Insanity politics

Ted S. McGregor came out this week, to opine in a short column about the Idaho state Legislature. I have a bone to pick with them; that is, they will set aside some tens of thousands of dollars to kill wolves in the state of Idaho. But they don’t seem too overly concerned about the state of our schools, emergency preparedness, infrastructure maintenance,or making certain our public employees get a decent paycheck.

McGregor’s column discussed how else the Idaho state legislature likes to waste money. Precisely by passing resolutions to demand that Congress, impeach those judges the political crybabies here, so totally disagree with. I’ll agree with McGregor’s sarcasm about how the House of Representatives in Idaho, could have absolute power—to do what ever they wish—if all other “competing” levels of government were completely eliminated. That’s both houses of Congress, the federal judiciary, the presidency, the Governor’s office (?), and the Idaho Senate. Or according to McGregor’s correctly sniping column, our elected members of the Idaho state legislature could learn to live within Constitutional standards.

What I do know is that our members of the Idaho state legislature has a large set of misplaced priorities. Do they want to attract jobs to Idaho, where the majority of the citizens are barely scraping by? Or do they want to extend “open carry,” to include certain kinds of knives being carried around in a lot more places? Should Idaho’s students be an educated and well-skilled workforce? Or does the Idaho state legislature, prefer to give a literal “bully pulpit,” to gun lobbyists such as the NRA?

Elsewhere in this week’s “Inlander,” and according to one of their columns, the Idaho state legislature finally got around to funding a mental health center for Kootenai County. It was reported that Kathy Simms, did not care to spend any of that money on her constituents; so she voted against it. It was approved regardless, which suggests that sometimes, the Idaho state legislature can do something right.

Which brings me to the main point of the blog post: “Insanity Politics.” Ever since 21 December 2012; I have seen the GOP in particular, going off the deep end in just about everything political that you can imagine. Florida’s Guvnah doesn’t want “climate change” or “global warming” mentioned by anyone on a taxpaid for salary. Especially working at a state level bureaucracy. Yesterday, Jon Stewart pointed out just how much one member of Florida’s state legislature cracked up, when the fellow testifying about “climate change” tied himself up in knots, by trying not to mention it. My opinion about Florida’s Guvnah is this: Miami is a little too close to the ocean. There is reason to believe, that rising sea levels could inundate an entire city. That is in millions of souls who currently populate Miami a lot of people to have to evacuate, when such a huge city would no longer be livable, if such an eventuality were to happen. Telling people they can’t discuss “climate change” in what amounts to totalitarian politics, doesn’t make the problem go away. The voters should on the other hand, make Florida’s Governor go away. It would be nice if they did.

Phil Robertson (if I have his name correct) of “Duck Dynasty” infamy showed exactly who he is as a pervert, by what he said about an “atheist family” at a local prayer breakfast. Incidentally the rest of the perverts listening to him, were laughing and applauding at every appalling thing he said. I saw the cut and past item in the comment threads of Facebook, it was broadcast on video, so I have no need to repeat it. Instead, I’ll hand out the definition of pervert: To turn away from the right course of action. To lead astray morally. To lead into error or false judgment. To turn into improper use; misapply. To misconstrue or misinterpret, especially to deliberately distort. To bring to a less than excellent state—debase. And finally, a person who practices sexual perversion. Well, Mr. “Duck Dynasty” was all about seeing atheist mom and atheist daughters getting raped and decapitated. Rape is a sexual perversion according to the bible. Whacking off atheist dad’s penis and showing it to him, is yet another expression of sexual perversion. Sure my dictionary is better than 40 years old, but Mr. “Duck Dynasty” Robertson demonstrated very well, what a pervert still means. As did his audience.

Also found on Facebook was of some heavily pregnant woman in Colorado. Seems she got lured by a particularly vicious and twisted woman. Mom to be was looking to get some baby clothes. The nasty criminal suspect in this case, was a woman who attacks the pregnant lady, cuts the fetus out of her guest’s body, then rushes it to the hospital claiming to have miscarried the child. Mom survived this appalling tragedy, I am happy to so far report. But in the aftermath of this horrible incident, there was some mention by a member of her state legislature, that concerned God’s punishment… Excuse me, but I don’t believe that justifies, this attack on mom to be. A woman who certainly lost her child in this tragic assault, and who could have most certainly lost her life. Don’t we have enough crazy people out there in the world, that we don’t need to elect them into office?

Shallow thinking

A couple of weeks back, “The Inlander” published an article on a fellow, and quite frankly I do not care to recall his name, who made use of fascist/proto-fascist almost like a four letter word. Precisely, once or more than once in a single sentence. Which suggests to me, that the fellow was yet another one of those guys, who doesn’t put a lot of thought behind what he says. Bearing in mind that Italy became one of the Axis powers at the on-set of the 2^nd World War, then Fascism as Mussolini saw it, would have a slightly different interpretation than many would give it today. Now what about before the rise of Hitler, Mussolini, the Axis Powers; and 19^th century reactionary governments, that held sway over an often oppressed subject populace? Well, it did happen, especially as Europe began to industrialize at the on-set of the early part of that century. Kings, Princes, the ruling class of nobility, weren’t necessarily opposed to private capitalistic enterprises. Especially when they saw a substantial improvement in their own treasuries, by taxes to be gleaned from privately owned businesses. And I am also sure that when the royal houses of Europe desired it, they guaranteed that some business interests would flourish in an atmosphere free of competition. What ever you may say of Fascism today, Mussolini basically invented the word. But the arc of history before then, made what Mussolini did possible.

