People never cease to amaze me. Right now, I am thinking of people who do not know how to manage their own personal finances. I know many people who have well above-average incomes that are constantly in debt and who are always asking for personal loans from relatives and friends to bail them out of yet another financial mess in which they have gotten themselves.
Even after all these years, I am still constantly amazed at the people who irresponsibly spend money without regard to paying the debts and obligations they have already incurred. More often than not, they are spendthrifts living beyond their means in a lifestyle that others would find luxurious.
Even though these people are deeply in debt, they continue to spend money as if money was burning a hole in their pocket. And all the while, they will continue to borrow money from their family and friends who have less income than they and who live a much more modest lifestyle. In fact, the spendthrift will be living more luxuriously than the person from whom they borrowed money.
To exacerbate the situation even more, there is the spendthrift who has become a moocher and who is very slow, or does not even attempt, to repay the person from whom they borrowed money, but instead will go to the movies, dine at fine restaurants, buy personal luxury items, go casino gambling, and more, even borrowing more money from the same person, who is oblivious to the extravagant lifestyle, or borrowing more money from others. These are not your everyday spendthrifts; these are the moochers that have no pride. They have no conscious.
A spendthrift is a wastrel is a profligate. Reckless spending seems to be a frequent everyday occurrence for the spendthrift. Not mindful of spending money, the wastrel will make purchases of unnecessary and unneeded items. Not conscious of the value of the food dollar, the profligate will usually dine outside the home.
Rather than making a car payment or a house payment or pay a utility bill, the spendthrift will buy a new television set, a new cell phone or blackberry, lottery tickets, some video games, a household or electronic luxury gadget that really is not needed, a daily soda pop at a fast food drive-through just because it is convenient, 2 or 3 car washes per week, etc. The wastrel will go down to the bar to drink with friends and buy a round of drinks for the house, maybe even bring in some fast food items as an additional treat for their bar buddies. Oftentimes, these profligates go out to restaurants to eat most of their meals rather than prepare meals at home that is, of course, much more financially efficient.
Hey --- What's that you say? Oh, you remember the entry "Money burns a hole in my pocket" that I made on December 14, 2009 in Roland's Ramblings. Oh, oh!
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
The Obsolescence of Family Ties and Interpersonal Social Ties
I remember many good classroom discussions during my college adjunct faculty years when I was teaching Sociology of Marriage and the Family. I recall thinking at the time of how the focus on family life seemed of less a priority to the typical college student in my classes on the subject than it was to previous generations.
Now onward to this entry -
As more time has gone by, I am even more convinced that people no longer value family ties to any great extent; perhaps, I should clarify by specifying that statement is more applicable to the ties of family other than one's minor children or spouse.
The study of Marriage & Family Processes can be very interesting from an academe perspective. The observation of family interactions is even more interesting from a personal perspective; it is also very perplexing and troubling, or least it is to me as I see what I perceive as the deteriorating importance of extended family life.
The theme song of Family Ties enters my mind as I compose this commentary. That, in turn, leads me to express an analogy to that show. As the television series Family Ties went off the broadcast airwaves into the sunset, re-runs excepted, so has real life family ties totally dissolved as each person goes his or her own separate way as did the actress who portrayed the mother, Elyse Keaton in the television series Family Ties.
Real life interpersonal social ties are also obsolete, or so it seems to me, as I wrote in a couple years ago in Roland's Ramblings Law of Diminishing Returns, in which blog entry I closed with a link to Roland Hansen Commentary Social Network Services Diminish Family Life And Friendships.
Now onward to this entry -
The Obsolescence of Family Ties and Interpersonal Social Ties.
As more time has gone by, I am even more convinced that people no longer value family ties to any great extent; perhaps, I should clarify by specifying that statement is more applicable to the ties of family other than one's minor children or spouse.
The study of Marriage & Family Processes can be very interesting from an academe perspective. The observation of family interactions is even more interesting from a personal perspective; it is also very perplexing and troubling, or least it is to me as I see what I perceive as the deteriorating importance of extended family life.
