The Fall of Fall

     Hello to my readers, hope all is well with you. You have once again returned to donate five minutes of your time to reading my thoughts, as spastic as they may be. I enjoy writing these posts, but have a hard time finding the time that it requires. It has been quite a while, so long that I actually had a difficult time remembering how to log in to my account to write this.

     Lets get right to it. In looking at the calendar, I cant help but to notice a spooky day is rapidly approaching. A day that some people celebrate, some people condemn. A day that a lot of us look deep within ourselves to admit and confront the things that really scare us. Some of us will gather around our TVs in dark living rooms, some will attend parties that are crowded with all sorts of dressed up freaks. I am of course talking about election day in America. Those of you that know me, know that I am passionate about politics. The truth be known is that I don't so much care about politics as I care about this country. I believe in this country and the people in it. I know that we do a lot of fighting with each other, but when it matters the most, we can come together and achieve great things. It is so important that we all get out and vote in this election. You can go down and vote  today if you wish, everyday until actual election day. This is the most important thing you can do as an American to prove your patriotism. I was moved by the story about 93 year old WWII veteran Frank Tanabe that was terminally ill but wanted to make sure he got to vote. His daughter acquired an absentee ballot and sat with him to fill it out. Mr Tanabe was a Japanese American that joined the service from an internment camp during WWII. he, like many other Japanese American citizens, were placed in detention during the war for fear of spying. He wanted to serve his country, to prove his loyalty, so he enlisted and spent his time interrogating Japanese soldiers that were captured. He was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for his efforts. He registered to vote from his death bed, barely able to move. Frank Tanabe died yesterday, but he left his mark. So whats your excuse for not voting?

     The great thing about the day after election day, is the fact that the media can quit working so hard to get their candidate elected. I have become so much more aware of the media's role in the presidential election this year. To tell you the truth, its sickening. ON BOTH SIDES. I cant believe these people can call themselves journalists and promote political agendas as much as they do. reporters are not reporting, they are creating. When they cant find a patsy to interview to push their views, they interview each other....appalling! This unprecedented 24 hour access to media and news is such a double edged sword..Kinda like Superman on a 24 hour drinking binge.

     Another inspiring story is out of Dallas.  At a local homeless shelter, a man pulls up, whacked out on PCP, going crazy and assaults a woman and others standing outside. A lone police officer arrives and engages the suspect and quickly is over his head. Striking blows with his baton are completely ineffective. As the injured officers retreats to regroup, the crazed dopehead charges the officer only to be intercepted by a homeless man that grabs the man and stops him and body slams him on the ground just long enough for back up to arrive and get control. The officer was injured and media headlines report that "Homeless Man Saves Officer" which may be true, but what he truly did was save the offenders life. It was about to get real for that dope head. Props to the man that jumped in to help, for doing the right thing. Support your police people, they are just one of you!

     Ok, here comes the slanted political opinion part that some of you may choose to skip over. I am sick and tired of the Liberal Media and the democratic left hiding, repeat HIDING underneath the word racism. The best thing that could be done to help this country shed its past is to elect a black president. The worst thing that this country could do to shed is past reputation is to elect a president just because he is black. I think that everyone was so hurried to prove "we are better than that" that we put the wrong man in office. Everytime I ask an Obama supporter why he should be elected, they all say the same thing...Because Romney is just a liar. huh? Every once and a while, someone will say "Well, he got Bin Laden". Really? I am not even going to validate that response. What has he done? This is his first job ever! how is he supposed to take care of industry and business if he has never even been employed?? He wants the government to control everything, it has worked so well the past four years. Donald Trump has offered 5 million dollars to the charity of Obama's choice if he will simply provide his college and passport applications and the White House said "no way"! This is the transparent president. Why would you care? What is there to hide? I would produce that stuff in a heartbeat, not just for the money, but because I stood on the national platform and asked to be a representative of the people of this country. I pray for the best for our country, we all need to be more involved. I have so much more I want to talk about in the political world, but there is just no way right now. I will save it for later.

     A couple of other notable things to watch....Watch the weather!  The ultimate perfect storm may be about to form along the east coast, one that "could" be much larger than the last perfect storm in which they made a movie.  The fastest stretch of road in the United States opened between Austin and San Antonio Texas with a posted speed limit of 85 for 41 miles. Lets all remember that when these elections are over, we will all still have to live with each other, so try to be respectful of other people and their beliefs. Protect yourselves and America by reading and guarding the Constitution of this country.

     Thanks to everyone for stopping by, and as usual I will say that I intend on trying to write more often. I hope people will comment back to me on my facebook page. Until next time...GO HOGS!

The Important Things

     We all go through our daily lives focusing on what is important to us and striving to achieve happiness based on our accomplishments. The things that are important vary from person to person and only we can decide for ourselves what we want that makes us feel complete. Some people search their entire lives without ever finding true happiness, and for them I feel sad. As for me, my goals seem to change often, and I find myself getting gratification from the small things in life that others take for granted.

     The end of July was no different than any other time. I was working quite a bit while trying to balance my home life. Then, as things can abruptly do, my life changed. The last few days of July would alter the rest of my life. On Monday, my family had a memorial service for my Aunt that passed away suddenly. A tough day for sure, no need to pile anything else on at this point. My daughter Julia, which just turned 14, has spent the majority of her summer being sick. Symptoms that we couldn't really pin down. Fatigue with aches and pains, fever every night in the range of 102 to 103. Loss of appetite and weight loss. She just didn't look well to us. We had her down at the doctors office numerous times trying to find out what was wrong. Our doctor decided to do a full lab panel testing for everything, the problem...results will take time. In the meantime, we noticed that she was having problems with inflammation and swelling. She was placed on Predisone that seemed to act as a temporary quick fix for a few days at a time, but she would relapse back into her sickness soon after. We wondered....Mono? Tick Fever? Our doctor tried to arrange an appointment at Childrens Hospital, but it was taking a long time, and she was getting worse.

     So early Tuesday morning, after a night of fighting a fever of almost 105, we took off for the ER at Arkansas Children's Hospital. The ER physician looked in the computer and saw she had an appointment scheduled in about a month in Rhuematology. He called up and they wanted to see her in the clinic right then. She met with a doctor there that had an idea, but wanted to make sure. So here is where we sub the music montage showing countless hours of x-rays, lab work, EKG's, and echo cardiograms. A 45 second clip, maybe to the tune of the A-team. About 7 hours later, sitting in the doctors office, the bomb drops....she has Systemic Lupus (SLE). Lupus....what the Heck? All I know is that my daughter is sitting here feeling like she has gone 3 rounds with Mike Tyson, and I have to wrap my mind around that?

