Mouska-Tears

We learned today of the death of Annette Funicello, one of our generation's favorite stars.  She came to our attention through a television program called "The Mickey Mouse Club".  The program was a variety show more or less, with skits, singing and dancing, and filmed shorts like "Spin and Marty" aimed at children.

I was one of those children in the 1950's who was captivated by that show.  We would turn on our Philco TV, with a screen the size of a dessert plate crossed with a saucer, and patiently wait for it to warm up and display images of the show.  I wasn't really knowledgeable about Disney characters back then, as Bugs Bunny and Woody Woodpecker seemed to rule the screen.  Still, I was fascinated by images of a world like I could never imagine.  It all seemed unreal to a young kid in the 50's!  Annette was always the star of the show.  It's funny how being so young, I still knew there was something special about her.  
Shortly thereafter, Walt Disney had a show called "The Wonderful World of Disney", if memory serves me correctly.  I still remember the show where he introduced the country to "Disneyland".  It was something beyond what a kid my age could even imagine!
But then, the 1950's were a time when anything seemed possible.  Even growing up poor, you had access to things that today would be beyond your reach.  We were urged to"See the USA, in your Chevrolet" during commercials, and I often thought of making a trip to this new "Disneyland" place when I got older.  Television seemed to provide a window to a whole new existence.  The "Can-Do" American spirit pervaded every aspect of our daily lives.
For we had just recently won WWII, sent the Germans and the Japanese packing with good old American might.  The back pages of magazines of the era were packed with ads for $5 surplus jeeps, or motorcycles.  How I wanted a few of each, yet never managed to get such a huge sum of money!

As I got older, Annette still ruled the screen, but now it was the silver screen.  Our country was still the best on earth, and the standard of living was still high.  I remember still how much I wanted one of those new-fangled Honda motorbikes, because "You meet the nicest people on a Honda", not to mention prices started at $215, still a princely sum for me.  Instead, I spent all my savings, a total of $7.50, on 1/2 of a 1949 Chevrolet 4-door.  Pretty much all that was left of the body was metal the rust seemed to overlook.  I wasn't going to see the USA in this bomb!  Still, when you're 13 years old, I suppose that's right up there with winning the Lotto!


As time passed and we grew older, the tone of the entire country had changed.  It was a more somber America, no longer believing in itself as the mightiest nation on earth.  We were in the throes of a "police action" in the far-off country of Vietnam, and thousands of our generation were getting sent over to fight.  The mood at home was anger, because this war wasn't about keeping the world safe, it was about making profits for the defense contractors.  Our shiny future was being tarnished, and Annette was no longer on the silver screen!

The war finally ended, but the country still continued down the wrong path.  Our small towns and small businesses were being eradicated by corporations that put profit over people.  Inflation destroyed any chance of living with our paltry incomes, and we were urged to "charge it" in order to afford some overpriced "must have" item.  Jobs were dwindling, and gas prices skyrocketed.  We became a nation of "yes-men" who had lost the independent spirit of our youth.

Fast forward to today, where we find a country that's more divided than we were during the Civil war.  We have "hate radio" shows, hateful blogs, and websites.  Our news media has been replaced by propaganda sites, that many people here take as gospel.  Our savings, and futures have been decimated by good old corporate greed, and the America of our youth is now only relived by viewing photos posted on the Internet.

Just thinking of the name  "Annette" brought  a smile and a flood of pleasant memories back each time it crossed my mind.  Our youth and innocence are now gone forever, and sadly, now so is Annette herself.  May she rest in peace.

© 2013 Ornery Arkie Productions

The Show Must Go On...

Unless you have lived in a cave for the past hundred years or so, you have no doubt heard of Branson Missouri.  Branson fancies itself as the entertainment capitol of the Midwest, a place for "family fun".  For several decades, it has been just that.  No casinos, strip clubs, or slot machines, just good old fashioned fun.  Over the years, it has grown like a weed, with aging performers settling here and building theaters so they can perform from home.  The city's coffers filled, as thousands made the trek to "The Music City" to see their favorite performers from their youth, perform once again.  As time passed, not only the performers have died off and retired, but their fans as well.  There are theaters standing empty, and up for sale.