From another side of the perspective, of so-called left wing views; comes “People against the Libertarian Party.” A Facebook group that is quasi-newsletter and filled with what the grp creators ascribe to “libertarian” style thinking. I can think and quite frankly it is something to bust a gut over, that a little too much is ascribed to “libertarian” ways of thinking. It does remind me overly much of demonizing something, without fully understanding what you are saying. Regardless, the people who started this Facebook grp. did manage to put some thought behind their commentary. One item in particular sticks in my mind: I am not against capitalism. But I am against… What becomes a whole list of criminal malfeasance, using money to wield influence over a government elected by the people (oligarchy), and opposing outright a free market. For in an actual free market, it does come with the caveat of an actual competition. Think about that. Some people seemed to get confused about being for “capitalism” and yet opposed to “all the elements” thereof. At least what has since become the rotten core of “capitalism,” in this society today. But greed, engaging in criminal misbehavior, it actually doesn’t support the foundations of capitalism. Instead with the banking and housing collapse circa 2007-2008, the capitalistic “house of cards” collapsed very readily, with the taxpayers holding the tab. You can’t exactly be for capitalism, if you are supportive of all the things that destroy private enterprise and even further, basically make it dependent on both government and the taxpayers. —A parasitic special interest since the days of yeah, the 19^th century. I hesitate to call it fascist; and I certainly wouldn’t call it “libertarian,” either.

Robert Reich is normally a deep thinker, and most of the time I like what he says. But he did come out with some truly alarmist views: The 19^th century comparison comes to mind, a very few people within their respective European countries, that control the majority of the resources. But the resources in this case, was land and anything that could be extracted from the surrounding real estate, manufactured on the property, versus those who could through the force of law, be denied any use of it. Which would definitely lead to massive hunger, disease, and deaths from the severe cold. It would also lead to massive uprisings, because of the above-described adversarial relationship, between the ruling class and their subjects. But money isn’t real estate, it isn’t a resource, it doesn’t produce one ounce of manufactured material. What money does do, it is a legal tender for engaging in commercial business transactions. More corruptly, it buys and sells governments. More shadily still, it can finance off the wall political flavors of the day; without the so-called adherents once thinking through, what kind of goofball statements they are making. And how their factual actions, actually contradict their many most “pious” claims. You’ve heard all about “the unborn child” who is an “economic growth factor” for the state. In that same state, education is gutted, possible health care for that “unborn child” is being threatened by constant appeals to SCOTUS, and have them take an ax to the ACA. At the federal level, GOP members of Congress, are opposed to parents having the wages needed to better take care of that “unborn” child. And apparently, so does one Mr. Jeb Bush. The fetus as an “economic growth factor?” Not if you don’t want to invest in it. So back to Mr. Reich, in an alarming future, the American workforce could be laboring for next to nothing. Actually, prior to and certainly during the Great Depression, that was a fact. It was also the reason for the rise of labor unions. I look at it far more practically: who do you sell your merchandise to (from the 19^th century premise of buy low sell high)? There won’t be a mass market, because people can’t buy what they can’t afford. Remember, they labor for next to nothing. And what of the value of currency? Doesn’t that value constantly fluctuate? Let 20 January 2009 serve as a reminder of what stock prices looked like by the time President Obama took office. Or the currency of the Wiemar Republic of Germany, post the first World War. Once you run out of customers, that much vaunted $ bill can become as worthless as hell. What billionaires? Yeah, that is what greed can do to you, it tends to short out the capacity for critical thinking

Marco Rubio

On the CBS Evening News the other day, Senator Marco Rubio (R) Florida, told a woman reporter who was interviewing him what he thought of higher education. Apparently, he’s opposed to the idea of it. It isn’t necessary or suitable for what this country needs. Later on, he appears on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.” No, I did not watch the entire interview, I wasn’t about to. What I did see of it as the Senator was touting his book; Rubio’s answers to Stewart’s questions, didn’t exactly meet the challenge. Precisely, they weren’t intelligent answers, he kept stumbling, and geeze Stewart’s a comedian! How would Rubio stand up and deliver in a moderated debate scenario? If he can’t answer a comedian’s questions, his book is likely not worth reading either.

So, let’s address how “frivolous” higher education is. I will bet you that the late Steve Jobs would have disputed Rubio’s assessment any day of the week. As would Doctor Tyson of “Cosmos” fame. Bill Nye the Science Guy, would be shaking his head that anyone would dismiss the need for higher education. No, this isn’t a “segway” or a tangential argument. After Rubio appeared on “The Daily Show” on Wednesday. Jon Stewart’s latest, broadcast last night: was that of Jessica Williams discussing public defenders having to defend fetuses. Apparently, a new law that went into effect in Alabama. If that is correct, it is a law laden with pure irony, hypocrisy, and further, how stupid can you get? Alabama doesn’t have the resources to defend a fetus against a pregnant teenager, in a court of law. Let alone, any poor person who can’t afford a private lawyer. And if those resources factually don’t exist to defend a fetus; then what does that say about the 14th amendment rights, of those people born and living in the state of Alabama? Maybe for the radical religious, who want to use government to regulate and control private individuals, higher education isn’t essential. Or the doofus who made an utter fool of himself on “The Daily Show” last night, might have understood something essential. How does a grown man start out? Well, first he is a fetus.