The theme song of Family Ties enters my mind as I compose this commentary. That, in turn, leads me to express an analogy to that show. As the television series Family Ties went off the broadcast airwaves into the sunset, re-runs excepted, so has real life family ties totally dissolved as each person goes his or her own separate way as did the actress who portrayed the mother, Elyse Keaton in the television series Family Ties.
Real life interpersonal social ties are also obsolete, or so it seems to me, as I wrote in a couple years ago in Roland's Ramblings Law of Diminishing Returns, in which blog entry I closed with a link to Roland Hansen Commentary Social Network Services Diminish Family Life And Friendships.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
I Don't Need No Stinking Independent Politicians!
People who want to elect more and more "independent" politicians unaffiliated with any political party must have their head up their keister. I mean, come on people, think. Or is that too difficult for you?
If you think it takes too long to get things done in Congress or the state legislature or the city council with those bodies basically composed of representatives from two major political parties, how long do you think it would take to get things done if the majority of those elected officials were "independent" and not affiliated with a political party????
The fact of the matter is very basic: "Independent" politicians have no common grounds on which to base their public policy decisions and in which to enact legislation. Their only commonality is that they are independent of political parties and of one another. Period!
Now, if you were to say, you are desirous of more independent-thinking politicians who have a common perspective with others who are part of a general coalition of people with varying beliefs but who belong to a political party with a set of planks of a political platform in which there is room for some differences in opinion and different levels of adherence, then I would wholeheartedly agree.
That's my take on it all, and I am sticking with it!
I Don't Need No Stinking Independent Politicians!
If you think it takes too long to get things done in Congress or the state legislature or the city council with those bodies basically composed of representatives from two major political parties, how long do you think it would take to get things done if the majority of those elected officials were "independent" and not affiliated with a political party????
The fact of the matter is very basic: "Independent" politicians have no common grounds on which to base their public policy decisions and in which to enact legislation. Their only commonality is that they are independent of political parties and of one another. Period!
Now, if you were to say, you are desirous of more independent-thinking politicians who have a common perspective with others who are part of a general coalition of people with varying beliefs but who belong to a political party with a set of planks of a political platform in which there is room for some differences in opinion and different levels of adherence, then I would wholeheartedly agree.
That's my take on it all, and I am sticking with it!
I Don't Need No Stinking Independent Politicians!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Ascertaining the Virginity of Egyptian Women
The following is a copy of what I wrote earlier today on my other blog, Roland's Ramblings, Anthology of writings from Roland Louis Hansen of Toledo, Ohio and Mesa, Arizona:
Somehow, I have to wonder about individual human civil rights in Egypt. The United States of America sits idly by during the civil unrest in Egypt, meanwhile, the USA continues to interfere with the internal affairs of Libya. And then there is this: Our strongest ally in that region, Israel, is asked by President Barack Obama to open its arms to Hamas, the MidEast equivalent of al-Qaeda.
Are there really any Egyptian women who are virgins? Apparently, some people want to know the answer to that question.Now for my Roland Hansen Commentary:
Click on over to boingboing.net to read Egypt: general confirms "virginity check" forced on female protesters by military
Living in the United States of America, I find it interesting to learn about different countries, different cultures, different norms, different mores, different values, etc.
Somehow, I have to wonder about individual human civil rights in Egypt. The United States of America sits idly by during the civil unrest in Egypt, meanwhile, the USA continues to interfere with the internal affairs of Libya. And then there is this: Our strongest ally in that region, Israel, is asked by President Barack Obama to open its arms to Hamas, the MidEast equivalent of al-Qaeda.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Was Randy Savage A Jewish Italian Macho Man?
Was Randy Savage a Jewish Italian? Or, was the wrestler Macho Man an Italian Jew? Was Randy an American or Italian or what? Did Macho Man profess to be Jewish? Did Randy Savage celebrate Chanukah? Did he observe Rosh HaShanaah and Yom Kippur? Inquiring minds want to know; well, at least, this inquiring mind (that's me, Roland Louis Hansen) wants to know.
