About Me

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Kymberlie Ingalls is native to the Bay Area in California. She is a pioneer in blogging, having self-published online since 1997. Her style is loose, experimental, and a journey in stream of consciousness. Works include personal essay, prose, short fictional stories, and a memoir in progress. Thank you for taking a moment of your time to visit. Beware of the occasional falling opinions. For editing services: http://www.rainfallpress.com/

Thursday, April 28, 2011

The Orly and Trump Hookup



What a banner day here in the United States.  I understood why Kennedy, before his untimely death, was tainted due to his affair with Marilyn.  I understand that Clinton, charming as he was, made an ass of himself and Hillary with all of his gallivanting about with his many flings.  And what isn’t there to understand about Hillbilly George?

What I don’t get is a President of the United States being as disrespected as is currently happening with Barack Obama.  The man is our boss, our head honcho, our leader.  And he may have his hands tied, or has failed to keep some of his campaign promises, but good God, look at the “legacy” he was left.  Are you kidding me?

There is no doubt in my unpolitically correct mind that President and First Lady Obama may as well have been scuttled in the back door of the White House on Inauguration Day for all the respect they’ve been shown by the media, the Republicans, and various celebrity citizens of our nation.  Nobody even refers to them by title anymore, especially in the so-called journalism media.  It’s “Obama” and “Michelle.”  While I appreciate President Obama’s casual approach to his country, and his willingness to embrace social media as a means to reach out to a younger generation, they still have earned those titles, and deserve the respect that this office used to hold in the public eye. 

They do not deserve the mudslinging in the press conferences, the belittling for non-political issues, and the hatred that has infected certain demographics.  Used to be, when the President gave a speech, everyone listened.  They didn’t throw tantrums, speak out in disrespect, and lead movements to prove the President was a U.S. citizen! 

I was appalled enough that the state of Hawaii was issuing out copies of the President’s, of anyone’s¸ birth certificate at a hundred bucks a copy like it was a tourist souvenir.  But my question has always been – if I could pay this fee to get whatever “proof” this certificate provides, why the hell couldn’t Trump, or Orly, or any of the other nutjobs do the same?  And in this day of technology, Trump could probably have my birth certificate on his screen within the hour, according to all the hype about the power of Google and nobody’s identity being safe anymore. 

I find it even more revolting that these people have come so far with their antics, and that they’ve gotten the attention they have.  I never knew who Orly Taitz was, honestly, until this morning when she got her come-uppance on the interview seen here: 


I find it ironic that this is all coming from a woman who has lived here since 1987 and still can barely speak English.  As for Trump’s crusade, he’s just proving himself to be the ass we know him to be.  The only time he gets real attention is when he picks a fight with someone, so why not go for the jugular?  Why not attack the person highest on the totem pole?  Watching him spew his thugness on the public is downright nauseating. 

Watching President Obama come back with a simple, curt  "I haven't had time to deal with this silliness." was refreshing and showcased perfectly the reason I first was taken with the man back in 2007.  He's always had the desire to cut through the b.s. - save the forest, stop trying to save the trees by pissing on them.

Baratunde Thurston said this:  “I hope that eventually, not just in the post-mortal world of karma and spiritual justice, Mr. Trump pays an exceptional price – I hope that price comes during his life.” 

To Baratunde, I say this:  Wouldn’t the irony be that the idiot miraculously is elected President?  He has defecated the title, now let him stand with his feet in the shit-pile of his own making.




© Kymberlie Ingalls

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Evil, thy name is John Steigerwald

I have had a lot on my mind lately - death, family, friends.  Ordinarily, I skim through the news and see what's going on in the world as I start my day, much like any of us do.  Little surprises me, much less leaves an icy disdain to wash over me as I try to put my contempt into words.  It's my job, to voice my reactions, my inner workings of the mind. 

Today that is all shot to hell.

I just read an article on the Observer-Reporter, a newspaper based out of Pennsylvania, where this pompous jackwad spewed his opinion as to why Bryan Stow, a fan of the San Francisco Giants, was beaten into a coma for doing nothing more than attending a baseball game.  Bryan was accosted by Dodgers fans after the game, attacked without mercy, and now his horrified family looks on as he lies in a coma fighting for his life. 

