Friday, December 12, 2014

Can I Write A Shorter Blog? Hell no I can't! Here's Ten Things Of Thankful ... again!

Lighting up a cigarette, I sit back and contemplate about the kind and generous readers of this blog.



See, someone really does value you as a human being!

Lately, views have been way up, but comments have dropped drastically.  I know I'm strange, but I'd rather have it the other way around!
 So, what's my conclusion?  

I'm either tackling topics that are way too controversial for the average reader and I'm pissing a lot of people off, people are afraid to comment amid controversy, or people have just got better things to do than comment.

Perhaps it's a combination of the things.

I've tried to make my posts interesting, but in doing so, have somewhat narrowed the comedy and sarcasm down to afterthoughts.  Possibly, I've been so concerned about getting a message across that I've lost my sense of sarcastic humor!

The message is the medium is the massage ... 
unless you're in a Sweet Cherry's massage parlor.
(Then, you have Trixie's magic fingers!)
Once she gets out of jail!

No, I'm still the ass I've always been, but I've gotten more real as of late.  Instead of looking at controversy and stupidity and making fun of it, I have been putting on the boxing gloves and attempting to battle it ... and validate my actions while doing so.  My posts have become active instead of passive.  

Put 'em up ... Put 'em up!
For one to comment on an active posting, they generally either agree or disagree strongly.  On a passive posting, they don't have to be worried that their words may be taken out of context and may alienate their friends.  Thus, a silent "Goodbye" is the safest and easiest route to travel.

In addition, my blogs have become novels of sorts, at least for blogs.  The average Internet reader has an interest span of about 5 minutes.  Unless you're a speed reader (as I am) there's no way you've been able to read what I've written in that time allotment.  So, interest flies away, as does your reading, just about the time you get to the good stuff.

I really wanted that good stuff pie, 
but I've already had a piece of cake with strawberries!

So, in addition to shortening my writing, I must step away from the madness of the battle and become an observer once again.  That is, if I hope to ever see people commenting again.  There is reality all around, and many of us grow tired of the same old things being re-hashed day after day.  We see the circles that take place, the ignorance that rules, and desire to turn our backs away as we get to the point of having more than we can swallow.

We can only eat so much at the all you can eat buffet!
(Anyone remember Bromo-Fizzies?  Eurrrp!)

So, in the future, I vow to shortening up the beginning dialogue, keeping it more humorous / sarcastic in nature, and allowing you to finish in hopefully 5 minutes or less.

Do me a favor and take a speed reading course, please!

After all that, it is now time for TEN THINGS OF THANKFUL!!!!!  As we are getting close to Christmas, I may do a TTOT of true gratitude, and break the style I've presented for quite sometime.  I may look at the little things life has to offer and express my inner feelings about them.  Or, I might just surprise everyone and show that being an ass isn't necessarily a 24/7 job.


Nawwwwwwwwww!   
No one comes to my blog for that stuff.  
Lets get down to the dirt!

This week I'm thankful for:
While you're there, be sure to take a lot of pictures of
the great scenic tour you can take.  You'll spend
hours andhours showing these to your friends
 over and over again!

1)  Queens, New York.  Queens has become the number one vacation destination in the United States.  Queens offers a restored beach, plenty of shopping stops, and all the Greek food you can eat, as well as other types when you tire of Greek.  

I have lived in New York, but never have traveled to Queens.  It just didn't seem to be on the agenda, especially when I discovered Christopher Walken, Nancy Reagan and Howard Stern were from there.  I personally see no way that any major city could be the number one tourist destination, as most of the city dwellers do their best to get out of the city for their vacations!  But, who am I to argue with the Queens Chamber of Commerce?  (Raise too much commotion and we'll all be arrested and sentenced to view endless re-runs of Christopher Walken in Peter Pan!)
Now, tell me you didn't see a bunch of these
fighting the Empire's walkers in the beginning of
Star War's Empire Strikes Back!

2)  Real Life Laser Cannons.  The U.S. Navy, fresh over its negative publicity last week when female officers were filmed taking showers aboard a submarine, decided to blow that report out of the water this week by demonstrating its first laser cannon aboard a U.S. combat vessel.  Concentrated energy bursts cost less than pennies to the dollar in comparison of regular shells and ammunition.  


