When You Move Into Positions of Power; It Invites Scrutiny

The vast majority of the lamestream media is increasingly soft on China when it comes to their handling of the Corona virus. They easily have thrown around accusations of racism and imperialism from the Western Civilized nations. I consider many members of the so-called journalistic profession lacking in any understanding of rights and responsibilities. Their short sighted and often soft view of leadership affects us every day. I think that they should telling China that they are responsible now and that as a “world leader” they are inviting scrutiny on themselves.

I am not sure when the first time I ever heard that the brightest spotlight can show where the worst makeup is applied. I always took it as the more notable and popular you are, the more people notice your flaws. They soon forget your small accomplishments and are quick to notice you at your worst. I think of this as a good thing that should help you keep a normal sized head on your shoulders. It should keep you honest. I don’t think that the Chinese government has remembered this.

They are the first to capitalize on another nation’s idiocy (US’s resource follies) but they are puzzled when people try to tell them where they look bad. The United States has to put up with critiques of their overbearing military adventures. Great Britain has shouldered complaints about colonialism. A myriad of influential countries that have moved beyond the Cold War and failed regimes have noticeable issues mirroring any nations growing pains. And I have mentioned that an action that reflects a position of true leadership would to acknowledge your short falls and actually work on them. It might take more than a token effort.

Every government style has something it fails at. Human rights, resources, economics, etc. Plenty of governments have found a way to feed their people. But many governments have had to stop their people from abhorrent behaviors and social practices. If a government doesn’t; it may well lose power or further the loss of its people. It isn’t racism to tell someone to start acting like a leader. People do it to my “representative” government and I usually expect it. Like a teenager; I expect you to act like a leader when you decide to be a leader.

Instead of making infrastructure projects that will end in Chinese (or American) control in many economically failing countries; perhaps you should take care of your people. In America; we have underserved communities where people are still mangling themselves. In China; we have people that are uninitiated in certain social practices and may still depend on exotic sources of food, unknowing that tradition may be killing them. We should let the leading nations know that they their steps not taken are affecting others. The inability to process scrutiny is to our detriment. To not learn is ignorance.

What I’ve Been Reading, Listening to, And Noticing This Week

Reading: When I see a dumpster fire in progress, I don’t hesitate to admire the glow. It isn’t worth panicking. Just like the CCP failing, it was destined to happen.

https://didactsreach.blogspot.com/2020/03/xinnie-pooh.html

 Additional Reading: I was hesitant to add this but I think it was worth reading. Corona virus and our multi-region war on the horizon should make many marginal women think twice about their shaky positions in our society. At least that is what I got from this article.

https://crashthematrix.wordpress.com/2020/03/24/the-pussy-bubble-is-popping/

 Listening: Craig James from the Masculine by Design Mancast has Pat Stedman on for Satanic Rituals, Adrenochrome, Celebrity Meltdowns and The Deep State Cabal. It was an interesting listen. I enjoy both of their work and I think that this episode is a very deep reach.

https://soundcloud.com/masculine-design-mancast

 

Noticing: I don’t approve of everything I hear from President DJT but his actions toward Justin “OB GYN” Trudeau is understandable. I love my Canadian brethren but Canada might want to think twice about depending on another country for limited resources, especially when they are in high demand. I don’t believe in hurting our northern neighbors but Trudeau drops the ball in the big game. (Oil issues, trains, foreign invasions, etc)

 

FreeMatt in Review: 3-29 to 4-4

Its been a bizarre week. Its been a slow, creeping death style introduction to Covid-19. Empty parking lots and rumors of furloughs. In the meantime; please feel free to peruse the FreeMatt in Review.

