Mired in Muck?

When I take a look at the stats generated from views of this blog I have to shake my head. While there are hits from people who are curious about what I may write in here, most of the traffic comes from strange people searching strange terms related to people that I have mentioned in here, and 99% of it related to the women mentioned. 

Maria Molina - Fox Weather
(now the blog hits roll in)

Yes, its all sex stuff. We all know that it sells. It attracts our attention, it draws us in and it captivates us. 

Even my dirty podcast is centered on it even though there is a bottom line of the podcast. That is to point out that whole nations of people live lives behind closed doors that make them look hypocritical when one finds out that much what they say in their daily lives isn’t close to how they are living. 

My podcast was created at a time when I needed to get a whole lot off of my chest. I still have a lot to get off of my chest but as far as that particular time is concerned, I think I have exorcised those demons. 

It’s not like things are really a whole lot better but I think I need to direct my attention elsewhere and it might end up as a new show. It may very well be one where no one listens because it just won’t have the same juicy and controversial stuff in it. But until that actually happens I won’t make a promise here about anything.

I won’t make that promise because when I say that I want to, or am going to, do something I say it to try to generate support of some sort. I’d really like to know that a project that I want to create has some people urging me to do so or to say that they would like to help or support it in any way whatsoever.

But I don’t know if it’s the state in which I live (which I have often thought that was simply the case for over 20 years) or just the state of our society in general.

I recently offered to do a few free comedy hypnosis shows so that I could gather material for a few 30-minute online videos that I wanted to create as sort of a show that I could use to market my shows or perhaps even as a pilot for an idea I have. I had a couple of guidelines…be near me, have at least 50 people or so, and let’s do it sometime when I am not busy.

I had a couple of inquiries but two weeks have gone by and even with the added incentive that these potential hosts could raise money nothing came of it. Is that bizarre or what? In a time when money is tight and people need laughs or have an opportunity to raise funds for a cause without the expense for my particular show, no one can get motivated enough to make it happen.

I wonder what it takes to light a fire under someone’s ass anymore.

For years I produced a local television show that highlighted local athletes. It was one which was popular locally and it ran for 10 years or so and it was fun and it was needed around here. I still run the video production service into which it blossomed.

I’ve been trying hard to gather interest in re-launching the show in an online version. I throw it out there every now and then. I try to spark interest in people to help with it. Nothing.

Could it be that my pitch is bad? Perhaps. Could it be that my leadership skills are lacking? Perhaps.

I recently posted a GoFundIt page to try to generate funds to start the show. Not a dime has been offered. Not one dime and that’s even considering that a lot of the people who were featured on that show over the years saw that fund-raising page. 

 http://www.gofundme.com/localsports

Could it be that the whole idea just sucks so bad and I am just completely blind to it? Perhaps, but based on the prior experience, I would say no.

I think it’s simply that we are in such a state of malaise over these past ten years that it is going to take something quite drastic to motivate people again.

Frankly I think it’s a change in President but if we get Hillary Clinton we’ll get another 8 years of this crap, but that’s a much deeper conversation for another blog.

Yes, I do think it starts there but do we have to continue to let ourselves stew in misery for many more months and years? What will it take to move us? 

I can see why people get discouraged and find it hard to try to do something or get involved with something that is worthwhile in any sort of way. We see what gets rewarded, don’t we? We see fucktards like Miley Cirus and Justin Bieber earning even more attention and more money for being complete asswipes. While they may both be talented to some extent they aren’t close to being as talented as some people I know just here in Delaware and I’m not talking about me (for a change.) 

I know actors and actresses who are stunned to see the parts that children of already famous actors get who can’t hold a candle to those who are doing the same types of parts locally. 

Forget about entertainers (I am one so it starts with that first for me, sorry) and think about regular people trying to make it out there.

Every time our government creates a new regulation it puts another obstacle in the way of a small business owner who now has to figure out how to navigate through the new maze without the resources that the bigger companies have to use for which the regulation was created anyway. 

