper tantrum. If you've seen the trailer, you've seen the movie.
You'd expect better from the big names.
Yea, I buy it when Angelina drops thirty feet onto a semi traveling 70 mph and when she hangs on to the side of another truck by her finger tips. I wouldn't have bought these stunts even when she was the age she is playing here. They are just over the top stupid stunts. And I'm one who can suspend skepticism easy to buy any story. I do it in my own life all the time.

Really really bad for the money they put into it.