A long time ago, the GOP made very public how they were going to engage in divisive politics… If this Alabama state law actually exists, that’s divisive politics. It pits the fetus against family, teenager also against family, fetus against the rights of due process for the society at large, and finally; the fetus against its own future interests. Which brings us back to Marco Rubio. He frowns on a higher minimum wage. Why if businesses had to pay for more expensive employees, they could just take those jobs away through full automation.

Machinery doesn’t come cheap. It has to be maintained. And currently, well educated and trained human beings maintain those machines. Second, supplying the workforce with a decent paycheck, is actually more cost effective and profitable. Why? Because it still takes money to make purchases. And money is produced by holding a job. So, if this country were to go to full automation, what would Senator Rubio suggest we replace our current “capitalist driven society” with? No one will have the money to buy anything. Which comes down to this, apparently Mr. Rubio wants to be President of a third world country.

Further, if he is an immigrant who became a naturalized citizen; he actually can not run for the office of POTUS. The same is just as true of Ted Cruz. You still have to be born in this country in order to hold that job. CBS Evening News I don’t think, cared to look into that.

Question, where does Mr. Rubio get his Congressional salary and other perks from? Who pays for it? Uh, his too expensive to keep employed constituents, I do believe. The well heeled business interests certainly aren’t forking over the tax dollars, to give Mr. Rubio some hundreds of thousands of dollars in a yearly salary. That’s why I don’t regard these people as “conservative.” They seem to be lost in Neverland all the time. Especially Senator Rubio. So, I’d certainly suggest that Peter Pan and Tinkerbell, haul Rubio’s ass back to Neverland and keep him there. This country can not afford him.

The “state” of Idaho

I was able acquire the latest “Inlander” today, 9 January 2015. Among other news items, the local news weekly discussed what state legislatures in Olympia, Washington and Boise, Idaho are facing in budget challenges. I’ll focus on Idaho. After all, I am only a native and long time resident of this highly radical state.

Last week, David Sheridan had published a letter about how “God loved Idaho” more than apparently, the neighboring state of Washington. Indeed, he even boasted of how our roads in Idaho, survived the constant use of studded tires in winter, better than the roads of Washington state. I submitted my own letter, of course I had no intentions of mentioning Mr. Sheridan’s name. I did point out what it is that “God was not likely to love,” with respect to political corruption, our lack of educational and employment advantages. At the end of my own letter published last Wednesday, 7 January 2015; I took note of the fact that tax dollars are usually required to create (or build) and maintain decent roads (over all infrastructure). I am quite sure that Mr. Sheridan realized, that my published letter to the Coeur d’Alene Press, was in direct response to his own. If ultimately he decides to respond, let us only hope he addresses these issues in a more serious matter than “God’s love” owing to our politically selective morality, or miracles coming from Jesus Christ.

So back to this week’s “Inlander” weekly publication; it was noted that our roads and infrastructure are in bad shape. —Presumably, God’s love has its limits. But of the list of office holders in the Idaho state legislature whom “The Inlander” managed to get some quotes from, apparently bad roads and infrastructure are not a high priority in a “tax averse” state. Elsewhere in the same article, the same Republican office holders were apparently all on board with the idea of “taking back” federal lands, and placing them within the state’s jurisdiction. I’d like to pause this highly political proposition for the moment and address two points: first, we don’t have the tax dollars to fix critical infrastructure. So how do we pay for a 62% geographical land mass in the state of Idaho? Especially when we would have to put a whole lot of moolah out front, to take care of that newly acquired landmass when it comes to critical resources. Second, how about that sale of now state land to private resource extractors? Is the state of Idaho going to recoup tax dollars from billionaire business owners? Probably not, if you constantly refer to how this state is “tax averse.” That says a great deal about how radical the GOP in recent years, has truly become. So radical, that they no longer consider what the ultimate outcome could be, of their whimsy ideologies of the moment.

The same argument also applies to our lack of educational advantages. If you don’t have the money to pay for school books and other supplies, district to district and this is the perpetual whine coming from District 271 nearly every year, then you definitely don’t have the dollars to “take control of massive federal land.” Where the Luna laws originally intended to deny tenure and etc. to public school teachers, in order to pass that “savings” onto out of state and for profit online educational companies; then no, we don’t have the monetary resources to “take back federal land.” Literally, the GOP in this state seems to live perpetually in Neverland. With faeries waiting in attendance, to hand “the lost boys of the Idaho state Legislature,” a juicy snack. You can believe me, this is what comes of the failure to think among the voters and politicians of this state.

This morning I saw a letter in the Press, that I absolutely had to applaud. I won’t mention the fellow’s name or even plan on putting his letter on the blog. Just suffice it to say, he was disappointed with the lack of “conservatism” with reference to one Raul Labrador. Perhaps this man was a Republican and voted for old Raul out of the justification that Labrador wasn’t a Democrat. If that is precisely how you would vote, paying no attention to the actions and certainly the voting record of the incumbent, then you would be bitterly disappointed. Raul Labrador was labeled, not a conservative. But our not so effective Representative here in the state of Idaho, has never been a conservative. The Cromnibus bill that this morning’s letter referred to, wasn’t the only un-conservative act that Labrador had ever engaged in. Make that, just the latest radical gesture that has come from the new left GOP. But if the Cromnibus bill that Labrador voted for finally woke this one writer up, so much the better. Oh and Labrador sent a flyer long after the spending bill cleared Congress. It consisted of a “survey” trying to justify the vote. I let Rep. Labrador know where I stood as a conservative.

