Steve Fey's Blog (live from Las Vegas)

My new site, Blogging to Work, designed to help people market themselves into a job or career, is now live. I just posted the first daily article. More will be forthcoming, well, daily. And no, I'm not abandoning this blog. My usual irregular and erratic schedule still applies. Aren't you glad?

Steve

Labels: Info

I've been reading that our President has taken America straight into Socialism. Wow. That's bad, huh? Of course, I doubt that anyone saying that has ever read a socialist document, like maybe The Communist Manifesto. I have read the thing. It's long, tedious, and pedantic. Also Utopian. That's all well and good, but no Utopia ever seems to work out, not even Marx's one.

For the record, Communism, per Marx, is when the workers own the means of production. Eventually the State will wither away. There has never, so far as I know, been a Communist country in the world. Ever. The Soviet Union was just State-owned Capitalism. A perfect monopoly, if you will. Companies that offer stock option plans are closer to being Communist than the Soviet Union ever dreamed of being. I wouldn't worry about Communism if I were you because I really don't think it will ever happen. Honest.

Socialism, per Marx, is a transitional stage toward the Utopia of Communism. The workers, in the form of the State, which they have come to control, own increasingly large shares of the means of production. That's "means of production" as in automobile plants and such. So I see where the alarmists are coming from. But, here's the thing. We, the People own less than a tenth of one percent of the means of production in this country, and we're trying to get out of that ownership share as soon as possible. Less than a tenth of one percent is not socialism (although one can argue that it's misguided, but that's another story.)

We have had Socialism in this country, though, and big time. When the railroads needed to build a way to California, the government gave them not only the land for the tracks, but also a lot of other land that they then sold to settlers who would be their customers. That, friends, is government handouts on a grand scale. Then there are the homesteaders who got their forty acres by setting up camp on the land. And let's not forget the miners who got the rights to incredible fortunes for the princely sum of $3.50 per year per claim. And the grazing rights for the ranchers all over the American West, well they're worth billions, and they cost $2.50 a cow/calf. I'm not making this up. It's government handouts all over the place, folks!

Back East it was even simpler. All you had to do is run off the local population, nasty things really, and set up your town. The government didn't even require homesteading. Just be the first one to set up, and you were in! The entire country, from Ohio (State #17) on has been subdivided into township and range just so people could take advantage of government largess. Socialism? It pales beside what Americans have gotten for free from their government over the centuries.

So really, folks, taking over a couple of car companies that have, apparently, been run by Daffy Duck for the last few decades, and providing health care added on, are a drop in the bucket compared to the Socialist paradise America has been from the beginning. I'm really surprised that more people don't see it.

Steve

Labels: Politics, Social Commentary

So, the complainers are out. Okay, here's an update. But first, allow me to plug my latest effort on Living Las Vegas. And then, Luvit Frozen Custard, on Oakey just east of Main. Yummy!

Now, the update. I've been working what's left of my butt off fixing up the old place. We have a tenant in there who is gathering roommates. Today I'm off to fix a wall that washed out in a bad rainstorm last fall. It's only 90 degrees or so, with a chance of rain, so it's a good day to work outside. (Yes, ninety isn't all that hot. It ain't the heat, it's the humidity that's making you miserable back in the unhinterlands.)

I'm going to be getting a teaching license the old-fashioned way. My dream is to be very successful and then go rub my old boss's nose in it. Wish me luck.

I was completely thrown by news of my brother-in-law having to go to chemo for recurring cancer. That sucks in every language I know (all three of 'em) and probably in every other language as well. Good luck to Tom! I know he deserves it.

Of course, he did get to marry my sister . . .

The new house is starting to look somewhat ready to live in in spots. I will say that a swimming pool is a lot of work, but if we get a cover on the thing life should get easier. Meanwhile, there is still much work to do, and lucky for me it's summer and I have the time.

Better?

Steve

Labels: Info, Reviews

So I'm a bit slow, but I saw UP over the weekend. My normal review would be: "It's an excellent movie." That's really all you need to know. But, as it is special, here's a bit more.

