Edition Twenty Three 29 November to 4 December 2009 (Writing by Cush)

 

Edition 23 has only a few posts but has been moving on strong. My system of reflections and short pieces works well but also depends on what I come across. Some weeks can have plenty of posts and others few. Last edition had a handful but had good points. And my blog did get called the ’shit blog’ for being critical. Critical thinking does require finding good angles into the subject and also questioning the status quo. This may be understandable to educated people but average American has been raised to see the world with an exact opposite lens. Uneducated Americans are brought up not to seek angles and insights into subjects and learn the subject if they can and they definitely should not question the status quo. That is why we have television, drugs, and consumerism (after all) so the poor Americans are not bothered to question anything. They just live life as is and the more distracted or confused they are the better. This is one way to look at critical thinking about life and to some people is the same as ‘talking shit about everyone.’ I have more to say on this in a minute.

Obama may become a citizen of India soon as some countries have lifestyles and workstyles that are suited to our leader. An Indian President has a very ceremonial life and work, which means does nothing basically but pretend to be important, and since such person cannot be too busy, he can also be Presidents of two countries. Furthermore, US will end up doing as well as India in near future making this choice more logical.

Chicago does its best to lure Hollywood and if it does, the garbage of Los Angeles will go with it. They get two for the price of one and never expected it. Personally, I think Las Vegas is the place for Hollywood to move too. Vegas takes no attitude from anyone be it celebrity or garbage and they will be fine there. Chicago may not like what excess comes with the package.

And the world will end in 2012 thanks to George W. Obama. Obama has proved to be the lousiest world leader so far by following George Bush policities. Those policies were designed to get a rise out of the people who are attacked so they attack us again thus feeding the right wing fears of threats to America that keeps the military spending up and white superimism strong. George W. Obama continues those policies and will reap what he sews. US can attack for 15 years and it will take one attack in retaliation not only to reinforce the right wing agenda but also to eliminate all the hope and positive feelings Americans may have toward being citizens of the world. If not, in 2012 the new George W. Bush will probably win and it is the same all over again. For the time being, the right wing has nothing to worry about.

*This post belongs to this week’s edition of Writing by Cush blog and published early in World of Cush also.

Will the World End in 2012 or Has It Already? (Reflection #26)

 

I read an article about the movie 2012 and the usual talk about the end of the world. If I remember correctly, we had an election in 2008 when Obama was elected which means in 2012 we will have to choose between him and another George W. Bush. Will that be end of the world? I think that has a great deal to do with what we mean by that? George W. Bush legacy is here 100% because his policies are 100% in force and Obama can care less to even try to change anything unless it is ‘unprecedented.’ The chances are the same policies will be in place by 2012 and regardless of who does what between 2008 and 2012, it will be as if nothing has changed. Bush may not be in the White House but what made him and his tenure such a reign of evil and terror was his policies that are still in full force. Obama may be in the White House but Bush rules America for now and probably until 2012. That is when another George W. Bush will do his best to makes us All American again. Will that be end of the world? Or has it already arrived over the past 10 years and we just did not notice of it as being that final? Will the world really get better over the next three years? It has not in the past year and Obama has just got comfortable being a fake over the past year. He is no longer a rookie President. He knows what it is like to be Obama at work and does not seem to mind at all.

*This post belongs to this week’s edition of Writing by Cush blog and published early in World of Cush also.

If Hollywood Has to Move, Why Not Move to Las Vegas and Not Chicago? (Reflection #25)

 

I hear Chicago will have huge movie studios by next year and as always expect things for it. Hollywood was created because the moviemakers were hiding out from Edison’s patent lawyers and could not be found. The location got bigger and more established by its weather and other characteristics. Today, it is as famous as a location can get and as terrible the real world can get. We are not supposed to hint at that unless we have been there and know it from the inside but it can happen and someone can point that out. The movie studios bring much problems with them and they are not just simple businesses that are glamorous and good for the economy. Chicago is very big and populated thus can handle a great deal of problems other locations can not. That makes Chicago a good choice. I think a better choice is Las Vegas. Desert is great for film industry. That is what brought those early moviemen here. Las Vegas is a great place for people and things that are larger than life. Hollywood needs stature and will do anything to rise above the rest. That creates conflict between what is of Hollywood and the rest of the human beings who live in the vicinity. If Hollywood were to relocate to Las Vegas, it would take a good deal of Los Angeles problems with it without a doubt. They would not want to live anywhere but where the stars live. That is what some people get out of life even if they are really stuck in the ghetto and on welfare for life. The Vegas people can handle problems much better than Chicago can. They also have plenty of experience with Los Angeles problems of all kinds. Las Vegas should become a established city for whomever is larger than life and cannot live on the same scale as normal people. Things will work much better if the large ones live in one place where everything is built for large people and the problems that come with being the large types will also move where they move. Chicago is a solution but not the best. Las Vegas is the next entertainment capital of America even at the cost of Hollywood evacuation by the so-called stars.