Spam Comment Goldmine

This was an additional piece I had put together celebrating the idiocy of spam comments. It is as dumb as you think it should be. I love automated searching algorithms and misplaced comments.

https://freemattpodcast.wordpress.com/2020/03/30/spam-comment-goldmine/

Not Knowing Your Constituency and Who You Rule Over

Knowing how to rule is one thing. Knowing how to not piss off the people underneath you can keep you on top. Small things make the difference and its up to you to learn

https://freemattpodcast.wordpress.com/2020/03/30/not-knowing-your-constituency-and-who-you-rule-over/ 

 Don’t Create an Enemy When A Person is Useful to You

President Trump made an error when he lambasted Rep. Thomas Massie. He could use the help from a smart man. When you don’t have a background in a certain subject it is a good idea to not make that person an enemy.

https://freemattpodcast.wordpress.com/2020/03/31/dont-create-an-enemy-when-a-person-is-useful-to-you/

The Matters w/ Matt: Re-Answering Self Help Questions

I have a level of disdain for advice columns. It doesn’t matter who is doing it. The advice is misguided and often weak. I answer someone else’s questions in a weekly feature: The Matters w/Matt.

https://freemattpodcast.wordpress.com/2020/04/01/the-matters-w-matt-re-answering-self-help-questions/

Law Enforcement Road Pirates Don’t Take A Break

A local news website shows that our state’s law enforcement has no shame during a time of great challenge. They still want to get “their’s”, no matter what economic turmoil is happening.

https://freemattpodcast.wordpress.com/2020/04/02/law-enforcement-road-pirates-dont-take-a-break/

Inhumane Resources: “No”t Even Close

HR needed to hear “no”. They still do. I share a few stories on how I said “no” and you should use it more often also. (Partially inspired by friends at The Momentum Project).

https://freemattpodcast.wordpress.com/2020/04/03/inhumane-resources-not-even-close/

 

Im not sure how long “tha Rona’” is going to last. Hang in there. But know your limits of how long you can put up with it. Don’t trust the government to live your life. Don’t live in fear and get on with “it”. Enjoy the week.

Inhumane Resources: “No”t Even Close

It was a pleasant day today and finding an interesting post by our friends
at The Momentum Project kept it that way. I found myself saying “yes” at a
handful of things today. Pleasant temperatures gave me a great reason to
take a work vehicle to the pressure wash station for a “scrub down”. Even
earlier than that; I had a quick jaunt to go pick up my buildings water and
check for packages, neither one of these activities is within the scope of
my job but it makes my workplace a little safer in the time of “tha ‘Rona”.
It was easy to say yes today. But I wanted to share with you a few puzzling
Inhumane Resources stories. I had to say “no” and I have had to say “no” a
lot.

Even when I was unemployed and the economy around my parts was decent, I was
forced to say “no”. I had disrespectful recruiters browbeat me because I
couldn’t drop everything to drive 45 miles for an interview I was not
prepared for. I said no because I wasn’t prepared and I sure as hell didn’t
like the guys mouth. I might have had a great job but that company made an
error dealing with that recruiting service.

As I have shared before; I have walked out of interviews blatantly telling
the people that they weren’t going to get anyone to jump at their position
for pennies. I have noticed this continuously, even after I have started a
job I am happy with. I have been blessed in the position I have now but I
wanted to reflect back to a time where someone said “no” to me.

It was with a local chemical company that was in the same town where my
previous (chemical plant) employer was. I enjoyed the tour of this place and
I liked the small, intimate environment. The interview went well, outside of
us both enjoying their outdated operating system tanking the testing
computer. Long story short; they turned me down a few days later. I wasn’t
mad. But the irony is that less than three weeks later, the same company
posted the same job again. That post was put up again after it was taken
down (again), in some perverse version of the repeater, (special thanks to
Mac, Foster, and Rabbit from the Vermont State Troopers). I turned down the
opportunity to apply again, even though the money was okay.

Money is a tough nut to explain to local HR departments. A contractor in my
area has had difficulties hiring people. It is one thing that no one wants
to apply since a major auto manufacturing plant is hiring, that and the FBI
is interviewing like gangbusters. But the contractor has put out ads
non-stop, to no avail. Five interviews, three offers. Two said “no” and the
third person was a bad fit. The company structured the contract years ago
and there isn’t wiggle room. They are surprised when people say no to them.
It is usually seen as an HR fetish of sorts.

I’m not trying to drag old stories back but many employers around me are
puzzled that people are leaving for greener pastures and better benefits. It
would behoove the contractors and entrenched admin types to go to the
bigwigs, then find the money it really takes. Then we can get back to “yes”
but in the mean time, we will stick with “no”.

