Alot Like Ecclesiastes. There is Purpose In the Ending

Monday morning. Yippee...

Before I get into my diatribe for the day I would like to offer a word of advice; Never use Windows Vista! Unless you enjoy futility and frustration. I'm not a computer-whiz but i still know it is an inferior product. Nothing is compatible with Vista. It takes way too much memory to run, and then it is painfully slow. Microsoft will tell you that there is nothing wrong with it and give you the major run around when you call and try to get something done with Vista. Best Buy will not honor their warranty if you buy a computer with Vista. They may tell you different, but they have it worked out where they are simply unloading some computers on unknowing buyers. Ditto for Gateway. And don't get me started on Microsoft. It's enough to cause a person to become jaded. And very frustrated.

And actually, that leads into my thoughts for the day, frustration. Not pessimistic or defeated, but absolutely, positively, undeniably frustrated. Approximately to the point of just beyond anger and a little below rage. I guess I am acrimonious due to my frustration.

How did I get to be so frustrated? There are a handful of things that have lead to this recent point of irritation. I already mentioned the Vista issue. I have been fighting this for over a year. Call me stubborn, but I WILL get something done in this area.

And how about this government bailout? Has anyone checked out the stock market today? Not exactly "fixed" by this bailout crock. And I haven't had any rainbows shoot out of my butt like Washington promised. But at least they had the interest of the people in mind when they added over $100 billion in pork. And the makers of wooden arrows. And that's not an exaggeration. There actually was a provision and a large allotment of monies to the makers of wooden arrows. During this time of national crisis, or at least that is how it was told to us, they fleeced more tax money from the U.S. citizens. BUT they are going to pay us back with the money that this bailout will make. Pay us back? How?

And how will they make money? This is the same group of people that denied that there was a problem a few years ago, and now deny that they denied that there was a problem years ago. The most inept financial minds who caused alot of this mess now have close to trillion dollars to play with. Not to mention that they have more authority now that they have caused this mess. Shouldn't government been accountable and reprimanded? If the answer was yes, then why have they now received more power and authority? If the average citizen were to do the same thing in their place of work, they would be not be rewarded for their inept policies and decision making.

And the majority of the American people did not want this bailout. So why did Washington push it through? We are foolish to think that we are being represented in our government.

I will back off of the bailout before I get on too large of a soapbox. I have covered this in previous blogs and there is no need to beat a dead horse.

I will digress on the peoples of Pelosi, Carter, Clinton as well. I do wonder how PBS can have a program about Jimmy Carter coming out soon. What is there to cover? He had a less than forgettable administration and is Exhibit A in the case for shooting presidents after they leave office. How does he rate a documentary? Unless its made by the makers of Spinal Tap.

So what else frustrates me? Besides the St.Louis Rams, there are several things.

How about the market speculators that cause gas to be $4.00 a gallon at the pump when oil is $120 a barrel; yet when crude oil is below $90 a barrel as it is today, there is minimal change in price? Either something is corrupt or the speculators learned failed math in gradeschool. Or they are actually gradeschoolers.

Also I am sickened by this election stuff. Politics have been my thing for years and years. But I have actually reached dew point. I am so saturated with nonsense, lies, manipulation and the like. I am a true conservative, both socially as well as economically. And I can say that there is no political party that represents the majority of my philosophies. I will vote for McCain but it will be while holding my nose. I know that I was on the bandwagon a month ago, but am no longer enthused. After checking the facts and holding he and Palin accountable for their words, like they have asked, I have found that they have lied. Are you as shocked as I am?

I could make excuses for why they lie and manipulate. I could turn a blind eye like others. But I will not. They should especially be honest, since that is one of their platform issues, so to speak. And by the way, do you know who has been the most honest? Statistically speaking Joe Biden has told fewer lies than Obama, McCain,and Palin. He's no shining example of morality nor a paragon of virtue. He's merely told the least amount of lies. As silly as he has made himself look this year, he's the most honest.

Does that frustrate anyone else? That I have to vote for someone who lies to win an election. And I know that some of you reading this may say that they all lie, but the fact is that none of them should... No wonder we don't trust government. They are not trustworthy.

Another thing that frustrates me is lying and saying that it is in someones best interest. Our main stream media does it. Certainly Washington does it. And it happens way too much in our churches. A lie is a lie in anyone's name. And it should never be an option. No matter what degree of technicality we hide behind, deception is deception.

Why do I spank my children for lying? Shouldn't I be rewarding them for learning the American way?

What about the lack of work ethics? Sincerity? People who complain about the dishonest and immoral, yet they do the same things. They watch the same t.v. programs, tell the same lies and dump their work on the same people as those that they accuse of being less honest and wholesome than they are themselves. And usually they pretend to be all the more wise.

And there are many other things that frustrate me. People who misinterpret the Bible so they can make money by exploiting the naive and truly needy. And I am frustrated by people who don't go to church because they use people's greed and dishonesty as an excuse. Christ is our model, not preachers, deacons, Sunday school teachers, and associate pastors. An excuse is the same as a lie.

I am frustrated by the fact that we need the media and that they play a huge role in our lives, yet they are dishonest and underhanded as well. I have to vote for someone dishonest who is exposed by someone dishonest who represents someone dishonest.

So I guess I have made my point. Dishonesty frustrates me. It costs alot of money and hurts alot of feelings. It causes our churches to be half empty and gives excuses to the apathetic.

But I don't want to end on a low note. There is something that I do when I get to this point. I look to the cross...I step back from the t.v. and the news and pray. I am reminded that Jesus is my model and that man is flawed. And as flawed as man is, God loved us to die for us. That makes us special despite of ourselves.

And remember that God is in control. We can vent and blog and fret, yet nothing will surprise God. He is in control. That is where our trust and our hope will never be misrepresented, so to speak. Regardless of polls and elections and faulty warranties, God is still in control and will always be trustworthy.

Take this for what it is worth to you individually. But know the truth.