Those who thought Barack Hussein Obama's first term was too much Hope and not enough Change should be thrilled that, following his reelection, things are now changing in a way which can only be described as fast and furious.
Specifically, Eric Holder has announced that he may be leaving the Justice Department now that he's completed his primary responsibilites of enabling voter fraud for the 2012 elections, arming the Mexican drug cartels, and quashing investigations into Whitehouse security leaks and corruption.
But who could possibly replace this bastion of untruth, injustice, and obfuscation? Howzabout Homeland Security's Janet Napolitano- the alleged woman whose keen powers of legal reasoning brought her to the conclusion that the Ft. Hood massacre was not an act of terror, that the "Underwear Bomber" bringing explosives on a flight but failing to detonate them properly showed "the system is working," and who infamously issued a warning that US military veterans, pro-lifers, and immigration-enforcement advocates should be monitored as possible terror suspects.
But surely putting Janet in charge of the DOJ wouldn't allow anything crazy like subverting the Constitution and throwing people into jail for offensive political speech - right? Right...?
Wrong! Because that's exactly what just happened to Mark Basseley Youssef, the man who made the craptastic "Innocence of Muslims" video, who has just been sentenced to a year in prison for (in the words of Barack Hussein Obama to the United Nations) "slandering the Prophet of Islam."
Of course, the government denies that Mr. Youssef is going to jail for exercising free speech, and instead insists that he's going to the slammer because he used a false name, which Barack Obama suddenly seems to feel is a much bigger crime than when he was filling out scholarship applications as Barry Soetoro, a poor black Indonesian who wanted (and likely received) money reserved for foreign students.
Still, in Barack Obama's second reign of error, none of us has anything to worry about when expressing strong political views antithetical to those of the president as long as we use our real names.
You can count on that, or my name isn't Stilton Jarlsberg.
Napolitano admits she's been dreaming of reassignment for quite awhile.
46 comments:
Boy, this is gettin' ugly!
When you serve in Mother Green, you learn that there is only one official holiday celebrated, November 10. From the first day at Tun's Tavern to today, Marines have been faithfully serving their Country and Corp. Little known fact, the Minutemen wouldn't have had any powder for their muskets if the Marines hadn't taken it from a British armory in the Bahamas.
Bob Parson, CEO Go-Daddy's USMC Birthday Video:
Happy 237th Birthday Marines
Napolitano looks like a nappy-haired Donald Sutherland?
Ugly 'woman' - ugly 'man'. Beauty may only be skin deep, but ugly goes all the way down into the marrow.
Glad I'd already swallowed my coffee when I saw that pic! Hysterical! Don't cabinet appointments need approval? Oh, SENATE approval - right... moving right along.
As for 'leading from behind' ideas, it might be good to read 'Rules for Radicals' - learn how THEY do it, 1) so we know what to expect and 2) can use it against them.
First thing to do is to stop supporting MSM - don't buy, don't watch, if possible cut the cable support. W/O audience / market, they get NO ad revenue, and will wither - see NYT, Time, and News weak...
I wonder if Janet Incompetano will be paid less than Holder like the rest of the women in the Obama Administration?
BTW Stilton: I think you need to reset the "When We'll REALLY Get Hope & Change" clock to the left there. Very depressing, I know.
Well, since Puerto Rico is about to be added to voter rolls, I guess we'll never see anything other than liberal Presidencies ever again.
Gaaaa! What a thing to see first thing in the morning!
Not that I'm any big political genius, but I expected Holder to get the hell out if BO got a second term or not. The asshole has stirred up way too much crap, and I don't think even Barry-O can stop Issa et al from closing in on the Turdy General. But Napolitano!? Wow! She is a Joe Biden bookend.
One thing we all learned when we were kids... insecure people try to make themselves look better by surrounding themselves with friends they deem somehow "inferior" to them. Like the pretty girl who has all homely girl friends. Or like the Draco Malfoy character in Harry Potter. So now we have Barry Malfoy with Joe Crabbe and Janet Goyle.
