And now this...

Greetings good citizen, as it has a thousand times in the past, does the scene unfolding in the nation's capitol make you wonder where are the 'adults'?

Much of what is happening wouldn't be if we had 'qualified candidates' IN THE FIRST PLACE!

In fact, why do you suppose we're saddled with a process that totally ignores qualifications over political, er, 'zealotry'?

This certainly isn't being done for the 'good of the country'.

Do ANY OF YOU use that block of cement between your ears for anything besides occasionally parking a hat on it?

No apologies, this crap has been going on FOR OVER TWO HUNDRED YEARS...making the question 'is EVERYBODY BRAIN DEAD?' a valid issue!

Just as the 'smartest man who ever lived' didn't found a company and live the life of Crosius [Geez, don't brains = Money? Isn't that why HALF of you MEATHEADS voted for Trump?] The other half should steer clear of carnivals, the carny barkers will cannibalize 'em!

Naturally I'm not talking about YOU good citizen, you who had a ring planted through your nose at a very young age and were lead to your beliefs by those who had your 'very best' interests at heart. [How pathetic those very same people remain absolutely clueless what their own 'best interests' are?]

You at least recognize that something is screwy...and you marvel as to why NOBODY is doing anything about it.

If the system is broken why is NOBODY [except that whacko that lives across the street from you (GRIN)] trying to fix it? Isn't that what we send people to Washington [actually, fill-in-the-blank because it's ALL FUBAR!]

Which has to make you scratch your head and wonder...coincidence or collusion?

But I digress, at issue 'here and now' is 'competence'.

3/4's of El Trumpo's cabinet ISN'T [even remotely] qualified to perform the task they were APPOINTED to do, the appointment itself is 'political payback' and has NOTHING to do with the individual's abilities.

With this thought in mind, how do we determine a candidate is 'qualified' to run a nation...any 'leader', anywhere on the planet?

Well, we AREN'T QUALIFIED either!

THE PROCESS NEEDS TO BE THE FILTER! How screwy is it that our modern political thinking boils down to whether or not you think you could sit down and have a beer with the man running the country...

Perhaps the MAN part should be telling all by itself.

How competent do you think the president's new 'propaganda minister' is when he comes out against one of the most enlightened popes in history and publicly opines he's 'dangerously mis-guided'.

Which, ironically, speaks VOLUMES about the character of the man who has attached himself to the novice president.

Under A Simple Plan those 'qualified' to lead society will compete against one another via a series of tests that will not only reveal their problem solving abilities but their character as well.

I will once again point out that only 50% of the public turned out for the presidential election...largely because we can't use the ballot box to vote AGAINST the candidate(s) we DON'T WANT.

ADDING that option alone would have resulted in a 're-do'.

Worse, good citizen, repealing Citizens United will do nothing to overhaul the hollow 'two party' system because we all know there is only ONE [the other is 'faux' opposition, intended to make people BELIEVE they are being represented BUT they fold like empty boxes when the chips are down [whenever the people's rights are at stake.]

So it is good citizen, as we observe the 'circus' playing out in Washington, we can only shake our heads in disbelief that this is the 'best we can do'...

For those preparing to ram it up your backside, it's as good as it needs to be...YOU are sitting still for it!

Tired of being jerked around? Plant your butt and pour a cold one, then take every penny you can lay your hands on and go shopping for as much non-perishable food as you can buy...cuz it might be a long time before you can go shopping again.

Carbos may not be kind to your waistline but this is survival and carbos are CHEAP!

Put an end to this nonsense...wait. You're going to have to wait until support for an international strike builds. Doing it alone is suicide and a waste of resources YOU can't afford.

You'll KNOW when the time is right!

In the meantime, prepare!

If the world today seems somewhat bizarre it's because the infamous they have no intention of 'fixing' anything.

Things are as they want them and you are where they want you...anxious sbout whether or not you'll get next week's paycheck or if you'll be working next week!

Don't put up with it.

Thanks for letting me inside your head,

Gegner


PS: What we are witnessing has all of the earmarks of a Libertarian takeover. Libbies are repellant to society and psychotic in their beliefs regarding extreme 'predatory capitalism'.

They are also the ultimate SLAVERS.

RESIST, the life you save may be your own!

Close enough for ya?

Greetings good citizen, quite the 'show' last night [I was working and didn't see it] my 'home team' posted a historic 'come from behind victory' to make the duo of Brady and Bellichik the winningest quarterback/head coach combination in history!

