Trump happened because...

"Experts" and politicians alike are scared of Trump and are meeting to find out how Trump happened. I'd like to speak the obvious and give them the answers that are right in front of them... Clearly, they are blind, deaf, and dumb.

Trump happened because you're corrupt
 - you are elected and paid to represent your constituents. You don't. You represent big business. You are bought off, you are bought and paid for by big business to ignore your obligations and duties and work for them. You are corrupt. You should be fired.

Trump happened because no-one trusts a politician anymore
- you say one thing to get elected and turn around do what you want, err, what the wealthy corporations want. You don't adhere to the Constitution or to your sworn duties. You're liars. You don't help or represent those who elected you. Peasants mean nothing to you once you sit in your comfy liars chair.

Trump happened because we're tired of picking the prettiest turd in a bucket of turds
- you're all the same. We have only been able to vote for the best turd among turds for so long that we're disenchanted. Trump isn't perfect, but he's sure not one of you. You've made that clear by rallying against him. That, in and of itself, should be enough to let people know he's worth looking into.

Trump happened because you don't have balls
- politicians as of late have not had any balls to stand up for America. For all the mess Bush left behind, he had balls. He stood up to our enemies and rallied our allies against the forces that meant harm to America. Y'all? You haven't a set of balls to share among you. You're cowards, pansies. You won't come out and flat-out say you'll take the enemies out. Some have said it, sure. Propaganda. You haven't a plan and you certainly lack the enthusiasm and spirit that Trump has. He knows that sometimes you have to attack and bomb your enemy. He's prepared to do this and doesn't beat around the bush. He knows that diplomacy is a joke when your enemy wants to annihilate you and makes no qualm about it. He's a patriot and believes that we should defend ourselves. Plain and simple. You guys all talk about peace. There will be peace when our enemies are utterly defeated. Be proud you're American and protect Her, ladies!

Trump happened because he believes in a sovereign State with borders
- Trump isn't afraid to state facts. You skirt them. He knows that proper Americans are tired of having virtually no borders. He believes in protecting our citizens, jobs, economy, and sovereignty. We need a wall. We need it armed. We need it yesterday. Y'all want to pander to Mexico and other nations that seek to destroy us from the inside. He seeks to remedy our problems and is vocal about it. As much as so many of you say global this and global that and global citizen, we're deaf to it because the reality and facts are clear. We're Americans, living in America, and citizens of the United States of America. There's no such thing as a global citizen. Period.

Trump happened because you blow our money
- Trump happened because y'all waste our money. Not your money, not the government's money (there's no such thing)...OUR money! You blow it on frivolous items, you spend more than you steal from taxpayers. You buy yourselves cars, houses, hookers, offices, take vacations on our dime. You give it willingly to our enemies, you bail out failing businesses, you can't maintain a budget, but expect us to. You give our money to other nations when it should be given back to our people. You're despicable. He knows how to run a business and keep to a budget. He scared you because bad employees need to be terminated and he'll find a way to fire you. You're FIRED! We the People say so!

Trump happened because he loves veterans
- Trump is willing to stand behind our troops-- both veterans and current members of the armed forces. He believes they should be taken care of. He believes in a strong America. You're all talk. Our current President is a wimp. He cares not for veterans or the men and women in uniform. He bows to foreign powers and regularly screws over our vets. Trump would put a quick end to this disrespect. Veterans groups and active military see him as a strong man and a strong leader. You haven't made a good impression on large groups of veterans and active duty. Trump is a strong man and a leader.

Trump happened because he's not you
- You're all the same. He's not. He's not perfect. He has his flaws. He's human. He's our best shot at making America strong again. Trump doesn't take any crap. He'll make us respected internationally again. Feared by our allies and enemies again. He'll make us abide by a budget again.

Trump happened because you all have let us down. Trump happened because all of you are the same whiny brats. Trump happened because we know that what we see and hear is what we get. He's loud, sometimes obnoxious, etc. Still, he's brutally honest and is willing to stand up to other countries and tells it how it is. He certainly won't bow to other folks. Trump happened because we don't want a politician. We want a leader! Learn from this, folks!

Tobacco Review: Borkum Riff Mixture with Vanilla Cavendish

The other day, I was passing through Jasper and decided to stop at one of our "local"(I'm 35 minutes away from there) tobacco shops to pick up some pipe cleaners and some tobacco. While I was not all that impressed with the lack of selection, the employee was eager to help. He stated that they had a great many people coming in for the Borkum Riff Mixture with Vanilla Cavendish. They only had one pouch left. Usually, I stay away from pouches as I prefer something in a tin or pinched out of a glass container and weighed on the spot. In our area, we don't have that luxury, I'm afraid.

I let them have my $8 and I took it home. I figured I'd try something new. I let the pouch sit for a few days as I didn't have a chance to light up my pipe right away.

I finally had a moment where I could enjoy my pipe and realised I was out of Ambrosia from Lone Star Tobacco. Immediately upon opening the pouch of Borkum Riff Mixture with Vanilla Cavendish, I noticed a nice sweet smell. The tobacco was just the right amount of dry. Usually, I find pouch tobacco to be a bit on the moist side and requiring a few days of drying out on a plate or towel. This was a plus-- I didn't have to dry it out. I could use my pipe right away.


Lighting:
5/5

 I loaded my pipe and went about lighting. The Borkum Riff Mixture with Vanilla Cavendish took a light nicely. It's hard to fault a tobacco for lighting as there's quite a bit of human element involved with loading/tamping. It was dry enough to take a light well and I must credit them for that.



Taste:
2/5

The vanilla, while there, had a strong chemical taste that really robbed from the overall smoking experience. The flavour was kind of ashy and unpleasant with the occasional blast of sweet. I kept hoping that something would come across to balance it all out, but I was left wanting. The tongue bite is strong with this one. I tried smoking it slower, etc. Nothing lessened the bite. I was pretty disappointed. The bite is likely, if I had to guess, the chemicals used to "add" the vanilla flavour. I struggled with giving it the lowest rating, but I reserve that for something that gives me a headache or sick. It has happened...


Aroma:
 4/5

The room note was delightful according to my wife and kids (they came in a few hours after I smoked). For aroma and room note, I'd give this a 4/5. I was surprised that the pleasant aroma hung around as long as it did. It was faint, but noticeable. 



