Today I read a blog that discussed the Left’s overlooking truth in a search to further their agenda.  I find it true, however it didn’t delve into a practice that they often use to get around the “lie” word and deceive the masses who take the “news” at face value and swallow the information whole – not taking time to chew it and discern fiction from reality.  The Left has a tendency to (and dare I say a gift) manufacture truth by generalizing specifics and visa versa.  I recently phrased is as "making Macro-facts into Micro-truths and Micro-facts into Macro-truths" - half-truth and semi-fact exploitation.

I made this assertion as I was researching a popular feminist argument that “females make 3/4 what males do.”  This stat is a fact, but that does not tell the whole story.  It is applied as if it is job for job comparison. (i.e. a female manager at Best Buy makes $.75 for every $1.00 the same male manager makes.)  This is a misrepresentation.  The truth behind the study is that females often are less driven by salary when it comes to a career and more likely to take into account whole life factors.  A female is less likely to take a transfer, a night shift, or an extreme location.  A female is more likely to take a job as a librarian due to the overall life it provides - comfort, stability, and order - vs. a male that will take a job as a trash man making more money but providing less desirable conditions. 

I could not find if the study took into account women who leave the workplace to have children and then return. 

Most of the statistics are for an amount accumulated over a period that encompasses a workers lifetime.  This is run through the liberal “truth maker” which takes a generalized statistic and based on that creates a specific fact that goes beyond the original scope of the data.  The fact that men make approx 25% more over their career than women due to a myriad of factors becomes women make 75% of what men do due to sexist discrimination.  They never could believe that women make less due to their own choices - choices being the ultimate symbol of freedom and equality. 

 

Recently, the military celebrated Women’s Equality Day.  I must have missed the Men’s Equality Day.  Along with that non-existent holiday,  I never did see females marching so that they could have the same PT or uniform requirements (short hair, etc) as men.  Equal as I understand it means two or more things being the same.  Is it about equality or superiority, and what is the stick by which we measure such things? 

It seems that feminist totally discount the superior qualities that women have in their search for (as I begin to use air quotes) “equality” on a totally abstract playing field.  Women make (in most cases) much better nurturers.  They often have more patience, sympathy, empathy, and offer a less pragmatic/logical way of thinking that help to balance out relationships with men.  Nature provides differences for good reason.  Men are given greater strength and aggression as to serve as providers – even this has taken on a less “hunter/gatherer” sense in recent history.  If feminist seek to remove this responsibility from men and take on that role themselves, does that not leave a void in the general order of things. 

Why should we try and buck nature in order to find some abstract equality - sacrificing so much along the way.  What will become if an entire generation of men is ever stripped of their masculinity and forced to go against nature.  What will become of a generation of women who are pressured to leave their roles as mothers and shirk the admiration of their male counterparts in a quest to be treated wholly equal.  It is a give and take.  What are we as a society required to give up as a sacrifice on the altar of equality?  What will this “god of equality” give us in return?  Will we be able to return to our natural roles is things begin to fall apart at the most primal of levels?  Me, I don’t want my life partner to be my equal – I would hate to drag her down to my level and my children deserve better than my equal.  My children deserve a provider, protector, and a teacher – in other words a mother.  Providing a bond and a love that no man can quite equal.  Providing protection that no fist or club can rival.  Providing life lessons on a plane difficult for a father to reach.  I have this hope for my children, my grandchildren and beyond – given that we are not all driven to become equals.

 

Are we as a society abandoning politeness for politically correctness? Is there anything wrong with that? What is the difference? Is there a difference?

First let’s explore the definitions of each word:

po·lite /p?'la?t/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[puh-lahyt] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation

–adjective, -lit·er, -lit·est.

1.	showing good manners toward others, as in behavior, speech, etc.; courteous; civil: a polite reply.

2.	refined or cultured: polite society.

3.	of a refined or elegant kind: polite learning.

[Origin: 1400–50; late ME < L politus, ptp. of polire to polish ]

—Related forms

po·lite·ly, adverb

po·lite·ness, noun

—Synonyms 1. well-bred, gracious. See civil. 2. urbane, polished, poised, courtly, cultivated.

