Celebrity Fetish

Okay, I know some people have various fetishes and I sort of get it. I once overheard a rather pretty Asian girl go on about how some guy apparently had some Asian fetish because he was persistent. I left it alone, but thought, a guy liking an Asian girl is not a fetish; not being able to get over that edge without a foot in your mouth is a fetish.

That is what I think the deal is with peoples' fascination with celebrities. But it goes farther than that. I believe this bizarre yet seemingly natural and widespread fascination with people some find somehow superior is why the world is the wreck it is. That some teenage girl would gladly blow Mick Jagger even today because of who he is is mind-boggling enough, but why does humanity allow certain people in superior positions claim the rights to impinge unfairly? What I mean is, why does all of North Korea allow that leadership to systematically decimate the country's population? He's just a short, fat asshole with some sort of monomaniacal complex; he is not superhuman in any way.

Or, is he?

I recently watched a good piece of a documentary on Caligula (I saw the movie years ago...eww) and it just boggles my mind how the Roman Empire, which consisted of most of the civilized world at the time, allowed some pudyank in his early twenties to overrun the people he was supposed to lead. Vlad the Impaler had impaled bodies on pikes numbering in the hundreds or more all around where he ruled, and everyone was good with this because of his position. He was a leader, but also a celebrity.

It seems to be an unfortunate element of the human condition to allow other people who are deemed somehow superior to inflict their superiority without infringement. Just days ago, we allowed the most corrupt governmental body ever to exist (the Obama Administration) claim every American citizen is a potential criminal that must be spied on to keep us safe. But when Kim Jong dipwad's kooky dad died, people who didn't display enough grief were incarcerated and disappeared. Side note: Why would I refer to the Obama Administration as more corrupt that that of the North Korean police state? Because they are a ruthless dictatorship and are happy to say so, whereas this country is supposed to be a free, self-governing nation comprised of a government with limited, enumerated powers. HOW IS THAT NOT FUCKING OBVIOUS!!!!

Okay, where was I. The Holocaust was a human tragedy of incredible proportions, but Hitler (well, he is in charge) went on and one while the people went on, claiming they're just doing their job. How come not one of them went on and said, "WTF?" Likely, many did, but Hitler's celebrity status allowed those who failed to recognize his superiority likely felt it firsthand, like on the Night of the Long Knives.

It doesn't pain me much to see our society fawn on the goofball life of Kim Kardashian. I think she's very pretty, but pretty girls are everywhere. But top-heavy Kimmy isn't going off the deep end like pathetic Justin Bieber (Beiber?). The stories of what this creepy little dipshit is getting away with makes me want to see him dropped into a squared circle and beaten like a child molester by The Rock. He is a no-talent little brat riding this bizarre celebrity wave, and he's getting away with it. And this is ONLY because of his celebrity status.

There are people I admire for various reasons. I don't hide the fact that Pink Floyd is my all-time favorite band, but I will state for the record that I cannot wrap my head around people getting all gushy and stupid in the presence of celebrities of any sort. If I met Roger Waters, I would be happy to shake his hand and tell him I believe he's the best Lyricist there's ever been in Rock, and the epic he created with The Wall has immortalized him for as long as humanity exists and enjoys music. But I would also be willing to ask his honest opinion on what he thinks about people acting like morons in the presence of celebrities. Roger, maybe I run in circles that are too tight and perhaps I have a disability, but I am stumped on this whole celebrity thing. What sort of ciggies do you smoke and might you have a spare? I quit, but would enjoy a smoke with him while he shared a thought on where his ideas come from. But I would not imagine I am basking in some sort of light.

I think Charlize Theron is one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen, but I wouldn't know what to say should the moment come up when I might meet her. If I saw her with someone I knew and I saw them point at me, telling her, that's the guy who thinks you're all that, I would tell her I am a bit embarrassed for being called out, but it's nice to meet you and you sure look lovely today. Then I would lean in and say, "Wow, I have not one idea of what else to say. Do you like Pink Floyd?"

