[The] English-Blog [.com]: Poems In The English Writing Classroom: "FIRE AND ICE
Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favour fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
--Robert Frost"
Friday, January 27, 2006
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
BlogginWallStreet: The Whole World's a Bitch Fest
BlogginWallStreet: The Whole World's a Bitch Fest: "
The Whole World's a Bitch Fest
Yes, I'm off my rocker. I'm off my rocker with frustration. These are things I hear day in and day out. Seems like no one has a word good to say. Is it any wonder so many people obsess over so many of these things when it's thrown at them the way it is.
The U.S. is in decline. It's going the way of Greece and Rome.
Capitalism is a failed experiment.
Our trade deficit is too large.
Our budget deficit is too large.
Our debt is too large.
We'll all be sharecroppers to the rest of the world because we owe too much to foreigners.
We don't save enough.
We spend too much and buy too many frivolous things.
We're cashing out too much equity from our homes.
The dollar is doomed as soon as China and Japan stop buying our bonds.
From one year to the next uncontrollable deflation then rampant inflation are inevitable.
There's too much crime.
There's too much corporate corruption.
Our corporate leaders make too much money.
We're too fat.
We're stupid. Our kids get stupider with every generation.
We can't invent anything anymore.
No one wants to buy our stuff.
The rest of the world has passed us up and is leaving us behind.
China and India are the best places to invest your money.
We've seen the end of cheap energy.
Commodities are the greatest investment in the world.
Stocks stink.
Put 25% of your money overseas and half that in emerging markets.
Buy gold. It's the only thing that will be of value when our economy collapses.
Healthcare costs too much.
Education inflation is out of control.
Social Security is unsalvageable.
Too many men are dying in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The government is spying too much.
The government isn't doing enough to stop terrorism.
Companies don't pay out enough of their profits.
Corporate boards are corrupt.
Companies aren't transparent enough.
The Fed isn't transparent enough.
Bernanke is too focused on inflation targeting.
Bernanke is too focused on deflation.
The money supply's too big.
Foreigners are buying up all our land, which I don't know why they'd want it anyway since our corporations are polluting it to death.
What do any of these things matter anyway when we're all about to die from bird flu, WWIII with China, Global Warming, or an asteroid, whichever comes first. And if the first one that happens doesn't get you, then one of the others will finish you off. We might as well go ahead and blow ourselves up and get it over with since we're all a bunch of heathen atheists anyway. Just launch the missiles straight up in the air and watch 'em come back down. It will be quite a show. The expatriate perma-bears can watch our self inflicted Armageddon on Al Jazeera while they gloat and cheer over our self-destruction. It's too bad though that they won't be able to cash in on their shorts since the exchanges will be gone.
My biggest complaint is that we complain too much. We just bitch and moan about everything. We bitch about the destruction of our planet. We bitch about our country. I was just working in the local Borders café and the mayor of the town next door was sitting nearby bitching to some kind of planner person about whatever there is to bitch about in a small town. People all across the country are bitching about their towns and schools. There's no end to the bitching.
How can I complain when I made it to Arapahoe Basin last Friday on the first day they opened up the famous East Wall for an afternoon of untracked bottomless powder skiing above the treeline? About the only other thing I have to bitch about is that neither the Colts nor the Broncos made it to the SuperBowl.
posted by Mark Mahorney at 7:34 PM
1 Comments:
Mark Mahorney said...
I'm an optimist. Is that so wrong?
7:52 PM
Post a Comment
<< Home
The Whole World's a Bitch Fest
Yes, I'm off my rocker. I'm off my rocker with frustration. These are things I hear day in and day out. Seems like no one has a word good to say. Is it any wonder so many people obsess over so many of these things when it's thrown at them the way it is.
The U.S. is in decline. It's going the way of Greece and Rome.
Capitalism is a failed experiment.
Our trade deficit is too large.
Our budget deficit is too large.
Our debt is too large.
We'll all be sharecroppers to the rest of the world because we owe too much to foreigners.
We don't save enough.
We spend too much and buy too many frivolous things.
We're cashing out too much equity from our homes.
The dollar is doomed as soon as China and Japan stop buying our bonds.
From one year to the next uncontrollable deflation then rampant inflation are inevitable.
There's too much crime.
There's too much corporate corruption.
Our corporate leaders make too much money.
We're too fat.
