Somewhere... P.T. Barnum and and the monkey boy are smiling.
Do I want people to believe everything I write? Absolutely not. Perform your own due diligence.
Each week as I surf the internet, I look for stories of interest. For years and most certainly since 2008, fringe bloggers like myself have known that just about every number put out by the Bureau of Labor Statistics or B.L.S.- is complete and utter bullshit. The government has rigged the data input to such an extent- that they can put out any number that they want.
Why do they do this?
The beautiful part about blogging about all of these lies and manipulations for years is that eventually and now evidently, all of those lies are beginning to be accepted as truth by more acceptable and credible sources than some old retired guy in Boise, Idaho.
A favorite quote- I know of no greater truth than this because I have experienced it.
All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.
-Arthur Schopenhauer
You'll like this link. It's a must read in terms of other writers who can no longer tolerate our government's lies. This author knows bullshit when he sees it. http://nypost.com/2015/08/03/the-gdps-hilarious-false-numbers/
Everywhere I travel in Boise- I can find broken down and vacant commercial property. It's everywhere.
Some of it is being transformed into vape shops and tattoo parlors. But mostly, it is all still here- with owners still asking ridiculous prices and paying the taxes on it.
You see the government wants me to ignore my lying eyes and my dwindling bank account that makes zero interest. Some people have moved beyond acceptance of government bullshit and are now finding solutions to the published and corrupt data of the B.L.S.
Now I would like to introduce you to the Chapwood Index. The Chapwood Index is a basket of 500 real world items that include taxes, groceries, fuel, and health care costs in just about all major cities. Instead of the bullshit sub 2% inflation figures produced by the BLS- we have an actual, real world non adjusted inflation source with credible, non manipulated input. This is the link directly into the Chapwood Index and it's explanation about why the government distorts and lies about CPI.
http://www.chapwoodindex.com/problem/
What's my angle? I have no ads, no tip jars, no books to sell. I'm not selling gloom and doom or silver and gold although I do in fact- own some. I am simply raising awareness.
I've always known that good writers, read. We learn to write because we love to read. We perform due diligence and once we are armed with facts- we present them. As long as the majority of this country remains suckers- the longer this charade continues. Apathy has always been the route of cowards.
You know I really wish that P.T. Barnum had never uttered his sarcastic claim that a sucker is born every minute. Guys like Barnum laugh at the stupidity of people while fleecing them at the monkey boy's tent. Your government has learned well. They've crowded Barnum out.
I believe that it is better to tell the truth than a lie. I believe it is better to be free than to be a slave. And I believe it is better to know than to be ignorant.
H. L. Mencken
Sunday, August 9, 2015
Sunday, August 2, 2015
Extreme Taxation With No Representation, The NEW U.S.A.- The Sunday Collage
The political stupidity has already started-so I'm changing back to the original name of this blog. That and the truth is- Frankenstein Government is exactly what we have. I nailed it the first time.
I am going to do one thing differently. The posts are going to be succinct. No rambling diatribes. I am going to write like I speak- direct and to the point. Today's post is a little lengthy- so please excuse me just for today.
About a year ago, I reconnected with a childhood friend of mine who retired as the athletic director of my high school. He was a good guy, good golfer, and that's how I remember him. The part that I didn't remember- was the part where he had become a flaming liberal. So day after day, I would read his commentary on Facebook about Bernie Sanders- our eastern communist. It was really starting to anger me. It's not just the part where you support some political moron- it's that his support tended to bash some really productive members of the GOP. These are people like Scott Walker and Ted Cruz who have actually achieved some measured success in their lives- within the confines of the law and Constitution.
Eventually, (I could see it coming) I became embroiled in an online argument with my old friend and ultimately I de-friended him or whatever that silliness is called. I am now free of idiots on my Facebook page who believe in nominating criminals like Hillary Clinton or communist sympathizers like Bernie Sanders to lead our "free" country. That's the best the Democratic Party can do. People with no record of success. People like Barack Obama.
Back in 2007 when I was rearranging my life, I realized that my old political belief system was also in need of an overhaul. Bush was quite clearly an elitist. An Ivy league rich kid that had family, influence, and money which shepherded him through Yale. Let me say this about Bush. He didn't represent anything other than the "owners" of this country and their corporate interests. He opened the door and flooded this country with illegal aliens so that the owners of this country (and his Texas friends) could import some slave labor. When I think of all the damage that guy did- including wars and banker bailouts- I ask, "Who benefited?"
The corporate oligarchy benefited and the middle class and the working poor got screwed. As always.
When Obama was elected President, who benefited? Thousands of fraudulent bankers and an entire housing and banking sector to include appraisers and bond rating agencies-that's who. Those were the immediate beneficiaries. After suspending the rule of law and giving them all get out of jail free cards in exchange for their campaign contributions, Obama then set his sights on bailing out the health insurers at our expense. Obama knows who butters his bread. And it's not you.
As always, the beneficiaries or people with actual political representation, are the corporate elite.
Since Obama, my taxes have gone up nearly two thousand dollars per year and that doesn't include my annual 700 dollar "shared responsibility" fine. My property tax has gone up 400 a year, gas taxes (total tax on a gallon of gas in Idaho is 50 cents per gallon) and higher registration costs have added another 200 bucks a year, my state and federal taxes have gone up 1300 bucks. I can't even begin to enumerate all of the little taxes like sin taxes (booze, tobacco), TSA taxes, entry fees for federal and state parks, (lands which I allegedly own as a taxpayer) taxes on rental cars and hotel rooms. You can be sure none of these have gone down.
If you are tired of being sodomized by the elite corporate assholes and their political henchmen- just why in the fuck do you insist on voting for them? They don't represent "We the people." They don't represent you. What we have currently- is taxation with no representation. Period. The only people being represented in the United States are the rich and the elite. Guys like Buffet and Mr. Microsoft. They have all the money, all of the nice real estate, all of the Supreme Court precedent, and a nice tax code that allows them to stick it to millions of working class Americans. They have representation. The best money can buy.
We don't have squat with squat on the horizon.
So if you are like my old friend, trumpeting the virtues of a some elite communist over that of a well protected and elite criminal, maybe it's time you re-assess just what it is that you believe in. And if those choices weren't bad enough- it gets worse.
Donald Trump? Really? Pay attention to what he has actually done with his life and eliminate virtually everything that comes out of his mouth. He was born into wealth, sent to good schools, prep school, Fordham, Wharton, and the University of Pennsylvania- managed to dodge Vietnam in the process, and then he expanded the empire his father had given him through urban development at the expense of the middle class. By every measure- Trump is one of the elite owners of this country who buy themselves representation at the expense of the rest of us. There is not one chance in hell that I will ever vote for him.
Millions upon millions of people get duped every election cycle because they cling to some ridiculous party tenet- perhaps environmentalism or anti abortion beliefs- issues that were decided long ago by the elite and solidified by the Supreme Court. To this day, some 40 years later, I still hear people whining about Roe v Wade. It's a dead issue. Just like Obamacare. It is over people. The Supreme Court says so.
Instead of whining about all of that spilled milk, I woke up.
The first step is to assassinate any preconceived notions that you have about Republicans v Democrats. The two party system is a distraction- the illusion of choice- while the REAL owners of this country enrich themselves. They owners don't care about abortion, or wars, or any of that nonsense. That's just theater for the plebes. What they really care about is how much wealth they can amass and if they have to buy political influence- that's what they do. They have the best tax code money will buy. They have lobbyists and corporate monopolies who price fix everything from the cost of health care, to auto insurance, to the price of a gallon of gas. The battle isn't between two political philosophies which your corporate masters want you to believe that it is- the real battle is how they can extract the maximum amount of wealth from you- the suckers- without tipping you off. That's what all of this is really about. That's all it has ever been about. Money.
In 2007, I made it my goal in life to quit voting for these assholes. I refuse to listen to the drivel that comes out of their mouths. Instead, pay attention to what they have actually done with their lives. With some folks like Obama, they go to extreme lengths to hide their lives. Other folks like Trump, try to hide the fact that he is basically a greedy, trust funder who inherited a vast amount of wealth and expanded it. He also managed to avoid Vietnam by staying in school and now claims he had a high draft number. Bullshit. Hillary Clinton is another silver spooned elitist. None of these people represent the working class. They've never been in the working class. What I want- is someone who represents me. The working, middle class. As it stands we have ZERO influence. Zip. None.
Extreme taxation with no representation.
If I could find a decent working stiff candidate anywhere- perhaps from the outer space party- that would promise to represent the middle class of this country instead of these rich and elite bastards with their lawyers and lobbyists- I'd work full time for free.
To think we fought a war with England over a 3% tax. No taxation without representation they used to say. Hey Adams and Jefferson- you should see us now.
You know it's bad when former President Carter calls it an oligarchy with unlimited bribery. Fascinating link. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article42536.htm
I am going to do one thing differently. The posts are going to be succinct. No rambling diatribes. I am going to write like I speak- direct and to the point. Today's post is a little lengthy- so please excuse me just for today.
About a year ago, I reconnected with a childhood friend of mine who retired as the athletic director of my high school. He was a good guy, good golfer, and that's how I remember him. The part that I didn't remember- was the part where he had become a flaming liberal. So day after day, I would read his commentary on Facebook about Bernie Sanders- our eastern communist. It was really starting to anger me. It's not just the part where you support some political moron- it's that his support tended to bash some really productive members of the GOP. These are people like Scott Walker and Ted Cruz who have actually achieved some measured success in their lives- within the confines of the law and Constitution.
Eventually, (I could see it coming) I became embroiled in an online argument with my old friend and ultimately I de-friended him or whatever that silliness is called. I am now free of idiots on my Facebook page who believe in nominating criminals like Hillary Clinton or communist sympathizers like Bernie Sanders to lead our "free" country. That's the best the Democratic Party can do. People with no record of success. People like Barack Obama.
Back in 2007 when I was rearranging my life, I realized that my old political belief system was also in need of an overhaul. Bush was quite clearly an elitist. An Ivy league rich kid that had family, influence, and money which shepherded him through Yale. Let me say this about Bush. He didn't represent anything other than the "owners" of this country and their corporate interests. He opened the door and flooded this country with illegal aliens so that the owners of this country (and his Texas friends) could import some slave labor. When I think of all the damage that guy did- including wars and banker bailouts- I ask, "Who benefited?"
The corporate oligarchy benefited and the middle class and the working poor got screwed. As always.
When Obama was elected President, who benefited? Thousands of fraudulent bankers and an entire housing and banking sector to include appraisers and bond rating agencies-that's who. Those were the immediate beneficiaries. After suspending the rule of law and giving them all get out of jail free cards in exchange for their campaign contributions, Obama then set his sights on bailing out the health insurers at our expense. Obama knows who butters his bread. And it's not you.
As always, the beneficiaries or people with actual political representation, are the corporate elite.
Since Obama, my taxes have gone up nearly two thousand dollars per year and that doesn't include my annual 700 dollar "shared responsibility" fine. My property tax has gone up 400 a year, gas taxes (total tax on a gallon of gas in Idaho is 50 cents per gallon) and higher registration costs have added another 200 bucks a year, my state and federal taxes have gone up 1300 bucks. I can't even begin to enumerate all of the little taxes like sin taxes (booze, tobacco), TSA taxes, entry fees for federal and state parks, (lands which I allegedly own as a taxpayer) taxes on rental cars and hotel rooms. You can be sure none of these have gone down.
If you are tired of being sodomized by the elite corporate assholes and their political henchmen- just why in the fuck do you insist on voting for them? They don't represent "We the people." They don't represent you. What we have currently- is taxation with no representation. Period. The only people being represented in the United States are the rich and the elite. Guys like Buffet and Mr. Microsoft. They have all the money, all of the nice real estate, all of the Supreme Court precedent, and a nice tax code that allows them to stick it to millions of working class Americans. They have representation. The best money can buy.
We don't have squat with squat on the horizon.
So if you are like my old friend, trumpeting the virtues of a some elite communist over that of a well protected and elite criminal, maybe it's time you re-assess just what it is that you believe in. And if those choices weren't bad enough- it gets worse.
Donald Trump? Really? Pay attention to what he has actually done with his life and eliminate virtually everything that comes out of his mouth. He was born into wealth, sent to good schools, prep school, Fordham, Wharton, and the University of Pennsylvania- managed to dodge Vietnam in the process, and then he expanded the empire his father had given him through urban development at the expense of the middle class. By every measure- Trump is one of the elite owners of this country who buy themselves representation at the expense of the rest of us. There is not one chance in hell that I will ever vote for him.
Millions upon millions of people get duped every election cycle because they cling to some ridiculous party tenet- perhaps environmentalism or anti abortion beliefs- issues that were decided long ago by the elite and solidified by the Supreme Court. To this day, some 40 years later, I still hear people whining about Roe v Wade. It's a dead issue. Just like Obamacare. It is over people. The Supreme Court says so.
Instead of whining about all of that spilled milk, I woke up.
The first step is to assassinate any preconceived notions that you have about Republicans v Democrats. The two party system is a distraction- the illusion of choice- while the REAL owners of this country enrich themselves. They owners don't care about abortion, or wars, or any of that nonsense. That's just theater for the plebes. What they really care about is how much wealth they can amass and if they have to buy political influence- that's what they do. They have the best tax code money will buy. They have lobbyists and corporate monopolies who price fix everything from the cost of health care, to auto insurance, to the price of a gallon of gas. The battle isn't between two political philosophies which your corporate masters want you to believe that it is- the real battle is how they can extract the maximum amount of wealth from you- the suckers- without tipping you off. That's what all of this is really about. That's all it has ever been about. Money.
In 2007, I made it my goal in life to quit voting for these assholes. I refuse to listen to the drivel that comes out of their mouths. Instead, pay attention to what they have actually done with their lives. With some folks like Obama, they go to extreme lengths to hide their lives. Other folks like Trump, try to hide the fact that he is basically a greedy, trust funder who inherited a vast amount of wealth and expanded it. He also managed to avoid Vietnam by staying in school and now claims he had a high draft number. Bullshit. Hillary Clinton is another silver spooned elitist. None of these people represent the working class. They've never been in the working class. What I want- is someone who represents me. The working, middle class. As it stands we have ZERO influence. Zip. None.
Extreme taxation with no representation.
If I could find a decent working stiff candidate anywhere- perhaps from the outer space party- that would promise to represent the middle class of this country instead of these rich and elite bastards with their lawyers and lobbyists- I'd work full time for free.
To think we fought a war with England over a 3% tax. No taxation without representation they used to say. Hey Adams and Jefferson- you should see us now.
You know it's bad when former President Carter calls it an oligarchy with unlimited bribery. Fascinating link. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article42536.htm
Sunday, July 26, 2015
Saved By Grace- The Sunday Collage
Saved by grace. I took this post down once, I thought it was eligible for a re-do.
At the turn of the 20th century, approximately 70% of the United States' citizens claimed some form of Christianity. In 2012, over 80% of Americans claimed to be Christian. Do you believe that?http://www.chron.com/life/houston-belief/article/Poll-Nearly-80-percent-of-Americans-say-they-are-2444092.php Granted the poll is old (2012) and forgive me. I just stumbled onto it this week.
At the turn of the 20th century, approximately 70% of the United States' citizens claimed some form of Christianity. In 2012, over 80% of Americans claimed to be Christian. Do you believe that?http://www.chron.com/life/houston-belief/article/Poll-Nearly-80-percent-of-Americans-say-they-are-2444092.php Granted the poll is old (2012) and forgive me. I just stumbled onto it this week.
So if we are this heap big, Christian nation- how come we don't act like it? Where is this Christian super majority? Perhaps I am insulated from all these folks. Maybe it's the company I keep. Often I think, perhaps my 25 years in Moonbat Valley with the liberals took their anti-Christian toll on me. They were my professors. They were the lawyers, the Wall St brokers and bankers, the real estate developers, therapists and doctors. They were the trust funders, the entrepreneurs, the carpenters, the small town politicians, and a couple of dyed in the wool atheists who assured me the Bible was fiction and Jesus was simply an enlightened man like Ghandi.
All of those intelligent, successful people. Yet, I have never seen them in church and certainly not 80% of them. I've never heard them utter a word about Christ- but apparently 80% of them are Christians. That's what this poll would have me believe.