When I was a kid, I learned the Pledge of Allegiance, so I struggle with the attitudes given and tolerated when it comes to fuckwads like Pelosi and Feinstein, Obama and Cheney, and on and on. I pledged allegiance to the flag and to the Republic for which it stands (this is about the Republic, not idol worship) but I do not recall any allegiance to ANY POLITICIAN. I don't care who they are; they do not deserve some bizarre celebrity tolerance or political excuse to distract from what they are supposed to do in their job. I have no allegiance to any President. You begged for the job and got the job, so do the job because it is just a job. The spirit of America did not want government to re-adopt some royalty stance (Royalty? Don't even get me started) so you're just supposed to do the job you applied for, just like everyone else. Because this is not demanded and that a celebrity status is placed on all politicians regardless of place (even down to county levels), our country is in a tailspin and heading for the rocks below.

I have less intolerance for big personalities (I just love and respect Clint Eastwood) because these people have demonstrated a cause for our attention. But even then, I don't give a hoot about your celebrity status and I believe that the better personalities would likely be thankful to those who shook off the celebrity attitude and just liked these people for who they are.

I have only one celebrity personal encounter and would like to share this all of you, and for those who have read this far, I would appreciate your thoughts. A little over twenty years ago or so, I was working at an attraction called Journey Into Imagination and on one particular afternoon, Michael Jackson and his entourage decided to come and see the ride. You see, his movie, Captain EO, was in a theater attached to the building at the time. Anyhoo, the buzz was just ridiculous. Every manager and doofus with a sense of self-importance showed up to do...well...who knows what, but they enacted some draconian crowd control and made a fuss unlike any other I've seen.

They stopped guests from loading onto the ride for about ten minutes and then allowed Mike and his guys on, and then they allowed about another ten minutes of empty cars, all to create a cushion of space. This I understood and found a good idea, what with all of who this fellow was, but everything else was like something in the Twilight Zone. People gathered around and just stood there with their maws agape, waiting to see the ultimate celebrity of all celebrities. One would think they were waiting to see a live, captured Sasquatch, but it was Jacko. I so wished for a twelve pack of anything so I could shake up the cans and hurl them at these people, and then yell at them, "Can you see yourselves?"

So, all of this is going on and Mike and the gang are on the ride, which takes about fifteen minutes. I am so counting the minutes because I want this over and gone so we can get back to normal before intelligent aliens stop by and see this, and eventually Michael and his people started coming our way to leave. Once they were off the ride, they were going to come past me and go through the door I held open and they would disappear.

What occurred about this time stuck with me for all these years. I saw Michael Jackson and his handful of people coming, and everyone was just awestruck by his presence. Awestruck might even be an understatement. But he looked really anxious and uncomfortable and largely ignored the gaping fools and occasional challenge to his sexual preferences (I hope you two guys are proud) until he was spoken to by this little girl near me. She looked to be about six years old or so.

Once Michael was fairly close, this little cutie (she was cute as a button, with blonde curls and a cute princess costume) waved to him when everyone else was frozen in shock, and she said, "Hello Michael," as she waved.

The tension I witnessed pour from this man was unlike anything I've seen. He seemed to instantly shed forty pounds, smiled genuinely and then waved to her and said, "Hi, Sweetie."

Moments later, they were all gone and soon things returned to normal.

But what I saw kept me thinking even up to these days. Michael Jackson long caught hell for his unhealthy desire to be around children, and this did get truly unhealthy and wrong. But I cannot help but to think that only children allowed this man to be a human being rather than some captured freak from planet Thriller. Every single time I have seen this guy on the TV or whatever, people were all around him treating him with what they thought was reverence, but really as a separate entity to be worshiped. It seemed like only the kids would let the guy be a person, but because of what the celebrity status did to his sanity, he drifted well past the line and left it behind him.

Celebrity status seems to be a very potentially life threatening drug. It's killed some fascinating people who died too soon. So, if it is this easy to compare the celebrity status to Meth, why isn't it shunned like Meth? Well, I would like to start a campaign claiming it should be.

I would like to see a fresh reexamination of the celebrity status and have this explored by a large amount of intelligent people. I would like to see a panel of people discuss this at length, particularly with those who must endure it. This is because I believe this attitude and demeanor is a vestigial aspect of prehistoric goofs touching the 1x4x9 Tycho Magnetic Anomaly before they could mumble, "My God. It's full of stars!"

I believe we should recognize this illusion for the life-threatening fallacy that it is and ensure we prevent it from influencing politics, media, or anything resembling real life.

