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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2012: Good afternoon, good LairCronies! Though I'm still lusting after a Certain goth opera singer from Texas, and still suffering from laptop withdrawal since my HP notebook's hard drive bit the dust, I'm still here and regularly writing (mostly on Twitter and Facebook, naturally). Like many Washingtonians who receive mail-in Election ballots, I've already voted. And, aside from one vote for a Republican state Attorney General candidate (Reagan Dunn), I've voted basically a straight Democratic ticket.
Yes, I've voted to re-elect President Obama and Vice-President Biden. Is this because I absolutely love every element of their first-term record, and think these guys are utterly Awesome and Infallible? No. It's because I think they are infinitely Preferable, warts and all, to the right-wing alternative, which I viscerally fear and disdain.
I don't want to live in a nation with a government Dominated by right-wing ideologues, Religious Right fundamentalist blowhards, Callous neocons and war profiteers, and legislators Bought and Paid off by the super-rich, Big Business/Corporate class; the "1 percent", Koch Brothers and all their ilk. If they were to take over, they would attempt to place most wealth, power and influence in the already-Stuffed pockets of Said corporate overlords, arguing that the "Captains of Industry" should own and control most of the wealth, power and influence, because 1) they're somehow "better" than the rest of us; and 2) they're the only ones who really know how to manage money and power. The American right-wing simply hates it when the working class has any power or clout; they believe that the Big Bosses of the world should dominate our lives (even more than they currently do), and that workers' only options should be to work strictly on the boss's terms, or look for another job. Moreover, Republicans, and right-wingers generally, have long believed that they have some sort of "Divine Right" to sole ownership of the White House, with a concurrent "Divine Right" to dictate public policy. We've definitely seen evidence of this mindset in many state governments, where right-wing elements are completely Obsessed with controlling access to non-Whitewashed knowledge and information, when they're not attempting to control women's sex lives and uteruses.
And now, we've got the likes of Paul Ryan campaigning for the passage of a Federal budget that could literally starve economically Vulnerable individuals and families in order to give bigger tax breaks to Big Business, on the pretense of "encouraging job creation." However, as some of us recall, businesses have not been legally Required to use tax perks to invest in job creation since the Reagan Administration pushed through the repeal of Said legal requirement. Nowadays, we're simply Supposed to trust the Corporate class to do the right thing on their own, with no legal oversight as to whether they invest in job creation or not. Messrs. Romney and Ryan, et. al., there's a good reason why many of us in the "47 percent" camp need and receive publicly-Funded supplemental assistance (whether food stamps, energy assistance, or whatever), and it's NOT because the whole lot of us are Addicted to "dependency" or a lack of Personal responsibility. It's because so many of us have jobs that are chronically part-time, temporary, or project-basis (that is, work is only Available until a Given work project is Complete, then one gets laid off indefinitely, or until a new project comes Along. I've been there and done that more times than I care to recall); we have repeatedly begged for and been denied longer hours; and the jobs don't pay worth a plugged nickel, in any case. People, especially with dependent children, simply cannot live on such wages; and that, good sirs, is the REAL reason there is a Huge and Ongoing need for state- and federally-Funded supplemental assistance programs. Right-wing politicians frothing at the mouth about "socialism" and "dependency" simply don't get this reality. They haven't got the Foggiest clue about how low-income folks actually live their lives.
I want to live in a society where people of all backgrounds and socioeconomic levels feel at home, where all segments of society feel Valued and Needed. I want to see Serious investment in the worst schools, in the poorest neighborhoods, in the most-struggling businesses and industries--everywhere that the Hidden potential of so many individuals is Disregarded and Dismissed. I want to see local communities in this country trading directly with communities, small farmers, and artisans in other countries. I want to see Progressive values being Respected and Embraced, not Feared and Rejected out of hand. I want to see LGBT folks and other minorities Treated with respect, dignity, friendship and acceptance. I want to see women of all backgrounds being Honored and Respected, and people of all genders and orientations treated as equals, and paid and regarded accordingly. I want to see more businesses being employee-Owned, and the dividends of our export of natural resources being Nationalized and Shared among all our citizens. None of these things will likely develop in my lifetime if our Federal government goes all Antediluvian/Neanderthal on us. And that, my dear LairLurkers, is why I have voted, not so much for a Democratic administration, but AGAINST a reactionary/conservative Republican one.
