Politically bitter...

[whitereflection]

I am finding myself extremely angry, bitter, and cynical today about things political and governmental. Three times now I've tried to write it out and discuss it, and three times I've just given up. I'm simply crappy at expressing myself about those issues. Suffice to say though, that in the end, it's like a sense of overwhelming dispair--it ain't ever getting better, no matter how much we do or how hard we try. The majority really can't fight against the few actually controlling the wealth and power--and the minority truly can't do anything when those few have brainwashed the majority into being mindless sheep and parrots. Guess that's all I'll say on that, because I just can't put it all into the right words.

It just reminds me of how I always wanted to live in Canada when I was younger. I may keep that in the back of my mind as the years go on.

*****

I keep trying to forget about all the above, and focus on fun stuff. Like Terry Pratchett's newest book, Night Watch (Nix, have you gotten this yet?). I have to admit, I don't think it's his best, but it's still incredibly enjoyable, and I devoured it in about four hours. ^^ One of my favorite quotes:

'A certain realization dawned on him.
"Oh," he said.
YES, said Death.
"Not even time to finish my cake?"
NO. THERE IS NO MORE TIME, EVEN FOR CAKE. FOR YOU, THE CAKE IS OVER. YOU HAVE REACHED THE END OF CAKE.'

XD I need to use this in a .sig file somewhere.

Comments

[mintaka00.livejournal.com]

~falls out of her chair and breaks something laughing~

Oh dear lord... I do so love Pratchett. Never grows old. Got to get me that book, I could use a dose of Pratchett humor.

As for the rest... I'm so there with you my friend. Despair is a very good way of putting it. I bottle up all this anger and frustration, building with no resolution as an outlet. I've stopped watching the news entirely, I'm sick of feeling so hopeless.

Yeah, I've been eyeballing the border myself more frequently lately. It's only eight hours from here...

Re:

[whitereflection.livejournal.com]

I keep saying that I'm going to start rereading my Pratchett collection--and this time I'm writing down all my favorite quotes. I have so many. ^_^

I've never been in eastern Canada, myself, but I bet it's got some nice places to be. I keep pondering British Columbia (especially Victoria or Vancouver), or the Waterton Parks area in Alberta directly across from Glacier Mtn. National park. Those being the only places I've visited that far north at this point in time. ^^

But I understand. This all sparked off when I was talking to my mother last night--she's on Social Security and Medicare plus a supplemental insurance, and she was mentioning that next year her SS increase (1.4%--which is less than inflation, I think) combined with the increased cost of the supplement insurance will be leaving her 7$ behind per month. And then her prescription costs are all going up. Then she mentioned that she discovered an article hiding on the second page of the Seattle newspaper--something I haven't heard about in news much less on the front page--that Congress recently voted themselves a cost of living increase. Go them! *MUCH sarcasm* This combined with many other things has me extremely, extremely bothered and disenheartened again. :p

I think it doesn't help that I still have "Bowling For Columbine" lurking in the back of my mind. I don't agree with everything Michael Moore thinks, but the movie was still very powerful and thought-provoking, and had a lot to say about out current economic and political problems.

[mintaka00.livejournal.com]

You know, it may seem obvious, but one of my favorites is his collaboration to make Good Omens. Love that book, the delicious, sarcastic irony of it.

Eastern Canada, at least in the southern parts, really isn't very different from where I'm living now. And technically I've got Canadian blood in me ~listens to the gasps all around~ My maternal Grandmother is Canadian, though Irish by blood. So I could call New Brunswick home....

I think what I love the most *MUCH sarcasm* is how the freaking national press is so OWNED, the whores, and they nicely tell the stories that suit particular agendas with much fan fair and drama, and even more nicely completely ignore the stuff that we the people should really know the freak about. Though I guess I can blame we the people just as equally for being the lazy, selfish, sit on our fermenting...

'K, I'm way too young to be this bitter. Right? Sounds like the same theme that started this. Please tell me I'm still too young to be this bitter. Because the last few days I've been noticing more and more grey...

Damn, I'm ranting about politics again. ^^

Re:

[whitereflection.livejournal.com]

That one's a favorite of mine, too--it was either the first I read from him, or near the first. I think I originally noticed Good Omens because I was a Neil Gaiman fan (can't help it--we were all Sandman junkies in college :) )

I understand, though--I'm even more down about the media and the press than I was previously. I've always known the papers and tv news seem just to exist one party line or another (though for all the rants about 'liberal media', it seems biased conservative more often than not). But in that movie that I've mentioned far too often lately, Moore also showed a major difference between our media (in this case, tv news) and Canadian--pulling examples from our news shows, it was all murder, murder, murder, violent crime, fear, etc. And most often making a very big emphasis on when perpetrators or suspects were a racial minority--but looking at Canadian news...they would actually discuss other things. Yes, if there was a violent crime, it would get mentioned, but that wasn't the *only* thing they ever talked about--neither was the next newest thing to be frightened of the next thing that was going to somehow hurt/kill you. Their news doesn't seem to focus on just death/hate/violence/fear/it's out to get you like our news does.

