I have long been a supporter for marriage, having endured a marriage for 10 long long years, I felt uniquely qualified to argue that everyone should experience the particular pain of marriage and what happens when it fails. I know, not all marriages fail, but a bunch do, and those that do are something most people do not like to experience, ever again.
So, I was talking to my friend this past week and the subject of gay marriage came up, and I said, it really is simple, everyone adult should be allowed to marry whomever they fall in love. Enough with the divide, that someone like Brittany Spears can meet someone in Vegas and actually get married 10 minutes later. That is weird, but not wrong.
What is this fear of allowing gays to marry? Gays are everywhere, they serve in the military, they get elected to office, they hold strange and sometimes obscene parades and they work in parks, offices and medical facilities. Gays deserve to marry, at least as much as straight people. The problem is, voters are deciding what is right.
Voters are stupid and selfish.
Historically voters are stupid and selfish. Many decades ago laws were passed to allow women to vote and blacks to marry whites. Interestingly enough, polls at the time showed majorities did not support either law. Imagine that. If voters would have had a say, women would not be allowed to vote and my sister would never have married her Japanese husband. Just to be honest, my sister is not married to a Japanese man. She is married to an African man.
I'm sorry, that too was not reality. She is not married, but I am positive that given the chance she would marry either a Japanese or African man. Let's be clear, she would want to marry a man, which is legal and sweet and romantic. But what is she wanted to marry a hot sexy woman? Her state would not allow such a travesty. Why is that?
I have a solution. Let's just remove all those extra gifts that married people get. Tax breaks, insurance breaks and death benefits. Those could all be handled in some legal document and marriage would go back to being a religious festival. Then, guess what? Some religions would marry the gays and no one would care. Better yet, take a look at some of the states that have found it kind of fun to let gays marry. That argument that gay marriage will damage the foundation of our society seems to get tossed out when the gays marry and no one seems to care.
I mean, seriously, if your neighbor is gay married and you find yourself strangely attracted to that gay love, then you probably would have done so without them being married. I know it's silly, but gays are no more evil than straights. Yes, yes, yes, there are gay freaks who want to have sex with kids, or steal peoples money, or drive drunk. Just like there are straights who do exactly the same thing. It's bad, and illegal and punishment is on the books to deal with freaks of nature.
Bottom line time, I got married because I was in love. I could have cared less if the government gave me a perk, or smiled and allowed me a license or anything else. I was in love and I got married. When that love was gone, we got divorced, which is much worse for society, because children need two parents. Children seem to care less if those two parents are gay, straight or zebras, they just need duel opinions and love and respect and a decent meal.
It might be healthy that we are having this debate, much like our country debated women's right to vote and interracial couples right to marry, debate all you want, but get serious and stop being a dick. Gays will earn the right to marry, but only after the fanatics and bigots are shamed into being adults and shutting up. If you do not like gay marriage, then do not marry a gay.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Spare Change is here
As some of you know, I have been working on a series of films and have been slow in the blogging department. Sad, but true, we all need to make a living.
I am planning to take more time in the next month or two and really focus on making this project something a bit more informative and I am also working with others. In fact, in July I am teaming with an internet film person to work on a series of short films for her. I will post links as they are available, but I think those will be a unique look at how others are finding audiences on the internet.
I am also traveling a lot and have been shooting footage as I get around. At some point, when I have the time, I will put together some beautiful shots of the various places I have been visiting.
Finally, I have requested another interview with the biggest Ponzi schemer in history, and while I am not expecting the interview to come easily, I do plan to keep pestering, for a couple reasons, first I do believe that Bernie Madoff would be a great addition to the Deregulating Greed film and second, there are many questions I need answered and he seems to be the gate keeper.
One more thing, I am hoping to guest blog in the near future, and if that happens, I will certainly keep you all posted.
I am planning to take more time in the next month or two and really focus on making this project something a bit more informative and I am also working with others. In fact, in July I am teaming with an internet film person to work on a series of short films for her. I will post links as they are available, but I think those will be a unique look at how others are finding audiences on the internet.
