Hey! It's been awhile since I've posted here. Yeah. I know. I'm going to make some lame-ass excuse as to why I haven't kept it up, but really, I can't. It's been almost a month and yeah, I've had a few occasions where I could have posted something. But I didn't.
It's been an interesting last couple of weeks. Nothing incredibly special has been going on, but we've (me and TLB) been busy. Work is taking increasingly larger chunks of my time and when I'm not working, the OnlineSportsGuys site has been taking the remaining time.
Sure, we've done some fun stuff over the last few weeks. We went to an event called "The Rusty Ball" a couple of weeks ago. It was a lot of fun. The event is a charity fundraiser put on by a local party band that does '80's cover songs, their name--The Rusty Griswolds. They are pretty good and really popular here. Picture a 500 or so 30-50 year old people with some money, partying in a ballroom at the local convention center. It was goofy as hell, but we had fun.
The Rusty Griswold's
Back to my days off. Monday's have become some work because of the OSG site. I do a radio drop for my friend Gil Tyree (former Sports Director when I was in ATL). Gil does a radio show on VoiceAmericaSports.com on Monday's from 1-2pm. Generally, I try and post as many stories as I can on Monday's so we have stuff to talk about on the show. It's been a lot of fun, Gil and I can talk sports til the cows come home and it's a great promotional opportunity for the Online Sports Guys.
Thanksgiving has come and gone, the weather has gotten colder and it already feels a lot like winter. No, I'm not going to say Christmas, because I'm really not incredibly excited about Christmas this year. This year I'm working and we are a long, long way from family. I've worked the day a few times in the past, but the family was in the same town at the time, so it wasn't a problem to get home. Michelle and I will have fun and make the best out of it, because that's what we do, but it won't be the same. Really, the only thing keeping me from going crazy about it is that if I have to spend a holiday with one person in the world, that one person is already here and we'll be together.
Work has been pretty decent, I'm always busy there. I'm still learning a new job. Well, actually a couple of new jobs. I still have some work to do as a News Writer, but I've gotten better at it. My stuff has been solid, the details have been much better. I just need to get a little more creative. As for the Assignment Desk, that's been a fairly easy transition. There hasn't been a big learning curve, I've gotten much better on keeping up with things. The Web Producer on the weekends part has been tough. Mostly because I have to do it along with the desk and it just physically isn't always possible.
Daisy the Wonder Dog/courtesy-Me
There isn't much else to talk about at the moment. The Wonder Dog is getting really old. She's changed a bit. Her behavior is borderline strange at times. She just kind of lies around during the day, and at night...doesn't leave me alone. She gets into stuff for no apparent reason and is constantly hungry. She's 13 now and physically is in good shape, mentally, not so much.
That's about all I've got at the moment. I'll try and get better about this. Admittedly, it's tough when you spend your whole day at work on the computer to come home and get on the computer. But TLB is out of town and there isn't anything worth a crap on TV, so tonight, I'll crank out a blog. Just to catch up.
Enjoy your appropriate music, in this case, Holiday Road by Lindsay Buckingham, the theme to National Lampoon's Vacation--co-starring--Rusty Griswold:
Before you ask. I don't like any politicians. Republican, Democrat, Tea Party, Green Party, write-in, alien party...none of them. They are all--or at least the people who orchestrate their campaigns are all evil. They are. Think about it.
Sure, back in the 1900's politicians meant something. It was an honorable calling. It was a way to make a difference and help others. Now, it's about one thing. Money.
The basis of our political system is a "Two-Party" system. However, somewhere along the way, the Republican party became the party of narcissism and the Democrats became the party of passive aggressiveness. And I'll say it again. They lie. All of them.
Name me one politician who got someone fired from a job. Yet all we hear is (fill-in the blank....let 5 zillion jobs leave or city-state-or country). No, there is not a single politician who has done that unless they own a particular business that picked up and moved and fired everyone. Though I guess some of them--no--all of them are culpable for a corrupt financial system. But its always the opponent who did it, not the guy who's ad we are watching.
