Days like this I marvel at the lack of intelligence in the world. Not yours, of course not. Other people. Rich and suddenly famous people. I lack understanding. I lack caring.
Thank God.
Today there was "breaking entertainment news" on my local news channel. Apparently Kim Kardashian has had all the marriage she can take. All 72 days of it. Marriage is a real let down after a nationally televised wedding extravaganza. Poor Kim. How will she top this? Please don't let me find out. Maybe she should take a sabbatical from reality TeeVee and just have a little reality.
Lindsay Lohan, Lilo, Bimbo. I'm sorry, I keep hearing that she is so talented. Really? When has she been out of trouble long enough to be talented? Seems like she played Hailey Mills when she was little. OK. Then she got drunk. Then she stayed drunk. Now she is going to "express myself" by posing for Playboy. I cannot believe that no one thought of this before! It's a career saver! It's a statement! It says, "who needs talent if you look good naked?" See Jenny McCarthy.
Michael Jackson died because he was the Rich, Spoiled King of Pop. I am sorry the man is dead. I am sorry he ruined his talent by being a drug addict. If you know the names of drugs used during surgery you have a drug problem. If you have a personal physician by your side you have a drug problem. I realize the damage this will do to LaToya's career, (we only see her when another Jackson is in trouble), but Michael killed himself one way or the other. "He didn't have a childhood". Makes it sound like he picked cotton during the depression.
"I didn't get to be a rock star". See. Nobody cares.
Dr. Murray's only crime is being a greedy doctor who wanted to hang out with Michael Jackson for tons of money and get him whatever drugs he wanted. It's called being a drug pusher with a license. Those drug pushers without a license don't get in near as much trouble. A member of my family died from a drug overdose. He bought those drugs off the street. There were no charges filed. There wasn't even a search for the drug pusher. Take Dr. Murray's medical license and accept that the King of Pop died from fame. And recklessness.
Herman Cain apparently had a little sexual harassment problem in the 90s. When will men learn to tell the truth first time? See Bill Clinton. Instead of vehemently denying the allegation and then "remembering" later on Fox News, just say, "there was a lawsuit, no charges were filed, on the advice of my lawyer I paid a small settlement. In my opinion my actions never reached the level of sexual harassment". Then take a picture of your penis and accidentally publish it to the world. Go to rehab.
Poor Kate Mittleton. She will forever be portrayed as looking fabulous. She will never be assumed to have a brain. My goodness there has to be something beneath the pretty. Maybe the media should delve into that instead of who she is wearing, what's on her head and where she got that scar.
Michelle Obama shops at Target. Alert the media. Of course someone did. Let the woman shop in peace. If she was shopping at Central Market she would be "elitist". Shopping at Target should really not draw media attention. Had she been denied service or was arrested for shop lifting, that would be news.
The World Series is over. I am not a huge baseball fan but I got caught up in the hype. The hometown boys of summer were going to the series. Game Six was the most intense baseball I have ever watched. It was heart wrenching. Game Seven it seemed like the Rangers wanted to lose. How does that happen? How do you not get up for the last game of the year? That is like using the worst take out of a studio session and burning it forever in plastic. Or having the best dress rehearsal and a horrible opening night. Professionals don't do that.
I am a rabid Cowboy fan. There is nothing I hate more for the Cowboys than losing to the Eagles. Losing a close game in Philly can make me sad for a week. Getting our ass kicked makes me want to kick a puppy, (no puppies were hurt in the writing of this blog). This is professional football. These men makes huge amounts of money to play a game. Maybe some of those millions should go to the fans for having to watch something that gross. C'mon Cowboys....you gotta score more points if you want to win. (Heard that little nugget from a broadcaster).
Last but not least, The Madoff family just had to write a book. Spare me. No sympathy. "We knew nothing so we wrote a book about it." "We tried to kill ourselves with pills but instead we woke up". Bernie didn't get to be a great grifter by not trying. Maybe he should have called in professional help. Where was Doctor Murray when you needed him?
Making friends wherever I go,
Lillybell Blues
Monday, October 31, 2011
Saturday, October 29, 2011
DEMENTIA, I will never look back on this and laugh
Never fails to stun me. Whatever the person on the other end of the phone is saying. It is about my parents. One or both. They reach a plateau and seem as if they will be there for a while and then, BAM. Things are bad. Things have gone from bad, to worse, to better, to worse, to awful, to too depressing to even discuss. Today is no exception.
Last phone call I had with my parents social worker they were doing well over all. Dad was the Cary Grant of the dementia ward and mom was simply withdrawing more everyday. Mom is confined to a wheel chair or a bed. Dad is still shuffling.
Mom and dad have been married since July 1945. I was born in 1953. The social worker asked me what mom was like without dad. How did she behave during her life when she wasn't in his presence. I had no idea. Not a clue. It has been so long since I saw one parent without the other I think of them as one unit. I cannot imagine one without the other.
While mom is all but a shell, my dad cannot be without her. He has no concept of what is wrong with her. We, we being the doctors, nurses, social workers and family, don't know if this is his dementia or denial or plain stubbornness.
Got the phone call today to let me know things are worse. My dad, the man who could lecture you to death and never hit you, smacked my mom in the face. Twice. Why? She grabbed his arm. Now the question is whether or not my parents can stay together. They have been together since 1945 how can they not be together? How can I separate them?
I may have no choice since dad is now considered a danger. This isn't his first violent outburst in the dementia ward. He has knocked out windows with his fists and hit another patient prior to this last incident.
If I have to move mom to a new room, that is an additional 35 hundred dollars a month for her room. That brings their basic needs to over 10 thousand dollars a month. You do the math. That is HUGE money. What will she get for that? A bedroom and care. Dad can't have a roommate since he is considered dangerous and the only man on the ward.
Please, learn from all this information. Dementia is cruel and more expensive than you can conceive. Having two parents afflicted and who have longevity in their genes, one of my parents could outlive me. Then I don't know what would happen to them.
Talk to your parents if they are still living. Find out what they want in the event they become your children. If your parents are not living I am sorry for your loss.
I also envy you every day.
LBB
Last phone call I had with my parents social worker they were doing well over all. Dad was the Cary Grant of the dementia ward and mom was simply withdrawing more everyday. Mom is confined to a wheel chair or a bed. Dad is still shuffling.
