So, it's been awhile...

I don't know if anyone ever really reads this (except me, and frankly, sometimes just getting things out of my mind and onto "paper" is enough), but there have been murmurings of late regarding the dearth of posting.

It may just be the voices in my head I'm hearing, but in case it's not, I'll ramble on here for a bit...

A while ago, I started a missive (tirade?) regarding fairness. There isn't any such thing, really, except in fairy tales and children's stories. It's one of the "big lies" we are taught.

If things were fair, there'd be no homelessness or hunger.

If things were fair, people would quit worrying about what the hell other people are doing and pay attention to what they are doing themselves.

If things were fair, I'd be writing this from my beach house on maui. The one with the awesome view, the small beach with the nice little reef to dive, and killer speed on my wireless connection (I'd be sitting on the lanai to write, obviously). I know, I don't ask for much.

Things being fair, you'd have your beach house too - whatever that means to you.

I'm at an odd place today...kinda annoyed in general, and extremely pissed specifically (regarding something that I won't go into, and I have absolutely no control over, so I'm deciding to let it go).

I find, that when I am in these moods, I see the world from a different perspective - I guess. Things seem a bit more clear, which is kinda odd, I admit.

/rant

For instance, why the hell does the voting for American Idol get more attention (and votes) than the presidential primaries (and on a weekly basis, for crying out loud).

What is wrong with this country? Are we becoming a bunch of ignorant dolts that stare adoringly at the television and believe whatever comes out of that box?

It would seem so.

I mean, Paris Hilton and Miley Cyrus make more headlines than the wars we are waging in foreign lands. Out of sight, out of mind, I guess.

An amazing example - if you can pull yourself away from the screen long enough to comprehend - of the power of distractive TV. I _almost_ said journalism, but we don't have that anymore. Our talking heads are merely government employees these days (just ask Dan Rather). There are a few that try to bring information to the people, but more often than not, these folks are labeled as "UN-American".

I find that the least fair of all.

Wasn't this country founded on the principles of freedom of speech? To question the current administration, is likened to terrorist activity at worst, but plain old unamerican at best.

Pay attention people. There are truths out there, you just have to be intelligent enough to find them - and then (this is the hardest part for most of America) - decide for yourself what you think.

Hell, I know it's easier to be told what to think...no brains, no headaches and all that.

But it's not healthy. healthy for you or for the country.

Be a patriot and question what's happening. You don't have to disagree with how things are going...you don't have to agree either. But think for yourself...it's fun, really.

/end rant (for today anyway :)

In other news...did you know that you don't really have any control of the land that you "own"?

I found this out the other day in the continued saga of - dum, dum duuuuuuuuum! - THE RETAINING WALL.

Some of you may know that I am doing some work on the island place up north.

Paint, flooring, like that. Seems innocent and straight-forward enough, right?

NO! Wrong! BWAHAHAHAHAAHAHA!

In order to paint, some soil had to be removed from where it's happily been (without damage or ill effects) for over 20 years.

Simple enough. Get shovel, move dirt.

Nope.

Need an excavator. Excavator says, well, we'll need to put up a retaining wall once we move the dirt.

Ohhhhh Kaaaayyyy.

And, anything over 2 feet high in this county requires a permit (here's where the government steps in, watch out!).

So, this is just an 8 foot wall, about 20-25 feet long made of those nifty premade concrete blocks that look so pretty along the freeway - I'm even getting the lovely "patterned" blocks to increase the beauty of this project. We are nothing if not "pro-art". LOL

Off to get the permit...

Not!

This highly technical, very intricate, super special wall needs an engineer to design it.

OK.

Find engineer, get drawings, pay engineer, go get permit...

Nope.

Turns out that this island may have had native americans walking across it at some time in history, some may even be buried around here and there.

So, we need an archaeologist to come in and do a survey. AND a report. To the tribes.

Said archaeologist asked when at the site

"why am I here? this soil has already been disturbed.".

Duh! (this is where I might go off on a rant about many government employees not able to think past the end of their noses - any wonder there is a stereotype here? LOL. I'm evolving today, so I'm letting it go. rotflol to evolving, but whatever, I amuse myself, and that's the thing).

OK, so the report was written (and paid for), and now it's sitting with the "tribal council", not the TV one either.

Although, they do get to decide whether or not I can get a building permit for my silly little retaining wall, so I guess it's kinda like getting voted off of the island.

I don't have control over my own property (neither do you, although we are the ones that "get" to pay taxes on it - I wonder if the tribal council will kick in this year? something to put on my "yeah, right" list). Only once the tribe "approves" the archaeologists report and relays same to the county do I even have a chance of paying them for a permit to build.

And we still wonder why governments are so inefficient...sad, really, and frustrating as hell.

This little wall went from a few hours project on a nice sunny day, to months of red tape and BS, and thousands (and thousands...) of dollars.

All I can say is: it better be pretty. LOL.

Off to find something else to rant about....ignorance to slay, worlds to rule.

M&G