Life Equated With Hate

Does anyone get this sign from the Pro-Life rally last week?

Pro-Life is Pro-Hate

But equating Pro-Life with hate doesn’t add up.

It actually seems the opposite that if you want to sanctify and protect life that you are loving people, not hating. 

Sometimes to make a point, people will just say anything. 

It’s related to “gaslighting” where they want to manipulate you into questioning your own beliefs, values, and sanity.

Perhaps, throwing around terms like hate just dilutes the real meaning of it similar to making other false accusations against people. 

We need to argue the issues, and not attack each other. 😉

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Stone Faces Hide The Heart

Some people are so cold and emotionally distant.

They go around with a stone face.  

No emotion seems to seep in or out. 

The face doesn’t betray the heart in any way. 

You say something or do something, and they just sort of stare at you. 

No words, no outward response. 

Just a stone face like a poker face. 

You don’t know what’s behind it. 

But worse yet is a heart of stone–nothing impacts the inside just like the outside. 

Are some people this way because they have been so hurt in the past that they become hardened like a turtle’s shell to protect from the outside world. 

…Ain’t gonna let nothing hurt me again. 

Or are they great at using their poker face to fool, manipulate, and get what they are after. 

Perhaps the worst possibility is that they are simply a real psychopath–someone without conscience or empathy. 

Yes, that is scary because the unthinkable becomes thinkable. 

For most of us, reading verbal and non-verbal cues is critical to understanding other people. 

Hiding those cues can mean that the stone face is going to shatter someone’s world and that won’t be a pretty face at all. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

I Got The Call

I got the call!

But not the one that I always wanted, which is to serve at the very highest echelons of government or/and industry for those values and things which I so hold dear. 

No, instead I got the call that my professor in college warned me about. 

He said:

“You will get a call one day from someone asking for a lot of cash–no questions asked! At that time, you will know who you’re real friends are.”

So I actually got this call (for real) and in the middle of my work day.

This person who contacts me is considered quite affluent and with an extensive network, and I know him/her for only a relatively short time. 

Person:

“You know you’re like family to me Andy…I need $2,000–in cash–by 7 pm. I’ll pay you back $500 on Friday and the rest by Monday.”

Me (Stunned):

“What–is this a joke or something?”

Person:

{Repeats again the request}

Me:

“OMG. What’s wrong–is everyone okay? Are you in any trouble?”

Person:

“Uh, everyone’s fine…don’t ask me any questions–there’s no time for this now.”

Me {Reaching for some humor in this bizarre situation}:

“Oh, only $2,000–I thought maybe you needed $2 million–that’s no problem, of course.”

Person:

“Please don’t make jokes now Andy–this isn’t funny!”

Me {Trying once again to get some more–any–information}:

“Can you just explain to me what’s going on–I really want to understand, so I can help you.”

Person:

“Do you have the cash or not?”

Me: 

“To be frank no. I don’t keep any cash around. {Inquiring to learn more…} Could you take a check or something else?”

Person:

“No. Listen, can you go to the ATM now?”

Me {frustrated by the abruptness, lack of sensical communication, and pushiness, as well as more than a little suspicious at how this is all going down}:

“Well the ATMs have a cash limit. Also, I would really need to check with my {lovely} wife first,”

Person {seeing they weren’t getting what they wanted when they wanted it}:

“Okay, well if you can’t help, I’ll just call someone else–thanks {hanging up on me}!” 

WOW!

Despite having trusted this person and feeling very hurt by all this, I still called the person back later that evening to follow up and because I truly cared, and they were still not any more forthcoming with me, and in fact, were quite attacking that they were sorry to have called me.

But I wasn’t sorry…my college professor was right on, thank G-d–I do know who my friends are!

Whether its a lunch date, LinkedIn/Facebook contact, or social invitation, be discerning about the motives of people–outside of any sane and normal context–that are seeking to “friend” you. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Hope vs. Change

So we were promised hope and change, but what’s the difference?

