Hellfire

Update 11-29-2012

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 16:01:11 -0500

I have to stop feeling like a piece of shit all the time. Regardless of my economic situation, there are outlets out there and opportunities for me to continue to pursuit what I do oh so well: shoot my mouth off.

I write weekly columns for an online website out of Northern California, and I can say with a degree of certainty that the writing is going well. It’s a professional job with talented people everywhere. At a certain point, I really felt inferior to the other contributors on that site. Hell, there are writers there that have been columnists for over twenty years. I am just the guy that lives in his parent’s house still.

Despite all that, my editor keeps holding onto my hand ever so patiently. I swear my editor Debra is an angel putting up with my eccentric and self-loathing ass, dealing with my mind trying to run 100 miles per hour and my fingers only working at a crawling speed.

So I continue to improve upon my writing chops, asking my grammatically inclined friends advice on what I am doing, and I try to constantly read. It is at least a two hour minimum of reading anything from classical literature, my political science text books, columns from prominent print media columnists, and of course comic books. Yeah, I read comic books.

Anyways, me and my big mouth are going to go places. Everyone told me that my mouth was going to land me into trouble, maybe they are still right. What if it lands me into a job where I get to give my opinion every week? Wouldn’t that be the best, to have a job where I am only limited by my mind and my ability to be smart, creative, and funny? Oh wait, I have that job now.

I recently put up a meme by the great novelist Paulo Cohelo in which he was quoted “O barco está seguro no porto. Mas não foi para isso que os barcos foram construídos.” Translated from Portuguese is “A boat is safe in the harbor. But that is not the purpose of a boat.”

I am so tired of being fucking afraid of my talents, I need to sail the oceans of life and not worry about the giant squid that might capsize me; I capsize myself by just staying at the shore.

Paul Ryan....Greed is Awesome!

Fri, 17 Aug 2012 21:13:55 -0400

On Sunday, the cable news carnival barkers “reported” that Wisconsin’s own Paul Ryan is going to be Mitt “who let the dogs out” Romney’s VP selection. YAY! I have something to write about now!

That piece of wood Mitt Romney, man, he makes vanilla ice cream exciting. Well we are all set now. Hey ladies, Paul Ryan is your Chubby Hubby.

Let’s talk about Paul Ryan, the so called intellectual leader of the Republican Party. http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/charles-krauthammer-romneys-present-ryans-future/2012/08/16/d0411adc-e7b8-11e1-936a-b801f1abab19_story.html?wprss=rss_charles-krauthammer Krauthammer said it, so it must be real. If he were only petting a white cat he would be the ultimate Bond villain. I didn’t put him in the wheelchair…

Paul Ryan’s world view is really centered around a few different mid century writers: FA Hayek, Ludwig Von Meses, and Ayn Rand. They all in one way or another arrive to the same intellectual closure point; self-interest makes you happy. Yes. You alone make yourself happy. Who cares about the guy next to you. Fuck him. I am going to be me and make me happy and be me and love ME and ME and ME. Catch my drift?

Since when was greed intellectualism or idealism? Any old philosopher tells me that greed is bad, that greed is vice. Since when is that all of the sudden ok? Since we have pitted citizens against each other. War on drugs, war on education, war on poverty, and a war on women….I am starting to feel like a five star general here and I haven’t fired a single bullet.

Yea yea yea, I know, we love individualism in this country. I mean, I like making my own way as well. But I also live with three hundred million people on this continent and I believe that some of my choices do have an effect on other people. How can anyone think otherwise? Well, according to Republicans and other assorted flavors of Republicans, yes Libertarians..you are a more annoying version of Republicans, you can indeed be greedy, and it’s so fabulous. So ahead and just take as much as you like, we’ll make more. Anyone remember the Dorito’s commercials with Jay Leno?

So this is the so called intellectualism of the GOP? Newt Gingrich and Paul Ryan? This is like calling Fred Sandford an interior decorator. Paul Ryan is a recycler of old junk, there is nothing new here. Greed is good? Evidently they should put Gordon Gecco up for sainthood in the catholic church.

What would Jesus say to Representative Paul Ryan? ”I threw the rich men and bankers out of my temple, why haven’t you?” Paul Ryan, “Hey Jesus, ever read Ayn Rand?”

Chik-Fil-A ...go away

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 19:52:00 -0400

After a week or so of sober thinking and watching the “culture war” of the Chik-Fil-A controversy, I think now is the perfect opportunity to make my comments on what has happened.

Dan Cathy has made unfortunate comments about his beliefs pertaining to gay marriage. He has a First Amendment right to say what he likes on the matter. I think we can all agree that he may say whatever he likes about homosexuals and marriage that he has admittedly said was shaped through a biblical world view. His morality, however it was shaped, is also protected constitutionally and as a citizen, I really wouldn’t have it any other way. Mr Cathy, in my opinion, can go and say pretty much whatever he wants, as hurtful it might be to some of my friends. This is an example and testament of American idealism, the principle that you should be able to freely speak your mind and not be put into jail for it, or worse.

