If you haven’t noticed, I love television and movies. I love the art that allows people to be different from who they really are in order to entertain us.
But I also recognize the reality that they are just as human as we are. They can suffer from the same insecurities and maladies that we do.
That being said, I absolutely hate waiting in grocery check out lines. You might be saying, “Lizzie? What the actual f does grocery lines have to do with actors???”
Showing posts with label rant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rant. Show all posts
01 February 2020
10 January 2019
What is a Terrorist? Donald Trump?
I probably got your attention really quickly there, didn't I? And I'm not out to slander or libel the President of the United States. Furthermore, while I disagree with President Trump's politics 95% of the time, he is still the President of the United States. The office alone commands my respect, if not the man holding the office.
Like I said. You need to use what you know, learn what you don't know, and then think for yourself. Decide for yourself what you believe and what you think should, could, or would happen. Don't just repeat what you hear or read verbatim. We the People are better than that.
This was something that I realized when President Obama was elected to office 10 years ago. The country was indelibly divided by the election and shouts of "Not my President!" rebounded through the internet. As an American, I find that single statement un-American and un-Patriotic. You are definitely entitled to disagree with me, however, my studies of the United States government over the years, ethics and sociology, as well as world historical studies have shown me that the President is still your President, even if you didn't vote for him. As the duly elected and sworn in President, he is the President of the country that you are a citizen of. Therefore, whether you like it or not, in this case I really, really don't, the person in charge is in fact your President.
Convoluted, but I think you get my point. We didn't have to vote for him, don't have to agree with him, but Trump is el Presidente. More's the pity.
In the last decade, I have watched as our nation has become more and more divided over politics. Awful and derogatory things have been bandied about and negative campaigning is the norm. It is incredibly sad that we have stooped so low.
So now to that wonderful post title: What is a Terrorist? Donald Trump? It certainly got your attention. I'm not saying Donald Trump is a Terrorist. I truly am not going to outright say that. But I will lay out some simple facts and then let you decide from there how you feel about it.
Let's start with a definition. (Definitions from dictionary.com) Terrorist is a noun, a.k.a. a person, place or thing, in this case a person. It is defined as a person, usually a member of a group, who uses or advocates terrorism. So we have to look at the definition of terrorism, which again is a noun, in this case a thing, intangible as it may be. It is defined as the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, especially for political purposes.
So what is the state of our nation? So many are scared. Scared of deportation. Scared of illegal aliens and what their presence means for our jobs, our security, our safety. Scared of what foreign policy means for us within our nation's borders. Scared of what a wall between America and Mexico means, for us, for illegals, for legal immigration, or if it will curb the drug trade from Mexico and through Mexico.
All the while, President Trump continually opens his mouth to say whatever he wants to say in the moment, with no filter, no apology, and no regard for who he hurts or bullies. So what was terrorism again? The use of violence or threats to intimidate, usually for political purposes. President Trump has an agenda, all politicians do, and he consistently reminds us of the threat of other's actions. He routinely reminds us what he believes is the result of doing nothing and tells us that his way is the only way. Millions have jumped on board to his ideology out of fear and anger, without a willingness to see the other perspective.
I has gotten so bad that we are in the midst of yet another government shutdown. How long will this last? And what exactly is it regarding? How can we get them to put differences aside and pass a budget that allocates funds where they are most needed?
There is an article at ThoughtCo.com that gleans facts from the Congressional Research Service and gives a run down of governmental shutdown and information about all 21 shutdowns in U.S. history. Take a read and use the definitions I shared with you and your own perceptions of our President to make up your own mind. Think for yourself. Does our government really have our best interests at heart right now? Or are they too busy keeping us off balance in our fear to see what they are really up to? You decide.
And if you are reading this blog post during the current shutdown, pop over to this article about President George Washington's Farewell Address here: https://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=false&doc=15
Take note of the internal pop-up: It reads:
Due to the shutdown of the Federal Government, National Archives facilities are closed, websites and social media are not being updated or monitored, and activities are canceled, with some exceptions. Check Archives.gov for details.How's that for efficiency? Non-essential personnel are let go without pay with no end in sight for as long as the President and Congress refuse to agree. Hmmm. Your disagreement causes people to go without money for food and shelter? If the shutdown goes too long, what will happen to those workers? Or for that matter, what will happen to the people who rely on the government for money due to disability or retirement? Those funds and people are non-essential to the status of national security so they are just out of luck? Think about what our President and our Congress are doing to our nation.
Like I said. You need to use what you know, learn what you don't know, and then think for yourself. Decide for yourself what you believe and what you think should, could, or would happen. Don't just repeat what you hear or read verbatim. We the People are better than that.
