Thursday, November 29, 2012

Mortality. Deal With It.

Took my mother from assisted living to get her first chemotherapy treatment this morning.  It's not going to help.  She's so full of cancer that they can't operate, and this is a long shot at best to make her live six months instead of three.

She's done.  And it comes as a great surprise.  She was totally healthy until the first of July this year, when she fell and couldn't get up.

She's in a great place.  Canyon Creek is awesome.  There staff is the best.  I had my dad there six years ago, and they treated him like royalty.  Even though he was a prick.

We come face to face with our OWN mortality when our parents die.  Hey, if the people who raised YOU can die?  And leave YOU all alone?  What hope is there for the rest of us?

Well, quite a lot, actually.  We have our spouses.  We have our progeny.  And after we are gone, we can only hope that they keep our memory alive.  Or not.  Might just be a pain in their ass.  Could go either way.

With my dad?  He was an asshole to me and my whole family.  I honored his wishes at his death, cause I was his only son.  Only child, I should have said.  Buried him where he wanted.  Bought him a nice tomb stone.  Even flew the whole family back to West Virginia to see the stone in place.

I went a LOT more out of the way for him, dead, than he ever went for me, alive.

In all the years I played football  and soccer in Murray?  He NEVER bothered to come to a game.  Prick.  Then when he was old, he wanted me to hang out with him?  Yeah, right.

My Mom?  Totally different story.  I'll spend as much time as I can with her.  I'm going to miss HER!

Today was the best day she's had in a long time.  Those IV's included one that dealt with her nausea, and some Benadrill.  So she was goofy all day.

The next few days?  We shall see.

Parents die.  They get sick.  But at least my mom has all her mind left right now.  And I just bought her a new LED TV for her bedroom at Canyon Creek so she can watch college football.  And an adjustable wall mount for it, so even though the bed won't raise up?  The TV will move for her!

So we got THAT going for us.

Getting old sucks.  Even though I like it better than the alternative.

I'm going to miss my mom.  This will be a new experience for me.  Didn't miss my father.  Deb has been so much help.

I guess we will all go through it.  So it goes...

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

The War ON Christmas? Or The War FOR Christmas?

Right wing nut balls, and pundits like the fine, Christian folks at Faux News have spent years telling us that the, "Liberal Media" has been waging a war on Christmas.  Even going to far as to tell  people that it's OK to say, "Happy Holidays" to folks if you want then to have a great Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years Eve, New Years Day!  Heathens!

Let alone if you thought your friends might be Jewish?  After all, we support Israel.  Just not THEIR winter Holiday.

Hypocrites.

But after enduring a whole month now, of dealing with, "Christmas" music/commercials/advertisements, that started before Halloween?  Who's waging war on, Christmas?  I would have to ask, why is, "The main stream media" waging war on Halloween/Thanksgiving before advertising, CHRISTMAS!

I'm just asking?

No one is trying to OUTLAW, Christmas!  Hell, if anything, it's come about a day earlier every year since I was a kid.  Now?  It's out of control.  In a few years?  you will be trading your unused fireworks for Christmas gift cards in JULY!

There is no war on Christmas!  There is nothing but a horrible, horrible expansion of, what used to be known as, "The Holiday Season".  Which used to start at Thanksgiving!

And it went from being my favorite times of the year, to the time I dread the most.  No NEW programs on TV.  Only holiday bullshit music on the radio.

Oh, the horror.

And my birthday is December 25.  THAT has sucked for going on 54 years.  Now?  Not so much. When I was a kid?  A LOT!

I share it with Jimmy Buffett.  I'd love to sit down and talk to him about it one day.

Some people would say with TWO prophets.  I would not.  I've SEEN, Jimmy Buffett. The other guy?  Nope.

So, Conservatives?  There is NO war on Christmas, except on Faux News.  Even Atheists like me?  We get sick of it, especially when it starts so early.  But we don't want to ban your annual, spending, bacchanal.  knock yourself out! 

Some of us just wish we didn't have to deal with it all the time, and that we could watch some new, "Daily Shows".  Just saying.

Friday, November 16, 2012

AMMO, AMMO, AMMO! Come On Down!

Yep, it's coming.  Any day now.  The President who has only signed TWO gun laws in his first FOUR years, the ones allowing you to take a gun onto an Amtrack train and into a National Park, is coming for YOUR gun!

And hey, having spent some time on Amtrack trains and in National Parks?  Boy, those are two places I want to be armed!  I don't know about you...

So get your ammo now.  I don't know what you were thinking that you didn't stock up MONTHS ago!  After all, this happened right after the Socialist, Kenyan, Muslim who's Christian Minister you hated during the campaign, won the LAST election!  I guess you guys thought that Romney actually had a chance?  Silly you.

Come on down to, "Less Crazy Than You, Jeffrey's Ammo Emporium"!  As a Liberal Democrat who kind of figured that Romney would lose 49 states, and you folks would go bat shit crazy, and I mean that in a, Michele Bachman way, I bought up all the ammo I could LAST year.

While you were figuring on a Romney win?  I was betting on you being out of your mind.  And as, "President Scary Black Guy" said to, "Too Mormon and Icky To Win" on election night?  "I won, you lost."  Time to pay the piper.

Whether you want .22 or 454 Express (to shoot that Republican ELEPHANT who lead you astray), I've got it all!  In my secret warehouse in Utah, it's stacked wall to wall, tree top tall.  I'll give you a 10% discount on handgun ammo.  Since the chances are, if you're buying THAT?  You are going to shoot yourself or a loved one.  And as a Liberal?  We LOVE having less of you around!  And without a National Health Care Plan?  Chances are, you won't make it.

