literature and life

After Chicken Little causes widespread panic--when he mistakes a falling acorn for a piece of the sky--the young chicken is determined to restore his reputation. But just as things are starting to go his way, a real piece of the sky lands on his head. Chicken Little and his band of misfit friends, Abby Mallard (aka Ugly Duckling), Runt of the Litter and Fish Out of Water, attempt to save the world without sending the town into a whole new panic.(“Henny Penny” by Joseph Jacobs)

At The Family Leader's Thanksgiving Family Forum in Des Moines, Iowa, Newt Gingrich used his platform to once again attack Occupy Wall Street and dismiss concerns about economic inequality and corporate power in America. Gingrich said that the Occupy Wall Street movement proves "how much the left has collapsed as a moral system in this country, telling demonstrators "go get a job right after you take a bath."(right wing watch.)

And as Bill Clinton was being lectured to by Newt Gingrich on (Clinton’s) infidelity, Newtie was practicing his own adulterous affair. While Newtie was promising the taxpayers a stronger government on the side of the American taxpayers and that he was a champion of taxes, he took those same tax dollars to pay for his partisan PACS. Newtie swore as he he usually does when caught, they made me do it. Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae are evil he said. If president he (Newtie) will immediately 100% privatize both agencies. This while he recently has received 1.6 to 1.8 million dollars doing consulting work for the agencies.

Newt has the sky falling over everyone else’s head thinking his lies, hypocrisy and double talk will shelter him from any falling objects he may have thrown in the air in the first place. And Newt is still embraced by Christian Conservative, Family Values first, Republican/Tea Bag Party Americans. It makes you wonder the morals, values and ethics of those supporters!

Christine Penmark seems to have it all: a lovely home, a loving husband and the most "perfect" daughter in the world. But since childhood, Christine has suffered from the most terrible recurring nightmare. And her "perfect" daughter's accomplishments include lying, theft and possibly much, much worse. Only Christine knows the truth about her daughter and only Christine's father knows the truth about her nightmare.(“The Bad Seed”, by A. L. Beneteau)

Michelle Bachmann, Minnesota congresswoman charged that Obama's beliefs run counter to a basic tenet of Christianity. "The 10th Commandment teaches those shall not covet thy neighbor's goods," she said. "It's time to act on this self-evident truth." (first read) And Michelle is outraged at the subsidies provided to people, communities demographics in tis nation by the current administration calling them “the worst kind of socialism”.

It seems that the Bachmann family owns farmland in Minnesota, and they receive farm subsidies to help balance their bottom line. It seems Michelle and her “we can cure the Gays” hubby, Marcus indulge in receiving government subsidies for their farmland because among other things it benefits their budget. Mr. Bachmann also runs a clinic and receives government money to offset some of the cost the patients might have to pay for among other things kick the gay out of his/her psyche. The subsidies the Bachmann clan receive is Capitalism at its best but anyone else wanting health care, social security unemployment checks is Socialism at its worst.

And Mrs. Bachmann is still sought after to speak at such venom and vitriol groups as Focus on the Family, Family Forum, Americans for Prosperity. It seems if you address your hate toward others, avoiding your own shortfalls, never owning up to your own infallibilities you become a hero. And Michelle is still in the running for president by those if she hates like I do I will pardon her on everything else wrong with her Republican/Tea Party, God discovered Americans.

Michelle seems to have it all at least seems to have all the answers and like most bad seeds once the fruit ripens the taste is not as good as it looks.

The Danger of Blindly Following Tradition

The village lottery culminates in a violent murder each year, a bizarre ritual that suggests how dangerous tradition can be when people follow it blindly. (“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson)

First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, Vice President Joe Biden's wife, were booed by some NASCAR fans as they served as the grand marshals for the racing circuit's final event Sunday.

Obama and Biden were at the Homestead-Miami Speedway to promote Joining Forces an organization that promotes the hiring and training of veterans. (political hotsheet)

The House has voted to let the Pentagon continue using taxpayer dollars to sponsor NASCAR race teams.

By a 281-148 vote, lawmakers rejected an effort by Minnesota Democratic Rep. Betty McCollum that would have ended the practice. McCollum aides said the Army is spending $7 million on a sponsorship this year, and the Air Force and National Guard are spending additional money.(courant.com)

One of the most Americana culture icons of tis nation we are told is NASCAR. It is a sport, if you will, made from sweat, masculinity, the colors of both the confederacy and union, the blessing by God to America, and as red white and blue as baseball and apple pie. It is a place where rednecks and closets blue collared rednecks can coalesce and show off the power of the automobile,dependence on oil and the mechanics who in a matter of five minutes can patch, repair and set a race car in motion.

What better place then to herald the triumph of returning Veterans and to remind the nation of a key program chaired by the First Lady and the wife of the Vice president , Joining Forces.

We salute the flag, we know our rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air, helped our flag still be there because of the dedication of the Troops, many of whom are now Veterans, and many of whom like the millions of other Americans, need employment.

And so this First Lady and the Vice President’s wife have joined forces with the military to encourage support for our Vets. But despite all of that, some in the crowd of NASCAR, a sport subsidized by our government, (when we are pulling back money from the Arts, education and health care) found it necessary to boo and to instead display their ignorance and tolerance. Somehow many of these FOX TV viewers, Rush Limbaugh lemmings, I like God because he hates the same as I do Americans had to boo instead of applauding the efforts and energy of these two public figures. There are traditions handed down from family to family, generation to generation it can be as simple as buying a ticket to NASCAR to as complex as believing the bigots, bastards and bogus who incite distrust, animosity and hate. For the people who found the red white and blue in cars racing around a track but failed to find it in a First Lady celebrating our Vets I have to wonder just how patriotic they are and how the tradition of being a patriot seemed to go asunder. Makes you wonder just what kind of information about America has been shared from generation to generation?