I don't know what's more scary, a "Holder" that is out to purposely do harm to our country, or a "Napolitano" that is a bumbling fool trying to kiss the boss's ass and make themselves look important.
Good to have you back and in good form Stilt...!! I don't know how we're going to get thru the next 4 years, but I'm relieved to know that you'll be helping all of us along the tortuous path from Valley Forge to Yorktown.
From what I hear, most of the cabinet is bailing. Hilary should have gotten out years ago, before Barry had the chance to throw her under the bus.
I agree with Pete(Detroit) - I have already had my cable disconnected and get all my news online from sources I can trust. I, too, want to read Rules for Radicals to learn how to fight fire with fire. I'm also considering re-reading Atlas Shrugged, but am still a little weak from the election to attempt it. I think it would be too emotionally draining right now!
Happy 237th birthday Marines! May God bless you and keep you safe as you continue to keep us safe.
Please forgive my ignorance, but what is Atlas shrugged all about? Never read it or seen the movie.
Colby -
1) LOVE to see Holder extradited to Mexico and tried there for accessory to murder.
2) Aunt Jan is definitely the lesser danger. The possibility exists that she'll occasionally eff up and do something RIGHT for a change. Just sayin'
Abby, it's about 1024 pages of tiny print and high density writing - figure at least a week to get through it, it is LONG.
THAT having been said, the plot follows some successful industrialists as they see their world being brought down by a) the politics of pull b) Moochers who demand that the producers work harder to provide more for those who produce nothing. Sound familiar? Much of it could be pulled straight from current headlines. It certainly provides a moral basis for throwing your hands in the air and screaming "FUGGIT!!" and walking into the wilderness. If more 'adults' read and understood it, we might not be IN this mess. Highly recommended. "The Fountainhead" has similar concepts and is shorter / more approachable, if you can get past the part where the heroine likes violent sex w/ the hero (I'd call it 'being raped by', but if that's how she WANTS it, is it REALLY "rape"?) I have issues w/ her ideas about marriage, disagree w/ her about God (she's an atheist) but Rand really nailed it, politically. See also 'We the Living' for an account (lightly fictionalized) of living in a post revolutionary society.
@SJ - I've tried to minimize watching the news (even on FOX) - can't take hearing O's voice or hearing & seeing the libs do their lib "thing". So - I didn't know about Holder or Napolitano - not that I care to watch what they are doing & will continue to do to America. But thanks for the info.
@ abbeyroadwalker - Atlas Shrugged was written by Ayn Rand approx. 50 yrs. ago. She came to the US from Russia and saw the beginnings (even then) of socialism in the USA. Her book is about how society is ravaged when Big Gvt., Big Media, Unions, etc. collaborate to their own benefit. Those job creators disappear, one by one, and industries get shut down. John Galt, a character from the book, is somehow connected to all of it.
I read the book in 1978 and again in 2010. I saw Atlas Shrugged Parts I & II. I'm thinkin' Part III will never be produced since the MSM panned both movies, and now that they control everything, it probably will never materialize.
But then again, none of our conservative sites may be active by 2016.
Happy Birthday to the Marine Corps. God bless them & America.
@ SJ By the way maybe I ought to change my name for this blog, Twitter, etc. I don't know if this is America any longer.
@Velcro- I noticed the same thing.
@SeaDog52- I wish the Marines had gotten a more deserving Commander in Chief for their birthday, but they have much to celebrate anyway (and we have much to thank them for).
@Coon Tasty- Good thing you're a furriner, because saying "nappy haired" will soon be outlawed here in the Formerly United States.
@Anonymous- I normally won't criticize anyone based on their outward appearance, but if they're also ugly inside I've been known to waive the rule.
@Pete D- Maybe it IS time to read "Rules for Radicals." Clearly, Alinsky was on to something. I don't believe the election process by itself is going to work anymore - the nature of the electorate and our culture has changed too much.
@John the Econ- I'd say that if her pay was based on merit, she should still get less...except Holder is such a disaster that he should be paying us for his job.
And I suppose I do need to reset or pull the Hope n' Change countdown clock. Damn it.
