Pretending not to be sheep

Here within the myriad swarm of political opinion commentary, I will add my own two cents. Ready? Very well then...

It really appears as though that there is a lot of talk and not much else on these so called "hot-button" topics (do you not just love these marketing buzz-words? I know I do. Heck I'd ask for seconds...). With a lot of these political candidates mentioning these words but having no real impact, I am given to looking at the audience that they orate to. What I see simply amazes me, while at the same time makes me a bit saddened for the American people. You see, there is nothing but truth in the statement "telling you things you want to hear". My question is to anyone who can honestly answer some of the more simpler questions that are not loaded and really have nothing to do with playing around in other peoples countries. Me personally -- I am more concerned with more domestic issues versus global stupidity.

It is at this point I would issue a challenge -- No! A DARE is a more apropos verb (no need to be politically correct).

I would dare ANY political candidate at any level to answer the following series of simple questions that I ask. The rules are simple. All you have to do is keep in mind that you are speaking to the average American citizen, therefore political double-speak and hinting at plans, programs and ideas that do not exist (and probably will not exist ever) to get your point across and make yourself to appear to be the better person WILL NOT BE TOLERATED!

Rule 1:
Questions must be answered with the utmost specificity, yet be able to be understood by a person with at least a 10th grade education or lower Please do not patronize or condescend to the reader of your answer.

We are the people that look to you to properly represent us and have our best interests in mind.

Rule 2:
When answering a question, it would be in your best interest for you (the candidate) to answer the question by your own hand and not utilize any advisers for this task. If you cannot answer the questions by your own hand then you should not be running for any type of office. This is indicative of someone who does not have anyone's interests in mind, save their own (I believe that we as a people have had enough of that).

Rule 3:
These questions require honesty in order to answer, so please do your best to answer honestly. These questions are not loaded to indicate favor towards any one candidate. If you cannot answer honestly or are worried about how someone might feel then you (the candidate) might want to seek a different career path better suited to your skill set.

Note:
The questions are based on searching for truth in representation. Emotional leanings and attempted heart string tugging hold no sway here. Please fully expect that there are some who will agree with your answers and plans. There will be others who will not agree with your answers and plans. So what. We as a people need to know that you as candidates can do the job without fail.

Understand that a number of people view politicians as failures from the outset. You are then subsequently elected based upon which of you appear to be able to fail the least. This, you (the candidate) should view as an insult and an affront to your own personages. This is simply because this is the view that you (the candidates) and your predecessors have created for the American people. These questions can be used as a tool for the voter. An acid test if you would. This will allow the people to make an informed decision about whether or not we feel that you can do the job.

Rule 4:
Under no circumstances will "Buzz-words" and "hot-button" phrases or terms be allowed. If you cannot make your point or answer a question without the use of these truly useless terms and phrases then it is clear that you will be unable to do the job you wish to be tasked with. Which is represent and be the voice of the people whom you are supposed to work with and for.

Rule 5:
Debasing your competition by pointing out past flaws and errors in judgment will not be allowed under any circumstances! If you cannot answer the questions without doing that, it would probably be best if you sought another career path. The American people clearly do not need their judgment clouded by any attempts to hide your flaws and errors by pointing out your competitions shortcomings.

The American people are supposed to depend on you to protect them and their best interests, not yours.

The rules are relatively easy to follow. People need to know that you are there to look after them in the governmental body that you exist in.

One other thing -- This is a test of sorts. I hope that you are able to answer these questions.

That being said let us begin:

Question 1:
What is it that you bring to the table as an offering of your experience, Ideology and how do you plan to apply this to your job?

Question 2:
Why do you want to be chosen? For what reason(s) should we choose you? What qualities do you posses that make you the most qualified for the position?

Question 3:
What tools or resources can you utilize to properly facilitate your ability to carry out your job?