A Springfield Mo. Television station did a story on Branson recently, interviewing some of the people who shape and guide what happens in the city.  While it was interesting to hear the opposing views, I fear the handwriting is on the wall..."adapt or
Die!"  The entertainment menu is split into two distinct categories.  First and foremost, the old time variety shows, such as "The Baldknobbers", or "Presley's Country Jubilee" and the various comedy, acrobatic, and animal acts, which have been a staple since the beginning.  Then there's the "Oldies" shows featuring performers from the 50's and 60's appearing each night.  As the population begins to age, and tastes begin to change, these two categories become less relevant.  Times are changing, but Branson isn't.

Branson has no interest in what the young people enjoy.  Expensive zip-lines and go carts will not get young people to pop for plane tickets to fly out here.  There is nothing aimed at a more adult audience, a more worldly audience, a younger audience.  As baby boomers begin to die off, their children are left, with no idea of who the "oldies performers" are, and have no desire to pay to see them.  What 30-something is going to forgo a trip to Las Vegas to fly to Branson and ride the go-carts??

A short drive south to "Dogpatch USA" offers a glimpse of what happens when an attraction doesn't change with the times.  Dogpatch was modeled after Al Capp's "Little Abner" comic strip, popular from the 1930's to 1979, when Capp died.  Capp licensed the name "Dogpatch" to the $35 million, 800 acre park, which opened in 1967.  Once again, it was the "family fun" aspect that was marketed to the public.  It was modeled after an imaginary Appalachian settlement, with old cabins brought in from around the area to give it authenticity.  There were rides, and actors dressed as characters from the strip wandering the grounds.  Ticket sales were great, and the park made a great profit for a little while, but fewer and fewer people read the comic strip, and bigger and better amusement parks sprung up.  Disney World, and the Six Flags theme parks were far grander, and offered better rides and entertainment.  Undaunted, Dogpatch ordered snow making machines, and opened a ski slope inside the park.  As times and tastes changed, ticket sales declined, and by the mid 90's, the park closed for good.  Resistance to change spelled the death knell for this once popular attraction.

Branson is heading down this same highway.  There is no effort to embrace new genres of music, or new sources of revenue.  Leaders simply turn a blind eye to the changing demographic, and press on as if things are just fine.  Soon, more entertainers will take their final bow, and more aging baby boomers will die.  

New sources of revenue need to be explored.  A proposed NASCAR track was met with outrage due to noise and traffic concerns. A casino as well was proposed in a nearby town, and the population was nearly unanimous in their opposition.  New blood is needed to revive life into the town, but just who, what kind, and how much?

The Ozarks have long been a place firmly entrenched in the Civil War.  Old attitudes, fears, and hatred still smoulder here.  The "God and Guns" culture is the driving force.  Remember the Oklahoma City Bombing idea was born right here in the Ozarks.  To this day, people are hoarding guns, and ammunition for fear of the unknown.  The KKK still thrives here, and gays and Jews are still hated openly.  Only change on a grand scale will destroy this mindset.  Black entertainers in Branson?  Absolutely not!  Casinos?  No way, gambling leads to all sorts of other behavior that's not acceptable!  

It's time Branson took it's collective head out of the sand and entered the new century (finally) with a new vision for the future.  Embrace the idea of more adult entertainment.  That doesn't mean strip clubs, but something at least that's geared to more current and adult tastes.  Bring in a racetrack, not a NASCAR track, but a real International F-1 track, and bring in people from all over the world, ready to spend!  Make the city into a true vacation spot for people of all kinds....and colors!
The ball is in your court, Branson.  The clock is ticking.............  

