OMG

OMG! LOL, I can’t believe I am writing this blog, but after watching the finals on American Idol, I had a revelation about life in America 2011. Joe and I (as I shamefully admit this that we watch American Idol), have been hooked on some of the talented musicians appearing this season. We try to use the bathroom or answer emails when Ryan Seacrest is his most patronizing and try to hold back our gag reflexes when suddenly the cast of idol perform really bad karaoke/ silly high school musical productions. But this year, as viewed from of our living room couch, has two or three multi-talented potential idols. And last night one of them, Casey Abrams, was voted off the show.

I was pissed and said I hate America for this vote. Joe wisely and with a bit of insight looked at me and said, “…Honey, this is what America does. They don’t care about quality, or talent, they are too juiced up about the packaging, the gift wrap, and the lack of depth. When did talent or ability come into play?”

OMG! And now with that simple whack on the side of my head I have a clearer picture of why we have Sarah Palin as a best selling author, Glenn Beck as an accepted prophet, Donald Trump gaining ground in the Republican/Bagger primaries, and FOX news comedians explaining their version of reality. Now I know why Bristol Palin earns hundreds of thousands of dollars to explain why she is not longer a virgin for an abstinence program, why people pay to see Charlie Sheen act as a fool, why Snooki gets paid a six figure salary while beating up anyone in her sight and MTV has no problem showcasing single moms as an elegant lifestyle choice.

In America 2011, we have decided being dumb, being mean, being anti this or that, using no fact just fiction, ignoring truth and finding fable easier to understand and something we can all attain. In America 2011, it doesn’t matter how good you are rather how good you are at disguising how awful you are. In America 2011 calling names is the tact to use when you have little to no evidence to support your bigoted or racist view. In America 2011 it is way too tiresome to scratch at the surface, when someone else can plant the seeds of hate for you.

Somehow along the way from 2008 when we were able to overlook race, finally dismiss those who lied while in office, search for change, pray for equality we stumbled upon 2011 and found ourselves in some black hole of anything but the truth, anything but reality, anything as long as it lacks substance and is sugar coated with gloss an glitter.

For those who do not watch American Idol, Casey Abrams was a contestant who played at least four instruments, sang a variety of genres of music and could entertain an audience as he sung. He is a talented man. It seemed he was a bit too heady for the Idol audience; he didn’t fit into a safe and secure mold. He challenged people to try and listen to his music. He seemed not be one of us, and he was voted off.

OMG! Didn’t we vote for George W. Bush because we were told he is someone we could sit down and have a beer with? We were told he wasn’t too smart, a little dumb, a common man with even more common ideas, a real American. We hear that those Tea Baggers are US, and if they hate Women, or Blacks, or Latin’s or Muslims or Unions or Gays or freedoms we should accept all of that because THEY are US.

American Idol, Joe’s simple comment, now I get it. If we have to look at something for more than a minute it is too complex, too scary and way too Un-American. OMG!

what is Un-American

There were times when my father had nothing to say about the current events of his life, my life and times when he would emphatically make a statement and become very adamant about how he felt and what he felt.

I was involved in the second national lottery of the draft for the armed services during the hey day of the Viet Nam War. My birthday October 21, when pulled in the lottery had me at number 243 out of a possible 365. I was assured by some not to worry, I would never be drafted and prompted by others to get my fatigues ready as a tour of duty in Saigon was imminent.

My father had enlisted in the Army and Navy and believed in service to his country and understood the value of the military. In 1967 the war in Viet Nam was prevalent on every news channel and suddenly not only 'hippies' and so called communists but the average Joe of America were beginning to question the purpose and practicality of the war. We witnessed death and destruction and many Americans did not understand why we were in Viet Nam or if there was an exit plan if we were to leave.