     So, for those of you that don't know, Systemic Lupus is an auto-immune disease in the same category with Asthma, Arthritis, and Leukemia. Her body is attacking itself, thinking it is the enemy. She is anemic, hypokalemic, has swelling joints and aching muscles. Fluid around her heart and possible compromised kidney function, and that's just to start with. There is no cure for Lupus, you just learn how to deal with it everyday just like you would with diabetes.  She was pretty well informed that she can lead a normal life, as long as she can live with pain and discomfort, and fever all the time. That some days will be good, and some days not so good. We will just adjust as time goes on. We still have a lot to learn. They wanted to admit her to the hospital to address several issues, but we were able to convince them to let her go home at night if we would come back everyday for treatment. So Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday were spent at ACH getting IV's infused. Almost immediately, we saw an improvement in Julia's condition, talking and eating, and talking. She has since been having problems again and had a trip to the local ER for some respiratory issues, but we are hoping for the best. Julia is learning, as am I, that we have to manage this thing everyday.

     All this just to lead up to my point for the day. This diagnosis has helped to put things in perspective. It dawned on me that I was late in the game. I sat in the lobby of Arkansas Children's Hospital with my oldest son and daughter enjoying a Dr Pepper and just talking. We were just one story, a page in a very large book that was being written right before my eyes. Hundreds of people streamed in and out of the hospital through the front doors. Some walking with their kids, some carrying their kids, others pulling them in wagons or strollers. Some parents entering and leaving the hospital on their own because their child was to sick to leave.  I remember looking out the window at all the cars driving by on the interstate, and thinking what could be more important in this world, besides what is going on in this building. That just a few days ago I was one of those just driving by blindly, not giving a thought to the tragedies and miracles that are going on everyday within the walls of Arkansas Children's Hospital. Yes, I do work in Emergency Medicine, and I do have an understanding of patient care, but its different when your on the other side, at the mercy of the doctors and staff.

     There is one thing that I do know in light of the recent events. I am very fortunate to have a great network of friends and family that have offered numerous prayers and help with anything we may need. Every single person that has reached out to us over the past couple of weeks, I want you to know we appreciate every word of support, it means a great deal to my family. We respectfully ask for continued prayers as we try to stabilize this illness and learn how to best control it. Julia is a great girl and her smile and well being mean the world to me. Again, thank you all for understanding and God bless you.

Justin time

     A friend of mine told me she liked reading my blogs if they had a topic she cared about. I told her to pick any topic and I would blog about it so she could read something she cared about. Well, the topic she picked was Justin Bieber. I told her I accepted the challenge but that she probably wouldnt like my response.

     I did a quick Google of the kid, just to get a few basic facts straight. He was born in Canada in 1994. He actually does play some instruments which I have to admit raises the bar on the guy for me a little. apparently he plays guitar, piano, percussion, and trumpet. It doesnt say how well he plays them though so I am reserved a bit on those.

     Bieber marks the beginning of an entire new Genre of musician, the youtube sensation. First we had the performers that played live and were "discovered" by agents. Then we had the American Idol types of artist that duked it out in contest for a chance to be the next big thing. Now The Beeb is here, a product of being discovered on YouTube and molded into an entertainment powerhouse by professionals. Make no mistake about it, Bieber is a big deal. Platinum albums are already present in his resume'. His net worth in 2011 was 110 million. Then why is it that someone that is so popular and recognized sends shivers up my back worse than when Quint scraped his nails down the chalkboard in the city council meeting in the movie Jaws? I guess because its just wrapped up in such a neat little package and crammed down our throats as if this is the future of music in the world today. I feel there is a difference between music and entertainment. All music is entertainment, but all entertainment is not music. You either love him or hate him. I dont think he will stay around long, but I may be wrong.

     I love music, all kinds of music. I can usually find something good in any tune, and his sounds arent any different. I sometimes catch myself tapping a foot or humming the lyrics "Baby..Baby...Baby..OHHH. Admit it, you have too. But there is something left to be desired in computer generated music and beat boxes. Listen, I think I just heard Jimi Hendrix roll over in his grave. I guess it is just normal for each generation to look down on the music of the next, but I think i am close to right on this one. My daughter, that is about to turn 14 has always despised the Beeb, and so does my oldest son. So I know there is hope in their musical taste.

     So as for this corporation produced, cookie cutter recipe entertainer, I wish him the best. He has already exceeded my net worth by a few dollars so he doesnt really need my endorsements. I hope that in his progressing age, Justin realizes the need to change and keep fresh, and to rely on his talents (if they do exist) instead of white collar excutives following the greenbacks. To be his own...gulp!...man.. and take care of business will allow him to have a productive, long lasting career. Just remember to add some guitars to your music  and MORE COW BELL!!!

     So that is my blog on Justin Bieber. Not as bad as I thought it would be, maybe I realized a few things as I wrote this, maybe I am just unattached. There is a demand for what he does for sure, I am just glad that 10 to 18 year old girls dont vote yet. So I return my brain now to distortion pedals, double bass drum rolls, and wicked guitar licks that leave me begging for more...Van Halen is now in control of my mind again, fasten your seatbelts.

A Supreme Mistake

     Yesterday, the United States Supreme Court made a ruling on the laws that the State of Arizona have been trying to enforce lately in an attempt to protect itself and the people that live there. Arizona has found itself in the middle of a battle over a states right to govern themselves independently against federal laws that are set forth for our nation. Texas and Arizona are the front lines of an increasing problem in this country, and make no mistake, it effects you greatly.

     I know I have blogged before about the immigration laws and the effects on our nation, but this is worthy of revisiting because it is so important. First, let me state this. I have no problems with the Mexican people. This isnt an Anti-Mexican issue. This is a discussion of law. We as a country have to have laws, we have to have borders, we have to have accountability for ourselves. When this ceases to exists, so will our country.

     I am a simple man, I try to keep things simple in my life. I do not claim, by far, to know more about the law than the supreme court justices, but I know that something is horribly wrong. This is the one rule that I think is the problem right now. If you are in this country without citizenship or documentation you are considered an illegal alien. It is a violation of federal law to enter this country unrecognized. If this wasnt such an issue, why have we had U.S. Customs agents at crossings and airports for decades now to protect this? Is this a discrimination issue? No, it is a safety issue. Every developed nation in the world has strict guidelines on entering their country. It baffles me when the Liberals here state we are being to tough on immigrants and that the government should just leave them alone. Just try to go visit ANY other country without good documentation and see how far you make it.

     The current administration has figured out that if they can appease the Hispanics in this country and promise them amnesty from deportation, it will increase their voting base and assure them re-election. Thats right, compromise your safety for another term in office. But wait, dont you have to be a citizen of the United States and show I.D before you can vote? Not if Obama has his way. Think about this, the most precious value that we have as US citizens, as carefully put in place by our founding fathers to guarantee our freedoms and rights, are being cast aside by a power hungry administration with a tremendous liberal agenda. I have news for you Obama, it wont work...illegals will not vote in the general election..this I promise. You will have compromised the dignity of the country you are sworn to protect and endanger the prosperity of this great nation. Shame on you for not standing up with the State of Arizona and saying enough is enough, we will support you. I promise the people in Arizona have a clue what they are talking about.

     If our borders go unprotected, and people arent required to be readily identified, we might as well just pull our border patrol agents off the walls, TSA from out of the airports, and throw our customs regulations in the trash. we can use the money saved from all those salaries to help pay for the free health care and entitlements that all the illegal, oh i'm sorry, I mean new undocumented citizens, will need to survive. I promise I will work harder so more of my paycheck can be taken away to support our new citizens.

