Grim News

So it has been a while since I just cut loose with some good old fashioned vitriol.  I’ve been too busy with Dragon*Con, Work, and most importantly my wife and kid to be concerned about much of the rest of the world.  Today, I have a few minutes to vent some spleen about the things that have managed to fuck with my domestic serenity in the last few months.  As always, if you are offended by coarse language and politically incorrect thought, hit your fucking back button now. (Yes, that f-bomb was completely gratuitous, that’s the point.)

The Economy

It’s funny how things don’t seem so bad when you turn off the TV and stop listening to yammering talking heads screaming about how bad things are.  Sure, we’re being a little more cost conscious than we were a couple of years ago but on the other hand, I have a two year old.  Kids cost money.   We have no significant debt aside from our mortgage, and the value of our investments and savings is climbing slowly but surely.  Would I like a return to the dot-com-boom days of the late 90′s?  You betcha.  However, I don’t think the world is going to end anytime soon.  Stop listening to all of the “experts” who get paid to spit shine their opinions and foist them on a relatively uneducated public.  If you’re in debt up to your eyeballs, then whose fault is it?   I have no love for credit card companies and other money lenders who prey on folks who could use a few extra bucks each month, truly I don’t.  However, at some point you have to look at the huge sheaf of paper that they’re asking you to sign and say “Wait a minute, how hard is it to say ‘If you loan me X, I’ll pay Y back to you over Z months’?”

Pretty hardcore ranting, eh?

Stick around, that was just the warm up course.

Politics

Where, oh where do I begin?  I have claimed before that “We The People” are too freaking stupid to survive as a republic.  It has gotten worse.  I can appreciate the high-minded sentiment from the Teabaggers that “We just want government to leave us alone”.  Yeah, I get that.  Believe me, I do.

So why the FUCK are these same people protesting that “The Gub’mint” is “allowing” a “Mosque” to be built two blocks away from the “Hallowed Ground” of “Ground Zero”? (A lot of scare quotes to be sure, but have you read their arguments on this issue?)  If it isn’t the government’s business to decide how many guns you can own or how you practice your religion, then how is it even remotely their business to tell someone where they can build a community center? (Not a Mosque, you illiterate fucktards…)

And Sarah F. Palin… Yes, I know her maiden name is Heath, and her given middle name is Louise… The F stands for something else.  Rub those two braincells of yours together and see if you can figure out what it is.  This dumb bitch is Dan Quayle with better legs.  No, strike that, even Dan Quayle served out his elected term.  Sarah Palin is the walking embodiment of everything that is wrong with the modern Republican Party.  Hell, I used to be somewhat of a fan of Newt Gingrich until he started toeing the line that this crazy bitch drew in the sand.  Otherwise intelligent Republicans are so afraid of alienating the lunatic fringe of the party that they are starting to look like Democrats in the 1980′s.  That is a disservice to the entire country as I will always believe that we need “Loyal Opposition” in Washington.

Which brings me to Obama.  Heaven forbid that we have a President who actually uses his brain before making a decision that can (and does) get people killed.  Heaven forbid that we have a President that actually speaks about what the LAW says rather than how he feels about something.  Of course, his own party is turning on him since they have a re-election campaign this fall and Obamachrist hasn’t turned around 8 years of bad economy in a year and a half.  Let’s look at what he HAS done, shall we?

Pulled out of Iraq

Looks like the last of our combat troops will be home by the end of this month, and our remaining “advisors” will be home, as agreed, by the end of next year.  Mission Accomplished.

Stepped up in Afghanistan

Not always a popular move, but he did call his shot on this one, and he’s sticking to his guns.

The Economy

Things are improving.  Not fast enough for some, but we didn’t end up in the toilet overnight.  Quick fixes aren’t the answer here.

Taxes

Yep, I was right.  My taxes DID go down this year.

Turning the United States into a Fundamentalist Muslim Nation

Still waiting on this one.  Doesn’t look like it’s going to happen in the first term.

Honestly, I’d give Obama a B- so far.  I think he needs to be a little more assertive at times, but that is just a personality thing.  I also understand that he would be dignifying the arguments of all those lunatics out there if he took the time to address them all.  On the other hand, I’d love to see him call Palin a “Fucking Moron” in a speech from the Oval Office.  That’s why he’s President, and I’m just a smartass with a blog.

One final note.  Polticians and “power in high places” have only as much control over your life as you let them have.  The very worst they can do to you is make whatever you are doing illegal.  Considering that this very country was founded by a bunch of folks giving the thumb to King George, it is an important thing to realize that a fundamental part of our national character is our willingness to ignore the law when a greater good is at stake.  How you live your life is something that politicians can’t take away or give to you.  It’s your choice, now and always.  I tell you this because there is a lot of whining about passing this law or that law… Fuck the law.  Obey the dictates of your own conscience whether or not it is “legal”.  Don’t forget the 11th commandment, though.  “Thou shalt not get caught”. (courtesy of R.A. Heinlein)

That concludes the political part of this rant.  Let’s continue on to the personal shit, shall we?  I’ll use bullet points because if you’ve read this far, the last thing you want is another novel.

Wife and kids are doing great, so take anything said after this point with a grain of salt.  Life is good, but bitching about it is fun too.

• Mom and I aren’t speaking (again).
• My grandmother fell and broke a whole bunch of things.  I love you very much Nana.  I hope you are back on your feet quickly.
• Work has taken 2 years to get this reorganization done, and it’s a little frustrating.  Can’t complain otherwise, I love my job.
• Dragon*Con kicks ass, but my staff is sick to death of having such a Manic Boss.
• Weight is staying fairly constant (which is OK since I’ve been eating like total crap) and I’m feeling pretty good physically.

Moral of this story?  Stop wasting time worrying about the state of the entire damned world and focus on the things that are most important to you.  Family, career, personal interests.  Politicians and talking heads have been decrying the end of the world for centuries now and we’re still here.  If you’re so worried about the world blowing up, maybe you should just LET IT BLOW UP.  Then you’ll realize that the world keeps turning, and you still have the things that are truly important to you.  Life goes on, endlessly, and inexorably.  How you spend it is, was, and always will be up to you.