Dwaine the Tub

Anybody but Mit

2012-01-09T10:38:00.002-05:00

I don't dislike Mit Romney personally, I don't know him. I do, however, wonder at his intelligence. Clearly, he's a smart man, he's very successful and success doesn't happen by accident but he's gotta be dumber than a brick. Seriously, this country will not elect a Mormon. It just aint happening. To spend as much treasure and time in pursuit of the impossible is stupid and anybody that actually believes Mit can win is equally as delusional.

Well?

2010-11-30T21:40:00.003-05:00

Look, it would be easy to blame you for my not posting anything in several months so that's what I'm going to do. It's all your fault. C'mon, what are you thinking. Actually, I do blame you to a small extent. It's not what you're thinking that pisses me off but rather that you won't share it with me. I've written some nasty shit here. I've attacked liberals and Christians alike and haven't heard boo from either. Well, that's not entirely true. There were a couple of comments but not nearly enough to qualify as a conversation. How the hell am I going to get educated if nobody will challenge my perspective. You don't respect me enough to disagree? How fucking patronizing. It's enough to discourage a guy. If you think I'm wrong, SAY SO! If you really cared, you'd try to save my soul.

I love conversation and truly do respect other peoples perspectives. My world view is narrow not because I'm closed minded but because you won't broaden it. Give me insight to your way of thinking. You might change my mind and maybe, just maybe, I might change yours. yeah, I mean it. I might change your mind. What?!? You think you already know everything about everything! You're as full of shit as you think I am! If we're going to live on this planet together then we better start giving a hairy turd what each other thinks and feels. I don't pretend to know what's best for you but I'd like to hear it from you. I'm actually interested. For real.

Our world is going to hell and nobody wants to acknowledge the goddam elephant. Do you think that by sitting there yanking on your own dicks things are gong to be fine? we need to get together and make shit happen. Yeah, you're pulling your pud if you don't engage other folks in political and religious discourse, it's the ultimate in closed mindedness. C'mon, fucking comment!

Little Grey Houses

2010-06-01T07:26:00.003-04:00

Imagine we own the same kind of grey house on the same street with the same kind of grey car parked in the driveway. We each go to the same grey building and do the same grey job and are paid the same grey money. One day our grey boss says that he has some grey overtime and I decide I would rather watch the Greyville Mediocres, the local baseball team, on my average size television. You jump at the chance to make a few extra grey-bucks and work several nights a week overtime, missing the Mediocres run to the playoffs. Why am I entitled to any of your money?

Income tax makes no sense and to claim otherwise is to be grossly intellectually dishonest or lazy. That's not to say that you're stupid if you should choose to argue in favor of income tax, possiby just dishonest or lazy. Still, you might be stupid but likely wouldn't know if you were (exsistential, eh?).

If cigarette taxes were collected and used to fund cancer research, that makes sense. Gasoline taxes can go to pump instectors and road maintenance. Property taxes can pay for schools, police, firedepartment and various other town necessities. I'm okay with property taxes going to fund bike paths and parks. The more your property is worth, the more risk a fire is to you and the bigger your tax contribution. I'm in favor of a "junk-food" tax if the proceeds go toward something like health care. Basically, what I'm trying to get across is that a tax should represent something and be tied to that something. Tax meat and use that to pay the USDA inspectors. Tax a persons income and... what? Why should the amount of money you bring home have anything to do with what you pay in taxes? If you brought your pay home in a sealed envelope, it would be none of my business how much is in it. If I asked, you'd be absolutely right to tell me to fuck off. Why does the government get a share of every monetary transaction in this country? Why do they deserve it?

I've heard it said that government cannot survive without income tax revenue. That is bullshit in a big way. Government WON'T survive without it is more the truth. There is very much waste and corruption that really needs to be trimmed. Just look at the funds going to ACORN alone and that is one very contraversial organization. Government's job is to govern, not to provide. I've heard it said that income taxes are here so get used to it and that I sound like a curmudgeon (I like that). Yes, income taxes are here but what does that have to do with anyting... "all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed." Those words are from the Declaration of Independence. Were it not for a handful of "curmudgeons", we'd still be a British colony today.

