Showing posts with label Social Commentary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Social Commentary. Show all posts
Friday, December 19, 2008
Friday, November 14, 2008
A Long Weekend That Turned Into A Week, Thanks To The McCain/Palin Ticket
Photograph by Kilroy_60
Republicans whined and bitched throughout the general election campaign because Barack Obama's prolific fund raising effort, which I was happy to support as much as the law allows,
positioned him to run what amounted to a 50-state campaign.
McCain's fund raising on the other hand was meager and some of his delusional supporters point to that as the reason he was trounced. Interestingly, they don't mention that the campaign essentially imploded as election day neared.
Photograph by Kilroy_60
What made it all more interesting for me, as a gambler, was that there was no problem finding supporters of the GOP who wouldn't contribute to the McCain/Palin ticket, but didn't hesitate to bet that Obama would lose. I suspect some of them contributed to the national party's smear campaign.
Needless to say, the election worked out quite well for me. In fact, since election day my tally sheet improved when President-elect Obama was named the winner in North Carolina. I still have a few bets outstanding in individual races as well as Missouri.
Photograph by Kilroy_60
TheSpecialOne and I went to California last week for what was to be a long weekend. That came from a bet I made on who would win the big job. We landed in San Francisco Thursday evening and I collected on two more bets, a quarter pound of BC Bud and six bottles of Johnnie Walker Blue Label.
Over the weekend we headed South to collect on the best bet I made this election season. I won two rounds of golf at Pebble Beach.
Photograph by Kilroy_60
As beautiful as I thought Pebble Beach was before going there it was over whelming to see in person. I shot one photograph of the course from the clubhouse and then put the camera away.
I didn't keep score in either round that I played and didn't know the course well enough to play for skins, but we did bet on individual shots.
You could say the good karma of the election carried over to the golf course and, from some of the bounces I got, the golf gods must have been smiling on me.
Whether Missouri goes blue or not, suffice to say, I won't be any worse off.
Photograph by Kilroy_60
We stayed a few extra days in California before heading home this afternoon.
I'm not sure whether I'll be playing golf again this season. Other than going to the driving range it doesn't look likely. Autumn has stretched out pretty well, but then, all good things must come to an end they say.
I couldn't end the season with a better round than I played in Pebble Beach. That's a definite.
Photograph by Kilroy_60
I launched this blog shortly after returning from Cape Cod. That makes it all the more interesting that I had an opportunity to visit the left coast not long after my three-year blogiversary.
It looks like convicted felon Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska is going to win re-election. I'll lose a bet there if that happens, but already have a double-or-nothing bet on what will happen next. More on that when the time comes.
If all goes as I hope I just might be seeing more of the Pacific Coast.
Thanks, again, to Senator John McCain, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and the GOP faithful for a great week.
I launched this blog shortly after returning from Cape Cod. That makes it all the more interesting that I had an opportunity to visit the left coast not long after my three-year blogiversary.
It looks like convicted felon Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska is going to win re-election. I'll lose a bet there if that happens, but already have a double-or-nothing bet on what will happen next. More on that when the time comes.
If all goes as I hope I just might be seeing more of the Pacific Coast.
Thanks, again, to Senator John McCain, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and the GOP faithful for a great week.
Photograph by Kilroy_60
Thursday, October 30, 2008
The Life We Live Comes From The Choices We Make
"The blogosphere is my sandbox where I go to play."
---Kilroy_60
I learned early in life to work hard and take pride in doing a good job. Also that working is easier when I'm not deprived of time to play.
Another lesson I learned was that with freedom comes responsibility and that breaking the rules has a price. Of course if you're willing to pay there's no reason not to stray.
It became apparent early on that conformity would never be my strong point and that should not be something about which I feel concern.
There was emphasis put on the fact that relationships are something to be held in high regard and not be be taken for granted.
I'm not especially interested in most of the websites that fall in the category of social media. I'm quite comfortable and enjoy spending time in the blogosphere.
The one social media site that captured my attention and held my interest at this point is StumbleUpon, most likely because of it's similarity to blogging. Beyond that, most of what I have to deal with is related to work I do with clients and I have some associates I lean on for that.
Every now and then someone asks what attracts me to blogging or what I find enjoyable about it. On both counts the best answer would be, making a human connection.
I was thoughtful in crafting the header and the about me section in the sidebar of this blog. There should be no doubt what I'm all about, what I think or how I feel.
