Dear Sarah Palin

Since you first came onto the national scene as a Vice Presidential candidate, I have been very annoyed with you constantly insulting the intelligence of the American public.  You bemoan the mainstream media for having the nerve to report on you at all; yet you use that very same media to disseminate your own views to anyone who will listen or read.  I've watched your actions intently.  Somehow you have duped a great number of people into believing that you are an "average" American.  Nothing could be farther from the truth.  In fact, you are probably one of the most skilled politicians in the game today.  You learned a hard lesson about marketing during the Presidential campaign and I must admit, you are a fast learner.

You learned that writing a book in this country causes many to take a person seriously, even when it's not merited.

You've learned that winners never quit and quitters never win, unless they've held the office of Governor.

You've learned that Facebook is quickly becoming just as effective as "main-stream media" but without the actual label of a news organization.

You've learned how to turn an American tragedy into an opportunity to talk about politics and campaigns.

You've learned that one can fully prepare for a Presidential campaign without ever having to admit the fact.

You've learned how to never answer a question with a Yes or No.

You've learned that you can quote those who've come before you in an effort to avoid having to formulate your own responses.

Finally, you've learned, as countless politicians before you, misery loves company.  You rarely stand alone on a major topic and always make sure to bring others into the mix so they can shoulder the responsibility of your actions or words.

You may have fooled some people into believing that you have America's best interests at heart, but you have not fooled this American.  Anyone can get help writing a book.  Anyone can disguise finger-pointing with a knowing smile and soft voice.  It takes a real person of courage and originality to take responsibility for their own actions and words while not hiding behind the very things they rail against.

Sincerely,

David Ross Jackson

PS.
A portion of this letter was written while I was using the restroom.  It's bittersweetly ironic, don't ya think?

Please See Sarah Palin's latest media tirade/political ad here.

A Fine Line Between Dating and Desperation

"All things in moderation."

This is a phrase that's very popular for use when talking about dieting or consuming alcohol.  I actually like this philosophy for my entire life.  I believe in balance, which is why dating presents such a huge challenge for me at times.  I don't know about you, but I find myself doing a greater share of the chasing when it comes to dating.  Sure, plenty of people offer up "talk"...but it seems that once it's time to really put forth the effort, I'm the only one stepping up to the line.

I've found myself often being the only one who is willing to court or show effort.  This is continually frustrating to me.  Where is the balance?  Where is the other half of the effort?  I certainly don't expect anyone to chase me or do all the "work", but it sure would be nice to see things move beyond words and on to actual effort.  I don't want to be the only one on the line.  I don't want to be the one who travels back and forth between dating and desperation.

I recall early last year making a firm decision to not do all the chasing in a relationship.  If people aren't willing to meet you half way then what is the point?  So, the next time you are in a relationship or dating someone, ask yourself..."Is this mutual courtship or have I become Desperate Daphne?"  Expect more.

The Bottom Line: 
All things really should be in moderation, including desperation.  If you are the only one showing up to the line, then perhaps it's time to take yourself on a date.  

When Pigs Fly

I'm browsing through the various Facebook posts this morning and I start to notice a trend...people replacing actual expletives like "shit" or "damn" with "shyt" or "dayum".  That's when I started thinking...I know, me...thinking...who'd have thought?  I started to see parallels to real life in this behavior.  It's amazing to me how much time people spend trying to "clean up" their lives.  This "clean-up" is very much like the word "shyt".  Everyone knows that it's really "shit"...it means the same thing as "shit".  Why not just say shit?  Why is it acceptable for people to live their lives contrary to who they say they are...so long as they appear to be what they are supposed to be?

This was the question I asked myself back in my married days.  I kept asking myself why it was OK that all of my close god-fearing friends knew I was attracted to men but seemed to be fine with it as long as I played the part of a straight man.  As soon as I started keeping it real, they ran for the hills.  What is it about the truth that makes so many people squeamish?  Pretenses add no real value in life if nobody believes them.  Why be the idiot who is dressing up a pig in a bird costume and expecting it to fly South for the Winter?  Why not just be happy with what is clearly a pig?