Enter Steigerwald, who claims it's Stow's fault he was beaten - he showed up wearing the jersey, after all.  "Maybe someone can ask Stow, if he ever comes out of his coma, why he thought it was a good idea to wear Giants' gear to a Dodgers' home opener..." 

Hey, let's ask that girl over there, after she's done with the intensely invasive rape exam, the harsh realism of her new world, and the exhausting trial why she thought it was a good idea to wear a miniskirt?

My husband is a Green Bay Packers fan.  He's not overzealous about it, but he wears plenty of attire throughout the season to show his support for the team of Cheese.  This past Superbowl, he sat in a restaurant full of people rooting for the Steelers, proudly wearing his GBP shirt, with a GBP mug in hand that he brought from home.  When the Packers won, he, Packer Girl Sarah, and one other guy were the only ones cheering. 

I cannot fathom that he could have lost his life because of it.  My brain can't even process the thought.

All my numbed mind can process at the moment is "WTF?!"  John Steigerwald really, actually voiced his opinion that he felt men who wear jerseys to support their teams simply have daddy issues and need to grow up.  And this newspaper, likely knowing the controversy it would be stirring up - how could they not? - had the audacity to run with it.  I'm not familiar with this publication, but before the day is over, they will know my thoughts. 

I want to encourage you to do the same.  "Due to an overwhelming response, comments have been stopped."  You can, however, contact Steigerwald here:  http://www.justwatchthegame.com  And the newspaper can be contacted here:  http://www.observer-reporter.com/OR/ContactUs/

My instinct is screaming at me to spew right back with my knee-jerk reaction, which is that no ratings, publicity or attention that they will garner as a result of this pig's inhuman thoughts are worth the souls that they sold when they decided to unleash it upon what is left of humanity, but that wouldn't be very mature of me.

I have no idea who Bryan's wife or children are, who his parents are - I actually haven't been following this story very closely, just random thoughts of how awful it all was.  But right now I am thinking of this poor family keeping vigil over this man, and then being slapped across the face by this article so hard it's sure to leave a welt. 

How would you like to stare at the face in mirror who delivered that slap?  Suddenly, "Despicable Me" has a whole new face. 

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

The Civil Rights Of Mary Jane


Tom Petty - Last Dance With Mary Jane

I was listening to an interesting call on the Len Tillem (“I’m a lawyah!”) show on KGO Newstalk radio today.  A man called in wanting to know if he could sue a company (PG&E) for refusing him unemployment for being a prescripted pothead… er.. for using medical marijuana.  He felt, as everyone does these days, that this was worthy for him to cash in on a lawsuit because his civil rights to inflict his fuzzy-minded self on the workplace had been violated.

It posed an aspect to this issue I’d not yet thought of. 

See, here’s the thing – my husband doesn’t partake in the happy weed, nor have I ever.  I also haven’t had a drink in over a decade and have never dabbled in recreational drugs.  My badgirlness erupted in other ways, trust me.  But I have a lot of chronic physical pain that keeps me down more than up, am not a surgery candidate (never know whether to be thankful for this or not), and tend to lean more toward homeopathic methods (ongoing physical therapy, narcotics are a last resort).  But he has been researching hydroponics for his new business venture, and this is an industry closely associated with marijuana growing. 

In his research, he has become convinced that medical marijuana is not a bad way to go.  It’s organic and relatively safe (as in, despite the convictions of Reefer Madness does not come with a thousand side effects), therefore isn’t exactly the wet dream of a pharmaceutical corporation.  He has yet to convince me that this will be my miracle drug, for a multitude of reasons, but this puts me one step further away.

I work for the local school district as an adult education instructor, and while they didn’t drug-test upon hiring (which surprised me, actually), they could at any time.  And I like what I do – I wouldn’t want to jeopardize that, or any new opportunities that may come along.