Yeah conservative, of the don’t bash cherished institutions kind. Of the don’t trash your kids’ future even as you posture “right to life,” kind. Of the don’t put greed ahead of human needs, kind. Under the circumstances, I highly doubt that God loves a state, where we overly abuse the word “conservative.” Otherwise, some things would require a miracle, for people to continue to live in Idaho.

Too many gun tragedies

I am not going to name names with reference to the tragic accident that happened at the Hayden, Idaho WalMart Superstore yesterday morning; 30 December 2014. A two year old child messing around in mom’s purse, manages to grab her loaded gun and shoots her. Not only was this incident all over Facebook and other forms of social media, it was also broadcast on the televised news and last night, CBS Evening News had picked up on this particularly shocking story. A toddler shoots mom with her loaded gun. You have to figure that at some point, this just had to happen.

I fully understand why the 2^nd Amendment was written as it was. At one time this country did not have a regular army and so, a volunteer militia made up of individually armed men would have to muster and train, in order to defend their towns or villages, even the country if called upon. That was the assumption anyway. At least until a regular army, navy, marine corps, eventually a coast guard and air force was authorized through Congress. Because of the above changes in the formation of an official military, the original intentions of the 2^nd Amendment went the way of history. Fast forward to the present with various “Open Carry” radical groups that insist on taking their guns everywhere. I could see some child playing with a fully loaded semi-automatic rifle, like he or she thought it was a toy, with tragic consequences. Like what happened yesterday at WalMart. Because anyone dumb enough to open carry such a weapon into a Target or where ever, wouldn’t have the common sense it would take to keep a child away from a dangerous weapon. Sorry to have to say this before a now grieving family and children scarred for life because of this incident: but when I was a child, the 2^nd Amendment was not threatened if mom and dad were not openly carrying or carrying concealed any weapon into a store, theater, or restaurant. That was over 50 years ago. My how attitudes have changed and dramatically, since I was a child.

The NRA became more politically radical in those almost 50 years from the time of my birth. You didn’t used to hear of the NRA or any other “gun rights” group prepared to take up arms against this nation, or this nation’s government. Actually, it is treasonous to make that kind of argument. But with the political donations that the NRA routinely gets, it is also a treasonous argument that routinely gets a pass and a wink of the eye. Because of the corrupting influence of private money in public political campaigns. So, at what point does the NRA begin to recognize that guns are not toys and are instead dangerous weapons? Just how many excuses can they keep coming up with when finally, toddler fires on mom and kills her almost instantly. How many members of the NRA can keep arguing that there is a “dictatorship” behind gun regulation; when children are accidentally shooting other children, because parents are careless about where they store their dangerous weapons?

I have thought about this many times since I had last posted to this blog, and it involves “looking in the mirror.” Millennials was addressed at length in “The Inlander” of Spokane, Washington. Brief interviews on the street, in which actually older people were included among those voicing opinions about same; the older people in particular voiced some particularly nasty condemnations. Maybe they forgot that, they are the parents or the grandparents of these same millenials. And with their own “me first” political views—inclusive of my individual rights to my dangerous toys—why shouldn’t the millennials make the assumption that “things” can be handed to them as well. The NRA was granted a very liberal entitlement from SCOTUS after all, with reference to their “Chicago decision.” So, if the NRA can get one branch of government to hand them something, then “entitlements” are also presumably procurable for everyone else and any other walk of life. Which leads to a 2 year old toddler reaching into mom’s purse, playing with her loaded hand gun, and killing her.

Idaho is a gun crazy state, it can not be denied. Idaho hunters love their guns and want every possible permission to use those guns, to hunt and shoot everything in sight. Whether it is of any profit or useful to them, or not. Now we can add to the list, mom’s little boy kills her with her own weapon in a Hayden, Idaho WalMart. Am I rubbing this in? Yes, I sure am. No, I am not a mom. It is probably just as well that I am not one. But for anyone who is a parent; if you are going to insist on taking a loaded weapon where ever you go; show some responsibility. Children are inquisitive and they are going to get into everything. That is why there are warning labels on bleach and other cleaners, and further notification of, “Keep out of the reach of children!!!” A smart parent or parents would understand that. Precisely, a parent who is smart enough to exercise some common sense. The same is equally true of your handgun. If through the NRA and the SCOTUS decision that so thoroughly liberalized the 2^nd amendment that it is no longer recognizable, you can individually own as many dangerous weapons as you wish, keep them out of the reach of children for your own sake and theirs. That is your responsibility as a parent. And yes, this was a preventable tragedy. The only people I will truly feel sorry for, is that toddler and the other children who were witnesses.

Failed thinking

When ever I read a George Nethercutt column in “The Inlander,” I am never sure whether to roll my eyes or bust a gut laughing. Because quite frankly, I think Mr. Nethercutt spends more time stringing words together, than actually saying anything. Here’s an example:

A recent poll showed Americans about equally divided over how Ferguson was handled, with 52 percent against President Obama’s handling of the issue and 52 percent against the way police handled the protests there, with a narrow margin supporting the federal government bringing charges against the officer. Obama, as America’s first biracial president, must be careful not to show racial bias himself.

