We Are Not Paying Attention

A few days back, in Richmond, California a girl was raped. I don't know this girl; I don't know anyone who knows this girl. Richmond, California is approximately three thousand miles away from where I sit, and yet, the story could have been set anywhere.

The little bit I know about Richmond is that it was north of Berkeley, one of my favorite places in the U.S, and a northeast of the best city in the world, San Francisco.

But I digress.

On the 26^th of October, what should have been a great moment in any high school kids memory turned into a nightmare seared in the memory of one young girl as it should be burned into all our psyches'.

A young girl who, as the newspaper stories say was a good church going kid and dreamed of joining the Police Explorers' but nonetheless wanted to "fit in" with the crowd in school.

When she left the dance and waited for her father to pick her up, she was apparently asked, lured into joining a group of students and non students who were, as we used to say, "drinkin' and actin' a fool."

She was somehow convinced to drink alongside this gang of fools and soon found herself the object of their insanity, and that is exactly what happened; a collective insanity that allows a group to attack the 'other' without any qualms, without any fear of consequence.

The news accounts go on to say that this young woman, a little girl really, she is only fifteen and probably just recently put away her Barbie's, endured a two and a half hour ordeal that can only be imagined. The goons were cheered on by their fellow ass-holes, as they repeatedly raped and otherwise defiled the soul of an innocent.

The San Francisco Examiner reports that the Richmond Police estimate that twenty or more men or boys were involved and that some had even taken pictures on videos on their cell phones.

The latest story out of Richmond is that this situation was inevitable, that the area where these heinous acts occurred was known to be a danger spot, and place just itching for the right elements to align themselves, as if this were a natural event that could not have been prevented. The area had no cameras, no patrols by school security, poor lighting and abutted a neighborhood known for gang activity.

That so many things were wrong and no action was taken is inexcusable, bordering on negligence and dereliction of duty; and I have read all the excuses…poor neighborhood, high unemployment, state budget cuts, and on and on. However at some point, we the people must take responsibility.

Little boys model what big boys do. Little girls model what big girls do.

To believe, as some do, that violent video games, sexualized hip-hop videos, the ugly words we call each other…bitch…ho…the inability of parents to monitor and behave in a way that sets an example to them.

These kids are no different than other kids in the U.S. most want to succeed in their dreams, but what they lack is a moral center, and if there is no moral center, well, nature abhors a vacuum.

Don't confuse 'moral center' with this religion or that religion, it has more to do with watching out for your kids and mine. Be aware of the influences that get in the way of growing a good human being.

Snitch, if the idiots selling their fear in our communities believe they can get away with anything, they will continue to hold our kids hostages and by extension they hold us in their grip.

As I said at the beginning of this rant, I don't know this girl, but I'm sure you and I have passed her on the street, seen her on the bus and probably sat next to her on BART.

Look to your left, and look to your right, she's probably standing right next to you.

Ten Things I Forgot I Knew

1. God, in whatever iteration has only one commandment; Love Thy Neighbor. Everything else is fine print or disclaimers.

2. Nothing is comparable to the smile of a newborn. Even if it's only gas.

3. Kindle and Sony readers are not books. There is a connection with the author that can only be had by anticipating the future that is the next page.

4. Friends are priceless; acquaintances, not so much.

5. Con un amor se borra otro amor

6. You have to suit up in order to get in the game. No one ever hit a home run from the bench.

7. Music, like books, can only be duplicated digitally, there are no digital musicians.

8. I find I cannot hold grudges. Too heavy, and it clouds my vision.

9. There are not enough smiles, no matter how many there are.

10. Music should be an integral part of life. It should be savored like fine wine. Only the good stuff ages well.

In Praise of Teh Stupid

After one of the most contested elections in recent history, one in which all manner of idiotic statements were made about the eventual winner of said contest; many of us were pleasantly surprised to see that the American electorate were finally coming to their senses after many years of political machinations, fears of the bogeyman lurking behind every corner, and even where the all monsters hide...under the bed.

Well, there were many of us who that once the election was done with, we could get on to the business of building and shoring up all that had been destroyed and let rot after many years of laizzes-faire mismanagement that had been the hallmark of not only the Bush administration, but of many aspects of the Clinton so-called third-way style of governance.

Now, I understand that to lump William Jefferson Clinton with the likes of GWB may cause some consternation among members of the Democratic Party; however let's understand that it was not only the eight years of the Bush administration that got us in the mess we find ourselves in.

