The scary liberal agenda

So I just happened to be tuning in today to NPR when former congressman Vin Weber came on and used the insufferable phrase "liberal agenda." My first reaction to this goes as follows: Everything you say after using this new, horrible phrase will be taken with not only a grain of salt but a massive eye roll.

You see, people who don't like "Liberals," which is to speak that this is somehow like having a disease, think that using a truly not scary term is a way to get their point across. It's not. I mean, the only feelings it conjures is that they don't want me to look at their own agenda.

Now, I understand that, you know, fear is a good driver to get your way. It makes us go to work or get annual check ups or appreciate that which we have in this world. But, when it comes to politics, it should be outlawed to pretend like your opponent is a bad guy, because they are usually not.

And, considering that most experts would agree, the present version of the American leftist popular politician is far from liberal. In fact, they are more like diet conservative. Will the constant shift to the right wing of politics, it has been said that even Conservative folk hero Ronald Reagan wouldn't pass for a conservative in this day and age. Clinton and Obama are centrists, if anything.

True Liberals are few and far between in the current administration and government. They are too afraid to be to the left because, at one point, the word "liberal" became synonymous with anti-American, which it isn't. And don't assume Democrats are leftists, because they have to pander to the populous just as much as their Republican neighbors.

I am all for socialism, a leftist policy, because, frankly, the world is too modern and things are too messed up without it. We need to take care of one another, especially with the understanding that shit happens and some people want to run roughshod over their neighbor. As I tell people, I believe to be a Republican is to love America and hate Americans.

The agenda of the right wing of any society is to pretend like self-sacrifice and selfish behavior are one in the same. It is to pretend that, if all was privatized and regulations voided that the world would be a veritable Shangri-La. Not so much. The moment we do not have social safety nets or guaranteed education, the least of us would whither from the world or, in other parts of the world, turn to villainy. Look at Somalia, look at Calcutta. Look at places where workers are exploited, where rape is used as a weapon of war. This kind of "freedom" is un-American. But that is what happens when a new line is drawn daily, pushing the person's back to the wall. You will eventually fight back or be killed.

America should, by all accounts, be better than it has become. It shouldn't be a place where the "haves" make the rules. Often times they aren't even right, just covering their own asses. And the saddest part is, for money, for access and prestige, the values of ones fellow human is compromised, a bullhorn given to the loudest shouters, the message of "you should be afraid of those that actually care" trampled upon, in the name of a not so free market.

The scariest part is that people, average humans with advantages not known by the masses, turn into characters, betraying their shared convictions so as to be seen, to be popular or to make the almighty dollar. Meanwhile well-meaning people, assuming that favor will be given to them in the future, give them the keys to kingdom.

If the "Liberal Agenda" is to make sure my fellow Americans get what they need, I am all for it. And maybe those that are being labeled should stop pretending it doesn't hurt them, because it does. When they are out of a job or watching all they worked for get trampled upon in the name of keeping the "Haves" happy, then they will truly realize they had the power all along, to grab the bullhorn and tell the talking heads to shut the hell up.

Yay and boo!!!

Yay for obesity rates not rising anymore! Boo for those not willing to understand that there body isn't for excess food storage!

Boo for Haiti earthquake!

Yay for sun shining on my world today! Boo for the general ignorance to global warming!

Yay for opportunity! Boo for putting it off!

Boo to caring about celebrities! Yay for those that use said celebrity to affect change for good!

Yay for coffee! Boo for caffeine addiction!

Yay for neat and fascinating technology! Boo for holding back and only funding ones to make money!

Boo to terrorism. You're killing the wrong people! Yay for the passive resistant, for their message will overcome!

Yay for the differences that our the shared world! Boo to the ignorant who don't see it as a positive!

Yay for social programs! Boo to those that don't see the value in shared knowledge!

Boo to politicians for only thinking of themselves! Yay for those that keep up the good fight to make this a better world!

The world is an awesome place, if you fancy being here and being a part of it. Good or bad, it is our world in common. I love being alive, just don't try to spoil it for me.