© 2013 Ornery Arkie Productions

 

Every Village Needs an Idiot

Years ago, it seems that everywhere you went, there was at least one person that was slightly odder than the rest of the people.  Perhaps they lived like hermits, or, were obsessed with weird calamities that might befall the human race, wore tinfoil hats to protect them from mind control, and the like.  They were watched with a wary eye by the general population, because who knew what they would do?  Of course back then, there was no way for them to communicate with one another, so they stayed in their own little word and only bothered the local folk.

Then along came the Internet and social media, creating an instant soapbox for these cretins.  Worse yet, they discovered an entire planet full of oddballs just like themselves!  They shared phobias, networked, and became the force that they are today.
They seemingly have turned half the world to their type of thinking. They have posted slick videos to sites like YouTube, and have their own Television outlets.  They have banded together, and found a way to convince the world that they are correct in their paranoia.
Take YouTube for example.  Check out how many videos there are about the invisible "Ninja" planet Niburu there are.  Or the videos showing that the government has an antenna array in Alaska, that is designed to cause another New Madrid earthquake along the Mississippi River.  Then look at the views, and the comments;  The idiots are gaining followers at an alarming rate!  Or, check out Fox News, so called news, that is.  They spew daily doses of nonsense, and people consider it gospel.  They flock to hear this drivel in droves, and worse yet, they believe it, and repeat it.

Look at the United States today.  We have "birthers", "truthers", and the always popular racists.  They host radio shows, appear on television and defend their lunacy by convincing others they're right.  Pretty soon, half the country qualifies as "Villiage Idiots".  
What's worse, they now have a political party to call their own, and have been elected to Congress to dictate life for all of us.  The inmates indeed, are running the asylum!  Sadly, it's too late to reverse the trend.  Groups like the NRA wanting armed teachers, students, and janitors in the schools sound more like a Nazi invasion than a learning experience.  It seems that the paranoid have inherited the earth!
I wonder why the followers of these fruit loops never question what they hear.  Why they don't think a statement through, but merely repeat what's heard, puzzles me.  After all, they were perfectly normal friends and neighbors, who were swept up in the paranoia being spewed by the people they used to shun.  What gives?

If we ever want to be a truly "United States", we need to go back to shunning these people.  Eventually, they'll don their tinfoil hats again, and quiet down.  And we must pass a National law:  Only one idiot per village!  

Thong-O Bongo!

A "Black Friday" incident over last weekend has been on my mind since I saw it on the news this morning.  It seems that shoppers lining up outside a mall in California never knew what lie ahead.  When the mall doors opened, and the crowd rushed in, a number of them headed for Victoria's Secret.  As the throng descended, two women began to fight over the underwear.  No, not underwear models, but regular women!  As the situation escalated, several men began to also fight over the underwear!  Fists were flying as they tried to defend their favorite thongs, and frilly things.  Luckily, this whole episode was caught on camera for those of us who were neither boxing, nor shopping at the mall.
This is disturbing on many levels, and the fact that none of the underwear was on a Black Friday deep discount makes it even worse.  It took the staff quite a while to clean up the store after the fights, but better yet, I'm thinking the perps had to spend some quality time in jail, waiting for someone to throw their bail.  Imagine one of these tough guys sitting next to a serial killer, and confessing  the fact that he's in for fighting over ladies underwear!  Can you say "Squeal like a pig?"  They will walk funny for months to come!

Centuries ago, the ancient Mayans (allegedly) predicted the end of the world.  Conveniently, it's supposed to happen this December (why wait?).  With sub-human behavior like that which happened over the weekend, the prediction seems spot-on.

The Mayans, though great builders and thinkers, were a barbaric people,  They believed in human sacrifice to please their Gods.  Young virgin women would be rounded up, and thrown into volcanos, fires or other ideas that the "gods" thought up.  This is where the two stories seem to intertwine.

