Sunday, May 27, 2012

Random Thoughts and WTFs

Why is that when you have those plastic containers and you need one you can never find the lids to the bottoms when you need them.  Yet when you buy all new ones and declare that you will throw out the lidless containers.  They suddenly all have lids.......

Why is it that when I am given the opportunity to comment on a religious blog, I read the blog and have no idea what they are talking about.......

Why is it that the older I get the less I feel that I am getting older yet my body tells me differently......

Why is it that when I have a family member that is upper in age pass away, we are not as sad and say they had a long life......

When does it become a long life vs. a short life?  Or medium life for that matter.

When do we reach the point where we are satisfied to die having lived a "long life"?...




Friday, May 25, 2012

The Illusion of Choice.

That's a great title.  However I can not take full credit for coming up with it.  Below is the link to the image that I want to talk about.  The title of the image is.... you guessed it ..... "The Illusion of Choice"

I highly suggest that you view the image that is linked above.  There is some great statistics that will probably scare you.  Here is a short version:

Media has never been more consolidated.  6 media giants now control a staggering 90% of what we read, watch, or listen to.


232 Media executives control the information diet of 277 million Americans.


The Big Six control 70% of your cable.


Everywhere else in the United States, 80% of Stations' play-lists match
"Mrs. Robinson" has aired 6 million times
That's 32 years of Back-to-Back Non-stop play

So are we really just a bunch of sheep herded into a make believe world of product ads, Political messages and misdirected religious beliefs?

Kinda reminds me of the movie "The Matrix"  When Neo visits the Oracle for the first time:


Spoon boy: Do not try and bend the spoon. That's impossible. Instead... only try to realize the truth.
Neo: What truth?
Spoon boy: There is no spoon.
Neo: There is no spoon?
Spoon boy: Then you'll see, that it is not the spoon that bends, it is only yourself.

Big media has been feeding us a line of shit. We need to realize the truth and say no more.  But enough of my rant I leave you with one more quote from "The Matrix".

Morpheus and Neo are fighting in a training program:


Morpheus: How did I beat you?
Neo: You... you're too fast.
Morpheus: Do you believe that my being stronger or faster has anything to do with my muscles in this place? Do you think that's air you're breathing now?


People..... Do you think that is air you are breathing right now?

If you think I am off base or crazy here is another article written for my technology blog that shows a different point of view.  Big Brother is watching.

Sunday, May 13, 2012

The Day I learned that I knew absolutely nothing

That day is August 2, 2007

The day that my mother passed away after a long fight with cancer.  I remember that day very clearly.  I remember the doctor telling my Dad, my two sisters and I that there was nothing more that could be done.  I remember my mind going numb during the conversation.  I remember wanting to grab Mom and running out of that hospital.  I remember getting weak in the knees.  I remember time speeding forward. 

At that moment I changed.  We said our goodbyes, and as time sped by I remember glancing out the window of the hospital room and watching the traffic whiz by.  It was a hot sunny day.  And I was thinking "How can they just pass by oblivious to what is going on in this room?".

The day of the funeral, I remember my Dad saying to me, "We all say things to our parents that we wish we could take back.  I know that I did."  Wow, I think my dad might be the smartest guy I have ever known.  He nailed it right on the head.  I didn't realize it at the time or I guess I didn't really think about it.  But it is absolutely true.  I said things to my mom that I wish that I could just take back.  Here is one of those things:

"I never had a birthday party when I was a kid"

I would say this during visits and on the phone just to get a rise out of her.  I hereby declare that I am a BIG DUMBASS!  I have admitted this before.  I always speak before I think.  My mom would tell me all the time,"Think before you speak".  I can close my eyes and see her quite clearly saying it.

You know Mom, on the day of the funeral I was all prepared to give a nice eulogy.  I got up to the front of the room behind the podium, I adjusted the microphone.  And.......I froze, suddenly I couldn't bring to mind one single thing good or bad to say.  Hell, I thought about it all the night before.  I had things to say.  But at that exact moment I had nothing to say.  All the years growing up and learning to be an adult blurting out anything that came to my mind.  And...... I had absolutely nothing to say.

Well, here is what I would like to say:

The day I flew to Texas on a one way ticket because you called me and asked me come home now. Dad came out of surgery and you felt that I needed to be there.  You were upset with me during that time.  I think for some stupid thing that I blurted out on the phone to you.  (Was I a BIG DUMBASS or what?)  We were standing in the kitchen and I said to you that I was sorry and apologized for my stupidity.  And as you hugged me you said that its ok that it doesn't matter.  I remember telling you that you could call me anytime for any reason and I would be there to help.

When I want to think about you all I have to do is look into the eyes of my kids.  Lets face it Tiffany has the same head strong attitude you had.  I can look in the mirror and even though I look like dad, my ideas, and attitudes are all influenced by you.  You taught me how to stand up for my self and not take crap from anyone.  You taught me that when you mess with one family member you mess with all of us.

Quotes that I remember from my mom as I was growing up:

"Get up.  Are you going to sleep all day"
"Get a job. You aren't going to lay around here all summer."
"When are you moving out?"

She had a way of motivating me the way only a mother can do.  Thanks mom, I think you would be proud of how I have been doing.  Yes I am trying to think before I speak.  And I am sure that over the next few years I will have more 'AHA' moments where your wisdom will suddenly become apparent to me.

Rest in Peace Mom - I got this.  But then you knew that already didn't you.

Patricia Jean Johnson


 







Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Fight for your right to ......... to vote?

As with all elections there comes the final results.  Congrats to the winners.  The unofficial results have been posted.  Here is the link:

http://electionsncc.delaware.gov/Appoquinimink/2012/ap_mbr12.shtml#results

There was a lot of banter about the various issues and did the right person win.... yet to be seen.  But I think the real tragedy here is not who won or lost this election.  The real thing that needs to be brought into focus is the lack of turnout.  Note that there are 375,519 registered voters in New Castle County.  Granted some of these voters may not be located in the Appoquinimink school District.  So lets do some simple math.  I will say that we can safely say that if there only half this number able to vote for the School board that leaves a total of 187,759 voters.

Reading the results of this election shows that 1,294 people cast a vote for school board members.  This is only 0.689 % of voters that showed up.  Ladies and Gentlemen, voting in a free election is a privileged freedom.  When we do not exercise our freedoms, we will one day wake up and wonder what happened to free speech and open free elections.

So when you wonder how certain politicians get elected that have no clue and are following their own agendas it is........

BECAUSE DUMBASS, YOU DIDN'T VOTE!