#a good economy should not fucking HAVE poverty. do you understand me. am i making FUCKING sense.

[luesmainblog]

if food insecurity doesn't indicate a bad economy to you, i question your definition of a bad economy.

“people only *think* the economy is bad because of rising grocery costs!” okay but that’s called food insecurity, and I cannot overstate how big of a deal that is. food prices are, historically speaking, the number one thing that people have rioted about.

[jamiebongwater]

The Front

I am a working-class punk. I have been working as a cook for the last four years, trying to build skills that will enable me to move anywhere in the world and ply my trade while funding my other endeavors.

When I was a kid I was almost pressured into becoming a scientist; at the very least, with my high test scores it was assumed that I would readily enter the information economy as a high achiever. When people asked me what I wanted to be when I grow up, I would always think about where my talents might have the most impact. I had immense compassion and love for the human race, and I thought that using my analytical abilities in the field of chemistry or physics to solve the problems of humanity would be my calling. Then I got to high school and started reading Chomsky, Taibbi, Eric Schlosser, Freakonomics, books by the Crimethinc. Collective, and the list goes on. When learning about the world I would try to answer questions that had been troubling me privately about apparent contradictions in society. Why do people fall victim to drug abuse despite being informed of the dangers? Why is poverty still rampant in the wealthiest society in human history? Why do people spend their whole lives doing things that they hate and that they know are doing no good for the world? Why do some people hate sexual minorities even though they obviously pose no danger? I learned that all these questions have very reasonable academic answers, and that the reason these answers are not widely known is that their concealment perpetuates a cyclical game of human dominance. I didn’t want to believe it was possible that the most esteemed people in our society would betray the public service for a motive as vulgar as money or power, but I slowly came to understand that almost all human behavior can be understood as power struggle and that the people who are currently dominant always have an incentive to deceive, to misinform, and to manipulate to maintain their dominance.

“The Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies the anti-war left and black people. You understand what I’m saying? We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or black – but getting the public to associate hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities, we could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about drugs? Of course we did.” - John Erlichman, Assistant to the President for Domestic Affairs under Nixon

Drugs are not bad, consciousness alteration is a natural impulse. It is the responsibility of the culture to educate people about drugs and to guide people into safe, productive lives. The reason that we have failed is that the culture was hijacked by big business in order to wage a war for social control that has killed millions of Americans. Rather than setting and achieving meaningful public health goals, the Federal Government concerned itself with heavy-handed enforcement of prohibition laws in order to jail political opponents. Now our entire society buys into a false narrative. Poverty still exists in the U.S. because setting a living wage, nationalizing healthcare, or subsidizing housing would necessarily impact the profits of major political donors. Social responsibility requires everybody to contribute proportionally. If you’re somebody who is bribing politicians, you don’t care about anything but money. You will pay as little as possible, and if that means convincing voters that socialism is impossible or that nationalized healthcare is the devil, then that’s a worthwhile investment. People waste their lives because the work that is being given to us is garbage; the owning class, the people who determine what work is to be done, don’t care about the planet, or about creativity, or about egalitarianism... they care about their bottom line, which means turning your life into a computer program. People get angry about sexual minorities because they are being pitted against each other; if you get people riled up about the culture war and convince them that they are being threatened by things they don’t understand, they will be too distracted to notice that their lives are being turned into a computer program.

I had always been angry that the people around me seemed so uncurious and complacent in the face of a material existence that was strikingly banal; their empty lives were cause for outrage, we should all be unified in struggle and we should know the cause and goal of our struggle. Instead what I heard was, “Sell out. Find something to do where somebody will pay you a lot of money and you can have an easy life.” This statement is the end of life on Earth. I refused to be a part of this horror, this extinction of all that is good. We are a post-scarcity civilization; we can pull more than enough shit out of the ground to feed and clothe everybody. It’s time that, as a society, we seriously asked ourselves “What now?” The problems facing us are not scientific, we know what things we have to do as a species and we’re not doing those things because of petty dominance and political games. The challenge of our times is getting humanity on the same page.

I knew that the purpose and direction of my work would be more important than what I went to school for. We don’t need to create more mechanization for the ruling class to use against us, we need to fight back. We don’t need to fill more mindless jobs, we need to rethink what our jobs are, who fills them, and how they pay. We need to determine who we are as a species and defend our dignity. We need to recapture life for the 21st Century. We need to decide how to spend our time on Earth; we need to have the freedom to develop new culture that will keep us safe and loved in a changing and uncertain world. We need to use our political will, as a class, to demand our governments set meaningful standards of social responsibility so that our civilization can be sustainable. These aren’t goals we can accomplish through corporate jobs. These are things you have to do yourself. It’s hard work and it’s challenging because there’s no map; no generation has had to do this before. It’s almost impossible to know what line of work to get into, what to go to school for, or even what city to live in when your only goal is fixing a world that is completely fucked. But I know I’m not living my life to make money for people who only want to keep my brothers and sisters down. I’m living to move humanity forward. The next frontier is cultural; standing at the frontlines of human history is more rewarding than any check you will ever cash.

[dearmrsbitch]

December 27, 2019 - Boomers Need a History lesson apparently.

Dear Moneyist,

I very much enjoy your column, and you are much kinder than I am. It may be my age, but my parents weren’t expected to pay for college when I came of age. I am, yes, a baby boomer. From reading your column it seems like lots of people of varying ages seem to believe that they have rights to an inheritance, often by virtue of being a DNA relative and, sometimes, by virtue of a marriage.

I disagree with this assumption. Please educate me. Are my somewhat scornful reactions a reflection of my own age or ignorance? Or can I or anyone else write a will leaving their estate to whomever they like — say a charity, or the kid next door, or their nurse — instead of their kids and spouse? What is the law and etiquette regarding wills and inheritance?

Disgruntled Boomer

Dear Dumbass Boomer,

Your age group seems just hell bent on fucking everything up, taking no responsibility and then crying about everyone else who is younger or older.  Boomers historically have had everything the easiest.  You had the best college costs, cheapest houses, best economies, cheapest goods, most available jobs, etc.

I know you all hate younger people, but maybe you should remember who fucking raised us.  I am one of the oldest millennial, I am in my mid-30′s. My groups voting block hasn’t had half the time you’ve had to fix stuff, and yet you keeping fucking up. 

I mean, I didn’t see you out there, voting to keep the housing market stable, keeping rents locked in, or hey, even emailing your fucking alma maters to keep tuition at an affordable level.  When all of you defaulted on your loans to become doctors and lawyers, that was when they made those laws that you couldn’t include student loans in bankruptcy.  (I know because my mother was involved in that decision and it pisses me off) That was your generation - not fucking us.  No, instead you bought up stuff, jacked up rents to fill your coffers, allowed tuition to climb by HUNDREDS of percentages, and level a scorched earth approach to education and healthcare that have made the US the laughing stock of the world in those regards.  I have friends who have been living overseas for years because they can’t pay their student loans with all the jobs you allowed to be shipped overseas for cheap slave labor, and yet you complain that your kids want you to help? You selfish ignorant fool.  If you don’t the like you’re living in, you built it!

Entitlement culture...  do you not understand history?  Throughout history, even the entire concept of modern marriage, was dedicated to passing wealth and property down through family lines.  Men literally created the institution of marriage to keep women pumping out their blood kids so they could give things to them.  You are living in a world of entitlement, it’s why white men have all the money and power and women only make 77 on the dollar and black families are kept in cycles of poverty because all their years of slavery and discrimination haven’t given them generational wealth to pass down.  You are the beneficiary of centuries - CENTURIES - of entitlement, and just because you work some office job you don’t really love that pays you more than you are probably worth - doesn’t mean you aren’t getting more than any other generation in history.  You can admit it.  I admit that if myself and a black woman are at the same job, with all the same factors, that I have more just given to me that she does, and that is not my fault, but it is my job to notice it and take steps.

And here you write in to this column, whining and crying about other boomers, those are who those letters are from, btw, that they can’t rip off their spouse’s children of their inheritance as the third spouse, or that they are upset that they “didn’t get enough.”  The kids?  Us kids?  As you would probably say I am, we’re not hoping for inheritance because like, bro, I totes want new airpods!  I am hoping for for the money to pay off student loans, maybe get a house, maybe save for retirement. 

If you have a completely and totally undeserving piece of shit kid or spouse, only then it is okay to just fuck off what you have to someone who doesn’t play into your family. But if you have a shit spouse, then get a divorce.  If you have a bad kid, then you raised them.  We didn’t invent and give ourselves those little participation medals you loathe so much - I mean, we weren’t living out our fantasies through our kids by substituting proper parenting with mindless awards while letting the world the kids were growing into go to shit while wasting money on a “man cave” and a time share in Orlando.

Charity is one thing, and that does not included political causes, btw.  A deserving person is one thing.  But to write your family out of your will because you “dislike this inheritance culture” thing is simply a manifestation of your own ignorance and complete lack of mind and heart.  Your kid is not going to look back on your, still paying off student loans in their 50′s, after you’ve given your money to “Trump’s Let’s Build the Wall of Racism that the next Democrat will tear down,”  and say, “He was a good man.” 

Let’s use an analogy you’ve certainly said, “You’re teaching your kid to fish.”

Well that’s great, except now he has to get a loan that will take at least ten years to pay off to buy the fishing rod.  Then when he gets to the stream, if he can even catch a fish, it’s small, and instead of eating it, he has to sell it to rent a shack to live in just so he can survive to catch another fish to maybe, someday, make a profit.  And an industrial plant has moved in upstream and they’ve lobbied the local government to allow dumping waste in the stream, and the lobby money went to the politician that you voted for because they talked about “America First!”.  Now he’s simply got to pack up and moved before the fish die and he starves, but where is that money going to come from?  Either the money to move or just the money to get a new job? 

Teaching someone to fish does DICK when the stream is empty and they don’t have a fishing rod.

Boomers are and have been the problem for decades, with their blindness and consumption of resources.  The best thing you can do at this point is at least leave your money and resources to people who need it when you die instead of throwing it at randomness to “make a point.” 

History will not remember you fondly anyway, because we get to write it, and we are fucking pissed.

Mrs. Bitch

[luked4nuke]

If, I were President of the United States. (I just wanna state I’m not a democrat or republican)

First I’d enforce Quarantine and extend it. I’d also attend the poorest families or individuals first and provide them with the financial assistance they need. People are struggling hard enough as it is living paycheck to paycheck.

Second I’d shut down the schools as I believe safty more important especially for the future kids who will rule this place. I also don’t like how schools give so much homework and stress. They just condition kids into beleiving working 40 hours a week is normal and that you should be lucky to have weekends. Staying in classes all day then returning home only to be forced to complete more homework that takes up time and robs them of social interactions. These schools don’t even test knowledge. They test obedience and reward them for being quiet little slaves that will slowly become a “regular worker.” They really don’t care about how smart you are, they test memory over all else, when they study a subject and pass the test they move on quickly to the next one stressing them out. If they failed the test, to bad they’re still moving on with you. (Sorry this got way of topic. I just hate how schools operate and also how low they pay the teachers)

Third I would dismantle the police force and create a new one. A better one that focuses on real problems like sex trafficking and drugs. All the horrible crimes that are allowed to fly under the radar. Any excessive use of force would be heavily punished. Fired, fined and jail time. No shooting at peaceful protesters, seriously dafaq is wrong with them unleashing hell upon unarmed civilians and sneaking in rioters to escalate it to justify the force.

Fourth, gold is a finite resource. Pretty much all the money you’ve ever spent is fake, all digital backed by nothing. Personally I hate it but you’ve all becomes achstomed to it so I would attempt to fix the economy so people can afford essential things, like homes and food. Instead of kicking out homeless people Id build shelters. They make it to easy to fall down into poverty and nearly impossible to climb back up. Once you’ve been arrested, once you’ve been homeless, you understand the struggle of trying to reintergrate with society. The easiest path become the dark one. I would attempt to control the population, America is a gigantic habitat and likewise it has a carrying capacity. If you’re gonna argue people have to pay unreasonable amounts of money for food you’re crazy.

Immigrants are definitely allowed as long as they follow the rules and don’t commit crimes. America was litterally founded on immigrants. American stole land from the natives violently and even managed to capture Hawaii, which was its own nation. They taxed us and recognized us as a small power. Iolani Palace has electricity flush toilets and even phones before the White House did. Queen Lili’uokalani signed in duress. It horrible and sheforfeited her whole kingdom in exchange for the people, as a leader should. The people make a country, the government already should put the people first. Without all the hardworking Americans working, there is no country.

We don’t serve the government. As a government worker we serve the people. It’s our duty to ensure everybody is treated fairly. To make sure everybody that we oversee has the essentials for life, a home and food.

And for LGBT rights. I personally don’t care what the heck they do. Love is love, let it be. They can chose to identify as whoever they want and pursue relationships with whoever. You can’t force things onto people. America is supposed to be freedom personified, we can chose to do as we please as long as we don’t bring harm to others. Those camps are wrong. America is also religion free, you can be whatever you want, Christian Muslim, litterally anything. Being a satanist is totally legal as long as you don’t hurt anything. Believe in what you want and don’t force it on others. Gay people are amazing! We all are, were all human and we can change and create change. We are all human at the core and we always have been. We have a right to love, and to be loved by all around us. Love is love, let it be, theres always been love. I can identify as a man or woman, and I can damn well love either as I please as long it’s reciprocated. I’d always rather say I love you too much then not enough.