Question 4:
Individuals and families are concerned with their finances (Income... or lack thereof). It is a widely held belief that larger corporations have gotten completely out of control and are adding to the cause and stresses of income burdens for the individual and the family. How do you address these concerns (political double-speak and hinting at plans, programs and ideas that do not exist (and probably will not exist ever) to get your point across and make yourself to appear to be the better person WILL NOT BE TOLERATED!)?

Question 5:
How accessible will you be to the people that you are supposed to represent? Would you be available to communicate your progress on plan implementation of any kind on a regular basis (once a month or more often)?

Question 6:
Educational question --
Many parents are concerned with the quality of their children's education. It appears that the schools are constantly churning out students and young adults who are less and less capable to be viable assets to America. The emphasis appears to be on how the children feel about the schoolwork and themselves versus the actual academia itself. This is also compounded by the fact the class curriculum is constantly "dumbed-down" to cater to students who are less capable or have difficulty comprehending the English language. How do you honestly address this issue (please understand that this question harbors no ill-will towards anyone... So be brutally honest with this one)?

You may start with these questions and as long as you remember the rules this will prove to be an excellent tool for the American public with which to choose the right person for the job.

There will be more simple questions to follow:

Enjoy

Ryzynforce

Random Diatribe

Let start off by burning some sacred cows, shall we? For starters, let us look at what passes for news these days. I will list it out for you:

O.J. Simpson -- A man blessed with great athletic skills, who managed to cull his fame into a decent movie career. A truly lucky individual that managed to stand in a court of his "peers" and claim victory from what was truly insurmountable odds against him. A man destined to leave behind a legacy of shame, which his children have to carry for the rest of their lives. A man who somehow managed to become the poster-boy for black people backing a losing horse.

Seriously people. This is not news, this is merely tabloid material posing as something worthwhile. I can say this about the tabloids though -- It appears that they all remain true to themselves. At the very least they do not pretend to be anything more than what they are. They also know that in you, the populace at large, they have an absolutely guaranteed readership. Consequently they are just fine with that.

Some might argue that it is this way because nobody wants to hear the truth. I think that is truly incorrect thinking. I believe that most people place their attention and an emphasis on things that should not and do not matter. When stupidity like the current O.J. Simpson issue occur and it is given almost no credence then chances are, things like this would not happen. When they do occasionally arise, they are able to be better handled and the supposed "playing field" becomes a bit more level.

Here is a "hot-button" topic:
The War in Iraq -- Alright people, let us get one thing straight. There is a small contingent of people out there that I believe have a viable perspective on this. Here it is, in a slightly, oversimplified nutshell.

First off, you have politicians who are running the "war". Since the only thing they truly care about is obtaining another term in office, there is no motivation for them to move forward on any issue related to the war because in doing so it would show progress and they would have to actually put in some work once an issue like this was solved. Now, if you really and truly looked at the situation as a whole instead of the individual parts, then you would notice a recurring pattern that has seemingly developed. What is shown to you is an entire system broken down into sound and video clips. Each of the politicians that you see are busy shifting the burden of responsibility over to someone else or some other entity. Subsequently keeping you, as the people they are supposed to represent, thoroughly confused. As long as these "representatives" know that the people can be distracted, you will be treated like sheep. Oh sure, there are those who will say that they are not sheep. But look at who you align yourselves with.

To prove this point, all one will have to do is view the recent presidential candidate debates. When you view it, ask yourselves this simple question. Were any of the questions posed on the "issues of the day" truly answered. Or were you treated to a well choreographed verbal ballet of the shell game. There appeared to be a lot of indications from each of the candidates that when asked a direct question eluded to simply pawning the burden of actually answering the question off on one of their "esteemed" colleagues supposed "plans" on how to deal with the issue. Therefore it appeared as though the candidate was merely hinting at the fact that their "plan" was better. Mind you now, this was all done with a wink and a nod. The end result? The sheeple, that is the general public bought into it whole-heartedly. Basically, you were given a "wait and see" statement that took several hours to make. Go ahead and look through the transcripts of the debates. I will wait...

