The Perils of "New and Improved"

In 1969 there was a rock album that came out called "New and Improved - Blue Cheer".  But I was warned not to buy the album because it wasn't nearly as good as their first two.  Now there is an eleven year old kid who says you can tell when a product package is being downsized because they put 'New and Improved' on the box.  And the facts bore that out.  At times I worry about new software downloads of programs I already have and work just fine, because I have a paranoid they are downsizing it, and it doesn't do what the former release did.  People have mentioned this as it relates to cars depending on which year you buy it.  Sometimes a later year will not fetch as good of a price.  Would anyone buy a New and Improved Facebook stock now?  In particular when I downloaded an update to "Google Earth" one time, I lost the use of "Planets in Motion" and haven't had it back since.  And we move on to Christianity.  I had already been confirmed by my local church on Palm's Saturday - - of 1964.  Calvary Chapel wasn't offering anything better.  The reward was still Eternal Life.  But now you have to pay a lot higher price to get it.  You have to schmooze with all the members and "click" socially and buy the same records and books as they do to really be "In".  Someone may have thought Tom Leykis was being blasphamus talking about "Jesus brand Ice Cream Sandwiches".  Yet is this Marinotha stuff any better.  I remember one time in August of 1990 at a Jesus rock concert, at the time I was pushing forty and "too old for this sort of thing" and I looked around at everybody else younger than I war.  And they are all "In" on the latest groups and had their own lingo.  You can't just sell Jesus like a box of laundry detergent with new bright day glow colors, but the package is smaller.  Oh I know, you all thought I was going to parody that line about "Jesus offered me his stimulus but his Package didn't stimulate me".  Well, what do you know?  I slipped in that line after all.

The American embassy was stormed in Cairo and in Libya today on account of a new anti Islamic movie that’s put out by that Terry Jones pastor guy who burned a copy of the Koran last year.  It depicts the prophet Mohamed in a less than proper manner- - - in a religion that forbids any photographic reoresentation at all,  So they are insensed in Egypt and Libya.  They tore down the US flag at the embassy and hoisted the black Al Qaeda flag.  (?)  I am inclined to be in sympathy with the Moslems on this one.  I know they have been overbearing in the past but here I think they have a legitimate complaint.  I think people like Thom Hartman or that Mr Grouver guy I had as a teacher of eastern religion in the spring of 1973 at Cypress were right.  A lot of people just don't "get it' when it comes to the true exercise of religion.  It's not just a product you can peddle like a new movie promotion, with loud blairing music and cleaver editing and quotations out of context. There are probably times when I have fallen prey to this "cheapening" of religion myself.  People live around fakes so much, when they see the Real Thing they don't recognize it, but they freak out, and their use of intelligent speech is suddenly gone from them.  It's funny how George Bush originally referred to the Iraq war as a "Crusade" before some P R people got after him for it.  Besides "weapons of mass deception"  make that destruction - - (perfectly logical mistake) - - - the OTHER issue for President Bush was "Bringing democracy to the Mideast".  But even then people like Judy were slipping in to their repetuire of remarks the following, "Of course you know that these people are not Christians and since they aren't, democracy will never work for them, because you have to have your heart changed from the inside by the Holy Spirit".  Yeah, I'd like to have the Holy Spirit on the psychaiatrist's couch or in that legondary "empty chair" of Clint Eastwoods.  Oh the conversations we could have!  But back to my point - - Do you really think Judy would come out AGAINST President Bush's pursuit of the Iraq War all those years?  I wouldn't hold my breath.  These Republicans will use ANY slogan if they think it will win their point.  The goal for them is not principle, much as they say it is- - but rather it's just Winning for winning's sake.  That is- - getting the Better of the Other Guy.  And of course the whole thing boils down to Money for Money's sake, and Power for Power's sake.  And that's what it's really all about.

Meanwhile in Chicago the school teachers continue on strike for the second day.  They have the support of the community as well as the parents of those affected students.  Mayor Ron Imanuel is a republican Stooge on this issue and Paul Ryan and Mitt Romney have praised his stalwart actions in opposing the strike. That only goes to highlight the tea party's feelings about education in general.  It's an entire field of endeavor they have absolutely no respect for.  Teachers have complained that "The average person in politics hasn't a clue as to just what being a school teacher is all about".  It's not like going to the supermarket and picking out the best apples and congradulating yourself what an astute shopper you are.   Here again without knowing the specific issues, I am inclined to sympathize with the teachers. I feel that people like Governor Christie have villanized whole professions- - as the tea party people at large have.  It's like they see somebody who still hasn't been affected by the massive government downsizing, and they say "We aren't happy with our millions- - we want your pittance of a salary, too.  There's lots of money to be had in raiding union strike funds and government pensions.

Now they are saying that fish oil is bogus and does not help.  I don’t know.  People have been calling fish “brain food” since the early sixties.  Something else fishy are all of these Republicans who now want to throw Mitt Romney under the bus for slipping in the polls.  So you have Laura Ingrem, Donald Trump, and George Will now sounding the alarm.  Now they are playing “Amazing Grace” on bagpipes, while reading off those names of the fallen.  I digress.  You know that given a head to head choice between Romney and Mc Cain their own people already MADE their choice.  They made it four years ago when they chose Mc Cain, even in South Carolina!  So they are running a man who was beaten the man, who was beaten by President Obama.  Doesn't sound like a winning combination to me.  This is nothing short of Ironic since just a few days ago Judy was saying to me "These left wing socialists who support President Obama will get rid of him if they feel he is lagging in the polls.  And we all know support for the President is shrinking and the man is not nearly as popular as four years ago.  This is common knowledge".  Those are her words.  But of course the problem was that Romney wasn't "Packaged" properly.  Now their task was taking an essentially Smaller man than they had to work with in 2008 and still somehow making it appear as though the republican Consumer was getting More.  It seems that Larry Flint offered a million dollars to anybody who would produce Mitt Romney's tax returns for those ten years.  By that wording, Mitt Romney himself could stroll in there and pick up a fast Million dollars.  Hell.  I'd whore myself for THAT price!  But Mitt Romney if nothing else is an astute student of money.  He knows the cost of everything.  He has figured out that in the overall Big Game- - - he would have a hell of a lot more to lose by taking the Million if it meant the American people knew what was in his tax returns - - and all the damaging political baggage that would go along with it.  You must remember that these people opporate on a Pay to Play basic.  They put in money and political favors pop out the tray at the bottom.  I one said with great lament that the one talent my parents exhibited that outshined all the others- - was the ability to accumulate Money.  And Mitt Romney shares this trait.  Jesus words about "Thou fool.  Don't you know that this very night thy soul will be required of you" mean nothing to Mitt Romney.  Because if actions don't lie even if words do, then Mitt Romney really doesn't believe in the teachings of Jesus.  No surprise there.  Mitt Romney can't get specific about ANYTHING and that INCLUDES any discussion of economics.  How provident that one poll concludes that the American people now trust President Obama more on Economic issues than they do Mitt Romney.  This was Mitt Romney's trump card.  Now he has lost it.