A New Chapter. Life Goes On.

Every person that I know and communicate with suggests that I write. They actually don't suggest, they harp on me to do so. Yet every time I think of something to write about, I sit at a blank page unable to put anything down. Writer's block before you even begin! I can't think of a subject that I could begin to write about that keeps me interested. How could it possibly keep a reader interested?

So here I am, retired. Not by choice, but due to my age and the current state of the economy, I have been unable to find a job since November. Finally, I gave in and filed for early Social Security. That allows me to at least have my bare minimum needs taken care of. Not many frills available, but still.

So I am going stir crazy every day. Nothing to do. I watch a lot of television. I play an online MMORPG. I am in the town where I grew up, but I have been unable to reconnect with anyone from here. And since I have no outside activities, I have no forum to meet new people and make friends or any kind of socialization. 

I have been pressing my brain for something to invest my attention in, and so far the only thing that I have come up with is volunteering for the Obama campaign in some way. I am a little at a disadvantage, since my health will not allow me to walk or stand for very long (so I can't pound the streets, as they say) and I desperately hate cold calling  and recruiting (so that counts me out for canvasing for donations and all that), but perhaps they need some other kind of desk help that I can fulfill.

I remember when I was 14 and I had just watched the Beatles on Ed Sullivan. Oh, man, I fell head over heels for them. I not only loved the music and the guys but I loved the idea of this small band from Liverpool to make such an impact and occupy the minds of America and music industry. 

When I went to school the next day, I tried to connect with kids from the school that had seen the program and were as excited as I was. There weren't many, but one or two. Remember, the last time the music industry had taken the US by storm was almost a full decade before with Elvis. Though there had been other fads, like Dr. Kildare and Ben Casey kind of thing, what Beatlemania was turning into was something much greater than that, and you could feel it palpably the next day even.

But since I really couldn't find someone to relate to at my school, I wasn't sure what to do. I tried talking to other kids about it, but mostly the boys made fun of them and the girls either hadn't watched or they had boyfriends and other kinds of things to keep their life interesting. I had none of that at the time. And rather than risk being shunned by everyone for this excitement I had about a band, I kind of pulled away and kept to myself, as usual.

I'd have to consult my diary at the time to get the exact details, but it probably took me about a month to understand that I had to go out and find other people who were as interested in the Beatles and their music as I was because I was that excited and wanted to be around other people who felt the same way.

I was a pretty shy girl and it took a whole lot for me to do this, but I heard of a Beatles fan club meeting in the next community over, and somehow I managed to get my parents to take me over there. And when I was there, I met another George fan. She would become a very good friend of mine and a few years later would be the one who introduced me to my future husband. I got involved in the music community as well. I affiliated myself with the local television station that had started its own version of American Bandstand, called TV8 Dancetime and started organizing people to go there, plus I got involved with the local radio stations, most notably KCBQ and KDEO. My life started to get exciting and interesting and I was really having a great time!

So I'd say that that decision I made to break out of my box and reach out was a very important one that changed my life. 

Perhaps whatever drives me to reach out again and make that stride into an unknown group will provide me with the same breakthrough as when I was 14 and simply looking for other people who loved the same thing I did.

Are Corporations the New Government?

I was watching TV earlier and was poked by an ad from Chevron. I've seen more than one version of this TV ad. The suggestion is that -- while this oil company is systematically destroying the earth and its resources, using its politcal clout to prevent the development of ideas and inventions that would save us from the dependence on oil and petroleum products and nuclear energy and such -- that it is actively replenishing the earth after it destroys it and actively developing ideas and inventions that would liberate us from the need for foreign oil.

You know, like the mentality that for every tree that is cut down, a new one is planted. While that sounds nice and responsible, what isn't mentioned is the wildlife that is destroyed in the process and which can never be replaced.

I just saw a piece about Koala Bears. They reside solely in Eucalyptus trees in the eastern side of Australia. The koala bear population was brought perilously close to extinction in the early part of the 20th century by hunters who hunted and killed close to 3 million of them for the furs. What stopped this was President Herbert Hoover, who outlawed the importing of koala bear furs to the United States. Since it was no longer financially rewarding, the koala bears were left alone, and that saved them. Until corporations decided they needed the land the eucalyptus trees are on, and they are mowing them down. Right now the koala bear population is down to about 40,000. Most of them live in captivity.

A story like this could be told of many animals. The orangutan, the rhinosaurus, the elephants... the list goes on an on. Look at the Amazon and the devastation going on there... and this provides the earth with a huge percentage of its ozygen and CO2.

Adding to this is the law put into effect that allows corporations to contribute to political campagins as an "individual." Piggy-backed with the protection of their profits by the tax relief given to them. Why, in this current economic stress, even the mere hint that their taxes be raised and the write offs they are allowed be diminished is met with screams that we are threatening the American Dream!!! They are the sacred cow of the United States' politcal right.

What about the American Dream that every child receive a meaningful education? What about the American Dream that anyone can start up a small business and thrive? What about the American Dream that everyone can have their own home? What about the American Dream that when you have lived your life and need to retire, that the country where you live has a plan for you and allows you to live the last days of your life in dignity? What about the American Dream that it takes a village to raise a child?

The middle class is being eradicated slowly but surely. The poor are getting poorer and the rich are getting richer and the American Dream is dying for anyone whose dream doesn't include multiconglomerates.

Meanwhile corporations like Comcast are gobbling up companies left and right and there is no mention of antitrust law violations or monopolies. Oil companies are making ads and so are chemical companies that make it sound like they are the caretakers and lovers of this planet.... yet it is scary to see how all of its resources are diminishing at an alarming rate. Pretty soon any viable company will no longer stand on its own but will be a part of the corporation machine.

For instance: They are creating medications for the aged and their diminishing bodies that have exorbitant costs -- for instance, my mother has a pill she has to take once a day, that a 30-day supply costs $600. SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS. She is almost 90 and has Social Security as her income, plus a small income from royalties. And these corporations justify themselves for these exorbitant prices by saying, well, it took us years to develop it! It cost a fortune to develop it! We have to recoup our investment!!!!!

The corporations are international. Though it seems they are part of the USA, their reach is much broader than that. Borderlines are merely for looks. Since they are now "individuals" they can fund all lawmaking to protect their profits and their bonuses and prevent them from being regulated and thereby responsible for their mistakes that affect the economy of the entire world.

Since this is my first entry of my blog, I realize it is not well structured, or maybe it even doesn't come to a conclusion... however, I just felt the need to say something!!