I am also traveling a lot and have been shooting footage as I get around. At some point, when I have the time, I will put together some beautiful shots of the various places I have been visiting.
Finally, I have requested another interview with the biggest Ponzi schemer in history, and while I am not expecting the interview to come easily, I do plan to keep pestering, for a couple reasons, first I do believe that Bernie Madoff would be a great addition to the Deregulating Greed film and second, there are many questions I need answered and he seems to be the gate keeper.
One more thing, I am hoping to guest blog in the near future, and if that happens, I will certainly keep you all posted.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Fans of Hitler
So, last night, our new neighbor stopped by because he was looking for another neighbor who happened to toss off a M-80 firework. So this kid, because I am guessing he was 19 or so, decides to share with us how he would catch the "nigger" and kill him. Mind you, this was because of a decent sized firework, tossed on a lawn, causing slight damage to some grass.
As we stood there, trying not to over react, he went on to mention that he wanted to join the Marines, travel to Germany and visit Hitlers bunker. Now, I am all for goals, especially ones that involve travel and investigating new cultures, but when racists ramble on about how they can't wait to kill people and lust after a tourist visit to Hitler anything, I get a little freaked out.
What I never understand about dumb people is their pride in their own stupidity. He could be studying, or reading, or volunteering to clean off oil stained animals, but instead, he's smoking some weed, drinking some beer, getting a few tattoos and looking to murder people and travel to Germany to visit Hitler stuff.
When people complain about the American education system, I am thinking our new neighbor is the poster child for the dummy in the back of the class, picking his nose and trying to pick up on stupid chicks.
We had trouble sleeping last night, just knowing that within pissing distance our new friend was festering with unabashed hate. Nice.
As we stood there, trying not to over react, he went on to mention that he wanted to join the Marines, travel to Germany and visit Hitlers bunker. Now, I am all for goals, especially ones that involve travel and investigating new cultures, but when racists ramble on about how they can't wait to kill people and lust after a tourist visit to Hitler anything, I get a little freaked out.
What I never understand about dumb people is their pride in their own stupidity. He could be studying, or reading, or volunteering to clean off oil stained animals, but instead, he's smoking some weed, drinking some beer, getting a few tattoos and looking to murder people and travel to Germany to visit Hitler stuff.
When people complain about the American education system, I am thinking our new neighbor is the poster child for the dummy in the back of the class, picking his nose and trying to pick up on stupid chicks.
We had trouble sleeping last night, just knowing that within pissing distance our new friend was festering with unabashed hate. Nice.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Hospitals
I was at my favorite hospital this afternoon, visiting with my second favorite doctor, an older woman I will call Alice, because I like the name Alice, although I think her real name is Eileen, which is not a name I like so much. I could go on and on about my super favorite doctor, because we are kind of magically in love with one another, but I want to keep focused on the important information I gleaned at the hospital.
When I was walking through the halls to Alice's office, I had to pass a few older Americans using walkers. At one point I thought to myself why are there so many old people with walkers? Seriously. There is a huge fat American woman in my neighborhood who has some sort of electric chair that she gobs around the neighborhood in. All fat and slow and disgusting, not her chair, but her. Why can't we get old people in chairs with some sort of power device, maybe even solar, how cool would that be? Then, let the fat woman walk for gods sake, I mean, seriously, she is probably 25 years old, maybe more, maybe less, hard to tell with all those layers.
Anyway, the doctors office was interesting today. First, outside the office were a couple of drug reps chatting it up. Seems like times are slow for the drug trade, which for my thinking is a good thing. Americans, both old and fat, take way too many legal drugs, and in my book, not nearly enough illegal ones. Here is how I see it, if my fat neighborhood electric seat driver would do some meth, she would be up and walking and scratching imaginary itches all over her face in no time. Instead, she is probably taking some diabetic medicine and heart medicine and blood medicine and god knows what else, although I am imagining some sort of cheeseburger drug that she is closing to ODing on.