A shovel-ready world

There are a lot of innovators and innovations out there in this world. It is apparent, by the fact that humanity has survived this long, that we know a thing or two about survival.

But, in that thought, how we are we doing at thriving?

An individual is held aloft as an example of success or failure. Somewhere, along the way, someone saw fit to give resources to someone they believed could do this or that. Whether it be someone who can balance the books of a store or can disassemble and reassemble a machine without affecting it's ability to work.

Along these lines, humanity has failed it's lesser strong. While we hold up the strong and bemoan the weak, we forget that we are a global village, of sorts. Long gone are the inability to have little knowledge of our neighbors and co-inhabitants. Turn on the television, internet or radio. There we are. In our voices, in our actions, our story is told and told again. We do things and we move about the planet, fat and happy.

Somewhere along the line, however innocent the transgression, we forgot to prop up the weak. Sure, we have safety nets, in some, not all, places but the idea of living is lost on the majority of those deemed successful.

Effort is something that seems to have it's origin in the genetic tree. Where, at once, our ancestors were successful at not only passing along our genes but making sure the next generation gets to keep going, it was supposed to be a tool to teach those next to us how to be successful as well. No cheating, no cutting corners, just honest work that brought about resources. And, after the effort, we got to benefit but the effort.

But, in today's world, a lot of that simple effort is lost on the fact that we must push beyond that which we find mundane. We must also do a lot of maintenance, lest we lose what we have. This is the information we wish to learn from our parents, our elders.

Getting back to my original point, their is a lot of innovation out there that is ready to benefit those who already know but need that fiscal push over the top. It is just unfortunate that those who could really use the boost, those that got left behind by time, will not be the benefactors, or will truly understand why they never got the chance.

Worst blogger ever

I think the Facebook status update has transformed my writing. No longer can I even visit this site for over two months, even if I have something to write about, because I find my interests constantly changing.

That's an interesting idea: The constance of change in interests affects the modern human more than ever.

With access, something that used to be only for the select few but now seems only natural, we are given all the choices at once and told to decide on doing this, that or the other thing. Of course that only comes to those with access. Computers or television or radio get to be in on the information. So, I guess, the access is just different. You still have to pay for it, in some way, and you also have to know what to do with it once you have it.

I have heard it said we have "information overload." Yes, I can agree. However, we have the freedom of choice to unplug and forget about all that information. Some of us become access addicts, really. I love my news in the morning, stalking my friends and co-workers on Facebook and, generally, being "in on the know."

But I have this sinking feeling it can lead me and others to losing that which is ourselves: Who we are. Sure, it can help up have great conversations or work on helping us form opinions but, if not taken carefully, it can overcome our BS meters and force us into becoming blinded to a second side to a story.

I think a good step back, every now and again, does us good, especially considering just how things have been going.

Something actually worth writing about

So, here I am on the eve of taking an improv class. I have never taken such a thing but I can remember playing the game "freeze" in high school.

So I am going to what I believe is the best spot in town, hoping to both learn and prosper. I figure I am sometimes funny and I know a lot about the world so I guess I just need to think about confidence.

Over the past years I have had no real reason to feel confident.I am working at a job I don't want, living in an apartment I don't like and hanging out with people I really don't want to.

But this one is for me so I am looking forward to it. Credit card be damned (I will regret later saying)!

In my quest to experience life, I think this will be a good venture to see if I can interpret what I have seen. Granted, most of what I have seen is in small doses or on television...

That's it! That is why they say that people who want to write shouldn't watch so much television. It is because it is a medium that only gives you a visual glimpse into reality that is already "produced." Therefore, if you were to only watch television, these are mostly made up characters. Emulation is futile because no one would really act in such a manner.

Sorry, blog that only I read. I didn't mean to jump around. I just saw something and went for it.

Peace.

The human character

So, recently I have been thinking quite a bit about the idea of character. Having tried to be a writer, at least to myself and, more recently, putting on a play that I wrote, I have been trying to dig into what makes a character and why they do what they do.