Conclusion:

I always hate to seem like I'm bashing on any product, but I feel that I cannot overstate my opinion on this one. I strongly recommend you spend a few dollars more on a tin of about anything else. I feel I would do a disservice if I didn't say it like that. If you're into smoking a pipe for the full experience, then you'd be disappointed. The taste just truly robs from enjoying your precious pipe. Now, if you're into puffing just to puff and want everyone else around you to enjoy your pipe and need a strong aromatic, this might be your mix. The aroma was very pleasant and lasted for hours. I'd say this is a pouch that is best suited for a campfire and beers with friends. You won't be out much money and the brews will surely mellow out the unpleasant taste.

I will not purchase this product again, but I will not rule out Borkum Riff as a manufacturer just yet. I would try a few other offerings from them before telling people to stay away. That said, I'd hate to spend hard-earned money on their products based after my first experience. I'll hopefully see a sale sometime or receive a nice package from them.

Socialism vs. SOCIALism...there is a difference

WARNING: If you're easily offended by common sense, you may want to navigate away from this post.

Definitions:
SOCIALism - to think about those around you and do the right thing as society and a humble heart would see it

Socialism - to forcibly, through violence or legislative action, steal from one person and allow the government to disseminate monies as they see fit

     Okay, you're still here. Let's rock. So, Bernie Sanders is out there touting all this free crap and how he's thinking we can pay for it all by increasing taxes on the wealthy, blah, blah, blah. Well, first, he's full of horse crap. Not. Gonna. Happen. The math does not come out quite the way he says it does. It's a good thing that most of his followers cannot add 2+2 and come out with 4. That's a post for another day. Anyway, as I'm sure you figured, I'm not one of his supporters. That said, I do agree with him on a few of the problems we have in America. I'd like to share a few of these and then explain why his ideas still are wrong and don't make logical sense.

     First, yes, we do have a huge income inequality issue here. Well, not so much inequality (though, it could be argued), but more of a disparity. Greed has taken front and centre stage here and while profits at many businesses are going up, only the top tier employees see any of the benefits. The employees don't see a piece of the new pies and their wages are going down while their masters' wages continue to rise to record levels. That's wrong. I've had many debates with some republican friends (I'm a Constitutionalist) and they don't see issues with this and cite that everyone negotiated out their wages and should be happy with what they agreed with. That's a pretty crap answer, if you ask me. While I don't adhere to the fact that 'x' deserves it more than 'y,' I do believe that it's common sense to suggest that if everyone worked for those profits, everyone should stand to gain a little something. I would also argue that when you have an employee that makes, say, $35,000 per year and another makes $1,000,000 a year, who do you think would appreciate a little bonus more? Yes, I know that borders on socialist leaning, but stick with me here-- surely we've all been there. When I was in those shoes, I received a $250 bonus from GARMIN one time and I literally cried. I knew my light and electric bills were about to be paid and I could take my wife to Applebee's. So, now, tell me how bad that it is to think that way?

     My argument is simple-- it's sad that the record profits are no longer being shared among all employees. They only get dispersed among the top C-level suites. Now, this is not all companies, just most in today's America. I think that everyone that works at a firm that sees profits should receive a little piece of the pie. I don't care that a CEO or CFO or a janitor receives a bonus. I just want to see all employees acknowledged for their hard work. This is one place that Mr. Sanders and I disagree. He'd just as soon steal that bonus from the CEO and give it to everyone else and say that the CEO already made enough. I don't believe that way. The CEO likely worked just as hard for the profits as did the guy in TechSupport and they both should see a bonus. So, difference #1:

     Sanders would rip off the executive and give to the lowly worker. I suggest that all employees, CEO included, deserve a piece of the profit pie. I don't buy into the "he negotiated this and they negotiated that" crap. Personally, I feel that it should come down to "the right thing to do and common sense." While the companies are not required to divvy out profits to all employees, everyone worked and should, thus, receive a bonus if the top is to get one. Otherwise, operations should go on as normal. I, personally, don't feel it is right to reward a top-level worker when others don't receive a part when profits are achieved. Again, I go back to the negotiation nonsense. Regular employees have almost no negotiation power and could not secure a bonus program like an executive could.  SOCIALism, not socialism.


     Okay, now that that part of the post is out of the way, we shall move on. Next topic, taking care of everyone...

     Mr. Sanders would like to tax the every-living snot out of most folks and then have his administration divvy out the money as they see fit. Mostly, they'd like like to make darn near everything away for free. Free healthcare, free college, free this, free that. Sorry, life does not work that way. So, where do my and Bernie's sights fall in line for a few moments? Well, they really don't, I suppose.

     I believe that it's nice to want to take care of everyone, really, it is. What I don't like is:
A) taxing the wealthy (and most other people regardless of what he says, he would) more is wrong. Just wrong
B) stealing my money to give to someone else is wrong! stealing my neighbour's money and giving it away is wong! Etc, etc.
C) taxing companies more is wrong
D) growing the government is wrong
E) creating more government reliance is wrong
F) I could go on, but that's enough

     "Oh, but my neighbour needs food and electricity, the government should help them." No! Sorry, but NO! The federal government was not instituted to be there for people. It was never and intended for that at all. It's not your nanny or your bank or your Robbin' Hood (yes, I intentionally spelled it that way). You know who is supposed to take care of your neighbour? You. Yes, you...IF you feel led to. That's the idea...if you feel led to help someone and you have the money to do so, feel free. That's part of liberty. There should be no such thing as a social program. This is where the church and society is supposed to step in. I've needed help lots of times, so I can understand this plight all too well. The thing is, our Founding Fathers believed, as they should have, that society and churches should help their fellow man. Part of liberty and the pursuit of happiness is not being forced to spend money where you don't want to. The government should not be taxing you or spending a dime of our money on charity programs. I don't want my money going to anything that supports abortion or regimes that support ISIS, but part of my taxes go to those people/governments. If my neighbour is hungry, I will choose to feed him or not. That may sound bad, but wait a moment... If my children are also hungry and I have just enough money to ensure they are fed, but that money is stolen from me and given to that hungry guy...get it now? I say stolen because that's what most of our taxes are...legal theft. If that man is hungry, he may go to the local food pantry or local church that I support or belong to.

