THOUGHT OF THE DAY - MARK (ZUCKERBERG) OF THE BEAST - FEBRUARY 2011

Contrary to popular belief, Barack Obama is NOT the Anti-Christ. Mark Zuckerberg is the Anti-ChrIst. Any man who can teach our parents how to use the internet—THAT’S A MAN TO BE FEARED! You think I’m crazy? Ok, but when your parents start “poking” you with the Mark of the Beast...Don’t say I didn’t warn ye.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY - RACHEL MADDOW - FEBRUARY 2011

I like Rachel Maddow, she’s got that whole Jamie-Lee-Curtis-True-Lies-thing, going on.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY - NAACP - FEBRUARY 2011

 I don't know why NAACP doesn't get with the times. It should be called National Association for the Advancement of African Americans. But then again, NAAAA, that doesn't sound like a good idea. :)

QUOTE OF THE DAY - FEBRUARY 2011 - BLACK HISTORY MONTH-MLK JR.

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

--Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

POLITICAL VIEWS OF THE DAY - LETTER - SHOULD POLICE AND FIRE UNIONS BE PRIVATIZED?

Below is a letter I wrote to a local New Jersey newspaper. Every Sunday, there have been letters sent about the working people in our state, and should our taxes go to fund certain public services, etc. 

I agree that I want to see an end to corruption in any system, and growing up in NYC, I saw the best and worst that worker's unions had to offer. But i think we are getting harsh on the workers themselves instead of looking at the politicians, the corporations, or people who are making money for nothing, like certain celebrities who have no talent. 

I can't believe some of the letters I read in this local newspaper. People saying that police and fire unions should be privatized? Are they crazy? That's a big Tea Party thing, everything should be privatized, and anyone who disagrees is a socialist. I guess FDR was a socialist. I guess Lincoln, was a "big government sellout" and a "union man". 

I thought I was conservative in New York, but these people in Ocean County, New Jersey make me look like Abbie Hoffman.

At a time where we see the chaos in the streets of Egypt, this is the last time Americans should turn against ourselves. America has to show the world, we can work together. Not just tell Egypt how democracy is done, but SHOW them how it is done. 

When you look at the chaos in Egypt, it's hard to believe that they were so united at one time that they built the pyramids, but, then again, it's hard to believe that we built the Statue of Liberty, or the Brooklyn Bridge, or the Empire State Building.  Or, a free country for that matter. A country that upholds freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of religion. What happened to our country? Let's try to find it again. 

But, I digress, below is the letter, I don't think they will publish it, but it is here for your viewing pleasure: 

Are Police and Fire Unions Paying Their Fair Share?

Dear New Jersey,

Some of us say we want to privatize police and fire unions? What’s next? Privatize the military?

The last people who wanted to privatize states were called the Southern Confederacy, and they started a Civil War.

Privatize all schools? If you can’t afford an education, tough luck!

Privatize fire unions? So, when a CEO of some company has his house on fire, all the fire trucks will go to his house while mine burns to the ground.

Privatize the police? Ok, when gang violence in Lakewood starts spilling over into Brick and Toms River, don’t complain to MY police. Didn’t you get the memo? You should have your own police force!

Let’s stop pointing fingers at American workers, today.

What about the “entertainment” industry? Should the cast of MTV’s Jersey Shore get paid thousands an episode, or get free trips to Italy? Should they even write books, or let alone, sign them, when they just learned how to sign their name, last week?

No wonder we can’t teach our kids to read and write. Why would they have any incentive to stay in school?

And why should teachers, police, and fire personnel have any incentive to educate, serve, and protect us, if we want to take away every last penny from them?

I’m sorry, but until Chris Christie can prove that he’s Batman, I’ll keep my police, and fire unions, public. Thank you.

QUOTE OF THE DAY - YOU DOWN WITH GOP?

I'm a moderate Republican...That means I'll torture you, but I'll cuddle with you afterwards. :)

POETRY CORNER - VALENTINE'S COLLECTION - MY MUSE

My Muse

There was always a deep longing within,

when my heart was young and alive.

