As I touched on in Banks, Boobs, Bamboozled I moved my checking account. I had been with Bank of America. I initially signed up with them when I moved to a new town and I was in hurry to get a bank. The more I learned about BoA, the unhappier I became with banking there. I stayed with BoA much too long due to inertia. It is a pain changing banks. But I finally bit the bullet and made the change. I chose Regions as they have branches in both St. Louis and Memphis. I had only been with them a few months when they decided they just had to charge their customers for use of their debit cards. (They have since reversed that decision, but they have lost my trust) I immediately started the process of changing banks. I went with the local company credit union. Much to my surprise there is a network of ATMs that I can use free of charge available to credit unions. Continue reading “Vote with your $$, Vote with your feet, Move your bank accounts”
Football and Priorities
I will not go into much detail as it is all over the news, but there is a child sexual abuse scandal unfolding at Penn State involving a former assistant coach who worked under Joe Paterno. Apparently at least one of the alleged incidences happened in the team locker room and Paterno was aware of it. It also seems the President of the University, Graham Spanier was also aware, and a cover up ensued.
Paterno had announced that he would retire at the end of the season and there is one more game to go. The university trustees unanimously voted to fire both men for the good of Penn State University. The news described a “riot” last Continue reading “Football and Priorities”
War is a Racket
“War is a racket. It always has been.
It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious. It is the only one international in scope. It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned in dollars and the losses in lives.
A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of the people. Only a small “inside” group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few, at the expense of the very many. Out of war a few people make huge fortunes.”
Major General Smedley Butler, USMC, in 1935
Who is Smedley Butler? Wikipedia starts off as follows: “…nicknamed ‘The Fighting Quaker’ and ‘Old Gimlet Eye’, was a Major General in the U.S. Marine Corps, and at the time of his death the most decorated Marine in U.S. history. During his 34-year career as a Marine, he participated in military actions in the Philippines, China, in Central America and the Caribbean during the Banana Wars, and France in World War I. By the end of his career he had received 16 medals, five of which were for heroism. He is one of 19 people to twice receive the Medal of Honor, one of three to be awarded both the Marine Corps Brevet Medal and the Medal of Honor, and the only person to be awarded the Brevet Medal and two Medals of Honor, all for separate actions.”
If there ever was a man that knew war he has to be among the elite. The quote is the start of his book, War is a Racket, published in 1935. Continue reading “War is a Racket”
Less Is More????
One of the advantages of being a computer gypsy of the last decade or so is not accumulating a lot of “stuff”. I have wanted some things then wondered where the heck was I going to put it. I also worry about having to move stuff. I will admit I cannot get on board with digitized books. I love my books. Of course, my brother threatened to not help me move again as he carried box after box of books up three flights of stairs.
The speaker highlighted a question I have been asking myself for years, “Is my life really going to be that much better if I spend my hard earned money on this —fill in the blank—.” Remember the old saw about stuff owning us rather than we owning stuff? Of course George Carlin would tell you that “his stuff is stuff, and your stuff is shit.”
Something to think about.
My Sentiments
Want more Candorville…check out Darrin Bell’s web site candorville.com
Controversial Photo Spread Glamorizes Domestic Abuse?
I probably have a different view than most as my ex was director of a battered woman’s shelter for several years. After that she worked troubled teens who often were the target of domestic violence. That is when I first realized that men can be and frequently are pigs when it comes to relating to women. That is in good measure why I do not find these things even vaguely humorous. We all need to be treating each other with love and respect. Can you imagine what sort of world that would be… to paraphrase Lennon.
Controversial Photo Spread Glamorizes Domestic Abuse? Link removed
Bigotry – Confront or Ignore?
What does one do when confronted with bigotry/ignorance? I have a black friend that when he talks about bigots prefers to refer to them as ignorant people. I think he is right. Bigotry is frequently due to ignorance. I do know that this is not always the case, but I prefer to think that most folks just need a little education. I also believe that it is not a good thing to let such attitudes go unchallenged. To do so is to perpetuate the ignorance.
Several years ago I took a job in the Deep South. I had previously been living in the Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas triangle. There were several things that shocked or bothered me when I first moved south. One of the primary ones was the use of the “N” word. Continue reading “Bigotry – Confront or Ignore?”
Feedback Requested
See the picture below. This was sent to me by a person I care about. I thought the picture was misogynist and promoted violence towards women. I pointed this out to him. The sender took umbrage at this.
What do you think? Is it an appropriate picture? And just for grins and giggles if you do respond indicate your gender. And please keep your discourse civil as I said it is from someone I care about. Either he is off base or I am.
Then later on I passed Continue reading “Feedback Requested”
Faces on Meth, A Disturbing Reality
Note: At the bottom of this post you will find a link to view the Faces of Meth.
If you are walking at night and come to the edge of the cliff, the smart thing to do is turn around. If you take another step the result is not likely to be good. Many drugs fall into the same category. To start taking some drugs is like walking up to that cliff edge, only the results are not so veiled. There have been many folks that have gone before you that have crashed and burned on the rocks below.
In the early 70s I lived in Rhode Island. I was single, and occasionally would party with a group of folks. Usually it was beer drinking and some pot. I had an ambivalent relationship with pot. Sometimes it made feel nice and mellow. Sometimes, though, it made me feel depressed and paranoid. I can achieve depression all by my lonesome, and feeling paranoid is no fun. At some point I decided that I did not like rolling the dice with unsure results. So I quit smoking pot. One evening before I quit, I went to visit my party friends. I walked in the house and they were all sitting around the coffee table. Upon the table were needles, a tourniquet, and other heavy duty drug paraphernalia. Continue reading “Faces on Meth, A Disturbing Reality”
The United States is in a Civil War
The United States of America is involved in a civil war. Sadly, most of the population is not aware of the war raging around them. It is a war for the heart and soul of America and the American dream.
On the left side of the Koch-Kennedy line are millions of ordinary folks. They only want the chance to work, and to work at a decent wage. They want to be able to raise families, pay their bills, get reasonable healthcare, and to not fear old age as a time poverty and sickness. As a bonus they want to be able to have a savings so that they do not have to live paycheck to paycheck. Ideally, there is enough money left over after this for some recreation. Perhaps it is just me, but I do not see these as unreasonable desires. There are roughly 280,000,000 folks that probably fit into this category, about 90% of our population.
On the right side of the Koch-Kennedy line Continue reading “The United States is in a Civil War”