     I welcome immigrants to the United States, its what we are. I have good friends and even close family that were born in Mexico and are here legally, and take great pride in their citizenship or visa's. I am lucky, I didnt choose America and have to fight my way in here, I was just born here. The people I know that chose to come here, and do it right, I have the utmost respect for. President Obama is trashing their hard work and determination to better themselves by granting Amnesty to the illegals that have made it in and stayed hidden long enough. So keep the faith....If you are a rapist, murderer, kidnapper, dope dealer, child molester or just run of the mill thief, dont give up hope, you soon to may be accepted as the new "norm" in our society. Just dont forget to vote for OBAMA!!!!!
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To Arms! To Arms!

     Another timely topic that has been bouncing around in my head for some time that I now feel inclined to write about due to some recent events. First, I want you to imagine a scenario.....A man that is coming down from a three day high and is in need of some quick money so he can fix his habit, decides to rob the gas station on the corner with little or no regard for the clerk or customers. As he starts to walk in he notices a sign on the door that says "No concealed handguns permitted on premises". At this point, what do you believe the reaction will be? "Darn, I cant rob this store, they don't allow guns in here!" Umm, probably not. No, he will enter the store and begin his 2 minute reign of terror just so he can get high again. The majority of these robberies are quick and no one gets hurt if everyone complies. There is a pretty good chance though of someone getting hurt or killed if one thing goes wrong. Say the man behind the counter is an owner/operator at this store and decides to resist the robber, so not to suffer any losses himself. A shot rings out and the owner falls to the floor...bleeding. Time stops for everyone in the store......the robber has now, in the blink of an eye, become a murderer. The stakes are higher, and there are witnesses. He stops and wonders if he should shoot the other two people in the store that can identify him. He can't reason because he is coming down off a high and decides to just shoot the other customers. One of the customers is a man that usually carries a concealed handgun, but has left it in his car because more and more businesses don't allow them anymore.

     A telephone rings...playing a familiar song. The woman answers only to be told by police that her husband has been killed in a robbery in town at a gas station. The woman weeps and falls to the floor as her two kids look on and try to figure out what is going on.

     This is a sad story, but one that is repeated everyday all across the country. The location may be slightly different, the details vary, but good people are killed by bad people all the time. It is very difficult for good, law abiding citizens to protect themselves today against the maniacs that enter stores, work sites, and schools in attempt to do harm to others. This is why it is very important for the administrators and law makers to understand how crucial it is that you do not disarm people who are qualified and trained to carry guns. I cant sit here and quote statistics and case studies in particular, but i can tell you there have been crimes stopped and lives saved by good people being armed in a crisis situation.

     I am a firm believer that when you start to regulate guns in The United States, only criminals will benefit. They think it would be great if we took all the guns away from the good people in this country. The second amendment of The Constitution of the United States guarantees the right of "a Well Regulated Militia" to keep and bear arms. George Washington interpreted that a "well Regulated Militia" consisted of every able bodied man in the country. The Supreme Court has often fought over the clash in terms and has never struck down any piece of legislation on second amendment grounds.

     In the state of Arkansas, to carry a concealed firearm you have to take the class from a qualified instructor, pass all kinds of tests and background checks,  and demonstrate your ability to handle the firearm. I have taken the class before, and all the situations in which lawmakers are weary of covered in the class. Believe me, people that have taken the class know what is and isnt expected of the responsibility of having a weapon. Its not up to the liberal government to tell us what we need to do to make it safe.

     Then why would the government not want us to have guns? Our forefathers ,in the infancy of this country, understood this perfectly. They were oppressed by an imposed military government that did not allow you to freely express yourself. In order to create the country and the government we desired, every man had to take up arms to resist and fight for the independence that we enjoy today. If the men of the time hadn't had weapons of their own, just try to imagine what direction this country might have gone. That being said, do you ever wonder what you would do if the government we have now grows to big and powerful and starts to put regulations and rules into place that we as citizens find to be intolerable? What if the majority rule starts to fail and a choice, small group begins to run the government as they see fit and democracy is overturned?

     As the world changes, and criminals are allowed to run freely among the good people of this country, I advise you to educate your family, especially your kids, on safety and self defense. The court system is failing right now due to being completely overwhelmed and the jails are too full. I have news for you people....you would not believe the amount of violent offenders being let out of jails now to save money or make room for the newly convicted. It is sad to have to be the harbinger of such news, but protect your family! The government wont do it. Law Enforcement is stretched thin. When facing a dangerous situation, and things seem bleak for you and death seems imminent, I promise, you are going to wish someone in the room had the means to stop it. I choose to rely on myself!

Inside Out

     Hello folks, its been awhile as i have experienced a writers block, or a lack of enthusiasm towards getting these rants posted. I have actually written a couple that never made it past the publish button. Today will be different, I may even post two blogs! Today I thought I would dive in head first into some pretty hard core issues that may come up in my bid for President.

     Gay Marriage. Just those two words together strike a passion into most like a bugle playing charge on the battlefield. Others would argue that the two together are an oxymoron. There are morons alright, plenty of them, on both sides of the fence. Most of the problem comes from fear, and we fear what we don't understand. It is difficult to regulate and legislate what we do not understand. It is a complicated issue because it is something that lies at the core of what some people are. Homosexuality is not a disease. Treating it as such is just showing your ignorance. Its not a social trend either. Homosexuality has also been present as long as people have . Is it more prevalent now? Yes. It is socially more acceptable now, so more and more people are able to express their feelings without fear of reprisal. For me, this is how I see it. I don't want to know the personal details of your sex life regardless of who you like to sleep with. As far as I am concerned, it is your personal, private, life and you should keep it there. Why should it be such a public matter? Ill tell you why. Marriage. I will say this though...Dancing through the streets almost naked or dressed in crazy costumes like its Carnival season doesn't advance the cause much in my opinion, in fact it really hurts it.

     I have always been one to say that marriage is between a man and a woman as a contract with God to serve one another and raise a family in a stable home. Now, that being said, try to find a family that consists of a man and woman that got married before they had children, then had children, raised them in a stable home and died together holding hands in the nursing home. Its a beautiful thing if you know someone like this, and I do, but I also know of plenty of people that don't, and can no way, fit into this mold.

     I have friends that are openly gay, and friends that struggle with their sexuality everyday. Everybody in this world is entitled to their own happiness as long as it doesn't infringe on someone else's freedoms.Everyone needs a companion in their life to share their world, regardless of what we all think is right or wrong individually.  Therefore I do believe that it should be ok for same sex partners to enter into a marriage if they think they are ready to commit to each other. Some of the biggest opponents of gay marriage probably cheat on their wives anyway.

     I also know that we have a tremendous amount of children in this country that are in need of someone to love them, and a house to grow up in. A child needs love while growing up. There are a lot of people in this world that are willing to share their homes and their love with these kids if just given the chance. I promise it is much better than bouncing from foster home to foster home.