My God, people!  Instead of Star Wars, we have SEA WARS!!! 
R2D2 is a giant sized can of Starkist Tuna!!!!   

I can see next week's headlines:


WAVES AS SEX SLAVES?  ELECTRIC POWER IN THE SHOWER?
CHICKS IN FLICKS GET TICKED, FLICKS SWITCH, CLIPS SAILORS DICKS!


(Find a moral in that Mr. Peabody!)

I'll answer all questions as soon as I wake up and
tell you a story about a man name
Rip Van Winkle!
3)  Senator Carl Levin.  A revelation is heard in Washington!  Senator Levin, a Democrat from Michigan, let it be known this week that the nation may have been misled into attacking Iraq by the Bush Administration!  In this statement of delayed intelligence, the senator states that the head of the hijackers may not have met with an Iraqi Intelligence Officer in Europe, as this officer was in the United States at the time.  Of course, this was the incident that the Bush clan based their "let's go to war with Iraq" campaign.

Let's see, none of the hijackers were Iraqi,  Oops!   None had any allegiance with any Iraqi liaison.  Oops!  And, as we all know by now, the chemical weapons were all a hoax presented by the one "inside" man the Bush tribe based everything else on.  Still, it was essential we go to war there.


Nice to see you're finally catching up with everyone else, senator.  
You're only about 11 or 12 years behind!  
See what happens when you fall asleep during a session of Congress 
and no one wakes you up!  
Duh!!!!!!!

4)  Ebola.  What ever happened to this disease/ virus/ world ending plague?  Wasn't everyone running scared and forecasting thousands of deaths in every country in the world a month or so ago?  Then, Ferguson protests/ riots gained all the attention and Ebola was forgotten about!  

(Damn, the next time the news agencies start broadcasting doom and gloom stories, maybe we should remember every news story has shelf life.  After the expiration date, it will no longer be of any importance!  By the way, isn't it funny how Ferguson has been omitted for newscasts this week?  Guess that one's expired, too!)


If military personnel went to prison because of
this, why aren't politicians and CIA personnel
going to jail for what they've done?
5)  CIA Torture.  Please, don't try to feed us tales that the United States isn't guilty of torture tactics when your own report state otherwise.  Bush knew it was happening, Obama got information about where to find Osama Bin Laden from these tactics, and Congress knew they were paying outside agencies to perform these torture techniques.  We, the American public, are no so dumb as to believe otherwise.  (Well, not all of us anyway.)

Still, Obama tells us that we're not like this.  "Hey, Mr. President, we are exactly like this, as we've proven time and time again."  The only reason we're not being brought to trial by an international tribune is that we've proclaimed terrorists not to be official soldiers of war, so the rules of war don't apply!  Leave it to the land of lawyers to find a loophole.

True, our folks and citizens of our allies are getting their heads chopped off, literally.  But, haven't we always proclaimed that we'd never resort to those tactics as we will not sink to their level?  (Please, boys and girls, don't believe what the government tells you.  They've gotten damn good at lying.  They've had lots and lots of practice, and make enough money they don't have to worry about Santa's list!  BTW, Santa is reported missing as during his last visit to Congress he asked several politicians if they were good or bad this year.  There are some things we can only assume.)

6)  Bobbie Barnett Hancock.  Bobbie will take the award for the greatest procrastinator this week.  (Ah, a woman after my own heart!)  After her mother died in 1994, Bobbie stored the body in a casket in a storage locker facility.  It was her wish to send the body back to be buried in Alabama, but never got around to it.  Of course, this was only discovered when Bobbie put off paying rent at the storage facility and the casket and body were found by it's new owners.  (Can you imagine their faces when they opened the casket and found her?  "Holy shit!  Honey, could this be King Tut's wife Queen Butt?")

How could anyone put this off for as long as Bobbie did?  Damn, someone needs to help her remember "The Hearse Song" and get her to bury her mother.


