An Ode To Google

                I write about some serious (and some not so serious!) topics in this blog. This blog sits on a Google-based platform. My views are, I know, not always in harmony with Google’s or likely many/most of its employees. I suspect that in many cases they are, in fact, opposed to ‘theirs’.

                That is why I am taking the time and space to thank them. Believe me, it is not a               sycophantic or ‘kissing-up’ gesture. I, with my tiny new  blog, have not been asked to write anything nor would bring any discernible benefit to them.

                We live in a hyper-sensitive, politically-correct country and world. Some of my views don’t resonate with everyone. That’s okay. I  do try to tell ‘the truth’ as I am given the ability to see it. And I also wish to entertain with obvious parodies, ala’ “the Onion”. (I do not possess quite the talent of some of the writer’s in that now nearly Iconic publication, but I have fun doing it).

                That said, this is still, apparently, America and the truly important things are overriding and hopefully everlasting. First and foremost freedom of speech, without which all other freedoms go away. Please know no matter my views, I do not advocate violence against any group or individual and will not unless, as do terrorists and  world wars, they present an existential danger to the United States and its citizens. Some might be shocked to know that I wouldn’t care if all my best friends were African-American, or that I had a gay friend and that I don’t believe all Muslims  have terrorist tendencies. But that doesn’t obscure the fact that I don’t believe in the full-on recognition of gay marriage as equal to heterosexual marriage, for example. And I will keep writing what I believe, as passionately as I can.

                Hopefully I write with enough competence and cleverness, at least on occasion, to keep you all interested. Thank you all for visiting this blog.

                Thank you Google for this (free) platform. And for reaffirming that this is still America, after all.

                Seriously.

The First Amendment and the New NFL

                Colin Kaepernick has just been fined $11,000 by the NFL for using an offensive word during the game. It wasn’t a 4-letter word or a curse word, just one deemed “inappropriate” by an on-field official. Many, if not most plays, end with one or more players of both teams pushing and shoving and “trash-talking” in the heat of the battle. I’m an old school guy and not a big fan of trash-talking, but it is literally a big part of the game today, as players try to gain the psychological advantage on their counterpart, express frustration, or, apparently, just have fun.

                A favorite cliché  when I was in school, back in the day, was “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words (or names) will never hurt me!”. This was because almost all kids, boys and girls, were constantly teasing one another. It was a way of connecting, of being heard, of playing, and, in some cases (usually boy-girl) of showing the object of your banter that you actually kinda liked them.

                I know I used the word/term that Colin Kaepernick did on more than one occasion. That doesn’t make it right, of course, but it doesn’t make it criminal. Had it directed at me several times as well. Just shook it off as back and forth teasing. Guess we grade-schoolers of that day- boys and girls-  were  mentally tougher than these modern-day muscled NFL behemoths. Or at least tougher than the NFL, and its rules committee and referees think they are, or now ought to be.

                Mike Priefer, Minnesota Vikings special-teams coordinator was forced to complete “sensitivity training” and was suspended two games for making what the Vikings determined was an inappropriate comment during a 2012 team meeting.

                This is truly scary, folks. Who determines what is an inappropriate remark? This isn’t just subjective, it’s totalitarian.

                Back to Colin Kaepernick. Almost all instances that have led to fines in the NFL have been penalized on the field at the time, as well.

                We know that almost nothing is allowed on an NFL field anymore. Can’t head-slap, cross-block, chop-block, crack-back, etc. Can’t target the head, or the knees, or block from the back, hit helmet-to-helmet, grab the face-mask, or the jersey collar, put hands to the face or taunt your opponent. The defensive back can’t come within five yards of the receiver without yelling loudly “here I come, are you ready?!” and presenting  him with a lovely floral arrangement and a gift certificate to Applebees.

                That said, what will be the penalties for on-field “inappropriate or insensitive, non-inclusive language” going forward? Who will enforce these penalties? Said penalties will have to be enforced in a consistent manner, or chaos will reign. Might personal bias not enter in?