No is honest when you need it to be. Someone saying yes insincerely doesnt do the job. I have owed many people a no. I started using it quite often and I dont regret it. It didnt matter if it was job offers, cheesy salesman, drunk girls wanting to do the nasty, or a myriad of things that rubbed me wrong. Saying no to a HR rep or an interviewer makes more sense than trying to negotiate sometimes. I know that you cant find $10,000 out of thin air and the shareholders are cheap. You cant and most likely wont negotiate. I dont need to say anything more than “no, thank you”. No is something you need to hear more often. It can save your business and your future.

(That guy that took your underpaying job can easily make up the difference by sleeping at work and finding ways to thin out your assets. He can also use company time to find a company that is willing to pay him what he is worth or he can poison his workplace if he decides to be bitter.)

I wasnt one of these people but they are out there.

But for me; I will continue to say “no” because Im not drunk on the idea of a job offer. I have a healthy idea of what I am worth. And the best way to show it is saying “no” where no is due.

https://themomentumproject.blog/2019/12/10/no-man-no/

 

Law Enforcement Road Pirates Don’t Take A Break

I was reading an article on WAFF.com the other day regarding a warning from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, specifically someone from the State Troopers office, that they are “out in full force” despite less vehicles on the road and the fact that Coronavirus has hit our state immensely. I took this as a warning from the Road Pirates that they don’t give a shit that people are out of work or are hurting to maintain a semblance of normalcy, they still want to reach their hands into your shirt and squeeze your tit until it turns purple. (Special thanks to Frank Darabont’s Shawshank Redemption). In English; the assholes will still hit you up for money in spite of the ongoing emergency.

This is your government at work. You elect them and they line their own pockets, which we allow them to. The soccer moms don’t like my smart mouth but I find it ironic that firefighters don’t get to threaten homeowners with arson to get funding but police get to threaten you with violence and jail to get funding. I would rather pay a subscription service or fees for jurisdictional service. Speeding tickets don’t enforce a level of driving skill, it just pisses people off. Asshole LEO’s, in many jurisdictions, enjoy the OT it takes to go to court if you are able to challenge your tickets. In many instances, most tickets are civil infractions not requiring court. This means that you pay up or they can make it a criminal matter. They won’t hesitate to bust in your door when you duck them long enough. Try driving to avoid them, you can eat gravel and qualified immunity lets cops do it to you. Again, depending on area/jurisdiction, the police get a cut of the proceeds from certain cases when you pay court costs/penalties.

(It is almost impossible to talk them out of it when you get pulled over for a speed ticket. The guy who gave it to you can always deliver a speech worthy of a Nazi concentration camp guard: “I’m just following orders. It’s the rules”.)

Their boss tells them to pull people over and even sometimes that they need to hand out tickets. No one admits that the funding is a reason. The lie is that these actions are for public safety or traffic enforcement. This has been flushed away when a benefit is introduced. I jokingly say if they would give firefighters qualified immunity for lighting fires, we would see more grease fires when a business doesn’t start coughing up money for a fire marshal’s safety infraction findings. Its okay, they are there to protect you.

Feel free to look into it yourself but look out for the Road Pirates. Bureaucrats come in uniforms too. There is a libertarian solution, but feel free to tell your local govt that our people in this state are hurting right now. Take care.

https://www.waff.com/2020/03/30/alea-troopers-still-out-full-force-watch-your-speed/

The Matters w/ Matt: Re-Answering Self Help Questions

I find myself disgusted and fascinated both by advice columns. I laugh and cringe when it comes to old standby’s like Dear Abby and the formerly great Dear Prudence. It is one thing that I secretly believe that Dear Abby staffers ghost write many of the letters but it is equally detestable that the advice given is clearly given by someone with a horrifically snowflake slanted position. I think that people, especially men, get terrible advice that will steer them wrong. I don’t blame anyone that calls advice column responses tripe. I always wanted to correct their responses and help society by being an utmost asshole, (hat tip to Aaron Clarey @ Asshole Consulting).

 

Consider this gem, originally from Slate’s Dear Prudence (laughably from Danny Lavery, who changes names/identities more often than I change work pants).