Climate change is real. The pollution of those stupidly large companies is also VERY real. As an individual you contribute less than a percent of the actual pollution, it’s literally the big corporations. That needs to stop. I’m not exactly sure how but I AM GOING to start a wave of change that will benefit the worlds health. We all live here. This is not political, I don’t have time for games, scientists that have studied their whole lives are begging for us to change. We can all have solar electricity farms and then it’d be FREE. “But you can’t charge people for that you can’t make money.” I’m NOT TRYING TO MAKE MONEY I DO NOT CARE ANOUT MONEY. IM AIMING FOR SOMETHING BIGGER THAN GREED THE BETTERMENT OF HUMANITY. I don’t care about ruining electric companies and other random fossil fuels bullshits that will run out, I want the future to be bright!

Screw it im going off the rails, schools main courses should focus on stuff like self sustainment, like farming and wilderness survival. Creativity because that’s the most human thing about us! Empathy basic Psychology. Kids can get mad they should learn and understand why. Understand why they feel the feelings they feel and giving them all better emotional control. EMPATHY. They need to learn things like taxes since they’re such a big part. Also why the heck are taxes so complicated. It’s just targeting the illiterate foreigners and immigrants who struggle and try to understand it and I believe that’s horrible. Make it easier to become apart of America the land of freedom and the getaway from the crueler areas of earth. Maybe just limit the population. Also seriously fuck off with taxes! Why the hell are you charging and taxing 14 year olds that aren’t allowed to vote, thats taxation without representation.

Taxes should be like Mario kart and Ancient Greece. Quote from some thing I googled

“The philosopher Aristotle developed the theme. His "magnificent man" gave vast sums to the community. But poor men could never be "magnificent" because they did not have the financial means. True wealth consists in doing good, Aristotle argued in the Art of Rhetoric: in handing out money and gifts, and helping others to maintain an existence.

The idea is simple the higher up you are on the financial ladder the more you have to pay taxes and contribute to society. The large taxes from the rich help fund financial aid for the poor and stuff. The rich did not earn that money they climbed to top on top a mountain of millions of shortcuts and underpaid workers It should be an honor to be taxed and help the poor people survive. Like in Mario kart, the higher you’re placed the harder it is to maintain it and the last place people always get the better power ups giving them a constant fighting chance. At most I believe wealth should be hoarded to sustain like one generation of kids, two at the most. Maybe three but theres no reason anybody should have all that money that your never going to spend or all that money that becomes worthless once a war or breaks out or aliens attack or something. Life is more important than money. Something simple everyone should consider.

I think everybody should be able to pursue a career and each career should be sustainable. Enjoyment in a job of your choosing without worrying about financial burden. Jobs would be divided into smaller simple groups and the pay would based on their contribution to society. Like doctors getting paid more and getting teachers paid more, but small retailers wouldn’t get paid as much but they could survive not living paycheck to paycheck. The motivation is everybody should free to pursue the hobby they love without being punished. Maybe little Timmy doesn’t want to be a firefighter, maybe he desires a simple fun life selling flowers. That’s fine! Maybe they don’t wanna become the hero but it’ll be an honor to society. As long as you have a job that contributes to society you can live for free. If everybody is constantly trying to make the most profit, then we all become a bucket of crabs dragging each other down. I can’t sell my $10 good that costed me $2 to make. Also the whole buy back thing irritates me, I spent $60 on this goddamn game and GameStop can only give me like $10 in store credit or $5 in real life? That’s isn’t fair and that applies to pretty much everything. That’s $1000 phone you bought is barley worth $357 right now. I’m pretty sure it didn’t cost that much to make these things but like DAMN. Capitalism sucks.

In summary, I don’t know much about politics but I would be the human party. I don’t care about left or right. I’m the one that doesn’t care about money. I care more about life and creativity. Peoples right to enjoyment and living a happy life with others regardless of gender. Survival of the human race and advancement into the future where more things are free and we can constantly focus on creating an even BETTER one. We can’t go anywhere without each other especially if we’re all just a bucket of crabs. To greedy and self destructive constantly looking out only for themselves. Seriously get your act together humans before you kickstart your own downfall. If we’re all trying to make a profit, nobody does. The best things in life are free. You can pursue wealth for your future or you can focus and live and enjoy and love the now. Mario kart style, where all in this race for life and we all deserve a winning chance.

[eldritchsurveys]

794🎂

Did the best moment of your life happen at summer camp? >> You ever get to that point where you just resign yourself to taking surveys you’ve already taken? Because I’m pretty sure I’ve taken 75% of the surveys I run into but it’s not like there’s a great influx of new surveys to take, so what’s a motherfucker to do but just make repeat performances... Anyway, some really great moments have happened to me at summer camp; I’m pretty nostalgic about the camps I’ve gone to at Easton Mountain. They were great experiences, even with the bullshit that sometimes happened.

Do you get tired of fakebook? lol >> I’m just tired of facebook in general -- how ubiquitous it is, how much data it collects and what it does with said data, everything about Mark Zuckerberg, etc. How random people behave on facebook is of much less concern to me than the above.

Are you a poser on facebook or are you real? >> I don’t really use facebook. I have one for the purposes of establishing lines of contact, and that’s it.

Are you a people pleaser? >> I wouldn’t say that.

Do you get irritated a lot? >> Not a lot, no. Irritation is a pretty obvious red flag for me -- if I feel irritated it’s probably because I’ve let some important need of mine go unfulfilled, like hunger or sleep or emotional processing. Or I’ve fallen into a depressive episode.

What's something you've realized about yourself lately? >> Eh, nothing really stands out as particularly revelatory.

Do you know a lot of idiots? >> I don’t know any idiots.

Do you want a puppy or a kitty? >> No.

Do you hate that some people are stuck-up? >> No, because that’s not really been my experience with people.

Would you rather be poor and humble or rich and snooty? >> See, the thing about this is... I’ve only been poor. And for one, I don’t think being poor means I’m automatically humble, I think it means that I have to look at life and at other people in a different way than I would if I wasn’t in this position. It means I have to acknowledge my socioeconomic dependence, which means treating people like objects or means to an end is significantly more disadvantageous to me than it would be to a rich person. It means I have to budget my indulgences, and can’t just be capricious and lavish with my spending, and I can’t just throw money at a problem to make it go away. I don’t know what it would be like to be rich -- I don’t know how having those advantages would change me as a person, and I don’t know what unseen disadvantages would arise. I know who I am now, and despite the hardships of being below the poverty line as an individual (and only a little less so as a member of a household), I more-or-less like how I am. I see no reason to complicate things.

Do you know any humble rich people? >> I don’t know any actually rich people at all. I know upper middle class folks because Sparrow is related to them, but while they do seem to lack class consciousness a lot of the time, they still mostly live in a reality I can halfway comprehend.

Do you hate the millennial stereotype? >> Not really. It doesn’t affect me. But I don’t encourage people to spout that nonsense, either.

Do you think everyone should have a right to live, and by that I mean live a comfortable life? >> The problem with this is that, as a human being who is invested in lessening suffering for all living creatures, I feel as though people should have this right. Unfortunately, as a human being who is equipped with the ability to think about things critically and logically, I think that it makes no practical sense. What I do think is that social systems can absolutely stand to be more supportive to all peoples, and we should absolutely work towards that. We should always seek ways to ease suffering. But we should also expect that even our striving has the possibility of creating suffering, and weigh that against the good we believe we’re doing. It’s just a constant process, I think. Trying to be more conscientious and more humane humans than the humans that came before us.

Does your religion or spirituality teach you to love your enemies? >> I don’t have any of those things.

Do you love your enemies? >> I don’t have any enemies, and I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t love them if I did. Otherwise, why would they be enemies in the first place then?

Do you struggle to love your enemies? >> ---

Are you bothered by things that have been done to you in the past? >> Yeah, that’s kind of what being post-traumatic is.

Do you hate bullying? >> I mean, I don’t think it’s great.

Do you get bullied frequently? >> No.

Do you often wish you could go to sleep and not wake up until something good happens? >> I’ve wished that before.

How many people do you know who are suicidal? >> I don’t know how many people I know are suicidal. I’m not really... keeping track, you dig. Also, not everyone who is suicidal talks about being suicidal.

Do you read advice columns? >> I read Ask Polly sometimes, I think she has a lot of thoughtful and compassionate and passionate things to say.

Have you ever used a dating site? >> Yeah.

Do you want a fairy godmother? >> No.

Do you enjoy watching talent shows? >> Not especially. America’s Got Talent has had a few episodes that interested me, but I don’t watch it regularly.

Which cartoon character would you want to play you in a movie? >> ---

What is something you do not understand? >> Oh, you know. Calculus and stuff.

Do you know anyone who is spoiled? >> I don’t think so.

Do you think cars are ugly? >> All cars??? Of course not. There are some styles that I do find unattractive, but there are also styles I find very attractive. ...This makes me sound like I’m attracted to cars. I will neither confirm nor deny that assessment. :p

What is your favorite musical? >> Phantom of the Opera.

Have you made a lot of huge mistakes? >> Oh, yeah, definitely.

Are you ok? >> I suppose you could say that.

Do you ever feel God's presence? >> Nope.

Do you believe in angels? >> I had an Inworlder when I was younger that I interpreted as angelic. There was also an angel I knew a few years ago, which was a complicated situation I’m not sure I’m equipped to explain right now. I miss Tobias, he wrote me such wonderful things... :’(

What is your favorite magazine? >> I don’t have one.

What color hair did your favorite Barbie doll have? >> ---

Who were you rooting for in the very first season of American Idol? >> ---

Do you believe in miracles? >> I don’t find the concept useful.

Have you ever been to a tea shop? >> I’ve been to Teavana.

If there were a tea shop in your city, would you go to it? >> Sure. I love tea.

Do you still have your Christmas decorations up? >> Nope.

How many pairs of jeggings do you own? >> Zero.

Do you have any memories that are painful? >> Of course.

Do you learn from your mistakes and move on, or do you do the same things over and over again? >> Sometimes the former, sometimes the latter.

Do you make a habit of taking risks and stepping outside of your comfort zone? >> No, I don’t make a habit of it. Then again, my comfort zone is really small. Like, really. So many activities involve me being outside my comfort zone by default, which means I have less mental energy for purposefully choosing to do things that are outside of my comfort zone. I think this kind of thing is more suited for people whose comfort zone is a lot larger than mine -- who don’t regard basic things like “using the phone” or “being in a crowd” as being outside of their comfort zone.

Is your life boring? >> It can be. But frankly, I prefer this to the alternative.

What is your favorite thing to follow on tumblr? >> I don’t know how to answer that.

What are your favorite Pinterest boards? >> I don’t use Pinterest.

Is your Pinterest profile cluttered? >> ---

Do you wish you owned more board games? >> No, I don’t play board games. Sparrow likes them, but we also have no one to play with. We have three board games and at least one of them is still in the packaging.

Do you wish you had visitors more often? >> Not at all. I’m perfectly happy not having other people milling around my apartment.

Do you hate the economy? >> No.

Do you hate our culture? >> No. These are way too vague to be answerable by me in any real capacity.

Do you live in the USA? >> Yes.

What accent do you like best? >> There is no accent I like best. I like most accents just because I love the many different ways people speak.

Is there a guy you wish you hadn't let slip away? >> No.

What are some things you would like to do this summer? >> Just... go somewhere. I would like to be able to go somewhere. That’s really it, the bar is so low these days.

What are some things you love about spring? >> I think I love everything about spring. The warmth, the increased sunshine, the way the air smells when it rains, the explosion of greenery and colour, the feeling of finally being able to breathe, the fact that the air doesn’t immediately suck all the moisture out of my skin...

Are you feeling optimistic today? >> No. Optimistic about what? Isn’t that something you feel about something specific, not just... randomly?

When was the last time you did something that made you feel stupid? >> I don’t remember.

Do you hate social classes and inequality? >> I mean, it’s not great to deal with.

Is they're anything that you're questioning if you're allergic to? >> No.

Do you believe everyone should be treated with respect when you first meet them? >> Sure. I at least try to treat people with basic respect until it becomes clear that they’re 100% not interested in giving the same in return.

Do you hate that nobody cares? >> Nobody cares about what?

What websites shut down that you miss? >> Xanga, certainly.

What were your favorite websites when you were a teenager? >> Xanga, various band websites, Chimerical Publications (an old David Duchovny fansite).

What was the best class you took in high school? >> ---

Are you happy? >> Mildly.

Would you ever enroll in a college class just for fun? >> I would if it were possible to do so. That always sounded like a fun thing to do -- just take a class to get all the lectures and materials, without having to take the tests and stuff.

Do you feel free to be yourself? >> Well, sure. It’d be real fucked up if I felt like I had to be a different person all the time.

Do you stand up for yourself when needed? >> Yes. Sometimes a little more than necessary, but I’m just so used to having to fight for my existence. Or at least feeling that way.

[no-nipplesonlybunnies]

This is a photo of Germans carrying a very large wheelbarrow full of cash during the period slightly before the second world war.