If anyone should meet Charlize Theron, please tell her I love her dearly and that if she would drop the restraining order and recognize how much I could mean to her if she would just dismiss the silly celebrity concerns, things would be so much better for everyone. Thank you.

Although Virtually Nobody Reads My Writing, but...

I would imagine it's so tough for so many would-be and struggling writers that they, despite all the effort and all the followed advice from such sources as Writer's Digest, cannot find an audience or any true and real success. I don't have to imagine much since I am one of those writers. I've been pursuing this as though it's Mayan gold for many, many years and I've run through so many ringers and jumped through countless hoops, but still no genuine success.

I don't mean celebrity success and I don't mean making a luxuriant living as a writer, with adoring fans rushing me at the grocery story and stalkers in my closet. I would've been happy with monthly grocery money, or maybe some mad money, or even some positive accolades for something or other I've written.

But, guess what?

Part of my issue is I have failed to find a niche. My writing has been scattered through fiction and nonfiction and through many facets of each. I have written three novels (more if you count the ones not yet published) and a few hundred articles and short stories. I have serious 411 and some irreverent humor. I've pushed buttons and pissed some people off. Several of my articles have been viewed online by well over 6,000 people and some have received hundreds of hits a day (at times). The novels, however, has been read by virtually nobody ( I know one of my sisters read a couple of them) other than a few friends and family members.

Some of the various articles have been grabbed by websites now and then, boosting their numbers significantly, while a few made it to page 1 of Google for their subject and get frequently seen. But that's all I have to say; I make a little over five dollars a month at best with literally years of work.

So, why do I do it? Because I do enjoy the hell out of it. I miss novel writing and intend to resume soon, once I can get out of this one particular job I've been doing since last October. I am a truck driver, and such a job is great for writers (usually, there is a lot of down time available for writing), but I have been running with a co-driver as a team, which means the truck never stops and I just can't grab but occasional moments out of any given day or sometimes the week. But I usually get out there an article or so a week and try to place a blog post at least once a week or so, you know, to keep the skills sharp. Once I can shake this team thing and go solo again, I will be able to pick up the pace.

I will be able to pick up the pace and write more, knowing with some good degree of confidence that nobody will read any of it. Some will read the occasional humorous article and the odd this and that, but that's the most I've ever been able to hope for. But I still enjoy it for the sake of it and that has to be good enough.

Besides, who knows? Something might catch some attention for some reason and one of the novels will be made into a movie, or perhaps decades after my untimely and dramatic demise (a life goal) I'll suddenly become a cult hit, with thousands of bizarre fans who otherwise don't quite fit in well with society but find common ground with one another. Stranger things have occurred.

And like I stated above, I have made a slight difference with a few of the things I've written. How to Skip the Light Fandango is easily my most successful article and reaches numerous people daily. Is it what I hoped for? Maybe not, but most people don't get everything they want. The Greatest Economic Conspiracy in History has reached almost as many people as Fandango, and I wonder if the government has agents plotting my demise right now. So I have done something.

My first novel, The Egocentric Predicament, covered Human Trafficking before covering Human Trafficking was cool. I have not completely failed. Many of my novel reviews have offered some positive help to other writers and that's a good thing. A few of my 7 Things to Avoid articles have given many people a good laugh.

I am a writer, not a wannabe, just like innumerable other writers who may never achieve much more than a popular How-To article or home improvement article. There are people who write online like I do, with Yahoo and others, who have achieved tens of millions of page views, with almost none of those people concerning themselves with who wrote the article(s) they've seen. Today's writer is different from when Hemingway was at this (born in 1899 on the same day I am writing this) and the percentage of writers gaining huge success (like Rowling or Meyer or King) has come down even further despite the opportunities for more to achieve at last something.

Overall, you have to like it for its sake. One must enjoy the journey and the sights along the way rather than fidgeting in the back seat waiting to get somewhere. Besides, that somewhere may not be what it is cracked up to be. I can recall years ago going on a bus tour from Germany to Paris, and hearing the complaints from some of the others who pissed and moaned that Paris was, at first glance, just another city and not Oz. A few of them refused to exit the bus because of it.

I got off the bus and had fun. I made it to the second stage of the Eiffel Tower. I didn't get to visit the Louvre, but I saw it down that way at the end of the street. I saw the original Statue of Liberty.

I visited Switzerland on one of those bus rides, and Salzburg in Austria. I have been in Mozart's former apartment.