     Well, that is basically my position on this matter. My conservative friends may look upon me as a traitor for these views, but i challenge them to open their minds and let people reach their full potential. People wont stop being gay if you ignore them, nor will this argument ever cease if we keep outlawing it. You don't need to regulate what goes on in other peoples bedrooms any more than you would want someone to come into yours.

Tap Tap

     This week is National Police Week, as we recognize all the police officers that have given their lives in the line of duty to protect the citizens of this country. You wont find it printed on your main stream calendars, or see it on the national news, but its here.

     I have been lucky enough to be in and around law enforcement since my first full time job at a police department in 1987. I was hired as a dispatcher but I was bitten by the bug and havent escaped it yet. I have dispatched, given breath tests, testified in court, done ride alongs, auxillary, and patrolled as a part time officer on my own. Been spit on, been in fights, been one of many officers on scene, and been on my own and needed more. Have felt the chill up my spine telling me something just isnt right, and layed in the pitch black darkness in the grass as gunshots rang out, wondering if I would make it home again. I have seen bad guys killed by law enforcement, and officers killed by "suspects".

     This country is full of men and women that strap on a gun and a bullet proof vest just to go to work. These arent ten foot tall immortals with capes and superpowers, but moms and dads, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters. Officers that are well trained but may have to make a life or death decision in a milli-second, just to have to face a court and answer to a lawyer that has had two years to study all the facts. Officers that were killed for what they stood for, not for who they were personally. An officer represents the front line of defense in this nation..the thin blue line between right and wrong. Someone that will stand up and say, I will protect the ones that cant protect themselves, this I swear. Often they due this under ridicule of the public, low wages, and long hours. They go home, look at their sleeping children, and vow to go out the next day and do something to make a difference.

     The Law enforcement officers today dont want recognition or awards. They dont want parades or cheers. They just want to know that they have the support of the community to do a very tough job with very little resources. I am fortunate enough to be an officer on the Sheriffs office SRT team. The key to that is team. Everyone working for a common goal. Just like the citizens and community should do for their law enforcement officers. On our SRT team, we we stack up, or form a line to make an entrance into a building, the last man taps the shoulder of the man in front of him, and it works all the way up to the front man. Its a way of saying, I'm here brother, I've got your back...I'll be there for you.

     So this week we will hang blue ribbons in honor of those who gave their life in service to the community. We will gather and say prayers, read the names of the fallen, and go forth into the next year hoping the list wont be as long at the next ceremony. As the police officers stands in front of us to protect us, lets give him a tap tap on the shoulder to let him know we are all behind him, and will be there for him.

Life as is...

My soap box is currently being redone, so I wont grandstand today. Just a little blog so everyone will know that i am still alive. I am at work today and taking a break so that i can stretch my mind. Not much going on in the news right now that i can gripe about, the politicians are kinda in a lull as they prepare for their big push into November. I follow politics closely, and always have, but I have to admit...There isnt much to be excited about in the next election. I usually fall along the conservative republican side but as of late, they have kinda been pissing me off as well. I am worried about our country and the direction its going. If we dont stop, take a breath, and take care of whats important in this country, we are doomed. The people of Roman Empire can attest to that .I do believe it is easy to get to big for your britches and expect to much. Simplicity is the key. The people in this country are the ticket to success. It is not the duty of the government to invest in business and spend all our money to bailout companies. If a company over spends itself and fails, oh well. that is business. How much is enough profit. If your company post a quarterly profit of 10 million dollars, celebrate, do the happy dance, and keep doing what your doing. But we get greedy, and want 20 Million. so we overextend our budgets and our credit to "grow " our business in order to raise our profits. It only takes a few times of this until you are in dangerous territory and set up to fail. When you have overextended yourself, you have no wiggle room to compensate for a slowing economy. Even the top economist will tell you that the Market will have to "reset" occasionally...it cant always just go up. So when big business has all their eggs in one basket, and begins to fail, I shouldn't have to spend my money to save them. I mean, after all, they were making 10 million quarterly profit not long ago and i didnt see a penny of that money, now they get my money as well?? I was recently forced to spend a great deal of my money to bail out several large companies that were "to big to fail".
I keep checking my mailbox, but no check yet. Hell, just a thank you would be great.

    Take General Motors for instance.....They have the largest market share of vehicle sales in the world. They were tanking...going down for the last time. Everyone said."but what will happen to all those unemployed workers that GM lays off?" So we spent Millions upon millions to save them. Do you not think, that with such a large market in vehicle sales, that someone will step up and fill the void? Maybe someone with better management skills? That's capitalism! You tried, you failed, my turn! Maybe if the Unions didn't force the companies to pay $40.00 an hour to turn a screw, or pay the bosses extraordinary bonuses, they could have toughed it out.

     I remember when the big Airlines would get in financial trouble back years ago and come running to the government for help. (They used to be the worst at this). It's like they wanted us to think if they shut down, we would have to walk from Chicago to San Francisco if we needed to travel. Remember TWA or Braniff? guess what, other companies took over where they left off and we are still flying the friendly skies.

     I would love to see a swing back to how things used to work. Back when we depended on our workers to produce the goods we need. The farmers were growing our food, and raising our beef. Companies that depend on American consumers could actually afford to keep their businesses in America. We invest our tax money in us, not the rest of the world. we are not a third world country dependent on big brother to help us get by. We sure dont need anyone else to fight our fights for us. We are the USA, we should be what everyone else wants to be. We cower to no one, and cater to no one. You want our help, we will be there, but be ready to stand on your own when we are done. We should invest in our schools and our future. get back in the space program before somebody gets the upper hand on us. make our people proud and willing to work for what they have. to stop expecting handouts because they arent coming. bring back the Civilian Conservation Corps. If you cant get a job or feed your family, you can work fixing up our infrastructure to bring our deteriorating country back to life. People need something to be proud of in themselves. People that need housing could labor in run down neighborhoods remodeling houses for the needy, building sweat equity for their own house. No one should be homeless, no child should go hungry, not in the United States. We are better than that.

     Okay, I realize that I did get on my soapbox again..and for that I am sorry. I just care a great deal for this country and want to see things change. We are the greatest country in the world, and we need to act like it.

Are you freaking kidding me!!!

    I just spent 20 minutes typing what I thought could be the best blog i have ever done. I was really on a roll and speaking my mind and my browser just closed...all by itself. NEVER has done that before...just went away. So now you just get stuck with me griping! I mean what the Hell?? I was kinda stepping on some toes and going on and on, so maybe it was a sign to knock it off and save face. I thought about trying to retype it, but I got it off my chest and have lost the passion now. I will just sit here and grump about it I guess.

