Before Christmas

This is It

What is the problem with socialism anyway? Policy driven by society's needs against policy driven by banks. If we're all Americans, all neighbors, why do we refuse to live for each other, the common good? The idea has been tainted by propaganda, ever so cleverly camouflaged.

of Expectations and the Delimma of Personal Exchange

Walking into Tom Thumb and, before anything else, I approached the cart collector walking out for a round of baskets. Before our shoulders passed, our eyes met, and stuck, and he asked me, "What do you say?"
I said, "I'm, alright?"
I then wondered, What'd he ask? Following, I said what? and, Did I ask, You alright?
As the backs of our heads walked further from each other, I realized he had not asked me, "How are you?"
All he said was, "What do you say?"

Sirens

All day looked like rain and I felt the dew point drop. Yet the sky remained fickle and shined enough to keep me wondering, When?

The winds picked up and brought the storms rapping on my windows, flashing like paparazzi at the disco - enough for the sensitive type to convulse into seizures - and mocking me with laughter.

Kao hid away, tucked tail and whimpers. I introduced him to the storm outside, but he quickly hid where he could - close to me and defended from the onslaught.

The storm faded, then grew. Lightning bolted pulses like a MIG welder and thunder cracked, burst, or fell across the clouds like gravel. The rain lightened. The hail subsided. Someone switched the flip and the storm finished.

Ten minutes later, Dallas' tornado sirens went off.

Frida Kahlo

I can look at this picture and decide she's beyond Feminism.

A Realization is the Solution

The Problem isn't the Banks, but us wanting to look like we have money we don't. Concerning ourselves with the items in which we wrap ourselves. Banks give us money to do what we're told, reaping rewards all the way to the safe-house. And we do what we're told.

Scapegoats, however, are nice to have.

Easter, '88

At Easter, when I was much younger, I had trouble spotting the eggs hidden in Papa and Granny's backyard. Despite my head start, I wound up with the least, thereupon whimpering and crying that I had not discovered the eggs as well as my older cousins, and brother. The tears usually worked. Several more eggs were placed in my basket.
One particular Easter, I was given my head start, found a handful - well, one egg was a handful back then - I found two handfuls and the older cousins bolted from the doorway like rabbits. Searching frantically, under tall grasses and shrubs, around and down, I finally decided to tilt my head back, and look up.
I found it! A whopper of an egg. I bet then there was a big old Reese's peanut butter egg inside. Or better yet, one of those old sugar eggs, probably from last year, yet still questionably edible. Oh, I couldn't wait to get my hands on that egg. Yet, it sat pompously mocking me atop the brick sill of the bathroom window.
From nowhere, my eldest cousin came up and I beamed! He'll get it for me!
He looked at me, and I looked at him, then we both looked at the egg. Already pushing thirteen, towering over me, he reached for the egg, and ran off.
At that moment I was shocked, tortured, that what I expected had not panned. Only recently did I recognize the lesson presented, that I should have learned.

Thunderstorm in the Suburbs

Storm's coming in. Kao's
(Think Koa, then switch the a and o.)
hiding.
Kao's unfamiliar with
Texas thunderstorms.

Crotch rockets buzz where
  alarms whine while
  sirens twirl
 and mosquitoes swarm

FLASH

rain that won't fall
shatters together
becomes bolistic
cloudquake.
Cars cry like babies,
  temperamental and afraid.

Music and Comedy

It started with a Steve Earl song,
"F the FCC"
wherein he mentions "Dirty Lenny."
Curious, I discovered "Dirty Lenny" is
Lenny Bruce,
famed and controversial comedian
notorious for obscenity cases in the 60s
and self proclaimed
"Lenny Bruce."
("I am not a comedian. I am Lenny Bruce.")
Following his acts on YouTube,
I came across Andy Kaufman in the queue
on the right side
and therein
found myself enjoying, quite heartily, his famous
Carnegie Hall performance
all the way from Tony Clifton's National Anthem
to the cafeteria line for milk and cookies.

What a day.

Yesterday was so good

Yesterday was so good.

The day began with a rant on my blog. Then I hopped on the motorcycle in the wonderful weather and headed West toward 35, waiting briefly at the second stoplight, the one at the tollway, and thereafter making my way through every green light between the tollway and the highway. I rode north in no haste, exited in Denton, and made every green light between the highway and Austin's house where I stopped briefly. Then, to Cups and Crepes.