Just Thinkin

2010-03-27T07:27:00.003-04:00

Plants like CO2. Cars that have low CO2 emissions are considered "Green."

Pro-Choice Bullshit

2010-03-26T13:16:00.003-04:00

I can't stand inconsistencies. If you have a political position then at least keep consistent with it. I'm pro-life but not militant about it, not because it's inconsistent, it's not, but because I don't like to argue with fools and they currently have the law on their side.

I'm pro life and whenever I get into a discussion with a "pro-choice" person the foundation of their argument seems to be that a woman has the right to do with her body what she will, it's her body. Okay, with that in mind are you willing to apply that reasoning across the board to everything. How about infant circumcision? It's the babies choice and he should be allowed to make it. How about drug legalization? I should be able to put whatever chemicals into my body I choose, it's my body, right? How about helmet and seat belt laws? Sure there needs to be protection for children but once you reach a certain age shouldn't you be allowed to take the risk of personal injury? Who am I hurting other than me if I don't wear my helmet when I ride? It's my head, right? Sure, get an abortion and kill the baby, it's your body (ironically, not in this case) isn't it? Are you so fucking daft to think "pro-choice" applies only to abortion? Seriously? If you actually believe abortion is the only issue under "pro-choice" than you are very narrow minded! Possibly stupid. In fact I gotta say, if you believe that then everything else you believe should be scrutinized. The single largest pro-life/pro-choice issue ever to hit the courts is "doctor assisted suicide." Where are you on that?

Actually, if you look at the list of issues above I gotta say I'm more pro-choice than anything else. I believe that you should be able to do to yourself almost anything as long as you're old enough or at least competent. To support a woman's right to have an abortion (destroy an unborn baby) but deny me my right to not have health insurance is inconsistent. It's my body and if I wish to run around without insurance then I should be permitted suffer the consequences. It's funny, the same people defending choice want to take away mine.

Can this

2010-03-26T09:07:00.004-04:00

A few years ago my wife developed an intolerance to small indigestible particles in her food. Things like sesame seeds and coarse ground pepper. She couldn't eat store bought salsa due to the tomato and pepper seeds so she would strain it and spoon the thin watery liquid onto her tortillas. I figured I could do better than that and made some seedless salsa for her. I made a large batch and canned it, about ten pints. I knew nothing of canning so I did a little research and it turns out it's not that hard.

I'm always looking for ways to save money and I don't mind a little extra work. I'll make soup just to freeze and I occasionally plan two or three dinners from one meal preparation. I can get carried away sometimes, I have seven gallons of chicken soup in my freezer, but canning seems to be something I might want to get to know better. If I'm able to can salsa, how about chili? Yes but...

Canning is a science and like all other science there are rules. You can't can meat, unless you pressure can it and even then you need to have the right PH, volume in jar and processing times or the result could be disastrous. Good sanitation habits are a must as well. I was intimidated from canning chili with meat for some time, a lot can go wrong. I finally broke down and gave it a shot and two weeks ago I canned for the first time a batch of chili.

I got the recipe from an Internet site promoting food safety. I trust the site. I would have used my own recipe but for the fact that canning recipes are calculated for their PH and my isn't. Acidity is important when canning because it inhibits the growth of unfriendly organisms in your food. It took a good part of the day and by the end I had lost two jars in the canning process due to improperly filling and capping but the remaining eight came out fine. Now, you have to understand that a lot can go wrong and spoiled meat isn't something you want to eat so I've been a little... scared to try it. The day before yesterday I opened my first jar.

Whenever I open a jar of something I canned myself, there's always a little apprehension. Did I do a good job and the food is fine or will it kill me? Or worse, wreak havoc on my intestines? I've canned beer, pickled eggs, salsa, pickled daikon and a few other pickled veggies and now chili. I opened my first jar two days ago and after nearly two weeks in the cupboard, time enough to rot, it smelled... like chili. It smelled fine and there were no signs of mold or any funky growths of any kind. I put it in a bowl and heated it up and it made a delicious lunch. Two days later and no ill side effects. It appears I can can chili. I wonder what else...

