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mikeintexas's Blog

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The Generation Gap...In Facts

Great article on MOTUS A.D. : Socialism: The Only Cure For Western Prosperity

If it makes anyone feel better – and I don’t know why it should – Alexandrea Ocasio Cortez is not the only Millennial economically challenged.

“Under capitalism man oppresses man, under socialism it’s the other way around.” – Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Apparently a good swath of the Millennial generation mis-misunderstands the facts and realities of finance and economics.

The rest of the article is about the generations alive today and their perceptions of how tough they had it, vs. the actual reality.

As a Boomer, I am so tired of being blamed for all the economic woes over the last fifty years.  Sheesh, I couldn't even vote fifty years ago, didn't even have a driver's license.   I saw a comment the other day in another forum that proclaimed our "greed" was why their generation had it so bad.  Good grief.  The article points out the true facts and the economics of various periods in recent history.

When I was first getting out on my own, I wasn't just wondering if I could get a good job with nearly 10% unemployment, but if even if I got a lousy job (Min. wage was $2/hr.), was I going to be able to fill up the tank of my old clunker...or if I could even FIND a station that had gasoline to sell.

I know "my generation" should bear *some* of the blame, but not nearly all of it...and besides, what's to be gained by placing blame? What's done is done.  MY generation, however, even the most wussified of us, did not require "safe places" or pander to the .03% - if that- of the population that couldn't figure out which sex they were and we knew there were more pressing problems than gender-neutral pronouns.  (I'm not sure that was a "thing" back then).  Then again, most of we Boomers are tougher than a two dollar steak. (probably not as tough - on the whole - as the previous generation, the one forged in the fires of The Great Depression and WWII, but we had our own trials and fears, too)

Nabbed this from the comments section, another musical parody.

You've Gotta Love Millennials - Micah Tyler

Entry #110

No Pity for Pilate

Since I didn't have photo essays of all the Stations of the Cross at The Cross of Our Lord near Groom, Texas, I went ahead and posted few of the crucifixion and resurrection posts I had done for my Blogger blog.  I stumbled across this one while digging those out from ten+ yrs. ago for Easter and this one was also originally published in 2008.  This is the first station, one of my favorites.

And I was round when Jesus Christ
Had His moment of doubt and pain
Made d*mn sure that Pilate
Washed his hands and sealed His fate

"Sympathy for the Devil"
- The Rolling Stones


This is the first station in the Stations of the Cross and is one of my favorites. I will post some better photos at a later date, but these are some of the older ones I wanted to go ahead and show, then burn to disc and save.



Stepping around to the middle of the exhibit, the detail on the bronze of Jesus' face is the very definition of "resigned to one's fate".



I've tried to not be caught looking, but I find it interesting to watch some people's reactions at this station, especially after they've seen the pure essence of dejection from the above view. Quite a few of the folks step away with a sad face, then turn facing Pilate with Jesus, standing side-by-side, often with their hand on Jesus' shoulder...almost like they're supporting Him or standing with Him in judgement. I've never seen it done with disrespect, no mugging for the camera; in fact, I never have seen anyone facetiously posing with the statues...most of the photographing of people is done with the cross as the background, most likely to show the scale of the huge structure.

A little closer view shows how the bronze has been shined by people touching or brushing up against it.


Both figures are fascinating to study; Pilate is interesting because he did nothing, "washed his hands" and I suppose I can relate to that more than I can being persecuted as was Jesus. Pilate was human, interested mainly in his own self-preservation.

We all have crossroads in life, decisions we make that turn out to be wrong, but which is the worse sin; making a mistake or doing nothing? Sometimes our fate hinges not on those things we do, but by the things we do NOT do.


It's also common to find several dollars worth of change in Pilate's hand washing bowl.


This is my favorite perspective of Pilate, and I've plans for this or similar photos. I altered this one with my IrfanView program several months ago and like the way it almost looks like an oil painting.


As I said, I will post more at a future date.

I have another post I did that references this one, but it's supposed to be funny and I think it is, but there's no disrespect intended. I'll post it next.
Entry #107

My Angel

Another, but probably not the last re-posting of something from my Blogger blog.

