04 March 2009

Humpday Happenings...
It's the middle of the week, and while you're watching your stocks and 401K sink faster than the Lusitania, you can take pause, pull up the old chair, secure yourself a drink, spend some time here, and get your daily dose of the ridiculous, as well as truth, justice AND the American way.
It's what's for breakfast.
And it's affordable...LOL!
First off, allow me to congratulate YOU, the reading public for permitting the PA-IN Erudition to reach it's 700th POST.
What a millstone....correct that...MILESTONE!
YOU are the reason this blog exists, and it's YOU who drive the substance of this blog. I'm just a regular shmoe who doesn't mind reading between the lines to find out what the real truth is. And I don't mind bringing to you, because this is stuff YOU need to know, if you haven't figured it out already (as many of you have).
Like the banner at the top of this blog states...THIS IS common sense for the common man or woman.
It might piss off those at the top of the heap, but you know the old saying:
"If you toss a rock into a pack of dogs, the one that YELPS is the one that got HIT".
So here we are now at 700 posts...remarkable.
And with any luck (and a few more comments) we might reach ANOTHER 700...
Next, with all the societal issues and homicides flying about, I nearly forgot about this.
After over TWO months (since that nasty ice storm that brought down ALL those branches and limbs about the city), WE, here in our very own quasi-ghetto FINALLY got the streets CLEARED of those branches and limbs...can you IMAGINE THAT?
When I saw and heard these trucks coming into the area, my FIRST thought was "pothole repair", because we have a plethora OF those, as well as more than ample amount of f$ckwads that pull "holeshots" on our streets to flex their testosterone, creating said potholes.
Much to my utter amazement, the trucks were NOT here for that...they were here for BRANCH REMOVAL.
And they were rather expeditious about it, what with the mayor claiming (erroneously) that OUR part of the city was already completed.
Now THIS is exactly what I'm talking about when I constantly harp on the "quality" of the "residents" down here.
If you IGNORE the problem LONG ENOUGH, the city WILL come along and do everything FOR YOU.
To me, IGNORANCE was never a good reason to do NOTHING, and an even lousier excuse.
((CAUTION - SEGUE ALERT - YOU MIGHT COME AWAY ENLIGHTENED))
But there are some that LIKE government control...in fact, they cannot do WITHOUT it.
They figure that if the government does everything FOR them, then all they have left to do is NOTHING.
Well, that works rather well for all MY neighbors.
Drive down my streets on ANY given day, and you'll see EXACTLY what I'm talking about.
Of course, you WILL have to ignore the LOUD MUSIC from the houses and vehicles, the drug deals, the trash-strewn streets, the dilapidated properties, the dilapidated PEOPLE, the roaming kids, the roaming animals, the robberies, the assaults, the burglaries, the rapes, and other assorted "activities" that make our neighborhood what it has become.
THAT is the result of "government control".
If you believe otherwise, think on this:
The GOVERNMENT controls the money going to the people down here via food stamps, WIC, welfare, section 8 housing, etc. In many instances, the GOVERNMENT is rewarding slovenly behavior and fraud. The GOVERNMENT doles out funds from YOUR taxpaying pocket to "pay" for people to do little if NOTHING with their lives.
And if there are any GOVERNMENT-sponsored programs designed to "help" these people find gainful employment and become useful, taxpaying citizens, it's at the most menial level. Any desire to better oneself comes from within the individual, rather than from these programs.
Few is the number of those that climb out of such a societal abyss to achieve and succeed. And they have no one but THEMSELVES to thank for it. It's THEIR OWN intestinal fortitude that elevates them from the dregs of poverty into a life of self-sustainability.
But you have to realize, that it's DESIGNED this way.
The GOVERNMENT truly NEEDS these do-nothing people so they can spend endlessly on worthless projects (and skimming off the top to fund their own agendas).
Can you think of a society where most everyone is NOT on some kind of "assistance", relying primarily on THEMSELVES to make it in life?
Think about a people that are not fearful of challenging themselves daily, striving to succeed, not only for themselves, but for their children?
Well, friends, that's NOT a flight of fantasy...that's HISTORY.
And somehow, we're not learning from it all that much these days, are we?
Today's situation with the economy has got that GOVERNMENT control smell all over it. And it doesn't smell all that good.
The GOVERNMENT "thinks" it knows what's BEST for YOU...and ME.
The GOVERNMENT "believes" it has YOUR best interest at heart.
The GOVERNMENT "wants" to take care of you.
All well and good, for those with no ambition, no desire to better oneself, and no self-respect.
If you take a gander into our CONSTITUTION, you will find again and again reasons WHY the GOVERNMENT should not be in the business of "control". It IS in the business of GOVERNING, and there IS a huge difference.
Our government is there to run the COUNTRY...NOT it's PEOPLE.
As Lincoln so eloquently put it: "This is a nation OF the PEOPLE...BY the PEOPLE...and FOR the PEOPLE."
Now maybe I missed something, but I'm not seeing the word "government" ANYWHERE in that, are you?
Still, some will love to be controlled. And in some cases, they will trade the iron chains of oppression for the societal chains of control.
Seems like the difference between caging a dog in a kennel or using one of those "electronic" fences with a collar on the pooch to keep him/her in line, doesn't it?
It's still about THEM controlling YOU.
Maybe that works for the lazy-asses of the world (like my neighbors), but it's NOT what created this nation, and it sure as hell isn't what made this nation great. Wish we could say we ARE still great, but we've tarnished that nomenclature over the recent past.
I believe we CAN be that way once again, as do many others.
But we can't do it by making our GOVERNMENT bigger, costlier, and more controlling of it's citizens.
We need to hold government responsible for it's own actions, just as the laws of our country hold everyone one of US responsible for OURS.
And better still, if we held OURSELVES responsible TO ourselves, as well as to one another, that would help the process along to NO small degree. It seemed to work damn well in the past.
One thing is certain...WE, as a people, can no longer allow the (civil) servants to "run the manor" that WE, the people have bought and paid for with OUR sweat and OUR blood.
THEY are here to serve US, the law-abiding, tax-paying people, and not the other way around.
There should not be ANY inequality, be it among men, or between a government and it's citizenry.
Maybe another "tea party" is on the horizon?
But we should be cautious, lest we have an affair like Alice did in Wonderland.
And a very happy UN-birthday to everyone.
Stay safe out there, America.