     If this was a dadgum typewriter I wouldnt have that problem. Computers think they are so much smarter than me and just sit here and try to boss me around all day. Like now, my computer is freaking out because it doesnt know that dadgum is a word and keeps telling me to change it. NO, not gonna do it. I know if I split it up the little red squiggly will go away, but thats not how i want it to read. Plus, its getting on to me for not putting the ' in doesnt. I dont have time for all that. You, the reader knows exactly what I mean. A typewriter would just sit there and do exactly what you told it, it knew its place. You dont have to go through 5 functions to print out a page, you just grabbed the top of the paper and yanked it out. (you better make sure you were done with it, because its next to impossible to line it up again). Then you could fold your paper, place it in an envelope, lick the stamp, and send it to its destination. simple. You didnt used to receive 20 letters in your mailbox everyday either from people that didnt know you. I never received a personal letter, in an envelope, with a stamp, that asked if I wanted a bigger penis, or refinance my home, or meet new people. Every once and a while, you would get the big envelope from publishers clearing house. You would save it but never open it. 

     I'm gonna call this one finished before technology rears its ugly head and erases my work again. I dont want to go to jail today and that is what would happen to me because i would go crazy and throw this laptop through the window and go outside and scream at pedestrians. Thanks for reading, have a good day.

Give us your tired, your poor...

Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses, yearning to breath free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,
Send these, the homeless, the tempest tossed,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.


     The above Inscription is found on the base of the Statue of Liberty, a poem written by Emma Lazarus. I memorized this in the fifth grade for a play, and have never forgotten it. To me it speaks the idea of the United States of America, come, we receive you with open arms so you may flourish and thrive in the new world. Come they did...in groves. Immigrants poured into the United States in search of a better life for themselves, for their families. The great melting pot was forming...The English, Irish, Asians, Italians...and many more. All ingredients in the all american apple pie. It is what we are, what we will continue to be. People wanting nothing more than to be called Americans. That being said....what the Hell has happened?

     As I continue my bid to be elected President  of the United States, I feel I must address this issue. Immigration was, is, and always will be an important part of this country and its legacy in the world. If you live anywhere in the world, you can still apply for a passport, work or study visa and come to America to work and live while you try to gain citizenship. Yep, that's right, you just walk right in the front door and it is perfectly legal. My problem is with the ones that attempt and succeed in sneaking in the back door.

     Illegal immigration is exactly what the name implies..ILLEGAL. It never ceases to amaze me that the political left in this country just seem to push the term aside and cater to undocumented aliens, giving them the same rights as an American Citizen. I am all for human rights, but i feel like the more we enable the illegals in this country, the more rights are taken away from me.

     Illegal, undocumented people in this country burden our infrastructure and our resources almost to the breaking point. I understand that certain citizens in our society depend on government subsidies and my tax dollars go to to fund that. Truth is, that the large amount of illegal labor going on in the U.S., no taxes are being paid, but the government is quick to hand out benefits to the illegals.

     The difficulty in which we all experience now just moving around the country on vacation is in result to the attacks on our soil on Sept. 11th. Great efforts are on border security to keep the people that want to kill you, away. As good a job that the border patrol is doing, there are huge holes that go uncovered, and people flood into the U.S. unchecked. It would be possible to stroll across the border with a weapon of mass destruction to create another 9/11.

     Until we can account for everyone within our borders, we cannot take care of ourselves. We are a leaking bucket and our well is about dry. All we ask is that you come in the front door, pick up a name tag, and apply yourself in a fashion that makes you an asset to this great country, not a liability. I will work along side you everyday, but i wont work to support you.

     I planned on writing a great deal more, but am extremely tired and fighting to maintain thoughts, so i will end it here. Let me know your thoughts on this issue.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder..

     Yes, its been awhile since I have posted...its kinda strange how I just couldnt seem to get to it...maybe deep down i didnt really want to.  As we all are aware, we go through cycles in our lives in which we perform at different levels and our priorities change. I find myself putting all my effort into one thing at a time instead of multi-tasking. When I focus on work due to a hectic schedule, my home-life suffers so I try to step it up. Then when I am working extra hard at home and family, work starts to suffer. Then in between, you have to add all the little things that have a habit of snowballing while you were looking the other way. I do the best I can, I miss some things and I hit the bulls eye on others. I can never make everyone happy..so if your one of the people I let down in the past few weeks, sorry, maybe it will be your week next week.

     Its been quite an interesting couple of weeks at work with some pretty serious calls. The worst ones all seem to be involved around recreation. A pretty bad Hang Glider accident to start off, followed by a couple of really bad motorcycle wrecks. I know its the source of much debate, but, wear your helmet people!! This is so important when riding. 

    A big congrats  to my daughter for her performance in the Russellville Bands Appreciation Concert this past Tuesday. Always enjoy listening to the Russellville Bands, but even more so when my daughter is playing. Great music in the great setting of the new Center for Performing Arts at the high school. Such a top notch complex that is unequaled anywhere in the state. The improvement in the quality of sound is obvious from the first note on. Also I am proud of my daughter for making the cut and getting to perform in the RJHS Talent show. She is singing a duet with a friend, and it really is quite good. American Idol here we come!

    As for my oldest son Jake, I am always proud of his abilities at school and his drive to do the right thing. He is always selected as his school ambassador and takes a very active roll in the schools Green Team that educates other students on the importance of recycling. A recent field trip to the recycling facility in Clarksville was like a highlight for him for some reason, but his field trip to an Arkansas Travelers Baseball Game yesterday seemed to "hit home" as well.

    As long as I am bragging about my kids, cant forget my 5 year old Gabriel. He is our handful. He never ceases to amaze me on a daily basis. I think he is smarter now, than i was in the 5th grade. He is starting school next year and his mother is beside herself. He is our youngest and probably last to leave the house for school during the day, meaning she will just have me to talk to. We have been really trying hard to get him in the elementary school we like but since we live out of district, it is hard to get first dibs. I cross my fingers and pray it all goes well. 

     I have found that the thing on my mind lately, first and foremost, is my need for a vacation. I havent really had one in about 4 years and it is really starting to wear on me. So, i have a few ideas  but i am open to any suggestions from the peanut gallery on good getaways at good prices. Have to take the whole clan with me, so i have to consider that as well. I am always a fan of the beach, but I hate extreme heat, and thats an issue there. I love the Rocky Mountains but that is a long drive, especially with the whole family in tow. Have to give it some good thought and work out the perfect retreat.

     As usual, I have a lot to get done today, and me sitting at the computer sure isnt helping, so lets wrap this up. I have Yell Fest coming up next weekend...That is an extremely busy weekend for me. I, along with my fellow Mounted Patrol members, are selling tickets for a chance to win $500.00 cash, that will be drawn the final night of Yell Fest, May 12 th. We really need to sell a lot of these tickets to help us support life saving efforts in this county. tickets are cheap, $1 a chance, 6 for $5. The odds are much better than the lottery so get with me and buy some tickets today!!! 

    I will try not to let so much time go by before my next entry..so sign up to follow me and leave a comment, even if you think this isnt worth reading! Bye!

     

Here's A Tip...

In my normal routine of going through some bills and organizing some paperwork on my desk, I came across something that has been on my mind...and I want to gripe about it. Let me run a scenario by you.
Imagine a nice lazy afternoon in the mid 1950's. A small Mayberry type town with my little General Store being one of the only places to buy goods in town. As I stand behind my counter, a customer comes in and buys a bag of coffee, and some flour. I ring up the register to a total of $10.00. Of course this doesn't sit well with the customer so i explain that $2.00 is for the goods, and the $8.00 remaining is a customer charge. That's right, it costs you extra for me to wait on you. absurd? I think so!

