THE PAGEMASTER

An Uninformed Disapproval

KP — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 23:34:29 +0000

What exactly was George W. Bush’s job as President of the United States? According to Jon Stewart, host of “The Daily Show”, the American people likely did not know and disapproved of him out of ignorance. While discussing the topic of decline in public trust and approval concerning government, a video was shown in class of this short bit from an episode that touched on the approval ratings of President Bush. While the comic routine succeeded in its intended purpose to entertain, it also served to realize in the viewer important truths concerning our understanding of government and the roles government is employed to do. Also the show in general, though full of exaggeration and satire, gives knowledge to viewers who don’t ordinarily keep up with current political events and news, slightly aiding in keeping the public more aware and informed. All of this increase in understanding is necessary, for the good of the democracy and the good of our own interests in it.
Jon Stewart posed two reasons why the President had such low approval ratings; the first reason was that he may not have been doing a good job, and the second (and most likely he added) was that the American people did not know what his job consists of to properly grade him on it. Although this sounds absurd from the start, it is enough to make one think how important it is not only for the President to be the best leader, but also for these polled citizens to have an understanding of what they are disapproving of. This need for understanding is critical for any level of government, be it Federal, State, or local. Without knowing your government you will not know how to get services or assistance that you need and from whom to get it from. Without knowing the issues and how candidates feel about them, you cannot vote in your best interests. This reduction in public efficacy on a grand scale erodes the power of democracy and tilts power from popular sovereignty to having the reins held by the elite, the wealthy, and those with the loudest voices.
The video clip continued to humorously “educate” the viewers on what the job of the president actually was by supplying actual quotes from Bush himself. Vague and ambiguous, we should all know that keeping Americans safe and defending democracy around the world is not the only duties and responsibilities of the president, and this comedy only serves to enforce that notion. Should the president only be graded on wars and economy when he is also tasked with negotiating treaties, vetoing or signing bills from Congress, granting reprieves and pardons, and appointing Supreme Court Justices and other major departmental personnel? Also to be taken into account is the fact that his powers are limited by the constitution and other branches of government. Examples of holding his power in check is the ability of Congress to override a presidential veto, and the ability of the Supreme Court to conduct a judicial review on anything the President enacts. Furthermore the Electoral College was created by the founding fathers to insulate the President from direct election and democratic pressures from constituents. Nevertheless despite all of these facts, and regardless of how our government actually operates, our president will inevitably be graded as the face of our government, and will always be destined to bear the brunt of all negative criticism, including being subject to the wit of Jon Stewart.
What is the consequence of being the brunt of a joke? In the case of certain late night politically-charged comedy shows, it may not be a bad thing. First of all, just by merely introducing the subject to be ridiculed will reach and inform people who would never tune or access other normal outlets of political media. According to the text, people who watch these comedy shows were seen to be just as knowledgeable on politics and world affairs as those who subscribe to get their information from reputable news sources. Once introduced, viewers can form their own opinion about what was skewered by the hosts, which in turn sparks debate and fervor. When stationed in Kuwait, I experienced this first-hand as I stayed away from the media, only to hear about Wikileaks from episodes of the “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report”. This prompted me to go online and learn about more from what I learned. This event proved to me that while comedy shows may not be the most informative, they present newstopics, world events and major political players in such a way as to give you unique perspectives on current events and cause you to research more into what interests you, ultimately resulting in increased knowledge.
Are late night comedy shows such as “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report” meant to entertain only, or are they sending out a message to their viewers? Just by this one video clip alone we are met with the perspective of not knowing government enough to approve of it. This in itself is an important concept, which is aided by what these shows are doing for the public in general. There will always be people not politically informed or active, and if it takes shows such as this to add some spice of information amidst hilarity to reach them it can do only good. An informed public is a democracy at its strongest; an uninformed public will spiral into apathy, unrest, and a government not working in the best interests of its people.

Which Direction Will You Live?

KP — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 08:41:38 +0000

How Will You Live

by Kent Page

Me and my friend Januarie at Joshua Tree, August 2009.

I can’t live my life.

And it’s impossible for me to say

I love those who care

I will always make it known that

I am changed

For the worse

I will learn from life’s lessons, and not

Trust my heart in another’s hands.

I know for sure that one day I will

When I look at my face in the mirror,

Not recognize what I see.

Seeking beauty around me, other people will

Not see what I have to offer.

I can’t imagine others who would be willing to

Share in my sorrow

When life brings me pain, I

Hide it

Why

Is there a life without love

How

Possible

For me to live

Now, reverse it. Read the poem line by line in reverse. Now tell me, in which direction will you live?

Thank you Januarie for the inspiration!