             My girlfriend hates it when I eat garlic: I’ve been with my girlfriend for three years. We love each other, but she hates the fact that I eat garlic a lot and has given me an ultimatum to not eat it when we’re together. I just can’t stop doing it, though. I was raised with it, a lot of my favorite foods have it, and I can’t stop feeling like she’s trying to police what I eat. She says eating garlic is very inconsiderate of me and argues a lot about it with me. Who’s right?

 

Here is my answer:

You are asking the wrong questions. Do you want to be with someone that controls you? Do you honestly think that she will respect you further down the road? If you don’t establish a boundary/boundaries with her, she wont stick around or respect you. You easily can find yourself as a resource instead of a lover. Take my advice; call her on her demands. Don’t give up garlic. Tell her she is more than welcomed to leave. If she leaves or throws a fit; she doesn’t love you. It is time to find someone else that likes garlic or doesn’t have a sense of smell. Good luck and stay happy.

 

I don’t imagine that I will have a shortage of letters to answer. I would love to start doing this for anyone that sends me an email. If this is you; email us at freemattpodcast@gmail.com

If you hate advice columns; I don’t blame you. If it isn’t soft people giving advice; it is clueless morons writing in and airing dirty laundry. Till next week.

Don’t Create an Enemy When A Person is Useful to You

I see the transgression to this idea quite often in our country’s leadership. (I have spun the idea that it is in bad taste to go out and look for an enemy, or even create an enemy, when you have few people backing you up). But within the lessons of history, you shouldn’t repeat other people’s errors. Learn from the past; don’t create your own enemies.

I scratch my head quite often when it comes to our President, aka President D.J. Trump. I understand the marketing element of “us vs. them” and one of my least favorite things I have heard rolling out of the mouths of the flapping heads on Fox News: “firing up the base”. (Off topic: When people used to fire up the base, they were smoking freebase cocaine). But creating enemies is not a good practice.

I am also under the impression that when you are from the outside of the normal political mechanization you usually don’t have a lot of friends or help. I noticed this in the few conservative media outlets that had presenters touting the sweetheart candidates and the most “Party acceptable” candidates. He had a few folks cheering for him and they were the outsider types. DJT took a few endorsements from faltering political types. He even had a few of them join up with him after he won. With little support on the inside; he made it through to the end and he steamrolled the big game.

I am one of the few people that have accepted good help from people I couldn’t stand. I benefited from information and resources from morally bankrupt folks I knew in the military. I learned skills from folks that lived way outside of what I believe to be productive. I disagreed with many of them but I welcomed the help and information. I learned about operating in unknown territory, especially where I had no knowledge of the turf.

This is where our President went astray. Being from the outside, he had few people behind him. He actually had a few people from his own party that bad mouth him in the press, sounding like sore ass losers that hate the fact that he pulled off a giant coup of sorts, (hat tip to Oven Mitt Romney for showing his true colors). But he has had a few policy people try to help him or at least the kind of people that don’t mind making their rounds. People that know where their bread is buttered. The President finds a way to tick them off and chase them away, (usually lambasting them through the foghorn of social media). But I must discourage him from this kind of action.

I feel that he has made a great error as of lately when he “fog horned” Rep Thomas Massie (KY). It was an obtuse response to a legitimate issue. Decorum, Robert’s Rules, and the ways that things are run are important. This is something that a politician would know but a non-politician would miss. (This is why I have always said that one of the most important jobs in Washington DC is the Parliamentarian). During an emotional time, it takes a level headed person to make sure things are done by the “up and up”.

I would appreciate the heads up. I would rather put my best foot forward instead of throwing together a bill that would falter. (yes, I find that stimulus bills are beneficial now and hurtful down the road. We should have learned our lessons when GW Bush gave us our own money and hit us up for the taxes later).  It might take someone outside of my tight circle to help me save face. I encourage DJT to take the tip and not create an enemy.

Not Knowing Your Constituency and Who You Rule Over

It doesn’t matter if you use the term tone deaf or cultural ignorance, you easily can screw up your position or find yourself out of power. The US helped make people feel inferior in Somalia by doing small things like showing villagers the bottoms of their feet, the French soldiers felt up female parishioners heading towards prayer service, and one of my personal favorites; a politician who was running for a political office using the term “n*gger” when he was addressing a group of minorities when he was still trying to use an outdated term “negro”. All of these examples are a failure in leadership and an inability to understand who you rule over.