—Antonyms 1, 2. rude.

American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source

politically correct adj. Abbr. PC Of, relating to, or supporting broad social, political, and educational change, especially to redress historical injustices in matters such as race, class, gender, and sexual orientation. Being or perceived as being over concerned with such change, often to the exclusion of other matters. political correctness n

Well being polite seems to be a little more of a broad stroke, while PC generally deals with prior injustices. This brings up another thought...is giving special attention to a subject such as race, class, gender, etc not discrimination. Discrimination is often given a negative implication, however if you give particular attention based on one category you would be discriminatory. This is another issue that I find ironic. The Affirmative Action, NAACP, GLAD, etc seem to keep the divisions emplace through special programs and agendas. Do these organizations truly want unity? With unity the very organization would be unnecessary and those in power would not longer have power....but that is another subject for another day.

Back to the Blog at hand. There was a time when things were done or avoided to help others. You didn't call names or slander because you knew it was not right to do that and it would hurt the other person. Now we hold our tongues to avoid being labeled an -ist (racist, sexist, etc) and being protested against. We have lost the care for others and now focus on ourselves. Instead of trying to help others maintain respect we try and protect ourselves from misinterpretations, lawsuits, and brandings.

This may seem well and good, the means as important as the end. Being polite is opening a door for a lady, PC would have you walk in and try as hard as you can to not give nay special regard so that you don’t seem like a sexist that believes a woman cannot open her own door.

It was polite to not stare at a person form another culture who dresses different. Now you are trying to avoid being labeled as a profiler.

A polite person would not use slurs in public, would not discriminate, and would treat each person as they should be because it was the right thing to do and their mother had taught them better.

A Politically Correct person would avoid those things as well and either resent having to do it or be smug about it. Can you really boast about being politically correct? I mean if you go on about how you didn’t call that black guy a so and so, or that you treated that elderly woman just as you would another person....isn’t the fact that you recognize the discriminatory factors discriminatory?

Also politeness is extended to anyone. Politically correct ness seems to only apply to anyone in a minority. You can talk all you want about WASPs (White Anglo-Saxon Protestants) especially if they are male and conservatives in general. You can blame all your problems on them, call them names, stereotype...that’s acceptable under the close watch of political correctness.

I don't guess being polite is secular progressive enough. Where will our society end up if we do not strive to be right, but merely try to avoid being wrong. Avoid using statistics - numbers stereotype. Avoid logic - logic often creates profiles. Avoid common sense - you might offend those without it. Avoid equality - That’s not the true end goal.

 

Under God
Current mood: aggravated
Category: News and Politics

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Lets get one thing straight.  As noted above in the Declaration of Indepedence that the basics right of a person is given to them by God.  So our Bill of Rights (and yes that does include freedom of speech and press which seem to be a hot topic, escpecially as of late) is only garateed with the assumption that these Rights are in place to protect our unalienable Rights endowed by God.  So fine, protest, complain...take God out of the pledge, God off of our money, God off of any government building, book, etc....but realize that if you do, you are also removing your rights.  You have to accept and admit to your basic right being protected by our constitution solely because our Founders believed that God inteded for you to have them.

I am pissed that the Pledge of Allegiance was taken from the schools.  I am mad that poeple would have "In God we Trust" taken from our currency.  I am alatmed that the citizens of California would have a cross removed from San Diego, a cross that is a war memorial and has stood since the 1950s.

I recently heard of a school in Nevada that pulled the plug on a Valedictorian who thanked God and Jesus Christ in her graduaiton speech.  They spouted the first amendment and had no authority under school board precedence to do so.  The first amendement does call for a spearation between church and state, well actually it states that the government cannot make laws respecting one religion.  It doesn;t say that there can be no church in state or no state in church.  Jus tthat the governement cannot sponsor or endorse one religion so much that they make laws which are solely to benefit that religion.  The first amendment doesn't garantee a freedom of hearing either.  Its being used that way. especially when dealing with the majority speaking.  The sad thing is the rules in place at that school, set by7 the board, handle this situation, there is no need to turn to the highest law in the land for a ruling.