Integrity

KP — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 19:42:33 +0000

“I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live by the light that I have. I must stand with anybody that stands right, and stand with him while he is right, and part with him when he goes wrong.”

~ Abraham Lincoln

I saw this recently on the door to someone’s office, and never has this statement meant so much to me than at this time. Amid name calling and mis-management and disorganized chaos and tattle-taling and rules when convenient, it’s never been harder to do the right thing.

A leader is more than just being in charge and telling people what to do. Many people can talk the talk, but it’s not that easy. A good leader must take responsibility for his team, and be his team’s representative, defending the team at all costs. Taking responsibility is a given; but how can a team hold itself together when it feels it is being attacked and treated unfairly, and there is no one to step up and make things right. A leader must stand for his team against all who oppose it, whether it’s the enemy, another team or even from a superior.

A leader who doesn’t utilize the leeway given to him to support and defend his team, and mires himself in “unbending rules” from above, is nothing more than a pawn; albeit a slightly taller pawn whose head is the first to get lopped off when the swinging axe comes… other than being the sacrificial anode, what good is he?

In short, to sum up what the great Mr. Lincoln said, I may not win in the eyes of the “rule followers”, and I won’t, with blinders on, succeed in being in the ”Sailor of the Month Club”; but the important thing is I will remain true to my beliefs and will stand for what I believe is right for my team while I am their leader.

And if any of my enemies happen to be reading this, here’s an extra subject in leadership just for you; Always Have a Contingency Plan. I knew what you were going to do before you even thought about doing it, I had planned for it and was ready. Thats why I am still a Guard Commander. And you will be leaving in shame next month. I hope you learned your lesson.

Check Your Ego at the Door

KP — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 20:23:38 +0000

“Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.”

Never had I heard a philosophy I believe in summed up so succinctly. Thank you, Sheetal!

I actually studied the ways of karma, mindfulness, the ego, and suffering back in college, and it really stuck with me, making me the man I am now. Reading this in Sheetal’s Blog really inspired me to write about it.

Buddhism interested me a great deal when I was taking classes about 6 years ago; I had been away from the church for a long time, was getting tired of life, was wondering why I couldn’t be happy… and while Buddhism didn’t bring me closer to God, it did enlighten me on other things; and I spent many a night on lonely shift duty at California Steel pondering these spiritual issues. Though these may not be ultimate truths, they are TO ME, and that is what matters. I firmly believe that everyone must find their own way and their own meaning in this crazy world.

When God created us, he wanted a way for us to connect with each other, not only in physical levels but on planes of spirituality. Spirituality is hard to grasp, it works beyond our control, and makes us gravitate towards certain people and away from others. This explains why we are not friends with everyone who has the same qualities we like; more on this another time.

The Physical side I describe of in levels because it is exactly that; this is the side that is uniquely human, and is made up of two main parts; the senses and the emotions. People may think that since the emotions come from inside of you, that makes it spiritual, but thats not true. Emotion is purely human, a response to the environment around us. Emotions are important because they help us survive, like giving us good feelings towards anything that is remotely connected with procreation, and bad feelings when confronted by enemies to give us the anger to fight. And just like you can prevent yourself from touching, tasting, or smelling certain things, you can also control your emotions and hence the stress that these emotions create.

It is helpful to think of it as described, as projections. We are all projections of our spirit, in human form so that we can interact with each other in this world. We don’t know why we were made this way; maybe we haven’t attained the level it takes to live in a “spirit world”? Who knows. But we are all spirits connected to human bodies. Our spirit is who we truly are. It is closely connected to how we think, act, and make decisions (at least thats what I believe). So this brings us to the first part of the quote. Nothing others do is because of you. If another person does something that affects you in any way, it is always either;

a.) a physical or emotional reaction not against you, but against something that was created in their environment; or

b.) a spiritual or logical action that has come from only their own spirit within.

Once you learn that you are not the cause of others actions around you, then you must learn to not let other people’s actions affect you. That is the second part, and it’s all about the ego.

Can anyone really tell me what is an ego exactly? To most people, it has bad connotations; people only mention that someone has “an ego” if they are “stuck on themselves” or “have a big head”. Actually, everyone has an ego. (Well, except for the most devout Buddhist monks).

Once again, everything I am saying here is what I believe. If you were to look these terms up in the dictionary or study some textbook, you may get other opinions…

Your ego is a castle, with walls made up of a collection of things; your place in this world, your importance, your honor, and your ideas and ideals that must be defended. It is hard for us, being human, to not imagine something being penetrated when we are hurt by someone else; so this ego we construct is for our own justifications. But it is completely imaginary. To be completely rid of an ego is what Buddhist Monks try to do their whole lives.