Side note, a few weeks ago I was using my video camera for good and ended up talking with an old Jewish woman, who is dying of cancer. We talked about many things, because the medicine she is taking is the exact same one I was once taking and we both had the same reactions. I will not go into details, suffice to say, sometimes we did not make it to the toilet. Anyway, while we were talking, and I remind you, she is well over 70 years old, I mentioned to her that in her condition, it might be wise to smoke some pot. She looked at me and said, 3 older people have offered the same advice. In fact, at a recent wedding, the groom offered to go get high with her. Now, first, how come I do not get invited to these weddings? Second, she did not, but she does plan to start smoking pot, and third, she was an adorable older Jewish woman and I think I like her. I do have a thing for older Jewish women, and if you add pot smoking older Jewish women to that list, I get even more excited. I bet she would be a hoot with a buzz on and a garlic pizza set for delivery.
So, outside of the doctors office door are these two hotty drug peddlers, I mean big pharma reps, talking business, as I approached. I don't look like much, so instead if halting their intense business conversation, the just continued, not paying a bit of attention to the approach of the nosey Jew. What were they talking about? Both were lamenting the downturn in the drug pushing trade. Imagine how cool that is, less people employed, means fewer people with insurance, which means fewer people able to afford their "medicine". Both were very good looking, one a woman, younger, with legs one would kill for. The other, a nondescript male, not good looking, dark suit and boring expression on his face.
I went into the office. Sat down next to this healthy looking your man and grabbed a People Magazine. The office was almost full of, yes, you guessed it, old people. Most without walkers thank god, because today, nothing pisses me off more than old people with walkers. The door opened and in comes the hotty drug peddler, who sat in front of me, but not before I noticed she had these skinny skinny legs and a beautiful short dress. Right about then, I thanked the lord sweet jesus for global warming. Why not?
OK, so because the doctor was so busy, the drug woman gave up on waiting for a face to face meeting, threw a handful of free drugs to the receptionist and high tailed it out of there. The young, healthy looking man next to me put down his hand held video game for a second and said to me, "did you see her?" I said, yes, but I do not associate with drug dealers.
Side note, that is not always the case. I have a good friend in Seattle who sells illegal drugs, I think as a side business, but I am not sure. I called him on my way home and asked how business was. We had to speak in hushed tones and use phrases like, "how goes the landscaping business?" and he would say, "everything is green." Which means he has some good marijuana, I think. I asked him if the economy is causing him any "trouble" and he replied not at all, because more people have more time, which means party central. Good news, I guess.
Anyway, the young man next to me said he was lucky he was just there with his dad, because all the patients looked like they were dying. He asked me if I was there to pick up my mom, because I look super healthy and appear to be the type of person who would go to a doctors office to pick up an elderly and sick mother. I kind of let his question pass. He mentioned that he was 16 and his dad was 75. I smiled and said good for him, his father, because that means he was 59 and breeding, which is both disgusting and kind of amazing. I am no where near 59 and I am so tired of breeding I may have forgotten how.
One of the things I did accomplish today was get a green light to again take medication that completely fucks up my brain, which I took, and now I am at a loss for words to finish the point of this story.
When I was walking through the halls to Alice's office, I had to pass a few older Americans using walkers. At one point I thought to myself why are there so many old people with walkers? Seriously. There is a huge fat American woman in my neighborhood who has some sort of electric chair that she gobs around the neighborhood in. All fat and slow and disgusting, not her chair, but her. Why can't we get old people in chairs with some sort of power device, maybe even solar, how cool would that be? Then, let the fat woman walk for gods sake, I mean, seriously, she is probably 25 years old, maybe more, maybe less, hard to tell with all those layers.
Anyway, the doctors office was interesting today. First, outside the office were a couple of drug reps chatting it up. Seems like times are slow for the drug trade, which for my thinking is a good thing. Americans, both old and fat, take way too many legal drugs, and in my book, not nearly enough illegal ones. Here is how I see it, if my fat neighborhood electric seat driver would do some meth, she would be up and walking and scratching imaginary itches all over her face in no time. Instead, she is probably taking some diabetic medicine and heart medicine and blood medicine and god knows what else, although I am imagining some sort of cheeseburger drug that she is closing to ODing on.
