TV And Societal Change

I don't watch television much anymore.  Outside of news programs, sports and a few old movies or TV shows from the 60's or 70's (after the 70's, I stopped watching) there isn't much that interests me. I have not seen a TV series in more than 20 years and am probably much better off because of it. When I have seen commercials advertising TV shows or read about them in a newspaper, they seem to be vulgar, mean spirited, and stupid. It's sort of like what society is today too. That's because TV reflects the society as a whole. Comedy doesn't break out in society because people watch funny shows. But violence on the streets does beget violence on the screen. Just look at your TV and see.

I am in no position to specifically criticize TV, given I see so little of it. I won't critique it now. Instead, I have a few remarks about how TV is today as opposed to the early days of TV in the 50's and 60's. Those were the glory days when TV was new and fascinated society. Not only am I old enough to remember black and white TV of the 50's and early 60's, I was addicted to that as a child. Psychiatrists told parents then that if mom and dad let their kids watch too much the kids' brains would rot. Maybe mine did. Even the adults were addicted then, probably somewhat like the addiction to cell phones today. When a new technology becomes popular humans use it way too much. The novelty has worn off TV, so I am hopeful those crazy cell phones will become passé' too. Civilization may return of that happens.

In those early days of TV in the United States, most places had only three TV channels, reception was provided by a problematic antenna that protruded from the set or was on top of the house and gave sometimes fuzzy picture. If the set broke, and it often did, a "tube man" would come to the customer's house and take out the many tubes to test and find the broken one. Tube men were very important people then. They got lots of smiles and were appreciated by the set owner with tips for their service.  Once repaired, a family would watch TV shows that were tame and general in nature as compared to what is shown now. Censorship wasn't needed because no one thought it appropriate to be daring and test boundaries with sex or vulgarity on the TV screen.  Society had boundaries then, unlike today. I remember the TV foot on the ground rule. It said that if a married couple had a scene in their bedroom, only one of the couple could have both feet off the ground in bed. The other one had to have at least one foot on the floor. No one ever thought of having nudity on TV then.

TV then was fun and innocent. Today it's vulgar and hostile. TV comics could not tell risqué jokes then. Today, every piece of humor on TV is filled with vulgarity or suggestions of it. Again, society was mirrored in both cases. The programming was consistent then. The news, weather and sports came on in the morning, at 6 pm and at 10 pm every day. It was the highest rated program on TV and the content was not hateful, slanted, partisan. People were interested in the news and trusted the people who gave it to them on TV. They got real news. Today TV gives fake news wrapped in entertainment.

Today, the news is partisan, rubbish that is packaged for different political segments of the markets. Most of American TV news today is propaganda, lies and distortions told to appeal to the political persuasion of the audience segment that is watching. No wonder CNN is nicknamed "Communist News Network". Only fools believe what news their TV gives them today. That also mirrors the disbelief people have today in reality when away from their TV sets. The early days of TV were ones filled with a commonality of belief and TV news reflected that with facts. Today TV news is reality TV, not reality itself. No wonder people are so skeptical today.

In the early days of TV the family gathered around it and bonded. Now people watch TV on their computer monitor in privacy. Families are less a unit today.  Like most things today, the world is more private than public. Then it was the opposite. Maybe that's one reason there is no sense of community today. And maybe that's why I have no interest in watching what is on the TV screen today.

What About The Persecuted Christians?

The weeping liberal media and politicians daily cry about discrimination against Muslims, about how this country should allow amass immigration of the aggrieved Muslim population. It's a nobel protest. But what about Christians across the world, who face at least as great and perhaps even greater persecution? The cries are not at all from non Muslim victims. Why is persecution of Christian minorities across the world a non issue for the left and media today?

From the Coptics in Egypt and the “house churches” in China to the “subversives” in North Korea and the “apostates” in Pakistan, Christians are under fire on the international stage. Christian heads roll while the liberal American press and those who promote the idea of that press remain muted. Statistically,  Christians are the most persecuted group on the planet. Each month, about 322 Christians are killed, 214 churches or Christian properties are destroyed, and 772 acts of violence are carried out against Christians because of their faith (according to Open Doors, a nonprofit group that helps persecuted Christians). The fact is that liberals in the west have falsely labeled Christians elsewhere. Christians in the West have been somehow become identified as the oppressor class, and that view seems to be extended to Christians in the Middle East. It's probably because in this age of vacuous social media and twitter "news", the case for ignoring Christian persecution is the "trendy" factor.  That is, a liberal today sees supporting Muslim as being trendy but supporting Christians as "racist" behavior.