We're stupid. Our kids get stupider with every generation.
We can't invent anything anymore.
No one wants to buy our stuff.
The rest of the world has passed us up and is leaving us behind.
China and India are the best places to invest your money.
We've seen the end of cheap energy.
Commodities are the greatest investment in the world.
Stocks stink.
Put 25% of your money overseas and half that in emerging markets.
Buy gold. It's the only thing that will be of value when our economy collapses.
Healthcare costs too much.
Education inflation is out of control.
Social Security is unsalvageable.
Too many men are dying in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The government is spying too much.
The government isn't doing enough to stop terrorism.
Companies don't pay out enough of their profits.
Corporate boards are corrupt.
Companies aren't transparent enough.
The Fed isn't transparent enough.
Bernanke is too focused on inflation targeting.
Bernanke is too focused on deflation.
The money supply's too big.
Foreigners are buying up all our land, which I don't know why they'd want it anyway since our corporations are polluting it to death.
What do any of these things matter anyway when we're all about to die from bird flu, WWIII with China, Global Warming, or an asteroid, whichever comes first. And if the first one that happens doesn't get you, then one of the others will finish you off. We might as well go ahead and blow ourselves up and get it over with since we're all a bunch of heathen atheists anyway. Just launch the missiles straight up in the air and watch 'em come back down. It will be quite a show. The expatriate perma-bears can watch our self inflicted Armageddon on Al Jazeera while they gloat and cheer over our self-destruction. It's too bad though that they won't be able to cash in on their shorts since the exchanges will be gone.
My biggest complaint is that we complain too much. We just bitch and moan about everything. We bitch about the destruction of our planet. We bitch about our country. I was just working in the local Borders café and the mayor of the town next door was sitting nearby bitching to some kind of planner person about whatever there is to bitch about in a small town. People all across the country are bitching about their towns and schools. There's no end to the bitching.
How can I complain when I made it to Arapahoe Basin last Friday on the first day they opened up the famous East Wall for an afternoon of untracked bottomless powder skiing above the treeline? About the only other thing I have to bitch about is that neither the Colts nor the Broncos made it to the SuperBowl.
posted by Mark Mahorney at 7:34 PM
1 Comments:
Mark Mahorney said...
I'm an optimist. Is that so wrong?
7:52 PM
Post a Comment
<< Home
BlogginWallStreet: I'm thankful for...
BlogginWallStreet: I'm thankful for...: "I'm thankful for...
Yesterday, I took my six-year old son to play hockey. When it was time to leave all he could do was complain about having to go. He didn't appreciate that I took him there. He didn't appreciate what he had until I threatened not to take him back again.
The perma-bears have the mentality of six-year olds. They can't appreciate what they have. Most countries don't have social security systems to lose. Most countries don't have stock markets, commodity markets, and 401k plans to invest in. Most countries don't have home equity to cash out. Most countries don't have trade deficits because their citizens don't have any money to spend on much of anything more than the bare necessities. Some countries have better school test scores because only their most privileged citizens are tested. The U.S. has lower college scores because just about anyone can go to college. The U.S. has one of the highest college participation rates in the world. I'm thankful for having so many opportunities to screw things up and get screwed over.
posted by Mark Mahorney at 8:25 PM"
Yesterday, I took my six-year old son to play hockey. When it was time to leave all he could do was complain about having to go. He didn't appreciate that I took him there. He didn't appreciate what he had until I threatened not to take him back again.
The perma-bears have the mentality of six-year olds. They can't appreciate what they have. Most countries don't have social security systems to lose. Most countries don't have stock markets, commodity markets, and 401k plans to invest in. Most countries don't have home equity to cash out. Most countries don't have trade deficits because their citizens don't have any money to spend on much of anything more than the bare necessities. Some countries have better school test scores because only their most privileged citizens are tested. The U.S. has lower college scores because just about anyone can go to college. The U.S. has one of the highest college participation rates in the world. I'm thankful for having so many opportunities to screw things up and get screwed over.
posted by Mark Mahorney at 8:25 PM"
Sunday, January 22, 2006
the irish lass
the irish lass: "Rat Pack Lingo
Do you need some new vocab?
18 KARAT
All the way, full-out: “An 18 karat idiot.”
BABY
Used as an exclamation as well as a term of endearment.
BAG
As in “my bag,” a person's particular interest.
