Conservative Christians are messed up

You can't make this stuff up.  So, Christians are very vocal on Facebook.  But if you read their threads, they are full of hypocrisy.  For example, one posted this:

 And also posted this:

Talking about their desire to hunt down and kill duly elected Democrat officials in "Blue" states.  They want to murder Democrats.  They say so often.  ... reminds me of a Commandment they might want to read over again a few times. (Number 6... and 9... and 1 needs a refresher too, seeing how many truly Believe in Trump.)

Then, another posts this:

 As if Christians are not currently going around discriminating against, abusing and killing gay people.  As if Christians are not shooting up gatherings, bombing Federal Buildings and saying we should execute homosexuals. Modern Christians. Lets not talk about their blood-soaked past - its only in the past they tortured and executed people, some being burned alive, for being "Witches" and Heretics.  Its only in the past they invented torturous death machines to get innocent people to 'confess' to sins.  Its only in the past that they lynched black people whom they considered to have no soul.

Economic Growth is an Illusion

Y'all do realize that "Economic Growth" is an illusion, right?

In 1940, a 1 1/2 ounce piece of candy would cost you a nickle - 5 cents - $.05. (here)  In 1999, that same piece of candy would cost you seventy cents - 14 nickles - 70 cents - $.70.

Now, do you think the value of that candy went up that much?  No.  What happened is that the value of that nickle went down.

What is happening is that the uber wealthy are picking your pockets without you realizing.  Or you are just too scared to stand up to them.

How?  Even though they have $100 dollars and you only have $1 dollar, they want that dollar of yours for themselves.  So, they devalue your dollar, tell you that you now have $5 dollars.  Then they take one of those dollars.  Then they tell you that you have $10 dollars left.  And take two of those dollars.  Now, you think you have $8.00 - much better than the measly $1 you had before, right?  Only, what you really have left is only worth 1/4 of the original dollar - 25 cents.  But now they have $.75 cents of your original dollar, and you're happy with that.  They're still scheming on how to get that last quarter.

They've been telling you that the people who do the work are not as important as those who have the money - STOP believing that.  Its bull.  Labor deserves compensation.  "Investment" doesn't deserve anything - its a gamble that the company will do well.  IF the company does well, after making good on it's responsibility to it's workers, then the investment should get a return.  If the company doesn't do well, the investment should be lost.  Investment returns should be the last consideration of a company.  The absolute last.  Returns on Investment are a by-product, NOT an end goal.

For some extra reading:
http://reclaimdemocracy.org/corporate-accountability-history-corporations-us/
and
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_corporate_law

Corporations are one major area where we need to get back to some 1776 thinking.

The Electoral College for Idiots

Some of y'all are thoroughly confused as to what the Electoral College is meant to be.

I'll start with "Tyranny of the Masses" - this was pulled from discussions on the separation of powers in our government, not the electoral college.  (See Federalist Papers 10)  We have a President (Executive), Congress (Legislative) and Supreme Court (Judicial).  The independent branches were supposed to prevent a wholesale domination of the minority by the majority.  It was supposed to be good people doing their job for the best interest of the Nation.  (we have totally failed at that)  In addition, the Congress was to be divided into a Senate and House of Representatives, elected differently.  The senate consists of two members from each state, giving all states equal representation. (see The Senate) The House of Representatives was based on the population of a state, at around 60,000 per Representative. (See House of Representatives) The membership was to change based on a population census every 10 years.

The Electoral College was put in place because the Founders didn't trust the Citizens to always elect a competent person as President (sadly turns out they were right). They wanted Congress to elect the president.  As a compromise, they came up with the Electoral College - where each state was given an Electoral Representative for each Congress-person, who would vote on president based on the votes of their citizens.  So, two for the Senators, plus the number of Representatives (based on population).  The idea was that if the citizens voted for a really bad choice, the Electoral College could change it, in the best interest of the Nation. (See Federalist Papers 68)

So, if the House of Representatives was still one representative for each 60,000 people in a state, we would have Five Thousand Four Hundred and Fifty Three members of the House. (US Population) Foreseeing this expanding population as a problem, in 1920, they pretty much skipped the reapportionment due to rural representatives stalling it.  In 1929, they froze the House at the current 435 members. It was at this time the under and over representation started - states with a larger population started getting less representation and less populous states started getting more. (House vs Population)

I can find no reference to purposefully giving less populous states more voting power for president anywhere in Founding-Era documents.  So, this is most assuredly NOT the original purpose of the Electoral College, as many corrupt individuals would have you believe. (Fact Check the Reason)  The protection from the "Tyranny of the Majority" was in the division of powers between the three branches of government.  This delusion that the Electoral College is supposed to give more power to less populous states had to take hold after some significant population growth after 1930, perhaps in the 1950's when the Nation started buckling to the corruption that has infested our government.