Mom and dad have been married since July 1945. I was born in 1953. The social worker asked me what mom was like without dad. How did she behave during her life when she wasn't in his presence. I had no idea. Not a clue. It has been so long since I saw one parent without the other I think of them as one unit. I cannot imagine one without the other.
While mom is all but a shell, my dad cannot be without her. He has no concept of what is wrong with her. We, we being the doctors, nurses, social workers and family, don't know if this is his dementia or denial or plain stubbornness.
Got the phone call today to let me know things are worse. My dad, the man who could lecture you to death and never hit you, smacked my mom in the face. Twice. Why? She grabbed his arm. Now the question is whether or not my parents can stay together. They have been together since 1945 how can they not be together? How can I separate them?
I may have no choice since dad is now considered a danger. This isn't his first violent outburst in the dementia ward. He has knocked out windows with his fists and hit another patient prior to this last incident.
If I have to move mom to a new room, that is an additional 35 hundred dollars a month for her room. That brings their basic needs to over 10 thousand dollars a month. You do the math. That is HUGE money. What will she get for that? A bedroom and care. Dad can't have a roommate since he is considered dangerous and the only man on the ward.
Please, learn from all this information. Dementia is cruel and more expensive than you can conceive. Having two parents afflicted and who have longevity in their genes, one of my parents could outlive me. Then I don't know what would happen to them.
Talk to your parents if they are still living. Find out what they want in the event they become your children. If your parents are not living I am sorry for your loss.
I also envy you every day.
LBB
LET'S TALK ABOUT BANKS
If you were to take the space inside an almond shell, that would be the amount of banking knowledge I hold. That is the deposit/withdrawal part of banking. I completely understand that segment of the industry. The rest of it is nebulous.
OH, I know that Bank of America can lose an original power of attorney. They lost one for me, thanks for that.
Other than that I am pretty blank on the subject but as always I don't let that stand in the way of having an opinion. Or two. Or several. So, here we go.
When I first married, as in the first time, I started to learn about credit. I learned from my new husband that in order to have credit you had to borrow money. Without credit you couldn't buy a car or a house or anything you couldn't afford. THAT should have been a clue. So the objective was to borrow money from a lending institution so you could pay it back to borrow more money.
See how clear that is? Me either. Why not just save money and then buy what you need? NO, that doesn't work because life is about getting something first and then buying it. Love that car? Get it, then pay for it. Love that furniture? Get it, then pay for it. Love those clothes? Get them, then pay. See. That's how life goes. That is how finances go down the toilet.
Banks at some point decided that they should offer credit cards to accommodate our need to have things now. Banks were considerate enough to tell us how much debt we could carry by setting a limit for us. How thoughtful. That way you knew you could put ten thousand dollars on a little piece of plastic and get everything you ever dreamed of. Then you could pay for it for just a few dollars a month for just a few decades.
Banks decided that those credit cards should have nominal fees for the privilege of having one and/or large interest rates. You could charge a one hundred dollar dinner and end up paying for it three years later for only three times it's value. YAY. Such a deal. The more credit you had the more money you had, right?
No. The more credit you had the more debt you acquired. The longer it took you to pay it off the more interest you paid. Great deal for the lenders, not so much for you. So, to entice you even more they added premiums. Gimmes. Air line miles, points, cash back. The idea being to spend money you don't have to get airline tickets you can't afford that you can use during allowed flying times.
Then the banks decided that debit cards would be so convenient. Swipe that card, push debit and, bam, you are walking away with your purchase and maybe an overdraft fee. I have never used debit cards but I know people who believe in them like they are gold. They are also always in disagreement with the bank over their account balance. Why? Oops, they forgot THAT purchase or THAT payment that drafts automatically. So now spending actual money costs money.
This has all been so convenient that now the banks want to charge fees to use the money you put in their bank with the card they wanted you to use. No thanks.
OK, that is the part of banking I sort of understand.
Here is the part I don't get. The lending of HUGE amounts of money for homes and businesses. First of all buying a house requires at least seven trees for the paperwork you have to sign. Anything that convoluted has got to be suspicious. Second, the largest part of your mortgage payment is the interest. Why? Ask the lender and they will immediately start speaking finance. I don't speak finance. I speak common sense.
At some point the banks decided that you could have a house you couldn't afford by paying what you can afford now and the the mortgage would adjust, not on your schedule, theirs. Then the banks decided what the hell, let's just lend money and you merely pay the interest and when you have the money, or hell is frozen, you pay all the principle at once. This was popular in areas like Honolulu where a shack may cost a million dollars. You pay nothing but interest until you sell the shack. You give the bank a million and you keep the rest. Great deal for the banks yet again. Those shacks don't hold their value in down economic times. You sell your million dollar shack for half it's value and you still owe the other half. Oops. That's a bitch.
Then somehow the banks all went broke at once. Fannie May and Freddie Mack vomited debt all over America so we saved them. We, the tax payers, many of whom were about to lose our homes. Banks were too big to fail. We bailed them out. Banks foreclosed on homes they knew people couldn't afford when they gave them a mortgage. Then they sat on the money too scared to do anything.
Businesses continued laying people off to survive. Good for business, bad for people. Which is ultimately bad for business because unemployed people can't buy anything. Some of the upper echelon executives in the banks took their parachutes and ran. Others stayed put to "fix" the banking industry.
They fixed it alright. They fixed it by adding more fees and lending less money. They fixed it by giving big bonus money to big boys who came up with the lame brained ideas on how to lend and get the biggest bank bang for the buck.
Well, as you have heard, people are angry at the banks and at wall street. People don't want to keep their money in the banks that screwed them in the first place. Banks are crying foul and bringing in SWAT teams to ensure that people can't take their money.
Remember, this is America. Not some European country trying to pass austerity measures. We have had austerity shoved down our throats. We have no choice but to be austere because, obviously, somewhere along the way, people started using capitalism to death. You see hoarders on the TeeVee. People who cannot throw anything away and are compelled to buy more stuff.
The banks are hoarders. They are hoarding our money. Just like the corporations who will not hire because the future is uncertain. They have the money, they just can't bring themselves to use or lend it.
