Does anyone really enjoy flying Commercial anymore? Off handed question I know and ultimately I will get to the point of the “100 Calorie Pack World”, however I frequently find that peculiar queries appear and I simply have to engage the target! Consider a more colorful description: a few years ago I was sitting in the San Francisco Airport Terminal waiting for a flight to Los Angeles and next to me, a Individual who suddenly broke in to an uncontrolled laughter! Curiosity being the impetus for discovery I had to ask! What’s so funny? He looked at me with a smile and said “…sometimes I just think funny things!” That’s all I have to say about that!
Back to Commercial Flying. First, let me say, I am a Private Pilot so flying is, has always been and will likely forever be a complete and perfect joy! A single point, for me, where I am engaged in a process where I have complete control of the elements of cause and effect. The pure thrill of defying human physical limitations, being completely free and seemingly unencumbered! A truly splendid experience!
I’ll cut to the chase! After all, there’s always a connection (somewhere) to what may initially appear as miscellaneous ramblings! Airport Security! There’s got to be a better way to accomplish this function! I’m stuck on the idea (perverse humor) that to shoot your non-milk producing bovine just doesn’t quite make sense particularly when you discover that you can’t milk a Bull! A degree of misinformation, misdirection, or a Magoo-like blunder! You choose!
During a recent cross country flight (and return), I endured the blunder. I witnessed the horrific treatment of an 85 year old wheel chair bound Woman and the simultaneous Gestapo-like treatment of her 84 year old Husband who objected to the truculent efficiency of the Security Detail. For me, when I asked two of the complicit thugs if this was necessary, I was leveled with a threatening “…back off…”! I will conclude this particular narrative with the following; bureaucracy should never be let out of its cage and should only be assigned tasks that require no conscience or thought! To expect a thallic organism to craft a cogent and efficient response to any circumstance is reckless at best!
Have you noticed that we’ve seemingly devolved in to a peculiar state of mindlessness? Resolve has given way to convenience. Virtue has surrendered to the vacuum of nihilism. The acuity of discerning/discriminating thought has give way to tolerance. Public Service has ossified to a form of piracy. ( Trust me, I have more of these soliloquies!)
To be sure these are my personal observations and perhaps (just) if you greet these narratives with a bit of suspicion and/or contempt then you may very well have just confirmed my observation(s). If you are nodding in the affirmative, then you’re already in the choir!
I’ll draw, for you, a few examples (in no particular order) from the reclamation pond They may appear terse and somewhat myopic in scope however, I’m of the summary observation that you’ll recognize the intended metaphor and then, splice your own sentiments!
Low Flush Toilets (need I say more)
Mandatory Seat Belt Laws
No-Smoking Laws
Sensitivity Training
Government Oversight (a truly hopeless ambition)
Public/Civil Service Unions
Non-Performance Based Compensation.
Absent Public Oversight of Public/Civil Service Compensation/Benefits.
(go ahead, give yourself a raise and send the bill to your neighbor).
“Eco” anything.
Global Warming.
Pharmaceutical pandering in any media outlet.
Tenure in any profession/occupation.
Global anything (particularly economics).
Military intervention for Economic Interests.
Exempting Toyota Prius Drivers from carpool lane rules.
Failed (not failing) Education System on any levels.
Oh and there are so many more…..!
I’m going to excise one specifically entertaining piece! I’ve picked up on a particularly parasitic advertising trend. Perhaps you’ve seen the commercial/advertisement for the 100 Calorie (Diet!!!) Snack Pack? No need to name the Brand(s). Apparently, they’ve become quite a hit! But I’ve got to ask what should be an obvious question and it sounds like this! If you’re not going to keep the person from buying more than one package of their choice 100 Calorie Snack Pack, then, what’s that difference! Can you just picture the scene, you’re standing in line with a person (I’m being sensitive so I won’t use the word “overweight”) who’s just plunked down two boxes ( 25 count each) of 100 Calorie Snack Pack(s)! Perhaps it’s just me that “…sometimes just thinks funny things!”