BARN BURNER
A very stylish, classy woman. " Etc
Do you need some new vocab?
18 KARAT
All the way, full-out: “An 18 karat idiot.”
BABY
Used as an exclamation as well as a term of endearment.
BAG
As in “my bag,” a person's particular interest.
BARN BURNER
A very stylish, classy woman. " Etc
Babalu Blog: 41
Babalu Blog: 41
But not today. It's my birthday.
Forty-one years ago, my father gave the doctor that delivered me a bucket of lard and a guanajo, a turkey, as payment for the hours he spent bringing me into this world while ensuring that my mother would be fine.
Thirty-seven years ago, my father gave me the opportunity of enjoying my birthdays in freedom by exiling his family to the United States of America. It may have been in October of 1968, but it has been the best birthday present anyone could ever give or wish to receive.
This 41 year old nitwit loves his life.
My wife calls me her King. She is my Queen.
My dog loves me and never leaves my side.
I am my mother's niño lindo and my father's source of pride.
I was my grandparents "Primo" and the recipient of their love and knowledge and affection.
I am my nieces' and nephew's Uncle, my sister's brother and my family's Valen.
I've been chosen by many to be their friend.
I live in the United States of America and I am free.
And I am a Cuban with the liberty to know and speak the truth.
What more could any birthday nitwit ask for?
But not today. It's my birthday.
Forty-one years ago, my father gave the doctor that delivered me a bucket of lard and a guanajo, a turkey, as payment for the hours he spent bringing me into this world while ensuring that my mother would be fine.
Thirty-seven years ago, my father gave me the opportunity of enjoying my birthdays in freedom by exiling his family to the United States of America. It may have been in October of 1968, but it has been the best birthday present anyone could ever give or wish to receive.
This 41 year old nitwit loves his life.
My wife calls me her King. She is my Queen.
My dog loves me and never leaves my side.
I am my mother's niño lindo and my father's source of pride.
I was my grandparents "Primo" and the recipient of their love and knowledge and affection.
I am my nieces' and nephew's Uncle, my sister's brother and my family's Valen.
I've been chosen by many to be their friend.
I live in the United States of America and I am free.
And I am a Cuban with the liberty to know and speak the truth.
What more could any birthday nitwit ask for?
Townhall.com :: A Profane Life by Doug Giles Jan 21, 2006
Townhall.com :: A Profane Life by Doug Giles Jan 21, 2006
A Profane Life
By Doug Giles
Jan 21, 2006
My column last week, “The Arts, Farts and a Good Start,” got some hyper-religious people ticked off. Ah, the simple pleasures in my life. They couldn’t believe that I would encourage Christians to get involved in bad places like Hollywood, or the music industry or in D.C. They stated that my encouragement of other believers into such putrid places was unbiblical.
Well, kiss my grits. Excuse me for living.
I could be wrong, but didn’t Jesus leave His God-blessed heaven to redeem this sin-cursed earth? Didn’t He hang out with the worst of the worse? And didn’t He go to their ubiquitous watering holes and come away having influenced them and not the other way around? And didn’t He find some amazing apostles in places that most holier-than-thou’s would never have been seen? Yes, Jedediah, I think he did.
Look, horribly confused Christian: from what I’ve gathered from reading the scripture a few times, the believer has three options when he’s faced with an overtly wicked environment. He can either:
1. Absorb the culture.
2. Separate from the culture.
3. Or infiltrate the culture.
Let’s check out the tres selececciones.
Absorption.
The Christian who absorbs the culture is the type that is always testing the wind of public opinion and, like a spiritual weather vane, he twists with the prevailing airflow. This type of “believer” doesn’t really believe much; rather he allows his “convictions” to be crafted by what currently is en vogue.
Such spineless, Christian-in-name-only followers of a Jesus of their own imagination can be counted on to not stand up and be counted when Christ’s commandments run contrary to culture. The absorption crowd regularly blows off truth in favor of being liked. You’ve seen these sad cases in society, I’m sure. Believers who, trying way too hard to be relevant, hip and groovy Christians, end up doing the politically correct thing and thus, lose their contrary sting.
They have no spine. They have no conviction that they’ll live and die for. Any attempt to get them to take an unpopular stand in society causes them to melt like Bill Clinton does in front of a chunky girl with D cups. The absorption crew sees it as their business to take the bones out of the Christian fish symbol and make Jesus yummy, digestible and unobtrusive to the obstreperous.
