Anger at a Senseless Tragedy

It's just a few days after a tragic shooting in Tucson, Arizona. Blame has been flying left and right and both sides argue that it's either not their fault, or it's the fault of the other side. Both the left and the right share the blame. Both sides are intent on not letting the other side "win" so they do everything to stop compromise. Their are a few exceptions to this but we don't hear about them unless it's to complain that they aren't patriots, or they are traitors to their party.

Somehow politics need to find a middle ground where both sides can come to an agreement. Policies don't need to be "shoved down our throats" and our goal shouldn't be to stop the president from getting a chance at a second term. These attitudes breed nothing but frustration for the other side and it eventually builds anger and eventually violence.

Yes, most people understand the rhetoric in politics, while sounding violent really isn't. There are always that fringe that does not get it. The frustration builds as their ideas and hopes are crushed with no compromise. They begin to feel as if everything is against them. It's at this point a person begins to get dangerous and it doesn't take much to set him off.

In just about every shooting of this type you find an individual that had hit this point and in their mind had no other choice. A bit of compromise on both sides might have avoided this in some cases. If nothing else, the blame won't be put on whatever side seemed to be the most violent, but instead on the unstable individual that did the unthinkable.

I wrote this yesterday, but I debated posting it. But, as today comes around and things just seem to be getting worse. I don't blame either party for the shooting that happened but I do have issues with the responses that have been given. The left is asking the right to tone down it's rhetoric and the right response with accusing the left of blaming them. Right side commentators continue to push buttons and as soon as they go to far they blame the left for over reacting.

I figured out the best analogy I could think of for it. Politics right now is like sitting in the back seat with your brother on a long trip. Your older brother sits with his finger less than in inch from you repeatedly saying "I'm not touching you, I'm not touching you." Finally, it gets too much and you push the finger away. "Mom, he pushed me," is quickly the response by the older brother.

I'll also add a link here that shows just how violent the right has gotten.

A link that goes into this subject a bit.

Tron: Legacy Review - Potential Spoilers

I felt that I wanted to write a little bit about this movie. I knew going in what to expect. A fun movie with some great visuals. I knew not to expect a whole lot in the plot department and I really didn't expect to find much in the message department. But, I did manage to get an important message out of the movie and it's one that most of the reviews seems to have overlooked. The main message that came across to me is that the beauty in the world doesn't lie in perfect, but instead lies in the imperfections. Of the reviews that I've read they've all seemed to miss this part.

Spoilers ahead.

Early in the movie we learn that Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) is being trapped in the Tron world by his alter ego in what most reviews have listed as his attempt to take over the world. It was never an attempt to take over, as much as to make it perfect using whatever means necessary. At one point we learn through a flashback that a new type of program had come into existence called ISOs. These programs were unlike any other programs and in a way had a flaw that allowed them to think and create on their own. Clu (Jeff Bridges alter ego) saw these programs as imperfect and something to be destroyed. His quest for perfection completely missed the beauty that they brought to the world. Kevin's life was spend in the grid protecting the last Iso from being destroyed because he saw the potential beauty that she could bring to the world through her programming "flaws."

I saw the entire movie as a note saying to stop looking for perfection and instead look for the beauty contained in the imperfections. If we could all begin to see the world this way we would all be a lot happier.

A Holiday Message from Ricky Gervais: Why I'm An Atheist - Speakeasy - WSJ

A post I ran across today from Ricky Gervais with a good answer to why he doesn't believe in God. It's a hard question that I've tried to answer many times in my life. It's always interesting for me to read the answers other people give to this difficult question.

A Holiday Message from Ricky Gervais: Why I'm An Atheist - Speakeasy - WSJ

DuckyPlanet Blog

Here is a direct link to the newest version of my DuckyPlanet Blog. Let me know what you think.