@Coon Tasty- Instead of making Puerto Rico a state, why don't we send them Joe Biden and declare him to be their new king? Win-win!
@Colby- There are a lot of rats who sound like they're leaving the ship, even if it's not sinking at anywhere near the speed we'd wished. Hillary is said to be eager to exit, and Geithner needs more time to try to work on his taxes.
I think your analogy about Barry surrounding himself with even less able people is exactly right. The only way for Barry to be the smartest man in the room is to make sure that everyone else is a complete idiot.
And frankly, Napolitano scares me more than Holder. I think her loyalties are entirely with Barry instead of the Constitution.
@abbeyroadwalker- I'm not sure what the future holds for Hope n' Change yet, but I personally expect to keep making mischief in some form or another until we can throw off our shackles (hat tip to Uncle Joe Biden) and sing "Free At Last."
@Pete D. Guess we were typing around the same time. The Fountainhead was also good. I think the reason Ayn Rand's books aren't as widely read by many Americans is because she's an athiest. That's too bad.
Pete (Dretroit)Rules for Radicals was recommended reading for teachers nation-wide in July 2010 by the National Ed. Assoc. The comment by Obama to have an "army of teachers" needs to be taken literally.
@SusieBee- Yeah, I think Hillary "Benghazi Was Her Fault" Clinton has had enough of Barry. It's time for her to retire to a gingerbread house in the deep woods and eat lost children.
And personally, I think I'm going to see if there's a Cliff's Notes version of Atlas Shrugged available. I'm a slow reader (1024 pages in a week? I don't think so) and, currently, a grumpy one.
@Pete D- How I'd love to see Holder tried in Mexico. And how I'd love to hear what he says at his trial...
Regarding Janet, who no doubt uses OUR tax money to pay people to read these words (hi guys!), I don't think she's as much of a screw-up as Holder, but I think she has no problem using power to enforce her view of how things should be. She's clearly and repeatedly expressed the opinion that folks like those on this blog are a potentially serious threat to America. That's scary.
@Irene Peduto- I haven't listened to a word out of B. Hussein's mouth since the election. I'll read the news, but I won't subject myself to that.
And like you, I don't think this is the America I knew and loved. Is it New America, American't, or the United Slaves of America? If we need to change our names to protect our privacy and safety, then the nation should change its name, too.
Irene - that's interesting info. (army of teachers)
And, for the record, Pete D *is* Pete(Detroit) - my home computer remembers the long version, work one does not, so I'm Pete D when posting from work.
No big, just thought to make clear that either name works for both of us. (tho it can certainly help track which post you're replying ((-'pb )
Well, if posting using one's real name is going to get me in trouble, I'm in trouble. On the other hand, I like the idea that my initials are the same as John Hancock's, who did write big so the King would not need his spectacles. Though putting all the revolutionaries in jail always gave them better access to each other than they ever had on the outside.
As for which lackluster putz gets in the next cabinet, as the usual 2nd term revolving door starts -- I'm against anyone he proposes. Hell, I'm usually against the very existence of the department itself, right down to the paperclips.
Meanwhile, watch for the exiting secretaries to all of a sudden be health care advisors, lobbyists and TV hosts, and green energy entrepreneurs -- for these are now the "rain makers" -- these are now the money folks for the poor shlubs who couldn't get appointed. Ah, the revolving door of politics -- why do I keep thinking of a certain scene in the Godfather movie involving a revolving door?
Thanks folks. Those sound like amazing reads. It’s so sad to witness those prophecies coming true right before our very eyes. What a visionary she was. The USA is still a great country with a few good years left, but I fear that our slide into deep seated socialism, majority dependency, economic collapse, and finally complete anarchy is inevitable and unavoidable. At 53, I may not live to see it, but my nieces and nephews sure will. You see it everywhere in society now. Masses of lazy, helpless, and apathetic people who have no concept whatsoever of actually working to earn a living, doing right by each other, handling their own needs and problems by themselves, or contributing to the common good of America. Those ideas are totally unknown to them. All the traditional virtues we grew up with are simply passing out of existence as the dependent welfare class cannibalizes America year by awful year. Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, it’s across the board. They now exist firmly in the majority as we’ve just tragically witnessed, and their numbers are growing by the tens of thousands monthly. And with the coming amnesty, the balance will never again be in our favor.