     Let's say that I work really hard for many years in my IT career and am finally making 'x' dollars after all of the hard work, late nights, etc. I worked very hard and gained a lot of skills. Now, should the guy that just started working at McDonald's as his first job make the same as me? Before answering, I think it's important to point out that there are many issues contained within this scenario. I'll preface it all with this: working with the public in a retail environment sucks. Generally speaking, they are rude and look down at you for working in retail. It's an inferiority complex, methinks. So, I applaud anyone that works with the general public in this capacity.

     Here we go. No, that guy should not make more than me...or less than me...or the same as me...He should make whatever the market decides. Ahhhh, you speak of capitalism. Yeah, I wish. America does not practice capitalism. We say we do, but we don't. Period. End of conversation. Okay, I'll open it back up. We don't practice capitalism. We practice a bastardised-government overseen and run-crappy-the more you make, the more power you have over the situation-you can buy exceptions-purchase regulations on and for others version of capitalism. Real capitalism is remarkably simple and beautiful-- if you make a good product and the market needs it, it will sell and all can profit. If your product or service sucks, you'll go out of business. If you treat your employees well, they will stay. If you're a bad boss, your employees can bite you in the butt by leaving and starting their own business to compete with yours. This is capitalism. It's great. Capitalism does not have non-competes, it does not have regulations, it does not have minimum wages (or maximum wages), it does not stifle competition. It, rather, welcomes competition in that anyone can try their hand at success. The market is always wanting a better product, a better deal, a more fair price, a better employee, a better employer. Capitalism is dynamic. It works as a fluid. It's creates an ever-changing marketplace. It is neither greedy nor wanting. It is always everyone's friend. It just...is. Scenario time!

     Scenario: five people own five companies that produce wagon wheels to sell to the general public (consumers). The public will purchase these wheels if they need them. If they don't want them, the companies fail. Capitalism. Stop there for a moment. Government bailouts, anyone? Yeah, they don't exist in capitalism. You succeed or fail. If you fail, someone will naturally take your place in the market. You're welcome to try again, though. The marketplace invites that. Let's say they do want those wheels. The next thing that's going to happen is one or more of the companies will see that their competitor is selling more than they are. That must mean the market (consumers don't like theirs). They must make a change or go the way of the dodo. Their prices will either become lower to entice people by price or the value the public receives from their wheel become greater (a better wheel?) and be cause for people to buy from them because they innovated. The market has set the price based on what it (market, the consumer) were willing to pay. If one of the companies could not keep up, they died. Those left without a job, had choices to make. They could, (1) start their own company (employing others) and competing with those left in the market (2) go work for a previous competitor or (3) just move away from the wagon wheel industry altogether. This is capitalism.

     Now, let's say that John Q. Smartguy works at Company A. Company A is doing well, but he has a great idea on how to make a better wheel. Company A tells him to sit back and keep working, but they won't take his idea to the factory floor. John gets bummed because he believes in his idea and wants a better life for his family. What does John do? Company B or C would like to hire John and use his idea. They are willing to pay him more because he's a thinker and a good worker. He also has been thinking about starting his own wagon wheel company and competing with the big boys. His wife mentioned he could just sell his idea to B or C and retire. Capitalism says he could do any one of these. Nope, not in America! Why? Non-compete. I mean, really, NON...COMPETE. Doesn't even compute in capitalism. These things are the devil. They've caused me, my father, and millions of others to not make a lot more money. In my case, several times. They stifle competition, the economy, and the American dream all in one fell swoop. I've been told by some republican friends that it's simple. Don't sign one. Sorry, workers don't have that luxury. Almost every company makes you sign one, first off. Second, workers don't have the luxury of negotiating because our economy sucks to the point that employers tell employees they'll just find someone else and see them to the door. Non-competes are probably one of the most anti-capitalistic things out there. They truly spit in the face of capitalistic ideals. Now, in regard to Confidentiality Agreements, I'm cool with those. Companies can own proprietary information, formulas, etc. They cannot own you or your skills (learned there or ones you previously possessed).

     Getting back on track here. I know that was quite a tangent, but it's important to lay all that out for the argument. I don't believe in a minimum wage. Period. Neither does Capitalism. If you can get more money somewhere else, capitalism allows for this...with no strings attached. Bernie believes that typical American workers should be making more money than they are. I agree. I don't agree, however, with his plan. Forcing companies to pay more isn't the answer. The answer is, actually, very simple. Get rid of regulations, all of these crap taxes, business license and compliance shenanigans, and make non-competes null and void across the board. California, believe it or not, is ahead of the curve in this arena. Cannot believe I'd ever see the day where I praised California for anything! When you just go back to the basics, life becomes more simple and wages will rise. When companies and government no longer have strangleholds on things, the stars are the limits. SOCIALism, not socialism. This is SOCIAL simply because you're allowing everyone an equal chance at success and stop manipulating what the market wants and needs. John Q Smartguy could do whatever he wants with his idea. He could sell it and take his family on trips or he could choose to start a new company and hire the very best employees for great wages. The choice would be his. Sure, when you make such a large change, there will inevitably be hiccups. We would need to take care of one another out of the goodness of our hearts while the transition to freedom has the chance to play out. Instead of trying to legislate freedom and prosperity, which never bodes well for the citizens, you get rid of the roadblocks themselves. Simple. So, again, SOCIALism instead of socialism. Or, in this case, capitalism instead of crapitalism. One of the points I'm trying to make is that under capitalism, the guy at McDonald's would not have to ask for $15/hr, $25/hr, or whatever. He'd be making sure that he was making what the market was willing to pay. He might be a whiz at flipping burgers or bring some flair to the job. In that case, maybe another burger joint (or one he could start) would be paying him $100/hr...this is a lot more than that minimum wage he would otherwise be fighting so hard for. SOCIALism and true capitalism are best friends. Both say that if you're a dbag, you'll fail and be left wanting. Change your behaviour and the market says, come play again, please! We need you!

     If you're not quite getting the picture yet, let me paint it a bit more vibrant for you. The Founders knew what they were doing. Greed took over and a few guys started patting their friends' backs and the next thing you know, we left the train station far behind leaving a trail of regulations, taxes, red tape, bodies of honest folks, bureaucratic junk, and the like. The Founders wanted freedom and liberty. We don't have that anymore when it comes to many arenas of life. They didn't want regulations, government interference in the economy, the Feds owning businesses, or telling the people they must purchase something (Obamacare). They knew well that when you take government out of people's lives and pocketbooks, you have success. When you inject it where it doesn't belong, you have failure and instead of fixing this by returning to my previous sentence, they start down an endless trail of legislating this, legislating that. It's a deadly, endless cycle and the ultimate recipient of the crap it causes is the People.