Daniel Henninger in the Wall Street Journal says, “Hope is the helium -filled ballon of politics. Governing in office is the gravity that pulls it back down to earth.”

Many politicians are giving the false impression that “giving people the rhetoric of hope, lifting them with words, is more important than delivering results, which some might call change.”

Despair is when we are told that there is hope and promise, but we don’t get meaningful, impactful, and lasting positive change.

The hard work of leadership is not just providing a beautiful Garden of Eden vision for people to salivate over and to get their votes, but rather it is making something REAL happen that makes people’s lives and the world better. 

As they say is plain english, “Words are cheap!”

We don’t need any more fancy oratory skills–Hitler had those too and it led to the murderous genocidal Holocaust and disaster of World War II. 

Time for some elbow grease and some results that aren’t fake like the news we’ve been getting. 

We’ve heard too many lies, too much spin, and been subjected to language control of the “media echo chamber.”

Just one prominent example has been regarding terrorism and radical Islam which is not and never has been “workplace violence” and traffic accidents. 

Who is the President of the U.S. fooling when he says that theres been “no foreign-planned terror attacks in 8 years.”

Gee, ISIS and their numerous terror supporters seem to violently disagree about the many terrorist attacks we indeed did have on U.S. soil in the last 8-years, including Orlando, Garland, Fort Hood, San Bernardino, Minnesota, Ohio University, and many more.  

It’s time that we stop being fed a bunch of false hope and political malarkey and instead we get some genuine change, improvement, and progress in our lives and the nation. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Who You Gonna Trust

We start out life as innocent children with inherent trust in those that care for us. 

It is nice to feel safe, loved, and cared for by people who dote over your every gurgle, smirk, fart, and spaghetti sauce smear on the face. 

As people grow older and have negative experiences however, they become more guarded and jaded by what they learn about other people’s motives and agendas and how vulnerable and hurt they can get. 

Unfortunately, these days kids have to fear from pedophiles, parents that are addicts and wildly abusive, and teachers that let out their emotional problems on children that look up to them for guidance and education. 

As we get older, there are bullies in school and thugs on the street. 

And even in the office, there are those that abuse their positions of power and can make life miserable for the regular hard-working Joes not looking for any problems.

In relationships, spouses that cheat on one another and the resulting breakups have heart-wrenching effects on families. 

But perhaps, what is even worse than individual people that can hurt us are when the very institutions that are the bedrock of our society become corrupt and abusive of their authority and result in our loss of trust in them.

Already in 2010, trust in government was reaching new lows of 19%.

By 2014, trust in corporate America had eroded to just 36%.

Similarly, in 2016, trust in the news media fell to all time lows of 32%.

Reading about the clutching unto power of Fidel Castro’s dictatorship for half a century in Cuba did not seem that far a stretch after seeing the powerful and dangerous political machine here in our own U.S.A. working to keep people in the seat of power almost at any cost to the country and the people. 

What was good for people was clearly last place to what was good for the ruling elites not just in Cuba anymore!

Similarly, the notion of a fair and balanced media went out the window with this last election, where investigative journalism became an oxymoronic term and idea. 

As for corporate America, outsourcing, shoddy goods, inflated advertising, short-term profiteering, rigged governance, and oversized pay packages to the C-suite left a handful of socially-conscious corporations stranded on a desert island of greed and raw capitalism.

Neither children nor adults are victims or sheep to be bullied or manipulated by abusers and manipulators in society. 

A free press so needed to keep corruption in check in the rest of public and private sector society has itself been infected by the bug of bias, bigotry, and personal agendas. 

Who can we trust when evil can overtake good temporarily to break bodies and souls of it’s victims?

Ultimately, the people have the final say in keeping the wrongs in society from taking deep root and not letting nasty “big brothers” do the really bad things and take us down the wrong paths.