Is it Summer yet?

2010-03-26T07:36:00.005-04:00

Every year I try my hand at gardening and every year I'm disappointed. There are a hundred excuses for why my garden fails but this year it's going to be different. I'm not going to try to grow things that I have no business growing like beets and carrots. I'm focusing on tomatoes, squash and beans. Oh, and flowers.

Yeah, this year I'm going to some minor landscaping in the front yard and I've started a whole bunch of flowers in little peat pots. Marigolds, pansies and zinnias make up the the majority of my pallet but there are a few others. What I'm most surprised about is the wild flower mix. When I was picking out seed packets, my four-year-old wanted to get a packet of mixed wild flowers. He doesn't know what he's selecting, the package looks cool so he wants it. We planted some of the seeds in a pot on the window sill and I'll be damned, they are some of the more interesting looking seedlings of everything we've planted. I find myself checking on them every morning and I can't wait to see what kind of flowers we get. I intend to get another packet of these seeds and put them in a planter in the front.

Health Care

2010-03-23T22:11:00.002-04:00

I'm not clear on this. Why is health insurance tied to employment? I imagine that somewhere in the past a company had the clever idea of offering health insurance as an enticement to attract quality employees and it was so successful that it was taken up by more companies just to remain competitive. Today it's perceived as a right. I can't justify in my mind how an employer is responsible for providing health insurance for his or her employees. Sure, you can claim that the health and well-being of their people is in their best interest but I can't see how it's their legal responsibility.

Health insurance is outrageously expensive. While self employed, I watched my monthly premiums jump from eighty dollars a month to nearly six hundred dollars a month in a mere five years and I never used it. That was for me alone, a family plan would have been much more. I'm in a situation now where I face the possibility of losing my insurance but I'm no longer alone. I have a wife and two children, one four-years-old with asthma. I also have asthma and between the two of us our monthly medication is very expensive.

Something needs to be done. Health is not affordable without insurance. It's sometimes hard to make ends meet even with insurance. There are entirely too many people who don't have the means to properly look after the health of themselves and their family.

It's in the best interest of the entire country to provide health care for everyone here. If for no other reason than disease control but I think we can do better than that. I think we should also be concerned about the quality of life of our neighbors. It's just humane. We as a nation need to find a way to make health care affordable.

This new health care bill that was just passed doesn't make health care affordable or even accessible for the people that need it. This new bill is aimed at dismantling the private health care industry and turning it over to the government. While the government does need to be involved in ensuring the health of all the people in the country it cannot be the sole source of this care. The government is fickle and politicians are easily swayed by special interest groups. They cannot be trusted. There are countless examples of government programs that are rife with corruption and misappropriation of funds. If private companies are believed to be guilty of foul play they can be taken to court. Sure, it's not easy fighting large corporations but you can't take the government to court.

We need private industry. I was taught at an early age that the government was not permitted to compete with private business. Any private business is at a disadvantage when trying to compete with an organization that makes laws and is funded by tax dollars. When has the government ever been known as providers of quality service? The governments job is to govern, not provide.

We can't afford the escalation of the cost of health care. Something needs to be done but this bill isn't the solution.

Who's it for?

2010-03-07T09:18:00.002-05:00

I could never completely understand the motivation for children toys based on R-rated movies. I'm aware that where there's a market some body's going to fill the demand but should all demands be filled? Is there harm in filling these demands? Well, no and a little. Whenever you blur the line between adult and childrens entertainment it necessitates an awkward and sometimes difficult conversation with children. My issue today isn't so much with adult entertainment being marketed toward children but with childrens entertainment being marketed toward adults.