Thank heaven we had visionaries somewhere in the past who threw caution to the wind. People who had faith in themselves and their country. Then came the aptly named robber barons. The government finally smacked them down so the middle class could survive. Now those of the same ilk own the government. In other words, we are screwed.
Here is what I have gleaned to fill the almond sized nugget of banking knowledge in a nutshell so to speak. If the bank wants you to do something, have this credit card, this debit card, refinance your house, deposit everything you have here, they are somehow screwing you. If the bank refuses to let you have your money, they are screwing you. If the bank refuses to lend you money because 7 years ago you missed a car payment, they are screwing you.
SO, here is my plan. One pound coffee cans buried in the yard with all my money, one can should do. Then several large dogs to roam the yard. Savings, done.
Then I plan to keep an account at a credit union to pay bills and cash checks. I will spend MONEY. I know, PhD. in "DUH" for me.
Money, spending cash. Spending paper and coin. Wow, how clever. How simple.
How unAmerican.
I am all for it,
Lillybell Blues
OH, I know that Bank of America can lose an original power of attorney. They lost one for me, thanks for that.
Other than that I am pretty blank on the subject but as always I don't let that stand in the way of having an opinion. Or two. Or several. So, here we go.
When I first married, as in the first time, I started to learn about credit. I learned from my new husband that in order to have credit you had to borrow money. Without credit you couldn't buy a car or a house or anything you couldn't afford. THAT should have been a clue. So the objective was to borrow money from a lending institution so you could pay it back to borrow more money.
See how clear that is? Me either. Why not just save money and then buy what you need? NO, that doesn't work because life is about getting something first and then buying it. Love that car? Get it, then pay for it. Love that furniture? Get it, then pay for it. Love those clothes? Get them, then pay. See. That's how life goes. That is how finances go down the toilet.
Banks at some point decided that they should offer credit cards to accommodate our need to have things now. Banks were considerate enough to tell us how much debt we could carry by setting a limit for us. How thoughtful. That way you knew you could put ten thousand dollars on a little piece of plastic and get everything you ever dreamed of. Then you could pay for it for just a few dollars a month for just a few decades.
Banks decided that those credit cards should have nominal fees for the privilege of having one and/or large interest rates. You could charge a one hundred dollar dinner and end up paying for it three years later for only three times it's value. YAY. Such a deal. The more credit you had the more money you had, right?
No. The more credit you had the more debt you acquired. The longer it took you to pay it off the more interest you paid. Great deal for the lenders, not so much for you. So, to entice you even more they added premiums. Gimmes. Air line miles, points, cash back. The idea being to spend money you don't have to get airline tickets you can't afford that you can use during allowed flying times.
Then the banks decided that debit cards would be so convenient. Swipe that card, push debit and, bam, you are walking away with your purchase and maybe an overdraft fee. I have never used debit cards but I know people who believe in them like they are gold. They are also always in disagreement with the bank over their account balance. Why? Oops, they forgot THAT purchase or THAT payment that drafts automatically. So now spending actual money costs money.
This has all been so convenient that now the banks want to charge fees to use the money you put in their bank with the card they wanted you to use. No thanks.
OK, that is the part of banking I sort of understand.
Here is the part I don't get. The lending of HUGE amounts of money for homes and businesses. First of all buying a house requires at least seven trees for the paperwork you have to sign. Anything that convoluted has got to be suspicious. Second, the largest part of your mortgage payment is the interest. Why? Ask the lender and they will immediately start speaking finance. I don't speak finance. I speak common sense.
At some point the banks decided that you could have a house you couldn't afford by paying what you can afford now and the the mortgage would adjust, not on your schedule, theirs. Then the banks decided what the hell, let's just lend money and you merely pay the interest and when you have the money, or hell is frozen, you pay all the principle at once. This was popular in areas like Honolulu where a shack may cost a million dollars. You pay nothing but interest until you sell the shack. You give the bank a million and you keep the rest. Great deal for the banks yet again. Those shacks don't hold their value in down economic times. You sell your million dollar shack for half it's value and you still owe the other half. Oops. That's a bitch.
Then somehow the banks all went broke at once. Fannie May and Freddie Mack vomited debt all over America so we saved them. We, the tax payers, many of whom were about to lose our homes. Banks were too big to fail. We bailed them out. Banks foreclosed on homes they knew people couldn't afford when they gave them a mortgage. Then they sat on the money too scared to do anything.
Businesses continued laying people off to survive. Good for business, bad for people. Which is ultimately bad for business because unemployed people can't buy anything. Some of the upper echelon executives in the banks took their parachutes and ran. Others stayed put to "fix" the banking industry.
They fixed it alright. They fixed it by adding more fees and lending less money. They fixed it by giving big bonus money to big boys who came up with the lame brained ideas on how to lend and get the biggest bank bang for the buck.
Well, as you have heard, people are angry at the banks and at wall street. People don't want to keep their money in the banks that screwed them in the first place. Banks are crying foul and bringing in SWAT teams to ensure that people can't take their money.
Remember, this is America. Not some European country trying to pass austerity measures. We have had austerity shoved down our throats. We have no choice but to be austere because, obviously, somewhere along the way, people started using capitalism to death. You see hoarders on the TeeVee. People who cannot throw anything away and are compelled to buy more stuff.
The banks are hoarders. They are hoarding our money. Just like the corporations who will not hire because the future is uncertain. They have the money, they just can't bring themselves to use or lend it.
Thank heaven we had visionaries somewhere in the past who threw caution to the wind. People who had faith in themselves and their country. Then came the aptly named robber barons. The government finally smacked them down so the middle class could survive. Now those of the same ilk own the government. In other words, we are screwed.
Here is what I have gleaned to fill the almond sized nugget of banking knowledge in a nutshell so to speak. If the bank wants you to do something, have this credit card, this debit card, refinance your house, deposit everything you have here, they are somehow screwing you. If the bank refuses to let you have your money, they are screwing you. If the bank refuses to lend you money because 7 years ago you missed a car payment, they are screwing you.
SO, here is my plan. One pound coffee cans buried in the yard with all my money, one can should do. Then several large dogs to roam the yard. Savings, done.
Then I plan to keep an account at a credit union to pay bills and cash checks. I will spend MONEY. I know, PhD. in "DUH" for me.