There are good people with integrity that we can trust, maybe just not everyone we’d like to. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

14 Lessons Learned from the Political Process

So here are some things that I learned from this awful, drawn out election:

1) Keep it positive – Negativity, divisiveness, and hate hurt you more than it does anyone else.

2) Don’t play the *ism card – Using racism, religion, gender, and sexual orientation to divide people and get what you want from them is dirty politics and empty promises for votes; stick to the facts and the issues. 

3) Focus on service to others – “Public service” is about service to others, not self service; it is more important to give than to receive any of the fame, fortune, and favors. 

4) No one is above the law – Corruption, collusion, and cover-ups are a boomerang that eventually come back to hit you in the proverbial head.

5) Action speaks louder than words — What you actually did, accomplished, and how you behaved is the much louder message than what you say you did or claim you will do. 

6) People are not sheep – Regardless of how strong and biased a position the media and others take, hammering and hammering away, in the end people are not sheep and can and do think for themselves. 

7) Polls, statistics, position papers, conventions, and debates – There are many tools for manipulating the masses and they, like the people who prepare and administer them, have biases and lie. 

8) Branding yourself and others – Creating an image for yourself and others by weaving a tall tale narrative only goes so far unless the words and deeds are consistent and ring truth. 

9) Speak from the heart – Preparation and practice make perfect, but a perfect what?  Prepared lines and zingers are great sound bites, but speaking from the heart goes to the heart. 

10) Moral high ground – Just saying you are taking the moral high ground does not make it so; you actually have to have integrity to stand that ground. 

11) The political machine – Politics and the money and operatives behind it, are very strong and dangerous, and those that wield it can and will do anything to gain and stay in the much coveted positions of power. 

12) Don’t think you’re so deserving – Be humble and compassionate on others, instead of believing you are so great and the world owes it to; the more you run after something, the more it tends to elude you.

13) Listen to your gut – There are great orators, writers and influencers out there, but you’ve got to listen more to your gut and moral compass than to anyone else trying to bend your mind and will. 

14) Star power – Bringing out the big gun superstars to speak, sing, and endorse you is some nice added glitz, but the real superpower is the one Almighty who ultimately decides who wins and loses. 

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Losing All Political Perspective

So here we go again into our politicians pants to uncover every locker-room lewd remark they have made. 

Yes, it’s abhorrent and criminal for our politicians, religious leaders, coaches or anyone for that matter to rape or inappropriately sexually touch someone else against their will. 

The problem is that we are losing all common sense and perspective. 

When we are focusing almost exclusively at this point on getting that next verbal sexual gotcha on a hot mic from people running for office, instead of on what they’ve actually done (good and bad) in their lives, then we are being lead astray by powerful elites fighting for and to keep the power they most greedily worship.

Words do have meaning, don’t get me wrong, especially when we hurt someone with them or when they demonstrate true moral lapses in the person.

But when words are taken out of context, exaggerated, or dug up from decades ago just to sling dirt then we have a powerful political machine that is working to hurt and not help our political process. 

What’s even worse is that we are becoming the laughing stock in the world in the process of the mud fest. 

An article yesterday in China mocks the chaotic U.S. political system as a highly flawed “political show.”

If we and the media remain gripped in people’s political pants here, then the real and potentially catastrophic issues will continue to not be on the table or our lips. 

The effect is that rather than being able to effect positive change at home and in the world, we are heads down in the sand, as for example:

– Russia deploys nuclear-capable missiles on Poland’s (and NATO’s) doorstep

– ISIS continues it’s global reign of terror and remains strong and determined

– War crimes are being committed and “red lines” crossed daily in Syria

– Iran and North Korea continue their nuclear hated-filled march on the U.S. and western allies

– Bioterrorism is an increasingly dangerous threat as agents are “relatively inexpensive, easy to produce, conceal and transport” 

– Cyberwarfare is now being considered an existential threat, even as our democratic elections themselves are under attack by the latests hacks from Guccifer 2.0 and DC Leaks. 