I had a friend once that described agnostics as chicken shit atheists. They don't really go to church because church is boring and time consuming. They don't believe in God, any God, because God represents accountability and oversight. They don't want to be held accountable. They don't want to live a Christian life because it is inconvenient to their individual wants and desires- none of which tend to be very Christian like. So when asked publicly, often they claim to be Christian because that answer is convenient.
People don't want to be held responsible for their actions. They want what they want. The Supreme Court set aside their own 80% super majority Christian lean and decided one of those issues in Roe v Wade.
It's not just the 53.5 million abortions that women have been chalking up since the early 70's- it's the 53.5 million fathers who went along with that plan and should have had at least some say in the outcome. Sure there are a few frequent flyers or people that have had more than one abortion- but 80 million Christians landed on abortion as their method of birth control?
Recently the pro choice "Planned Parenthood" or "Non-Planned Parenthood" depending on the amount of responsibility you attach to unprotected sex- has been caught bartering and selling parts of fetuses.
Another proud moment for the left and those 8 of 10 Christians who dwell in the liberal life.
Have you ever noticed any articles ever- that are pro christian in any left leaning publications? I never do. It seems a little odd to me given that 80% of folks claim some form of Christianity. You'd think that the owners of such publications might read the same polls that I do and try to cater to their potential audience. Barack Obama claims to be a Christian. He went to church before he was elected President. Since that time, I think church has become inconvenient for him. I am willing to bet anyone, anywhere- any amount, my house even- that Barack Obama has played golf more times than he has attended church since becoming President.
I think you get my point. Our culture claims to be Christian yet I don't think most folks actually are and certainly not anywhere near 80%. I think any number of Christian scholars would agree with me.
The idea of God is inconvenient to most people. They see no utility in it. There is no chain of evidence other than the Bible, no historical marker denoting the Garden of Eden, no Arc of the Covenant sitting at the Smithsonian for them to gape at. So God becomes impossible to believe in for those educated types who are always demanding proof. They are busy anyway- being smart and acquiring things. They see no payoff- no immediate gratification in Christianity.
I was that way once. Completely self absorbed. I didn't understand the concept of unconditional love or the complete and utter fairness contained in the saved by grace concept. I didn't understand anything other than the "what's in this for me" angle because like most Americans- that's all I ever really thought about. Me. What's in it for me.
So that's who we really are. People too busy with their lives, too busy accumulating things, too busy to be bothered with some "fairy tale" written by men in desperate need of hope. They are too intelligent to believe in divine intervention with its lack of proof. They see no utility in faith, no usefulness in the great courage true believers possess. Please forgive me if I don't buy into this cultural delusion where 80% of people claim to be Christians.
The truth is- the Christians that I know act like Christians. They are not ashamed of who they are. They go to church, they help others, they try desperately to do the right things. And they are a super minority. In fact, had that poll claimed that 20% of Americans saw themselves as Christian- I might have believed that figure instead and I think that is far closer to the real truth anyway.
Real Christians understand that we are saved by grace. By unconditional love, love that is available to all men, even the Hitlers and the Ted Bundys of the world despite our overwhelming urge for justice, condemnation, and punishment. Were we saved by deeds alone, including lying about being Christians, it is doubtful that any of us would walk through the pearly gates.
Last Saturday, I wrote this piece. It was up for a bit and then I took it down. I wrote this because I was angry at all of these alleged "Christians", these people who claim to be Christian but do nothing Christian like. Many are self centered, money worshipping leftists- people who claim to be charitable so long as that charity comes at someone else's expense. These are people who do good deeds so long as they derive some self serving benefit like a resume' boost or personal accolade. People should do all of those charitable things, those good deeds, not because it serves their egos but because it's the right thing to do. So I took the blog down because I was angry and that angry tone leaked through. And I thought, how could I make my point and support the position? And then it hit me tonight.
I spent 25 years in the Wood River Valley. Without a doubt, the Ketchum- Sun Valley area is where the leftists live. It is where the biggest millionaires and billionaires fly in with their jets to spend a few weeks in their castles. It is where George Allen, Warren Buffet, and all of the money Gods meet to socialize and discuss ways of making even more money. There are literally thousands of trust funders in the Wood River Valley, old money, kids living on vast sums of inherited money. They inhabit every walk of life. Many of them get involved in local politics. Many are entitled and rude acting, sometimes I think they forget who earned the money in the first place. But there was one common denominator that had gone missing all of those years. I never, ever, saw them go to church or behave in a fashion that would lead you to believe that they were Christians. They will not talk about Christ. The topic is taboo. They simply didn't do that. Ever.
Now I have to be honest and tell you that I have been a sorry excuse for a Christian myself. I attended church rarely, usually only on Easter or Christmas. I attended at other times but it was infrequent at best. But I knew the people with money in that valley- people tend to talk about things like that- and if I knew a thousand millionaires and trust funders- I did not know 50 of them who attended church regularly. Which leads me back to the finish line and my aha moment. Of the hundreds, if not thousands of rich people that I knew- how come I never saw them in church nor did I ever hear them publicly support Christian endeavors? Were they hiding in the closet? Ashamed to be Christian?
The entitled rich were very often- completely self absorbed. Oh they flit about and do good deeds but not for the reasons that a Christian might. They'd throw money at charitable causes because that was easy and it made them feel good about themselves. But you never ever saw them roll up their own sleeves and serve dinner to the homeless. They'd buy the town fireworks so that their children would have those 4th of July memories- just so long as people knew who paid- and maybe that would help fast track the government permitting process with whatever projects they had in the pipeline. That's how wealthy folks think. They will give to charity but never selflessly- like a Christian person might. They are too busy and too distracted for church. They see no useful purpose- they see wasted time instead. They are too busy with all of their money, their possessions, and their entertainment needs to waste time in church. So they don't go. It's just not important to them- there is always something more important than practicing Christianity. I wondered if the rich, leftists in Sun Valley would claim 80% on that Christian poll. Probably. Here's the good news. They too, are saved by grace just like Hitler or Bundy.
Item last. While scanning the obituaries last night in the local paper, it suddenly struck me that virtually nobody in that valley has a Christian type church service. While that may not be certain proof- it tends to support my view that most of the people I know are dying in the absence of a community church. I knew about half of them personally, a couple of them very well. I found it interesting that the overwhelming majority of deceased persons and their families, perhaps 18 of 20, were either having a non-religious memorial (no church) service or no funeral service at all.
Things have certainly changed in my lifetime.
People don't want to be held responsible for their actions. They want what they want. The Supreme Court set aside their own 80% super majority Christian lean and decided one of those issues in Roe v Wade.
It's not just the 53.5 million abortions that women have been chalking up since the early 70's- it's the 53.5 million fathers who went along with that plan and should have had at least some say in the outcome. Sure there are a few frequent flyers or people that have had more than one abortion- but 80 million Christians landed on abortion as their method of birth control?
Recently the pro choice "Planned Parenthood" or "Non-Planned Parenthood" depending on the amount of responsibility you attach to unprotected sex- has been caught bartering and selling parts of fetuses.
Another proud moment for the left and those 8 of 10 Christians who dwell in the liberal life.
Have you ever noticed any articles ever- that are pro christian in any left leaning publications? I never do. It seems a little odd to me given that 80% of folks claim some form of Christianity. You'd think that the owners of such publications might read the same polls that I do and try to cater to their potential audience. Barack Obama claims to be a Christian. He went to church before he was elected President. Since that time, I think church has become inconvenient for him. I am willing to bet anyone, anywhere- any amount, my house even- that Barack Obama has played golf more times than he has attended church since becoming President.
I think you get my point. Our culture claims to be Christian yet I don't think most folks actually are and certainly not anywhere near 80%. I think any number of Christian scholars would agree with me.
The idea of God is inconvenient to most people. They see no utility in it. There is no chain of evidence other than the Bible, no historical marker denoting the Garden of Eden, no Arc of the Covenant sitting at the Smithsonian for them to gape at. So God becomes impossible to believe in for those educated types who are always demanding proof. They are busy anyway- being smart and acquiring things. They see no payoff- no immediate gratification in Christianity.