     In just about every transaction you deal in today has some sort of service fee, convenience fee, ,or customer fee. think about that. That is the price that company expects you to cover for the right to do business with them. What the Hell? When did all this happen? I thought that if you had a business in America, you valued customers and went out of your way to keep them happy.

     I have been noticing this for some time on my bills and receipts. Its not OK to charge me for things that I assume are part of the service. I first noticed it on my Entergy bill several years ago right after the gulf suffered damage from a hurricane. There was a sizable charge on my bill, I cant recall exactly what it was called, a recovery fee I think. When I asked an Entergy representative about this, I was told it was to help recover the companies losses sustained by excessive overtime and repairs to the region effected.

     The other day I was paying a bill over the phone and was told that i would be charged a service fee for fee collection. Now i am having to pay, to pay. ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME??? I have to do you the honor of paying you a fee to take my hard earned money. Utilities are the worst because they have you over a barrel, you have to have them...so you pay it. Insurance is the same way..we are mandated that we have to carry it, so the insurance companies as a whole keep raising premiums because they have us..they own us.

     Oil Companies say they have to raise gas prices due to market speculation over middle eastern turmoil. Speculation...anyone remember economics class...this means guessing. They continue to tell us that they have to raise prices to adjust to global rise in production costs...they think. Then at the end of the fiscal year, all the gas companies post HUGE, RECORD profits!! I keep waiting for my refund check due to over-speculation, but it never comes.

    If we turn the tides on companies, would it favor us for a change? I remember when Hurricane Gustav came through, we did without power for 3 days..3 days..and I live in the city. Valiant attempts to preserve all my frozen and cold food fell slighty short. When i mentioned to Entergy that I would be sending them a bill to compensate for all my losses, they actually got really huffy with me. Threatening to bill the cable company for lost work wages when I have to take the afternoon off to wait for a service tech to arrive.
Subtract money from your cable bill for the 100+ channels you never watch...ever!

     I just want to know when good customer service went away and arrogant business started ruling the earth. When businesses stopped trying to pamper the customer, and started catering to stockholders. we as consumers are in control, we just forget because we are bullied and pushed by big business.

   Alright, I am finished bitching for tonight. I will make an effort to be more positive in my future blogs so everyone leave comments and sign up to follow me so we can argue about what I rant about.

Man up

     What makes a man? A simple enough question on the surface...but is it?  The answer probably rests in the circles in which the question is posed. The answer would probably differ greatly  dependent on geography, culture, age and past experiences. I think that in the past, a definite stereotype was present in society of what was expected of the men in this country. An evolution has occurred since the image of the caveman emerging from his cave with a large club to walk to the closest female, strike her over the head and drag her back to his cave by her hair...or has it?

     Personally I am a firm believer in certain basic instincts that are embedded deep in the workings of human beings. Animal instincts ,if you will, that have a certain amount of control over the actions of us men, like it or not. Our ability to refine and control some instincts is a true test of our strength. In a sampling of men picked at random, a wide variety of personalities and levels of control would be obvious. That being said, I also believe that we need those different levels in the world today. For the men standing on the front lines, the military and law enforcement officers, it pays to have an aggressive, alpha male attitude...its necessary  for survival. Sometimes a more refined approach is needed, such as physicians, clergy, and social workers. Not saying that these characteristics cant interchange within these professions, you just cant get much done in confessional if the priest wants to whip your ass for what you say, or the police officer tells the criminals to just say they are sorry. 

     I guess the true test of a man, is the ability to adjust, conform to what is expected of him. To truly understand the situation around him and act accordingly. We ask 18 year old men to put on the uniform of the United States Military, travel to far away lands, and in accordance with his job and training, perform task that result in death and destruction of the enemy, civilians, and sometimes fellow soldiers. To see Hellish images and endure horrible conditions..those of which the common person could NEVER comprehend, then return to society and act like it was all just an extended vacation. We act surprised when a soldier cracks and goes on a rampage, killing civilians, other soldiers, wife and kids. I find it hard to believe that it doesn't happen more often. The military is just starting to understand this problem and attempting to deal with it. 

     We all flock to movies that have the larger than life male action hero. The muscled up, dual weapon toting bad ass with catchy one liners and hot women falling out of his pocket as he clings to helicopters, single handed kills all the bad guys, and gets the princess in the end. That is what Hollywood projects as a man. The other side of the spectrum is The Maury Povich Show in which countless losers are paraded across stage in an attempt to find who da baby daddy is. So obviously the answer of manhood isn't the ability to reproduce...any idiot can do that. 

     So...What makes a man? I think the best characteristic in a man is the ability to be flexible. To be open to what is around him and adjust to fit the needs of the people he cares for. I am a bit old fashioned and believe  that the man should be the foundation of the family. I was raised by just my mother, and she did an awesome job, but if a man looks at himself, his desire should be to be the tree on which the leaves grow. I think that a strong faith in God is required. The understanding that you will have days that you dont feel like you are doing a very good job, and have to rely heavily on your faith to get you through, but you CAN get through it. To be honest with yourself on your abilities..to realize when your in over head and not to take it out on the ones that love you the most. To project your anger towards others, to blame and destroy the lives of people around you is far from being a man. The furthest thing from manhood is a man that will strike a woman or  child. It has been my experience working in law enforcement, that the worse a man treats a woman, the bigger a whimp he is. 

     Some of the best men I know are good family men. Men that i look up to and admire. Men that put their own needs at the end of the list and strive to protect and provide for other people. Whether it be for their family, church, community, or all the above. I am fortunate to work around such men at work and in their volunteer work for the community. The larger a mans heart is, the stronger a man he is. 

     As for me personally, I try everyday to do the best I can, but mistakes are plenty. I try to learn from my experiences and not repeat the bad things. To go forward to improve the quality of life for me and my family and point the direction as my children get older so they can learn to make their own decisions. To be right with God and always reach out a hand to those in need. Didn't do so well today? Well, there is always tomorrow.

State of the Union

A man is walking down a small path in the woods and comes across a snake that has fallen into a fairly deep hole and obviously cant get out. To his surprise, the snake calls up to him and begs for the man to help him out. Stunned by the situation, and the talking snake, the man replies that he is afraid of snakes. the snake pleads his case, begging the man to help him escape the hole and most certain death. The man, clearly resistant of the request, asks the snake for assurance that he will not be bitten if he decides to help him. The snake, as many ways as possible, guarantees the man that he will not bite him if he will just rescue him. The man, convinced by his new found friend, reaches down in the hole and gently lifts the snake up and places him on the soft, cool grass, safe from his previous thought of his demise. The snake rares back and strikes the mans hand, biting him with full force, injecting venum and leaving blood. The man quickly pulls his arm back, grabbed his hand and looking at the snake in disbelief and asked"Why...Why did you bite my hand after I saved your life?" The snake looked at the man and replied "I'm a snake, its what I do".