People can either create their character or interpret the traits of other characters as a conglomeration of a bunch of things they observe.

Artists are here to do the same as well. One can either originate or interpret the work of another. They are a marriage, truly. They are necessary to the success of the other. Think about the unread book, the unseen movie, the unheard song. Without your eyes, your ears, your senses, these things exist just for themselves.

When people become conscious of who they are, of what they do, do these choose to embrace their traits or do they try to sculpt them in different ways? Example: I would like to know how to cook. After acquiring the tools of the trade, do I cook? Not really. I did make mashed potatoes and I made my version of huevos rancheros but I don't know how to cook. Ir my unplayed guitar. Good intentions but poor execution.

So, does the character, the human character, always do what is supposed to or does it try to remain an undefinable entity? I'll let you know when I figure it out.

Modern human development

A long time ago, long before the dawn of civilization, humans had basic necessities: Eat, sleep and procreate. In there they also probably sought shelter, since their skin had only a limited amount of hair and, judging by the climates we chose to inhabit, we would need to have someplace to keep us warm during the crap weather.

Eventually we created tools, like most creatures do. Our hands and feet were great for some things but not all. It was easier to dig holes or carry things with the right equipment. And clothing also helped us maintain our body temperature when were to lazy to move beyond our season-changing locations.

So, flash forward to modern times, we not only have all the basics covered but we have moved well beyond into the world of automation and motion. We can travel farther, faster and more than we could have imagined in our hides and bone tools. However, many of us are become complacent to the world and this is troubling, to say the least.

With all the advancements we have made we all begin assuming rather than knowing. We assume we are guaranteed tomorrow or guaranteed that, if we work, we will be provided with the currency to provide ourselves the means by and which we survive. Of course, in a modern world, no one has to worry too much about these fundamental things because, well, we have support structures and safety nets and, the evil of all evils, credit.

Our world is now in a false peril because of that last little bit. Once assumed that, if one puts forth an effort, one is rewarded. So we extend and extend and extend ourselves out to the point where the house of cards could crumble at any moment. I am not just talking about the small change stuff like credit cards and car loans. I am talking about loans from banks to other banks, investment loans and business loans. I am referring to companies extending themselves on the false assumption that a short-term demand (in the grander scheme of things) is enough reason to extend oneself to the brink of collapse.

Banks are a thing that I have become more and more intrigued with as of late. The headlines alone give one reason to pause because the collective money of others, and the collective debt, lead one to believe that no one knew what they were doing. We saw a collapse in the 1920s that forced the government to have to insure the deposits of the individuals. We saw the scams of the savings and loan companies of the 1980s. And now we see a scam where banks traded unpaid mortgages as a commodity rather than something solvent like a company with an actual product.

Once it all caved in, when all their excess fund dried up and were spent, all of these giants of the finance world were left with the reality that they pushed it too far, made too many mistakes and now are reigning in the funding.

Just the other day I went to apply for a refinancing of my student loans. I have not missed a payment for years, when I was in my growing pain years of my late 20s, and I have tried to maintain good credit by paying or overpaying my loans to the point at which I am comfortably having enough money. However, I was informed that my debt-to-income ration would require me to get someone to co-sign a loan. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I realize that, as far as income goes, I do not have all that much. But I also do not drown in debt every month. But I did take out student loans when I was younger and they are almost my annual income. However, my payments don't choke me all that bad, just that it will take me a good, long while to pay them off.

All I was looking for was a lower interest rate through my bank. If could do that, I could attach it to my bank account and overpay that as well. As it stands, I am paying too high an interest because, two years ago, the interest rates were godawful.

While I agree that I am a tadpole in Lake Superior, I think I deserve a shot at a lower interest rate just like AIG gets a bailout. I handle my finances better than they do. I shouldn't have to be made to feel like an ass because I have debt, should I?

I know I lost track of my point but my point is that this is the reality we face. That is our world in common. Everyone is affected by this modern era. Now if we could only get back to basics.