I recently made an honest, legitimate, and sincere comment on the blog entry Jewish Wrestler Randy Savage Dies in which I addressed the blog writer. I asked for some clarification in the use of ethnic descriptors in order to better understand their use, You see, the writer referred to the ethnic parentage of Macho Man Randy Savage. The writer, Rabbi Jason Miller, used two labels: "Italian" for the paternal parent, and "Jewish" for the maternal parent. The blog writer concluded that Macho Man Randy Savage was Jewish, but never wrote whether Randy Savage identified himself as Jewish or if Randy Savage ever observed and practiced the religion of Judaism.
In response, a troll who with an apparent lack of self-esteem and self-confidence hid his or her own real identity by ingeniously using the name "Anonymous" made light of my comments in his or her sarcastic return comment in a satirical attack on me.
I truly believe that some people intermingle and/or misuse ethnic identifiers. It has hit me personally over the years. My mother always stated she was a Russian Jew, but she was born in Ukraine. My father was a nonobservant Lutheran born in Elk Horn, Iowa, U.S.A. of parents that had emigrated from Denmark.
Throughout the years, I have been labeled by many people as a Jew, a dirty Jew, and as a half-breed Jew. I have yet to be labeled as a Dane or as Danish or as Russian or as Ukrainian by others who know that Judaism is my religion. There were many people of the Jewish religion who lived in Denmark during World War II that were protected by the Danish government. They were Danish citizens who followed, observed, and practiced Judaism. Would they be identified as Danish Jews or as Jewish Danes? As I previously stated, my mother identified herself as a Russian Jew til the day she died in 1984. In that she was born in Ukraine, I wonder if her ancestors were from Russia and had moved to Ukraine.
I have always wondered if any of my paternal ancestors were Danish Vikings or if any of my maternal ancestors came from the ancient nations of Judea or Israel. I will never know. Am I a Jewish Danish Russian Ukrainian? What label would you give me? Personally, I refer to me as American, pure and simple.
As far as that anonymous troll is concerned, I say "Shove off if you cannot have an intelligent discussion."
I recently made an honest, legitimate, and sincere comment on the blog entry Jewish Wrestler Randy Savage Dies in which I addressed the blog writer. I asked for some clarification in the use of ethnic descriptors in order to better understand their use, You see, the writer referred to the ethnic parentage of Macho Man Randy Savage. The writer, Rabbi Jason Miller, used two labels: "Italian" for the paternal parent, and "Jewish" for the maternal parent. The blog writer concluded that Macho Man Randy Savage was Jewish, but never wrote whether Randy Savage identified himself as Jewish or if Randy Savage ever observed and practiced the religion of Judaism.
In response, a troll who with an apparent lack of self-esteem and self-confidence hid his or her own real identity by ingeniously using the name "Anonymous" made light of my comments in his or her sarcastic return comment in a satirical attack on me.
I truly believe that some people intermingle and/or misuse ethnic identifiers. It has hit me personally over the years. My mother always stated she was a Russian Jew, but she was born in Ukraine. My father was a nonobservant Lutheran born in Elk Horn, Iowa, U.S.A. of parents that had emigrated from Denmark.
Throughout the years, I have been labeled by many people as a Jew, a dirty Jew, and as a half-breed Jew. I have yet to be labeled as a Dane or as Danish or as Russian or as Ukrainian by others who know that Judaism is my religion. There were many people of the Jewish religion who lived in Denmark during World War II that were protected by the Danish government. They were Danish citizens who followed, observed, and practiced Judaism. Would they be identified as Danish Jews or as Jewish Danes? As I previously stated, my mother identified herself as a Russian Jew til the day she died in 1984. In that she was born in Ukraine, I wonder if her ancestors were from Russia and had moved to Ukraine.