7)  U.S. Government Budget.  The politicians are at it again!  Cut funding for anything good for the people and allow anything good for big business and Washington politics.  In the $1.1T Bill to be considered are the following idiocies, and a whole lot more.
  1. Under the bill, campaign donors could contribute up to $1.6 million dollars each into political parties.  Currently, the limit is $194,400.  Whoever said politicians weren't in it for the money?  Of course, over a million dollar increase per donor would help the common man's power to get more and more things they needed ... not!   Whatever the donors want, the donors will get and the hell with the common man.  Not really much of a change, is it?
  2. Let's give $21 million dollars to fix the leaky dome of the capitol. Now, my roof didn't cost anywhere that close to fix, did yours?  Since we are allowing all the illegal immigrants a home in our country, why not hire a few of their roofing crews to fix the dome for a small fragment of that and put the rest into school lunch programs.  (Oops, sorry, that would make too much damn sense!  I forgot the roofing crews they hire get the same $324 hammers that the military purchases.)
  3. Did I mention school lunches?  Yeppers, I did.  This bill would ease whole grain requirements and suspend the lower sodium rules.  There's nothing like taking care of our youth in a crappy manner when money is to be made by the manufacturers that supply the lunches, is there?
  4. Allows some pension plans to cut back on the amounts retirees were promised.  Sounds like the government and big business, doesn't it?  Work your ass off for them for a lifetime and then get screwed by them in the end.  Makes one recognize the true meaning of their threat, "We own your ass so you will do what we say!"

Nothing like liars, cheats and thieves to control your future income, is there?  This is your government at work ... to make money and an American Dream for themselves and Big Business.  For you ... well, how well do you take people giving you the bird?
8)  Christmas Scam.  (I actually have gotten these emails a couple of times so be wary.  They are out there!)  If you receive an email inviting you to have your child receive a letter from Santa DON'T DO IT!!!   Turns out not only will you be charged $19.99 for the letter, your credit card info will then be used to tap out your limit!.  Millions of dollars have already been lost, so don't find yourself wondering why you did something so stupid.  

If you want your child to receive a letter from Santa, write a letter, take them to a mall where Santa's at, and when they get off his lap, give them the envelope and tell them that Santa's elves brought it to you while the kids were on his lap!  (However, if you're just dying to have your credit cards drained of all monetary resources, simply send you credit card information to the address of this blog, and I'll be happy to take it.  I've really been wanting the complete Batman Blu-ray television series of the 60's, so I'll be awaiting that info!)

9)  Flu Shots.  Forget 'em this year!  There's a new strain of flu virus that is not at all put off by any of the drugs in the flu shots you'd be getting.  Unless you wish to make the CVS Liquor Stores ... oops, pharmacies, and other drug stores rich, spend your money on orange juice and chicken soup.  They'll do you just as much good.  Or, just get drunk like the rest of us.  You'll never even know you're sick!
I Am Iron Man!!!
Anybody seen a big snake?

10)  Eaten Alive By An Anaconda ... Not!   About a month ago, I wrote a piece on how a man was preparing himself to be eaten alive by an anaconda. I stated that it couldn't be done as the constriction would be too great for him to survive, and how his shoulders would be too wide for the snake to stretch his mouth around.

Well, this was the week that television land presented us with the program.  As predicted, the snake could barely get its mouth around his head, and the constriction strength proved too great for the publicity seeker to withstand.  

For those of you that thought I didn't know (even though I've had 30 years of working with snakes experience) what I was talking about, I forgive you.  Besides, I've probably already given you enough crap about it, so I'll be kind.

(Don't worry, this condition is only temporary.  After Santa decides if I'm a good or bad boy, I'll get back to my sarcastic ass personality.  I'm just waiting to see if he'll really bring me a Lexus or Infinity for Christmas.  That is, if he makes an appearance at all after questioning members of Congress!)


*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *    *

Well, here we are again.  After stating I was going to attempt to write a shorter post, I have to admit I once again failed.  I appreciate your staying power.  Please comment below if you're not too worn out.


Many Thanks!

Ciao!

**One last note.  I know some of you that read these pieces on your phones can't see the videos I put in.  For some reason, that happens on Blogger, or so I've been told.  If I could do something about it I would.  All I can say is, "Sorry!"




25 comments:

  1. Lucky for you, I'm in a hotel, hours from home and most responsibilities, so I had time to read and comment!
    So many things to irritate me in current events...but honestly, there is no way Queens is a top vacation spot. NO WAY!