There was a time when nobody was reading Fear and Loathing - The Gonzo Papers. I've had more readers at times and less readers at other times. Having readers, I can say without qualification, makes blogging more fun.
As for being popular or looked at as prominent, neither are important to me and I couldn't care any less. What is important, the only things that are important, are to have fun and to feel my time has been well spent.
I've had the good fortune to connect with people who are like minded and with people who are very different, yet open-minded enough that we're able to get along. That combination unquestionably make blogging both more interesting and more fun.
I welcome your comments on any post, whether you agree or not with whatever position I've taken. You may or may not enjoy what I've presented, there's no accounting for taste.
Comments are moderated, because I'm not attracted to processed, canned meat and I am not running ads that invite people to visit other websites. Not unless they're sites I choose to recommend.
The first three years have been anything but boring, that's the one thing I don't expect to change. Ciao.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Return Humanity To Darfur
I appeal to netizens around the globe to take action in support of returning humanity to Darfur.
Make today the day that you stand in support of stopping the genocide in Darfur. Make your voice heard, enlist those in your social network to help and ask them to do the same.
Begin by signing this petition. {Check out the petition sponsor}
The genocide occurring in the Darfur region of western Sudan began in 2004. Government troops and militia groups known as janjaweed sought to crush rebels who complained that the black residents of the region had been neglected by the Muslim central government.
The janjaweed is responsible for widespread killing of civilians; that with the support of the central government.
{Life is Darfur is no game. Could you survive?}
A May, 2007 New York Times article estimated that 200,000 had died and more than 2.5 million more were believed to have fled their homes in the face of atrocities and the destruction of villages.
Every day we allow this to continue, each and every one of us becomes less human.
Interventions intended to stop the genocide in Sudan have been weak and ineffective with little or no follow-through. It is up to us to demand that our individual governments act and that we push the United Nations to take action.
No governmental body in the world has shown it will do what is necessary to stop the genocide. If pressure is not applied, if it is not made clear to government officials that we are unwilling to accept their inaction nothing is going to change.
Regardless of whether you have expressed support for this cause in the past or not, let us stand together beginning today to become a force that governments can not ignore.
If you are signing on to support this cause feel free to write a comment on this post and include the URL where people can most easily connect with you.
Learn more about Darfur...
Friday, July 04, 2008
Now, More Than Ever, It's Time To Make America PURPLE.
Photograph by Kilroy_60
Red States and Blue States {Be sure to put the Red before the Blue in George W. Bush's America} have become a mainstay of the American lexicon. Boil everything down and that is the root of the problem in that we should be Purple.
Not that everyone should share the same beliefs. But it needs to be about US not We and Them --- or We and Them.
People are flocking to the far ends of the spectrum, not only abandoning the middle but seeking to ignore {at best} or deny {at worst} the existence of the other. One thing for sure, the agenda of whichever group you do not belong is likely being dismissed. There is no meaningful dialog, no debate, no exchange of ideas. Let alone any effort to find common ground.
Further, we seem to have lost sight of a basic principle on which this nation was founded. While the person {men thus far} who lives in the White House is said to be the most powerful in the world we should not forget it is because he works for US --- ALL OF US --- Red and Blue and Blue and Red. And the people who work in that building with the big dome at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue {the ones who are empowered to choose the wage they will be paid} are charged with representing us.
Who is the "us" that is being represented in Washington, D.C. and {insert the name of your state's capital city}? It's the fanatics at the farthest ends of the spectrum that are setting the agenda and creating the environment in which we are expected to survive. The majority of us are silent in terms of what counts.
You (whomever you may happen to be} are more likely to have voted for the winner of American Idol than for the people who are charged with representing you in our government(s = local state and federal). You are most likely also not one of the people making telephone calls, sending emails, transmitting faxes or writing letters to the people responsible for creating policy and making law.
If you are happy with the way things are then you likely needn't do anything. {All indication are there are very few of us who are happy with the way things are.} Continue as you are and there will be no improvement. Although things could get worse.
Starting tomorrow declare REAL independence. Stop being part of the silent majority.
Engage in conversations about political matters with people you know and people you don't know. Don't have fear to express what you think or to stand up for what you feel.
Don't forget that communication means listening not just talking and hearing. Listening and considering the value of information that is offered to you. It's not about being right or wrong; it's about finding what is best for the country as a whole. Not for whatever particular niche to which you belong.
Write an email, make a telephone call, fax, dare I say write a letter to someone who is representing you at the local state or national level each week.
