Obvious but soo hard
I am unhappy professionally. I do realize that there are elements of that unhappiness that are under my control but I do struggle with the choice in front of me. I feel that I am avoiding the obvious conclusion that I must change these circumstances by myself and now.
I simply cannot work in a corporate environment for much longer. I do not have any more reserve. I makes me sick mentally and physically just to face it. I have all sorts of ethical issues with working in the corporate world but I have a real issue with the corporate culture; I feel alone, respected, but alone and that is all my choice because I cannot and will not embrace it.
I am conflicted, complicated, and conditional in my thinking and in my values and that just does not align with norm. I guess that I think that is OK and I do not think I am alone in rejecting that norm. And that norm extends from our workplace to our homes. I feel like an intruder and stranger with my neighbors and co-workers. Am I just in the wrong place?
I do not have clarity on this point - its all emotional - Am I being elitist or am I simply acknowledging that I value something over another? Is that the same thing? If I were to step outside of myself, I suspect that I would say that I am being elitist in practice but not with intent. Which, to me, means that I am choosing to be act as an elitist because I am exercising a ethical judgment that serves my interest - altruistic or not - over that of reacting to some sense of morality which reflexively sets up a hierarchy of pass/fail. It seems a fine point but it gives me comfort that I am not acting out irrationally and, importantly, not making a judgment over others.
Its all very confusing to me but my original point still stands - I need to change. Writing stories and other things makes me happy and I do not understand why I resist - maybe afraid to fail - but it is precisely the sort of action that I need to engage in to find that path forward.Maybe I wont be an author but I will engage with people that have the same interests
Beck rally
I think his message may backfire - especially when the right blogosphere starts to explore his message about returning to God. Beck is a Mormon and many many Christians consider them non-Christians. That may be unfair but Beck is playing with fire. Let the reactionaries react with predicable malice and down will Beck - his show and all
I love articles like this
one from the Washington Post Politics Blog
It shows how many of the same names and organizations break out and manipulate the political system. We got a cast with Ralph Reed, Dick Armey, and others working behind 501(c)s on a stage with just one degree of separation from our elected officials. I think its bad - I am a fan of public financing and campaign fiance reform - because their actions are at their heart dishonest. Americans for Prosperity? Really? Whose Prosperity? It sounds like some grassroots organization driven by that certain can-do spirit that made America great - but its not. Its another product of a a pair activist billionaires with a familiar cast of characters from the right with their own narrow agenda.
Shouldn’t there be some constraints
on who may run for public office - like agreeing to uphold the Constitution and the laws?
Are Nevada voters seriously going to vote for Sharron Angle?
I believe in free speech but I also think we should debate what people say with that right. She by implication is advocating violence and the overthrow of the government via the second amendment (right bear arms) if America does not allow the barrier between state and church to come down. I cannot begin to reason out the logic of how one element of the constitution has precedence over the other - except to say that it must lie with a fundamental belief in something else, like Evangelical faith, over that of respect for the rule of law or even for Constitution itself.
I am just stunned that elements of our political process are so very close to being comprised by the right that even a person advocating treason based on a fringe religious dogma has won the primary let alone close to winning in the polls. Is the Republican party that desperate that it would compromise its own values and let in the deluded fantasies of a fringe of the right join under their big tent?
And yet
while being labeled a Muslim as if it is bad thing, his administration is bringing the combat mission in Iraq to end - ahead of schedule. Today should be holiday. It is one of the best actions diplomatically and economically we could do. Yes, we still have 50k troops there and combat may still happen but the tone and strategy have changed from hostility that of a diminishing role and, eventually, irrelevance.