Author: wwducat

About: Writer, Technology guy, Photographer, Possibly EX-Software QA Engineer, Worker Bee. Interests: SCUBA, Working out, Friends, New Views, New Vistas, Photography
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Re-Evalution in old relationships

I’m from The South.
No, I’m not a “The South shall rise again” kind of guy. That ship has sailed and I, like most of the Southerners I know are good with it.
I was born and raised South of the Mason-Dixon line. I’m proud of where I came from. I’m proud of the freedoms I enjoyed as a child and that I was safe no matter where I was in my local environment.
I’ve been thinking about being from The South because of a rather disturbing email exchange with someone I’ve known for years. I’m astounded at how after all this time, this person is comfortable denigrating all things Southern including apparently Me.
This characterization was in response to my mentioning offhandedly and with a certain amount of tongue in cheek that I had earthquake supplies, a personal plan, at least one gun with ammo, and that my family had a loose plan to meet at a central location in the event of some serious catastrophe.
I’ve got enough in emergency supplies to feed 2 people for at least 12 days. That’s BEFORE I have to get creative with water, or start hunting. I honestly think that I should have more, but this, as a minimum will do. I also think that I’m going to be feeding several of my neighbors who for one reason or another won’t be able to feed themselves.
My family seems to have always had a motto, “Better to have a plan you don’t need, than to need a plan you don’t have.” I don’t know if I read that somewhere and am using it to describe our desire to be ready for trouble or if it was something my Dad & Granddad said.
The next series of email responses frankly blew my mind.
In the course of the emails this person painted me as an irrelevant, ignorant, ammo hoarding, gun toting, survivalist, neo-nazi, with no social conscience, who was waiting for the end times!
It was as though because I wasn’t complacently expecting for the government to simply take care of me that somehow I was “Wrong-headed”.
When someone you know takes you to task like this, you can do a few things. Get offended, Get Angry, or Re-evaluate your stance.
99% of the time, I’ll pick door number 1 or door number 2. In this situation because of the long standing relationship and the fact that I have a lot of respect for this person, I chose door number 3.
I thought about my childhood and how that had shaped the man I would become. A man, by the way that in general I’m proud to be. I’m comfortable in my skin and getting more so with each passing day.

I’m shocked every time I encounter the kind of thinking that suggests somehow the South is full of a bunch of ignorant savages.

It’s astounding that educated, “Fair-Minded”, liberal people, get away with painting a picture suggesting that everyone in, or from The South are racist, rednecks, with rifles slung over their shoulders and pistols in their ass cracks. This characterization couldn’t be further from the truth…

Honestly, as a Southerner I find the generalization offensive. Particularly when these generalizations are delivered by people that supposedly know me.

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Muslims behaving badly

Caught an article in USATODAY

Muslims, celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr were involved in a dust up over head scarves at an amusement park.

Apparently, the park considered the scarves a danger on some of the rides (I can see the reasoning). Park employees told the organizer during the booking of the event that the scarves are banned on some rides, and again when guests arrived.

The Organizer didn’t mention the ban to the attendees before they got to the park and thats where the problems started.

The park was refunding peoples money and making apologies for the confusion when things escalated. A group of women & girls started screaming and bitching at park security. At some point security or the cops or both had enough and put some of the women down then handcuffed them. Now of course the men had reason to get involved and the dustup really gets going.

I have some questions,

Was this a test on the part of the Center for American Islamic Relations (CAIR)? Were they trying to create a situation where law suits could be filed and freedom of religious expression could be tested in court?  

Safety being first and foremost why would ANYBODY not get it when the reasons for the ban were explained unless they were looking for a fight.  

When a group of people regardless of their gender, religion, race, or whatever confront police, someone is going to jail. That simple fact is something that these folks apparently were not acquainted with. Well now they are.

Police were painted as the bad guys. The poor Muslims were being oppressed and downtrodden… At least that’s how the Muslims wanted it portrayed.

Why do so many people ASSUME they’re being victimized?

These people have the freedom to behave badly. They exercised it and just like anyone else they got arrested.

After all isn’t that why they came to America in the first place?

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And from the Who’s drinking the KOOL-AID column

AT&T has said that they’re willing to bring 5000 outsourced call center jobs back to the US if their merger with T-Mobile is approved. Read about it here.

This should PISS you off! It does me…

First, this is blackmail with American workers as the currency.

I’ve long believed and have stated it here and elsewhere, Offshoring is Treason. For companies to idle American workers in favor of workers in foreign lands does nothing but weaken the economy and harms our country. By any definition that is Treason.

Second, If AT&T can bring those jobs back to the United States they should now with no discussion and

This demonstrates the kind of thinking that is rampant in AT&T. It’s a clear indication of how self important AT&T thinks they are, and is a foretaste of things to come.