As this becomes a habit perhaps you'll contact one at each level on a weekly basis. You can make contact to support what that person is doing, to object to what they are dong or to suggest an adjustment in their stance to better reflect what is better for your community or your state or your country.
Don't be silent. Don't whine or bitch to people who don't have the power to do anything about the situation with no follow-up. Do encourage people {those who agree with you and those who don't} to write that email, make that call or send that letter.
One last thing. Whether you're happy or unhappy with the way things are do one thing ----------------------------VOTE.
This narrative originally appeared on 4 July, 2006.
Over the past two years the Bush Administration has
continued to foster a culture of division. Now, more
than ever, it is essential that we come together and
Make America Purple.
Over the past two years the Bush Administration has
continued to foster a culture of division. Now, more
than ever, it is essential that we come together and
Make America Purple.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Kilroy_60's Online MAKE AMERICA PURPLE Store
Have you been to my new online MAKE AMERICA PURPLE store?
The site, of course, includes my mascot...
In case you forgot how this all started...
{wavey screen effect}
It was 4 July, 2006 when I wrote:
The Viewpoint of One...Twisted, Perhaps, But A Viewpoint Nonetheless...
Red States and Blue States {Be sure to put the Red before the Blue} have become a mainstay of the American lexicon. Boil everything down and that is the root of the problem in that we should be Purple.
Not that everyone should share the same beliefs. But it needs to be about US not We and Them --- or We and Them. People are flocking to the far ends of the spectrum, not only abandoning the middle but seeking to ignore {at best} or deny {at worst} the existence of the other. One thing for sure, the agenda of whichever group you do not belong is likely being dismissed. There is no meaningful dialogue, no debate, no exchange of ideas. Let alone any effort to find common ground.
Further, we seem to have lost sight of a basic principle on which this nation was founded. While the person {man thus far} who lives in the White House is said to be the most powerful in the world we should not forget it is because he works for US --- ALL OF US --- Red and Blue and Blue and Red. And the people who work in that building with the big dome at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue {the ones who are empowered to choose the wage they will be paid} are charged with representing us.
Who is the "us" that is being represented in Washington, D.C. and {insert the name of your state's capital city}? It's the fanatics at the farthest ends of the spectrum that are setting the agenda and creating the environment in which we are expected to survive. The majority of us are silent in terms of what counts.
You (whomever you may happen to be} are more likely to have voted for the winner of American Idol than for the people who are charged with representing you in our government(s = local state and federal). You are most likely also not one of the people making telephone calls, sending emails, transmitting faxes or writing letters to the people responsible for creating policy and making law.
If you are happy with the way things are then you likely needn't do anything. {All indication are there are very few of us who are happy with the way things are.} Continue as you are and there will be no improvement. Although things could get worse.
Starting tomorrow declare REAL independence. Stop being part of the silent majority.
Engage in conversations about political matters with people you know and people you don't know. Don't have fear to express what you think or to stand up for what you feel. Don't forget that communication means listening not just talking and hearing. Listening and considering the value of information that is offered to you. It's not about being right or wrong; it's about finding what is best for the country as a whole. Not for whatever particular niche to which you belong.
Write an email, make a telephone call, fax, dare I say write a letter to someone who is representing you at the local state or national level each week. As this becomes a habit perhaps you'll contact one at each level on a weekly basis. You can make contact to support what that person is doing, to object to what they are dong or to suggest an adjustment in their stance to better reflect what is better for your community or your state or your country.
Don't be silent. Don't whine or bitch to people who don't have the power to do anything about the situation with no follow-up. Do encourage people {those who agree with you and those who don't} to write that email, make that call or send that letter.
One last thing. Whether you're happy or unhappy with the way things are do one thing ----------------------------VOTE. {Talk about twisted ideas. I'll call tomorrow to look into mental health treatment}
Can you believe it, from that humble beginning...MY OWN ONLINE STORE!
Seriously, yes I know what would be a rarity, I was amazed when I saw that AARP had gone with my Make America Purple theme when it put together DividedWeFall.org.
If I buy gifts for you, let me know if there's anything in the catalog you especially like. hint
The site, of course, includes my mascot...
In case you forgot how this all started...
{wavey screen effect}
It was 4 July, 2006 when I wrote:
The Viewpoint of One...Twisted, Perhaps, But A Viewpoint Nonetheless...
Red States and Blue States {Be sure to put the Red before the Blue} have become a mainstay of the American lexicon. Boil everything down and that is the root of the problem in that we should be Purple.