These are little and minor accomplishments for a poor, occasional tourist (who was stationed in Germany as a soldier) when many tourists see the world and all it has to offer. But I will never forget seeing many of those sights, and I will always remember when someone told me I made their day after they read this article.

Although virtually nobody reads my writing, I'll continue writing it, anyway.

I hope my cult following tattoos my face on their inner thighs.

The Transient Nature of Truck Drivers

One of the more frustrating aspects of the Transportation Industry is that turnover within virtually every trucking company out there well exceeds 100%. In fact, I think it exceeds 150% in many cases. One of the funny things about this is hearing admin and office personnel wonder and whine about it, simply exasperated by this painful phenomenon. If they would give it two seconds thought, they just might work out some of the issues. For the sake of some fun and insight, we'll explore this here.

For those unfamiliar with my situation, I am a truck driver. I have been in the Transportation racket since 2004. I have driven truck (which is a present role) and I've also worked a couple of office positions. If there's one thing I found fascinating while being on both sides of this fence is how far apart they are from one another. I have never done anything else in my life that harbors such a disconnect from the roles of labor and administration. There is a veritable alien construct in place here that, while common, doesn't really have to be.

Part of this has to do with simple job description. The bosses and office lackeys have to do what they have to do, and the drivers have to do what they have to do. While the observation that these two things are completely different is obvious, but what's less recognized is the realities between the two. Now, some companies out there bridge the gap some through promoting drivers into other roles, such as in safety, dispatch, routing and logistics, and so on. Those who have tread both sides do offer a unique advantage, but it is positively bizarre how those who have not just don't want to fully extract from it. Some desire to pull from the wealth of experience what benefits them (not unwise) but from there really cannot appreciate the full extent of the benefit, so they dismiss what doesn't gratify immediately. Further, there seems to be an attitude to mindmeld the former driver away from driver concerns and push them into the accepted reality of the office.

While that offers some benefit, the mileage is low. Office personnel in various positions having practical knowledge of driving offer benefits otherwise unattainable, yet many drivers who made the transformation are often seen as some dumbass who slipped through some crack. Those who place too much value in the sticker price of their educational pedigree or (far worse) the accident of their birth (most companies are family owned and operated with the highest ranking personnel sharing the name and blood of the founder) often fail to recognize what knowledge of driving can offer. That isn't an absolute situation, but it is common.

So, many drivers feel as though most people who work in non-driving roles in (insert company name here) have this bizarre acrimony for the drivers. There are good reasons for them feeling this way, often supported through blatant rudeness, bullying and a complete disdain for professional manners on the part of those who somehow find themselves superior to those vulgar, nasty, drivers. Everyone has seen the pathetic aspect of humanity (an agonizing need to act superior to as many people as possible) in virtually every company and human role out there, but trucking companies have a penchant for letting drivers know they're hated for everything they are while they're attending orientation. From there, the asshole factor just continues to escalate until the driver has had enough and moves on.

But this isn't the only reason for the transient nature of drivers. While the position of Driver is a decent job with decent blue collar pay (bringing home well over $800 weekly is not uncommon) it seems that so many people are going to combust into flames of agony and hellfire if they don't make the driver's job as difficult as possible. First of all, when new people come into this job after being told by shanghai-style recruiters how awesome it is to be a driver, they've invested a lot of time and money into getting the job. I have seen people pay nearly $10,000 for instruction and class to obtain their CDL license (commercial driver license) and be forced to place all their eggs in that basket in order to get the job. These days (and I find this horrifying) many new drivers are being duped into lease/purchase programs that tie their spine to the purchase of a truck they'll almost never actually own. The first 1,500 to 2,000 miles they drive are required just to pay their bills, and many rarely receive the needed miles to even function let alone live and support their family. They end up dumping the truck and suffering the credit loss. This isn't always, but far too common. Common enough that this particular driver would NEVER consider it.

Another major factor in chasing drivers away (not just from the company but from the industry) is that the planet hates truck drivers. The government of the United States of America has created several departments, mainly the Department of Transportation, seemingly designed to hunt and destroy truck drivers at every opportunity. If you find a DOT officer that doesn't shriek at a driver for (insert dumbass reason here) at every available opportunity and then treat that driver like a satanic criminal, make sure you play the lottery that day. I have talked to countless people who have escaped the Transportation Industry simply because they despised being treated like a retarded monster at every turn by everyone they met.