When 'Where the Wild Things Are' was in the "big movies" (theaters, for those without children) my then three-year-old wanted to go see it. Why not? After all, it's one of his favorite books and it's been made into a movie. I knew better and wouldn't take him to see it. I knew from the previews the movie would be inappropriate. Can you believe that!?! Try explaining to a three-year-old why he can't go see one of his bedtime stories, nearly forty pages, on the big screen. I couldn't explain to him in way that he understood so I used the old parental stand-by "because I said so."

I know not everything with fantasy monsters is going to be a childrens movie. A shocking number of parents brought their children to 'Starship Troopers' and it was rated R! Poor judgement and ignorance are not valid excuses. Parents should be able to recognize a threat to their children, be it physical or emotional. I knew what kind of movie 'Where the Wild Things Are' was from the previews and didn't take my youngest, now four, and my oldest, thirteen, didn't have any interest in a "kids movie." Ironic.

Aaron, my then three now four-year-old, has seen the ads all over television and the movie box at the store and it rekindled his desire. Against my better judgment, last night I coughed up six bucks and rented 'Where the Wild Things are.' Everything I believed I knew about the movie was purely speculative and it's only rated PG. How harmful could it be? Well, it turns out it's a well executed movie with a great deal of subtlety and symbolic imagery that conjures up memories of childhood frustrations and imagined invulnerability challenged and defeated. It's a complex movie that, in truth, didn't do any significant psychological harm to the boy. Aaron was disturbed by a couple of scenes and one scene in particular caused him to want the movie turned off (you would be surprised to know which one). All it did was take the book off his favorites list and that's likely only temporary, but that's not the point.

The vehicle for this story didn't have to be a childrens book. The same story could have been told with an entirely original setting. You wouldn't understand the difficult position this movie puts parents in unless you've had to explain to a child why he can't go to the movies with his older brother. This movie is like a happy meal with a beer.

What Goes Around

2010-03-03T10:21:00.000-05:00

According to the morning news show, Massachusetts is considering outlawing circumcision. This is a little misleading because it's not the state that is looking to make circumcision illegal but a private citizen. If I understand it correctly, anybody can approach their representative and propose a bill that the representative is obligated to bring before state congress. This is a rare example of our government working for us.

Now on to the meat of the issue, so to speak. Should circumcision on minors be made illegal? Yes. Did you read that clearly enough? YES! Why so enthusiastic? We need to be consistent here. Do you have the right to get a tattoo? Do you have the right to pierce your ears? Other body parts? Do you have the right to impose a tattoo or piercing on another person? Should you be able to drag some poor unsuspecting person to a parlor and have Mao Tse Tung stiched across their chest? How about a bar through the nose while you're at it? Maybe one of those really cool earlobe stretching glass discs? A creative use for pogs if you ask me.

No parent should be allowed to have their minors tattooed, pierced or otherwise mutilated. Children are not property, they are dependants. We, as parents, are legally responsible to give them an environment as free from danger as can be reasonably expected until they are able to choose a dangerous environment for themselves. Children, rightfully, are not permitted to vote, drink or engage in consensual sex because they don't posses the base knowledge and life experience to make an informed decision about something that will have a lasting effect on their life. Whether or not to lop the hood off a sweatshirt should be left to the owner of the sweatshirt. You're not allowed to remove the tag from a mattress until you own the mattress.

Circumcision is a personal decision and as such should be left to the person, when they are old enough to be properly informed. The government has no business in a persons pants (that goes for their wallets too but that's another story) however one of the governments responsibilities is to ensure the safety of its citizens. There is no practical benefit to circumcision, it's mutilation. Sure, that's a strong word but it fits. There are several religions that practice ritualistic mutilations and they would have to be dealt with accordingly but that doesn't change the facts: One of the primary functions of a government is to ensure the safety of it's citizens, regardless of their age.

Do I actually care if someone is sporting a turtleneck or not? No. Do I genuinely want a law that forbids circumcision? No, but I should. I don't really care if circumcision is legal or not but that's unfortunate. Somebody should step up and defend the right to have an intact penis. A baby boy is helpless and defenseless to the whims of his parents who, after he hits puberty, will be the last two people on Earth concerned with his penis. I seriously doubt that circumcision will be outlawed in Massachusetts but it makes sense.