Between the first world war, the 1918-1919 Spanish Flu epidemic, and very poor management of the financial markets the crash of '29 destroyed the world economy. Millions were forced from their homes, millions around the world starved to death as the supply chain was so deeply disrupted that even the little food available was often rotting in the fields because the farmers could not get it to markets.

The early 1930's in the United States saw the dust bowl era and the Great Depression come together to cause poverty and starvation here in the most wealthy nation in the world. People left the midwestern farming states and went to California, Oregon, Washington, and even Alaska to start over and try to survive, some did well, most did not, many died in abject poverty.

Now for those few who have followed me over from my previous tumblr, m2gmt, you'll will be asking yourself "what does this have to do with bunnies and nipples, or the lack thereof? " and I'm going to answer that question now.

If you are a young girl reading this you don't have the understanding of just how bad the Great Depression was, your grandparents weren't alive then, very likely your great grandparents were not either, mine were, they went through it trying to raise a family. Thankfully they were farmers, able to feed their own families with the food the grew, the animals they raised, and they made it through with only minor suffering. Many were not so fortunate, many died who should have lived had it not been for the economic and social distress of the period.

Those of you under 25, my main target audience right now, have the idea that the government is your savior, and you are so wrong as to be ludicrous in your assumptions. Government cannot save you, the government has no money it did not forcibly take from those who earned it. I don't want to hear a fucking word about how "everyone has to pay their fair share" you haven't earned a fair share of my money, nor have I earned a fair share of yours, or more to the point the fair share is exactly ZERO! Almost none of you would steal from another person, you know it is wrong, and you are good girls and not thieves, hiring the government to do it for you is the same as stealing it yourself, but here comes the bigger issue. Soon, very soon, the way the state governors are shutting down the economy in order to "flatten the curve" is going to mean there will be no money for governments to steal and give to you. In fact with over 15% of the normal GDP for 2020 already having been spent on the stimulus and corruption package passed by congress, we are already fucked, and the longer the economy stays shut down, the worse this will be, and it is just a matter of time before the stock markets all crash and burn. Currently the only thing keeping that from happening is the United States president, Donald Trump, and the left is trying as hard as it can to remove him. We aren't going to argue politics either, I am older and far more intelligent than you, and I know exactly what I'm talking about.

I listened to my grandmother and great grandmother telling stories from the depression, and my uncles and great aunt as well. The stories were often sad, but humorous, and told of a time when people did whatever was needed in order to survive. The girls looked for a strong man, a man who was not polished and wealthy, those men had girls already, but who could keep them safe and feed them. Some girls turned tricks for food, fucking strangers for milk and bread so their brothers and sisters could eat. Mothers who had lost their husbands in the Great War, WWI, often got with men who had sex with them and their daughter in order to have a home and food. Things were done and winked at because the situation was just that bad.

Right now, today, some of you are worried about your next meal, and with good reason, because you aren't sure where it will come from, and rightfully so. Many of you are soon going to lose your housing, some may already have done so, and still more will be in the same situation in a matter of weeks, no one is exempt.

It is about to get really interesting, and most of you have no clue as to how bad it will be. The boys your age are utterly useless on the best of days, now they are an absolute liability to you. The skinny jeans, manbun soy boys are incapable of taking care of you, and even though you may think you can take care of yourself, you can't. You will need a very different sort of man.

Me, I've seen battle on four continents before I was 21, speak multiple languages, can repair a diesel engine, kill and butcher cattle and game, routinely catch crab and fish, and even without a single dollar I can take care of a girl if I choose to. I'm one of the absolute most violent and dangerous men you'll ever meet, and yet I'm polite, well educated, and well read. I'm not Rambo or James Bond, but I'm no soy boy, and I damned sure don't have a man bun, those boys are, justifiably, terrified of me and those like me, we are the apex predators of the world, no bunnies unless you are talking about this kind.

(Yeah, I like Catshit 1, sue me)

So, what is this post about?

It's about you girls making the choice to be with a man who, in exchange for your sexual slavery to him, will take care of you during the coming instability and economic disaster. If you want to know more send me a PM and we can chat.

[keldae]

This is one of the days when I don’t want to be a responsible grown-up. Right now I need a hug and a stiff drink and kitten pictures and real grown-ups telling me everything’s going to work out okay.

I don’t know how I got stuck in this.

(Whining of an adulting nature below the cut.)

So Bro1 had to move back into Chez Parents. Bro2 is living with Chez Parents for the moment. I live with Bro2′s fiancee across town, and they’re getting hitched in November. I don’t want to share this tiny apartment with a pair of newlyweds (and apparently Bro2′s fiancee is sick of living with me? idk, I’m going off of what Bro2 told Bro1 over text since she hasn’t said anything to me).

I got a text from Dad this morning going “Hey, Bro1 and I are going to go look at places in the city, want to come with?” He didn’t inform me until I was in the car and we were pulling up to the first place they’d researched via Google that they were looking at places to buy, not rent, with the intention that we live together.

I love my brothers and dad, really. And with the insistence on 2 bedrooms/2 bathrooms, at least Bro1 and I would be able to keep our distance from each other. But I was not ready to be told “oh, yeah, we’re looking into you two being first-time homebuyers!” Bro1 is the one who’s into business and stuff, and he and Dad are both going on about “building equity” and “investments” and shit, while I (who doesn’t understand ANY of that osik. I can and do read Shakespeare for fun, but equity? Financing? Anything big and important with numbers in it? I don’t get it. At all.) was planning on asking the local 501st if anyone knew of a cheap basement suite for rent in October/November. Hells, I’m pretty sure if I asked, someone in the northern contingent would let me crash up there if I got a job in Edmonton.

I’m hovering over the official provincial poverty line, but I’m way below what’s considered a “livable” wage in Calgary. Right now my rent is $600 CAD a month, with everything (utilities, WiFi, appliances, underground parking, etc) included. And I’m scrambling with THAT. I can’t go much higher on that, if at all. Between car payments, insurance, groceries, gas, and credit card payments, I’m struggling with my student loans, forget a MORTGAGE. This wasn’t something I was even planning on thinking about for another five years at the minimum. I wanted to be at least somewhat stable and not struggling with my living expenses before even thinking about buying a home. It almost feels like I’m being shoved into a marriage -- it’s supposed to be a sign of maturity, it’s scaring the shit out of me, and it’s almost as messy paperwork-wise to get out of.

And I would have, you know, liked to have been ASKED before getting dragged into this instead of Dad just assuming I’d be all for it, and being expected to go along with everything like a good daughter/sister. (Add in Bro1 bitching about the mere idea of my sewing stuff being in the main living area of any place... yeeesh. And it’s like he and Dad don’t understand that no, I can’t put my sewing desk AND my computer desk AND my bed AND my dresser into a bedroom smaller than my current room in this apartment. And no I don’t want to have my computer in the living room because goddammit I like to write and sometimes draw smut and I can’t DO THAT with my little brother, aka Judgey McJudgeypants, in the same room. And they go on like it’s my fault entirely that some of the places just don’t have an ideal space for my sewing shit, like I KNOW my hobby takes up a ton of room but if Bro1 was a little less anal because it’s not THAT big of an eyesore...)

It doesn’t sound like a big deal when I’ve written it out. But I’ve been having full-scale panic attacks in waves since Dad dropped me off at home, like the ugly-crying editions I haven’t had in years (it’s a good thing Roomie and Bro2 are in BC so I don’t have to explain shit to them). I’m scared and I don’t know how I can possibly accommodate this into my tight-as-fuck budget. I told Dad over text that I need time to think about it, and that my original plans had involved just finding a cheap basement in November, and he’s like “okay but your creative father just thought this would be a good way to help two of his kids get off the ground, and with the economy being shit and interest rates being what they are, now’s as good a time as any”. But he seemed a little startled when I said I was scrambling on $600 for rent as it is, so between that and seeing last year’s tax return, he should at least have an idea of how goddamned poor I am. Bro1, bless his asshole heart, is trying to go “but we can go in on some groceries and stuff, even though you’re on keto and I’m not, so that’ll save money right?” And he’s already talking about renovating the basement of one place we found to make space for a renter/extra income, and not hearing my alarm bells of “IT’S AT LEAST AN EXTRA TWENTY GRAND TO RENOVATE THE BASEMENT FOR A TENANT YOU TWIT”.

I don’t know, maybe I’m just overwhelmed with all of the things, especially with the last couple of places we looked at being “holy shit this isn’t a condo it’s too close to a full-size house TOO MUCH TOO MUCH ABORT ABORT ABORT”. I’m trying to be excited about the idea of being able to have my own place, and I know either way I’m gonna have to move before there’s a pair of newlyweds in this apartment, but fuck. I’m scared. This is a step I wasn’t planning on taking and I feel like I’m getting shoved off the diving board into the really deep end of the pool. Because if I fuck this up, there’s no real fallback option. And I don’t want to be tied down to one place/living with my brother for what could be 5+ years (and if Bro1 gets married? I’ll be out and renting again anyway. My demi/ace ass getting married? HA!). But if I try to just say “no, I don’t want to”, I’m pretty sure Dad will let me out, but I’ll get guilt-tripped for eternity for not going in on it.

I don’t know what to do.

[magesona]

YO EVERYONE HEY

BERNIE IS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT AGAIN

REPEAT - BERNIE SANDERS IS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT IN THE 2020 ELECTIONS

This is the turn of the era everyone, honest to everything holy and whatever you hold dear, i really truly believe this is our opportunity to fix the fucked up shit Trump has been doing, and to lead America and humanity into a more positive and progressive future! This isn’t a petition or asking for a donation (though it will ask after you sign, you don’t have to, but y'know it’d be helpful if you can afford it), Bernie just wants to know and be able to show we’ll all be with him during this campaign!

This is all it takes, for real just sign!! Sign if you’re with this wonderful sweet man who has been screwed by elite class countless times, he wants to and can do so much to help our people, but we have to work together on this!! Believe me, even if the system is corrupt, even if it may not work in the end, it’s worth a shot! I’d say it’s worth the biggest shot we have, don’t let pessimism hold us back! Things have changed over the past few years, we have more of an advantage now with people realizing just how wrong they were to trust the man we’ve put into power. It’s the only way we can fight him and the broken system, TOGETHER!!

https://act.berniesanders.com/signup/em_bern_message/

Below the cut, i’ve included the rest of Bernie’s email. It includes all the promises he’s making for us, explains what we’re up against, and why he thinks we have a chance this time. It’s astounding how many important topics he addresses, universe bless this precious man, please don’t let the system fail him again.

---

I am writing to let you know I have decided to run for president of the United States. I am asking you to join me today as part of an unprecedented and historic grassroots campaign that will begin with at least a million people from across the country.

Please join our campaign for president on day one and commit to doing what it takes to win this election.

Our campaign is not only about defeating Donald Trump, the most dangerous president in modern American history. It is not only about winning the Democratic nomination and the general election.

Our campaign is about transforming our country and creating a government based on the principles of economic, social, racial and environmental justice.

Our campaign is about taking on the powerful special interests that dominate our economic and political life. I’m talking about Wall Street, the health insurance companies, the drug companies, the fossil fuel industry, the military industrial complex, the private prison industry and the large multinational corporations that exert such an enormous influence over our lives.

Our campaign is about redoubling our efforts to end racism, sexism, homophobia, religious bigotry and all forms of discrimination.

Our campaign is about creating a vibrant democracy with the highest voter turnout of any major country while we end voter suppression, Citizens United and outrageous levels of gerrymandering.

Our campaign is about creating a government and economy that work for the many, not just the few. We are the wealthiest nation in the history of the world. We should not have grotesque levels of wealth inequality in which three billionaires own more wealth than the bottom half of the country.

We should not have 30 million Americans without any health insurance, even more who are underinsured and a nation in which life expectancy is actually in decline.

We should not have an economy in which tens of millions of workers earn starvation wages and half of older workers have no savings as they face retirement.

We should not have the highest rate of childhood poverty of almost any major country on Earth and a dysfunctional childcare system which is unfair to both working parents and their children.

We should not have a regressive tax system in which large, profitable corporations like Amazon pay nothing in federal income taxes.

Make no mistake about it. The powerful special interests in this country have unbelievable power and they want to maintain the status quo. They have unlimited amounts of money to spend on campaigns and lobbying and have huge influence over the media and political parties.

The only way we will win this election and create a government and economy that work for all is with a grassroots movement – the likes of which has never been seen in American history.

They may have the money and power. We have the people. That is why we need one million Americans who will commit themselves to this campaign.

Stand with me as we fight to win the Democratic nomination and the general election. Add your name to join this campaign and say you are willing to do the hard work necessary to transform our country.

You know as well as I do that we are living in a pivotal and dangerous moment in American history. We are running against a president who is a pathological liar, a fraud, a racist, a sexist, a xenophobe and someone who is undermining American democracy as he leads us in an authoritarian direction.

I’m running for president because, now more than ever, we need leadership that brings us together – not divides us up. Women and men, black, white, Latino, Native American, Asian American, gay and straight, young and old, native born and immigrant. Now is the time for us to stand together.

