Throttling back from the brink of blogic

After a lot of thought and consideration over the past several months, I have decided I need a break from trying to maintain two blogs plus contribute to several others. As a result, I have decided to transfer all the past posts from progressive blogic to its sister wordpress blog panethos. I will be winding down progressive blogic until by the end of its second year it will no longer be updated. I hope you consider following my future posts on panethos.

Progressive blogic was the brainchild of Molly and I nearly two years ago. Without her thoughtful contributions it has never quite been the same for me. As a result, I have been putting my emphasis into panethos.

Thank you to everyone who has followed and supported progressive blogic in these 22 months. Your feedback and support have been very heartwarming.

All the best,

Rick

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Review of “The Art of Getting By”

Source: en.wikipedia.org

While on vacation, I caught a delightful movie on HBO that I did not recall ever seeing advertised for showings in the theater.  The film is entitled The Art of Getting By and stars Freddie Highmore (Finding Neverland and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) and Emma Roberts (niece of Julia Roberts), Alicia Silverstone, Rita Wilson, and Blair Underwood.

The movie is about a gifted art student (Freddie Highmore) more or less coasting his way through high school until graduation approaches and he may not receive a diploma. This storyline intertwines with his budding relationship with Emma Roberts’ character. It is very well done and I enjoyed the movie. Also, the soundtrack is simply superb for this film with terrific alternative and indie rock tunes artfully blended into the score.

 

Hence the question, why no release in theaters? Best I could determine by reading between the lines on IMDb is some of the critics were not particularly kind to the film when it was release at the Sundance Film Festival. They praise Mr. Highmore’s and Ms. Robert’s performances, but otherwise were rather tepid.

As a result the film went directly HBO and similar outlets. Granted, I discovered the film there, but I think it would have been even a more impressive movie in a theater. Sadly, the critics’ response to the film and Fox Searchlight’s response to the criticism narrowed the public’s choices versus broadening it.  Once again…money talks.

Is The Art of Getting By perfect? Of course not. Is it deserving of a general release – absolutely. I think a lot of people would like it, warts and all. If you, get a chance, check it out on HBO or rent the film – it is certainly well worth the  time and cost.

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Things you never (or rarely) find in hotels anymore

Source: colonialrot.com

During our current two-week West Coast trip, I have noticed a number of things that are no longer (or rarely) found in hotel/motel rooms any longer. Certainly, other items have been added to make one’s stay more pleasant such as hair dryers, internet, and coffee makers.

Please feel free to send your additions to my list – I am sure I am forgetting some things.

• A telephone book
• A picture postcard of the hotel/motel
• Full-size writing paper with the logo/name of the hotel/motel
• Ashtray – no smoking, no ashtray. Good for health!
• Matchbooks – ditto
• A Bible – to me, this is a good thing as I think it is rather presumptuous in a diverse society to provide only the Holy book of one religion.
• A hotel/motel directory listing the locations – as the internet rules, so these have gone by the wayside.

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Facebook can be a pain in the apps

Source: wantickets.com

If Facebook hopes to remain a relevant player in the digital world, it better figure out how to improve its online experience for smart phones and tablets. It takes so damn long to open and update that it is often useless if one wants to do a quick check of their messages.

Nearly always when I try to open the Facebook app, it is like watching an irreversible Wheel of Fortune as the little “loading icon spins around aimlessly. Sometimes it opens after a moment or two, other times it just keeps spinning like a digital toy top on Energizer batteries and sugar. In the worst cases, the whole thing gives up and closes the application altogether. By this time, I am ready to find a new social media outlet and dump Facebook.

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All I know is some enterprising soul is going to come up with a social media alternative that doesn’t take forever to open and Facebook will become toast.

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When did ending subsides for big oil start being called a tax increase?

Even dubya doesn’t get it.

A month or two ago I wrote my Congressman, Republican Mike Rogers about ending subsidies for oil and gas companies. Today, I received a response in the mail. His letter was very cordial and polite, but the logic of his argument is simply laughable.

“Like you, I am concerned with the high price of oil and gasoline, and I believe that the oil industry must be closely monitored for anti-trust violations. That said, I have serious concerns with raising taxes on any employers, especially now when Americans are struggling to pay for gasoline.” (underline emphasis added)

SOURCE: Letter from Mike Rogers dated July 10, 2012

Are you freakin’ kidding me? Eliminating subsidies is raising taxes? Who the hell came up with that logic? Since when did eliminating a subside become a tax increase? Sir, these idiotic subsides cost all of us from $10-52 billion per year. That’s money that could be put too much better use funding renewable energy, feeding the malnourished, carrying for the poor and unemployed, or at the very least helping homeless veterans.

“In the United States, credible estimates of annual fossil fuel subsidies range from $10 billion to $52 billion annually, while even efforts to remove small portions of those subsidies have been defeated in Congress, as shown in the graphic below.  Download your own pdf copy here.” SOURCE: priceofoil.org

Meanwhile, Congressman, big oil reaps larger and larger profits at our expense. According to priceofoil.org,

“ the top five oil companies alone have made almost a trillion dollars in profit in the last decade.“ 

So, I have no idea where Congressman Rogers gets the idea that ending subsides amounts to a tax increase. My guess is some anal-retentive GOP think tank funded by big oil came up with that bilge of an argument. All I know is it is one of the most illogical things I have ever heard, let alone read.