I have always wondered if any of my paternal ancestors were Danish Vikings or if any of my maternal ancestors came from the ancient nations of Judea or Israel. I will never know. Am I a Jewish Danish Russian Ukrainian? What label would you give me? Personally, I refer to me as American, pure and simple.
As far as that anonymous troll is concerned, I say "Shove off if you cannot have an intelligent discussion."
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Obama on Palestine and Israel
I just read the news story Obama: Palestine-Israel Solution Must Be Based on 1967 Borders with piqued interest.
All I can say now is really just a question:
Is Obama nuts?
All I can say now is really just a question:
Is Obama nuts?
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Presidential Race 2012
Well, it appears the race is now on in the quest to secure the next United States Presidency. Incumbent President Barack Obama has announced his re-election candidacy. Several Republicans have announced their jump into the foray. Some of the more prominent candidates include: former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Congressman Ron Paul, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, and former US Senator Rick Santorum.
That ditzy, lame-brain, speak from the hip without thinking, quitter by not completing a previous elected position as Governer of Alaska Sarah Palin is still stomping around the world riding the crest of popularity fueled by poor-thinking, mal-thinking, non-thinking drones who are enamored with negative generalizations about almost everything. Hopefully, Palin will pale before any formal announcement of a 2012 President candidacy and that ship will sink before leaving port.
Donald Duck, er, I mean, Donald Trump has not yet made a final decision but the Trump has been making a "Presidential" stump an almost every day exercise. I wonder if DT's approach to solving the financial difficulties of the national government is the same as it is in his private business life. Filing bankruptcy sure did help him in his business ventures bringing him back to his multi-million dollars status. Of course, I am sure his debtors would have liked to have been paid once The Donald re-gained his millions. But, Donald ducked any moral responsibility and stiffed those people big time. In my opinion, Donald Trump is a greedy, bloodsucking, self-serving parasite making money off the sweat of the brow of others with no thought of, or care for, those he stomps upon. I say Dump Trump.
Mick Huckabee has announced he is not running for President in 2012, but has not ruled out a future race for the number 1 political elective contest in America. Huckabee has the good sense to know this is not the time for him to run for President. After all he is now making big bucks in private life with his television show and book writing and professional speaking engagements and on and on and on. Shucks, Hucks and Bucks! Why would Mike want to give up all that just to provide public service to our country? Money talks and Huckabee walks.
I could write much more but that is enough from me today. I will save it for another time.
For a more complete list of people who have either announced their candidacy or who have formed exploratory committees or who are being mentioned as potential candidates, click on over to the Presidency 2012 web page of Ron Gunzburger's Politics1.com website. That web page will automatically update as time goes by, consequently some of which I have written here today (May 15, 2011) will become obsolete with the passage of time; and, of course, informationon on that web page may change each time you check back to it.
What? You say you want to know my views on President Obama? My simple response:
Disappointment.
That ditzy, lame-brain, speak from the hip without thinking, quitter by not completing a previous elected position as Governer of Alaska Sarah Palin is still stomping around the world riding the crest of popularity fueled by poor-thinking, mal-thinking, non-thinking drones who are enamored with negative generalizations about almost everything. Hopefully, Palin will pale before any formal announcement of a 2012 President candidacy and that ship will sink before leaving port.
Donald Duck, er, I mean, Donald Trump has not yet made a final decision but the Trump has been making a "Presidential" stump an almost every day exercise. I wonder if DT's approach to solving the financial difficulties of the national government is the same as it is in his private business life. Filing bankruptcy sure did help him in his business ventures bringing him back to his multi-million dollars status. Of course, I am sure his debtors would have liked to have been paid once The Donald re-gained his millions. But, Donald ducked any moral responsibility and stiffed those people big time. In my opinion, Donald Trump is a greedy, bloodsucking, self-serving parasite making money off the sweat of the brow of others with no thought of, or care for, those he stomps upon. I say Dump Trump.