31 August 2004
The Rich Celebrity
On the radio this morning, I heard someone having the same bitch I've had for years. Celebrities and their free gifts.
These people make gobs of money, but rarely spend any of it on clothes, jewelry, or gadgets. They go to award shows or celebrity parties and find these things handed to them. Yet we, the little people, have to scrimp and save up for these things. We have to watch the price tag and never get anything free.
Will Smith, while I love his music and acting, recently was heard saying, "If someone wants me to wear it, I'll just wait until they give it to me." Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs was handed a diamond encrusted iPod at a recent event. These are just two examples.
These people can afford these luxuries! Haven't you seen what they have done to their vehicles? I was in Meijer at the magazine/book aisle sometime last year, and read in a car magazine about all the tricked out things Adrian Brody (star of The Pianist) had done to his new Hummer. These celebrities have no control. And we let them get away with it.
When will we step up and take a stand and say "NO!" Name brand companies charge us higher and higher prices while our employers give us measly raises that barely cover groceries and diapers each month. The name brand companies charge us higher prices because of all the free gifts they give the celebrities. The employers give us measly wages to keep their costs down so they can provide more free gifts to the celebrities.
They make us work long hours and we never get to see our kids, all for measly money to be able to spend on our families. All the while, they give free things to celebrities and tell us, 'so-and-so can't live without his such-and-such, how can you?'
Oh I don't know. I just look at the empty checkbook and the empty cupboards and tell my kids, nieces, nephews, and younger cousins, 'Sorry babe. There's no money to get you that flashy new mp3 player you wanted for your birthday unless you go without clothes to school.'
Speaking of celebrities... I was in Meijer last night picking up some needed groceries (thanks to food stamps) and saw a magazine screaming in bold letters, "Mary-Kate: Before at 80-something pounds. Now at 91 and rising!"
Now a long time ago, before their 18th birthday, I saw the twins on one of those day shows where they were complaining about how they can't find any clothes small enough for them because of how short they are. Mary-Kate and Ashley are my height. I think there may be only an inch difference and I don't remember who is taller. These two girls 'have to have clothes custom made'. How do they think us short poor folk survive?
And did anyone care when I was 17, 5'0", and weighed only 87 pounds? Did they splash my starving plight across tabloids? Did they care that I was slowly starving myself to death because I wasn't as beautiful as the guys wanted me to be? Do they even care that their focus on beauty is destroying our youth? Do they care that these same youth feel sorry for Miss Mary-Kate? I don't feel sorry for her one bit. I dealt and got over it, she will too.
When I was in high school, there were two types of teens. Those who were fit and athletic and those who were obese or fat because they weren't like the popular people so they ate themselves into oblivion and size 22.
Now I see the teens, every last one obsessed with being thin, and I weep. I don't see as many athletic or fit bodies anymore. I see anorexic and still the obese. Many may say, "Then they should stop eating so much!" The sad thing is that these overweight teenage girls aren't eating like they were 6+ years ago when I was in school. They are starving themselves and the stress of trying to get thin just puts more weight on. Their bodies are retaining water and they are growing larger... and dying.
My cousin Vanessa, thin as a rail, but with the wide hips our family is cursed with, lounges on the couch, never doing anything, and poking her belly complaining about getting fat. She's 15. I only just met her a year ago and already I want to shake some sense into her.
Yes I am thin compared to many. I'm 30 weeks pregnant with my third child, and I only weigh 140-something. And when I start losing the weight from the baby, I'll manage to get back to 120 or so. But I'm the rarity who can eat whatever she wants and still keep my weight down. It's called genetically inherited high metabolism. My father is skin, bone, and slightly toned muscle. We are the skinny ones of the family.
In fact, I just cracked open a tub of Fannie May Mint Meltaway ice cream. Yes, I know you are all screaming that you hate me. I hate me too. Why am I so lucky that I can eat all this fattening food and still be so skinny, while everyone else has to work their butts off to look this thin... just like the celebrities.
The truth of the matter is that beyond getting things for free constantly, and getting paid gobs of money for the jetsetting and acting and singing on stage and recording albums that they do, they have quite a lot of free time because of all that money they make. Which means... They can afford the pricey trainers and pricey gyms.
They work out days and days and days, work for a couple months straight, and then back to the gym they go. Remember those long hours we have to work for measly money that doesn't cut a dent in the expenses and debt? How do they expect us to work out to get those bodies when we have no time and even when we do have the time, we're too tired.
For the rising hike in poor health habits of our teens, I blame the rich celebrities and fashion mags. For the rising materialism of our kids, I blame the rich celebrities and the companies who pamper them.