I’m running for president because we need leadership that will fight for working families and the shrinking middle class, not just the 1 percent. We need a president who understands that we can create millions of good-paying jobs, rebuild our crumbling infrastructure and construct the affordable housing we desperately need.

I’m running for president because we need trade policies that reflect the interests of workers and not multi-national corporations. We need to raise the minimum wage to a living wage, provide pay equity for women and guarantee all workers paid family and medical leave.

I’m running for president because we need to understand that artificial intelligence and robotics must benefit the needs of workers, not just corporate America and those who own that technology.

I’m running for president because a great nation is judged not by how many billionaires and nuclear weapons it has, but by how it treats the most vulnerable – the elderly, the children, our veterans, the sick and the poor.

I’m running for president because we need to make policy decisions based on science, not politics. We need a president who understands that climate change is real, is an existential threat to our country and the entire planet, and that we can generate massive job creation by transforming our energy system away from fossil fuels to energy efficiency and sustainable energy.

I’m running for president because the time is long overdue for the United States to join every other major country on Earth and guarantee health care to all people as a right, not a privilege, through a Medicare-for-all program.

I’m running for president because we need to take on the outrageous level of greed of the pharmaceutical industry and lower prescription drug prices in this country.

I’m running for president because we need to have the best educated workforce in the world. It is totally counterproductive for our future that millions of Americans are carrying outrageous levels of student debt, while many others cannot afford the high cost of higher education. That is why we need to make public colleges and universities tuition free and lower student debt.

I’m running for president because we must defend a woman’s right to control her own body against massive political attacks taking place at the local, state and federal level.

I’m running for president because we need real criminal justice reform. We need to invest in jobs and education for our kids, not more jails and incarceration. We need to end the destructive “war on drugs,” eliminate private prisons and cash bail and bring about major police department reform.

I’m running for president because we need to end the demonization of undocumented immigrants in this country and move to comprehensive immigration reform. We need to provide immediate legal status for the young people eligible for the DACA program and develop a humane policy for those at the border who seek asylum.

I’m running for president because we must end the epidemic of gun violence in this country. We need to take on the NRA, expand background checks, end the gun show loophole and ban the sale and distribution of assault weapons.

I’m running for president because we need a foreign policy which focuses on democracy, human rights, diplomacy and world peace. The United States must lead the world in improving international cooperation in the fight against climate change, militarism, authoritarianism and global wealth inequality.

That is why we need at least a million people to join our campaign and help lead the movement that can accomplish these goals. Add your name to say we’re in this together.

Needless to say, there is a lot of frightening and bad news in this world. Now, let me give you some very good news.

Three years ago, during our 2016 campaign, when we brought forth our progressive agenda we were told that our ideas were “radical” and “extreme.” We were told that Medicare for All, a $15 an hour minimum wage, free tuition at public colleges and universities, aggressively combating climate change, demanding that the wealthy start paying their fair share of taxes, were all concepts that the American people would never accept.

Well, three years have come and gone. And, as result of millions of Americans standing up and fighting back, all of these policies and more are now supported by a majority of Americans.

Together, you and I and our 2016 campaign began the political revolution. Now, it is time to complete that revolution and implement the vision that we fought for.

So here is my question for you:

Will you stand with me as part of a million person grassroots movement which can not only win the Democratic primary, not only win the general election, but most importantly help transform this country so that, finally, we have a government that works for all of us and not just the few? Add your name to say you will.

Together we can create a nation that leads the world in the struggle for peace and for economic, racial, social and environmental justice.

And together we can defeat Donald Trump and repair the damage he has done to our country.

Brothers and sisters, if we stand together, there is no limit to what we can accomplish.

I hope you will join me.

Thank you very much.

In solidarity,

Bernie Sanders

[lanznathanjohn]

A Savant’s Lament

      [prologue] A dead line drew near. I stayed late at night at one of those coffee shops right by the main road, cherishing the consumerist capitalist essence of overpriced coffee I, for the first time, paid for. —Before the last sip, I finalized everything, giving myself the illusion of accomplished work. Something I skillfully mastered throughout his secondary education years. There was no value of producing an honest //sincere output as long as the given output went according to the given standards. With nothing to write that inexplicably went against the purposeful expression and communication, everything there was to say was nothing but a vitriolic attempt to use prolific language addressing an achromatic dogma of artful expression since its meaning has been reduced to an esoteric virtue, a mere quest to an idiosyncratic form of communication that aims to bring the beholders to a certain state of fanciful impression.  ───

        I left the coffee shop satisfied at the amount of work I’ve done ─if there’s any, and at the length of time I spent inside the place, making the most out of the comfortable chairs and the aesthetically pleasing ambiance. Overstaying was the answer to overpriced coffee. I walked across an empty street. The gloom that enveloped the skies was disturbing, more so that the caffeine in my body triggered palpitations and anxiety. I fished deep in my pockets for quite some time until looking for something ─eventually I found it in the back pocket of my backpack. I grabbed the pack along with the wooden matches. There was only one stick left —the wish stick. With my hands shaking sweaty; I lit the red Marlboros and inhaled quite a drag. Almost instantly I felt the nicotine—pass through my lungs and onto my head. A flush of nausea// and lightheadedness immediately dimmed my vision. Caffeine /and nicotine surely isn’t a decent mix but along with it comes—a satisfying pleasurable type of pain. It wasn’t idealbut vices and virtues were the only things that kept me running and run I did. I looked for somewhere to stay. Everything is so dull. I called my conyo millennial manileno friends —what the hell are they so proud about they can’t even speak straight english they //talk like shit shit flowing out of their mouths vomiting words that has no meaning meaning nothing okay okay okay what the hell. Maybe I’m one of them or maybe not but at least I’m self—aware maybe that’s the difference the difference is that I’m self—aware i know I’m shit and I’m feeling like shit so even if I’m shit I’m not like shit shit. Some people are really shit like they swallowed a dictionary whole and they shit out the words out of their mouth nothing of meaning comes out nothing nothing—nothing really matters anymore anyway. They’re nowhere near. But I told them I need them and they’re coming //coming for me. I was thinking if I should call my other group of friends. The uncivilized illiterate bunch of retarded retards that has nothing to do other than have fun fun fun crazy crazy stuff but I can’t be with the same people all the time eventually you’ll run out of things to say and things to do so

       I’m here waiting working drinking smoking waiting waiting finally here they come here they come at long last I’m happy// I’m happy happy and excited and thrilled —I’ve been here for days years decades already coming walking nearer here they come here they come ohmygod dear lord —wait, shit what are you saying you can’t come I’ve been waiting oh whatever fuck off yeah sure it’s fine take care —no one’s going with me tonight then then whatever I have nowhere to go nothing to do no one to talk to. I’m just a caffeinated junkie with a superior intelligence quotient and an artistic head full of thoughts thoughts I can’t think straight anymore maybe another shot will help //gulp// oh what the hell am i saying speaking thinking its like im stupid dumb well shit im wasting everything wasting wasting my brain my brain cells my neurons my neurological capacity im not even here to enjoy no —what’s there to enjoy //partying isn’t my jam —jam //jam im just here because im sort of exploring human behavior sort of embarking on a mission to seek seek seek understanding about the reality of human society and the essence of chemically induced —yeah yeah yeah that sounds smart fuck yeah im back the smart ass is back im smart it does sound smart right right you know why? It’s cause I’m smart smart smart like really intelligent my iq is so high its like my iq smoked weed weed like really good shit weed that’s how high very high high—high //

       But im tired tired like really really tired not tired tired but bored exhausted tired of this and this and that and this again and again and again //nothing new just study work study work eat and eat wheres the adventure and satisfactionfeels like a distant memory—the only thing that can bring me closer is doing illegal underage shit //but law is just a social construct so is beauty and consumerism—and—capitalism and fucked up educational system and shit jobs poverty hunger dirt work work //do this and do that buy buy buy survive contribute to society and economy and money money money //is this what life is im pretty sure this isnt what life is supposed to be //suppose i stop giving a shit and drop dead //but no i want to live why would i want to die sometimes i dont //even i cant even understand myself i want to live but if i cant live id rather die instead that doesnt make any sense does it because i really hope i make sense it makes sense to me why cant it—make sense to other people i really try my best to make sense of everything and anything even if it doesnt make sense—but really //sometimes youre the one whos gotta //make sense of something —cause sometimes wherever or whoever the whatever it is that you need to make sense out of came// —from that someone or something //probably cant make sense out of it either isnt that poetic and abstract sometimes—some genius just flicks his—or—her his—or—her or—something—in—between paintbrush or splashes paint or throws in junk and junk and more junk and //i have absolutely no idea what im doing nor do they but its—up up up up! to you if you can make a meaning out of it and thats the meaning meaning it doesnt mean anything //unless you find meaning in it but this—whatever—this is whatever this is can you make—meaning out—of this// i—hope you do i really-want a high grade i deserve it i deserve it i deserve it i deserve i am i am worthy i am worth-something ─i am worth everything and—and everything because i am everything i can be anyone—anything in the// sunrise —sunrise-sun—rise if —if you want me to be //if you want me to be a sympathetic prophetic socratic junkie literary—genius //copyright-infringing plagiarizing—lover honest—student alcoholic-smoker chaste—ignorant literate political practical-devoted—christian atheist—//agnostic-deist and thats me-me—me—I—//am-am—I—am—every//everything—thing—im—anything—//and—I—can be anyone but -I’m -nothing but a-dead-//line-so-I-am-no-one-//no-one-one-one-one-two-three

       [Epilogue] I woke up. Scattered on the floor were empty beer bottles. On the table were some left overs and wet chips. On the ashtrays were half smoked cigarettes. I had no idea what happened. I remembered I had to go somewhere. I smelled like beer and piss and other types of liquids but it doesn’t matter. I needed to go somewhere because someone told me to go there. It was my duty as a member of society. And so as light at the end of the hallway slowly crept against the darkness the sun rose from the horizon and another day began, I walked. I still have a dead line to meet.

092316xxxx

[surveysonfleek]

535.

5000 Questions Survey Pt. 30

2801. The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind. But what was the question? idc. 2802. Suggest three new diary circles that you would find interesting: lol no thanks. 2803. Buttons or Knobs? knobs? idk what this is in reference to. 2804. What is a juggalo? those guys from insane clown posse, right? i could totally be wrong. 2805. Are you a fan of Crass? no.

