About Me

Name: Rocketman
Biography
Loading...

Create Your Own Blog Find Other Townhall Blogs

Comments

Great Expectations

Posted by Rocketman on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 6:01:20 PM
"I've lost my rights."
 
I hear this again and again from liberal friends & acquaintances. 
"What rights have you lost?"  I ask.
This usually causes a brief moment of confusion... they are not accustomed to being questioned concerning their misery.  Within liberal circles it is well understood that the Bush Administration is the cause of many evils, both real and imagined.
"Well... I've lost the right to free heathcare."
"That's not a right."  I observe.
"Well it should be!"  They reply with the creeping gusto that accompanies a righteous argument.
"Any others?"  I ask.
"The right to be happy!"  Evidently, living under fascist dictates of the Bush Administration deprives a thinking, feeling person of any possibility of happiness.  Side note: they usually have to turn away from their laptop or take their iPod headphones out of their ears to address me.  Suffering, of course, is a sliding scale.
 
The conversation usually continues for as long as I can take the wildly illusory world of today's manic liberal.  In the emotive world of my liberal friends, facts are mere irritations that are quickly refuted with well-greased rhetoric.  There is no point of history that can't be quickly perverted or dismissed to make the larger point that President Bush is both an evil genius to be loathed and a dangerously retarded chimp-like creature that deserves our pity.
 
I discovered (the hard way) that I could spend hours crafting a well documented essay on the dubious character traits I see in Obama, only to be answered with a pithy and deeply reasoned response along the lines of, "Well, McCain runs a bad campaign." 
 
My mouth hangs agape.  I bow before your logic, Sir.
 
Quick observations regarding these recent interactions with my liberal friends:

1.  They feel that the people of America are victims of Corporate America & the Bush Administration.

2.  They feel that they are being oppressed because they do not have free healthcare, lots of money in the bank and a government that they agree with.

3.  They feel that Obama will change everything for the better.

4.  They will not allow discussion and they will not tolerate any negative statements regarding Obama or the Democrat Party.

5.  They do not like being called "Liberal."
 
I haven't written in so long - I really need to get going again.  I think the next few years will provide plenty of grist for the mill.
 - R
Email ItEmail It | Print ItPrint It | CommentsComments (0) | TrackbacksTrackbacks (0) | Flag as offensiveFlag as Offensive

The Anniversary

Posted by Rocketman on Tuesday, September 12, 2006 12:59:43 PM
Lest we forget.  The desire to forget or "move past" an emotionally devastating event is natural.  Couple that with the fact that in our society, we are very well versed in maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain or fear.  The result is a tendancy to look away from the very things that we need to keep in front of us - the very things that develop our character, drive us towards God and have the most impact on our lives and our childrens.  In my humble opinion, all of the various addictions you can name or imagine are just tools we use to avoid the pain & fear of living in this world without God.

We need to look back to 9/11 because it is a powerful reminder of the present reality we live in.  The threat has not abated and as a free nation we will always be vulnerable.  They will not be appeased and they will persist unto death.  This is not a campaign slogan, it is reality.  We can't afford to look away. 

Wazzadem has an extensive tribute to 9/11.  Don't miss it.
Email ItEmail It | Print ItPrint It | CommentsComments (0) | TrackbacksTrackbacks (0) | Flag as offensiveFlag as Offensive

Sports Doping - Who Cares?

Posted by Rocketman on Thursday, July 27, 2006 7:35:20 PM
Professor Bainbridge wrote about the unfolding accusation of steroid doping against Landis, the American who won the TDF a few days ago.  PB seems to take the position that performance enhancing drugs are probably rampant in professional sports, but ultimately - who cares?

Briefly, I do.  Allow me to explain.

As casual observers we may not fully understand the effects of doping in sports, but the ethical professional athlete who trains naturally & sacrifices much to pursue excellence in their chosen sport gets it.  To them it is much more than a vague statistic on a sports card or a Saturday afternoons casual distraction.

I don't really care one way or another about cycling as a sport, but I have been interested in Greg LaMond's reactions to the accusations of doping (especially towards Lance Armstrong).  He is exercised to say the least, but it makes sense.  He worked extremely hard and fought to win 3 Tours, presumably naturally.  For someone to do the same by cheating diminishes his accomplishment by comparison.  From that perspective it's easy to understand his outrage.  The greater the sacrifice the greater the investment, therefore, the greater the loss.

Have we reached the point as a society where a person can boldly cheat and then churlishly claim martyr status when he or she is discovered?  Has the cult of narcisissm reached such epidemic proportions that we are now so self-absorbed and self-seeking that almost anything other than immediate and direct personal pain will be tolerated with a casual flip of the wrist and a,"Feh, who cares."  Have we really come to this?