      While I could go on and on, this post is already pretty long. Plus, I'm certain that it paints a pretty clear picture. I'm all for SOCIALism and not socialism. I'm for people changing their hearts, opening their pocketbooks when they feel led to do so and keeping them closed when they aren't led. I'm for a fellow man helping another out when he's downtrodden. The thing is, I'm for liberty and personal choices. While this may sound like Utopia, the Founders were able to make it work simply by being decent people. Under capitalism, true capitalism, the greedy corporations and scoundrels are found out and put to the wayside. It's a natural process. Socialism can never, let me repeat, NEVER, work in large populations and it sure as crap cannot be forced down people's throats and create a happy place to live. SOCIALism does work all of the time when folks stop focusing on themselves and have the liberty, yes, liberty to help who they want, how they want, and when they want to do so. You'll never have 100% of the world being economically free, but attempting to legislate economic bliss will result in everyone failing...and being disenchanted with their fellow man. Bernie's plan will cause people to leave America and will further divide the economic classes in America. My plan would meld them together and create a happier, healthier, more prosperous place to live. The government needs to let go and let live, as it was intended.

     Bernie wants us to be just like the countless failures that socialism has left behind. He thinks he has the answer. Well, I'm here to tell you that there is no answer that can fix forced socialism because you can never use the problem to fix the problem. SOCIALism is great. It's full of freedom, prosperity, choices, happiness.

     Be SOCIALists, not socialists folks. Love your neighbour, assist your friends and families, be kind and generous to your employees, work hard for your employers, amass your fortunes, enjoy one another. Enjoy life. Be free. Help make someone's dreams come true. Our Founders and soldiers of yesterday, today, and tomorrow have fought, died, will fight, will die for our beautiful America. Make them proud for the sacrifices. Honour our Constitution and all that it stands for.

Common Core = FedEd Indoctrination | Homeschooling = win

Common Core is crap. Now that I've started this post off right, let's get to it. I am not going to sit here and spout out all the same facts that can be found with a simple Google search. I can't stand it when people do that. I will, however, tell you what we, as parents, have decided to go. Homeschool. I finished high school as a homeschooler and never looked negatively on it. Well, not after I graduated and had colleges actually ask me to come to them and had money thrown at me. Turns out, employers and colleges like us. We're a rare breed! We have integrity, proper work ethic, perseverance, advanced problem solving capabilities, and the ability to manager our time well. I could go on, but you get the idea.

Back to my point. We just moved to Houston from Gardner, KS and found that the schools in the area aren't quite what the realtor (or internet said)...they suck. Like, really suck. Like, really, really suck. Get it? They suck. Common Core began to be introduced in our Gardner schools a few years ago and you could tell. The quality of education plummeted, though, we did like the teachers and their honesty on how much they hated teaching using Common Core. They hated it as much as we did. Again, I won't go into the FACTS, yes, FACTS, on how crappy CC is. Suffice it to say, our government is doing an outstanding job of indoctrinating our children. CC reminds me a great deal of the line from Serenity when the proctor says to the children in reply to River, "River, we're not telling people what to think, we're just trying to show them how." This is exactly how to manipulate masses. Education systems run by the government rather than citizens and parents. Sadly, our FedED CC is indeed telling children HOW and WHAT to think. My wife and I got so sick and tired of our oldest being harassed by teachers, being so depressed by the sheer amount of homework brought home and the fact that CC doesn't explain properly how to do work (and excludes parents on purpose)...we had to take action. We pulled her out of school after my wife selected a homeschool curriculum and planned out the rest of her school year. We ended up deciding on the free curriculum called Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool. We love it. My wife and daughter have been doing it for a week now and we already see our beautiful girl regaining her self confidence, she's nicer to her siblings, she's not depressed any longer, and is truly learning. Consequently, we also have a LOT more family time-- as it should be. That's another thing CC is trying to destroy-- families. In socialism, which Common Core is and teaches, families must be destroyed in order to create reliance on the system. Our family and bonding time, particularly, between my wife and oldest daughter, has been great this past week. Sure, there are struggles, but they are easily rectified and overcome. Next year, we will be homeschooling all three of our kids. Children should not be taught how to just move to the next level of the government and corporate machine. They should learn how to be functional people. They need to know how to be self-reliant rather than be dependent on anyone or anything (government much?). They need to learn that life isn't fair and that in real life there will be winners and losers from time-to-time. She needs to know how to deal with both. Hard work, dedication, ethical practices, morals, wisdom, and honesty should be their guide. My daughter gets to learn how to cook and clean as well as how to survive if the crap hits the fan AND learn reading, writing, and arithmetic. She gets to learn real history rather than the made-up and modified bull crap that Common Core teaches. She gets to learn what powers the different branches of government REALLY have. We are proud to teach her what the Constitution is and means (as well as those pesky amendments that our government hate so much). Yes, people, CC rewrites history and governmental branch powers where it suits the socialist and "progressive" agenda. Look it up. You won't find it here. Don't worry, I'm not one of the Republicans that out there tossing tea everywhere. Actually, I'm not a Republican at all, though, I do like much of what the Tea Party stands for. I'm a Constitutionalist, just to clarify before any comments are made about my political stance. I'm done now. Oh, Common Core still sucks.

Paleo fail. :(

We had a good friend over last night and I dropped my self-imposed Paleo restrictions so I could eat some fresh, hand-crafted brats off the grill. They were so delicious! Granted, these brats were hand-crafted by a German butcher and did not have any nasty processed crap in them, but I had bread and beer.

This morning when I woke up I just felt so nasty and my body just felt weak. I did my workout anyway and it was so difficult. Tonight, I'm feeling infinitely better and am looking forward to being back on track. I am not feeling depressed or that I let myself down as I did make a conscious decision to go off Paleo so I could enjoy time with a good buddy I'd not seen in five or six years. We had a wonderful visit and it was cool to introduce my wife and family to him.