That’s the absorption crowd.
Separation.
The separatist, on the other hand, is a completely different animal from the absorbing Christian. The separatist couldn’t give a rip what the world thinks. The separatists hate the world and all that the world is. Most of them won’t come out and say that, but it’s true. They don’t want involvement in the public square. They don’t want involvement with culture. They view most of what culture has to offer as unclean contaminates, and they’re somewhat spot-on. Godless culture is godless, and thus it is wickedly whacked. An uninformed, unprepared believer can end being . . . uh . . . influenced if he’s naïve and doesn’t watch his backside when he sashays into this world.
You’ve seen it before: some nice looking country girl with Christian values gets into showbiz and goes from being a dancer on the Mickey Mouse Club to dancing naked onstage in front of thousands while holding a white python and French kissing an aging Madonna.
The separatist, instead of holding onto his biblical bearings while interfacing with the irreverent, would rather not have the interaction—and thus, the test of his convictions—at all. The separatists believe that Christian victory and ascendancy over corrupt culture can come only through avoidance. The only victory they have over corruption is from the simple fact that they have distanced themselves from being tested. Therefore, no one, including the separatists, really knows what they believe and what they stand for. They’re sheltered little darlings that live in a Tweety Bird chirping, religious biosphere away from the ugly world.
The problem with the separatists is not only do they not know what they really know, but also that they fail to reach out to those who could use a helping hand. What’s worse is they develop an us vs. them mentality, a spiritual xenophobia towards the unwashed masses. This sin of self-righteousness, in the separatists, happens to be the very thing that ticked off Christ the most. And BTW, the only folks Christ ever warned His followers to flee from were not the gross, obvious, overt sinners—but the pompous and nauseous, self-righteous religios.
Infiltration.
Since absorption and separation are not an option for the true Christian, what is the believer to do? The only biblical option for the concerned Christian is to infiltrate society. This means we must leave our sterilized, supposedly sin-free environments and get into the swill of the real world and live what Martin Luther said was the Christian’s duty: a profane life.
Martin Luther, the 16th century Augustinian monk who shook all of Christendom like a bowl of liposcutioned fat, thought that a Christian was worthless until he came to the place of maturity where he could live profanely, i.e., “outside the temple.”
What good is our faith if it’s just our personal relationship with Jesus? How the heck does such a faith make a difference to this planet, you little self-obsessed, religious me monkey? Our faith is useless unless it sees use outside the temple and inside the public square, and the arts and the political realms are in dire need of serious saints who are over-the-top with excellence in what they do.
Don’t absorb the culture, Chicken Little. Stand up to it. Also, don’t run from the culture and separate from it, girlie man; but rather infiltrate it with creativity, love, grace and conviction, and watch the world that currently makes you wretch do a 180 via your growing Christian influence.
Giles’ new book, The Bulldog Attitude: Get It or Get Left Behind, has just been released! It is guaranteed to take the poo out of poodles and give them the Bulldog Attitude. It is a great read for young and old, families, churches and corporations who wish to excel. Logon to www.ClashRadio.com and check out Doug's latest interview with Frank Gaffney, author of the book War Footing.
Doug Giles is the creator and host of "The Clash" radio shows and a contributing columnist on Townhall.com.
Copyright © 2006 2005 Doug Giles
A Profane Life
By Doug Giles
Jan 21, 2006
My column last week, “The Arts, Farts and a Good Start,” got some hyper-religious people ticked off. Ah, the simple pleasures in my life. They couldn’t believe that I would encourage Christians to get involved in bad places like Hollywood, or the music industry or in D.C. They stated that my encouragement of other believers into such putrid places was unbiblical.
Well, kiss my grits. Excuse me for living.
I could be wrong, but didn’t Jesus leave His God-blessed heaven to redeem this sin-cursed earth? Didn’t He hang out with the worst of the worse? And didn’t He go to their ubiquitous watering holes and come away having influenced them and not the other way around? And didn’t He find some amazing apostles in places that most holier-than-thou’s would never have been seen? Yes, Jedediah, I think he did.
Look, horribly confused Christian: from what I’ve gathered from reading the scripture a few times, the believer has three options when he’s faced with an overtly wicked environment. He can either:
1. Absorb the culture.
2. Separate from the culture.
3. Or infiltrate the culture.
Let’s check out the tres selececciones.
