The Horror :o

It just occurred to me that, if I were forced to cut back my expenses by the same amount America's federal government will soon be compelled to cut, I would have to reduce my weekly expenses by $18.00 (!) ...Like, how could I continue to survive? That's almost $2.60 a day! That would mean no coffee at Starbucks! For the government, the same percentage reduction (in their case, actually, a reduction in the planned rate of growth) will mean planes crashing, possible undefended invasion and terror attacks, no schools, no medical service. I've got an idea, how about just remove the free coffee dispensed daily to our mega-state minions in their offices? Then the state's suffering would be on par with mine if I had to reduce my spending by a horrid 2.5%.

Our president and America's Democratic party...so funny.

The Film Industry Knows What Real Art Is..

Apparently Zero Dark 30's "torture" scenes were too much for the squeamish and gentle souls of Hollywood. Does this mean I won't have to hear about the genius of movies like Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill any more? Oh yeah... Don't forget, Fahrenheit 9/11 was "the greatest documentary ever made."

The State of the Collective Delusion

I can't really add anything to what a million and one pundits have been saying about the state of the union address other than...'What a completely incompetent, clueless idiot!

Definitely, after five years of economic surrealism, the best way to resurrect a multi-trillion dollar economy is - wait for it - "investment in education and green energy" and "asking the wealthiest among us to pay their fair share."

'No way around it (and, excuse my lack of professionalism), marxists are assholes.

Oh yes, don't forget your "obligations" to the "community."

Awesome Speech

Apologies again for a rather dormant blog. I'm not sure when or even if I'll return to regular blog postings. The reason is nothing more dramatic than just being currently snowed under by life's trivial errands. I think daily of things I want to say (write) but it's either that or the chore at hand. Mundane responsibilities have thus far won the struggle.

I did see the following link (I think it was on Drudge) which really impressed me. The guy giving this speech is one cool dude and his statements and style clearly contrast with the stale contrivances of the current president

The content and delivery of this speech is absolutely superb (including some rather folksy funny jokes). The whole thing is a bit long (about twenty-something minutes) but any part of it will lure you on to want to hear more. Oh yeah, that second man to the speaker's right is none other than our "commander and chief." As a bonus, in addition to a downright profound speech, we get to observe the body language and obvious discomfort of a charlatan being schooled by a man of substance on common sense appraisals of the events and perspectives of our times. 'Absolutely priceless.

In a state of temporary hibernation....

Have a fun month!

Weird Template...and Time's "Person of the Year"

First, apologies for the weird "bare bones" gray format of my blogs now (absent a blogroll, archive, and other links). I have no idea what's up with that. I assume it's some Blogger issue that will eventually be corrected. I could look into it more but just don't have the time. At the bottom of this page is a barely noticeable link to the normal web page format.

Now; 'a brief comment on Time Magazine's brilliant choice for "Person of the Year" (asshole alert):

Obama has been chosen as Time Magazine's "Person of the Year"...again

What utter nonsense. I particularly like the flourish of a rare "silver boarder." I mean, after all, he is god, isn't he?

I realize that a million reasons can be conjured as to why this is a good or acceptable choice but fortunately, not everyone is drinking the koolaid.

It could be decades or even centuries, but someday our time will be laughed at for being so gullible in following a Pied Piper who can barely play a scale. In fact, dissonance is the order of the day with this clown.

The "Obama is my lord and savior" crowd should hide their heads in embarrassment at this point.

Absolutely pathetic.

Rambling Observations on Modern Art

(I found this snippet of thought I had written when responding to a friend regarding an essay on Modernist art. Since it's "the holidays" ...and Christmas season, I've been rather slack on posting anything so this may fill in some space).

Have a Happy Whatever!

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...Superbly written and damn insightful (I think). Positions such as his are often refuted with the implicit suggestion that any condemnation of modernist expression can only be a position taken by philistines who lack "open-mindedness.". I've always taken the stand that things of substance are not relative, that genuine quality and depth can be quite real - and, more often than not - obvious.

I certainly wouldn't write off some of the great contemporary works. A lot of modern architecture in particular is amazing (often due as much to technological advancement). But...the guy who wrote the essay covered things in ways I could never effectively argue but instinctually know to be obvious. So much of the modernist mindset seems more inspired by self adulation over its contempt for substance than any real attempt to depict new levels of beauty, tragedy, or anything in between. It's as if they're simply flipping the world off and think they've made a profound comment on existence. Framing the Virgin Mary in excrement as one artist did (usually referred politely as "dung" as if that makes it less shitty) really isn't all that impressive I think. If the artist desired certain colors and textures, certainly mud would have sufficed. And, it can't be one of those phony "truth to power" gimmicks considering that self-censorship is the rule of the day when critiquing more volatile and aggressive belief systems ("truth to power that also keeps you safe" perhaps)...

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p.s. re: the recent shooting tragedy. 'Absolutely horrible. Nothing can be said beyond that.

The Importance of Believing Our Own Message

This brief speech by Bill Whittle is absolutely excellent. It gets better and better as it goes along.

'Hat tip to my friend Steve.

What's so "Anonymous" about Anonymous?

Okay, so we don't know the names -- the individuals responsible. But the ambience is hardly anonymous. You can find it all over the bloodier pages of history. I'm not saying that the clowns calling themselves, "Anonymous" will actually achieve any degree of authority over citizens of any country. I'm just saying that, like so many (faux - [Guy] Fawkes) "rebels," these people are scary far above and beyond the mere ambience created by a robotic voice on YouTube videos..."we do not forgive, we do not forget. " Apparently they do forget, because no sane rebel with a memory would deliberately seek to be seen as a caricature of all the horrors that radical collectivist ideology brings to civilization. Like most, "anarchists," they're clearly garden variety communist "leaning" control freaks who happen to know how to play with computers successfully.

'Don't misunderstand. I'm no fan of "The Man" as a generalized caricature of authority, but we're all "The Man" (or, to be fair, "The Woman") to some degree. Having degrees of power, authority, or wealth is not in and of itself a bad thing. I can see it going bad however when it states it's case like a baritone robot with rabies and a radical college education.

The "Occupy Movement," "Anonymous," and Barack Obama in the White House. Indeed, the great themes and psychopathologies in history repeat themselves.

Guess what's next? (If you know anything about human nature and history, that's a rhetorical question).

p.s. I realize that these clowns occasionally - perhaps often - score a cyber attack on some group or government office that I disdain. None the less, they are what they are and, like Occupy Wall Street, it's not a pretty picture. Anyone who thinks Anonymous is a force for freedom and individual self-government has a very weak understanding of the psychology of radical movements and their characteristic end-points.