Hot Topic

2010-02-07T23:55:00.002-05:00

Why is it nobody likes to talk about politics? Well, with the exception of me. I was in a doctors waiting room last week and I overheard a couple of ladies talking about nothing important and when the conversation took a political turn one lady said to the other "I don't discuss politics." I wanted to comment "You have an obligation to discuss exactly that subject!" but that would have been rude.

It's outrageous that people avoid discussing government politics like it were tantamount to participating in farm animal porn. I cannot conceive of anything more important than my wallet, with the obvious exception of my family and friends, and that's precisely what politics is about. I shudder to think that a person has so much confidence in their narrow little world view that another perspective has no value. Or worse, another perspective may compromise the foundation of a weak political philosophy causing them to re-evaluate the way they think.

If you're prepared to go to the polls and cast a vote on how much of my income should be taken from me by the government and how it should be spent than you OWE IT TO ME to get my opinion on it. If after listening to me you still feel the way you do, fine, cast your vote but at least hear my side. I,in turn, will listen to you. We, as voting citizens, have the responsibility to discuss politics with each other.

I have returned.

2010-01-24T22:19:00.001-05:00

Has anybody come here lately? How about ever? I've been off-line for a long time because of router problems but I'm back, for what it's worth. I have a lot to post and I'll start tomorrow. Honest.

Helmet Laws Suck

2009-05-27T20:21:00.003-04:00

Mommy doesnt like this picture. It looks like Aaron will be the only one riding this summer. I'm grounded until the physical therapist clears me to ride. It makes sense. I can ride just fine but now but if I need to use my right arm for more than twisting the throttle I'm a goner. Oh well, there's always next year.

The One True Path

2009-05-14T21:20:00.002-04:00

Religion fascinates me. I don't have one and, today, I don't feel like I need one. I won't be so naive as to claim that I'll never embrace a higher power, nobody knows what tomorrow brings, but what brand of spirituality should I buy. It's not like choosing between Mac and PC, my eternal soul is in jeopardy depending on which computer I pick but a religion reflects my personality. It goes beyond what faith better suits your character. There's the issue of truth to consider, despite what some folks will have you believe.
Which religion is the right one. Perhaps the biggest lie about religion is that they're all correct and it doesn't matter which one you follow. The root of this lie is founded in people not wanting to offend anybody of another faith by claiming that they've wasted their entire life following the wrong path to salvation, publicly. In private it's another story. When most people are comfortably surrounded by persons of the same faith they'll criticize and mock all other faiths that disagree with theirs. Why shouldn't they? They can't all be right. That's significant enough to repeat, they can't all be right. If the religion one follows preaches the truth then anything that contradicts it must be false. It's not a matter of opinion. It's either true or it's not. When one claims that Jesus is the son of God, that's not an opinion. If another claims that Jesus isn't the son of God then they can't both be right. Either he is or he isn't. Some body's wrong and to pretend otherwise is to do a massive disservice to their church.
I don't know who's right but I do know better than to ask them. I've always had the utmost respect for persons so devout in their faith that they openly claim all others are false. Before theirs can be the one true path all other paths must be false or there's doubt and there's no room for doubt when your soul is on the line. Some religions look to expand and want everybody to follow their path to salvation while others may teach that followers of false faiths need to be eradicated. I like the first guys more for two very good reasons, one is that they care enough about me to want to save me and include me in their eternal plans regardless of whether or not I share their beliefs at this time and two is my interest in self preservation. When I receive an invitation to go to somebodies church I'm flattered, I pass every time but I'm still warmed by their desire to include me in a very personal decision. If you think about it, most religions teach that non-believers are doomed to eternal damnation and if one of your friends knew that to be true and was aware that you didn't share his beliefs wouldn't you feel a little hurt if he didn't try at least once to save you. Seriously, if you knew for a fact that one of your friends was getting on an airplane that was absolutely, beyond a doubt going to crash and burn with no survivors would you drive him to the airport?
If one religion is correct then all others are wrong. If all faiths are correct then they are all wrong and therefore insignificant. I don't know which boat is heading off for paradise and which ones are going to fall off the edge of the earth or just wander aimlessly around the sea. I'll just stay here on dry land. Good luck and bon voyage.

