Political Conventions

My father brought home our first television in the early 50s, when I was in elementary school.  The world began to open up to us.  I recall my brother and I sitting in front of the blond wood cabinet with the small picture tube screen as we watched the test pattern.  No, it wasn't because we found the test pattern fascinating, just the fact that it actually existed thrilled us with the promise of the next "show".  Television was so novel at the time that we endured all kinds of entertainment just to watch the miraculous invention.  We watched wrestling shows with our grandfather, black and white cartoons, news shows - anything and everything was wonderful.  Of course, cable tv didn't exist at the time, and some sort of antenna was necessary to get a signal.  The first of our antennas was a set of rabbit ears that had to be constantly reconfigured depending on the season, the tv station, and the weather. Frequently, aluminum foil was attached to the "ears" for better reception.  The pictures were black and white and many shades of gray, mostly the latter, and were usually quite fuzzy. Channel 13, WQED, was the first tv station we were able to watch, followed by KDKA, Channel 2.

The first political conventions were broadcast on tv in 1948.  Prior to that, we listened on the radio.  Because this was post-World War II America, patriotism was a big deal, even among kids. We went to parades on national holidays; we placed our right hands proudly over our hearts during the National Anthem or when a flag was carried past us;  we listened to our parents and grandparents discussing politics and news.  This is probably why I, at age 6, wanted to marry President Harry S. Truman.  It also explains why I watched the political conventions of 1956, and those of every presidential election year thereafter.

I am always amazed at the number of people who do not watch this part of the political process in the USA. I heard someone say this may be the last year for the conventions, and that makes me quite sad.  Today, there is more interest in celebrities and gadgets than there is in the mechanics of our Republic.  I am fearful that the lack of interest may well be the cause of the fall of our great society.  Young people today do not have a grasp on how our system works, or why it has enabled our country to become the most successful economic/political system in the world.  In the early years of television, the political conventions were shown in their entirety.  Today, the major networks only cover an hour or two of the action.  What was once an interesting look at how a president gets elected, is now considered boring by the public.  The politicians also didn't like the way their wheeling and dealing  was shown to the voting public, and so coverage gradually decreased.

I miss the days of Walter Cronkite commentating (but not when someone on the dais was speaking, as they do today).  I miss the excitement of the beginning of the presidential campaign, because candidates were chosen at the conventions and the campaigning began after the convention.  It certainly was a lot cheaper than it is today, and it also meant the sitting President was actually presiding over the country instead of campaigning for two of his four years in office.  Some things just don't get better over time.

It seems fairly obvious that the USA needs another major political party.  The Dems and the GOP just aren't cutting it.  The left wants to give away too much and the right wants to take away too much.  Why isn't there a moderate party?  I've said it before and I'll say it again:  sanity only resides in the middle, not at the outer limits.

Power and money are the real goals of politicians and their ilk.  Don't let anyone tell you any different.

Rant

Henceforth, I am using this blog space to vent, rant, and rage about the corporate greed and the myriad ways people are being cheated in America today. Each time I find or happen across yet one more company that is operating in a less than ethical manner, I will write about it here. So far, we have freedom of speech in America, though I believe that right is slowly being eroded.

Anyway, today I am exposing TMobile to the world. Thousands of other people have canceled their contracts with this company recently, for good reason. First of all, if they are charging premium prices, they best provide premium service. In 2003, I signed my first 2-year agreement with TMobile, and I was happy with it for several years. Slowly, problems began to surface and I am ashamed to say that I let those issues pass without complaining to the company. However, over the past 4 months, I have called and complained to no avail. First of all, I have been paying an extra $40 a month for internet service on my "smart" phone (which is anything but smart), and the service usually doesn't work. Oh, yes, I do occasionally get some emails on my phone, but not consistently, and never completely. For these past 4 months, I have called TMobile and told them to stop the Internet service, because it doesn't work well. They haven't complied. Today, however, I told them they better comply or I am taking this issue to the FCC. They have promised to remove the service. I also told them I only want basic service until November, when I plan to leave TMobile for good. At that time, I will go with another company, one that is more reliable, has good coverage, and provides good phones.

That is another issue with TMobile. The only time a good deal can be gotten on a phone is when a customer first signs up. After you are a steady customer, the only "deals" offered are for outdated or refurbished phones. The better phones are very expensive. It seems the company would do better to reward their good, long-term customers rather than emphasizing their zeal for new customers.

The other issue has to do with where I live. Their coverage is still not good, even in this area which is not far from Pittsburgh. Verizon and Sprint do much better in this regard.

Why put up with less than satisfactory service from an overpriced cell phone company when there are other alternatives. My next cell phone will be some kind of tablet, I think. It certainly won't be from TMobile.