And I do suppose we can blame 'we the people'...for having no attention span to hear real news, and just wanting to hear sound bites, opinions already prechewed and digested and ready to be parroted, and in general being unwilling to think for themselves. And for being the type that want sensationalism, the ugly, dirty parts of life, wanting to see blood, guts, gore, whatnot, and being bored and not watching if they don't show stuff like that. I suppose the media does follow supply-demand, and offers what they feel will get them ratings, because they'd flop if they didn't. It's kind of a sad rock-and-a-hard-place situation. It's like both groups have to be changed/fixed at once for it to work.

And yeah, you are too young to be this bitter--I know *I'm* too young to be this bitter. I've been a political cynic since I was in high school. Even then I had no faith in the system--I may have joked about it, but it was what I truly believed, and still do. I've tried to convince myself otherwise, but obviously have never fully succeeded.

*hugs* But you wanna know something? Friend of mine has had grey since high school, and James has a bunch of it, too. Can't tell on me, since I'm blonde, but I've noticed I'm getting crows feet by my eyes, and some major lines underneath them--which really kind of blew me away, since I didn't expect that sort of thing for another few years yet. ^^;; Basically, we are young, and will be for a long time yet--but things the way they are out there sap a person's energy, make you so drained that it feels like you're decades older. The weight of the anger and helplessness we feel makes us feel old before our time. It's yet another thing to fight, I guess.

Though at least I've got my Mom to look at on that front--she will never truly grow up, will never truly grow out of the hippy she was. I think that's where I get a bit of my social conscience and my beliefs in fighting for the underdog from--another thing I could learn from her though, is to always be willing to say "Hey, this is *wrong*", no matter how tired a person is, no matter their age or how bad their health is.

Oy, I really ramble. Gomen. ^^;; *hugs*l

[tokkan.livejournal.com]

Word of advice to you, Di if you ever DO venture up to the Great White North... ^^

I reccomend you go to BC, Southern Ontario, or Nova Scotia... I've been almost all over the country, and so far they're the most notable ones I've seen. Alberta looks like Manitoba which looks like Saskatchewan which looks like WHEAT and SNOW. -.-;; Quebec and New Brunswick are both mostly filled with forests and beer swilling french rednecks. Norther Ontario is much the same (minus the french), but more civilized. Southern Ontario is fairly good, and has a good balance between wilderness and city. Nova Scotia and Victoria both have some of the friendliest people in existance. If you visit Nova Scotia... Don't be surprised if you see people you don't know waving at you, smiling. I don't know them either. They're all just nice friendly folk.

Oh, and Nova Scotia has the best dairy products (Butter, Milk, Icecream) I've had... Scotsburn. Is good. ^.^

Victoria also has nice people, and it has the major plus side of being very warm all year round. Plus, their Tim Hortons over there take Interac. ^.^ (Tim Hortons = Better Canadian Equivalent to Krispy Kreme/Dunkin Donuts)

Argh... This reply already massive... I can fill you in more later, mm'kay? ^.^

Re:

[whitereflection.livejournal.com]

Heh, Alberta/Saskatchewan/Manitoba sounds like Nebraska, except we've got the killer heat in the summer, too. Yeek. ^^; Though like I was mentioning to someone else, that bit of Alberta across the border from Glacier Park, Montana--Waterton Peace Park--is really gorgeous. And no wheat. :) Nova Scotia sounds like the Midwest but even more friendly. Never visited there, but I'd like to investigate sometime. Heh, BC (especially Victoria) has me especially intrigued--our whole family likes that area, and has visited many times. Mom's always taking people up on the ferry from Seattle. Can't help it--we just dig the Pacific NW. :) Lord knows, if I ever in my life do this sort of thing, I probably would end up in Victoria--if I had to, I could drag Mom along, too, since it'd give her the mountains and ocean just like Seattle. ^^

*ponders Tim Hortons* Hmmmmmm...I must remember to find some of those next time I get to visit. :D

But hey, no problem. I'll have to harass ya about it all next time I see ya. *hugs*m

*quivers with excitement*

[macaque.livejournal.com]

Pr...Pratchett has a new book out already...? o_O;;;

*twitch, twitch...*

Shini, you have better not be pulling my leg. I discovered Pratchett last year, and now I'm a Discworld freak. Already gotten up to "The Truth", and I'm still looking for more. What's this new one about?

Re: *quivers with excitement*

[whitereflection.livejournal.com]

Of course I'm not pulling your leg, or anyone else's. (No "Pull the other one--it's got bells on" here ^^ ) It just came out, maybe within the last two weeks? I'm not sure exactly because my Mom got it, read it, then mailed it to me. Anyway, it's called Night Watch, and is about Samuel Vimes and an accident with time. ^^ Not sure how much I should say, as I don't want to hit anyone with spoilers. But I think you'd like it. Go, go find an Amazon.com or a Barnes&Borders and acquire! :D

Re: *quivers with excitement*

[macaque.livejournal.com]

Don't tell me nothin', then! Vimes and the Watch are easily my favorite characters in the series (hell, Sam Vimes is one of the best characters in fiction period). I'm so grabbing this at the first opportunity; thanks for the tip-off. =]