Enough gloating, I didn't watch all season thus the Pats, Celts, Sox, Bruins or the Revolution have never broken my heart. [Professional sports IMHO are emblematic of what's WRONG with our society. Worse, sports are frequently used to champion 'rugged individualism' over mutual co-operation...[known to the conservo-whacko as 'socialism']

Left to our imagination is whether or not last night's event was 'choreographed' to play out as it did. Fans have been lamenting the fact that the last dozen Super Bowls have been 'routs' where an obviously superior team slaughters the 'also ran' in a two hour bloodbath.

So last night the 'fans' got their money's worth. Dupa Bowl 51 will be talked about for decades as other contests pale in comparison.

Somewhat like the Sox remarkable come from behind 4 game rout of the Yankees [the 'best team money can buy'] to win [for the first time in 50+ years] the World Series.

Come to think of it, Boston has seen a lot of 'firsts'.

I'm not going to count 'em down but I know most of you can name a few off the top of your head without too much effort.

Today's title points to another, er, 'conundrum' faced by the victims of technology, the wavering line between the real and the fabricated.

Sorting truth from fiction is becoming ever more difficult as those charged with keeping us 'informed' keep getting better with the use of the 'tools of mass deception'.

We are approaching an age where you really can't believe what you're seeing because the probability it was photo-shopped is all too likely!

Was last night's game 'choreographed'?

Don't know...but too many people saw it live to even entertain the idea that CGI played a role in the outcome.

The strongest case against the corporate owned media is what they DON'T show us. It is their SILENCE that damns them.

You can't make informed decisions without accurate information. If we knew everything we needed to know about candidates for office, nobody would run!

Point number one for the 'we're doing this wrong' crowd!

Which is to say we are 'perfectly capable' of making decisions ourselves, why do we let others vote against our wishes?

And most of the time, good citizen, it ain't even close!

Or should we say it's usually 'close enough' so your particular politician can use 'plausible deniability' as their defense for supporting legislation you wouldn't have voted for in a million years!

Some of them are 'slimy' enough that they will actually feign confusion, "I thought I was voting for something else!"

I'm not versed well enough in the mechanics of sports to explain how games are 'thrown' by key players but since that's all it takes, no CGI necessary, we can only speculate as to whether or not last night's results were the 'real deal'.

Just as we can only speculate whether or not the 'news' is real or fake.

You KNOW you're getting 'stroked' but can you detect it when it's an outcome you want?

There's the rub!

Given that the first thirty days of Trump's presidency has been a fiasco...left to our imagination is whether or not we are witnessing 'incompetence' or if it is being 'staged' for our benefit.

Until the other shoe drops, we won't know either.

Thanks once again for letting me inside your head,

Gegner

Truth or consequences?

Greetings good citizen, mudslingers from all points on the political compass swear upon Jesus that the other guys are LYING [my humble self included] I hedge my accusations with the disclaimer that it is not my objective to tell you 'what to think', rather, my purpose is to provide you with 'something to think about!'

So it is when the facts are against the mindless conservatives they blame the conflict not on their own refusal to recognized reality but on 'lying liberals'.

Well, Liberals lie too but the facts don't. [and generally speaking, the Liberals are usually bagged by their 'ignorance' more so than deliberately trying to pull the wool over their opponent's eyes.)

There are two sides to every story and the conservatives routinely use the side the liberals didn't pick as their own preferred version...despite being clueless themselves.

While I am neither conservative or liberal, I, er, 'defend' the Liberals because they will at least bow to the facts. Conservatives will ignore facts so long as it make them 'right'.

Ersatz, stupid is as stupid does.

Which brings us to my main problem with conservatives...not that you should care. Liberals can keep their PC horseshit too, not EVERYTHING belongs 'inside the tent'. 'Factions' will always exist. It is self-defeating to try and MAKE THEM co-exist. The wise will provide enough 'room' for them to exist separately. Catering to either only sows more resentment.

Equality is a tough line to toe regardless of where you fit in the larger puzzle.

Perhaps the thing to be mindful of is YOUR PASSIONS ARE YOURS!

If you want to embrace YOUR PASSION you must also allow others to EMBRACE THEIRS!

Do the rest of us a favor and keep your 'ridicule' to yourself.

How blind do you have to be not to see that what you loathe about others is precisely what they loathe about YOU?

But we trod upon wisdom now and few of you recognize it at all.

Oh well!

Lies take many forms and often 'half truths' are as good as it gets!

We seem to be saddled with a language that prevents the truth from coming out. In order to explain anything thoroughly it takes too many words and too much 'back tracing' to cover ALL of the possibilities. In some instances you'd have to split hairs infinitely, making the 'truth' unattainable.