Another example of this foolishness.  Right here in Texas, DFW area, Liberty Elementary school.  New school, they tought it would be clever to put the new nickel ont he cover of the year book.  But to avert criuticism they too the "In God We Trust" off of the coin on the cover.  The also issued "In God We Trust" stickers so that anyone wanting that phrase on the cover could put a sticker on there.  WHAT!!!  The majority of the population here in the bible belt is Christian, and or have no problem with the phrase.  And I would bet that 100% of the population spend our money with that phrase on it.  So why would a school have to tip toe around this.  Because the liberal minority might have a hayday protesting that a public school has "In God We Trust" on the yearbook.  A violation of the first amendment?  NO!  You use that same nickle to pay for milk at school right?  And why not, if you must, give out blank stickers to cover up the phrase.

The answer to that why is that the conservative majority who would not be offended by the presence of the phrase "In God We Trust" is also the same majority that would not protest the absence...because we are rational and although it ticks us off...we have lives to lead.  Why do we pander to the minority, is that what democracy means (checking dicitonary) (demand....demeanor...democracy...)

democracy    ( P )  Pronunciation Key  (d-mkr-s)
n. pl. democracies

1. Government by the people, exercised either directly or through elected representatives.
2. A political or social unit that has such a government.
3. The common people, considered as the primary source of political power.
4. Majority rule.
5. The principles of social equality and respect for the individual within a community.

Wow!  Majority rule...hmmm...thought that was right. 

Fact: The majority of Americans believe in God.  God may be the God of Abraham, Jesus Christ, Allah...etc....but we belive in the Creator who gave us these rights

Why is it that the minority of those who are offended seem to have their voice heard loudest.  If the liberals want to separate church and state and take God out of all governement...they lose their rights to speak out, to assemble (protest) 

Oh and those of you that protest God being in the pledge and on the currency, in graduation speeches and on yearbooks...start at Arlington National Cemetery, lots of crosses....just please have a press conference before hand so that all of us veterans can meet you there.

 

The company is owned by PDV America, Inc., an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A., the national oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

 

That's CITGO, the petroleum company.  It WAS a US company until 1990 when it was purchased, basically, by the government of Venezuela.  As you may of may not know Venezuela is a socialist country that is very anti-American.  Right now the Pres. of Iran is in Venezuela in talks with Pres Chavez.  The bond between Venezuela and Iran has some history.  Recently Venezuela was one of the only nations to vote to protect Iran from the security council of the UN regarding it nuclear program.

 

I encourage you to go to the CITGO site.( www.citgo.com) and to the right in news at a glance take a look at the "CITGO responds to misinformation" link.  This call is not a new one, but seeing the increased support Venezuela offers Iran I think it must be brought back up.  Even if you too are against Bush you cannot honestly support a nuclear weapon in the hands of Iran.

 

You will see the CITGO's setting the record straight is merely pointing out that other companies also use Venezuelan oil,  that Venezuela in the past has been a steady supplier of Oil, and among other things the donations that CITGO has made.  It is a rhetoric shield to the fact that the government that owns CITGO is run by an America hating president that supports a country that each day send money, weapons, and insurgents into Iraq to kill Americans.  A country that would love nothing more than the down fall of America.  Is that where we want our money to go.

That is the free market system CITGO.  The fact that we as consumers have the power to wield our money as we see fit.  we do not have to sponsor the government through the governments ownership of an industry...that's socialism not capitalism.  Our dollars can speak for our political and/or moral beliefs.

 

Please consider this the next time you fill up.  Know that a dollar for CITGO will end up down the chain funding an anti-American government that is a supporter of those who wish to kill Americans.    

 

Put your money where your importance is
Current mood: determined
Category: Life

Now as a preface to this I am not moving to the FAR LEFT as it may appear.  I am not advocating welfare in any form and am actually a huge opponent of welfare.  I'm not a socialist or communist - great theories and ideas....but it will never work as intended.  I am a conservative and by definition I want the least amount of government possible and still maintain freedom, liberty, and order.

The really nice thing about capitalism and free market is the ease in which you can trace a given societies values.  Its easy, money has value so logically you can assert that where the money goes so do people values.  And I know your thinking the money is the root of all evil and that you cant put a dollar amount to certain values.  This may be true but there are certain products, services and the like that are the manifestation of values.