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SUNDAY, AUGUST 19, 2012: Geez, LairCronies, where have I been since May?! Well, I'm still here in sunny Seattle; it's just that both Facebook and Twitter have been eating my brain these last few months! Having watched the latest Summer Olympics from London nearly every night on NBC's primetime slot, a number of thoughts have crossed my mind while observing all the Fascinating feats being Performed, and new world records being Set. It is now [UPDATE] Sunday, September 16, and I'm now writing from the New Wave Travel office, since my own laptop's hard drive recently died of old age, or something; and I'm struggling to raise funds to replace the hard drive, if not the whole machine. So, without Further ado, here are some items that particularly struck me while observing the Summer Games...
1) Gold Medal or Bust: For some reason, over the past several Olympic seasons, athletes have gotten it into their heads that winning a Silver medal is somehow a loss, a failure; that only Gold medal-winners are the "real winners" in an event. Gosh knows where this notion came from, though it fits rather nicely into the corporate-cultural myth that one must be Number One in Something merely to justify one's existence. When Zara Phillips, daughter of Princess Anne, won a silver medal in an equestrian event, one British newspaper article actually described it as a "failure". This, despite the fact that Ms. Phillips found it "Amazing" to be presented with "a medal from my mum" (Princess Anne distributed the medals for that event); and did not, in fact, see her win as a loss. I've lost count of how many times I watched some of the world's best athletes burst into tears and hang their heads in shame because they only won Silver--I often wanted to go over there and smack these kids upside the head, saying, "Geez, get a grip--is being Number Two in the World in your event not good Enough for you?!" Apparently not, at least for a lot of them--unless they somehow managed to snag a Gold in some other event. Curiously enough, the Bronze medalists seemed to have a better attitude about their achievements than the Silver medalists did, in many cases.
2) Seeking Inspiration: One reason I got into the habit of watching the Olympics every evening was to hear Inspirational wit and wisdom Shared by the athletes themselves, during interviews and (often otherwise Annoying) biographical clips. I've been going through a good deal of depression and hopeless feelings Lately, and was really needing these pep talks from young folks about never giving up, keeping one's sights on the achievement of goals and dreams; and, most importantly, that it's a GOOD thing to go for what you want in life, and to believe in yourself, your dreams and desires.
3) No One Gets There On Their Own: President Obama was quite right in what he said with his much-Maligned "You didn't build it" remarks. The most Important detail I took away from my Olympics viewing was the Plain fact that every single athlete who appeared at the London Games had any number of other folks watching their back--friends, family, coaches, sponsors, fellow athletes. As gifted as all of the competitors are, none of them got to the Olympics purely by struggling along on their own. They all had loads of people backing them up every step along the way, supporting and encouraging them, talking them out of discouragement, cheering them on and giving them Massive bearhugs, whether they won medals or not. I need all of this so much in my musical and other Creative work; and I have little if any support system at all, even from those Closest to me (in fact, I've had some of them call it Egotistical of me even to ask them to be more Encouraging). I've tried to do as much as I can, soldiering on by myself; but I can't do everything I want to accomplish completely Alone, with no one behind me who's "got my back." And I'm not sure where to find such supporters, even among those I myself support the most strongly. My relatives don't think my work is Realistic or Prestigious enough, and most of my friends believe that they themselves cannot afford the luxury of dreaming--hence, they don't think I can, either. Hence, I need to find professional supporters, I suppose--those in my Chosen profession and industries, who are Willing and Able to give me the backup that I desperately need, and can't seem to find.
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Return to the Home Lair.
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Just Before the Election...Some Desperate Scribblings that Probably Won't Influence Anyone
After the Gold Rush: Some Thoughts and Comments on the London Summer Olympics