     Of course we all probably recognize this story as a lesson in human nature, but I use it as a metaphor for the way our country sometimes is victimized by the people we reach out to help. On September 12, 2001, we all should remember how we felt about what was going on in our country, and how we felt about the people in this world willing to bring war to our nation. we as a country were in shock still, but we all did what we do best...come together in a time of crisis with an apparent clear objective...its us or them! President Bush standing on the pile of rubble at Ground Zero with the firemen, giving one of the best spontaneous, rallying speeches ever given by a president, to the entire Congress standing together and singing God Bless America. We were one as a nation...all the petty bickering and arguing about politics and other issues seemed pointless. For the first time, I think a majority of people in this country finally realized that there are people, and entire countries in this world that want to kill us. Yes..as you read this think about it...there is someone in this world that wants YOU dead, and will stop at nothing to try to do it.

    The President eventually gave a speech to the world, proclaiming that we are taking a very active role against terrorism on a global scale. That we were going after the sources of terrorism, no matter the difficulty or distance. That as for the other countries in the world, you were either with us, or against us...no grey area. From this point, it gets a little sketchy. Iraq was already on our radar for their disregard for warnings about their  reported weapon development and refusal to allow inspectors in country. They were obviously a major player in the unrest in the world, and we went after them, and justly so. The government of Iraq was essentially a terrorist organization in itself, killing thousands of people on a regular basis. We had to go in there, the ENTIRE Congress, as well as the free world was behind us. But when time goes by, and people die, we get a little wishy washy on what we are doing there. People start second guessing our mission because it becomes very difficult at that point to push ahead and send our people into harms way. We have the best military in the world, the best soldiers, and best equipment that can be had. I promise you that it went as well as war could go...its an ugly business.

     All that being said, here is my true point. The world changed on September 11th, 2001. Not just for us, but the world. Our actions in Iraq, and precautions taken here in The United States, are the new norm. After 11 years of war, we have found ourselves spread thin, tired, and needing a break. Amazing things have happened in the middle east. Dictators have been taken out of business, either by our military or by revolutions of their own citizens. We pursued the mastermind of September 11th for years which led us into sending troops into Afghanistan . Afghanistan is a country that is supposed to be an ally of the United States but as we get more involved, I think we are finding that it is probably just our snake in the hole.

     We have found and killed BinLaden. That was closure for a lot of people. I know its not that simple but, we need to get the Hell out of Afghanistan. I know we have this pipe dream of spreading democracy and world peace throughout the region, like a 80's Coke commercial where we all hold hands and sing songs...but it aint gonna happen! The people in the middle east will never think like us or have the same values. We, as a nation, have to stop thinking that we can March into a country that was established before the USA was even on the map, and persuade them to act like us. We need out before we lose one more American soldier over there.

     The United States Military is usually the police of the world. We are not getting any support from these countries we are spending a fortune on to help protect. We have families and children going hungry in the U.S. We have terrible problems with infrastructure in this country, and Emergency Services that are terribly underfunded. I say, Instead of putting our military in all these countries around the world, pull them out. I have news for you...without the support of the US, both Militarily and Financially, most of these countries cannot survive. We pump billions of dollars into foreign aid, just to be disrespected by the world. If we drill for oil in the united states, and off shore, we can reduce our dependence on foreign oil and make these middle east countries hurt when their oil sales slump world wide. we withdraw our military, strengthen their abilities here. When our military is called on by another country, we go in quick and hard, get the job done and get the Hell out. then we send the above mentioned country a bill. It is not our responsibility to babysit the rest of the world, especially when we are struggling so much here. Then people say that if left alone, these other countries will develop into uncontrolled chaos. OK. we will have the biggest, and strongest military possible, and when we are threatened by them, we quickly and decisively deal with it. The nexy trouble maker will think twice about pulling our chain. This is a system that works really well for Israel. They are a tiny country in perspective, but have a amazing, and feared military. Top notch...and the world knows it. They dont cruise the globe trying to pick a fight, but when they come...your gonna hurt. Plus they have a very supportive big brother.

     Bring our soldiers home. you cant reason with a people that go ape shit crazy if you dog ear a page of the Koran, or mention the name Mohammed. Me as a Christian, embrace the doubters of my God, to show them what true love and acceptance is. Their religion cuts your head off if you rock the boat. I dont want these people on my team...to heck with them, let them kill themselves. So leave the snake in the hole this time, step over it and come on home and lets take care of ourselves for awhile.

    Thanks for reading, sorry i got a little political today.....

Make Your Own Luck

Good Morning Campers! Well its Friday the 13th....dont freak out, we will survive it! Its just another day. Those of you with chronic bad luck will find several things to blame on the 13th, those of you who are always optimistic, will simply write it off as a coincidence...you know the "glass is half full" kind of people. I am happy to see and hear of so many people reading my post and following me...I hope that i can keep this entertaining and fresh so you will keep coming back. I would love it if everyone would register to follow me or at least leave a comment every once and a while. Those of you that actually follow me will receive a cabinet position in my administration once I am elected President....or a T-shirt, one or the other.

     OK, so since this President thing is out there, lets talk about it. People want to know where the candidates stand on all the issues. Issues...issues..issues...so lets talk about them. The first thing I think about is wondering if the media or other candidates will find something in my past to drag up and air out for the world to see, so as to crash the whole thing to ground. The answer to that is no...I think. I cant remember anything that is a real deal breaker, I was kind of a nerd growing up. No shady bank or land deals, no affairs, havent been in prison, and I certainly didnt inhale. Ok, before some of you cry foul..hang on. I havent ever, ever, everevereverevr....smoked pot or used any "recreational " drugs. I know, i am a square.  I dont like not being in control of my actions, and i always felt that if I did dope, i would be out of control. I do drink alcohol on occasion, but hardly ever. When i was a patrolman for Dardanelle Police Department, people would ask while i was searching them for drugs "come on man, its just a little pot, we've all done it". Nope man, sure havent. I am very anti-drug, always have been. So sorry all you folks pushing for legalized pot, i am not your man. I was really close to someone at one time that has/had an addiction and saw it destroy lives, a true tragedy. While taking my kids to school today I noticed a business in Russellville with a sign out front telling people to come in and sign the petition to legalize medicinal marijuana. This is a freakin joke, just have the balls to stand up and say you want to smoke pot legally and stop hiding behind the premise that you all of the sudden care for the medical well being of all the terminally ill people in this world. If you do, go volunteer at hospice or something.
Where have you been while people fight to control the over use of anti-biotics or the amazing shortage of emergency meds that we are dealing with now, or the largest rising crises in healthcare now, the abuse of prescription medication.

     OK, I did it again....got carried away on my soapbox...sorry. well, now you know my stance on drug usage in the United States. I do think we need a reform of how we enforce drug laws and prosecute offenders. we are drowning in debt paying to house simple drug offenders in prisons. I dont think conventional prisons are the answer to our non-violent criminals.