So it is we 'trust' the 'brick & mortar' media because they have 'gravitas' yet only a fool trusts them completely because they also have paychecks and the NEED to please the entity that signs those checks...

How sad is it that there are but a few 'truths' while the divisions between us are primarily based on the other side's tendency to 'lie'?

The 'truth' is often 'relative'. It is our refusal to acknowledge that the other fellow is arguing another aspect of the same conclusion that makes us crazy regarding those who, in the end, 'disagree' with us.

Lies come in many types...how sad is it that we MUST find 'common ground' or the conventions that prevent us from killing one another on sight will cease to exist?

Lies serve the self-interested while the truth serves us all.

Will co-operation overcome deceit?

It's not over 'til it is.

Thank you for letting me inside your head,

Gegner

Face

Greetings good citizen, much of what we do is about 'face'...and a majority of the time it's about 'saving' it.

El Trumpo made some political hay out of 'defending Murika' and now he has to live up to those promises no matter how ridiculous it makes him look.

He wasn't looking ahead to when doing all those crazy things he said to fire up the base would make him look like a kitten killer to the rest of the world but when your political party is filled with superstitious savages [who are indeed demanding that their boy 'make good', the rest of us can go pound!

Here is the 'What have we done!' moment come back to bite us in the buttocks.

This is what happens when 'History's Actors' take control of the electoral process and 'engineer' unlikely outcomes.

[Like I said, our next round of 'choices' will be Paul Ryan vs Ted Cruz (with Billary tossing her hat in the ring just to muddy the waters!]

What you need to understand is those who have seized control of 'public opinion' via the media are laughing at their handiwork.

They can now do anything they want [until the streets run with blood, then all bets are off!]

Let's back up a half a step to the part where they're laughing at us. What do you suppose I mean by that remark? Is this 'experiment' in managing our own affairs going horribly wrong?

Hell Yeah!

Does ANYONE think this is an 'accident'?

Consider what's happened to our society since El Rushbo and Howie Stern hit the scene? What started as 'harmless titillation' has left our society 'rudderless', somewhat elementary since it also broke our 'moral compass'.

Not only do we despise whole swaths of humanity as 'chumps' [Shit rolls downhill and you KNOW that's what 'the man' thinks of YOU!] but we have also come despise those who do nothing about the degeneration of our civilization...add to that the growing list the victims of this massive 'turning away' from THE COMMON GOOD has produced!

What's that? you ask...Indeed!

Most of us no longer have a clue what the 'common good' is much less the ability/sense to get it on the ballot! [thus the laughter coming from those who 'rule' us]

The 'first tool' necessary for building the common good is the human anti-exploitation law. [formerly known as the Fairness Doctrine...which has zero mention about the main reason it vanished as soon as it appeared. ('fairness is relative.')

Time constraints restrict how long I can spend on today's offering so if this appears 'half-baked', please accept my humble apologies. [Until that lottery hit comes I remain, like you, a drudge for the man!]

I'll conclude with the observation that the 'stew pot' is bubbling, never a good thing since without peace there can be no prosperity!

Until tomorrow, thanks for letting me inside your head!

Geger

What do you THINK you're doing?

Greetings good citizen, one of the quickest ways to go 'screaming off the reservation' is to start questioning the nature of existence itself!

If the first 'unanswerable' question doesn't throw you for a loop it doesn't matter because the follow up questions don't do anything but make the water muddier than it already is.

We all know the 'official answer to the question 'why are we here' [eg exist at all] is to 'glorify god'. This response is considered 'unassailable' [that's your purpose, shut up and DO it already!] So we might venture that our secondary 'purpose' is to not ask questions...of ANY kind.

Worse, who do we ask these pressing questions? No sense asking the clown next door, they're just as ignorant as you are...although humans, for reasons as yet unexplained, tend to relish the opportunity to pretend they know what's going on.

How do you think we got saddled with the 'glorify god' answer? Do you honestly think God came down and told Mickey the Dunce to his face he existed to glorify him? Seriously?

Because we have a name for people that hear voices in their heads...we call them NUTS! [Or we elect them president...W claimed to talk to God.]

So here we sit, stand, kneel...glorifying God in ways nobody ever imagined! Oh wait, that other thing we do, that's our job! We only do the glorify thing on Sunday for about an hour, then we throw money in the basket, go home and park in front of the TV for an afternoon of Sports...

Ah, could 'heaven' be any finer?

Well, you could have zero interest in sports. [I haven't watched a single football game all season, even though the Pats are in the Superbowl ya think I'm gonna start watching 'em now? I got better things to do!]

But wait, I digress...but not by much because YOU'D be hard pressed to answer the question at all!