And then I received my number for the draft and in a family that never discussed the politics of the war, my Dad and I had a conversation. Basically a one sided chat, where my Father did most of the talking. He said people talk about this war (Viet Nam) and those who speak, many times only speak from emotion, prejudice, and project a future they would like to see not necessarily based on fact but mainly on a romanticized fiction. In speaking they are speaking their fears and in doing so likely stop speaking from their mind. Those who say not serving in the army is anti American have often never served in the army themselves. They like to toss around some kind of restrictive parameter of what makes us American. They, themselves, often times cannot live up to the expectation they set as the standard but expect others to do so.

I understand, he continued, about the value of democracy, but I don't understand how we force democracy on people who may not want the same things as us. I believe, he said, you would not be a coward, nor a communist, or a hippie if you decided not to fight in a war that seems impossible to win and more impossible to understand. Your lottery number scares me, and your life is dear to me so if you wish or want we can try and fight this.

My father then said, people speak out loud way too fast, and they do so because they know how harmful lies can become and like sores left unattended to can fester and envelop the entire body. And like cowards and bully's when confronted with their lies these people run away blaming others for misquoting or mis-understanding them and try to become the victim. If you, Gerry are true to your beliefs than move forward doing what is right for you. And no matter what you do, you are a true American because you are seeking the truth.

Recently we have people, politicians or 'wanna be politicians' who feel since the illiterate electorate, believed the cons and the sleight of hand of Republican/Baggers, and all their phony fabrications they now think they can now speak from their imaginary world of reality and make up facts. This group of liars can say something toss it out have it relished by the ignorant, the haters, the self victimized victims and when faced with the truth walk away from the accident they caused. And most of all those who disagree with the purported truth are of course Un-American.

My Father's words of advice about those who like to plant lies to cover their own inadequacies never owning up to their dis-ingenuousness resonate loud for me in 2011. We hear innuendo, supposition, fear mongering laid like traps for the foolish and angry to step upon and becoming entangled and enmeshed. We hear that the black man is only in power because of affirmative action, that the institution of marriage is less stable because of Gays, that Planned Parenthood's goal is not to sustain a healthy woman but to create more and more abortions, that America was to be a Christian nation as in that is what Jesus wanted, and that teachers, firefighters union members are the culprit and reason the for the great recession. We hear all of this and when confronted, those who say them out loud, kind of sort of never want to be held accountable for establishing the truth about the lies they spewed. But they can find the time to shout if you disagree with us you are Un-American.

I had to decide about the draft in 1967 and decide if I believed the facts told to me by those in power was true or just wishes wanted to come true. I had to listen to my Fathers words of choice and decide what was right and why it was right. That was 1967.

This is 2011 and I wonder how I will survive this next batch of bogus bragging and distortion of truth and how those around me will decide what is right, what is true, what is good? And watch as people ask the question what makes me Un-American?

what my grandmother said

My grandmother had spoke very little about her life growing up in Romania or her early years upon coming to the shores of America, but after a good sweet glass of Manischewitz Concord Grape Wine, and some chopped liver on a piece of matzoh, she found the wherewith all to reminisce and recount her theories on life and life around her.

Never one to hold a grudge, she believed that perseverance was better then holding back and would give (a few "pooh-pooh's, "oy gavults", and a single flick of salt over her shoulder) a stern call to the relative, butcher, or neighbor who crossed her path, tell them they will suffer in the near future if they do not admit their lie, error and or bundle of mis-information. And when they brush their teeth, looking at their reflection they will never see what they truly look like but until the evil deed lied about is righted, they will only see a mask that unless taken off their faces, will rot and lead to ruin in their life.

My grandmother said people lie because their life has been created from fraud and foolishness, and they continue to lie because the only foundations they can lean upon are based on emptiness and empty supports nothing. My grandmother then would tell us that the only good thing about emptiness is when you are making chicken soup (and have nothing more then a day old chicken and lots of water), then you can say that my soup is so good who needs things like vegetables or rice. Empty, however she said, can only last so long and the next batch of chicken soup made should have at least a carrot or two.