Don't get me wrong.  I've been that person walking around with a "bird-pig" before.  I guess sometimes we feel like reality is just too harsh and so we feel the need to dress it down.  I'm just not sure what is to be gained by doing so.  I rarely do that anymore...oh, maybe on Facebook...sometimes.  Even then, I tend to keep it very real.  I'm sure some people on my friends list cringe at the things that I post at times!    The older I get, the less I feel like keeping up appearances with people.  I would sooner tell you it's none of your business than to make up some elaborate lie.  I'd rather just type the word "fuck" than waste an asterisk (i.e. f*ck).

The Bottom Line:

In this increasingly low-tolerance and politically correct world, sometimes shyt is just shit and a bird is really a pig.  Say what you mean, not what looks good on Facebook.

Boiling Frogs

Click on the image above to enlarge!

As far back as the 1800's, scientists conducted experiments on frogs.  They placed them in a pan of cool water.  When the water was heated too quickly the frogs attempted to escape.  When the water heating was reduced to around 0.2°C per minute, the frog was said to remain until dead.  While these finding are wildly contested by modern day scientists, the idea of something or someone becoming accustomed to gradual changes in their environment rings true.  It's how bad and good habits alike are formed.  It's how we become conditioned to the world around us.  If we see something shocking enough, it's no ceases to be shocking.  

In America, apathy and fear are the waters in which we currently boil.  I see it on Facebook.  I see it on the news.  I see it at my local grocery store.  People everywhere are willing to cash in their freedom just as long as they can plan their next meal or Disney vacation.  We are more concerned with a Facebook status than with voting.  We'd rather drink ourselves into a stupor on the weekends than read up about what laws are being passed that may adversely affect us.  Don't get me wrong, there is a time and place for having fun and just living life.  I love to have fun.  I just want to make sure that twenty years from now I can still have fun!  One day soon, however, we may all wake up to a world that has been hand-crafted by our apathy and fear.  We are such a distracted nation.  We tell ourselves that it's acceptable that a tiny percentage of people in this country make up the rules for the rest.  We are becoming convinced that terrorism is the perfect excuse to handcuff ourselves and throw away the keys.

I haven't decided whether apathy or fear is more dangerous to American society.  What I can say with certainty is that the combination of the two is perilous.  I could very well be preaching to an empty church.  It seems fewer and fewer people are willing to acknowledge that there is even an issue.  I wonder what it will take to get people to realize something has gone awry?  The possible answers to that question worry me.

The Bottom Line: 
It's been said... If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything.

A Cog in the Machine

My close personal friend Merriam Webster says that a cog is a tooth on the rim of a wheel or gear.  Metaphorically speaking, being a "cog in the machine" has not been considered a really great thing in the past.  Some have used the term to describe someone who is just an insignificant part of a larger entity...a nobody...a slave...a worker bee.  It was once said that a cog in the machine simply runs around in circles, gets worn out, and is then replaced.  

Aren't we all cogs? 

Kings...Queens...Executives...actors...bankers...Quakers...farmers...landscapers...burger-flippers...travel agents...poop scooper-uppers at the circus...we are ALL part of something larger.  We all perform our function to make something bigger happen.  Who is ever really at the top?  Sure, some of us are bigger cogs than others, but size isn't everything.  That's when it came to me...cogs are getting a bad wrap.   In fact, I think being a cog is the natural order of things.  We are all replaceable.  Every last one of us will "wear out" eventually.  We will all be replaced, displaced, or misplaced at some point in our existence. While we may feel like we are running around in circles and just getting worn out, think of it this way... You may be a cog in the machine but you can always chose the machine.  Our life is what we make it.  The cogs makes life happen all around us.  WE make life happen all around us.  We are all a part of something larger in life.  We all matter. 

The Bottom Line

It really does take all kinds of cogs to make the world turn.  We should all be proud cogs and realize that we can choose what kind of machine we want to be a part of.  That is liberation.  That is freedom. At the end of the day, we are all part of the biggest and most important machine ever made...Life.  Make your circles count.