Good. By now one of two things have occurred. One: You decided to stick to your thoughts and follow blindly, like lemmings to the cliff. Two: You took the time to attempt to read through the Q&A and found there to be more fluff than real content. Does that mean that you were wrong? Of course not. If you took the time to do the latter versus the former then you have taken a step into questioning those people that are supposed to represent you instead of themselves. It is not that hard to do. Chew on that for a while and see what you can do with it. Possibly those with more resources will do the same and then things will get mighty interesting.

Katrina -- This is an issue that I wish would just die and not linger on painfully as it has been. History has shown time and time again that by not learning from our past mistakes, we doomed to repeat them. Katrina, if nothing else, should serve as a reminder. A reminder for lessons not learned. You hear a lot of outcry from the same people. They have been around forever. The people, in question, are those of whom have placed all their faith in the wrong people. People who gave their absolute faith and trust to the village idiots. Consequently, the village idiots are smart enough to know that the village they oversee and are entrusted to protect will believe anything that is brought before them so that the real cause of the supposed "crisis" will not be seen by the "poor, dumb, villagers". That is done so somebody has something to complain about.

I pray thee all, a moment to query. When you see the news and hear the reports of the damage done after the the hurricane actually hit, it looks bad. But now it is over two years later and we are seeing the same two or three areas affected by the hurricane. It appears as though nothing has been done. Then every once in a while you see or hear a story of how other communities in nearby areas have come together to fix homes, streets and their immediate environments. So the question here is what is the difference between the the communities that have regained some semblance of normalcy and the "still ravaged" areas?

The difference is the communities that have seemingly "snapped" back, have done so because the felt that they did not have the time to Whine and cry and stand still looking for handouts from a group of untrustworthy individuals and their minions who oversee their fiefdoms. Those communities have made a comeback because they decided as a group to find a way to become more than what they were and not wait around for handouts that will never come. Someone, somewhere realized early on that help from afar was not going to come in a timely manner, if at all. Upon realizing this the communities, as a group, pulled their collective heads out of their own asses and got down to the business of finding alternate ways to rebuild on their own. They did this with not a lot of help from the outside. Most of the help, it seems, came from the local houses of worship and other smaller private means.

So why has this not happened across the board? It is simple. The lesser minions of the greater hierarchy would then be seen for what they are. Monstrous screw-ups. The people will then, as an entire group will begin to realize that the people that they have placed their trust in have failed them and have only looked out for their own interests and not the people they were entrusted to protect, govern and oversee. They do not care about the people in New Orleans. After two years if you are still waiting for a hand out, you have lost the right to call yourselves "victims". You are victims nonetheless... But you are victims of your own ignorance. You are not to be pitied. It is wasted on you. When you begin to realize that you are better than what you are made out to be by others, then you will see the greatness and the potential you all can hold.

Coming Soon: More on education!!!

Part 2: The Gulag

So I decide that I am going to have lunch with my son at school. Seems innocuous enough does it not? I figure I will go there and have a good time talking and shootin' the breeze with my boy. So I run down to the closes fast food eatery and pick up some to-go vittles for me and my son. I arrive at the school and am allowed to meet him in the cafeteria. now I am beginning to notice a few things: For starters, the cafeteria itself is not all that big and the chairs and tables are small and low to the ground. then I see the stage off to my right and on the stage sits a traffic light... You got it folks... A traffic light. The meaning of this would soon become apparent to me.

So I am sitting in the cafeteria waiting for my son to arrive and the kids start filing in. Well I notice right away that the kids are unusually quiet and not at all exuberant as kids going to the lunchroom for lunch usually are. I begin to rethink this coming to the school to eat lunch with my boy idea.

I soon see my son and wave to him. His teacher allows him to leave the line to come with me to the table I found for the two of us in the back of the cafeteria. I show him the goodies I picked up for him at the local "greasy spoon" type place and he is happy about that. We begin to eat up and we get to talking amongst ourselves. I am listening to the din of the other students in the cafeteria, when to my surprise, I notice that the traffic light is turned on and is showing green. Thirty seconds later the light switches to yellow and the teachers who are roaming the cafeteria attempting to look important loudly tell the children that the light is yellow and to keep it down. Ten seconds after that announcement is made, the light turns red and it is at this point a rather quizzical look scurries across my face and I turn to my son and ask somewhat befuddled "Hey big man... What's with the light?". To which, he replied "Oh that? That is the light that tells us when we can talk...".