Granted that the economic growth experienced during the Clinton years, is to a great extent, preferable than the wholesale idiocy that describes the mess that we find ourselves in. having said that, let's not look at the Clinton years as some pre-Pottersville existence, It was under the Clinton administration that, in an effort to streamline federal 'bureaucracies', fast-tracked FDA approval for drugs that we are now learning are not the magic pills that we were led to believe they were. After that, we saw the gutting of federal agencies tasked with the safety of we, the people. OSHA oversight was non-existent under the Bush administration. however, let's not forget that none of this would have occurred without the acquiescence of our elected officials, Democratic and Republican alike. It is unfortunate that in this rush to get 'government' off our backs we are left with 'rushes' to the market of drugs and other items that have proven to be detrimental to ourselves and our children.

But I digress...we are talking about teh stupid...that strange condition that seems to have taken over the minds of otherwise intelligent people.

It has become the practice of those who should know better to allow uninformed rabble determine the future course of this country; seriously folks, does anyone really believe that an address by the duly elected leader of this country should be viewed as some sort of political indoctrination that will somehow turn johnny and Judy into little Che Guevara's or worse yet little Mao's.

• James Greer, the chairman of the Florida Republican Party seems to believe that the message from an accomplished intelligent man, to whom hard work and diligent study habits helped him reach the pinnacles of success we should all wish our children would aspire to, is somehow a message of political propaganda

• Death panels and killing grandma; The insurance industry has helped spread this canard through the the so-called grassroots organizations that are funded through the very same insurance industry...talk about circular logic. I know too many people on the receiving end of these "Death Panels"...insurance underwriters who deny coverage and are then rewarded with bonus' at the end of the year. I have a friend whose wife is fighting lung cancer, and no, she is not and never has been a smoker...she has however lost her job because of her treatments and was forced to pay Cobra premiums that they could not afford and are now on a waiting list for Medicaid because Medicare will only pay for eighty percent of the cost for chemotherapy, yet somehow, through all this, they still have to put food on the table and a roof over their heads...these are people who worked all their lives. paid their taxes, and did all those things a good citizen does. The insurance companies do a great job at denying benefits and 'killin grandma' while teh Stupids are all over television spewing hatred and ignorance.

• Teh Stupids even inject themselves into the arena of foreign policy, when confronted with the fact that the myth of WMD's were not just myth but outright lies, they feign shock that anyone would impute less than noble intentions in bringing a war without necessity to a country that had nothing to do with the baseless and cowardly attacks of 9/11. Tom Ridge has backtracked on his assertion that threat level warnings were not politically motivated. I believe his next tome will be one to defend Bernie Madoff against charges that he actually stole money from people, after all, how dare one assume that a man like Bernie the philanthropist do anything that was not in the interest of his clients...and yes...I know one has nothing to do with the other...but please remember we are talking about Teh Stupids.

• Obama and Hitler...this is the one that Teh Stupids have really rallied around...and the one that is the most offensive, I was born five years after the end of WWII, I still remember as a young child the arrest and trial of Adolf Eichmann, while perhaps not the architect of the final solution, he more than most, executed that horrific assault on the human race. The images are still in my head of Eichmann behind the bulletproof glass as he utilized what would be the excuse du jour..." I was just following orders", an excuse that would be reiterated throughout the years by all manner of monsters...it is an excuse that that has become the sine qua non in the world today... West Bank...Rwanda...Dafur...Abu Ghraib, and sadly too many more to name. You can hardly pick up a newspaper or read the intertubes without some reference to man's inhumanity to man, some crime committed in the name of some God, Allah, Yahweh. you name it, it's been done.

• This is how far we have fallen, we are arguing with people who truly believe that the world is six thousand years old...we are arguing with people about whether health care is a right or a privilege...there are elected officials in this country who insist that their version of Christianity is the one true one...we have universities in this country who are turning out some of the most uneducated graduates one has ever seen...and these are the people who will lead this country into the future.
  

So what do we do...it seems that we are outnumbered by Teh Stupids...we write our letters to the editors...we write our congresspeople...we show up at town hall meetings, and yet...Teh Stupids continue...

And that's that!!

Twitter...???...I hardly knew her...!!!

Let's see...it's been about a month since I've posted anything here, or anywhere else for that matter; but now, seeing as how all sorts of new exciting things have been happening, it's time to put my two cents where I probably shouldn't.

There are so many things, one has to wonder where to start, I mean there were the first hundred days of the Obama administration; there was that whole Twitter phenomenon; the Miss California brouhaha, and whether or not Charlie Crist was going to run for the Senate seat that is being vacated by Mel Martinez. Apparently Mel wants to spend more time with his family. Oh...and let us not forget the Padre Alberto story that has South Florida, particularly, the Miami area all verklempt over the idea that a good looking priest might be in love with a woman who seems to be an adult.