 

If you know me you also know that I love to take photos of the Groom Cross and in particular the angel atop the empty tomb. I've posted some of these photos before, but wanted to include them in this presentation.

Looking towards the northeast, you can get the cross and the tomb and angel all into the same shot. I really don't like the trees that were planted and "spoil" the bottom part of the view of the large cross.


I prefer to have the cross at my back and take photos nearly due west. I have to be careful because there are some ugly radio towers in the background.


I love it when there are clouds behind her.


And sometimes I like to photograph her head on, facing nearly due north.


My favorite time to photograph her is in the late evenings, near sunset; I am almost always enthralled the way the sun, the clouds and the sky frame the shot.


And sometimes I like to take the same photograph from the same perspective, but shoot with a different setting, such as in black and white:


It sounds silly, but sometimes when my days are dark and dreary I think of her and a ray of sunshine pierces my gloomy mood.


I think of how achingly beautiful she can be with the setting sun creating a halo of pure dazzling white against the azure sky, a few wisps of clouds disappearing with the light.


I never could get very close to her, though; using zoom gave me the best detail I could get from the ground, even standing on a stepladder I sometimes take with me.

Early one Sunday morning, I got up and over there around sunrise. I wanted to get some closeups of her, without anyone around because I had in mind climbing out on top of the "tomb" structure -- where there's a sign that asks people NOT to climb on it.

I felt a little odd doing something like this, at a place I love (and would hate to be banned from), but I also felt obsessed with looking into the statue's face.

A few weeks earlier, I had mentioned to a woman in the gift shop that the angel was one of my favorite things to photograph out there. She told me that before the tomb "exhibit" was finished, the angel was stored in the store. She said people would put their babies in the angel's arms and take photos. I thought that a touching story.

With camera in hand, I climbed out on the slippery fake rock, slick with the morning dew. I nearly fell a couple of times, but got close to "my" angel. I was nearly there!

I jumped down into her little "niche", the cubbyhole where she was mounted and where the lights and wiring for the tomb were hidden.

She was as beautiful as I thought she would be; I sat there in the cool Texas dawn, staring at her, oblivious to the noise of the truck traffic on nearby I-40. Something was SO familiar about her and then it hit me so hard that I nearly fell off the structure.

She looks JUST LIKE my ex-wife!

This is where I'd normally say something like "But my ex was no angel!" but that would be a lie, at least hateful and undeserved. She put up with me for over five years, and if she's not going to be an angel, she at least qualifies for sainthood, bless her.
Entry #106

The Empty Tomb

Another post from my blog, circa 2008 or so.

The empty tomb at The Cross of Our Lord, Groom, Texas.


My friends and regular readers of this blog know how much I enjoy going over to the huge cross at Groom and taking photos. These are a year or so old, but I don't think I've yet published the following photo in this blog.



If you've seen my other posts about the cross, you'll also know how I love the angel atop the empty tomb.



A closer, straight-on look at the stone that was rolled away.


Inside the tomb is this angel:

Entry #105

The Face of Cruelty

The most heart-wrenching of all the Stations of the Cross is this one, where Jesus is being nailed to the cross. We'll have more photos of it at a later date, and especially those of Jesus and His face, but this one is about the soldier who is wielding the hammer.


It's not the most expressive of the bronzes at the Groom Cross, but it is certainly one of the ones that stirs the most emotions in me.


I like to take these sorts of photos when no one is out there; I have to almost lie down along side Jesus to get some of these and I garner enough curious and bemused looks when I'm out there photographing anyway, so....


A closer look shows that the face is much more crudely cast than are the others, but there's no mistaking the emotion shown: cruel glee, taking delight in his task.



That photo disturbs me, and is one of my favorites;  yet, on the other hand, it is one of my least-liked photos I've ever taken there, as is the following. I know that doesn't make much sense and I cannot explain my feelings toward the photos, just as it is hard for me to explain how I feel about this statue.  It's definitely a case of cognitive dissonance.

This one gave me the perspective as if I were the one driving the spikes into His flesh; from an "artsy" and objective perspective, I suppose one might say it is interesting, but it really makes me feel uncomfortable.



I've visited the Groom Cross dozens of times, taken thousands of photos and I have also seen hundreds and hundreds of people who stop and look, many of whom let their dogs out for a walk (on a leash, please) and "constitutional" in the lovely manicured grass around the outer walkways.