Another thing driving these people from company to company is niche and daily process. Many drivers seek a dedicated run that has them working with the same customers and sort of workload. Many drivers remain with flatbed work while many have never done anything but refrigerated transportation. Many want just one customer to work for (such as primarily delivering to, say, Home Depot). Many drivers will run from any company that delivers in New York City (a place where truck drivers are despised and destroyed) and many of them will avoid any job having them put their hands on the freight. It isn't that they're disdainful of manual labor, but they may harbor all the responsibility of every piece of stuff and whatever when there might literally be dozens of people moving this stuff in and out of their trailer and/or all around them. They have to take complete charge of an environment where everyone there perceives them as the moron in the corner. It's just smarter to pick up and drop off loaded trailers. That is more efficient and minimizes the time wasted by the driver. You see, most drivers are paid only by the mile and yet are forced to work numerous hours doing things that do not pay a cent.

There are really good jobs out there that have very little turnover and many drivers vie for these jobs. But they may not live where such jobs are available or they might have to wait for a plague to kill off a bunch of people before openings come up.

Another thing is home time. Drivers know they are going to be away from their homes and families for what can amount to months at a time (no kidding) but may gravitate to companies promising great home time and great miles (such as two weeks out and three days at home) but find if they get home at nine at night, the rest of that day counts as the first day. They'll have the next day to prepare for the road and then be on the truck the next afternoon or earlier, with any part of that day being at home is considered a day at home. Thus, the three days at home see no quality time at home. Such jobs are marriage and family killers.

Many jobs offers great pay per mile but then offer too few miles for the driver to make a living with. When a driver is sitting (sometimes for days) at a truck stop while waiting for the next load, that driver is hemorrhaging money by eating and so forth. Those that own their truck are burning expensive fuel. In trucking, when money is not made, it is being spent anyway.

With so many of the above situations, the response on the part of the companies and their people (who often simper about driver turnover) is: be grateful you have a job...click.

More and more these days, many companies are demanding Team Operation (with two people in one truck) but so often entirely dismiss the needs of these people. So, two complete strangers might be coerced into that tiny space and have to modify their entire lives' operation to compensate for one another, not to mention endure that sort of close confine with someone they just might like a little bit. Some do well with this, but for many drivers it will never be an option they'll accept. But many companies push new arrivals into the industry into this, doing very well into driving them out, running and screaming.

A big issue is that there are no rainbows and unicorns in this industry. Many drivers jump out of frying pans and right into fires while seeking greener pastures that they ought to recognize by now just don't exist. I have known drivers to work for a half dozen companies a year, and sometimes more. These people are endured because the industry has few choices; they have a waning pool to choose from and get when the getting is good. It makes one wonder why a company would treat a good driver with a good reputation as though said driver is the bastard child of a Satan's whore, but it is as common as daylight.

To make a long (and pathetic) story short, many drivers keep moving on because things suck at least some everywhere. So, kudos to those drivers who endure (they don't give a fuck about what you think) and to those who found a spot that works well for them. As for the rest, they're more than happy to drive your HR and training budgets right up your ass. That is, until you recognize the realities and choose to confront them with some intelligence and adult maturity. We're all watching for pigs on the wing.

The State of Our Nation- July of 2013

So, we're coming up on another anniversary of the birth of our nation. This is a moment when we reflect on who we are and why, and we pay attention to history in order to provide our children with an understanding of why The United States of America is the world's most important nation and how it must, must, must remain vigilant as the beacon of light for all the world to see. Because when they see that light, they witness it illuminate a people who are free and self-governing; they choose their representatives who represent their best interests but otherwise oversee and govern the droll and practical function of government in order to allow the people to run this country as they see fit.

Isn't that how it's supposed to be? We are supposed to be the ones who put a thumb on the government in order to keep it in check and ensure it does not become something akin to other governments that stomp on their people and treat them as though they're minions and hostages because they somehow did not wind up in positions of political power. We were supposed to not only honor The Constitution but also the Declaration of Independence, which explains in plain language why we must not be a people protected by a dictatorial authority that picks and chooses its own level of compassion and understanding, and does not fall prey to the heady allure of power.