     As we all head into the weekend, I hope everyone has a great time and stays safe, especially on the North Side of Yell County as I will be working to try to save you jokers when you screw up.. LOL. So sign in and tell me how you feel on the topics of today, leave a good comment so we can fight about it all day!

   

The Race We Can Win

Hello folks, great to know that you have tuned in for another episode of "The World As I See It". As usual, i have several things on my mind, but this is at the top of the list.....Racism. Dont quickly scan the room as if you may get caught looking at porn, its an uncomfortable subject that is almost always misunderstood and misrepresented. The first thing I have to say is this: Wake up  people!!! We are all different from each other. If you take one particular race of people, narrow it down to the most "pure" of those, you will have a society that is still filled with people that believe that there is something wrong with the other guy. Its human nature. Before long they will themselves divide into groups and look upon the others as sub-standard people. I know, this isnt really Racism, but its the same kind of thing.

     We, as people, form a structure in our heads in which we envision what society should look like. In this great country, we have about every ingredient possible in our stew. A wide spectrum of people, cultures, and beliefs and this is where the problem starts. We have to realize that we are all different, we will think, act, dress, speak, eat and socialize in different ways. we have to acknowledge that though and embrace it. We cant say "Here is a template of what you need to be so you dont come off as a Racist". The fear of not being percieved as racist, and the actions taken in that matter, sometimes come off as questionable and result in someone else being thrown under the bus to protect "our" image. Admit our differences, accept our differences, learn from others. People fear what they dont understand.

    All that being said, I do feel there is a large problem with reverse racism or as I call it boomerang racism. I think it is possible to carry a big enough chip on your shoulder that small incidents call quickly get blown all out of proportion. The Media of today is the worlds worst at promoting racism and should be called to the carpet on it everytime. A lot of people in this world are incapable of thinking for themselves, and wonder aimlessly looking for leadership on what to do next. The media flourishes on this and constantly uses it to make a story.

    Trayvon Martin. Case in point. what did we know about that scene? I mean really? when it was being launced through the media, what details did we know? I know that in my experience in the hundreds, if not thousands of emergency scenes i have worked, THE MEDIA NEVER GETS IT RIGHT!  Even after the investigation is complete and all the press releases have come out, they are still incorrect in all the facts. Yesterday the Prosecutor in that county in Florida announced that they are going to charge Zimmerman with 2nd degree murder...they have to at this point. The only thing that will settle people down is for this case to have its day in court. The facts have to be presented in an orderly way so that the right thing can be done. I predict that this will rival the OJ trial. I do know that on that same day, all across the United States, there were other homicides involving people of different races..black on white, white on black, white on hispanic, hispanic on white etc,,

     We all have to improve on how we treat other people and our deep down prejudices. One thing i know...we are not born that way....it is learned. So it starts with us as adults and parents to change the worlds way of thinking. If you dont believe that, go to a kindergarten anywhere and watch how children play together regardless of what the other looks like.

     OK, enough of this for now, thanks so much for reading...I promise to lighten up soon!

Mo-ral-i-ty (noun)  1. Conformity to the rules of right conduct; moral or virtuous conduct. 2. moral quality or character. 3. virtue in sexual matters; chastity  4. a doctrine or system of morals.


    Yep, Bobby Petrino, the coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks, is struggling with that this morning. As we all are I guess. I compare Razorback football to being on the worlds greatest roller coaster...we have been on it for a long time, there have been some tremendous ups and downs so far, and we were clicking up the biggest hill slowly, with anticipation, even some of us have already raised our arms as we approached the apex...Here it comes...Weee..Clank..... Stuck. We, as the collective Razorback Fans sit crammed in our little cars waiting for the big Climax..a National Championship. we can look down and see it, we just cant get there. Instead, we are escorted off the ride by the attendant telling us the ride is broken....again...and we all walk away with some anger and uneasy tummies.

     I, like the rest of us, worried about the decision that was going to be rendered by Jeff Long, hoping things werent as bad as they seemed. Then when I got a whiff of him saying Petrino was released..I got mad. You've got to be kidding me! Are you crazy? We need him here to teach football not preach sermons! Then I tried to figure out who I was mad at. Jeff Long at first, then no....he was stuck, he had only one choice. The lies apparently run deeper than what we all have heard. Petrino Dammit!! What the Hell were you thinking? It makes me think that he didnt cherish his coaching job at U of A  near as much as we wanted to give him credit. We all like to think that the head Hog loves being there, wants to do it for the people, and would almost just do it for free. The reality of it is that it is just a job.

    The morning after, as i dressed for work wondering if football season was even going to be worth watching...I thought...sure it is. We have endured a great  deal lately as Hog Fans. Close call seasons, The Houston Nutt ordeal, Paul Eeels death, Garrett Uekmans death. We will prevail, rise above. This team is at the pinnacle, waiting for further greatness. Poised to storm down the hill running over anybody that stands in the way. I am proud of the University and Jeff Long for keeping integrity in the program. Go Hogs Go.

     So...Morality. Should we all look within ourselves to examine our own character. I have heard it stated that character is determined by what you do when no one else is around to see you. It is so hard to find people in the public eye that have good morals. When you take the top professions in the world that you shouldnt have to question morality, there are none. Priest molesting children, teachers having sex with students, police officers getting arrested, doctors killing people, you name it and there is an exception. Dont get me started on politicians!

     There it is, my opinion, take it or leave it. I just had to get that off my chest. Probably write another post since I am stuck at work all day, so check back.

And away we go..

In an attempt to vent myself to the world, as if anyone cares, I am starting along the path of blogging. Now the question...what the hell do I write about? I often have thoughts that transverse my brain, probably just passing through on the way to a better place, but I think I should wrangle them in and expose them for what they truly are. Now, if you are a lurking English professor, or Grammer Nut, Be Gone!! I will misspell things, and mutilate the queens English in a fashion unseen before. So shove your red ink pen where the sun don't shine! I plan on being uncensored and raw on this page, just typing what runs through my simple head as it comes to me, so, if your offended...so be it. You stepped into my world, I didn't wonder the streets to find you. Now, I will tell you,I you don't know me, that I am Very opinionated about things, but have a tendency to change my mind if influenced enough. This may come across as wishy washy, but it's how I am. I consider myself conservative, but the things I hear some conservatives say and see them do, I call into question. I am more middle of the road I guess than I like to admit. I will go into all that in future pages, don't worry. All this is leading up to my desire to be President of the United States one day. Yep, I said it, it's out there now. It is a tremendous journey, but I am Willing to travel it. I am sickened by the "system" we have now and what it takes to run for office in this country. I believe when our forefathers sat down and drafted the outlines for government office, they had no notion that it would someday turn into this hellish circus that we all endure today. This country is a working mans country. It isn't about monarchy, we fled one of those systems. Yet if your not willing to spend 100 million on a presidential campaign, you don't have a chance. Think about the money spent on political ads. It is obscene. If that money was put into programs for our children, or homeless, or hunger, this country would be untouchable! Careful now Jim, yiur sounding like a liberal! Anyway..more to come...