Ledge

I stand, there's only two feet in front of me.

I see the ground 30 feet below me.

I see it and I don't feel defeat.

My life was once complete.

How did I feed this destruction?

I ran the drama and I dropped out.

I stand on the ledge, still the wind in my hair.

I don't know what it's  worth anymore?

My life or the strangest places.

It bears to listen, I'm on this ledge and I can't remember the last time I cared about who I am.

Who is the last person you told you loved?

I sit on the ledge and think this through.

My wife is crying, my children too.

I get off the ledge again, but I know I'll stand up there. 

I'll think about them and my life will roll through.

I love the strength I have, the power I command.

Today will be the last time on the ledge, at least until tomorrow, when I'll climb up here again.

Pen and the sword

I get the feeling and I just go crazy, the pen is mightier than the sword, here...let me show you. I feel your life in my hands. I see the dreams I now command.
I'm a writer with a pen in my hand.
I draw the forces of the heavens for my designs.
I bring them down like Thor's hammer.
Strike and the words are out.
run and you'd better not stand about

Just my middle name.

You want me to sit here waiting, anticipating your every whim.
You think you're some great thing you're nothing but my middle name.
I waited years for you to think I was something more than the boy who followed you around.
I've grown up now, have a shadowing my own. I can't wait for you to decide who you think I am.
I know who I am and you haven't cared for years about who I am or can be.
I gave you opportunities to come clean, to abandon your hate of me and my mouth.
I talk about my life and you act like it's some secret no one should know.
Get over yourself, I've got a family now.
You want me to shut up, maybe you should've thought of that before you threw me out.
I've changed in the years since you. I like myself and I'm no longer afraid of you.
You act like some victim with the words I say, hell you think you're the one who believes what you say.
I gave up on you when you told me I was worthless and would never become the man I came to be.
You haven't been a dad to me in fifteen years.
I moved on and gained a family.
You act like you're all hurt, dad you haven't been the man I needed for years.
I changed in the face of your lies. You act like you're some special case, like you're life is a hidden mystery.
I opened a book and let out the lies. You want to hide and act like my childhood didn't exist.
I'm a writer and I write about my life. Like I said before, you haven't been my dad for fifteen years.
My kids don't know your name. I see you in the mirror whenever I shave, you're my dad by blood, but you don't know who I am nor do you care. I gave up on you like you did me.
I tried to to be who I wanted to be without you guiding my fate, now I'm ready to perform without you there, but we both knew you wouldn't be there for things, just like my hockey games.
And you're still just my middle name.

Not afraid of who I am.

My mouth gets me in trouble, causes me strife. I'm discovering I have to be who I am and live my own life.
What does it matter if I can't look in the mirror and be happy with who I am, what the fuck, I can't stand being afraid of what I might say.
I live my life day to day, never listening to the mind that says don't write it. i concentrate on the heart that says pour it out.
I fought over and over with myself about where I came from and who I am. I won't let anyone tell me I can't do this or that. Fuck them, they don't know who I am.
I stand up for myself because I was afraid for so long and couldn't get the words out of mouth I wanted to say.
I feared the words would make people mad, that they'd look at me and hate me for who I am.
I don't need them now, they've shown they're true colors. I don't need the bullshit anymore.
I've moved on and I'm no longer afraid of who I am.

Syria and reasons not to attack.

I've been having a discussion about the recent events in Syria via Facebook. Some believe we should attack Syria while I believe it's not in our best interest to do so.

There have been many things said about the chemical attacks on the Syrian people. There have also been things said in the American press that make the case for a strike against Syria.

The reasons for the strikes are as follows.

• They've attacked their own people and the world shouldn't stand by and let it happen.
• They will attack their citizenry again, and that shouldn't be allowed to happen.
• We stood by during WW 2 when Jews were being executed in death camps.

Lets take each of these as they are.

1. There has been no proof these attacks were carried out by forces loyal to Assad. It's easy to change a uniform and put a different label on a munition.
2. That they will attack their citizenry is a moot point if the answer I've given for point one is true. If Assad didn't launch the strikes and the rebels did, we're merely starting another war, one which could involve Iran.
3. U.S. intelligence knew something was going on during WW 2 but didn't have anything verifiable until 1942. when the camps were liberated. I've been to the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. and seen the atrocities committed by the Nazis.

