Twenty Observations

An actor is governor of California. The President of the United States is younger and dumber than me. The Super Bowl winning quarterback looks like my son, who looks older than my doctor.

My government is concerned about the human rights of stem cells, but has no problem violating my rights by spying on me, reading my e-mails, inspecting my phone and bank records, and filming me any time I am in public.

I have socks older than millionaire rap artists named after money who can’t play a note.

Corporate CEO’s and VP’s working barely 40 hours a week make several hundred times what their employees make. When those employees screw up, they get fired. When the CEO screws up, they get paid millions of dollars to quit. Doesn’t this sound like Superman’s Bizarro world?

The President of the United States, who can start a nuclear war, can’t pronounce “nuclear.”

Any person who runs for high political office is subject to a withering assault of media scrutiny, personal attacks, background searches, second guessing and political correctness tests. The honest, intelligent or creative people won’t tolerate it, and don’t run, especially if they have any type of “blemish” on their record, like most normal people do. The mediocre or downright stupid people with no record of anything may be successful by appearing competent, especially if they are physically attractive and can avoid taking a stand on anything. The “career politicians” are the usual victors because they know how to hide their misdeeds and are adept at pandering to the media and the electorate. So, instead of helping the electoral process, the mass media have actually narrowed our choices down to mediocre phonies or professional liars. Thanks.

To keep us safe from criminals, everyone is treated like a criminal.
To keep us safe from terrorists, everyone is treated like a terrorist.

I remember when “ho’s” referred to footwear and crackers were eaten with soup.

The roughly 1000 cruise missiles fired during the first hours of the Iraq invasion cost one million dollars apiece. That money would have put over 6000 students through college, built 200 schools, 10,000 homes or bought health insurance for over 150,000 people.

I don’t have to carry change in my pants pocket any more. For some reason, paying cash is now an inconvenience.

I can’t tell the name of the band from the name of the cd.

I take two different prescription drugs each day. Neither of them gives me a buzz.

Somewhere between Watergate and OJ, the news media changed the rules. There used to be an understanding that a certain part of a person’s life was personal and private, and not public news unless it adversely affected the public welfare. That has now morphed into a belief that anything a reporter can find out, true or false, is suitable for broadcast or print if it will attract viewers or readers. Freedom of speech requires shared values of what is right and wrong. We have lost that consensus.

My brain RAM is full. Whenever I learn something new, something old has to go.

Our nation is truly a melting pot. Everything on the bottom gets burned and all the scum comes to the top.

Not too long ago, using the “N” word got you chastised. Now it gets you a Grammy.

This year’s war is in the desert. We’re killing brown people, though the yellows are still nervous waiting in the queue.

Americans are a people who aren’t really afraid of anything other than failure. Why is it then that our government continues to parade an endless stream of boogey men before us in an attempt to manipulate our emotions? Beginning with the unfortunate native Americans, we’ve been encourage to hate the British, the French, the Spanish, the Mexicans, the Northerners, the Southerners, the Germans, the Nazis, the Communists, the Atheists, the Students, Blacks, Musicians, Intellectuals, Koreans, Vietnamese, Chinese, Russians, Cubans, Iranians, Libyans,…and now the Iraqis and Iranians. You can only cry wolf so many times.

When I look at the list of people who claim they are going to Heaven, Hell looks better and better all the time.

If you set fire to one square foot of your home every day, eventually your home will be destroyed and you will be homeless. Why do we think the Earth is any different?