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    1. Hey, Christine! I love victims of circumstance. lol Glad you had the time, seriously.

      Today's current events seem like repeats in a way. The rich get richer and the poor make them that way. It really does make me sick, but by bringing it out and making fun of it, I somehow feel much better.

      Queens? Yeah, I was completely shocked to have read that. I'm guessing the survey was taken in Queens. Whatdaya wanna bet? lol Many Thanks!

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  2. The thing about the snake really pissed me off. It makes me so MAD when people do dumb shit which will likely maim or kill a creature, just for the sake of their own (or others') entertainment. He would never have been allowed to do it here.

    And I heard about the CIA torture thing, even here, on the radio. Very, very uncool :(

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    1. Hello, Dame Lizzi! Tis such an honor to have you visit my humble abode. Tea?

      Sorry, sis, just my way of acting organized. (Wonder where that topic came from?)

      I know what you're talking about with the snake thing. The whole thing was filmed in South America, but of course, was completely sensationalized here in the states. I recorded it on DVR and fast forward scanned through it. It was doomed from the start, but I wanted to see how he was going to eat crow when it was over. Show didn't get good press here, so he really succeeded at nothing but becoming the fool.

      The torture story/ denials/ validations/ El Toro defecation continues. It's just another way to keep the country divided and weak. Seems to be working. It's not the first time the actions of our government have been questioned. However, the news seems to be downplaying it somewhat, probably at the recommendations of various politicians. What puppets they are.

      Really do appreciate you stopping in. Many Thanks!

      Delete
    2. Well this is it - all news outlets have an agenda, but they're totally based in two things - how to make a profit, and who's backing them. I don't think there's such a thing as unbiased reporting, because reporters are human and corporations are so very much less than that.

      The snake thing still disgusts me. I'm glad it was a flop. It deserved to be.

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    3. Lizzi, television has always been about ratings, and unfortunately, always will. In the U.S., public television has to have fund raising a couple of times a year just to stay afloat, as they don't have the advertising funds. That makes them about as agenda free as any, but they still seek quality programming to validate that. Regular news agencies follow the CNN lead and "develop" stories, which is a kind way of saying they'll emphasis the points of a story that will grab public attention and ignore those that might detract from the sensationalism.

      The last two presidential administrations have also started controlling what is published at times. Questions are pre screened, attendance is given to those that only print what they want printed, and in essence, it's become more like the slanted news the USSR once was known for presenting. The sad thing is with the "dumbing" of America, the cattle don't see what is happening. The slaughter is just around the corner for them, as the news agencies present news to create public reaction that will create more news, instead of ever solving problems. People have either forgotten, or simply never figured out how to logically figure things out for themselves. That is what the news agencies bank on and live for.

      Many Thanks!

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  3. Hey I used to live in Queens as a youngster. Glen Oaks - a large garden apartment complex. I barely remember it, just I attended PS186Q and Creedmoor Mental Hospital was across the street behind a barbed wire fence. I remember watching sheets tied together billowing out the window, like someone wanted to escape.

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    1. Val, good to see you again! Sounds like you managed to escape! (From Queens, not the mental hospital, lol.) Good to see you're no longer in hiding. From the picture you provide, it sounds like the difference between East and West Berlin during the Cold War. Thanks again for stopping in. Greatly appreciated! :)

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  4. Hey RIch I made a comment from work but I dont think it took... I was saying that I know these are a time committment but have found them to be worth it. I have mentioned before that sometimes I dont have a comment because news tends to overwhelm me some... I saw something today that made me think of your blog... its slow TV in Norway... there was a recent TED talk on it and Colbert Report did something on it as well....

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    1. Zoe, sincerely appreciate your comments ... always. I don't delete any comments, so your work system must have screened it. I've had that happen at times at work when making a comment on FB.

      I appreciate your feelings towards these posts. I really try to cover a lot of topics with this style, and some just can't be discussed in a sentence or two. I will admit to being long winded at times, and I'll watch that in the future, but as in comedy, without proper set up, the point of the joke is lost. Irony and stupidity sometimes take a little explaining for some to see, and that's one of the things that really makes these a little longer than say a typical "mommy" style of blog that some write.