It is at this point where I being to feel nothing but abject pity for my son and his fellow classmates.

"So let me see if I am understanding this... You are at lunch. Right?"

"Yes." he replies.

"And you cannot speak most of the time during lunch. Right?"

"Yes." says he.

"So when did the lunch room become a gulag?" (It is at this point that I quickly explain what a gulag is to the boy and he seemed to fully understand the concept -- and agreed).

He then explains to me that this is the way it has always been. I was clearly shocked by what I saw and took this up with the Principal of the school.

I cornered her in the hallway and proceeded to inquire about the gulag type atmosphere and the teachers walking around like Spetsnaz. She seemed puzzled by what I was asking. I then realized that the vapid and lost look on her face was caused by her not knowing what "gulag" or "Spetsnaz" meant. So after using more simplistic terms, she informed me that this was so the children would eat all their food. I protested such silly behavior and reminded her that children of my son's age (5-11 years) are going to be loud. It is what they do and quickly reminded the principal that the kids would burn off excess energy and would be more apt to better receive information coming from the teachers. This statement caused the same vapid and lost look again. So it is my mission at this point to go to lunch with my son as much as possible and be as disruptive as possible to show the teacher that the children would be much better off if the would concentrate on teaching the children instead of trying to raise them. Raising my son is my job not theirs.

Coming soon: Can we skip it?

It has been a while, has it not? Part 1

Well I see that it has been a while since the last time I threw some thoughts together. So now I am trying to make a comeback by laying down opinions and attempting to make sense without having some knucklehead say something stupid... Which as I see happens often. Oh well what are you going to do?

My son started school recently and I am a bit peeved. It seems that I am noticing a pattern with quite a number of schools across the nation (especially n the south where I reside). It appears to me that the schools are attempting to create a group of graduating children who have the mental acuity of a grape. I spoke to my son's teachers and listened to them tell me about their "so-called" curriculum. I stared and listened in utter disbelief as I actually heard his math and science teacher tell me "Well we are going to start off with a review from the work done last year for those students who need remedial work or need to catch up...". After hearing this I asked about the time frame for this and was told that It would probably be for the first two months. That is right folks -- TWO MONTHS!

So let me get this straight: You go through an up to two month review for work that these kids should already know, for the purpose of helping the students who either did not or could not have the ability to do the work the previous year. If I am understanding this correctly the students who took the time to do the work and put forth an effort and the students who showed an ability to do the work are being penalized for the shortcomings of the few who cannot do the work. So effectively, by the time that the students start doing the real work they are already behind in basic academics? Would someone please explain this to me?

Of course school administrators are trying to figure out why more and more parents are having their children home-schooled during their primary school years. I think that more and more people are beginning to figure out that building a curriculum around a state mandated test and completely removing academic competition from the classroom was not such a bright idea. Clearly, these learning philosophies were put forth by people and administrators whose children were not up to snuff and decided to dumb down American academics to suit the failings and shortcomings of their academically, less than adequate children, so it gives the appearance of an even playing field.

To be Continued: Part 2: The Gulag

Just a story

I am back. I know it has been a while, but I was thinking about what to write next. So I will get right to it:

It was late in the year 2000. The time was about midnight and for whatever reason there was no way he was getting any sleep. Why was he up? He felt so anxious, so overwhelmed. Suddenly his mind was racing, incoherent thoughts left and right. He quietly got up out of bed and walked through the living room and stepped out onto the patio of the second floor apartment he lived in with his wife of five years. At this point he was sad beyond belief, but why? He was scared stupid, but why? In addition, he was in a dimension of mad that most people could not possibly understand, but why? Normally he is not like this. This is clearly too much bearing down on him. He felt as though there was no one that he could talk to. All coping mechanisms -- Exhausted. Now what?