But let's take a look where we are in this regard: The people of this country have all been completely duped by the government into thinking that governmental operation is the key to ensuring July 4th isn't just a power bill due date. Sure, we can loathe the Progressive agendas and blame the Democratic Party (not the process, so please know the difference) for undermining what and who we are, and we can stand tall and assume there are still a few within the Republican ranks who care about The Constitution and who we are as the United States of America, but I see no practical evidence supporting that other than rants from stumps. The United States of America has become a Socialist Police State that placed a boot heel on the heart of this country's people at every turn in order to continually remind them of who is in charge.

We're supposed to be self-governing but the endless string of pointless laws and regulations along with the blatantly corrupt actions of our politically appointed place that in question. How much insight does an intelligent mind require to see the spirit of who we are is pissed on when several governmental entities thwart and threaten legally created organizations and associations in order to prevent them from functioning the way they intend (which is for the betterment of a challenged nation)? The IRS makes the North Korean strong arms seem like a pack of pussies and even Russia is looking at us as though we completely lost our way. What should burn the people most from this is these people populating the IRS, the ATF and so many of these other governmental departments are populated with treasonous goons who entirely dismissed everything about their country in order to just be poorly paid goons who are allowed to bully the citizenship. Even local law enforcement is heavily populated with treasonous goons who enjoy every opportunity to threaten and intimidate law-abiding and innocent people who just want to go their way. They rub themselves raw every time they get the chance to search a citizen's car and piss on the 4th Amendment when they know fully well there's likely nothing to be found other than something valuable to steal.

Our Conservative ranks and American idealist groups are filled with wonderful people who desire to return our country to a free, disciplined, responsible and lawful nation operated by those who populate it. A favorite of mine is Glenn Beck, who is one of the most admirable people I have ever heard of. But I do not believe his assertion that we've been duped into subservience through promises of the easy way out and a smiling removal of proper responsibility from the hands of the people to place all intelligent actions into the hands of appointed governmental employees. Sure, there has been an allure for many to forego personal responsibility in order to be on the government teat, but to say everyone surrendered (or even considered surrendering) a healthy dose of personal responsibility in order to have government take it over isn't accurate. The truth of the matter is government overstepped authority and the only recourse, unfortunately, is blowing off steam through free speech that falls on deaf ears.

What is more likely is that this government's worst has used simple tactics to lure the people away from their better judgment. They were happy to lure weaker minds to a cozy spot under the government teat, but what about the rest of us? What about the average individual who just wants to make their own way without someone's mile-long laundry list of what good citizens are supposed to do and think. In other words, political and philosophical polarization has torn the fabric of our nation. There are those on the far right who demand absolute responsibility (fair enough) on the part of the people, but many of these people also hint that rights come with income, stating that the wealthier must be the most influential for the country's best interests. I despise bashing people because they're wealthy and successful, but most wealthy and successful people ensure their level of influence of supporting the wealthy and successful remains at home. The influence of the wealth only trickles down just enough to keep the hungry on their feet. Another common argument is that people have so little money because they fell into the duped notion that they can have it all and have it now (because they deserve nothing less) if they're willing to pay for it in monthly installments via their numerous credit cards.

I am not buying into that simply because a good person asserts it. I need to see it and not just listen to the reported stats. I have seen a very limited number of people whom I have known over time who have allowed credit card games to overwhelm them. What I think is more likely is there are too many wealthy who believe the blue collar and working people need to be thankful for living in sheds and eating bologna until they develop the wherewithal to build an empire. But nobody wants to discuss an affordable monthly expense to afford a safe car and home along with a few affordable diversions. I don't believe in having it just because you desire it, but if you can take care of your responsibilities, including your monthly payments, then people rolling in millions should leave their level of judgment at their own gilded table.

We have to have the maturity to recognize that money woes are created not by irresponsible poor (believing our last recession was caused by people obtaining mortgages when they knowingly cannot pay them is like assuming we can get more rain by tossing virgins into the mouths of volcanoes) but by political powers surrounded by and controlling the wealth. The recession was caused by the powerful intentionally manipulating the system to collapse and then pointing fingers in order to prompt more polarization, and it is just that simple. Money is the perfect yoke and money is manipulated to ensure only a small percentage can wield it easily. The rest must be forced to sweat and bleed for what equates to just enough to get by and then get back to work. But if one also accepts the responsibility and maturity to recognize what is what, we could not function if part-time teens were making enough money to buy a new car every year. There must be a balance and there is one, even though they continually tell us they're at a loss of what to do about our economic woes. They are lying and the economic and monetary systems runs with clockwork precision despite the endless claims of otherwise.