A smart Mayan virgin decided she wasn't going to be the sacrifice De jour.  She thought that if she could tart herself up, the powers that be would think her not virginal and leave her alone.  She promptly made a trip to the Mall of the Ancients, and purchased some frilly underthings.  To make sure this would work, she wore them exclusively, as she paraded around the city.  Sure enough, the leaders passed her up for the great honor of being a sacrifice victim!  She was spared, and passed this important tip on to all her friends.  Soon the Mayan leaders found that they had run out of victims.  Not to be deterred, they invented the Mayan calendar, and for each month, had a different scantily-clad model at the top of the page, much like our car-parts store calendars do today!
When they ran out of models, they decided that the world would end, and sadly, they never existed long enough to see if they were right.

While thankfully, we still have Victoria's Secret models to show how advanced we supposedly are, we also have those buffoons that were fighting, along with the rest of the knuckleheads.

It's sad to see civilization in such a state of decay like that.  
Perhaps it's time to bring back those sacrifices.....   

And they called the wind...Sharia

Another election is under our belts, and while the good guy won, the losers (literally), are not going to take this sitting down.
There are movements afoot by some, to secede from the US, simply because the "Black Guy" won!
Obviously, something is wrong here.  The Right Wing has been inundated with outright lies in order to strike fear in their hearts, and thus obtain their vote.

It takes place in carefully crafted keywords, meant to confuse and frighten those that believe them.  Words like "Socialist", "Muslim", 'New World Order", and better yet, questions about the President's birthplace, have abounded.
We hear these insane rants on a daily basis, in order to keep the fear burning in those infected.  After all, how can a Black Man be President?  What happened??
It's the Right-Wing nutcases that promote this fear, and the fact that their chosen warrior got his ass whupped, doesn't help!  The keywords intended to strike fear in the slower people, didn't seem to make a difference.  That being said, a new weapon against thinking folks has been trotted out:  Sharia Law.
It's linked to the Muslim faith, and it's considered a "Mooslum Law" here.  

Heaven forbid that another religion, attempt to take over the U. S. (where out constitution provides freedom from religion!)
No, the fear mongers push the theory that the non-
Christards, want to take over our country, and force us to believe their way.  Sound familiar?  All the Christard preachers, followers, and generally stupid population believe this is true.  They fear that Sharia law will supersede the laws that we founded the nation on.  Oddly enough, the biblical laws are, in fact, Sharia law!

Yes, it means religious law, and what ever imaginary person you believe in, are the laws that should govern the nation!  To think that there are so many  states here, that have passed laws against "Sharia Law" is appalling.  After all, the idea that "Thou shall not kill", or "Thou shall not covet thy neighbor's wife", and "Thou shall not steal", are all Sharia law.

What is really sad is that people believe that our rights are being eroded.   The people spending billions to rig the election have set a course to control the minds of the people that can't seem to think for themselves.  Yes, the people in the tin-foil hats, are controlled completely by those that would use them to keep power.
When one looks at the beliefs being downloaded into their empty craniums, it's downright frighting!  

There is no secret, invisible planet, hiding near Jupiter, waiting to wipe out life on Earth.  Global warming is real, and the only way we can stop it is to cut pollution and fossil fuel usage.  Nor is the UN going to take over our country and force a "New World Order" upon us!
All because people that have wealth beyond imagination, didn't get their way!  
Sad, isn't it?  We send one scam artist to prison for scamming the wealthy, but attempt to elect one 10 times worse to be President.  The difference?  Cheating the wealthy is bad, cheating regular folks is just fine.

As long as there are AM radio talk shows, and Fox News, there will be a stream of propaganda aimed at the non-thinking people.  Back in WWII, there was "Axis Annie", or "Tokyo Rose".  Now we have Rush, Sean, Ann, and Sarah.  All want to have the nation knuckle under to their sick way of thinking.

Will we??
Any Deity, from Thor, to Allah, to God, and even the Flying Spaghetti Monster, has no desire to rule our pathetic planet.  A "Supreme Being" would have faith in our ability to think our way out of the mess we've gotten ourselves in.  People before profit would be the rule, and humankind would evolve into a more sympathetic, intelligent form of life.  

Of course, don't tell this to the Republicans!