2806. If you were going to write a short note to yourself and then put it away and read it in ten years, what would it say? i hope you ended up getting your shit together. 2807. When someone does something that is wrong do you believe that they know in their hearts that they are wrong but they push it down into their subconcious and rationalize away their guilt? yes and no. someone people genuinely don’t give a fuck. When have you done this (if you say never then you are doing it right now)? no. 2808. How can a person have sex with someone they don't love? they just... do? Have YOU ever? nope. 2809. What are the paradoxes in your head (that is when you believe two conflicting things to be true)? none. i do like reading up on paradoxes though. 2810. What does each set of two words suggest to you? pale gravity: no thanks. little mornings: spiritual machines: eccentric being: pray attention: yellow lectures: 2811. What movie would be AWESOME in 3D? tron was amazing in 3d, i actually felt sick afterwards lol. 2812. Why is it important to write and think clearly? just coz. 2813. A girl and her boyfriend are hanging out. It is obvious they are together. Another guy schmoozes between them and starts hitting on the girl. The boyfriend tells this guy to back off. The guy just keeps bothering the girl. Do you think the boyfriend would be justified in hitting this intrusive guy? i think the boyfriend should continue to use his words before getting violent. A girl and her boyfriend are hanging out. It is obvious they are together. Another GIRL(lesbian) schmoozes between them and starts hitting on the first girl. The boyfriend tells this girl to back off. The girl just keeps bothering the first girl. Do you think the boyfriend would be justified in hitting this intrusive girl? same answer as above ^ If you answered yes to one situation and no to the other one why the double standard? i had the same answer for both. 2814. What do you think of the name Prue? it reminds me of charmed. 2815. What would you spend your last dollar on? nothing, i’ll keep it. 2816. Have you ever won an ebay auction? yeah, i think i have. If yes for what? idk, this was years ago when ebay didn’t have a but it now option. 2817. Would you like it if Blockuster had a drivethrough?? blockbuster is dunzo. 2819. When was the last time you taught someone somthing and what was it? i was teaching my boyfriend how to milly rock hahaha. 2820. Why do adults and teens not understand each other? generation gaps. but i know of plenty of instances where they do understand each other. 2821. Are you afraid? no. 2822. Do you trust large drug corporations? it’s not something i’ve sat and thought about tbh. Do you trust the Food and Drug administration? idk. 2823. If a tree falls in the woods does it make a sound? yes. Do you define sound as sound waves or as the reaction between the soundwaves and your ears? sound waves.  2824. Who is full of shit? your mother. 2825. Four of the five senses are routed through a special area to the brain. One sense goes right to the brain and so is a powerful sense involved with memory and emotion. Which sense do you feel this is? smell? haha idk. 2826. Are you on a ship of fools or a carousel? carousel. 2827. What is your bathing suit like? it’s just plain black. 2828. Whose line is it, anyway? not mine. 2829. Are you more likely to answer a signed in note or a nsi note? idk what a nsi note is. 2830. To be or not to be. That is the question. What is the answer? i have no idea. 2831. Does beauty exist as a definable standard or is beauty in the eyes of the beholder? it’s definitely in the eye of the beholder. Why do you think it is that so many people have the same idea of who and what is beautiful? society’s standards. but not everyone follows it. Where do your standards for judging beauty come from? i’m not sure actually. i could think someone is gorgeous but my friend would think they’re ugly. idk. 2832. Would a war with Iraq help or harm american economy? lol. 2833. What is the first thing you would do if you saw a nuclear explosion in the distance? call my family and boyfriend and check the news. 2834. Would you like to be cryogenically frozen? nah. 2835. Think of the person you love the most. Would you be willing to murder a stranger in order to save that person's life? Why or why not? eh, not sure. i’d only 100% murder the stranger if they were the one endangering my loved one’s life. i’d have to think about it otherwise. 2836. Imagine no possetions. I wonder if you can? did you mean possessions? 2837. How messed up is: your hair? it’s quite neat actually. your room? yeah it’s a mess. your car? mess. your life? mess. 2838. What are you running out of? patience. 2839. What do you live for? myself. 2840. How did you decide it was worth living for? idk, just coz it’s my life. 2841. Do you consider some people to be too: traditional? conformist? avant-garde? smart? stuck up? modern? beautiful? ugly? obsessed? emotional? petty? sneaky? fat? thin? i know people that could cover all of these things. 2842. By what criteria do you judge others? generally in their behaviour. i have no time for rude people. 2843. Do you look at people's words and actions or the underlying reasons for those words and actions? both. 2844. Which would you rather collect: simpsons action figures? <---- this kiss gear? anything with a smiley? horror movies? 2845. Do you fight for your rights? not as much as i should. 2846. Would you rather be a construction worker or a crossing guard? crossing guard. 2847. What is enought o satisfy you in life? a well paying job that i can tolerate. 2848. Do you think you have more, less, or average life experiance for your age? i think i have a little more. 2849. Why go to college? if there’s a specific career path you want to follow that requires you to go to college, i think that’s a good enough excuse to go. Have you considered joining a cult instead? never. 2850. What's the last lie you told? someone asked me how i am and i said good lol. 2851. What celebrity has the sexiest voice of females? rihanna, i love her accent. males? drake has a really smooth speaking voice. 2852. You are having a party and can invite three celebrities of your choice. The WILL come. Who do you invite? rihanna, the weeknd andddd beyonce. 2853. Where did you come from? from my parents? Where are you now? in bed. Where are you going? nowhere. 2854. What would you imagine the playboy mansion is like? tbh it never looked that appealing during that reality show. it’s not something i’d be interested in seeing. 2855. Do you blow your nose loudly in public? only if i have to. 2856. Do you help others every day? i’d like to. 2857. Bono or Chris Tucker? neither. 2858. Is it lonely being alone in your head? sometimes i like being alone. 2859. What is the worst poverty you have ever seen? philippines. 2860. Has anyone ever told you that more than 2 billion people live on less than two dollars a day? no one has told me that. i wouldn’t be surprised if it’s gotten higher since this survey was made over 10 years ago. What do you think of that? it’s really sad. 2861. Add a sentance to the story: Once upon a time there was a man named Arthur and he was brushing his teeth when all of a sudden he saw a bright rainbow utside. So he goes out the back door to take a look and he finds an elf who says fuck you. 2862. Be honest.. do you generally listen or wait for your turn to talk? i usually wait unless i have a strong point to share. 2863. How many fingers do you type with? all of them i think. 2864. What does 'you think you know but you have no idea' mean? Where did it come from as a common phrase? my interpretation of it is like... you’re making a strong assumption without actually knowing or experiencing something. 2865. Do you think it's important to give up liberties in order to protect freedom? slightly contradictory but ok. 2866. Do you think George Bush was elected in a legal way? i don’t know much about american politics. 2867. Imagine you were dying of a disease...you only had a certain amount of time left with your mte, parents or children. What would you leave behind for them to remember you by? photos, videos, letters etc. How would you feel if there were drugs to help you live, only you couldn't afford them? i’d feel pretty helpless. How would you feel if people were trying to sell you the drugs at a lower cost but the drug companies made sure they couldn't because that would cut their profits? idk. This senario is going on Right Now.The country is Africa. The disease is aids. The drug is azp (and others). The people are Africans who are very poor and have aids. The large drug corporations won't sell the drugs at a price they can afford or allow smaller companies to either. Is this acceptable? no. What are you going to do about it? there’s not much i can do but research i guess. 2868. Would you ever BUY a new ring for your cell phone that plays a couple of notes of your favorite song? nah. 2869. What has completely moved you? life. 2870. If for your next birthday you had a novelty kids birthday party what games would you play at it? hide and seek, pinata, bullrush lol. 2871. How can you keep open toed sandles from rubbing against your toes and making them blistered and raw? wear different shoes. 2872. What happens to socks when they disappear in the drier? how the hell would i know. 2873. What is the quality of humanity all about? life lol. 2874. True or false - All homophobes are inherently evil.: false... some probably are, some are just not educated. 2875. Is there anything, besides love, that money can't buy? experience. eh, half true idk. 2876. How is your soul? still there. 2877. What are you committed to? these damn surveys lol. 2879. Are you photogenic? no. 2880. Can you define these words off the top of your head as if you were talking to someone who didn't know what they were? rain: cold: green: sand: eh, too tired to think. 2881. Why aren't you naked (or are you)? because i’m cold. 2882. Do you think anoyone is all good or all evil? possibly. 2883. Go outside a sec. how many animals are in your yard? lol hell no. Did you count yourself? why or why not? 2884. What household appliance drags you down? none. they’re all very useful. 2885. try this..write a list of six possibilities of things you could do after you are off the computer. Make sure that at lease ONE thing is something you would be unlikely to ever do. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. no. Now grab a dice (if you have none ask someone to pick a number between 1 and 6) and decide what you will do by flipping it. Then do it! 2886. Which of the following doesn't belong with the others and why? a. garden b. love c. magazine d. death idk 2887. How old are you? 26. What age do you feel mentally? 26. emotionaly? same. spiritualy? is there an age for spirituality? 2888. Who do you think is more wise: your mailman or a person who has been living on the streets for 12 years? it would just depends on the person. 2889. Do you kiss on the first date? i’m open to it. 2890. Would you ever want to be oon: a dating show(which)? no. a game show(which)? the amazing race. the news(why)? no, i don’t want any attention. 2891. How much money would it take to get you to: strip to nuthing but a bright orange thong (for guys, orange thongs an string bikini top for girls)and wrestle another person of the same sex in a thong in a pool of jello? 10k. participate in a contest where you drink alcohol as fast as you can until you puke? i’ll do it for like $100 lol. i’ll puke instantly. sit absolutely still for 2 hours, in nothing but a towel, covered in plaster of paris? $1000 maybe. Walk around at your school in bondage gear asking people to spank you on the ass with a huge dead octopus tenticle? i don’t go to school and that’s just creepy. pick your nose and eat it? $50 hahah. smash potatoes with your head? if it doesn’t hurt i’ll do it for a pretty low price. 2892. Who deserves an appology? my grandma. 2893. What wins the award as stupidst lyric you can think of? i feel like every artist has released a song with cringey lyrics. 2894. Where do you most like to be massaged? neck, back and feet. 2895. Is your face clear? no :( i got like two pimples after a night out. 2896. Finish this phrase in a humorous way.. Friends don't let friends... eat salad. 2897. What present would you bring to the birthday party of an aquaintance? i’d regift them something i already had. sorry lol. 2898. Is your game on? no. 2899. What would a song for the deaf be like? possibly feeling the bass. How about a painting for the blind? a visual description. 2900. What is a sure-fire way to get noticed? yeah, run around naked in public.

[politicsuncensored-blog1]

The Cross I Decided to Carry

by Cris Boneta

I grew up poor.

When I was a kid my Dad would work rotten teeth out of his mouth with pliers and razor blades. Sounds lame right?

Turns out you can get your teeth pulled at dental school for 30 bucks.

Believe it or not. Crazy shit like this is common among poor people.

You’re the sum of the 5 people you spend the most time with. And if most of the people you spend time with say that college is for white people and that the blacks have tails; well then shit man that’s the world you live in. And it’s not until you meet someone that challenges your perceptions do you begin to lift the veil.

My family has grown up and changed a lot. We’ve been through some shit. And looking at it now I can say we’ve been blessed. As a result, I understand the importance of giving back.

Shortly after joining Texas Victory Project I was asked: “why was I volunteering for Texas Victory Project and what was the issue I cared about the most”.

It’s very simple.

For me, Texas Victory Project represents the working class and everyday people whose voices are undermined and suppressed. Since the Southern Strategy and the birth and rise of “grassroots conservatism” the Koch brothers, Roger Stone, and the heads of the “New Right”, have poured billions of dollars into politics, mislead voters, and have increased the burden on working and middle-class families while cutting taxes to themselves and their corporate buddies.

Acting in the shadows;  they have taken over our universities under Austrian Economics and free-market principles, our media by calling conservative blogs Breitbart News & The Daily Wire, and good Republican politicians who have forgotten the lessons taught by Christ in the New Testament and now worship the pillars of Ayn Rand & ALEC.

There are more poor people now than there were 30 years ago.

We did bail out the big banks to preserve the global economy. It’s honestly kind of annoying. Around that same time, I was working 2 jobs. In the mornings I worked at a daycare and in the evenings as a busboy. It sucked. I was tired. My body hurt. I hated everyone. Of all ages. But honestly, I don’t remember complaining about having to be at work.

My parent’s divorced and their taxes with the other person’s name on it was kind of a lot for them. So without my parent’s returns, I couldn’t even finish a FAFSA application let alone apply for loans or scholarships. So I busted my ass and saved money for school. I weighed 115 on a fat day and at some point while I was lugging 50 lbs bus tubs up and down 3 flights of stairs I tripped off some steps and broke some bone in my foot. I didn’t say anything to my bosses because I didn’t want to look weak. Besides what difference did it make. I was always in pain. So I hobbled around for the next few months and I worked through it. Now I walk funny. I’m actually really pissed that I didn’t make an incident report.

Anyways. Point is I busted my ass.

And at 19 I really had no idea as to why the white people + 1 in D.C. bailed the banks out. Or even what that really meant. But I knew they got free money. I knew it was billions. And I knew I was jealous.

I mean there I was destroying my body for a paycheck. And then these guys were just getting free shit? “Whatever. Fuck politics.” End of story for me at the time. Swear to God. That’s all I really thought.

It wasn’t until way later that I learned we did that to keep the global economy afloat. Because here in the states we have that much money. That the whole world’s economy depends on the stability of ours. It was shitty. But Geithner and the gang had to make some tough calls.

A traditional free market approach as prescribed by the Michael Jackson of Right Wing Economics, Alan Greenspan would have called for the government to keep their hands out of the marketplace and just let the whole world plunge into fiscal darkness and let everyone work it out from the ground up. But even he later came forward and admitted that keeping marketplace unregulated was a mistake. Tee-hee.

Fast forward to today and we’re having the same conversations. And somehow either the republican party hasn’t learned or doesn’t want to learn.

Texas Victory Project's values and policy initiatives are strides in the right direction.

As a society we must place a higher emphasis on demanding fair wages, providing more loan relief for educators to attract top talent into public schools, and reforming the justice system ( where in 4 years The Texas Department of Criminal Justice spends more money keeping non-violent marijuana consuming citizens incarcerated at a cost that exceeds the price of a 4 year degree.)

I’ve just met too many bright people who've lost employment opportunities and hope for a brighter future over a dime bag.

Legalize it. Regulate it. Tax it. Get that money out of the hands of the cartels. And into the hands of our policy makers, our entrepreneurially spirited, and into the hands of the people.

Some would say that those who work in low wage positions deserve to be there. And that these low wages should be incentives for folks to seek workforce training and transition out of the jobs that pay them so little. Essentially these people are poor because they haven't put in the work to lift themselves out of the rut. But statements like these completely disregard the complex pervasive ways poverty has taken a toll on our vulnerable communities.

Honestly, it’s hard to find good people to lift us up.

Rather than empower their workforce, I’ve seen employers instill fear into their staff over the uncertainty of the job market. And then dressed their corporation up as a soothing house of stability and warmth. But wrapped up in the niceties was the well-known fact that the busy season was soon to end. And hours were going to be cut drastically.

When I think about all the hard workers I’ve met over the years that have been spit on by the same institutions they’ve kept afloat. When I think about all of the injustices going on in our country it makes me want to give up. Buy a plane ticket and leave.

Too many times I’ve seen wrongs gone on and held my tongue.

Too many times I’ve kept quiet while giants boomed loud overhead.

But Texas is my home. And these are my people. So no more running.

On the other end of the spectrum, liberal elites are not in tune to the growing pains of the working poor. They have neglected poor white voters and have placed their bets on identity politics and issues that don’t help our seniors pay for their medicine and rent, higher wages and loan forgiveness for our youth, and criminal justice reform that have disproportionately destroyed the lives of many poor and people of color.