My grandmother would never listen to gossip and said that when someone told her anything about a person and used a voice she described as ('ssshhhhh the anti-semite villagers are coming" so we can't talk loud") she would say lets invite that person for tea and talk about them to them. She swore that words had more potency of poison then any dose of cyanide and no one should ever deal a dose of danger.

My grandmother said stupid becomes stronger in a stupid person when anyone, everyone talking to that person does not say why do you hate, what do you fear and why is what you speak of never based on anything but hating yourself.

I am not sure what my grandmother might think about Donald Trump and the group of Tea Bagger/Birthers, who are full of emptiness and fear. Perhaps we all should get a salt shaker and a bunch of pooh-pooh's and wish them away.

snake oil salesman

Con Man may refer to: A con artist, or a person who uses a fraud method known as a confidence trick.

Racism: Is the belief that there are inherent differences in people's traits and capacities which are entirely due to their race, however defined, and which consequently justify those people being treated differently, both socially and legally.

Bigot: Is a person obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices, especially one exhibiting intolerance, and animosity toward those of differing beliefs.

Lemming: The act of blindly or heedlessly repeating the actions or words of another.

Enabler: one who enables another to persist in self-destructive behavior (as substance abuse) by providing excuses or by making it possible to avoid the consequences of such behavior.

Donald Trump suddenly has taken his reality show life and has decided that too many people were not watching his Celebrity Apprentice and he needs more attention and is an unannounced announced candidate for the office of President for the Republican/Bagger Party. He has no real platform upon which to help America regain its pride and passion so he like the Con Man he is has come up with a fake concoction of snake oil and is selling his potion of promise without any plausibility.

"The Donald", a shyster and Con Man understands that fear is a common trait many ignorant and uneducated people call upon to justify their lives. Blame others for your misfortune, be afraid if that if others get their way they may make you even a lesser person then you seem to think you are and terrify the dumb that anyone different is the bogey man. And the Con Man has told the Racists, that a Kenyan, Muslim, Black man with the most powerful job in the world is not one of us and should not be trusted. He has filled the world of the hater and self imposed victims with innuendo and suppositions and without any or all credibility has them buying his snake oil.

The 'Birthers' will never settle for any documentation that has been posted as real because they don't want any evidence that does not permit them to justify their Racism and hate for the black man with a very Un-Christian sounding name.

But wait, "birtherism" is so yesterday and any snake oil salesman worth his weight in fraud and fiction needs something new, something more magnetic to attract those who only know hate. So now this Con Man Trump has decided to wonder, wonder out loud that is, about how a 'nobody', a 'black no body' living in a lower class neighborhood with one parent could have possibly gone on to Columbia University and then done graduate work at Harvard, without lets say some kind of hank panky? Maybe that hanky-panky took the form of affirmative action, and for all those who love to hate for no other reason because they are Bigots know all that affirmative action is good for is to take away from the whites and give to the blacks. And this snake oil salesman knows that Bigots love to blame someone else's success for their failures.

Now we can add one more full of wholes fact to the teetering tower of 'birtherism' by assuming the evils of affirmative action have stuck a stake in the heart of America. And one more reason why whatever is wrong with our nation stems from this Non-American stupid jive talking man receiving something he never earned.

And filled with inspiration that his lies, fabrications, fornication with the truth have caught favor with the religious zealots, the Baggers, the homophobes, Racists and Bigots the Con Man has lined up enough Lemmings and is leading them to never talk about their economy, their jobs, their standard of living, their fair share, but instead has preached the evils of just one man and has them dancing by dozens to ignore the real and instead live his reality show of deceit and devious. And as most Lemmings, no one is bothering to ask any questions and gladly will stand upon the abyss and jump. Not the Con Man, however, nope, he has more snake oil to sale somewhere else, a sucker is born every minute and in some other town.