But all of that describes a diversion; a trail of breadcrumbs luring people from who they are supposed to be as a nation in order to place authorities in more authority. Authorities wield overwhelming amounts of authority and boot heel stomping power just to screech over a blown headlight. People taking intelligent steps to support and defend who we are as a nation are seen by those who want us to be North Korea as extremists and potential threats. But the simple fact that this occurs demonstrates we have already been overrun and usurped by extremists and serious-as-hell threats. I have no hesitation in saying the IRS is a treasonous organization directly acting as a threat against this country, but what's going to be done about it?

Very little in the short-term, and that is because they have succeeded in creating this police state. We know these entities directly threaten what and who we are (as celebrated on July 4th) but we feel powerless to do something other than exercise the free speech. Sticks and stones, boys and girls...

So, what do we do? Pay attention to gun-toting, bible thumpers sporting their three-corner hats and marching to flutes demanding the government remember its place?

Well, how about hell yeah? But only to a point. Look, you can be a tree hugging whale lover who fully supports gay rights and tie-dyed love-ins and still believe in what and who we are supposed to be as a free nation of self-governing  and hard-working people. You don't have to believe monetary influence is the only true power in a capitalist, free-market culture in order to look at socialistic principles as sugar-coated lies passed out with smiles by megalomaniacs.

You don't have to believe or listen to one single goddamned thing other than what genuinely supports the belief that we do not need monomaniacal liars and tyrants in order to function.

United we stand, divided we fall. We have become divided yet again. But we've been divided before (the Civil War) and largely recovered from that. If all of us, including those driving a Prius with a save the whales bumper sticker and those with The Constitution tattooed to their inner thigh covered by camouflage pants from within their HUMMWV recognize that a free and self-governed nation populated by courageous and responsible people who need no one to tell them what to do or how to live can do so effectively, then we will no longer need the left/right cold war.

Oh, and allow me to point out an obvious potential solution to our corruption woes. Every single incidence of the people being beaten down by a tyrannical force has not occurred by those claiming to possess the power, but by the citizenry becoming goons within the militant law enforcement ranks. Hitler didn't kill 6 million Jews; the duped morons who claimed they were just doing their job did.

If we would like to turn our power balance back to the people, then consider this- stop shaking fists at the ivory tower demigods in Washington and dismiss them just they way they dismiss us. Instead, we must turn to the authorities within each County Sheriff and those who report to them, and also to the fifty Governors of each of the states. As for the feds, enjoy the cheap thrill of telling Diane Feinstein and Nancy Pelosi that if they don't appreciate our love for our free country, they can feel free to drop to their knees and suck our red, white and blue dick. In other words (that are not so vulgar), we no longer recognize their self-appointed superiority just because they demand it. Those in charge who have disregarded their oaths to our Constitution can all go fuck themselves.

But we must convince the enforcers who operate where the rubber meets the road that our country is worth saving without them selling their fucking souls to politicians. So, have our groups such as the Tea Party, Freedom Works and those who support a wondrous and strong nation, like Glenn Beck, reach out to law enforcement at local, county and state levels and have county sheriffs (the highest ranking politically appointed law enforcement official in the entire county) expect nothing other than this from police ranks. Then, turn to state Governors and reach out to them, demanding they support their oaths and the words of the Constitution, and if they do not, call them out on it. But Nancy and Diane will not pick up M-16 rifles and come and get us. Rather, they will send the sons and daughters, the husbands and wives, the mothers and fathers of our neighbors to put on the uniforms of stormtrooper goons and come and get us, because that is how it is done. So, to be the different nation from North Korea, the potential goons must be under the influence of the spirit of the nation and its people, not the corrupt tyrants.

This 4th of July, let us look at our nation not as a bunch of polarized simpering fools crying over gay marriage and Kim Kardashian (the assertion of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness supports gay marriage, and I don't give a shit if you don't like it) but as people who desire to be however they want to be and have every intention of continuing to do so because that is what free and liberated people do when they control the government rather than cowering to its demand to control them.

Enjoy the holiday.