My homosexual friends were outraged by the comments of Mr Cathy. Their sympathizers shared in their grief and misery. On Facebook, a massive campaign was mobilized to combat Mr Cathy’s bigotry. I had hoped that a massive boycott of Chik-Fil-A would send a clear cut sign that people were not happy with Mr Cathy and his principles. By the way, the point should be made that not only does Mr Cathy espouse to this sort of thinking, he makes it a point that Chik-Fil-A also runs on “biblical principles,” whatever is implied by that.

So, what is a boycott? Simple, you decidedly shop someplace else that is not Chik-Fil-A. Seems rather elementary and to the point.

What actually happened? It’s rather indicative of the culture that is in decline. No longer do we use poignant rhetoric, we do this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STRg3ZdkDFo&feature=youtu.be

That guy is the problem. It’s this sort of “in your face,” attitude that really is, to say the least, uncivilized and obnoxious. In no way should someone making minimum wage have to tolerate that person’s ire. By the way, can we give a kudos to the young woman in the video who remained polite and cool as a cucumber during that exchange? She needs a raise.

My issue is this guy had the nerve to start touting off to this young lady. And I will give you the reason why I think he did it: attention whore. Absolutely, positively an attention whore of the worst kind, the self-righteous kind.

In his little crusade, he films the whole experience and I am sure when he went home he felt fantastic. He probably showed his friends, they probably all high-fived him, and he went around proclaiming that he was a hero like a Norma Rae.

Meanwhile, all this shows is that he is classless and immature. I support my friends in their worthy causes, but to go up to a young lady and start trolling around like that?

Chik-Fil-A…..all this just to sell your chicken?

announcement

Wed, 01 Aug 2012 22:14:45 -0400

It has been apparent that I have neglected using Tumblr to write what is on my mind. I always have a lot on my mind, but lately I have been in a slump. Recently I have had an opportunity come my way and I hope to capitalize on it. I never fancied myself as a writer, but it’s starting to fit like a glove. No matter what happens, I need to keep writing the truth about the world. It’s one of the few ways I can stand up for those who cannot he heard. I am not a journalist, nor am I trying to pass myself off as someone like a Chris Hedges. However, I am so lucky to be living in a time where I don’t need an act of God to have my voice heard. Very very lucky to have the internet as my sidekick. So, I am going to make every effort to have something weekly on here for public consumption on top of any other obligations I may have.

I felt like I have turned over a new leaf.

Update

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 00:36:07 -0400

So many things have happened since the last time I shouted on here. So many injustices in the world.

The Education Deficit

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 17:43:16 -0400

“Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.”
-John Dewey

I know according to Ricky Santorum, that being educated is akin to being a snob. That must make him a double snob since he has an MBA and a JD from Penn State.

Where on Earth did this concept of anti-education come from? Where is it ok to keep kids some and have parents just indoctrinate their kids? All things being political, this is an attack. This has been a long standing attack on “the expert.” It really signifies some of the ills in this country and why we indeed have an Education Deficit. It is slowly killing us.

There is a movement out there that merely states that the government is the source of all ills. This is mostly the Libertarian fad and the Tea Party folk who say that less government is the solution. The also openly attack public school teachers and have revitalized a movement to “home school” your child. That is to say you make your child stay home and you will teach him mathematics, reading, writing, history (which I am sure is revisionist), science (unless you are a Christian fundamentalist), and other subjects. They simply say that teachers are horrible and all they want to do is indoctrinate kids to be “liberals”, in other worlds multi-culturalists.

That is not even the half of it. Partisan attacks aside, the true crime is found as society as a whole. Where are the people who still read? Books! Remember those? Remember the classics of Plato, Aristotle, Plutarc, Cicero, Rousseau, and others? The classics are no longer taught in the highschool…our intellectual inheritance is dying. What is taking it’s place? 16 and pregnant, 19 kids and counting, ghost hunters, and the voice: anyone see a pattern here? Shitty tv has extinguished the passions for learning new things in old books. Therefore, you have an entire segment of people who don’t know anything and can’t create/innovate anything.

To use an economic term, we are depleting our “human capital.” If you want to continue to dumb down society, you will continue to have class divides ala the 1% and 99%. You will continue to have a class of people who are economically burdened with bad loans, bad mortgages, and bad debt. Why? None of them can read or add and on top of that none of them know what recourses they can take to combat this pernicious predations. You continue to have fully capable people flailing around and feeling hopeless. Education is your freedom.