I am not doing Paleo solely to lose weight. I want to make that crystal clear. I am doing it to be healthy, live the way we were meant, to cleanse my body, and to gain the natural physique our bodies were meant to have, and to make sure I'm around a long time for my children. Yes, I will lose weight (and have in just a few days) and that's wonderful, but I am not obsessed with my body as much as I am concerned about my health and well-being. Here's to great times ahead!

How screwed up is my city?

Gardner claims to be out of cash and is making their City Hall workers cut back on hours and take mandatory unpaid vacations. Okay, I get it-- the economy is somehow hurting them. Wait! What was that I just saw pass me? WOW, it's a new Public Safety car... Hang on, there's another one...and another. Hmmm... did the city purchase new cars with all the money they say they don't have?

Really? Nothing gets me more fired up right now than the misuse of city, state, and federal funds. I don't believe that new police patrol cars are more important than paying your employees. The ones we had were just fine. Instead of helping those they have a responsibility to in way of a living they go and purchase new cars! Seriously, that's just plain crap. Pure and simple. I don't care if they got some stupid federal grant or whatever. The Feds should be giving money to the state and local governments so they can continue paying their employees instead of the tens of millions they allocate and give out for new equipment and vehicles. What's really more important? Basic logic and common sense says that they should keep paying employees so they can pay their own bills and put food on the table instead of helping make economic times harder. /rant

Past life experiences and quantum physics.

_____
*** Disclaimer***

I am in no way an expert in quantum physics. I just have some theories (I don't know if someone else has already come up with them or not) about quantum physics and past lives and the paranormal.
_____



I know that my way of life tells me that I cannot believe in past lives... and I do not. I don't believe that our spirits have lived other lives. I do believe that we can still experience someone else's memories. I strongly believe that there is something in our makeup that triggers the download of a memory stored in the environment.

When someone passes away their heart has stopped, but the brain can flicker with electrical pulses up to several hours. What is contained in these bursts? Obviously, it's doing something. I think that activity is our brain transferring its memories and other data to the environment. Think of all that you see around you- it's so much more than just a mass of electrons, atoms, quarks, neutrons, etc. It's a vast interconnected network.

It's entirely possible that memories of all who lived are stored in space. If, for some reason, a series of events occurred and your brain downloaded a few of them- whether you know it or not- you could mistake them as a past life. Now, you only have a quick scene or picture of the memory, but it's enough to make you question what's going on. Since the brain stores information with a feeling attached you know that it's not actually a dream, but a memory.

Quantum physics allows for these possibilities and in a lot of ways I think the study lends credibility to my theory. Now, there's much more to my thoughts, but I don't want to bore anyone. Let me know if you are interested in speaking further.

deodra@gmail.com

Marines NOT Welcome- COMPLETELY WRONG!

I must vent about this...

Marines are not welcome

This is absolutely horrendous. I cannot believe that our government is standing for this. This is a complete outrage. I believe that any city that stands for dishonouring our government, military (including our servicemen), or our laws should be federally reprimanded including and up to being cut off from federal funding. Anyone that swears into a governmental office at a local or state level and openly stands against anything that is instituted and/or endorsed by the federal government should be removed from office and given severely punished with a prison stint or (in my opinion) executed for treason. Yes, I do mean that. It is absolutely wrong that a state, city, or person in office can commit such crimes, yes, crimes.

My personal viewpoint on the Iraq war, as most of you know, is not one that would usually be associated with the above comments. I do, however, support and appreciate all our troops do. They are not only doing their job, they are protecting that which was built by those who came before them. Anyone who walks into a recruiting office knows the dangers that may lay ahead. It does not matter what war we are fighting. They are obeying the orders of their Commander-in-Chief and a war that was approved by the House and Senate- therefore, approved by the people. If you come out in public and picket the war, the troops, or the government then you should be either placed in custody and sit in a jail for a while or be hanged or shot on the spot. Being unpatriotic is, in my eyes, is the same as treason. That said, being unpatriotic (not supporting your country) should land you in jail, prison, or on the gallows.

Bella- absolutely wonderful.

This past Friday night my wife and parents wanted me to go with them to see the movie, Bella. I was less than enthusiastic about seeing this particular movie as normally I am not too keen on dramas. Well, I obliged them and went along. When the movie first started I still was not very thrilled about being there. I slowly began enjoying the movie little by little. Roughly twenty minutes in I was completely drawn in. I loved the way the plot unfolded and how you felt so close to the characters. You felt their pain, you laughed with them, you even cried with them. Yes, I cried with them.

Director, Alejandro Monteverde outdid himself this time. Bella was sharp, thought inspiring, and touching. I found myself battling my own emotions throughout the film. Often, I was sitting in my seat asking myself the same questions the characters were asking themselves. What would I do? How would I feel? Who will know? Why? Bella was just an absolutely wonderful film. It has my support as a moviegoer and a person.

I would advise everyone to make some time in your busy lives to see this film. It deals with real-life issues in a real way. If you have teenagers at home- take them to this movie. Afterwards, take them out for a coke and talk to them. Get their feelings, impressions, and thoughts. You may just be surprised what you hear.


See the Official site here.

Burma, Monks,Demonstrations, Violence, Murder... Where's the outrage and responce?!

During these last few days the problems in Burma have really come to light for the whole world to see- again. The military government there has crossed the line with the recent massacre's and crackdowns on their citizens. Murdering, violence, arrests, human abuses, etc have escalated beyond anything that should be allowed or tolerated by other nations. We cannot ignore that the Burmese government has committed unforgivable atrocities and human abuses. Yes, many in our country and abroad have "taken the time" to give public comments to the world via media outlets, but that's not action. It's high-time that someone, anyone do something about this. We as a world are just standing on the sidewalk of life while watching as many thousands of others are being run over and killed in the street. Where do we draw the line? When is enough, enough? I am thinking a frightening thought- what if they had oil we needed? I think we would, then, have an excuse to go in and depose the leaders who are ordering these killings and crackdowns. Funny thought, really, that this may really come down to, "What do they have that we need?". If the Burmese had some kind of resource that First World countries needed or relied upon I think that we would be more prone to act on this. Another great example is North Korea. People are getting killed for the most ridiculous reasons, they are imprisoned for looking at the wrong person the wrong way, the masses are starving and have nobody to speak for them, but we just sit around and do nothing. Why? Well, what does North Korea have that we need? Nothing. So, let's just ignore them. Darfur and other atrocities caused by rebels and decades of inter-cultural/inter-tribal warfare. We have yet to intervene and quell the fighting with a mass immobilisation of troops to actively pursue the murderers. Iraq. They have oil. So, we go in to remove a dictator that can't begin to come close to the other leaders of the aforementioned atrocities, but Iraq does have oil. Interesting. Some of you will disagree with me on everything. Some will at least think about what I am saying. Still others will see the truth in what my thoughts are.