Money, spending cash. Spending paper and coin. Wow, how clever. How simple.
How unAmerican.
I am all for it,
Lillybell Blues
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
GURUs, yeah right
I have some very bad news. There is no such thing as a Guru with the secret to life.
I was watching, listening really, to a story on DATELINE. The, "we love to talk about murder" show. This story involved death in a sweat lodge. People followed their, "leader", their, "guru", their "teacher" into a structure to sweat. It was going to make them pure. Instead it made some of them dead.
Of course lawsuits followed. Now sweat lodges will come with a warning: "May cause profuse sweating, vomiting, heaving, thirst, hallucinations and lots of money for your Guru".
The followers of this man, those that didn't end up in the morgue or hospital, waited patiently for their leader to return after his questioning by the police so he could give them direction. WHAT? Here is some direction: get the hell away from him. You're welcome.
Remember Jim Jones? Remember those people on the west coast who all waited for the mother ship and committed suicide in their bunk beds? Remember David Koresh?
Heresthedeal.
Nothing is easy. Nothing is perfect. No one has all the answers. No one makes a better you except you. There are no pills, no rituals, no cleansing to change your life. Sorry. It's an inside job.
Expose yourself to philosophies, great thinkers, people proven by history to be, you know, geniuses. Expose yourself to different beliefs and practices. Learn about other cultures and religions. Don't ever believe anyone knows better than you. They don't. They just sell it better.
Trust yourself first. Any hint of doubt is you saying, "uh, no". Don't ever think someone has the answer, the key or the ancient truth because really if anything was THE answer mankind would have heard by now. Look around, we aren't doing very well as humans. No one sees the future. No one communes with the spirits even though they may be convinced that they do. Why? Because no one is "touched". No one has "enhanced" anything. They are either self worshippers or great salespeople.
I was in a bookstore the other day. There are books everywhere by everyone telling you how to be better. Joel Olsteen has another book on the shelves because he loves you so much. If he really loved you he would have said everything in his first book. He really loves you right before the holidays. I love his message, I hate his schmaltz.
Meditation is a lovely practice. If that works for you that is great. I need an off switch. I try to meditate and all I hear is tinnitus or a voice in the back of my head humming some song or making a mental note to remember something.
Prayer is a lovely practice. Time to thank the God or Gods you worship. Or to appreciate life, count your blessings, be thankful and remind yourself how small you are. It is much like meditation only focuses on a higher being instead of you.
I have known people with deep beliefs in crystals, herbs, tarot cards, Ouija boards and psychics. Yeah, not going to work. Sorry. Just won't happen. How do I know? Because that is too good to be true. Some little cards or tea leaves or a piece of plastic on a board mean nothing. They are mass produced products that mean nada, zilch, zip, zero, nothing. It's literally bogus hocus-pocus.
We have all had supernatural moments in our life. Coincidences that seem to be a sign. A feeling, a voice, a dream from beyond or from a loved one already gone. I have them. Learn to recognize them for what they are, little gifts from the universe. A love so deep it reaches through the mist to whisper in your ear.
Use your brain. Trust your instincts. Listen to you, your heart, mind and your soul. Love your God. Be kind to Mother Earth. Respect your fellow man. Avoid those who want to envelope you in their power. They only have it if you give it to them.
If you believe what I say is true and real, read it again. I don't have the secret to life either.
You're welcome,
Lillybell Blues
I was watching, listening really, to a story on DATELINE. The, "we love to talk about murder" show. This story involved death in a sweat lodge. People followed their, "leader", their, "guru", their "teacher" into a structure to sweat. It was going to make them pure. Instead it made some of them dead.
Of course lawsuits followed. Now sweat lodges will come with a warning: "May cause profuse sweating, vomiting, heaving, thirst, hallucinations and lots of money for your Guru".
The followers of this man, those that didn't end up in the morgue or hospital, waited patiently for their leader to return after his questioning by the police so he could give them direction. WHAT? Here is some direction: get the hell away from him. You're welcome.
Remember Jim Jones? Remember those people on the west coast who all waited for the mother ship and committed suicide in their bunk beds? Remember David Koresh?
Heresthedeal.
Nothing is easy. Nothing is perfect. No one has all the answers. No one makes a better you except you. There are no pills, no rituals, no cleansing to change your life. Sorry. It's an inside job.
Expose yourself to philosophies, great thinkers, people proven by history to be, you know, geniuses. Expose yourself to different beliefs and practices. Learn about other cultures and religions. Don't ever believe anyone knows better than you. They don't. They just sell it better.
Trust yourself first. Any hint of doubt is you saying, "uh, no". Don't ever think someone has the answer, the key or the ancient truth because really if anything was THE answer mankind would have heard by now. Look around, we aren't doing very well as humans. No one sees the future. No one communes with the spirits even though they may be convinced that they do. Why? Because no one is "touched". No one has "enhanced" anything. They are either self worshippers or great salespeople.
I was in a bookstore the other day. There are books everywhere by everyone telling you how to be better. Joel Olsteen has another book on the shelves because he loves you so much. If he really loved you he would have said everything in his first book. He really loves you right before the holidays. I love his message, I hate his schmaltz.
Meditation is a lovely practice. If that works for you that is great. I need an off switch. I try to meditate and all I hear is tinnitus or a voice in the back of my head humming some song or making a mental note to remember something.
Prayer is a lovely practice. Time to thank the God or Gods you worship. Or to appreciate life, count your blessings, be thankful and remind yourself how small you are. It is much like meditation only focuses on a higher being instead of you.
I have known people with deep beliefs in crystals, herbs, tarot cards, Ouija boards and psychics. Yeah, not going to work. Sorry. Just won't happen. How do I know? Because that is too good to be true. Some little cards or tea leaves or a piece of plastic on a board mean nothing. They are mass produced products that mean nada, zilch, zip, zero, nothing. It's literally bogus hocus-pocus.
We have all had supernatural moments in our life. Coincidences that seem to be a sign. A feeling, a voice, a dream from beyond or from a loved one already gone. I have them. Learn to recognize them for what they are, little gifts from the universe. A love so deep it reaches through the mist to whisper in your ear.
Use your brain. Trust your instincts. Listen to you, your heart, mind and your soul. Love your God. Be kind to Mother Earth. Respect your fellow man. Avoid those who want to envelope you in their power. They only have it if you give it to them.
If you believe what I say is true and real, read it again. I don't have the secret to life either.
You're welcome,
Lillybell Blues
Sunday, October 23, 2011
SPEWAGE. Refudiate that, Sarah
Spewage - noun. the crap emitted from the mouths of talking heads, spin doctors, politicians, celebrities and bloggers. (yes, I know I emit some spewage).
Spewage. We are all surrounded by the substance. It permeates the air and fouls everything - (not my spewage). Spewage becomes "TRUTH", or "VIRAL", or "WRONG". It reminds me of high school in some ways. The cool kids say/do/think this, the nerds say/do/think that and the kids in the middle hide because they are afraid of potential spewage. Some of these in-the-middle kids are sometimes later described as, "a nice person who kept to them self, never thought he/she would (fill in the blank with some act of carnage)". So, in a way spewage is a good thing. As long as it is recognized for what it is. Opinion. Ideas. Thoughts. What ifs. Persuasion. Lies.
Suddenly spewage is The Bible. It is carved in stone.
Um, spewage is some one's soapbox. Spewage is some one's opinion. I have a plethora of spewage and I am an expert on.....nothing.
Spewage, I feel certain, began with time as we know it. Adam and Eve probably engaged in spewage.
"Eve, God said that you should do as I say what with making you out of my rib and all".
"Oh really, when did God say that? We are equals. That is what God said, please take out the trash".
"If we are equals then you take out the trash".
"I am busy birthing Cain, make yourself useful, God said that too".
Thus began the spewage about God.
Spewage flew throughout history. Man received messages from many Gods and many mystics and just plain and simply made some up. The Greeks, Romans, Egyptians and other ancient civilizations had many Gods you could anger or please. These Gods sometimes took the form of humans or animals or mythical creatures. Spewage went along for the ride.
The Romans decided it was easier to make the Emperor a God. That worked. Much easier than creating those idols and figures out of stone. Easier to make monuments to the Emperor. Spewage went along on this adventure too. According to the Bible, spewage is responsible for the death of the innocents. That spewage is powerful stuff.
Throughout history as man struggled or flourished, spewage was there. It was there during the forming of this nation. Spewage became the prodigal child of politics. Spewage made it possible to be somebody. Slander someone with spewage and YOU can get elected. Adams did it. Jefferson did it. They did it to each other. That's right, our beloved Founding Father's understood the use and application of spewage.
Men became especially adept at spewage. After all, women were second class citizens for centuries. Those beautiful words you heard as you were losing your virginity? Spewage. The words you said during your first wedding? Spewage. (second and third marriages too in some cases). Those words your spouse said when they came home late, drunk or both? Spewage.
Now spewage makes the world go round. Spewage convinces you that you NEED something or something is wrong with you. Spewage convinces you to vote for this person or that person. Spewage gnaws at your mind until you satisfy it's craving.
I need whiter teeth. I need to hide my wrinkles. I should not have a bald spot. I am not manly enough cause I drink the wrong beer. I need special underclothes to make me look smoother. I need to eat that piece of chocolate now that it has antioxidants. I can't eat that food, it is evil. I must have that new phone.
That politician is correct. That politician is evil. That person knows everything about politics because they say so. They person says I should vote for her. That person says I shouldn't vote that way. That person approved this message. That candidate killed 247 people with his bare hands. That candidate opened the prison door and invited all the killers back on the streets.
Celebrities got in on the spewage early in history. As soon as someone learned that their mere presence or words were cutting edge, they dived into spewage. Spewage is what keeps them in the public eye. Spewage is used to shock or apologize or both.
Let's all step away from the spewage. Try to dig through it, take what you think might be true, divide it in half and you might be close.
Spewage makes sheeple.
Just sayin'
Lillybell Blues
Spewage. We are all surrounded by the substance. It permeates the air and fouls everything - (not my spewage). Spewage becomes "TRUTH", or "VIRAL", or "WRONG". It reminds me of high school in some ways. The cool kids say/do/think this, the nerds say/do/think that and the kids in the middle hide because they are afraid of potential spewage. Some of these in-the-middle kids are sometimes later described as, "a nice person who kept to them self, never thought he/she would (fill in the blank with some act of carnage)". So, in a way spewage is a good thing. As long as it is recognized for what it is. Opinion. Ideas. Thoughts. What ifs. Persuasion. Lies.
Suddenly spewage is The Bible. It is carved in stone.
Um, spewage is some one's soapbox. Spewage is some one's opinion. I have a plethora of spewage and I am an expert on.....nothing.
Spewage, I feel certain, began with time as we know it. Adam and Eve probably engaged in spewage.
"Eve, God said that you should do as I say what with making you out of my rib and all".
"Oh really, when did God say that? We are equals. That is what God said, please take out the trash".
"If we are equals then you take out the trash".
"I am busy birthing Cain, make yourself useful, God said that too".
Thus began the spewage about God.
Spewage flew throughout history. Man received messages from many Gods and many mystics and just plain and simply made some up. The Greeks, Romans, Egyptians and other ancient civilizations had many Gods you could anger or please. These Gods sometimes took the form of humans or animals or mythical creatures. Spewage went along for the ride.
The Romans decided it was easier to make the Emperor a God. That worked. Much easier than creating those idols and figures out of stone. Easier to make monuments to the Emperor. Spewage went along on this adventure too. According to the Bible, spewage is responsible for the death of the innocents. That spewage is powerful stuff.
Throughout history as man struggled or flourished, spewage was there. It was there during the forming of this nation. Spewage became the prodigal child of politics. Spewage made it possible to be somebody. Slander someone with spewage and YOU can get elected. Adams did it. Jefferson did it. They did it to each other. That's right, our beloved Founding Father's understood the use and application of spewage.
Men became especially adept at spewage. After all, women were second class citizens for centuries. Those beautiful words you heard as you were losing your virginity? Spewage. The words you said during your first wedding? Spewage. (second and third marriages too in some cases). Those words your spouse said when they came home late, drunk or both? Spewage.