I was that way once. Completely self absorbed. I didn't understand the concept of unconditional love or the complete and utter fairness contained in the saved by grace concept. I didn't understand anything other than the "what's in this for me" angle because like most Americans- that's all I ever really thought about. Me. What's in it for me.
So that's who we really are. People too busy with their lives, too busy accumulating things, too busy to be bothered with some "fairy tale" written by men in desperate need of hope. They are too intelligent to believe in divine intervention with its lack of proof. They see no utility in faith, no usefulness in the great courage true believers possess. Please forgive me if I don't buy into this cultural delusion where 80% of people claim to be Christians.
The truth is- the Christians that I know act like Christians. They are not ashamed of who they are. They go to church, they help others, they try desperately to do the right things. And they are a super minority. In fact, had that poll claimed that 20% of Americans saw themselves as Christian- I might have believed that figure instead and I think that is far closer to the real truth anyway.
Real Christians understand that we are saved by grace. By unconditional love, love that is available to all men, even the Hitlers and the Ted Bundys of the world despite our overwhelming urge for justice, condemnation, and punishment. Were we saved by deeds alone, including lying about being Christians, it is doubtful that any of us would walk through the pearly gates.
Last Saturday, I wrote this piece. It was up for a bit and then I took it down. I wrote this because I was angry at all of these alleged "Christians", these people who claim to be Christian but do nothing Christian like. Many are self centered, money worshipping leftists- people who claim to be charitable so long as that charity comes at someone else's expense. These are people who do good deeds so long as they derive some self serving benefit like a resume' boost or personal accolade. People should do all of those charitable things, those good deeds, not because it serves their egos but because it's the right thing to do. So I took the blog down because I was angry and that angry tone leaked through. And I thought, how could I make my point and support the position? And then it hit me tonight.
I spent 25 years in the Wood River Valley. Without a doubt, the Ketchum- Sun Valley area is where the leftists live. It is where the biggest millionaires and billionaires fly in with their jets to spend a few weeks in their castles. It is where George Allen, Warren Buffet, and all of the money Gods meet to socialize and discuss ways of making even more money. There are literally thousands of trust funders in the Wood River Valley, old money, kids living on vast sums of inherited money. They inhabit every walk of life. Many of them get involved in local politics. Many are entitled and rude acting, sometimes I think they forget who earned the money in the first place. But there was one common denominator that had gone missing all of those years. I never, ever, saw them go to church or behave in a fashion that would lead you to believe that they were Christians. They will not talk about Christ. The topic is taboo. They simply didn't do that. Ever.
Now I have to be honest and tell you that I have been a sorry excuse for a Christian myself. I attended church rarely, usually only on Easter or Christmas. I attended at other times but it was infrequent at best. But I knew the people with money in that valley- people tend to talk about things like that- and if I knew a thousand millionaires and trust funders- I did not know 50 of them who attended church regularly. Which leads me back to the finish line and my aha moment. Of the hundreds, if not thousands of rich people that I knew- how come I never saw them in church nor did I ever hear them publicly support Christian endeavors? Were they hiding in the closet? Ashamed to be Christian?
The entitled rich were very often- completely self absorbed. Oh they flit about and do good deeds but not for the reasons that a Christian might. They'd throw money at charitable causes because that was easy and it made them feel good about themselves. But you never ever saw them roll up their own sleeves and serve dinner to the homeless. They'd buy the town fireworks so that their children would have those 4th of July memories- just so long as people knew who paid- and maybe that would help fast track the government permitting process with whatever projects they had in the pipeline. That's how wealthy folks think. They will give to charity but never selflessly- like a Christian person might. They are too busy and too distracted for church. They see no useful purpose- they see wasted time instead. They are too busy with all of their money, their possessions, and their entertainment needs to waste time in church. So they don't go. It's just not important to them- there is always something more important than practicing Christianity. I wondered if the rich, leftists in Sun Valley would claim 80% on that Christian poll. Probably. Here's the good news. They too, are saved by grace just like Hitler or Bundy.
Item last. While scanning the obituaries last night in the local paper, it suddenly struck me that virtually nobody in that valley has a Christian type church service. While that may not be certain proof- it tends to support my view that most of the people I know are dying in the absence of a community church. I knew about half of them personally, a couple of them very well. I found it interesting that the overwhelming majority of deceased persons and their families, perhaps 18 of 20, were either having a non-religious memorial (no church) service or no funeral service at all.
Things have certainly changed in my lifetime.
Sunday, July 19, 2015
The First Thing We Do, Let's Kill All the Bankers- The Sunday Collage
All:
God save your majesty!
Cade:
I thank you, good people—there shall be no money; all shall eat
and drink on my score, and I will apparel them all in one livery,
that they may agree like brothers, and worship me their lord.
Dick:
The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers.
Cade:
Nay, that I mean to do.
Henry The Sixth, Part 2 Act 4, scene 2, 71–78
Shakespeare wrote those lines as he tried to convey the thoughts and feelings of the oppressed. I have always thought Shakespeare chose the wrong profession to lash out at. It's a fine piece of trickery that after all these centuries- the people of America or any where else for that matter- still haven't figured out who the bad guys are. I don't think it's the lawyers.
Thirty years ago, I lost my first job in policing due in large part- to the fraudulent practices of the banking sector. It is an amazing thing- that moment when you become enlightened for the first time in your life and you discover the truth- and the truth doesn't set you free.
In the mid-80's, I had a very dear friend sit me down and ask me what I knew about money. The truth was- I didn't know anything about money. I knew somebody printed it and that I had some in the bank. That was probably the extent of my knowledge about money. The vast majority of Americans don't know anything about the "Federal Reserve" or the "gold standard." They don't know anything about money because the oligarchy that runs this country- and when I say oligarchy I really mean the bankers- don't want you to know anything. Because what you don't know, buys the bankers very nice real estate in the Hamptons without having to turn one greasy wrench or produce one basket of fruit. Bankers don't produce anything. They simply rip stupid people off, churn and skim their investment and retirement accounts, charge compound interest for loans with money that either doesn't exist or isn't theirs anyway. Geezus what a scam. The only time Christ was ever angry was at the "moneychangers."
I think nearly 95% of the people in this country are completely ignorant about our "money" system and how it works. That is not an oversight or coincidence. That education was skipped on purpose. Instead we hear bullshit about "manifest destiny" or "American exceptionalism." How many of you have heard of Jekyll Island and the bankers who carved out the Federal Reserve Bank back in 1910 or so? Can you remember what class in high school or college that you first learned of it?
In the mid- 80's I read a book entitled, "Money." That book is no longer available. What that book described to me was a privately owned "Federal Reserve Bank" with undisclosed stock holders. It described how banks exchange credits on ledgers and how each new loan creates more "money" and more debt. It explained leverage and loan to reserve requirements. It described the bankruptcy of the United States in 1933 when FDR seized gold by executive order and once gold was in the custody of the U.S. government- it was repriced from 20 bucks an ounce to 35 dollars an ounce. The private ownership of gold, with a few exceptions, became illegal. I want you to stop and think just for a second, how insane it is that possessing any innocuous and harmless item and in this case- a small piece of metal- could be deemed illegal. This is the same President who eight years later would issue an executive order which allowed the seizure of the bodies of lawful Japanese American citizens and put them in relocation camps. They were denied any and all human rights, stripped of their possessions and any type of due process, and carted away. Think about that.
The point being, is that the vast majority of Americans are stupid and cowardly. They are sheep. FDR proved this. Americans will believe any fucking thing irrespective of the real facts- just so long as they think the source of that information is credible. Once they buy in- they will then argue and often vehemently- that they are apprised of the "facts" and you are not. They practice cognitive dissonance based on deceptive beliefs brought about by the lies of politicians and echoed then by media sources.