I have no Opinions

2009-05-13T20:59:00.003-04:00

Boy, that was a great movie. This burger sucks. Those shoes are ugly. You really need a haircut. These are all statements of opinion, or are they? Was that movie really great? Yeah, it was and that's indisputable. Sure, somebody else might have thought it was the worst piece of crap put on the big screen and they would be right. How is this so? How can one movie simultaneously be a hit and totally stink. The answer is simple, it's subjective to the person watching it but that doesn't mean his review is an opinion. Opinions are ideas that could very well be wrong. Would you knowingly believe something that could be wrong? If your review of the movie were challenged would you be able to defend your position knowing that you could be wrong? When your credibility is at stake your ideas must be reliable. That the movie was great is a fact, not an opinion.
What if you were to thoroughly enjoy the movie but you told your friend that it was terrible? Would that be an opinion? Of course not, it would be a lie. If an "opinion" can be told as a lie then it fails the most significant test, an opinion is something that may be right or wrong and claiming that you didn't like the movie is a definitively wrong statement. If something that could be regarded as an opinion is clearly wrong it cannot be an opinion because it lacks the necessary ambiguity.
Opinions are ideas that other people have. Whether you like something or not is a personal truth. That's not to say that you cannot change your mind, that just makes it no longer true. That may have been the worst hamburger you've ever had but you may some day have the misfortune of being served worse.
But wait, there's more. Anybody that's participated in an art class critique session can tell you that whether or not you like something is irrelevant, does it work. Does the composition work? Is the use of color effective or is it distracting? These questions must be answered definitively and cannot be subject to your likes and dislikes. It's not a great leap to suggest that a personal review of a movie, hamburger, shoe or hairstyle should adhere to the rules of a critique. In fact, if you approach every review with the question "does it work?" you may find that you have no opinions.

The Godless Outlaw

2009-04-27T19:28:00.003-04:00

I don't need God. Does that make me an athiest? An agnostic? An asshole? Somewhere along the road religion claimed a monopoly on morality and I resent that. I don't steal, rape or murder anybody out of common courtesey, not because God forbids it. I follow the "Golden Rule" and it does me just fine.
I don't run around killing folks because not only would it make me sad, I actually like people, but I would rather folks not run around trying to kill me. It makes good sense from so many angles too, the fewer disgruntled family members seeking revenge the easier it is to sleep at night and you save a fortune on home security systems. God has something to say on this matter but it's pretty much irrelevant, I've already got the memo.
Sex is a lot of fun but like most two player games it's more fun when the participants are willing. It's rude enough to poke people with you finger when they are least expecting it but to go around poking them with..., well, there's no excuse. Having ruled out uncooperative sex, I feel it's important to take a look at the other kind, no not solo but consentual. Many folks may be unaware of this but one of the side-effects of sex are babies. Babies are really cool but they eventually become people, if you don't kill them first. Babies should not be taken lightly, they require a lot of attention and money and you shouldn't be in the habit of making them unless you are willing and able to commit the twenty years or more it takes get them to move out of your house. The most effective way to raise a baby is by a mommy and a daddy and they should have, if nothing else, legal incentive to remain together and see to the welfare of the babies. Some people would rather kill thier babies than raise them and care for them. This says volumes about the character and intelligence or both for these people. Caring for a baby is the second most natural thing a person is compelled to do and if you need God to tell you what to do I genuinely fear for the safety of your children, you could wind up taking them to a mountain to kill them as a result of some mis-understood dream.
I understand God has a lot to teach folks about how to love one another but I kinda got the idea. Sometimes bad things happen and somebody needs to step up and forgive for the sake of getting along so it would serve everybody well if we all took turns on being the first ones. Again, I don't need God tell me how to get along with folks, it's pretty much self explanatory if you think about it. The scary thing is that some people would be lost without the threat of damnation to guide them onto the right path. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that God is a bad influence or that He serves no purpose I'm just saying that I can make the right decision without Him.
Not only don't I need God to steer me in the right direction but I don't need laws either. The government can pass all the laws they want but I'm going to do the right thing because it's the right thing to do regardless of what the law is. I don't commit murder or rape because it's clearly wrong regardless of what the law says. I guess I'm a Godless outlaw but I think I'm better than everybody who lives by the rules because they're afraid of the consequences.