                As for me, I’m glad  First Amendment protections are out the window. I find it hard to figure out what to say when I have so many options.

                Anyway, to help the NFL, here are my suggested “illegal use of the language” penalties… if one player says these words/phrases to another player on the opposing team in an accusatory manner:

                “bubble butt”- 5 yard penalty

                “Poopie-pants”- 10 yard penalty, loss of down

                “your mother wears combat boots”- 10 yard penalty

                “you really are a Richard”- 15 yard penalty                                                                                                                                                                                                               “tea-bagger(s)”- no penalty, flag picked up…perfectly acceptable

                “F-g, f-g—t”- 30 yard penalty, automatic first down, ritual execution of the perpetrator, his family and his team’s coaching staff, possible beheading.

               

               

               

     

               

               

Soviet Union Lite (That's U.S.)

                A 16-year-old Philadelphia girl, Samantha Pawlucy, was mocked by her geometry teacher for wearing a Mitt Romney tee-shirt to school in September of 2012. Based on all the articles and excerpts I’ve read, it appears clear that her teacher went into the hallway to call other students and faculty into her room to laugh at her. That doesn't seem very nurturing or supportive. Apparently, her teacher also called a ‘non-teaching assistant’ into the classroom who attempted to write on her tee-shirt with a marker. Moreover, she allegedly told Samantha to remove her shirt (!) and that she would be given another one to wear.

                This ‘teacher’ went on to ‘explain’ that Carroll was a “Democratic school” and that “wearing a Republican tee-shirt was akin to wearing a KKK shirt.”

                At one point, she claims, upon returning to school to find this same teacher still teaching her class, she was embarrassed  and distressed and hid in the bathroom, fearing retaliation or even expulsion.

                One of the things Samantha liked about Mitt Romney’s candidacy was his stance on late-term abortion. This episode is just another example of the consistency of the the tolerant, inclusive, we-are-all-the-same liberal-progressive dogma. They try to abort anyone…or anything…or any idea…that gets in the way of their power and control. And they do it by flat-out lying about their political opponents, who they usually accuse (falsely) of actions and intentions and opinions that they themselves actually hold. These are  true fascists. Brutal, hypocritical, mindless thugs who hold themselves up to be superior ‘intellectuals’.

                Tragically, for various reasons that may be addressed in another posting, they have largely been successful in this mean-spirited , intolerant, non-inclusive suppression of thought, ideas, democracy and freedom. ("Tea-Baggers"). I wish I could call them the ‘one-percenters’, but truthfully I’d be mistaken. They may be three or four or five percent –or much more- of the population. Those that see no problem with forcing all union members to pay dues that go only to certain candidates…Democrats in virtually all cases, whether or not those union members agree with their positions or find them anathema! Those that see one or two media venues still open to political debate and want to shut them down and call the bill that would do that, “The Fairness Doctrine”.

                One of the primary reasons Richard Nixon was impeached was because he was thought to have used government entities such as the IRS to gain and keep  power. Obama? IRS? Oh what the hell, you can’t possibly be talking about impeachment you racist bastard! Apparently, no one wanting Nixon impeached was racist. (I am not a fan of the Nixon presidency. He governed in a very liberal, and consequently damaging, manner. And he was a bit scheming, thin-skinned and power hungry. The anti-Reagan. But so very like…Obama. One little difference though, he didn’t actually hate his country. Which was nice).

                But I digress. Back to Samantha and her shirt. Which, hopefully, her teachers haven’t torn off of her body in the past two years.

                If Mitt Romney is unacceptable to them, (a rather middle of the road, even liberalish Republican) perhaps Stalin or Trotsky would be more palatable. More to the point, this country was founded on freedom of speech. You might recall the first amendment. Liberals love to trot this one out when they want to make sure they can say any dirty word imaginable in print or on air. They don’t like it, however, when it’s used for what it explicitly was designed for…to protect political speech of all kinds…to foster ideas and thought.

                One other thing. Does anyone really believe that if Samantha had worn an Obama/Biden tee-shirt to this school that she would have been singled out,  taken to task, mocked and ridiculed?