The above block quoted statement demonstrates in a nut shell, exactly what permutations racial prejudice will go through. No “biracial or other minority” should ever show “racial bias” whether in the arts, comedy routines, as members of the news media, as actors, politicians in general, or even the President of the United States. However, the putative white majority can exhibit racial bias at any time. Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, George W. Bush, any Dixiecrat, etc.; have employed racial bias extensively and exploited it for political reasons. Racial bias was definitely on display to reduce the likelihood of minorities voting in the November 2014 elections. Just as there has been a heavy display of racial bias, when young African-American males, some with families of their own, fall victims to police over-reach or brutality. Find it on Facebook, these young African-Americans are scofflaw “thugs.” Perhaps if they just complied with the law… However there is a counterargument called, the cops have a protocol that needs to be followed. I fully understand any cop discharging his weapon and killing someone, who has a badassed weapon and definitely plans on using it. That is not the same thing as: “the suspect” having only a pill bottle, set of keys, wallet, a cell phone… And the cop claims after the fact that he felt “threatened.”

Now for a summary of what else Mr. Nethercutt argued, we could teach the current illegal immigrants all about capitalism, the free market, and working hard. Uh, I am very sure they know all about any of the above. Capitalism=illegal immigrants are exploitable day labor. The free market=no we do not want illegal immigrants to obtain a green card (through executive action), because they may as potentially legal citizens, expect better treatment as well as better paying jobs. Work hard? I have no doubt that they do. In fact for very little pay or none what so ever, any illegal immigrant probably works harder than most politicians. Especially when those politicians over a span of two years, took very long vacations, too many weekend breaks, and spent what little time in Washington, D.C. that they did to constantly bitch about the President. Any illegal alien that acted like this on the paid under the table workforce, would get booted off the job so fast, it would make his head spin. No, Mr. Nethercutt; it isn’t the illegal immigrants who could use these lessons. It is instead, people like yourself.

For anyone who has some grasp of what Boys and Girls of America stands for, or for that matter, Big Brothers and Big Sisters; it is where you partner up with a child who is literally struggling, and try to act as an inspiration. If it works out as planned, this is a child who might make it into high school, college, or even a university. If it works out with this kind of partnership or sponsorship, this is a child who would always have someone to talk to and share fun times with. The intent is, to keep that child from falling through the cracks and helping that child to eventually lead a more productive life. It is not something that Mr. Nethercutt should be trying to “after the fact” exploit. Because programs like these do cost money, some of that money may come from the federal level. The operating word here is “MAY.” We already know where the GOP priorities are in their next legislative session. Your kids or any other peoples’ kids are not exactly on the radar. Your health or the health of your neighbor, isn’t exactly on the radar either. Whether the veterans will see any kind of benefits, is also a big question. The claim I have seen on Facebook, the GOP watch the checkbook. Even before their legislative session ended in December however, seems the GOP sponsored a TRILLION dollar rider that funnels taxpayers money into Wall Street and etc. This to prevent a “government” shut down. Wall Street and etc. doesn’t require such a massive socialist outpouring of public moolah, but the GOP are determined to make sure Wall Street and etc. are the recipients of a federal sugar daddy. That is not an argument for one political party to “watch the check book.” Nor is it an argument for capitalism and the free market.

Seriously? President Obama should take particular care that he should never show a “racial bias?” United States of America, if Nethercutt wants to assume a local voice (Spokane, Washington) for the GOP; I think you have far greater problems than whether a biracial President shows a racial bias.

Millennials: A fellow traveler

I wouldn’t exactly say, that at the age of 60, I am a Millennial myself. Actually, a baby boomer technically speaking, of an era and a generation, where it was thought you really could have it all. Well, when I was born in 1954, and grew up in Coeur d’Alene my home town; I was one of those people who did not have it all. It was hard to get a job. If you did not already have a resume by the age of 18, then how likely were you to get work? If there was someone you didn’t know, required for reference purposes, then you were less likely to get a job. If the argument was, that you could always seek out teachers to supply references; then you were definitely going to struggle to find work, if those teachers either hated or ignored you. Long before the Millennial generation, I was one of those young people having to live with my parents, and hating it. Then the Army, and finally I found civilian work after I had been in the Army for awhile. But in what had become a “right to work state,” the pay wasn’t sufficient for me to move away and live on my own. Even before the Millenials mentioned in the Daniel Walters’ column in “The Inlander: The Selfie Generation;” I became one of those people, trying to make an independent living with my own start up, a farmers’ market associated business: Morpheus Creative photography, with pictorial website. It was a start up that might have seemed to go nowhere fast, in actually becoming a successful business. One in which I could have accomplished my goal of living independently and on my own. But, I did not give up on it; marketing fiber crafts, photos, plants, and garden products. I had been at that business now for better than 20 years.

Dad died at 81 while all three of us still lived at our Coeur d’Alene, Idaho address on 15^th address. By then, I had published a sci fi short story about “The Vracny” in Modern Short Stories. But they turned me down cold on the next story I tried to submit, so that was that. I tried paying for long range tuition on how to write stories and books. Only those people decided to criticize the intentions behind the story instead of providing input on how to better write it. The story involved a much picked on little boy, you see; who helps rescue a captive unicorn… It can’t be a “little girl” who does it instead? Was the whiny reply at the time. With that not so helpful response, I insisted on a full refund. At the same time, it influenced why I would never seek out a publisher or editor ever again, to brainstorm the idea of a book or short story. I don’t and never have done what was called “traditional thinking.” So until Amazon produced Kindle and went looking for writers to fill the e-book shelves, writing novels for me was not on the radar.