If you don't believe people will blindly obey idiots in authority, read this fascinating link. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milgram_experiment
In 1971 while still on the gold standard, France was demanding debt payments in gold. Rather than give them all of our gold- President Nixon closed the gold window and told France they would be getting payments in Federal Reserve notes. No gold for you. Nixon also established the petro dollar. This was probably the greatest coup of his entire Presidency. It propped up our sagging dollar, created demand for it, and extended the life of the world's reserve currency. Nixon swapped the gold standard for the oil standard. A status that is quickly dissolving. http://www.forbes.com/sites/energysource/2014/05/29/the-colder-war-and-the-end-of-the-petrodollar/
After reading the book "Money" I realized that despite my superior government education including state university and a few economics courses, that I had been duped. How could any decent education not include the history and ownership of the Federal Reserve? It was almost as though (with the utmost sarcasm) that whoever was writing the textbooks forgot the chapter regarding the history of the Federal Reserve and our "money" system. We have an unbacked fiat currency masquerading as "money" which is nothing but worthless Federal Reserve debt notes. The only thing that gives Federal Reserve notes any value at all- is that the sheep are still accepting them in exchange for goods and services and still think they have some value.
It begs the question. If everyone believes a lie, does it not in fact, become truth?
The answer is yes, of course. We have all kinds of grand delusions in this country that people believe in and defend. Currently my favorite delusion is that people actually think we are financially solvent- that somehow we are going to magically pay off that 18.2 trillion dollar debt we owe. We are never going to pay that back. Just like Greece, just like Japan, just like Spain and Italy. Never gonna happen.
We have become just another debtor nation. Our debts far exceed our capacity to pay them. We are nothing but a giant Greece on steroids. The only thing we have going for us is that the dollar still retains it's status as reserve currency and other countries are forced to use it. We can't even print our way out of this mess. Can you imagine what would happen if everyone owning bonds and equities suddenly sold and demanded the proceeds in cash? Trillions upon trillions of dollars? Our fiat currency system would simply collapse. We don't have trillions of dollars laying around and we sure as shit don't have trillions of dollars worth of gold laying around either. The demand for "money" or "gold" would simply out strip our country's capacity to meet those demands. We would default.
That in fact is why countries and banks around the world are beginning to talk about eliminating currency entirely. They are so vastly over leveraged with unbacked monopoly money and debt- that they can't possibly meet huge demands from the public for cash or precious metals. So the future is starting to emerge. Bankers will bribe politicians with loans, future jobs, and re-election funds into issuing card or chip like instruments. Politicians will then sell this idea to the vast majority of useful idiots by telling them how much it will save everyone, like they did with Obamacare. They will no longer have to waste time and revenue printing "money." The liberals and their media mouthpieces will begin by trumpeting all of the benefits of this newly thought out idea unto the unwashed masses.
Mark my words. This will happen. And your idiot countrymen will make it so.
Collectively, people are stupid. Politicians know that. That's why they lie to get elected. It works. Because there is never a shortage of idiots willing to believe what politicians say. P.T. Barnum said there's a sucker born every minute. I believe Barnum grossly understated that. There are hundreds of suckers born every minute.
Can you imagine being a 70 year old Greek citizen right now? Is that how you want to wind up? Your money seized and reliant on someone else's goodwill?
In 16 years or so, I am going to be a 70 year old citizen of the greatest debtor nation to ever evolve on the face of planet Earth. I've got a couple of decisions to make.
Do I stay and take my chances that in 16 years I won't wind up like some old Greek begging for my money? Do I try to protect what little wealth I have and prepare for the distinct possibility of a US default or a dollar collapse? Do I get the hell out of here?
The Big Finish
In 1987, I found myself in a world of trouble because my best friend and his family had discovered how corrupt the banking system had become. They opened their very own bank, off shore, and began to trade credits on books just as real banks do when paying off loans while entering debits and credits on electronic ledgers. No "money" ever changes hands. The banks didn't take too kindly to these "fraudulent" acts- the same acts they were committing by the way- and my friend and his family were prosecuted for bank fraud. I got in trouble for distributing 3 copies of the book "Money" to area judges.
I learned a couple things from that mess. No matter how idealistic or morally right you think you are- it is the people with power that run things. Money makes the wrong things- right. That's why in America right now, bankers own and run everything. They finance our wars and kill our children, they bribe our politicians with re-election money, they have people removed from appointed offices, they have destroyed the gold standard and mired our nation in trillions upon trillions in debt which we will never pay. Of course this will end badly- it's just a matter of when.
Our forefathers hated banking- and central banking in particular. They knew how dangerous it was.
“The central bank is an institution of the most deadly hostility existing against the Principles and form of our Constitution. I am an Enemy to all banks discounting bills or notes for anything but Coin. If the American People allow private banks to control the issuance of their currency, first by inflation and then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the People of all their Property until their Children will wake up homeless on the continent their Fathers conquered. ”
― Thomas Jefferson
Here's a great link from Doug Ross this morning on our banking overlords. http://directorblue.blogspot.com/2015/07/all-hail-our-banking-overlords.html
Now that the bankers have all the money, power, and are demonstrably above the reach of the law- how are we going to get our country back?
With all due respect to Mr. Shakespeare, I know where I would start.
God save your majesty!
Cade:
I thank you, good people—there shall be no money; all shall eat
and drink on my score, and I will apparel them all in one livery,
that they may agree like brothers, and worship me their lord.
Dick:
The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers.
Cade:
Nay, that I mean to do.
Henry The Sixth, Part 2 Act 4, scene 2, 71–78
Shakespeare wrote those lines as he tried to convey the thoughts and feelings of the oppressed. I have always thought Shakespeare chose the wrong profession to lash out at. It's a fine piece of trickery that after all these centuries- the people of America or any where else for that matter- still haven't figured out who the bad guys are. I don't think it's the lawyers.
Thirty years ago, I lost my first job in policing due in large part- to the fraudulent practices of the banking sector. It is an amazing thing- that moment when you become enlightened for the first time in your life and you discover the truth- and the truth doesn't set you free.
In the mid-80's, I had a very dear friend sit me down and ask me what I knew about money. The truth was- I didn't know anything about money. I knew somebody printed it and that I had some in the bank. That was probably the extent of my knowledge about money. The vast majority of Americans don't know anything about the "Federal Reserve" or the "gold standard." They don't know anything about money because the oligarchy that runs this country- and when I say oligarchy I really mean the bankers- don't want you to know anything. Because what you don't know, buys the bankers very nice real estate in the Hamptons without having to turn one greasy wrench or produce one basket of fruit. Bankers don't produce anything. They simply rip stupid people off, churn and skim their investment and retirement accounts, charge compound interest for loans with money that either doesn't exist or isn't theirs anyway. Geezus what a scam. The only time Christ was ever angry was at the "moneychangers."
I think nearly 95% of the people in this country are completely ignorant about our "money" system and how it works. That is not an oversight or coincidence. That education was skipped on purpose. Instead we hear bullshit about "manifest destiny" or "American exceptionalism." How many of you have heard of Jekyll Island and the bankers who carved out the Federal Reserve Bank back in 1910 or so? Can you remember what class in high school or college that you first learned of it?
In the mid- 80's I read a book entitled, "Money." That book is no longer available. What that book described to me was a privately owned "Federal Reserve Bank" with undisclosed stock holders. It described how banks exchange credits on ledgers and how each new loan creates more "money" and more debt. It explained leverage and loan to reserve requirements. It described the bankruptcy of the United States in 1933 when FDR seized gold by executive order and once gold was in the custody of the U.S. government- it was repriced from 20 bucks an ounce to 35 dollars an ounce. The private ownership of gold, with a few exceptions, became illegal. I want you to stop and think just for a second, how insane it is that possessing any innocuous and harmless item and in this case- a small piece of metal- could be deemed illegal. This is the same President who eight years later would issue an executive order which allowed the seizure of the bodies of lawful Japanese American citizens and put them in relocation camps. They were denied any and all human rights, stripped of their possessions and any type of due process, and carted away. Think about that.
The point being, is that the vast majority of Americans are stupid and cowardly. They are sheep. FDR proved this. Americans will believe any fucking thing irrespective of the real facts- just so long as they think the source of that information is credible. Once they buy in- they will then argue and often vehemently- that they are apprised of the "facts" and you are not. They practice cognitive dissonance based on deceptive beliefs brought about by the lies of politicians and echoed then by media sources.