He was angry -- But at who or what? This was not clear. It was at this part he began to beat himself in the head -- Repeatedly. Over and over and over again he punched himself in the head, thinking that the pain would possibly take his mind off of what was troubling him. It began to hurt. He did not care. He began to cry. Not because of the repeated beatings, but because he was sad and hurting on the inside and it was physically making him ill. This is not like him at all. He felt so far removed from his natural state of being that it was like waking up on another planet only to find that he could comprehend nothing. Clearly, he had no idea of what was going on in his head.

Pained and crying, he crumbled to the floor of the patio in a heap onto his knees. Part of him was hoping that the patio would fall apart and he might tumble to an untimely demise. With his forehead to the floor thinking that maybe he should beat his head on the patio floor until slipping away into unconscious-land, a very odd feeling came over him. A single thought, so innocuous, managed to catch his attention. That thought told him to raise his head. “Pick your noggin up off of the floor!” it said. So he did. When he looked up, what he saw simply amazed him.

He saw his Grandfather. The old man was standing there looking at him, non-verbally telling him to calm down. This was odd considering his Grandfather had passed away the January prior. Yet there he was, with a smile on his face. When his Grandfather was sick and he did not have long for this world, he never got the opportunity to say goodbye to his Abuelo (Grandfather in Spanish). So here it is, a year later and there he was, right there in front of him. It all seemed like he was watching this unfold as if it were a movie. It was very surreal.

“I’m so sorry that I never got to say goodbye!” He tried to speak in regular tones but the words came out somewhat hushed and demure. He said it again and it came out a bit clearer.

He looked into his Abuelo’s eyes and through those eyes he spoke. “You already did.” Now his eyes welled up with tears of understanding. “I was there. I heard you.” His Abuelo smiled at him. Through those eyes and that smile he said those two small statements that seemed to speak volumes to him. Yet nary was a word uttered between them. Though he spoke through his mouth to make the sounds, Abuelo spoke back silently.

Suddenly he noticed that Abuelo was not by himself. There was someone clearly with him. Strangely though the man’s face seemed familiar to him, as if he’d known him his entire life, but at the same time he did not quite know who he was… Kind of.

His features were indescribable. Not for any other reason other than that his features could not be described. The man made him feel at ease. He too smiled at him as if to say that everything will work itself out. “Give it some time.” says the man with Abuelo.

The man put a hand on Abuelo’s shoulder. Abuelo then turned to him with those bright eyes. Those eyes touched his heart and said, “It’s time for me to go now. Don’t worry he knows the way.” Without thinking he asked Abuelo “Is that?” Abuelo smiled a big mischievous smile; turned to the man he was with and said “See! That’s why I love him. He thinks a lot. He was always so smart!” With that the man turns to him, smiled and lowered his head, almost in a tip your hat, bowing type gesture. They both then walked away.

He dried his tears and got up and very calmly went to his room, gently kissed his wife on the cheek, laid down on the bed and amazingly enough went to sleep almost immediately. As he drifted off to sleep, he felt very calm and at ease. All the stresses that he was experiencing did not seem to bother him nearly as much anymore.

Epilogue:

He has only ever told three people about this experience. One of the people that he told was a co-worker with whom he had established a good level of trust in. In addition this person was a Christian who spoke on God but never pushed the issue on anyone.

The co-worker after hearing this story was almost brought to tears. He asked if he would speak to his congregation about this. He respectfully declined the offer. The co-worker then said something to him that gave him great pause. He said to him, “You know what man? You are one of the luckiest people in the world.” He asked, “How so?” The co-worker then spoke these words; “Some people literally spend their entire lives praying constantly for what you experienced without asking! That was handed to you. I will admit I am really jealous of you right now. But that is ok because that means that you are being looked out for.”

After that was said he sat back and reflected on that… Could it be? Was it possible that it was? To this day he still does not know for sure. Though through it all he is happy that it did happen.