Sure you'd try using 'because' [the ONLY ANSWER to the question WHY?] Which brings us to the 'accommodation' most people arrive at. "I'm just doing the best I can with what I've got to work with...and like everybody else, I'm just waiting for the worms to come. [Besides, can't you read? I've got 'Born to Die' stamped/tattooed on my forehead!"


If this is true then why do certain people have an 'easier time' of things than most of us? Are we back to the 'don't ask questions' part of the equation?

If YOU stop asking questions then what you see is what you get...game over!

[The simple fact you're here means you're the 'inquisitive type' and at the very least, curious about 'other possibilities'. However, the Do as I say and not as I do crowd will be quick to remind you that curiosity killed the cat!
BEWARE!]

What am I pointing to? Given that there ISN'T a 'good answer' to existence, there is no 'pressing reason' for things to be as they are!

I'm not about to launch into the 'litany of woe', you all know without my uttering a sound exactly what I mean.

It's that lousy 'don't question your 'lot in life' BS and all the associated crap that goes with it.

We make the best of what we're handed, the question is why aren't we handed 'more'? It's there for the taking...

I'll close today's offering with this quote from today's NY Times that ties somewhat to a comment I made in yesterday's piece...

QUOTATION OF THE DAY

"We tried to warn you, with Occupy. We understood that people were sick of the political system, which is fundamentally corrupt. People want something radically different."

DAVID GRAEBER, a professor at the London School of Economics who helped organize the Occupy protests, on the rise of anarchists as a political force in the streets.

Just a little something to chew on until tomorrow, Thanks once again for letting me inside your head,

Gegner

The destruction proceeds apace

Greetings good citizen, ironically the normal source of criticism of the fledgling administration was mute this morning but I found this news item while opening my blogger page.

More disturbing is the background drumbeat (from the media) alleging that Hollywood is either baking home grown terrorists (via it's programming) or engaging in MORE FEAR MONGERING, which is likely the case...perception being such a slippery quality to capture.

What do these stories add up to? Nothing, right?

Well, depends on what you think is going on. The 'destruction' I mention in the title is the destruction of our 'way of life' being perpetrated by those who don't give a crap how the rest of us lives. It's not about us, it's about THEM!

Now the indication given by today's link is we are inching closer to 'hostile occupation', something that might follow on the heels of Trump's assassination. [People are nothing but pawns to those who consider themselves our 'betters'. I'm talking the same crowd that brought us Morning in America after the Reagan Palace coup.]

Here's a 'thought experiment' I want every one of you to conduct with a friend.

IF the US was suddenly 'leaderless' [kinda like now] would the United Nations be 'justified' in ordering the occupation of our country for the 'safety' of the rest of the world?

Think about this realistically. Is the United Nations really a 'world government' or is it more of a circle jerk which acts as eyewash to provide the 'illusion' of global unity?

Would the UN be 'within its rights' to order a 'multi-national force' to occupy the United States?

Understand something, the US is the OLDEST ESTABLISHED GOVERNMENT ON THE PLANET [Broken as it may be] so the collection of 'was-beens' that represent nations that have existed for hundreds of years longer has zero bearing on the matter.

Because those nations are JUST LIKE US.

One by one they will all fall under the sway of fascism...because the idiots currently running things believe they are on the brink of cracking immortality!

If they want it for themselves, a whole lot of us are going to have to die!

How many immortals can a single planet support? If you learn the answer you will also know how many angels can dance on the head of a pin!

Domino theory has been a favorite of military strategists for centuries. How ironic it took the advent of modern communications to make such a thing possible?

Why is the media decidedly pro capitalist? Because the capitalists fear what would happen if the airwaves were dominated by pro communist/anarchist thought.

And make no mistake about it good citizen, of the two capitalists fear the Anarchist more!

To the point of capitalist media preaching anarchy equals chaos!

Totally untrue. Anarchy is rules without RULERS [something capitalists vehemently oppose [because THEY ARE the rulers/owners!]

Um, if YOU aren't paying attention the future will come out of nowhere and club you like a baby harbor seal! Eternal Vigilance is indeed the price of Liberty.

I want to apologize to those of you with limited imaginations but that's exactly HOW the future 'sneaks up on you'.

Sci-fi talk aside, the media and all it 'presents' [as well as 'represents'] are deeply disturbing.

In yet another borrowing from the patriots of yore, 'Those who would trade their Freedom for Safety deserve NEITHER!'

Some of you can see the destruction in progress. Some of you don't think about it, you accept it as 'inevitable'. These are the same people that blindly believe people acting in their own best interests [short term or long term?] will ALWAYS
make things better [and if they turn out worse, oh well!]