      I try to sample all news agencies a few times a week, just to gain information and different perspectives of the topics covered. I was a fan of the Colbert Report for a while, but found it slanted in the opposite direction, sometimes way too far. I like to think that there is a difference between what they do and what I do. They're hunting for extremes for a quick laugh at times. I just present the idiocy of what's being covered, take out the BS, and show the truth of the topic. Once that's done, I look for where I can get the laugh, which is usually in the sarcasm of the stupidity displayed. I'm honored that you would think of me in the same sense as the shows mentioned, though. It's indeed a compliment greatly appreciated. Many Thanks!

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  5. I always get a kick out of your sarcasm, Rich. And, seriously, that snake guy!!!

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    1. Sarah, it's great to see you here! I've been a sarcastic bastard most of my life. lol In grade school, it used to get me moved a lot as kids would complain that my "under the breath" comments would make them laugh and get them in trouble with the teacher. Throughout the years, I've found that some like it and others are sometimes intimidated it as they thing it's an "ego" thing. It's never been ego influenced (sincerely), but a way of looking at the facts and finding humor in how people either present them or hide them. Some call it insight, others a "smart mouth." Whatever it's called, it served me well during my stand up comedy days, and this blog (which averages in the triple digits in views daily) seems to be appreciated by some in the U.S., Great Britain, Asia, Russia, China, Europe, and South Africa. I'm guessing that sarcasm, and telling the truth about things in the U.S., might be a little more popular than imagined. I'm really glad you enjoy it, too!

      The snake guy ... well, it's whatever the public will buy. P.T. Barnum used to bank on that and it served him well for decades. He later claimed conservation to be his goal of the program, but that's awfully far fetched as it was more about the stunt. Still, everyone needs their fifteen minutes of fame, and he can always claim that was his. lol Many Thanks!

      Delete
  6. Jumps into commenting with much zeal!
    Well I do think it may have to do with going from passive to active. HOWEVER, I feel people should discuss civility that they either agree or disagree regardless of the way it is written. I know I have high standards.
    1. Queens... Okay admittedly I was in Manhattan when I was sixteen. I was so overwhelmed... and we have not gotten back.
    2.All I can say about that is it is about freaking time.
    3.I think the majority of Congress is like a teenage girl cliche. No one ever pays attention to facts and forget getting information from multiple sources. pshhhaw
    4. ebola....between my friends and I ...when someone gets sick. its still the first thing we say. Oh its definitely ebola. However I think what happened was people realized how slight of a risk it was in the USA and realized the way to solve the problem was to send money and other people to do the job. Typical.
    5. Yeah. Because really they just sat those people down and asked the questions and they were answered. SUUUUUREEEE they did. Seriously the amount of wool over some peoples eyes. Its a wonder they can see.
    6.That should have been in that show storage wars!
    7. as a former person who was on food stamps. Don't even get me started
    8. Seriously there is a free site that sends your child a email video. No information exchanged. Twenty bucks for a letter is a bit steep to me. Maybe my cheapskate is showing.But good to warn others who maybe are not.
    9. another don't get me started. we don't do them. Haven't for years. Gasp and shock we fortify our immune system with healthy food items! HOWEVER the school did free flu shots with permission slips. My only issue is they used the live virus so we have to boost even more because of shedding.
    10. The anaconda.. Oh right. yes.. total attention whore that guy. While I didn't have the facts to back me up. Every parent knows if you want a performance caught on camera it can't be done on demand. That never works. Apparently snakes are a lot like two year old kids. They don't perform on demand.