What do I do?  Since you asked, I'll tell you:

1.  I vote with my dollars.  Hard to do considering the problem of Asymetrical Information.  Rule: if it's obvious - I don't support it.

2.  Voice dissent.  Don't hold back with friends, family, on your blog, etc...  Rule: speak it, Brother! (or Sister!)

3.  Refuse to perpetuate the lie.  Rule: when a favorite player gets busted with a neck full of Winstrol, stop supporting him (or her).

Why?  Because it matters.
Email ItEmail It | Print ItPrint It | CommentsComments (0) | TrackbacksTrackbacks (0) | Flag as offensiveFlag as Offensive

The Religion of Peace - World Domination Tour 2006

Posted by Rocketman on Thursday, July 27, 2006 3:29:06 PM
As Dennis Prager is fond of saying, I prefer clarity over agreement.  The #2 man in Al Qaida, (Ayman Al-Zawahri) could not be any clearer in laying out the goals of radical Islam.  To paraphrase, "We will kill as many people as it takes until our version of Islam alone rules."

This is not about land, or respect, or money, or some esoteric offense against Mohammed.  It is one of the cornerstones of Islam as practiced by this particular sect.  There can and will never be peace with people who believe in their core that non-muslims are inherently evil and must be converted or killed.

Who's crazier, the maniac who believes that you must submit or be killed, or the person who believes that the maniac will become a loving and peaceful neighbor if you would just give him a hug and a doughnut? 
Email ItEmail It | Print ItPrint It | CommentsComments (1) | TrackbacksTrackbacks (0) | Flag as offensiveFlag as Offensive

The Loose Canon

Posted by Rocketman on Thursday, July 27, 2006 2:12:08 PM
When is a loose cannon like Howard Dean not a problem?  When the ship is already so badly destroyed that more damage doesn't make that much difference.  On a sane, well-run ship it would be recognized as a danger to all concerned and it would be considered irresponsible to not tie it down... or push it overboard.

Captains Quarters neatly summarizes Dean's most recent rant.

Wazzadem says it concisely (and well) with pictures


Unfortunately for the Dems, these Megalomaniac-Gone-Wild moments have become the norm rather than the abberation.

The entertainment value is wonderful and he may single-handedly swing some close votes from blue to red, but it is also kind of disconcerting when you realize he represents half of the two most powerful political parties in the strongest nation on earth.

How frightening, to be flying a plane and look over at the co-pilot... Carrot-Top.  And he's angry.  And he thinks you're trying to crash the plane.
Email ItEmail It | Print ItPrint It | CommentsComments (0) | TrackbacksTrackbacks (0) | Flag as offensiveFlag as Offensive

Olbermann Wins! Olbermann Wins! O....

Posted by Rocketman on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 1:53:08 PM
Olbermann has been hysterical, petty & shrill since before he left ESPN for the "deep waters" of MSNBC.  Should have stayed.  Turns out that some opinions are better kept to oneself.

Wazzadem catches Kos swooning over KO.

It's always entertaining in a pathetic sort of way when a (much) lesser scrabbles for attention by clawing at his/her betters.
Email ItEmail It | Print ItPrint It | CommentsComments (0) | TrackbacksTrackbacks (0) | Flag as offensiveFlag as Offensive

Chris Matthews: Unhinged

Posted by Rocketman on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 1:13:43 PM
As the curtain is slowly pulled aside...  Matthews is in rare form on the Bronze Age of radio (Imus).  Amazingly, he manages to iritate both the clueless & the true believers (Imus).  One can only imagine that Matthews assumed that no one would overhear, given the forum (Imus).

As usual, Hugh nails it.

On the other hand, it is refreshing to see all of his cards on the table, even if only for a few seconds.
Email ItEmail It | Print ItPrint It | CommentsComments (0) | TrackbacksTrackbacks (0) | Flag as offensiveFlag as Offensive

A New Beginning

Posted by Rocketman on Thursday, July 13, 2006 11:26:15 AM
Here we go.  This is my second attempt at a blog.  The first went well for a while, but I got "bloggers block" and quit posting after a couple of months.  I suffered from the delusion that every post had to be lengthy and profound.  I've disabused myself of these self-imposed delusions and I'm giving it another whack (or two).

I don't know that my opinions or ramblings will particularly insightful or entertaining, but I can't seem to help myself when it comes to blogging.  I'm the moth circling the warm glow of the computer screen, hypnotized by the technology and the lure of being part of a cultural tsunami.  Hugh Hewitt convinces yet again.

Full speed ahead and damn the torpedoes!
Email ItEmail It | Print ItPrint It | CommentsComments (1) | TrackbacksTrackbacks (0) | Flag as offensiveFlag as Offensive
« Previous1Next »