Election after election hundreds of people donate their time and money to these campaigns & they keep on losing. This is why I’m taking action and ask you to do the same. We need to stop treating our voters like ex-boyfriends who only call after 3:00 AM while listening to Drake wanting to “chill”. We need to treat every voter, despite color, religion, and creed with respect and instead of “talking at them”, listen. Listen to their story, their struggle, and their reality. You can spend all the money you want in polling but no poll will tell you the Truth or allow you to build that human connection that is so needed in politics.

It’s time to act.

[cutegirlsaremyfavorite]

theres a lot of  people i know who think of me as a major downer and theyre right, i am. i know too many people who dislike me because im not a super happy or outgoing person. im not going to smile unless i have a reason to, and no, being forced into something like a group project and knowing that the people in my group are probably slackers is not a thing to smile about. in fact i have a underlying dislike for the majority of people so im not going to smile for the majority of people. and for the most part its not the normal anxiety or fear reason, or even the people are gross reason (although they contribute a little) to me its the way they think. the majority of people fail to have a sense of value, look into the future, or even consider the fact that other people are also people.

so many people out there fail to properly weigh the pros and cons of a decision, like those who refuse to take vaccines. their usual argument is that they never get sick or that vaccines have a potential to have negative effects. what they dont know is that vaccines arent only for them, it protects the people around them because they can still be carriers of a virus. also, the chance of a persons body rejecting the vaccine is something like 1 in a million, and the potential increase in risk of something like cancer is so minuscule compared to the chance off getting sick. theres no really good argument for refusing to get a vaccine.

i hate how people fail to consider the possibility that their every day actions contributes to their eventual doom. i dont care about them going out for the cause and making a difference that really doesnt make much of a difference. i just want people to look at the evidence and understand that theyre fucked. take global warming for example, it exists and human actions are a primary cause. it is almost difficult to find a scientist or professor without a conflict of interest that doesnt believe in climate change and the human impacts on it. most people know this one though. what about the economy? everyone has a pretty good idea of how money works, you pay for a good or service and you work for the currency that allows you to do that. however this is incredibly unstable. the seller of the good or service always charge more than what they paid for that good or service so they make a profit. as soon as someone makes a profit then people are bound to lose money and this distribution of wealth never rebounds and in fact usually widens which creates poverty until someone adds more money to the overall pool. this is incredible unsustainable and eventually everyone is bound to be fucked. especially with the rise of technology putting people out of jobs. its not the technologies fault though, we shouldnt reject it but we should change how we perceive money. but we all know nothing is going to change.

how people treat others, especially in america, baffles me. i dont like people but im not going to go out of my way to make life harder for others. in fact i will work to at least not be an asshole. lets take a group project for example and all the times that ive done far more than my fair share of work, if not, all of the work. people often tell me something like “this class doesnt matter to me” so they ddint do it. it doesnt matter if that person doesnt care about the class or the project, its a GROUP project, other people exist and they might care. but theyre too self centered to get the idea that it could matters to someone else through their thick ass skull. i try to not cause trouble for others because i understand that they have their own shit to deal with but the majority of people only think of their own priorities and their own stresses.

[shawnjacksonsbs]

Don't let your growth as a person be stunted, when you control the height of the bar you set.       5-19-19

"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals and you know it." - Kay from Men in Black played by Tommy Lee Jones You absolutely can, and when necessary you should, outgrow and pass right by people you used to strive to be like. Moral growth from generation to generation is based largely in part to the fact that society can find the flaws of the predecessors and try to correct them and to build on their positives to move forward. Just read a book, unless of course those a conspiracy too, (I have argued points with those who absolutely believe school lessons were fabricated to side with one side or the other, usually within our U.S. education, which is already lacking, some people believe its part of that "liberal agenda" lol). Its no wonder we lag so far behind so many other countries in this arena. It has been proven repeatedly throughout history with great strides progressing forward with equality as the end goal, that we were, in fact, moving forward at one, or rather, several points throughout time. Why are we slipping back??? " . . .there are some things you should know, and one of them is that there is absolutely no evidence to support the statement that we’re the greatest country in the world. We’re seventh in literacy, twenty-seventh in math, twenty-second in science, forty-ninth in life expectancy, 178th in infant mortality, third in median household income, number four in labor force, and number four in exports. We lead the world in only three categories: number of incarcerated citizens per capita, number of adults who believe angels are real, and defense spending, where we spend more than the next twenty-six countries combined, twenty-five of whom are allies… . . We sure used to be. We stood up for what was right! We fought for moral reasons, we passed and struck down laws for moral reasons. We waged wars on poverty, not poor people. We sacrificed, we cared about our neighbors, we put our money where our mouths were, and we never beat our chest. We built great big things, made ungodly technological advances, explored the universe, cured diseases, and cultivated the world’s greatest artists and the world’s greatest economy. We reached for the stars, and we acted like men. We aspired to intelligence; we didn’t belittle it; it didn’t make us feel inferior. We didn’t identify ourselves by who we voted for in the last election, and we didn’t scare so easy. And we were able to be all these things and do all these things because we were informed. By great men, men who were revered. The first step in solving any problem is recognizing there is one—America is not the greatest country in the world anymore.” - Will McAvoy There was once a man from Nantucket, who just decided "Fuck it". I'm not from Nantucket though.  I'm actually from right here in the great midwest, where the hate and ignorance go hand in hand and is spreading like wildfire in great part because of older people that should God damn know better by now. I'm torn between they have to know better and they just don't care, but either way, I'm done reading their nonsense, and I'll be damned if I'll ever hear them talk in real life they way post to social media.   For the last time, IT IS NOT JUST A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION EITHER. I mean, in part, I suppose hating on a whole group of people is considered an opinion, but that's not all it is.   And all the positive steps forward we've made toward equality is slowly and sickeningly, being unraveled and undone, right in front of us. The fact that it doesn't bother more people hurts my heart to the point of actual pain. It's gross and ugly the way we treat other people, the way we treat each other, whether its directly or indirectly, especially when we have such potential for greater works for all, through caring, empathy, compassion, and of course kindness. The same kindness that I am still convinced will eventually rule the day and save the world. Needless to say, that after favoring some rational thought, I had a couple of interesting things happen that swayed my hows and whys of social media. Having limited means to connect with people and conversate with people who have opposing views is getting increasingly harder for me to handle, because of how they act or react, and especially since I don't need it in my life at all. Keep your hate, I already lived that, so I'm good now. Except for a once a week check-in, at which time I'll post my entry, I am done with Facebook for a while, I imagine quite a while. I've got so much real and direct life things going on right now, I don't need the extra unwanted ridiculousness. I mean I could unfriend, unfollow, and block some of them, but they are people super close to my heart and that makes it even harder to not say something when they spread exaggerated falsehoods that promote more hate and turmoil. The fact that I sincerely feel most of them know it's wrong and still continue with it, only plays a part in how urgent the feeling is that I tell them, which rarely dissuades them from what I understand always ends up making them look bad, dumb, or ignorant or whatever. For what it's worth, they do that part all on their own. What I actually try to do is get them to understand this. It's wrong, why it's wrong etc. It usually falls on deaf ears anyways. People like that are living in a blissful kind of fear and hate because ignorance truly is bliss because they don't see a direct negative effect for their action. These are the same people who used to get on me constantly about grouping all cops together for the actions of a few bad ones, for which I learned to stop spreading the exaggerations as facts for all. It was absurd that I did this at all. I have grown, even if only slightly, in these areas. Its why I feel they know better, because in hindsight, in my heart, I knew it was wrong, but my hate for the few outweighed what was right for the good ones.   I'm going to keep living my life as best I can. Making right decisions every chance I get. Living with integrity, honesty, goodness, and gratitude will continue to be the goals I aspire to, hopefully forever. I knew better then, and I damn sure know better now, and if they are over age 30, I got money on the fact they, too, fucking know better. WWFRD? Rest assured it wouldn't be any of that. Since I wasn't going to change that much of the world through Facebook posts anyways, I know in my heart that I'm cool with the decision to leave it alone. Its a great form of misleading the masses anyways. lol If it ever turns that part off, I'll come back regularly, but I don't see that happening anyways. Keep living in your "bliss", I'm out. I imagine it's going to be like when I quit smoking. I know its better for my health, but what do I do to fill in that time? lolol In real life, I'm building a life with my family and friends and making memories that memes will never outweigh, ever. I, unlike some people, will continue to live my best life the same way out here, as I say I do in here. Lol If you know me in real life, then you know I'm 100% the same as the words you read on these pages. It's such an easier, more peaceful, less stressful way to live anyways. I've helped serve food at missions. I've been to protests as well. I've had some real-life applications to my mission for kindness that I will keep working on here as well. I am still setting routine with the family, but the "free to help others" days are coming eventually. And, for the first time, I plan to actually vote when it comes time, because the state of our current situation isn't one that I am ok with, with the back peddling like we are, especially for my kids and grandkids to have to live in. Pathetic. I still, with my whole heart,  know we can do better, be better as a people. Its usually when we are a collective that we become the ugliest versions that we can be as a people, but what if we can turn our collective into a positive and make good, sound, reasonable and rational changes to our future instead? Wouldn't that be awesome? I suppose I am finished with this one. The best part of emptying my thoughts and my heart in here every week, is the relief. I don't have to live weighted down, struggling to breathe on the inside. It works every time, even if no one was to read it. We all know what we carry in our hearts, but until we can all push that out into the real world, like all the time, we will all suffer a little. Good luck with holding any hate in your heart and then trying to relieve the stress it puts on your heart. Do better, be better, and it's not on just one of us. It's on all of us. Whether you adhere to it or not, its a shared responsibility for all of mankind. Some people just lack more than others. It's also nice living a life, so blessed that some of my biggest stressors are how others treat each other. lol That's a great feeling. Stop being ugly to each other, maybe start there, then. . . Share the love and the laughter you have with the world around you, and please, please be civil, as you push your way toward living in kindness. It should absolutely be a way of life, not just an event manifestation. Until next week; "Be inspired by those worthy of inspiration as you aspire to be inspirational." - Elizabeth A. Donley

[dovadjesblog]

25 Secret tweets You Should Give about the 'Yahoo Yahoo' conversation on Nigerian social media

Lifestyle.ng

Last week’s arrest of suspected fraudsters ‘Yahoo Yahoo’ boys by the EFCC at a night club in Lagos has sparked a serious conversation on social media with people taking sides.

While many believe its absolutely wrong to be an internet fraudster, others believe its right and convince themselves that the economic hardship and poverty is enough reason to do ‘Yahoo Yahoo’.

LIB has collated some of the most powerful and interesting tweets about the conversation….

See them below…

Yahoo Yahoo is a choice. If everybody considers how tough things are in this country, we for all be thieves. The hard work that goes into being a Yahoo Boy can be expended to create a legit hustle but you chose fraud.

You’re just a criminal. Own it with your chest!

— Demola (@OmoGbajaBiamila) May 12, 2018

Yahoo Yahoo is a crime and along with corrupt politicians and terrorist have succeeded in ruining the image of our country…whether you are one or fucking one it doesn’t make it any less of a crime so fuck you and the clique you claim

— Imoh Umoren (@ImohUmoren) May 12, 2018

I once asked a woman how’s her son, cos I’ve not seen him in a long time. She replies “He’s doing ok. He’s doing Yahoo Yahoo now, when there’s no work again in the country. But we thank God”. I swear I did not make this up. We thank God?!

— Ayo Shonaiya (@AyoShonaiya) May 12, 2018

Girl says to her friend, “I just started seeing one guy. He’s very bush and loud all the time. Talks anyhow to me sef. But he’s a Yahoo Boy, so he spends money on me”. Friend replies “Wow! Does he have any friends? Me sef dey look for Yahoo Boy o”.

— Ayo Shonaiya (@AyoShonaiya) May 12, 2018

I won’t lie, I know many Yahoo Boys and I’ve had my moments of depression, thinking about how they make so much money, ball so hard with no karma while I’m here struggling financially from my career. But I’m such a strong force myself. I really don’t care about money that much

— Steve Dede (@DizSteve) May 12, 2018

As long as being poor is a crime in Nigeria, as long as people are disrespected for being poor and told by the society they live in that: “If you no get money, hide your face”, then we are joking about ending ‘Yahoo-Yahoo’ and corruption!

— Ohimai Godwin Amaize (@MrFixNigeria) May 12, 2018

Yahoo boys bring money into the economy, Politicians steal money and take it out of our economy. Nigerians please who is justified?

— #BabalokeVideo (@EfeMoney) May 13, 2018

This Internet fraud thing(Yahoo) has eaten deep into our moral system. If Govt like, produce 1Million Jobs, people will still prefer ‘Yahoo’.#Fact @Gidi_Traffic

— Paul (@brown46681742) May 13, 2018

You people should leave yahoo guys alone. You don’t know what made them do what they do, I know its fraud but haba, most of them got into it cos of idlenes,no job after 4-5years in school. Politicians practise fraud in their own way too. Leave yahoo guys alone! All Na hustle!

— Fine Girl? (@PattyAmaka) May 13, 2018

Back in 2014, I was dating a girl who came from a very good financial background,

I was about venturing into yahoo & sort of online scam!

Girl advised me not to, gave me solid reasons why I shouldn’t.

Today, I proudly hawk my coffee,

And my ex is proudly dating a yahoo guy!