My advice. Read. Read online. Go to your library and read. Get out and talk to people. Share ideas of the society that you want to live in…wherever your ideology or faith is. Question what people do and question what you do. Try to improve yourself. Education is your freedom. Don’t add to the Education Deficit.

Put down your xbox controler and join the education revolution! http://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/ Free online books!

The Lede: Video Shows Man Who Shot Trayvon Martin Arriving at Police Station

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 23:30:25 -0400

The Lede: Video Shows Man Who Shot Trayvon Martin Arriving at Police Station:

A police surveillance video shows George Zimmerman arriving at the Sanford, Fla., station in handcuffs the night he shot Trayvon Martin, 17.

Robert Reich: Healthcare Jujitsu

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 19:11:08 -0400

Robert Reich: Healthcare Jujitsu:

robertreich:

Not surprisingly, today’s debut Supreme Court argument over the so-called “individual mandate” requiring everyone to buy health insurance revolved around epistemological niceties such as the meaning of a “tax,” and the question of whether the issue is ripe for review.

Behind this judicial…

"Men who believe absurdities will commit atrocities."

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 19:01:13 -0400

“Men who believe absurdities will commit atrocities.”

- Voltaire (via hate-wizard)

thepoliticalnotebook: Picture of the Day. Herat, Afghanistan. A...

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 18:31:09 -0400

thepoliticalnotebook:

Picture of the Day. Herat, Afghanistan. A former Taliban fighter, pictured after a ceremony in which he joined Afghan government forces.

Read: An analysis of why the drawdown of Afghan aid might just be a good thing.

Photo Credit: Aref Karimi/AFP/Getty. Via.

View more Picture of the Day posts. Submit a photo.

politicalprof: it would be nice …

Sat, 17 Mar 2012 00:18:15 -0400

politicalprof:

it would be nice …

“You know money is made from cotton, so why are you chasing paper?” KRS-1…the...

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 04:43:57 -0400

“You know money is made from cotton, so why are you chasing paper?” KRS-1…the philsopher from south bronx…well south south bronx to be exact. #WAKEUPPEOPLE!

Liberty

Sun, 04 Mar 2012 23:01:55 -0500

sinidentidades:

Liberty should not mean the freedom to starve.

Liberty should not mean the freedom to be homeless.

Liberty should not be mean the freedom to die from lack of healthcare.

Liberty should not mean the freedom to die because you can’t afford the things that are pertinent to living.

Winning!

Sat, 03 Mar 2012 05:11:36 -0500

Winning!

RealTime Economic Issues Watch | A Bad Eurogroup Decision on Greece

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 03:04:31 -0500

RealTime Economic Issues Watch | A Bad Eurogroup Decision on Greece

North Koreans Agree to Freeze Nuclear Work; U.S. to Give Aid

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 01:58:07 -0500

North Koreans Agree to Freeze Nuclear Work; U.S. to Give Aid:

North Korea’s surprise announcement raised the possibility of ending an impasse that has allowed its nuclear program to continue for years without international oversight.

Very interesting developement...

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 01:23:17 -0500

Very interesting developement...:

Could this open a door for North Korea and the US to have a better diplomatic situation? I hope so.

ShortFormBlog: Woman wants priest removed after refusal of communion at mother's funeral

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 20:32:47 -0500

ShortFormBlog: Woman wants priest removed after refusal of communion at mother's funeral:

shortformblog:

then Father Marcel Guarnizo was officiating at a funeral mass for Loetta Johnson. After saying only people in a “state of grace” could receive communion, he refused to allow Loetta’s daughter, Barbara, to drink from the communion chalice. The reason? She’s a lesbian, and lives with her partner…

Religious Discrimination.

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 03:31:00 -0500

You sign up for this and you should expect this from a religion that has declared war on you. So sad.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-archdiocese-denying-communion-to-lesbian-at-funeral-was-against-policy/2012/02/28/gIQAlIxVgR_story_1.html

Obama sidesteps US terror suspect law - Americas

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 03:29:43 -0500

Obama sidesteps US terror suspect law - Americas :

Barack Obama, the US president, has announced measures that would allow civilian investigators to handle cases of terror suspects.

The new steps are seen as a means of sidestepping the 2011 law that requires terrorism suspects to be brought before military courts.

Tuesday’s directive provides more flexibility to the president in deciding whether or not to use military tribunals to try foreign terror suspects, and is likely to upset members of the US Congress who included the rule in last year’s National Defense Authorization Act.

The changes include situations in which the FBI, not the military, would be allowed to retain custody of al-Qaeda terrorist suspects who are not US citizens but are arrested by federal law enforcement officers.

The new White House issued rules are the result of a December compromise between the Obama administration and a majority of Republicans and some Democrats who wanted a bigger military role and a reduced role for civilian courts in terrorism-related cases.