If you don't believe people will blindly obey idiots in authority, read this fascinating link. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milgram_experiment
In 1971 while still on the gold standard, France was demanding debt payments in gold. Rather than give them all of our gold- President Nixon closed the gold window and told France they would be getting payments in Federal Reserve notes. No gold for you. Nixon also established the petro dollar. This was probably the greatest coup of his entire Presidency. It propped up our sagging dollar, created demand for it, and extended the life of the world's reserve currency. Nixon swapped the gold standard for the oil standard. A status that is quickly dissolving. http://www.forbes.com/sites/energysource/2014/05/29/the-colder-war-and-the-end-of-the-petrodollar/
After reading the book "Money" I realized that despite my superior government education including state university and a few economics courses, that I had been duped. How could any decent education not include the history and ownership of the Federal Reserve? It was almost as though (with the utmost sarcasm) that whoever was writing the textbooks forgot the chapter regarding the history of the Federal Reserve and our "money" system. We have an unbacked fiat currency masquerading as "money" which is nothing but worthless Federal Reserve debt notes. The only thing that gives Federal Reserve notes any value at all- is that the sheep are still accepting them in exchange for goods and services and still think they have some value.
It begs the question. If everyone believes a lie, does it not in fact, become truth?
The answer is yes, of course. We have all kinds of grand delusions in this country that people believe in and defend. Currently my favorite delusion is that people actually think we are financially solvent- that somehow we are going to magically pay off that 18.2 trillion dollar debt we owe. We are never going to pay that back. Just like Greece, just like Japan, just like Spain and Italy. Never gonna happen.
We have become just another debtor nation. Our debts far exceed our capacity to pay them. We are nothing but a giant Greece on steroids. The only thing we have going for us is that the dollar still retains it's status as reserve currency and other countries are forced to use it. We can't even print our way out of this mess. Can you imagine what would happen if everyone owning bonds and equities suddenly sold and demanded the proceeds in cash? Trillions upon trillions of dollars? Our fiat currency system would simply collapse. We don't have trillions of dollars laying around and we sure as shit don't have trillions of dollars worth of gold laying around either. The demand for "money" or "gold" would simply out strip our country's capacity to meet those demands. We would default.
That in fact is why countries and banks around the world are beginning to talk about eliminating currency entirely. They are so vastly over leveraged with unbacked monopoly money and debt- that they can't possibly meet huge demands from the public for cash or precious metals. So the future is starting to emerge. Bankers will bribe politicians with loans, future jobs, and re-election funds into issuing card or chip like instruments. Politicians will then sell this idea to the vast majority of useful idiots by telling them how much it will save everyone, like they did with Obamacare. They will no longer have to waste time and revenue printing "money." The liberals and their media mouthpieces will begin by trumpeting all of the benefits of this newly thought out idea unto the unwashed masses.
Mark my words. This will happen. And your idiot countrymen will make it so.
Collectively, people are stupid. Politicians know that. That's why they lie to get elected. It works. Because there is never a shortage of idiots willing to believe what politicians say. P.T. Barnum said there's a sucker born every minute. I believe Barnum grossly understated that. There are hundreds of suckers born every minute.
Can you imagine being a 70 year old Greek citizen right now? Is that how you want to wind up? Your money seized and reliant on someone else's goodwill?
In 16 years or so, I am going to be a 70 year old citizen of the greatest debtor nation to ever evolve on the face of planet Earth. I've got a couple of decisions to make.
Do I stay and take my chances that in 16 years I won't wind up like some old Greek begging for my money? Do I try to protect what little wealth I have and prepare for the distinct possibility of a US default or a dollar collapse? Do I get the hell out of here?
The Big Finish
In 1987, I found myself in a world of trouble because my best friend and his family had discovered how corrupt the banking system had become. They opened their very own bank, off shore, and began to trade credits on books just as real banks do when paying off loans while entering debits and credits on electronic ledgers. No "money" ever changes hands. The banks didn't take too kindly to these "fraudulent" acts- the same acts they were committing by the way- and my friend and his family were prosecuted for bank fraud. I got in trouble for distributing 3 copies of the book "Money" to area judges.
I learned a couple things from that mess. No matter how idealistic or morally right you think you are- it is the people with power that run things. Money makes the wrong things- right. That's why in America right now, bankers own and run everything. They finance our wars and kill our children, they bribe our politicians with re-election money, they have people removed from appointed offices, they have destroyed the gold standard and mired our nation in trillions upon trillions in debt which we will never pay. Of course this will end badly- it's just a matter of when.
Our forefathers hated banking- and central banking in particular. They knew how dangerous it was.
“The central bank is an institution of the most deadly hostility existing against the Principles and form of our Constitution. I am an Enemy to all banks discounting bills or notes for anything but Coin. If the American People allow private banks to control the issuance of their currency, first by inflation and then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the People of all their Property until their Children will wake up homeless on the continent their Fathers conquered. ”
― Thomas Jefferson
Here's a great link from Doug Ross this morning on our banking overlords. http://directorblue.blogspot.com/2015/07/all-hail-our-banking-overlords.html
Now that the bankers have all the money, power, and are demonstrably above the reach of the law- how are we going to get our country back?
With all due respect to Mr. Shakespeare, I know where I would start.
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
What Is Happening in Precious Metals?
Every one of us who own precious metals have been subjected to one of the most manipulated bear markets of all time. If you are somewhat emotionally normal, the damage has been intense. Like many of you- I have lost credibility with friends and family.
While a share of that sexy, growth stock Whirlpool fiddles around at nearly 200 bucks- the price of silver has been cut nearly 70% since the April '11 highs.
On message boards everywhere- PM owners are disgusted, frustrated, and angry. Never have they seen so much worthless fiat currency masquerading as "money." Debt levels are obscene. The PM bear has entered it's 5th year. It's almost over. We have one last, blood in the streets phase to endure- it's playing out right now and I expect it to get worse and wash out the last, weak hands in the early fall.
A little over a month ago, I bookmarked the page of a guy who makes a lot of sense to me. In fact, I actually sold a little gold around 1220 based on what he said and I am expecting to buy it back around 950-1050 level and add more. I believe silver will sink to 12 and present the best buying opportunity of my life.
We only have about 7 more weeks worth of carnage. Here's that bookmarked page from Gary Savage. So far he's been dead on. http://blog.smartmoneytrackerpremium.com/2015/06/gold-surviving-the-last-few-months-of-the-bear-market-part-ii.html
While a share of that sexy, growth stock Whirlpool fiddles around at nearly 200 bucks- the price of silver has been cut nearly 70% since the April '11 highs.
On message boards everywhere- PM owners are disgusted, frustrated, and angry. Never have they seen so much worthless fiat currency masquerading as "money." Debt levels are obscene. The PM bear has entered it's 5th year. It's almost over. We have one last, blood in the streets phase to endure- it's playing out right now and I expect it to get worse and wash out the last, weak hands in the early fall.
A little over a month ago, I bookmarked the page of a guy who makes a lot of sense to me. In fact, I actually sold a little gold around 1220 based on what he said and I am expecting to buy it back around 950-1050 level and add more. I believe silver will sink to 12 and present the best buying opportunity of my life.
We only have about 7 more weeks worth of carnage. Here's that bookmarked page from Gary Savage. So far he's been dead on. http://blog.smartmoneytrackerpremium.com/2015/06/gold-surviving-the-last-few-months-of-the-bear-market-part-ii.html
Saturday, July 11, 2015
We Make Time For Those Things Which Are Important To Us- The Sunday Collage
The year 2007 was a magical year for me. It was the year I repaired my life.
One of the many emotional gifts I was given that year was the simple phrase, "We make time for the people and things which are important to us." I hadn't ever really stopped to consider that in a positive way. Since that time, I have used that simple logic- which I believe is nearly always accurate- to invest in some relationships and de-invest in others. It is how I go about the task of sorting out who I am going to spend time with. Equally important is that I allow other people in my life to distance themselves from me and I don't worry about why that happens or why they chose to do that. I don't feel an overwhelming sense of guilt- not like I used to- when I can't rekindle an old friendship or spend hours dwelling on what it was exactly, that I did wrong and how I can try to make it right. That is emotionally taxing.
Last night, I had a 30 minute conversation with a complete stranger in a grocery store parking lot. I am sorry that I had to cut it short. Crazy, huh?
We had been in the store together, waiting in line. He was about my age, a little older perhaps- excellent physique and well dressed. He had a kind, soft voice. As he spoke with the cashier and bagged his things- I assumed that he was gay. Let me say for the record that very often I am full of shit and I certainly was last night. He wasn't gay at all- he was just a very well kept, well groomed man who is very active. This I found out later as we talked in the parking lot.