Another reason so many in the west think Muslims are persecuted and Christians not only not persecuted, but the persecutors is that of education deficits. Polls here in the west declare that the liberal activist (those who protest and boycott anything they personally don't like) segments of the West are ignorant of the persecution faced by Christians around the world. The most striking aspect of many liberal activists and their legion of clue less, sheepish followers is their lack of knowledge and or denial of  about that which they protest or concern themselves.

A Rasmussen survey this week shows this. 56 percent of Democrats who responded said Muslims in America are mistreated because of their faith, but only 47 percent said that Christians living in Islamic nations were discriminated against. Sixty two percent of Americans overall, and 76 percent of Republicans, said Christians are persecuted in countries where Islam is the dominant religion. If perception is reality, we are in trouble. Just listen to any air head Hollywood celebrity spout political hate and nonsense against any establishment doctrine and you can see a problem.

The loud mouthed but active Donald Trump promises to change that perception with policy set to fight all discrimination against all people everywhere. I suspect the liberal left here won't like that since the hero of the left, Barrack Obama, and the Obama administration failed to take any additional steps to alleviate the plight of Christians. More than 19,000 refugees from Syria were admitted to the United States during Mr. Obama’s tenure, for example, but less than one half of 1 percent of them were Christians. The policy of the left in recent years is "Christians who are persecuted m need not apply".

The war to educate the left about all who are victims of discrimination is just beginning. I hope it brings clarity and fairness to the subject. All people, Muslim and non Muslims alike should be regarded with the scale of fairness evenly weighed

Making Hollywood Celebrities Useful

I think I found something use for those brainless Hollywood celebrities to do. You know, instead of listening to their dubious philosophical or political thoughts, instead of hearing them tells us how lucky we are to have them, how about using them to enforce the law?  No, I don't mean giving them a badge, a gun and license to arrest.  I prefer the Matt Damon's and Whoppi Goldbrg's out there be used like they do in Wyoming, Minnesota.

Hmmm But this idea may be cruel and unusual punishment for us.  Doesn't the eighth amendment to the U.S. forbid cruel and unusual punishment? Ah, heck! Let that amendment go because celeb patrol would be better for us anyway. Here's how it would work. We follow the Justin Beiber model of Wyoming, Minnesota. It seems that  residents of Wyoming, Minnesota, were extra motivated to not drive drunk on Super Bowl Sunday. The penalty, they were told, would be that they would be forced to watch Justin Bieber’s T-Mobile advertisement. Oh, my. Subjecting an adult to watching Beiber is cruel and unusual.

But the Wyoming Police Department sent out a social media message telling warning people that if they drove while intoxicated, the punishment would be stiffer than their drinks. DUI arrested would be forced to chug Beiber commercials until they vomit, which would, I assume not take long. Can you believe, drunk driving in Wyoming was down as a result. It has me thinking of some other uses for those arrogant, talent less celebrities. How about....
* Samuel Jackson- The famed hater of all people white could be employed as an arbitrator for Ku Klux Klan disputes

* Kim Kardashian- Kim is a clean lady, well in the figurative sense. She spent $750,000 for four gold plated toilets in her luxury house in Bel Air. She also had a self flushing toilet installed for $100,000. Perhaps we could make Kim the woman who cleans those toilets in the subway.

* Katy Perry- She's got a good voice and great teeth. But she makes sure that she has pearly white teeth to show when she smiles. Inspired by the healthy set of Britney Spears, Perry always brings along several toothbrushes and brushes six times a day. I say let Katy scrub toilets with Kim.

* President Donald Trump- Maybe Trump should resign as all those crazy left wing liberals say he should. It's because he is a long time germaphobe who refuses to push buttons in the elevator, often demurs from shaking hands with others and sanitizes his hands several times each day.  I bet Trump would resign if we offered him the job of disinfecting those smelling left wing Democrats in Congress.

* Shia LaBeouf- He was spotted in February 2014 at the Berlin Film Festival with a paper bag over his face that had the words, “I AM NOT FAMOUS ANYMORE” written on it. Why not agree with him and forbid him from appearing in any more movies. If we do it can only improve the image of actors everywhere.