Anyways...I'm going to try address each of these and maybe some other stuff, let's see how it all plays out. So here goes, in no particular order of importance:

• The first hundred days thingie really seemed like an exercise in idiocy, this administration is so new that to try and extrapolate what it may or may not accomplish is like wondering where the relationship is going after the first unchaperoned date to Sunday ten o'clock mass. It makes absolutely no sense. Let's ask that question in January 2010; we may have a better idea then if the last election was the change we all hoped for. I believe that when all is said and done, we will have seen progress in a way that will fundamentally alter the sense of of who we are as a nation and where we need to be as a people.

• I do not watch beauty pageants and care very little for them, and by beauty pageants, I include the various and sundry versions of beauty pageants; Dancing with the Stars, Survivor, American Idol (I know I will probably catch hell for that one)...I don't care who won Iron Chef America or Japan for that matter, I don't give a hoot who was booted off what island or apprenticeship. Don't care who got chopped, diced or whatever else happens to contestants. I especially dislike any and all pageants that involve children. The idea that women must strive to meet some idealized version of beauty is anathema to me. I say this as the father and grandfather of one daughter and three granddaughters. The opinions of this young woman on same sex marriage are about as relevant as mine are on quantum physics, and about as informed. When a story like this dominates the news cycles it makes wonder if we have already dealt with important stuff, and nothing else needs to be done...Universal Health Care...check...Stable economy....check...Troops are home and receiving the plaudits and care they deserve...check.

• Twitter...What can you say about an application that really has no socially redeeming values, I mean really, are you that important that I need to know what you are doing in 140 characters or less...if it's that important and you need to talk to me...try calling. I realize that this a radical idea, but those numbers on your Blackberry, LG, iPhone are there so that you too can experience what Alexander Graham Bell must have felt...a voice at the other end. A couple of years ago, my eldest son says to me..."Dad...I want you to join Twitter so that I can keep you up to date as to my comings and goings...". I could not see the need then, and I sure don't see the need now. Really...how many more electronic leashes do we need?

• Charlie Crist is running for the Senate, Mel Martinez wants to spend more time with his family, I wonder just what is going on here. Crists' approval ratings here in Florida are through the roof, but if you drill down as to the 'why', one has to wonder. Other than hitching his wagon to the President's star, Crist does not have a gubernatorial record to speak of. The first budget that he will sign is full of draconian cuts that will affect many state employees, schools will face deeper cuts, tuition at state universities will increase and counties are facing shortfalls that will impact first responders. State employees who have not had a raise in approximately three years will now face a two percent cut in pay for those making more that 45k a year. That is one hell of a record to run on...the only possible silver lining to the gathering clouds is that Alex Sink may end up being the first female governor of Florida.
  

• El Padre Alberto: Ok...this one is new to me...I had a doctor's appointment on Monday...he's a great guy, second generation Cuban-American from La Republica de Miami...he decided to bring me up to date on all things Miami. Disclaimer: I love Miami...it's like being in a foreign country without having to pass through Customs...I love all the different cuisines you find there...Haitian, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Brazilian. Great food from Ecuador, Argentina, Guatemala, although I must that I like New York Knishes better than Miami or Miami Beach Knishes. Anyhoos...so this Padre Alberto Cutie, a forty something hunky Catholic priest who has some sort of following among young Catholics has done the unthinkable...he fell in love with a thirty something women who is a good looking as he is hunky, at least that's what my Mom says...Well. the diocese has not wasted any time in punishing this priest for this seeming heresy...they have apparently stripped him of his priestly duties and have taken him off the air. He hosted a call in show on Radio Paz in Miami dealing with everyday issues concerning the youth in Miami.

• The swift response to this heretical behavior stands in contrast to the horrific and laggardly approach the real scandal of pedophilia in the clergy, Catholic or otherwise. Let's make sure we understand this correctly...a good looking forty-something man is in love with a good looking thirty something woman...the horror!!!

• I end with this thought...Twitter sucks...we have solved all the other problems in the world so that we can now focus on a clueless beauty pageant contestants, Miami is safe now...now we can focus on the troubles of two people who seem to be in love...and Charlie Crist is going to run on his gubernatorial record...such as it is.

So...there ya go

The Millionaire Rallies

Otherwise known as the "Teabaggers Revolt" I tried to stay away but like any wild car wreck, you don't want to look, but it's impossible to look away. A little background; I live in Central Florida, aka the buckle of the Bible Belt. Polk County is the largest of all Florida Counties in terms of area The Green Swamp begins in the northern part of the county, if church attendance were to be made mandatory, it would happen here first or maybe after Texas....but I digress.