There is only so much a person is willing to put up with. Most people don’t mind a few assholes drinking and whooping it up but most don’t want their kids killed by a drunk driver. No one minds a bunch of weirdos moving into town until they start poisoning a restaurant so they can throw an election. I have lived in a few towns where drugs were sold. No one really cared until homes were broken into and needles found near a playground. Overseas military bases in quiet towns are tolerated until a jacked-up jarhead rapes a teenager. (Before you get onto me, a war was started over things like this in 1282). It makes sense to know this before things blew up in your face.

One of the smartest “rulers” (I knew) ran a drug distribution ring out of a house in a neighborhood. He knew to be concerned about the neighbors. His “employees” knew not to play their stereos loudly. They knew not to tear up the neighbors yards when backing out and maneuvering vehicles. He was mindful of the needs of the neighborhood, even to the point of engaging in community relations projects of a military scale. His neighborhood was not his undoing, people spoke of his presence in a good light, not like the scumbag that I knew who led deadbeats into my neighborhood.

Understanding culture and the limits of it are the way to keep yourself in power. If you transgress; you easily can find yourself on the losing end of an unseen battle. Even to the point of handing a weaker enemy free support due to your ignorance. Know the chess pieces, know the battlefield.

Spam Comment Goldmine

On occasion; I am forced into poking through my spam comments. Once a year I find someone that has legitimately tried to comment on a posting. WordPress is far from perfect. I dont always receive a notification. Today was the day that I decided to share with you the irony and the comedy of the truly offkey spam comments.

Someone blatantly wanted to try and advertise ceramic hairdryers (or at least their blog) here. The irony is that both myself and the deceased GG Allin were known to be bald the vast majority of the time.

This “JamesEncop” is clearly a computer program belonging to a low end thrid party advertising scam. What “he” failed to do was note that he called the Southern Poverty Law Center “long term alcohol rehab near me. I call the SPLC leftists and a few other things but a rehab center?

Another rehab advertisement attempt from computerized idiot “JamesEcop”. Using his logic, Madonna teaches women a lesson which is that they should check themselves into a local cocaine rehab “near me”. Safe to say that I dont imagine that was my initial point in writing that posting.

To give all the cats the best life possible, be a better man, try helping another man.

We had an emotional set of days surrounding Kobe and his daughters passing. I had several serious postings. But “xcougars.one” thought it was serious enough to think I would post this comment about “older women dating younger men”. The computerized advertising algorithm was clearly off. Comically off. Death does not equal cougar dating.

 

This is an additional post to what I usually make. Please be better and love one another.

What I’ve Been Reading, Listening to, And Noticing This Week

Reading: Im starting to think we are the suckers. Immigrants in France, young people in Florida, and a handful of other people. (Never mind we can keep an abortion clinic open but gyms and churches need to close)

 

https://thepalmierireport.com/watch-migrants-in-france-refuse-to-comply-with-chinavirus-quarantine/

 

Additional Reading: Although it is a short read, it packs many mentions of idiocy. I am starting to think that we can trigger the triggerable back into some semblance of the real world. It would be our gift to humanity so we don’t repeat history.

 

https://www.salisburyreview.com/uncategorised/universities-asylums-for-the-weak-minded/

 

Listening: Even if you are a “Koch-hater”, Reason comes up with good stuff. It might be a few months old but this edition has punch. Our government’s over reaction to vaping will be to our detriment. Personal responsibility should have more pull.

 

https://reason.com/podcast/anti-vaping-panic-will-kill-more-people-than-it-saves/

 

Noticing: Our country, as per creatures of our species, have a completely bonkers way to look at things. We have to close places of worship because of close quarters and large gatherings. We are also supposed to hold off elective procedures and non-essential medical procedures. The irony is that human meat shops (or as you call them abortion clinics) largely have an out. We are more than deserving of wrath now. This is just a warmup. Without the religious element; biology is thinning out our species. Idiocy is helping it out too.