Having been an AT&T customer and suffered through their plan & rate changes, their subtle airtime charging methods, and the high prices for texting, and data plans I can tell you if they complete this merger the consumer will be screwed.

I wish that the FCC and Congress would haul AT&T into hearings and deliver an ultimatum that goes something like;

“Bring all call center jobs back and we’ll not force you to break up your regional business units into smaller companies… you are dismissed.“

UPDATE

Shortly after I wrote and posted the entry above, This showed up in my news feed.

The US has filed an Anti-Trust suit to block the AT&T / T-Mobile merger. The complaint states that competition would be substantially reduced by such a merger.

Talk about ask & ye shall receive…

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NOM as the Victim?

Say WHAT????

Brian Brown of NOM is playing the victim card. You can read the Advocate article here. It would be funny… if he wasn’t serious.

One paragraph really caught my attention.

He’s referring to Marriage Equality advocates. But this paragraph itself is amazing.

“can only win if they can get us to accept and internalize the second-class status they propose for us. To accept our own marginalization, to be quiet, to stand down and keep our heads down. To live in fear, instead of acting, with courage, out of hope.”

I read this twice before my brain melted down.

NOM is in fact DEMANDING that gay people accept just what NOM says it’s members cannot.

NOM pulled this paragraph straight from The Fear Mongers, Despots, & Dictators Speech & Operations Manual. This is from the chapter titled “How to win and keep popular support for immoral ideas“. The next chapter in the book is “Political Prisoners and how to disappear them“

This paragraph is all about demonizing your enemy by capitalizing on the fears of the people you’re trying to win over. In the case of NOM, they’re talking about marriage, but this could as easily be plugged into any context.

Here are some other examples of the way in which this paragraph can be used.

White People “can only win if they can get us to accept and internalize the second-class status they propose for us. To accept our own marginalization, to be quiet, to stand down and keep our heads down. To live in fear, instead of acting, with courage, out of hope.” 

GAY People “can only win if they can get us to accept and internalize the second-class status they propose for us. To accept our own marginalization, to be quiet, to stand down and keep our heads down. To live in fear, instead of acting, with courage, out of hope.” 

Black people “can only win if they can get us to accept and internalize the second-class status they propose for us. To accept our own marginalization, to be quiet, to stand down and keep our heads down. To live in fear, instead of acting, with courage, out of hope.”

Christian People “can only win if they can get us to accept and internalize the second-class status they propose for us. To accept our own marginalization, to be quiet, to stand down and keep our heads down. To live in fear, instead of acting, with courage, out of hope.”

Islamic People “can only win if they can get us to accept and internalize the second-class status they propose for us. To accept our own marginalization, to be quiet, to stand down and keep our heads down. To live in fear, instead of acting, with courage, out of hope.”

Chinese People “can only win if they can get us to accept and internalize the second-class status they propose for us. To accept our own marginalization, to be quiet, to stand down and keep our heads down. To live in fear, instead of acting, with courage, out of hope.” 

Jewish People “can only win if they can get us to accept and internalize the second-class status they propose for us. To accept our own marginalization, to be quiet, to stand down and keep our heads down. To live in fear, instead of acting, with courage, out of hope.”

The list of examples goes on … apparently the readers of the The Fear Mongers, Despots, & Dictators Speech & Operations Manual need very specific instructions.

Hitler made these kinds of statements and later used similar statements to justify the murder of millions.

Have we learned nothing? Why is it that our attention spans are so short that we cannot see the hatred and bigotry that groups like NOM spout for what it is? This is not new, groups like NOM have existed for as long as mankind has. We need only look into the history of our planet and we find abundant examples.

For gods sake, right NOW we’re fighting two wars against exactly this kind of theocratic zealotry.

One thing that we should all be mindful of, is that theocracies even veiled ones like NOM would like nothing more than to remake our country in their image. Shall we consider for a moment what that might look like?

All abortions would be illegal. The rape victim would have to understand that it was Gods will that she carry and raise the baby of a psychopath. 

Gay people would be imprisoned for their own safety and subsequently executed. (So that the gene pool of God fearing Christians could be preserved.) After all a lot of gay people reproduce before they go gay. Later, the families of gay people could be sterilized to prevent further contamination. 

All genetic research would come to a halt. Who is man to tinker with Gods perfect creation? 

All Technology would eventually be banned. The bans would start in the communication sector. Too much communication and free flow of ideas is BAD. It distracts the people from their prayers. (The Fear Mongers, Despots, & Dictators Speech & Operations Manual, suggests that long distance communications be restricted immediately to government official channels. Anyone engaging in unmonitored communication of ideas must be made an example of… Public brutal executions such as stoning are recommended.)  