7 comments:

Jana said...

Here are some stories of stupidity I thought you would enjoy:

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2009/mar/03/told-mcnuggets-ran-out-fort-pierce-woman-calls-911/

and

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/search/content/local_news/epaper/2009/02/07/0207bbarrest.html


~jana

Murphy said...

Congrats on the milestone!

Our methods and mindsets will and do bear fruit, at the very least for the ability to THINK.
They can go ahead and allow others to think for them, plan for them, provide food, shelter, and money; I'll continue to think for myself, thankyouverymuch.

Bob G. said...

Jana:
Good stuff, and YES, stupidity apparently knows NO bounds...!
Thanks for the comment.

Sarge:
Amen & Roger THAT!

Carry On.

B.G.

Anonymous said...

Bob,
Over the course of my career, I have met hundreds, if not thousands of people who would not survive a month without frequent and significant assistance from others, government in particular. They are growing in number, and big government is exactly what they want. They have been taught that they need do nothing for themselves, but merely have to wait with their hands out for sustenance. They are the same people who complain about "Bush this" or "Corporate Criminals" and complain that they can't give their kids the finer things in life. Oddly enough, they're dragging on yet another cigarette, swilling a beer, and wearing thousands of dollars in tattoos while their kids sit in front of the idiot box and wait to be just like Mommy & Daddy when they grow up....
Sad indeed!

Bob G. said...

Jim:
Where 'ya been hiding?

Yeah, I'm from the "old school" mindset (as are you) that holds true to basic human VALUES:

-THRIFT (never living beyond one's means and expecting others to pick up the slack in the process)

-INTEGRITY ( Saying what you mean and meaning what you say)

-HONOR (duty and sacrifice are often part of everyday living)

-SELF-RELIANCE (when no one else is around, the best person to turn to is...YOU)

-ETHICS (doing what is RIGHT, no matter how much crap is tossed at you for whatever reason)

-RESPONSIBILITY (being accountable for one's own actions, good OR bad, and owning up to them)

It's all this stuff (and more) that individually defines WHO WE ARE and where we are headed.

And when these aspects are compromised in anyone's life, there IS nothing left, except for the "government" to carry the burden.

There WILL come a time when even THESE people will find out how purposely denying themselves of basic human VALUES leads to THEIR loss of freedom and liberty.

Thanks for your comment, Buddy!
Much appreciated.
Stay safe.

B.G.

Daniel Short said...

Did someone say tea time? Count me in Mr. G. and congrats on the mark.

Bob G. said...

Daniel:
Thanks for the congrats.

As for "tea time"...I prefer Oolong or Darjeeling myself.
(TOSSED...not stirred...LOL)

**Idea for a new moto-shirt:
GOT WARPAINT?
(with tea-dumping PATRIOTS and our FLAG as a backdrop)