And as the snake oil salesman is slithering and sliding never once being held accountable for disclosing the ingredients of his potion, he is joined by the Enablers to never question his motives but to lend more credence to his inexplicable elixir. The Enablers in the form of CBS, ABC, NBC CNN, FOX insist on asking him how do you know, what do you know, why do you know and settle for his well polished run on answered reply. And these Enablers finding no backbone nor conscience let the snake oil salesman rant and rave and never say you lie and in your lies you are treasonous and more Anti-American then any traitor or terrorist.

This is a story about one snake oil salesman, a Con Man, who lives upon the strength of Racism, Bigotry fueled by the love of Lemmings to never look inward, and Enabled by people who think the Con Man is entertaining and marketable. This is a story about American politics in 2011. Sad story, I think!

picture this

Picture this: A man married three times, who has declared bankruptcy a few times, doesn't quite know how many people are in the Congress, isn't sure what Roe V. Wade is all about, and wants to tell the Chinese Government "you're fired" wants to run for President and is taken seriously because above all else his bigotry and bias against the black President resonates above everything and anything else that defines who he is.

Picture this: A transgendered woman is attacked coming out of restroom at McDonald's and while she is beaten to nearly the end of her life, the clerk at McDonald's is laughing and filming away instead of calling the police or intervening against the attack. The two women who viciously attack her are pissed because she is transgendered so they feel rightfully right in kicking and beating her.

Picture this: A group of people who feel that same-sex marriage is icky and awful based on nothing else but their own prejudices and priorities who loved the public eye and the public ear, want to suddenly hush up any and all comments stated under oath a they try to keep the Gays from marrying. They suddenly become the victim when asked for truth and fact, but when asked to demonstrate how they explain truth and fat in court under oath they want to silence anything they say.

Picture this: A group of politicians complain that jobs, jobs, jobs and the deficit have gone badly and under the two year governance of Democrats has taken America on the road to ruin by making government too BIG. They harangued and harassed the electorate providing fictional facts and tuns of scare tactics and warmed of dire consequences if we did not concentrate on jobs, jobs, jobs and the deficit. And remarkably once elected, the same politicians first need to deny women reproductive rights, working people decent wages and benefits, Muslims the right to the freedom of religion, and of course equal instead of equal but separate.

Picture this: In America of 2011 we are discussing larger government when it comes to our bodies, our religious beliefs, our ability to earn a decent wage, our ability to marry and raise a family. In America of 2011 we are permitting bigoted people to run for President, the ultra wealthy to dictate policy, false prophets broadcast hate and fear. In America 2011 suddenly child labor laws, choice, division between church and state, and differences are taboo and terrible and threatening.

Picture this: If we permit all of this madness to continue, 2012 will certainly live up to its Mayan reputation of being the end of life as we know it.

spring break

I had taken a few days off, trying to get some better footing on a ground which felt so shaky as it relates to my perception of America 2011. I stopped watching my three hour dose of MSNBC, tried to only watch the weather report on local TV and forced myself to not read the Nation, Daily Kos, or Slate on-line. I thought if I ignored the news of the nation or the world, then any news I wanted to receive would be good or better.

I thought perhaps that I was taking things too seriously, and perhaps as much as I wanted to try and change the world, the world really was a better place then I proposed and it did not require change since MAYBE it was not so bad after all. How could I really make a difference when the difference I wanted to make seemed so BIG.

I found in my journey away from the madness of current events how much love my partner Joe has for me, how talented and carrying my kids are, how best friends are near no matter the distance in miles and how sometimes the smallest of motions have the power of a hurricane.

It was a bit refreshing to not worry about the minorities, or wonder what happened to freedoms, or angst over equality for all or let the hypocrites just hover in the world of double standards. I could work out, write, or hike the streets of LA and not consider the repercussions of Republicans gone wild.

Co-incidentally while I was taking a break from the wrought and worry, I realized that Spring Break was taking place in LA. It was Spring, a time for renewal of the Earth, Passover a time for Jews to consider the power of freedom and independence and Good Friday/ Easter a time to believe in the power of miracles and love. It was a time that many stopped their usual routines and found themselves thinking, trying, attempting new things and new ideas.