The sad part is that what people say they value and prove they value are all too often different.  Examples and explanation will follow.  Some of the facets of our country's economy which receive a large flow of the money are somewhat justifiable and contribute a real benefit to society; others do not and tell a different story about our society. 

First let us examine the means by which I will make my cases.  I will look at salary as a means to determine what professions are the most important to Americans.  I will look at the rise in price of certain goods, signifying a rise in demand.  Along the line I am sure that other ideas and references will become relevant and will be explored.

First let us look at salary, who we pay the most and how important they are.  I am going to state a fact.  One of the highest paid industries in America, if not the highest paid, is the entertainment industry.  Movies stars, TV stars, Pro Athletes, singers, bands etc.  They make some of the highest wages in America.  Do they provide one of the most important products...no.  In the listing of a persons value I doubt entertainment is at the forefront.   If it is you have too much time and money and will soon grow up and realize that the world holds greater values than a good time.  Is this to say that there is no place for the arts and crappy entertainment that is passed of as art...no.  Is this to say that there is something wrong with going to a ballgame or having a Super Bowl party...no.  But why do we pay so much for the privilege to see a person with nothing more than God given talent and/or good looks. 

I am a huge baseball fan, but when a person signs a contract for an amount of money that is greater than the Gross National Product of his home country...thats too much damn money.  When a player gets a signing bonus equal to over 100 teachers salaries...thats too damn much.  Baseball is a great love of mine; I tear up at special moments, I Love the Game.  I would play 162 games of baseball every year for free.  Give me food and shelter and a 401K and I would play my heart out.  Why the hell should a pro athlete make that much damn money?  Do they provide such an essential service that we cannot do without them?  Why should a baseball team be values at 1 billion dollars?  Why?  And its not just the players, why should the owners?  Do I really need to pay $65 dollars for a decent seat at a ball game, 10 for parking, 7 for a beer, 5 for a hotdog....do I?  Hell no!  Why do you have to be middle class to enjoy the sport?  Rich to enjoy it the whole season?  Why?  I wont even get started on endorsements....wait yes I will!

If Nike didnt pay Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, and who ever else is hot at the moment MILLIONS of dollars a year for adds do you think a pair of shoes would cost over 100 bucks?  HELL NO.  Do I really care what deodorant or toothpaste or jock itch cream a particular athlete uses...NO 

Damn I am getting pissed....woosaaaah....ok.  So how is it that a Movie Star can make over 1000 times as much for a single movie as a soldier does in a year.  How the hell can that happen?  How is it that a Singer could fund the payroll for an entire police and/or fire department?  Is entertainment really that important?  We must think it is...thats where our money goes.  The NFL, MLB, NBA, production companies and record labels dont just poop dollars...they get it from us...the consumer.  They get their money to overpay the entertainers and line their own pockets from all of us that view entertainment as one of the most valuable things in America!  

Oh but what about the art?  Whah!  If its that friggin important a person would make a movie and play a game for 40.8K a year...thats what the average American family makes.  They would "do what they love" for as much as most people work a job that they have to.

And Education....thats important right?  Well not really.  We pay huge scholarship for students to get a good education at good schools.  Yeah just so happens the majority of those scholarships are athletic scholarships and the people who take them enjoy the free ride until they can get drafted early and not finish school.  If education is that important why do teachers make so little in the grand scheme of things.  Why do they make so much less than entertainers....I will tell you why.  Because we dont; actually value education.  We dont put our money to it.  Oh yes we pay taxes and we thing that the government should fix the problem.  But we dont want to pay more taxes and we dont volunteer money and or time to education.  I wish that there was an option to donate an extra percentage of your pay solely to fund education.  To give teachers a raise.  We wonder why we are becoming one of the dumbest nations...education is not important.  How many great teachers pass up the job because of too low of pay...why would a talented person settle for being a teacher when they could make millions as a lawyer to the stars or agent that gets to bail out some sports star?  Why dont we tax the overly paid and fund better education?  Why not...does a person need to make million of dollars a year?  No.

