I'm pretty sure this makes no difference to anyone

K, sooooo, looked at some other blogs on here and I have to conclude that no-one will care what I think or say. I have no gimmick, no reason or why. I'm just an average person typing thoughts out. My perspective isn't original or new. It matters to no-one but me. I'm still going to type on. Why not? What I will find interesting is if anyone will want to read and comment, if anyone will say ' I understand'.

"Have you ever seen an inchworm crawl up a leaf or a twig, and then, clinging to the very end, revolve in the air, feeling for something, to reach something? That's like me. I am trying to find something out there beyond the place on which I have footing."  ~ Albert P. Ryder

I hate reality TV. I will confess to having been drawn in a couple of times tho. The original (I believe, but could be wrong about it, so don't ascribe much importance to that statement) was The Real World on MTV. It held me for a couple of seasons then became too dramatized and scripted. It didn't feel genuine anymore, not that it actually ever felt "genuine" but seemed to have an unscripted feel..... I also liked The Amazing Race for a few seasons but got tired of that too. I really don't watch much TV except for a few choice programs, never have understood people who can sit and watch for hours on end. It just makes no sense to me how you can watch a screen all day and live life vicariously through it.

Reality TV honestly doesn't do anything for me. It is fake beyond fake, there is nothing actually real about it. What is real about living in a world where strangers come together to compete for a prize? What is real about being followed by cameras all day as you go about your supposed "Real Life"? Does anyone really believe that people who know they are being filmed almost 24/7 are acting normally?  Don't answer that....I already know the answer. Yes, apparently some people, intelligent and stupid both, believe what they are seeing and derive pleasure from watching the masquerade.

The thing that bothers me most about this phenomenom is that some have no context of reality to refer to where they can separate real from fake. A whole generation of young adults has been raised watching this crap. A whole generation of TV and computer raised children are coming of age and don't know anything else. What do you want to be is a question I fear will be answered by some as "A reality TV star!" Allrighty then! Do something constructive, make a difference......nah.....be a reality TV star.......

When I say I hate reality TV people look at me as tho I am crazy. It's such great and amazing entertainment! How can you hate that? Ummmm, lets see, I don't know.....maybe because the world is so much more interesting than that stupid crap? Maybe because it makes your intelligence fade into oblivion? Maybe because reality is all around you and you aren't paying attention to it? Maybe because this world is going to shit and you don't care about anything except which "reality" show, and the people who are supposedly acting "real" on it, is going to be your frame of reference for what life is really like?

There are so many real situations, which people don't care about, which should hold attention but don't because we've been hijacked by a culture of false reality. If people cared as much about what is going on the world as they do about reality TV, or even regular sitcoms on TV, the world would be in a much better place. The world would be better off. Instead we stick our heads in the front of a screen which feeds us images that have no bearing on real life. Nevermind the programming on TV that actually informs, nevermind reading something to become informed about the world around you.....glue yourself to the idiot box and only come away, if at all, to eat (if you don't eat while watching) and work (if you actually work).

If the actual, real world doesn't have enough drama and heartbreak, mystery, comedy, greed and sacrifice, love, life and humanity, human misery and human triumph, or nature in all its awesome splendor and destructive capabilities.......well then, I'm guessin that the actual Real World doesn't interest you. So......my question would then be "Why are you here?"

I'll get off my soapbox now......

The Atlantic has 2 great articles in the July/August 2011 issue. One is; How To Land Your Kid In Therapy by Lori Gottlier. It gives a view of how parents fail to prepare their children for life, and why some of the things we do as parents don't benefit our children at all. I found it very interesting and informative since I work with, and manage, alot of people. I have found it hard, at times, to understand where they are coming from, their point of view and their work ethic. This gave me some answers to the questions I have.

The other is; The Brian On Trial by David Eagleman. Very interesting and thought provoking.

What if? What if we all tapped into the potential we have in our brains? What if we prepared our children for life in reality rather than let them think that TV is reality?

My Mom told me to edit a long time ago but....Man, this sucks!!!!!

Sooooooo, I decided to set up a blog account but I had no idea it would be such a pain. This has taken waaayyy too much of my time. Anyhow....... I really need to get my house painted and that was my main focus today tho I got caught up in doing nothing and stupid things. Along the way, while painting, I started thinkin about my blog I let go, the one my Mom told me to edit. See, editing isn't my way. I will tell the truth as I see it or not say anything at all. I do have concerns about what I say on the internet and know I must keep some things to myself, but felt that the wholesale destruction of my blogs elsewhere was a destruction of myself somehow. Whatever, what is done is done.

I'm digressing, I know, one of my main flaws. The painting went ok in spite of the 100 plus degrees and now I'm able to blog about what was going through my mind while painting. John Mellencamp. I love this man!

While painting today I was listening to some of his music. You need to understand that this man has made my musical list of fave musicians for forever now. I once sat/stood in line for a "concert" of his for half a day. The word concert in parenthesis because it was during the time he was doing his fan appreciation thing. He would go to a radio station and announce in the morning where he would be that night. As soon as I heard he was going to be at Caddy's in Cinti I left work and was the first in line. It was one of the best times I've ever had when seeing a musician performing live. I was right there, up front, it was awesome! I've also been in the front row for one other concert of his which was awesome also. That was in Wichita. These 2 would be in addition to the 5 other times I've seen him live which were great but not quite as good as being right there in the front row.

John Mellencamp has everything it takes to make my list of favorite musicians; politics, history, love, life, freedom, racism, humanity, death and just plain fun....his music runs the gambit.....I Love This Man! I wish I could meet him tho I would probably be stupid and say nothing if I did.

His music tells me someone else thinks about the same things I do and can say it so much more eloquently. It makes me cry and laugh, sing and dance, and think. What more could you ask from a musician? Nothing. You could ask for a whole lot less but.......why bother? If it ain't what you want why bother to listen?

Without a Shot

~ John Mellencamp

Put your guns out on the table
Throw your bullets on the floor
This weary old house
Can't take it anymore..........

Used up by corruption
And the passage of time
We hope we've got some fight left
Cuz our chidren, our chidren are dying........

And slowly but surely we disappear without a trace
We point our fingers at each other
And say "What the hell happened to this place?"

Without a shot.....
Without a shot.....
Without a shot.....