Mick Huckabee has announced he is not running for President in 2012, but has not ruled out a future race for the number 1 political elective contest in America. Huckabee has the good sense to know this is not the time for him to run for President. After all he is now making big bucks in private life with his television show and book writing and professional speaking engagements and on and on and on. Shucks, Hucks and Bucks! Why would Mike want to give up all that just to provide public service to our country? Money talks and Huckabee walks.
I could write much more but that is enough from me today. I will save it for another time.
For a more complete list of people who have either announced their candidacy or who have formed exploratory committees or who are being mentioned as potential candidates, click on over to the Presidency 2012 web page of Ron Gunzburger's Politics1.com website. That web page will automatically update as time goes by, consequently some of which I have written here today (May 15, 2011) will become obsolete with the passage of time; and, of course, informationon on that web page may change each time you check back to it.
What? You say you want to know my views on President Obama? My simple response:
Disappointment.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Rising Gasoline Prices: Blame President Barack Obama!
In these days of once again rising gasoline prices in the United States of America, it is not uncommon for tea party movement folks and Republicans and other conservatives, aka Obama Bashers, to blame President Barack Obama for those obscenely high gasoline prices. Heck, not only can Obama Bashers blame the President for high gas prices here in the USA, they may as well blame him for high gasoline prices throughout the world.
Well, it stands to reason, right? Here let us read the facts about gasoline prices:
American Petroleum Institute: What’s Up With Gasoline Prices?
Worldwide Retail Prices of Gasoline (US cents per litre)
Gas prices around the world
U.S. gas prices are a joke ... in Norway
As you can easily discern from those readings, all these absurdly high gasoline prices are plainly the fault of President Barack Obama. Or, are they?
I am sure that Big Corporate Oil Company Greed has absolutely nothing to do with the high price of gasoline. If you doubt that, just click on over to read:
Exxon Mobil 1Q Profit Soars 69% On Higher Oil Prices
Shell 1Q Adjusted Profit Soars 30% To $6.29B On Higher Oil Price
Big Oil continues to see big profits, pollution while Americans get robbed at the pump
Oil profits, rhetoric on the rise
As those tea-partying conservatives and Republicans may think, I say "Do not confuse me with the facts; my mind is made up."
With their line of thinking, i.e, conservatives, Republicans, and Tea Party Movement members, we can safely say that President Barack Obama is the source of all our problems, not only in America but also throughout the whole wide world!
Oh, yes, and Barack Obama's birth certificate is a fake also.
Well, it stands to reason, right? Here let us read the facts about gasoline prices:
American Petroleum Institute: What’s Up With Gasoline Prices?
Worldwide Retail Prices of Gasoline (US cents per litre)
Gas prices around the world
U.S. gas prices are a joke ... in Norway
As you can easily discern from those readings, all these absurdly high gasoline prices are plainly the fault of President Barack Obama. Or, are they?
I am sure that Big Corporate Oil Company Greed has absolutely nothing to do with the high price of gasoline. If you doubt that, just click on over to read:
Exxon Mobil 1Q Profit Soars 69% On Higher Oil Prices
Shell 1Q Adjusted Profit Soars 30% To $6.29B On Higher Oil Price
Big Oil continues to see big profits, pollution while Americans get robbed at the pump
Oil profits, rhetoric on the rise
As those tea-partying conservatives and Republicans may think, I say "Do not confuse me with the facts; my mind is made up."
With their line of thinking, i.e, conservatives, Republicans, and Tea Party Movement members, we can safely say that President Barack Obama is the source of all our problems, not only in America but also throughout the whole wide world!
Oh, yes, and Barack Obama's birth certificate is a fake also.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Jewish People, aka (to some people) Jews, Eat Pork
There are many people who have misinformation about Jewish practices and observances. Most people are of the belief that Jewish people do not eat pork or shellfish. There are some folks who even get into a long discussion in answer to the question: Do Jewish people eat pork?
It would appear from the comments contained in the preceding link that there are some Jewish people who do eat pork.