Note, this is one thing I don’t agree with in Buddhism’s true purpose. Though it is noble to be “free” from the affects of and causing suffering around you, it is just too much. I don’t think God intended for us to try to be as non-human as possible, and miss out on all the good things in life. because if you free yourself too much, how can you enjoy the beach, or football, or the good things that people do for you, or anything else you like? Why can’t we just flip a switch, leave it on and enjoy the good times, but flip it off when you get crap flung your way…

I believe you can. And that’s exactly what I do.

When someone does something to hurt you, are they really hurting you? What are they hurting? If you are hurt by the actions of others, it’s not because of them; it’s because you left the switch on to your ego, and it’s imaginary walls got battered. You must retaliate, because you let others see this person attack your castle, so you want to let everyone know that it is well defended. When there’s no castle, theres no hurt, no reason to retaliate, no reason to prove that others can’t attack… because there is nothing there. And because there is no castle, it doesn’t mean you have left something bare; it doesn’t mean you have left something undefended; and it doesn’t mean you are less of a person without it.

This is just a small little slice of my philosophy pie; maybe another time I will expound on more…

A Tribute

KP — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 13:22:31 +0000

Today I got a care package from my good friend Z, and included was a peculiar item; a pillowcase from Krysilis, Inc. On a piece of paper inside the bag containing this pillowcase there was a story of a little boy, who through his selfless actions inspired the actions of this company to service;

This pillowcase is given in honor of Aaron Eilerts of Eagle Grove, Iowa, a young boy scout who sewed and gave away many pillowcases to hospital patients. He was one of four boys who were killed when a tornado devastated the Little Sioux Boy Scout Ranch in June of 2008. Governor Chet Culver declared February 24, 2009 as a statewide Aaron Eilerts Day of Service and Giving. In keeping with this tradition, Krysilis, an agency serving people with disabilities in the Wright Co. area, continues to honor Aaron’s legacy of service to others.

I thought this was really cool! Here’s more info about the little guy:

http://aaroneilerts.blogspot.com/

Thanks Z for the package, Thank you Krysilis, and thank you Aaron Eilerts for the difference you made in your short life!

Starry Splendor

KP — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 10:59:31 +0000

Struck with awe at starry splendor,

A constant sunlight warms my soul

You, my dear, are like the heavens

And with you my emotions go

To shimmering tails of comets passed,

With Cassiopeia I dance

Caressed by your soft moonlit glow

I feel much more alive

Around Orion, my heart’s melting

Frozen planets seem envying

Nebulas crashing, everlasting

The love I have for thee.

Riding on a sunset horse

The world is dark, and all is hush

But while I have you by my side,

My heart will sing, my soul is bright!

My Nokia!!

KP — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 22:04:05 +0000

Well, Rowena is just GUSHING over her new Blackberry Bold. So why don’t I enamor my readers with what I have? I swear it’s off the Chizzle, the best you can get in Kuwait:

My Phone: The Nokia 3315

Weight: 114g (with BLC-1 internal battery) – wait, maybe thats in pounds… sometimes my arm hurts holding it up for a while…

Interesting array of painted accessory covers to match your moods and the latest trends… What??? I didn’t get those… only the ugly grey in the picture… I guess I’ll just have to have a grey mood all the time.

Personalised SMS Alert gives you freedom to select your preferred SMS alert or even compose your own… yeah, if you like your favorite kickingest rock song translated into various electronic beeps…

Profiles allow for personalisation of the screensavers and ringing tones on your phone… choose any black and white stick figure you want!!

OK, this is getting depressing. The Blackberry Bold may be better in a few areas, but mine is kick ass in others:

After only a little bit of use, the numbers and letters on the keys magically begin to disappear, letting you practice your blind texting skills!

Made to survive a King Kong Stomp! You can chunk it at a friend, have it bounce off his head, careen off a balcony, fall 30 stories, bounce off the concrete in to the sewer, get stuck in a water treatment pump, have it mailed back to you courtesy of the City of Kuwait Public Works, and when it arrives check to see what calls you missed while it was gone. Try to do THAT with a Blackberry.

And when the battery dies after 15 minutes of talk time, its so big you can cuddle with it while you curl into the fetal position and cry…

OK, I can’t think of much more. But that should be all the evidence you need to know that my phone is superior!

A Tribute…

KP — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 10:54:00 +0000

I just found the dullest blog in the world, and it’s called:

The Dullest Blog in the World.

Here’s an entry of my own, inspired by this great blog…

Feeling Tired

I was feeling tired. My bed looked very comfortable. I went to my bed, and laid down on it for a little while. When I was no longer tired, I got up and continued with my activities.

Ha ha!! That’s it! Since he usually does three sentences, I did four, just to make it a little different. And I like to write. And….

I’m not doing this anymore.