— OTUNBA COFFEE ?? (@Blak_Cappuccino) May 13, 2018

I don’t think you people understand what makes this people go into yahoo.

Depression, poverty, government, responsibilities, peer pressure, hunger amongst others. Most of them don’t do it because they want to. I’ve been in that position before during my school days.

Thread.

— crazy m’baku (@class__captain) May 13, 2018

At the end, Yahoo boys, fornicators, liars, terrorists, cheaters, etc will be in the same Hell. Because your sin is different from mine doesn’t make you better than me.

— Your Village People (@Onyema_Donald) May 13, 2018

Loads of moral debates on this Yahoo Yahoo issue but no one is proferring any solution, needful to point out that not everyone Ritualists,Money Launderers, Armed Robbers, Drug Pushers etc are also under the guise of ” Yahoo ”

Are you fighting Yahoo Yahoo or crime in General??

Skiibo - Free Dating & Chat App DOWNLOAD SKIIBO APP

  — Enekem ? (@EnekemGreg) May 13, 2018

We had a fraud awareness training at my job and Nigeria was mentioned multiple times, my coworkers were careful not to stare at me for too long. I almost died in my chair. You people dont know the kind of embarrassment Yahoo buys have cause our country.

— Oladotun (@dotladjnr) May 13, 2018

When i was doing yahoo yahoo, sebi i used to share the yahoo money, u too you’ve done yahoo yahoo by association. Do you even know what i do for a living? Your own is shaa money even if it’s your destiny I’m using ? hian!!!

— Former Yahoo Boy (@TytbonesCEO) May 13, 2018

I have three cousins that are into Yahoo Yahoo, they are big boys, have nice houses and drive exotic cars. Their parents are aware of what they do, and they support them.

But every yahoo yahoo boys and other people in illegal crimes should read ‘Jeremiah 17:11’. It is important.

— The Ark (@Ark_of_G) May 13, 2018

Doing Yahoo on its own takes bravery, courage and expertise. The country is so frustrating that this seems like the only option left for youths. The Government shouldn’t be concerned about Yahoo guys but finding ways to create more jobs to accommodate the increasing population.

— MR AHMED?? (@MeetMrAhmed) May 13, 2018

I don’t know y Nigerians think yahoo boys are spoiling the reputation of Nigeria 2 these foreign countries 1st of all I dont give a Fcuk abt those bastard racist slave tradin people. Does bastards sold, raped and killed ur brothers and sisters 4 decades n we tryin 2 impress dem

— Somto #BLACKBASE ENT (@Austinesom) May 13, 2018

People are defending yahoo like the money comes from heaven… There are people, families and lives at the other getting affected directly or indirectly… Just because you are not on the receiving end is why you are ignorant.

— FILMMAKER?? (@DirectorSolomon) May 13, 2018

This unemployment justification of yahoo is so silly. 95% of all G boys started that shit in the university or even earlier. So please which unemployment is this that chased them to press computer

— DB 9 (@d0zie) May 13, 2018

Broke Nigerians : Yahoo boys this, Yahoo boys that… EFCC: Yen yen yen Woke Tweminists: shbebuj shjnebya hkmebsu

Rich Yahoo boys: pic.twitter.com/uAaTNgYt4b

— Zaheer! (@loladeDC) May 13, 2018

When you’re supporting yahoo yahoo boys on twitter and you start getting alerts of someone using your card to pay for things you know nothing about n your card is in your wallet #Shotanpic.twitter.com/mz78MjlHaX

— ThePlugloaded.com ? ? ? (@Lyricalwizzy) May 13, 2018

He was the one who bought you the iPhone you’re using to type “yahoo boys are bad” . He paid your fees so you can learn how to even spell the word ‘yahoo’, you spend his money and you’re here trolling the business boy! Yahoo is scam- Yes! But it’s still hustle!

— ThatEbonyiChic (@Stevens_Shuga) May 13, 2018

This Yahoo debate thing is simple.

Yahoo boys are thieves and criminals.

If you support Yahoo boys and enjoy from their ill gotten wealth you are an accomplice.

If you date a Yahoo boy, you are a prostitute.

To God be the Glory.

— Ayomide Tayo (@AOT2) May 13, 2018

I once had a colleague (yes, a lawyer) who got married to a yahoo boy. Then they had a baby. I went to the naming ceremony and refused to eat. I am not sure if this story is relevant to the discussions today but I just thought to share it. ?

— Moe (@Mochievous) May 13, 2018

Even the Yahoo guys are tweeting against the Yahoo guys Even their babes are tweeting against Yahoo guys or people who support them.. They know themself I will not mention names pic.twitter.com/BA0J5j1Ynn

— Shawt_madam (@Adeyemi___) May 13, 2018

A boy Is driving a G wagon you call him yahoo boy but your pastor has two private jets and you call him Papa. I don’t have strength for arguments pls pic.twitter.com/c1N7RLaIvk

— JoJo (@iam_Joakin) May 13, 2018

OAPs Wey Dey Use Payola Dey Scam Artistes Sef Dey Here Dey Point Fingers Are Yahoo Boys… Lol

Even Staffs Of Radios Owned By Political Thieves Are Also Talking…????

— Brighter Days??… (@OneXMind) May 13, 2018

Someone asked what will you call a Yahoo Boy who uses Gmail? pic.twitter.com/1loD6pDurw

— Daniel Iyam (@danieliyam) May 13, 2018

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[clubofinfo]

Expert: I’m back!! It has recently been reported that Senator John McCain has an aggressive brain tumor. Not long ago I would have thought: “Good. It’ll be great to be rid of that neanderthal reactionary bastard!” Not now. My kidneys are gone and I’m on (rather unpleasant) dialysis for the rest of my life. My separated-from German wife is in Germany and can’t fly because of the danger of blood clots forming and lodging in her lungs or heart. I’m an avid reader of medical news and almost every day I get choked-up and depressed by the never-ending heart-breaking stories of incurable pain and suffering of the old and the young. So I wish the senator a good recovery, if that’s possible. Probably no more possible than his politics recovering. He just condemned all the neo-Nazi actions in Charlottesville, this man who went out of his way to pose for friendly photos with neo-Nazis in Ukraine and jihadists in Syria. So far the dialysis does not seem to have helped, at least not with my two main symptoms: deep-seated sleepiness at home, resulting in repeated naps, making my writing difficult; and getting out-of-breath and having to stop and rest after a very short and slow walk outdoors. I’m curious about whether any of my readers knows of anyone with a medical problem that was clearly relieved by dialysis. It may be my advanced age of 84 that blocks any improvement. But, supposedly, the dialysis keeps me alive in the absence of functioning kidneys. Incidentally, nine of my readers and friends have offered me a kidney for transplant, but I can’t find a hospital willing to perform it; again it’s my age, though I’m very willing. At least I still have my eyesight and my hearing. My mind is okay. I have all my limbs and am not paralyzed. And I’m not in pain. Much to be thankful for. It’s also very nice to have gone past the hangups my condition thrust upon me and to be back writing my report for the first time in five months. During the recent American presidential campaign I wrote that if I were forced to vote and also forced to choose between Clinton and Trump I’d vote for the Donald. (As it turned out I voted for the Green Party candidate, Jill Stein.) I stated two reasons why I’d choose Trump over Clinton: presumably, a lesser chance of nuclear war with Russia and a lesser chance of the American government closing down the Russian TV station, Russia Today (RT), broadcasting in the US. There was at the time, and now again, growing Congressional pressure to do just that and I’m very reliant on the station. Because of such matters I was willing to overlook Trump’s many and obvious character defects, which I summed up with the endearing word of my people back in Brooklyn –- “shmuck”. But by now the man’s shmuckiness has been writ so large that little hope for him can be maintained. What is keeping Donald Trump from drowning in the very cesspool of his own shmuckiness is a gentleman named Kim Jong-un. Who would have believed that a single historical period could produce two such giant shmucks, men who tower over their pathetic contemporaries? There’s only one explanation for this remarkable phenomenon. Of course. It’s Russia. Moscow is using the two men to make America look foolish. And Russia, it may soon be revealed, gave North Korea its nuclear weapons. Did you think that such an impoverished, downtrodden society could produce such scientific marvels on its own? Is there any act too dastardly for Vladimir Putin? We don’t know yet whether Trump’s son, daughter or son-in-law made any deals with Kim Jong-un. Stay tuned to Fox News and CNN. Those stations, amongst others, put out a lot of fake news, but when it comes to news of North Korea nothing compares to the fake news of 1950. Did you know there’s no convincing evidence that North Korea did what they’re most famous for –- the June 25, 1950 invasion of South Korea, which led to the everlasting division of the Korean peninsula into two countries? And there were no United Nations forces that observed this invasion, as we’ve been taught. In any event, the two sides had been clashing across the dividing line for several years. What happened on that fateful day in June could thus be regarded as no more than the escalation of an ongoing civil war. Read my chapter on Korea in Killing Hope: U.S. Military and CIA Interventions Since World War II for the full details of these and other myths. The response to terrorism I still get emails criticizing me for the stand I took against Islamic terrorists earlier this year. Almost every one feels obliged to remind me that the terrorists are acting in revenge for decades of US/Western bombing of Muslim populations and assorted other atrocities. And I then have to inform each one of them that they’ve chosen the wrong person for such a lecture. I, it happens, wrote the fucking book on the subject! In the first edition of my book Rogue State: A Guide to the World’s Only Superpower, published in 2001, before September 11, the first chapter was “Why do terrorists keep picking on The United States?” It includes a long list of hostile US military and political actions against the Islamic world during the previous 20 years. So I can well see why radical Muslims would harbor a deep-seated desire for revenge against The United States and its allies who often contributed to the hostile actions. My problem is that the Islamic terrorist actions are seldom aimed at those responsible for this awful history –- the executive and military branches of the Western nations, but are more and more targeted against innocent civilians, which at times includes other Muslims, probably even, on occasion, some who sympathize with the radical Islamic cause. These random terrorist acts are thus not defendable or understandable from any revenge point of view. What did the poor people of Barcelona have to do with Western imperialism? Civilians are, of course, much easier to target, but that’s clearly no excuse. As I’ve pointed out in the past, we should consider this: From the 1950s to the 1980s the United States carried out all kinds of very harmful policies against Latin America, including numerous bombings, without the natives ever resorting to the uncivilized, barbaric kind of retaliation as employed by ISIS. Latin American leftists generally took their revenge out upon concrete representatives of the American empire: diplomatic, military and corporate targets – not markets, theatres, nightclubs, hospitals, schools, restaurants or churches. The terrorists’ choice of targets is bad enough, but their methods are even worse. Who could have imagined 20 years ago that an organization would exist in this world that would widely publicize detailed instructions on how to choose a truck to drive down a busy thoroughfare and directly into crowds of people? What species of human being is this? What is needed is a worldwide media campaign to make fun of the very idea that such men, along with suicide bombers, will be rewarded by Allah in an afterlife; even the idea of an afterlife can, of course, be derided; yes, even the idea of Allah, by that or any other name, can be derided; at least the idea of such a cruel God. Appealing to jihadists on simply moral grounds would be even more useless than appealing to Pentagon officials or Donald Trump on moral grounds. The jihadists have to be deeply ridiculed; the small amount of human empathy and decency still remaining in their heart of hearts has to be reached through embarrassing them before their friends and family. Femmes fatales can be used against young Islamic men, most of whom, I’d venture to say, have sizable sexual hangups. Bombing them only increases their numbers. Some thoughts on the question that will not go away:  Capitalism vs. socialism The whole art of Conservative politics in the 20th century is being deployed to enable wealth to persuade poverty to use its political freedom to keep wealth in power. –– Aneurin Bevan (1897-1960), Labour Party (UK) minister The fact that Donald J. Trump is a champion –- indeed, a model, or as he might say, a huge model –- of capitalism should be enough to make people turn away from the system, but the debate between capitalism and socialism continues without pause in the Trump era as it has since the 19th century. The wealth gap, affordable housing, free education, public transportation, a sustainable environment, and health care are some of the perennial points of argument we’re all familiar with. So many empty houses … so many homeless people –- Is this the way a market economy is supposed to work? Twice in recent times the federal government in Washington has undertaken major studies of many thousands of federal jobs to determine whether they could be done more efficiently by private contractors. On one occasion the federal employees won more than 80% of the time; on the other occasion 91%. Both studies took place under the George W. Bush administration, which was hoping for different results. The American people have to be reminded of what they once knew but seem to have forgotten: that they don’t want BIG government, or SMALL government; they don’t want MORE government, or LESS government; they want government ON THEIR SIDE. As to corporations, we have to ask: Do the members of a family relate to each other on the basis of self-interest and greed? Speaking in very broad terms … slavery gave way to feudalism … feudalism gave way to capitalism … capitalism is not a timelessly valid institution but was created to satisfy certain needs of the time … capitalism has outlived its usefulness and must now give way to socialism … the ultimate incompatibility between capitalist profit motive and human environmental survival demands nothing less. The system corrupts every important aspect of our lives, including the one which takes up the most of our time -– our work, even for corporation executives, who demand huge salaries and benefits to justify their working at jobs that otherwise are not particularly satisfying. Several years ago, the Financial Times of London reported on Wall Street’s opposition to salary limits: Senior bankers were quick to warn the plans would cause a brain drain from the profession as top executives seek more rewarding jobs out of the public eye. Unlike other careers where job satisfaction and other considerations play a part, finance tends to attract people whose main motivation is money. … ‘The cap is a lousy idea,’ complained one top Wall Street executive. ‘If there is no monetary upside, who would want to do these jobs?’ As for those below the executive class … When they work, it’s too often just any job they can find, rather than one designed to realize innermost spiritual or artistic needs. Their innermost needs are rent, food, clothes, and electricity. For those concerned about the extent of freedom under socialism the jury is still out because the United States and other capitalist powers have subverted, destabilized, invaded, and/or overthrown every halfway serious attempt at socialism in the world. Not one socialist-oriented government, from Cuba and Vietnam in the 1960s, to Nicaragua and Chile in the 1970s, to Bulgaria and Yugoslavia in the 1990s, to Haiti and Venezuela in the 2000s has been allowed to rise or fall based on its own merits or lack of same, or allowed to relax its guard against the ever-threatening imperialists. The demise of the Soviet Union (even with all its shortcomings) has turned out to be the greatest setback to the fight against the capitalist behemoth, and we have not yet recovered. How could the current distribution of property and wealth reasonably be expected to emerge from any sort of truly democratic process? And if this is the way regulated capitalism works, what would life under unregulated capitalism be like? We’ve long known the answer to that question. Theodore Roosevelt (president of the United States 1901-09) said in a speech in 1912: “The limitation of governmental powers, of governmental action, means the enslavement of the people by the great corporations who can only be held in check through the extension of governmental power.” And what do the corporate elite want? In a word: “everything” … from our schools to our social security, from our health care to outer space, from our media to our sports. “We are all ready to be savage in some cause. The difference between a good man and a bad one is the choice of the cause.” – William James (1842-1910) A few years ago, when George W. Bush came out as a painter, he said that he had told his art teacher that “there’s a Rembrandt trapped inside this body”. Ah, so Georgie is more than just a painter. He’s an artiste. And we all know that artistes are very special people. They’re never to be confused with mass murderers, war criminals, merciless torturers or inveterate liars. Neither are they ever to be accused of dullness of wit or incoherence of thought or speech. Artistes are not the only special people. Devout people are also special: Josef Stalin studied for the priesthood. Osama bin Laden prayed five times a day. And animal lovers: Herman Goering, while his Luftwaffe rained death upon Europe, kept a sign in his office that read: “He who tortures animals wounds the feelings of the German people.” Adolf Hitler was also an animal lover and had long periods of being a vegetarian and anti-smoking. Charles Manson was a staunch anti-vivisectionist. And cultured people: This fact Elie Wiesel called the greatest discovery of the war: that Adolf Eichmann was cultured, read deeply, played the violin. Mussolini also played the violin. Some Nazi concentration camp commanders listened to Mozart to drown out the cries of the inmates. Former Bosnian Serb politician Radovan Karadzic, convicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia for war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity, was a psychiatrist, specializing in depression; a practitioner of alternative medicine; published a book of poetry and books for children. Members of ISIS and Al Qaeda and other suicide bombers are genuinely and sincerely convinced that they are doing the right thing, for which they will be honored and rewarded in an afterlife. That doesn’t make them less evil; in fact, it makes them more terrifying, since they force us to face the scary reality of a world in which sincerity and morality do not necessarily have anything to do with each other. Dick Gregory, 1932-2017 Mayor Daley and other government officials during the riots of the ’60s showed their preference for property over humanity by ordering the police to shoot all looters to kill. They never said shoot murderers to kill or shoot dope pushers to kill. When the white Christian missionaries went to Africa, the white folks had the bibles and the natives had the land. When the missionaries pulled out, they had the land and the natives had the bibles. The way Americans seem to think today, about the only way to end hunger in America would be for Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird to go on national TV and say we are falling behind the Russians in feeding folks. What we’re doing in Vietnam is using the black man to kill the yellow man so the white man can keep the land he took from the red man. http://clubof.info/