– Our national debt has increased $9 trillion (almost doubled) in the last 8 years and is threatening key pillars of our social entitlement system, including social security and medicare. 

– The global economy is on the rocks as the impact from easy credit sputters and future growth is stunted.

As these and other risks increase to the U.S., our leadership remains in a narcissistic fugue with their desire for power and sham legacies, and politics have become grotesquely about killing off the opposition by actual death or by a thousand cuts of verbal mutilation.  

Sex sells and has us mesmerized, but we are missing out on all the real world drama, danger, and any meaningful dialogue. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Stealing The U.S. Election

So I’ve never seen anything quite like this before.

The liberal media is completely trying to destroy Trump, and this is a true crisis of democracy.

They are jumping on him like a gang of bandits, ruthlessly punching and kicking him into the pavement, while reveling in the ascendancy of their absolutely do no wrong Queen of the 2nd Impeached President of The United States of America.

The saying that all publicity is good publicity, has now been proved totally false!

Sure, does Trump have a big mouth and say stupid and offensive things, absolutely.

Is it possible that the guy is flawed, but really doesn’t mean it the way it comes out, as awful as it does?

Never-the-less, the power elite behind the Hillary machine have seized on these things to label him a fascist, racist, Nazi, demagogue, black soul, evil, and even today in the respected Wall Street Journal, a sociopath. 

(Hopefully the stupidity of the people saying these wild-a*s things is forgiven, so G-d forbid one day we shouldn’t have a candidate who really is like that!)

On Sunday, in the New York Times Review Section, it is not uncommon to find 3 articles on a single page dumping on Trump and almost the entire section dedicated to his downfall. 

And of course, this treatment of one candidate, Trump, is not over-the-top at all, and completely fair and balanced thinking and coverage (sarcastic), as we wholly forgive Hillary for (alleged) lying, collusion, corruption, foundation money laundering voter rigging, and year after year of failed global policies (anyone out there been following that 80% of the people are dissatisfied with the direction of this magnificient nation). 

Add to that the murder-suicides of dozens of people associated with the Clinton’s from Vince Foster in the Whitewater scandal to the killing of DNC staffer, Seth Rich, out of the blue just last month in DC. 

Now let me say right out that I am the first one to condemn Trump’s outrageous and off-the-cuff statements about a disabled reporter, a POW Senator, and the the Muslim parents of a fallen soldier–yes, these are truly despicable and stupid things. 

But yet, when I watch the tapes and hear the guy speak, I think that very possibly he is just a huge, nutty-type of eccentric, like these very rich people, under the covers, tend to be. 

I think his mouth gets away from his brain, and yes while this is obviously not a good thing for an ostentatious Presidential candidate, why has the opposition been so successful at completely demonizing the guy (and don’t just say that he did it to himself) and giving a bright shiny nickle to the other candidate?

Is saying stupid things (even very stupid and grossly offensive things) really the equivalent of being a Nazi and sociopath–and is he truly worse than someone involved in lying, collusion, corruption, and global leadership failures that literally can threaten our nation’s security and take us down a path of true global disorder (how’s that relationship with the powerful Russians, Chinese, Iranians, and North Korea as well as the state of unabated worldwide terrorism doing these days)?

The left, including many prominent media outlets, have jumped on the band-wagon to label the opposition and they have been unrelenting and ruthless at destroying only one of the candidates, Trump, while they continue to give Hillary more or less of a free pass–does anyone wonder about this? 

Rather than a fascist candidate, maybe what we really have is an an outrageous attempt at a fascist election system!

I wonder whether the people supporting this ones-sided narrative and single party election will come to regret their boundless political wisdom, hard and fast professional assessments, and vicious character assassinations, once we are well into the next term of President. 

What will the pundits and media say when the economic bubble tears, when major terrorism strikes big and bad, when global upheaval dangerously spreads, and all we get is more spin, deception, inaction, and leadership from behind–are you so sure that is better than a candidate with a big mouth, but also who can build big skyscrapers and skylines over a new horizon for this country? 