Not that everyone should share the same beliefs. But it needs to be about US not We and Them --- or We and Them. People are flocking to the far ends of the spectrum, not only abandoning the middle but seeking to ignore {at best} or deny {at worst} the existence of the other. One thing for sure, the agenda of whichever group you do not belong is likely being dismissed. There is no meaningful dialogue, no debate, no exchange of ideas. Let alone any effort to find common ground.
Further, we seem to have lost sight of a basic principle on which this nation was founded. While the person {man thus far} who lives in the White House is said to be the most powerful in the world we should not forget it is because he works for US --- ALL OF US --- Red and Blue and Blue and Red. And the people who work in that building with the big dome at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue {the ones who are empowered to choose the wage they will be paid} are charged with representing us.
Who is the "us" that is being represented in Washington, D.C. and {insert the name of your state's capital city}? It's the fanatics at the farthest ends of the spectrum that are setting the agenda and creating the environment in which we are expected to survive. The majority of us are silent in terms of what counts.
You (whomever you may happen to be} are more likely to have voted for the winner of American Idol than for the people who are charged with representing you in our government(s = local state and federal). You are most likely also not one of the people making telephone calls, sending emails, transmitting faxes or writing letters to the people responsible for creating policy and making law.
If you are happy with the way things are then you likely needn't do anything. {All indication are there are very few of us who are happy with the way things are.} Continue as you are and there will be no improvement. Although things could get worse.
Starting tomorrow declare REAL independence. Stop being part of the silent majority.
Engage in conversations about political matters with people you know and people you don't know. Don't have fear to express what you think or to stand up for what you feel. Don't forget that communication means listening not just talking and hearing. Listening and considering the value of information that is offered to you. It's not about being right or wrong; it's about finding what is best for the country as a whole. Not for whatever particular niche to which you belong.
Write an email, make a telephone call, fax, dare I say write a letter to someone who is representing you at the local state or national level each week. As this becomes a habit perhaps you'll contact one at each level on a weekly basis. You can make contact to support what that person is doing, to object to what they are dong or to suggest an adjustment in their stance to better reflect what is better for your community or your state or your country.
Don't be silent. Don't whine or bitch to people who don't have the power to do anything about the situation with no follow-up. Do encourage people {those who agree with you and those who don't} to write that email, make that call or send that letter.
One last thing. Whether you're happy or unhappy with the way things are do one thing ----------------------------VOTE. {Talk about twisted ideas. I'll call tomorrow to look into mental health treatment}
Can you believe it, from that humble beginning...MY OWN ONLINE STORE!
Seriously, yes I know what would be a rarity, I was amazed when I saw that AARP had gone with my Make America Purple theme when it put together DividedWeFall.org.
If I buy gifts for you, let me know if there's anything in the catalog you especially like. hint
Monday, November 12, 2007
Today Is A Day For Americans To Take A Stand.
I Stand AGAINST The War In Iraq.
Because this...
has NOTHING to do with this...
George W. Bush and Dick Cheney's War
is a CLUSTERFUCK.
Friday, October 05, 2007
October Is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Support Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Encourage a woman who is important to you to do self examination regularly and to get a yearly mammogram.
I'm pleased to report that both TheSpecialOne and TheRedhead passed their tests with flying colors. After they did their self exams and went for mammograms I gave them both a final checkup. You can't be too thorough after all, eh.
Educational Resources...
---(-)-> Breast Cancer.org
---(-)-> Susan G. Komen For The Cure
---(-)-> National Cancer Institute - Breast Cancer Page
---(-)-> MedicinePlus - Breast Cancer
---(-)-> National Breast Cancer Foundation
---(-)-> MayoClinic.com - Breast Cancer
---(-)-> WebMD Breast Cancer Health Center
I'm pleased to report that both TheSpecialOne and TheRedhead passed their tests with flying colors. After they did their self exams and went for mammograms I gave them both a final checkup. You can't be too thorough after all, eh.
Educational Resources...---(-)-> Breast Cancer.org
---(-)-> Susan G. Komen For The Cure
---(-)-> National Cancer Institute - Breast Cancer Page
---(-)-> MedicinePlus - Breast Cancer
---(-)-> National Breast Cancer Foundation
---(-)-> MayoClinic.com - Breast Cancer
---(-)-> WebMD Breast Cancer Health Center
Saturday, September 01, 2007
.bmp)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