Monday is coming and the break time and the holidays are finished. Monday will bring memories of the past few weeks and all the joys and jubilee experienced and enjoyed. It provided many and most with time to think and re-think, both of which I did and have.

Even as my break is over and in the thinking in which I indulged, I have found new resolve and resolution to find the resolution in all I think is unfair, unfounded and fraudulent.

My blog, for me, is an outlet that permits me to fight battles I believe need fought and to defend ideas and ideals ignored by selfish, greedy, gluttonous goons who get good and bad confused.

It is good to be back. I am ready to try my best at looking at this world and trying to figure out how to find the good for all and identify those whose bias and bigotry just make things worse.

grandma marilyn

A California Republican official who sent out an e-mail picturing President Barack Obama's face on the body of a baby chimpanzee issued an apology late Monday after a weekend of criticism that ended with a strongly worded public rebuke from the local Republican Party chairman, who also called for an ethics investigation into the incident.

Marilyn Davenport, a 74-year-old elected member of the Orange County Republican Central Committee, sent an email Monday afternoon asking for forgiveness for her "unwise behavior," just before the local Republican committee met for its monthly summit at a hotel in Irvine.

Tim Whitacre, a longtime conservative activist in Orange County and representative of the county's 69th Assembly District, spoke in support of Davenport and said he had visited her on Monday afternoon.

He said the "petite grandmother originally from Kansas" who taught Bible study classes and had a heart condition was terrified by the outcry and had taken her phone off the hook after receiving angry calls. He asked committee members to forgive her and accept her apology — but said she didn't intend to resign (msnbc)

So now we are to believe because this is a "petite grandmother originally from Kansas" who taught Bible study classes and had a heart condition we are to forgive actions that could not have possibly originated from someone so pure and innocent and she is NOT a racist! We are now told that as a Christian, teaching morals and ethics from the Bible, from the heartland of America, a grandmother raising her slew of God fearing kids who is petite and ill she should not face any consequences for her unwise actions for being a racist. We are told that someone as good an American as Grandma Marilyn really, really, really had no racist, bigoted intentions in defaming the President, nope she was just making a light hearted joke for her close cadre of American racist bigoted friends, who because they are Christian Republicans actually love America more than anyone else. We are told Grandma Marilyn will not resign because, well because she really, really, really did nothing THAT harmful and besides soooooooooooo many people without a sense of reality enjoyed the joke and could all of them be racists?

Grandma Marilyn is neither unique nor extraordinary and does not even stand out among the crowd of self appointed bigots and racists in this country who have little regard for truth, value or honesty. Except she got caught! She feels empowered by the Tea Bag Brigade, the raving and rants of Bachman, Palin and Trump, the prophesying of false prophet Beck, and a general malaise and misalignment from a group of Americans who pretend that their religion permits hate to ferment as a means of embracing their God.

Grandma Marilyn was bold and proud when she sent the pictures of a monkey family with the President as their child, but now, like most cowards when caught she is suddenly described as ill, old, sickly and petite and a victim herself. Grandma Marilyn had a whole week to consider her “unwise” email, but not until enough people found his/her own conscience and complained did she then come to the fore and apologize. How come when a coward commits an act of violence against another, after the act, they then think how “unwise” the action was? Wonder if they didn’t get caught if they would give their actions a second thought?

Grandma Marilyn is a racist and a phony. She is the manifestation of fiction overcoming fact, of fear triumphing over truth, religion gone amuck, and American values being replaced with greed, gluttony and general disregard. She sadly is not alone. And she, so it seems, wields more power and prestige and seemingly is embraced by lemming like dupes who love to point out differences, deny equality and blasphemies God’s word to define their actions as just and valid.

Go away Grandma Marilyn; your politics are not what makes America great, and we need one less racist in politics.