Friday, June 22, 2012

Dream: Stop Belaboring the Word

"Dream" law this, "Dream" law that. Has the dictionary emptied
out, leaving only this one word?--An erroneous and/or misleading
one at that:

(1) Dreams occur when sleeping, often too fantastic or impractical
to call into actual existence. Whatever happened to goals, results,
accomplishments, etc.? Why slap that word onto every law even
remotely related to achieving/expanding progress or delineating
individual or group rights? Say "magazine" or "apple" quickly
ten times, you'll find it becomes babble; so it is now with "dream".

(2) The "American Dream": we're continually, publicly,
being barraged by the notion that everyone's dream here must
consist of:
a. home ownership
b. car ownership
c. a college diploma, particularly in medicine or law,
the "prestige" educations.

(3) No one can decide what would be anyone else's way to live
and/or achieve. My list is NOT shown under (2), although
I once wanted a degree.

(4) The laws and policies which would/could connote
civilization achieved at last should be no dream, but actuality.

Stop "dreaming" already, get to work, and find another word!

Thursday, June 21, 2012

What's in a Name? "Fast and Furious" Was to Blame

Memo to Mr. Obama:

Your Justice Department gun-running border sting
operation was doomed before it began--once some
brilliant pop culture maven decided to call it Fast and
Furious.

How much should our top toffs rely on Hollywood for a
clue?? The answer should always be, NEVER. The White
House should recall that suspending belief is usually
required to experience/enjoy movies (fiction) but
preferably NOT when executing major real life and death
decisions.

Hey, Inner Circle: Grow up, forget the celebrities,
their opinions and their fantasy realm....

What's in a Name? Fast and furious inspiration gets
the blame.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Sleeping Beauty and the Spellbound: the Nightmare is Now

All in Sleeping Beauty's castle, spellbound, slept for 100
years--is this now America? From farfetched fable
into unfortunate fact? "The City on a Hill", which term
President Reagan cribbed from a wordy Western saint,
(Augustine) who had himself "adapted" it from Matthew
in the New Testament, is what oh so many think of the U.S.
--but those with that rosy view are asleep:

Arizona law, in defiance of about 100 years of verifiable
medical science, has now declared when conception begins.
North Carolina, Texas and Virginia have expunged sea
level rise references from their state laws and their coasts
so as to acquire new shoreline developers.

Such reactionary, irrational legal edicts are increasing.
John Atcheson in Common Dreams today tied up a list
that should "live in infamy" and propel millions to intelligent
action, but alas, see above. Darkness is spreading o'er
da "castle", and da Enlightenment may go out.

Hey, everybody, the nightmare is now.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

I Hate Fun (-And You Can Quote Me)

Yes, really I do. I hate when pursuing personal pleasure
interferes with:

(1) Tasks that need doing
(2) Policies which should be implemented
(3) Improving access to a more level playing field
(4) Moving toward a more just society
(5) Realizing vital home truths, the first step
required to solve any of our resolvable issues.

At the bottom of all our ills is the culprit, fun.
That includes the drive toward evermore irresponsible
sex, producing disease and unwanted, mostly
maladjusted, maladaptive people, overpopulating a
planet that will not easily sustain such numbers.

The overemphasis of fun devalues serious teachers
("teach" has gotta be an entertainer FIRST, an educator
a distant second); sharply reduces workplace productivity,
as the office PC is used for personal perusal at the expense
of doing one's job; makes the lack of a sparkling personality
almost a federal offense in our "popular" culture.

All this negativity has worn me out, even if I must staunchly
adhere to such insights. But I do hate harmful fun, and you
can quote me.