There was a sweet restlessness

in the quiet times.

Nights spent of endless dreaming,

of passion unbound.

My heart,

faithfully pursuing her glory,

finding her;

surrendering to her song.

Our two joined souls,

converging, mystically,

as we danced, to the ancient hymns of Nature.

But those years of spring, 

slowly dissipated,

swept under the weight of the world.

Today we insist on the temporal life,

devoid of truth, devoid of the spirit.

We are efficient, yet hopeless.

Driven by worldly demands,

we strive for treasures

to place upon a mantle of ashes.

I still awaken nights to listen for her song,

and I remember her promise.

Hope of that eternal spring,

restore this distant heart.

by John Seery 

(Originally written 10/9/05, Copyright@Poetry.com)

POETRY CORNER - VALENTINE'S COLLECTION - DYING TO LOVE

Dying to Love

To me love is death.
I began to die ever since I touched her hand.
At that moment I chose to lose my life
and to only see her face.
I am the casualty of her heart.
She is no longer a part of my life,
she is my life.
Every dream and every hope that I ever knew
will fade, and soon everything will be her.
There is true joy in death
and I alone have found it in you.
Open your arms to me,
let me find sanctuary in your heart,
the place where I may perish.
Embrace me, slay me.
Speak to me words of comfort
as I die in your arms.
Give me a chance to speak these dying words,
with all that is in me
I love you.

By John Seery

(Originally written in January, 1995. Copyright@Poetry.com)

POLITICAL VIEWS OF THE DAY - LETTER - AMERICAN WORKER

[Below is a letter I submitted to a local New Jersey newspaper, The letter ran too long, so it wasn't published, but, I figured I will post it on my blog for anyone who is interested] 

Dear [local paper],

In response to the In Depth article: “Are Police, Fire Unions Next on [Governor Chris] Christie Hit List?”, I wrote a response below:

There seems to be a war against the American worker today. A man can work at a company for thirty years, and, one day, find out that, not only has he lost his job, but he lost his pension fund, retirement securities and health benefits. It was probably due to some poor financial planning on his company’s part. And, the American worker, as always, has to pay for the brunt of his company’s mishaps, sometimes, with his career.

To make matters worse, he finds out  later that his company gets bailed out by the U.S. government with his tax dollars. But where is the government to bail him out? If he is getting any unemployment benefits, which is doubtful, he has to now read local newspaper editorials, watch 24-hour news stations, or listen to talk radio telling him that even those unemployment supplements should be cut as well.

My dad was an electrician for the city of New York until he retired, and, thankfully, he was also a part of the trades union. He now receives a pension, health benefits, and social security. Should that be taken away from him? All his years of hard work and service, should we take that away? He has worked multiple jobs before that electrician job, and he still works part time today, just to stay active. Should he not receive that extra salary for his part time work? If you’re going to do the work, why not get paid for it?

I was born and raised in New York, and I benefited from the unions protecting the rights of workers. My dad worked hard to provide for my mom and us four kids. He found a job with a union and stayed with it. He realized that he didn’t want to be one of those workers who puts in the time, works hard, and then, when all is said and done, gets cut from a job that he worked at for many years with no safety net of benefits, either for him or his family.

Working in New York, My dad has seen the best and worst of the union system. He did see cronyism take place, and workers who didn’t put time and effort into their job because they believed the union would just bail them out. He didn’t pay attention to that, and he just stuck to his job. Later on, my dad would read in the newspaper how there were crackdowns by the city mayor on union workers who slacked on the job. Annual salaries were posted for the public to see, and the people who were ripping off the system were taken to court and they received a just punishment for their unethical practices, just as New Jersey rightfully called out Michael Ritacco on criminal activity.