There will come a day when the majority of welfare recipients will DEMAND that cash & food and other supplies be carried right to their living room couch because they’ll say it’s too much work to walk down the street to a bank or a grocery store. And the nanny state bureaucrats will raise taxes and do it for them without question. Within 5 to 10 years, we’re going to see Spanish language road signs on most of the Interstate highways right alongside the English signs.
Not a pretty picture Ayn Rand, but you sure were a visionary.
I noticed that immediately one of the most blatantly liberal MSM comment boards began actively censoring anything negative about hussien obama (intentionally not capitalized) as racist, while at the same time allowing the most vile written words about anyone conservative and their comments. The comments didn't even have to contain one single word about race, they just had to be moderately critical of his policies. In another four years this country should be neck deep in Orwellian laws. Thank you to H&C. I hope we all can weather the storm that is now upon us.
@Pete D- I'm sure that Big Sis has all of your aliases on record (wry grin).
@Jim Hlavac- Very clever; make them think your name is Jim Hlavac when it's really Horatio Applebaum.
And you're right that a lot of the people leaving the administration are now going to be going where the money is (because they sent it there along with a note saying "keep this warm for me").
@abbeyroadwalker- Try as I might, I couldn't find anything to disagree with about your vision of America's future. It's not so much the Democrats that brought this nation down (although they were instrumental) as the Demographics.
@Anonymous- Yes, criticism of Barack Hussein Obama is unacceptable racism by definition, because all black people are perfect unless they're conservative - in which case they're "house niggers" in the odious words of The Left. And anyone who doesn't think Janet Napolitano couldn't sink her teeth into prosecuting "thought crimes against the state" (like criticizing Barry) hasn't been paying close attention. If you thought kiddy-diddling in airports was bad, wait until you see it at police checkpoints on our city streets.
I read Atlas Shrugged when I was in my early twenties. I was a typical liberal who thought the following: 1) in two generations enough blacks and whites would have married each other and racism would be over. 2) Federal funding for Head Start and Sesame Street would ensure that within five years all children would arrive at kindergarten knowing their ABC's, able to count to a hundred, and probably reading. 3) War would be a thing of the past because all we needed to do was love each other. I remember starting the book angry at capitalists and people who were so unfeeling. I finished the book a changed person. Not completely. I spent the next decades watching government "do gooding" completely ruin the black family and with time grew to understand the importance of trying to figure out the "unintended consequences" of government policy. Now I'm going to reread Atlas Shrugged (forty years later) and figure out how to, in the words of this truely evil president, get some "revenge." I will stay within the law, but I'm ready to fight to save this once great country.
Stilt, that's part of the reason my FBook no longer has the pic of me and the Niece...
@Stilton, et.al.: Atlas Shrugged, great book, but do not attempt to read the paperback version, you will go blind. Haven't looked yet as to whether it is on Nook/Kindle where you can control the font. Yes it is long, and it takes a little to 'get' her writing style, but still worth it.
Another series which is very good is Joel Rosenburg's The Ezekiel Option. Based on the prophecies of Ezekiel, it is frighteningly getting very, very close to the real events of the world. Series starts with The Ezekiel Option and continues to the current The Tehran Initiative .
For those who are curious, Alinsky's Rules For Radicals (Short Version):
RULE 1: “Power is not only what you have, but what the enemy thinks you have.” Power is derived from 2 main sources – money and people. “Have-Nots” must build power from flesh and blood.
RULE 2: “Never go outside the expertise of your people.” It results in confusion, fear and retreat. Feeling secure adds to the backbone of anyone.
RULE 3: “Whenever possible, go outside the expertise of the enemy.” Look for ways to increase insecurity, anxiety and uncertainty.
RULE 4: “Make the enemy live up to its own book of rules.” If the rule is that every letter gets a reply, send 30,000 letters. You can kill them with this because no one can possibly obey all of their own rules.