Good reading: Free Burma

Halo, Halo, Halo...

Halo is obviously has a world-wide cult following- this cannot be argued. I was playing Halo 2 the other day with some friends when it dawned on me- how do people get so good? I have been playing for a quite a while, but cannot imagine how much some people play to where they can run around with a sniper rifle and "no-scope" players right and left. If you are not too familiar with Halo then let me explain. "No-scoping" is when you run around with a big 'ole sniper rifle and don't need to use the scope to aim and pick people off with one shot. It's nearly impossible to do this accurately and efficiently yet some people are great at it. Amongst my friends I would say I am about in the middle when it comes to skill at Halo. One of my friends, Lockvine, is unbelievable when it comes to grenades. Plasma grenades, in particular, are his favourites. Plasma grenades, also commonly known "sticky grenades," essentially stick to a player or vehicle and have a few second delay before they blow your world to pieces. Lockvine can consistently lob a grenade at you from across the map or right in front of your face- it doesn't matter- he will kill you with one. Another favourite tactic of his is to beat you at your own game- by this I mean- he will figure out your tactic and use it against you. This is not to say that his tactic is dirty, but it does suck to be beat at your own game.

Lockvine has one fatal flaw- he sucks with energy swords. "Sucks" here is used loosely as he could kill about anyone with these wonderful, undulating purple blades of delight, but I have a sort of knack at owning people with these beautiful hand-held objects of death.

Our battles still rage.


On a second note, I found a terrific site- XBConnect.com. The creators of the site have written a top-of-the-line program that allows you to legally trick the Xbox into thinking it is playing a local LAN game when, in fact, you are connecting via the internet to other players around the world- and it is FREE! Yes, that's right- FREE! They have a Premium package (XBCONNECT PRO) that can be purchased for $14.95(US) that gives you a few extra features that the standard free package does not. I have heard of a couple of other "free" internet gaming tunneling titles for Xbox, but most of my friends said they pretty much blow. I find that XBConnect is fast, easy to use, and provides you with a multitude of gaming choices and options. I also believe that they can pride themselves with a great community. One of the reasons I did not end up purchasing Xbox Live was that most of the people I encountered in the Halo rooms were rude, arrogant, cheating, glitch-using pieces of garbage. I did encounter a few nice folks, but for the most part the previous statement holds true. XBConnect users have all been quite kind, albeit VERY skilled at Halo, and willing to put up with someone who does not have the time to play hundreds of hours a month and can't get to fifty kills in ten minutes. I would suggest this software to anyone looking to either get around M$'s stupid fees, the jerks in most of the community rooms, or if you are just wanting to join a better community (in my opinion). Also, I would say that the $14.95 is a small fee to pay for an awesome online gaming experience- also- XBConnect supports an array of titles (please see below). I, for one, am considering upgrading to the Premium package.


XBConnect Supported Titles

Iran, any other country+Nuclear Capability= Fair in my book.

I am quite sure I am going to take a lot of heat for my beliefs, but I don't really care. This is going to be quick today... Basically, I do not see a problem with other countries have nuclear capabilities. Before you start in on me- yes, I do see your side of the story- if a country demonstrates that they may use their nuclear weapons for ill-intent then we don't want them to have them. Blah, blah, blah. Personally, my belief is we have to see the world as one even playing field. If one country (i.e.: the U.S.) can have nuclear weapons then everyone else should be able to as well. I think that the U.S. and the joke that is the United Nations saying who can and cannot have weapons is completely ridiculous. I have heard it all before in regards to, "Well, we would not use them irresponsibly like they would..." I don't even want to hear it. Have you not seen the news or turned on the radio? Look at the Iraq invasion. That was irresponsible and pointless. What if someone decides they want to extend their empire and we don't want them to? Well, let's just whip out 'ole Big Bertha and shoot her at them. How the heck are they to defend themselves? We are extending our empire and sphere of influence. Seriously. If Iran wants to make bombs- let them. If you want to strike at them for doing so- well, that's your right. Either do something about it or sit down and shut up. There should not be some big Club of the Rich Guys (United Nations) telling the little guy what to do. It has always been about empires. Kingdoms rise and kingdoms fall. Every empire wants more land and superiority. That's the way it works.

Please don't get me wrong- this is not just about Iran- quite frankly I don't care too much for Iran or the way they do things. I actually hope someone does attack them. I am just sick and tired of reading all about empty threats and countries whining about, "this guy did this, and they did that". Really, come on folks. If someone is doing something to you, your borders, or developing something with the intention of using it in an unfair or unbalanced attack- don't whine. Blow them sky high with what you have before they have what you don't or don't want them to. Stop crying to the lazies and crazies that are the United Nations. Just take matters into your own hands and find the guys that agree with you. Pick yourself a nice strong team and start playing Battleship with them.


Since we have already invaded Iraq and are still dealing with suicide bombers and other cowardly combatants we should just stop wasting time and level the place. Evacuate and search anyone who does not want to be a crispy fritter and just bomb the crap out of every city that has played a part in attacks, start the rebuilding process and then proceed to flatten any other city that attacks take place in. People can pro-create their population will eventually recover. Once this is done just hand the keys over to the Bush-installed government and let them sort things out. Simple, saves American lives, and if things continue we just blow up the entire country. Problem solved and nipped in the bud.

News article about Iran's developments

Cities of the Underworld

Okay, so- one of my favourite TV shows at present is Cities of the Underworld. The show, in short, is about literally just that- cities (or ruins) that are below ground that the every day person has no clue are there beneath their feet. The show started off on the right foot. It had great content, great locales, and an awesome host in Eric Geller. Eric was enthusiastic, exciting to listen to and watch, and had something about him that just fit the show and the crowd that watched it, at least I thought... Well, apparently, the History Channel higher-ups did not care for the host that at least 85% of the viewers liked and came back watching week after week. They decided to bring in "new talent" in Don Wildman. Yes, that's right- they brought in the Head and Shoulders guy to replace the incredible Eric Geller.