*This post belongs to this week’s edition of Writing by Cush blog and published early in World of Cush also.

And Who Said Obama Cannot Handle It? (Reflection #24)

 

Somebody asked me to write in my blog an alleged anecdote that the President of India (or whoever that guy is visiting the Whitehouse) has asked Obama to come to India. Apparently the Indians plan to make Obama the President of India also. The President of India (or the guy in the photos) has explained to Obama that people nowadays have two citizenships and there is nothing wrong with Obama being both citizens of India and United States. Furthermore, Obama is the only world leader that looks alike Indians and will be received well there. Indians are very advanced and think if double citizenship is possible why not doublt Presidency? Obama was assured as President of India he absolutely has nothing to do nor to worry about. All he has to do is go around and act like he is the President. That is what is expected of leadership in India and the Indians think Obama is world reknown for doing just that in the United States. They are also excited that United States will be as mess of a country as India in a few years thanks to Obama’s ‘leadership’ thus qualifying Obama for the job even more. Obama has thanked the Indians to discuss the offer with his advisers. I told this person I cannot write this stuff about our beloved President and I was asked if I am really the guy who writes the ’shit blog?’ I told him I really don’t write ’shit’ about anybody unless that person is already it so technically no I am not. I promised I will think about his story.

*This post belongs to this week’s edition of Writing by Cush blog and published early in World of Cush also.

Yes You Are Not Laid Off But They Are Closing You Down And You Read It In the ‘Shit Blog’ First (short piece #12)

 

I read a very short blog post with an excellent point about writing. Why is it that some people can write on while others have trouble writing anything? I have a relative who cannot write even a sentence and he almost went to graduate school. Some people write for a living and others are forced to write and they do it. I can write easily on some topics and really have nothing to say on others. I think the bulk of the people who write professionally are forced writers. I have been told by so many people that most professional journalists (at least in San Francisco) are really professional employees. They specialize in remaining hired and the whole profession revolves around this essential need. Their writing does not fall into any of the categories that a person would assume most writing falls into. They simply write not because their training and experience qualifies them as the better people for that function but because they are employed and it is a requirement of employment.

I used to get much praise for my blog for being a discovery blog. Discovery blog posts can be great source of content start for professional journalists by their originality of ideas. The topic of a discovery blog post can be anything and as long it engaged the writer’s mind, something possibly valuable could appear in the writing about the idea. That is the true criteria for what makes a discovery blog post. I was told last week by one of the great San Francisco journalists (who used to encourage this blog a lot) that my blog ought to be called the ’shit blog’ because all I do is talk shit about everyone. I see nothing wrong with that since the purpose of a discovery blog post is to write what the writer has to say about what has engaged the mind. If all there is to say is ’shit’ about someone or something so be it. I still hear from others that discovery blog posts are valuable in principle and more such blogs should exist.

What is the saying? The enemy of my enemy is my friend? So if Newsom is the enemy and I am no friend of his that makes me their friend? I guess that is subjective. They decide if that cliche is the truth and for how long it is valid. If they are not getting laid off anymore, then the f…. with everyone including the enemies of the enemies because the enemy failed to get them closed down or am I wrong?

And what of the professionally employed journalists of San Francisco? I heard in the grapevine (which is only accessible by a few) that their parent corporation has finally figured out what is the future for a daily paper written page after page by professionally employed people. The future is worse than past. I hear the axes that were not to fall by end of the year are swinging again and the bean counters now want to close down the whole paper and say maybe someday begin with a whole new staff who are not professionally employed people but real journalists. I personally would have to say the difference between a publication of forced writing and genuine writing is the latter will be received by its audience and can survive financially.

What a weird week I had hearing strange things happening next month!

