Swearing

The first thing I'm going to do when I get off the plane in NJ is scream, "Fuck!". Why? Because the thing I miss the most is swearing. It's bad enough you can't swear around the damn kids but people down here in the South are so goddamn polite, if you say "shit" or something they look at you like you're going to fuckin' hell. I mean jesus christ, give me a fuckin' break. It's bad enough I have to deal with the no good son of a bitchin' smug bastard neighbor and his stupid shit, but god forbid I swear at him or something. Then I'm the asshole or something. Hell, I'm just using language, while he's being a complete dick. Fuck'm.

Ah, but back home, every fuckin' other fuckin' word is fuck this and fuck that and I'll feel at home again.......

Beer

As I've mentioned before, I'm more or less a "live and let live" kind of person and only have a tendency towards snobbishness when it comes to: books and beer--don't know enough about wine to consider myself a snob there.

Anyway, I spent the weekend working one of the beer stands at downtown Fort Worth's Art Festival. The event is typically sponsored by Coors beer distribution. The main stage area beer stand sells the normal choices that every other stand has: Coors, Coors Lite, Killian's Red, Mike's Hard Lemonade. But it also sells specialty beers such as Blue Moon, Tecate and others. Then there is one stand that carries Miller Lite--the only stand in the event that does so.

This year I worked the "Miller" stand on the second day. We don't advertise at this booth that there is Miller--we just tell people or they come, sent from other stands looking for Miller specifically.

Now, I don't care for any Coors product, nor Miller products, nor Budweiser products--we did get many queries for Bud as well--I've never understood how anyone can actually stomach Bud--it is THE worst tasting beer I've ever had. At least with Coors, if it's cold enough, you can tolerate it.

Anyway, (here's my snobbishness), I just don't understand America's love affair with crappy beer? Especially when you look at beer history in America before Prohibition. There where many beers and breweries.

But, it was deeply disturbing to hear people be offended at being offered Miller over Coors and vice versa--I mean, a shit sandwich is a shit sandwich--arguing one tastes better because it's on rye bread instead of wheat makes no damn sense. Thank god for the late 80s and 90s when micro-brews where introduced and now the rest of us don't have to suffer having to choose from imports or crap. Now, we can patriotically hold our heads high and drink great American beer.

Ah, if only our international affairs was as good as our micro brews....

Never....ever....judge a book by its you know what....

You've all probably seen this by now, but it is worth posting anyway...as my old friend Lou pointed out....never judge a book....

The Rich Are Scared...

...or something. I've been meaning to post about this, but, as usual, Jon Stewart sums it up much better than I. And while he takes the "loser" angle, I personally think it a propaganda campaign because the rich don't want to be taxed.

It reminds me of Jack London's Iron Heel. But I must say, I can't recall so much fear coming from this sector in a very, very long time. And the right wing is hitting hard using terms like "tyranny".

It is laughable, as Stewart shows it to be. But don't underestimate an oligarchy.

Dysfunctional Families

You know what (I MUST be in a bitchy mood today)--I'm tired of that phrase. What the fuck IS a "functional" family?

Outside of complete disasters of families, those who abuse each other and their kids, aren't the rest of us in the same damn boat--trying to figure it all out, adhering to the "norms" of our current society, trying to raise the kids the way we think they should be (or I should say, as our current society thinks we should)?

Note: I say current because if you do a little research, the way we raise kids today is NOT the way kids have been raised in earlier years--even 40 yrs ago....

Yes, there are certainly better "adjusted" families or perhaps we should say "happier" families? I'm not sure. But I can guarantee this...we don't take into account our genetic makeup enough so we all go around wondering why we are screwed up or why "so and so" screwed us up (usually our parents--well, your kids are going to say the same damn thing as you are about yours).

In the end, we all try to do the best we can. Will we fail? Hell, yes...but on a personal level don't we fail ourselves most of the time? Isn't that what it means to learn and grow? Besides, the affects of our family home life on us are greatly over exaggerated. The affects of our peers on us growing, well, that is a whole different ball game.

For those who already don't have a positive outlook or attitude (or those for whom it comes easy (probably due to genetics))--it maybe a constant battle but every morning when you wake up, you have a choice; to be happy or not.

And that's all that there is in this life.

Crusty Old Religion Guy

Let's just get this part out of the way: regardless of beliefs, there is a difference between being religious, believing in a God and being spiritual and they can all be mutually exclusive (as far as I'm concerned, you don't have to agree, but then, this is my post).

Myself Defined: ex-Catholic, non-religious, spiritual, agnostic at best.

Raising children: I was raised Catholic, my wife, Baptist. Neither of us wanted to raise the kids as either of those. So, we converted to Presbyterian (figuring that was safer).

Long story short: We've moved around different churches, partly because I just can't stand ANY church--don't like them, hate going. But also, to find something the kids would at least like.

Caveat: Just so everyone knows, there is evidence that supports a genetic propensity to be adverse to organized religion...my father was, I am, and I think my son is (my daughter is my step-daughter so there's no biological factor involved for her--from me at least).

My "other' problem: Aside from my distaste from attending, I also can't seem to escape my "catholic-ism"--Any other church just doesn't feel like church if is isn't done the same was as I'm used to--so much for being liberal and why I'm ultimately a crusty old religious guy in this area.

Current situation: We are in the freakin' heart of the bible belt--TX--baptist churches as large as compounds and one on every corner just like donut shops. Then there are the "other" types of churches that claim to be non-baptist, they call them fellowships or non-denomination churches but they all seem to take their cues from the baptist way of doing things (like full body dunking of baptism)...

Baptists and my crustiness: If you have never attended a real baptist sermon, well, and please forgive me, those who do attend, but remember I was raised catholic so, what can I say, but a baptist sermon is like a Vegas show to me, run by P T Barnum type ministers and boy do they know how to "close" the deal, just like a real sales person--they try to get you to commit to what you just heard and pledge to the church.

Current, current situation: So, now we attend this "fellowship" type church that has it's central location in one town where the minister is, but then has satellite churches in other towns and states. So, when you enter the "church" you sit in front of a screen and watch the pumped in sermon. Also, before it goes live, you get a live full band playing christian rock and all the attendees are dressed, for the most part in jeans.

This to me is NOT church (and isn't it odd that most, not all, but most attendees are of the younger set?) I suppose if I were 18 I'd have preferred this one, with their young hip ministers singing rock songs and wearing jeans and nose rings etc...but having been brought up catholic, I just can't escape the fact that it doesn't "feel" like church. (I do the same thing for any other church as well, when it comes to communion--you don't take it unless you've been to confession and to church the week before, so I can say I haven't taken communion since I stopped attending catholic churches.)

So, here I am, still attending, hating every moment of it, out of (catholic) guilt because I'm supposed to "for" the kids. But guess what, my father never attended and we were only holiday catholics. And despite my beliefs, I'm not an evil person.

And frankly, the fact is, it doesn't matter to the kids if the parents attend or not, whether you believe this or not, the facts don't support it...it really comes down to what their peers do....that has more affect on them than we parents.