RULE 5: “Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon.” There is no defense. It’s irrational. It’s infuriating. It also works as a key pressure point to force the enemy into concessions.
RULE 6: “A good tactic is one your people enjoy.” They’ll keep doing it without urging and come back to do more. They’re doing their thing, and will even suggest better ones.
RULE 7: “A tactic that drags on too long becomes a drag.” Don’t become old news.
RULE 8: “Keep the pressure on. Never let up.” Keep trying new things to keep the opposition off balance. As the opposition masters one approach, hit them from the flank with something new.
RULE 9: “The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself.” Imagination and ego can dream up many more consequences than any activist.
RULE 10: “If you push a negative hard enough, it will push through and become a positive.” Violence from the other side can win the public to your side because the public sympathizes with the underdog.
RULE 11: “The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative.” Never let the enemy score points because you’re caught without a solution to the problem.
RULE 12: “Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.” Cut off the support network and isolate the target from sympathy. Go after people and not institutions; people hurt faster than institutions.
The other Napolitano (Andrew) would have been a MUCH better choice, but in this administration would have no chance in hell of getting the job. He still believes in things like an individual's rights and freedoms.
@Earl,
The thing to do is just "go Galt". The Demo_Rat establishment can't do anything if they don't have your tax dollars to give to the moochers. What are they going to do-"require" you to keep working? They don't "require" the moochers to work, so how can they "require" anyone else to work? And it's perfectly legal. Just tough to do...but a resourceful person can do it. The more makers quit working and feeding the moochers, the quicker the system collapses and the quicker we'll be free of the moochers.
Secretary of State.... Colin (I've decided loving my country is overrated) Powell.
Everybody should read "Atlas" but Ayn Rand blathers worse than any author I have ever read. this book could have been 2/3 as long and still gotten the point across. I was forwarned about the John Galt speech toward the end of the book, and pretty much skipped all 87 pages of it! And SeaDog is right about the paperback. I had never seen a size .0005 font before.
Rush was speculating about the new Secretary of Business. He was suggesting that BO would be offering that to Romney. Huh?
Oh, and to @Irene Peduto, Ayn Rand saw 2012 coming SIXTY years ago! Why did so few others see it?
I also skipped most of Galt's speech. When he said all the same things the second time, I just jumped ahead. That left about 60 pages unread. In a paperback. I have to say, though, that I was hooked by the book from the first line: "Who is John Galt?"
SeaDog, You are so right about Joel Rosenberg's novels, including 'The Ezekiel Option', which I have read and most of his other books. Rosenberg was a high-level advisor and a knowlegable, committed Christian speaker on the subject mainly of Israel and its part in God's dealings with us here above ground. In it, you notice, is an abundance of biblical scripture, because he really is a missionary with literature and one can learn a great deal about the Creator of the universe by reading his stuff.
Since Ayn Rand's 'Atlas Shrugged' seems to be somewhat of a topic today...I have never commented on it, but have read it, and as I did so, even though the story was full of individual freedom thought, limited government, etc, I dug into her background, would like to share it with anyone interested...as put forth by Grace University(a christian college), a short excerpt of their perspective on Ayn Rand...
Rand was demonstrably anti-Christian. As an atheist, she wanted to be known as “the greatest enemy of religion.” The idea of God was “degrading to man,” she maintained. And because there is no God, humans have absolutely no ethical obligation to other human beings. She once said that the world was “perishing from an orgy of self-sacrifice.” For her the trinity was “I me mine.” She exalted the idolatry of “self and selfishness,” an abhorrent proposition that is in fact the very “antithesis of biblical Christianity.”
Those in the Republican Party especially that exalt the ideas of Ayn Rand should be ashamed of themselves. Those in the Tea Party movement who hold up signs, “Who is John Galt?,” are promoting a worldview that is actually farther from biblical Christianity than Karl Marx’s utopian vision. The name of Ayn Rand and Jesus Christ should never be used in the same sentence together. Ayn Rand does not offer a vision of what America could become. She offers a recipe for the collapse of our way of life and our values. Conservative Christians should stay as far away from Ayn Rand as possible. She and her worldview have nothing to offer.