*This post belongs to this week’s edition of Writing by Cush blog and published early in World of Cush also.

Edition Twenty Two 22 to 28 November 2009 (Writing by Cush)

 

Edition 22 had over a dozen posts of reflections and short pieces and worked out well so I expect for follow this format.

Time has arrived for the public libraries and other large size book carriers to separate the outdated texts from the uptodate and valid texts to save us some time and ebooks are now a must. UC raised the price on its brand last week resulting in riots. How much will a college logo on the back of a person’s head will finally cost in the future and do we have a chance of living in the society with only an education but not the actual brand label? And twitter got blamed again for something it did not do. The first decade of 21st century is aptly named George W. Bush Decade (of evil worldwide and domestic) but I made too many people angry for calling a spade a spade. Michael Jackson has some company since last week. And did you know not all celebrities are human according to very credible psychics? Twitter scam is ending and celebrities are ordered not to use it before s..t hits the fan. There is nothing I would want more to see everywhere starting 2010 than inexpensive vertical computer monitors (or at least ones that swivel with a motion) for reading texts (fast) by enlarging the ebook pages. And people used to worship Saints at one time until celebrities took their places. Could a celebrity be no more than a common criminal with much protection from the law? I found another explanation why Yelp shilling does not work. And TV is to be banned sooner or later for the sake of our lives.

*This post belongs to this week’s edition of Writing by Cush blog and published early in World of Cush also.

When will Health Care Disappear for Good? (short piece #11)

 

I have no doubt insurance and health care will disappear in America in a near future. The system just does not work. I realized the other day my new job is supposed to have some kind of temporary insurance benefits while qualifying for the real thing (if it exists) and I read through the information. The dental is worthless. The eye thing is fake and it says the program is only a discount. The medical I perused and gave up.

I remember I was in junior college when the big news arrived. Social security no longer existed. Many Americans had worked and believed social security and Medicare will retire them. The television just passively let everyone know the elderly relying on social security had to go back to work (flipping burgers was their example and was not a joke) to supplement income. Social security officially qualified as 25% of retirement income as officials put it and not 100% and that was that. Health care once existed. I have had so many different plans and never cared for the entire business of it but today it seems to be disappearing quickly.

I still have one last opportunity and that is association insurance. As a college alumni, I can get a good insurance package (or could) by paying my group premiums. I think that is my best choice until health insurance officially does not exist and we have to go to Mexico for annual checkups and treatment. I remember George Bush senior giving speeches defending ‘there are those who say America has lost its greatness.’ Yes. It has and continues to do so. A third world country is what America, with the exception of bicoastal economies of East and West coasts, has always been and now the entire country is joining mid-America. Sometimes I wonder if things are fixed to go this way.

When Clinton was in office, he talked about ‘prosperity for all.’ One of the jobs of government by definition is to keep the rich from getting too rich and the poor from getting too poor to keep balance in the society. Clinton, by all accounts, removed that so social trouble will result. Democrats are as great as Republicans in many ways. By the time George W. Bush arrived, everything was set to collapse and it did. The big surprise is the trend has continued non-stop since Clinton days. The rich have been getting richer to extreme numbers and there seems no end to that while the rest are getting poorer and poorer except for the ability to consume and buy consumer goods. A cynical person may say that is government policy and things are locked to go in that direction. The big bosses have decided whatever and the little people need not know nor have any explanation of why and what. Things are what they are and that is that.

Isn’t the health care also disappearing as social security once did? What is social security good for besides moving to a very cheap state, moving out of the country or being on welfare? The welfare system seems very popular and effective. The poor are maintained as poor very efficiently and effectively. What do you think? Do you think the decline of America is an accident or a natural decline or that some entity in government or industry decided it in best interest of someone or someones and policies were developed to such effect?

The government as we know and have it is worthless and has been getting worse. The traditional systems are no longer functioning and we need a new way of getting things going no matter what. Republican party and belief has been dead since George Bush senior was pushed out of office and everytime they have returned it has been to hurt America, the world and get richer. They have been pushed out again by Obama event but what will happen now?