I had followed him out of the store. His Lexus SUV was parked right next to the best looking Roadking in all of Boise. That's how it started. He told me that he had just sold an anniversary Heritage (with 2000 miles on it!) he had received from a client as payment. That statement alone caused my brain to explode. I asked him if it was a 2003 and indeed it was. He had gotten 9 grand for it which was a pretty good deal. It still had the original tires. I have known lawyers who accept bartered goods for services rendered and as it turns out- that is exactly what had happened.
He told me that the bike was really only worth half what the guy actually owed him. Being a closet lawyer hater and Harley lover- I quickly surmised that the bike was probably worth twice what the lawyer had spent in actual, billable hours.
At any rate, I do have lawyer friends that I like- in as much as I detest the legal profession in general. I liked this guy immediately. We talked about a wide range of things- it was just one of those random conversations where everything flows and makes sense. We talked about a lot of things, including the recent death of his daughter. There is not enough guilt in the world it seems for parents who lose children. That horrible event has always broken my heart. It is tragic and I'm not sure parents ever, really, get over it. The truth is, I'm sure some do- I just haven't met any of them yet.
Of all the things we talked about, we discovered that we had several mutual friends in the Twin Falls area. One of them was a local cop who I used to work with. He got in trouble with drugs and for some time- that event ruined his marriage, his kids, and his life. I don't know if he served time over it. I do know that this officer was one of the funniest and most fearless cops I had ever met. I always loved working with him because he was so hilarious. As I spoke with my new found friend, he said that he and his wife used to be very close friends with that couple and that they had made several attempts to re-connect with them. Even though they seemed excited about the prospect- the re-union never materialized. In many ways, I think that's a shame.
I was immediately reminded that there are a couple of friends like that in my life and I think in some sense- that they really would like to get together again but for reasons undisclosed- they simply do not. It's not because I haven't tried. The truth is, I may have emotionally damaged them. Both of them are significant grudge holders. When they perceive that others have "damaged" them- they simply ignore them. Oh they pretend to be nice, but the truth is- they simply lack the capacity for forgiveness. When they screw other people over which both of them have done- they are very adept at rationalizing their own decisions as necessary and justified.
Going through life and holding "grudges" is no way to live your life. I can't carry around that bag of angst, animosity, and guilt anymore. Holding grudges or being ashamed of what you have said or done, is really a shitty way to live your life. It's wasteful and not useful. Understanding that, and not taking things personally was certainly a part of the list of emotional repairs that I made way back in 2007... which brings me back to our big finish.
People make mistakes and people fail us. That's what people do. We all do it. Very often I think, relationships must simply run their course. Sometimes, people enter our lives for mysterious reasons and then they exit. Perhaps they are there to teach us something about ourselves. Sometimes they are just convenient. Rarely, if ever, do friendships stand the test of time. I have one friend, who I talk to monthly, which has gone on now for 40 years. I have a few more frienships in the 20 year range. The rest of them just seem to come and go. I am ok with that- actually I am very thankful for the one friendship that has lasted 40 years. Thank you Doug.
In my life, I make time for the things that are important to me. If someone is not making time for you- then you will probably have to accept the fact that for whatever reason- you are simply no longer important to them. What ever type of relationship you once had with them- has been damaged or has probably run it's course. That's how I sort out the people in my life. I will make an effort or two, an invitation to do something with them- and if they want to- I know they'll make time for me. If they don't want to spend time with me- I accept that also- despite the spin or little lies they might use to escape my invitation. I no longer waste my own time trying to figure out what I did wrong. The only wrong thing I think, is not extending an invitation in the first place. Beyond that, I let people make their choices and just be who they are.
If any given person wants you in their life- they'll find the time. If not, they won't. I pay attention to what people actually do and dismiss virtually everything they say in those situations. It works well.
I think had I opened this conversation up last night in that grocery store parking lot we might have talked all night. It was fun talking to a complete stranger. There is something very authentic and truthful when you can discuss life with a total stranger free of the baggage and untruthfulness of a shared history. I thought about that conversation a lot last night.
People can't even make eye contact or say "hi" in the big city- can you imagine this conversation ever happening in Manhattan? Never. Ever. I love living in small town America. In a way, making time for a stranger in a parking lot says- I will make time for you, you matter to me. A complete stranger. Kind of interesting isn't it?
One of the many emotional gifts I was given that year was the simple phrase, "We make time for the people and things which are important to us." I hadn't ever really stopped to consider that in a positive way. Since that time, I have used that simple logic- which I believe is nearly always accurate- to invest in some relationships and de-invest in others. It is how I go about the task of sorting out who I am going to spend time with. Equally important is that I allow other people in my life to distance themselves from me and I don't worry about why that happens or why they chose to do that. I don't feel an overwhelming sense of guilt- not like I used to- when I can't rekindle an old friendship or spend hours dwelling on what it was exactly, that I did wrong and how I can try to make it right. That is emotionally taxing.
Last night, I had a 30 minute conversation with a complete stranger in a grocery store parking lot. I am sorry that I had to cut it short. Crazy, huh?
We had been in the store together, waiting in line. He was about my age, a little older perhaps- excellent physique and well dressed. He had a kind, soft voice. As he spoke with the cashier and bagged his things- I assumed that he was gay. Let me say for the record that very often I am full of shit and I certainly was last night. He wasn't gay at all- he was just a very well kept, well groomed man who is very active. This I found out later as we talked in the parking lot.
I had followed him out of the store. His Lexus SUV was parked right next to the best looking Roadking in all of Boise. That's how it started. He told me that he had just sold an anniversary Heritage (with 2000 miles on it!) he had received from a client as payment. That statement alone caused my brain to explode. I asked him if it was a 2003 and indeed it was. He had gotten 9 grand for it which was a pretty good deal. It still had the original tires. I have known lawyers who accept bartered goods for services rendered and as it turns out- that is exactly what had happened.
He told me that the bike was really only worth half what the guy actually owed him. Being a closet lawyer hater and Harley lover- I quickly surmised that the bike was probably worth twice what the lawyer had spent in actual, billable hours.
At any rate, I do have lawyer friends that I like- in as much as I detest the legal profession in general. I liked this guy immediately. We talked about a wide range of things- it was just one of those random conversations where everything flows and makes sense. We talked about a lot of things, including the recent death of his daughter. There is not enough guilt in the world it seems for parents who lose children. That horrible event has always broken my heart. It is tragic and I'm not sure parents ever, really, get over it. The truth is, I'm sure some do- I just haven't met any of them yet.
Of all the things we talked about, we discovered that we had several mutual friends in the Twin Falls area. One of them was a local cop who I used to work with. He got in trouble with drugs and for some time- that event ruined his marriage, his kids, and his life. I don't know if he served time over it. I do know that this officer was one of the funniest and most fearless cops I had ever met. I always loved working with him because he was so hilarious. As I spoke with my new found friend, he said that he and his wife used to be very close friends with that couple and that they had made several attempts to re-connect with them. Even though they seemed excited about the prospect- the re-union never materialized. In many ways, I think that's a shame.
I was immediately reminded that there are a couple of friends like that in my life and I think in some sense- that they really would like to get together again but for reasons undisclosed- they simply do not. It's not because I haven't tried. The truth is, I may have emotionally damaged them. Both of them are significant grudge holders. When they perceive that others have "damaged" them- they simply ignore them. Oh they pretend to be nice, but the truth is- they simply lack the capacity for forgiveness. When they screw other people over which both of them have done- they are very adept at rationalizing their own decisions as necessary and justified.
Going through life and holding "grudges" is no way to live your life. I can't carry around that bag of angst, animosity, and guilt anymore. Holding grudges or being ashamed of what you have said or done, is really a shitty way to live your life. It's wasteful and not useful. Understanding that, and not taking things personally was certainly a part of the list of emotional repairs that I made way back in 2007... which brings me back to our big finish.
