Homeless - 95

Happy Easter,

Good luck to you all on the Easter egg hunt. Back in the day, I always hunted them critters with a pump-action .12 gauge, with plenty of reloads. They are quick and agile, so you have to get close and usually employ a round or two. There were times I got my limit. When I didn't, it was due to those who hunted them by choppers armed with twin mini-guns with a 8,000 round capacity. Like grandma said, that just ain't sportin'.

You might as well hear it from me rather than on a CNN breaking news segment: I'm a feminist.

Hang on there a minute, Poboy, put down your PBR Lite and prepare to be educated from your ignorant ways. One of the courses that I took last semester was one of analyzing popular culture, specifically media.  That course examined the role of media in all of its varied forms - TV, movies, text, video gaming, social media, online persona via Facebook, etc. The course also examined the different perspectives, filters or paradigms that are employed to view the phenomena of the world within a social context. Those perspectives included Marxist, narrative, rational, feminist as well as several others.

I have always had a problem with categorizing people and social classes. When either is delegated to an arena of defined boundaries that are based on cultural, political, religious and/ or racial perceptions that are ego-driven, these viewpoints are constraining. They limit the perceptions of those applying those labels and using them, and it limits those who the labels are being applied to. The author of the collegiate text had somewhat different definitions for some of those labels. I forgot her name; my usually steel-trap memory has lost a few teeth. The definition of a feminist that I had in my mind was that of a widely-accepted perspective, that of women being under-utilized and lacking in equal status to men. I know what you are thinking; I thought the same thing when I was an ignorant and uneducated Jedi apprentice - that feminists were a group of women that met on a regular basis at a bar, trashed-talked we men folk (not that we are undeserving of it on a collective basis), toasted their drinks with 'POWER TO THE VAGINA'. Being a hetero male, I don't have any problems with that. I do have fond memories of...never mind.

This author's definition is that feminists are for everybody - equal rights, business opportunities, education, housing, whatever. It seems that they don't care if you are an Amazonian pygmy fresh out of the jungle. Everyone should be treated fairly without bias or special consideration. You don't see that attribute much these days. If you are part of an elite group in business, you will have no problem finding a job. If you belong to a certain political faction, you may have a safe haven from which to obtain special favors. If you belong to a socially recognized religion, the brethren will take you in.

And it shouldn't be like that. The problem that I have with special interest groups is that they elbow everybody else out of the way and put their group first in line, for promotion or at least try to. It's almost as if they're saying that their viewpoint is the most important.

Again, the feminist perspective doesn't care; only that you are living being regardless of other socially defined factors. From a purely resource management perspective, I have had the opinion for many years that the human female component in all societies are grossly under-utilized. It seems that the male perspective of women delegates them to a secondary role. Yet, there are numerous examples in history that point out the significant contributions made by women to humanity at large in any arena that you can name.

The negative power of prejudice is astounding.

Another of that author's definition was that of a Marxist paradigm. From what I remember of reading about Marx's work (not of the Marx brothers, the other one), was that all forms of governments are evolving to a state of pure communism, an idealistic state of society that advocates equality for all in terms of resources, social standing, opportunities, etc. Don't worry, Putin, that ain't happening as long as the politicians who are in control are at the mercy of the dark side of their human ego. It seemed that the author zeroed in on aspect of Marx's work that I missed the first time around - that those who are in control deserve to be in control. I don't agree with that. Take the current situation in our political system; there are some  in control that lack the ethical substances to properly execute their duties. And maybe the actual skill to accomplish optimal end results of their official responsibilities.

Moving on...

Due to my economic situation, I have been unable to indulge in a favorite pastime - movies. There a lot of good ones out there. Due to my failing eyesight, cost and lack of a DVD player in BT, that was a downside that I had to accept. However, a day when I was sitting at a computer station in the branch library that I frequent, I noticed an input for a DVD. I picked one for a test and watched it with no problems. Oh yes, the light bulb lit - I found an alternative, one that has been there all along. Though I can't light up a smoke, I can watch a recently released movie at the library that has been channeled to a DVD. I plug in some ear phones and enjoy. I limit myself to two a week. And maybe an installment of a couple of TV series that are currently on. No, not Glee.

As I said, I never claimed to be the brightest light-saber in the shed.

I have gained a few pounds back since I got over the flu; back up to 188. Clothes still hang off me more so than usual.

I executed one of my duties as a citizen this week and filed a tax return, coming clean with the government about my vast financial empire. The good news is that I am due a return of $166. The bad news is that I won't see a penny due to my outstanding balance of taxes owed to the IRS. A pox upon them. May their genitals wither and drop off.

Next time...