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“This land is your land” – a 2012 eco-version

Source: mallmemories.com

Saturday, July 14th will be the 100th anniversary of Woody Guthrie’s birth. To honor him and express this eco-bicyclist”s concern beyond those expressed his original lyrics, here is a modified version of Woody Guthrie’s classic folk song This Land is Your Land. The original lyrics written by Mr. Guthrie may be seen through this weblink.

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This land is your land, this land is my land

From Car-lifornia to Wall Street canyons

From clear-cut forests to oil-stained waters

This wasteland was allowed by you and me

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As I was pedaling – a crowded highway

I saw above me – a concrete skyway

I saw below me – more golden arches

This wasteland was made by you and me

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Chorus

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I’ve roamed on cell towers  – and taken exits

To sprawling cities - paved over deserts

And all around me – neon signs were shouting

This wasteland was made by you and me

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Chorus

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The sun dawns hazy - as I was rolling

Weeds were waving  – and dust was falling

As the smog now settles - voices start shouting

This wasteland was made by you and me

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Chorus

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As I tried walking – no sidewalks for me

As I tried biking – drivers scowl right at me

Few remaining places - of peace and safety

Those are the ones for you and me

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Chorus

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Throughout  our cities – empty seas of asphalt

Are clearly saying – whose really’s at fault

And some are grumblin’ – and some are wonderin’

Why this wasteland was allowed by you and me?

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Chorus x 2

(Lyrics based on original song by Woody Guthrie)

Happy 100th Birthday, Woody!

Source: en.wikipedia.org

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More musings

• What exactly is a wild goose chase? Is it like a greased pig contest?
• If we are so free and have so many liberties in the United States, then why can’t a female state legislator in Michigan say the word “vagina” without be censored by her conservative male counterparts?
• It is unfortunate that the parents of some conservative pundits and politicians didn’t do a better job of practicing birth control.
• If a cow can jump over the moon, why isn’t that factoid listed in the Guinness Book of World Records?
• If several states, including Michigan have towns named Climax, do you ever wonder which one came first? : )

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A disturbing example of role reversal

In 2010, the Supreme Court decided in the Citizen United case that corporations are “people.” More recently, I have seen and heard references to people as something other than “people.”  I have heard “units” utilized on a television commercial for Colonial Penn Life Insurance and “giving units” at two different churches to describe people who donate to the church. While this may be accounting lingo, I find it very disturbing that corporations are being called “people” while people are being described as “units.”

This may seem innocent to some, but my concern is these subtle alterations slowly but surely dehumanize people into something other than human beings, while raising corporations up to a standard of perception that frankly, they do not deserve.  When you dehumanize people, it can be the start of a very slippery slope towards mistreating and disrespecting them. It is much easier to dispose of a “unit” than a “person.” We all know history is littered with the corpses of those poor souls who were dehumanized by their enemies.

To keep humankind from repeating some of history’s lowest moments, it is high time for all of us to re-emphasize our love and respect for ALL of humanity, whether they are our friends, family, neighbors, fellow citizens, or our enemies. Love is life’s greatest gift. It is time for each and every one of us on the planet to start behaving like we appreciate this generous blessing.

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The pungent odor of GOP brain farts

Oh, isn’t it quaint how republicans and fiscal conservatives so conveniently forget which party is principally responsible for the national debt. Being an election year, the pungent odor of hot air being expelled by them reeks across he airwaves on a daily basis.

Guess what? The national debt skyrocketed during Ronald Reagan’s presidency and ballooned again under ‘ol Dubya’s eight year reign. If the GOP is/was so concerned about budget deficits, then where the hell was their song and dance at those times? Check out this truth-revealing weblink to a chat showing how much each president has contributed to the national debt during their term. A brief summary is provided below.

• Carter: +41%
• Reagan: +189%
• Bush I: +55.6%
• Clinton: +36%
• Bush II: +89%
• Obama: +41%

The clearest and easiest way to reduce the budget deficit is to address the biggest piece of the pie – THE $1.3 TRILLION DEFENSE BUDGET, duh!  But, oh no, we can’t touch that sacred cow, despite the fact that the Defense Secretary does not what some of the programs being proposed by the right-wing.

Political brain farts are nothing new. They just tend to be stinkier and fouler these days due to the blatant flip-flopping and bold-faced lies being told, particularly by the right. Hopefully, the majority of the American public can smell rats when their catch a whiff of their aromatic b.s.

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See and discuss “The Purity Myth” on May 19th

I had an opportunity to preview the documentary, entitled The Purity Myth last night. It is a powerful film, based on the book of the same name by Jessica Valenti, which documents and critiques the ongoing war against women that is being waged primarily by conservative right-wing male zealots who see women’s rights and feminism as a threat to their puritanical interpretations and how American society should return to a patriarchal order. The film depicts and then clearly dispels the myths that are being perpetuated by both male and female right-wing politicians, religious leaders, personalities, media pundits, and educators.

Here is the trailer for the film:

A screening of The Purity Myth will be shown by the Women’s Rights Task Force of the Peace Education Center on Saturday, May 19, 2012, starting at 2:00 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Lansing, located at 855 Grove Road in East Lansing. A discussion will follow the film. For more information, please contact the Peace Education Center at 517-515-5634 or peaceedcenter@gmail.com.

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