Side note, a few weeks ago I was using my video camera for good and ended up talking with an old Jewish woman, who is dying of cancer. We talked about many things, because the medicine she is taking is the exact same one I was once taking and we both had the same reactions. I will not go into details, suffice to say, sometimes we did not make it to the toilet. Anyway, while we were talking, and I remind you, she is well over 70 years old, I mentioned to her that in her condition, it might be wise to smoke some pot. She looked at me and said, 3 older people have offered the same advice. In fact, at a recent wedding, the groom offered to go get high with her. Now, first, how come I do not get invited to these weddings? Second, she did not, but she does plan to start smoking pot, and third, she was an adorable older Jewish woman and I think I like her. I do have a thing for older Jewish women, and if you add pot smoking older Jewish women to that list, I get even more excited. I bet she would be a hoot with a buzz on and a garlic pizza set for delivery.
So, outside of the doctors office door are these two hotty drug peddlers, I mean big pharma reps, talking business, as I approached. I don't look like much, so instead if halting their intense business conversation, the just continued, not paying a bit of attention to the approach of the nosey Jew. What were they talking about? Both were lamenting the downturn in the drug pushing trade. Imagine how cool that is, less people employed, means fewer people with insurance, which means fewer people able to afford their "medicine". Both were very good looking, one a woman, younger, with legs one would kill for. The other, a nondescript male, not good looking, dark suit and boring expression on his face.
I went into the office. Sat down next to this healthy looking your man and grabbed a People Magazine. The office was almost full of, yes, you guessed it, old people. Most without walkers thank god, because today, nothing pisses me off more than old people with walkers. The door opened and in comes the hotty drug peddler, who sat in front of me, but not before I noticed she had these skinny skinny legs and a beautiful short dress. Right about then, I thanked the lord sweet jesus for global warming. Why not?
OK, so because the doctor was so busy, the drug woman gave up on waiting for a face to face meeting, threw a handful of free drugs to the receptionist and high tailed it out of there. The young, healthy looking man next to me put down his hand held video game for a second and said to me, "did you see her?" I said, yes, but I do not associate with drug dealers.
Side note, that is not always the case. I have a good friend in Seattle who sells illegal drugs, I think as a side business, but I am not sure. I called him on my way home and asked how business was. We had to speak in hushed tones and use phrases like, "how goes the landscaping business?" and he would say, "everything is green." Which means he has some good marijuana, I think. I asked him if the economy is causing him any "trouble" and he replied not at all, because more people have more time, which means party central. Good news, I guess.
Anyway, the young man next to me said he was lucky he was just there with his dad, because all the patients looked like they were dying. He asked me if I was there to pick up my mom, because I look super healthy and appear to be the type of person who would go to a doctors office to pick up an elderly and sick mother. I kind of let his question pass. He mentioned that he was 16 and his dad was 75. I smiled and said good for him, his father, because that means he was 59 and breeding, which is both disgusting and kind of amazing. I am no where near 59 and I am so tired of breeding I may have forgotten how.
One of the things I did accomplish today was get a green light to again take medication that completely fucks up my brain, which I took, and now I am at a loss for words to finish the point of this story.
Fabulous
Here is a short news story on a farm right down the road from where we lived for two years. These two guys are amazing and their farm is incredibly beautiful. Great memories and good people and the town of Sharon Springs is magical.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Oil spill
A few weeks ago, which is sad to write, I sent an email to BP, explaining my theory on how to stop the Gulf Coast oil spill. It was simple really, cart out tons of large rock, then tons of smaller rock, then tons of more rock, then add sand, soil, clay and regular dirt and send it all down to the bottom of the ocean and cover the leaking oil pipe with what is basically a mountain.
Today I got an email from the BP Horizon project thanking me for my idea and explaining that experts will be reviewing it.