I was in my 50s before we had the internet, and in particular, the siblings when they helped mom and I move to our new home in Dalton Gardens, made sure we were set up for the internet. Like Mr. Walters, I learned about AOL instant chat and chat rooms. I found message boards for the kinds of quick responses to the news and issues of the day, that was so much faster and quite frankly, far more satisfying, than maybe getting a letter to the editor published. Plus for me, it was educational as well. Facebook was created, I set up an account. Twitter was created, I set up an account there and sometimes would chat with people at 140 characters. But that was off and on. Mom died of lung cancer at Life Care, October 2011. There was all kinds of burdensome questions about where I would go from here, because the siblings wanted to sell her home. Ultimately, my new home was back in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho and in a mobile home park. But at the age of 58 going on 59, I was also a pure medical wreck. That was just from the stress of mom’s death and all that had happened. I no longer held a job. I doubted that I could, ever again. A year later, 59 going on 60, I had published my first fantasy novel to Kindle on Amazon, a very long fantasy novel: “Are You a Space Alien? And other adventures: A four part science fiction novel.” So, that must make me by now, a 60 year old millennial who hopes that my first ever book catches fire.

I don’t post this latest topic to blog in order to take something away from the next generation. In some ways, “The baby boomer generation” was in denial about the rest of us in the ranks. That there were people like myself, who didn’t have nor could we hope to have, a ship coming into port. That unlike Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, etc.; there were those of us who couldn’t become a financial success of the kind, to even live a comfortable independence. That’s what being poor actually meant and what it felt like too. In other words, I understand the Millennials frustration. But unlike Mr. Walters, Facebook, Twitter, Skype, Reddit, Instagram; is a resource tool that can truly help the next generation get somewhere. If the internet had existed when I was teenager, how quickly could I have e-mailed a prospective employer in another state, someone willing to put a young woman to work and even train that young woman to become an effective employee? If that had been the case, say in the early 1970s, I would no longer have been a resident of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. As it is, I am a Kindle novelist who can handle the realities of upload, download, uplink, downlink, the world wide web, urls, YouTube, and everything else. Because it exists, I am a blog writer. Because it exists, I don’t have to deal with “traditionalism” in the publishing world, that absolutely balks at the ideas that come from my “not so mainstream” head. I hope that my Kindle book does catch fire. I hope that “Aesgard Awakening! After Ragnorak, the Gods are alive!”; once I have completed it and edited, for the purposes of Kindle publication, will also catch fire. As it is, I’d like to thank the “Selfie Generation” for opening the door to a 60 year old baby boomer, to finally market myself. To finally show what I too can do.

It’s not from God

Right after the 4 November 2014 mid term elections, “The Inlander” published in Spokane, Washington came out with an article on “Pastors” who endorse political candidates. Even to mentioning one such “Patriot Pastor” by name who literally taunted the IRS with a “sermon” that endorsed political candidates. A “bust me if you can” type of deal. Well, after the GOP brouhaha regarding Republican affiliated groups and PACs being “politically targeted,” it just may be that the IRS will decline to investigate the “Patriot Pastor” and his church. This is not to say however, that the Pastor will never get busted by Someone else. That Someone who’s bible never asked this Pastor to make these endorsements in the first place.

The definition of secular may have changed somewhat since I got my Random House College Dictionary. But I am sure that it hasn’t changed so much that “secular” still means of the material, of the laity. Further, secular applies to anything created by man. IE: politics, political parties, governments, PACs, money to further the elections of preferred political candidates, money to further the promotion of an initiative, or to oppose it. If what the bible discloses, is to guide the followers to a more spiritual realm “In my Father’s house there are many rooms…”, then any Pastor or Priest should be more concerned with that. Precisely, making it most possible for the congregants to enter heaven. Instead, by these churches pushing politics and endorsing candidates at the pulpit; says yet again, that the church is more interested in secular power.

I am not going to name names here, for anyone interested, they can visit the Inlander Facebook page, or even inlander.com. Instead, I am going to ask my readers this question, how quick are you to turn to a dictionary and research the meaning of humanist? My dictionary describes a “humanist” as basically a moral person who shows consideration for his fellow human beings. Incidentally, the Bible both Old Testament and New, carries these humanist qualities. Jesus, according to his biographers, was factually a humanist teacher. Any church in its own right that follows such teachings today, would be considered humanist. But here was this “Patriot Pastor” inveighing against “people showing moral consideration for their fellow human beings” entering our schools. Which I regard as interesting, so what bible is he teaching from? Okay, a laity (secular) instead of Pastors or Priests (presumably spiritual) that states specifically how people should show each other some kind of moral consideration. I personally don’t see what would be wrong with that, considering that the Pastors or Priests are far too busy insisting on (secular) government paying their religion special considerations. Or why devote your time as a Pastor or Priest, endorsing political candidates?

Regardless of what the Apostle Paul said about governments being created by God, and therefore you as a believer had to live with what you’ve got; way back in the day, Samuel had a different argument. The day the people approached him out of anger because of the corruption engaged in by his two sons. These people wanted a King (secular government). They insisted that Samuel get them such a king. Samuel being irate, then came before his God and wondered the whys of the people’s argument. Never mind that his sons were corrupt, but surely a Priesthood should still prove satisfactory for an entire Israeli nation. To which God answers, that it isn’t Samuel who is getting the push back, it is the people’s choice to replace God (spiritual) with a King (secular). Well now, anything instituted by men is going to have its faults and frailties. Among them, is the capacity for power being corrupting, and those in power to exercise such power in both a false and cruel manner. That should tell even the “Patriot Pastor” a few things about the meaning of this. By endorsing political candidates (anointing “kings” if you will), the “Patriot Pastor” abandons his God in favor of a secular body that is prone to many faults and frailties. If God is supposed to be all perfect, then why would “Patriot Pastor” put his trust in a secular body? Wouldn’t that make “Patriot Pastor” a secular humanist?