Will the pundits, media echo chamber, and the elites absolutely forcing Hillary to the top have a reckoning of thinking and conscience, with their air of puffery knocked out of them–will they have the presence of mind to question for a moment their choice of a candidate with a life-filled of scandal over a big-mouth, clumsy New York billionaire builder. 

Finally, when one thinks of insane and evil, aren’t the activities that Hillary is accused of exactly those. 

Perhaps this is truly the crooked pot calling the big mouth kettle black, and the biggest election coup and voter fraud taking place right under your mightily socially engineered noses. 

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

The Bully Pulpit

So I took this photo in the Renwick Gallery.

I believe it is called, “Apocalypse.”

And the miserable misanthrope evil-doers are riding in on their fiery mule to lie, murder, and destroy.

Perhaps what’s not so bad in-and-of itself is to have to face many of life’s challenges and work hard to overcome them.

But what is unconscionable these-days is that we are being often and repeatedly lied to and manipulated.

No longer is the truth and good seemingly on top of the agenda, but rather the script of normalcy and calm is paramount. 

Thus, rather than passion and piloting, we get a lot of spin, exaggeration, manipulation, and some could say outright lies, for example: 

– The “health of the economy” (anyone look at our runaway national debt register or grossly widening economic inequality lately)

– The “security of our nation” (anyone believe that Iran or North Korea are standing down their WMD programs)

– That ISIS is on the run and terrorism is waning (anyone really think San Bernardino or Fort Hood was “workplace violence”)

– The success of the nation’s newest healthcare program (anyone believe that the public “Affordable Care” insurance is giving healthy coverage at great prices)

– The absence of bigotry and discrimination (anyone think that racism isn’t so bad with killings over taillights and at “peaceful” protests)

– The transparency of our government (anyone look at the statements of the FBI versus the former first lady). 

And doesn’t the list goes on and on. 

Listen, we all make mistakes, including leaders, but creating a false narrative for the “stupid” public and media “echo chamber” is beyond immoral–it literally breaks the compass. 

Civilized society and any vestige of positive relationships therein is built of trust and communication, but when these are simply tools to fool the coined dumb-a*s people, rather than lead them, then we are listening only to evildoers on a bully pulpit. 

Maybe that’s why nearly 70% think we’re headed in the wrong direction…because look at the absence of integrity leading the pack. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Lives That Matter Not

With the presumed racially bigoted killing of Black people, we got Black Lives Matter. 

Now with the sniper attack murdering 5 police officers, we have Blue Lives Matter. 

From the unfortunate political response to both, it seems that No Lives Matter. 

With all the violence, and revenge violence, and cycles thereof, it was amazingly sad to hear our President say last week, “I firmly believe that America is not as divided as some have suggested.”

Oh, really!

From Trayvon Martin to Freddie Gray to the five police officers killed last week–there sure seems to be a lot of bloodletting for a country that is not all that divided. 

The problem is that the serious racial divisions are only a part of it. 

Economic inequality is another big factor in the equation with the top 1% owning more than 50% of global wealth, and the gap continues to widen. 

And on top of that you have the political elites who perhaps are not only above the law, but are so much intertwined with the law of the land that they can be “100% confident” on doing what they want and not getting in any trouble.  

So does the 99% matter? Perhaps only as much as your vote and/or donation count for the 1% to get and keep their beloved and worshiped money and power. 

One thing that is amazingly clear across the spectrum from the likes of Donald Trump to that of Bernie Sanders is that the system is rigged.

Yet as disparities and inequalities exist in treatment from black to blue, the elites are most able to manipulate the “echo chamber” with loads of spin to give the perception of calm and stability and some breadcrumbs for all. 

Everyone has a chance to live and to prosper except when they don’t.  

Still we can gloss over the spilled blood and the ridiculous inequality with some promises, gestures, and maybe even a few handouts–and make you 100% confident that you do matter so very much. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)