Of course, all the while that the BP PR campaign is in full gear, nothing is really changing, except that massive amounts of oil is spilling up on shores from New Orleans to Florida. The president took to the airwaves tonight to do all sorts of things, but one of the key points he made was that it might be time to rethink our oil addiction and get off the crude.
Between car makes and oil pumpers we have heard the idea that now is the time to change the way we use petroleum and wean ourselves off of gas and oil and find news ways to energize our society. Years. I was a young teen when I first heard that new cars should get better gas mileage to avoid long lines at gas stations. That was over 35 years ago.
Nothing changes, because big business always trumps big ideas. It is just not in the big business best interest to change too much. They know they can make money selling gas powered cars. They realize that the people like to fill up their gas guzzlers with gas, not electricity. I don't know why.
Maybe people are just stupid. It does seem obvious, if there are cleaner ways to provide power to the things we need, why not do it? Why not power cars with electricity? Why not develop low cost solar for homes and business? What is the allure of gas and oil? How many spills and environmental hazards must we produce before we actually get motivated to do something, anything, to either cut pollution or stop dumping crap into our environment?
Monday, June 14, 2010
Business
During the production of Deregulating Greed, which is finished, until Bernie Madoff agrees to an interview, I often heard the term "that's just business".
When I started the film, I was witnessing such an excuse in a close friends business relationship. He and a platonic business partner had started a small greeting card company a few years back and things picked up quickly. My friend came up with designs, slogans, layout and found the printers who could do quality work in small batches. His partner was supposed to do the marketing and had "business contacts" that would land the new cards into speciality shops around the country.
They started with 5 different cards, I saw each one as they were developed and they were unique and beautiful. They quickly developed into a niche business and grew very quickly. My friend took on a marketing aspect to help grow the business, making calls, finding new places (airports!) to get the cards in front of new clients and after a year, things were heating up.
His partner, who had come into the venture as a 50/50 co-founder seemed lost. His connections did not pan out or lead to substantial return business. After that dried up, he was at a loss at how to grow the business or make it prosper in new markets. This, of course, did not stop him from collecting his share of the profits. Things continued to grow steadily for the next couple of years, but early in 2009 my friend, who was not involved in any aspect of the accounting side of the business wanted to know how a growing, thriving business, was not earning more in actual income. His partner said there were expenses he was unfamiliar with, and when my friend pushed, he found that his partner had hired an assistant who answered phones, handled basic bookkeeping and found a graphic designer for the business marketing packets.
My friend called me at some point and wondered what his partner was bringing to the table. He explained to me that the initial plan was to be the creative force, with his partner handling marketing, business connections and accounting. He had not done any background check on his business partner, but he felt as though he knew him and could trust him. As the months rolled past in 2009 my friend grew more concerned that not only was a lot of money being spent in areas that he had no knowledge of, but he also came to understand that his friend knew nothing of marketing or accounting. Two out of the three specialities his friend was supposed to be bringing to the table had to be farmed out to experts, costing the business about 30 percent of profits.
At some point my friend called me, upset and in a state of terror. His business partner had decided that my friend, a 50/50 business partner in this enterprise did not have the right to see the company books. My friend had a legal agreement with his business partner, one that, upon review, called for open accounting and teh ability for either partner to review the company books at any time. My friends partner refused.
At that time I was talking to my friend often, although once he realized what he was dealing with, he had cut ties to the business, moved on to another venture, and basically had to write off his creative effort and marketing skills as a lesson learned, because he could no longer get any money for all he had created and his partner was no longer taking his calls.
The final conversation ended with the business partner telling my friend, "this is just how business is done." This is a line I hear often, from crooks, hoodlums and convicted felons of all sorts. The cost of business, the way things are done or get done, and my personal favorite "it's just business."
All these statements are designed at the base to excuse some sort of shoddy work, some sort of theft, some sort of con. My friend was lied to and stolen from, and the justification was, "that's business." The great thing about almost any of these sorts of experiences is that the people who can create new businesses can almost always bounces back, because in business, it is important to be able to create something. People who talk and really have few if any real skills, will always be hustling for the next game, trying to con someone else. I have no clue what happened to my friends "partner" but what I do know is that my friend has created a new business, with a new business partner, one who was checked out, who actually had accomplished and succeeded. Lesson learned, I guess.