And our military.  We spend a lot of money on military each year...I give you that.  There are some good benefits, monetary hat is, to being the in the military.  But as compared to other industries its pretty low paying.  I will put police and fire in this category too, protective services.  So security is down below entertainment on the value list too.  Because given the capitalist system an actor portraying a soldier is more valuable than the soldier who actually puts his life on the line.  A normal job will get a raise as demand for that position increases....well demand is pretty damn high for protection and security right now...but the military still gets its 5% raise.  Would you rather have protection or 60 homers?  Disaster relief or another blockbuster performance?

Our values in America are screwed up.  Next time you want to do a gut check look at where your money goes.  Think about why that CD that costs under a dollar to create costs 19.99 or why you have to pay 50 bucks to go see people play a game.  Why it is that you will spend more to buy a DVD box set that you spend on a college Chemistry book.  Why a signed helmet is worth more than the Kevlar a soldier wears.  Why it is more important for the star quarterback to get a free education that the high school teacher or the next policeman. 

Does any one need to make million a year...no.  Does anyone need a 250,000 car...no.  How many people choose a career path based on pay?  Do you really want a doctor whose main drive to practice was pay?  Should a person running a company make 100s of times more than his employees?  Should the employees of a given business be able to afford the products they make or sell?  Should the lower to middle class be able to afford to run for political office?  These are important questions.

Is socialism right...no its not, its flawed.  But we cannot honestly say that capitalism is perfect.  Lesser of two evils I guess.  One of the nicest things about capitalism is that you can see where a society's values lie....but after that the true value of a society can be found in what they do to correct it.  Its not welfare, its not free.  Teachers, police, soldiers, firefighters...they deserve more...they are the building blocks, the true foundation of this and any civilization.  Take away all things and I would choose freedom over fun....   

(Sorry I did leave out a lot of what was buzzing through my mind.  Technology makes a lot of money too, but there is greater benefit.  Some others as well, but entertainment has the most notable references and is by far the most out of whack.  Please post comments...this is near and dear to me and I want to make a difference) 

 

Cartoons and society
Current mood: Go Joe!
Category: Go Joe! Movies, TV, Celebrities

I was reading a friend of mines blog on movies of the 80s. (http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=87347461&blogID=144084207&MyToken=8f76b4ff-6a6b-44c6-acdb-ecd26111912b)  He was contending that the most remembered movies or the biggest blockbusters fo that decade were teen angsty pseudo true to life (ie John Hughes films..)

Well in a way to long comment I went on the examine the Star Wars duo of the 80s, Inianda Jones Trio, Platoon, Full Metal Jacket...etc

Driving around today I began to ponder the cartoons of the 80s and how they are different from today.  Emtpy V had made apoint showing how the writeers and directors of the decade had experience Vietnam (all be it on TV) and that they had had their fill of violence and thus made these movies.  And today we are so far removed (or have been up until the last 3-4 years) from violence that our movies are more so.

But look at the cartoons...some of which he mentions.  We had our GI Joe and He Man, Transformers, and even Looney Tunes that were based all but solely on violence...as latent as it may have been.

Today however a quick flip over to Nick Jr will reveal the Tela-tubbies, Barney still, some efeminite guys in make up prancing around, some British pop group for kids...all that crap.  So have we shifted from masculine psuedo violence for kids and puppies and flowers for adult in the 80s to guns and nudity for adults and gender confusion for kids?  well thats what cmments to the blog are for...answers...so have we.

Also with more moms and dads than ever in the work place and the inivitable lack of a clear and conscise gender model at home and none (even confusion) on TV...where will our kids learn to be Men and Women.  Will we become a society of little gender difference, purely physical difference.  No fitting roles.  What will that do to society?  I have a thought or two...what are yours...

 

patriot    ( P )  Pronunciation Key  (ptr-t, -t)
n.

One who loves, supports, and defends one's country.

You know, given that most of the far left liberals (the flag burners, the protestors, the pride parade marchers, the anti-war, anti-bush, anti- american shehanites, those who oppose the majority (regardless of issue)) have the most to lose from the loss of America - the left wingers should be the biggests patriots around.  If our country were to fall to another government (God forbid) the liberal population would most likely be erradicated within days....because the type of BS they pull in our country isn't allowed inside of most governements. 