I arrived around 11:20 and ordered a cappuccino, the tastiest cappuccino I have ever had. Shortly after finishing, my friends arrived, Keenan, Karen, and Jon. We sat and talked away about whatever the breeze brought in. I ordered two crepes. The salmon crepe with spinach and almonds and a ricotta cheese and berries. Divine.

We talked more and Karen, then Jon left and when 3 O'clock rolled around, Keenan and I got on the motorcycle and went to the square. We borrowed the internet at Jupiter House to call Austin, who was just around the corner, and who joined us shortly after we hung up. Keenan left with Austin on the tandem bicycle, I got back on the moto, and we rode to Fry Street for a game of pool at Riprocks. Two games, a beer, and half a match of chess later, we left for Austin's to see his chinchilla. Austin then left for Garland. Keenan left to help his friend plant a garden. And Ryan returned from Corinth.

We talked slowly in his apartment about education, camping, work, and so on, hydrating ourselves with water, then we stepped out for a walk to the square. We had a couple beers at Hooligans, then went back to his apartment, and home.

Who Benefits, National Security

What

     is National Security?

What risks terrorize my country?

2,977 people died on September 11. This resulted in two wars, bringing to date nearly 4,500 troop casualties in Iraq and 1,530 fatalities in Afghanistan. Citizens are subject to invasive searches (from the refusal of a bottle of water to explicit scanners) and diminished privacy rights (PATRIOT Act) in the United States. These are under the banner of National Security.
Troops in Libya are there in the name of National Security or National Interest. Whose interest is that?

This is in my personal interest: "[M]ore than 910,000 Americans still die of heart disease annually," more than 300 times the number of casualties on 9/11. Yet, there has been minimal assistance for those who cannot afford their own health care.
It is in my interest that I can afford to visit the doctor, that I can then also afford the prescribed medicine, much more than my peers going around the world to hold the US thumb over dictators that pose a risk to so-called National Security.

I have never been convinced of what is being made secure. Over 311,000,000 people in my country live day-to-day, most of us doing what we can to scrape by, especially in this "economic crisis." And in this crisis there has surfaced much talk about budget cuts at the cost of schools, teachers, union workers, and benefits for those giving their time daily to the progression of this nation. These people must be made secure.

"Unless we act soon, government spending on health and retirement programs will crowd out spending on everything else, including national security." Senator Paul Ryan, Republican, Wisconsin.

I contend that the health and retirement of US citizens is National Security. The problem falls in that politicians hold the Nation and the citizens who are the nation, who build the nation, who turn the wheels of this nation, separate. The problem is that US funds are spent on international endeavors, rather than beneficial programs (alternative fuels, health care for citizens, schools and libraries, et al) at home. The problem may even be this country's lack of neighborly patriotism, the fact flags go up on Flag Day and at war time, but that when schools are funded, medicine is paid for, libraries get new books, the nation does not celebrate.

This is a challenge for Americans to celebrate each other, not the politicians who dress nicely, pass out gratuitous handshakes, and spend our money on "National Security." This is a call to recognize that we are the nation and want to be secure here in our own welfare. This must change, this distraction called National Security that our taxes pay for while we slowly die at home from things we could prevent if we could afford them. I don't want a government that stands up for me as though I have made friends with the class bully. I want a government that stands with me, like a best friend who waits with me at the hospital when I break my arm after a spill on my bike. But as long as National Security is separate from We the People, my government is not for me.

Glenn Beck, What the Heck? 2012!

Glenn Beck is officially no longer with Fox "News". I think it's because he's preparing to run for president.


(This post was posted specifically for the purposes of Philip the Elder.)

PAC your money away

It was brought to my attention recently what a PAC is. You've seen these three letters hugging close to political talking-heads such as Sarah Palin (SarahPAC), Mike Huckabee (HuckPAC), and others. The source from where I received the following information is now Colbert PAC, recently established.

If you did not know, a PAC is an instrument for political funding. As individuals can donate only so much to a candidate, a PAC allows individuals and companies to donate to a common cause, whether it is for a candidate or against another. Through a PAC, politicians have the support of extraordinarily large dollar amounts from supporters.

Is this the most current way to keep you and me out of the electoral process? The Electoral College wasn't enough, now corporations, those in energy, those in media, those sitting fat on cash sending our jobs abroad, and the extremely rich, are PAC-ing for their own interests. Where do you and I come in?