The 1% and where do I fit in.

First off let me start off by saying that this is just my opinion,and well you know what they say about opinions. I am sure everyone has heard of the takeover Wall Street movement that has been going on,and the talk about the 1%. After reading about the Wall Street take over I am still not sure what they are trying to accomplish,or what their message is. The main thing that I get out of it though is that rich people are evil and they don’t pay enough taxes. It may be an oversimplification but until I hear something coherent coming from them this is what I will go with. I decided to look up who these 1% are that are holding all the money.

The first person is Bill Gates,net worth 59 Billion. Microsoft employs 94,000 people worldwide. That is a lot of jobs created by his company. Other people rounding out the list are the Walton family who own Wal-Mart,and you can’t go a mile without seeing a store that employs a ton of people. My point is without the one percent creating jobs the other 99% of us would not have jobs. One of the main issues that hit home with me living in the suburbs of Michigan is people that were against the bailouts of the automakers. Without the automakers in Michigan the unemployment rate would be higher than the 11% it is now here. Now the automakers are thriving, and the loans have been paid back with interest. Are there evil rich people?Of course there are. Just as well as there are those people that abuse the welfare system. We support these people with our taxes,where is the outcry for this. In Michigan our governor Rick Snyder said that people that are collecting welfare were only allowed to collect welfare for four years.

There is a real sense of entitlement in this country. Instead of asking how people can become one of the 1 percent they want to bring the one percent down to their level. It is getting dangerously close to socialism. We have seen how that worked. There is no drive anymore to do better. I am definitely not in the one percent,but I don’t blame anyone but myself. I could have done a ton better in school,I could have got a scholarship,but I screwed around. There is nobody to blame but myself. I don’t expect anyone to give me anything. I went to school,got a degree at 40 and am working my way back up. There have been calls for the 1% to give more to charity. I would hate it if people told me how to spend my money that I earned. Do I think giving to charity is good?Of course but I am not going to tell other people to do it. I guess in closing what I am trying to say is take some self responsibility for you life. Be the best you,you can be. This is what this country was founded on. Take responsibility for your life,get out there and kick ass.

Humble Beginnings

“Quiet you’ll scare it away.” Irons whispered to his companion. He targeted the deer from his spot in the tree and let fly with his bow. The deer was already running. “Oh bloody hell! We have been at this all day, and you scare the only deer we see away.” He turned to his companion Vanlyn who was looking sheepishly around. “You know this isn’t my thing. I would rather be on the ground in my house reading.” Vanlyn said. “Well we are not going to get anything here. Let’s head up a little further up the mountain.” Vanlyn groaned “Do we really need to do that?” “Now Vanlyn you know we can’t go back empty handed.” Irons said as he started to climb down the tree. “We need to bring something back for the Midsummers Feast.” Vanlyn climbed down tree after Irons. The air was cool in the morning dusk. Even in the middle of summer, the air was ten degrees colder even though they had not even gone that far up into the mountains yet. Vanlyn shivered as they followed the path farther up into the Mountains of Mist.

   

     Irons studied the ground as they walked down the path. “It looks like nothing has been moving around here for a while.” Vanlyn looked around. “I don’t hear any birds chirping at all. It is too quiet. Something has them spooked.” Irons slung his bow over his shoulder and put his hand on the handle of his dagger. “Let’s take a look. Try and keep quiet.” The boys crept along the trail, alert for any movement. “It’s way too quiet here” Irons said. At that moment there was a roar and a rustling through the woods to the left of them. “Run!” Irons yelled he headed up the path pulling Vanlyn along with him. Irons took a look behind them. Fifty yards down the trail was the biggest bear he had ever seen. He pulled Vanlyn off the path and headed to a tree and started climbing. He looked back to see Vanlyn right behind him. Irons knew this would only be a temporary escape. He looked around and saw that the trees were close together. He started hopping from branch to branch hoping to keep ahead of the bear. He could hear the brush rustling behind them. “This is so not good” he thought.

     He looked behind him and saw that Vanlyn was keeping up gamely. Sixteen years of hard life in the border town that they lived in had at least beaten that into him. He stopped and drew out his bow holding his fingers to his lips to make sure Vanlyn kept quiet. He drew the bow back and fell into his concentration. He would only get one shot at this. He looked and saw the bear come into the clear. He concentrated and all that was left was him and the bear. He concentrated on a spot just behind the foreleg that was facing them. He let fly. The arrow hit home and he heard the bear let out a roar. He was already reaching to his hip for another arrow. The bear kept coming with the arrow sticking out its side like a porcupine needle coming ever closer. Irons let another arrow fly. The arrow hit a tree just above the barreling bear. He looked back at Vanlyn and he was readying his sling to take a shot. He saw his lips moving and muttering please, please, please. Vanlyn let fly and hit the bear square between the eyes. It dropped. Irons looked back at him incredulously. Vanlyn just shrugged. They waited up in the tree for about 10 minutes to make sure it was dead. There was no movement. The boys climbed down to take a look at the bear. It was at least 500 pounds and black as the night. Irons took a look at the head would. The rock had penetrated it’s skull and went into its brain, killing it instantly.

      He turned to Vanlyn. “How did you do that?” Vanlyn shrugged. “I was pleading to let the shot be true. I let fly and you saw the rest.” Irons looked at him skeptically, but had no other explanation. “Well we better let the rest of the hunting party know. We are going to need help getting this thing out of here.” Irons slung his bow over his shoulder and started walking. They ran into the hunting party about a half an hour later. The hunting party consisted of their fathers, Old man Farley the Inn Keep and Mayor of the village. Irons looked at his father Duncan. “We killed a bear and need help getting it down from the mountain.” Duncan whistled through his teeth. “You two killed a bear? I told you to be careful and to not go too far away.” Irons looked at his feet. “We did not want to come back empty handed. We were trying to be careful. Vanlyn killed it with a lucky shot.” Ian Vanlyns father looked down at his son. “Is this true son?” Vanlyn shrugged sheepishly. “I guess so. Vanlyn got in a shot too.”  “Well let’s go and see this bear.” Duncan rumbled.

          The arrived at the body and Duncan whistled through his teeth. “You boys could have been killed. You were very lucky.” “I know dad.” Irons mumbled. “But we aren’t.” “You survived only through serious dumb luck.” Duncan rumbled. “Let’s get this bear back to the village.” Duncan ordered. “I think we have had enough excitement for one day.” They started making a litter to take the bear back to the camp. Later that night Duncan, Ian and Inn Keeper Farley sat in the Inn common room drinking ale and looking disturbed. “There is no way that Vanlyn should have been able to make that shot.” Duncan rumbled. “Hell none of us probably could have.” Ian spoke up. “For all our sakes I hope it was dumb luck. I don’t want to consider the alternatives. It is not time yet” Aye” the Inn Keeper said. They still have much to learn.” The all looked at each other worriedly.