Another discussion I found on 'the net'is from The Straight Dope, Fighting Ignorance Since 1973, (It's Taking Longer Than We Thought). You might enjoy it; so click on over to read:
Why do some religious Jews eat pork and shrimp?
Speaking of the straight dope, You might find it entertaining to go to the following web page:
Why Jews don't eat pork according to Howard Stern.
I was reared in Reform Judaism. I do not fit the stereotype that many people have of one who is Jewish. And for the life of me, I do not understand why so many people have no clue as to the different movements or denominations within Judaism. Heck, I even wonder what it is about those Jewish people who think the platform of their Jewish denomination is the right one and that other denominations are not really Jewish; and, I really wonder why some Jewish people think their Rabbi is right and my Rabbi is wrong.
As a "Reform Jew," I found the following web page to be interesting reading:
Are some Reform Jews so liberal they eat lobster and pork?
Come to think of it, many people have many questions regarding Reform Judaism to which the immediately preceding embedded link attempt to answer.
Another web page that raised my eyebrows was an entry from the blog of The Fly Fishing Rabbi. You just might find it interesting, also. Click on over to read:
Why do Jews not eat Pork?
Now, I am totally confused.
Well, maybe we don't have a solid, conclusive answer to the question of whether Jews eat ham or pork chops or bacon or lobster or shrimp or clams or whatever; but,
We all know what a Jew looks like. Right?
It would appear from the comments contained in the preceding link that there are some Jewish people who do eat pork.
Another discussion I found on 'the net'is from The Straight Dope, Fighting Ignorance Since 1973, (It's Taking Longer Than We Thought). You might enjoy it; so click on over to read:
Why do some religious Jews eat pork and shrimp?
Speaking of the straight dope, You might find it entertaining to go to the following web page:
Why Jews don't eat pork according to Howard Stern.
I was reared in Reform Judaism. I do not fit the stereotype that many people have of one who is Jewish. And for the life of me, I do not understand why so many people have no clue as to the different movements or denominations within Judaism. Heck, I even wonder what it is about those Jewish people who think the platform of their Jewish denomination is the right one and that other denominations are not really Jewish; and, I really wonder why some Jewish people think their Rabbi is right and my Rabbi is wrong.
As a "Reform Jew," I found the following web page to be interesting reading:
Are some Reform Jews so liberal they eat lobster and pork?
Come to think of it, many people have many questions regarding Reform Judaism to which the immediately preceding embedded link attempt to answer.
Another web page that raised my eyebrows was an entry from the blog of The Fly Fishing Rabbi. You just might find it interesting, also. Click on over to read:
Why do Jews not eat Pork?
Now, I am totally confused.
Well, maybe we don't have a solid, conclusive answer to the question of whether Jews eat ham or pork chops or bacon or lobster or shrimp or clams or whatever; but,
We all know what a Jew looks like. Right?
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel: Nonresponsive, Unaccountable, Holier-than-thou Attitude???
I am reading some interesting stuff about the Treasurer of the State of Ohio, a fellow by the name of Josh Mandel. I am not kidding you; I josh you not; his name is Josh.
Upon reading a blog entry of Jill Miller Zimon, I cannot help but have three descriptives come to my mind in regards to Josh Mandel (Mandel is his last name, not to be confused with mandelbrot). In light of those descriptives, I ask: "Is Josh Mandel nonresponsive, unaccountable, and have a holier-than-thou attitude?"
I suggest you click on over to read Mandel Supports Anti-Choice Legislation Not Even Supported by Ohio Right to Life from the blog Writes Likes She Talks.
Upon reading a blog entry of Jill Miller Zimon, I cannot help but have three descriptives come to my mind in regards to Josh Mandel (Mandel is his last name, not to be confused with mandelbrot). In light of those descriptives, I ask: "Is Josh Mandel nonresponsive, unaccountable, and have a holier-than-thou attitude?"
I suggest you click on over to read Mandel Supports Anti-Choice Legislation Not Even Supported by Ohio Right to Life from the blog Writes Likes She Talks.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)