Others, [most of you] see the destruction and wonder what it will bring with it... We all know for every little bit 'given' a whole lot more gets 'taken'.

Not only do we stare in silent horror as the world we came to know and love slowly disappears but we are dumbfounded as what to do about it!

Worse, if you 'stand still' those who 'embrace the future' will leave you in the dust [not necessarily a bad thing.] I propose the concept of 'conclaves' where each community can adopt the technology it finds useful and shun the 'intrusive' or only marginally useful [more of a pain than an aide] coupled with my 'birds of a feather' idea where 'enthusiasts' who share passions can live together in harmony, quite literally living by their own rules [in as much as the human anti-exploitation law isn't violated.]

But I digress.

Is it better to choose the life you want to live or to have it rammed up your backside with no lubricant?

The latter is what we're used to but I suspect most of us would rather there was a different way.

Like the current President, those running tings have become so used to getting their way that how you feel about the situation is of no concern to them...until we make it their concern!

If you want to 'seize the future' you have to STOP being a doormat!

I have other things that need my attention [and have tormented you enough for one session...as you well know, this is FAR from over!

Thank you for letting me inside your head,

Gegner

And Justice for all...

Greetings good citizen, how many of you believe you'll get a 'fair shake' from todays justice system?

Why is it only the rich guys are holding their hands up?

Because that's what it has become (albeit, 'same as it ever was' is the true state of affairs.)

So it is that most of us, fully aware that the MINDLESS Republicants are just following the dictates of their deep pocketed campaign contributors (The One Percent...how ironic is it that most politicians qualify for inclusion in this exclusive group?)

Could THAT be the reason why there is zero detectable 'positive forward motion' coming from those we elect to protect us from...well, THEM? [Yes, good citizen...for reasons unexplained it seems NOBODY remembers that governments were established to protect us from the very people running government these days!]

Doesn't matter if you are comforted or repulsed by El Trumpo's Supreme Court nominee [who the Republicant controlled Congress will rubber stamp with glee!] Justice is BELOW YOUR PAY GRADE.

Why do they get away with this? Let's take a 'stunning' example.

Most of you have heard the 'thought experiment' where if all the money in the world were taken from everybody, divided equally and handed out in equal shares to the population of the planet, within a single year all of the people who had money taken from them would be 'made whole' again [thanks to THEIR LEGAL RIGHT to screw the rest of us for stuff that NEVER belonged to them.]

But that's not how YOU heard it told, did you?

Nope, it was explained to you that this was 'proof' that those who have money have a 'knack' for making money [which implies that they are 'unstoppable'.]

They made it once, they'd make it again...[despite all those riches to rags stories we keep hearing. Music industry anyone? Don't forget lottery winners!]

Their 'good fortune' had NOTHING to do with ownership or 'bought and paid for' market shares...

What does this capitalist fairy tale prove? How f'n gullible YOU are!

THEY OWN, YOU DON'T, END OF STORY!

KNACK this ya f'n liar!

Some of you may be wondering what this has to do with the state of justice in our frightened out of our mind society of ours?

This 'in your face' injustice serves as proof positive that 'justice' is something you BUY! Let's not get all tangled up in details. BUY is a relative term just as Payment can come in many forms.

Make no mistake about it, we are living in a world created by assassins that ruthlessly murder anyone that stands in their way.

How ironic is it that step one comes with regaining control of the LAW?

When criminals control the justice system, everyone is a criminal. [In their eyes; although they also 'farm' a highly valuable commodity they call 'chumps'.]

If you're not one then by extension, you're the other.

The critical link between the two are the badges and robes crowd that pretend to mete out 'justice'.

Here's a curious question...how many of you first heard the 'all of the money in the world' parable in school?

First time I heard it one of my teachers rolled it out.

Equally as disturbing is what they DON'T teach you about 'money' and its highly contestable value.

Which is to point out the obvious...we're doing this WRONG!

The sad part is when they're pounding your door off the hinges is a little late to have an epiphany and suddenly realize, "Hey, Gegner was right! We're doing this wrong and we need to revolt right now, like yesterday even!"

The time to stop the nonsense was a dozen centuries ago but better late than never!

Ending 'injustice' (especially the variety that masquerades as justice) is ALWAYS a worthwhile cause!

Without Equality there can be no Justice and without Justice there can be no Peace (and without peace there can be no prosperity.)

The 'fookers' have done pretty good at our expense but the time has come to 'make them pay' for their ill-gotten gains!

Thanks for letting me inside your head,

Gegner