Medical or not, the buzzweed has a stigma attached.  It’s not a sign I’m looking to hang around my neck.  What perpetuates the negativity for me is that there is too much irresponsibility running wild in the world.  We all make a huge deal over drunk drivers, but little is said about the stoners who are out driving around, or performing work tasks that they likely shouldn’t be.  I can’t help but wonder how many “accidents” in the workplace (that then result in workman’s comp or civil suits) are caused because the saw wasn’t the only thing buzzing.  It’s not a figment of my imagination – it’s been seen right up close in my own crowd.  My friend’s brother is set to stoned 24/7, drives all over hell and back, works with the public, and the only thing the family responds with is “but if he didn’t, he’d be too psychotic for society.”  Yep, self-medication is absolutely the answer.  Take his homicidal urges away for the day and send him out into the world.  Let’s hope he doesn’t plow into anyone or cause some other harm.

Just seems to me that, like with any other body-altering substance, care should be taken, and usage should be sparing.  How do you expect, honestly, to drive, work, etc when under any kind of influence?  So maybe this is what we need to heavily consider before going all willy-nilly overboard with medicating ourselves in any way.  Companies have every right, by law, to deny employment based upon drug tests.  And we are a seriously unemployed nation already – why add to the deck that’s stacked against us?

© Kymberlie Ingalls


Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Today's Assignment: Discipline 101

"Colorado police and school officials are defending a decision to pepper spray a second grade boy who threatened to kill his teachers."

I'm not honestly sure how I feel about this story.  An eight-year-old child is subject to an adult punishment, but where do we draw the line on how to discipline these kids?  Aidan Elliot is not a typical eight-year-old.  He didn't simply yell out "I hate you!" like any other kid would.  He threatened the lives of his teachers, and he did it with specificities following a violent tantrum, and it's not his first time. 

By his own admission, Aidan admits this.  "I said I'm going to kill you once you get out of that room."  I think the part that gets me is his mom, Mandy Elliot, seems quick to push the blame on to the school.  "I think there is a problem, but it's with school and Aidan," - just because the boy is doing his venting at school, doesn't mean the school is the root of the problem.  Not that every parent of a child with behavioral problems is to blame, but there's something more going on here than not liking a few teachers. 

One site's story claims "Aidan told Good Morning America that he regrets his behavior, but when asked if he meant to injure the teachers with the piece of wood, he said, "Kind of.""

Another reports "By the time police arrived, young Aidan was in a full-blown meltdown. He had ripped molding from the wall and tossed chairs and a TV cart around the classroom. He had grabbed a stick and chased his teachers into the office, where they locked themselves in. “I wanted to make something sharp,” he told NBC News. “I was so mad at them.”"

But now, here's another side of the coin, and why it makes it so hard to form an opinion in these stories.  The police are claiming that they demanded Aidan drop his 'weapon,' and when he refused, they sprayed hm.  Aidan is claiming the other way around.  "He said that he had already dropped the stick when police sprayed him. “The first time they said it, I just kind of did it slowly and then once it touched the ground, that’s when it happened.”" 

Who are we to believe?  This brings much weight to the old adage - there are always three sides to every story : his, hers and the truth.  Do we believe a child now that he's calmed down from his rage?  Or do we take the word of police officers, who are garnering a bad name for themselves in the press lately when it comes to truth-telling?  Authority, in general, has shot their own credibility in the ass.  I speak from personal experience. 

If the officers sprayed a no-longer-armed child, it's reprehensible.  If they sprayed an 'armed' child, it's extreme and unnecessary.  But then again, had they simply overtaken the child, even in a reasonable matter, to take away his stick, that would have set them up for a violence suit.  Talking doesn't always work.  It's a great first attempt, but as someone trained in negotiations of conflicts, as well as in crisis matters, it really doesn't always work. 

There is no right answer, but a lawsuit isn't warranted here.  Money will not solve everything, he was already in therapy so this incident doesn't make that a sudden necessary thing.  Aidan admits he has behavioral issues, his mom knows he has issues, and he wasn't physically scarred from the incident.  If the officers behaved inappropriately, they need to be disciplined - no doubt about that. 

I hate to say it, but maybe Aidan can take away the experience that part of managing his anger is to think about it first, and during a rage episode too.  It's never to early to learn from our life experiences, good or bad. 


(c) Kymberlie Ingalls

Saturday, April 2, 2011

No Texting While Driving ... Until May 1st?

