Some ignorance---No bliss.

Yesterday, I preambled a view of the underground American economy. During this I pointed out the ways that some people are trying to survive chronic under or unemployment and some of their methods. I pointed this out because it was in the context of the 'makers vs takers' nonsense and my general unhappiness with income disparity and social inequality.  

It all sounded pretty high and mighty. However, I highlighted the "illegal aspects" of the survival side and that was one sided and ignorant. When I become aware of having said something dumb, it keeps me up at night. Changing history is like looking up a dead elephant's ass. Can't be done.  

So for all the folks who are in the same pickle of inequality, but are working for barter, cash or other survival tools--- and doing it legally--- and to all my readers, I apologize and regret the flyover. When you make a mistake, it's wise to point it out, try what you can to redress it and strive not to repeat it. 

I'm not looking for a mulligan. I'll play it where it lies.  

I love doing this. So I will skulk a little today and look in the mirror during the quality control meeting.  And I will get better it. 

4 more days

Note to Anderson Cooper: If I was doing the NYE show with Kathy Griffin, instead of you, I think she'd try to goose me too. The old school definition of this is to have ass pinched. Newer definition moves the pinching about 180 degrees.

Today's listen in is Miles Davis- Shhhh Peaceful.  It's nearly 17 minutes, but it's worth it. That period of Miles' evolution was pretty kick ass.

Jay Cutler? I think the Titans have your table ready. I haven't seen your table in Chicago recently. Speaking of football, can you name an NFL owner who;
1. Doesn't know Mitt Romney?
2. Isn't an asshole?

I really like Gala apples. I am trying to eat one each day because of their obvious benefits. Most of my fruit servings come from Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon. 

Did you know that Jim Beam had grandsons named Booker and Baker? Both believed in making Bourbons with a very high alcohol content.

Upon crafting a budget deal that nobody seemed to care for, the "mulligan" theory is alive and well. Apparently, lawmakers are getting hosed back home for approving a bill that is not kind to veterans. So, when they get back, looks like they will tear this one up and amend it right that wrong. ANd that is a wrong. Will the same folks also right the wrong of not extending unemployment benefits to the other group of deserving Americans- those who cannot find work? Of course, when your approval rating according to your consituents is below 13%, you can probably get hosed for breathing.125 million

So, the other day during the "American Dream" post, one of the current conditions described was that perhaps 25 million people are un or under employed or are so frustrated in a vain search for a good job, they've given up looking. Do we know the full impact and breadth of the unofficial American economy? It's simply inconceivable that people would give up when employment of some kind will give them the financial flexibility they currently lack access to. Even if it's moving illegal drugs, guns, furniture that fell off the back of the truck, the sex industry (in all its forms), fencing stolen goods, gambling, local consulting,  pursuant to any of the aforementioned or many other areas. There are hundreds of ways to "skin the cat" and we should never underestimate the entrepreneurial spirit of people in need. Does it occur to 53% ( or the makers or job creators, as they like to call themselves) who complain about the 47% (takers) those who  they feel are lazy and permanently live from government subsistence programs are augmenting that assistance with activities that are not quite on the up and up? When they talk about "personal responsibility" do they ever mention the underground economy? They talk about the people who are permanently unemployed as potentially 20% of the work ready population in this country. Well, say that that figure is 20% of 125 million people. Bingo, there's the 25 million. The question is, when are our business, civic, education and government leaders going to convene and figure out where the jobs are, what it takes to train someone to have one and what impact that has upon our country. Don't look now--- it's THAT important. I am trying to factor in every possible manner in which people can find jobs. Not from the bullshit platitude angle that we've grown accustomed to, but from the real angle. We keep throwing money at problems and therefore, when the money doesn't buy the solution, we have a "spending" problem. There's a way to boil this down so that we can propose solutions that can be explained in less than 1,364 pages.

Maybe that just doesn't exist. I would love to offer some thoughts. Even in the most complex of conditions, the shortest distance between two points is a straight line.

President Obama threw "Bubba" Clinton a huge sobriquet last year by pronouncing him the Chief Officer for Explaining Things. I think that's what people are crying out for- a simple explanation of a problem and an equally simple remedy. People want to cut through the bullshit.