Now spewage makes the world go round. Spewage convinces you that you NEED something or something is wrong with you. Spewage convinces you to vote for this person or that person. Spewage gnaws at your mind until you satisfy it's craving.
I need whiter teeth. I need to hide my wrinkles. I should not have a bald spot. I am not manly enough cause I drink the wrong beer. I need special underclothes to make me look smoother. I need to eat that piece of chocolate now that it has antioxidants. I can't eat that food, it is evil. I must have that new phone.
That politician is correct. That politician is evil. That person knows everything about politics because they say so. They person says I should vote for her. That person says I shouldn't vote that way. That person approved this message. That candidate killed 247 people with his bare hands. That candidate opened the prison door and invited all the killers back on the streets.
Celebrities got in on the spewage early in history. As soon as someone learned that their mere presence or words were cutting edge, they dived into spewage. Spewage is what keeps them in the public eye. Spewage is used to shock or apologize or both.
Let's all step away from the spewage. Try to dig through it, take what you think might be true, divide it in half and you might be close.
Spewage makes sheeple.
Just sayin'
Lillybell Blues
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
IN DEFENSE OF TEACHERS
I remember teachers. Not that I cared much about them. Not that I had more than one or two GREAT teachers. I was a walking example of teacher disappointment. I tried to always be invisible in school as I hated the environment. I didn't enjoy many of my classes and I felt like forcing algebra on children was some form of cruel and unusual punishment that should not have been allowed. I said it then, I will say it now, I have NEVER needed to know what X is. Not once. Never needed any formulas to figure out anything. I have lived almost 60 years with no help from algebra. So there.
That being said, I have come to understand how difficult it must be to teach someone as bored as I was. I can now easily see how fun it must have been for my teachers to have students who were engaged and participated and learned. I liked sitting in the back row where it was more likely my cloak of invisibility would work better. I envied the students who got it. The ones whose lives were being enhanced by whatever subject they loved. I loved study hall.
Teachers today have the worst job on earth through no fault of their own but through the crap heaped on them that does not involve teaching. What is wrong with parents? Why should teachers have to raise the students too? Why should teachers absorb the cost of students not having supplies? Why should a nation expect teachers do anything but share knowledge and maintain order in the classroom?
I am stunned at some of the stories I see on the news. Last year in one of the northeast Texas districts a boy, I think he was six, didn't want to cut his hair. There is a dress code at the child's school that required the boys to have hair that didn't touch their collar or some standard equally silly but, still, it is THE RULE. The parents piled the little boys hair on top of his head in a bun instead of making him cut his hair. The school sent him home. The parents went to the school district and threatened to sue. They were on the TeeVee talking about the boy's riiiights. Whatever, cut the kids hair or put him in another school.
Don't get me started on lawyers. That is a blog OR a book.
In Plano a law suit comes from the infamous candy cane Christmas story related gifts a child was refused permission to hand out to his friends in school. They are still in court I believe. Jesus would be so proud. If a school district has made the decision to be secular and mention no religion then, parents, set a good example and don't put your child in the middle by encouraging something you know district will not approve. Don't make your child an example of your beliefs. How brave of you. Hand out the candy canes yourself or keep your religion in your church. Or take them to your work place. "But he wanted to hand them out to his friends". Well, then take him house to house and let him give them to his friends and leave school out of it.
Sex education. Should schools teach it? Parents say yes or no but do it our way. Don't encourage kids to have sex. Don't talk about birth control, don't talk about condoms. Parents, no child has to be encouraged to have sex. It is a natural instinct. You, hopefully, have moral standards YOU impose them on your children and let the schools teach the science of sex. Not the art of, the science. You can tell them to enjoy it or hate it or whatever your personal feelings about the subject are. Of course that means you have to, you know, do your job.
Bullying in school has become a national epidemic. The schools are demonized for not doing enough. Bullshit. Bullying behavior is learned from your parents. Oh yes it is. Parents teach your children some respect. How about you set good examples and not be children yourselves? How rude of me. I know. I have met parents that I cannot believe the universe allowed to reproduce. Hate spewing, mean, ill tempered rubes who raise their children to be exactly the same way. Thanks, society doesn't have enough ignorance.
My parents were the epitome of NOT being hateful or mean spirited. I got a lecture I didn't understand when I called someone a queer at the age of 11. I meant not cool, I meant not hip, I meant socially different. My parents explained to me that "queer" was an ugly word. DON'T SAY IT. That was all I needed to hear. I didn't understand it was a rude term meaning homosexual, I didn't know what homosexual was, but I never used the word in public again.
Teachers are expected to meet state requirements, federal standards, work for little money and spend their free time and money helping students who cannot or do not keep up with the class. They work weekends. They support extra curricular activities. They are expected to be perfect, no flaws at work or in their private life. Parents have handed most of their responsibilities over to institutions. Day care, school, church, community activities, etc. Parents work and squeeze in their kids when and where they can. Parents divorce and drag their children back and forth from one house to another. Parents bad mouth each other in front of their children. Parents want to party at the club, at the bar, hang out, be cool. Parents want to be popular with their children's friends. Parents show respect for each other, don't give a damn about whether or not you are the popular parent. Raise your children to be decent and respectful of others. That is your job.
Teachers want to give your children their knowledge. They want to use the education many are still paying for to enhance your child's life. They want to make your children better. Not raise them, not discipline them, not socialize them. Teach them. Please prepare your children for that opportunity.
The next politician or candidate or anyone who opines about how easy teachers have it will hear from me. Scary, I know. A childless, former rotten student who pays school taxes. I didn't take advantage of the help teachers tried to give me. I didn't learn the things in school that I have since taught myself because I didn't like being ignorant. If you think for one second that walking into a classroom of 20 to 30 students is easy I suggest you do it for a week. If at the end of that week you still think being a teacher is a cake walk, you need more education.
You're welcome,
Lillybell Blues
That being said, I have come to understand how difficult it must be to teach someone as bored as I was. I can now easily see how fun it must have been for my teachers to have students who were engaged and participated and learned. I liked sitting in the back row where it was more likely my cloak of invisibility would work better. I envied the students who got it. The ones whose lives were being enhanced by whatever subject they loved. I loved study hall.