Ducky Planet Blog

Yet Another Political Post

I'm writing this with annoyance at recent news and commentary that I've been reading. I keep seeing Political leaders, mainly Republican, claiming that Democrats are trying to take wealth away from the rich and even make everyone equal. These arguments always claim that the poor are just lazy and if they would just try to work they would be doing just fine. Unless you are in the position it's hard to feel the hopelessness that comes with being poor. Once you have money it's also easy to convince yourself that you worked hard for it and deserve it all. In some cases both of these are true, but in far more they are simply delusions. Most of the poor aren't looking for anything special, just a roof over their heads and food in their belly.

I don't know about you, but I've seen very few poor people that wouldn't give the shirt off their backs to help someone else. It's been said over and over that a society can be judged by how well they treat their poor. Well, right now the United States is doing an embarrassingly poor job if the news are to be trusted.

I keep hearing that the poor are lazy and deserve what they get and the people well off deserve to keep everything they've "earned." I grew up with a Republican father, who until George W. loved Fox news, Glen Beck and Rush Limbaugh. He always complained about the welfare mom's milking the system. For most of my life he ran a small business that eventually failed, but it took well over 20 years to hit that point. He couldn't afford health care and shortly after selling the business he developed a sore on his foot that went bad. He ended up losing his leg over it. Up until going into the emergency room he was working 10 - 12 hour days in the shop he had sold. He still couldn't afford health insurance for my himself or my mom. He wasn't lazy, he wasn't milking the system but in the end he was kept alive by Medicare and Social Security.

These are the programs that Fox news, Sarah Palin and the rest think are socialist and evil. If anyone was deserving of help it was someone like my father. If we had a public option he wouldn't have had to worried and most likely would have gone into the clinic to get checked out before an infection had taken over much of his leg. He went straight from working on his feet for 8 hours to the emergency room. By the next day half his foot had been removed. By the end of the week his leg up to the knee was gone.

I look at this and I wonder why we can't have a socialized medical system. It would cost much less if people weren't forced to require the emergency room before getting a simple fix. It would also be nice if someone in his position didn't have to worry about keeping a roof over his head while he was in and out of therapy.

Both my parents have worked their entire lives and there is very little left to show it. My father passed away 4 years ago and my mom continues to work. I've also worked much of my life, though I'm currently one of the people wondering if Congress will extent unemployment. I've been out of work since last September and I've been claiming benefits since January of last year. In a few days the little income that I've been getting through unemployment will be cut off. My savings are almost exhausted and my credit cards are almost all maxed. I'm hoping to sell a house and get a little bit back to help with the debt, but it's not looking good. I've never had a problem finding a job, but not even Walmart would take me this time around. After 11 + years in retail and a recent divorce I'll be left with very little. I still have a roof over my head and I still have food so I won't complain too much. I do see how easy it is to end up with nothing, though.

If I were to get sick right now I have no back up. I can't afford insurance and a home so I pick having a roof over my head. I just keep crossing my fingers that nothing happens to me. I don't want to take money away from rich people, but it is frustrating that they keep getting tax cuts at the same time the my lifeline is going to get taken away. If unemployment isn't extended quickly my house will be yet another foreclosure cluttering up the market.

I've been looking for work. I've tried starting my own business. I've been trying to find anything to pay my bills so I don't have to rely on anyone else but so far it hasn't worked out. I do volunteer work just to keep myself out there and keep job skills from getting lost. I continue to teach myself news skills and work on honing old skills that I haven't used. I will make it through one way or another. It just doesn't seem right that the millions of people in my position are blamed for the problems of this country, while the people with the money, many of which did cause the problems, are helped out with no questions asked.

I hope eventually this nation will wake up and take care of the less fortunate among us instead of the people that don't need anything else.

This turned into a bit of a ramble, but I hope a few ideas make sense.

Ducky Planet Redo....

I have completely redone my DuckyPlanet.com site again. It gets better every time and this one is a huge step above and beyond the last several step. It's not perfect, but it's getting there. I hope you'll head over there and check it out.

Here is a link: DuckyPlanet.com