* Vanessa Hudgens- the actress posted a photo on Instagram of her own name and the name of her boyfriend, Austin Butler, carved into a rock in Sedona, Arizona. Hudgens was then cited for a misdemeanor count for damage to a natural feature on U.S. Forest Service land. Hudgens ended up paying $1,000 in restitution. How about a tree trimming job for Vanesssa?

* Ariana Grande- She was caught on a security camera licking doughnuts in a doughnut shop in California as well as saying she hates America. Grande later issued a statement that her words were "taken out of context." I suggest enrolling Grande in a finishing school that can socialize her. But then, what school would accept her?

* Lindsay Lohan. Uh, better just banish her to some remote island somewhere. I think she is unfit doing anything useful.

The Immigrant Invasion Of The U.S.

The left in the U.S., represented mostly b the extreme wing of the Democratic Party and still upset that it was rejected in the 2016 presidential election, whines about many things. But the most baffling is the subject of immigration into the U.S. Since the Immigration Act of 1965 this country has been invaded by both immigrants and illegals. Yet the left, which wants open borders, claims that the U.S. is "racist' in not letting in anyone from any poor country that is predominantly non white and non Christian.  Even though statistics show their claim a lie, and that the opposite, that white Christians are who is being denied admittance here,  protest marches by the left, as seen recently in response to denying legal entry to people  from 7 Muslim majority countries who can not be vetted, continue to chant their boundless claims of unfairness in immigration policy.

During the 1970s, the origins of most immigrants changed from Europe to Latin America and Asia. Between 2000 and 2009 over three fourths of the 10 million immigrants admitted were from Latin America and Asia. And illegal immigration numbers are, though impossible to know, are much higher and favor the poor and unskilled from underdeveloped nations even more. Some more FACTS about legal and illegal immigration to the U.S. courtesy of the U.S. government's Census Bureau itself include:

-In 1965 the total U.S. population was 194.3 million. After the borders were opened and immigration control became a pretend policy, at the end of 2016 the total U.S. population grew to an incredible 323.9 million people.  In my own lifetime the U.S. population, fueled by immigration and illegal immigration , has grown by 110%.

-Almost 110,000 foreigners enter the United States on a typical day. A total of 38,901 Muslim refugees entered the U.S. in fiscal year 2016, making up almost half (46%) of the nearly 85,000 refugees who entered the country in that period.

-Since 1965, more than 60 million people immigrated into the U.S. When their children and grandchildren are included, these immigrants added 72 million people to the nation's population, accounting for 55% of population growth from 1965 to 2015. Immigrants and their descendants are projected to account for 88% of the population increase over the next 50 years.

- In 1965, the population was 84% white, 11% black, 4% Hispanic and 1% Asian. The black share of the population has stayed steady since then, but Hispanics are now 18% of the population and Asians are 6%, while the white share of the population has fallen to 62%.

-Three major entry doors exist: a front door for immigrants, a side door for temporary visitors, and a back door for the illegal immigrants.

-Almost 3,100 foreigners a day receive immigrant visas or green cards that allow them to live, work, and become naturalized U.S. citizens after five years.

-Over 105,000 tourist, business, and student visitors arrive; some stay only a few days, while others that come through the side door and sometimes never leave, stay for several years or permanently.

- Immigrants in the United States and their U.S. born children now number approximately 81 million people, or 26 percent of the overall U.S. population.

- 1.3 million foreign born individuals moved to the United States last year, an 11 percent increase from 2013. India was the leading country of origin for new LEGAL immigrants, followed by China, Mexico, Canada, and the Philippines. The top five countries of birth for unauthorized immigrants were Mexico (56 percent), Guatemala (6 percent), El Salvador (4 percent), and Honduras and China (3 percent each). The next areas sending the most immigrants include:  The Philippines, Vietnam. Cuba, South Korea and The Dominican Republic.

-In 2016, the immigrant share of the U.S. population was almost 14% of the total. In 19760 it was just 5%.

- In 2014, 46 percent of immigrants (19.4 million people) reported having Hispanic or Latino origins.

-Of those who became naturalized citizens in 2014, 15 percent were born in Mexico (94,889), roughly 6 percent in India (37,854), and 5 percent in the Philippines (34,591). Immigrants from these three countries, together with those from China (30,284), Cuba (24,092), Dominican Republic (23,775), Vietnam (18,837), Colombia (16,478), El Salvador (15,598), and Haiti (13,676), comprised the top ten countries of birth for newly naturalized citizens in 2014 and accounted for nearly half (47 percent) of the 653,416 new U.S. citizens that year.