I'm over it, I think

2008-12-29T15:07:00.002-05:00

Okay, enough time has passed. The shock has worn off. Yes, I was shocked when Obama won, well, maybe not shocked but certainly surprised. I know many people don't care for President Bush but I didn't realize how much that would translate into mistrust of the Republican party on a whole. I thought for sure that folks knew it's the Democrats who are responsible for the economic mess we're in now. I didn't think people would be willing to entrust the highest elected position in this country to a guy who wished we could be more like China, yeah he said that. I'm disappointed to say the least. Mostly, I'm disappointed in the Republican party. We could have won this election if the Republicans only came out and admitted who the are instead of pretending to be Democrats. Given a choice, it seems more people would rather vote for a real Democrat over a fake one.

No Sour Grapes Here

2008-11-05T19:14:00.004-05:00

I know a little bit about politics, maybe a little bit more than most. I follow politics like people follow sports. Sometimes your team loses. Yesterday my team lost. It would be easy to be bitter and angry but the easy road is seldom the high road. It's time to move on, America will still be here in the morning.
I would like to believe that race played no part in this election. I would like to believe that a persons skin color just doesn't matter. I'm not black. I guess it matters that I'm not black. I'll not pretend to know what it's like to be black. My ancestors were never bought and sold like livestock, at least not that I'm aware of. There isn't an organization bent on the destruction of people like me, at least not on this continent. I understand that black history is a shameful chapter for this nation, but by not being black I lack that perspective. I've heard stories of elderly black men and women weeping when they heard that Barak Obama was elected President claiming that they never thought they would see this day. While I cannot fully appreciate the emotion that they are feeling, I recognize when something is bigger than the package it comes in. There is a great deal of good here.

Have you considred this?

2008-10-10T20:07:00.003-04:00

The more I read about Bill Ayers, his deeds and his preachings I begin to see a pattern here, he doesn't like the United States of America. He is very outspoken about his dislike (would it be wrong to call it hatred?) of our government, police and capitalist way of life. Even recently he condemned capitalism as materialistic and racist in a speech he gave in Venezuela, praising socialism. In 2001 he posed for a photo standing on the American flag and claims he remains unrepentant. It's likely that if he hasn't changed his opinion of our country in the forty years prior to that picture he probably hasn't changed it in the last seven. He is a friend of Barak Obama.
Jeremiah Wright is a racist, anti-Semitic and anti-government preacher who stood before Barak Obama in church every Sunday for twenty years and blamed middle-class white America for the hardships of the black man. Reverend Wright doesn't hide from what he has to say, he made a DVD you can buy from his church and see the hatred for yourself. Reverend Wright is a close personal friend of Barak Obama.
We should be concerned that these people approve of Barak Obama.

Just say no!