A few days ago, I blogged that now that the GOP had their majority lock, just how quickly “the issues that got them elected” would become history. Well, Facebook and one news page after that, President Obama is seeking X millions in dollars to do battle with the Ebola epidemic. Some doofus I ended up responding to, said of the people who posted this page, that they had spelled “golf” wrong. In other words, Ebola was only a “freak out factor” for the purposes of politics. With the incoming GOP who certainly took political advantage of it to become the majority elected officials, now it is on to other business. And their apologia choir can engage in the usual childish attacks. Ebola is now “yesterday’s” news. Not for the people who continue to contract the disease and those who become casualties because of it. Ebola in the U.S. that should have served as a wake up call, is apparently only a wake up call for people who are humanitarian (the factual meaning of humanist) to begin with. For everyone else, a cynical manipulation of the freak out factor, is what is needed to gain Congressional majority power. That should tell you something as well. Why would God endorse anyone who wants the power, but who does not wish to engage in effective government? Who is all about having that majority control since the Reagan “revolution” of the 1980s, however they can achieve that desired status. But who are also increasingly and blatantly corrupt? If you read the bible entirely through, that is not the message actually found in scripture. But that is the message that comes directly from the pulpit of “Patriot Pastor.” As long as his own interests are furthered, he isn’t going to be overly concerned about the corruption of the political candidates, who’s names he has endorsed. Well, he should be. Because the bottom line, this is between him and his God.

Stakeholder v Shareholder

Robert Reich brought out recently, a commentary about the one time stakeholder capitalism.  That is, where businesses were prepared to do business within their communities, and generally have a stake in their customers, employees, and neighbors.  The kind of stakeholder capitalism where the cost of doing business included, paying your employees good enough wages that they could support themselves through honest work.  And further, recognizing that your employees were likely to become your customers, when it came to the purchasing of the products initially manufactured.  I have discussed this before, in many ways and not just here on the blog.  So I will now ask this question, who also is the shareholder?  And that is not just the individual who buys or invests an interest in that particular company or corporation.

Until I left J.C. Penney, I was such a shareholder, investing in J.C. Penney stock with a percentage of my wages.  Only the corporate headquarters seemed to be of an opinion, and passed on down to store managers nation wide, that people like me could be hired but we weren’t deserving of good paying jobs.  My investment in J.C. Penney stock was supposed to be retirement money through a 401(k).  At the end of my employment there, I wasn’t given enough hours with wages to feed a rabbit, let alone decently pay bills or put food on the table.  Apparently, some investors and shareholders can be kicked to the curb if they are employees of said company.  So what is meant by investment in reality?  Seems to me, that it should be mutual.  The employee is making your money for you, then you should thank that employee by providing hours and wages.  Apparently not.  By actually employing that person with an understanding of:  an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay.  Apparently not.  Instead, J.C. Penney, WalMart and others, create “the taker class” by refusing to uphold that particular maxim.  Which the Republicans can then condemn as a “burden on the rest of us.”  But who are “the rest of us?”

I wouldn’t know if the late “Government is the problem and not the solution” President Ronald Reagan was a man bought by the corporations.  But obviously his “supply side economics” was a spear head against not only a government actually having a stake in this society, but also, neither do businesses have to maintain such a stake.  Problem with that kind of thinking, while said corporate interests could pull up those stakes and disinvest in actual society, they still want their customers to come from that same society.  Just as the government itself still wants its taxpayers to come from that particular society.  It was the sort of disconnect that would take about 30 years, to completely wreak havoc on the American economy.  But it did in fact do so by the time George W. Bush entered office.  With an economic meltdown before he left office. So, you don’t want to employ an American workforce, or what American workforce you have, you want working as cheaply for you as possible.  Where can they go to spend that pathetic little paycheck that you insist on giving them?  The round figure of $60.00 a month from March to April, before I quite working for J.C. Penney altogether, wouldn’t have added to the Walton Family profits.  What it would have done was technically qualified me for welfare.  These were a destitute person’s wages, they were not the kinds of wages that would have supported my taking care of the bills for my new home, property taxes or rent.  With a store manager who was literally hoping that I was on, or soon would be on, some form of public assistance.  That’s right, public assistance.  Apparently, the store manager at the time, couldn’t wrap her head around the fact that public assistance comes from taxpayers.  In order to pay taxes, you must first be gainfully employed…  You must also be able to live in a state, where the political party would actually care about the people [you the store manager] insist on making as poor as possible.  Not here in Idaho.  Oh yes, I could quit working for J.C. Penney, but it was ill health brought on by tons of stress, not just because of the pathetic looking paycheck.  I also doubt that an illegal immigrant would have worked for $60.00 a month, as it wouldn’t have been worth his time or effort.