Really, I shouldn't complain too much about political ads, I mean hey, there has been over $4 Billion spent on political ads this year. For my business, that's great money. However, its all dirty. It comes from groups with agendas. And those agendas are not what is best for everyone, its what is best for them. Why not put the $4 billion towards something that would help solve our problems, not add to them?
Heck, I don't personally know many actual politicians, I don't hang out with them. Maybe they are good people to have a beer with, but I don't think so. Maybe all the evil horrible things they are saying about each other are true. Though if they are, we all went to hell several years ago.
Really, the problem is more special interest groups. But that's who runs the government these days anyway. Tell me one politician who doesn't make a decision if they like the special interest involved and I'll call bullshit. There no longer are any. Lobbyists control politicians. They didn't always, they do now. If they need something beneficial to them that screws the common folk, you can bet the politician will do what the lobbyist asks.
Things are done politically and that odd place called Washington D.C for one reason and one reason only. Greed. If being a politician wasn't profitable, why would so many rich people want to do it? Poor and what's left of the middle class can't afford to do it. So rich people do. There are many more high paying jobs than that of a politician, look it up. But yet people who make more money as a working professional, give it up to be a politician. Doesn't that strike anyone as odd?
Another politician/Courtesy: preservingmarriage.blogspot.com
I've seen and met a lot of politicians in my career. I can count on one hand the ones that came across as a real person. They live in alternate universe's and do things that most of us never will be able to. They walk around rooms and shake people's hands. But they don't get dirty. The don't change a tire. They don't pick crops. They don't fix appliances. They get wined and dined by lobbyists, while the rest of you struggle to afford dinner out once a week.
Does anyone really think that a politician is going to walk into Congress/Senate/Governors office etc.and they are going to make an instant impact? No. There are too many other politicians involved in the process of running government with too many different agendas. Some will say no, no matter what the opposing party says. Some will say no unless they get a payoff for saying yes. None are doing it in your best interest.
Think about it. Are any of these clowns going to reduce unemployment? No. As much as it sucks, most of the jobs lost in the past few years aren't coming back. They aren't. Really. They aren't.
Over the past 20-years, our "Hero's" the politicians have allowed corporations to do whatever they please. They please to make lots and lots of money...for the CEO. If it means laying off 100 people, making the other worker bees work more so the profit margin will improve for the CEO to get his $50-million bonus...then so be it. And once those jobs leave and the company realizes they can get the work done with less people and make the same amount of money. That's it. They aren't hiring any more.
Will things improve and get better? I don't know. Probably. Eventually, but not in the next two years. It ain't going to happen. Two years ago, a whole new wave of politicians got voted in. They've tried to do things differently to try and jump start a now flawed system. It hasn't worked.
Now we are about to go back in time. We've forgotten who and why the problems were created in the first place. No, nobody wants to actually do anything to fix the problems. Because politicians (ALL OF THEM) aren't affected by it. No, its those of us who work for a living. Those of us who hope to make enough money to take a vacation someplace....or buy a car. Politicians, much like athletes and movie stars who don't need it, don't buy cars, they are given cars to use.
If it sounds like I am being Mr. Narcissism or Mr. Negative, I'm not. I'm being Mr. Realist. It amazes me how some of my friends seem to think that if I or someone else likes one party over the other that we are stupid. Hardly.
Winning a political race is about who screams the loudest. It's not about who's right or who has the best plan. It's who calls the other the worst name. It's about who can cast the opponent in the most evil light. Somewhere along the way the civility of debate, the agreeing to disagree, the idea of doing what's best for those who can't help themselves got lost.
I wish I could motivate myself to go out and "Cast a Vote" that my one "Vote" will make a difference. It won't. Yeah, I said it. It doesn't matter what I think. It doesn't matter what's best for me. And that is disappointing. I really want to elect someone to office that will make a difference. I want to vote for someone who is truly in office for the "Right" reasons. But I honestly don't believe that person exists anymore.
On that note, here is the most relevant thought in my rant. Enjoy your Thompson Twins....it is accurate...and should be about these guys. Thanks YouTube:
