Why Should I Facebook You?

Over the Holiday season I did an outrageous thing--I tried to make one on one contact with a few old acquaintances by sending apparently old fashioned email. Not a mass email have you, but individual correspondence asking how they have been.
Well, I guess that was just too difficult for some to muster. I did get hastily written replies, but usually with a: "well if you really want to know what I am up to--join facebook and check my page"....
Unbelievable. Everyone has become such a delusional "rockstar" that it is in no way considered pretentious to suggest that everyone should be following their impersonal web updates. Before the internet this would be equivalent to someone saying--"well if you really cared about my life: buy my autobiography."
The really silly thing is, that all these bozos putting all their personal details on Facebook don't seem to understand human nature. At least half of your friends and or acquaintances are probably making fun of your facebook info at any given time. Saying stuff like: "why did she put that photo out there" or "why did they move to that house?", "who lets their kids on a bike without a helmet"...etc...doesn't everyone know people just get a kick out of judging one another???
Of course any old letter or email could be made fun of as well, but in my opinion when it is more personal and delivered only to the receiver--then it is simply "sharing", but when you post on facebook or send out tweets--it sort of crosses into "bragging"--and thus more scrutiny.

Quit Your Job and Help Your Fellow Americans

This is my shout out to all those stressed out two income families, driving around in their Yukon SUV's on their way to their high pressure careers....why is mom and dad both working if you clearly have no financial struggles???
As crazy as it sounds--but when everyone wants a job (even if they don't need one) that raises the unemployment rate. People hate to admit it, but not every American family actually needs to work two jobs to put "food on the table". I know plenty of families where mom and dad work, even with incomes way above $100,000 a year simply because staying home is "boring". Or maybe they think it's lazy to bake cookies and volunteer for the PTA, or usually they just like a bit more money.
Of course it can be argued--that no matter what, two income families do pump money back into the economy either through being in a higher tax bracket or buying their endless supply of McMansions (I don't care what Time magazine writes, I feel the McMansion lifestyle is still alive and well) So that argument is fair enough.
BUT I still can't help but notice that if an affluent mom or dad quit one of their careers, presto! A job would open up for some man or woman that needs to make a mortgage payment in a zero income family...

What is this Wrong Path You Speak of?

I recently heard one of these right-wing zealots complaining about America going down the wrong path and how all our children will be ruined.
So I proceeded to look up some poll numbers and what have you, to get more clarity about this. What I found online was mostly Obama bashing brought forth by statistically insignificant Fox news polls. Usually a rampant fear of "progressive socialism". When I dug a bit deeper into what people really mean by this, I found it interesting that nobody is comparing this bogey man to Cuba or China, but call the evil plot "European style socialism".
How funny is that? It's like saying :"watch out or you will all become Canadian!" (As we all know Canadians have three heads and live in caves). I understand that the USA is a great economic force in the world--but do our financial markets really ensure the well-being of the average American Joe?
I wish the average Joes and Janes could all get a plane ticket to "this Europe" they fear so much for a few weeks. Travel the train system, eat at some cafes and talk to the locals about how "miserable" they are with socialized medicine and more government intervention.
Then Joe and Jane could more accurately discuss this big fear they have. Otherwise, it's like a small child's fear of Santa Claus. The big red suit scares them more than the positive idea of actually receiving a gift.

The Consumeristic Paradox

It keeps driving me nuts that nobody has a problem with the constant tirade of conflicting messages we get in this country when it comes to "consumer spending".
How many times during the Holiday season do we hear about making Christmas less materialistic and more about family, or heart, or whatever?? Yet in the mean time, the same media outlets show all sorts of consumer spending charts and diagrams complaining how retailers are suffering without increased spending?
Then there is the "get out of debt"or "get rid of your credit cards" banter...yet not a minute later, with a straight face, the news guy will turn around and discuss how consumers need to spend more-- to help the economy. Buy a new car, a new house, a new cell phone, just buy something already....!! How many times do we hear: "consumer confidence" is up or down.....?

People complain and complain about "kids today" caring only about designer clothes and money...but what do you think drives a capitalistic economy if it is not growing materialistic kids?
You just can't have it both ways folks. I guess nobody really wants a hippie economy based only on bartering their stuff on Freecycle--but what is the alternative? Building more and bigger houses, buying more cars, money-hungry children? Does economic growth also mean unquestionable greed growth?? What does the future hold for such a system?