People make mistakes and people fail us. That's what people do. We all do it. Very often I think, relationships must simply run their course. Sometimes, people enter our lives for mysterious reasons and then they exit. Perhaps they are there to teach us something about ourselves. Sometimes they are just convenient. Rarely, if ever, do friendships stand the test of time. I have one friend, who I talk to monthly, which has gone on now for 40 years. I have a few more frienships in the 20 year range. The rest of them just seem to come and go. I am ok with that- actually I am very thankful for the one friendship that has lasted 40 years. Thank you Doug.
In my life, I make time for the things that are important to me. If someone is not making time for you- then you will probably have to accept the fact that for whatever reason- you are simply no longer important to them. What ever type of relationship you once had with them- has been damaged or has probably run it's course. That's how I sort out the people in my life. I will make an effort or two, an invitation to do something with them- and if they want to- I know they'll make time for me. If they don't want to spend time with me- I accept that also- despite the spin or little lies they might use to escape my invitation. I no longer waste my own time trying to figure out what I did wrong. The only wrong thing I think, is not extending an invitation in the first place. Beyond that, I let people make their choices and just be who they are.
If any given person wants you in their life- they'll find the time. If not, they won't. I pay attention to what people actually do and dismiss virtually everything they say in those situations. It works well.
I think had I opened this conversation up last night in that grocery store parking lot we might have talked all night. It was fun talking to a complete stranger. There is something very authentic and truthful when you can discuss life with a total stranger free of the baggage and untruthfulness of a shared history. I thought about that conversation a lot last night.
People can't even make eye contact or say "hi" in the big city- can you imagine this conversation ever happening in Manhattan? Never. Ever. I love living in small town America. In a way, making time for a stranger in a parking lot says- I will make time for you, you matter to me. A complete stranger. Kind of interesting isn't it?
Saturday, July 4, 2015
What A Patriot Is...
and what it is not, from Robert Reich. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-reich/on-patriotism_b_7727196.html
You should read this link closely. This is the kind of garbage posted routinely on Huffington Post. It is printed not because it is true or authentic- but because it is written by someone with all the proper liberal credentials.
I don't like Robert Reich. I consider him a statist and a socialist who votes all things liberal. He's enjoyed a silver spooned Ivy League education and he teaches at places like Harvard and UC Berkeley, home of Mr. Yellen. In short, Robert Reich is a socialist who has spent the vast majority of his life writing books on theory and feeding at the government trough.
Oddly enough, Reich's education does not qualify him as an expert on patriotism. The odd thing about ego maniacs and over achievers is that once they have been conferred with all kinds of academic honors- somehow they think they become experts on everything. Reich is no exception.
Which leads me back to Reich's definition of what a patriot is. Patriots, according to Reich's definition, are nice obedient workers who pay their taxes. You should also according to Reich's definition, support your government no matter how deceptive, dishonest, or criminal it has become. You should work from within, accomplishing nothing, while unrepresentative government shines the boots of corporate America and the oligarchy and steals as much as they can from you.
You see, we should support a government which passes bills without reading them, a government which encourages employees (Holder) to look the other way on the vast amounts of fraud committed by the criminal banking cabal. A government which authorizes gun sales to criminal, foreign murderers and covers up the deaths of patriots like Brian Terry. We should support the Federal Reserve which has manipulated and destroyed our money system, we should support a Secretary of State who allowed Benghazi employees to be murdered and then lied about the origins of that. A Secretary of State who has accepted countless foreign bribes and pocketed them. A Secretary of State who has obstructed justice while obliterating tens of thousands of emails bought and paid for, alas owned by, the citizens of this country.
Reich dated Hillary once. In the end, all things always tend to make sense.
With all due respect Robert Reich, you talk about patriotism like you know what that is. My definition of patriotism comes from patriots- those people with credible experience. People who were killed and wounded. People putting it on the line. Not people like you postulating about the theory of patriotism.
A patriot loves his country and realizes that it is his responsibility to hold government accountable. A patriot is honest and authentic. He does not condone immoral or illegal conduct from his government. In fact he knows the greatest single threat to freedom comes from his own government. A patriot believes in the Republic not the democracy. A patriot understands that the rights of the minority should be protected from the whims of the majority. He believes in the rule of law, not the rule of men. A patriot will die to protect his fellows. He marches into battle because he does not fear his death- believing instead that the next life will be better. In short and noticeably exclusive, I have never known a great patriot who was an atheist. It is an odd observation- one which surely must have it's exceptions- that most of the great patriots throughout history were Christians. Faith has always been the great enemy of fear.
Patriotism doesn't have a fucking thing to do with paying taxes or supporting criminals. I am so sick of "credentialed" people telling the rest of us "less thans" where that bear shits in the woods- as though kissing some Ivy League ass for a few years entitles you to become an expert on the subject of patriotism and tell the rest of us how to be good citizens. The statist version of patriotism always requires some blind obedience to leadership which has gone off the rails. You can bet the masses who once worshipped Hitler were once thought of as great patriots.
In short, it takes an actual, authentic patriot to define what a patriot is. With all due respect Robert Reich, you don't have the proper credentials.
Not so long ago. http://thecivillibertarian.blogspot.com/2015/06/when-honor-and-courage-mattered-sunday.html
You should read this link closely. This is the kind of garbage posted routinely on Huffington Post. It is printed not because it is true or authentic- but because it is written by someone with all the proper liberal credentials.
I don't like Robert Reich. I consider him a statist and a socialist who votes all things liberal. He's enjoyed a silver spooned Ivy League education and he teaches at places like Harvard and UC Berkeley, home of Mr. Yellen. In short, Robert Reich is a socialist who has spent the vast majority of his life writing books on theory and feeding at the government trough.
Oddly enough, Reich's education does not qualify him as an expert on patriotism. The odd thing about ego maniacs and over achievers is that once they have been conferred with all kinds of academic honors- somehow they think they become experts on everything. Reich is no exception.
Which leads me back to Reich's definition of what a patriot is. Patriots, according to Reich's definition, are nice obedient workers who pay their taxes. You should also according to Reich's definition, support your government no matter how deceptive, dishonest, or criminal it has become. You should work from within, accomplishing nothing, while unrepresentative government shines the boots of corporate America and the oligarchy and steals as much as they can from you.
You see, we should support a government which passes bills without reading them, a government which encourages employees (Holder) to look the other way on the vast amounts of fraud committed by the criminal banking cabal. A government which authorizes gun sales to criminal, foreign murderers and covers up the deaths of patriots like Brian Terry. We should support the Federal Reserve which has manipulated and destroyed our money system, we should support a Secretary of State who allowed Benghazi employees to be murdered and then lied about the origins of that. A Secretary of State who has accepted countless foreign bribes and pocketed them. A Secretary of State who has obstructed justice while obliterating tens of thousands of emails bought and paid for, alas owned by, the citizens of this country.
Reich dated Hillary once. In the end, all things always tend to make sense.
With all due respect Robert Reich, you talk about patriotism like you know what that is. My definition of patriotism comes from patriots- those people with credible experience. People who were killed and wounded. People putting it on the line. Not people like you postulating about the theory of patriotism.
A patriot loves his country and realizes that it is his responsibility to hold government accountable. A patriot is honest and authentic. He does not condone immoral or illegal conduct from his government. In fact he knows the greatest single threat to freedom comes from his own government. A patriot believes in the Republic not the democracy. A patriot understands that the rights of the minority should be protected from the whims of the majority. He believes in the rule of law, not the rule of men. A patriot will die to protect his fellows. He marches into battle because he does not fear his death- believing instead that the next life will be better. In short and noticeably exclusive, I have never known a great patriot who was an atheist. It is an odd observation- one which surely must have it's exceptions- that most of the great patriots throughout history were Christians. Faith has always been the great enemy of fear.
Patriotism doesn't have a fucking thing to do with paying taxes or supporting criminals. I am so sick of "credentialed" people telling the rest of us "less thans" where that bear shits in the woods- as though kissing some Ivy League ass for a few years entitles you to become an expert on the subject of patriotism and tell the rest of us how to be good citizens. The statist version of patriotism always requires some blind obedience to leadership which has gone off the rails. You can bet the masses who once worshipped Hitler were once thought of as great patriots.
In short, it takes an actual, authentic patriot to define what a patriot is. With all due respect Robert Reich, you don't have the proper credentials.
Not so long ago. http://thecivillibertarian.blogspot.com/2015/06/when-honor-and-courage-mattered-sunday.html
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