Almost every time, especially since I've made a note to watch, the dogs will react to this particular station. Some will bark at it, some will growl and some have to be dragged by their owners to get close to it. I don't know if it's because the life-sized soldier bronze has a weapon, or... something else.

Perhaps I don't like the photos of the cruel centurion because I'm afraid that same look has been seen on my own face; seen by people I least wanted seeing it - by my mother, by the rest of my family, by my friends, by women I've let get close to me and...almost worst of all... by total strangers who were treated with less than respect by me and for no good reason.

How many times have I driven a stake into someone's feelings just because of my own cruel nature? I hope I've managed to atone, to at least apologize to those I could and hope all others have forgiven me or at least let time soften any cruel blows I sent their way. Forgiving myself is much harder, but I'm working on it.

Getting His forgiveness was so easy, though.
Entry #104

They Cast Lots

Note:  This is one of several posts I've made in my Blogger blog about the nearby Cross of Our Lord in Groom, Texas, just off of I-40.  I will try to post more photos over this weekend.

For more information, visit the official website.

While not my "favorite" Station of the Cross at the Groom Cross, the tenth one is an interesting one. I need to take some more photos, some close-ups of the faces.

I've also not taken any good photos of the bronze plaques anchored in blocks of granite around each station. I would like to make a presentation someday of each station and need these all to look somewhat consistent. My best efforts, that is to say, the ones that were the clearest and truest to the actual color, had part of a necessary bit chopped off or had my big feet in them.

Click any photo for a larger view.


There's not a great perspective to take the photo of this station; any more to the right would have the gift shop in the background. As it is, I-40 and at times the traffic can be seen.


The detail is much more impressive as you get closer. I'm sure, since this is a "double" bronze, that it's one of those that (I was told) cost upwards of $30,000.


Jesus, exhausted from the labor of carrying the cross, bleeding from hundreds of cuts from vicious lashings, shows a sad resignation. He knows His greatest torment is yet to come.



The headdress/helmet of the Roman guard is almost comical, but then one's eyes drop to his face.


A mean, cruel face, insensitive to his captive's suffering. The exaggerated wrinkles in his face show a face prone not to laughter, but to sneers and scowls. He loved his horrible job.



And then they gambled for His clothes.
Entry #103

Knock Out Punch

The fight went on far longer than anyone expected, what with the referee obviously being biased towards the Democrats and even with the scorers giving points for low blows against Trump, a knock out punch settled the match in the late rounds.


Entry #102

The Notre Dame Fire

More about fake news than the fire but very enlightening nonetheless.

WARNING: LANGUAGE

Entry #98

10 Ways the Government Wasted Your Money

Actually, the full title of the video is "10 Ridiculous Ways the Government Wasted Your Money" but "someone" has to economize, right? I'm just tryin' to save Todd a kb or two of server space.

Besides, "ridiculous" is redundant when government, wasted and money are all used in the same sentence.

Entry #97

A Parade of Idiots

Too much to re-post in its entirety and besides that, there's too much idiocy to choose from.

Read the entire thing at MOTUS A.D. Won't take long, but that's not including any pauses for fits of laughter.

The 21st Century Weaponized ‘Tactile’ Parade of Idiots

First off, there's Mad Max, the hateful idiot who serves on the Financial Services Committee, proving she has very little grasp on the subject of finance. I'd like to have a peek at her checkbook, see how she manages her own finances. She's probably like my ex-wife: "I can't be overdrawn...I still have some checks left!"

Then there's A O-C, the clueless idiot who accuses a bank of caging children. She is the poster child for idiocy. 'Nuff said.

Bringing up the rear - on several levels - is Kirsten Gillibrand, the functional illiterate idiot running for President, who does not know the difference between "tactile" and "tactical". God help the world if she's ever in charge of of "the football". I don't even remember G.W. Bush making that type of malapropism when talking about "nuke-u-lur" weapons.

The 21st Century Weaponized ‘Tactile’ Parade of Idiots

Take a short amount of your time to read this and if you don't bust a gut laughing, then I'll use AO-C 's math and give you five minutes out of my time, 'kay?

Entry #96
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