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    1. Erin, you've got the same virus I have ... and I love it! Let's see if I can do your comments justice.
      1) I have a hard time believing you were ever overwhelmed by anything. Instead, I think the common sense you exhibit simply showed you that there was a better lifestyle to pursue. The city is for the middle aged, not the young or the old, for both groups are somewhat preyed upon there. Broadway and such still holds interest for me, but not enough to spend a vacation there by any means.
      2. I'm not sure if you mean it's about time that a Star Wars cannon was developed, or about time "chicks clips guys dicks" in retaliation for videos made. I'm going to take this as the cannon, and slowly move away with my hands over my crotch.
      3. Fah Surrrr-ahhhhh! As long as they can say, "Oh, did you hear what ___ said", they can always blame shift later.
      4) I agree, but am continually shocked by the actions and fear factor Americans exhibited to begin with. It's okay that there are thousands of alcohol related deaths annually. However, when one death occurred because of Ebola, everyone freaked out. I wonder how many of them went, had a few drinks, and then went out and had an accident driving home?
      5) What I disagree about the questioning techniques is not the actual techniques used (as what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas), but in the hiring of outside agencies to do it. Perhaps, just perhaps, the military couldn't find the psycho's that enjoyed performing these tasks within. I doubt that, seriously. But, to hire these agencies, and then to act shocked that they did the things they did, is like a kid getting caught after breaking a window and shifting the blame to his parents for buying him the Red Rider BB Gun. Unbelievable!
      6) Yeeee-eeeeep! I can see Dave's reaction now. lol
      7) Been unemployed for an extended period once myself a couple of years ago. It was so nice how you're made to feel like a criminal because hiring practices big business has towards those over 50. I have no mercy for any of those in office that continue to screw the common man. Would love to see them survive on $400 a week minus taxes.
      8) I did see that there was a free site, but didn't mention it because I couldn't determine which one was real, and which one just wanted to stick cookies in your computer to tag you with a Trojan Horse virus later. Really felt it better to be safe than sorry.
      9) I don't either. Did them a couple of times and was sick within hours both times. Never made sense to stick something in my body to do that, unless there was one hell of a high to enjoy along with it. lol
      10) Snakes are purely instinctive as their brain is a tiny little thing (much like that of politicians). And, in the wild (especially the Amazon) they have plenty of food sources. The idea of traveling to the jungle, finding one that just happened to be 25-30 feet long and hungry, and getting it to swallow a man alive was beyond any type of common sense. Besides, snakes won't eat with people around most of the time. They recognize they're helpless as they swallow, and even after constricting and killing, will let the prey sit there until there's no one around. It was an easy show to predict complete failure. If he had truly worked with snakes as long as he proclaimed he had, these facts would have been already known. Just more El Toro defecation for the brainless to devour. lol

      Okay, thanks so much for the great comments. I hope I did them justice with my responses. It's really good to have you visiting week after week. Many Thanks!

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  7. Mr. Rumple, you inspire vice in me. After reading the first sentence of your post, I had to get up to get a cup of gluehwein to sit back and prepare for the rant. Agree on Ebola. Obviously, it was the same with the swine flu a few years back. The Americans are getting berserk, and we Germans just lay back and say "so what". Never realized that we were a laid-back nation.. On torture: go figure!! We had a case here in Germany where a cop threatened physical torture to a suspect who had abducted a little child. The kid died, and the cop lost his job. Sometimes, living in a country governed by a strict code of justice doesn't seem fair, but I'm still thankful for the way our laws are.

    Ok, gluehwein is empty, and I'm moving on. Cheers, Stephanie

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    1. Stephanie, you make me feel so old with the "Mr. Rumple" opening. lol Please, we're friends ... "Rich" is fine. :) I'm not sure if the fact "I drive you to drink" is good for you, but I'm not about to lose a reader and great comment provider (such as yourself) by putting you in a 12 step program. lol

      Americans have turned into a bunch of fear cowering fools, for the most part. Politicians have used that for decades, starting with the Cuban Missile Crises of the early 60's, through the 9/11 aftermath and today's Ebola. Instead of having the attitude, "It's only killed one or two of us", they'd rather play like sheep and bleat out, "Help us, help us!" Many of those, a little wiser and older, look at the masses with discontent as we wonder how they cannot view reality without fear. We also cringe at knowing their parents failed them by not telling them that the boogie man doesn't exist behind every news headline. It's really sad at times.

      In the violence arena, America is caught between the right and the left. Those on the right want gun ownership to protect themselves from the criminals, that have become so protected by the law they now have little fear of police or prosecution. Those on the left live in a fantasy world where all are of their beliefs and would not harm them for any reason. Neither side is willing to seek to understand the other side's point of view, thus, the police are caught in the middle.

      I'm not for strangleholds or police shooting the innocent, but neither am I for police becoming target practice for criminals. Many of those protesting the current events are either of the left group (who have never been victims or put in a position of those they expect to enforce the laws), or using these acts to play the race card (which is detested by many of their own race who have proven you can provide a good life for your family regardless of color).

