APPLAUSE? JUST ANOTHER CASE OF THE CLAP

Warning:  This is straight from the Kurmujjin.  Neat.  Straight up. No soda.  No water. It has been clear to me for years, years! that very often, applause is the sound of two hands clapping because their brain doesn't know what else to do with them at the moment.
Applause at the end of a movie?
Applause at the end of a list of announcements communicating the week's schedule?  
Applause at the end of a YouTube.com projection?
Save your applause for when I die.  Then I'll know what it means.
I was about 5 years old when my aunt Pearl took me to the movie, "Dumbo, the Flying Elephant."  It was my first time at the movies, and so I fussed and complained and cried when we had to sit through all the preliminary, incomprehensible [to a five-year old] stuff like the newsreel and the introductory cartoon.  It wasn't Dumbo, so I was grousing.  Finally, Dumbo came on and it was rather nice and I behaved.  In fact, I was so docile that it earned me a trip to see the "Song of the South" a year or so later.  I liked the "Song of the South" better than Dumbo. Don't ask me why.  I don't know, "Why," I just know.
After Dumbo, neither I nor my aunt applauded.  After "Song of the South" we didn't applaud.  Many people did.  I asked, both times, "Why aren't we clapping?"  The response was the same both times, "There's no one to clap for.  It's just a movie."  It made sense to me then.  It made more sense to me as I grew older...and older...and older.  It even made sense to me when I was moved to deep appreciation by the story.  I didn't clap for "Shane."  I didn't even clap for my total favorite, "Shawshank Redemption."  I have NEVER clapped after watching non personal phenomena.  I have never clapped at my computer.  
I think that applause is to show recognition to a live person for work well done.  That means that if you do not do good work, I will not applaud.  Least of all, I will not stand.  I have sat still in an audience that was applauding a piece of crap performance.  The performance was so bad that people were talking to one another as it was unfolding.  Then they gave a standing ovation.  They really did!  This happened to me when I was in my early 30's.  The IQ of the masses has a below freezing chill factor.  Some have the gaul to talk during the performance and then sneer at the person who listened in silence, albeit sacrificial silence, and then refused to congratulate the performer via applause.  
I one time had a conversation in which the participant in the conversation asked, "Aren't you afraid to hurt the performer's feelings?"  Huh?  Hell, no.  I suffered though his incompetence, he can suffer through my silence.  I had to pay for him/her to make me suffer.  He/she can suffer though my silence while he/she pockets my contribution to his/her emolument.
This thought came to me this morning when a congregation of which I was a part applauded at the end of a YouTube.com projection.  I enjoyed the show.  I enjoyed the song that it contained.  Applaud?  Are you kidding me?  
Don't tell me that I don't know what I'm talking about.  I have discussed this with numerous people throughout the years.  Their position is always the same: "I liked it, so I applauded.  If I like something I applaud."  That's fairly highly sophisticated thinking.  I applaud myself for liking something.  I never thought of that.  With my ego, I'd have swollen hands at the end of every day from applauding my admirable successes achieved from morning 'til night.  Come to think of it, I'm glad I don't clap because I like something.  I only clap to congratulate others, who are present and who can actually hear my entousiastic expression of satisfaction for their work.


You all have my permission, nay, my invitation, to applaud my departure from the earthly stage, even in my cold, rigor mortified state, right in front of me.  If you do that, at least you won't be crying.

WEALTH REDISTRIBUTION

I totally do not agree with this poster.  It is because it is too simple.  Simple statements that purport to describe complex realities are untruthful.  Let me tell you about REDISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH IN THE USA and its definition of being THEFT.



CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS:  If this is not THEFT, what is?
I want to get elected. I don't have the funds.  So you give your money to me and I use it to denigrate my opponent so that I can get elected.  You have been robbed by way of wealth redistribution.


ONE PERSON,ONE VOTE:  CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS are grand larceny because they redistribute wealth and they buy influence, otherwise known as bribery. We, as citizens, are limited to having one vote.  Campaign contributors get three [at least] votes, a-the support by way of the contribution; b-the influence that the money bought [the fruit of the bribe] c-the vote at the polls.


MEDICARE: The government takes 1.45% of everything I make and applies it to the medicare account of the whole country.  Then, when I finally get to be eligible for medicare, the government makes me pay $94.00 per month for medicare coverage.  So did they steal the original 1.45% or are they stealing the $1,000.00 per year that they are taking from me now? Or is it THEFT X 2?


MERCENARIES:  Paying XE for its services is a redistribution of my "wealth" that I definitely consider to be THEFT.  


RECONSTRUCTION CARPET BAGGERS: Halliburton, Kellogg, et al.  Redistribution of wealth on a grand scale.  Grand Larceny scale.


INCOME TAX ON SERIES E "SAVINGS" BONDS: Here's the deal.  Buy $10,000.00 of series E federal bonds in 2000.  Redeem them for 11,750.00 in 2010.  Pay the IRS capital gains tax on the $ 1,750.00.  The government thrives on the income from stolen money.  You let them use your 10 grand for ten years.  They pay you interest and then take back a portion in income tax.
Bullshit!


PROFESSIONAL SPORTS STADIA: Billionnaire Joe Blow who owns the NFL "Sour Nectar Hummingbirds" wants a new stadium.  Does he invest in it?  Hell no!  He steals the money from the residents of his business hinterland and doesn't improve the quality of the team.  Aggravated Grand Larceny.


MILITARY PARAPHERNALIA:  Proliferation of redundant military hardware. The Air Force has the F-xx.  The Navy is jealous, so it wants the N-xxx[2].  The Marines get their noses out of joint and they demand an extra, super deluxe G-AAAxxx, or else.  This Jesse James and Billy the Kid competition has got to stop. I am sick and tired of being RIPPED OFF.
As a country here's what we do:  3 fighters; 3 transports, three helicopters; three drones.  All of them the same color, take it or leave it.


PORK BARREL:  You want pork?  Go kill your own pig.  Leave mine alone.  Redistribute the wealth in your own district.  If you can't steal their money, you sure as hell ain't gonna get mine.


WAR: pre-emptive:  THEFT OF $; THEFT OF CHILDREN; THEFT OF PARENTS. STOP IT.  GET OUT. 


POST-WAR REPARATIONS:  I didn't ask you to go to war. Don't steal my money to fix your mistake.


SELF-DEFENSE WAR:  They started it.  Part of loosing is rebuilding to repair the arrogance of the invader.


INFRASTRUCTURE: Do I have to pay for a road, bridge or port repair 3,000 miles away? No.  So don't steal it from me.


GASOLINE TAX:  You steal 24.8 cents per gallon from me to spread around to my fellow citizens all around the country.  Then you tell me that you can do nothing about the cost of gasoline.  My roads are still full of pot holes and my bridges are still unsafe.  I can only conclude that this redistribution of wealth is GRAND LARCENY.


Remember:  If you charge me to pay again for something that I have a right to own because you took my money in the first place, you are the criminal, not me.  You owe me, not vice versa.  [Cfr. Social Security; Medicare]


Notice that these are the things that form our accustomed way of life.  Let's be honest with ourselves and examine the ways to change them too.