If one takes a moment and really dissects the scenario (might I also suggest one review the soliloquies above as well) you’ll discover that this very type of vacuity occurs in so many areas/aspects of our daily lives and on an ever increasing frequency!
I’ll offer up just a few last comments. I’ve an acquaintance who works for the Fire Department. His annual salary, not including benefits, is $145,000 (yes, ONE HUNDRED FORTY-FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS)!!! He can retire in three years at 100% of his pre-retirement income with, I might add, full benefits (both he and his spouse) for LIFE! We had an interesting exchange, my disbelief met head on with his sense of entitlement! The summary of the dialogue can best be summarized by the following when he replied “…well you know Curtis, it’s a very dangerous and stressful job…” to which I responded, “… you didn’t know this when you took the job?” I don’t know, maybe it’s me, but shouldn’t the term “fireman” have been an indicator of things to come?
Last one! Three days ago I was a guest speaker at a luncheon At the conclusion of my presentation there was time for an “open” dialogue, a sort of free wheeling Q & A. I was asked “…as a Realtor, don’t you feel awful for the people loosing their homes and what do you think the Government should do to protect these unfortunate families?” Not to be flippant though I admit unfortunately sometimes my responses are quick and they appear sardonic. I truly don’t mean it that way though (well not always). I said “…your asking that the Government should protect it from itself then! After all, the Government is largely to blame for the mess! But to your point, yes, I feel terribly for anyone in an adverse situation particularly when the cause of such is beyond their direct control. However, in many cases, I see individuals loosing homes that were obtained with 100% financing. In other words, they had nothing out of their pocket. So what exactly are we going to rescue them from? Are you suggesting free housing?”
I’ve just concluded writing a commentary for an online periodical. The subject is correspondent in nature and worth noting. I’ve inserted, following, a portion of the same.
“Earlier today I read a news release that appeared on a major media outlets website. Paraphrasing, it said something like this: FannaeMae/Freddie Mac looses Billions of dollars on REO Portfolios and goes on to site an example of a property in Flint, Michigan that 18 months ago sold for $110,000. This home is on the market for $6500 with no takers and the Real Estate Agent was entertaining the idea of reducing the price to $5,500 in order to entice a sale. The Agents explanation for the lack of activity was that there were “…just to many homes on the market.” My head hurts when I hear these kinds of explanations! It’s the equivalent of saying something as mindless as “gee there’s just to much competition”, the child that’s suffering through a desert of creativity says “…I just can’t find anything to do…” and my favorite “…the water is to wet!” What’s going on here, are these homes propagating on their own? NO! What we are witnessing is the fundamental flaw in an adopted Economic Policy that simply cannot and will not work! We will continue down this road of effect until we return to functional economic truths! No! We don’t have to many homes on the market, we have to few people truly capable of not only purchasing them, but also sustain their ownership! It is worth looking in to this premise a bit further but first a few points to establish a foundation. Economic progress, like all life forms, has it’s cycles! Unavoidable! Expansion and contraction is a fact of this life cycle. It is simply not possible to have sustained economic growth, it is however possible to have predictable economic cycles that trend along a growth trajectory. The fundamentals of this principle is that economic vitality is not a “top down” model, it is, in fact, a “bottom up” reality. It’s not that our system of capitalism can accommodate this, it is, after all the foundation of it’s root principle. It is, I fear, that the arbiters of Government/Finance just simply don’t grasp the concept as they simply ride the momentum of the passing boats wake representing the fabulous track record of past successes. Sadly, this momentum has been exhausted and the current economic environment exhibits this fact with a painful clarity! The view will become ever increasingly, and painfully, more acute!”
“There is always hope! It lies in the torment of sleepless nights!”
Don’t just play through, play on and on and on!
Curtis C. Greco, Founder
