In The World...
Movies, Movies, Movies?
I for one do not watch many movies. I have a few I view as worthy enough to claim my eight dollars of hard earned money. The list is very short, in fact I would much rather choose a good book something by Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, and Kate Morton than watch a movie. However my list of movies that I have over the years enjoyed are as follows: Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, The Others, Pride and Prejudice, and Sense and Sensibility. OK I warned you it was a short list. Recently I watched The Knowing trailer and it was able to capture my attention. Knowing looks like a movie I might enjoy viewing. the Knowing trailer was able to draw me in and that earns it two stars because its difficult for me to be drawn to movies. It is not that I don't appreciate the time and effort that goes into making a movie, however I resent the amount of money thrown at actors just to entertain us all. I could not come up with a list of actors that I would think worthy enough to be paid the millions of dollars that they receive for each and every movie they star in. I don't get it and I never will. I also do not understand our worship of actors and rock stars because it all seems foolish to me. in fact the way movie stars are praised causes me to wonder if we do not border on the edge of insanity. I have often said so many times that I thought an actor was someone who woke up one morning and looked in the mirror and did not like what they saw, it was then they decided to become and actor so they could pretend to be someone else and never face who they really are. afterall, Hollywood is a place of pretend and pure fantasy. We all from time to time go out to the movies yet there is far more to life then being entertained. Its fine to see a movie yet remember, its not real and its not important.
Where Are All the Jobs?
The news is filled with lay off after lay off, more and more people getting on
or worse, being denied unemployment benefits, and companies going out of
business. I wonder what are people to do in times like these? Companies are
folding quick, jobs that are more than minimum wage scarce, and bills are piled
up to the ceiling. I wonder what is going through the minds of the people who
tell their employees that their being laid off? Sure, a severance package will
ease their conscience and no doubt buy the employee a little time before they go
under. What about after the severance runs out? What about when they can't find
a job? What about when they get denied benefits of unemployment? What are we, as
a people to do? How do we cope with such great loses in our lives? How do we
keep going when we've been stripped of all our hopes and dreams? It's one thing
for a company to go out of business at such an economical downward spiral but
it's another thing entirely for companies who decide to just "let people go".
This keeps them from paying benefits and severance to their employees which may
save the company while utterly drowning their once great employee. How can
anyone do something like this at such time? How do they sleep at night, how do
they look you in the face and say that it's nothing personal, it's not because
you lack abilities, or don't do your job. Those are the ones I feel most sorry
for, no, not the person "let go" but the person who must one day answer for that
decision.
Christina
Something to think about
Over many years I have written articles about poverty and homelessness. I and my family experienced it first hand and I have always tried to give a clear picture of what it’s like being poor. I was not looking for pity but wanted to stir people to action. I hoped Americans would understand the pain of poverty and they would stand up and unite as one to fight to end poverty in America and the world.
Two books I co-wrote with my daughter Christina called Weary Souls, Shattered by Life and Whispers of Truth were loaded with a message that I prayed people would really take to heart and think about clearly. In my heart I knew America was coming to bad times and I thought my message could in some way move people to fight back before it was too late.
Today I can safely say Americans are struggling to put food on the table. Many have no clue where there next meal will come from. Yes people are going hungry, and yes in America. What I hoped would help people to understand about being poor may now very well be learned first hand as millions of human beings fight to survive. The tears shed by the poor and homeless over many years will now be joined by far too many more people who have now been taken captive by poverty. May God hear our cries.
The numbers of people who have lost their homes and many ended up with no place to call home. Some have moved in with family or friends while others went to the streets. I do not believe I am going out on a limb when I say soon our shelters will be packed full of people with no place to go. Many will have to be turned a way. We will begin to see people in tents along side of the roads. I believe its already happening even if the news doses not report it.
Record numbers of people have lost their jobs and can no longer afford to live let alone pay their bills. So what do they do? They stop paying any credit cards and focus in on getting through the day anyway they can. They are not dead beats; let me make that perfectly clear. They no longer have a choice and are forced to do what they have to just to remain alive. Families will be broken because the stress alone of poverty can and will break the strongest of people. The worry one endures when they have no income would and will bring anyone to tears.
I do not care if I make people angry with what I am about to say, it’s not like I have not said it a million times already. I hold our leaders at fault. The reason is clear but I will explain anyway my feelings. Our leaders forgot about their people and there suffering. they failed over so many years to put the people first. Our leaders took our money and took care of each other by giving our money in raises to their own kind, rich people, powerful people and so forth. They made sure they would be taken care of no matter what. Yes we the people must shelter some blame. Why you ask, because we sat by while years of bad and rotten leadership brought us all to this point. It was our responsibility to govern the ones in charge. To kick them out of office when they did not put the people first. We did nothing and look where that took us all.
How many years and how much suffering has taken place because millions have no medical help. Our leaders find money to bail out our banks and to fight a war and just about anything else but medical care for the people still sits on the back burner and it always will. The message in the bible about Cain and Able is very clear yet who really takes it to heart. God asked where is thy brother, he replies am I my brothers keeper? Yes people you are your brother’s keeper and you will be called into judgment one day. We are responsible for each other, even if you don’t like it. What have we really done to help one another?
These are dark days and many suffer and many more will soon join them. What are we going to do about it? We need to stay focused on our leaders to make sure how our money is being spent. We must step up and stand as one and united together change our world for the better. We insist on health care for all, we need to make sure all who need a doctor is seen by a doctor. We begin to pay a man or woman what they are worth and not what we can get away with paying them. A poverty wage only keeps people in poverty; I find it hard to believe our leaders could not figure this one out. We cut the pay of all our leaders by half, trust me even by doing this they will still be living better then any of us. That way you will only get leaders who really want to serve the people and the money and power will no longer be a big draw for them. Stop letting our leaders have a free run with our money. Make them answer to us on every detail of running our country.
This is our beginning point, where we need to start. In part two that will be posted later I will offer some more ways for us all to get back on the right track. I only hope and pray when this is read you will as least think about it. Reach out to one another again for when we are alone we are in the dark not sure what to do, but together we shall find the light.
Judy