This is my little sacrifice to save America.  After all, I'm nothing if not a Patriot!

So, send in our order, to, yourenutsandyoudon'tpayattentionyoudumbass@exploitingthestupid.com

I'll be happy to sell you any ammo you need.  $40 a bullet, two for $90.  Delivery as soon as your credit card clears.

All pick up orders at the secret location must be paid in cash only (yes, US Currency).  No personally minted gold or silver coins will be accepted.  I don't care WHAT the Utah Legislature says.

I look FORWARD to robbing you idiots blind, er, doing business with you!

And if you can't come to us?  We'll come to you!  Dial our 800 number.  Well, it's NOT really an 800 number.  After all, my mission is to GET your money, and exploit your fears and paranoia.  Not make it easy for you.

So pay the fee and dial, 223-357-9MM.
Good luck with that.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Boycott Stupid. It's Just A Thought, But Give It Some Thought

"Papa John" is going to add money to your pizza, and lay off employees, cut back the hours of other employees, because, "Obamacare" is going to require that he provide health insurance to his employees.

But he can give away TWO MILLION pizza's, average cost, $10 each in an NFL promotion.

There is a guy named Metz who owns a bunch of Denny's franchises.  Starting in 2014, he's going to add a 5% surcharge to your bill, and he wants you to decide if you want to pay it or tip your waitress 5% LESS to cover the cost of her health insurance that he's going to have to provide.

When I was a kid, your dad (mostly, I'm sure mom's too.  But I have to write the truth as I know it, and my mom didn't work until she had too when I was a teenager) went to work, and your employer paid for your health insurance and promised you a pension, or at least a retirement plan.  So that at some point, you could retire and enjoy the benefits of the Social Security and Medicare you worked your whole life for.

Papa John, and, Mr. Metz are the lowest form of robber baron.  They exploit uneducated, unskilled labor to make billions of dollars, and when asked to take care of their employees like it used to work in this country?  They join the nut job, Bob Murray who's losing money cause coal can't compete with natural gas, and talk about punishing the workers.  In Murray's case?  Flat out laying them off.

What the hell, Bob?  Killing them in coal mine collapses cause you are trying to get every last ounce of coal out of the mountain even though what's left won't hold up the roof isn't enough for you?  I mean, after all.  Bracing to hold up the roof, and equipment are EXPENSIVE!  You lose THAT shit in a mine cave in, you never get it back.  Poor people in rural areas?  A dime a dozen.  Kill ten or twelve of them?  Didn't cost you a cent.

These people are the reason we NEED, Obamacare!  As a matter of fact, they are a perfect example of why we need a national health care plan that all but puts commercial health insurance providers out of business!  It works in every other industrialized country in the world.  It could work here.

And it also should lead to a revitalization of the Labor Movement in this country.  You remember the Labor Movement if you're over 50.  The people who brought you the weekend.  And put an end to company stores.

So, here's my thought on how to have an impact on this kind of exploitation.  Boycott them.

Yeah, I know, there are a lot of folks out there who couldn't make it without the prices they get at Walmart.  I feel your pain, but I understand your situation.

But if you want a pizza?  DON'T buy it from Papa John's (their pizza sucks anyway).  Boycott ALL the Denny's and see how fast the other franchisees put pressure on Metz to shut the fuck up, already!

Find out who you are buying things from that already offer their employees health care coverage, and support them.  I have a friend who works for a Larry Miller dealership and doesn't get health care coverage.  But is wife works for, Smith's and does.

Well, I'll never buy a car from Miller since he sold my Golden Eagles down the road, but his not offering his employees health care just makes that decision that much easier.

I will shop at Smith's.

So let's start here.  Start small, and make a difference.  I don't know if, Pizza Hut offers health care to their employees.  But if enough people start to ask?  They might.  Gotta start somewhere.

Let's just say that I would rather see Papa John's and CIGNA go out of business, than, The Italian Village, and all the other, local, small business' that Mitt Romney and all the other, "Job Creators" (what a bullshit concept!) claim are the backbone of this country.

Just something to think about.

Sunday, November 4, 2012

How To Shut Down Arguing About Politics On Facebook

Any one reading this belong to their high school debate club?  You remember the first thing they teach you about debate?  He who asserts must prove.

So when you get into a debate, argument on Facebook and you want to stop it?  Ask for their evidence.  Make them show where they get their, "facts".

And also, ask them for their, "CV".  Most folks just know that, CV means a history of your qualifications.  But it actually means, Curriculua Vitae.  Which means, um.. well?  The history of your qualifications.  I know.  I can hear my friend, Lisa the comedian saying, "That's funny".  Cause it is.

But know this.  If you ask someone for their, "CV" and they look at you like they don't know what you're talking about?  They don't have a CV.

And tonight, I spent too much time arguing with a moron on Facebook.  I asked this guy, who asserted that he knew the human condition and how people thought better than I did.  Despite my Sociology Degree, Minor in Psycohology and 23 years in law enforcement.

But I asked him three times to give me his educational background and tell me what OTHER countries he's visited.  And he wouldn't answer the question.

He just kept quoting the bible.  Which is total fiction.

I have to ask myself why I bother with these people?

So, when you're on Facebook and and you get flustered?  Ask folks for their, "CV".  When they can't answer THAT question?  Quit arguing with them.  They are stupid, and YOU win.