President Ronald Reagan made it quite clear to anyone caring to listen, that the government you vote for has no stake in you.  But the money that corporations invest in government, members of government will answer to that, because this is shareholder or investment money you see.  And the government as a business, needs to account only to its shareholders.  Like J.C. Penney or even WalMart, the Republicans in particular forget just who all their shareholders are.  Your vote is just as much of an investment into that same government as are your tax dollars.  Your public contributions on your form 1040 (as an example) are as much of an investment in political campaigns as are more private donations.  The problem with the “shareholder” concept in private enterprise or politics, is who you don’t recognize for that shareholder and therefore, whom you won’t account to at the end of the day.  So, the GOP once called this “federalism.”  There are others who say this is “fascism,” economic “fascism.”  I don’t think this kind of thinking deserves a label, period.  if you can’t see people until you see them as your putative customers.  Or if you can’t see people until you cajole them to vote for you in a political ad.  Then what do you see?  The day that pure greed needs a label or a political justification, is the day that I have to shake my head at this kind of truly twisted thinking.  No, it isn’t “fascism,” it is greed.  It isn’t “supply side economics,” it is greed.  It isn’t “we can’t be truly competitive until…” it is greed.  It was the consequences of greed that caused the American economy to go into a tailspin before Bush left office.  The SCOTUS “Citizens United” decision was the consequence of greed.  the Hobby Lobby “Religious exemption” claim, upheld by SCOTUS, was the consequence of greed.  If you are greedy, you have no stake in anything.  And if you have no stake in something, neither is it factual capitalism.  Capitalism as currently defined “in pursuit of profits” (I’ll agree, as a business owner myself and someone who also wishes to sell the books that I write), doesn’t take into consideration that “profits” don’t just come from investors, tax breaks, subsidies, and etc.  They also come from your employees being gainfully employed, who ultimately are customers of the products you manufacture. (I can only sell my farmers market wares or books to people who actually have money to spend.)  If you as the corporate CEO can’t see that, then this is just downright greed.  Call it what it is, just greed.  Capitalism has no future where just greed is concerned.  And greed is the most anti-capitalist threat to the business world, that in these modern times, they are likely to confront.  Not “socialism,” not government regulations, not taxes; greed.  That is the true bottom line.

There is no excuse for this

I have a Facebook friend who is a fellow Druid, he shared some cop versus animal horror stories with me.  A litter of kittens being shot point blank by a guy with a badge.  His witnesses are children who must have loved those kittens very much.  Were the kittens a nuisance, did they pose a threat to human neighbors?  Were those kittens a threat to the police officer?  Or was he the kind of guy who thought that by wearing a badge, his badge was a sufficient  excuse for his otherwise pug ugly behavior. 

Another scenario, dog is in a fenced in yard, the dog owner’s children are in the yard with the dog.  Was the dog barking?  Were the kids playing with the dog?  Was the dog a nuisance or a threat to the neighbors or the approaching cop?  Well, this latter scenario was that the cop got out of his patrol car and shot the dog in the face.  The homeowner had every right to be upset, because the cop could have easily nailed one of her children.

Facebook is where I heard all the gory details.  And where my fellow Druid could chase down these stories and post these links, then I have no doubt that my readers can do the same.

Before I continue with the rest of this post, I no longer have dogs.  I keep my cats, what I have of them, safely inside my mobile home.  My pets are no nuisance or a threat to anyone.  So, my neighbors would have no cause to complain about my pets ever being in their yards and causing problems.  So far, I have heard no complaints because I try to be a responsible owner.

However, we now have a scenario here in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho where the officer involved made some bizarre excuses for why he shot a dog locked inside some guy’s van down at Java on Sherman.  The window was only rolled down just enough for the dog to get fresh air.  What ever the cop did when approaching this van, he certainly set the dog to barking.  The after the fact excuses the cop made later, but he had to shoot through the window to kill the dog.  The photos appeared on Facebook.  The dog was restrained, the dog was no immediate threat, the officer still shot the dog.  From what I understand, the cop also took off with the dead dog.  He or she didn’t hang around for long enough to explain why it was thought necessary to kill a pet safely locked in a van.

No, I am not a police officer. But if this were a “suspect van” in a child luring case, I would assume that the cop would follow the necessary protocol and run the plates.  And as long as this van was in the Java on Sherman parking lot, the cop might have to just assume the owner was inside the establishment and contact him directly.  Did that happen, no.  Had it happened that way, the Coeur d’Alene Police Department would not now be facing a lawsuit.  Nor do you just kill an animal inside someone’s car where the windows are partially rolled down.  If you thought the animal was suffering: time to run the plates, get the help of animal control, find the owner and have something legal to say about his particular irresponsible conduct.  And from my understanding also of the situation, it would have been impossible for that cop to not know a dog was in that van.  I have walked past many a pickup, car, and van that had someone’s pets inhabiting it.  The dogs seeing my approach begin barking, even lunging.  They will scrabble up against the windows, clawing like crazy.  If they could, they’d follow you around while still in that car, barking or yapping like crazy.  You can be up to two feet away from that vehicle in question, and the dogs will immediately alert on you.  So, the police officer(?) would be well past the “I was startled” claim, by the time he pulled the trigger on a dog. 

The Coeur d’Alene Press page on Facebook had a number of posts from people rightfully outraged by what happened.  It could have been their pets, or even their children.  Others were trying to excuse the cop and lay all the blame on the pet’s owner, I regard the latter as no great surprise.  But it is social media, and news carries very fast here.  It is very possible to find the kinds of links my Druid friend found, and bring the info to the attention of others.  If he can, and you have to get on the internet somehow to post comments to the CDA Press page, then so can you.  Ignorance about other similar incidents is not an excuse.

NWCN discussed the CDA Police Department getting threatening phone calls.  This specific incident was reported on from Los Angeles, California to London, England.  At one time, the Aryan Nations gave the state of Idaho a black eye.  Now it is the cops, who apparently have nothing better to do, who are looking for an excuse to cause trouble.  Not all cops by any means.  But even a few cops gone rogue can give their respective departments a black eye and an international embarrassment, if nothing is Ultimately done about them.