But I always find is distressing, this excuse of corruption, this simple line, the way it is done. It's such a crude way of excusing incompetence or theft, such a mob mentality.
As I sit here and hope that the biggest Ponzi Schemerer of all time will grant me an interview, I keep thinking about some of the statements Mr. Madoff has made, and one sticks in my mind, that the people he fleeced got what they deserved because they were greedy.
Amazing.
When I started the film, I was witnessing such an excuse in a close friends business relationship. He and a platonic business partner had started a small greeting card company a few years back and things picked up quickly. My friend came up with designs, slogans, layout and found the printers who could do quality work in small batches. His partner was supposed to do the marketing and had "business contacts" that would land the new cards into speciality shops around the country.
They started with 5 different cards, I saw each one as they were developed and they were unique and beautiful. They quickly developed into a niche business and grew very quickly. My friend took on a marketing aspect to help grow the business, making calls, finding new places (airports!) to get the cards in front of new clients and after a year, things were heating up.
His partner, who had come into the venture as a 50/50 co-founder seemed lost. His connections did not pan out or lead to substantial return business. After that dried up, he was at a loss at how to grow the business or make it prosper in new markets. This, of course, did not stop him from collecting his share of the profits. Things continued to grow steadily for the next couple of years, but early in 2009 my friend, who was not involved in any aspect of the accounting side of the business wanted to know how a growing, thriving business, was not earning more in actual income. His partner said there were expenses he was unfamiliar with, and when my friend pushed, he found that his partner had hired an assistant who answered phones, handled basic bookkeeping and found a graphic designer for the business marketing packets.
My friend called me at some point and wondered what his partner was bringing to the table. He explained to me that the initial plan was to be the creative force, with his partner handling marketing, business connections and accounting. He had not done any background check on his business partner, but he felt as though he knew him and could trust him. As the months rolled past in 2009 my friend grew more concerned that not only was a lot of money being spent in areas that he had no knowledge of, but he also came to understand that his friend knew nothing of marketing or accounting. Two out of the three specialities his friend was supposed to be bringing to the table had to be farmed out to experts, costing the business about 30 percent of profits.
At some point my friend called me, upset and in a state of terror. His business partner had decided that my friend, a 50/50 business partner in this enterprise did not have the right to see the company books. My friend had a legal agreement with his business partner, one that, upon review, called for open accounting and teh ability for either partner to review the company books at any time. My friends partner refused.
At that time I was talking to my friend often, although once he realized what he was dealing with, he had cut ties to the business, moved on to another venture, and basically had to write off his creative effort and marketing skills as a lesson learned, because he could no longer get any money for all he had created and his partner was no longer taking his calls.
The final conversation ended with the business partner telling my friend, "this is just how business is done." This is a line I hear often, from crooks, hoodlums and convicted felons of all sorts. The cost of business, the way things are done or get done, and my personal favorite "it's just business."
All these statements are designed at the base to excuse some sort of shoddy work, some sort of theft, some sort of con. My friend was lied to and stolen from, and the justification was, "that's business." The great thing about almost any of these sorts of experiences is that the people who can create new businesses can almost always bounces back, because in business, it is important to be able to create something. People who talk and really have few if any real skills, will always be hustling for the next game, trying to con someone else. I have no clue what happened to my friends "partner" but what I do know is that my friend has created a new business, with a new business partner, one who was checked out, who actually had accomplished and succeeded. Lesson learned, I guess.
But I always find is distressing, this excuse of corruption, this simple line, the way it is done. It's such a crude way of excusing incompetence or theft, such a mob mentality.
As I sit here and hope that the biggest Ponzi Schemerer of all time will grant me an interview, I keep thinking about some of the statements Mr. Madoff has made, and one sticks in my mind, that the people he fleeced got what they deserved because they were greedy.
Amazing.
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