I don’t recall if I ever wrote this here or not but here it goes anyway. A while back I was living with a woman who had a kid who was paralyzed from the waist down. He had a hard time financially as a result and there was an opportunity on which I tried to capitalize and help provide the kid with a chance to work which would also chip in a few bucks for my monthly expenses. A local park needed a food vendor so I bought a hot dog cart. It was something simple that the kid could run as long as someone helped him set up and break down on days which it operated.

You would think that would be a pretty simple thing, right?

Guess again. The hot dog cart had a grill and two bins for hot dogs, one to cook them and one to hold them. It had a cooler for drinks. That was it. Of course there was an acquisition cost and supplies and an initial food purchase. I planned for that.

Then I had to start dealing with the government. I initially wanted to set up at someone else’s business. 

First, I had to deal with the State Division of Revenue for a license and pay a fee. Second, I had to go to the County Division of Land Use with a detailed map of this business outlining where the cart would get parked and pay a fee. Third, I had to go the Department of Transportation to get an entrance and exit waiver and pay a fee. Fourth, I had to go to the Department of Health – twice – for inspections, and that was AFTER completing an application that was about 50 pages long and paying a fee…TWO fees. Fifth, I had to go the Division of Motor Vehicles and pay $500 for the privilege of purchasing the hot dog cart. Sixth, I had to go to the County to pay a fee for a permit. THEN came the IRS. No fee at first but you know they get theirs later. 

SEVEN different government agencies just to open a hot dog stand.

Do you see ANYTHING wrong with this? The average person can’t deal with this sort of thing without a lot of help. It was so discouraging that I nearly gave up on myself. It cost about $7000 before we sold one hot dog. Then people complained about the $1.75 we had to charge per hot dog because they have no clue what goes behind running a business.

There was just a story about an 11-year old girl who has the entrepreneurial spirit and starting baking and selling cupcakes. She was doing so in order to work to raise money to get a car when she turned 16. Her parents were going to match funds that she raised. This should be a classic case of someone who does something that others should emulate.

Then the government shut her down.

They shut her down because she didn’t have permits. It’s an extreme example, I know…there has to be SOME rules but what we have now are too many. It only serves to crush our spirits.

 Feds Clamp Down on 11-Year Old

We had to hear about income inequality last night from a man who despises the successful and does whatever he can to demonize those who have succeeded. Many of the hundreds of new governmental regulations administered under his watch are designed to either punish the successful or keep them from acquiring more wealth. Of course its said that everything done is supposed to lift up those who aren’t successful and help them move forward in life. But it simply doesn’t. 

When people take a look at who the enemy of our mighty leader is right now…the successful…why would anyone want to take steps to reach that success and earn the related scorn that would come with it? I can see why people are hesitant, doubtful and even scared at times. Who wants to hear that if they start to make a lot of money that the government is going to come take more of it? Who wants to hear that if you make it in America it’s because you have stolen from someone and became successful off of the backs of others? It’s disheartening. 

It’s evil, is what it is. Our spirits are crushed in this country. Our hopes are dashed. And it’s done purposely so that a “great helping hand” will step in help make everything right. We’ll have things done for us and given to us…just continue to support those who will provide for you and everything will be ok. 

Those of us who want to do something different, step outside of the box, and make something happen used to be those who were admired in this country. Now? Not so much it seems. 

I still see light at the end of the tunnel. As depressing as all of this can be, and is, at times, I still am optimistic. I will still toss out ideas and try new things because for now I still can. I still believe that inside all of us who are American, and who came to America looking for what I seek and have experienced,  and know what really made this country successful is a spirit that can be rekindled. It might take a bigger match to light it. It might take doing something totally unexpected and what others are yearning to see or hear. But at the same time it takes a bunch of people to rally around it and support it when they see it or hear it. 

That is sort of the catch though, isn’t it? 

So today I ask you to ask yourself, “Am I willing to rise up and take bold new steps to make a difference? If not, am I at least willing to support someone who is?” 

Because if we aren’t we will continue to be bogged down in garbage, mired in the muck of mediocrity and simply destined to fail.

Done