I decided I would toodle on down to the county seat to see for my self how this whole Tea Bagging...er...Tea Party thing was going to play out.
I fully expected the turn out to be huge, and by that I mean that there would be hundreds of people turning out to shake their collective...oops...collective is a socialist word. I fully expected to see hundreds of people show their solidarity...crap...wrong word again...that they would come together in fellowship (good church word) to protest the governments plan to take away the hard won money from millionaires all over the U.S. I also expected to see all the good millionaires from the County, but I believe most had already taken off to Europe, The Bahamas,or the Caymans in order to visit their money.

I was delighted to see that Dozens and Dozens of people were able to take a stand against, I'm not really quite sure what. You see, on one side of the park people were milling about in what I can only assume was just a day in the park, while on the other side, people were carrying signs and placards showing their solidar...oops...fellowship with the poor downtrodden...wait...that's not why they were there either.

It turns out that there were myriad reasons that inspired these folks to forego Wednesday church meeting. Some were there to speak out against the nefarious plan that the President has hatched to take away our assault weapons, others were there to voice their approval against all things conspiratorial. I must say though, no Black Helicopters.

I will say this, I took pictures of many signs and the folks were very polite, although I chose to not engage them in any political discussion. I did that for two reasons, a) no matter what I say, they still think the world is flat, and b)there was a scary looking dude with a "Hitler was elected, look what the Germans got" sign. He seemd to be everywhere I was. No, I am not paranoid, ok, just a little bit.

Anyway...I've been gone from here for awhle, trying to stay away from the echo chamber, and yes, even Progressives can suffer from the "echo chamber" syndrome...but,

I got pictures!!!!


I Got Pictures!!!!

Do Happy - Be Happy

5 Easy Concepts to Practice while Searching for Happiness
I INVITE YOU TO TRY THEM:

1. Find and Nourish Your Best:

"Strive toward excellence based on your unique talents and potential". Ask yourself, what are my strengths? What things/activities make me feel energized and optimistic? Listen to your inner self; let your emotions/feeling guide you towards finding out. Once you have a basic idea, continue doing this things. Strive towards a better you and don't give up! It takes practice.

2. Plan/Design Your Happiness:

Did you know that you are the master of your destiny? I know this one might be hard to swallow, but everything you get you bring to your life. The process is simple: you think it, you make it. Now, don't get wrapped up in the technicality of it all. Don't waste time arguing against or towards it; just be, do, and create for yourself. Give it a try! Sit down, think out what you want in your life, what would really make you happy - not things, but feelings. Design your life; make a plan. Be creative; have fun. You can sketch it, paint it, write, make a collage (see treasure maps)... Just make sure to keep it around as a reminder of what you want, what will make you happy. Once you have it planned, get to it. Do what brings most joy into your life.

Interesting links:
Create Your Treasure Map to All You Desire
Treasure Mapping
Thanks Maricruz for the links.

3. Stay Present

This is one of the most important concepts to put into practice and sometimes the hardest. But in order to feel happy and be happy, one must be present and connected to the now. It is not about going back to the "good old days", nor is it always contemplating a better time to come. Happiness is rooted in the present , its felt here, NOW. Opportunities to experience happiness present themselves everyday, so stay firm on the ground with your eyes wide open. Avoid wasting your time daydreaming, you might just miss your life... Stay connected to the people around you and the events that unfold in your everyday experience. "Keep your life full of novelty, even if it's just trying a new activity or putting a new spin on an old favorite".

4. Be With Others

Remember that line from the movie Into The Wild (2007) ? Happiness is only real when shared. Think about it: have you ever felt extremely excited about something only to find this feeling quickly scape you because you have no one to share it with? "It is no surprise that social engagement is one of the most important contributors to happiness". Happiness is experienced at its best in the company of others. It is during that interaction that we find new ways of looking at life, recharge our hope in times of despair, create new realities and purpose for moving forward... It is in the company of others that we are the best we can be, and being our best is the number one source of happiness.

5. Allow Yourself to BE HAPPY

It sounds simple, but many people stop themselves from experiencing simple happiness. I know because I am one of those people. Many times I find myself wrapped up on my day to day responsibilities, living like I'm racing against the clock f my life. This non stop accomplishment driven routine stops me from feeling simple joy: I STOP MYSELF FROM FELLING SIMPLE HAPPINESS. A second taken to rest, breath, goes against all rules of productivity - something I have learn to make myself feel guilty about. But why do we do this to ourselves? Why don't we just allow ourselves to feel the joy of "non-productive" stillness?
For many, too much happiness goes against basic believes. For others it just feels like too much indulgence. But we must understand that in order to feel happy, we must first allow ourselves the time to experience simple joy. Take a 5 minute break, do some breathing exercises, go for a walk in the middle of the day, enjoy a child's smile, get home early from work and hug your family, call your friends, let your parents know how much you love them... Practice simple joy unconditionally - Allow yourself to be happy!