This is just a segment of my drivel. I still want to talk about music, sports, policy, entertainment, food and social justice. But elections are coming and they really have consequences. We all need to be better educated about the process. Because at the end of any day you want to point to, we're the ones who have to live with the result of what we're not involved in. And that ain't right. However, you can just say, 'my life is too full to listen to this jerk pontificate' and you won't read anything I say. I'm hoping andbetting you won't do that.

Best thing I've said all day------

My karma ran over my dogma.

And floating into my consciousness, of all people. today's humstle:

Grace Jones- Nightclubbing.

I hope everybody's Christmas was enjoyable. Since our dogs did a number on all post meal turkey on Thanksgiving, we decided to reprise it yesterday. First a brine of vegetable stock, garlic, shallot, peppercorns, allspice berries and candied ginger. Cooked up moist and tender and since all the butcher had left was a 21 pounder, plenty of leftovers.

I was thinking about the 10 things we need to talk about, but clearly don't want to and maybe I'll tackle some of them in the New Year. I won't tell you when so there will be no opportunity to boycott this blog that day. Until you start reading, that is.

Three people in my small family circle are either un or under employed. Further they do not have health insurance. One of these folks is not a fan of our current President or his signature legislation. Therefore, when it was time to look into that, he saw the name in front of the -----care and wasn't going to do anything that had "his" name on it. He now will have a serious hernia condition surgically repaired this week and the cost of such a procedure in the state he lives in will probably be about $10,000.00. Pearls before Swine? Pride before a fall?

How many stories in your family or circle of important people??

Have a wonderful day. They go by fast you know.

Happy, Happy

All the best to everyone. Back at it in a couple of days. Be safe and loved wherever you are.

The American Dream

Some facts:
1. 37% of American homes own televsions.
2. 14% of Americans live in poverty.
3. An additional 20% earn less than $35,000.00 per year.
4. 600,000 Americans are homeless at any given time.
5. The earned or more likely, the inherited wealth of the heirs of
 a certain American Corporation is greater than the bottom 40% of all Americans.
6. Unemployed people, or those who have given up looking for work is probably greater than 25 million people.
7. About 120 million people own a car.
8. Though the number has been decreasing, about 45% of Americans own guns.
9. 7,000,000 Americans are presently incarcerated.
10. There are about 314,000,000 Americans according to the latest census.

1.I list the televsions because those who have TV's watch them. What are they seeing on a daily basis? What is the POV that advertisers seek to message to them? Forget about the content of televsion shows, just focus on what people are trying to get you to buy.

2. What is the definition of poverty? It is the measured privation and the possession or lack thereof of material goods. The U.S. Government and many other groups are the definers of how this equates to the realities of peoples needs.

3. $35,000.00 equates to about $700.00 per week. Whether one is an individual living on this amount or a family of 2,3 or more, that number is proportionate to what goods are available to people.

4. It may be fair to say that if one is a member of this group, they are at or near the poverty level.

5. There is an ongoing discussion of inequality in this country; how it has evolved and how it is or isn't relevant to #'s  1-4- and 6-10 for that matter.

6. Economists say that "full employment" is when everybody who is able or wants to work at a job that his/her skill set has prepared them, CAN.

7. Part of # 6 is answered by mobility, the ability to physically get to and from a job; even though owning a car is so much more.

8. This is one of the most contentious issues in our national "conversation". It is a right that was set forth by the founding fathers of this country and became the 2nd amendment to the U.S. Constituion.

9. In relation to  many of the above points, this is also a very troubling statistic; one that makes the U.S. the most incarcerated populace on the planet.

10. And that's the number of people who are directly or certainly indirectly impacted by 1-10.

And the American Dream? It is the supposition that anybody who is born or emigrates to this nation is in the mix to enjoy, by the fruits of their own labor, luck or good fortune, the equality, material comfort and blessings that we say typify the ideals upon which this nation was founded.

How are we doing? How are you doing? What's the prognosis? Are we on the right or wrong track to achieve this dream?

I usually don't post on Sundays. It is a day of rest and reflection. I reflected and I hope you will too.
Every day that I do write, I try to include some reference to music that might be relevant. Today's humstle is Terrapin Station.*   " The storyteller makes no choice. Soon you will not hear his voice. His job is to shed light- but not to master."

*Robert Hunter/Jerry Garcia