I hope christians who come here are aware now that although her writings hold for freedom lovers a hope for the future, it probably is a false one. Just a good story.
P.S....Rosenberg's books, on the other hand do,as you say, afford a look into the future according to Biblical prophesy regarding Israel.Things are falling into place, and Obama has only a bit part in the drama. We havent seen anything yet.
Did you catch the President today? Less than 50% of the country votes for him and he considers it a mandate to tax rich people?
This is democracy folks; The 47%-ers voting to tax 2%.
15, no, 10 years ago if I had suggests a President would say such a thing, people would have considered me nuts.
@Anonymous, it's true that Ayn Rand was an atheist and nobody will detect any "Christian compassion" in her writing. However, she would also never have countenanced the rise of any of the Christian tyrants (Torquemada, anyone?). If everyone would just mind his own business, there would be no tyrants Christian , Muslim, Barack Hussein, or otherwise.
No, you're not nuts. San Fransiscans however...
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/11/09/gender-bender-spenders-san-francisco-to-foot-bill-for-sex-changes/
@abbeyroadwalker, when people have easy access to other people's money, all manners of silliness become possible.
@Anonymous - It is important to understand that Ayn Rand was atheist, but you do not have to espouse atheism to appreciate the message of Atlas Shrugged. Coming from communist Russia, she saw seeds of socialism being sown that Americans, still enveloped in post - WW II prosperity, failed to appreciate. At the time it was published, few could see its relevancy. Now it is frighteningly prophetic. As a Christian, I don't accept everything she wrote as gospel, but can appreciate what she was trying to warn us about.
@Earl- Your youthful politics sound like my own: based on stereotypes, naivete, and a certain smug confidence that previous generations just didn't see the obvious answers to the world's problems (hugs and flowers!). In other words, I was a complete idiot.
Atlas Shrugged seems to do a good job of making the point that nobody is owed anything, and if the government doesn't let the productive class do their thing (accumulating wealth as a byproduct) that the whole house of cards will fall down.
And maybe it needs to. We might have better luck rebuilding this nation after a collapse.
@Pete D- I guaran-darn-tee you that the gummint has indexed every photo on Facebook, and probably run them through their facial recognition software so they can start making connections between people in group shots. And I'm not kidding in the least.
@SeaDog52- I've got to admit that Alinsky's Rules seem pretty powerful - and it's time for us to embrace them. (By the way, I just printed out your summary for future use...)
@Christopher Ross- The DOJ has nothing to do with actual justice anymore. It's simply an army of lawyers who use (or distort) laws as weapons.
@JustaJeepGuy- I've nearly gone Galt already, but as the government starves they will go where the money is: individual retirement accounts. Long before the first moocher goes hungry, I expect retirement accounts to be seized and nationalized. Maybe it's time to get some brochures from those Cayman Island banks we've heard so much about...
@JustaJeepGuy- Maybe the book's length kept people from reading it. It's hard to imagine most people reading (or understanding) anything longer than a tweet these days.
@Anonymous- On the campaign trail, various reporters tried to nail Paul Ryan on the subject of Atlas Shrugged and Ayn Rand. Ryan was quick to point out that he supported many of the ideas in her books, but disagreed entirely with her personal philosophies regarding religion and our obligations to others.
@John the Econ- There was no mandate, but the Will of the Obama voters was certainly clear: give us free stuff, no matter who you have to steal it from.
@JustaJeepGuy- "If everyone would just mind their own business" will, sadly, never happen.
@abbeyroadwalker- San Francisco is a funny sort of place, isn't it?
@John the Econ- Your statement resonates with a theory I've held about movies for a long time: many big budget films suck eggs, and a significant number of low budget films are quite good. The reason? The producers with very low budgets needed to use creativity to tell their stories, and find affordable ways to get around unaffordable problems. On the big budget productions, everything is affordable - so nothing is really scrutinized to see if there's a better, more creative way of making the same story point. And the same thing is true of Big Government: when you can afford everything, then why judge anything?