Best Wishes for a Life Filled with Happiness!
Ofelia Badia-Piñero

Adapted from the O, Magazine article 5 Things Happy People Do By Gabrielle LeBlanc

 

They Protest, We Email.

 

I've been kicking the horrific numbers of proposed jobs lost during the past week. On Monday morning, we started the week with announcements from a number of companies that 43,000 jobs were going to be cut; later in the day that number was revised upwards to 70,000. That is one hell of way to start the week.

We hear on Friday that the new number of jobs lost would be in the neighborhood of 100,000, that's one hell of a neighborhood and it seems that the light at the end of the tunnel just may be an oncoming train.

I am not an economist, but I am beginning to think that of all jobs in the world, the only ones that fail upwards are the pundit class, Wall Street CEO's and economists. Nice gig if you can get it.

The sectors involved are varied; from Caterpillar, Inc. to Pfizer, from Boeing to Chico's, a Fort Myers, Fl. women's clothing outlet. That last one may not seem important, but if you're one of the 500 who will lose their jobs, it's important enough.

It's clear that before things get better, they are going to get a bit worse. According to CNNMoney .com on January 29:

• The U.S. economy lost 2.6 million jobs in 2008, according to government reports. This includes 21,137 mass layoffs, a seven-year high. In a mass layoff, 50 or more workers are laid off at a time.
  

And from the same piece:

• The job market isn't expected to get any better any time soon. The Council Board forecast two million job losses for 2009.
  

I know I may have taken a rather circuitous route to get to the title of this post, but it seems to me that wedapeople could or perhaps should do more to register our discontent.

From the AP: January 31, 2009

MOSCOW — Thousands of protesters rallied against the government in cities across Russia on Saturday, reflecting mounting anger over the nation's economic woes.

The protests, among the largest yet, posed a challenge to the Kremlin, which faced little threat from the fragmented opposition during the years of oil-driven boom.

The largest march took place in the far eastern port of Vladivostok, where about 3,000 people denounced the Cabinet's decision to increase tariffs on imported cars. Some shouted slogans urging Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to resign.

And from FT.com:

By Ben Hall in Paris

Published: January 29 2009 09:11 | Last updated: January 29 2009 23:17

At least a million striking workers held demonstrations across France on Thursday in protest at the government's reform programme and its response to the economic crisis, demanding extra help for ordinary families in place of state aid for the banks.

 

Now, I'm not sure if the Russian and the French protests will bring about the needed changes, but I have to believe that, at least in the case of the French, mobilizing one to two million people to take to the streets will at a minimum bring to the table some strength in negotiations.

In the case of the Russian protests, Putin has to take into consideration that Russian workers are not to be taken lightly.

Now that we have a new administration in place, we must keep their feet to the fire. President Obama has his Economic team in place and I think he deserves some time to try and wrap his head around the problem at hand.

I will give him the benefit of the doubt, but I must say that I am somewhat underwhelmed by his choice at Treasury and about some of his advisors. Larry Summers has already made his presence felt in the under emphasis on infrastructure spending and Geithner has been handed the wheel to the shipwreck he failed to see coming. These are people who for the most part live in an echo chamber reinforcing their own ideas and sadly, not allowing different ideas to find root in their imaginations.

They take to the streets, we email…one of the demands of the French workers is that the government provide… 'extra help for ordinary families in place of more state aid for banks'…what a concept.

I do not pretend to know who the French classify as "ordinary families', but I would suspect that their measuring stick is very much like ours, people who do what is expected of them, and in return they expect the government do what is expected of it.

The Russian protests are demanding that the government step down because of the worsening economic conditions. They were met by riot police

They take to the streets…we email.

 

I honestly believe that except for a handful of people in the upper reaches of government, especially our representatives, have no first hand clue what it means to be without a job, to not know if the next decision is to pay the mortgage or buy medicine. Let's not forget that some of the most vociferous rants against universal health care are from the very same Senators and Representatives that receive the health care they would deny the rest of the population.

The very people who are in charge of the economy are, for the most part, members of the same country clubs as the bankers they are trying keep afloat. It's a funny thing when I read or hear that such and such bank, insurance company, brokerage house is too big to fail, and yet they get bigger and bigger and yet, still they fail.

 

They protest…we email.