Bianca’s Letter

KP — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 17:33:02 +0000

5 Weeks, Boots on Ground ~

I got a letter! And it’s from a girl!!

No, not that kind…

I have been receiving care packages from my friends and family, and I really appreciate the thoughtfulness, guys! But what really struck me was a random letter I received from an elementary schoolgirl in Moreno Valley, California. (Sorry Weens, you got competition!) Her name is Bianca Lomeli, she’s 10 years old, and I don’t know if she drew my name out of a hat or something, but all I know is I was the lucky one to get this letter: Here, let me read it to you;

Dear ET1 Page,

Hello my name is Bianca. I am ten years old. I have dark blonde hair. I have dark brown eyes. My favorite subjects are math, science, and P.E. I like to play a lot of games. I not mean to people except my sisters because they get me so mad. I’m a girl. I like sports too. If it is ok to ask what your first name is can you tell me? I also like to write to people like you for example. What is your favorite holiday? Mine are mostly Thanksgiving and Christmas. I like thanksgiving because we give Thanks. I like christmas because its Jesus’s birthday, and we get gifts. Oh and favorite colors are red mostly, pink, and green.

Please write me back,

Sincerly,

Bianca Lomeli

Isn’t that awesome!! I’m amazed the only word she spelled incorrectly was “sincerly” (Yeah that’s me, I’m a stickler for spelling, everyone always gives me their document so I can spell check it. Ha!) Jesus’s was also kinda iffy…

So, I hand wrote her a letter back, but I decided to go a step further. I got her a Navy commemorative coin, a souvenir Kuwaiti T-shirt, a little hand woven friendship bracelet I picked up at a bazaar, and I even had some digital pics taken of me, printed them out, and sent them as well. I hope she enjoys it as much as I did getting it all together. I’ll let you all know if I get a response!

Calvin & Hobbes, and the Setting Sun

KP — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 11:51:10 +0000

Drake Cyanide is back again! Have you missed me?
Yes, I’ve decided that I want to try to blog again. I know that I’ve been the hallmark of inconsistency, I’ve been forgiven for way too much neglect. So let me get you all caught up.
I started my blog when I was working rotating shifts at an ice cream plant (lots of downtime and a free internet connection), and it gave me a means to express my ideas and feelings. I was going through a tough time in my life, trying to find a source of happiness, and having it elude me, while I droned on and on about my past, my family, my experiences.
I left that job for what I thought was a good step for me, a dayshift job with weekends off, company vehicle, and independence as a service specialist for a big company. The stability in my life crumbled, however. I went through a divorce, and money was tight, stealing internet as much as I could at work and in my tiny apartment. With my nice new day job, I was able to finally go to school, as I’ve always wanted to get my degree, so all free time went towards that and my kids. Needless to say, my blogging suffered. And even though I made this major change in my life, that had purpose, I was still frazzled to no end.
It was a year into this new job, and 2 semesters of college classes when I decided I needed another change. What could I do to be happy? I thought maybe it was a lack of companionship. I found myself frantic to ask out every cute girl I saw, to be held, to be loved. But all I got was heartache, and angst at every rejection. And not only girls rejecting me but me rejecting sweet girls who I felt no connection with.
It took me a while to stop and take a deep breath. This love thing is an obsession. I needed to ask myself, what did I truly love doing? I thought back to the times I felt sheer joy. I remember when I rode a helicopter with my dad when I was a kid, and I wanted to be a pilot. I used to pretend I was flying one, even draw them constantly. Even now I’m fascinated with them, and wished I could learn to fly. But that takes money, and money I don’t have.
The epiphany came when I realized that every time I talked to someone about my stint in the Navy, I tell them how much I miss the traveling, seeing new places. I was already in the Navy reserves, and a little 2 week trip I took to Argentina a year before merely wetted my appetite.
I was ready for a new adventure. Not long ago, I volunteered to join a Navy Unit that runs a detention facility in Kuwait. I already went through a month of training in Washington State. After some time back in Houston. I left again, this time to Oklahoma for more training. I saw the last sunset in Houston that I will see in a while yesterday, while I was taking a shuttle to the airport. I was just about to take a pic of this momentous occasion, when a truck passed us, blocking the view. On the passenger side door there was a decal of Calvin and Hobbes.
How rude. Wasn’t Calvin kind of an in-your-face, messy-haired rebel, who speaks his mind in loud decibels and terrorizes his parents? This blocking of my last Houston sunset seemed like something that a maniacal Calvin would do.
But later, as I thought about it, maybe it was a sign, that I’m off on a Calvin-esque adventure, fearless, care-free, away from the constraints that have have bound me and kept me unhappy for many years … and it happened at that instant to block from my mind that the sun is setting on my time in Houston. I should look to the happiness ahead.