For not keeping them in check, I blame ourselves.
These people make gobs of money, but rarely spend any of it on clothes, jewelry, or gadgets. They go to award shows or celebrity parties and find these things handed to them. Yet we, the little people, have to scrimp and save up for these things. We have to watch the price tag and never get anything free.
Will Smith, while I love his music and acting, recently was heard saying, "If someone wants me to wear it, I'll just wait until they give it to me." Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs was handed a diamond encrusted iPod at a recent event. These are just two examples.
These people can afford these luxuries! Haven't you seen what they have done to their vehicles? I was in Meijer at the magazine/book aisle sometime last year, and read in a car magazine about all the tricked out things Adrian Brody (star of The Pianist) had done to his new Hummer. These celebrities have no control. And we let them get away with it.
When will we step up and take a stand and say "NO!" Name brand companies charge us higher and higher prices while our employers give us measly raises that barely cover groceries and diapers each month. The name brand companies charge us higher prices because of all the free gifts they give the celebrities. The employers give us measly wages to keep their costs down so they can provide more free gifts to the celebrities.
They make us work long hours and we never get to see our kids, all for measly money to be able to spend on our families. All the while, they give free things to celebrities and tell us, 'so-and-so can't live without his such-and-such, how can you?'
Oh I don't know. I just look at the empty checkbook and the empty cupboards and tell my kids, nieces, nephews, and younger cousins, 'Sorry babe. There's no money to get you that flashy new mp3 player you wanted for your birthday unless you go without clothes to school.'
Speaking of celebrities... I was in Meijer last night picking up some needed groceries (thanks to food stamps) and saw a magazine screaming in bold letters, "Mary-Kate: Before at 80-something pounds. Now at 91 and rising!"
Now a long time ago, before their 18th birthday, I saw the twins on one of those day shows where they were complaining about how they can't find any clothes small enough for them because of how short they are. Mary-Kate and Ashley are my height. I think there may be only an inch difference and I don't remember who is taller. These two girls 'have to have clothes custom made'. How do they think us short poor folk survive?
And did anyone care when I was 17, 5'0", and weighed only 87 pounds? Did they splash my starving plight across tabloids? Did they care that I was slowly starving myself to death because I wasn't as beautiful as the guys wanted me to be? Do they even care that their focus on beauty is destroying our youth? Do they care that these same youth feel sorry for Miss Mary-Kate? I don't feel sorry for her one bit. I dealt and got over it, she will too.
When I was in high school, there were two types of teens. Those who were fit and athletic and those who were obese or fat because they weren't like the popular people so they ate themselves into oblivion and size 22.
Now I see the teens, every last one obsessed with being thin, and I weep. I don't see as many athletic or fit bodies anymore. I see anorexic and still the obese. Many may say, "Then they should stop eating so much!" The sad thing is that these overweight teenage girls aren't eating like they were 6+ years ago when I was in school. They are starving themselves and the stress of trying to get thin just puts more weight on. Their bodies are retaining water and they are growing larger... and dying.
My cousin Vanessa, thin as a rail, but with the wide hips our family is cursed with, lounges on the couch, never doing anything, and poking her belly complaining about getting fat. She's 15. I only just met her a year ago and already I want to shake some sense into her.
Yes I am thin compared to many. I'm 30 weeks pregnant with my third child, and I only weigh 140-something. And when I start losing the weight from the baby, I'll manage to get back to 120 or so. But I'm the rarity who can eat whatever she wants and still keep my weight down. It's called genetically inherited high metabolism. My father is skin, bone, and slightly toned muscle. We are the skinny ones of the family.
In fact, I just cracked open a tub of Fannie May Mint Meltaway ice cream. Yes, I know you are all screaming that you hate me. I hate me too. Why am I so lucky that I can eat all this fattening food and still be so skinny, while everyone else has to work their butts off to look this thin... just like the celebrities.
The truth of the matter is that beyond getting things for free constantly, and getting paid gobs of money for the jetsetting and acting and singing on stage and recording albums that they do, they have quite a lot of free time because of all that money they make. Which means... They can afford the pricey trainers and pricey gyms.
They work out days and days and days, work for a couple months straight, and then back to the gym they go. Remember those long hours we have to work for measly money that doesn't cut a dent in the expenses and debt? How do they expect us to work out to get those bodies when we have no time and even when we do have the time, we're too tired.
For the rising hike in poor health habits of our teens, I blame the rich celebrities and fashion mags. For the rising materialism of our kids, I blame the rich celebrities and the companies who pamper them.
For not keeping them in check, I blame ourselves.
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