Teachers today have the worst job on earth through no fault of their own but through the crap heaped on them that does not involve teaching. What is wrong with parents? Why should teachers have to raise the students too? Why should teachers absorb the cost of students not having supplies? Why should a nation expect teachers do anything but share knowledge and maintain order in the classroom?
I am stunned at some of the stories I see on the news. Last year in one of the northeast Texas districts a boy, I think he was six, didn't want to cut his hair. There is a dress code at the child's school that required the boys to have hair that didn't touch their collar or some standard equally silly but, still, it is THE RULE. The parents piled the little boys hair on top of his head in a bun instead of making him cut his hair. The school sent him home. The parents went to the school district and threatened to sue. They were on the TeeVee talking about the boy's riiiights. Whatever, cut the kids hair or put him in another school.
Don't get me started on lawyers. That is a blog OR a book.
In Plano a law suit comes from the infamous candy cane Christmas story related gifts a child was refused permission to hand out to his friends in school. They are still in court I believe. Jesus would be so proud. If a school district has made the decision to be secular and mention no religion then, parents, set a good example and don't put your child in the middle by encouraging something you know district will not approve. Don't make your child an example of your beliefs. How brave of you. Hand out the candy canes yourself or keep your religion in your church. Or take them to your work place. "But he wanted to hand them out to his friends". Well, then take him house to house and let him give them to his friends and leave school out of it.
Sex education. Should schools teach it? Parents say yes or no but do it our way. Don't encourage kids to have sex. Don't talk about birth control, don't talk about condoms. Parents, no child has to be encouraged to have sex. It is a natural instinct. You, hopefully, have moral standards YOU impose them on your children and let the schools teach the science of sex. Not the art of, the science. You can tell them to enjoy it or hate it or whatever your personal feelings about the subject are. Of course that means you have to, you know, do your job.
Bullying in school has become a national epidemic. The schools are demonized for not doing enough. Bullshit. Bullying behavior is learned from your parents. Oh yes it is. Parents teach your children some respect. How about you set good examples and not be children yourselves? How rude of me. I know. I have met parents that I cannot believe the universe allowed to reproduce. Hate spewing, mean, ill tempered rubes who raise their children to be exactly the same way. Thanks, society doesn't have enough ignorance.
My parents were the epitome of NOT being hateful or mean spirited. I got a lecture I didn't understand when I called someone a queer at the age of 11. I meant not cool, I meant not hip, I meant socially different. My parents explained to me that "queer" was an ugly word. DON'T SAY IT. That was all I needed to hear. I didn't understand it was a rude term meaning homosexual, I didn't know what homosexual was, but I never used the word in public again.
Teachers are expected to meet state requirements, federal standards, work for little money and spend their free time and money helping students who cannot or do not keep up with the class. They work weekends. They support extra curricular activities. They are expected to be perfect, no flaws at work or in their private life. Parents have handed most of their responsibilities over to institutions. Day care, school, church, community activities, etc. Parents work and squeeze in their kids when and where they can. Parents divorce and drag their children back and forth from one house to another. Parents bad mouth each other in front of their children. Parents want to party at the club, at the bar, hang out, be cool. Parents want to be popular with their children's friends. Parents show respect for each other, don't give a damn about whether or not you are the popular parent. Raise your children to be decent and respectful of others. That is your job.
Teachers want to give your children their knowledge. They want to use the education many are still paying for to enhance your child's life. They want to make your children better. Not raise them, not discipline them, not socialize them. Teach them. Please prepare your children for that opportunity.
The next politician or candidate or anyone who opines about how easy teachers have it will hear from me. Scary, I know. A childless, former rotten student who pays school taxes. I didn't take advantage of the help teachers tried to give me. I didn't learn the things in school that I have since taught myself because I didn't like being ignorant. If you think for one second that walking into a classroom of 20 to 30 students is easy I suggest you do it for a week. If at the end of that week you still think being a teacher is a cake walk, you need more education.
You're welcome,
Lillybell Blues
Saturday, October 15, 2011
STUPID IS AS STUPID DOES, f.gump
There are days when I venture out into the world and think, "where are the smart people?" While I do not consider myself a genius I can pretty much navigate a day without too much confusion.
Apparently, that puts me in the minority.
I am a people watcher, can't help it. I think we all are at heart. Not voyeurs just curious about other people, how it would be to walk in an other's shoes. Not literally, that is like bowling in the 1950s.
Wonder if they had massive outbreaks of foot fungus in that decade?
Here is what I have learned from my observations. Most people think they are the only human on earth. They are encased in a "me" bubble when they are in public. Behind the wheel of a car people think they are invisible and they assume that everyone else is watching the road because they are not. Stopping in the middle of the road because they are lost? Can't find their lipstick? Need to scratch something really private? Not sure but I see it frequently. Usually it is someone confused by the road or just in general.
Drive around the airport and you will witness this phenomenon.
I admit that the signage for DFW must have been installed by the lowest bidder or newbies at TxDOT. 121 north/183 east is a death trap entrance/exit anyway. Add in directions like, "121 North DFW North Entrance, 183 DFW South Entrance" and it is a stop and go WTF???
Approaching DFW on southbound 121, 635 merges right before the signs: Dallas 183, Ft Worth 121 South, 183. DFW, with arrows pointing every direction, and "GOOD LUCK" . They added the good luck sign for the duration of the construction that is some form of torture so severe people who live east of Grapevine refuse to drive it. Leave it to the amateurs. The result is like ice skating by people who have never skated before. Lots of falling, stopping, holding on and sitting because you cannot move. FOR MILES.
Let's say you are a visitor to our Messtroplex and you need to get to the airport. How the hell are you supposed to know north or south entrance? You just want to get to the airport and miles away you are already stumped. North or South? Didn't know there was a choice, shit. Slam on the brakes. Is that arrow my lane for DFW or one over? Is it two? Why are people moving to the right? Should I do that? Did that sign say....missed it. Shit everyone is moving left, why? Slam on the brakes.
Then there are the, "oh yes I can text, talk, adjust the tunes, comb my hair and feel up my girlfriend at the same time" drivers. Uh, no, you can't. You are a menace, get off the road. Do it now. Really. And pull up your pants.
I see parents, or care givers of children, turn around in obvious anger and yell at the child and/or look for something that the child dropped. All while driving 70 mph and talking on a phone. Hey, pullover, fix your child's problem and then drive. I know, such a pain to get out of people's way and maybe not kill your child.