Absorption.
The Christian who absorbs the culture is the type that is always testing the wind of public opinion and, like a spiritual weather vane, he twists with the prevailing airflow. This type of “believer” doesn’t really believe much; rather he allows his “convictions” to be crafted by what currently is en vogue.
Such spineless, Christian-in-name-only followers of a Jesus of their own imagination can be counted on to not stand up and be counted when Christ’s commandments run contrary to culture. The absorption crowd regularly blows off truth in favor of being liked. You’ve seen these sad cases in society, I’m sure. Believers who, trying way too hard to be relevant, hip and groovy Christians, end up doing the politically correct thing and thus, lose their contrary sting.
They have no spine. They have no conviction that they’ll live and die for. Any attempt to get them to take an unpopular stand in society causes them to melt like Bill Clinton does in front of a chunky girl with D cups. The absorption crew sees it as their business to take the bones out of the Christian fish symbol and make Jesus yummy, digestible and unobtrusive to the obstreperous.
That’s the absorption crowd.
Separation.
The separatist, on the other hand, is a completely different animal from the absorbing Christian. The separatist couldn’t give a rip what the world thinks. The separatists hate the world and all that the world is. Most of them won’t come out and say that, but it’s true. They don’t want involvement in the public square. They don’t want involvement with culture. They view most of what culture has to offer as unclean contaminates, and they’re somewhat spot-on. Godless culture is godless, and thus it is wickedly whacked. An uninformed, unprepared believer can end being . . . uh . . . influenced if he’s naïve and doesn’t watch his backside when he sashays into this world.
You’ve seen it before: some nice looking country girl with Christian values gets into showbiz and goes from being a dancer on the Mickey Mouse Club to dancing naked onstage in front of thousands while holding a white python and French kissing an aging Madonna.
The separatist, instead of holding onto his biblical bearings while interfacing with the irreverent, would rather not have the interaction—and thus, the test of his convictions—at all. The separatists believe that Christian victory and ascendancy over corrupt culture can come only through avoidance. The only victory they have over corruption is from the simple fact that they have distanced themselves from being tested. Therefore, no one, including the separatists, really knows what they believe and what they stand for. They’re sheltered little darlings that live in a Tweety Bird chirping, religious biosphere away from the ugly world.
The problem with the separatists is not only do they not know what they really know, but also that they fail to reach out to those who could use a helping hand. What’s worse is they develop an us vs. them mentality, a spiritual xenophobia towards the unwashed masses. This sin of self-righteousness, in the separatists, happens to be the very thing that ticked off Christ the most. And BTW, the only folks Christ ever warned His followers to flee from were not the gross, obvious, overt sinners—but the pompous and nauseous, self-righteous religios.
Infiltration.
Since absorption and separation are not an option for the true Christian, what is the believer to do? The only biblical option for the concerned Christian is to infiltrate society. This means we must leave our sterilized, supposedly sin-free environments and get into the swill of the real world and live what Martin Luther said was the Christian’s duty: a profane life.
Martin Luther, the 16th century Augustinian monk who shook all of Christendom like a bowl of liposcutioned fat, thought that a Christian was worthless until he came to the place of maturity where he could live profanely, i.e., “outside the temple.”
What good is our faith if it’s just our personal relationship with Jesus? How the heck does such a faith make a difference to this planet, you little self-obsessed, religious me monkey? Our faith is useless unless it sees use outside the temple and inside the public square, and the arts and the political realms are in dire need of serious saints who are over-the-top with excellence in what they do.
Don’t absorb the culture, Chicken Little. Stand up to it. Also, don’t run from the culture and separate from it, girlie man; but rather infiltrate it with creativity, love, grace and conviction, and watch the world that currently makes you wretch do a 180 via your growing Christian influence.
Giles’ new book, The Bulldog Attitude: Get It or Get Left Behind, has just been released! It is guaranteed to take the poo out of poodles and give them the Bulldog Attitude. It is a great read for young and old, families, churches and corporations who wish to excel. Logon to www.ClashRadio.com and check out Doug's latest interview with Frank Gaffney, author of the book War Footing.
Doug Giles is the creator and host of "The Clash" radio shows and a contributing columnist on Townhall.com.
Copyright © 2006 2005 Doug Giles
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