2008-10-07T17:28:00.004-04:00

I cannot understand how anybody can vote for Barak Obama to be President of the United States of America. He is grossly unqualified, has blatantly socialist policies, is disingenuous with his positions and is associated with violent and vociferous anti-American persons. I believe there are a lot of people who stand to make a lot of money documenting Obamas rise to the Presidency. It's a shame, John McCain isn't a strong candidate but he also isn't a continuation of the previous administration.
Barak Obama has not promised to do anything to bring our country out of this recession. He proposes a tax increase on "large corporations." That's fine if you buy into this whole class warfare thing but hurting the big guy doesn't help the little guy, in fact it's devastating to the little guy.You see, in a country where businesses are free to leave and do business elsewhere they may do just that if it gets to expensive to stay. Ask yourself this question and be honest, "Does increasing to cost of doing business for a company lower the prices of what they produce? Does increasing the cost of doing business for a company result in raises for their employees?" This alone is enough to disqualify Obama but there's more. He is a re-distributionist as evidenced in his wanting to give 95% of Americans tax cuts when only 60% of Americans actually pay taxes, he's going to just give them our money. Barak Obamas taxes would take money from the pockets of the working man and give it to the the non-working man and he doesn't even have to be from this country because Obama supports financial initiatives against global poverty.
Obama actually praised China for their progress leading up to the Olympics and asked why we here in this country couldn't be more like them! Honestly, how can that go ignored? From a humanitarian perspective alone that's reprehensible. He advocates teaching kindergartners sex-ed! Why? I should be allowed to determine when my children learns sex-ed. Apparently he wants to strip me of my rights as a parent.
The company you keep does speak volumes about you and Obama keeps some pretty questionable company. His buddy Bill Ayers is a domestic terrorist. The church he attended for twenty years preached anti-American, anti-Semitic and anti-white rhetoric and he claimed he didn't know. His own wife refers to "middle-classness" as a crime! That pretty much makes me a criminal.
To elect Barak Obama to the office of Presidency is to devalue America.

Bring It

2008-10-06T19:35:00.002-04:00

Nobody reads this. I've likened this blog to mental masturbation and given my schedule, playing with myself doesn't rank high on the priority list. I don't get many opportunities for intellectual intercourse these days and I think my libido is waning but I'm up for some action today and in a big way. I see politics like many folks see sports and I can get just as animated as a typical drunken Sox fan during the ALCS when it comes to debating my facts against anybody's opinions.
I understand that there are some folks who prefer intercourse with persons of the same persuasion as themselves. I do not. I prefer intercourse with persons of the opposite persuasion. Unfortunately opinions contrary to my own are not easy to find. It's not that nobody harbors such ill-advised thoughts but we seldom cross paths. Oh, I occasionally come across a person with differing views but more often than not they are not very well equipped, intellectually, or they cannot tolerate having their viewpoint challenged. I want my views challenged! I am open to and interested in what you have to say. Bring it!
Just a couple of things first. Please keep it civil. Please try not drop any word-bombs. Please avoid name calling. I'd like to keep this site as something you might tell your mother about.

Let the games begin.

'sigh'

2008-07-29T19:22:00.002-04:00

You know that feeling you get on the roller-coasters drop? Man, a woman on a motorcycle is DAMN sexy.

I'm back, I think.

2008-07-29T19:02:00.002-04:00

Okay, so it's been awhile. I'm nothing if not consistent. I sincerely mean to post regularly but I must admit, knowing that nobody is reading this besides myself kinda makes me feel, well... odd.

What purpose does a blog serve? Is it an outlet for news? What kind of news is appropriate to post here? Is this the place to announce personal news like dates and locations for family functions or the arrival of a new human being into the world? Is it the place to "voice" opinions? Why would anybody care?

I don't know what a blog is but I'm certain it cannot be eaten. If I have an audience, I will endeavor to entertain.

Here we go...

Yanking on my noodle

2008-01-21T20:22:00.000-05:00

Through the course of the day I write several brilliant articles and solve most of our nations ills. I'm insightful and clever with a wry sense of humor. I know all kinds of other stuff too, but not after noon. I wish I knew where my ideas went. By the time I get to this computer in the couple of minutes before bedtime my mind is mostly empty. What little bit of junk that's left rattling around upstairs is largely incoherent and grayish green. I suppose none of that matters considering that nobody sees this anyway. I mean, there is nobody reading this. If you consider the exchange of intellectual ideas a form of intercourse then this is tantamount to mental masturbation. If I do manage to recall my morning moments of genius, stay tuned because I will endeavor anew to post often.