[shawnjacksonsbs]

“Just not there yet” and that’s enough, for now, to keep it at the minimum.  3-17-19

“When I say it’s you I like, I’m talking about that part of you that knows that life is far more than anything you can ever see or hear or touch. That deep part of you that allows you to stand for those things without which humankind cannot survive. Love that conquers hate, peace that rises triumphant over war, and justice that proves more powerful than greed.” - Fred Rogers To start, or maybe, it's in conclusion, a little misplaced in the note taking department this week, as I had to struggle to make audio notes while driving (because that's a lot of my days lately), so deciphering them meant not a lot of copy and paste this time. It was some work, but here it is; I feel like free market capitalism works better with smaller populations, but as that population grows capitalism loses its humanity and starts to fall apart. My example is billionaire "Clark Couldcare" is more apt to feed or help little starving "Timmy Bornpoor", if he can actually see him in his society, and more apt to help those more closely related to them, where it's harder to ignore the struggles of those in your community. A larger population, like what we have here the U.S., make it damn near impossible to even hear the cries of the little Timmy Bornpoors and their struggles had, or injustice perpetrated on, from poverty to racial equality those cries that are heard can easily be ignored if you can look around and justify "No such struggle here anywhere because I can't see it, therefore it must be exaggerated at best". New generations of young people are on the way, and those days of people only giving a shit about themselves is going to come to an end more quickly than people realize. Terms like progressive liberal and/or socialists are coming with these young people because they've been watching us, and our predecessors fuck shit up. They don't lack the humanity and compassion our, and previous generations, thought was the way to pull the country up by its bootstraps. They see that that only benefits a small, and very limited, part of the population. I had planned on sharing a lot of definitions and different things I have learned to give a little insight into why I feel like this, and why I believe it makes sense, but instead I will only share these two; So·ci·o·ec·o·nom·ic : Relating to or concerned with the interaction of social and economic factors. Universal basic income (UBI) : A model for providing all citizens of a country or other geographic area with a given sum of money, regardless of their income, resources or employment status. The purpose of the UBI is to prevent or reduce poverty and increase equality among citizens. Now, I feel like most of my explanation for the "why" it will work, is wasted on a lot of people because they first need a full understanding of these two words; em·pa·thy : the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. and com·pas·sion : sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others. I believe far too many people, even the ones that know what the words mean, lack the ability to use them. If everyone invoked them, man, how far could we go? The skies wouldn't even be the limit. They are not super, or extraordinary abilities either. That's why its so sad. It's mostly about educating myself in areas where I have limited knowledge. Things that interest me, like the economy and the hows and whats and whys. That's the main reason I was going to share any of this, and my theory of how being human is what the economy needs and how I feel it would benefit the country, and how it is absolutely all connected. Most of my research doesn't lean left or right, not like some of my opinions seem to do. It's more general definitions and such, although I have read some articles, and watched some things that definitely lean more left, as much of the stuff I value probably does, not all of it, but certainly a lot. I had planned on sharing several definitions with you guys and out of all of the ideologies that I've tried to familiarize myself with the one that I believe best fits what I think and feel is probably a form of Democratic Socialism, with some form of a U.B.I. (Universal Basic Income). You can research that on your own if you'd like. I would like to mention that I wasn't completely sold on the idea until I watched an interview by Joe Rogan. He was talking with Andrew Yang and the platform he's using to run for President. Although I don't think he's going to get enough momentum to actually be elected president, his idea/ideas are pretty sound and he has plans for action that a lot of politicians lack. I know I shared the interview on my Facebook page, but you can also look it up on YouTube if you want.   But. . . I'm not going to write about any more of that today than what I've already shared. I suppose I'll save my philosophical socio-economic term paper for later, plus I'm still growing in that area anyway. I keep coming 'round to the fact that I can't seem to reconcile with some of the more cold and callous opinions of people close to me. It stays on my heart so much as of late, that more than a few times I've thought, and even decided, that I was done with it. Done with it all, social media, done writing this blog, just done with the selfishness that makes up a lot of my outer, outer circle. Every life has ups and downs, but the absolute lowest revolving points currently in my life are the discussions I have with people who lack compassion for other people, and the people I know in real life who are very open about being bigots and racists. Those are hard to take, but its those who are naively racist, or judgementally prejudice. They just can't see how they are, and it bothers me in the deepest parts of my heart that they are like that. But. . .what am I to do? Right? Wrong! "Some people just aren't there yet." I find myself saying this quite a bit lately. Granted some of them, probably even most of them, are never going to get there. And since I can't know that for sure, I will try harder to be more civil with them when I interact, and communicate with those "unfortunates" who lack the ability to see, and feel with a human understanding as it were, the similarities instead of the differences found in each other, every other. Its the ones who think "what I said or did doesn't make me racist, because look at my black friends" etc. I realized during a conversation with someone the other day that I used to be one of those people "who just weren't there yet". I'm here now though, so all hope is not lost on them. It happened so quickly too. Like I almost completely faded out of the conversation when the realization hit me that some people just aren't there yet. It put a mend on my heart, even if only for long enough to be right here, right now. . . Seeing all the hate in this country, and where I believe it mostly stems from. and trying to not let it consume me to the point of constant insanity can be tough. Sometimes I wish I could turn the "feels" off, but I am so grateful the universe never saw fit to that to me. lol I am trying to provide myself an outlet, and maybe refuge to those seeking out anything relatable, but I'm starting to feel like all the hate that is in some hearts, although it may vary slightly, seems to manifest itself easier than love for a lot of people. It sucks. It hurts my heart like you would not believe. I feel like we need way more Fred Rogers wannabes in this world, and a lot less Donald Trumps. And saying it's easier to relate to Trump than with Mr. Rogers, is essentially just showing, well, to be honest, a lazy side because it takes a little more work to get to where you can feel the love like that. It's just easier to keep hold if your hate, even it's a small amount. Believe me, I know.  I can only relate because I used to be one of those. And before any of you freak out, I'm not saying that Trump is directly responsible. Because he obviously is not. What I am saying is that when you have such a huge public platform in which people with true hate in their hearts, find your topics relatable, it's a recipe for disaster. How come no one can see that a lot of these are a direct causality? A terrorist shooter in New Zealand, says he relates with what Trump stands for. C'mon. Let's say 100 people looked up to you, for leadership. We'll say 85 of them were regular law-abiding people and they may have some small inconsequential prejudices but they never let them surface. Now lets say, 15 hold very strong beliefs in some ignorant hate-based ideologies, such as those involving racism, bigotry etc. Now whether or not you stepped into this role, wouldn't you feel slightly responsible for the actions, if one or more of the 15 started acting out aggressively towards any of the other 85, like assaulting and killing, especially if they do it in relation to you or something you said? Even if they are wrong, and none of it relates with you or your ideals, wouldn't you, at the very least publicly denounce them? We have an acting president that is in direct opposition of my push for kindness, when he publicly belittles other Americans, or other human beings for that matter. Even the mission to help civilize, which I have consigned to help with, albeit it is more localized, is definitely taking hits from his supporters all the time. You aren't allowed to tell me that my blog, and everything it stands for, which currently is the expression of care and gratitude, the push for kindness, and a mission to civilize, is good and the reasoning is sound and acceptable and that I should keep writing, but then turn right around and believe I shouldn't speak out about who and what I feel to be the biggest threats to those same damn ideals! Can you see how that just isn't going to work for me? My blending of politics, which hasn't always seemed, or been inherent at the time absolutely cannot be left out. Everything in our current political system, to include discussions on social media, SCREAM hate. Therefore I will continue to share my objective, in here and everywhere. Be kind and don't be a douche bag, especially in an open public forum. Once I found my way to this side of life though, it's better livin' to be sure, although it does open your eyes to just how much work is out there to be done. When I first started taking notes early in the week for this entry, I was debating shutting it all down, my facebook, the blog all of it. I had all but decided. The people in my social media circle, by and large, are more saddening than uplifting with some limited exceptions. But there is enough nonsense that makes me wonder whether my push for kindness, my mission for civility was even worth it still. That is until I started writing. There's nothing like airing everything in here for the world to see, because I almost always find my own light by the end of each of my journal journeys, as it were. What would Fred Rogers say if I caved and gave in? How would my grandpa Raines feel about me giving up? Man, what is true in my heart, isn't enough if it stays inside and not all fights have to happen, but a lot of them do. You may not want to adhere to all of the same principles that I do in my life, and that's ok (kinda). But I'll be damned if I am going to be made to feel some kind of negative way about my positives either. I can't be done, not now anyway. My fight is nowhere near through. Although, I'll put this part here as a gentle reminder to slow down on posting shit just to stir up shit, and try to refocus on what it is I truly want from all of this in the end. It's not incessant arguing, especially without finding common ground anywhere. I also have to remember that not everyone is "here" yet and that some never will be. Then just continue to move forward. Because that forward progress is what we are striving for anyways. I suppose that's enough for today. Sorry by the way. I'm pretty sure I changed directions 2 or 3 times in the middle of this one. lol Keep sharing the love and laughter with the world around you, and please remember that being kind and civilized is the epitome of being human. It is what separates us from wild animals and the fact that we can feel and share compassion like we do is far more important than knowledge of what it is alone. Until next week; “How sad it is that we give up on people who are just like us.” - Fred Rogers