The Clinton era was a huge violation of the basic standards of American life in the interest of the Clinton beliefs. The Obama era is same as George W. Bush era because he not only does not violate anything that was put in place during Bush era but also has nothing to offer. We basically live in Bush era indefinitely while Obama pretends to be a hot shot. If Bush had put 100 evil policies in place, Obama has not changed even 1 and has nothing of himself to show either. America is locked in a world of anti-social policies of Clinton era and anti-humanity (evil) policies of George W. Bush era with no hope in sight. When will health care be banished for good so we can stop pretending we have health care? Those policies are in place and railroading America lower and lower. How long before we crash again or the Federal system is removed so the damage stops?

*This post belongs to this week’s edition of Writing by Cush blog and published early in World of Cush also.

Why Not Ban Television For Good? (Reflection #23)

 

California has put strict restrictions on Plasma TVs for power consumption. TV may not be the biggest power consumer but too many of them are around. It has been years since television was first invented and has done some good and plenty of damage to the life of probably billions of Americans. If it did not have some benefits, it would not be used in the first place so the benefits don’t really count as the final factor in a decision. The harm that television has done is not simple and easy to define. The device has been so embedded into the American life (and many other cultures) that it is hard to imagine living without. An average American used to watch 5 to 6 hours of TV daily thus the influence of television. I forget the person’s name but a famous Hollywood producer pointed out long ago that “television does not exist to entertain but to sell things to people.” The TV is in every house not because Americans are to benefit. The real job of TV is not the programs but those little commercials. If the commercials were to be transmitted by themselves, they would not be viewed once the novelty wore off. But if the commercials are packaged with something else that demands viewers, they would be watched every time. This is the history of television and the harm it has done, not just by commercials, in so many ways. Why not figure out a way to get rid of the TV boxes for good? The whole world will resist but the benefits are abundant. Why take everything for granted just because they are and were put there long time ago as if they are supposed to be?

*This post belongs to this week’s edition of Writing by Cush blog and published early in World of Cush also.

Is that What Happened with Yelp? (Reflection #22)

 

I read a good blog post about how social media can do a good deal of harm when marketing a weak brand. Strong brands benefit from most forms of marketing and social media has worked well for them because social media operates as word of mouth does. Word of mouth goes from person to person with testimonials of the good that the product or service has done. A strong brand has the good qualities built-in and whomever experiences it as a product or service is likely to have good things to say to others in person or online. That has worked well for many companies. The new generation of Americans prefer to receive information via Internet and social media. They do things as the people before them did but instead of listening to friends and others’ testimonials, they take these off the Internet. A strong brand reaches these younger people by being online. A weak brand has inherent problems and if people are to experience and talk about the brand not all word of mouth will be good. This situation is multiplied on the Internet because word of mouth in social media can be traced. If a weak brand is to have lots of good word of mouth, but in many people’s experiences fails to be as good, they will be curious and can follow how the excessive praise was generated. This can be harmful to the brand because qualifies as lying. A very good example is Yelp and its promotion of lousy restaurants. The complaints about the lack of partiality in Yelp reviews seem to never end. Shouldn’t there be a way to control the flawed review systems and the damage they do daily?

*This post belongs to this week’s edition of Writing by Cush blog and published early in World of Cush also.

Will a Celebrity or Ex-celebrity Ever Do Anything Evil? (Reflection #21)

 

And Cindy Crawford was in public again. The has-been do not make much appearances. I read several blogs that relate to popular culture and one is called ‘D-listed, be Afraid.’ I always thought the name was odd but is true. Celebrities are ranked and everyone knows how it works. Models never made much money though received a great deal of exposure. What happens when they retire? Traditionally, if they haven’t died tragically, they marry or sell some product. I don’t recall many rich models on their own. They are just food for publicity machines. What if they turn bad and start something to make easy money? That does not happen of course except for the ones who get caught and make it to the news and we know have been bad by doing something wrong in private. We can always identify them. What about Cindy Crawford and his media appearance of being extorted by someone who has left the country? This extortion show makes her the honest and good person who is almost and wrongfully was taken advantage of. What if someday she is doing something naughty and very illegal (like extorting money herself)? This media show will be a great alibi for her. She is the honest, good and innocent person who gets taken advantage of by others. Who would ever believe a celebrity running a crazy racket? That just does not happen. At least, if they take precautions. Why such a media circus? The celebrity or ex-celebrity has to be either hungry and in need of all available publicity or really has something going on that may not be 100% kosher. Who would ever know?

*This post belongs to this week’s edition of Writing by Cush blog and published early in World of Cush also.