First, it isn't a movie aimed at children. Your kids will love it as there are a lot of dumb jokes and talking animals and a child hero, but it is an adult movie. A real adult movie, not simply people having sex. In fact, it's clean enough for Sunday School.

Second, the 3D effects are tremendous. It's not treated as a gimmick like the old 3D was. It is simply a movie in 3D. It's available normal too, but if you can, spring for the 3D. You'll be glad you did.

Steve

Labels: Reviews

This post is a plea for help. I’ve been teaching in public school for the past two years. Two years ago as a long-term substitute, which I liked so much I got into the Alternative Routes to Licensure program. This year I was under an ARL license. Unfortunately, my supervisor didn’t like me enough to recommend renewal, so that’s over. To say the least, I’m upset about things right now. But, I’m not out to bore people with my feelings. Rather, I’m asking for help in making up about forty grand per year in take-home pay (more would be swell — teaching is a nine-month job after all.) I’m being paid through August, but by Labor Day I’m in deep doo doo if I don’t find some gainful employment.

I’m smart, generally play well with others and I write well. Also I have a PhD. I’ve taught at community college level and at proprietary schools in addition to public high school. I’ve been a trainer and training manager in a corporate setting. I was a career counselor for a few years. I was a systems guy, Microsoft certified, for about a decade. I really can’t do graveyard any more, but any other hours are fine with me. I might student teach, which will mean taking at least one additional course that isn’t offered until fall quarter, so even if I go back to CCSD, which I’d like to do if possible, I’ll still need a job until at least the middle of January, quite possibly for over a year. And if I find something I can succeed at, I’m willing to forgo teaching altogether.

Can you help an old coot to support himself? If you can, please send me an email. There’s a link on this page, I believe. Thank you!

First, this, from "America's Best Christian," which is funny as all get out.


Now, for my story. I can't be a Christian because Jesus said to give everything you own to the poor. Everything I own? What, my Blackberry Storm? My Hundai? This computer? I think not, sir. Then there's that turn the other cheek nonsense. If you smite me on the cheek, brother, you'd better be prepared for some smiting right back. Turn the other cheek? In a pig's eye, is what! In fact, I can't believe anyone even tries to keep up with being Christian, what with all that poverty and helping the poor and sick and imprisoned and all. It just ain't American, the way I see it. Still, if you insist, it's nice to know there's folks like Betty around to keep you on the right track, isn't it?

Steve

Labels: Social Commentary

I don't always recommend Wikipedia as a source of all knowledge. However, the definition I found there of empathy is as good as any I've seen. (Hey, I was a Sociology minor once.) It is:

Empathy is the capability to share your feelings and understand another's emotion and feelings. It is often characterized as the ability to "put oneself into another's shoes," or in some way experience what the other person is feeling. Empathy does not necessarily imply compassion, sympathy, or empathic concern because this capacity can be present in context of compassionate or cruel behavior.

I read a columnist recently claiming that current conservatives don't have any empathy. Maybe that's so. The thing is, and you could ask Patton if he were still alive and he'd agree, you must have empathy with your enemy in order to defeat him. Without empathy, you are alone, which is just about the worst position for a human being. I honestly don't know about the current conservative voices. Certainly, some of them lack empathy, but tarring all conservatives seems a mite harsh. I have empathy for conservatives, and liberals, and even guys like Hitler, who got better than he deserved. Still, I understand his position.

One thing the current administration has been stressing is empathy. Empathy not just in court, but empathy with the poor suckers who get sucked into being suicide bombers and terrorists working against America. Unless we honestly understand them, we can never defeat them. That's all empathy means, after all. I think maybe some people are confusing empathy with sympathy, which is feeling the same as another person. It ain't that at all, bubba. For the record, those radical muslims don't "hate us for our freedom." They live terribly oppressed lives, usually due to the policies of their own leaders, who manage to convince them to blame us for their problems. It's that oppression we should be going after. Their leaders, maybe, many of whom are our allies one way or another (the sell us petroleum, so how could they be bad?)

Want to hear the advice from a different quarter? Well, Jesus did say to love thine enemy, didn't he?

Steve

Labels: Politics, Social Commentary