What needs to be changed in order to fix the Electoral College?
1. Adjust the membership of the House of Representatives as originally intended by losing the static number and adjusting the per-citizen ratio. (The Wyoming Rule would be a good method)
2. Set a law that a state's electors should be apportioned in relation to the vote of the state's citizens - in other words, abolish the winner-take-all rule.

We need to get to a place where we are more One Citizen, One Vote and restore the Electoral College to it's original purpose.  Those who don't want equal representation, should move to their beloved Russia.

Changes in Altitude

So.. since last post, I have moved to Saint Louis, MO.  I am not dating anyone... not sure why.  But, I do have a good job and I am Loving it here.  Getting back to myself a bit more every day.  Although yesterday (Valentine's Day) was pretty hard to get through.

I am trying to get a HashTag going so that I can be found online by using the tag - so #IamGraywalker is what I am trying to use.  Yes, this post is an attempt to make that more searchable. :D


I'll try to fill this out a bit more with updates and other items shortly... stay tuned.
Probably need to update on my getting a land loan, truck breaking down, buying a car, adjusting to winter here, etc...

Yes, the Hashtag is working.  Anyone smart enough can find this post.  Probably the best place to contact me is on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/bobby.kearan - PM something a bit more complex than "hi." and I will likely respond.

Preconceived notions

Paraphrased something I read today... "I have no patience for fake people, whiny-little-bitches or liars. People whose idea of a vigorous discussion or argumentation is to belittle people rather than defend your argument. People who are into flag banning, flag burning or denying someone else's rights. People who support tyranny, racism, discrimination or suffering. People who align themselves against U.S. veterans or our founding fathers. People whose idea of fun involves hate-baiting, divisiveness or general ass-hat-like behavior."

Someone commented on that, again paraphrased, "yeah, I can't stand liberals either."

Which took me by surprise, because I was thinking, "yeah, this guy can't stand conservatives."

I suppose that goes to show we each have our own pre-conceived notions.  Only, I think mine can be shown to be true a lot easier than the other guy's.

"Fake people, whiny-little-bitches or liars" certainly makes me think 'conservative.'  Damn near everything they (the public faces of the conservative movement) say is easily proven to be wrong or an outright lie. And "Fake People" - Donald Trump, Sarah Palin, Scott Walker... come on... 

Distilling Patience

I'm not sure who or what is in control of my life right now, but I am fairly certain, for better or worse, it is not me.

If it were up to me, right now, I would be living in the Saint Louis, MO area, enjoying a more social life, pagan shops, comic book shops, role playing games (pen and paper), board games, liquor in grocery stores and all kinds of nice things not found in my current state. I would be dating a good, fairly amazing, woman.

For whatever reason, I have been unable to find a company that will hire me - lack of college degree, no certifications, whatever reason - despite my skills and years of experience actually doing the job.

Now, I am fairly well stuck, due in no small part to an accrued debt load. I, we, made purchases and plans based on an expected fiscal influx that, despite assurances, never came through. So, now, even with assets in my favor, I am afraid that it will still be months before I am somewhat secure.

I am in the habit of expecting things to happen on my timeline - which is a lot more quick and efficiently than they actually do.  Many other people seem to be just lethargic in everything they do - walking, working, etc.

I am being forced to slow down, be patient, be alone and have nothing to do but think and reflect.  Yep, this stinks.

So, now I am thinking there had better be something good to come out of this.  The good woman I referred to earlier has stopped communicating with me because I am not in Saint Louis yet.... through no fault of my own that I can see.

I have found, quite possibly the root of some of my health issues and am working on getting treatment - although that is also going too slow and too frustrating for my tastes.  I am depending on others to get it resolved, but... slow.

Every time I start planning for what will happen when x gets done, I have to stop and remind myself that the people who need to get x done don't ever seem to have any motivation to do so and it will take for frikkin ever to get done.

... I just wish I could take over and get it done... but, honestly, I don't know how.

... and then, I have to work - but no place I need to go to to get stuff done is open after I get off work, or before I get to work.  So, I have to take off work to get anything started, much less done. 

Leaves and Lives

I burst forth into life, clinging to the limb high in a tree.
I grew, gaining life and giving life
doing my part.
I held on to the limb through high winds
through blazing heat, ups and downs
Over time I grew tired.
My green faded.
I learned to let go.
I became a leaf on the wind.
Spiraling down, soaring up
wherever the breeze pushed me.
I slowly descended, wondering
what would I find below?
I settled onto the river,
dancing on the water as it babbled,
flowed, eddied, crashed and rushed.
I learned to go with the flow,
going where fate may take me,
overcoming the rocks in the river.
Dancing ever slower.
I realize I am sinking into the water.
The water pulls me down even as it
fills me up.
I shall go under, settle and decay.
My wish is that I have become rich enough
in my life
That the leaves of the trees downstream
will be a little more green,
live a little bit longer, their trees stronger,
because I lived before them.

- today's motorcycle meditation