"Happy April and Happy Distracted Driving Awareness Month. The CHP wants you to put down your cell phone and your lunch and concentrate on driving. They're going to be focusing on catching distracted drivers all month long. CHP Sgt. Trent Cross says the call or text only seems important until you kill yourself or someone else." - KGO Newstalk 810, via Facebook

So, if you're a California driver and don't want to get the ticket, take a rest until May.  Let's face facts though - these 'warnings' aren't going to deter anyone until they are actually cited and it starts adding up.  But my question is this;  This law has been in effect for well over a year, why the hell do they only 'crack down' on an odd month here and there?  If it's such a dangerous offense (I read yesterday that texting one message is the equivelent to driving under the influence of four beers), why not work hard to enforce it every day?

Think how much money our broke-ass state could be raking in if they would do this cracking down on cell phone use and texting all the time?  I understand, there are 'more important' crimes out there, but it irks me to no end when I see patrol cars and CHP just cruising around looking for their next target, but will be sitting in traffic right next to offenders who may as well shove their iPhones up the officer's nose before being noticed.  What really burns me is that officers are apparently exempt from the hands-free policies, as I see them constantly with their own phones glued to the side of their head, and judging by the joviality that is usually accompanying the conversation, it's difficult to believe it's work-related.  Maybe they feel their time is wasted on such a 'petty' offense, but I see it as a serious cash cow in this state of CaliIt'sAllAboutMeFornia.

It's not hard.  Get a bluetooth headset.  I have issues remembering to charge mine, so I use an old fashioned wired headset.  It's easy to plug it in before starting up the car, and calls when driving are rarely for casual conversing.  I much prefer the conversation of my stereo. 

But seriously, why only focus on April fools?  Isn't a life worth the saving, and a lesson worth teaching,  any other month of the year?

Friday, April 1, 2011

April Showers Bring Fools In Power

This blog caught my eye today, and for one brief, glimmering moment, an unfamiliar sensation washed over me from head to toe.  For the three minutes it took to read, I completely forgot what day it was.

Here are some highlights:

Great news today out of Washington DC: We are hearing first reports of a marathon meeting between republicans and democrats. They agreed on 10 points:
    Democrats agreed not to raise taxes while republicans promised that everyone would pay taxes proportional to their income – no tax shelters, no acceptance of ways to ‘save’ on taxes. The additional funds raised will pay for the following:
  •     Every child in America will receive a personal laptop on entering elementary school. This laptop will have wireless capacity and come packed with educational and fun games as well as e-book capacity.
  •     Teachers will receive salary increases to a mid level company managerial equivalent, along with bonuses for working in low-income areas.
  •     Every young person who finishes high school with university grades will receive financial credits that will cover their tuition at a state university.
  •     Each freshman will receive a hand-held tablet with a yearly credit to buy academic books in electronic form.
This program will come into effect on April 1st, a day that will hereafter be celebrated as April Future Day. Anyone who objects to the aforementioned may continue to celebrate April Fools Day. These people will not be discriminated against, merely pitied.

I consider April 1st to be a celebration of sorts.  There isn't a day that goes by that I don't proudly, and somewhat shyly too, carry the title of Fool.  This is generally due to my longings that betray my cynicisms.  So, bring on the cake!  Hang the balloons!  It is a day I am free to be me (cue Sammy Davis Jr.)!

As I read this amazing list of things that are fair and just, I couldn't help but think - why isn't this possible??  Why can't our taxes be shifted to focus on covering our basic primary needs, as a society?  Education, health, and community.  I'm not much of a history scholar, but how did this country of ours manage to get so, so far off track? 

Technology is an amazing thing.  Wouldn't it be absolutely fabulous for our schools to be able to take advantage of it?  Our children are growing up to be experts in gaming, tweeting, texting and Googling, so imagine what their minds could do with access to an e-reader, textbooks to go on that e-reader, and a way to enter the library of their generation?  Telling them to "go look it up" could be at their fingertips.  And not just the fingers of those with parents who can afford such gadgets.  There are too many children that this luxury is out of reach, but it wouldn't take much to get them a leg up on the ladder.  Surely Microsoft and Apple could take a look at their profit margins and make this a possibility.

I was made a fool of once again, just for believing in this list for a moment or two.  But at least I can be assurred that I am not the only dreamer out there.  Join me as I lift my picket sign up high.


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