Sarah Palin and Selling the Body for Money

Out of morbid curiosity I just glanced at an article about Sarah Palin vs. her little nemesis: Levi Johnson. She states that he can not be taken seriously, as he is someone who would sell his body for money...
What??
As someone who lives in Alaska, and has been familiar with Sarah Palin way before she was a household name, let me tell you something about her popularity. It has to do with her looks. I'm so sorry if that makes people uncomfortable, but it's reality.....
Talking to a good friend in Dutch Harbor, many of the fishermen have no problem admitting they voted for Palin, as she"is hot". And what about those t-shirts & stickers out here: "coldest state, hottest governor??".
I know many politicians are required to be good-looking in this media age. But unfortunately women are held to an even higher standard. And it is a fact that men enjoy listening to a good looking woman, if it is called listening--a more accurate description: staring at the body while the mouth flaps. Why else do you think someone not well read or worldly, got so far so fast??? I guarantee that she would be nowhere if she was fat, ugly and old.
Sarah Palin knows this too--why else does she wear sexy red pumps and own a tanning bed?
So leave Levi alone for "making money off his body", because that fantastic book deal $$ has everything to do with Sarah's body as well.......

Top Five Things We Can Live Without

Ok, I know there are plenty of Americans with real financial problems right now. But my gripe is with the moaners who always complain about money, regardless of their situation. The ones who claim they can't afford to buy local, gas costs too much, I need to shop at Walmart..blah, blah.....but I never see a real financial problem because their house is filled with stuff.

So I compiled a list of the top 5 things these complainers could live without:

1- Their giant big screen TV and satellite dishes. Give me a break, do something productive instead.

2-Countless plastic children's toys. A huge issue to me. I was just reading about plastics that don't ever decompose and just wind up floating in a garbage pile in the ocean. These cheap plastic toys fill space and make your house look tacky. Kids don't need roomfuls of toys--they just wind up becoming boring and uncreative!

3- Holiday knick-knacks. I am utterly grossed out by how much money Americans will spend on inflatable Holiday lawn decorations! Then there are window stick-ons, and plastic weird things galore. It used to be just Christmas--but Halloween is just as bad now. What happened to just making a home-made scarecrow for the front yard???

4- Pet luxury items. What an embarrassment to the rest of the world! Why do Americans spend so much on pet treats, toys and even costumes? Holy cow!

5- Blasting the heat and AC. This is crazy. I have had to work with ladies who actually put the heat thermostat on 80 degrees! They just couldn't handle the concept of dressing differently in the winter (like warm). These same people then can't stand the hot summer temps and want AC on 68 degrees?? What gives? It's like oppositional climate disorder or something.

King Rush and His Serfs

A long time ago in European history, a common way to live was in a feudalistic system. You had the castle and the great lord of this manor. Outside the gates lived the hard working serfs, toiling away to feed the king.
Now I don't remember exactly why the serfs were so obedient--I expect they would simply be killed by the King's men if they did not do as they were told. But if I remember correctly--they were also offered some protection in times of war by the king and his castle.

Fast forward to USA 2009. Quite a few hardworking serfs (if I may call them that) have been fooled by their self-proclaimed King: Rush Limbaugh. Of course he is secretive about his assets, yet I did read he may be making upwards of $33 million a year. Nevertheless, it is nowhere near the amounts of his fiercest supporters, living in working class towns somewhere in middle America.

How did Lord Rush achieve such a diabolical scheme? How do you have the working class actually supporting your right to less taxes and to sit on mass amounts of wealth simply for hurling insults?? Last time I checked, Lord Rush was not dirtying his hands in a coal mine.

Well he as the great Kings of yore, has promised some sort of protection from the enemy army to the loyal serfs. The enemy being "the Liberal agenda". This time around, they will not be stealing your fair maidens and burning your villages. Instead, these warrior liberals have come along to convert your children to homosexuality and tree-hugging. And as long as Lord Rush continues to scare the hard-working serfs into believing the end is near, he gets to laugh all the way to the bank and keep more of his "hard earned money" to pay his pill-popping expenses.