There is no perfect system, because there are no perfect people. But, at least with unions, for public servants, the workers have to answer to the people. Corporations on the other hand, don’t have to answer to anyone, and, when they spend their money on favors for friends and family, they just get bailed out by the U.S. government. What kind of message does that send to our children? Let’s go after people who are actually doing a public service like teachers, police, and firemen, but, if you are the head of a corporation, we will not regulate your activity, even if it appears to be unethical.

I am not saying that we must trust unions completely, but should we trust corporations, or former lawyers like Chris Christie, completely?

And now I hear that some states are playing with the idea of corporations bailing them out. We forget that if someone bails us out: we become owned by them. I guess General Motors can give back money to Michigan, after laying off American workers and shipping their jobs overseas. Maybe GM can finally rebuild Detroit, but first, they have to clean out the tumbleweeds.

If there’s one word that frightens me the most in this new millennium, it’s the word: “privatize”. This word is worse than “terrorism”, worse than “communism”, and worse than “fascism”. We think it’s a good idea to privatize states? Really? The last group of people who wanted to privatize states was called the Southern Confederacy, and they started a Civil War.

Abraham Lincoln is one of our most beloved presidents, but don’t forget, he was also one of our most hated presidents, hence, why he was assassinated. I guess today, many would call Abraham Lincoln a “big government sellout” or a “union man”.

Sound familiar? We call our president a socialist, but it’s funny, the same people who call Barack Obama a socialist, voted for FDR FOUR times! I guess we hate getting that social security check every month. Be thankful, it’s something that my generation will not even see.

We listen to radio talk show hosts who tell us that public school teachers are “parasites”, and yet, what are the talk show hosts? They sit around all day and talk into a microphone. They know about the plight of the American worker? They know what it is to wait on a freezing cold bus stop in the middle of January? They know what it’s like being a single mother, and trying to raise children on her own and start a career? They know what it’s like to work at a company for years, and get kicked out like a piece of trash? It’s like millionaire rappers who talk about how hard it is to live in the ‘hood. Really? It’s hard to live in the ‘hood, when you’re a millionaire?

Radio talk show hosts have not paid their dues, but they speak to us on our way to work, and they influence our way of thinking. Just look at the last election. But, should I trust them over a teacher who is trying to teach my kids how to read and write, or a police officer laying down his life for me in the line of duty, or a fireman, charging up a burning building to rescue me? I should trust talk show hosts or 24-hour news correspondents on what should be done for my quality of life?

Talk show hosts have freedom of speech, but we have an equal power: it’s called “freedom of switch”. Just turn them off and tune them out. Let’s think again, as a people, and use our common sense.

Before I close, I want to share a brief history. When I was in high school, I wanted to work with my dad and take on an apprenticeship for a trade. My dad would rather see me attend college and go “further” than him, with my education. After I graduated high school, I decided to go to college. What a mistake that was. Now, out of work for the last few months, I am trying with my dear life to get into a union job. It breaks my dad’s heart to see me like this. I don’t want to be another statistic. I don’t want to be another American worker who is fired from his many years of service, only to find out that he has nothing waiting for him, or his family, on the other side.

That’s the legacy we’re leaving to future generations? No wonder our children don’t want to try hard in school. “Yes kiddies, work hard, study, and stay in school, and maybe, just maybe, you could work at a Walmart when you grow up. It’s a noble institution, and who knows, if you work extra hard, they may even take a life insurance policy out on you and call it “peasant insurance”. No wonder the American student can’t get ahead. Why would you even try, when that’s waiting for you at the end of the tunnel?

I will leave you with these final thoughts. Our inalienable rights as a free people, as stated by Thomas Jefferson in his Declaration of Independence, are as follows: the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. Not only is the government responsible to protect my life in times of war, but, it is also responsible to protect my quality of life, at all times. And, if we, the people, empower that government, we should look after each other, and protect the rights of one another.

You want to send a message out to China? We will show them that they have nothing with all their technology because we care about the peace and prosperity of our own people, first and foremost. The human heart is greater than any machine, and we will show them that when we work together, united, we can create a better world, and not just fancy fireworks at an Olympics.

So, let’s protect our workers, and each other!