And not just the roads, the world.
I was in the nail salon yesterday having my ooh la la mani/pedi, (Princess...yes, I know), and I watched the shoppers go in and out of one of the anchor stores in the mall where I get my Princess fix. No kidding, 4 out of 5 people were on a phone. Really? How much do you need to talk to someone before you go to Macy's? Those not talking on a phone were stoned, I mean lost. Or appeared to be.
Groups of moms with their strollers were like roadblocks for those needing to talk and shop. Three abreast in their own little baby world. "He said a word yesterday, 'bee'." "She said 'bee' before she was born". "The twins can pull themselves up and work an equation!". Whatever, move. All babies are cute and gifted....move your tiny butts and let the rest of walk through the world for just a minute.
Big box hardware stores, don't even get me started. Too late. People stand dead center in an aisle and stare at one spot like they are waiting for a message from the gods of home improvement. Hello? Can you meditate somewhere else? They are waiting for help, which you know ain't comin' if you have ever had a question in one of those stores. "I need a 7/8s flange device that will connect the thingy to the dealie", response from employee, "uhhh". Holy cow, take it to the side please and let me find a damn light bulb. Thank you soooo little.
One afternoon I was searching for something for my bathroom during the months long remodel. A family was on the same aisle. Mom, dad and screaming little girl. SCREAMING. Dad said, and I quote, "OK, we are leaving you here til you can behave", and walked out of the child's sight. After my eardrums were ruptured and bleeding they did come back for their child. She learned that mom and dad are assholes and they should have learned that their daughter was tired and needed and nap not a tour of the plumbing aisle.
Not that I am judgmental. I am supremely judgmental, there is a difference. Good grief people, look around you. We are not alone. There are others who need to go and do and some of them need to hurry. Some of them need to focus. All of them need you to get out of the way. Mom and dad lied when they said, "when you grow up you can do whatever you want". No you can't.
Surprise.
You're welcome, :)
LBB
Apparently, that puts me in the minority.
I am a people watcher, can't help it. I think we all are at heart. Not voyeurs just curious about other people, how it would be to walk in an other's shoes. Not literally, that is like bowling in the 1950s.
Wonder if they had massive outbreaks of foot fungus in that decade?
Here is what I have learned from my observations. Most people think they are the only human on earth. They are encased in a "me" bubble when they are in public. Behind the wheel of a car people think they are invisible and they assume that everyone else is watching the road because they are not. Stopping in the middle of the road because they are lost? Can't find their lipstick? Need to scratch something really private? Not sure but I see it frequently. Usually it is someone confused by the road or just in general.
Drive around the airport and you will witness this phenomenon.
I admit that the signage for DFW must have been installed by the lowest bidder or newbies at TxDOT. 121 north/183 east is a death trap entrance/exit anyway. Add in directions like, "121 North DFW North Entrance, 183 DFW South Entrance" and it is a stop and go WTF???
Approaching DFW on southbound 121, 635 merges right before the signs: Dallas 183, Ft Worth 121 South, 183. DFW, with arrows pointing every direction, and "GOOD LUCK" . They added the good luck sign for the duration of the construction that is some form of torture so severe people who live east of Grapevine refuse to drive it. Leave it to the amateurs. The result is like ice skating by people who have never skated before. Lots of falling, stopping, holding on and sitting because you cannot move. FOR MILES.
Let's say you are a visitor to our Messtroplex and you need to get to the airport. How the hell are you supposed to know north or south entrance? You just want to get to the airport and miles away you are already stumped. North or South? Didn't know there was a choice, shit. Slam on the brakes. Is that arrow my lane for DFW or one over? Is it two? Why are people moving to the right? Should I do that? Did that sign say....missed it. Shit everyone is moving left, why? Slam on the brakes.
Then there are the, "oh yes I can text, talk, adjust the tunes, comb my hair and feel up my girlfriend at the same time" drivers. Uh, no, you can't. You are a menace, get off the road. Do it now. Really. And pull up your pants.
I see parents, or care givers of children, turn around in obvious anger and yell at the child and/or look for something that the child dropped. All while driving 70 mph and talking on a phone. Hey, pullover, fix your child's problem and then drive. I know, such a pain to get out of people's way and maybe not kill your child.
And not just the roads, the world.
I was in the nail salon yesterday having my ooh la la mani/pedi, (Princess...yes, I know), and I watched the shoppers go in and out of one of the anchor stores in the mall where I get my Princess fix. No kidding, 4 out of 5 people were on a phone. Really? How much do you need to talk to someone before you go to Macy's? Those not talking on a phone were stoned, I mean lost. Or appeared to be.
Groups of moms with their strollers were like roadblocks for those needing to talk and shop. Three abreast in their own little baby world. "He said a word yesterday, 'bee'." "She said 'bee' before she was born". "The twins can pull themselves up and work an equation!". Whatever, move. All babies are cute and gifted....move your tiny butts and let the rest of walk through the world for just a minute.
Big box hardware stores, don't even get me started. Too late. People stand dead center in an aisle and stare at one spot like they are waiting for a message from the gods of home improvement. Hello? Can you meditate somewhere else? They are waiting for help, which you know ain't comin' if you have ever had a question in one of those stores. "I need a 7/8s flange device that will connect the thingy to the dealie", response from employee, "uhhh". Holy cow, take it to the side please and let me find a damn light bulb. Thank you soooo little.
One afternoon I was searching for something for my bathroom during the months long remodel. A family was on the same aisle. Mom, dad and screaming little girl. SCREAMING. Dad said, and I quote, "OK, we are leaving you here til you can behave", and walked out of the child's sight. After my eardrums were ruptured and bleeding they did come back for their child. She learned that mom and dad are assholes and they should have learned that their daughter was tired and needed and nap not a tour of the plumbing aisle.
Not that I am judgmental. I am supremely judgmental, there is a difference. Good grief people, look around you. We are not alone. There are others who need to go and do and some of them need to hurry. Some of them need to focus. All of them need you to get out of the way. Mom and dad lied when they said, "when you grow up you can do whatever you want". No you can't.
Surprise.
You're welcome, :)
LBB
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