Friday Follies...
I know that yesterday's post about the President's Executive Order left you ALL a might speechless, and I can't say I blame you.
There was a LOT of stuff there to digest, but at least the HISTORY portion of it was something I found interesting.
Anyway, we have made it to yet another weekend (how the time does fly).
Let's get in shape for the Christmas season and "wrap" this week up as nice as we can, okay? (you can add a bow if you want)
*** Item: Oakland under siege.
The recent outbreak of vandalism, violence and downright anarchy seems to be part and parcel to the "Occupy" movement. (out there, at least).
Health concerns, theft, assaults, and rapes are occurring elsewhere, and can we honestly say that we DIDN'T KNOW this was going to happen?
Did these cities really believe that this whole "Peace Through Appeasement" would WORK with such people?
We're finding out in many of the cities involved with larger protests that it HAS NOT.
I'm a firm believer that: ANY SOCIETY IS ONLY AS GOOD AS IT'S WORST REPRESENTATIVES...
Out in Oakland, we saw wholesale mayhem, bonfires (NOT of the vanities), attacks on the police charged with breaking up this bombastic bastion of buffoonery, and the occupiers taking over an empty warehouse, breaking windows, spraying graffiti, and even shutting down the waterfront (which is the 5th largest in the nation). By doing such things, they are hurting the very people they are "supposed" to be representing..."the common man", but we can plainly see this is not the case. The occupiers are NOT the rest of us, and such tactics employed by them in this case (in Oakland) bear that much out.
Such anarchy is representative of desperate people, and not those willing to embrace common sense.
When cornered, confronted, or criticized, they lash out...vehemently, with but one purpose...chaos.
Kind of makes the typical citizen want to cringe in some corner, until it all goes away...or perhaps even better, have someone come along with the promise of an end to the civil unrest.
Interesting thing about that...
Should such a person come along, people would flock to him/her like it was the second coming, and that would mean that one person would be better able to "control the masses", because the people's only alternative would be a return to the anarchy.
We might want to go down THAT path. We should never allow ANY one person to wield that much power over that many for any reason.
That is called fascism...or it will devolve into it in short order.
When these people legally secured permits to stage a "be-in" or whatever, they should have moved along AFTER the permit to protest expired...and whatever city that held the protest should have IMMEDIATELY upheld the law, and moved them along...or arrested them.
But, for the cause of "understanding them", many cities decided to allow them their say for as long as needed, in the hope that by giving in to them, they'd get tired and break up on their own, peacefully, and with no violent aftermath.
Well, how's that working out for those cities NOW, hmm?
Philly is on the hook for over $500K in police O/T, NYC is over a couple MILLION, and other cities are being stretched financially.
(It's all part of the movement...to overwhelm "the system"...forcing it to collapse in some manner.)
Wouldn't have to happen if the police stepped in immediately and kept this from festering in those cities.
It's times like these that we will see and hear rumors of the POLICE being the "bad guys" here...using gestapo tactics to suppress the people, when in fact it's the people in this movement that are doing the incivility gig.
Like I said the other week, there is a RIGHT WAY to do anything, and a WRONG way.
And whichever choice you decide upon, know that it WILL have it's appropriate effect to that cause.
Let's hope this situation can be quelled with the least amount of angst, injury, and damage...to all concerned.
Moving on...
*** Item: What's good for one should be good for all?
It can be said that MANY of our cities (and surrounding areas) are studies in CONTRASTS.
America (herself) is the ultimate such venue.
Our nation was built upon contrasts...be they political, religious, societal, or vocational.
And contrasts can be good. They can allow us to learn about others, and they about us.
We can enjoy experiencing differing views and make better decisions and choices based on such knowledge.
But, there comes that time when CONTRASTS work against themselves, and not in a way intended.
Take Michigan, or more correctly, Detroit.
(and I know lots of people would rather LEAVE it than take it...anywhere for any reason)
Just last Friday, I mentioned a story about these new streetlights, called INTELLISTREET, which are so wonderfully Orwellian in nature, that it boggles the mind.. And these were being put up in Farmington Hills, MI.

Farmington Hills is a suburb of the whole Detroit-Metro area (near Livonia), and they're getting NEW streetlights...
But in places like Highland Park (another part of Detroit-Metro), just a few miles away, they are RIPPING OUT street lighting, in an "austerity measure" to keep an already broke city from getting a lot more "broker"...does this make ANY sense?
Here is the link to the story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20111104/NEWS03/311049957
I find it appalling that ANY city would stoop to something such as this.
Granted, the area has fewer than 12,000 residents (and once had over 30,000), and the city is $58 MILLION BUCKS in the hole (in debt), with a $4 million dollar electric bill, but is that reason to compromise the safety of those who remain in the area?
(or do we want this to become the hub for illegal activity, which it most certainly will?)
Situations JUST LIKE THIS are the direct result of growing entitlements, while at the same time suppressing empowerment (of the people).
You cannot sustain ANY system that rewards those who DO NOTHING because it's their "lifestyle-of-choice", can you?
If we can get a government GRANT to supply these "intelligent lights" in ONE part of the city, WHY can't ot be done in areas harder hit by CRIME, which Highland park will most definitely become?
Again, we see evidence of this marvelous DOUBLE-STANDARD that is thriving across this nation.
This needs to be addressed, and long before (more) people begin to mimic those in Oakland.
(( Update - rumor has it that the electric bill may be "forgiven" and that the remaining lights will NOT be removed, which adds up to about 500, or so. ))
We shall see...
*** Item: Let's ALL fall back.
Lastly today, this weekend is the time we "gain an hour", if you're into this whole daylight saving time thing.
Sunday at 0200 hours, we TURN THE CLOCKS BACK (Spring forward, Fall backwards), in an effort to make us all feel better about saving (something).
Personally, I'm not saving a damn thing.
We always had this in Philly, and only recently did we make the switch here in Indiana, and I'm sorry, but I don't see where this state (or it's people) have saved ANYTHING...at all.
Whatever we "save" on one end...we "lose" on the other end.
Always been that way...always will, too, because we can't change the sun in it's course across the sky, no matter HOW we (or the governments) dicker with our timepieces.
Remind yourselves to turn them BACK (late Saturday).
Here's some *4-1-1* on the whole thing:
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/daylight1.html
So please remember...ALL of this crap IS for YOUR OWN GOOD...so says our government, who also wants us to put toxic CFL bulbs in our homes.

Oh, yeah, we're stockpiling normal bulbs...just in case...lol.

Have yourselves a great weekend.

Be well, make a difference to someone today, and as always...
Stay SAFE out there, America.