Dissenting ideas would be punished. God speaks only through the religious leaders

All guns would be banned. Every citizen must turn turn their guns over to the duly appointed representative of Gods army. There would be no financial compensation but the rewards in heaven will be great.

Education facilities will teach ONLY the approved curriculum. Any mention of evolution would be strictly forbidden. Abstinence is the only God approved sex education. Masturbation is a MORTAL sin. Religious studies are of the highest importance. Reading is taught only so the people can read the Bible. Math, & Science, are taught only to so that God’s army can maintain readiness for the apocalypse. 

Does ANY of this sound familiar?

NOM and other ultra conservative religious groups have far more in common with conservative Islam and the TALIBAN than they do American Democracy.

Please folks, understand that Marriage isn’t religious in nature. It is a contract that became imbued with religious significance.

Strip away the religious overtones and see it for what it is. Two people binding themselves together and by extension their families for the betterment of all parties.

Marriages brought larger grazing lands, pooled wealth & resources, and strengthened community relationships.

The gender of the participants doesn’t change that fundamental dynamic.

It’s that pooling of wealth / resources, the tax benefits, and ability to make medical decisions for their partner that same sex marriage advocates want.

Separate but equal didn’t cut it with African Americans and it sure as hell won’t cut it with Gay Americans.

Civil unions simply don’t provide or protect the rights of the parties the same way that Marriage does.

In fact apparently state sanctioned marriage doesn’t either. The case of the New York couple split up by Federal Immigration & Naturalization comes to mind.

The bottom line is that whether they admit it or not, NOM and organizations like them are advocating and supporting an unfair, biased, hateful agenda against a group of people that have done absolutely nothing wrong.

Except that is… exist then challenge the prevailing dogma.

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Fox News again…

A friend sent this to me. Fox News! need I say more? Well YES I DO!

Oh for gods sake!

These people are nuts.

Poor people have been poor since the Polk Administration. That Conservatives or Liberals would try to lay the problems of the poor at ANY ONE presidents feet is insultingly stupid. Mind you I’m not at all impressed with Obama and haven’t been since well before he took office. Unfortunately, the republican alternative wasn’t an alternative at all.

The poor are poor due to any number of factors, education being chief among them. But when I say education I mean it in a far broader sense than books and classrooms. If folks don’t not KNOW that a better life is possible… then it’s only the few malcontents that aspire for something different. When you start rubbing peoples noses in what they don’t have that’s when you create problems. Hell, I’m poor by comparison to Bill Gates, Paul Allen, or Steve jobs. (I’ve got way better teeth than Paul Allen though. DAMN!) I’m obscenely wealthy compared to someone from Kenya.

“Poor” is an arbitrary measure usually applied by fat middle to upper class people that makes themselves feel better about their accomplishments and their obscene wealth. “Poor” gives bleeding heart liberals and do gooder conservatives photo opportunities that can be labeled “Socially Conscious”. “Poor” sows discord and creates the “Haves”&  “Have Nots”. The term then provides an excuse for someone that perceives themselves to be “poor” to feel entitled to take what they want.

Spend some time in Compton&  South Central like I did over the past 4 years and then talk to me about the “poor” the media is talking about.

I’d gotten to the point that I was wearing no jewelry, driving my beat to hell 13 year old truck and never carrying anything other than my ID and $20 while I was at work. And I’d go out of my way to NOT spend any money in that area.

When I was in KY I went to school with people that were more content on the farm using hand tools than accessing any of the modern technologies. Why? Because it was easier and they didn’t have to learn nothin new. These people were dirt poor, but they were actually pretty happy because they didn’t aspire to have all the pretty shiny trinkets. They were only interested in things that had practical value in their daily lives. Their phones only worked half the time because they didn’t always feel like paying the bill. They had electricity most of the time, but their farm houses had been built before electricity and everything worked just fine without it.

Most of these people quit school as soon as they could and went back to the farm. They weren’t stupid, they just couldn’t relate how anything they were learning in school was of practical use in their day to day lives.

They didn’t consider themselves “poor” any more than the Amish consider themselves “poor”. Although both groups were often well below the “Poverty” line.

In comparison, ask anyone in Compton or South Central if they’re “Poor” and they’ll say yes… When you ask them why they’ll say it’s because they don’t have the latest iPod.

When I started this rant I was thinking about the poor people that I’d grown up with. THOSE people were very rich in spirit and community. And so I disagreed with the characterization that Fox applied to the poor.

But then as I thought about it, “Poor” really means different things dependent on context. The media uses “Poor” to describe people living in the ghetto. In that context Fox news is right….