Politics, politics, politics! Here we are at the beginning of the now 2-year campaign for the presidential election. I may be mistaken, but my memory of earlier campaigns began in earnest the year of the election, and heated up after the national political conventions. Whoever was president didn't spend most of his time on the road campaigning....he instead spent most of his time governing. Recent holders of this highest of offices seem to be primarily interested in reelection. Can you imagine any other job where the employee's job is making sure he has a job?

How can any ethical American take advantage of the people who provide the monetary support for the government in the way this president, in particular, has been doing? Taking so many vacations on the taxpayer's dollar at a time when most people are having trouble putting food on the table is an action that should be impeachable. It certainly doesn't win votes.

Karma

Over the last year or two, I have noticed the tendency of younger people to use the word "karma" as a vindictive comment about someone else's behavior or action. Let me say that I am neither a theologian nor a psychologist, just a person who wonders about how our language and belief systems change because of misunderstandings.

Every time I read a Facebook post that says someone is getting a karmic payback, I have to wonder if the commenter realizes the meaning of karma. If the poster is a Christian, then a non-Christian belief is being used to kind of wish evil on another person based on the poster's personal viewpoint. If the poster truly believes in karma, then wouldn't saying someone else deserves bad karma be inviting the same back on the poster?

Christians believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for the forgiveness of sin. They don't believe that a person's sins or bad karma cause one to be reincarnated as a lesser form of life. Christians are taught that people reap what they sow, but that is a different concept than karma which presumes reincarnation.

I think all this judgmental karma talk is a way of making oneself feel better or superior to the person who has been perceived as having committed some kind of faux pas. The thing is, everyone has different beliefs, mores, morals, emotions, and motivations for his/her behaviors. The only one who truly knows a person's heart is the Lord. The rest of us really aren't qualified.

Convoluted World Events - Some Things Never Change

I can't help but wonder about America's role in the current civil unrest in the Middle East. During my lifetime, information about subversive American activity in other countries has come to light. It is difficult to accept when we have been apparently manipulated into believing the good ole' USA is the shining example of all things good, the country all others yearn to emulate, the people who all other people desire to be.

When we find that our CIA has been involved in uprisings, assassinations, and political maneuvering, it is difficult to accept. We turn our eyes, our backs, our thoughts away from these ungodly events. Soon we begin to believe again that the evil exists in other countries, but not here.

This past month has seen the people in Egypt rise up against a dictatorship in their country, and today there is similar activity in other countries. People who have not enjoyed a democratic government now are demanding to have what other countries have. Thanks to the Internet, information and plans for assemblies are disseminated to all the people in all the nooks and crannies of isolated and remote dictator-run countries.

In the United States, union members are protesting because they don't like the cuts the state governments are trying to get through. This involves state workers and teachers. The latter can certainly pay some of their health insurance costs, just like the taxpayers who pay teacher's salaries. It might be different if teachers were actually teaching! Young people today are practically illiterate, and this is appalling considering the amount of money and perks teachers get.

It is a different world - the people, no matter in what country, are sharing information and opinions for the first time and this will make all the difference.

Tea Party on the River

The Tea Party today in Kittanning, PA, along the Allegheny River, reinforced ideas I have had for some time. It is gratifying to meet like-minded people in these huge congregations. Contrary to what the liberal media reports, the Tea Party movement is growing rapidly all across our country. It is comprised of mostly educated, peace-loving, everyday people who are frightened by what they see happening in America.

It is no coincidence that crises arise just as the Administration announces a solution, their solution. A solution that will, added to all the other recent moves in the direction of Marxism, make our Republic a topic for history books. Don't kid yourself -- these changes have been carefully planned for a long, long time. Any one who has read the bible of community organization, Sol Alinsky's Rules for Radicals, knows it is a step-by-step recipe for taking away freedom and replacing it with socialism. He was a communist/Marxist. Our president used this book when he was learning to organize, and he continues to use its methods and theories today in an effort to change this country for the worse.

The fear is our country is rapidly being changed into one where the majority of its people will be taken care of by the government. What these dependent people do not realize or understand is that when they allow the government to take care of them, they really lose more than self-respect. They lose their freedom. Slavery in America meant that wealthy plantation owners took care of their slaves for life. The slaves took the housing, food, etc., in exchange for working on the plantation. They couldn't vote, couldn't leave, and couldn't own anything. Today, our government gives welfare recipients housing, food, etc., in exchange for NOT working. The payback is guaranteed votes and support to those in office. When Obama says he wants to spread the wealth, what do you think he means?

We absolutely must stop this movement toward the demise of our Republic. The Tea Party members are working to this end, and are dedicated to voting ALL present elected government officials OUT of office in November. It starts in the Primary, of course. Don't vote for incumbents.