Sure, Eric sometimes became a wee bit loud and maybe even a bit forced in his words or acting, but I can't say that I would not act in the same manner! I am so captivated by history, other cultures, and the unknown that I, too, sometimes become over zealous.

I am not saying that I don't like Don Wildman, I am just saying that I don't think he is right for the part and that the History Channel could do well with leaving the programming alone for once. Or, at least listen to the majority of the people that post on their forums. I believe that forums are a great place for the decision makers (or at least information compilers) to gather a wealth of information. The people that post on forums are the ones that really keep the shows going and the opinions of the majority in a forum nine times out of ten represent 90-95% of the opinions of the viewing audience. I'm sure that any of you that are reading this and post on forums would agree. An entity, whether it be a TV station or any other company, should listen to the forums and model programming or products after what is wanted from the people in the forums. If this is done, I would be willing to bet the product or program would be successful.

Praise!

My little sister and her friend have pretty much settled into their new home in East Asia. They are there teaching and living their lives the way Dad wants them to. I am so proud of them! I ask that you all talk to Dad for them and ask that he send lots of good mail to them.

They are eating quite a bit of "unusual" food, but are managing well! My little sister is a coffee freak and just bought a Love Coffee shirt with a bunch of different cups of coffee all over it. If you knew her you would know how fitting that shirt really is for her!

Growing up in a town named after the big jolly guy...

Well, I was sitting on facebook earlier going through some profiles when I noticed that some of my friends from the town I grew up in created a group that I would have loved to have had when I was a kid. The group is called Yes, I actually live in a town named after a fictional character... and cracks me up. When I was a kid my friends and I that lived in the Village (Christmas Lake Village) were teased just about every time we left our general area and someone asked us where we were from. I hated people asking me this as I knew that I was going to have to put up with jokes and laughter. On occasion, I had to sit and explain to people that I was not kidding. I grew to hate the questions- I would avoid them at all cost. Sure, some of my best years were spent in Santa Claus, but I still hate the teasing and explaining that goes along with being from there. It's just a city name for crying out loud! Sorry- had to vent for a second. In all honesty, it was and is probably the best place to raise your kids. The city is gated, VERY low crime rate (if any at all), and it is one of the few places where you can feel safe leaving your doors unlocked. Kids can even ride their bikes around without parents having to worry about them...

Homeland Security or Homeland Spying? You be the judge.

Several of my friends and I are consistently debating just which it is- Homeland Security or Homeland Spying? My personal opinion is that there is no Homeland Security without homeland borders. Earlier, I spoke about Bush's new thrill- the Amnesty Bill. This, in a way, goes along with that. Please explain to me why we are spending billions upon billions of dollars on Homeland Security, yet if I go down to Nogales, Arizona I can just chill in a lawn chair and watch illegals running through the tunnels coming into the U.S. every ten minutes? I mean, come on. Is that Homeland Security? No, it's not. Homeland Security could give a flying flip about our border problem. They care too much about spying and potential terrorist threats than they do about actual homeland security. If the agency was really worried about homeland security they would take care of our borders. Let the CIA and FBI worry about terrorism. Get with the program people! I could run to Wal Mart and for $200 purchase a Remington knock-off and a box of shells and take care of the problem with our borders. I don't need the billions of dollars- though come to think of it I would like a new motorcycle... If the terrorists had half a brain (which I am glad they don't) they would come come through so easily like all the others- through our borders. Screw all the hard work of getting visas or passports- just come through our weak borders. I would love to take some pot-shots at them. Why don't we spend all that money on our trusty fence (preferably, a wall) and a few cheap guns at your local store.

Now, back to the subject- I, personally, have nothing to hide, but few things annoy me more than having people listen to my conversations. Not because of privacy, but because I am sure there is something better they could be doing. I have no expectation of privacy when I speak on the phone or when I e-mail anyone. I do, however, think it is completely stupid and a wast of my money that our government is paying people to listen to us. Even if it is just for keywords. I feel that if they want to listen to calls coming into our country from other marked places then- go for it, but you darn well better believe they should have a search warrant! There is a justice system and proper routes in place for a reason. They should not be able to just listen to anyone at anytime. There should be a proper investigation and all the "t's" should be crossed before they start to tap or listen. The President and his minions thinking they are above the law should be held to account. There should, in no way, be UNLAWFUL listening or SPYING going on, yet, that is what he promotes and stands behind.

A great news article that shows the depth and carelessness of Homeland Security spying is here.

I very much enjoyed this, "A spokesman for the Customs and Border Protection division said he couldn’t speak directly to Goodman’s case but acknowledged that the agency can, will and does open mail coming to U.S. citizens that originates from a foreign country whenever it’s deemed necessary."

So, who deems it necessary? Where is the search warrant? Do they need one? Many questions left unanswered in my book. What deems it necessary? Maybe the potential for a good love story so they pop open the envelope? Maybe they just want to know how little Johnny has been doing in his baseball games.

Apparently, Homeland Security is free to do whatever they want- with very little supervision. If they want to spy on me or anyone else in America- they can- when they have the permission of a PUBLIC court. Getting the permission in private does not fly. Things need to be done in the open.

Sorry for the rant, but this is just one of my hot buttons. Until Homeland Security is open to proper supervision and audits they are going to be known by most people I know as the Homeland Spying Agency and up for a lot of scrutiny. I don't care what they do outside our soil, but in the U.S. you can't just go around and do what you please. If a guy just says, "Hey, I think I will tap her phone because there may be something fishy going on." and does- he gets arrested and goes to jail. If Homeland Security does it just because they feel like it then it's just fine because they, well... apparently can.

Homeland Security breaking the law.

I support the CIA, FBI, and the Secret Service- I think what they do is good and they have proper direction. What I do not support is a complete and blatant slap in the face from my own government saying they will spy on us, open our mail, and infiltrate every part of our lives because they want to and can- with or without cause or reason. That is not right and that is not legal.

End of story.

Utterly Ridiculous!

Ridiculous!