@SusieBee- Well put!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARINES
SEMPER FI
@Stilton, that is a brilliant observation. I never considered it in relation to movies, but you are quite right.
Highly limited resources forces people to develop creative and ingenious solutions to problems, whereas managers with unlimited resources only feel as though they have to throw money at any problem, and their only job is to decide who to throw the money at. It's even more egregious when it's OPM. (Other people's money) Congress is a perfect example.
I've always observed that the most efficient government agencies were the ones who thought they were the least well funded.
I recall a discussion I had with some students in "social work" I had when I was in school. Of course, they argued that those in their chosen career were vastly underpaid. (Duh, outside of Hollywood, who doesn't think that???) I asked why they chose that profession, and, of course, it was because they cared about society and "wanted to do good". Fine and well. I then quizzed them as to what their profession might be like if all social workers were paid like NBA stars. How many people would then be in the profession just "to do good"? Would these be the people you'd want meddling in other people's lives?
You could hear the crickets chirping in a place that didn't have any.
@REM1875- I saluted the Marines' birthday over on Facebook today. I only wish we'd been able to gift them with a more deserving CinC for the occasion.
@John the Econ- I've spent much of my life in the entertainment industry, and have seen for myself the damage that unlimited budgets can do. When there's no need to make choices, there's certainly no reason to think that your first (and only) choice is the best choice. And as you say, when it's OPM the whole equation is squared.
I really like your question to the social work students - and I think it's easy to see the reality of the situation you describe every time we run into a petty bureaucratic dictator at the IRS, the DMV, or other governmental agencies. They treat us like crap, because they only took the job for the money and benefits.
By the way, this could all lead into an interesting discussion of Festinger's theory of Cognitive Dissonance and how the amount people are paid for a job affects how they see its worth (oddly, the low paid people tend to suggest that there are other intangible benefits, rather than admit they're just in a crap job).
"... or my name isn't Stilton Jarlsberg."
That is why I like your stuff, Stilt. It's wrapped in subtle insanity!!
;-)
Waxing eloquence by the Cultured Curd, as it were.
You had better watch out for the mic in the toilet bowl, my friend. Many secrets leak twixt the roar of the flapping cheek.
The Doktor- Glad you liked the absurdist remark. It was making a point in a meta sort of way as the kids like to say.
And while I'm not paranoid or self-important enough to think I'm being monitored in my own home, I know perfectly well that the technology exists these days to listen through computer microphones, cellphones (activated without ringing while in your pocket) and other mischief.
But if they DO start listening, I'll try to give them a good show in the bathroom: "Duet for Angry Birds and Wind Instrument."
I thanked my former Marine (is there such a thing as former for a Marine) for his service to our country in Viet Nam.
@Earl - I was a lib in 1978 when I read Atlas Shrugged the 1st time.
@SeaDog52 - many things for the abridged version of Rules... I copied & pasted it - will forward to my email "Patriot" group. Many thanks.
@Colby re: Rush' comment that Obama could hire Romney for Sec. of Business - Really? Never happen - the country would turn around - that is not his real agenda!
@ Anonymous re: Ayn Rand's position re: religion - of course she was a devout athiest - that's why her book hasn't gained traction - but still there is John Galt.
@SusieBee - I agree re: Atlas Shrugged.
@ SJ - Thanks - for everything you do for all of us.
I know I'm waaaaay late to this party, but if anyone else comes by I'd like to mention 'Anthem' by Ayn Rand as a good and very short read. It doesn't get into the rest of her politics as much, but it does point out the problems with the sacrifice of self to the collective.
It is also a must-read IMHO if you are much of a Rush fan, as it forms the basis for side 1 of the 2112 album. (Yes, I originally bought it brand-spanking new on one of those big plastic discs that you had to turn over halfway through...)
"Atlas Shrugged" IS available on Kindle, but is poorly formatted. For some reason, every word containing "ay" appears with the A capitalized. Thus: dAy, stAy, WAyne-Falkland Hotel, etc.
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