      Blame shifting has become an American institution. Teachers are blamed when parents fail to make their children study, inanimate objects are blamed for criminal acts, and sexual discrimination lawsuits have created an epidemic of "guilty until proven innocent" cases. Mind doctors love finding things to blame as it keeps them in business, and news agencies look for causes to pursue to stir up ratings. All of these things are loved by the politicians as they use them to distract the public from the atrocities the make into even more laws. And, amid all the confusion, there's a flag waver on the corner proclaiming, "This is still the best country in the world to live in", which only adds to the spoiling of the chicken soup.

      Excuses never solved problems. Until the United States starts to concentrate on properly raising its youth, brings back the strong factor of personal accountability, and works together to make a better life for all, we are on the same course the USSR traveled a couple of decades ago. I almost wish it would happen so we could get back to the things that are truly important in life, instead of all these things that only display ignorance in our society.

      Got any gluehwein left. I may need a glass. lol Many Thanks!

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  8. You know what I am thankful for laughing till I wet myself, ok not really because once one wets ones self one has to go and change their underwear and shorts if like me you are wearing shorts because it is a nice 28°c outside not that hot inside as I have the air con going and have done since before I left the house to go shopping today not that you needed to know that.

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    1. Jo-Anne, Really good to see you! There's a product in the marketplace that can help you. It's called Depends. They're guaranteed to keep your shorts dry, and give you a little softer cushion to sit on, too! It's a shame I didn't catch your prior to your going shopping. I could have saved you an extra trip! lol Seriously, am glad you enjoyed this post and commented. It means a lot. Many Thanks!

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  9. Queens, huh? Guess I played tourist wrong the last time I was in New York.

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    1. Kristi, Hello, my friend. I know how you feel. I spent all my time in Manhattan and Brooklyn when I was there. Damn, if we'd have only known! Many Thanks!

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  10. Well this is just a fabulous post to read jumping back in here as TToT co-host! Love your perspective and humor, Rich!
    I'm with you on the views vs. comments thing. I honestly couldn't care less about views (OK, maybe I care a little because I do check them) but I get sad when there are no comments.
    I am so far behind making the TToT rounds so I'm going to go with the brevity route and say have a great week and I'm looking forward to reading more here again!

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    1. Lisa, so good of you to stop in! I'm happy you like what I attempt to pass off as humor based on fact.

      Views always make you wonder if you haven't been hacked into by some porn site using you as a portal. Comments bring about the human interaction. As you can tell, I write almost another post while answering comments. I feel as though if the reader cares enough to say something, then I should care enough to answer them in a manner they'd expect and not feel shortchanged. It's hard to do that at times when they only write a sentence or two, but that's where creativity comes into being. Hopefully, that one additional smile provided will help them visit a little more often, and feel wanted, too!

      I have an outrageous work schedule, eyes that (after a couple of operations) go blurry very quickly, and a few other things that prohibit me from making the rounds. I used to visit and comment on everyone's posting, but I just can't do that anymore. I hope most understand that I truly miss it and am not being standoffish. It just doesn't do any good to go somewhere when you can't read what's there.

      Looking forward to your comments next week! Many Thanks!

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  11. I got my flu shot the evening before the report aired that they had missed the mark with the shot.
    Every month, when I go to the oncologist, they now ask me if I have been to Africa within the past ten days or been exposed to anyone with ebola. I told them THEY were more likely than me to be exposed to it, so it appeared the wrong party was asking the questions.

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    1. Dyanne, so sorry I'm just seeing this! (Been sick this week.)

      I've always gotten sick with the taking of a flu shot, so I dodged the bullet this year. Good thing I did.

      I love the thought you provide about doctors. I've often thought of all the patients one is exposed to in the waiting room, but really never considered the doctors as carriers. Guess I need to be careful of what I could catch during my next prostrate exam! lol

      Many Thanks!

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  12. BlueHost is an unsolicited spam comment. They think it's smart to go to blogs and leave spam trying to draw in business. I would hope that all who read this blog would never do any business with them and tell all their friends that Bluehost sucks a big one.

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