Now I ask, given those statistics and whatever other facts about U.S. immigration you wish to add, I ask..... Is the U.S. denying immigrants entry? Is U.S. immigration policy "racist"? Does it appear too many immigrants are being added and that some policy to control the borders might be a wise one? You tell me.

Waiting For Celebrities To Leave

I am puzzled.  Ok, I am always puzzled, but this time it is with all those Hollywood celebrities, the liberal air heads who promised me they were moving out of the U.S. if and as soon as Donald Trump was elected as president. Most of them even named which country would have the honor of their enlightened presence. But as of yet, they all remain here. Just the other day in Washington D.C. at that odd women's March for whatever....  Ashley Judd held up Malala as a symbol. Malala, the brave young girl who was targeted for death by Islam for wanting to go to school and nearly executed with a bullet to the head for such radical ideas as education for females. Ashley cited Malala but she and those women never protested Islam that day, the same Islam that brutalizes women with regularity. 

And Madonna was at one of those marches too. She railed about injustice and then said she wanted to blow up the White House because Donald Trump was freely elected in a democratic election.  Those two creatures promised to leave and yet they remain to continue to spout stupidity and hate. I also noticed that Amy Schumer woman was protesting, not leaving. Amy is the vulgar comic who became famous and wealthy by telling dirty jokes, objectifying herself and trying to exploit sex for dollars. Now she marches and whines about sexism and objectification of women. What a hypocrite they all are.

Anyway, those three stooges and many more have the right to speak any way they want. It's amusing to listen to them and guess how low their IQ's are. But I just want them to keep their promise and leave the country. Since the November 6th election, none have even applied to leave. In the nearly two months following Donald Trump's victory, only 28 Americans out of over 320 million total have applied for “Trump related refugee status” to Canada, with none of them appearing to be celebrities.  Last year only two of the more than 200 claims for political based refuge status based were granted asylum. Canada doesn't misfit either. None of the applicants were granted asylum by Canada in 2015.

Here are some of the Hall of Shame celebes who lied to us about removing their carcasses from the U.S.: Bryan Cranston, Rosie O’Donnell, Jon Stewart and Whoopi Goldberg, Miley Cyrus, Amy Schumer, Cher, Samuel Jackson, Lena Dunham, Barbara Streisand, Raven-Symone, Chelsey Handler, Neve Campbell and more. When asked by non liberal media (the liberal media covers for them and doesn't ever challenge them when they show their ignorance), the evacuees who never were simple say they were "joking", even though their comments on tape and in quote show only seriousness. But lying is their stock in trade. That should make them irrelevant, but then, their fans are often as clue less and insincere as the stars themselves.
 

Year Of The Rooster

It's the year of the Rooster? Are you a rooster?  As I understand it according to the eastern calendar I am an ox. But then I hardly understand it.  But I do understand like dim sum. Give me credit for something. In the western zodiac I am in the sign of Sagittarius. I wonder if the Sag and the Ox have the same characteristics in those two zodiacs.  I was once told that I was an earth ox, but that Adolph Hitler was an earth ox too. It makes me want to fly to the moon.
Anyway, I do know that the purpose of the Chinese New Year was originally to be a farm holiday. The Chinese New Year was set to coincide with the slack time just before a new year of farm work begins, as a time of preparation . When most Chinese were farmers this made sense.  But now 55% of China's population is urban. I read once that the Chinese, as clever and adaptable as they are, changed the CNY from a farm to an urban holiday in response to changes in demographics. Instead of the old tradition of celebrating the start of a new year of farm work and praying for a good harvest, it has now evolved into celebrating the start of a new business year and wishing for profits and success in various vocations. Capitalism rules in the Chinese New Year rituals.
I sense that younger Chinese are moving away from traditions like the CNY, just as young western people are losing their own tradtional identity. I suppose the world is riding on a big wave of change now. It's too bad. Those goofy cell phones will never be as interesting as a red envelope or lantern. The world's traditions will continue to be scoffed at, ignored or an the very least, tolerated as time speeds forward and[people throw away their roots.. It's a shame. But today I will cock a doodle do in celebration of the year of the Rooster.