Given this assumption, I can only acertain that the liberal community has no doubt in their mind that we will prevail.  We will prevent the spead of islamic facism, fend off terrorist, and protect against any other outside force which would change our way of life.  If they, the liberal community, actually thought that we would lose....they would have to sing a different tune...be more conservative, more supportive.  Because a liberal has the most to lose.  We conservatives are often the ones that quitly work outside of the spot light...getting things done...not bitching and not having the unexplicable free time to protest for days on end.  We don;t walk out and stage a "Day without tax-paying legal citizens of the US"  We don't camp out on the lawn of the Ketchup Empire (John Kerry reference) and protest anti-Bushism.  The conservatives of the country don't throw camoflage or paint on those who wear anti-american clothing or walk our street bearing other nations flags. 

I do enjoy my freedoms, but I also understand the responsiblity that comes with those freedoms.  I have made the sacrifice to defend our freedoms.  One of the freedoms which I feel is most important and one that is at the top of the list that I fight to protect is the freedom to disagree.  While this may seem contradictory to my blog, I feelthat it is important to have debate, and discussion....but I think that most protests take advantage of the rights and do not take responsiblity.  I think a responsible person would give credit where credit is due....would say that the soldier, not the lawyer gives us freedoms....and that soldier not that lawyer protects those freedoms.  And I do not think it should be only the soldier who takes responsibility for those freedoms which everyone, especially those who push the envelope of freedom, enjoy.    

 First blog, probably never will be read, but its a good vent I guess.  As I listen to the Liberals talk about how we are failing and how the world hates us, as I see the media proptraying our Conservative led governement as a failure and President Bush as out greatest enemy...is it any wonder..

Is it any wonder that the world hates us, the world only sees what is beamed out over satelites to be aired on Television and radio.  The only read what is printed.  No other country would have to work at all to try and drag our great nation through the mud, our Liberal media takes care of that for us. 

Is it any wonder that our economy is down.  A persons concept of the country and its prgoress is decided by the media.  The media protrays things as being in a state of upheaval and proclaims that the Bush administration is the downfall of America.  Who would feel confident about investing, about spendning, who would feel confident?  The media has more control than we think.

As a verteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom I am disgusted at the lack of support the Liberals give our troops.  Their support is emtpy retoric.  They make accusations, say that this war is accomplishing nothing, say that we ar ewasting out time.  The media tries to portray us as murderers and villians.  They use the soldiers and marines as pawns: innocents that are victims of Bush's so called tyrrany at times and then monster at other - which ever better fits the Liberal agenda of the day.  Tell me to my face that my year spent in the desert away from my loved ones was a waste fo time.  Tell the families of those who gave their lives that that life was given for nothing.  See how long it takes for your but to hit the pavement.  Don;t stand behind the microphone and spew out your retoric Liberal, come down off of your soap box and meet the people from whom you take pride.  We are making a difference, we are doing good, we are along the right path.  The democrats are scared to death that this war will succeed, and it will.  They are scared because the US, the world will see how full of crap they are and how false and empty all of their comments and attacks were and are.

Don;t le tthe media make up your mind.  Want to know about the war, ask a veteran who has actually been there, don;t beleive some reporter stading infrom of a blue screen with a projected image of Baghdad on it.  There is a lot of good going on that you never hear about.  Those few soldiers and marines that may have comitted crimal acts that make the news represent about one 10,000th of the American fighting force.  We build school, hospitals, roads, and shelters.  We give water, food, supplies, and toys.  The people shake our hands, hug us, give us the thumbs up and cheer.

Each day these good things are done in Iraq by Americans.  Hear of any of them today?  Doubt it, thats not want they want you to hear about.  You will hear fo the 10 people who were killed by an bomb or IED, but not of the 25 IEDs that were found in the same day, found by Americans and destroyed before they could take a life. 

Thats the end for today I suppose.  Do me a favor and tell a veteran you believe in the United States and you want to see the mission carried out.  Thank a military family.  Say a prayer for the troops.  Be a patriot.