Let's put out another question.
What would Assad have to gain by killing his own people?

Nothing. He would gain many things, including condemnation by the world community, a possible assault by American forces and those who are allied with the U.S.

Assad gains nothing by killing his own people. He's already winning the civil war taking place in Syria. Attacking his own people would be a setback for his forces. One which would have global as well as regional consequences.

America has been in two wars in the last decade. Iraq, which was done under false pretenses--chemical weapons which didn't exist--and Afghanistan which American forces turned away their strength to focus on Iraq.

Iraq is over and Afghanistan is coming to a close. There is no reason other than conquest to attack Syria.

Follow the links.

Not a Radical

I discovered something the other day. I was referred to as a radical.
Let me explain why I'm not a radical, I just believe that things are fucked up and they need to change.

Supporting a whistle blower is not being a radical.

Supporting someone who said the government isn't representing your best interests abroad doesn't make me a radical, it makes me someone who believes our government doesn't have my best interests in mind when they're starting wars for false reasons.

Supporting someone who told the American people and the world that the government is breaking the fourth amendment on a daily basis doesn't make me a radical, it makes me a concerned citizen and someone who doesn't believe the bullshit the government shoves down my throat through mainstream media outlets.

I think my children should attend decent schools and be taught by teachers who know what they're talking about and not have religion shoved down their throats at a "Public" school paid with my tax money.

My daughter if she's raped shouldn't be told, "You can't do that here."  is she chooses to abort the fetus caused by the rape because a Senator or Congressman has issues with women based on a God and a book that I don't believe in.

I think my children should have healthcare paid by the government, not because I'm a liberal or because I want a welfare state, but because if you're really doing what your God says, you've read the wrong bible.

I believe anyone who bases their prejudices on a book that is thousands of years old needs to reevaluate their reading material, it's 2013!

Not letting someone marry another human they're in love with isn't based on a book, it's based on prejudices that you've carried because your grandparents talked down about gays the way their grandparents talked down about African-Americans. It's not doing what God wants, it's what you want because you're a bigot.

Wanting poor people and the mentally ill to be taken care of doesn't make me a radical it makes me compassionate.

Wanting my government to treat everyone equally, and not base that equality on how much money is in my bank account, the color of my skin, my sexual preference or disability.

Is it really radical to want the troops who've fought in wars which were fought on bullshit pretenses to be taken care of. Whether they have PTSD, been mangled by IED's or have another ailment that should be taken care of by the country they've served valiantly and without complaints. Does that really make me a radical?

If you still believe I'm a radical for all of the reason I've listed, fine, I'm a radical, but you're a sheep.

Lack of Empathy in Corporate America

When I look around at where I am, I think about where we are as a country. I can't help but think this because our mentality has changed. We've moved from the unity we had after 9/11 to a division that will sink us.

Corporations don't care for their employees. They're trying to take away their bargaining rights, eliminate their healthcare and make them work less hours. Their reasoning is, "It will save them money." Meanwhile these same corporations are making record profits. The executives are getting bonuses that are greater than the wealth of some countries and their reasoning is, "We deserve it because we run the business."

But, they don't really do they?

Here's why I think they don't.

• Limiting bargaining rights takes away a safety net for the employees, which in turn will make them less likely to enjoy their job and reducing productivity.
• Eliminating their healthcare will cause them financial problems, which will lead to higher overall healthcare costs.
• Making them work less hours will cause them financial burdens which will cause the economy as a whole to suffer, if people don't have money they can't buy things. 

Lets look at that last bit more:

The average wage in the U.S. is $42K (Social Security Administration).

Two kids average $12k a year. Mortgage/Rent of $1k. One car which is $446 a month on average for the U.S. times 12 month is $5520 for a year. You're left with a few hundred dollars. Which won't pay for healthcare, gas, utilities, other medical bills that may come up or if they have more than two kids, which some do.

This is only for a single parent, which most workers are.


The people under the company exectuives run the business, they just oversee it. Some of them haven't done the grunt work of working on an assembly line, dealing with angry customers, creating a work schedule or walked a work floor and stood on their feet during an eight hour shift.

They say they don't need to do these things, yet the companies whose executives are close to their employees...i.e. Google, Apple or Yahoo. These companies make great profits and their employees are more satisfied.

So, here's the question I leave you with. Why are companies so disconnected from their employees, and why does it seem they don't care?