Election 2012

What happens now? Where do we go from here? Nationally not much has changed. A few seats in congress changed hands, but the Republicans still control the House and Democrats still control the Senate. President Obama must still try to get the two houses of Congress to agree (fat chance). The Republicans will not allow taxes to be levied against anyone, Democrats will  not allow the top 2% of wage earners to get away without being taxed more. Republicans will quote the bible and condemn gay marriage and abortions, while Democrats will rant about the environment and equality. Well let me tell you equality is a fantasy and Congress is filled with old, senile morons who have no grip on reality or current events. Most want to live in a fantasy world of begone times. Those lucky few who have some kind of reality check are junior members with little or no power. I believe the newer members have dreams and goals but the senior members soon destroy those ambitions and the junior members become disheartened and browbeaten into submission. It's a sad turn of events when the citizens of this country blame the P.O.T.U.S., expecting him to snap his fingers and make everything perfect. I believe President Obama would like to have that kind of power, good or bad, just to be able to make Congress agree. I am no fan of President Obama, but I am a fan of democracy and the United States of America. I also am not a fan of Republicans or Democrats (I think the party system is just a way of dividing the country, playing smoke and mirrors). People rarely agree on specifics, but nearly all agree politics in America is broken. Congress is corrupt and disillusioned. The purpose of Congress is to do the bidding of their constituents. Good luck with that idea! Members of Congress only worry about getting re-elected for his/her next term. Our senators and representatives tell us, the citizens, they are working hard for us when in reality they are making backroom deals, getting rich, and destroying the country a little piece at a time. Special interest groups and lobbyists own Congress, not the American people. Lobbyists on the payroll of huge corporations and unions. A truly sad turn of events. I bet this wasn't what the founding fathers were planning.

Arizona state politics have become a circus of clowns in most instances. Arizona politicians work as well as Ford's Edsel did, a failure! We have one politician working to be a celebrity instead of working for the people of the state. Another is too busy being a politician to listen to the people of its (I say its because this person doesn't deserve human acknowledgement) district. Others are lazy or stupid, while a small portion work themselves crazy to do the job we elected them to do. Our state government spends too much time on any other number of issues that have no baring on jobs, the economy, education, or fiscal policy. Arizona is at the bottom of the barrel in education and economic reform. The state is basically broke, schools are failing the student body (don't get me started on the faculty's "hands" on approach to education in this state), and Governor Brewer is more intent on fighting with President Obama (and making a fool of herself in the process) than she is fixing our state.

Politics in America continues to amaze me. I know I'm not smart enough to fix the problem, but I am dumb enough to know when I'm being fed a BS sandwich and being told it's prime rib. Term limits for Congress members would eliminate the crusty, mummified remains we fondly know as our reps and senators. The P.O.T.U.S. has a limit, why not Congress? Well I guess a guy can dream...

Chris

Self quote

I can't tell you what success looks like, but I can tell you it tastes sweeter than the finest honey and smells better than the finest perfume.

Chris

Pushing the limits

When you're required to fight for a belief and/or principle and the outcome isn't what you imagined, do you continue to fight for a different ending? By pushing the limits of what's expected of you, often you're faced with the daunting task of going on the attack versus defending your position. Not always do you have the luxury of be barricaded behind a wall of solitude but you must now venture into the realm of the 'winner' to regain your footing.

Life can be a killer.

            I found a quote that struck my heart in a way I felt the need to write, “The reason people find it so hard to be happy is that they always see the past better than it was and the present worse than it is”. Strangely I have no idea who wrote it and not that it is SO prolific or wise in any way (this has been said many times), I just felt I finally understand what it means. I live my life looking behind me or looking ahead of me, never looking around me. I never concentrate on the here and now. I need to concentrate on changing what I can change, moving past the things I cannot, releasing the past, and letting the future come as it may. My past was wonderful and horrible, but nothing I do will change it. I must learn from it and chock it up to experience. The future is uncertain at best and can change in a moment’s breath. I can control my present and plan for the future. Putting things into perspective and adjusting my sails as the wind changes is my best hope of navigating through the unknown. Surrounding myself with people and things I enjoy and pursuing my dreams will push me through the muck and mire I have long been wading through.

“Life will give you nothing and take everything” is a quote I heard many years ago that at this moment has become clear. Nothing is free; you have to work for it. Success, wealth, love, life, etc. no one will hold your hand. Some people will help you up when you fall, others will push you down, and still others will walk right past you. Those that help you up are the ones you want in your life. Forget the rest of them, they mean nothing to you. When people realize you are strong and could not care less about them if they are not there to share a mutual friendship with you then they will eventually fade in the distance to annoy someone else. Being happy is not about having everything, some of the richest people are miserable. I dream of being rich, but then who do you trust? If you have friends when you are poor you know they are your friends because they like you for YOU, your friendship is all you have to give. Rich people have to worry about those with selfish and evil intentions. Hard work will win out over luck every time.

Love is a part of life, just like pain, laughter, and dreams. No one can predict love, it just happens. It can be a look, a laugh, a touch but when it happens there is no greater thing. It will outshine the Sun, it will be deeper than the ocean, and it will take you higher than a rocket ship. The opposite is true when that love is gone, you will feel the most crippling pain, be trapped in the deepest darkest hole, and suffer the worst loss you can imagine. If you do not feel this tremendous high and excruciating low then you are not truly in love. Love is the greatest, and worst, emotion in the world. It can put you on top of the highest mountain, and it can crush you under the deepest ocean. It is strange how such a strong emotion can be so fleeting, here one moment and gone the next. Inevitably love leaves a path of destruction in its wake, the carnage of lives ruined and the ashes of hearts consumed lay littered along the path of our lives like autumn leaves on the ground after a strong wind. Only a lucky few can say they found their true love. Only those who have lost that love can understand the debilitating anguish left behind.

Change is hard, no one likes it. Change is stressful. Even good change is hard on the psyche. Everyone has advice, some good, some bad, you must decide if it is right for you. Eventually you have to make a decision, let it destroy you or learn from it and move on. Live by your own rules, love truly, regret nothing, be a friend, and share your smile. GOD bless and keep you! - Chris