The story below is a complete and utter waste. Another feminist whining because they want what others have. This artictle is about a lady who tried suing Goodyear because men were being paid more than her even though she was doing the same job. Well, listen up lady- welcome to the real world! Everywhere I have ever worked there have been people, men and women, who were being paid more than me even though we were all performind the same job. We even had the same job titles and descriptions. Does this mean I can go around and sue every company I have ever worked for and cite some kind of discrimination? Heck no! Thus is life- people will be paid more than you- end of story. This issue probably would not have even made headlines had she not been a woman and Ginsburg being a feminist herself. Ginsburg needs to lay off the femi-nazi crap and jump back in the ring supporting and upholding the values that our Constitution contains. "What's the Constitution?", she asks. Well, it is actually the piece of paper that she currently uses to wipe her nose with- because that's how much she cares about it. Wake up, Ginsburg! Start doing your job and stop letting your wacko beliefs get in the way. This case should have never made it to the Supreme Court.


-Jas

__________
Over Ginsburg's Dissent, Court Limits Bias Suits

By Robert Barnes
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 30, 2007; A01

A Supreme Court once again split by the thinnest of margins ruled yesterday that workers may not sue their employers over unequal pay caused by discrimination alleged to have occurred years earlier.

The court ruled 5 to 4 that Lilly Ledbetter, the lone female supervisor at a tire plant in Gadsden, Ala., did not file her lawsuit against Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. in the timely manner specified by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The decision moved Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to read a dissent from the bench, a usually rare practice that she has now employed twice in the past six weeks to criticize the majority for opinions that she said undermine women's rights.

Speaking for the three other dissenting justices, Ginsburg's voice was as precise and emotionless as if she were reading a banking decision, but the words were stinging.

"In our view, the court does not comprehend, or is indifferent to, the insidious way in which women can be victims of pay discrimination," she said.

Last month, Ginsburg rebuked the same five-justice majority for upholding the federal Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act and for language in the opinion that she said reflected "ancient notions about women's place in the family and under the Constitution -- ideas that have long since been discredited."

Yesterday she said that "Title VII was meant to govern real-world employment practices, and that world is what the court today ignores." She called for Congress to correct what she sees as the court's mistake.

In a case that Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. said was easily decided on the statute "as written," her statement from the bench was noteworthy.

Marcia Greenberger, co-president of the National Women's Law Center, said Ginsburg's attention-getting dissents are a "clarion call to the American people that this slim majority of the court is headed in the wrong direction." She noted Ginsburg's background as a feminist legal activist who helped establish women's legal rights and added: "To see them being dismantled is especially troubling."

While Greenberger and others said the court's decision in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. was a "setback for women and a setback for civil rights," business groups applauded the "fair decision" that, in the words of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, "eliminates a potential wind-fall against employers by employees trying to dredge up stale pay claims."

A jury had originally awarded Ledbetter more than $3.5 million because it found "more likely than not" that sex discrimination during her 19-year career led to her being paid substantially less than her male counterparts.

An appeals court reversed, saying the law requires that a suit be filed within 180 days "after the alleged unlawful employment practice occurred," and Ledbetter could not prove discrimination within that time period. She had argued that she was discriminated against throughout her career, receiving smaller raises than the men received, and that each paycheck that was less was a new violation.

Alito wrote for the majority that "current effects alone can't breathe life into prior, uncharged discrimination." He was joined by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justices Anthony M. Kennedy, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas. Thomas is a former chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

"We apply the statute as written, and this means that any unlawful employment practice, including those involving compensation, must be presented . . . within the period prescribed by the statute," Alito said.

Robin Conrad, executive vice president of the National Chamber Litigation Center, said: "If the court ruled the opposite way, employers could have been hauled into court on decades-old claims of discrimination."

But Ginsburg, joined by Justices John Paul Stevens, David H. Souter and Stephen G. Breyer, said the decision sets up a sometimes impossible barrier. "Pay disparities often occur, as they did in Ledbetter's case, in small increments; only over time is there strong cause to suspect that discrimination is at work," she wrote.

Even when unequal pay is discovered, she wrote, women may be reluctant to go to federal court over small amounts: "An employee like Ledbetter, trying to succeed in a male-dominated workplace, in a job filled only by men before she was hired, understandably may be anxious to avoid making waves."

Ginsburg's empathetic statement added that "the same denial of relief" would apply to those alleging discrimination based on race, religion, age, national origin or disability.

Ledbetter, like Ginsburg a woman in her 70s, said she was "disappointed, very, very disappointed" with the decision. "I worked a lot of years doing the hard work and not to get paid as much as the men will affect me every day in the future" in the form of lower retirement benefits, she said.

Judith L. Lichtman, a senior adviser to the National Partnership for Women and Families, said that is what Ginsburg's dissents speak to.

"She talks about the real-world consequences of Supreme Court decisions on the lives of women," Lichtman said.

Ginsburg has been the court's lone female member since Alito replaced Justice Sandra Day O'Connor in January 2006, and both women have expressed consternation about that in interviews since then.

"The word I would use to describe my position on the bench is 'lonely,' " Ginsburg told USA Today this year. Asked what difference O'Connor's departure would make, Ginsburg said only: "This term may be very revealing."

Richard Lazarus, co-director of Georgetown University Law Center's Supreme Court Institute, said that reading a dissent from the bench is significant for a justice. "It's a different order of magnitude of dissent," he said.

Lazarus said Ginsburg's dissents "may be signifying an increasing frustration."

from: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/29/AR2007052900740_pf.html

Fishing.

I took my oldest daughter to a local lake to fish on Saturday. She is a typical four year olde- if you don't keep things constantly exciting- they loose interest. I baited her hook with a worm and had literally just cast her pole and picked mine up to cast when her bobber just disappeared! I was astonished! She was so very excited. I let her start reeling in, but the fish was too big for her to do it alone. So, we reeled it in together. After a quick fight we brought the fish up. To my amazement it was a cute little catfish. To her it must have seemed a whale! Prior to her catching the fish she kept saying how she was going to catch a giant whale- well, in a way, her wish came true. The fish was a little shorter than her leg. It was so cute how thrilled she was to get a fish.

Later on, it started to rain. I just happen to keep a disposable poncho in my bag in case of heavy rain. I had to put it on her and then cut it to fit. Soon after, Sarah came to pick her up and she was as cheery as could be and told Mommy all about it!

I encourage you to spend some one-on-one time with each of your children because you may not just learn more about them, but learn something about yourself. This trip reminded me that it's not how many fish you catch, but who you are spending time with. Catching fish when fishing with others is just a perk to me anymore. I would rather build and strengthen relationships than solely focus on catching something.